Chapter 0
The first time I saw the show was on a quiet afternoon.
In fact, it was a day where my schedule was completely empty because my appointment was cancelled that day.
To be honest, being a college student is no less than being unemployed.
Since I had nothing to do, I enjoyed watching game broadcasts, so I went on a streaming site as usual and clicked the thumbnails that were free.
In the meantime, quite by chance, a black thumbnail with the title ‘Choi Ji-hyuk’ caught my eye.
‘Number of viewers: 0’
Understandably, broadcasts with poor thumbnails would usually have zero viewers.
I decided to be the first viewer of that streamer with a pretty merciful heart and clicked on the screen.
“Hmm, is this a new type of streaming?”
The screen changed with a click from the sound of my mouse.
Inside the black screen stood a man who looked confused on an asphalt road, where there was a dent with smoke coming from it.
And soon, a small subtitle passed under the screen.
‘Choi Ji-hyuk, the incarnation’
I couldn’t help but frown.
“What? Isn’t streaming a movie banned? Are you sane?”
I was going to press the report button, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do it immediately.
The screen was playing an intro that looked like a new dystopian movie, and I couldn’t do anything as if I were possessed by something for a moment. And…
‘I can’t just watch a movie like this!’
My law-abiding thinking was stronger.
I decided to advise the streamer straight away and typed.
-‘Hey, isn’t this illegal? I’m going to report this.’
But there was no answer.
The only significant reaction is that the man on the screen stumbled.
Something felt weird.
-‘I told you I’m going to report this.’
– ‘Are you watching?’
It was then the screen faded out and colorful letters appeared on the screen.
‘Congratulations. You are the first to connect to ‘Choi Ji-hyuk’.’
I couldn’t help but to stare at the laptop with my mouth wide open.
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[Notice]
Connection reward: 100P
Point exchange rate: 100P = 1 won
‘Achieve the goal by making your incarnation
stronger through sponsorship!’
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Wait… This is a game, not a movie?
I looked at the number of viewers once again and frowned at the strange PPT screen that popped up.
The viewer number was 1.
I was still the only one watching.
Is this a new game?
The streamer doesn’t talk at all?
There was something strange, and when I looked at the streamer’s information, there were no special features.
The streamer’s name was ‘000001’.
There was no YouTube channel and the only link at the bottom was a sponsorship link.
You want some money?
On the screen, the man I had just seen was standing more close-up.
And I decided to get rid of the bad feelings I had just had.
Why?
“Wow, aren’t you being crazy?”
The main character was handsome.
***
Choi Ji-hyuk frowned and stared at his system window, which was constantly ringing loudly.
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ asks about the genre.] –
As the monster with 10 legs was about to swallow everything, it was ridiculous that the only sign that came to him was this.
What genre is this… What nonsense question is that?
He thought it was a miracle just to survive the F-Class Awakened theme.
Why would a normal constellation be interested in such an insignificant human being?
The first constellation that came in contact with him also uttered strange nonsense to him, who was on the verge of dying.
Choi Ji-hyuk instinctively felt his death and clenched his teeth.
‘Ding-!’
-[The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ is watching you closely.]-
He remembered the people who died in front of his eyes.
A younger brother who used to pickpocket his money everyday and a mother who never bothered to feed his two brothers.
And…
‘Ding-!’
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ evaluates the incarnation’s appearance score!]-
-[Congratulations! You got 98 points, handsome boy~!]-
“…What the hell?”
Choi Ji-hyuk had no choice but to stare at the system window he had been ignoring.
The constellation with a strange name that he saw for the first time in his life was sending strange messages without grasping the atmosphere.
It even sprinkled roses over his head.
Thanks to this, Choi Ji-hyuk’s melancholy reminiscences of the past came to an end.
“Run away, run away!”
“…”
One of the hunters in front of the boss monster screamed and ran away.
All the precious people to Choi Ji-hyuk have died. Now, in this world, Choi Ji-hyuk was left alone.
He wanted to die. His life was ruined anyway, and no one would care if he just disappeared.
So, he rushed to the field where an S-class monster appeared to die.
But when he met the monster, his legs were shaking.
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ asks why you’re not moving.]-
Is that a question that should be asked?
Acidic fluid gushed out of the skin of the boss monster, a Land Kraken, and it poured down like rain in the air.
Choi Ji-hyuk grabbed his head with a gasp as the asphalt road melted from acid.
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ is confused.]-
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ says: ‘Get up, warrior!’]-
Choi Ji-hyuk clenched his teeth at the message, which he did not understand, and looked forward.
“…Shit.”
The tentacles of the Land Kraken with thousands of teeth were flying toward him.
-[‘Land Kraken’ fear is activated!]-
-[Speed is reduced.]-
-[Movements are paralyzed.]-
-[Health continuously decreases.]-
He couldn’t help but be terrified. He definitely wanted to die, but now he wanted to live because he was really going to die.
He, himself, thought it was absurd.
However, he wanted to live in the end.
How long has he been neglected as an F-Class Awakened?
The world had been harsh on him from the moment he was born.
His father was a gambler who was not afraid to be violent.
He had to live his whole life in poverty, and when he was finally able to become independent as an adult, his mother took her own life.
It was unfair.
Why him?
Why did he have to suffer? Why?
Choi Ji-hyuk had no choice but to pray to an unknown entity whose name he did not know.
He didn’t want to die yet.
“…Help me.”
It was then.
