novelraw Chapter 151 : Money Reigns Supreme, Caution (1)
Chapter 151 : Money Reigns Supreme, Caution (1)
Money Reigns Supreme, Caution (1)
Late afternoon, Choi Byeonghun's officetel.
Most ordinary office workers would have been exhausted and waiting to get off work by now, but since Choi Byeonghun had a different activity schedule, this was actually when he was the most energetic.
"So, how'd it go?"
Unlike him, his two friends who had come over looked a little tired.
Lee Gyeongbok and Park Juho had grabbed a quick lunch with Yang Gyuri, then immediately met with a patent attorney for a consultation.
"It's a bit ambiguous."
"Ambiguous?"
At Park Juho's answer, Choi Byeonghun furrowed his brow. Lee Gyeongbok, sitting beside him, just shrugged his shoulders.
"But it was helpful, wasn't it?"
"Come on, which is it then?"
Choi Byeonghun, who'd only heard bits of what happened at the meeting, couldn't hold back his curiosity.
Park Juho adjusted his glasses and let out a short sigh.
"He's right. It was helpful. We heard about cases similar to ours, and got advice based on those. And it was even for free."
"Yeah? Then why the long face?"
Choi Byeonghun wrinkled his nose. Lee Gyeongbok answered in his place.
"The problem is, there were just too many different cases."
"Eh? Isn't it good if there are lots of references?"
"Well, only if there's a relevant category to compare with. But this time the spectrum was just too broad."
Park Juho let out another quick sigh.
"Apparently, overseas, even actors—not just voice actors—do their own voice-overs. Anyway, there are all sorts of categories for influencers, too."
"That's why we asked to look at streamer cases only."
"And to keep it fair, only cases with about the same level of fame. But even with that, games cover such a wide range. Some genres value narration a lot more, so..."
Depending on the genre and audience of the game, the size of the company, and other various factors, contract terms varied significantly.
"Still, shouldn't there be similar precedents out there?"
"Of course I looked for them, man. But this time the percentage changed depending on the price of the voice pack."
Lee Gyeongbok gave a stifled laugh as he answered.
"In the examples we selected, the royalty rate ranged anywhere from 0.5% to 10%."
"Jeez, it got so complicated I just gave up listening after a while. At least the patent attorney turned out to be trustworthy."
"He really was a good person. Even though we set up the meeting in a hurry, he was very accommodating."
At that, Choi Byeonghun gave a smile.
"Well, that's exactly what a human lie detector is supposed to do, isn't it? That's the most important part, right?"
"This guy—dropping that lie detector joke again."
"Should I call you a human scanner instead?"
As the two friends bantered, Park Juho jumped in.
"Anyway, in summary, we've decided to plan for possible scenarios based on the price standard for the voice pack proposed by the company."
"Having sample materials to refer to helps set standards. That should be enough, I think."
"Yeah, this is the best we can do."
Lee Gyeongbok silently agreed with Park Juho's answer.
'If anything goes wrong, I'll find out soon enough.'
He trusted his divine energy.
But this time, rather than letting divine energy make the call, he suggested the direction he wanted. If things seemed to head in the wrong direction, he could always just withdraw.
Fortunately, his divine energy remained calm.
"Still, this whole situation made me aware of a lot of things we need to improve."
Lost in thought, Park Juho spoke seriously.
"Improve?"
"We discovered our weak points—particularly in legal matters."
Lee Gyeongbok answered, but unlike Park Juho, he wasn't all that concerned.
"Hey, there's no rush. We've met the accountant that Genome hyung introduced, and now we've got a patent attorney too, right? We can keep expanding like this as needed."
A smile played at his lips.
In fact, this evolving situation made everything feel more enjoyable.
"Honestly, a month ago we wouldn't have imagined any of this. Doesn't it feel like our business is actually growing?"
At that, not only Choi Byeonghun but even Park Juho's stiff expression finally broke into a smile.
"Man, seeing the income go up is even more direct. I feel it every time I check the channel earnings page!"
"It really is fun. Compared to those days when we worked our butts off just to fill someone else's pockets, this is pretty much paradise."
Lee Gyeongbok's smile grew even wider at his friends' answers.
"Exactly. Which means we should focus on what we do best."
Not someone else's business, but their own.
That's why it was worth devoting their energy.
"Time to start the broadcast."
* * *
Demon Must Cry, experience Stream Day 5
"Trha! Welcome, everyone!"
With just that one greeting from Lee Gyeongbok, over ten thousand viewers watching the queue immediately reacted.
-(Perha-con)(Perha-con)(Perha-con)
― Replenishing Purple withdrawal ON!
