Chapter 37: The Anatomy of a Master (4)

Kyungbok was puzzled by how much Purple’s viewers seemed to enjoy watching him.

Why do they like it so much?

Unfortunately for Kyungbok, he hadn’t seen Lee Kyungbok’s video of drawing the golden shotgun due to time constraints and had only researched his physical abilities as a craftsman when scouting him out.

“All right! The dice have already been cast! This will determine our final winner!” With that proclamation, marble walls parted to reveal a massive slot machine with a resounding thud.

“It’s a command combination slot machine!”

–LMAO, no physical skills allowed

–Fuck this jerk!

–LOL, there’re also dice and roulette wheels though

–But if you’re Gadfly, manipulating it manually should be possible LMAO

“Not bad! That dude’s already won her heart!”

Lee Kyungbok nodded as he read the chat reactions.

He must have prepared multiple scenarios. I guess it would get boring if everything was the same. He really went all out.

Kyungbok wasn’t doing this just for publicity. As a streamer, Lee Kyungbok had much to learn from him.

Kyungbok mistook Lee Kyungbok’s surprise and smiled reassuringly at him.

“Oh, don’t worry about that behemoth. You can’t pull its lever yourself. It’s merely for show. Purple will operate this one instead.” With those words, Kyungbok snapped his fingers, causing the floor to open up and reveal a marble side table.

On top of it was a regular-sized slot machine identical to the massive one behind Kyungbok.

-LMAO, did he try pulling that lever?

-LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL

-But Purple could probably still do it!

-He’d climb up using parkour!

-’Cause ninjas can do anything, right?!

Lee Kyungbok didn’t bother correcting their misconception as they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“The competition is very simple. Each slot has words to form a sentence. It’ll make more sense if I show you!” With that, Lee Kyungbok casually pulled the lever on his own slot machine. The leftmost reel spun furiously before stopping abruptly.

[Kyungbok is—]

The word stopped there. He immediately pulled the lever again, and each of the remaining three reels spun wildly until they came to a halt in sequence.

[The system has gifted you 16 tickets.]

And there was his completed sentence.

-“Oh, it says to gift me sixteen tickets!”

-LMAO scammer

-Huh? You gotta keep your promise, right?

-LOL life’s a hustle!

-Pick meeee!

Kyungbok’s viewers were incensed at the result. Kyungbok exaggeratedly frowned at them.

“Ahem, seriously, people. Must you act like this with our guest here? We agreed to be sophisticated today, didn’t we? Especially since Purple is watching—let’s show some manners!”

Bullshit! You’re full of crap!

-You only get upset when it affects your pocket LOLLLL

-Aaargh! Scamming bastard! Get out of my stream!

-LMAO if it was Purple paying, you’d be all for it

-Hey, old man, start acting like a gentleman.

-If you keep this up, we’ll turn into Gnomes too!

-LOL our hyung is such an embarrassment

Lee Kyungbok couldn’t help but laugh at the viewers’ reactions. Although they appeared to be arguing, he could tell…

They’re actually quite close.

Both the streamer and his audience seemed to enjoy their banter because they knew how far they could push each other.

“Oh geez… I’m buying them for your sake, Purple, got that? Show some appreciation!” Kyungbok wiggled his fingers as he spoke.

[Genome has gifted 16 subscriptions!]

Soon, messages from the system popped up in the chat window.

–Loyal to the end^^7

–That’s our hyung! What a great guy!

–Why do you call him that? It’s all thanks to Gadfly LOL

–LOL more like just okay, right?

–Just okay LOLLLLLLL

–I’ll never forget the subscription Gadfly gave me (teary eyes) (teary eyes)

–KingFl! GadFly! LightFL!

Kyungbok grinned and turned back toward Lee Kyungbok.

“As you can see, this is how it works. Purple and I will take turns pulling the lever until we complete a sentence! So, Purple, would you rather go first or second?”

In truth, since it was based on probability, it didn’t matter who went first. Nonetheless, after some deliberation, Lee Kyungbok decided to let Kyungbok lead.

