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Chapter 43
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The leading online gaming news outlet, GameMeta.
At GameMeta, reporter Han Sung-woo sent another email to Record Eye, the game company behind Akare.
The email requested an interview with the director.
“Are you still not giving up?”
During lunch break, a colleague who had fetched snacks from the break room asked Han Sung-woo.
From the time Akare began gaining major attention to now, Han Sung-woo hadn’t missed a single day of sending interview request emails to Record Eye.
“Halfway given up.”
“Huh? Halfway?”
“It’s just, I can’t quite let it go.”
“Ah, makes sense. It’s definitely hard to move on from.”
Back when Akare wasn’t as prominent or massive as it is now,
That was practically the only chance. After that, there was no hope.
Even so, he kept sending those emails, probably because of lingering regret.
“Just give it up. Even the major outlets have mostly thrown in the towel.”
“I’m planning to.”
While the scale of online gaming news has grown compared to the past,
Its influence was still no match for the major media outlets.
Perhaps now was really the time to let it go. That thought crossed his mind as he refreshed his inbox.
And there it was—a new email had arrived.
Drawn as if by instinct, Han Sung-woo opened the email.
“H-Haha!”
The email was a reply from Record Eye.
In summary, they had agreed to an interview.
“This is what I call not giving up.”
A newfound vigor sparkled in Han Sung-woo’s previously weary eyes, and he quickly got to work.
He discussed and arranged the interview’s time and location with Record Eye.
Making every effort to accommodate their schedule, he planned the details.
Before he knew it, the day of the interview arrived.
“Are they really coming?”
“I’m telling you, yes.”
Whispers and murmurs—
The Director Aurora herself would be visiting in person.
Naturally, the entire office buzzed with excitement.
It wasn’t an overreaction. In fact, it was unavoidable.
The office was a gaming news agency, after all.
Not a single employee here didn’t play Akare.
“How on earth does that second awakening work…”
“Are there plans to release a new capsule model…”
“Quiet!”
The commotion was silenced by the Editor-in-Chief, who approached Han Sung-woo, the reporter who had reeled in the big fish.
“Do your best. Don’t be nervous.”
“Yes.”
The editor-in-chief gave Han Sung-woo a supportive pat on the shoulder.
Thanks to that, some of his tension eased, and he headed to the building’s entrance.
The appointed time was near, and there hadn’t been any updates from the guest.
Could there have been a problem? Should he reach out first?
His mind raced with thoughts when—
“Are you Reporter Han Sung-woo?”
A familiar, gentle voice called from behind.
Han Sung-woo reflexively turned around but couldn’t immediately respond.
Standing before him was none other than the Aurora he’d only ever seen through screens.
Aurora’s signature blue eyes and hair were unmistakable.
As for her outfit—a wool half-coat and sweater.
Beneath the coat, parts of their bare skin were visible.
Compared to real-life celebrities, no, that comparison didn’t even come close.
Aurora was that beautiful, that stunning.
“Are you… Reporter Han Sung-woo?”
“Ah, yes. That’s me.”
Though initially entranced by Aurora’s beauty, Han Sung-woo quickly snapped back to his senses and berated himself.
What a pathetic first impression to make.
Contrary to his self-criticism, Aurora smiled warmly.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Aurora.”
“I’m Reporter Han Sung-woo from GameMeta. Thank you for meeting with me today.”
After exchanging formal introductions, Han Sung-woo guided Aurora to the interview room.
***
After resolving the global service issues,
I decided to tackle the work I had been putting off.
Specifically, the interviews I hadn’t been able to do due to my packed schedule.
Since Akare’s launch, countless interview requests had poured in.
Too many, in fact, to the point that reading them was a chore.
Still, I couldn’t just skim through them, so I spent an entire day reviewing emails.
From major media outlets to virtually unknown sources,
The variety was endless, but only one email caught my attention.
An email from Han Sung-woo of GameMeta.
The reason I chose his email was simple.
While all others focused on “virtual reality” games,
He alone focused on “virtual reality gaming.”
I also liked how his email ended with a personal note, sharing that he genuinely enjoyed Akare.
It felt gratifying and fulfilling to know someone appreciated my game.
On the other hand, emails from major outlets were infuriating.
Especially the ones that outright carried a tone of, “We’ll grace you with an interview, so accept it.”
I immediately blocked those.
“Aka-chan, how does this outfit look?”
After scheduling the interview, I carefully chose my outfit.
A wool half-coat, a sweater, and a skirt.
There wasn’t any deep reason behind this choice.
It was just… I thought it would look good on me.
And honestly, it did look good when I wore it.
“Approved. You look like a goddess descended to the mortal realm for some playful amusement.”
“…What is this, some kind of VTuber roleplay?”
I didn’t wear stockings.
Maybe you could call it my last shred of pride.
After all, I was once a man.
“I’ll be off now.”
Casting an invisibility spell, I teleported to the agreed meeting place.
‘I wish I had known about this on the day I returned.’
During the early days of my return, I only focused on using my Creator’s Authority to make games.
In my naive attempts, I even resorted to grinding for materials, only to become a spectacle for others.
If I had learned utility spells like Invisibility or Polymorph through my Creator’s Authority back then, I wouldn’t have drawn so much attention.
Well, there’s no use regretting the past now.
‘Is that person Han Sung-woo, the reporter?’
In front of the GameMeta building, a man was waiting for someone.
Upon closer inspection, he was wearing a name tag that read “Han Sung-woo.”
I briefly considered using Polymorph to change the colour of my hair and eyes.
But in the end, I decided to present myself as I truly am.
There’s no such thing as an eternal secret in this world; the truth will inevitably come out someday.
It was better to show that this wasn’t just cosplay but my real appearance.
