New Another World (1)
I visited the Neoverse company again today. Honestly, I didn't want to come back, but I had no choice.
"They asked me to come because it's the new model reveal today, just in case they need help."
I didn't think there'd be any bugs, but since they might mix up the functions and cause an accident, it seemed right to show up. There weren't any weird features, but if they used everything at once, it was bound to be a disaster. The viewers' screens might explode, or worse, the broadcast could crash.
They said I didn't need to meet anyone and could just use the staff capsule, so I headed to where I remembered the capsules were placed.
One good thing about Neoverse was that the employees stuck to their desks and rarely wandered around, so I didn't run into anyone on the way.
"Phew, made it without bumping into anyone."
"You've arrived?"
"Eek-!"
I jumped at the voice from behind and whipped around. Hyunwol was standing there—I had no idea how long he'd been waiting. He was holding a tablet, so he must've come all the way here from work just to greet me.
"Oh, uh. Y-Yeah. Hello?"
"It's only been three days, but it's good to see you. And please take care of things today."
"Ah... N-No problem. Everyone will do fine."
"Honestly, I suspect at least one of them will cause some trouble."
His words brought one person to mind right away. That curiosity-driven little fire chick. From last time's explanation, Por couldn't sit still and kept fiddling with everything, making things awkward... Yeah, she was definitely bound to cause at least one incident. Good thing I'd added safeguards to her avatar for today.
"Don't worry, though. I made a feature to remotely control the avatars' functions."
"That's a huge relief. Thank you for making it on such short notice."
"Eh, I enjoyed making it anyway."
Directly interacting with someone else's avatar in real-time wasn't easy. It was tech only someone like me—a genius chosen by the moon whose wish came true—could pull off. No one else had anything like it. Sure, others could probably do it by opening the server with admin rights and messing with connected avatars, but being able to interact anywhere, in any map or server? That was true cutting-edge stuff.
"Oh, and here's the avatar master key for now. But make sure to secure it so no one else can touch it."
"Understood. We're receiving more and more help from you. We'll definitely include incentives."
"Y-Yeah, th-thank you."
I scratched my cheek at the mention of extra pay. Well, yeah, I'd done more work, so getting rewarded was natural. But receiving compensation like this still felt awkward. Incentives, money—whatever it was. Just yesterday, my hands were shaking from the avatar payment. It was way more money than I'd imagined, and I couldn't believe I'd actually earned it.
Soon I could upgrade my capsule, move to a better place, rent a server for content... The possibilities were endless.
"It starts soon, right?"
"Yes. Somehow it's turned into something like a re-debut."
"Ahaha, I'm grateful. It means you think so highly of the avatars I made."
"They deserve it. Then, I'll leave the rest to you."
"Ah, sure!"
I saw Hyunwol off, bowed to the staff coming in to assist, and climbed into the capsule.
Alright, time to use my full power to make sure nothing goes wrong with the broadcast.
I mentally reviewed the broadcast order. They said it was reverse from last time. Last time it was Siri, Por, Rin, Momona—so reverse would start with Momona. I headed to the prepped map.
Momona was in the center, stretching. From the viewers' perspective, she was probably the most familiar. Even though it was just a day, they'd seen her avatar preview, so starting with her should build even more hype afterward.
"Momona, ready?"
"Huh? Hayun. Wait, it's MPG now, right? Of course I'm ready!"
I chuckled at her confident V-sign and grin. No matter how many times I saw it, that bold vibe was always a sight to behold. If she weren't that confident, she wouldn't be Momona.
"You know all the functions on your avatar, right?"
"Duh. You explained it a bunch and even sent messages with details. Worry about the other members more."
"You can handle it solo, yeah. But just in case, I'll be right behind you, so no worries."
I patted her back once, turned my avatar transparent, and prepped for the broadcast about to start.
I wasn't even the one broadcasting, but why was I so nervous? It was Momona doing it, but watching from the sidelines made it hard to breathe.
I took a light breath in and out, forcing myself to relax. If I got tense, I wouldn't be able to react to mistakes. Focus.
"Broadcast starting!"
With Momona's announcement, the stream began. I pulled up the chat and her feed in a corner. There was a difference between seeing it with my eyes and on broadcast, so this was easiest for quick fixes. And I trusted Momona, so I wasn't too worried. I just watched her stream.
You got this, Momona!
* Somehow, even though I'd streamed yesterday, today felt even more nerve-wracking. I stared at the live screen. My heart pounded like it was my debut all over again. It was just a new avatar, and I'd even tested it on stream already, but the tension wouldn't fade.
Was it the added RP settings? Or...
I glanced sideways. Seeing Hayun there in her transparent avatar, watching over me, made my heart race even harder.
Ma-ma, broadcasting in front of the person who made my avatar felt extra embarrassing.
"No, Momona. You can do this."
Calling my own nickname, I flashed a bright smile and switched the screen. Time to dive into the stream with fresh energy.
I felt the camera following me. Alright! Time to greet the viewers with a sunny smile.
"Hey, Mokong-i! Surprised today, huh? Total shock news, right?"
I was first up—reverse debut order, and with my avatar already previewed once. Now it was time to show off everything else.
I giggled at the curious viewers and tilted my head cutely at the camera. My black-clad figure on screen felt unfamiliar, but with viewers still trickling in, it was perfect for building hype. Some begged to see my look, but I held back to draw in as many as possible—for the next members.
"Nuh-uh, not yet!"
A bit more, build that anticipation solid. First, show off other features.
I wasn't just debuting the avatar—I had other gifts too. Time to reveal those and grab attention.
"Ta-da! Look at this first, not me! Familiar, right?"
I pointed at the somewhat empty cabin. No sign above it, so familiar yet not. We'd repurposed the old content shop into a whole new building. The exterior felt totally different—walls now purely wood, screaming forest cabin.
"My potion shop tanked, but I can open a new one, right?"
"Hehe, lemme show the inside too."
I pushed open the door into the cabin. Creak—it felt stiff and new. I panned the camera slowly over the interior. Structurally like the old potion shop, but more homey, livable. I'd asked Hayun for that. Originally a shop remake, but I wanted a cozy spot to chill. What I needed wasn't content space—it was a place to laugh and chat with viewers.
I strolled lightly, showing it off. Sparkling new cauldron, shiny glass bottles—I picked one up and shook it.
"Can make potions here too? I'll show you next time while chatting—look forward to it, Mokong-i!"
I explained map features and sank into the plush sofa, leaning back. I glanced at the trailing transparent avatar and checked viewer count. Perfect. Enough had gathered, hooked on my stories about the map. Attention locked.
"Alright, Mokong-i! The moment you've all been waiting for!"
I clapped to grab eyes and signaled Hayun. I could dispel it myself, but it took time—better with help.
Shhhrk—the black coating melted away. I beamed at the camera.
"Whaddya think? Pretty, right? Momona's back, new and improved!"
"Hey! 'Hotter'? Get over here!"
Laughing at the perfect chat, I used the avatar's new feature. The floating spirit nearby went round and plopped onto my hand, staring up.
"Bad chats—good or bad idea, Mokong?"
I poked its face. Softer than expected—I grabbed it with both hands and streeetch.
"Hehe, you Mokong-i are my contracted spirits now, so I can call you like this! Bad words? Punishment time!"
I giggled at the shocked reactions, kneaded the spirit's face, then released it back to chat duty. No more getting teased by viewers! Now I had a legal way to mess with them.
"So, Mokong-i, behave from now on?... Wait, not rewards! You pervs?!"
I snickered at their ridiculous responses and kept the stream rolling.
Hayun ma-ma really is the best!