“I’ve been ahead of you today, so I think I’ll follow your lead this time.”

-The same relentless bravado…

-The level of deception is off the charts…

-Ah jeez, please crack open a window…

-Deceptive (but true)

-Yikes! This is why people hate Twitch streamers!

Ignoring the viewers’ outburst, Kyungbok grabbed the lever.

“All right then, I’ll go first! Let’s see what word comes up!”

With that, he pulled down on it with a loud clunk. The slots spun rapidly, making a whirring noise before eventually stopping at the first word:

[Purplei]

Kyungbok reacted enthusiastically to this result.

“Yes!”

-EEEE

-No way;;; hyung? Try harder to hide your intentions!

-Sigh~ Sigh~

-I’m not buying it!

-LOL It’s too early for mind games

Kyungbok shrugged lightly at the chat reactions and stepped back.

“It’s now Purple-nim’s turn! What word will come up next?!”

“What would you like today?” Lee Kyungbok asked with a smile, prompting more question marks and laughter emojis to flood the chat window.

–What’s this? What is it hinting at?

–Is this…self-aggrandizement…?

–Is the second-week streamer trying to provoke someone?

–Ah ᄏᄏᄏ, Purple can choose whatever he wants

–Wtf ᄏᄏ 방 just ruined the mood.

–Is his position as top Twitch streamer threatened now?

“Wow, I swear my brain just froze for a moment there. Folks, remember never to talk big around Jang Ochang.” Kyungbok laughed dramatically while shivering exaggeratedly.

–Huh? Why blame us for your mistake?

–Who’s that jerk again? Never heard of him.

–Are they talking about Gnome?

–Ah ᄏᄏᄏ, you mean the reliable Gnome, right?

Lee Kyungbok marveled at how effortlessly Kyungbok took control of the broadcast as he gripped the lever. As before, different sensations rapidly came through to him.

–Why isn’t anything happening yet?

—Loser?

—Ha-ha-ha! Got it!

—Loser? There’s no such thing for Gadfly! Ha-ha!

—So you think you’ll succeed this time too?

—But didn’t you take quite a while last time?

—It’s coming… A big one is coming…

—Info: In round 1, Purple got the golden shotgun from Bark.

Kyungbok’s viewers expressed their doubts, while Purple’s viewers couldn’t hide their anticipation.

“Wait, round one?” Kyungbok was genuinely surprised. Having played Bio Crisis before, he knew about the existence of the golden shotgun. He’d been aware that Purple had acquired it but not that they’d done so on their first try.

As his attention briefly shifted to the chat window…

Lee Kyungbok yanked down hard on the lever.

“What?!” The sudden exclamation elicited more laughter in the chat as Kyungbok’s voice cracked again.

—Huh?

—Eh?!

—What?!

—Oooooh!

—Waaaaah!

Everyone’s attention was now on the slot machine as it spun and eventually stopped on…

[To this bastard…]

-LMAO

-WTF LMAO

-Hey, what does that mean?!

-LMAO Jang Ochang is human after all!

-Unbelievable luck… Even God can’t beat him!

-Twitch streamers benefit no matter who wins LMAO

The chat exploded even before the third word appeared, as if they’d already decided the outcome. Kyungbok also looked relaxed.

“Oh, I wouldn’t be able to let you win even if I wanted to.”

-Such a jerk LMAOOOO

-Bragging in front of God? How dare you LMAO

-No physical attacks allowed LOL

-Gross, you piece of trash!

-Short for gross trash? Ah, start with me then! LMAO

-Why so calm despite being surrounded by purple words?

-Must have nerves of steel since he’s god himself LMAO

While the viewers were unaware, Lee Kyungbok had nothing to lose either way, which enabled him to stay composed regardless of the result.

“Heh-heh, I’m not so rude as to rip off my guests. There’s still a chance for you to turn things around! Let’s see how much it’ll cost this time!” With that, Kyungbok pulled the lever again.

