Mercy for Horror and the Overnight Surge
Horror game? It's basically just like watching a horror movie, right? "Ughhhgrrr...." I ended the stream and stretched out my stiff back muscles from sitting so long. It's getting late, but after yapping nonstop for hours, I'm weirdly hungry. ...Not that late-night snacks are good for me, so maybe just a glass of milk before bed. They say warm milk helps you sleep better, yeah?
I grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge, poured some into a mug, and popped it in the microwave. Twenty seconds should do it. Listening to the hum with one ear while muttering to myself with the other.
"...What horror game should I do?"
The Public Humiliation Content came down to the wire—and I won. Well, technically, I scripted it to be a nail-biter on purpose. If no viewers had nailed the anime songs at all, I couldn't have even tried the act, but luckily, a couple of them were pretty good—not quite my level, but enough to sell the close victory.
I won, but barely, so I wrapped it up by praising how hard they fought and generously granting them mercy out of the goodness of my heart. It was all leading to this anyway—horror games were on the menu.
My streaming goal? Getting tons of praise from everyone. That rush, that high—I want to keep chasing it. Should I pivot to pro-skill streams? That could work.
But I see it differently. Humans adapt. Show the same thing over and over, and they get used to it. Once familiarity kicks in, entitlement sprouts. Same with thrills. What hits hard at first loses its edge after a few goes.
If that applies to streaming? Pro streams might get mad praise now, but it'll fade fast. To delay adaptation to my skills, I need to show totally different sides. Like...
"Me freaking out over a horror game."
I pulled the steaming milk from the microwave and took a sip, grinning like an idiot. How'd I even think of this in a split second? Proud of myself.
Plus, I control the horror game pick. Why? Because I had to—out of mercy for the viewers. That's the vibe I set.
And horror games? Like horror flicks, right? I've seen some old ones that were fine, so this should be doable. No dying-of-fright meltdowns. Solid plan, if I do say so myself. I puffed up with pride at my own genius.
So when to do the horror game? "Raider first, maybe?"
Mulling it over, I rinsed the mug in the sink, set it on the drying rack, got ready for bed, killed the lights, and flopped onto the mattress. If humans had to pick the happiest time of day? Gotta be this—everything done, drifting off.
"Oh yeah, NewTube confirmation."
Just check that and sleep. ...Speaking of confirmations, what’s Eunha up to? No way she started editing right after the stream again, right?
#
"...Haa."
The happiest time of day ended. Eunha let out a wistful sigh.
"No way sis would actually do Public Humiliation Content."
If she hadn't caught that faint game sound while casually watching and prepped in advance, she would've missed it. She nailed every question hard—just to force Hari into horror games.
From a NewTube editor's view, horror game edits were a goldmine of highlights. For Merhen fans, a must-watch. So she went all out. When she lost by a hair, she groaned aloud; when Hari granted mercy with the horror stream, she squealed in joy.
"But today's highlight... gotta be this."
Eunha rewatched her pick—the moment every viewer would agree on. She itched to edit today's stream and upload now. But she was still waiting on yesterday's confirmation. At her pace, today's would hit the day after tomorrow.
She could rush and upload tomorrow at lower quality, but no— that'd tank Merhen's NewTube value and her own rep as editor.
"Hmm..."
But this game's graphics? Devs' wild moves? It'll blow up regardless. Like stocks, Raider was a surefire winner. Chance to buy low first? All in, obviously.
"All-nighter it is."
Decision made—no regrets. Sleep after editing. NewTube growth was glacial, never once profitable. She could quit anytime. But she wouldn't let it slide. No plans to ditch her role as Hari's editor.
Hari stuck to Night Rise before, limiting experiments. Now shutdown? Game on.
"What if it hadn't ended?"
Sad for Hari, but Eunha secretly cheered when it tanked—finally ditching that tumor. Then KakaoTalk from Hari pinged.
"...Confirmation's here."
No issues, good to upload now. Eunha grinned at Hari's reply.
"Alright, let's do this!"
#
"...Is this kid even human?"
Woke up to another video ready for confirmation. Meaning Eunha pulled an all-nighter unasked. Knowing her usual speed, mind blown.
Even starting right after stream, she'd need a couple more hours. "...Flawless, no notes."
A year in sync—nailed it without pointers.
...Why's a talent like her editing for me? Did she have dirt on me I don't know?
"Gotta give her a bonus this month."
Vowing that, I pondered NewTube's future. No need during Night Rise—content was niche hell, so Eunha handled solo fine.
But yesterday? NewTube angles incoming. Eunha solo? Burnout city. Not letting that happen.
Ditch the flood? Or...
"Hire another editor."
Quick call. Announce in today's stream, post to NewTube community. Someone matching Eunha's style... experienced, probably.
#
While Hari fixated on editors, change brewed slowly but surely.
Otaku game communities lit up first with talk of Hari's Raider play. Natural—graphics screamed otaku bait.
Curious gamers dug for info. Scarce supply. A few CBT aces shared scraps, but thirst unquenched.
Enter Merhen's morning upload—the only Korean streamer with edited Raider footage.
That alone? Mild ripple: views spike, subs multiply.
But NewTube's algo picked Merhen. Ripple to wave.
Views snowballed. No fluke—Merhen was primed: looks, banter, skills, killer editor despite low subs.
Just shook off Night Rise shackles as winds shifted favorably.
Result?