1. This is Just Cup Noodles (1)
Star.
A term referring to people who shine brighter than others, just like the stars sparkling in the night sky.
To be honest, I envied them.
No, to be more precise, I wanted to become like them.
I, too, wanted to receive cheers from others, and I wanted to be loved by them.
And in modern society, there was a way for anyone to become a star, even without necessarily appearing on places like television.
'Internet Broadcasting.'
Things like capital or connections aren't particularly important.
To rise in this jungle-like place, only one thing is needed: the star quality one possesses.
After losing my original job, I threw myself into this industry with a feeling that was half-adventurous.
I used to be somewhat famous before, and since I couldn't say I had absolutely no talent for internet broadcasting, I was able to secure fans who supported me to some extent.
However.
System Notification
[Current Viewers: 10]
"...Sigh, fuck."
But even that was a story of the past.
Currently, I was nothing more than a bottom-feeder stuck somewhere in the deep sea.
A bottom-feeder among bottom-feeders, with no one watching and no one looking for me.
CHAT LOG Viewer: But that's not your fault, Big Bro.... Viewer: Fr honestly I don't think Big Bro did anything wrong at all Viewer: The association and the platform are too much, really. Is there a need to be this petty?
Although my loyal fans who still watched my broadcast comforted me like that, my mood didn't improve at all.
Regardless of the circumstances, the fact remained that I had failed at internet broadcasting.
Therefore, I intended to quit internet broadcasting after today.
After all, even if I continued broadcasting like this, it was hard to beat the Hunter-turned-streamers who performed feats like shooting fire from their hands or using magic.
"Phew... I overextended myself taking out a loan to buy new broadcasting equipment a while ago.... How on earth am I going to pay this back...."
If I sold the equipment second-hand, I might be able to recover about half the price... but since that wouldn't be enough, I'd have to look for a part-time job as well....
"This really sucks."
I'm not usually the type to enjoy drinking, but today I really craved alcohol.
So, on an impulse, I went to the convenience store, bought a few bottles of cheap soju, and drank them straight.
One glass, then two glasses.
I wonder how many glasses of soju I poured down like that.
Just when my vision was becoming blurry and my mind was feeling faint.
System Notification
[An invitation has arrived.]
"...Mm?"
A message arrived on the smartphone I was holding in my hand.
INFO WINDOW: INVITATION [Do you want to become famous? do you wish to succeed like others?]
[A special benefit for such people, we invite you to the 'Trans-Dimensional Streaming' service!]
[Countless dimensions, viewers of the worlds are waiting for you! Start broadcasting right now!]
[※Caution: This message is sent only to those with special talent.]
"...What is this again."
For a moment, upon reading the message, I unintentionally burst into a hollow laugh.
"Viral marketing is really creative these days."
Although I was currently a bottom-feeder among bottom-feeders, I had been immersed in the internet broadcasting industry for a considerable amount of time.
What does it mean that someone like me has never heard of a platform called 'Trans-Dimensional Streaming'?
In all high probability, it must be a new platform that just jumped into this industry.
Otherwise, there's no way they would send something like this spam mail to a streamer like me.
If it were the usual me, I would have just deleted such spam mail without reading it.
But the current me was someone chugging soju after deciding to quit internet broadcasting.
Since I wasn't planning on turning on the broadcast after today anyway, I thought it wouldn't be too bad to fall for such obvious viral marketing.
"Let's see.... Do I just go in here?"
As I barely moved my fingers, which weren't cooperating due to intoxication, and clicked the link, I was soon moved to a site I had never seen before in my life.
The subsequent broadcast preparation process, well, I didn't even need to try to sober up.
Because it was something I had repeated every single day for the past years, my body itself remembered it.
"....."
For some reason, I felt a sense of regret, but after trying to shake off that emotion, I turned on the broadcast with trembling hands—
CHAT LOG Viewer: What is this? A new streamer? Viewer: Lololol a new streamer coming in at a time like this? Is this for real? Viewer: Ah why isn't it a female streamer;; I was waiting with my pants off;; Dicks please don't turn on the broadcast I beg you Viewer: ↳ Retard lololol
Chats came up instantly as soon as I turned on the broadcast.
Surprised, I checked the current number of viewers, and the number was a whopping 30.
'No, a whopping 30 people entered this room as soon as I turned on the broadcast?'
To be honest, it was even a bit absurd.
