Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: 148화
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Community Ablaze
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A new hot topic had risen on the Players Community boards.
The post featured a photo of Lee Soo-hyuk with Viola slung over his shoulder.
His hand was positioned curiously close to her thigh. Probably a coincidence, but the poster had zoomed in massively for emphasis.
That single image set the community on fire.
Peak viewers: 90,000.
Lee Soo-hyuk's stream had grown to a scale where calling it "trash tier" was no longer accurate.
Viewership numbers and proof of skill as a Player.
Lee Soo-hyuk had become a streamer too big to ignore on any community board.
But even so.
The "Inter-Server War" was a separate matter entirely.
News of Lee Soo-hyuk's Inter-Server War participation spread like wildfire. The post, made just 30 seconds after the official announcement, already had hundreds of comments, likes, and dislikes.
Public opinion on Lee Soo-hyuk's Inter-Server War entry was overwhelmingly negative.
No matter how quickly the post went up, he was still a fresh face who'd just hit floor 7. It was a stretch for him to show off in an event packed with top rankers.
In the midst of all this buzz from various angles.
"Mae-ha!"
A stream poured oil on the flames.
It was Hawk's Eye, who'd been reviewing Lee Soo-hyuk's streams since the early days. Thanks to that, his own stream was hitting unprecedented viewership lately.
"I told you, right? This guy's destined to blow up!"
"Nah, it's the same thing. Right?"
32,000 viewers.
Now more people tuned in for the "Lee Soo-hyuk review" content than Hawk's Eye's loyal fans.
As related content gained traction, it was only natural that copycat streamers jumped on the bandwagon.
"Oh, those knockoffs? Yeah, I saw 'em."
Hawk's Eye brushed it off with the dignity and confidence of the original.
"They were trash. No clue what to watch for, missing the key points entirely."
"Confidence? Obviously. I'm Hawk's Eye. Hey, I was the first to suck up to Lee Soo-hyuk!"
Hawk's Eye's nickname was originally "Spicy Eye."
It stemmed from "Hawk's Eye," but his biting, harsh reviews turned it into "Spicy Eye" naturally.
Except when reviewing Lee Soo-hyuk.
"What I mean is, my eye for talent is spot on."
Hawk's Eye cleared his throat awkwardly, his eyes flicking to the viewer count.
33,000. He hadn't even started the proper review, and viewers had jumped by a thousand.
This was uncharted territory. He played it cool, but his heart raced faster than usual.
"Listen up. This could be the chance. Hop on the rising star and become one yourself."
Words John Tail had once said.
Maybe this was that moment.
"I'm no chit-chat streamer, so no need for long talks, right?"
This was a chance Lee Soo-hyuk had handed him.
He couldn't let it slip. This stream had to be sharper and more precise than ever.
"Alright, jumping straight into the review."
It was right then, as the full review was about to kick off.
A massive donation out of nowhere. And a collab request.
Big Mouth.
The streamer who delivered countless scoops in news format.
And also.
A heavyweight like Pak Soo-hyuk, with hordes of loyal viewers.
"B-Big Mouth?"
Hawk's Eye's eyes wavered.
The 10k donation was nice, but this collab opportunity was worth dozens or hundreds of times more.
Unlike Pak Soo-hyuk's curse where collabs tanked streams, everyone who'd collabed with Big Mouth skyrocketed.
"First off, thank you so much for the 10k donation. Collab? Of c-course! But have you done the review already?"
As expected.
Hawk's Eye nodded. He had a hunch why Big Mouth was interested in this review.
The Inter-Server War.
'Inter-Server War is Big Mouth's staple content.'
This season, news-style streamers hit their peak.
Every Inter-Server War spawned tons of incidents and scoops, and streamers like Big Mouth were the fastest to spread them.
"No need to chat via donations. Shall we meet in my channel?"
Streamers had dedicated channels for smooth voice chats.
Sharing passwords during streams to hop into private channels.
And so, Big Mouth joined Hawk's Eye's channel.
"Hello, Big Mouth."
"Nice to meet you, Hawk's Eye."
Formal greetings.
But their tones differed.
