Chapter 7
A flame war I absolutely must never start... and I went and started one.
Naturally, this internet community that can never be hidden─is bound to tear into anyone who starts a fire.
The bigger the target, the better. Even people who work and strive as hard as they can get condemned out of jealousy or hounded as if to kill them over reasons that don't even exist. Yes─ironically, in modern society, the internet is truly an age of barbarism.... Even when something called a lawsuit might come crashing down on their heads, some people keep repeating such foolish mistakes that you have to wonder whether they're really human.
But even so, that's fine!
"Can't I just gobble up all the aggro myself?"
Like one of those net-kama hunters. At this point, it was better to give up on becoming a proper VTuber.
To begin with, I can state this categorically! I'm just an incompetent clipper who became a 『VTuber』 through sheer luck!
I have neither prodigious talent nor the ability to put in extraordinary effort!!
What is a VTuber, anyway...? Even with their face hidden, don't they need a character and concept that suit them, then use their streams to draw people's attention with singing, art, and gaming skill, make them fall in love through entertaining wit, a voice that naturally seeps into everyday life, dopamine-filled stories, and their own special or unique content?
This is hell.
Even raw gems of brilliant talent that would shine if polished someday are swept away because they cannot endure the hardships at the beginning. The most vicious are the people who toy with chicks who have just started streaming. That's why I don't put anything like a moderator in the chat. It might turn into Sodom and Gomorrah reborn in the mortal world, but I don't care.
If anything, I'm only worried that the other VTubers connected to me might be inconvenienced because of me!!
Even though I was afraid of how much impact it would have, it was a scheduled commitment, so I had no choice but to do the collab. It was a terrible crisis and disaster, but for some people, it was the greatest opportunity. There were people who captivated viewers with their own talent and eloquence. ──Unfortunately, Wakamo Inarizushi possesses none of that talent!
What would it feel like for a passionate fan of an underground idol to suddenly become a top idol at the height of their popularity, then come cheer at that underground idol's show?
No. Isn't this just me greedily gobbling up popularity that fell out of a vending machine?
What if someone saw me coasting so easily as a VTuber, thought something was wrong, lost motivation, and quit being a VTuber?
"There is no answer but seppuku...!!"
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried desperately to swallow my sadness. No matter how much I racked my brain, all I could come up with was a chaotic aggro VTuber!! How many other VTubers were there in this field? Was I going to spew sexual jokes? That required the talent to walk the line without crossing it and still be funny. The fox god from the neighboring district was good at games, good at ad-libs, good at singing, and displayed talent on the level of "a god descending," but I was a cheap imitation.
"You expect me to acknowledge myself as a VTuber?"
"I can't accept this... I'll stab Wakamo to death..!!"
"What qualifications does a bitch like you have to be a VTuber and have it easy!! Apologize to all the VTubers..!!"
"If you broadcast like a VTuber, then you can call yourself a VTuber... But your talent is different from the genuine ones who admire other VTubers, have dreams of their own, and work earnestly and seriously! Your perseverance is different! Your ideals are different! Your resolve is different! You have to be strong! If you're going to become a VTuber, you have to be strong!!"
How much time passed as I harshly lashed myself?
It was a way of steeling myself and reaffirming my resolve.
Burning down my own house wasn't enough.
I had done the scheduled collab, but that made me a nuisance to the viewers and streamers who normally only exchanged casual greetings when I clipped their streams. For some, it had been a benefit and an opportunity. I had hoped it would bring in more viewers and let more people discover the hardworking VTubers I watched, but I had only left them bewildered. That was no different from betraying them!
What a disgrace to a clipper... What shame...
"Screw it, seppuku!!"
Unable to bear my self-loathing, I thrust the edge of my hand into my stomach.
I wasn't seeking forgiveness for my sins.. I was paying the price for tarnishing the honor of VTubers..!!
But even with the edge of my hand buried in my stomach, my organs did not spill out. Only my mana kept dropping, and not even a drop of blood came out.
It was enough to make me realize that I didn't even need to sleep or breathe and could always maintain my best condition.
At this rate, Plan B─hanging myself─wouldn't work worth a damn either...
[Status Window]
[Climber : Wakamo Inarizushi]
[Class : VTuber]
[Age : 1,000 years old]
[Stats]
Mana : 867.
Remaining lifespan: approximately 14.45 minutes.
That seppuku just now had cut it down by quite a lot.
Why had my mana decreased so much...?
For that, I had to go back to the time when I had 27 VTuber streams open at once.
While doing that, I watched archived videos I had missed, watched other VTubers who were streaming live, and used the ultimate advanced skill known as no-look editing to open around 40 windows at the same time. My 140,000 mana had been slashed in an instant.
Considering that my subscriber count had even increased during all that, I had nearly died while watching streams!
If only it had happened! This Wakamo might have had regrets about life, but at least she would have been satisfied!
[You are climbing in the Incheon Tower's Floor 4 World]
-Don't be fooled by the appearance of the monsters in the Tower. Let's hunt a [Feral Deer]!
