The Heavenly Demon Launches MyTube
Emerging from the VR world, I gazed up at the dark ceiling. It wasn’t entirely dark, though. Dawn had already arrived. Rising from the bed, I surveyed the room and saw strands of energy tracing their own paths in vivid colors. Far clearer than anything I had witnessed in the VR realm. Was this the difference between forcing a worthless body upward with my own power and wielding a form that had reached the pinnacle of maturity? It was pleasant to see what I had never seen before, yet somewhat excessive. Furrowing my brow, I adjusted the flow until it settled into a tolerable state. Perfect control would require more time.
Stepping out of the capsule, I took up my pipe and headed for the veranda. Watching the world outside dyed in violet hues, I could feel how long I had sat in meditation seeking enlightenment. As I exhaled smoke and observed the countless paths unfolding across the world, it struck me that existence itself resembled a tangled skein of thread. While idly watching the threads knot and unravel, I noticed the sky beginning to flush crimson from below. The sun was about to rise. As I looked toward it, something familiar traced itself between the clouds. That was unmistakably the principle behind the Falling Sun Swordplay. Ah. That damned Geomseon, the old man. I had wondered how he managed to drop the sun with a sword, only to realize it was the fusion of Taoist magic and martial arts. No wonder following the principle alone had never worked. It was never a realm attainable through martial arts alone. A hollow laugh escaped me. Now, I could probably replicate it. I already remembered the principle of the Falling Sun Swordplay; all that remained was to layer Taoist magic over it. There might be minor flaws or insufficiencies, but my own level could compensate for them.
I began shaping inner energy into a sword and raised it, only to remember this was the modern world. If the rising sun suddenly plummeted here, what chaos would follow? In the murim, it would cause brief commotion and nothing more, but the modern era was different. News would spread, the internet would erupt, and scientists would scramble in a frenzy. I had no desire to witness that spectacle, so I decided to test the technique later in the VR world. After dispersing the energy, I took out my smartphone and sent Enry a message. How should I go about starting a MyTube channel?
From the way she had been chatting, she seemed to have stayed up all night, so I assumed she would be asleep and that a reply would not come until evening. I was wrong. The moment the message arrived, a call came through.
The moment I answered, Enry’s voice rose sharply. She must have been exhausted after staying up all night, yet her tone brimmed with energy. What a lively child.
“I thought I would give it a try.”
Without waiting for my reply, Enry continued in an excited rush.
“It’s fine. In any case, I wanted to ask what I need to do to start a channel.”
“Enry, shouldn’t you be sleeping right now?”
If she had not slept since meeting me this morning, she had already been awake for nearly twenty hours. Was it truly all right to forgo sleep? It was not an urgent matter, so there was no harm in discussing it after she had rested.
To say such a thing in front of someone who had once granted eternal rest by sending people to the underworld. Was she asking me to put her to sleep myself?
“Even so…”
Very well. I understood. She was asking to be put to sleep. I would grant her the deepest, most profound slumber.
*
Quite some time had passed since I last paid attention to the scenery outside while riding the bus. At first, everything had been so novel that I could not tear my eyes away, but eventually it proved to be the same landscape I had known long ago, and the novelty faded in an instant. After that, I had whiled away the time fiddling with my smartphone. Today, however, was different. When I looked outside, I could see strands of energy drawing their own paths. Guessing what meaning might lie within them was quite enjoyable. As I was now little more than a beginner who had not even learned the fundamentals, the likelihood that my guesses were correct was vanishingly small, yet the mere fact that I could view the world through a new lens was delightful. Before I knew it, I had arrived at my stop.
“Welcome! You got here fast!”
Enry greeted me at the door, her face haggard. Even at a glance, exhaustion was etched into her features, and she was clearly forcing herself to stay upright. To look this worn despite having made an effort to tidy herself… Once the makeup came off, her face would resemble a corpse. Perhaps because of the fatigue, the energies around her were all tinged gray.
“How long have you gone without sleep?”
“I woke up at seven yesterday, and it’s seven now, so I’ve been awake for exactly twenty-four hours!”
