Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast-Chapter 4 : The Tutorial Is Too Easy (2)

The Tutorial Is Too Easy (2)
Lee Gyeongbok, who had been standing idly, turned his eyes at the beeping sound.
Before he knew it, the timer had passed five seconds.
'Let's just try it.'
A strange sensation he had never felt before—he wanted to check if it was really real.
Lee Gyeongbok immediately kicked off the ground and ran.
He turned his gaze in the direction where he felt an obstacle. The first was a pillar that popped out from the wall.
"Wow."
It was spot on.
Just as Lee Gyeongbok had sensed, a pillar popped out from the darkness in exactly the same form.
Because he already knew, there was nothing to worry about getting hit.
'This too?'
Next was the floor that would collapse after holding out for about one second.
Lee Gyeongbok deliberately stepped on the spot where he sensed the unstable floor and turned his head right away.
Sure enough, with a cracking sound, the ground shattered.
'If that's the case.'
A faint curve formed on Lee Gyeongbok's lips. His uncertain feeling became solid confidence.
The system message demanded 'caution,' but Lee Gyeongbok, on the contrary, put in more strength and picked up his speed.
'If I keep going like this...!'
He could clearly sense the locations of the hidden obstacles.
Naturally, it was far too easy for him to chart out the optimal route to dodge them.
Lee Gyeongbok crossed the course without stopping for even a moment.
"Hoo-ah."
If this were reality, he would have collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.
But here, it was different.
Lee Gyeongbok exhaled comfortably and laughed.
[You passed safely!]
[00:53:21]
At last, the test result window appeared before his eyes. Since it was a tutorial test, the course wasn't very long.
'There's even a ranking?'
There was a trophy icon at the bottom of the result window. Lee Gyeongbok casually opened the ranking list.
['Lee Gyeongbok'-nim's physical ability test result is currently '3rd place.']
[Amazing!]
[By any chance, are you a national athlete in reality? Truly amazing ability!]
'... I'm third place?'
Lee Gyeongbok blinked and checked the overall ranking.
[1st Kim** - '00:52:12']
[2nd Jeong** - '00:52:37']
[3rd Lee Gyeongbok - '00:53:21']
Perhaps due to privacy, only surnames were disclosed for other rankings. But for Lee Gyeongbok, that wasn't the issue.
'Wait, I'm actually not third, am I?'
He hadn't started running immediately at the beginning of the test. It took him about five seconds because of the strange sensation.
If he had started right away?
'I'd be first place?'
Even being in the top five in South Korea was impressive, let alone being at the very top. Yet, what truly left Lee Gyeongbok baffled was something else.
'It wasn't even that hard.'
It wasn't like he doggedly tried for the ranking, either.
* * *
Meanwhile, Choi Byeonghun was feeling dazed for another reason.
"... Crazy."
In case something happened to Lee Gyeongbok, he was monitoring from outside using his smartlink device.
Fortunately, Lee Gyeongbok seemed fine, and appeared very intrigued by virtual reality. At this rate, it looked like he'd accept the broadcasting proposal positively.
But something was off starting from the obstacle run.
At first, he thought Lee Gyeongbok's old high school symptoms had returned. Even after the test had started, he was just standing there, spacing out.
He was worried that perhaps the 'divine power' was acting up again, but after Lee Gyeongbok took his first step, the entire situation completely changed.
"He tore through it."
Less than a minute. Even so, it was more than enough time to feel shocked.
'How does he not get hit a single time?'
Lee Gyeongbok was like a runaway train.
As fast as his running speed was, obstacles sprang out all around him at short intervals.
Yet Lee Gyeongbok dashed through them all, like water flowing around rocks.
That didn't mean he was dodging clumsily either.
The confident expression on his face, the composure in his actions—it was clear to anyone that he wasn't someone experiencing virtual reality for the first time.
Choi Byeonghun, who had been in this field, knew just how impressive Lee Gyeongbok's record was.
Anyone else from the industry might have flown off the handle, too.
Because that's exactly what he was doing now.
"Ah, damn, I should've recorded that..."
Choi Byeonghun slapped his forehead.
Looking at it from an editor's point of view, there wasn't a single moment worth discarding.
The problem was he'd been so stunned that it hadn't even crossed his mind to record.