I hope it’s big.

The number of subscriptions was set between ten and one hundred. Since each subscription cost ten thousand won, the total payout would be anywhere from one million to ten million won. However, Kyungbok didn’t mind the expense. In fact, the higher the amount, the more likely people were to spread word about his channel. Compared to traditional marketing costs, this method was quite economical.

Meanwhile, the spinning slot machine came to a stop.

“Wow.” Lee Kyungbok’s jaw dropped at the result.

[100 subscriptions]

It had landed on the highest possible value.

Yet Kyungbok wasn’t surprised by this outcome.

Just as I expected.

He had rigged it so that higher amounts would come up more often.

“Oh man, how much is at stake here?! A million won! It’s all on the line now!”

The chat window exploded with cheering and excited emojis at his announcement. Naturally, they were thrilled regardless of who emerged victorious, since everyone stood to benefit either way.

“And now, for the final round! The last word will decide our fate! Victory or defeat rests solely on Purple-nim’s shoulders! Will luck also be on his side, elevating him to the realm of gods?!”

With those words, Kyungbok snapped his fingers lightly. At once, a low drumroll sounded, and spotlights focused on Purple.

After all, the guest should always be the star of the show.

Truth be told, Kyungbok had planned to let Purple have the last turn regardless of whether he went first or second. If Purple chose to go first, Kyungbok was prepared to fake being scared and pass on his choice.

“The winner is still undecided! There’s only one word that can reverse this outcome in the final slot!”

—not;

—one isn’t enough, good sir!

—a host who rips off their guests?!

—Yerim! Look at that slot!

—Sakura? Sakuraaaa?

—It’s freezing cold. A subscription just flew into my heart. LOL!

—wtf, aren’t you supposed to quote famous lines here?!

—LOL LMAO ROFL

Most viewers already considered the match decided. The slowly spinning wheel displayed words such as “giving,” “sending,” and “tossing”—all hinting at Kyungbok’s victory.

Even if I’m paying for it, this is weird.

Kyungbok glanced at Lee Kyungbok’s reaction through the chat and found it puzzling. As a streamer, one’s image was everything, but even with bonuses on the line, losing was still losing. A streamer who sensed defeat would usually display some negative emotions accordingly. Yet despite all the heckling from his audience, Lee Kyungbok calmly grabbed the lever.

…Does he actually think he can turn things around?

As soon as Kyungbok had that thought, Lee Kyungbok pulled down hard on the lever. Everyone’s eyes immediately focused on the spinning slots.

A hush fell over them. Holding their breaths, everyone watched Lee Kyungbok grin faintly to himself—he already knew the outcome.

[Seize]

The word appeared once the reels stopped turning.

“Yes—!”

The chat exploded with excitement.

LMAO?! LLOOOOLLLL

—For real, though?!

—PERMANENT! PERMANENT! PERMANENT!

—I told you there’d be big rewards!!!

—Oh LOL, is Gadfly not following the black cow anymore?

—Reply? No, I meant permanent!!

—LOLLLL buying all Purple coins now!

—Now’s the time! Hurry and follow him!

—Ah LOL, can’t pass up freebies!

—Heretics out! Heretics out!

—God wants your subscription!

—Long live…no, long live Purple!!!

—DEUS VULT! DEUS VULT! DEUS VULT!

The chat window was flooded with frenzied messages.

Kyungbok genuinely sounded surprised, as if he wasn’t putting on an act for his viewers. “Wait, seriously? This actually happened? It’s not staged? How did you pull this off, Purple?”

“I just gave it my best shot.”

-LMAOOOOO

-LMAO It’s just like a slot machine—what else would you expect?!

-Purfect to the end…

-Denial won’t change anything LOL

-??? Why not call it a draw?

-There is no such thing, loser LMFAO

-Never! I’m never changing it! LMAOOOO

-Docu? This is pure entertainment LOL

-Hilarious! LMAOOOO

-Jang Ochang always delivers LOL

The troll looked crestfallen at the chat window reactions and buried his face in his hands.

