Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast

Chapter 3 : The Tutorial is Too Easy (1)

The Tutorial is Too Easy (1)

With smooth foam, the fizzy liquid stimulated his throat.

After lightly emptying a 500cc glass, Lee Gyeongbok looked at the friend across from him.

"This is bullshit."

A lifelong friend.

Choi Byeonghun, a friend of ten years since high school, let out a deep sigh.

"That bastard doesn't even know his own place, you know? To be blunt, 70% of his subscribers are thanks to me."

"Bullshit."

"... You could at least agree with me. Still, honestly, half are thanks to me. Anyway, can you believe he just cuts off a founding contributor like me like that?"

Choi Byeonghun frowned, miming a chop to his neck with his hand.

"So what did you say that got you fired?"

"Well, the number of viewers started dropping lately, right? New subscribers are slowing down too. But that's totally normal."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. But he couldn't handle it and started getting really anxious. So I comforted him and did all sorts of crazy stuff to calm him down. I told him if he just sticks to his style a little longer, things will take off. But then... ha..."

Choi Byeonghun gulped down his beer as if his insides were burning.

"In the end, he ignored your advice and copied another Q-tuber?"

"Exactly! I tried to stop him, but he went nuts and told me to piss off if I was going to be like that, so I left."

"Who's the new editor?"

"You think he'll tell me? He probably picked up some nobody just because they're cheap. I bet you, they'll run away before a month is up."

"Then he'll want you back? Can you get rehired?"

When Lee Gyeongbok asked with a smirk, Choi Byeonghun shuddered.

"Ugh, nope. I should have just listened to you from the start."

"You completely ignored me when I said this felt off and not to rush the contract."

"Ah, I know now... Stop it. I'm already regretting it, seeing my life flash before my eyes."

"From now on, listen to your hyung, okay?"

At Lee Gyeongbok's joking tone, Choi Byeonghun had no retort. Instead, he picked up a soju glass and a beer glass and mixed them together.

"Tsk, I thought things would work out somehow. Anyway, what about you?"

"Me?"

Choi Byeonghun, preparing his own drink, poured into Lee Gyeongbok's empty glass.

Lee Gyeongbok didn't answer until the beer was filled to the top. Then, without a word, he clinked glasses again.

Once the glasses were empty, Choi Byeonghun glanced over carefully.

"... Is it serious?"

"Well, it's not that serious for me."

Lee Gyeongbok let out a hollow laugh. But as he explained, Choi Byeonghun exploded in anger.

"Isn't he totally insane?!"

"Hey, lower your voice."

"Wow, so he's not just an ordinary bastard—he's a great bastard, huh?"

He'd already heard a few times that Gyeongbok's supervisor was strange. But he never expected to be framed.

As if waiting, Choi Byeonghun waved it off.

"Hey, forget it. Be honest, it wasn't even a good company, right?"

"That's true."

"And like I always say, you and sales just don't mix. I mean, that—"

Choi Byeonghun trailed off, glancing around carefully to check if anyone was listening.

But in the noisy atmosphere of the bar, no one overheard their conversation.

"I mean, your 'thing' just doesn't vibe with sales."

Even after more than ten years of friendship, Choi Byeonghun couldn't find a better term to refer to Lee Gyeongbok's "thing."

Ever since they were young, Lee Gyeongbok would sometimes act out of the ordinary.

He'd suddenly stop and space out, or stare intently at people he barely knew.

But more impressive was his ability to judge people—he always picked out those who'd be trouble.

Calling it "intuition" felt lacking, and "hunch" sounded too trivial.

"Companies don't value your efforts."

"... There's no way to explain it, so what can you do."

"My point exactly."

If Lee Gyeongbok thought a business partner looked risky, he'd step back. But he couldn't explain his reasoning clearly.

Someone like Choi Byeonghun, a longtime friend, could accept it, but to others, he just came across as difficult.

And that went double for the company.

He'd naturally be regarded as lazy or incompetent, so it was no surprise his work life wasn't smooth.

"Let's be honest, who's losing out here? It's their loss, not yours. Letting an expert at judging people go, that company's not going to last long, either."

"What am I, a chick inspector?"

When Lee Gyeongbok snorted, Choi Byeonghun laughed with him.

"Just a saying, you know. But really, neither of us ever meets anyone who truly recognizes us. Is this what Zhuge Liang felt before meeting Liu Bei?"

