Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Olga Romanova's Interview
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"Yu Ing... If that last leaf falls, I'm done for."
"Boss, don't die!!!"
Yu Ing buried her face in the bed, sobbing her heart out for real.
Wakamo, hooked up to an IV drip full of mana potions, had wasted away to the point of looking utterly haggard—her form so faint she really seemed on the verge of death.
"Boss... It's the backlash from forcing that power you stole from the Tower, isn't it...? Are you just gonna vanish like some sudden plot twist?!"
"Naruto part 2 is trash..."
"You actually get that? Don't go, Kurama! So what's the deal then?"
"No idea."
"You're seriously not worried when your boss is about to kick the bucket?"
"Androids don't comprehend death, so no issue."
"The topic just swerved into philosophy outta nowhere."
Sadako traded jokes with Wakamo but was genuinely worried, so she turned to Asuka for answers—only for her to shrug that she had no clue.
Even as a shikigami, she'd long since given up trying to understand Wakamo.
The fox's obsessive fixation on VTubing was a level of madness even the Tower couldn't comprehend.
Meanwhile, Adelheid—the most adult member of the group—clung to the fading Mei alongside Wakamo, begging someone to save her baby as she lost her mind.
"I can't forgive you, Soviets!!!!"
"Don't regress the timeline, artist!!"
"I'm enlisting in the Korean army for revenge!!!"
"Then let's ally with Japan and take down Russia!"
"What the hell's going on here?"
"World War II: Electric Boogaloo!"
Every single one of them had personalities so strong they bordered on ego overload.
Wakamo, meanwhile, lay there lamenting that all the VTubers in her company were total knockout beauties who should've gone into streaming instead.
At this point, VTuber characters were indistinguishable from real people anyway.
Which meant, conversely, that every member was a stunner detached from reality.
Gorgeous and cute enough to pass off as VTuber characters no problem!!
Maybe forcing them all into VTubing was what screwed everything up.
Normally, you'd design the VTuber character first and build a solid foundation from there—but in her rush to cover for that abrupt meeting with Yu Ing courtesy of the Tower, insisting they were VTubers had been the mistake?
Looking back, the root of all these problems—the source of every evil—was the Tower.
"Gaaah!! You damn Korean Tower!!! Taking the red pill original and making a VTuber character out of it, insisting it's VTubing!! People will mock me like Sima Yi for a hundred years!"
"More like two thousand by now."
"I wasn't cut out to be a VTuber!! Sniff... Waaah...!!"
As Wakamo bawled her eyes out, mana leaking everywhere and making her even more transparent, Asuka shoved a mana potion into her mouth to stabilize her.
Her mentality was shattered—absolutely demolished.
They'd had a blast partying in Russia, so how'd she end up coming back on the last day as a total wreck?
"My fault... ing...?"
Yu Ing sighed so deeply it seemed the ground would cave in, moping. Wakamo pulled her into a hug, assuring her no and stroking her hair.
Sure, the Tower had forced the matchup on them, creating this connection out of nowhere—but Wakamo had no intention of resenting a comrade once they were in.
She'd just blame her own dog-brained stupidity!!
*F*ck, thinking about it—climbers can't become shrine maidens, right? So why can I designate Yu Ing?*
The rules stretched like rubber bands, which was utterly ridiculous.
Having her handle VTuber work was one thing, but now it wanted emperor *and* shrine maiden?
Wakamo vowed in her heart to smash the Korean Tower at its peak—even if it meant dying to the Tower itself.
Anyway, that was that, and this was this.
"Jackson, how about building some factories or facilities in Russia following the guidebook?"
"Not really feeling it~"
"It unlocks tech trees like this one. Even space stations."
"Fine, whatever, I'll give it a shot."
Jackson, who'd been cheering about the best workplace ever, headed out with his escorts.
If things got dicey, they could always evac to Wakamo's first floor, and she'd gifted him defensive gear against snipers.
With that, she dumped the Russia mess on the Korean Association head and Chinese Chairman to handle, ignored it as usual, and aimed to live her shameless fox life doing whatever she wanted.
