Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast-Chapter 65 : The Challenge of the Hardcore Gamer

The Challenge of the Hardcore Gamer
The game "Elden Soul" is famous.
And it's not just among gamers. Due to its signature difficult gameplay and unique atmosphere, it was considered a must-play title for any streamer, regardless of "spicy" or "mild" content.
Its popularity meant there were plenty of Elden Soul communities, but if you had to pick the most active one, nine out of ten people would choose this place.
That was "Elden Soul Meta," or "Elsometa" in short, operated by MetaGamer.
It was a site where plenty of Elden Soul players gathered, so posts ranged from casual chats to guides and tips, pVP matchmaking, and more.
But today was different.
[Started with Godple's Shaman (999+)]
[What's with this 3-minute cooking, crazy lol (999+)]
[A secret place popped up even in the graveyard! (999+)]
[Shocking! Gravekeeper was actually **!? (999+)]
[Add Dongkang challenge lolol (999+)]
At the top of the charts wasn't any other category—it was "streamer."
The order perfectly mirrored the flow of the broadcasts. It wasn't a coincidence: viewers were uploading clip posts in real time as they watched.
[-Who's Godple again?]
[-Unless he's Eclipse-level, chill out a bit]
[-What guts does he have to pick Shaman on his first run lol]
[-Another agro streamer showed up lol]
[-Didn't this streamer at least do the meta interview?]
If you didn't know Purple, the initial comments were negative. Many streamers had chosen the Shaman background on their first playthrough, gotten wrecked, and then blamed the game.
But this sentiment quickly flipped.
[-What the heck]
[-Was it really a 3-minute clear?]
[-Cleared "narrow escape" in 3 minutes lolol]
[-Wow... this is insane]
[-Obvious meme by a noodle-dripping viewer lol]
The graveyard's fiendishly trapped section—a place called "narrow escape" because it changed through 941 patterns, and was said you'd need to try it 941 times to clear it.
A video of someone clearing it in only three minutes was enough to stun the community.
[-Wait;;; even Eclipse died here over 400 times, right?]
[na Yeah lol took almost an hour I think?]
[na Honestly, I thought even that was amazing lol]
[na But now there's a 3-minute clear]
[-Is this an edit? Or is it fake?]
[na It was a live clip, lol]
[na How much effort would it take to fake something like this? lol]
[na Seriously lol you'd have to edit all the chat window, too]
[na Faking this perfectly is even harder, damn]
No one disregarded Purple anymore. Fans of Elden Soul precisely understood the game's difficulty, and respected real skill.
[-Dodged instant death falls instantly]
[na The waiting undead must feel awkward lol]
[na Now that's real skill lol]
[na Not this spot, but falling to your death always makes you wanna quit the game lol]
[-Wait;; No matter how much I watch, I can't see anything?]
[na Human eyes can't see it lol]
[na There really is a hidden place. I have nothing to say...]
[na I still couldn't find it even knowing where it is]
From the third video, the comments shifted. The mood became serious—it was about the content of the game now.
[-Lol, this is 100% hardcore player-only stuff. Forcing you to use a broken greatsword]
[na What are you talking about?]
[na You gotta use your weapon while sticking to the wall like Purple, but that totally ruins durability]
[na For real lol, you can only last with a broken greatsword]
[na That hand axe is probably going to break after a couple swings, too]
[-Who's the knight in the secret place? Any connection to the previous game?]
[na No idea;; not enough info]
[na But the "unknown" tag isn't there for no reason]
[na For real lol, with From games, no clues just mean it's even more important]
[na Wow... this is definitely connected to the main story]
[na That stone tablet, too... I'm so curious]
[na Now I have to watch the broadcast live lol]
Their affection birthed sharp analysis. Naturally, they checked the next post.
[-Lol, just totally playing with the Gravekeeper]
[-Filter's all torn up, man!]
[-Is this really Elden Soul?]
[-Wait;;; Since when can you do this kind of action in a From game?]
[-What?! Gravekeeper used to be a knight?!]
[na Wow lol, this one's dizzying]
[na That greatsword looks so cool!]
[na They even gave the tutorial boss a phase 2, what the heck...]
[-Did I just see a shaman split sword energy?]
[na Crazy lol, with just the first shaman spell lol]
[na What was it? Ember in the Ashes, right?]
