Chapter 22
Currently, in the streaming world, “Akare” was a sort of cheat code.
Why was it a cheat code?
The answer could be summed up with just three words: “Daehyeop Kim.”
At first, Daehyeop Kim was merely a minor internet figure.
But now, he had become a giant, standing shoulder to shoulder with Sweet.
That’s why most large and small streamers were hoping to become beta testers.
If they could just become one, they could absorb the enormous viewership of Akare and gain immense benefits.
However, contrary to these hopes, the number of streamers selected as beta testers was very small.
Among the current well-known streamers, only two were chosen.
One was Sweet, and the other was a VTuber named Suzuka.
VTuber Suzuka.
An average of 8,000 live viewers and 600,000 subscribers on MoTube.
In terms of recognition, she was the apex predator in the domestic VTuber industry.
On the day the beta test opened.
Suzuka had prepared thoroughly for this day.
She had an IV drip to overcome her lack of stamina.
She took all sorts of supplements and ate health-boosting foods.
With all her preparations done, Suzuka participated in the opening run.
“To those who have reached the Hall of Heroes, what brings you here?”
After logging into Akare, a maid in the Hall of Heroes asked her a question.
Since she had already planned everything in advance, Suzuka answered in an excited voice.
“A priest!”
“Is that so.”
The maid gestured that she would show the Echo of Records, and the surrounding scenery changed.
“Kyaaa!”
Suzuka screamed.
The area was filled with nothing but corpses.
And those corpses rose as undead.
“Protect the priest at all costs!”
A man who appeared to be a knight shouted.
The soldiers nearby, who were barely holding on, gripped their swords.
For a moment, Suzuka forgot she was in virtual reality and was terrified.
The soldiers, despite being massacred by the undead, continued to resist until the end to protect the priest in their midst.
“This is too cruel.”
Suzuka, being highly sensitive, quickly became immersed in the situation.
Even as the soldiers were dying, the priest continued to pray.
Kneeling, with a desperate expression, they sought their god earnestly.
Did that prayer reach the divine?
Before the last knight was devoured by the undead, a miracle occurred.
The cloudy sky cleared, and a brilliant light poured through.
The beams of light purified the undead, returning them to nothingness.
The light breathed warmth into the cold, lifeless corpses, bringing them back to life.
The resurrection of the dead.
“Holy, Holy Lady!”
The knight, witnessing the miracle, fell to his knees.
He prostrated himself, bowing his head deeply.
The resurrected soldiers, seeing the knight’s action, followed suit.
The one responsible for the miracle gently raised the knight with a warm touch.
“A-ah!”
The knight’s eyes filled with awe.
As the scene faded, the surroundings shifted once more.
“Wow…”
Suzuka let out a small exclamation, feeling as if she had just watched a movie.
“Did you like it?”
The maid’s question was answered with a nod from Suzuka.
And so, after becoming a priest, the one waiting for Suzuka was a female noble.
“Huh?”
Suzuka immediately felt a sense of discomfort upon seeing the woman.
Hadn’t Daehyeop Kim met a male noble during the stream?
The discrepancy between what she saw and what she had expected left Suzuka momentarily confused, but she continued to play.
Even a day later, Suzuka had not yet escaped from the Forest That Devours Darkness.
She wasn’t used to streaming for long hours, and her stamina wasn’t great.
Her physical ability was also below average, so it took her longer than others.
In the end, Suzuka managed to reach level 10.
On the final night, she chose to talk to Raven.
“Thankfully, I have skills.”
Even before the first Awakening, the priest class had skills.
Blessings that boosted the party’s combat power, and healing.
Of course, this structure made it impossible to hunt alone.
Thus, the priest had no choice but to support Raven during the hunt.
―――
-It’s coming.
-Too quiet.
-I’m scared.
-Behind Suzuka!
-Uh-oh.
―――
The viewers, watching the broadcast in third-person perspective, sent warnings.
But Suzuka was too immersed in Akare and didn’t see the chat.
Slowly, a black phantasmal rabbit made of illusions approached Suzuka.
“Watch out!”
Just as the phantasmal rabbit was about to bite Suzuka, Raven pulled her out of the way.
This resulted in Suzuka ending up in Raven’s arms.
Suzuka, now aware of the situation, looked straight ahead.
[BOSS Black Phantasmal Rabbit Lv.10]
Gulp-
On screen, it looked just like a cute rabbit, but facing it in reality, the pressure it emitted weighed heavily on Suzuka.
Still, Suzuka wasn’t too nervous.
She had already studied Daehyeop Kim’s guide on how to defeat the black phantasmal rabbit.
“The black phantasmal rabbit. The predator of the Forest That Devours Darkness. Its main feature is…”
Before Raven could finish speaking, the black phantasmal rabbit began summoning illusions.
“The one that jumps slightly higher than the others is the real one!”
Reciting the guide she had memorized, Suzuka quickly cast a blessing on Raven.
“Is that so.”
Raven’s eyes moved swiftly.
Using the enhanced vision from the blessing, he found the real body.
Meanwhile, the illusions bit into Raven, wounding him.
Suzuka quickly raised her cross with both hands and used a healing spell.
“…Found it.”
Raven’s sapphire-like blue eyes gleamed in the darkness.
Empowered by the blessing, Raven weaved through the illusions and swung his sword at the hidden real body.
Swoosh-!
Black blood splattered.
Caught off guard by the unexpected strike, the black phantasmal rabbit slumped down.
“It’s over.”
Raven readied himself to finish off the rabbit.
Smirk-
The black phantasmal rabbit gave a devilish grin and leapt high.