She'd showered Dmitry with compliments and sweet talk to slap an armband on him, sworn never to return to Russia, then crossed into Korea.
"Manager!"
"Yes?"
"Prep for an interview!!"
"Kids, drag her in."
"You're not pranking, right?"
"Unfortunately, no."
"Aw, I was gonna use that for content today."
Sadako rolled a massive drum barrel out of the warehouse, bummed out.
Wakamo had passed out from her mental breakdown, Won Da-hye had called an emergency muster—total chaos.
Sadako grabbed a crowbar and pried open the barrel lid to haul out Olga Romanova, who'd poked the bear by saying she wanted to VTuber and stabbed Wakamo right in the insecurities.
"Gaaah..."
"Heh heh heh!!! Time to see if you're new hire material or shark bait!!!"
It was impossible to tell if this was an interview or an interrogation.
Anyone seeing it would've thought they'd kidnapped her.
"Whoa! Nice rack on this one!"
"Sadako, you drunk? Calm down."
"Oh, this ain't right?"
"The pirate genes flowing in her veins... No helping it. Only way is to calm her with Admiral Yi Sun-sin's photo."
"Gaaah!! The terror etched into my genes!!!"
"You Mongol brat! Wanna end up as Tatar steak so bad even your mom couldn't ID you?!"
"...I don't... have a mom... or dad..."
"Adelheid wins!! I got both!! And they ditched me!! Might be better off without 'em!!!"
"P-please calm down."
Won Da-hye gently choked out the rampaging German.
No wonder Wakamo cried every day about collabs exploding. Not a single one was remotely normal—they'd all lost the plot somewhere.
Each had talents screaming "born to VTuber," plus faces that'd get them called beauties anywhere!
Climbers who could rake in cash without even VTubing!
"You like pork cutlet rice bowls? Do ya?! Eat this pork cutlet rice bowl!!"
"You into donuts? Got chocolate on it too?"
Interviews in tiny ops like this(?) usually meant just the boss, but Olga never imagined the whole staff piling on. *Koreans do interviews like this, huh?* She'd spent her life in the military—what'd she know about society?
She just trembled in fear, clutching her zombie bear plush tight.
Her lifeline to stay human and not turn monster—her precious merch.
"Gap moe!!!"
"Huh?"
"Wakamo's back!! Wakamo's back!! Wakamo's back!!"
"Waka-punch!! She's a god!!"
"Sadako, Asuka—out."
"Sorry."
"I'm hyped up now... Should I strip? Stripping always gets me going."
Asuka got booted from the interview room mid-undress.
Amid the total circus, Olga Romanova's Wakamo Corporation job interview finally kicked off!
Every member here was someone Wakamo had personally recruited or roped in—basically a family business built on connections!
*How do interviews even work?*
Wakamo, always the one getting hired, never dreamed she'd be interviewing as boss—so she had zilch to ask.
"You said you wanna be a VTuber. With that face, you could go pro idol easy. Why VTuber specifically?"
".....Wanna collab with my oshi......"
Wakamo shed silent tears.
VTubers chased dreams—and some dove in just to chase their oshi.
The heartfelt tales of finally meeting that oshi after grueling days... the感動 of virtual lives, joining big corps, achieving dreams...
The gorilla angel spilling her hidden love for maid onion, tears flowing...
Even her queen pushing forward, dreaming of broadcasting with her fave oshi...
How beautiful were those pure souls charging toward their passions without giving up.
"You're... hired... hired..."
"Snap out of it!!!"
"Huh...?!"
For a split second, Wakamo nearly drowned in dazzling false memories from one word.
*Dangerous... I wanna reject her, but this kid's a pro at interviews.*
She might pass her accidentally... insane silver tongue!! *Is this the spirit of Russia's she-bear...?*
"Listen up!! VTubing's a red ocean of red oceans!! A total noob jumping in has less than 10% survival odds!!"
"...That's why I'm aiming for a big corp..."