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ purchased the paid item ‘Mega Growth Booster Pack’!]-
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ purchased the paid item ‘SSS-class tickling gas mask’!]-
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ purchased the paid item ‘Skill Book’!]-
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ purchased the paid item ‘Diamond Luna Sword’!]-
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ purchased the effect ‘You’re beautiful when you’re fitted right!]-
-[You can receive the batch by selecting the constellation.]-
– [Do you want to make a contract with the constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’? (Accept/Reject)]-
Long messages he had never seen before appeared before his eyes.
He didn’t even have time to think.
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the dangers of the constellation contracts, but in order to live right now, he didn’t even have time to weigh things like that.
“Ugh!”
Choi Ji-hyuk managed to reach out his finger and press the accept button on the system window.
A moment later, fresh air enveloped his body which forced his mouth open and shoved something down his throat.
In his head, something intangible began to wander around and Choi Ji-hyuk barely came to his senses and checked his system window.
-[Congratulations! You have completed the constellation contract!]-
-[You will receive the item immediately!]-
-[Item: ‘Mega Booster Pack’ special effect is activated]-
-[Start to grow!]-
“Kueeeeeek!”
Acidic fluid spewed out between the teeth, sprouting from the tentacles, and Choi Ji-hyuk reflexively swung the sword in his hand.
He never learned swordsmanship, but his body moved naturally as if he were simply breathing.
Whoosh!
The tentacles reaching for him were neatly cut in half and wriggled on the floor.
Choi Ji-hyuk quickly stepped back.
He then looked blankly at the red rose petals fluttering above his head.
– [The constellation ‘Ferrari Rocher’ praised by saying it looked just like a noir movie.]-
A bizarre system notification flashed before his eyes, and he couldn’t help but frown.
It was weird.
All the items he received were of high rarity.
As far as Choi Ji-hyuk knew, only the highest level constellations could present such expensive items.
But that constellation chose him as its incarnation, who is only an F-Class Awakened?
It was nonsense.
“What do you want from me…?”
Choi Ji-hyuk clenched his teeth and looked up at the sky.
But all that came back was still a bizarre answer.
***
Obviously, this was very strange.
‘Isn’t it a game broadcast?’
There is a clickable button on the broadcast screen like some game I played when I was a kid.
Is this a new feature? There was nothing like this in other broadcasts.
“What a crazy trick.”
The screen flickered madly in red when the main character was in danger, urging me to save the main character through the constellation contract.
‘What is the constellation contract?’
I frowned and looked at the screen, but the screen even made a beeping sound as if it would be a big deal if I really didn’t support him.
I’ve always thought that doing something like this was stupid.
However, I was fascinated by the strange atmosphere, and I unknowingly spent ten thousand won through the sponsorship link below.
It was crazy.
In an instant, ten million points piled up in the balance at the bottom of the screen, and I bought the most expensive weapons without thinking.
Chae Yoo-ra, you idiot!
I decided to put aside my disastrous feelings for a while and think positively.
More importantly, the broadcast was more interesting than I expected.
I don’t know what the design is, but characters that looked like real people wandered around the screen, and the graphics in the game were well implemented to match Hollywood movies.
“No! Avoid it!”
The main character on the screen held the colorful sword I paid for and avoided the attack of the octopus monster.
I hit the chat button with a nervous feeling as if I were in a realistic battle.
‘Sir, go catch the boss monster and go after it.’
For a moment, the man on the screen responded to my chat with a look of anger.
-“Are you kidding me? The dungeon has already exploded, and the escape route is blocked, so I can’t escape!”
I checked the number of viewers again.
I still felt something was wrong with the unchanging number from one.
How come there’s no one here with this quality?
‘Hey, don’t you want to use YouTube? If you send it overseas with captions, it will be a big hit.’
Is it a test broadcast? Maybe it was like a test for new game streamers.
I tilted my head and chatted, and the answer back was the main character’s nonsense.
-“This is a joke!”
I clapped my hands.
Wow, even the streamer talked through the main character in the game?
That person must be a true broadcaster of this era.
It was worth 10,000 won.
I made up my mind and pressed the sponsor button.
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[Notice]
1. Donate coin bombs
2. Sponsor the incarnation
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What’s the first option?
I clicked the first dialog out of curiosity.
Then the screen shone on a large octopus monster, not the main character.
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[Notice]
– Mini game! Coin bombs!
– 100 won will be deducted per shot~
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“Wow, that’s great.”
I was excited about the first type of broadcast I had ever seen and clicked the mouse.
The money-shaped effect bombs flew to where the mouse clicked.
The octopus monster’s health bar at the top began to sharply decrease, and as soon as I hit 900 won, the monster’s health bar had only one bar left.
“The main character should be the one to kill it at the end. Well then…”
As soon as I made up my mind, the screen zoomed out and I grabbed the main character.
The main character had a slightly puzzled face.
‘Your turn.’’
The main character’s handsome face stared straight ahead on the screen, and I was momentarily startled by the illusion that our eyes met.
Wow, the picture quality is unnecessarily good.
-“Damn it.”
Obviously, the shape of his mouth was a curse, but it was replaced with ‘dang it’ as if a filter was caught.
No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t seem like a normal broadcast.
I put the screen down for a moment and started searching the Internet for the identity of the broadcast.
“What?”
However, an image search by capturing the face of the main character did not produce any search results, and the same was true for other photos.
No matter how many times I looked at the title or the address of the broadcast, no information came up to the point where I was horrified.
I got the impression that it was a little creepy.
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[Notice]
– The boss has been annihilated!
– Additional 10,000P will be awarded!
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On the screen, the face of the main character, who was making an arrogant expression with the remains of the monster, was captured.
Again, the face was zoomed in, and the man’s eyes on the screen…
Stared directly at me.