Frustrated at his own stupidity, he tapped his forehead repeatedly.
At that moment, the capsule opened, and Lee Gyeongbok came out.
"Whoo."
He still looked as if he was basking in the aftereffects.
The virtual reality body felt so comfortable, he couldn't help but feel a disconnect with his real one.
'It's gone, just as expected.'
It was even more so for Lee Gyeongbok.
Because that strange sensation, as if surpassing the five senses, was something he couldn't feel in reality.
If he'd never known it in the first place, maybe it wouldn't have mattered, but suddenly losing it left a bit of frustration.
'That must have been the influence of the divine power? Since it's virtual reality, there wasn't any backlash?'
There was only one thing that came to mind as the source of this sensation.
But he didn't have time to ponder it deeply.
"Hey, what the hell are you?"
"Huh?"
Choi Byeonghun questioned Lee Gyeongbok, almost accusingly.
"No, was that really your first time using a capsule?"
"Come on, you watched me create the account right next to you."
"Then how the hell... Wow, I'm gonna lose it."
Choi Byeonghun let out a helpless laugh, at a loss for words.
He had expected that Lee Gyeongbok had good game sense, but didn't anticipate that his physical ability would be this outstanding.
It was absurd, but a very satisfying kind of absurdity.
"Hey."
Choi Byeonghun lightly grabbed Lee Gyeongbok's shoulder.
"I think you really are a genius."
"... What?"
Genius (天才).
A natural talent, bestowed by the heavens.
Choi Byeonghun said it half as a joke, half in all seriousness.
'This guy, if things go well, he'll hit it big.'
It was an assessment made with his editor's experience.
* * *
"Hey! Hey! Seriously, think carefully about this! You'll be a success! Wasting this kind of talent is a crime, a crime!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll get back to you."
Lee Gyeongbok sent Choi Byeonghun—who was making a fuss—on his way and started walking.
'He called me a genius?'
Choi Byeonghun wasn't just saying that because he was a friend—he was objectively competent as an editor. Even Lee Gyeongbok, who didn't know much about virtual reality, found the videos Choi Byeonghun made to be eye-catching.
There was no way such a friend would say something to just puff him up. They weren't the type to brownnose each other in the first place.
'He really is impatient.'
That could be put nicely as saying he was quick to act, but right now, it felt a little closer to the negative meaning.
Lee Gyeongbok stopped walking and looked around.
It was a busy area during a weekday lunch, with many people out for their midday meal.
'These people must use capsules too.'
There would be a few people like Lee Gyeongbok who didn't have a capsule.
But these days, capsules were considered a household staple, just like computers used to be.
'Number one in South Korea.'
He mulled over his test results once again.
Of course, there were probably people who'd skipped the test because it was a hassle.
But even accounting for that, the weight of being first in the country was no small thing.
That was why Choi Byeonghun was so insistent.
Lee Gyeongbok turned around.
'Once more...'
He returned to the capsule room.
'Let's test it.'
This time, he intended to give it his all. That way, he'd know if he really was the "genius" his friend claimed.
* * *
As soon as he got home, Choi Byeonghun turned on his computer.
'It was definitely 53 seconds and 21.'
His friend's record was burned into his brain.
And if he accounted for the wasted time at the start, it was about 48 seconds.
'There was definitely a site that collected test records.'
This was a test given in the capsule's initial tutorial.
It wasn't even meant to be a competition. The results weren't considered that important.
After all, its real purpose was to measure physical ability. Not that it was expert level, or particularly precise, either.
Nobody likes getting a bad evaluation. Making a user's first virtual reality experience a negative one would have been a foolish move.
'Let's see. The average record is about 1 minute and 20 seconds.'
So the test's difficulty was set low.
Any average adult could clear it within 1 minute and 30 seconds, and if it exceeded 2 minutes, the data wouldn't even be collected as useful.
"World record... There it is."
Choi Byeonghun's eyes widened as he opened the rankings page. Once he saw the global leaderboard, he was left speechless.
[World Record.]
[1st. Rob*** - '00:47:53']
[2nd. Ota*** - '00:48:22']
[3rd. Jac*** - '00:50:45']
Lee Gyeongbok's actual time was about 48 seconds.
'World's third!'
He couldn't measure the delay time precisely, but he figured it was at least enough to aim for third—or even second—place.
