Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast

Chapter 133 : V-STAR Tour (5)

V-STAR Tour (5)

Part 1, sweeties' mobile game trial, had ended.

As planned, Lee Gyeongbok participated in Part 2, the capsule experience event, together with Shin Hyerim.

"Purple-nim, nice to meet you! This is our first time greeting each other in person!"

"Yes, it is. I look forward to working with you."

Under Jung Soyoon's lead, Lee Gyeongbok exchanged greetings with Sweeties as well.

"My name is Purple, I'm working as an all-around game streamer on the Tri channel, and I'll be acting as your coach this time."

"Please take care of us!"

"I'll do my best!"

The Sweeties members replied with bright smiles. Yoon Nara did so too, but Lee Gyeongbok could tell.

'She really must be concerned.'

The muscles in her face had tensed ever so slightly.

― So envious T. T

― You mean Sweeties? Or Purple?

― Honestly, I'd be envious either way, lol

― Let me join too!

― Lol, what's so great about being a Trooper that you should be let in?

― Spldam, stop!

The viewers, unaware of this, were just having fun. Jung Soyoon also tried to maintain that mood.

"Now, let's reveal the game that Sweeties and Purple—SweetPurple—will experience together!"

― Lol, sweetPurple, lol

― See? I told you Soyoon-imo's got it!

― Yeah, serious sense

― SweetPurple, everyone agrees

― Our Godple really is sweet

The lively chat suddenly filled with '?' at the game logo reveal.

"It's a game everyone knows, right? A cute RPG beloved by all ages! We'll be playing through the tutorial part of 'Maple Story'!"

Jung Soyoon raised her voice.

However, the chat's reaction was a bit different.

― Lol, the microtransactions aren't cute, though

― Once you start paying, it sucks you in like a black hole, lol

― But honestly, there's no other game in the casual RPG genre like this ㅠ

― The game is great, but the management ruins everything......

― It is suitable for Sweeties to enjoy, at least

― If they played any other game, nara-unni wouldn't be able to sleep, lol

The viewers were cynical, yet understanding. Considering Sweeties' members—and especially the delicate(?) Yoon Nara—it was hard to pick just any game.

"Maple Story! Not quite as cute as Sweeties, but the monsters are adorable and it's super popular. Gameplay is easy and simple. But will it be easy for our Sweeties members? Let's check now!"

With that, Lee Gyeongbok and the Sweeties members logged into the game. The order started from the youngest and went up in turn.

"Sehee-ssi, please pick the weapon you want."

"Um......"

Usually, tutorials are done alone. But since this was specially set up as an event, Lee Gyeongbok could sit next to Sehee.

"Pick whatever you feel comfortable with."

"Then, I'll try the bow, the bow!"

When Sehee grabbed the bow, Lee Gyeongbok also smiled and took a bow. As soon as the weapons were picked, the background shifted.

A sunlit forest path with a cool breeze blowing by.

In the middle was a snail, the tutorial monster. Of course, it didn't look like a real snail, but a cute one straight out of a cartoon.

"Wow, isn't it too cute? Do I really have to catch this......"

Before Sehee had finished speaking—whoosh, an arrow shot out.

[Critical!]

A red message floated over the snail. Then its eyes turned into X's, and it slowly disappeared.

"Oh, I meant to demonstrate first."

Startled, sehee turned to look back, and Lee Gyeongbok gave a sheepish wry chuckle.

― Is this Perfect-style coaching?

― Lol, just showing them is the fastest way!

― His killer smile came out again, lol

― When he smiles... life disappears......

― Lol, this is hilarious

― Whether he was aiming to show off or not, that's a perfect clip

― By the way, that "Kingritical," what even is that!

― Godple, this isn't your first time with Maple, right?

― Coaching a game you're playing for your first time...?

― He pretends it's a demonstration but just gets the hang of it instantly, lol

― Just tried once and now acts like he knows everything?

― That's what you call 'Perfect Acquisition.'

The viewers laughed at the scene. Lee Gyeongbok cleared his throat and made sure Sehee, eyes wide, was refocused.

"Now then, let me explain step by step. First, just spread your feet comfortably......"

Even though it was his first time, Lee Gyeongbok coached skillfully.

For Sehee and the other members, all it took was a moment to adjust. With Lee Gyeongbok's explanations and posture corrections, they quickly cleared the tutorial.

And then—

"Please take care of me, Purple-nim!"

At last, it was Yoon Nara's turn.

She steeled herself with determination, her eyes focused.

― Nara-unni!!!

― So cool how she works so hard at everything

― Yeah, that's what you call leading by example

― The leader, a shining model for us all ㅠㅠㅠ

Viewers interpreted her look as passion, but Lee Gyeongbok thought differently.

'She's keeping a secret, something like that.'

He gave a small cough and addressed her the same as the others.

"Okay, let's do our best. Nara-ssi, please pick any weapon you want."

Other members had started with the bow, spear, and magic staff. All unfamiliar weapons to Lee Gyeongbok, but nothing hard to grasp.

The question was, what would Yoon Nara, notoriously bad(?) at games, pick?

