Chapter 73: Starlight World (6)

‘Starlight World’ opening, day two.

The massive monitor was still filled with the server’s status and the streamers’ broadcast screens.

I leisurely drank coffee and skimmed through various community reactions.

As expected, it was chaos.

The Ggizzik VTuber Gallery, also known as Jikbeo Gallery, was practically plastered with trending posts related to ‘Starlight World’.

Clips from the streamers invited to play yesterday, admiration for the server quality, and all sorts of speculations and jokes about ‘Operator Zelnaga’ were being posted ceaselessly.

---

Title: No f*cking way this is actually Cube World lololol

(Screenshot of Starlight Village posted by a streamer)

Stop lying, you fcking bstards. How is this Cube World?

At this point, isn’t it just a whole new game? lololol

How much f*cking money did Zelnaga pour into this?

• For real lol. Is it true there’s no lag with those graphics? Seriously insane.

• Did you see the NPCs talking? Aren’t they just people? lololol So natural.

• Operator Zelnaga << This b*stard is the funniest. 100% he made the server because he wanted to play operator.

• I’m so f*cking jealous of those streamers. I want to join too…

---

Title: Breaking) Starlight World invitation ticket price revealed lololololol

(In-game shop screenshot – Streamer invitation ticket price displayed)

The price is f*cking insane lololololol

1 million, for real? lololololol

How long will it take to earn enough to buy that? lololol

• Crazy lol. How many monsters do you have to kill to buy that?

• After that was revealed, streamers who weren’t invited are now donating to the playing streamers and begging them lololol

• Hurricane-bro has his own members too, so he’s grinding endlessly right now lololol

• But they have to sell it that expensively to manage the server quality ㅇㅇ If just anyone can join, it’ll be chaos.

• I agree. Scarcity is vital for a streamer server. The moment nugu streamers join, the server will accelerate its decline, for real.

---

‘Star Cluster Galaxy’ had a similar atmosphere.

Along with posts cheering on the members’ gameplay, a heated debate about the ‘streamer invitation ticket’ price was ongoing.

---

[Star Cluster Galaxy – Free Board]
Title: Invitation ticket 1 million Stella lololololol

• Wow, the President is good at business lololololol

• If our members want to buy that, shouldn’t we at least organize the information released so far and create efficiency charts or something??
  ㄴ But who would our kids invite?
  ㄴ True. Honestly, our kids don’t really have many close friends. At best, Rinne has some connections, but that’s it. Compared to other streamers, they’re too nugu…

• Wouldn’t it be awesome to just go crazy, buy that, and do an audition broadcast?
  ㄴ For real. Buying an invitation ticket and interviewing people who couldn’t get into the server would be super entertaining lololol

---

‘Hmm, good reactions.’

There were some complaints about the invitation ticket price, but overall, the response was positive.

The high price seemed to increase the server’s value and provide players with a clear goal.

I closed the community window with satisfaction and turned my attention back to the streamers’ broadcast screens.

With invitation ticket purchases becoming available today, I could feel a subtle shift in the server’s atmosphere.

Everyone started focusing intently on farming Stella (currency) with fire in their eyes.

Some shared efficient hunting grounds or gathering routes, while others were already making moves to control specific areas.

‘A competitive structure is starting to form.’

This kind of chaos and competition was exactly what I wanted.

It’s no fun if it’s too peaceful.

I enlarged Ajung’s broadcast screen among the others.

She still hadn’t ventured far from the entrance of ‘Starlight Village’.

She kept using and canceling her stealth skill, hovering around a newbie streamer who seemed to have just logged in, perhaps having missed the opening day.

She looked like a timid kitten stalking its prey.

[Ah, that person looks like a complete beginner… Their bag is the basic one… And it looks like they just got their quests… Sneaking up from behind…]

Ajung’s lips twitched.

The chat window was already busy narrating and teasing her internal conflict.

― This girl is at it again lololol

― Why don’t you just hunt at this point??

― Seriously, why did you pick thief lolololol Just go mage or something.

― Man, anyone would think she’s about to PK someone, ffs.

― For real, the fact that she’s agonizing over ‘should I startle them or not’ is so f*cking cringy lololololol

[No! I shouldn’t bully them! I have to live kindly! But… but I really want to startle them just once! Uwaaah!]

In the end, she couldn’t muster the courage and tore at her hair.

The viewers were even more amused by her antics and teased her further.

