The Punch That Broke the Internet
Channel RaSe saw an endless flood of videos uploaded nonstop.
But only a tiny fraction survived. Most barely scraped double-digit views before vanishing into oblivion.
To stand out amid the deluge, a video had to be wildly creative or nail a precise audience demand.
And among those pinpoint hits, the most popular category by far was raid videos.
Raids were such high-difficulty content that most players could only dream of experiencing them.
Whether due to poor control, weak gear, or a lack of teammates on the same level.
Low-level raids were manageable with some grinding, but post-second-job raids were no joke.
If any one of control, gear, or teamwork fell short, you were usually dead before you could even scratch it.
That's why so many players turned to raid videos for vicarious thrills—and it was no coincidence that live-streaming high-end raids was a staple product for the top 10 guilds.
But six months after RaSe's launch...
People were starting to tire of the same old raid footage.
Most raid videos floating around RaSe were just copies of the top 10 guilds' first clears.
They were entertaining at first... but audiences grew numb, craving bolder, fresher thrills.
Solo raids were a nice change of pace.
Handling a four-man load solo meant variables popping up everywhere for maximum chaos.
Plenty of spectacle to go around.
But... only for proper solo raids.
Unlike the early days, most solo raid videos now featured necromancers.
Zombie hordes and skeleton swarms overwhelming mobs with sheer numbers.
Even raid bosses crumpled under the zerg rush.
But players wanted raid tension and number-crunching, not a dogpile of low-tier adds.
With solo raids dominated by necromancers, the class had become a punchline: "another necro."
The community buzzed at news of the hot newbie's latest upload.
Unlike stale repeats, Cheonma TV delivered fresh excitement every time—like sweet nectar.
Subscribers were skyrocketing daily.
Cheonma TV's fourth video dropped.
True to form, it was short as hell.
But its impact? Anything but.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Cheonma TV delivered again—pure novelty.
Gushing praise everywhere.
But it turned to shock fast.
The moment Elder Trent hit phase 2, the video shattered expectations.
Thud-thud-thud-thud! Boom-crash-boom!
Relentless barrage on Earth Force mode Elder Trent.
Viewers figured Cheonma didn't know the strat.
But the outcome defied all predictions.
The charging Elder Trent suddenly grayed out and vanished.
Question marks flooded the boards.
Viewers were stunned themselves.
Then realization dawned.
Cheonma TV always exploded the boards, but this one echoed louder.
Excluding Mammonism, the other top 10 guilds finally took Carpe seriously.
Whoooosh.
A blizzard raged across the pristine white snowfield.
"Haaah!"
A man in a bare-chested fur outfit swung a massive greatsword at a Yeti in fierce combat.
Yeti, the iconic level 130 hunting ground boss of White Crown Mountain, was feared even by rankers for its ferocity and ice magic.
"It's over!"
But the greatsword wielder toyed with it like a child.
Squelch.
The blade sank perfectly into its chest. The Yeti grayed out without a proper scream.
"Well done, sir."
A woman bundled head to toe in furs approached, looting the corpse in his stead.
"Hmm... No ice crystal this time either. It does drop here, right?"
"Don't rush it, Kate. It's been less than a week on this mountain."
"Guild master gets to hunt, but I'm bored out of my mind."
"Then hunt yourself."
"You know my class sucks in snowy mountains."
"Then why'd you come...?"
The guild master stared at her in disbelief.
Gunter Lauhel.
"To watch rank 1 keel over, duh."
"Sorry to disappoint. A wish I can't grant forever. Anyway, what's got you glued to that screen?"
"Killing time with Channel RaSe's popular vids."
"...Fun as that? Better to kill another mob."
"Fun aside, scouting talent for recruitment."
"Any keepers?"
Gunter, still buzzing from battle, swung his sword through empty air a few times.
Then grinned, satisfied, and stowed it.
"Yep. Super hot right now. Wanna see, Gunter?"
"Hm?"
Kate sidled up, pulling up the web browser.
The video played.
"Hoo..."
After five minutes, Gunter let out a mild exclamation.
Kate smirked—she knew that was Gunter's "big shock" face.
"Didn't know you could Trent like that. Impressive, right?"
"Indeed."
"Think you could've pulled that at his level?"
"Hmm..."
Gunter stroked his beard thoughtfully.
Then held up four fingers.
"Four tries, one success. I was weak back then too."
"Roger. Time to recruit."
"I'll tell HR. Throw money at him if needed."
Gunter drew his greatsword again for more Yeti hunting.
A faint smile played on his lips.
"A fun one appeared."
The North American top 10 guild The Sun stirred.
Meanwhile...
"Cheonma?"
"Yeah. Seems Leisin starter like you, Cheongeom? Korean, probably."
"Hmm. I see. Cheonma, huh..."
Not top 10 but elite small-scale: Eden.
"Scour every corner and find him! Tired of tailing forever!"
Even South America's weakest top 10, Pluto, turned eyes to Carpe.
The unprecedented recruitment war began.
"Kuh. EXP here's insane. This is paradise."
—Damn, this stretch usually needs mad grinding!
The man at the center? Blissfully unaware in some forgotten corner.