"I'll go with this."

Unexpectedly, what she chose was—

"... A sword?"

A familiar longsword in her hand.

― That's definitely the right fit for Nara, lol

― Nothing to teach her then, huh?

― Seriously, is this the 'Elden's Only Sword' guy?

― Receiving swordsmanship from the Only Sword? I can't miss this, lol

― But you don't need fancy swordplay in Maple, lol

― Right, just swinging does damage, lol

― The monsters aren't even scary, just swing at them

― Godple can just sit back and watch lol

Viewers rated it as a wise decision. Even someone as timid(?) as Yoon Nara could clear the tutorial with ease.

'What on earth is she thinking?'

But Lee Gyeongbok was puzzled. If she was faking being bad at games, there was no reason to choose the sword.

Still, he could only play along for now.

"All right. Let's start with the basic moves. You just need to swing the sword horizontally, vertically, and diagonally to attack."

"Yes, yes!"

Yoon Nara replied in an extremely nervous tone. That, too, was probably acting.

She stood in front of the snail with the sword, closed her eyes tight, and swung down.

With a clanging metallic sound—

"No way..."

Lee Gyeongbok was speechless for a second.

Yoon Nara's sword didn't even touch the snail in front of her; it cut through the air and struck the ground.

― Loooooooooooool

-???: Seriously??

― Wow, first time I've seen Godple say "no way" like that

― So bad even Godple is thrown off!

-(Too terrible) It's shocking!

The viewers found it more hilarious than ridiculous. Lee Gyeongbok gave a wry chuckle.

― Even Godple can't help but laugh at these skills!

― That smile's a different kind, lol

― That's our Nara! The only one who can fail at something everyone else can do!

― With that body, it's amazing to be this bad at games

― What's with the snail closing its eyes in fear too!

― How can the eldest unni be this cute, lol

Viewers figured Lee Gyeongbok laughed because of her skills. That was half-right, half-wrong.

'If it was her real skill, she could slice that snail into fifty pieces.'

He recalled his duel with NewtonLord rather than Yoon Nara. Having faced her sword directly, he knew her skills better than anyone.

If it were NewtonLord, she'd turn the snail into a jigsaw PerG-Day set in a second.

But before him now, yoon Nara looked back at Lee Gyeongbok as if her palm stung, wearing a teary expression.

"Well..."

"I'll try again!"

Before he could say anything, yoon Nara grabbed the sword again.

Pretending to gather her courage, she opened her eyes wide and swung the sword diagonally.

Perhaps because she didn't close her eyes this time, the sword actually made contact with the snail—but...

"Kya!"

Surprisingly, the sword slipped along the snail's shell, ricocheting off. She'd used such force she lost her balance and toppled to the side.

― Lol, another master fail, lol

― It'd be hard to fail this badly on purpose, seriously lol

-!Gamnabit

― This is a kind of art

― Yeah, nara really is an artist

― Let's stop teasing our Nara!

― If you're Korean, let's cheer for Nara!

― What's this patriotism meta, lol

Viewers burst into laughter again.

But Lee Gyeongbok didn't laugh.

Viewers thought it was simply his "coach" side, but that wasn't the real reason.

'So that's why she chose the sword...'

Others wouldn't notice, but he saw through it.

The moment Yoon Nara's sword met the snail's shell, her sword trajectory twisted at lightning speed.

She completely halted the force mid-swing and traced the shell's surface, making it look like a smooth, accidental slip.

"Are you all right?"

Lee Gyeongbok crouched down, as if to help the fallen Yoon Nara, lips moving.

'This much?'

She could probably understand his meaning just from his mouth movements.

"Uh... yes, I'm fine. I can get up by myself."

Voice low, yoon Nara refused his help, dusted herself off, and stood up.

"That's good. I thought the coaching would be tough, but didn't expect it to be this challenging."

"Urgh... but I'll keep at it until I get it!"

Lee Gyeongbok smiled at her reply.

As she stood up, she answered him with just her mouth, matching his own silent speech.

'For the fans.'

Yoon Nara was a pro.

Lee Gyeongbok respected her dedication.

'Just as I want the viewers to have fun...'

Yoon Nara had to remain an 'idol' to her fans until the very end.

He decided to go along with her for the rest of the event.

* * *

The event with Sweeties finished.

Lee Gyeongbok and Shin Hyerim immediately moved to the prearranged afternoon schedule, starting a tour of capsule games.

They went around various booths, watching new game releases and trailers, sometimes trying games and participating in prize events.

During the tour, Lee Gyeongbok ran into a familiar corporate logo.

"Oh, this booth is CAP COMPANY."

He spoke first, ahead of Shin Hyerim for once.

It was the company of the first game he played as streamer Purple, so the feeling was special.

― Lol, gaeGgum!

― But honestly, it's not GaeGgum anymore

― Yeah, the company that made Bark, which launched Godple's era

― Though even with any game, godple would soar, wouldn't he?

― Oh, true!

― GaeGgum, don't get cocky!

― That's quite the leaf-turn

― GaeGgum's gonna cry!

The viewers welcomed it, too.