― While I was waiting, I started sweating and shivering—am I the only one?
― What's with these Purple withdrawal symptoms, lol
― What's that dog chewing on now!? Tell him to put a twelve-hour broadcast in the homework conditions!
― Why is a day so long?
― It's because the rotational speed dropped, lol
― Oh, lol, the Earth is just slacking off!
― Honestly, if Earth watched a Godple stream, it'd spin at full power
― Right, lol, instant triple axel
― Purple viewers dropping jokes from the get-go, lol
― Astronomers weep, lol
Amidst the soaring chat, Lee Gyeongbok smiled.
['Addiction Management Support Center' has donated '50,000' won.]
[If you still have Purple withdrawal even with Purple channel, you're suffering from 'Purple paralysis.']
['MembershipTryItOutReview' has donated '10,000' won.]
[Hyung! Listening to the dub in a foreign language just made Durante sound even more like Durante since I couldn't understand it!]
['TweetyWagon' has donated '10,000' won.]
[Did you see that English translation tweet about the console version's order and Andro's relationship?]
Then a second wave of donations poured in. Lee Gyeongbok bowed his head lightly in thanks.
"Thank you so much for your support. If Purple withdrawal isn't cured with Purple channel, maybe watch it a few more times?"
― No! Please, increase the broadcast time already!
― Just bump up the view count, will you!
-5252, the opponent here is capitalism itself, right?
Since the broadcast had just started, Lee Gyeongbok casually responded to the donations.
"I watched the dub video too, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. As for Tweety, I'm not on SNS, so I don't really know. Let me remind everyone again, I'm playing without any prior information as a condition."
― Lol, even checked out the dub
― A real viewer indeed
― But really, sometimes it sounds cooler if you have no idea what they're saying
― Why doesn't Godple use SNS? He could refill his Purple withdrawal with it!
― That's true, lol
― Most smurfs who don't do face reveals at least use SNS, don't they?
― Immediate. SNS. Creation.
― Tweety or Stellagram, let's go
― Doesn't matter if you show your face or not, just give us some daily life!
― No no, dMs will flood with nerds
― Crazy people can track you down from photos, you know!?
― Lol, just leave it to Godple, he knows what he's doing!
With Tweety mentioned, the topic shifted to SNS. Normally, it wouldn't matter, but since this was an ad, Lee Gyeongbok quickly redirected attention.
"Alright, to give everyone more gameplay, I'll close donations for now. Let me run through the pending ones and we'll get started right away."
― A smurf who closes donations for the stream!?
― Don't fall for it! It's Purple amount's trap!
― LOL, there's a queue limit on donations anyway, it must already be full
― What? There's a donation queue?
― Queue... squeak squeak... uugh, my head...!
― Lol, you broke my placebo effect, people!
-???: That's why I hate sharp viewers!
― For real, if I hadn't seen the chat, time would have felt longer
― Placebo, so true, lol
In a lively mood, Lee Gyeongbok quickly read through the donations. The long-awaited moment for everyone had arrived.
"Alright, let's start the experience again!"
The background changed along with the game logo.
"So they're not going to reveal Andro and Beatrice's relationship, huh."
The cutscene opened with Durante at the gates of hell.
― No way! How could they do this to us!
― That dev team has real talent for getting on your nerves, I swear LOL
― Lol, just means the story clue is really important
― How can they leave us hanging like that after yesterday!
― Our Saint Goddess is pure! She just is!
Lee Gyeongbok smiled at the viewers' uproar. But those reactions were quickly silenced.
Durante had opened the gates, revealing one breathtaking scene.
"Wow."
Even Lee Gyeongbok let out a gasp of admiration.
Before his eyes stretched a vast continent, mountains and peaks—all formed from glittering gold and jewels.
Between them, rivers and creeks flowed not with water, but with sweet honey and fragrant wine.
It was a sight no one would ever believe belonged to hell.
― Capitalism ON!
― Lol, the concept is spot on
― Lol, it should be this extravagant in Greed's domain
― They put in all types of gems so the colors really pop
― Ruby, emerald, sapphire, is that topaz?
― The art team is killing it, lol
― At this level, is this hell or paradise on earth?
― So this is the Eden I was looking for^^
― Speed that Troopers fall to temptation, lol
Unlike the viewers, durante's reaction was cold. He glanced around before fixing his gaze in one direction.
"Whoever's in charge here has some real vanity."
The camera followed his gaze, landing on a castle, shining with dazzling golden light.
― Too on-the-nose, right?
― Obvious that Greed's domain lord is up there, lol
― Honestly, if they make it hard to find like the console version, I'll be mad
― LOL, putting it right in plain sight is the way to go
Everyone instantly sensed that was Durante's destination. And as if to match those expectations, durante began to move toward it.
