NOVEL WEB Chapter 8
Typically, the number of men in the internet broadcasting industry is higher than that of women.
In internet broadcasting, the male-to-female ratio tends to be skewed even more when it comes to game streaming.
When looking specifically at game broadcasts, there are rare female streamers who focus primarily on gaming content.
Although the number of female gamers has increased, they still trail behind male gamers in terms of quantity.
Most cases involve individuals who develop an interest in games and transition into broadcasting from there.
So, what about female gamers who possess exceptional skills and rank among the top?
With a significantly higher number of male gamers, it is predominantly men who secure top rankings.
Since there are fewer female gamers, the chances of them reaching the top tier are drastically diminished.
However, if a female gamer manages to break through such dreadful odds and possesses top-notch gaming skills,
and she is also a broadcaster who makes gaming her main content,
naturally, she would attract considerable attention.
Whether that influx of interest becomes a blessing or a curse is up to her.
[Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman? Is she a woman?]
[What the hell is this?]
[So, you’re telling me that hand and this voice belong to a guy, huh, Tenryeon? LOL]
[I was skeptical since the hand cam, but hearing the voice makes it clear.]
[I liked the teacher from the start.]
[Mollru unnie… I feel weird down there… Mollru unnie… I feel weird down there… Mollru unnie… I feel weird down there… Mollru unnie… I feel weird down there… Mollru unnie… I feel weird down there…]
[What’s that voice…]
The chat room was flooded with a massive volume of messages that made it lag.
The chat would stop and then unleash a torrent of messages repeatedly.
While most of the chatter consisted of mindless spam and malicious harassment, the firepower was undeniable.
-Mollru (Live) 403
What once seemed like a deserted broadcast had transformed into a bustling hub.
It seemed like someone had dropped a pin on the map somewhere.
“Hello, I’m Mollru.”
Her voice, though seemingly fatigued, had a feminine charm that was quite pleasant to hear.
It was the kind of calm voice that could lull you to sleep.
It was on another level compared to what viewers had imagined.
A user who had outstanding skills in a game that had been out for quite some time.
However, the account appeared to have been created only recently.
This made the user seem even more sketchy.
Instead of following a common style, she showcased her own unique flair and individuality.
She played the roles of a Sniper, Swordsman, and Assassin, which are dream roles among EOW users.
As a result, people thought of Mollru as a hidden master of some kind.
A stoic Sniper who rarely types in chat. A dynamic physical fighter as a Swordsman. An Assassin who catches enemies from behind in one fell swoop.
When users saw the agent she was playing, an image would generally form in their minds.
A mysterious master with a deep voice and impressive physical prowess.
Even Sua imagined Mollru’s appearance, and the majority of the viewers did the same.
Because of this, the current situation caused even larger repercussions.
[Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru! Mollru!]
[When did the suspected cheater who aimed at the streamer turn out to be a female user?]
[This is like a light novel.]
[If you wrote a story like this, you’d be criticized for having no coherence.]
[So why did she aim at Sua?]
[LOL It was just a fan meeting, not an aim!]
[Don’t defame our teacher, the 50 million Mollru fan club won’t let it slide.]
[When did it reach 50 million?]
[It’s gotten so serious that I want to meet her even through a secondary account ㄷㄷ even the Witch, Sua, is enchanted by her!]
The suspicion that Mollru was a cheater had long since faded away.
Just in the previous match, it was evidenced through her hand cam.
It’s hard to imagine the connection between a slender wrist twisting around adjusting a long-range sniper rifle and smashing a human head, however.
Even now, right after finishing one match, Mollru began another matchmaking.
Selecting the Swordsman agent, Mollru swung her sword indiscriminately, slicing through enemies.
Every time she did, her white hands, visibly soft, clicked away at the mouse, moving skillfully.
[She’s so good at this, what a crazy person!]
[Type properly in chat!]
[What kind of physical ability is this? LOL she just kills everyone!]
[The opposing team should think they got hit by a truck.]
[Her hands are so pretty… Her face must be pretty too, right?]
[Teacher, please say something.]
[I want to hear your voice.]
Such mindless collective monologuing occurred. Although everyone was watching the same stream, the discussions varied greatly.
Some focused on her gaming skills, others on her physical features.
And some talked about her voice.
Among them, comments about her voice were the most prevalent.
[Did her mic cut out again?]
[Looks like I gotta buy her one for real.]
[How much are decent mics these days? Hurry and donate!]
[Teacher, please say something, this is my third request.]
Perhaps due to the repetitive messages she saw in the chat,
Mollru paused mid-slice and cleared her throat, as if preparing to speak.
What could she possibly say?
Viewers listened with anticipation,
“Seems like there are too many of you here… At this point, I think I’ve proven I’m not a cheater, so please just go.”
They suspected that this streamer wasn’t quite right.
*
What could possibly be happening?
While I was absorbed in the game, a huge number of people had, well, piled into my broadcast.
-Live 502
Five hundred. A whopping five hundred!
I blinked several times, questioning if the number I was seeing was real.
Was the impact of broadcasting this significant?
Apparently, Sua was quite a recognizable streamer.
Her skills weren’t notable enough to seek out, but people obviously knew her.
I expected some attention, but I had no idea it would be to this extent.
Though I hoped many would come to see my stream proving I was not a cheater, when I saw the number five hundred, my mind went blank.
As a result, I blurted out something silly, yet the viewers seemed to be entertained by it.
[Is there a stream that tells viewers to leave?]
[A streamer who’s tickling ants, LOL]
[Is this the first stream where the host tells off bad viewers? This one’s tough from the get-go.]
[LOL I wonder why they would leave when the stream is so fun]
[I love your voice… Please say more.]