I wasn't a so-called big-time corporate streamer, nor had I announced the broadcast, and I was someone broadcasting for the first time on this platform.
I thought I would be grateful if the number of viewers was just around 10 by the time the broadcast ended, but several times that number entered this room?
However, that wasn't the only strange thing.
CHAT LOG Viewer: His outfit is kinda unique where on earth is the room manager from? Viewer: ↳ It's considered unique because you live in a fuck-ass rural village stuck in a corner of the universe;; Viewer: ↳ ↳ Wanna die you fucker??? Viewer: Hmm his appearance is Oriental style but his attire is of the West, fascinating. Viewer: Looking at the settings it says he's a streamer from Earth Viewer: Where the hell is Earth located which dimension is it you nerd Viewer: Isn't it the Martial Arts World? He looks kinda similar to streamers from that side Viewer: Could be from the Cultivation World? Are you ignoring the Cultivation World right now? Viewer: ↳ Yeah I'm ignoring it if you're mad cross dimensions and catch me then lol Viewer: Sigh I was hoping but as expected it wasn't an Elf streamer, the most superior of all species in the universe Viewer: ↳ Avg Elf behavior lololol
'What is this?'
I tasted a dumbfounded feeling while watching the chat the viewers were typing.
Universe? Martial Arts World? Cultivation? Elf?
'Don't tell me, is this a hidden camera prank?'
But there would be no possibility of that since filming a hidden camera prank on a bottom-feeder like me wouldn't make for any content....
CHAT LOG Viewer: Room manager what are you doing exactly why aren't you saying anything since earlier Viewer: Is today's broadcast concept perhaps a vow of silence??? Viewer: Mom I'm experiencing a templestay in my room right now shiver Viewer: ??? : Please get out of the house!!!
Only after seeing the comments the viewers were posting in real-time could I come to my senses.
I still didn't understand the conversation they were having, but staying spaced out like this continuously wasn't polite to the viewers.
"...Ah, I apologize. I was spaced out for a moment thinking about something else."
CHAT LOG Viewer: Then start with a self-introduction gogo Viewer: First tell us what we should call you or should we just call you Room Manager?
"Umm... my nickname is...."
For a moment, I thought of the nickname I used on other platforms, but soon I shook my head and spoke cautiously.
"My name is... Choi Seo-jin. Please call me as you find comfortable. If it's uncomfortable, calling me Room Manager is fine too."
CHAT LOG Viewer: Choi Seo-jin? It's a unique name Viewer: Haha turns out you were a junior from the Martial Arts World side very glad to meet a rising star haha Viewer: Ahem,,, As expected.were you.a fellow of.the Martial Arts World,,,? Glad.to,,,meet.such a promising.junior~~~!! Viewer: Look at all the hidden Martial Arts World old farts popping out lololol Viewer: Anyway Room Manager Big Bro what were you doing just now? Looking at the screen it doesn't seem like you were preparing for a broadcast
"Ah... actually, I turned on the broadcast half-impulsively. Just 30 minutes ago, I couldn't even imagine I would be broadcasting like this."
CHAT LOG Viewer: So that's why there were liquor bottles rolling around on the table???? lolololol Viewer: What's wrong with drinking a little bit us Dwarves can't even hammer without alcohol lolol Viewer: ↳ Isn't that proof that Dwarves are an inferior species?? Viewer: ↳ Fr it's not like Homunculi eating magic stones saying you can't work without alcohol is bullshit lol Viewer: But what on earth is that object placed next to the liquor bottle? It looks kinda fascinating? Viewer: Yeah it's an object I'm seeing for the first time in my life... is it perhaps an artifact?
Watching the chat of the viewers who seemed half out of their minds, I tilted my head.
"Artifact...? I don't know what that is... but this is just a cup noodle? A cup noodle that's ready in roughly 3 minutes if you pour hot water."
Because on the desk, there were only empty liquor bottles and the cup noodle I had just bought to eat as a snack.
However.
CHAT LOG Viewer: What??? A dish is completed in 3 minutes just by pouring hot water??? Viewer: Is that real???? How is that possible??? Viewer: The thing called cup noodle is super amazing that's damn fascinating Viewer: Breaking News) I am a wizard but I don't know by what principle that is possible haha Viewer: Sigh the thing called cup noodle must be an object made with the cutting-edge technology of the place called Earth you ignorant bastards
"...???"
These people, just what are they talking about right now?
No, they really don't know about cup noodles?