[na Yeah, it's an enchant, not an aura lol]
[na Wow... Even Eclipse just parried with his aura, didn't he?]
[na Right lol, and that was a parry, not a split]
[na That was amazing too, but this was just on another level]
[na Broken lol challenge lolol]
[-Godkeeper's dialogue hit hard ㅠㅠ]
[na Tell us his backstory, please!]
[na Why did he give up being a knight?! Why was he guarding the graveyard?!]
[na From-style storytelling, spicy as ever, huh?]
[na But that's what makes it great lol]
[na Then are you not going to play? lol]
The post about the Gravekeeper's awakening drew the most comments. And, true to the Elden Soul community, a new post appeared.
[Proof found: Gravekeeper used to be a knight!]
The content was simple.
It compared the attack animation of a greatsword knight enemy in the royal castle with the Gravekeeper's, using a so-called "meme gif."
[-Lol, it's obvious when you look at it like this]
[na It's really similar... How didn't we notice?]
[na The Gravekeeper's big size definitely helps]
[na FromSoft always gave us the hints lol]
[-Damn, how are you supposed to figure that out?]
[na Amazingly, godple found this out without even knowing about the greatsword knight lol]
[na Insane attention to detail]
[na What even... Did he learn swordsmanship in real life or what?]
[na Saw in an interview he did boxing?]
[na That's completely unrelated, damn lol]
Even veteran players had never noticed, yet Purple had figured it out immediately.
Questions started piling up, and one comment drew everyone's attention.
[-Wait, could this be... The melee test?]
[na Can you explain for me?]
[na Referring to Genome's Anatomy of a Master content]
[na Oh, right. The one where you fight dummies with various weapon types]
[na So he remembered the dummy's movements and matched them? Is that even possible?]
[na Man lol, this calls for game analysis content]
[na Seriously, he's a genius]
[na Need to watch the full video]
[-If you search Purple on Q-tube, it's all just purple stuff]
[na Search for streamer Purple, are you dumb?]
[na Or just go to the Tri channel lol]
[na You must be jealous or something, right?]
[na Elden boomers are kind to noobs but ruthless to beggars lol]
Short clip videos just weren't enough. People flocked to Q-tube and the Tri channel.
With that, the community lulled for a bit. But soon, a new post appeared.
[(Fan post) Grabbed Japanese Elden fans' reactions right away lol]
[Spread the best clips on Two. CH and got instant reaction lol
Korean "Broken One" is like this.
(Clip1)
(Clip2)
(Clip3)
(Clip4)
2.
What is this monster?
3.
It's so good, I burst out laughing wwww
He's on god-tier level!
4.
》3
Gross wwwww
But if I'd had a drink, I'd have spit it out too
5.
Damn, why no subtitles?
I can't understand any dialogue!
6
》5
Don't you have a younger sister or a nuna?
Or maybe your mom is a BTX fan wwwww
7
》6
That totally works wwwww
I asked my little sister, she translated it immediately
8
Guess this proves Koreans have gaming genes
9
Pahepootoo Puree?
First time hearing that
10.
》9
Do you know Ekuripusu?
But I think this guy's better wwwww
11
Why don't we have anyone like that in Japan?
12
》11
Maybe because "ne" hasn't stepped up yet?
13
》12
Unexpectedly moving wwwww
14.
Japan is good at making games.
But Korea is better at playing them.
15
》14
It's like Japan is paying Korea tribute in the form of games lololol
16
I think it's a pro voice actor's play
And a really skilled one at that
17
》16
If From hires this guy, sales will go up 200%! wwwww
18
He's definitely a normie, just die!
19
》18
You went all out, I burst out laughing wwwww
20
All of this is amazing.
Both this guy and this whole thread wwwww]
FromSoftware, the developer of the Elden series, was originally a Japanese company. Japanese gamers had a sort of pride about being the "home country."
[-Dude lol, they're just straight-up using English pronunciations]
[na For real lol, took a while to figure out "pahepootoo puree"]
[na Twisting it around lololol]
[na Lol, so is "Ekuripusu"
Eclipse?]
[na That's killing me lol, upvotes damn lol]
[-Are Korean girls good at Japanese?]
