Chapter 141: Zombie Rush Paradise Live
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 141: Zombie Rush Paradise Live
Lee Yu-ri turned on her stream.
"Hi everyone~ It's Yul2, Paradise's official streamer. The Zombie Rush started yesterday—is everyone still alive? I'm doing super well and staying comfy, hehe. It's all thanks to the Coins and food my lovely Yul-moos sent me~"
Streaming from Trimage was truly wonderful.
"What's so great about the Paradise system is that you don't have to carry streaming equipment around. My hands are completely free, hehe. The welfare benefits are amazing, and my home is right here in Trimage! Look, isn't the view gorgeous? I'm in a 49th-floor penthouse here at Trimage. Awesome, right?"
She could now open her eyes in a home she could never have dreamed of living in, even back when she was relatively successful. She was no longer in danger, no longer hungry, and no longer tormented by the stench.
That was why Lee Yu-ri loved Paradise.
And that was why she worked so hard on her streams, doing exactly what Paradise asked of her.
"This is the view from the penthouse. You can see the entire Han River. Oh, wow. I think the Zombie Rush is happening right now~ Do you see them swarming down the road over there like cockroaches? Everyone, please be careful!"
If people struggling to survive the Zombie Rush in that living hell saw this, they would probably rage, calling her an airheaded bitch. But then again, this stream was intentionally designed to elicit exactly that kind of reaction.
And it was precisely because she was Lee Yu-ri that she could pull off a stream like this.
"Time for a cup of morning coffee. Huh? Where did I get the coffee? I bought it, of course. In Paradise, there's nothing you can't buy with Coins. The coffee machine was already here. I only had to buy the coffee capsules."
For those holding their breath, not knowing when they might die, crouching in fear and praying the zombies would pass them by without noticing, their options were extremely limited.
The Paradise Gallery.
Or the newly launched Paradise Streaming.
Using a smartphone was suicide because of the light it emitted.
On the other hand, the Paradise system provided a feature that delivered sound directly into one's ears without needing earphones. Even if they didn't want to watch, they had nothing else to do but choose between the two options. As a result, many people tuned into Lee Yu-ri's stream despite the ongoing Zombie Rush.
"The leisure of enjoying a cup of coffee by the window."
They would feel that this was a heaven completely detached from their own lives.
Most of them probably couldn't even get a sip of water, let alone coffee, and could barely catch a glimpse of daylight.
Being able to join the Paradise Membership meant they could at least earn about 10 Coins a week, but that didn't mean they all possessed abilities specialized for survival.
To live somewhat like a human being, one needed at least a Level 2 Membership. Even if someone managed to leech off another person who had the spare 40 Coins to pay for them, it only made their existence slightly more human—it didn't actually improve their overall situation.
And so, their inferiority complexes exploded in the chat, even though it wasn't anonymous.
Most of the viewers were like this.
No one was on Lee Yu-ri's side.
Her fans tried to defend her, but how could they stem the tide against the massive influx of new viewers?
But Lee Yu-ri didn't care.
Her streaming career spanned a whopping thirteen years.
Of course, her official career—including her brief debut and subsequent internet broadcasting—was only seven to eight years at most. But according to her own calculations, she counted it as thirteen years, starting from when she occasionally uploaded videos during her trainee days.
She possessed a mental fortitude strong enough to prevent such shameless claims from being laughed off.
The comments criticizing her quickly vanished.
It wasn't Lee Yu-ri deleting them.
The Paradise system automatically deleted all such chats.
All Lee Yu-ri had to do was glance at them and pretend she hadn't seen a thing.
Paying attention and reacting would only fan the flames.
She already knew this, having heard it from the man.
Those who wrote such chats would receive a warning, and if they got a second warning, their Paradise Membership would be automatically terminated.
Furthermore, the penalty for a first offense was a one-week ban on rejoining. A second offense was one month, and a third offense was a permanent ban.
Anyone with even a little streaming experience knew there was no need to respond to people's inferiority complexes.
In fact, in most cases, even if there was a controversy, it would blow over as long as you didn't react.
Lee Yu-ri simply had to show them.
The benefits of Paradise.
"This is the food Paradise provided because of the upcoming Zombie Rush. They gave me a ten-day supply, and since it's based on three meals a day, it's a huge amount, right? I haven't even touched it. Because...!"
