The Million Club (3)
The teaser PV for the 124th Virterview!!
The virtual interview content that the channel Ask Me! MootDayang! periodically runs—shortened to Virterview—had just uploaded its 124th teaser video.
Virterview was a live broadcast concept that interviewed VTubers from around the world. It was a massively popular segment that easily crossed one million views per episode.
The content had also played a huge role in growing the channel into a major force with over two million subscribers.
On top of that, any VTuber featured on Virterview experienced a sharp surge in popularity, gaining hundreds of thousands of followers in the aftermath.
Because of that special effect, VTubers stuck in the middle ranks were practically dying to get on the show.
But MootDayang didn’t invite just anyone.
Every VTuber invited to Virterview possessed a distinctly unique character.
They were either rising stars currently climbing the charts or individuals bursting with talent and charm. The segment also specialized in unearthing hidden gems buried in obscurity.
When the teaser played, a black screen appeared alongside a majestic melody and music steeped in Chinese flair.
Bright yellow lightning cracked across the darkness several times, and a golden dragon emerged from the storm clouds.
The dragon fixed its gleaming eyes on the viewers beyond the screen, then vanished once more into the churning clouds.
Finally, a date and time rose into view.
10 PM the following evening.
A short teaser, roughly fifteen seconds long.
The instant the teaser went live, comments flooded MootDayang’s video.
After the decision to appear on MootDayang’s Virterview was finalized, they sent a reply email and immediately scheduled a meeting inside virtual reality.
There were many details to coordinate in preparation for the interview set to air the very next day.
> 'Ask Me! MootDayang!' has requested access to your MyHome.
> 'MootDayang Manager' has requested access to your MyHome.
“Looks like they’re here.”
Myeong-yun and Sang-hyun had arranged the meeting the moment they received the response and were already waiting inside virtual reality.
With nothing else to do, they had used the MyHome features to play a game of Go.
But Sang-hyun, who was new to the game and quickly grew bored, prompted them to switch to Gomoku.
Once they tired of that as well and were about to start a round of Alkkagi, MootDayang arrived.
Just as had happened with Sang-hyun, a blue hologram materialized the figures of two people before them.
“Hello! I’m Mootda-mootda-moo-da-moo-da MootDayang from Ask Me! MootDayang!”
MootDayang herself finished loading first.
She was a petite woman who only reached Myeong-yun’s chest, wearing round, oversized thin-framed glasses and long platinum-blonde hair swept back behind her shoulders.
Her outfit—a crisp white blouse paired with a black skirt—radiated the perfect “interviewer” vibe.
“Nice to meet you. I’m the manager for the MootDayang channel.”
The woman who followed appeared to be using a modified version of a common public avatar, dressed in a formal suit.
“Greetings. This Seat is the Heavenly Demon, Myeong-yun.”
“A pleasure to meet you. I serve as the planner, editor, and manager for the Heavenly Demon Myeong-yun channel. You may address me as the Chief Strategist.”
After exchanging greetings, the four of them sat facing one another around a table Sang-hyun had quickly generated.
Myeong-yun observed MootDayang with his arms crossed.
The woman, who gave off the impression of a small woodland creature, met his gaze and let out a bright “Hehe~” smile.
“Thank you so much for agreeing to appear on Virterview! I really, really wanted to have you on! We’ve been struggling to find guests lately, so when the Heavenly Demon accepted our invitation I was over the moon!”
“Is that so.”
“Absolutely! VTubers have been around for more than a decade now, so it’s getting harder and harder to find anyone with real distinctive flair. I was actually wondering if it was time to retire the Virterview segment… and then—bam!—the Heavenly Demon appears! You’re practically the savior of our content~!!”
This woman…
With just a few sentences, Myeong-yun had already grasped MootDayang’s personality.
The most obvious trait was that she talked far too much.
It had been a long time since anyone had spoken this freely in his presence.
Sang-hyun could be talkative, but MootDayang operated on an entirely different level.
“When I first started Virterview, I had zero recognition, so no one would agree to an interview… I only survived because a VTuber from a big company took pity on me. I’ve never forgotten that kindness, and thanks to working hard, I’ve now earned the honor of interviewing the Supreme Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult! It’s a true resurrection from the brink! Meeting wonderful people like this in life must be a genuine blessing, don’t you think?”
“…Indeed.”
One more thing.
She was exceptionally skilled at choosing her words. It didn’t seem like a lie that she had once been a diplomat; every sentence was carefully selected to avoid offending her counterpart.
Had she been born in the murim, she might have become the leader of the largest intelligence organization in the world.
“Sister, you’re talking too much again.”