Hawk's Eye's voice trembled slightly with barely concealed nerves, while Big Mouth was as calm as ever.
"Loved your stream. Your reviews are deliciously spot-on."
"I watch your streams all the time too. Huge fan."
The sudden collab was underway.
After intros, Hawk's Eye introduced Big Mouth to viewers.
"Everyone knows him, right? Big Mouth. Big Mouth's News."
"...Yeah, I know. But can't introduce myself on my own stream."
The gap in their leagues was over tenfold. Big Mouth averaged 150k viewers; Hawk's Eye hovered around 10k-early teens lately.
"Anyway, Big Mouth, you wanna do the review together?"
"Yes. Thought it'd be fun. Been interested in Lee Soo-hyuk streamer for a while."
Hawk's Eye was floored by the response.
Big Mouth's influence as a streamer was massive. Anything he took interest in turned small events huge.
And now Big Mouth was eyeing Lee Soo-hyuk.
This would create ripple effects dwarfing all of Hawk's Eye's prior reviews.
"Planning to feature your take in this news too."
Hawk's Eye snapped out of his daze.
His mind spun faster than ever.
"Then, maybe..."
After a moment's hesitation, he forced the words out.
"When covering Lee Soo-hyuk news, could I join your collab too?"
"You too, Hawk's Eye?"
A mildly surprised tone.
Big Mouth pondered briefly before replying.
"Can I get back to you in a day?"
No immediate yes.
That was fine. It meant the answer depended on how satisfying this collab was.
"Of course."
Hawk's Eye took it positively.
Now he just needed to nail this review.
"How about this for the collab? You watch the footage on my stream."
"Sounds good."
The video started.
Lee Soo-hyuk arriving in Midgard on heavenly horseback with Viola.
"This trial's set in Asgard. Well, precisely Midgard inside it. Difference? No clue."
Hawk's Eye first explained the trial's backdrop.
"Asgard's the gods' realm. So naturally, not much is known. First time for me too, watching Lee Soo-hyuk's stream."
"I've heard bits. Mostly from high-rankers on the leaderboards."
Big Mouth chimed in, prompting Hawk's Eye's surprise.
"You have those connections?"
"Names are secret."
Fair enough. A streamer of Big Mouth's caliber would have such ties.
Rumors even swirled he had links to top guild execs.
"Anyway, that's the backdrop. Let's keep watching."
Hawk's Eye's footage was a live-edited highlight reel.
Skipping fluff, edited like a movie with key moments only.
"Impressive production quality. Could upload to Players as-is."
"Same agency, y'know. Company put some effort in."
"Oh, right. Makes sense."
Big Mouth played coy.
But Hawk's Eye was convinced.
The real reason Big Mouth came knocking: knowing Hawk's Eye was under the same agency as Lee Soo-hyuk.
The video sped on. Meeting Tyr, challenging Valhalla's trial. Then facing Heimdall's memory.
Pzzt-!
A spear of immense power appeared.
Big Mouth, who'd been quietly watching, spoke up.
"I'm hooked on that."
"This spear?"
"Yeah. Even Lee Soo-hyuk couldn't get it."
A new spear blending blue and yellow.
Seemed that spear had caught Big Mouth's eye.
"It's a powerhouse skill, sure."
"Not grabbing you, Hawk's Eye?"
"Plenty more impressive stuff."
Lightning was undeniably epic.
But Hawk's Eye's interests had always leaned niche.
"Like..."
The footage cut to the next scene.
Lee Soo-hyuk facing Brunhilde after Heimdall.
Soon, spear clashed with spear in battle.
"This."
"Flashy. In a different way."
Lee Soo-hyuk vs. Brunhilde was a razor-thin tightrope every second.
Weapons grazed, clashed. Like a choreographed dance, they crossed blades fluidly.
Watching the fight, Hawk's Eye shook his head.
"Yeah. But disappointing."
"This fight? Why? Special reason?"
"Nothing special. That's the problem."
From consistently watching—and rewatching—Lee Soo-hyuk's streams.
Hawk's Eye had pinpointed his one flaw.
"His stats are lacking."
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