[Platinum Achievement Conditions]
-Chase and overtake the [Feral Deer] (1/1)
-Defeat the [Feral Deer] without being injured (0/1)
-Block or deflect the [Feral Deer's] [Tear to Shreds] (0/1)
"Ugh, there are way too many conditions."
Standing alone in the middle of a vast, boundless grassland, Wakamo sighed as she looked over Floor 4's clear conditions. Her mana was rapidly decreasing even as she stood there. That was only natural, since Wakamo had left a livestream running in preparation for her debut as a VTuber.
Since the internet worked, she wondered if [Video Recording] would work like a camera; fortunately, it did.
-Open the door, boss!!!
-Shouldn't you start with an apology stream?
-If it's not a real human, shouldn't we kill it?
-Door.
-No, more importantly, how did you get an ID? Did you kill someone and take it?
-Open.
-The.
-I got into a keyboard fight with people insulting the boss. I did good, right?
-Please give us some stock tips ㅠㅠ
It was a genuine pandemonium. The stream already had six thousand viewers even though I hadn't turned it on, thanks to all the people who had rushed in after hearing the news. I really didn't want to start it. But how long could I keep denying reality...? After agonizing over it for quite a while, Wakamo put her hands on her hips and turned on the stream.
"It's me, you fuckers."
-Sorry to be rude right after meeting you, but you seem really fucking rude.
-Considering your age, aren't you allowed to be rude?
-I really wonder if it smells like a chicken coop.
-Our boss is debuting as a VTuber. I'm already crying tears of joy!!
-When a clipper loves VTubers, they debut... I love that story so very churro.
-The 3D modeling is so realistic, it looks just like reality!!
-Earth Online's class system is fucking insane, seriously.
"As of today, I am Wakamo Inarizushi, making my debut as a VTuber! But listen up, everyone! Contrary to your expectations, I have absolutely no intention of doing VTubing properly!! The Tower fucking forced me into it because it wanted me to be a VTuber!!"
-It's our first meeting, but you're being incredibly honest and rude.
-You give off a total discharged-soldier vibe. Is that right?
-TMI) Given the boss's age, she was born during the Goryeo period, won the Goryeo-Khitan War, and was in her prime.
-You fox bitch, you survived the age when scholars hunted tigers and became king!
-I more or less understand Dangun's furry preferences now. Let me escape from here right now!!
-I watch every day, but all I can do is marvel, fuck!
-Recruit! If you've seen this Tower, abandon all hope!
-The Tower arrested that fox bitch who had been hiding awayㅋㅋㅋ What a sitcom.
The chat was flying by so quickly that I wondered whether to freeze it or switch to subscribers-only. Thinking about it, I didn't need money, so I hadn't set up either option. When I enabled slow mode, I saw pitiful newcomers innocently asking why they couldn't donate, which drew a sigh from me.
"I don't accept donations. Donate to another VTuber with the time you'd spend donating to me! Find the taste you like on my channel and pick one!! I categorized them by concept just for you! VTubers who sing well, VTubers with great concepts, VTubers who are good at games, and even famous major VTubers from overseas!!"
-Wouldn't it be more beneficial if the boss collected that money and donated it to VTubers?
"Huh?"
-Look at that fucking stupid expressionㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-No, why are you letting yourself be persuaded by that?
-This bastard probably just thought of about a hundred places to invest all the donations.
-Info: The boss is subscribed to three hundred VTubers.
-Fuck! What a lunatic beyond imagination!!
-Should we be grateful that she's not human, but a beast?
-Are the stocks booming because the boss is really a god?
"Tch... Get a grip! Wakamo!! Don't let people who come here to spout nonsense instead of watching other VTubers push you around!! But honestly, I agree with the people asking if I'm copying the fox god's concept. And since I'm a fox god who can do nothing but scratch my belly, waste time, and watch YouTube, you might as well give up."
-No, if you're that kind of fox god, shouldn't you be more of a loli???
-Have I somehow reached a level equal to the gods without even realizing it...?
-I can agree with the claim that even an idiot is a god, you idiot boss!!
-What the hell do you have to do to be climbing a Tower when you're supposed to be at a collab tomorrow?!
-Anyway, is this the red pill? Why are you a VTuber? I'm really asking because I don't know.
-But isn't climbing the Tower dangerous? Are you sure it's okay?
Unexpectedly, there was no rule forbidding broadcasts from inside the Tower.
It was a sight only Climbers could see: a world filled with pristine nature untouched by human hands. Of course, the seemingly boundless space was surprisingly limited, blocked off by transparent walls and the like. Even if they could not see them, there had to be herbs, fruit, and animals here, along with ore beneath the ground.
That was why everyone gathered here hurled abuse at Wakamo while watching with one shared interest.
Some people began lowering the intensity of their words and asking this and that, nervously watching to see whether she might end the stream. Others asked whether she could simply open donations, and there were even endearing viewers asking what color her panties were.
