ALL NOVEL Chapter 80
I recently learned about Virtual YouTubers.
While taking a break and scrolling through YouTube, I stumbled upon people streaming with characters that are nothing like your typical 2D characters.
Having entered the world of internet broadcasting and growing more interested in the industry, I began to delve into the world of Virtual YouTubers.
It turned out to be way more fun and advanced technology than I thought.
The Virtual YouTuber culture, which started in Japan, has only recently settled in our country.
The initial investment costs, including equipment, weren’t insignificant, but I decided it was worth it.
After all, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to invest the money I earned from streaming into something more unique.
Si-young also supported my decision, saying it wasn’t a bad one.
And so, this is the result.
The real me, with black hair and black eyes.
In contrast, another me with blond hair and blue eyes.
This alternate version of me has a face that seems a bit kinder compared to the current me.
I’ve only heard that science and technology are advancing and the world is changing, but experiencing it firsthand is truly amazing.
Is this what they call the metaverse?
I feel so young and MZ now.
[Trendy Mollru declares she’ll conquer the Virtual YouTuber market ㄷㄷ]
[What’s a Virtual YouTuber, you weeb?]
[-Skeptic-]
[These days, kids only watch Virtual YouTuber streams, ah haha]
[You don’t know about Virtual YouTubers~]
[Don’t know about the metaverse?]
[Oh, you do know about the metaverse? It’s freaking awesome.]
“That’s pretty cool.”
I opened my mouth, resonating with the chat.
At the same time, my virtual character seemed to be muttering something.
It’s a facial recognition feature that instantly transmits my facial expressions to the screen.
There were so many other fascinating things as well.
“Look at this, everyone. This is amazing!”
When I raised my hand and wiggled it, my avatar extended its hand too.
I can express my current feelings or state with different facial expressions, like a sad face or a happy face.
Since I was feeling pretty good at the moment, I controlled the character to set the default expression to a smiling face.
[Smirk-]
[That’s scary ㅠㅠ]
[Just a moment ago, the character was perfectly normal! Suddenly…?]
[It’s definitely Mollru; she picked a stunning character.]
[Hehe… Smirk- keke]
[Suddenly, it turned into a horror show.]
“Yeah, it does seem a bit… overly cheerful.”
[It’s not cheerful; it looks somewhat broken.]
[For real lol, it looks like it would run away if you talked to it.]
The smile that appeared when I pressed the laugh button was bizarre, unlike any typical smile.
With eyes that crinkled without visible pupils and a mouth that was constantly upturned, it’s hard to express, but it gives off an unsettling vibe.
The uncanny valley is truly spot on with this mask.
Current time: 11:24 PM.
Definitely a face I wouldn’t want to encounter late at night.
“It seems they haven’t implemented facial expressions of real humans yet.”
I remember that human faces have at least 30 different muscles.
With that many muscles, the range of emotional expression is diverse and rich, but it seems AI hasn’t caught up to that yet.
Still, it feels eerily close to being human, perhaps a little too much?
Humans being overrun by advanced AI is a scenario that briefly crossed my mind.
[Kim Chul-goo donated 10,000 won!]
– So, does that mean you’ll stream as a Virtual YouTuber from now on?
“Well, I don’t have any specific plans yet. I’ll try it out first, and if it’s fun, I might continue.”
Why do people watch internet broadcasts?
Because they offer a unique kind of entertainment that’s different from mainstream broadcasts or other cultural content.
With the initial capital invested for Virtual YouTuber streaming, I planned to use my avatar for broadcasts for the time being.
If it’s fun, I’ll keep going; if not, I can always switch back to no-cam streaming.
It’s not like I’d be losing anything.
[Better than no-cam?]
[It was a bit empty before.]
[No-cam is better; what are you talking about? With a character like this, no one will join.]
[Are you ignoring the die-hard fans? Their power is insane!]
[I just joined; is this person an AI? That new AI streamer everyone’s talking about?]
[Not an AI; there’s a person behind the scenes.]
[Hello ^^ donated 100,000 won!]
– I’ve never seen this Virtual YouTuber before, but the avatar is quite lovely. I’ll come by often.
The chatter about diminishing viewership was just nonsense.
The growing number of viewers and the gradually increasing donations indicated that a new audience was coming into my stream, different from my usual viewers.
However, I couldn’t pure-heartedly enjoy it.
“This is a bit… unusual.”
If viewership is decreasing, I never expected it to increase.
Of course, I anticipated there would be a separate audience for Virtual YouTubers, but I thought the influx would mean others would leave.