“Wow, one million won…! Everyone, I want some alone time now. Please leave.”

LOL If anyone should go, it should be you.

Get out of here, troll! We’re gonna hang with Gadfly!

Getting kicked off your own stream LOL

Lee Kyungbok smiled as he addressed his viewers. “Today was truly eye-opening for me. Thank you so much for inviting me on your show.”

WTF…? Why are you leaving?

Please don’t go!

—Stay and have some fun with us!

—Get lost already, you jerk!

—LMAO, go watch another stream or resubscribe to his channel!

Despite numerous requests from viewers, Lee Kyungbok simply smiled politely.

“In any case, today is my day off, so I won’t be playing games. My editor and manager need rest, too.”

—Day off (work)

—Resting (on duty)

—Is this Purple’s idea of employee benefits…?

—Early clock-out on your day off?

—What kind of inhumane combo?!

—LOL, that’s way harsh, right?

Lee Kyungbok lightly clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Thank you for tuning in today. Please look forward to my next broadcast, and don’t forget to visit my channel often! See ya!”

—Purple LOL

—I’m gonna miss you T_T

—Wait, but isn’t this Kyungbok’s broadcast now?

—LOL, what a smooth transition

—I thought it was Purple’s stream LOL

With those last messages, the broadcast came to an end.

Later that night at a bar in a busy part of town…

“Great job today, everyone!”

“To success!”

The Purple and Ahjin Guilds celebrated their successful merger with a team dinner.

“Order whatever you want; it’s on us!”

“You’re really going to let me order anything I want?”

“Don’t push your luck.” Park Juhho playfully nudged Kyungbok after his comment.

Kyungbok chuckled at Juhho’s reaction.

“It’s fine. How much can three people eat anyway? Don’t worry about it—please enjoy yourselves.”

“Thank you.”

“I told you we got this!”

“Oh boy…”

The trio reacted differently but dug in nonetheless as they chatted casually over food.

“I’m gonna go talk to the editing team for a bit.”

“Oh, I need to check something with my manager.”

Choi Byunghoon and Park Juhho excused themselves temporarily, leaving Lee Kyungbok alone with Kyungbok.

“The broadcast went really well thanks to you. Thank you again.”

“No problem. It was mutually beneficial.” Kyungbok initiated the toast, and they clinked their glasses together lightly.

He’s not bad.

Kyungbok had felt it during their first meeting as well—there was nothing off-putting about Kyungbok. He seemed like a decent person and someone from whom he could learn much as a fellow streamer. Of course, Kyungbok wasn’t quite on his level yet, but there was no reason to distance himself from him either.

“It’s okay to raid together sometime? I mean, on Gunner’s Ground?”

“Oh, sure, but I can’t guarantee when that’ll be.”

“No problem at all. Actually, some viewers might misunderstand if we don’t do it eventually. As long as they know for certain that we’re planning to, I’m fine with waiting.” Kyungbok waved his hand casually with a smile.

Lee Kyungbok nodded and cautiously asked another question. “I must say, you seem different from how you present yourself during your broadcasts.”

“What? Oh, yeah. It’d be exhausting always being ‘on,’ so this is my true self off camera.”

On stream, he came across as talkative and energetic, whereas now, he seemed more relaxed and subdued.

He shrugged and continued. “It’s tough to survive in this industry unless you stand out, so it’s crucial to have a unique persona. I just mold myself according to what viewers or the world wants to see.”

“Oh…”

“But you don’t need to do that, Purple.”

“What?”

“You’re a genius—a once-in-a-generation kind of genius. Just because my on-air personality differs from who I am off camera doesn’t mean everything I say is fake.”

His words were sincere. Lee Kyungbok was leagues above anyone Kyungbok had ever met before.

“A talent like yours shouldn’t try to fit in with the rest of the world. No, quite the opposite—the world should adapt to you.”