[na Yeah, for some reason there's a lot of interest in Korean culture]
[na But honestly, virtual idols are more popular in Japan lol]
[na You know a lot about that too, huh HOXY Elden boomer?]
[na Gotcha, huh?]
[-Japan only "makes" good games lol]
[na Didn't expect Japanese people to know Eclipse lol]
[na Why do they spit out their drinks at everything lol]
[na It's globally recognized that Koreans are good at games lol]
[na But Purple is crazily good lol]
[na Really, it's god-tier level]
[na Honestly, godple could represent Korea]
[na Korea? Could represent all of humanity]
[na What, is he going to fight aliens now? lol]
[na Glory to Godple! ＼[+]/]
Purple received the compliments, but readers felt the pride. The "Korea vs. Japan" frame sparked a sense of belonging, and built friendly feelings towards Purple.
Posts about "overseas reactions" spread, not just in the game community but to others too.
Not long after, another post appeared on Elsometa.
[I'm the Elden boomer who wrote about the Japanese reactions. Got plagiarized instantly lol]
[I don't care if it spreads to other communities, but didn't expect nationalistic lecca channels to snatch it lol
〈Proof once again that Korea is a gaming powerhouse!
The country that dominates world games, silencing Japan with a single play!
A K-streamer who makes Japanese netizens instantly surrender, little Boy-level!〉
What even is that thumbnail? This is insane, lol]
Q-tube channels specializing in so-called "nationalist hype" videos had grabbed that post and made a video from it.
[-Wow lol, I feel dizzy]
[-The clickbait is nuts lol]
[-Who actually watches that?]
[-Little lol boy lol]
[-What, is he Little Purple?]
[-Godple's as nuclear as it gets lol]
[-They didn't get the original author's permission, take it down!]
[-This'll 100% go around the community lol]
Maybe because of the original author's complaint, the video was quickly taken down. However, the intense thumbnail image kept spreading on the community.
And the aftershock hit Purple's fan page.
[PerfectPlay viewers! Sign the surrender!]
[(Little Boy bomb photo)
(Signing of Japanese surrender document photo)
"I... solemnly promise to abide by Godple's end of stream..."]
[-What even is this lololol]
[-Wanna try the Little Purple flavor?]
[-Seriously funny lololol]
[-Are you sane? Lololol]
A post by someone began to spread like a trend.
[If you're Korean, sign now!]
[(PerfectPlay logo)
"Subscription... like... turn on notifications..."]
[Undead! Sign now!]
["I... dedicate my soul... to Godple."]
[NewtonLord! Sign now!]
["Coaching... ten million won... thank you..."]
Parodies popped up in a flood.
Late at night, "surrender signature" and "Little Purple" became memes for Purple.
* * *
The next morning.
Lee Gyeongbok finished his morning workout, part of his daily routine.
"Hoo..."
He exhaled lightly, beads of sweat trickling down his bulging muscles. The sunlight cut into shards, casting shadowy lines across his skin.
After a thorough shower, he swung open the fridge with force.
"Ah, not much left."
There were only a few chicken breasts left—his go-to for protein intake. Out of habit, he turned on his smart link.
[PerfectPlay]
[Subscribers: 532K]
There was the Q-tube channel he'd checked last night before bed.
Thirty thousand new subscribers had been added overnight, and the highlights video Choi Byeonghun had uploaded already had over 200,000 views.
His satisfied smile flickered.
'This...?'
What caught his eye was a recommended video.
[Protein Powder Guide! Part 1]
[Muscle Gallery]
He remembered stopping halfway through the video, uploaded about a year ago. Back then, as an office worker, buying expensive protein powder was a luxury for Lee Gyeongbok.
"Hah..."
He let out a hollow laugh.
"They say habits are hard to break."
Dry chicken breast... and all those years spent searching for the lowest prices. The time invested to save even ten won per product.
The memories flashed through his mind, and then Lee Gyeongbok suddenly became aware of his current self.
'This is why people say those who've tasted luxuries want more. You have to know how to spend once you earn.'
A year ago, or even just a month ago, he'd never have imagined thinking this way.
But now, things were different.
He'd already earned more money than his annual salary at his company just a month ago.
Lee Gyeongbok immediately opened the search bar.
But the keyword wasn't chicken breast.
"This is expensive."
