Chapter 12
There was only one day left until the beta test opened.
“How many people applied to become beta testers?”
“Currently, there are 9.78 million applicants.”
Only 1,000 beta testers were to be selected.
But 9.78 million people applied?
Rounding it up, that’s 10 million.
10 million.
That’s like one out of every five people on the street applying to become a beta tester.
Moreover, this beta test application was only open to adults.
Applicants even had to provide their personal information and home address.
Ah, of course, the reason for providing the home address was to deliver the capsule.
Still, despite making the application process tedious and complicated, this was the result.
‘Does this even make sense?’
For a moment, that thought crossed my mind.
‘It must make sense; otherwise, this wouldn’t be happening.’
The doubt quickly dissipated.
“It’s time to close the applications.”
Now, it was past midnight.
I closed the beta test applications.
“Final tally. It’s 9.89 million.”
“Looks like there was a last-minute rush.”
Perhaps there were people with certain circumstances, people who were hesitant, or people who just didn’t care.
Those people must have made their decisions after much deliberation and rushed in at the last minute.
The sudden surge even caused the official site to crash temporarily.
―――
[Title] Ah, crap, couldn’t apply because the site crashed
I wasn’t planning to do it, but I suddenly wanted to try, so
I went to the official site to apply, and the moment I did, the site crashed. Damn it.
Like: 10 Dislike: 0
―――
[Comments: 7]
We’ll never open beta test applications again, LOL.
└ Damn, damn, damn!
└ Lazy turtle bastard, LOL.
└ Go play Warrior when the official release drops.
This kind of guy usually takes an hour to pick his lunch menu.
└ For real, LOL.
└ If I had a friend like that, I’d be dying to slap him.
└ Try holding back a low kick Lv. 999.
―――
As the official site crashed, more and more victims emerged.
But ultimately, it was their fault, not mine.
‘Who told them to apply at the last minute?’
The site crashed because these types of people all rushed in at the last moment.
Hmm, so this isn’t my fault at all.
“Now, all that’s left is the random selection.”
For some reason, I was feeling incredibly nervous.
There’s no reason for me to be nervous, but I was.
I was more nervous than when I went to my first deployment ceremony in another world.
More nervous than when I gave a speech as a hero to boost the morale of the allied forces.
Compared to any moment I’d faced before, this felt much more nerve-wracking.
Now, all that’s left is to start the random selection.
“Master.”
Just as I was about to press the draw button, I stopped.
“Is there a problem?”
When I asked, Aka-chan seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying earnestly.
“Let’s broadcast the selection live on the official channel.”
What?
“Live broadcast?”
“Yes.”
Aka-chan looked at me with unwavering eyes.
There was a certainty in her gaze, making me sense that this wasn’t just some playful suggestion.
“Um… Is there a specific reason to do that?”
What would be the benefit of doing a live broadcast for the selection?
It didn’t seem necessary or particularly meaningful.
“Well… because you’re pretty, Master.”
“What?”
Why was she suddenly complimenting my appearance here?
Of course, it’s an undeniable fact, but still.
“After analyzing the data collected on Earth, we found that a director’s influence greatly affects a game’s success.”
“I guess… that’s true?”
There was a famous director even before I ended up in this world.
Unlike the typical game companies that treated their customers like garbage,
this director actively communicated with players and managed to revive a dying game.
Even after being stuck in another world for ten years, not a day passed where I didn’t think of that director.
“Beautiful Director. You won’t find another like this anywhere in the world, and there never will be. Not utilizing such a rare character is, in my opinion, a mockery and insult to this industry.”
“R-really?”
Was Aka-chan always this eloquent?
This wasn’t the Aka-chan I knew.
My small, precious Aka-chan had changed.
‘Of all things…’
Aka-chan’s cool-headed, dere-dere, maid-like, beautiful girl appearance only added to her persuasiveness.
How could she not be convincing when she was making these claims with such a serious expression, serious tone, and serious atmosphere?
“B-but Aka-chan? Akare is already on a solid path to success…”
“No, I disagree. Considering we have the title of ‘The World’s First Virtual Reality Game,’ achieving only this level of success means we’re lacking in ability.”
Aka-chan’s sudden, blunt remark landed like a heavy blow.
Her firm tone made the mental impact feel twice as strong.
It was dizzying enough to make my head spin for a moment.
‘But everything she’s saying is true.’
