NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13
Beta Test Day Is Just One Day Away
“How many people signed up to be beta testers?”
“So far, there are 9.78 million.”
Only 1,000 beta testers would be selected.
But 9.78 million had applied?
Rounding up, that’s roughly 10 million.
That means one in five people passing by is a beta tester applicant.
This beta tester application was limited to adults only.
They even had to provide personal information and a home address.
Oh, and the reason for asking for a home address was to deliver the capsules.
Regardless, it was quite the hassle to sign up, and yet this happened.
‘Does this even make sense?’
That thought crossed my mind for a moment.
‘If it made sense, then this situation must be happening.’
The question quickly faded away.
“It’s nearly time to close applications.”
Now, it was past midnight.
I wrapped up the beta tester registration.
“Final count: 9.89 million.”
Looks like a last-minute rush.
Whether due to circumstances, lack of interest, or just general disinterest.
Those who struggled to decide seemed to flood in at the end.
The official site even crashed for a moment.
―――
[Title] F**k! The site crashed, can’t apply!
I was about to give up, but suddenly wanted to try it out.
Just as I entered the official site to apply, it crashed. F**k.
Upvotes: 10 Downvotes: 0
―――
[Comment 7]
Absolutely!!! Never doing beta tester applications again, LOL.
N—f**k, f**k, f**k!
N—lazy turtle! Haha.
N—go pick a lunch menu in an hour, typical.
N—LOL!
N—If I had a friend like that, I’d seriously want to slap him.
N—Low kick endure Lv.999
―――
With the official site crashing, victims began to emerge.
But it was their fault, not mine.
‘Who told them to apply right before the deadline?’
The crash happened because those kinds of people flooded in at the last moment.
Hmm, so this isn’t my fault.
“Now all that’s left is the draw.”
What’s the big deal? I was extremely nervous.
For no particular reason, I was.
I was shaking more than when I first took part in a launch ceremony in another world.
When I gave a speech as a hero to boost the morale of the allied forces, I felt less off than I do now.
No matter how I compared it, I was ten times more uptight at this moment.
All that remained was to push the button for the draw.
“Master.”
I halted my hand that was about to press the button.
“Is there a problem?”
At my question, Akachan seemed to ponder for a moment before responding seriously.
“We will live-broadcast your drawing on the official channel.”
What?
“A live broadcast?”
“Yes.”
Akachan looked at me with unwavering eyes.
That confident look made me feel that it wasn’t just a simple prank.
“Um… is there really a reason for that?”
What’s the gain from doing the draw live?
It didn’t seem particularly needed or warranted.
“Well… Master, you’re quite pretty.”
“Excuse me?”
Suddenly throwing compliments about my looks, are we?
Of course, it’s hard to deny that, it’s just fact.
“Since coming to Earth, analysis has shown that the director’s ability significantly affects the game’s success.”
“That… makes sense.”
There was a director famous even before I fell into this other world.
That director actively communicated with players, unlike many game companies that treated customers like pigs.
Even after ten years in another world, I never once forgot about that director.
“A beautiful director. A rare character that doesn’t exist anywhere else, and likely won’t in the future. To not utilize such a character is a mockery and an insult to the industry.”
“Is that so?”
Was Akachan always this articulate?
This wasn’t the Akachan I knew.
My small and precious Akachan had changed.
‘Of all times….’
Akachan’s appearance as a cool, dere maid girl added to her persuasive power.
With a very serious expression and tone, how could her argument lack credibility?
“Bu-but Akachan? Akare is doing just fine with sales…”
“No. Even though we have the title of ‘First Virtual Reality,’ our current achievements are lacking. That’s our inability.”
A heavy hitting fact came at me unexpectedly.
Due to her assertive tone, the mental damage felt doubled.
I felt a bit dizzy for a moment.
‘But it’s all true.’
The fact that the ‘Beautiful Director’ character who’s never existed is incredibly appealing.
That the director’s ‘ability’ plays a very important role in a game’s success.
And that despite the title of the ‘First Virtual Reality,’ we haven’t broken 10 million in users.
‘All… facts.’
So what should I do?