This girl... straight facts...?
"Yeah, but... Virtual Live's still better!! Safest bet for VTuber success is a big corp. Korea demands community grinding to get known, but it's risky as hell. Trolls treat you like an emotional dumpster behind your back... As a girl, you'd barely hit the starting line!!"
Wakamo earnestly persuaded her: VTubing wrecked the unprepared mentally, no guarantees.
"The pie's limited domestically, carved up by the corps. Even Wakbat's prez running Nether Idol does events to boost it, intro'ing stuff like married VTubers via Blue Kitty... but the pie's still tiny!!"
Better to start in the US or Japan. YouTube's most accessible, Wakamo lectured seriously.
"Endless self-promo, chatting with under-10 viewers—and it drags, letting them puppet you. You need something standout from the jump: the VTuber character! Core of it all! But even with cash, papas are swamped these days!"
VTubing spawned from streaming.
But more limits, huge startup costs, hard ROI—and every VTuber was competition, even corp ones, Wakamo pointed out darkly.
Fans had multiple oshis, sure—a massive ecosystem.
Indies roamed, collabbed, shoved faces in to promo.
"You gotta be captivating enough for clippers to clip your streams!! VTubing's raw gems clashing to survive!! Some juggle day jobs as hobby, or stream long hours building connections to fame."
Wakamo advised peeking beyond VTubers—like clean [Hanryang-style] streams fans loved. Steady effort mattered. How to draw folks in this ecosystem? What content? Direction?
She naturally segued: Best collab/Virtual Live path? FPS specialist VTuber. Chase overseas hits, join big VTuber events consistently.
*Broadcast your existence to all—that's survival,* Wakamo stressed.
"Got it?! Anyone can enter VTubing—but never underestimate it!!"
"Then I'll grind to become the VTuber you clip, Wakamo."
"Whoa, confessing like that with no prep..."
First time a beauty confessed like this...!!
*Be my personal clipper...? Corps scouted me, sure.*
But *directly* from a VTuber? Never.
*What's this new heart-pounding...?*
"No, don't tempt me!"
"Manager!!! My urge to craft a fresh noob VTuber clashes with knowing she'll suffer in this red ocean!!"
"You're losing it for real!!!"
Internet streaming's red ocean—noobs die!!
And her corp banned collabs to avoid bothering others—so no fulfilling that dream either!
"No collabs...? Fine... As a fan, I'll hit your concerts..."
"Aaah... Me too..."
"More than friending idols... I wanna watch as a fan... Become a VTuber like my oshi."
Wakamo wept wordlessly at the soul-stirring line.
The octopus priest said: I know you miss me, but don't make me your life's sole drive.
Can't always be there, hold hands forever. Glad to be part of your life—but wanna be friends sharing fun memories.
Even if we never meet, bump into each other in daily life and say "How've you been?"
Harsh for fans, but kindly prepping for inevitable goodbyes.
That's idol-fan bonds.
Don't fall in love—like bank deposits you can't cash, per octopus priest.
Yet she idolized that, wanting to be one too.
*Are you watching from American skies, Empress...? Here's a kid with your dreams..!*
*This body's alive! What nonsense?!*
She ignored the mental tackle—Teacher Ahn... no, Teacher Wakamo ignored it.
"Whenever I struggled, your songs cheered me."
"Aaah....."
Olga's near-coup de grâce made Wakamo throw her head back.
Her mind flooded with nonexistent memories.
Festival live stages waving glowsticks together, collab cafes chatting oshi over food—
"Wanna debut as VTuber, Wakamo? You in?"
Beautiful crimson sunset backdrop—why settle for fangirling? Start yourself, Olga urged.
*Compared to this golden dusk, what about you now?*
Scary to start, no success guarantee—but that line forced her toward the dream.
Like legends of grabbing a friend's hand, pitching to the boss to become idols...
"Yeah... We were true tags from the neighborhood... Guess we're 'besties'..."
"Heard the name yesterday?!"
