Chapter 124
The Players Community was in an uproar.
And it was all because of one strategy video.
▶ Review of Fake Suhyuk’s Strategy ◀
『Try instilling this in your head and see. Your win rate will skyrocket.』
▶ Controversial Strategy Breakdown ◀
『Can’t post the video itself due to copyright, so I’ll just post the link. Who the hell is this Lee Suhyuk guy? Is he really Lee Suhyuk reincarnated???』
A short video barely five minutes long. The reason this video became a sensation was primarily because of its results.
Bald Suhyuk had proven it. If a player known for lack of skill could succeed, then others thought they could too.
The strategy video gave hope to players who were stuck on the 4th floor and unable to progress.
▶ I’ve Figured It Out ◀
『Watched the video 20 times and figured out what my issue was. Moving up to the 5th floor starting today.』
Some people even watched it dozens of times, finding it insufficient to watch just once.
-This was why the video’s views skyrocketed explosively.
And as a result.
『Remaining Points: 516,228』
In just half a day, an enormous profit was generated from a single video.
After the after-party, Suhyuk had a good night’s sleep at the accommodation, and when he checked the calculated earnings, he nearly burst out laughing.
As Un Hyang explained the earnings over coffee, Suhyuk listened.
“The collaboration donation revenue was split 50:50, so we each got 280,000 points. Video ad revenue, additional ad revenue based on the number of views, minus the management fees…”
But his attention drifted away. He was half-dazed by the enormous points he had just earned. No, more precisely, his mind kept wandering to other thoughts.
‘Where should I spend it first?’
The points needed to level up his next skill were 320,000. Even if he leveled up one skill, he’d still have almost 200,000 points left.
‘Selfish Sacrifice is a skill that pays off in accordance with the points invested in it. Although it’s burdensome, investing in it won’t be a bad choice.’
As his thoughts deepened, the furrow in his brow grew deeper.
‘But still, perhaps…’
“Suhyuk?”
It was then.
Un Hyang leaned in closer and called out to him.
“Yes?”
“Are you listening?”
“Yes, I heard you.”
He did hear her. After all, his ears were open.
But his attention was focused elsewhere.
“Anyway, this collaboration was really a big hit. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be this effective.”
Un Hyang seemed as excited as Suhyuk. She had been enthusiastically talking about the success of the collaboration since earlier.
“Is there anything else?”
“There is. Something even bigger than the immediate earnings.”
“Something bigger?”
Could there be something bigger?
The collaboration had earned a whopping 500,000 points. Even Bald Suhyuk had gone wild, calling it a huge hit.
But unlike Suhyuk, who was immediately in need of points, the manager was looking further ahead.
“The subscribers we gained this time.”
She showed him the screen of the kit she had been looking at.
『Subscribers: 131,077』
130,000.
Nearly double the previous numbers.
“That’s quite a lot… it’s increased a lot.”
“It’s early to be surprised. The video channel has almost surpassed 500,000 subscribers. Its growth rate is more than five times that.”
“Five times?”
Suhyuk’s eyes widened. Five times. That was indeed an unexpected level.
“That’s incredible; no, it’s beyond incredible. Do you know how many viewers now know about you because of this?”
He now understood why she mentioned something bigger than the immediate earnings.
For a streamer, the number of subscribers was akin to a player’s level and stats. The more subscribers, the more steady viewers, and thus higher views and ad rates for videos.
However, increasing subscribers was never an easy task. Attracting new viewers was hard enough, but making them return a second time was ten times harder.
He realized anew.
‘That video must have been a massive hit.’
Real-time number one. The impact of that video was significant. Even now, the subscriber count continued to grow. The video views had already surpassed 5 million.
Un Hyang’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“Real-time 50,000 viewers might be possible.”
*
Suhyuk’s next destination after the collaboration was the 5th floor.
“The Murim World?”
Un Hyang asked, seemingly taken aback. Suhyuk nodded with a slightly puzzled expression.
“Yes. I’ll be there for a short while.”
“Of course, I’ll be wherever you are, but why specifically there…?”
“I have some business to take care of. It happened faster than expected, though.”
Jinwoon’s procedures are expensive. Unbelievably so. 1,000,000 points was a sum difficult to gather even for most rankers’ entire fortunes.
But thanks to this collaboration, Suhyuk could get closer to his goal faster than expected.
“How long will it take?”
“I’m not sure. It could take as little as two days or as long as five.”
The duration of the procedure varied greatly depending on its type. It wasn’t a short amount of time but was absolutely necessary.
The outcome of a test depends on its results. Especially if it’s in Asgard, where there are many things to accomplish.
Everything must be prepared. From gloves made with Heart of Thunder to procedures. Every available method must be utilized.
And also.
‘I might get contacted at any time.’
Glancing at his kit with no notifications, Suhyuk thought of Greg. The player he met at the Dark Map branch on the 4th floor. He had tasked Greg with investigating Blue Zone.
The results would be known later, but if he needed power immediately.
‘He has to enhance his abilities right now.’