Amidst my agony, I felt a breath on my ear.
“Live.”
Akachan’s whisper drifted on that breath.
That whisper echoed constantly in my ears.
“Please make it happen.”
This enticing feeling seemed like the whisper of a devil.
If I continued like this, my head might go haywire, so I instinctively opened my mouth.
“I-I’ll do it!”
“……”
Grinning, it was as if Akachan had been waiting for that response.
***
[Indie Minor Game Gallery]
Today was a very special day in the in-game gallery.
It was the day of revealing Akare’s beta testers.
―――
[Title] Breaking News) Beta Tester Draw to Be Held Live!
(An image of a cat reminiscent of a grandmother)
It’s not just for this time… it’s real!
(A notice stating that the draw will be held live)
The director will personally conduct the draw?
They’ll announce the beta testers today and ship the capsules by tomorrow before the beta test opens.
Upvotes: 603 Downvotes: 0
―――
[Comment 500]
I almost lost it after seeing the first image.
N—ugh, PTSD is rising.
N—My hands and feet are shaking, ughhhh!
N—222222
They said 10 million applicants, can we really handle that?
N—Handle what?
ZGVPdDc2cnQxMFU0bVlrbnZITXlVdXRRR1JTTFc0bnNSMnZ2SlYzajd5czVwMEs1VTlHUnlHMDY1MjF5czI3eWlTTHdvdjdU
N—We’re talking about those who didn’t get picked.
N—Haha.
―――
Akare’s game company was all about mystery.
Not figuratively, but really, there wasn’t much known.
How they developed virtual reality or why their first creation was a game remained a mystery.
The Akare game company was an enigma.
In such a situation, the ‘director’, who was virtually the overall responsible person, would conduct the live draw?
It was inevitable that the public’s attention would be drawn to this structure.
Fans of Master Kim among those who saw the live announcement eagerly awaited him to start streaming.
But.
[Master Kim’s Notice – Today Streaming Canceled (I’ll watch live alone)]
Master Kim threw his fans for a loop.
Angry fans of Master Kim headed to his channel.
Even if he’s not streaming, they could still chat in the chat box.
As a result, many fans flooded Master Kim’s chat with hateful comments, turning it into hell.
They intended to keep burning down the chat until he started streaming.
But even after some time, there was still no sign of Master Kim starting his stream.
Tired of spamming, they returned to their main base to post comments.
―――
Master K—f**k, he’s watching the gallery, stream it now [6]
Historic non-stop stream of the New Master [10]
Master Akare is personally conducting the live draw? How can I resist? [5]
Crazy guys saying they didn’t even watch in the first place… [12]
It’s just WWE, why get confused with UFC, LOL [20]
―――
Now, with Master Kim declaring a break while monopolizing a huge portion of Akare-related shares.
“Wait, there’s a live beta tester draw for Akare? I signed up for that, should I check it out? Maybe I’ll get lucky.”
“Are you watching Akare’s live? Hmm… I’m not sure. What? Dae-sik is watching too? Then we should watch together!”
“I’m honestly a bit curious. The representative figure of the first virtual reality game company? I wonder what type of person they are. Aren’t you all curious? Or is it just me?”
Thanks to Master Kim’s existence, which is like a black hole for viewers, even big Twitch channels facing tough times lately started mentioning Akare and began absorbing lost viewers.
And the writhings of those big companies began to spread across various communities related to streams.
[Streaming Gallery]
―――
What’s Akare, why is everyone freaking out? [138]
Is virtual reality really true? [54]
Black hole streamer takes a break, LOL [120]
Honestly, I’d rather play than watch [77]
Domestic RPG’s stock rates keep hitting the bottom, LOL [80]
―――
[Title] Black hole streamer takes a break, LOL
(Master Kim’s break announcement image)
(An image of a big company talking about Akare 1)
(An image of a big company talking about Akare 2)
(An image of a big company talking about Akare 3)
The big companies, pretending not to care about Akare, are now attempting to reel in viewers ever since the black hole streamer declared a break.
Such people are one of the banners of the national portal site, sigh.
Upvotes: 300 Downvotes: 25
―――
[Comment 120]
The faces of big companies look so bright, LOL.