She pulled out a Thermal Pouch and took out the food inside.
"Tada! This wasn't made by the cafeteria auntie. This is something that usually only comes from the Residential District, but I think they distributed it to Residents and Level 3 Apartments this time. They gave me this much, so I'm planning to eat only this for the next five days. Today's menu is... my absolute favorites, pasta and pizza!"
The reason for doing this kind of stream was quite simple.
Rather than a strategy to make people feel miserable by showing off, it was a promotional broadcast designed to make them think, I must never let go of my Paradise Membership.
At first, the backlash would be severe.
They couldn't enjoy that kind of life.
While they were worrying about how to find food because they couldn't kill even a single strengthened zombie, someone else was guaranteed safety, relaxing in a penthouse, taking naps, and spending their time doing yoga in light clothing.
Their anger would gradually turn into envy.
I want to live like that too.
The moment that thought took root...
...everything Lee Yu-ri said would become their dreams and hopes.
"I was also just an ordinary person streaming from the very bottom. I did stream quite a bit before the apocalypse, but what kind of special skills would a mere streamer have? I just scraped by on the food I had at home, and when I couldn't hold out any longer, I made a final decision and bought a Level 3 Membership. And then, the owner oppa recognized my talent! You don't have to be able to kill zombies. Even if you don't have a mode that's great at killing zombies, as long as you can be of help to Paradise, anyone can become a Resident like me and move into Trimage."
The barrier to becoming a Resident wasn't high.
But even if someone lacked such abilities, it was fine.
"Is it hard to become a Resident because you need a high mode level or a great mode? Well, you can come here through a Level 3 Membership. Usually, professionals are selected for this. The people who came in before me used to work at hospitals—doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. Everyone currently working at the Paradise Hospital has a Level 3 Membership. They were also given apartments next to Trimage, and their food, electricity, and other services are all free."
Once the floodgates opened, the questions completely drowned out the hostile atmosphere.
No one wanted to live in a grueling hell.
If they could live a better life than others, they would do whatever it took to escape.
"Uh... and of course, people who are good at killing zombies are welcome too! There's a Lieutenant Colonel ahjussi here, and I think I heard that if you inquire with him, they'll test you and recruit you."
In truth, all of this was already written in the Paradise announcements.
The recruitment notices were always posted.
But there was a massive difference in comprehension between reading a written text and having a pretty streamer kindly explain it to you.
Besides, wasn't she showing them firsthand?
How one could live upon becoming a Resident.
Grandiose texts only provoked resistance.
Is it a scam? Is that really true?
They couldn't believe it before seeing it, but once they did, it became the prize they desperately yearned to grasp.
"Even if you can't do either, there's still one more way. It's 200 Coins a week, but if you pay for five weeks, it's 900 Coins, which is a 10% discount. I also paid for this at first, and then I got lucky and was selected. You guys should try it too."
Lee Yu-ri's daily vlog continued.
She didn't just stay indoors; she walked along the beautifully landscaped paths of the Trimage complex and even filmed Oh Yoon-seop and the Hunting Squad hunting just outside, capturing them from the safety of the Outer Wall.
"They say they level up while hunting like this. So cool. It feels so reassuring."
Meanwhile, Lee Yu-ri's outfit remained highly provocative.
In fact, there were elements to her stream that were far more tantalizing than a typical nude broadcast.
And she even intentionally picked out and read certain chat messages once or twice to tease them.
"Dating? Oh, come on. Even if I'm safe here, I still prefer streaming... Maybe it's because I've never done it before. To be honest, it's still not easy for me to get close to strangers. I feel much more comfortable with you guys."
"Even if I were to date, I care more about a reliable, solid man who treats me well rather than just looks. Huh? What do I mean by 'solid'...? Ah! Warning, warning! Don't say things like that, seriously. I might not have experience, but I know everything, okay? What? What kind of experience? Ha! Oh, please!"
The number of viewers who liked Lee Yu-ri steadily grew.
To be precise, rather than genuinely liking her, it would be more accurate to call them simps escaping reality by obsessing over a female streamer.
In a way, Lee Yu-ri was a professional in this field.
She was performing her role as Paradise's promotional ambassador exceptionally well.