The fact that the character, ‘Beautiful Director,’ which had never appeared in this world before, was incredibly appealing.
The fact that the director’s ‘abilities’ play a crucial role in a game’s success.
And the fact that, despite having the cheat-level title of being the ‘first virtual reality game,’ we hadn’t even crossed ten million.
‘It’s all just facts.’
So, what should I do?
While I was lost in thought, I felt a breath near my ear.
“Live broadcast.”
Aka-chan’s whisper flowed through that breath.
That whisper echoed endlessly in my ear.
“Please do it.”
The sensation of my mind being tempted felt like a demon’s whisper.
If this continued, I felt like my head would go crazy, so I reflexively spoke out.
“F-fine! I’ll do it!”
“…”
Smirk
As if waiting for this response, the corners of Aka-chan’s mouth lifted.
***
[Indie Minor Game Gallery]
Today was a very special day for the in-game gallery.
It was the day they would announce Akare’s beta testers.
―――
[Title] Breaking News: Beta Testers Selection Live Stream
(Picture of a cat that looks like a grandma)
Just this once… No, it’s for real this time.
(Picture of the announcement that the draw would be live-streamed)
The Director is personally conducting the selection?
They’ll announce the beta testers today and send out the capsules before the beta test opens tomorrow.
Like: 603 Dislike: 0
―――
[Comments: 500]
Almost died when I saw the first picture.
└ Ah, PTSD kicking in.
└ My hands and feet are trembling, phewㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ 222222
Didn’t they say there were ten million applicants? Can they handle it?
└ Handle what?
└ The massacre of those who don’t get selected, of course.
└ Ah, LOL.
―――
Akare’s game company was shrouded in mystery.
Not metaphorically—it was really like nothing was known about them.
How did they develop virtual reality? Why was a game the first thing they made using virtual reality?
Akare’s game company was full of unanswered questions.
In this situation, the fact that Akare’s head and de facto ‘Director’ was hosting a live stream?
It was only natural that the public’s attention would be focused.
Among those who saw the live announcement, Daehyeop Kim’s fans were eagerly waiting for his broadcast.
But—
[Daehyeop Kim’s Announcement – No Broadcast Today (Watching the Live Alone)]
Daehyeop Kim left his waiting fans hanging.
Infuriated by this, Daehyeop Kim’s fans rushed into his channel.
Even if the broadcast wasn’t on, they could still chat in the chatbox.
As a result, many fans flocked to Daehyeop Kim’s inactive channel, and it quickly turned into a hellscape.
They planned to flood the chat until Daehyeop Kim started his stream again.
But no matter how much they flamed the chat, Daehyeop Kim didn’t go live.
Tired of spamming, they returned to the main site and began posting again.
―――
Daehyeop, you bastard, if you’re reading this, turn on the stream [6]
Shindaehyeop’s Ultimate Ant-Shake [10]
Akare’s Director’s Live Selection? How can anyone miss this? [5]
Crazy people acting like they used to watch it… [12]
It’s always the same WWE, but these new ones think it’s the UFC, LOL [20]
―――
During the time when Daehyeop Kim, who had been monopolizing content related to Akare, announced his stream hiatus.
“They’re saying Akare’s beta tester selection will be live. I applied for that, should I watch it? I might get selected, you know.”
“Are you going to watch the Akare live stream? Hmm… Well. What? Daesik is watching too? Then I guess I’ll watch it with him!”
“Honestly, I am curious. It’s the first company to develop virtual reality. Isn’t its representative a significant figure? Aren’t you guys curious too? Is it just me?”
Major streaming companies, who had been struggling due to Daehyeop Kim’s presence, which was like a black hole for anonymous users.
All of them began to mention Akare and tried to attract the stray Akare viewers.
And their efforts quickly spread across various communities related to streaming.
[Streaming Gallery]
―――
Title: Why is everyone going crazy over Akare [138]
Virtual reality? Wasn’t that a scam? [54]
Daehyeop Kim announces hiatus [120]
Honestly, I’d rather play it myself than just watch [77]
Domestic RPG stocks are plummeting [80]
―――
Title: Daehyeop Kim announces hiatus
(Daehyeop Kim’s hiatus notice image)
(Image of company 1 talking about Akare)
(Image of company 2 talking about Akare)
(Image of company 3 talking about Akare)
These big companies, who pretended to be uninterested in Akare,
As soon as Daehyeop Kim announced his hiatus, they immediately tried to draw in his viewers.
