Chapter 60

Indie games are short for independent games.

It’s a name given because small groups of people start companies and develop games, making them free from various interferences.

“Let’s start a meeting about the situation we’re facing.”

“Yes, CEO.”

Park Hyuk-soo had long since adapted to the situation of starting meetings right where they sat without even having a meeting room.

The place where he and his CEO were located was a garage.

You might wonder what they’re doing in a garage when it’s not even Silicon Valley, but they were developing a virtual reality game with 10 people.

The development team consisted of 10 people, but only two were in the garage because the other 8 were working from home.

“We’ve almost finished making the game, and although the development schedule got pushed back a bit, we managed to get through that without any problems too. Thank you for your hard work for now!”

The biggest characteristic of indie game development is having no money.

The fact that there’s no one to interfere was synonymous with there being no one who invested money.

“Fortunately, thanks to institutional support and Stream looking favorably upon us, there was no wage theft either. What a great company this is.”

Park Hyuk-soo, who felt a surge of emotion for a moment, looked at the CEO with disbelief.

“I’m getting minimum wage though? You said you’d make me rich. What’s this about.”

“But we agreed to split the profits. I really have nothing left now. Even though I’m the CEO, I’m taking about the same as you guys.”

The CEO had used all the money he’d saved while working at a major corporation for this game development.

“Then what’s the point. How low are the chances of success.”

More than 2,000 virtual reality games come out every year.

Among them, only a few games even recover their development costs.

The games that reach the ranks of success are extremely few.

Fortunately, their game was able to receive support because Stream, a subsidiary of Surface and game distribution platform, looked favorably upon it.

This alone put them in the top 10%. It meant they saw potential.

It might seem strange for an independent game company to receive support funds from a distribution platform, but everyone takes it if they can.

That’s how difficult this path is. Wage theft and bankruptcy happen frequently, and even if you manage to get through everything and complete a game, there’s no guarantee it will succeed.

“Ahem, anyway. We’re almost done, so let’s think positively. Right? Now all that’s left is selling the game.”

“Right. So what’s the agenda for this meeting.”

“We’re almost done, but there’s still one hurdle left.”

“What’s left.”

“That is! Promotion!”

“Promotion? Don’t tell me Stream isn’t providing promotional support? Don’t tell me this meeting with just the two of us is to make some desperate request?”

Desperate request meant something related to money.

“I won’t provide support with my own money. Actually, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I don’t have any money. You know that, right?”

Park Hyuk-soo said firmly.

Fortunately, what came out of the CEO’s mouth didn’t flow in that direction.

“No. Don’t worry. I got a reply yesterday. The amount is 80 million won. It’s the promotional budget.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. But 80 million won is a bit ambiguous.”

Of course, the amount itself was incredibly generous. There are plenty of games that get no support at all.

But it was 80 million won.

It seemed like Stream, the distribution platform, viewed their game very favorably.

However, the reason he said it was ambiguous was.

“Right. The question is how exactly we should structure the combination.”

Because the work they were creating was a 2-player cooperative game.

So they planned to hire streamers in pairs of two as teams for advertising, but this combination was the problem.

Should they hire a major corporation team of 2 people to do just one team?

Should they hire 4 mid-tier streamers?

Or instead of teams, should they ask individuals to find partners themselves?

Everything was a concern.

“Anyway, that’s why I’m asking you to make a list.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You know the most about streamers among us.”

“I’m not even in charge of promotion though?”

“Where in our company is there a promotion person.”

That was true.

All 10 of them had gathered to develop games.

Park Hyuk-soo fell into thought.

He wasn’t at the level of a heavy user.

He just casually watched various streamers on iTube, knowing their culture broadly and widely?

Park Hyuk-soo kept imagining in his head who would suit their game, when suddenly a certain streamer he’d seen recently came to mind.

“Hmm, CEO. Would someone a bit below mid-tier level be okay? There’s a rising streamer recently.”

“Who?”

