I Became a Malicious Streamer

As this was a large corporate event, it was filled with all kinds of games.

Among them were the famous PC and console games we often encounter, but mostly, it was not the case.

It was literally a treasure trove of ‘all sorts’ of games. The selection process seemed to have excluded any evaluations of the games themselves.

Whether gamers praised them as game of the year or labeled them as trash, it looked like they simply gathered everything together.

People’s tastes are naturally different!

Or maybe they intentionally collected peculiar games that evoke strong opinions.

Since it was a special event with streamers from around the world, they might have presented these unique games as a showcase.

In that regard, the game George brought out was also quite unusual.

Rather than peculiar, it should be called unfamiliar. Even someone like me, who had played a good number of games, found this type to be the first I had seen.

Could it be that George calculated for elements like this when he decided to take a gamble?

He had played the game himself, but if it was a game I hadn’t played, it would be like securing an advantageous position beforehand. If that were the case, it would be an incredibly dirty move.

However, looking at the expression of the guy across from me, that possibility seemed quite low. It looked like George was also quite unfamiliar with this game.

Then what on earth made him choose this game for the showdown? A game he himself didn’t know well!

Was it to challenge me directly? To quickly avenge his earlier defeat?

So, did he just pick the ‘two-player game suitable for friends’ that was closest to him?

The ongoing questions quickly evaporated with George’s words.

“Aren’t you playing this game for the first time as well?”

Nod, nod. I moved my head up and down to express my agreement.

This much could be interpreted from a few recognizable words, nuances, and gestures without needing a translator.

However, interpreting what he said next was impossible. I shrugged and looked at the staff, who came over to inform me of George’s words.

“We’re going to play a practice match first. He wants to get the hang of the controls and jump straight into the main match.”

“That sounds refreshing.”

I curled my fingers in a circle, pointing at George. That was confirmation I understood.

George also nodded firmly, controlling the controller with a serious demeanor, distinctly different from the chuckling attitude he had earlier.

He meant business when playing this game.

Perhaps it was because he recognized me as a true opponent. He indeed suffered a crushing defeat against me earlier.

But what can I say? I’m just as serious about gaming as you are.

Being serious about gaming pretty much translates to not tolerating defeat.

As everyone knows, the most fun moment in gaming is when you crush your opponent and claim victory.

I had no intention of handing over that sweet fruit to the man in front of me.

Ha!

George Victor. The number one streamer loved by Americans. Chosen as the best game streamer in the Switch awards for two years running, last year, and this year!

With all sorts of pomp and pageantry surrounding him, the top streamer let out a hearty chuckle.

How many times had it been now? He was facing defeat against the woman right in front of him.

Defeat. That was a word very unfamiliar to George.

Despite living a life as a streamer relatively free from competition, he always ended up clutching victory whenever a competition arrived.

Yet now, encountering this strange loss in such an unexpected place, against an unexpected person, felt bizarre.

The emptiness and frustration from when he lost for the first time only hours ago were long gone.

Instead, he felt joyful. It felt refreshing. These were emotions he hadn’t experienced when he always achieved success and only won.

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That’s why he laughed. A laugh that flowed out naturally without him even realizing he was laughing.

I could feel Reporter Jessie and her crew fidgeting. They probably never imagined that a big shot like George would suffer consecutive losses like this.

The fact that he was laughing now might make some think he was laughing out of madness rather than joy.

However, George wasn’t concerned about that. To be exact, he had no time to care.

He was too busy savoring the fresh sensations he had longed for.

It had been a while since he felt so alive. It brought back memories of his school days when he was immersed in gaming, ignoring everything around him.

“This is why life is fun.”

Life is full of unpredictability and ups and downs. You can’t always walk down a smooth road.

Some might not bear those ups and downs and resent the world, but George was someone who enjoyed the dips of that rollercoaster.

If everything were just continuously smooth, it would be boring. Thus, George was genuinely pleased with the current situation.

Being humiliatingly defeated in front of tens of thousands of viewers? Not humiliating at all.

The conditions were fair. A game center filled with various games. Most matches were comprised of games that both players were experiencing for the first time.