"There you go again..."

"Seriously, we'd be successful if we just met the right people. Someone who recognizes our true worth... someone who would visit three times to recruit us..."

Choi Byeonghun, chewing on the bar snacks, stopped mid-sentence. His pupils widened slightly as he looked at Lee Gyeongbok.

"Hey, come to think of it, you used to game a bit, right?"

"Huh?"

"Speaking of three invitations, remember in high school, you got scouted by three different teams?"

"Oh, that..."

Lee Gyeongbok trailed off with a bitter smile.

One popular path for unmotivated students was gaming, and Lee Gyeongbok was no exception.

The difference was, he was so skilled that he'd even considered going pro.

"Hey, ever thought about streaming?"

When Choi Byeonghun nudged the question, Lee Gyeongbok frowned.

"Streaming what?"

"Game streaming, what else. Do you think I'm telling you to be a male cam streamer?"

Even while snickering, Lee Gyeongbok waved his hand dismissively.

"Are you nuts? Did you forget why I quit gaming?"

When he'd received those offers, Lee Gyeongbok thought it was his chance.

But for some reason, whenever he played after that, he suffered mysterious pain.

He only learned from his grandmother that this was the price of using his spiritual energy.

Back then, he barely managed to take the tryouts, but the result was as bad as it could get.

Afterward, every time he tried to play games, he'd fall ill, so he eventually gave up. Worse, other bad things happened, so he just forgot about games.

"So, what, that was 'spiritual sickness'?"

"Probably."

Spiritual sickness.

Usually a term for the illness that comes when a shaman refuses to accept spiritual guidance.

Of course, Lee Gyeongbok wasn't a shaman, but there wasn't a better word for it.

Lee Gyeongbok tried to change the subject. But Choi Byeonghun wasn't about to give up so easily.

"But you're okay now, right?"

"Huh?"

"These days, capsules are all the rage, unlike our time."

With the advancement of virtual reality technology, the history of gaming entered a new era.

Capsule VR devices made virtual reality as real as daily life. Regular computers were now used mostly for work, and even those were disappearing.

"Plenty of people play games with physical disabilities or discomfort. Which is why even talentless streamers like that bastard... ah, now I'm pissed off again."

Choi Byeonghun exaggeratedly ran his hand through his hair, watching Lee Gyeongbok's reaction.

"Anyway, it's not about your body but your mind. Maybe you'll be fine now?"

"Hmm..."

Watching his friend tap his own head, Lee Gyeongbok hummed. Now that he thought about it, it made sense.

'Me, stream?'

Lee Gyeongbok's memories drifted back to his school days.

To times when he just played for fun, when people were surprised by his gaming skills, when that attention felt satisfying.

He wasn't the type to get shy in the spotlight.

"But... maybe physical movement is different?"

During that thought, Choi Byeonghun smirked provocatively. It was an obvious move, but Gyeongbok decided to play along.

"Should I give it a try?"

"A try?"

"I've had a few drinks today, so maybe not tonight; how about tomorrow?"

"Deal?"

"Deal."

The two friends laughed and clinked glasses.

* * *

The next day.

"Welcome."

The capsule room employee greeted them in a businesslike tone. Two men, early in the morning on a weekday.

The employee hoped the two wouldn't be trouble and forced a smile.

"Can I register an account here?"

"Yes, you can."

"Hey, Lee Gyeongbok."

Choi Byeonghun waved at Lee Gyeongbok.

Coming to a capsule room for the first time, Lee Gyeongbok was looking around at the changed facilities.

"Come over here and do your biometric authentication."

"Wow... it's really improved. Looks like a capsule hotel in here."

"If you say that somewhere else, people will ask if your spine is straight. Just register already."

Prompted by his friend, Lee Gyeongbok deliberately walked even slower. But the joking only lasted a moment.

He placed his hand in the authentication reader. After fingerprint and vein scan, his identity popped up.

"Are you Lee Gyeongbok?"

"Unless someone attached another hand to me, yeah."

"Can't you just shut up for once?"

When Choi Byeonghun replied with a grin, Lee Gyeongbok shot back.

The employee, struggling to maintain a professional face, widened his eyes at the on-screen information.

"Ah... you have no capsule usage history at all?"

"Ah, yeah."