Before Lee Kyungbok could respond to Kyungbok’s earnest declaration, Choi Byunghoon and Park Juhho returned from their brief absence.

“Hey, we need to apply for Tri partnership.”

“Yes, I was just coming back here to talk about that.”

Kyungbok blinked at them this time.

“What? You’re not already partners with Tri?”

“Nope, nope. Our channel has grown faster than expected.”

“Tri partnership?” Choi Byunghoon nodded at Lee Kyungbok’s question.

“There’s something called the Tri Partnership Program. We have to sign up for it before subscriptions and subscription emoticons can be activated on our channel.”

“And ads will run during broadcasts. Even without sponsorship, you’ll generate steady income.”

Park Juhho added more details. Lee Kyungbok frowned slightly.

“You mean ads will pop up during broadcasts?”

Having another source of income wasn’t necessarily bad, but wouldn’t advertisements interrupt viewers’ immersion?

…Still, I’m not doing this alone.

Had he been streaming solo, it would’ve required some serious consideration. But his friends believed in him and were willing to join him on this endeavor. He needed to take their perspectives into account as well.

“It’s actually not so bad for viewers either. In fact, many people enjoy it,” Kyungbok chimed in unexpectedly. The other three turned toward him.

“When someone subscribes, it displays how long they’ve subscribed—one month, two months, and so on. As that number grows, the bond between viewer and streamer strengthens. Someone has been subscribing to me for over six years now.”

“Six years?” Lee Kyungbok’s eyes widened.

The thought of having viewers who had been tuning in for six straight years and paying to support him every month made his heart swell with happiness.

“Yes, but it’s not just beneficial for the streamer. Subscribers can differentiate themselves from other viewers using subscriber-exclusive emojis. Their messages stand out more in the chat box, so they’re easier for the streamer to notice.”

“It’s about more than money, isn’t it?” Lee Kyungbok finally understood the perks of subscriptions. Just as he craved attention from people, viewers also wanted recognition from their favorite streamers.

I still have much to learn.

He smiled brightly.

“So I can apply right away?”

“You already meet all the requirements.”

“All you need to do is submit your application.”

His friends’ reassurances put him at ease. It would’ve been difficult on his own, but thankfully, he wasn’t alone.

The following day, early afternoon, Purple’s fan page buzzed with exciting news:

[Purple becomes Tri Partner!] (NEW)

Fans were universally thrilled by this announcement.

[Finally, we can pay our friend fees.]

[I was itching to sponsor randomly during his broadcast anyway. Good thing he’s doing it now! LOL; among other smears, there are many who constantly ask for sponsorships, but why isn’t our Gadfly money-hungry?! Ah ha ha, as soon as the stream starts, I’m subscribing right away! Ha ha ha!]

[-This is awesome! Ha ha ha ha!]

[-Gadfly deserves some financial support.]

[-Seriously, blocking sponsorships made no sense…]

[-Watching him for free feels like a waste.]

[-Ah ha ha, gonna give money and hope for longer streams!]

Their biggest fear was the day Purple might leave streaming altogether. While reasons varied greatly for streamers quitting the industry, financial issues undoubtedly played a significant role.

[“Hehe, they will pay Purple to broadcast for a long time.”]

[“How many tiers of subscriptions will you buy?”]

“I’m immediately going for Tier 3. Who would settle for just Tier 1?”

“Everyone knows Tri takes a hefty commission. Hehe.”

[“-Heh, I was surprised when I looked up the fees.”]

[“Tri gets 50%! Hehehe.”]

[“Isn’t it necessary to at least subscribe Tier 2 unless it’s school meals or allowances?”]

[“Tier 2 is 30,000 won and Tier 3 is 50,000 won. It’s quite expensive.”]

[“I don’t have much money yet, so I am thinking about it.”]

[“Just do what suits you best. Hehe.”]

There were different types of channel subscriptions available. The higher the tier of the subscription, the more benefits one received. Typically, there were limits on the emotes that could be used based on the subscription tier. However, currently, Purple didn’t have any emotes.

