Park Woonhee stood in front of the luxury apartment complex, checking the address on her phone for the tenth time.
Her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
'Why did he suggest his place?'
'I mean, we barely know each other! Is this...? No, Woonhee don't be stupid!'
Her thoughts began to spiral into a chaotic mess.
'Wait, what if he's actually a secret billionaire?
He has a B-Rank card as a rookie!
That's insane!
And now I'm going to his house at night! What if he expects me to... to...'
She felt her body temperature rising.
She started fanning herself with her hands.
"Oh, what are you thinking, Woonhee?!"
She scolded herself out loud, drawing a strange look from a passerby.
"It's probably because his equipment is there! At his place! Of course!
Where else would he keep a high-end streaming setup?
Silly me! It's purely professional!"
She took a deep breath, slapped her cheeks to snap out of it, and marched toward the elevator.
***
When Min opened the door, Woonhee was standing there with a stiff, awkward smile.
"Welcome."
Min said, stepping aside.
Woonhee walked in, her eyes immediately darting around.
The place was modernized, clean, and smelled of expensive marble.
It was far nicer than her own cramped studio.
"Nice place."
She managed to say.
"It's fine."
Min replied, walking toward the living room.
"Let's not waste time.
I want to start broadcasting as soon as possible."
Woonhee blinked.
"Right! Straight to business! I like that."
She sat on the edge of the sofa, regained her composure, and started her expert lecture.
"Okay, so, streaming is 90% equipment, Min. If you want people to actually watch, you can't just use the in-built system camera. It's shaky, the resolution is terrible, and you can't do cool angles. Most people start with the system one because they're poor, but if you don't have gear, it's okay, we can—"
Min didn't reached under the coffee table and pulled out a sleek, matte-black case.
He popped the latches and revealed a drone with a massive, blood-red T1 logo emblazoned on the top.
Woonhee's jaw hit the floor.
Her words died in her throat.
'Is that... the new T1 Magic-Tech Drone!!!?'
She screamed internally.
'That thing costs more than my entire year's salary!
He just... he just had it sitting under the table?!
This guy... he's flaunting again!
He's definitely flaunting!'
"Will this work?"
Min asked, looking totally indifferent.
"Work? Min, this is the Ferrari of streaming drones."
"Yes, it will work!"
They opened a laptop Min had bought.
Woonhee took over the keyboard, navigating to the Bnet website.
"Okay, first we need to create your account."
She said, her fingers flying across the keys.
"What do you want your profile picture to be?
Should we go with a 'Dark Knight' aesthetic or maybe something more 'Friendly Neighborhood Hero'?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Just make it professional."
"Ugh, you're so difficult!"
Woonhee groaned.
"Okay, what about your 'About Me' section? Most players list their favorite floor or their main weapon."
"What's a 'main'?"
Min asked, tilting his head.
Woonhee paused, looking at him like he was an alien.
"You know... the weapon you use the most? Like a sword? An axe?"
"I use whatever is nearby...but I prefer a blade."
Woonhee sighed.
'He's a B-Rank, but he knows absolutely nothing about the culture.
It's like he's been living under a rock for years.'
"Fine, I'll leave it blank for 'mystery,'"
"Now... the most important part.
Your streamer name. Your handle.
It needs to be catchy.
Something people will remember when they see it on the leaderboards."
She pushed the laptop toward him.
"You choose."
Min took the laptop. He stared at the screen for a long time.
He typed a single word and pushed the laptop back to her.
Woonhee looked at the screen.
She went quiet for a moment.
"...wow.
It's... it's actually really cool.
I wish I had thought of that."
She finalized the account.
"Okay....
You're officially a Bnet creator.
But starting off can be hard.
You have zero followers.
Usually, people spend months grinding for their first ten viewers.
We need a 'Hot Debut.'
Something that grabs attention immediately."
"I have an idea for that."
Min said.