Tears streaming: We love VTubers, idolize them—as fans, wanna be them!!
Together, or me clipping you... or both...!!
"...Wait, none of our members watch VTubers?!"
Wakamo shuddered in shock.
Huh...? So Olga Romanova's the first genuinely debuting here...?
"...Guess marriage is the only way."
"How does your brain loop to *that* conclusion?!"
"So, Olga Romanova—what kinda VTuber character you want?"
"Just model it after my face?"
Ain't Wakamo Corp that kinda place?
Wakamo collapsed in bloodshot tears.
Her purity hurt *more*.
"Stalkers...? Wakamo Pres'll protect me."
"What? Seducing me to clip forever? Manager, lemme go!! She tempted first!!"
"Eugh, seriously!!"
※※※
"So that's how Olga Romanova's VTuber character design wrapped—and these members'll debut as Gen 1."
"Our Gen 1 team name Red Team, Wakamo?"
"Brainstorm a proper one."
"But China's Russia Germany's?"
"I suck at history, no clue..."
"You're Nazis too."
"Aha."
"What 'aha'?!"
Mei smacked Adelheid's shoulder, snarking.
Perfect comic timing—Adelheid beamed: Variety star debut no problem!
"Pleasure... Olga Romanova... Climber at 14. Not anymore..."
"Young for that. Age now?"
"Turning... 24?"
Russia's first-gen climber.
Adelheid bowed respectfully—same brutal era as Yu Ing, surviving hell.
She was 23; other Gen 0 maxed at Sadako's 20.
Excluding Wakamo, the eldest!
Should act mature... but toyed with her plush like a big kid.
"Orphanage drafted me as climber... Injured, couldn't climb—became lab rat..."
"Me too... Hailed as genius German artist... Parents leeched fame, ditched me when I hit junk climber..."
"...Everyone, keep fighting!! Days ahead are plenty! Happy times waiting!!"
Wakamo sealed her lips at the gloom, pumping Mei: Let's go! Arms high, forcing cheer.
"Yeah! Compared to Mei or Wakamo, this ain't even a bump! No world-war hell for us!"
"Keep advancing, no stopping—division chief said."
"Why treat me like the saddest here...? Whatever, spirits up! Good!"
Wakamo's first-floor dorms tour for the soon-debuting Gen 1—get along!
Olga was ex-climber; Wakamo could re-climber her.
But [Shrine Maiden] nagged—better this way?
Yu Ing was keen, but Wakamo figured skip it.
No need for maiden; Wakamo could grant skills anyway. Useless extras no good.
Plus, who knows Tower's tricks—
Can't hand out rashly.
"Olga's character and Gen 1 debut—take slow... This first, huh..."
[Acquired 【Legendary Tower Reward Chest】!!]
Tower's unsolicited outside toss, like [Idol's Shrine].
Like tipping superchat after a good show.
Wakamo circled the 2m chest warily—what's inside?
No live critters, seemed safe.
Deep in [My Worlds]' vast estate, she poked and prodded.
"Sachan!! Shields up!!!"
Yu Ing's distant yell—steel walls rose. Wakamo nodded.
Sadako scoped via telescope; Asuka, Manager guns ready.
Tower distrust overkill.
What's inside—? Wakamo unwrapped cautiously, flipped the lid.
"......Hah...?"
So. Much.
Dizzying piles.
Picked up familiar armor—clinked! Folded to belt.
—Too small for Wakamo, sadly.
"[Immortal Head-Protector Armor]?"
Description: Armor of the undefeated sea general. Impressive.
Stats locked it; couldn't equip. Set aside.
"...Gift for Bogatyr-approved warrior?"
Russian script—Wakamo griped but read, lifted an orb.
"[Zemu] class-change item...?"
Tons more.
Besides, chest crammed.
Russia/Korea gifts? Checked others: China, Japan.
Issue: Of 4, only 1 usable for Wakamo.
"For f*ck's sake, if gifting!! Give usable stuff!!! You mocking me?!"
Wakamo faceplanted, wailing for stat swaps.