“Someone called Jin Seo-jun. This streamer’s track record is amazing…”

Park Hyuk-soo began explaining about Seo-jun within the scope of what he knew.

As unusual incidents came out of Park Hyuk-soo’s mouth, the CEO’s head began tilting more and more.

The reason was.

“The first chapter we’re previewing in our advertisement has a horror concept. But that person is way too good, isn’t he?”

The exact genre of their work was action-adventure.

However, the first chapter’s concept was horror, and the charm of horror games was watching someone who was clumsy, lacked skills, and was easily scared trembling in fear.

But from what he’d heard, Jin Seo-jun seemed too skilled and his personality didn’t seem like he’d be scared at all.

Park Hyuk-soo nodded.

“Still, wouldn’t someone like that being scared create a much more amplified effect? And most importantly, you know the streamer Kim Tae-woo, right?”

“Yeah, I know him.”

The CEO had recently looked up information on all mid-tier streamers on Travel.

“They’re classmates apparently. People know them well too. I thought this combination of the two would be good too.”

The CEO fell into thought for a moment after hearing that.

He was picturing it.

“Right. Then, let’s put that combination under consideration too. And the advertising rate would be an advantage too.”

If they could save costs while getting results through this streamer called Jin Seo-jun, that would be best.

“Yeah, and if we’re really worried, let’s just ask directly.”

“Ask what.”

“Whether he’s good at horror games.”

* * *

Stab.

The sword pierced through the chest.

[Defeated Dongdong]

-How can you not land a single hit, is it really that difficult?

-Every time I watch, I think the streamer should open a sword dojo. I want to learn

-You want to learn? Didn’t you see what he did to Heavenly First Swordsman?

-That’s a bit much though…

-He even does the same thing in real life as he does on stream lmao

Heavenly First Swordsman was the first disciple Seo-jun had taught the sword to in this life.

He had asked Tae-woo before meeting the swordsman.

‘Want to learn swordsmanship?’

‘Are you crazy?’

‘???’

‘I know how you treat athletes at the gym, so unless my head is completely messed up, I’m not learning from you.’

That’s how it went.

-He might be a skilled teacher, but first of all, he’s not likeable as a teacher lmao

-He just use students to relieve his own stress

-For real, tormenting people is his bad hobby

-But when you graduate, the student you tormented becomes more endearing lol

-Student lmao trauma flashback

-Are you all perhaps of a certain age?

The evaluation of him was harsh.

In his previous life, he’d never heard such things even once.

Anyway, leaving behind the chat window where they were chatting among themselves, Seo-jun pondered whether to wait here or go back.

The path he was currently standing on was a route where carriages passed.

In the end, it meant a carriage would come if he waited.

‘Enemies will come this way too.’

It’s the shortest route.

Side paths were only for preparing ambushes.

“He said he’d go ahead and prepare, but then he died.”

A small voice could be heard from far away.

It was an enemy.

Since the carriage’s movement speed was slow, there was no way it could be an ally.

And at the same time, a team chat popped up.

[Streamer. If you win this game without me, how about 200,000 won?]

Checking the ID, it was one of his viewers.

A mission?

Seo-jun laughed in disbelief.

“Suddenly there’s a mission.”

It wasn’t a bad thing.

The situation where a teammate suddenly placed a mission during the game was absurd, but he didn’t dislike the mission itself.

Seo-jun first quietly backed away as much as possible and said.

“I’ll accept it right away.”

He opened the team chat window and sent a reply.

[Sure.]

-So snipers can place missions directly too lmao

-That guy’s definitely not normal

-For real

-I’m scared that pose he made holding a tree branch earlier might appear in my dreams lol

Seo-jun thought.

Surely among those chats making such comments, there would be people similar to that viewer.

A reply came.

[But if you fail, show us the Christina affection quest!]

[…]

[Fine.]

Seo-jun reluctantly accepted, and the viewers were happy.

Then consecutively, a system notification popped up.

It was a notification that one of his teammates had quit the game by deserting.