The base price for these products started at over 300,000 won. He hesitated only for a second.
What bothered him more was the shipping time. Since they were foreign products, most would take at least a week to arrive.
'Not like there's no solution.'
With a small smile, Lee Gyeongbok quickly got dressed.
* * *
On a weekday morning, the first floor of the department store was quiet. There were a few children and moms on outings, but they headed straight for the escalator.
Because of that, the staff in the luxury shops spent their spare time chatting idly.
Just then, a man entered.
Jeans, a white T-shirt, and a long black cardigan—he looked totally ordinary.
But the staff instantly became alert, as if soldiers going on high alert.
"Wasn't there supposed to be a VIP today?"
"No, didn't hear anything...?"
"Wow... he's really handsome."
There's a saying that real rich people don't dress up when they come to department stores.
Some really don't, and since that saying spread, even the nouveau riche stopped worrying about their outfits.
So the way employees sized up wealthy customers changed.
"Is that really a guy's skin?"
"Maybe he's an idol trainee?"
"I don't see a manager, looks like he came alone?"
Now, a customer's skin was the new standard.
Beneath his slightly wavy hair was flawless skin.
You'd need to spend a fortune at a dermatology clinic to get skin like that.
The staff tensed, not knowing which shop he'd walk into.
But, betraying their expectations, he headed for the escalator down to the basement.
'There's definitely a section just for imports.'
The man, Lee Gyeongbok, wasn't seeking luxury goods on the first floor. He went to the "Health/Food" section in the basement, looking for the corner dedicated to imported products.
He found what he wanted.
But the price...
'Of course, it's more expensive than buying it direct online.'
A product that cost 300,000 won online was 500,000 won here. But Lee Gyeongbok didn't think twice.
'This is why you need to make a lot of money.'
Once, he'd have agonized a hundred, a thousand times over this purchase. He'd have worried how much more he'd have to work to make up for this spending, or wondered all the other things he could do with this money.
But now it was different.
'Money gives you freedom.'
Lee Gyeongbok felt it.
It wasn't just having a high income, or a lot of money. Wealth guaranteed the freedom to choose.
The fact that he could spend this money and not have to give up something else—this gave him immense joy.
"Thank you."
Smiling contentedly, he paid, and turned to go. As he hurried toward the exit, something caught his eye.
'... Hm?'
A mid-range cosmetics shop beloved by young students. Lee Gyeongbok never cared about cosmetics beyond basic skin cream and lotion.
What he noticed was the small screen at the store's entrance playing an advertisement.
〈No worries for P. E. class!〉
A smiling schoolgirl with a ponytail spoke cheerily, dressed in gym clothes.
〈No worries on dates!〉
A young college woman, cycling through a park, smiled in the next scene.
〈Even "Nara" says this is enough!〉
The screen changed again, showing a stage. On it stood a striking beauty: porcelain skin, sharp jaw, prominent features. She wore a form-fitting stage outfit, and she was the same person as the schoolgirl and the college student from before.
[Exclusive model 'Sweeties' member 'Nara']
She was a member of the popular girl group "Sweeties."
Lee Gyeongbok's glabella creased.
It wasn't just her looks that caught his eye.
'Strange.'
There was a weird sense of déjà vu.
Lee Gyeongbok quickly realized why.
'... NewtonLord?'
During their showdown in Gunner Ground, his sixth sense had picked out the silhouette beneath NewtonLord's combat outfit.
The lines he'd seen in his head then matched the figure of Nara in the ad.
'No way.'
He scoffed inwardly. Why would a girl group idol bother stream sniping?
And while untrained bodies could vary, trained bodies tended to look the same.
He didn't think on it further.
Woong—the vibration interrupted his thoughts.
"Oh, juho."
It was a call from his manager, Park Juho.
〈I forwarded you an email. Did you see it?〉
"An email? No, I'm out right now. Is there some kind of issue?"
Lee Gyeongbok's question wasn't immediately answered. Instead, Park Juho paused, picking his words.
〈Not sure if you'd call it an issue...〉
"What is it?"
〈You got a challenge letter.〉
A challenge letter.
At the unfamiliar words, Lee Gyeongbok stopped in his tracks.
〈Elden Soul's top streamer, Eclipse, sent you a mail.〉