[Just tell me to leave once more.]
[Cuss at me!]
Such was the fiery response.
Watching five hundred people spew a variety of comments was like an extraordinary experience I’d only encounter once in a lifetime.
Hmm, should I say something?
I thought about it, but as someone without a gift of gab, just chatting without a subject wasn’t easy.
It felt a bit like the pressure of a stand-up comedian who is being paid to make people laugh within a limited time.
Indeed, nothing comes easy in this world.
Just showing gameplay wasn’t the best choice either.
Broadcasting is a bit like running a business.
Like a restaurant serving delicious food to patrons and being paid for it,
I had to provide some form of entertainment to the audience gathered to watch my stream.
It felt less like pressure and more like a duty.
Continuously playing games without saying anything wasn’t broadcasting.
Perhaps it was due to the weight of having five hundred viewers, but my mentality had transitioned into that of a professional streamer.
“Hey everyone, do you know what a minister says when parting from the king?”
[What’s this about suddenly?]
[You’re tickling my ears, please whisper more sweetly.]
[Why am I leaving? What is this about?]
[Please don’t tell me it’s what I’m thinking!]
[Oh, please.]
[Viking?]
[Not a Viking?]
I glanced at the chat room out of the corner of my eye.
It was fascinating how viewers responded to what I was saying in real time.
I nearly missed responding to a surprise attack from an enemy because of it.
I intercepted the attacking enemy with my sword.
Timing my command perfectly, I successfully parried.
Then with a sleek slash, I defeated the foe.
In a normal situation, I wouldn’t have been caught off-guard, but I managed to retaliate just by instinct and my quick reflexes.
… Talking while gaming is no easy feat.
More accurately, I realized I was becoming distracted by thoughts of broadcasting rather than focusing on the game itself.
My eyes were darting around, causing my vision to blur.
But thankfully, the game wasn’t tense yet, so I had some leeway.
I recalled Sua’s stream from yesterday.
Even while dying repeatedly, she didn’t shut her mouth. It must have been quite chaotic for her.
Professional streamers can maintain their audio even while gaming.
Though I never thought of walking the path of a streamer, I felt an odd sense of pressure.
A strange burden of needing to satisfy the audience who’d come to watch my broadcast.
While observing the battlefield keenly, I resumed speaking.
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1WmlzdDlMRnJyNUlmSXZKUjB1YzFXdTd5OXpFM1BUU0M3OUozWW5YbDJFaA
“The answer was Viking~ A few of you got it right.”
[What is this guy even doing?]
[A streamer who self-tickles while people don’t leave, LOL]
[Is there a streamer making jokes in their first broadcast?]
[How did they even react just now? I didn’t see them darting behind.]
[Look at how the screen is running, LOL she’s got skills.]
[Seems like she just reacted well. Her reaction speed is insane.]
[Teacher, why are you making Viking jokes?]
My eyes darted around, keeping an eye on the two situations.
The viewers’ reactions seemed positive.
Judging by the rapid influx of chat messages, it looked like it was somewhat effective.
Had my comedic moment landed?
The nature of humor is subjective; some find it amusing while others may not.
Fortunately, it seemed the viewers aligned with my sense of humor.
“I’m pleased to see you’re having fun. Now, here’s a tougher question: What do you call it when a pig farts?”
[This person is completely crazy.]
[How is she able to make these jokes while gaming? LOL]
[Does she also fart?]
[Oh, she’s just farting with her mouth right now!]
[Mollru: Comments about viewers being like hogs ㄷㄷ This might cause controversy!]
[Can’t you just play quietly?]
[Please keep talking, your voice is so nice!]
As the skirmish continued, I found my ultimate gauge had filled.
This is it! I signaled to my allies before diving into the fray.
With the enemy’s main skills out of play, I seized the moment.
Not expecting a sudden assault at this moment, the enemies fumbled around as the Swordsman appeared out of nowhere.
I raised my sword and took the advantage.
It was an easy take-down.
Next up was the annoyingly persistent ranged attacker.
The Swordsman’s ultimate ability specializes in slicing through soft targets.
As I entered deep into enemy territory, a heavily armored behemoth rushed towards me.
It was the ‘Iron Man’, the quintessential tank character.
He seems determined to take me down to restore balance to the battlefield.
A colossal hammer hurtled my way.
If hit, it would stun me for a second, a signature suppression move in EOW.
–BAM!
The hammer sliced through the air and crashed into the empty ground.
I dodged just in time to evade the remaining skills and slowly backed off.
As I carved a path through the frontline, allies rushed in to switch roles.
It was nothing short of a flawless aggro ping-pong.
Falling back, I took a healing boost from my healer to regroup.
The Iron Man, surrounded by my allies, fell before their focused fire.
We had successfully taken out the enemy’s key damage dealers and tank.
With their respawns staggered, we gained a slight advantage.
Reclaiming control of the game, I opened my mouth once more.
“The answer was Tonkatsu~ I was a bit preoccupied this time, so I didn’t get to read the chat.”
[What a terrible concept!]
[If you mute the sound, it looks like a mad movie.]
[Why are you doing this? Well… because it’s fun!]
[Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu? Tonkatsu?]
[Teacher, you’re so fun! ^^]
[With that oddly drained voice, it’s even more infuriating.]
[LOL I know you’re pretending to hate it but you’re enjoying it!]
The chat sped up even more from before.
They were far more enthusiastic than I had anticipated.
It felt rewarding to present a more sophisticated question.
Unknowingly, I was smiling.
Engaging with those who rejoiced in my play and laughed at my jokes was delightful.
Surprisingly, this unplanned broadcast turned out to be more enjoyable than expected!