SWNOVELXO Ch. 7
Game Broadcast (1)
In the past, the profession of a hunter was extremely simple and straightforward.
A job where you made a living by hunting monsters or conquering dungeons to obtain materials.
But now, hunters were different.
Unlike the simple hunters of the past, modern hunters also played the role of "celebrities" in the eyes of the public.
It was no wonder that the hunter groups once called "Guilds" were now gradually turning into "management" companies.
'Of course, for a hunter to be active in the entertainment industry, there are a few prerequisites.'
Among them, the simplest yet most difficult condition was 'public recognition'.
Recognition typically increased with higher rank, and when high-ranking hunters appeared on TV, their impact rivaled that of top-tier celebrities.
"So, you want me to appear on a game broadcast?"
Shin Ah-yeon asked me, as if questioning if I was serious.
It was understandable.
What I was asking her to appear on wasn't a major network, but cable TV.
And not just any show—GGN (God Game Net), which specialized in 'games'.
"You understood correctly."
"Has there been any hunter besides me who appeared on a game broadcast?"
"There have been a few."
"Let me guess, they bombed like dogs."
"... That's true, but couldn't you say it more politely?"
After I started speaking informally, Shin Ah-yeon's speech had also changed a bit.
She was still using polite language, but the walls between us seemed to have vanished.
'Maybe because she plays a lot of online games, her vocabulary is slanted in that direction.'
Still, it was better than when we first met, when she was overly self-conscious.
The wall that had been there until recently had largely disappeared, and I could sense that Ah-yeon was starting to see me as someone familiar.
She wasn't as outgoing as before, but by now, her growth was remarkable.
'Anyway, I'll need to explain the benefits of appearing, point by point, to persuade her.'
For Shin Ah-yeon, who had been an S-rank hunter, cable TV might not seem respectable.
Shin Ah-yeon, at the height of her glory, had always received top-tier treatment and appeared on prime-time national TV.
So, no matter how much she liked games, cable TV appearances would likely feel distasteful.
"Well, fine."
"Yeah, I knew you'd say that. First, let me explain the benefits of—wait, what?"
I reflexively questioned her, thinking I'd misheard.
Ah-yeon, without even glancing at me, began arranging "rune letters" in the air as she spoke.
"Jung-woo oppa, scheduling is your job, isn't it? The fact that you suggested cable TV means you must have a very good reason."
Her tone was indifferent, but there was trust in her words.
Come to think of it, even three years ago, Shin Ah-yeon had never doubted my words even once.
Whether it was because she trusted me, or because of her uncanny intuition, I wasn't sure—but either way, it made my job easier.
'And here I'd prepared a whole speech to persuade her.'
Still, I didn't feel disappointed.
If anything, it reaffirmed that choosing Ah-yeon as my first hunter was the right decision.
"By the way, I'm still surprised that what I'm learning now is just basic first-circle magic."
"That's because Earth's magic hasn't yet surpassed its primordial stage."
After all, the study of magic here had existed for only about a hundred years.
If anything, Earth's rate of magical development was amazingly fast.
That was only possible because Earth already had a solid foundation in 'science', which replaced magic.
If science was taken to the other world, it would likely develop at a similar pace.
"Even so, it'll probably take at least several generations to catch up."
"I think so too."
As Ah-yeon spoke, she casually waved her hand.
An assortment of first-circle spells she'd learned so far unfolded before our eyes.
Not just simple attack spells, but a variety of spells from the other world.
'Looks like she's already mastered all of them.'
As always, she was astonishingly fast.
An unprecedented pace, even compared to the magic-centric other world.
What was even more surprising was that she achieved this while also playing games at the same time.
"Is this what they mean by 'those who have fun become the best'...?"
"Yes?"
"Nothing."
Seeing her like this, other mages would probably be reduced to tears.
"Anyway, to get back on track—so, you're okay with appearing on the game broadcast, right? Have you ever seen 'To the King Once You Log In'?"
"Yes, I watch game channels quite often. But what game am I supposed to appear for?"
"They said it's called 'LON'?"
"LON?"
LON, short for League of Nova, was currently the most popular AOS (Aeon of Strife) game in Korea's esports scene. Even I, who didn't know much about gaming, had heard of this globally popular title.
Upon hearing this, Ah-yeon restored the ground to its original state and let out a small exclamation, "Oh."
"That's great. I happen to play that quite a bit."
"Play...what?"
I wasn't very familiar with Internet slang, but I could roughly figure out what Ah-yeon meant. She was saying she was confident about the game we just discussed.
And then, after I heard about her approximate 'rank', I was floored.
"When did you even get into League of Nova?"
"Ah."
Realizing she'd slipped up, Ah-yeon averted her gaze.
Up until now, her main focus had been on online RPGs.
But she'd also been playing League of Nova at the same time?
And from her tone, she wasn't just an average player—I wondered just how much of her day was spent gaming.
"Be honest with me. Magic isn't all that important to you, is it?"
"That's slander. Truly accomplished people are different starting with their time management skills."
Still, Ah-yeon didn't quite return her gaze to meet mine.
But judging by her reaction, she seemed aware that she played a lot of games.
"But the appearance isn't confirmed yet, right? They could still decline."
"That won't happen."
"What?"
"They'd be crazy to pass you up."
A great mage who had disappeared from the public eye for three years was suddenly about to reappear—on a cable network, not even a major network or national TV!
No producer with a shred of competence would miss such breaking news.
***
Park Jung-woo.
Producer Oh Jung-jin mulled over that name as he headed to the conference room.
"Wasn't he Shin Ah-yeon's manager?"
He knew a fair bit about Unique Management, but had never heard that name before.
He was probably a rookie or a manager without any significant accomplishments.