N—They’re grinning at the thought of reeling in Akare viewers.
N—Do they have no pride? For real.
N—This is just disgraceful for big corporations.
Meanwhile, the fact they all applied is the best punchline.
N—But it’s kinda weird not to apply.
N—If you’re Korean, let’s go for domestic RPGs.
N—But Akare is also a domestic RPG, right?
―――
[Title] Domestic RPG stock rates keep hitting the bottom, LOL
(An image of a plummeting graph)
Excluding unlisted company S, all gaming companies offering domestic RPGs have seen stock prices plummet.
All those treating users like pigs are all normalizing now, LOL.
Upvotes: 190 Downvotes: 50
―――
[Comment 80]
Please stop stirring up trouble and just go away.
N—The one who should leave is you, right?
N—U! U! U! Rice! Rice! Rice!
N—Is it because rice prices dropped that you’re sensitive?
Is Akare that influential?
N—Rated as the greatest of all time in gaming history confirmed.
N—The buzz is almost on par with our king.
N—Siuuuuuuu
―――
While several major corporations were busy with preparations in the meantime.
[Sweet’s stream has started. – Talk in 1 second]
The stream of the streamer with the highest follower count began.
―――
“Crystal-clear static king on [3]
The guy who took a three-day break is back on [1]
He’s now streaming to bait viewers. [2]
Greatest in streamer history, GOAT on [3]
―――
Consequently, posts quickly popped up in the gallery to relay this.
“Ah, can you hear me? Ah, I can hear you. Nice to see you all.”
―――
“Did you all have a good trip?”
You look a lot brighter than before!
Saw you hanging out with two ladies, Wit?
Gasp!
What are you talking about?
―――
“What do you mean you saw me with two ladies? Sorry, I was with smelly guys.”
His communication with the viewers already exceeded over 20,000 viewers.
He could truly be called a leading figure on the platform.
―――
ㅇㅇ donated 10,000 won
– Wit, are you interested in Akare?
―――
While sorting out the earphone cords, Sweet turned to the faintly audible donation sound.
“Oh, Akare? Is there anyone who’s not interested in it?”
―――
Gasp!
What? Are you targeting someone? (Real question)
Not targeting, that’s like a mass shooting!
Hmm… who could it be?
―――
Although Sweet likely spoke that without any malice.
For viewers watching multiple streams, too many streamers referred were too obvious.
“Listen, everyone. I’m seriously warning you. If you mention or disrespect other streamers, you’re getting the boot immediately. No exceptions here.”
―――
Yep!
I’m scared!
So, did you apply for the beta tester?
―――
“I applied for the beta tester while I was traveling. Right before boarding the plane.”
Sweet started sharing travel stories, accessing the MTube on dual monitors.
Then he moved to the official Akare channel he had subscribed to and searched for the live announcement video.
“Wow, guys, check this out.”
Sweet shared what he saw with viewers on the dual monitor.
“It’s a live announcement, and already 300,000 people are waiting. What’s up with this?”
―――
300,000?
When the live starts, it’ll likely exceed 1 million.
Akare’s scale is insane!
I really hope Sweet gets selected.
―――
Before beginning the stream, Sweet took a sip of coffee he had set up on his desk.
“The number of beta tester applicants is 10 million, right? Out of which, only 1,000 will be selected. So, what are the odds?”
Though he verbally expressed he didn’t stand a chance,
He couldn’t deny the faint lingering hope he had inside.
“These days, there aren’t many games to play. That’s why I went on a trip.”
When the games to play on streams dwindled, and if he falls into a rut,
Sometimes it’s necessary to take a break from streaming to recharge and enjoy leisure time.
But this time, even though he returned refreshed, there weren’t any games to play.
In such a situation, Sweet earnestly wished for one thing.
To be selected as a beta tester for the Akashic Record.
“Oh. The countdown is about to start.”
[00:59] [00:58]···
What type of person is the director who implemented the first virtual reality?
“5 seconds. 4 seconds. 3 seconds. 2 seconds···”
Sweet counted down with excitement in his voice.
[00:00]
Finally, the countdown reached zero.