I Became a Malicious Streamer

“Yes, I’ll give you a waiting number, so just come out when your number is called.”

“783? You mean there are 782 people ahead of me?”

“That’s… correct?”

“Well, that’s quite a lot… This is going to take a while.”

After sending off a man with a scruffy beard, the woman let out a sigh as if trying to catch her breath.

Her name was Aesily. She was an attendant at the information desk of the Jeveri Game Company.

Today alone, Aesily had faced more than 500 people. The variety of nationalities and ethnicities coming together from who knows where was completely mind-boggling since morning.

In fact, it could be said that the information desk was the most laid-back position at the Jeveri Game Company.

Aesily was one of the busiest people in this building, and her usual tasks were pretty easy and comfortable.

Answering questions from people who came inside looking for directions, joking around with the clerks from the next department, managing publications and brochures about the game company, oh, and occasionally going to the café to get coffee for the staff.

She spent her days leisurely. Since the workload was light and there was almost nothing to do, Aesily was the sole keeper of the desk, and she was quite satisfied with the situation.

There was no trouble from people. Although her salary was a bit low, she thought it was quite generous for what she did.

So, on payday, she felt a strange mix of emotions, thinking she received money without having really done anything.

However, today was different.

The atmosphere in the company had felt off for a few days, and now, an incident had finally occurred.

A week ago, when the official notice came down, Aesily hadn’t really grasped it.

Developing new technology and recruiting testers, huh.

She thought, “Ah, there will be some people coming,” and dismissed it as no big deal.

– This isn’t something to be taken lightly, Aesily. This isn’t just a few people coming!

Just then, Josh from the next department, who usually shared boring jokes with her during lunch, started flailing his arms and getting all worked up.

Aesily finally caught on to the seriousness of the situation.

– So, how many people are coming then?

– I don’t know! But at least a thousand a day… maybe even up to ten thousand?

– Eek…

Her face turned pale as if she were shocked by those numbers.

On average, she usually welcomed about 10 guests a day. The most she ever had at once was just over 500.

Even that was quite taxing, so how on earth would she manage with a thousand? Or ten thousand? The thought was overwhelming.

By the time she got off work, she would probably be a lifeless heap.

And there was another problem.

This test that attracted such crowds wasn’t going to be over in a day.

According to the notice from above, it would last a week, and Josh thought it might even be extended.

– What kind of test is it, anyway?

– Full dive… You wouldn’t understand, right? It’s checking if people can connect and function smoothly in another world… Get it?

– Clearly, you lack the skill of explanation, Josh.

Though Aesily worked at a game company, she wasn’t particularly interested in games.

She preferred dramas and movies, and sci-fi was one of her favorite genres.

– So it’s like, your body is here, but your mind and spirit are manipulated to act within a virtual reality, right?

– Well… I don’t really know the detailed principles, but that’s about the gist.

A scene from a movie flashed in Aesily’s mind.

Mad scientists putting brains in jars and sending electrical signals while conducting experiments. The experiment succeeds, and the body is lost, leaving only the brain that continues to exist in another world.

This is totally…

– Amazing.

Like any game company employee, the bloodshot eyes of her colleagues did not look good. Dark circles from being too focused on development, hair frazzled from sleepless nights, staring vacant eyes.

Aesily’s imagination went wild.

She realized the exhausted looks of her co-workers were because they had been deeply immersed in research like crazy scientists.

Josh, completely unaware that Aesily’s thoughts were drifting away, continued satisfied that he explained everything to her.

– Right? Isn’t it amazing? Aesily must think so too, but what about the others? Jeveri is a game company after all. You think there are only a few people who love games? People from all over the world will probably rush in!

Even though he said people from around the world would come.

Aesily thought Josh was just trying to scare her, but that was actually true.

Hadn’t she just talked to someone who came from Croatia?

“Whoooo…”

At least it was a relief that another department had sent in support. If she’d had to deal with all those people alone, she would have surely lost all her hair!

As she momentarily dazed out, Aesily took a moment to find peace amid the chaos.

So many people had come. She was mindlessly rolling her eyes when one person caught her attention.

‘Is she a model?’

The woman had an overwhelming presence as she approached. Dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, she seemed like she just returned from vacation.

Aesily thought this woman must be taking the test as well.

It wasn’t unusual. Anyone with an interest in games and a healthy body could apply for this test.

Earlier, a famous celebrity had also come through. With so many people present, the crowd surged causing quite a stir.

No one knew whether these people were genuinely passionate about games or just there to gain attention. After all, what wouldn’t they do to stand out in the ruthless gaze of the public?

“Number 813. Please wait, and I’ll call your number.”

“Um…”

However, this woman seemed different. After taking a waiting number, her slight frown while contemplating didn’t seem like the typical attention seeker just wanting a buzz.

“It seems like it’s going to take a while. Should I go look around somewhere else?”

Beside her was someone who looked like her secretary or manager, also wearing sunglasses, engaging in a conversation in an unknown language.

Looking from this angle, she could easily pass for a rich girl.

Aesily couldn’t take her gaze off the woman who took her number and stepped back.

Who was this intriguing woman? It was an inconsequential curiosity, but nobody knew, and it wasn’t particularly important.

As more people continued to pile in, the mysterious woman faded from Aesily’s memory.

*

“After full diving, I won’t get trapped in the game for 10 or 20 years, right?”

It was the day of the test. As I spoke my thoughts while holding the waiting number, Si-young looked at me with a cold glare.

“Don’t say such ominous things.”

“It’s possible, you know.”

“This is a project that Jeveri has put a lot of heart into. They’ve probably conducted safety checks hundreds of times.”

But still, there’s always the chance.

Imagine being selected as a beta tester for a famous game, eager to hop into the capsule only to find yourself unable to log out while a death game unfolds.

“You’ve been watching too many movies.”

“It’s more anime than movies…”

Ryuah had given me a hint about a somewhat famous anime, but it seemed Si-young didn’t watch anime at all.

She subtly lowered her sunglasses and scanned the crowd. There were many people. George had been right about the intensity of the competition.

‘Didn’t they say they’re selecting about 100 people?’

The competition would be fierce. I didn’t know the selection criteria, but I needed to give it my all to be chosen.

– From number 800 to 850, please come this way!

Just as I steadied my heart, I heard the attendant’s voice.

“I’ll be back.”

I gave Si-young a brief goodbye and prepared to leave, but she hesitated, grabbing my wrist and leaving me with one last word.

“…Be careful.”

I just smiled in response. It seemed I had inadvertently worried her with my earlier joke.

My editor always had a serious side that didn’t take jokes as jokes.

For her sake too, I needed to return in one piece without any unforeseen issues.

Despite my words, I really didn’t expect anything dangerous to occur. How many times had these people tested the devices they had developed?

They must have conducted thousands of tests before. They were probably powering them on multiple times daily.

With so many people packed into those capsules, there was no way they would have scrimped on the preliminary work.

The anime Ryuah told me about was just that—anime. It was nothing more than a creation. Pure fiction.

But then again, isn’t this kind of statement a cliché? Normally, in movies, the person to say, “No way, that couldn’t happen,” ends up being the first to die or something like that.

So should I, conversely, be anxious and quaking in fear? “We’re gonna die, we have to escape!”—that sort of line? That seemed odd too.

As I pondered these silly thoughts and continued walking, I finally arrived at my destination.

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