After all, Virtual YouTubers are popular nowadays, but they still exist in a somewhat underground culture.
People who dislike this kind of content really seem to hate it, making it truly polarizing.
That such outcomes would arise was unexpected.
[Ah haha, no way! Did you think people would drop off?]
[Disregard the die-hard fans? A Virtual YouTuber or no mic? As long as it’s turned on, they’ll watch.]
[Do you dislike having many viewers?]
[Yeah, absolutely hate it, I’m a professional at scaring away new viewers.]
[Ah, so that’s your concept.]
[What are you talking about?]
RP, which means the exaggerated performances Virtual YouTubers put on with their unique concepts.
The newly arrived viewers seem to interpret my cautious stance towards increasing viewers as part of my persona.
How was I viewed in their eyes?
A style that looks down on viewers like livestock, hurling insults and slurs?
A laid-back cool beauty who finds viewers annoying and puts in minimal effort into broadcasts?
Either way, it wasn’t the kind of misunderstanding I wanted.
*
“So, this is the VR World…”
A place where anything can be realized within the limits of graphics.
I arrived in the VR World.
I explored various locations like a summer beach, an enchanting forest, an atmospheric cafe, a rooftop building, and snowy mountains.
Places that are difficult to access in the real world can be reached by simply jumping through a portal in the VR World.
[There are many fun places in other worlds too.]
[How about the game map?]
[Here, let’s go.]
Newbies apparently give off a certain vibe.
Having dabbled in most games, I can’t deny I once revelled in the ‘aroma’ of newbie gamers as they entered the gaming world.
Now, the situation is quite the opposite.
As a VR newbie, I was struggling to utilize the features properly and was being offered unsolicited advice by veteran players who sniffed out my ‘aroma.’
“Yes, I’ll check out all the recommended spots. I’ll go one by one, so please wait.”
Before I knew it, there were no chats about my face at all.
Just before entering the VR World, there used to be a person or two commenting, but now I can’t find anyone.
Clearly, I had pulled a lot of attention in a different direction.
[Why is it fun?]
[Virtual YouTubers… might not be so bad?]
[You’re already hooked.]
[No, it’s surprisingly decent and not off-putting at all.]
[Just so-so, pretty average.]
Even my existing viewers responded well, not just new Virtual YouTuber viewers.
The countless maps in the VR World.
Just exploring those maps can create unique content.
This is exactly the picture I had in mind.
Since I was planning to run broadcasts focusing on VR as the main content, it would be a very different experience for my usual viewers.
I felt the same way.
“There’s even a place like this. Darts, billiards, table tennis, bowling… is it an arcade?”
The place my viewers suggested seemed purely prepared for entertainment.
Various games lined up, and it looked like you could play them directly.
“I’ll give darts a shot.”
As I picked up a dart and was about to throw it at the target in front of me…
-#@!$%!
“What? There’s someone here?”
Another character besides me approached and started talking to me.
Up until now, I had only been in maps where I was all alone, so this was my first encounter.
-^%@$#!
“What are they saying? It sounds like Japanese. Is there anyone who can translate?”
VR World promotes communication with people from all over the globe.
Meeting foreigners is quite common while wandering around.
Considering how tiny Korea is, I’m more likely to encounter foreigners compared to fellow countrymen.
“Uh, kimi mochi? Thank you?”
-#@$www!!
A Japanese person reacted intensely.
It seemed like they recognized the universal term ‘kimoi.’
[Is there a lunatic throwing around ‘kimoi’ on a first encounter?]
[Feeling good… feeling good? Feeling good!]
[Miss Mollru seems to be in a good mood.]
[This sounds kind of suggestive.]
[They say the other person is Korean.]
“How did you know I’m Korean? What’s ‘nice to meet you’ in Japanese?”
I manage to keep the conversation going with the help of viewer comments.
Turns out, she was a Japanese girl who had a Korean friend and understood some Korean.
-%@$@!
“Tomodachi? What’s that? Is it a friend? Are you asking to be friends?”
She exuded a unique charm that made her friendly.
She said she had to go now and casually added me as a VR friend before disappearing.
“There are social butterflies even in the VR world. What a fun friend.”
It was a short but intense encounter.
Despite being unexpected, it was a quite satisfying time.
“Meeting people turns out to be surprisingly fun. Shall we check out another public map?”
A public map open to all, without entry restrictions.
I entered a highly-rated map recommended by my viewers.
What kind of person would I meet this time? I felt a bit anxious and excited.
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-!$춍!@$
“Chinese…?”
I met a Chinese person extolling the greatness of their nation.