Enry’s voice was so loud it sounded on the verge of breaking. I followed her inside, where the smell of coffee hung thick in the air. Even pleasant scents became unpleasant in excess. The moment I sat down, Enry placed a cup of coffee before me. It was still warm; she must have brewed it only moments ago.
“Honestly, I’ve been waiting for you to say you wanted to start a MyTube channel!”
“Why?”
“Because the views will be copied over!”
While speaking, Enry opened her laptop, tapped a few keys, and turned the screen toward me. It displayed someone else’s MyTube channel. With only around a hundred thousand subscribers, the view counts on its videos were several times higher. Remarkable. Even among the channels featuring cute animals that I watched, such numbers were rare.
“This is a fan channel that compiles highlights from your broadcasts. The editing is decent, but without your own fame as a topic, it never would have grown this much.”
Enry showed me several more channels after that. Every single one of them drew attention by uploading footage of me.
“They all claim to be fan channels, but some of them are actually monetizing their content. Shameless, aren’t they?”
“Does that pose a problem?”
“Of course it does!”
Enry launched into a passionate explanation that earning revenue from videos of their original creator without permission could lead to legal issues. She was more fervent than I had ever seen her. Perhaps because this was her profession.
“If you open a MyTube channel with a competent editor, all the revenue that’s currently going to them will belong to you instead. If you were the type to care about money, you would have prepared a channel the moment you started broadcasting.”
I had little interest in monetary gain, yet those view counts did stir a certain greed within me. It would allow me to spread the principles of martial arts throughout the world while making my own existence known.
“Ara, I recommend opening three channels in total.”
“Three?”
“Yes. One gaming channel showcasing the wondrous martial arts you display. One daily-life channel showing your whimsical and unrestrained side along with Baru’s adorable appearance. And one full-video channel. If you hire a few editors and run them like a barracks…”
Enry grew so excited while explaining her plan that she began rattling off ideas without waiting for my response. If I did not interrupt, she looked ready to continue until she collapsed, so I infused my voice with inner energy and cut in.
“So what is the very first thing I need to do right now?”
“…Ah. Start by recruiting editors.”
“How should I go about it?”
“You should recruit publicly. Since you’re someone who generates constant buzz every day, the moment you announce you’re looking for editors, all sorts of people will come running. You just pick the most skilled one among them. I can help evaluate the videos together with my own editor, so you don’t have to worry.”
At the mention of public recruitment, the mountain of documents I had faced when selecting personnel for the Hwasan Sect flashed before my eyes once more. Yet if this was the best method, there was nothing to be said. In any case, there was not much I could do immediately.
“As for the recruitment form, this is the one I used to use…”
She had not merely explained how to write one; Enry had prepared an actual template I could use and handed it to me. All I needed to do was change a few words.
“Once I post this, my tasks are finished for now?”
“Yes! All that’s left is to wait for applications to come in!”
Thank you for your hard work, Enry. Now it is time for you to enjoy a proper rest. I pressed my index finger firmly against one of the acupoints on her body. She toppled forward without resistance. Catching her small frame, I laid her gently on the bed. Originally, I had intended to hear her out, put her to sleep, and leave, but upon closer inspection there were many areas that required attention. Toxins had accumulated in her meridians, and her poor posture had misaligned several joints. Hmm. These issues could not be resolved in a single morning; consistent treatment would be necessary. For now, I would address only the immediately accessible points and seek her permission later to continue the acupressure.
*
A day after leaving Enry’s house, around the time the morning sun rose, a call came from her. So she had finally awakened. How exhausted must she have been to sleep for over twenty-four hours before her fatigue finally lifted?
“It’s all right. You collapsed—how is your body feeling?”
Her voice was full of strength. Pressing those few acupoints must have had an effect.
“Yes. I mentioned it during yesterday’s broadcast.”
“Yes.”
Quite a few. At least more than the number Enry had predicted. I had no idea how to distinguish skilled editors among them, but judging by the flood of emails, this would not be settled in a day or two. Since Enry had agreed to help this time, I would not have to stay up for several nights like before.