‘Ugh.’

Just as I, unable to watch any longer, clicked my tongue, an unexpected situation occurred for the newbie streamer Ajung was watching.

One of the ordinary-looking ‘Horned Slimes’ suddenly emitted a red aura and swelled in size.

It was a ‘Enraged Horned Slime’, an unannounced named monster that appeared in the field with a low probability.

[Huh? Huh?! What the! Why is it doing that?! Aaargh! H-help me!]

The slime roared and charged at the newbie streamer, leading the surrounding normal slimes.

The newbie panicked and started to flee, but it was no use.

Ajung froze completely at the sight.

She hid behind a nearby tree in stealth, only her eyes peeking out, not knowing what to do.

[Th-that! A named monster! What do I do! Should I… Should I go? But I can’t… I can’t beat that alone yet…?]

She was fidgeting anxiously, wringing her hands.

Swish- With a sound, a crimson afterimage cut through the air.

A character in sleek attire appeared from nowhere and instantly interposed itself between the newbie streamer and the slimes.

It was Riley.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she drew her dual swords and unleashed a fierce barrage of attacks on the slime.

With dazzling skill effects, the slime’s health visibly depleted.

The surrounding slimes were also swept away by the light swing of her sword and exploded.

‘Oh, she’s strong.’

I watched the monitor with interest.

How she had managed to level her character so diligently in just one day was on a different level from Ajung.

The tables turned in an instant.

The Enraged Horned Slime didn’t last long and collapsed with a scream, and a rare-grade item called [Horned Slime’s Horn Flute] glittered on the ground.

Riley nonchalantly picked up the dropped item and tossed it to the still-dazed newbie streamer.

[Take this. I’ll be on my way then.]

Leaving behind that short and impactful remark, she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.

The newbie streamer just stared blankly at Riley’s retreating back, unable to even thank her properly.

Ajung, still hiding behind the tree, was also gaping, completely stunned.

The chat window erupted, comparing Riley’s coolness to Ajung’s incompetence.

― Riley is insane lololololol

― Wow, sh*t, girl crush unnie, I’m wet ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

― Ajung-ah.. What on earth have you been doing all this time..?

― Same starting point, different growth.

― Seriously, I told you to just hunt instead of doing this, ffs.

― They started at the same time, why is there such a difference??

― Did Ajung-nim flush her time down the toilet?? Or should I not say that??

Ajung’s face turned beet red.

Her head, bowed low, showed no sign of lifting, and she bit her lip as if tears were about to burst forth.

Her dejected state was clearly visible even through the broadcast screen.

‘…She looks too down.’

It wasn’t the picture I had expected in the first place, but seeing her so dejected didn’t sit well with me.

‘Why did she have to pick a thief concept that doesn’t even suit her…’

I let out a short sigh and typed in chat.

My fingers hesitated a little more than usual as I typed.

[Whisper] Zelnaga: It’s okay. Don’t be discouraged, just do what you were doing. You’re doing well enough.

[Whisper] Zelnaga: It’s good to see Ajung-ssi enjoying the server in her own way, so don’t worry about what others think and just play.

After sending the message, I felt a little awkward.

I would never have said something like this usually.

Looking at Ajung’s screen, she seemed to flinch, startled by the sudden whisper.

After checking the chat window, she stared blankly for a moment with wide eyes.

[…Huh? P-President-nim?]

I heard her mutter softly.

Soon, she awkwardly cleared her throat and tried to compose her expression.

[I-I’m not worrying about others! I’m doing fine! You don’t have to console me!]

Her voice still trembled slightly, but she seemed to have regained some of her spirits compared to before.

She grabbed the mouse again and started moving her character.

The chat window once again descended into chaos due to Zelnaga’s sudden appearance and Ajung’s reaction.

― What was that whisper from Naga-bro just now lolololol

― Why is that b*stard being so sweet??

― Zelnaga, that traitor.. betraying us to console Ajung???

― This room is probably the only place where someone gets flamed for consoling a streamer lololol

― Sweet Korean man, ffs.

― Isn’t it because you guys were bashing her in chat that Naga-bro had to console her? lololol

― Zelnaga was surprisingly a tsundere lolololol

‘Tsundere, my *ss.’

I let out a disbelieving chuckle.

I just didn’t like seeing Ajung so dejected.

Forcing myself to act nonchalant, I turned my attention back to the other streamers’ broadcast screens.