He had left.

“No way…”

Seo-jun once again laughed in disbelief.

“There’s no need to go as far as deserting, is there?”

There’s a penalty for deserting by leaving the game.

It’s to prevent situations where people leave whenever games become even slightly unfavorable, making the remaining teammates feel wronged.

-How bold

-The type who takes losses upon himself lol

-200,000 won plus desertion penalty lmao

-But he was magnificent.

-And! He didn’t forget Christina!

-Ah right. Desertion…

Among the laughing people, one chat caught his eye.

He didn’t know if it was real or not, but he made note of the ID for now.

To ban them if they ran away without paying the mission reward.

“Then it’s 2v3.”

Seo-jun said while sensing the approach of enemies.

“From now on, it would be better to catch them before the enemies even get to the carriage.”

Seo-jun stood in the center of the street, infused his sword with internal energy, and waited.

The enemies appeared.

“He hasn’t returned to the carriage yet?”

“Then we need to catch him quickly!”

There were two enemies.

Originally in the game, it’s hard to guess what class someone has just by their clothing, but For the Murim was easy to tell because users dressed appropriately themselves.

Just looking at them, the raggedly torn clothes weren’t from an orthodox faction, so they’d be Green Forest.

The other had clothes befitting a prestigious family, and seeing him holding throwing knives, he was from Tang Household.

‘Tang Household reminds me of Tangso.’

Tangso had acted like a fish in water after joining the Demonic Cult.

He had originally chosen the Demonic Cult as his first faction too.

He had changed his nickname and gone to Tang Household because he kept losing battles and his fun was being crushed, and while telling this story, he showed enthusiasm about winning now that he was here.

“Green Forest? As expected, suits a bandit’s nature.”

“What are you saying. And childishly, what’s with Heavenly Demon.”

“Let’s just catch him quickly.”

The Green Forest user approached first.

The vanguard was the bandit, while Tang Household took charge of long-range support from the rear.

Whoooosh!

A huge greatsword moved from left to right, cutting through the air.

Instead of blocking it, Seo-jun ducked his head to avoid the greatsword.

Green Forest’s characteristic is having no martial arts techniques but powerful external strength instead.

So if you block Green Forest’s attacks, you need resources like stamina and internal energy equivalent to double that amount.

As a result, you take losses, so no matter how strong an attack they swing, opponents don’t dare attempt to parry.

Simple but powerful!

However, the countermeasure is also simple.

If you can’t block it, just avoid it.

“You won’t be able to lay a finger on the carriage.”

Seo-jun said in a calm voice while dodging the sword.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve decided to make it so.”

“This guy’s completely insane!”

Crack.

The bandit’s sword struck downward from above, hitting the ground.

Seo-jun tilted his shoulder to avoid the attack and used lightness skill to fly toward the Tang Household member who had been aiming at him from far away.

The throwing knives that had been flying at him from earlier were getting on his nerves.

-Look at him immediately spouting nonsense when he meets enemies.

-Tang Household first is a good choice. For once he used his brain

-He’s always smart. He just doesn’t use it because his body is better.

When Seo-jun charged at him, the player that belonged to the Tang Household backed away to create distance.

A correct choice.

Anyone using projectiles or throwing weapons should always keep distance advantages in mind.

However, since he jumped backward, the distance was being closed in real time.

The choices available at this time were to turn around and run properly to create distance, or.

“If you come straight at me like that, that’s great for me!”

Attack the approaching enemy directly.

Whiiiiik!

A throwing knife shot out from the enemy’s hand.

The knife that left his fingertips flew precisely toward Seo-jun’s forehead.

Since Seo-jun was moving forward, the perceived speed of the throwing knife was more than double.

Shiiiing!

“Got him! No one has ever dodged this!”

The situation of throwing a knife at an approaching person to counter-kill them was the enemy’s favorite scenario.

So this time too, he naturally thought it would hit, but.

Clang!

A clear sound of metal hitting metal rang out.