Chapter 65: Broadcast Era (3)

A week had passed since the day of the forced broadcast announcement.

Many players had gradually come to understand the true value of the broadcast system.

At first, they were shocked by the idea of having their gameplay forcibly displayed to others. 

But soon, they realized that if they could prepare content that would attract the interest of the viewers, they could win their favor and, in turn, earn coins through sponsorship.

Considering that these labyrinth coins could be used to purchase luxurious treasures from the GM’s store, this “broadcast” became a platform for opportunities—one that allowed rapid advancement for players who could amass coins.

Unlike the Empress or the Beast King, who climbed the Tower of the Labyrinth with overwhelming power, players now found that they could steadily earn coins without needing such brute force. 

This led to a surge in players flocking to the new broadcast system.

Viewers shared the same excitement. For them, the broadcast was not only an entertaining source of content but also a treasure trove of useful information and guidance.

Most viewers tuned in for fun or to collect points, but a significant number watched to learn something new.

In this world, learning was a deeply meaningful endeavor. 

To learn magic, one had to spend decades in the Mage Tower. 

To learn a skill, one had to serve as an apprentice for decades. 

Swordsmanship required years of service in a knight order. 

Even vital family secrets could only be learned by those in prominent positions.

“This magic is recommended for beginners who have just formed their first circle. It’s excellent for training the senses needed to use mana properly. Now, if you look here… Oh! Thank you, [Apprentice Mage], for the 10-coin donation. Hmm? You’re saying the contract didn’t work out well? I see. Please watch closely here…”

“We dwarves don’t quite understand this part. You’re saying it doesn’t work? Well, there’s nothing we can do about it. Just watch. First, hit this part with the hammer like so… Huh? Do I need to raise the temperature this much? Of course! A blacksmith who can’t handle 3,000 degrees won’t craft anything worthwhile!”

“This is the most basic sword strike in swordsmanship. Ah, thank you, [Light Swordsman], for the 10-coin donation. Hmm… You say you can’t do it? Well, if you can’t even manage this basic strike, you might want to reconsider the path of swordsmanship.”

To earn coins, countless players shared the tips and tricks they’d gained over long hours of gameplay during their broadcasts.

By simply paying with labyrinth coins, one could listen to lectures from various experts. 

This gave players a reason to take broadcasting seriously.

Broadcasters not only received donations but also gained in-game buffs and valuable advice.

“Huh? Did I just miss a shortcut? …Oh, you’re right! Thank you!”

“Thank you, [Blue Badge], for the 10-coin donation! Wow! I feel so energized! Take this… Ugh!”

Some players even opened broadcasts to receive help with their roguelike games and communicate with their viewers.

From the viewers’ perspective, they could enjoy adventures from the comfort of their own homes, alongside other players, while watching others’ roguelike journeys through worlds they couldn’t reach themselves. 

This led to an increasing number of players getting hooked on the broadcasts.

Queen Aus of the Elves observed the rising trend of these broadcasts and examined the income of the most popular shows.

“This is no joke…”

Although the rankings were still unstable in the early days of broadcasting, it was clear that if one could maintain a top spot, they could earn as many coins as a conqueror of the Tower’s floors.

With enough labyrinth coins, she could recover the losses she suffered in her recent betting debacle at the dueling tournament. 

She could replenish the funds she had secretly borrowed from the treasury.

And that wasn’t all. 

With this money, she could place larger bets in the ongoing small-scale dueling tournaments on the sixth floor of the Labyrinth Tower, potentially winning even more.

For her, this “broadcast” was an opportunity she couldn’t afford to miss.

But there was one problem: she was the Queen of the Elves, a representative figure.

Even though she had a reputation for being laid-back and somewhat reckless with gambling, she couldn’t reveal her face to an undefined mass of people. 

More importantly, she wasn’t confident that her personality and content would draw a large audience.

“I need a stand-in…”

Aus sought out one of the elder elves, Aous.

Aous was over 1,000 years old, the strongest of the elves and one of the most revered elders.