Yes, every VTuber stream needed someone like that.
It wouldn't matter if they did it in my stream, but they might go to other VTubers' streams and do the same thing, so I quietly decided to remember their IDs and put them on the blacklist.
"Why am I climbing the Tower? Because climbing it will make this country prosperous...? The trickle-down effect has been dead for ages? Shut your mouth. Yeah... I felt the limits of stocks and of being a clipper. So I'll climb the Tower!! Make the country peaceful!! And get everyone watching VTuber streams!! Everyone, do you know why the viewership of the VTubers we love is declining? It's because of the Tower!!"
-That sounds fucking insane, but it's incredibly persuasive.
-The chairman who single-handedly led a small-time VTuber revival movement for five years, ladies and gentlemen.
-I thought you were just a nitpicking sudden millionaire, but you're a comrade in the revolution after all!
-Why is this suddenly turning red? Is this right? Should I stand up?
-No, fuck... Conquering the Tower is good, but is this really the right direction?
-What kind of lunatic clipper climbs a Tower because VTubers are losing viewers?
-They say there might be something like a god at the top of the hundred-floor Tower. Is this really okay?
"Then there's no choice but to fight that god!!"
The force of Wakamo's conviction was enough to make the hem of her clothes flutter, and the viewers' comments stopped for a moment.
Was it because they were overwhelmed? Or because of the madness of someone who would smash a god's head even if one really existed at the top of the Tower, all because of VTubers?
Perhaps they were also relieved that this bastard wasn't one of them.
"As a Tower-climbing VTuber!! I debuted as a VTuber who gets to reap all the benefits while climbing alone! That's why I don't accept donations, believers. Why? Think about it!! I'm sucking down content all by myself!! Isn't that too unfair!! I'm standing on the efforts of countless VTubers.... That's why I don't bother with communication. I!! Me!! I'll stream however the hell I feel like!"
-I have no idea what's different from usual.
-She's such a fucking crazy, consistently VTuber-loving fanatic.
-As expected of an otaku who posts stream information the moment she opens her eyes.
-Meanwhile, this bastard uploaded three edited videos to her channel.
-No, so is she really a fox god???
Wakamo had clearly stated her aspirations. No matter how she thought about it, all she could think was that her first day as a VTuber had been a complete failure. Was this moisture running down Wakamo's cheeks... tears?
There was even a saying that frustration was what made a VTuber grow, wasn't there? All she could do was stream diligently every day and improve her skills.
If my stream made anyone uncomfortable, I had no choice but to maintain the attitude that they could fix their posture and deal with it!!
-But what is the boss standing there doing?
"Huh? Ah... I overtook it and am waiting here."
Even while streaming, she had already done everything that needed to be done. Perhaps multitasking every day had made it feel natural.
The viewers were shocked, amazed, and confused as they watched the [Feral Deer] charge toward them at full speed. The monsters that existed in this world had previously only been available through information in pictures or writing. Even if there had been an environment where photographs could be taken, people could not see anything unless they were on that floor.
That was why they could truly feel the vividness of seeing inside the Tower.
They focused on the screen as they watched the boss take a stance before the sharp antlers charging toward the boss with enough force to pierce her at any moment.
"Tang Soo Do knife-hand strike─!!"
-No, fuck. Was she from Tang China instead of Goryeo?
-I pay my respects to a master of original Tang Soo Do.
-No, you said you could use sorcery!!!
-Boss, you're not lying about your age, are you???
How could someone claiming to be a fox god use a Tang Soo Do knife-hand strike instead of sorcery? Even Climbers who knew about them chimed in, shouting, "There's no such skill!!"
But the knife-hand shattered the antlers trying to pierce the boss, smashed the deer's head, broke its neck, and drove the charging animal into the ground hard enough to bury it.
The deer's upper body was driven into the ground! The overwhelming realism was nothing like CG..!!
Wasn't it a bit much to insist this was a VTuber stream?!
But faced with such overwhelming violence, they decided not to question that part.
Everyone already knew from her first stream that this boss was a lunatic obsessed with VTubers, if nothing else!
"Osu! That's all for today's stream! That's a wrap!! Break it up, break it up!!"
-I can't tell whether she's Chinese, Korean, or Japanese.
-Considering the boss's name is Wakamo, isn't she none of the three?
-They said the Sessho-seki in Japan broke, and now she's really a disaster in the streaming world.
-No, fuck, this isn't a VTuber, it's a streamer [This user has been permanently banned].
-Boss! I believe this is a VTuber stream! Even our Poppy acknowledges it!
-Help me! Help me!
"Wakamo's VTuber stream! Watch if you want. It's over, so get lost now."
It was the absurd debut of a shameless fox god who insisted she was a VTuber while practically holding her Tower climbing over everyone as a threat.
The viewers were so exasperated that they nearly lost their minds in every sense, but after seeing the power of a Climber, they could only accept it.
Honestly, from their perspective, as long as there was one more stream to watch, did anything else really matter?