How can these guys be one of the leading companies on the national portal site? Sigh.
Like: 300, Dislike: 25
―――
[Comments 120]
The companies are smiling so much
ㄴThey’re grinning, thinking about drawing in Akare viewers.
ㄴDo they even have any pride?
ㄴThey have no dignity, seriously.
And the funny part is that they all applied for the beta tester position.
ㄴBut not applying would’ve been strange.
ㄴPlease, if you’re Korean, play domestic RPGs.
ㄴIsn’t Akare a domestic RPG too?
―――
Title: Domestic RPG stocks are plummeting
(Graph of a stock price hitting the floor)
Except for the unlisted company S,
All game companies providing domestic RPG services have had their stock prices crash.
All those companies that treated users like pigs are finally facing the consequences
Like: 190, Dislike: 50
―――
[Comments 80]
Please stop stirring trouble in MinGal and get lost.
ㄴAren’t you the one who should get lost?
ㄴWoo! Woo! Woo! Rice! Rice! Rice!
ㄴGetting sensitive because rice prices are falling.
Does Akare have that much influence?
ㄴIt’s the greatest in gaming history, confirmed GOAT.
ㄴIts buzz is almost at our guy’s level.
ㄴSiuuuuuuuuuu
―――
While several major companies were setting up their groundwork.
[Sweet’s stream has started. – Talk in 1 second]
The stream of the most followed streamer went live.
―――
The undeniable king of crackling sound on [3]
That guy who went on a three-day break is on [1]
Started streaming just to cause mosquito-like annoyance to anonymous users [2]
The greatest in streamer history, GOAT on [3]
―――
As a result, posts quickly popped up on MinGal, broadcasting the stream updates.
“Ah, ah. Can you hear me? Ah, I hear it. Nice to see you all again. It’s been a while.”
―――
Did you have a good trip?
Your complexion looks better than before?
I saw you walking around with two women, Sweet.
Huh.
What do you mean?
―――
“What’s this about seeing me with two women? Sorry, but I went with some smelly guys.”
Just interacting with his viewers brought his view count to over 20,000.
He could truly be called the flagship streamer representing the platform.
―――
Userㅇㅇ Donated10,000 KRW
– Sweet, are you interested in Akare?
―――
Sweet, who was organizing his earphone cables, turned his head slightly at the faint sound of the donation alert.
“Akare? Is there anyone who isn’t interested in it?”
―――
Wow
What
Is he calling someone out? (Really don’t know)
It’s not a call-out, it’s a shooting spree.
Hmm… Who could it be?
―――
Sweet probably said that without any malice.
But for the viewers who watch various streams, there were too many streamers that fit the implication.
“Everyone, I’m serious, no mentioning or criticizing other streamers. I’ll immediately ban you. I don’t tolerate that.”
―――
Yes
Scary
So, did you apply for the beta tester?
―――
“I applied for the beta tester while I was traveling. I did it just before boarding the plane.”
Sweet started talking about his trip while opening MuTube on his dual monitor.
Then, he went to Akare’s official channel, which he had subscribed to, and searched for the live stream reservation.
“Wow, guys, take a look at this.”
Sweet shared what he was seeing on his dual monitor with his viewers.
“It’s a live stream reservation, but there are already 300,000 people waiting. What is this?”
―――
300,000?
It’ll probably surpass 1,000,000 when it starts.
Akare’s class is insane.
I hope Sweet gets selected.
―――
Sweet, who had placed the coffee he had prepared earlier on his desk before starting the stream, took a sip and spoke softly.
“They said 10 million people applied for the beta tester position. Out of that, only 1,000 will be selected. So, what are the chances of winning?”
Sweet was saying that there was no way he would be selected.
But it would be a lie to say that he didn’t have any expectations.
“There really aren’t any games worth playing these days. That’s why I went on a trip.”
When there are no games to play on stream and you fall into a state of stagnation.
You need to take a break and have some leisure time for a recharge.
But even after having a refreshing break this time, there are still no games to play.
Because of this situation, Sweet secretly hoped.
To be chosen as one of the beta testers for Akashic Records.
“Oh, the countdown is starting.”
[00:59] [00:58]…
What kind of person is the Director of Akare, the first to realize virtual reality?
“Five seconds. Four seconds. Three seconds. Two…”
Sweet counted down along with an excited tone in his voice.
[00:00]
Finally, the countdown reached zero.
—
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