Though they nicknamed it "GaeGgum," it was a game studio everyone respected.

"Yes, fans of Purple will know this one! This is the booth of CAP COMPANY! True to its reputation, they've brought several titles here!"

Shin Hyerim pointed to the CAP COMPANY booth, set up for general visitors outside the MetaGamer special area.

Unlike other booths, which focused on a single game, this one was divided into sections by game.

"Oh! Bark President! Welcome, sir!"

Suddenly, a waiting staffer called Lee Gyeongbok 'Bark President' and greeted him. Both Shin Hyerim and Lee Gyeongbok opened their eyes wide in surprise.

The staffer grinned, unfazed by their reaction.

"Ha-ha, I wonder if you remember me. I was the staffer handling donations back when you streamed Bark. Do you remember?"

"Oh, don't tell me—"

"Yes! That's me!"

At the staff's answer, Lee Gyeongbok's expression went from surprise to joy.

And what Lee Gyeongbok felt, the viewers felt too.

― Lol, is that the guy who had to write an apology report?

― Wow, I totally remember that

― Godple did a king-run, forced staff into overtime, lol

― That was hilarious, for real lol

― The one who sent a giant donation after hearing Trooper's words?

― Purple viewer memory is amazing, lol

Purple's very first concrete fanbase had been Bio Crisis players.

Old stories spooled out in the chat.

"Wow, so good to see you! Didn't expect to see you here."

"To tell the truth, it's not a coincidence."

"Huh?"

"I volunteered for Channel 3 after hearing that Godple-nim would be here."

The staff's answer caused another wave of laughter in the chat.

― Lol, after GunG, another "fan lucky" appears

― Calling him Godple out loud, lol

― Wow, that's a true fan, respect

― Just pay him to do the job at this rate!

― At this rate, godple's making fans at every company he covers

― When a god goes somewhere, followers arise naturally, right?

― Calling him disciple, lol

-[PerMan][Purplelelujah](prayer emote)

― Lol, it's been ages since we saw that word emote!

― Is this a regression?

― Lol, why does it feel like ages ago even though it was just a couple months?

While waiting for the excitement to settle, Shin Hyerim spoke up.

"This is the V-STAR venue, full of happy reunions and fun experiences. Now, what game will CAP COMPANY be introducing at their booth?"

Urged to keep the program flowing, the staffer clapped his hands.

"Ah, yes yes. Normally, I'd be introducing the games assigned to this booth, but! However...!"

"However?"

"Because Godple-nim and MetaGamer are visiting, headquarters prepared a special surprise!"

He beamed as he raised his voice.

-?

― Surprise?

― What is it? What's he hinting at?

― Something big coming?

― Are they going back to GaeGgum ways?

― GaeGgum, I've got feelings, too!

― If you trample my feelings like this, I'll turn gangster!

― Stop hyping it up!

Anticipation and anxiety rippled through the chat.

Before continuing, the staffer lightly tapped his Smart Link.

With that, the special booth's interior began to transform.

A shabby office with a red coat hanging on a rack, a huge sword on the wall, and two pistols on the desk.

-???

― What's this?

― New game?

― Wait... could it be?

― Insane, wow

― They're not trolling us, right? Really?

Chat responses divided between the clueless and those who recognized it from just those objects.

The staffer spoke again in the midst of confusion.

"This is a world-first, exclusive reveal."

He confidently finished operating the Smart Link.

As he did, the neon sign on the office door flickered red.

[Demon Never Cry.]

Shin Hyerim gasped.

As a game journalist, she instantly identified the game.

Moments later, the neon sign buzzed and the phrase changed.

[Demon Must Cry.]

― WA!

― Crazy!!!!!!!!!!!

― DMC! DMC! DMC! DMC!

― Is Demon Must Cry coming out for capsules?!

― Waaah! So glad I stayed alive! Waaah! So glad I stayed alive!

― Shut up and take my money! Shut up and take my money!

― So happy, I'm wailing in all four directions!

The chat was wild with excitement, and the booth buzzed with vibration.

Fans at the venue cheered too.

'Is this game really that big?'

Lee Gyeongbok's eyes went wide. Shin Hyerim picked up on his expression and quickly started explaining.

"E-everyone! Demon Must Cry, dMC, is back! The legendary work that defined the stylish action genre! This is truly astonishing news!"

Demon Must Cry, abbreviated "DMC."

A series with five entries, plus anime and novel adaptations.

Its huge popularity was thanks to its flashy action and production.

Known as the origin of "stylish action," it profoundly influenced later games.

And now Demon Must Cry had been made into virtual reality.

'World's first, exclusive reveal... this really is a scoop among scoops!'

Shin Hyerim felt as if she were in a dream. But there was something even more shocking.

"We're asking for Purple-nim to have the honor of the first play of this game."

Just revealing Demon Must Cry's existence was shocking enough, but asking him to present it to the world as well?

And there hadn't even been any prior contract. CAP COMPANY was announcing it openly, of their own accord.

In other words—

'They'll match whatever conditions he wants?'

It was proof of just how highly the company valued him.

***

**New Terminology List**