Woonhee looked up.
"What is it?"
"I heard that you aren't able to clear a single trial in the tutorial to advance to Floor 1."
Min said, his eyes locking onto hers.
"I can help you with that.
I'll get you through the trial and moving up the tower.
In return... you help me with my first stream."
Woonhee's heart skipped a beat.
She had been stuck in the tutorial for so long it was embarrassing.
The thought of finally seeing Floor 1 was like a dream.
"I... I would love that! Truly!"
"But how does that help your stream?
If I'm the one clearing the trial, people will just watch me."
Min leaned forward.
"In these platforms, I'm sure two or more people can stream together, right?"
Woonhee's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Are you suggesting... a Collab Stream?"
***
A guy was sitting in his messy bedroom, shoving a forkful of spicy Buldak noodles into his mouth.
He was bored, scrolling through his phone while waiting for a dungeon raid stream to start.
Suddenly, a notification popped up.
[Notification: Pink_hee +1 other is live!]
"Huh?"
He muttered, wiping sauce from his lip.
"Another stream from Pink-Hee today? She's working hard.
But wait..."
He squinted at the screen.
Next to Woonhee's pink slime icon was a new, dark profile.
It was a silhouette with no photo.
"A collab? Pink-Hee never collabs."
"Who the hell is..."
He tapped the notification.
The stream opened to a familiar sight.
The Tutorial Lobby.
It was a massive hall filled with hundreds of players.
"Hi everyone! We're back!"
Woonhee's voice rang out.
She was holding the camera drone's focus.
"I know, I know, two streams in one day!
But tonight is special.
I'm finally taking on the First Trial again!"
[Chat Box]
* Lurker44: Finally! Is the slime going to actually fight this time?
* SimpLord: Pink-Hee fighting? I gotta see this.
* ProGamer: Wait, who is the guy next to her?
* BigRig: Is this a collab?
Woonhee moved the drone to the side, revealing a man standing next to her.
He was wearing a black mask that covered his entire face, with only two thin, curved slits for eyes.
He wore a tight black stretch shirt that showed off a lean, powerful build, a dark jacket, and simple black sweatpants.
[Chat Box]
* FashionPolice: What is he wearing? Is he going to the gym or a dungeon?
* MemeKing: He looks like a low-budget ninja lol.
* SpearGuy: A mask? How edgy. 10 coins says he dies in the first room.
* RichKid: WAIT. Look at the drone shadow on the floor... IS THAT A T1 DRONE?!
* TechGuru: No way. A rookie with a T1? He must be a rich brat.
"Everyone, meet my partner for tonight!"
Woonhee said, ignoring the trolls.
"He's a bit shy, so he'll be wearing the mask. Introduce yourself!"
The masked man looked into the camera.
His voice was deep and calm, devoid of any nervousness.
"Hi, I'm [Singularity]."
And that was it.
"He's a man of few words!"
Woonhee laughed nervously.
"But don't let that fool you.
We've got the best tech and a solid plan.
Let's head to the gate!"
As they walked, a series of windows suddenly exploded into existence in front of Min's eyes.
These weren't the usual player windows.
They were gold-trimmed and pulsing with light.
«[System: The 'Constellation Stream' has officially recognized you as a Creator.]»
«[System: You have been granted 'Streamer Status'.]»
[Benefits of the Constellation Stream:]
« * Direct Access: You can now view the 'Star Chat' (Messages from higher-dimensional beings).»
« * Sponsorship: High-ranking Constellations may offer 'Star Gifts' or unique skills in exchange for entertainment.»
« * The Power of Fame: [Unique Passive Locked].»
....
Min's eyes widened behind his mask.
Especially from the last one.
« * The Law of Popularity: [The more 'Subscribers' a player gains, the more power will be earned in addition to their original stats.]»
A slow smile spread under his mask.
'So this is why streaming is such a big deal...'
"...and why it's so oversaturated."