Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: Veronica's Debut
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Time flew by quickly. Naturally, I hadn't neglected my work at the Management Bureau during that time.
To begin with, the Deputy Director's incredible workload-handling skills meant I didn't have much to do anyway.
Every now and then, Erosion Entities would squeeze through rifts, only to get blocked by the barrier and pile up helplessly. I'd just clean them up with a single spell.
At this point, the money hitting my bank account was getting ridiculous.
Already astronomical sums were pouring in steadily, and now I was at a level where I never had to worry about money no matter where I went.
Was it because the value of the new materials had skyrocketed that much?
With money piling up to the point where I could do anything, I was thinking of properly setting up a foundation later.
A foundation that could help someone in this chaotic society.
Since I'd succeeded through mutation, wouldn't it be good to become a beacon of hope for others?
Anyway, preparations for my debut were progressing steadily amid all that.
I wondered if this was really right... but whatever.
There's that common trope in old novels, right?
Dragons periodically go on escapades... something like that.
Was doing VTuber stuff giving me a similar thrill?
It was just a desire to become someone else and form new, unique relationships with people.
Above all, watching my sister Tae-hwa have so much fun with her internet broadcasts played a part.
Of course, right now, no one except Min-hyuk knew I was doing VTuber work.
My lessons with Hyun-joo, the vocal trainer for Ark Angels, were just excused as wanting to learn singing... so no one knew.
Min-hyuk was the tight-lipped type anyway, and since I told him not to tell, he wouldn't go blabbing.
My debut date was drawing near.
In the meantime, I'd gotten a rough idea of the 1st and 2nd gen Pathfinders.
They'd probably swarm my debut stream, and the CEO had told me how to handle it. Just thank them appropriately, I guess.
I planned to go with a cool image, so no over-the-top reactions.
Even if there were people getting fired up here and there—which there always are—that could become part of the concept.
Getting "burned" was a stepping stone for buzz, as long as it didn't escalate to full-blown controversy.
Of course, it couldn't go too far.
I'd be polite but keep an initial business-like distance, gradually warming up.
Both I and the CEO thought so.
The seniors had already been informed.
The CEO said she fully understood what I was aiming for, having seen the 1st and 2nd gens survive through trial and error.
I wondered how my fellow 3rd gens were preparing.
Our avatars were all finalized, so it was really just a matter of turning on the stream at the scheduled time.
Usually, people prepare PPTs and such for their first broadcast... I'd roughly prepared mine too.
The problem was all the holes in it.
Still, it wasn't like I had nothing to show.
Thanks to gaming with Tae-hoon here and there, my skills had improved exponentially.
Because of that, I'd made new accounts separate from my main gaming ones.
If anyone found out I was the Director, it'd cause trouble for a lot of people.
Besides games... listing it out, I had more than I thought.
Singing was decent, and I had strengths in languages, so my PPT wouldn't be too thin.
The language thing was probably some dragon ability—once I heard it, the entire basic structure clicked, so no real studying needed.
...Would having so many talents become a problem?
For the streams, I planned to broadcast in an appearance matching my avatar.
To avoid issues if the red pill ever showed.
I'd even decided to meet my fellow 3rd gens in that form, and I'd told the CEO as much.
So, you could say I was separating my VTuber self from my real self.
This might be more thrilling than I thought.
I wondered how the other 3rd gens were prepping their debuts.
* * *
[Pathfinder 3rd Gen PV dropped]
3rd gen concept is wanderers, apparently.
1st gen was pioneers, 2nd gen settlers, so it fits the theme.
Seems like it's going from pioneering to settlement, then chaos from power struggles and fights post-settlement?
Worldview feels dystopian, but based on medieval stuff.
- RP hype at this point?
- What's it gonna be? 2nd gen were mostly kings or leaders of civilizations.
- Revolutionaries or something?
[O... quality of those avatars tho?]
They went all out this time? Threw real money at it.
I like the saintess one a lot?
-I’m team bounty hunter lol. PV screams big budget.
-Concepts are solid? Outlaw, bounty hunter, saintess, revolutionary...
-But saintess feels kinda out of place lol.
[Chaotic worldview fits having a saintess or two]
Even in messes like that, shining personalities emerge.
Dunno if it'll actually happen tho lol.
-RP is just RP anyway.
-2nd gen RP shattered on debut day, no one expects RP from Pathfinder anymore lololol.
[CEO kept 3rd gen info super tight]
1st and 2nd gens leaked everything with their screw-ups lololol.
So now even 3rd gen debut date is all we know, no info on the members.
-Info: Pathfinder CEO once clutched her neck after 2nd gen got fully leaked due to 1st gen mistakes lol.
-I wouldn't spill either lol who tf would trust them lol.
└But you still love 'em, right?
└Duh.
[Names dropped too]
Bounty Hunter - Veronica
Saintess - Serennia
Revolutionary - Elaine
Outlaw - Kairen
-O;;
-Fan names gonna be a pain lol. 2nd gen took forever, this'll be brutal too.
-Revolutionary...? Seeing red flags waving, or am I hallucinating?
-Scared it'll go full Lenin Soviet for real lol.
[Hope they debut soon]
CEO's eye for talent is killer anyway.
They'll nail the broadcast one way or another.
-What if they stir up complaints?
-CEO gonna let that slide? Lol.
-Ah, true;; Internal discipline at Pathfi is no joke, so probably fine.
* * *
Ji-an was in a daze, barely able to think straight.
Today was Veronica's and her debut.
Her concept was revolutionary, Elaine.
Red hair whipping around as she RP'd slicing oppressors' necks on the guillotine.
Could she really stick to the RP?
They said it was fine if she couldn't, but she knew better.
She had to at least try.
And that the real start came right after the RP intro.
RP was just a side thing.
The broadcast content was what mattered.
Avoid alienating viewers no matter what, that was key.
Get on their bad side, and you were done in this industry.
But... those thoughts were uprooted the moment she watched Veronica's debut stream.
"...Can that sister really do that?"
Ji-an couldn't help muttering.
This was gonna set everything ablaze.
* * *
Inside a rowdy tavern, a woman with dark blue hair in a black coat sat sipping from a glass.
A man approached her.
The dark blue-haired woman eyed him sharply.
"A commission. Pretty big fish."
Commission.
The word from the man's mouth grabbed her attention fully.
"Big fish? Who?"
A neutral yet low voice emerged from the woman.
"Bottom King. Can you handle it?"
"Pay?"
"Dangerous job, so compensation will be generous, naturally."
"Dangerous?"
The woman scoffed. The man's probing attitude was pathetic, knowing full well who she was.
Her coat flared as her sword pressed against his throat.
The man looked at her with admiring, satisfied eyes.
"Cut the testing. Timeline?"
"Open-ended."
"Good. Accepted."
"Still got that razor-sharp edge, Veronica."
"Have to."
"Then, I'll await good news."
Veronica left the tavern without responding to his final words.
* * *
The PV was simple, but the clear, low voice—like a pro voice actor—captivated listeners.
Seo-hyun watched the public PV with satisfaction. It turned out pretty well.
Concept was solid too.
The issue was viewer reactions...
-Whoaaaaa
-Voice tho??
-Simple setup but it hits different.
Reactions weren't bad, so first button was sewn right.
Then, her avatar appeared on screen.
Seo-hyun—no, Veronica—intoned simply.
"Nice to meet you. Pathfinder 3rd gen wanderer, Veronica."
Viewers who saw up to there thought:
Looking forward to more.
CEO Haesol really has the eye.
Of course.
How could attention not flock when the voice hooked you like that?
She could succeed with voice alone.
However.
What followed left them stunned.