“Ah, ahaha? Was I? Oh dear, this mouth of mine. Once it starts running, it just refuses to stop! So… where should we begin? Right, right. Let’s start with the schedule…”
“Ah, you can discuss that with me.”
Sang-hyun, who had also been slightly overwhelmed by MootDayang’s motor mouth, brightened visibly the moment the conversation turned to actual business.
“Oh, really? The stream is scheduled for ten o’clock tomorrow night, and the teaser will be uploaded before midnight tonight.”
“Your workflow is remarkably fast.”
“The editing team will suffer a bit, but hey! We’ll just administer proper financial therapy! I’m rather famous for paying well. Woohaha.”
“It seems your staff work in an excellent environment. As expected of a major corporation.”
The discussion flowed smoothly from there.
Virterview itself was neither complicated nor particularly long.
MootDayang’s team would prepare the questions; all Myeong-yun had to do was appear and answer them.
While Sang-hyun and MootDayang’s side handled the various adjustments, Myeong-yun remained silent with his eyes closed and arms folded.
This sort of arena was, as always, Sang-hyun’s domain.
“We’ll disable the donation alerts, but the function itself will stay active. Every donation that comes in will be forwarded to you… I assume you don’t have an agency contract yet?”
“Correct. We do not.”
Although a contract with Yeonamdang had been secured, it would only take effect in January.
Until December, they were essentially independent.
“Understood! That simplifies the paperwork! As for the broadcast, any objections? The live stream will be transmitted through the collab system, and the edited version will be uploaded to the MootDayang channel!”
The collab system.
A livestream feature supported by NewTube that allowed multiple channels to be bundled together rather than broadcasting from only one.
NewTube had originally focused more on video uploads than live streaming, but as live users grew, the platform had built various systems—including this collab feature.
“The broadcast itself is fine, but I have one suggestion regarding the Virterview format.”
“A suggestion? Let’s hear it!”
“It’s…”
Sang-hyun explained the plan to MootDayang and her manager.
It was a scheme designed to inflate the current issues surrounding Myeong-yun even further.
“…What do you think?”
“Hoo.”
“Oh……”
After listening, both MootDayang and her manager wore intrigued expressions before nodding in agreement.
“That sounds great? There’s no reason we couldn’t do it! If anything, it’ll generate even more buzz, so we’re totally on board! It would be an honor to witness the birth of a legend with our own eyes!”
“There are no procedural issues either. The purpose of Virterview is to showcase the guest’s appeal, after all.”
“We appreciate your cooperation. There has been quite a lot of noise lately. Thank you for creating such a grand promotional opportunity.”
“You have our gratitude. When one decides to stir up trouble, it is only proper to stir it on a grand scale. Only then will people prepare the feast and gather to watch the spectacle.”
Myeong-yun, who had remained silent until now, offered a gentle smile and expressed his thanks.
Both MootDayang and her manager were momentarily speechless at his face and voice, then answered in a slightly flustered tone.
“N-no, not at all! Just having you on the show is already an honor; if we can’t even do this much, what kind of hosts are we! If anything, we’d like to do even more for you… auu…”
“Then may I ask for one more favor?”
“Just say the word!”
“Hey, what are you trying to ask for now…”
“It is nothing major, Chief Strategist.”
Myeong-yun lightly tapped the flustered Sang-hyun to calm him, then continued.
To realize the world and ideals he desired, it was necessary to begin laying the foundation even now.
This Virterview would be the first step.
“MootDayang, have you ever considered learning martial arts?”
10:30 PM the next day, thirty minutes before the broadcast.
A live-stream notice went up on the MootDayang channel, and the number of people in the waiting room instantly shot into the tens of thousands.
Viewers were still speculating about the guest’s identity in the pre-stream chat.
Although Myeong-yun was currently a hot topic in the VTuber world, there were still plenty of people who had no idea who he was.
Especially those who only watched female VTubers—the algorithm barely showed him to them.
They might have seen a Short once or twice, at most.
While that heated debate raged in the chat, ten minutes before airtime, a single phrase began to dominate the screen.
The Heavenly Demon Descends, All Demons Bow!
The Heavenly Demon Descends, All Demons Bow!
The Heavenly Demon Descends, All Demons Bow!
The Heavenly Demon Descends, All Demons Bow!
The Heavenly Demon Descends, All Demons Bow!
The Heavenly Demon Descends, All Demons Bow!
It looked like a single person spamming, but every line came from a different user.
The scene resembled some kind of cult ritual, and those who weren’t Myeong-yun’s regular viewers were visibly horrified.
Then, at exactly ten o’clock.
The virtual interview began.