But he had barely started when—
'An enemy.'
Lee Gyeongbok's intuition prickled with clammy discomfort.
Suddenly, a hill in that direction began to tremble. The trembling sent gemstones tumbling like waves.
"Huh?"
Durante leapt lightly over the wave, dodging it.
― What's that? Like a landslide?
― What's hell's management doing!? Where are the 'danger: falling rocks' signs!?
― Lol, gems are just rocks anyway
― Lol, what the heck is a hell management office, lol
― It's weirdly creepy seeing gems swarm like that, wow
― Huh? Something's coming out?
With the landing, the reason for the hill's collapse was revealed.
Buried beneath the gems, a mound of gold rolled and oozed, finally forming the shape of a rotund human.
"Durante!"
It let out a sinister wail, looking frantically around. Its hostility was obvious to anyone watching.
Durante's eyes narrowed as he aimed his pistol at the golden man and pulled the trigger.
With a burst of gunshots, the bullets struck the golden man's body.
― Real men: answer with bullets, not words
― Lol, that's not how a real man acts!
― Well, it's just devils here, so might as well attack on sight, lol
― Why is gold so sturdy though?
The bullets made a harsh metallic sound, but the golden man's body remained unscathed. Durante clicked his tongue and holstered his pistol.
This time, he drew his greatsword, just as he was about to charge in.
"You there! Where is Durante?!"
The golden man's words, clearly addressed to Durante.
Both Durante and Lee Gyeongbok, along with the viewers, had question marks above their heads.
― Eh?
― Looking for Durante right in front of Durante, lol
― Don't know who that is, but seems like the shouting type?
― What a pain, lol
― Oh, of course, that's just what devils do (nods)
The viewers were bewildered, and so was Durante.
"I'd bet there aren't any brains in that head."
He sneered, brandishing his greatsword.
"How dare you! Do you even know who I am?!"
That reply only inflamed the golden man's anger.
"I am the master of gold, the king of wealth! The illustrious Midas!"
The golden man—Midas—shouted, stretching out his hand.
"Any who step into my domain shall become my possessions! Come to me, gem minions!"
At that cry, the surrounding treasure shook and surged. From beneath, grotesque figures emerged, their bodies encased in various gems.
― Midas? As in that Midas?
― Yeah, pretty sure that's the inspiration
― Lol, how do you give a devil the name gem minion?
― What's up with these 'Gem minions'? LOL
-'Gem minion' actually sounds okay in English, wtf LOL
― Lol, time to teach these gem minions a lesson?
In Korea, those devil names carried a rather different connotation (?).
As laughter filled the chat, the gem minions quickly surrounded Durante. Midas, now smug, raised his voice.
"Where is Durante? Speak honestly and I'll exchange you for the most precious treasure here!"
"Why does he want to find Durante?"
Despite the devils' encirclement, durante looked bored.
"Of course, for revenge! All devils in hell desire it!"
"Heh, going for revenge when you don't even know who the target is?"
"What?"
"I don't really remember, but looking at you, I probably messed up somewhere. Sorry about that."
At those words, the chat filled with question marks. Durante... apologizing?
But then Durante twisted his lips at Midas.
"This time, I'll make sure to obliterate you without any mistakes."
― Lol
― Yeah, leaving someone like that alive is definitely a mistake
― Durante's trash talk is on another level
― Time for Perante to clean this up?
― Is it normal to meet the boss this early?
The viewers expected the fight to begin immediately. But the cutscene wasn't over yet.
Midas stared blankly at Durante, then burst into wild laughter.
"Durante? Are you saying you're Durante right now?"
With that question, durante's face darkened.
"What a waste of time. I'm sure I sensed Durante's soul..."
With that, midas melted back into liquid and vanished. Durante tried to chase, but was blocked by the gem minions.
"Huh? That's a clue, isn't it?"
Viewers immediately agreed with Lee Gyeongbok's comment.
― Yeah, there's definitely something here
― Durante isn't actually Durante?
― What's that supposed to mean!?
― I can't make sense of this story at all
― How's this all supposed to work out!?
― Guess we'll figure it out if we beat Midas?
― Hyung! Hurry up and deal with the gem minions!
With that, the cutscene ended and control was returned. Lee Gyeongbok gripped his greatsword and checked out the gem minions.
Soon, his new form moved without hesitation.
A gem minion struck and went sprawling across the floor with a metallic clang upon impact.
― That impact though!
― Feels like I'm at a batting center, lol
― Yeah, that clanging sound is crazy satisfying
― Isn't this basically a home run chance?