However, the outcome was always George’s defeat. The reason was simple. The mysterious Korean woman was simply better at games than George.

He went from hearing ‘natural talent’ to encountering a real prodigy. That title of natural talent would soon belong to her.

He didn’t particularly want it, and it only felt cumbersome, that title.

The only advantage was that it brought in some sponsorships, but honestly, George had the ability to live just fine without those sponsorships.

George was more interested in something else. What could possibly motivate this mysterious gamer to travel such a long distance?

Even though invitations had been sent out through the Switch, there were also quite a few who chose not to attend.

Given that George lived close to the event, he had attended, but if the distance were more significant, he would have likely opted out.

And so, George started to think.

Why did the woman in front of him bring along her secretary and come here? Surely it wasn’t just to grab the invitation and do some touristy sightseeing?

As George racked his brain, a light bulb lit up in his head.

“Could she have come to participate?”

As a beta tester?

Considering that the well-known game, which heavy gamers would undoubtedly have heard about through various channels, was nearing its release.

The famous game company based in Silicon Valley was looking for beta testers, but the application conditions were quite strict.

“They had to go through a separate testing process.”

Testing to hire beta testers? It’s possible, but there’s a reason behind it.

“This game, which is being commercially released for the first time, would exclude any average players.”

Full dive.

Entering a capsule-like device to link all your senses to play in a virtual reality game.

That was the totality of the technology that could be called the pinnacle of gaming.

The select few beta testers who passed the rigorous testing process would be rewarded, but for gamers interested in the game, it was a tempting opportunity.

Virtual reality gaming. How could one resist that?

It was likely that she also gathered information somewhere to qualify as a beta tester to come all the way here.

As George nodded, believing he had pieced together the puzzle, he completely overlooked the bewildered look from Mollru.

*

George was indeed the ultimate game streamer.

Despite his consecutive defeats, he continued to challenge me with different games, which made me think that he genuinely loved gaming.

Being a game streamer was his calling. He didn’t reach a million followers for nothing.

But where there’s a beginning, there’s an end.

Perhaps losing consecutively had driven George into a slight frenzy, as he began to chuckle again and no longer challenged me.

Instead, he started spouting unfathomable words to distract me.

“Are you aiming to be a beta tester too?”

“What?”

Confused, I asked, and he shook his head.

“Feigning ignorance… Am I also a competitor? You’re quite thorough.”

It seemed there was some confusion between the information George had and what I truly knew.

After about 10 minutes, George noticed that I wasn’t pretending not to know; I really didn’t know anything at all.

“…You really just came to attend this event? You took a flight just for an unimportant gaming event?”

“I thought I’d do some sightseeing as well.”

“I can’t believe it… You can’t possibly know nothing with that level of skill.”

While George was wide-eyed, he brought back up the topic we were discussing and explained further.

Virtual reality. Gaming. VR. Full dive. Beta tester.

This could potentially create quite a stir in the gaming industry. Have we already reached a singularity in this world?

As the conversation progressed, it seemed Si-young was already in the know. Apparently, the rumor had spread widely among local communities.

“I also thought the CEO was coming to America for this reason… Wasn’t it?”

“I had no idea.”

While I was lost in deep introspection about myself, the world continued to transform unceasingly.

After talking to George more, he mentioned that a week from now, they would be selecting beta testers.

“So, are you not going to participate? It’s a waste of your talent.”

George asked sincerely.

He said not many would be selected, so if I entered, wouldn’t that create a strong competitor? I asked, and he replied with a cheerful laugh.

“Ha! For now, while you’re certainly a better gamer than me, I have confidence I can also get selected. And full dive is different. I might have more talent in that!”

He was right. The way we had previously played on PC would be completely different.

It was truly an unknown world. A blank canvas with no guarantees.

The thrill was intense. A full dive, that was something I wanted to experience at least once.

I agreed with George’s sentiment that it was something gamers couldn’t resist.

‘A week from now…’

It wasn’t a bad schedule.

I knew unexpected plans might arise, but I already intended to continue sightseeing for about a week, so I would just adjust the travel route a bit.

It was only natural for me, having already tilted my heart towards this opportunity, to shake George for more details about the process.

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