To think his friend was among the top three in the world!
"Tch, and he was just doing sales work with that much talent...!"
It wasn't just a matter of wanting his friend to be successful.
Choi Byeonghun genuinely felt sorry for his friend's talent going unseen.
He couldn't help thinking what if he'd suggested it sooner. He felt responsible for not recommending this even though he'd worked in the field.
'How am I going to convince him...'
He understood Lee Gyeongbok's hesitation.
The personal broadcasting industry was like showbiz. Streamers made their living on people's interest and affection.
The difference was that the atmosphere was more relaxed, with less restriction and more two-way communication.
But that meant the pressure of going public with yourself was there.
'But the rewards are just as great.'
As mentioned earlier, like the entertainment industry, the sky was the limit for a streamer's earnings.
If you were even a little famous, your lifestyle could be more luxurious than most celebrities.
With live streams and donations alone, it was easy to make four-digit salaries, and between sponsorships, promotional "challenges," and profits from self-edited QTube videos, you could even target annual earnings in the hundreds of millions.
'But there's definitely risk, too.'
Of course, it wasn't all rosy. The flip side of this industry was that there was no floor.
Choi Byeonghun had seen many streamers slip for just one moment's mistake, and then plummet straight down.
Still, he was confident he could handle those risks.
'All I need is for this guy to say yes...'
Choi Byeonghun scratched his head. He took a deep breath and tried to compose his thoughts.
'Yeah, it's not like he's refused yet. He'll need some time. After all, it was his first time in virtual reality.'
Just as he thought that, Choi Byeonghun swallowed dryly. Being third in the world your first try—anyone would think that was insane if they heard it.
'Maybe I should put together a simple strategy...'
The moment he was about to start planning how to 'scout' Lee Gyeongbok, his smartlink on his wrist buzzed lightly.
It was a message from his recruitment target.
"H-hello? What's up?"
〈Open your door.〉
"Door?"
〈I'm in front of your house.〉
Choi Byeonghun jumped up.
Lost in thought, he hadn't noticed, but there was Lee Gyeongbok's face on the video intercom.
He hurriedly got up and opened the door.
"Hey, come in, come in."
"Am I interrupting something?"
Seeing Choi Byeonghun's flustered face, Lee Gyeongbok asked knowingly.
"Interrupting?"
"I mean, starting so early in the day is gonna wreck your bones."
"Bullshit!"
"Suit yourself, then."
Lee Gyeongbok snickered and flopped onto the sofa like it was his own.
Choi Byeonghun frowned but then noticed Lee Gyeongbok's eyes drifting toward the computer, and gasped.
"World record? What's this?"
"Oh? Ah, I just looked up today's world rankings for what you did."
There was no need to hide it.
He hadn't done anything wrong, so Choi Byeonghun decided to be upfront.
"These are... world records?"
Lee Gyeongbok's brows knit together.
Noticing his friend's suspicion, Choi Byeonghun hurried over.
"I told you! Look, check this out. You're number one in Korea, and world's number three! Actually, number two. You're number two! Number two!"
Just realize how amazing you are, please. Choi Byeonghun pleaded desperately.
"Seriously, trust me, just give it six months—no, that's too long, three months! Or even just a month. Try streaming for a month! Just a month, and you'll be a star!"
"Hey."
Lee Gyeongbok cut his words off with a single syllable. When Choi Byeonghun shrank back, Lee Gyeongbok manipulated his smartlink.
With a ding, a photo arrived.
"... What's this?"
"Take a look."
Choi Byeonghun scrutinized Lee Gyeongbok's face, finding it odd that he didn't look particularly negative.
What kind of photo was it?
Choi Byeonghun checked the photo sent and immediately froze.
"F-f-f-f..."
"I had trouble figuring out how to take a screenshot."
It was a record.
[You passed safely!]
[00:42:18]
['Lee Gyeongbok'-nim's physical ability test result is currently '1st place.']
This was Lee Gyeongbok's 'real' record, achieved by going all out. Grinning leisurely, he refreshed the webpage.
[World Record.]
[1st. Lee*** - '00:42:18']
A new record set.
"Looks like you were right. I really am a genius."
Lee Gyeongbok was now sure.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Another OP MC!!!
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】