The viewers were loving it, but Lee Gyeongbok felt differently.
"They're all-in on defense, these guys."
As he said that, the struck gem minion stood back up. Amazingly, there wasn't a scratch on the surface of its jewel-studded body.
― Why do the trash mobs have such high defense?
― No damage at all?
― Doesn't look like the pistol will work either
― So what are you supposed to do here?
― Is it a sequence where you're supposed to escape instead of fighting?
― Try offsetting with the cube!
The chat was filled with rapid-fire opinions, some matching Lee Gyeongbok's own intentions.
"I don't think we need to run away."
He swung his greatsword at the charging gem minions.
But his attack style wasn't swordplay—it was more like swinging a baseball bat.
With every swing, that sharp metallic sound rang out loud and clear.
― Wow, the impact is amazing
― They should make this a minigame
― Yeah, this would be great for stress relief
― Guaranteed there'll be Q-tuber covers featuring this, lol
While the viewers enjoyed the spectacle, Lee Gyeongbok finally grabbed a gem minion as it charged in.
Manifesting the absorbed ability as a keyword—
"This one's a passive skill."
His gauntlet transformed, its surface interlaced with gemstone crystals just like those in the gem minion's body.
― Oh? So, higher defense?
― Lol, what's that for right now though!?
― Why doesn't the greatsword change?
― What, do you only block with the gauntlet?
But, unlike the previous elemental imbuements, none of the other equipment changed.
The viewers were confused, but Lee Gyeongbok at once found a use for it.
"Ah, this is it."
He sheathed his greatsword.
At first questions popped up in the chat, but it didn't take long for viewers to realize what he was doing.
Because he now took a boxing stance.
A gem minion rushed at him again. Lee Gyeongbok dodged it easily with a quick step, then threw a straight punch at the glaringly obvious opening.
This time, instead of the clean metallic sound, a sharp breaking sound rang out.
― Dang! That's it!
― That hit felt great too!
― Is this a stress relief stage or what!?
― Those gem minions really needed a wake-up call~
― He's definitely talking about those gem minions, right?
The minion's head split, bits of jewel scattering everywhere.
Still, Lee Gyeongbok's face was dissatisfied.
"So this is how it's meant to be handled, huh..."
Even after taking damage, the gem minion didn't fall.
"This is how first-timers should do it, but I'm going to try something else."
Lee Gyeongbok wasn't thrilled with this approach.
"Absorb, attack, repeat—it starts to feel a bit dull."
― Eh?
― Boring, really?
― Lol, might be dull from Godple's point of view
― Yeah, if we played, we'd be all Elden fan screaming
― Who else but a smurf could get bored because they're too good
― But isn't there no other way?
It was a forced close-range brawl with no weapons. Ordinary players would find it thrilling and rewarding, but Lee Gyeongbok felt differently.
"I'll clear this part quickly."
If he wasn't having fun, neither would the viewers—and that was the number-one rule of a broadcast run by Lee Gyeongbok.
He called up the cube's keyword.
But what he invoked was not the gem minion's power this time.
-????
― A whip?
― They're gems, so wouldn't they be immune to stuns?
― Is he just going to escape?
― There aren't any streetlights here, so you can't swing on a rope either
Seeing all the question marks rising in the chat, Lee Gyeongbok smiled faintly.
He swung the whip and snared a gem minion.
"If you can deal damage with the same material, you might as well use the big one."
With that remark, he spun at the waist in a wide arc. Pulled by that force, the captured gem minion traced a huge circle.
And along that arc, the other gem minions were charging straight at Lee Gyeongbok.
A series of smashing sounds followed as they collided.
― Wow, lol
― Lol, why bother hitting them one at a time
― Using a gem minion to hit other gem minions, what is this?
― Lol, this is peak efficiency
― This is gem-on-gem violence?
― Holy cow! So satisfying!
The gem minion used as a weapon was soon broken into pieces.
"Ah, it broke..."
Unfortunately, just one wasn't enough to wipe out the rest.
― Wow, lol
― He turns even devils into consumables...!?
― Devil (disposable)
― This is Black Company management for you!
-5252! Devils become mincemeat in Black Company's hands!
The viewers pounced on the situation with banter. But Lee Gyeongbok, being experienced, was not fazed.
"It's no problem—just use another one."
― Can you just say that so casually?
― Ha! Devil! Hurry and get out of our hell!
― Lol, why kick a devil out of hell?
-???: The abyss of human malice knows no bottom...!
― At this point, even Satan would start a workers' union
― Please, follow hell's labor laws, I beg of you
Lee Gyeongbok actually relished such banter.