While fans were discussing, a new announcement popped up:

[Subscription Emoticons Updated] (NEW)

[Hello! This is the Perfect Play editor!]

[This is Choi Byunghoon, editor of Perfect Play!]

The subscriber-exclusive emojis have been updated with the addition of Tri Partners.

Tier 1:

[PERFECTPLAY]

Tier 2:

[B-L-A-C-K-I-N-D-U-S-T-R-Y] [P-E-R-F-E-C-T]

Tier 3:

[JANGOCHANG] [PERMEN] [PERMANENTLYA] [PERJAM]

Unfortunately, due to my limited skills, I could only create text-based emojis for now. In the future, we’ll hire freelancers or designers and continue updating them accordingly.

Thank you!]

Editor Choi Byunghoon had registered “bigmojis,” which were relatively easy to make.

Out of nowhere, a post announcing Kyungbok’s stream appeared on their fan page, leaving them confused. Had someone posted it by mistake? But there was no reason for that, since Kyungbok had his own official fan cafe.

Kyungbok’s Anatomy Part 2 has started! Don’t miss out as he explains why Gadfly is Gadfly!

The fans finally understood once they read the content of the post.

[L—Oh, this is part two?]

[Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!]

[I guess I can just tune in before it starts.]

[Thanks, Heimdall!]

As implied by its title, Kyungbok’s Anatomy, there were more parts to dissect. The fans quickly clicked the link and tuned in.

“All right, it looks like enough people have gathered, so let’s get started with the dissection.”

Kyungbok wore a crisp white lab coat and glasses to fully commit to his role as a doctor.

“As you know, we use capsules that operate through our brains. Although they’re technically called physical capsules, they should really be referred to as neural capsules. But since using neural might cause confusion, I’ll stick with physical for now.” Kyungbok displayed an image of a capsule before pushing it aside.

“First up is Purple-nim’s brain from yesterday. Oh, just so there’s no misunderstanding, all the craftsmen agreed to this scan beforehand. It’s been a while since my last anatomy content, so maybe some of you forgot about this part? Anyway, everyone understands, right?”

With a wave of his hand, a three-dimensional image of a brain appeared on-screen.

-LMAO I didn’t know you dissected bodies

-Is that God’s brain?!

-Purple: What?! Give me back my brain!

-Strangely, it looks quite impressive.

Kyungbok glanced at the chat window before continuing.

“So, as you can see here, this shows which parts of your brain activate during basic physical tests and strength or magic damage assessments. Here’s what mine looked like.”

He waved again, and another brain image popped up.

-Is that Beancurd’s brain?!

-Wait, he has a brain?!

-Looks pretty underwhelming to me.

-What’s with the temperature difference? LOL

“As you may already know, each of our five senses has its own designated area within the brain. For example, when we see something, this part right here—the visual cortex—lights up.” Kyungbok ignored the jokes flooding the chat and continued his explanation while highlighting specific areas on the image of the brain.

“It’s common for certain regions to activate depending on the situation. However…”

“However?”

“Huh?”

“Is Purple somehow different?”

“Something big is coming! Something huge!”

“Based on that reaction speed, synapses must be firing like crazy.”

“LOL. He’s entering god mode now.”

As Kyungbok paused briefly, viewers tried guessing what he was about to say next.

“No, I’m truly amazed because Purple isn’t even at that level yet.”

However, none of them hit the mark. As question marks flooded the chat window, Kyungbok spoke again.

“All his senses—vision, hearing, smell, touch, taste, and more—are fully activated across all areas of his brain.” He revealed Purple’s brain scan results, which lit up like a lightbulb.

“And they remain constantly active—even when it isn’t necessary! Wow, Lee Kyungbok is truly on another level compared to ordinary people like us. That was my conclusion after seeing this scan.” Kyungbok sounded quite serious as he declared, “He could be considered part of a new species, or perhaps even a ‘new human.’”

Lee Kyungbok, aka Streamer Purple, stood out from everyone else.