"Tsk tsk, no wonder the company tanked with that kind of hunter management."
This industry seemed big but was actually small.
He had a general idea about Unique Management's current state.
Rumor had it they were being tossed around by B-rank hunters.
Given they'd assigned a rookie manager to someone who'd once been a great mage, their decline was inevitable.
"PD Oh, I'm just curious—why is Shin Ah-yeon appearing on our program rather than on national TV?"
"She must have her reasons. Or maybe it's something we can't guess."
Despite his words, PD Oh just thought her company or her manager was an idiot.
Even if she'd fallen from grace, Shin Ah-yeon was once Korea's national pride among hunters.
And if that wasn't enough—
Whenever there were popularity polls among active hunters, Shin Ah-yeon always took first or second place.
A beautiful face, and one of only seven great mages in the world.
"And now, Shin Ah-yeon makes her first appearance in three years...spending that one-time premium on a cable show? Whoever thought of this must be a real genius, huh?"
Mostly in a bad way.
The junior producing assistant nodded at PD Oh's words.
Even with his limited experience, he would never pick a cable game show for Shin Ah-yeon's grand return.
"Did Shin Ah-yeon even play games?"
"Maybe she just wanted to stand out. That haughty great mage, playing games? No way."
"Right?"
During her heyday, Shin Ah-yeon had been a lofty great mage.
She was the last person you'd associate with gaming, so PD Oh couldn't help but scoff.
"For us, all that matters is getting high ratings."
With a laugh, he headed to the meeting room.
Thinking that he'd milk Shin Ah-yeon for all she was worth.
But those thoughts would fade within the next hour.
"... A duo broadcast with a pro gamer?"
"Yes. I just think it would be more entertaining that way."
"But then..."
That could draw a lot of criticism, couldn't it?
PD Oh swallowed the words rising to his throat.
'Does this manager understand gamer psychology at all?'
He clicked his tongue as he looked at the man in front of him.
Back when they first met in the meeting room, the man's fierce appearance had intimidated him a bit, but his follow-up naive proposal had made PD Oh want to laugh.
Wasn't his name Park Jung-woo, Shin Ah-yeon's manager?
He wanted Shin Ah-yeon to play as a duo with a pro gamer on this "To the King Once You Log In" broadcast.
"The concept for our 'LON (League of Nova)' special is that the stream doesn't end until they get 10 wins, right? You know that, yes?"
"Of course."
"But if you add a pro gamer, won't that make it way too easy? Plus, Shin Ah-yeon won't really stand out, either."
"Why would it be easy?"
Baffled by his reaction, PD Oh nearly sighed.
He figured Park was suggesting this because he only had a superficial understanding of games.
"If a pro gamer joins a normal game, they can pretty much carry the entire match by themselves. Shin Ah-yeon will probably acquire the basics, so it'll be hard to lose in unranked games."
"Then, can't they just do ranked games instead? As far as I know, ranked matches pit you against players of similar skill level. If she's paired with a pro gamer and queued up with others of his rank... I don't think it would be too bad."
"Ha."
This guy really didn't understand games.
Putting a complete newbie like Shin Ah-yeon in high-level ranked matches?
In the lowest rung of the grandmaster league, where the pros played?
Putting that on air would only earn Shin Ah-yeon a negative reputation.
Forcing a newbie into ranked games was a nuisance to teammates and frowned upon.
Normal viewers might not care, but for the gamers who actually play LON, that would be unacceptable.
'Actually, I wonder if we'll have enough footage for the broadcast, even.'
Seeing her get killed once or twice would be enough—any more and there'd be nothing left to show.
'It's not like Shin Ah-yeon is known for witty banter, either.'
At least, that was how he remembered her from three years ago.
'Well... but does it really matter?'
After all, if anyone gets criticized, it'll be Shin Ah-yeon.
Besides, the "first appearance in three years" premium only comes once.
If they went with this crazy plan, it could draw a lot of aggro (attention), which was fine for ratings.
"Still, even with a pro, 10 wins would be too easy."
Despite his happy thoughts, PD Oh put on a troubled face.
"So how about we make it 'consecutive wins' then? Of course, 10 straight is too much—how about 5 in a row?"
In a pro-level AOS game, five consecutive wins was pretty tough unless you were in the lowest tiers.
On top of that, getting five wins in a row while carrying the "baggage" of Shin Ah-yeon would make even pros uneasy.
But PD Oh switched to "5 consecutive wins" because that would generate more aggro and naturally prolong the episode.
"That's fine by me."
Shin Ah-yeon's clueless manager agreed to PD Oh's proposal without hesitation.
Watching this, PD Oh beamed, and the junior assistant clicked his tongue.
'They could do nothing and still do okay.'
But now, thanks to that idiotic suggestion, Shin Ah-yeon was bound to bear the brunt of criticism.
Both PD Oh and the junior assistant thought so.
"Oh, by the way—I forgot to ask what Shin Ah-yeon's rank is. Should I call her now?"
After Jung-woo left the room, as they were cleaning up, the junior assistant asked this, but PD Oh just gave a short laugh and shook his head.
"No need. It's a recorded broadcast anyway, so we'll find out on the day."
There was no issue even if they found out her rank at the last minute.
If it was high, that would be interesting. If it was low, that would be funny too.
'At most, she's probably diamond rank.'
That's all PD Oh thought—
Unaware of just how serious Shin Ah-yeon was about gaming.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
To the King Once You Log In(켰으면 왕까지) - Is a Korean gaming turn that means the players won't stop playing until they finish the game/beat the final boss.
But in this case, it seems their goal is to get 10 wins.
And yeah, who doesn't like a hunter that's also a gamer? In this case, Ah-yeon seems to be more of a gamer than a hunter.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】