“Reporter Han Sung-woo?”
When I called his name, the reporter turned around to look at me.
For a moment, his startled eyes scanned me with a mix of surprise and confusion.
It wasn’t a lustful gaze, but it did feel a little overwhelming.
It was like seeing an incredibly beautiful celebrity in passing and being too stunned to look away.
I could understand; after all, I used to be a man too.
“Are you… Reporter Han Sung-woo?”
“Oh, yes, that’s me.”
It took him a second question to snap out of it.
The way his lips twitched in embarrassment was rather striking.
It reminded me of how I had been acting not long ago, pretending to be a goddess.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Aurora.”
“I’m Han Sung-woo, a reporter from GameMeta. I look forward to our interview today.”
After exchanging formal greetings, I followed Reporter Han Sung-woo to the interview room.
―――
[Streaming Gallery]
The Streaming Gallery was currently in an uproar.
The morning broadcast of Daehyeop Kim, who always started his day with Akare, had dropped a major bombshell.
The sudden reversal of Twitch TV’s decision to pull out of the domestic market had taken everyone by surprise.
As a result, the Streaming Gallery, home to many former Twitch users, was in chaos.
Some dismissed it as mere rumours and fake news.
Others claimed it was true, that insiders already knew about it.
There were discussions involving industry representatives, arguments over baseless rumours, and widespread hope for Twitch’s return.
The Streaming Gallery had become a cauldron of confusion, but the chaos didn’t last long.
―――
[Title] Simultaneous Articles Flooding In LOL
(Compilation of articles announcing Twitch TV’s reversal on their exit)
Those who said they’d never come back because of network usage fees,
Are they going to bow their heads now?
Like: 1436 | Dislike: 56
―――
[Comments: 351]
Who could’ve predicted this?
ㄴ Twitch returning for one game? Really?
ㄴ All those who slandered Akare are eating their words now.
ㄴ If Amazon’s handling the publishing, it’s confirmed.
―――
Like a coordinated effort, articles about Twitch started pouring out.
The debate over the truth no longer seemed worth having.
Since the rumours were confirmed to be true, the Streaming Gallery was now in full celebration mode.
Twitch had been the community’s home before its loss to excessive network usage fees.
Naturally, the conversation turned to Aurora, who had played a significant role in Twitch’s reversal.
―――
We should rename this place Akare Streaming Gallery LOL [31]
Honestly, I didn’t like the whole self-insert goddess shtick, but [36]
Damn it, another Aurora post. I guess I have no choice but to praise her now. [52]
If Twitch comes back, what happens to Jiji-jik? [27]
“Hey, Streaming Gallery, what are you even doing right now?” [657]
―――
[Title] “Hey, Streaming Gallery, What Are You Even Doing?”
(A meme of Aurora’s face merged with a divine glow)
She gave us the biggest success in streaming.
She gave us all the entertainment.
She even brought Twitch back.
(A meme of Aurora looking embarrassed while being worshiped)
We really have to praise the goddess who gave us everything, don’t we?
Like: 2641 | Dislike: 27
―――
[Comments: 657]
No, I’m not praising her. If you don’t like it, debut as a streamer yourself.
ㄴ Honestly, true LOL
ㄴ That’s the correct response.
ㄴ If this keeps up, I might end up becoming both a follower and a sweaty fan.
The GOAT Director blesses us.
ㄴ Aurora LOL
ㄴ Goddess LOL
ㄴ Why can’t I think of anyone else but Aurora now?
―――
Meanwhile, the Streaming Gallery wasn’t the only place in an uproar.
The Akashic Records Gallery (Akagal) was also in turmoil.
With the recent Second Awakening and the discovery of new regions, Akagal was always lively.
But today, the frenzy had reached a whole new level.
[Akashic Records Gallery]
―――
[Title] Exclusive, Meeting with Aurora, the Director
(Link to GameMeta article)
This article is absolutely over the top LOL
Like: 612 | Dislike: 0
―――
An interview with Aurora.
Despite receiving countless love calls from corporations and media outlets,
The Record Eye had remained consistently unresponsive.
Yet, a non-major media outlet managed to secure an exclusive interview.
―――
Aurora: Being treated like a goddess feels burdensome and extremely embarrassing. [627]
Aurora’s response to the question about the cult-related Second Awakening cutscene LOL [938]
Aurora: The cult goddess concept was never intentional. [866]
Aurora confirms that reaching max affinity with Raven makes intimacy possible. [1751]
Mentions about global services and Twitch also come up. [515]
―――
Being able to engage in intimacy by maxing out affinity.
For players, this was groundbreaking information.
In a previous livestream, Aurora had only mentioned the ability to change avatars.
Since no players had yet reached max affinity with Raven,
Now that the official statement was out, everyone became desperate to raise affinity levels.
Naturally, the market prices for items that could boost Raven’s affinity skyrocketed.
―――
[Title] Kingdom Pendant Prices Skyrocket by 50 Times
(Image of a chaotic price graph)
The market is full of libido-driven freaks LOL
Like: 1260 | Dislike: 5
―――
[Comments: 993]
Can’t you stack pendants? Damn, I bought 100 of them.
ㄴIdiot LOL
ㄴYou can only give one per day.
ㄴYou should’ve bought a variety, dumbass.
ㄴResell them.
ㄴThey’re all marked with zero trade availability.
ㄴWell, sucks to be you LOL
ㄴThis guy’s intelligence is subpar LOL
ㄴWhat’s your class? Quick, tell us.
ㄴA warrior desperate to graduate from 25 years of celibacy.
ㄴClassic warrior mentality LOL
ㄴ100-day pure love is just warrior mentality LOL
―――
And observing all of this, I let out a deep sigh.
“…Pathetic.”
—
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