It soared past Raven, heading straight for Suzuka.
“…!”
In that unexpected moment, Suzuka froze, unable to move.
So, this is how she would record her first death.
Suzuka closed her eyes.
Crunch-!
The sound of skin tearing and bones breaking.
I must be dead.
With that thought, Suzuka opened her eyes.
“Ugh…”
In front of her stood Raven, having taken the bite from the black phantasmal rabbit in her place.
Gritting his teeth and holding back a scream, Raven sliced through the rabbit’s neck with the arm it had bitten.
“Are you alright?”
Without saying a word, Suzuka raised her cross and healed Raven.
His arm was torn and his exposed bones were visible.
Just looking at it made her heart ache, and a sigh escaped her.
“Why… why did you do that?”
She already knew the reason.
She had seen it in Daehyeop Kim’s broadcast.
How righteous an NPC Raven was.
Suzuka wasn’t used to such situations.
She felt like it was her fault, making it hard to control her emotions.
Sniffle-
“Because of me… you got hurt so badly…”
Suzuka’s emotions overflowed, and she continued to sob.
As Raven watched her, he quietly spoke.
“Why did I do it…? I just felt like it.”
Suzuka’s and Raven’s gazes met.
“Because you listened to my story so kindly.”
At Raven’s flirting, Suzuka’s tears stopped.
Clearly, Raven was female.
So why did she feel her heart fluttering?
Caught in a moment of confusion about her gender identity during the broadcast, Suzuka lowered her head and focused on healing Raven.
***
Raven was actually a woman.
This fact was first revealed on Sweet’s broadcast.
Because of that, people recognized Raven as female.
However, in the virtual YouTuber Suzuka’s broadcast, Raven appeared as a man.
This bit of lore spread to even InGame Gallery, a place where only Daehyeop Kim and Sweet-related streams were typically discussed.
―――
I was curious, so I submitted an inquiry and got a reply [579]
A woman disguised as a man was actually a man dressed as a woman? [485]
Clipped the video in question, please upvote [611]
Ah, damn, I fapped to Raven six times [520]
Domestic trash gallery lol [378]
―――
[Title] I was curious, so I submitted an inquiry and got a reply
(GM Maid’s official response screenshot)
Apparently, Raven’s gender changes based on the player’s gender.
Even the lore differs as “Princess Raven” and “Prince Raven.”
Like 680, Dislike 0
―――
[Comment 579]
This is the first time I’ve seen a setting like this.
ㄴWhose idea was this? Fascinating.
ㄴThe master of appealing designs, Aurora.
ㄴPerfect if you ignore her self-insert mage character.
Reaction from female community (link)
ㄴThey love it too, lol.
ㄴPrince Raven is indeed handsome.
ㄴTotally like a male lead from a romance novel.
―――
[Title] Ah, damn, I fapped to Raven six times
I feel gross now.
Like 580, Dislike 15
―――
[Comment 520]
You’re a homosexual, dude, lol.
ㄴYou got off to it too, don’t lie, lol.
ㄴShut your mouth.
ㄴTriggered?
It’s better because he’s a man.
ㄴPick a real class already.
ㄴThe martial artist looks good, though.
ㄴNothing beats bromance, lol.
―――
Raven’s gender changes based on the player’s gender.
This concept was highly praised across both male and female-dominated communities.
―――
[Title] Aurora << Genius at Creating Sexy Appeal
This woman just gets what sexy is.
And it’s even better because she’s a gorgeous anime girl.
Like 20, Dislike 5
―――
[Comment 16]
Is Aurora’s director actually pretty?
ㄴShe’s never shown herself.
ㄴHer avatar is really cute, though.
ㄴIf she were really pretty, she would’ve shown herself by now, lol.
―――
With Raven’s popularity soaring even higher due to this incident, fan art flooded in. AI-generated erotic images of Raven also began circulating.
Raven in a bunny suit, Raven as a maid, Raven in a swimsuit, Raven in a defeated event scene, and more…
This surge in fan works fueled demand and boosted her popularity further.
She practically became the face of Akare.
“Hmm…”
And I quietly observed all of this.
With only two days left until the end of the beta test, the party closest to uncovering the main story was Daehyeop Kim and Sweet’s group.
“My heart is racing.”
The story I had prepared was one of those classic tropes.
Since ancient times, when the heroine dies or is placed in a perilous situation, the protagonist awakens.
It was practically a rule.
Of course, Raven wouldn’t actually die.
But from the player’s perspective, it would provide solid motivation.
After checking out some hot posts in InGame Gallery, I began ego-searching.
“A genius at creating sexy appeal…?”
I sighed after reading the post.
Calling someone a genius just for identifying attractive traits…
It was a vulgar, crass, and embarrassing label.
My face flushed, and I fanned myself to cool down.
“I don’t want to be called a genius for something like that.”
I disliked the post.
“Hmph…”
Now, there was truly not much time left.
The remaining beta test period, and the official release date.
Suddenly, I remembered the macaron I had sneakily eaten from Aka-chan yesterday.
At the time, I was craving something sweet, so I impulsively committed that crime.
To fix the situation, I dressed up and went out.
Using an illusion spell to disguise my appearance as something ordinary, I headed to a nearby café.
I bought the exact same macaron that Aka-chan had hidden.
While I was at it, I bought a bunch of other desserts and went back home.
I immediately put the macaron in the fridge and filled the remaining space with the desserts.
“Perfect crime.”
As long as I didn’t get caught, it wasn’t a crime.
With the perfect crime successfully executed, I headed back to finish my remaining work in virtual reality.
—
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