"I'm sorry, one moment. I assumed you were registering as a capsule room member..."

The employee apparently never expected to find an adult with no capsule history.

That's how rare someone like Lee Gyeongbok was now.

"Yes, you're registered. Usage time is..."

"Just bill me afterwards."

"Sure, understood. Please use capsule A-6."

The two of them walked to the assigned capsule. After a brief explanation of how to use it, Lee Gyeongbok opened the capsule.

"I'll wait outside, just in case."

Choi Byeonghun's expression turned serious. There was always the chance that spiritual sickness would recur.

Lee Gyeongbok nodded and lay down inside the capsule.

As he activated it, following the instructions, his view switched instantly.

"Whoa."

Just moments before he had been lying down, but now Lee Gyeongbok could feel his feet on the floor.

"Holy shit..."

Even his clothes had changed.

Strangely, the texture, touch, and even the faint smell of the fibers all felt real.

Although he'd been told what to expect, experiencing it was something else.

'At least it doesn't hurt.'

His brief awe was soon replaced by worry.

Fortunately, though, he didn't feel any pain like before. Still, his tense body didn't relax easily.

[For synchronization, please move your body lightly.]

Next, a blue system message appeared before his eyes. Lee Gyeongbok followed instructions and stretched slightly.

"Wow... this is crazy."

Another round of awe followed.

His mind knew this body was fake, just data, but his physical sensations said otherwise.

From the tips of his toes to the crown of his head, everything felt exactly like his real body.

[Sync complete.]

[Feel free to move around.]

With a friendly message, a mannequin–like those used in car crash simulations–appeared in the blank white space.

"... This is nuts."

Lee Gyeongbok threw a light punch and kick at the dummy, then gradually increased the intensity.

'Well, I guess this is where it's not real.'

In real life, his body would be throbbing from the backlash, and after such intense movement, he'd at least break a sweat.

But here, only the satisfying impact remained—a perfect hit with no sweat and total comfort.

'But...'

He sensed something off.

Sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste—all felt vivid. But there was something his five senses couldn't explain, a bizarre sensation that tugged at his mind.

'Is it always like this in VR?'

Nobody was around to answer his question. Since it wasn't uncomfortable, Lee Gyeongbok let it go.

[Are you feeling comfortable now?]

Another system message appeared.

[Would you like to try a physical ability test?]

[(The test is not mandatory. You may also choose to finish the tutorial.)]

Below that, a short video was playing, explaining the test type.

[Obstacle course]

[Avoid unpredictable obstacles and make it to the goal! Speed matters, but never forget caution!]

In the video, a person ran quickly and lost balance when a pillar shot out from a wall.

That alone was enough to get the point.

Obstacle courses were a core element of virtual reality, serving as a basic test for the essential skills in gaming: decision-making, adaptability, "brain-ical" design (how one thinks through the setup), as well as physical attributes like strength, stamina, speed, and reflexes.

When entering virtual reality, this tutorial was the first thing everyone faced.

The "VR silver spoon theory," which ranked people by their tutorial records, had heated up Korea.

After a brief pause, Lee Gyeongbok limbered up.

'If I get a good score, I should ask Byeonghun about his, too.'

Thinking about teasing his friend, Lee Gyeongbok pressed confirm with a smile.

Just as when the dummy appeared, the space changed instantly.

The wide room suddenly sprouted walls and dimmed lights. Obstacles would appear from the pitch–black edges of the corridor.

"Huh?"

The timer began with the start signal, but Lee Gyeongbok didn't move.

He simply blinked and looked around.

'What's this?'

He couldn't see the hidden obstacles, nor could he hear them. No scent, and touching them was out of the question.

And yet—

'Strange.'

From the darkness below the floor, from the ceiling, and so on—

He could sense the presence of obstacles.

Then it dawned on Lee Gyeongbok.

His spiritual energy was manifesting—without any pain.

'Is this a bug?'

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Hmmm...

Nice reason to try VR...

Can't function properly IRL because of overwhelming divine power.

It's got a slow start, ngl...

But I have a feeling that he'll be good at whatever class he picks...

Meaning, if you don't like an overpowered protagonist that can do everything and solve every problem easily, this novel might not be for you...

Give this novel 10 chapters to decide though....

Lastly, it might be a reach, but the title might be a parody of the novel Tutorial is too Hard...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】