“…Why have you come?” A young, ragged girl opened the door to meet Aus.

Her face was unwashed, and she had twin-tails that looked like they hadn’t been tended to in days. 

She had been avoiding food and drink for some time. 

This girl was none other than the elder elf, Aous.

She had become disheveled after suffering an early defeat in a duel tournament against a young human named Leighton, whom she had faced on behalf of the elves.

“Aous… I have a request for you.”

“A request? Don’t bother. A useless elf like me couldn’t possibly do anything right.”

Aous, who had once been full of confidence, now lay defeated.

Aus grabbed both of her hands tightly.

“No, Aous! This is something only you can do. Only you can save me and our people from despair!”

“Only me…?”

The once despairing elf perked up her long ears at those words.

A little while later, Aous and Aus were connected to the game world of Rudera, standing inside the Tower of the Labyrinth.

“So… You want me to do this ‘broadcast’ thing?”

“Yes, Aous! You’re known for your drastic personality changes in battle! Your unique personality will definitely draw in a massive audience!”

“Don’t… Don’t talk about that.”

Aous’s face flushed red.

Her strange tendency to become overexcited during battle was something she found deeply embarrassing. 

She hated talking about it when she was in her right mind.

But Queen Aus, who had spent time traveling across the human continent, was confident in Aous’s potential success.

There were many people on the continent with peculiar tastes. 

Particularly, many people who were strong but liked to be dominated by petite, delicate-looking girls. 

Aous’s twisted personality would be wildly popular among the viewers.

And that popularity would lead to profits in labyrinth coins!

“So all I have to do is act as I normally would, while adventuring through the roguelike game?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“Sigh… I don’t quite understand how this will save the elves, but… Fine.”

“Oh, wait a moment!”

Aus infused Aous’s face and hair with magic.

“Keeping your appearance as it is could be risky, so I’ll make a few slight changes.”

Aous’s appearance and hair color subtly shifted. 

It wasn’t a drastic change, but enough that even those who knew her would mistake her for a different elf.

“All done! Aous, in the broadcast, you won’t be known as Aous the Elf, but as Laous!”

“Laous?”

Thus, the continent’s first virtual broadcaster, Laous, was born.

“…A broadcast?”

Dragon Lord Losef learned about this new content system created by the GM and frowned.

“What on earth is he creating this time?”

The GM kept coming up with shocking new content. Losef was filled with anxiety about the changes this would bring to the continent.

His experience with a recent devastating loss in a betting content added to his fear.

“Sigh…”

Losef sighed deeply. 

But as a Dragon Lord with the duty of maintaining balance on the continent, he couldn’t simply hide away like a scared puppy.

“All right. Let’s see what this is all about.”

When Losef pulled up the broadcast list, he clicked on the top broadcast in the current rankings.

• Is that the best buff you can give me? How pathetic♥

On the screen, a young elf with pink hair giggled mischievously.

“…What?”

Her appearance was different, but Losef could see through the disguise magic.

It was the same elf who had caused his devastating loss in the labyrinth coin all-in bet!

“Ugh!”

The memory of his enormous loss came rushing back, and he sprang up from his seat in a panic.

However, his years of wisdom as an ancient dragon soon calmed him down.

“Sigh… Sigh…”

After taking a moment to collect himself, Losef returned to his seat. 

He found solace in the amusing memes scattered across the community screens he had open, allowing him to regain his composure as he blocked out the whining of the users there and refocused on the broadcast.

The next day…

“…This is kind of fun,” Losef muttered quietly.

He had spent the entire night watching the broadcast without saying a word.

During the previous tournament, he had been too distracted by his labyrinth coin bets to really observe the elf girl. 

But now, after watching her journey through the broadcast, Losef found himself becoming addicted to Laous’s show.

It didn’t hurt that she perfectly matched his tastes in women.

Yet, even now, he had no idea. 

He had no idea that within a few days, he would declare himself the official fan club president of Laous’s broadcast.

Nor did he know that he would soon gamble away his newly earned coins on this broadcast all over again.