For that, Jinwoon’s procedure was the best choice. Raising the level of Selfish Sacrifice was another option, but the most reliable way was securing stats through a procedure.
“Two to five days…”
Un Hyang repeated the same words, seemingly thinking hard, and then nodded.
“Got it. I’ll wait.”
“Is there something wrong?”
“No, nothing at all.”
Waving her hand dismissively, she replied awkwardly.
“Nothing.”
***
The place Suhyuk chose for his accommodation on the 5th floor this time was different from before.
A small inn on the outskirts of a relatively quiet city. The small courtyard attached to the building was quaint but well-maintained.
After Suhyuk left. Un Hyang and Cheon Ryang, left alone, waited for him to return at the inn.
Sluurrrp.
Sipping warm tea, Cheon Ryang gazed at the pond in the courtyard. A pond inhabited by two goldfish. In the serene atmosphere, for some reason, his chest felt constricted.
“I thought we’d never come back down here.”
“It just happened this way.”
Crunch-.
Biting into a piece of dangwa (Korean traditional sweets), Un Hyang looked up at the sky.
The sky of the Murim World. A familiar sight she had seen since childhood, yet a world she never wanted to return to.
Especially recently. Ever since she found out they had found her, she wanted to stay away more than ever.
“They’ll come, won’t they? Again.”
“Yes.”
Un Hyang nodded, averting her gaze.
“They’re already here.”
“What?”
Creak-.
Right at that moment, the front gate of the inn opened. With a creaking sound, a group of people entered the courtyard through the opened gate.
Cheon Ryang stood up abruptly. The person leading the group was a familiar face.
“Back again?”
“Nice to see you again, senior sister.”
A woman with a beautifully sculpted body, half of her face concealed by a black cloth.
Muhwi had come looking for Un Hyang once more.
“You brought more people this time?”
Un Hyang popped the last piece of dangwa into her mouth and chewed.
“But they’re just more riff-raff anyway.”
Showing no signs of tension.
Muhwi didn’t find Un Hyang’s attitude odd. She was someone who had both the right and the power to act that way.
But.
“This time, I have to be a bit rude.”
“Why? Want to fight me?”
“Not right now, but…”
Muhwi glanced at the men who had followed her as she spoke.
“That time is not far off.”
Un Hyang’s eyes narrowed. There was a reason she had brought more of these riff-raff.
“A warning?”
“… Yes.”
Their numbers were a warning in itself. Right now, it’s five or ten, but at any moment, it could be more. And they could wield enough force to take you away.
“Regrettably.”
“Indeed, it seems so.”
Un Hyang nodded.
Un Hyang didn’t think Muhwi’s words were lies. She knew that Muhwi genuinely felt sorry for her. That made her all the more angry.
“That’s why they sent you.”
The reason the Murim World sent Muhwi to her was right here. Un Hyang couldn’t kill Muhwi. Knowing that she genuinely felt sorry for her, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Their relationship had always been this way since childhood.
Muhwi admired Un Hyang. And felt sorry for her.
“Are you really not going to come back?”
“What would happen if I went back?”
Un Hyang gave a bitter smile.
“Would my life be there?”
“……”
Muhwi lowered her head. She had no answer. Because she knew it wasn’t true. The Murim World, or rather, Un Cheon-guk’s vision for Un Hyang’s life, was far from the life she wanted.
“Listen, hwiya.”
Un Hyang called Muhwi as if she were comforting a child.
“I’m not going back there. I don’t want to go back.”
Un Hyang’s response was firm.
“Even if it means dying in battle, I will never…”
“Are you sure about this?”
Muhwi’s gaze shifted to Cheon Ryang.
“You haven’t told her yet, have you?”
Cheon Ryang flinched at those words.
“W-what?”
“If you don’t return—”
“A-ah, aah, aah—”
As if trying to stop Muhwi from speaking, Cheon Ryang made strange noises and approached her. With his rough hand, he covered her mouth, wearing a troubled expression and gritting his teeth.
“Hey, come on. Do you have to say that here?”
Annoyed, Muhwi quickly brushed Cheon Ryang’s hand away. Un Hyang frowned as she watched the two of them.
What on earth were they talking about?
“Anyway, I’ll take care of it. So you step aside for now, okay?”
“Understood.”
“Hey, what’s going on between you two?”
At Un Hyang’s question, Cheon Ryang waved it off.
“Nothing, nothing.”
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“Senior sister.”
Muhwi spoke to Un Hyang, who looked ready to grab her by the collar.
“I’m sorry it has come to this. I wish I could take your place, but… unfortunately, there’s no one who can replace you.”
“Enough. There’s no need to apologize.”
Un Hyang sensed what the near future held.
“You’ll come again, right?”
“Yes. Probably soon.”
Yes, this wouldn’t be the end. The time Un Cheon-guk had given her wouldn’t be long.
“As expected, huh? Then…”
Un Hyang spoke to Muhwi and the men behind her.
“When you come next time, come ready to die.”