Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast

The Skilled One, the One with a Sword, Genome (2)

Late afternoon, Genome's studio.

Usually, it was a place far more familiar and comfortable than home, but the owner, Genome himself, wore an anxious expression.

He couldn't seem to sit still, so he started pacing inside the studio.

〈If this was how you'd feel, you should've just gotten an answer yesterday.〉

The manager, who was observing him, spoke via voice chat. Genome gave a hollow laugh in reply.

"Hey, don't do that. I'm regretting it enough already. I should've just gotten down and begged on the spot."

He said it jokingly, but it was half true. Soon, he let out a short sigh and spoke seriously.

"Ha, now that I think about it, maybe I was being a bit hasty..."

〈Can you really call it hasty? You'd been thinking about it for a while.〉

"That's true, but honestly, whether or not the crew is formed is no longer up to me now. The real issue is how our relationships will turn out."

Genome scrunched his nose and scratched the back of his head.

"Like I said yesterday, I don't mind if either of them refuses. What I'm worried about is if things get awkward between us because of that."

〈Hey, would it really come to that?〉

"Dude, when are people's feelings ever certain? The only person's heart you can know for sure is your own. I can keep going like normal, but those two might not feel the same."

He took a short breath to settle himself. Then, as if talking to himself, he opened his mouth.

"Still, it was worth a shot."

〈Sure, since PerG-Day collabs always guarantee views.〉

"Hey man, you know it's not just about the profit."

〈Then what?〉

"It's about going back to the basics, the initial mindset."

Genome perched himself on the desk, crossing his arms. Reminiscing about the old days, a faint smile crossed his lips.

"It reminds me of when I first started streaming. I'd just play the games I liked, chat with the handful of viewers I had, just fooling around like that."

There were many firsts for him too: the first game he streamed, the first day a viewer showed up, the first time he uploaded a video to Q-tube, and so on.

But after he got an editor, a manager, and joined an MCN, intertwining with interests and obligations, such feelings faded away.

With success came the loss of purity. Just enjoying the broadcast for fun was no longer possible.

In the end, those beginnings became faded memories, though they still remained vivid in his mind.

"I figured I'd never get to have fun like that again, but when I play around with Gyeongbok, it feels like I've gone back in time."

However, streaming with Lee Gyeongbok wasn't just like those days—it brought him even more joy than before.

'Because I don't have to worry.'

Lee Gyeongbok—streamer Purple—was a genius, but the kind he'd never seen before.

Calling him 'artisan of artisans' wasn't just ad-lib—he genuinely meant it.

Thanks to that, streaming with Lee Gyeongbok felt less burdensome, letting things become natural like in the old days, tension rising organically.

〈It seems like you're not the only one who feels that way, hyung.〉

"Huh?"

〈Hyung, didn't you notice that the ghost members of your fan cafe have started coming back?〉

"Ghost members?"

Genome's eyes grew round.

Since he couldn't check every post on the fan cafe, he'd left filtering to the manager.

〈From their sign-up dates, they joined a really long time ago. Maybe they felt that old energy coming back, just like you said.〉

"Ah, then..."

The return of the earliest fans.

Genome realized that the uptick in viewers wasn't just because of the collabs. However, that joy didn't last long.

〈Hyung, they're here.〉

At the manager's words, he turned.

Lee Gyeongbok and Eclipse were waving as they approached.

"Oh! You're early! I mean, it's not like we're even meeting outside, why so punctual?"

Genome greeted the two warmly, but even he could feel his own nervousness.

"Well, being early is better, I guess."

"Indeed."

Both responded with awkward smiles.

A brief silence followed.

Eclipse glanced at Lee Gyeongbok, then cautiously opened his mouth.

"Um, should I say it?"

"No, I'll do it."

Lee Gyeongbok, as if he'd made up his mind, took a deep breath. Sensing the mood, Genome guessed at the outcome and spoke.

"Hey, it's fine, really. Our friendship isn't changing, right? We'll just have fun streaming from here on."

Though he spoke with a smile, a slight twitch pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"Ha, Purple-nim. I'm really not good at this sort of thing."

Eclipse, upon seeing that expression, turned away. Just as Genome was starting to feel flustered, Lee Gyeongbok gave a low laugh.

"Wait, hyung. Are you really okay with leaving things as they are? Eclipse-nim and I both thought this through before making a decision."

"Huh?"

Genome froze for a moment at those words, his eyes darting in confusion.

Judging from their reaction, there was only one answer.

"Hey! What's with this bait? We're not even on stream! Is this some crazy prank show? Hey, you! You're filming this, aren't you? Planning to upload this recording to the Purple channel, right?!"

Genome exaggeratedly accused Lee Gyeongbok, but the smile on his face refused to go away.

Lee Gyeongbok and Eclipse burst out laughing in response.

"Ah, that reaction is great. Eclipse-nim, let's let you off the hook. This was my idea."

"I don't seem to have any talent for acting, after all."

"I guess this kind of thing isn't very knightly for you."

The three shared a hearty laugh and exchanged light handshakes.

"Looking forward to working together."

"Likewise."

"Oh, come on! There's nothing to 'look forward' to! If we just keep doing what we've been doing, everything will work out."

Delighted with the formal crew formation, the three settled in. If they'd just wanted to announce the result, there'd have been no need to meet up.

"Now the most important thing is who we fill the remaining spots with."

"In terms of positions, that's the bottom duo."

To participate in the Mystic League tournament, they needed to recruit two more members. Only once they had a team could they start meaningful practice.

"Genome-nim, didn't you say you had something prepared?"

"Yes, of course. Just leave it to me."

Genome spoke more enthusiastically than usual. But Lee Gyeongbok raised a hand to stop him.

"But didn't you get overwhelmed trying to handle Time Warfare all on your own last time? Wouldn't it be better if we searched together this time?"

Genome flinched at that comment. It was simply too spot-on to deny.

"No, that was just a sudden situation back then. This time, I already have some prospective members in mind."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes, you know I belong to Volock, right? I've already tipped off some of the talented folks there."

As he explained all this with great confidence, Genome suddenly looked as if he'd realized something and rushed to clarify.

"Ah, don't get me wrong. Usually, when people are in the same company, there's this tendency to pull each other along with collabs, but these are good kids—talented and decent personalities."

Worried that the other two might misunderstand, Genome explained quickly. Fortunately, Eclipse accepted right away.

"Genome-nim's judgment is trustworthy."

But Lee Gyeongbok was different.

He rolled his eyes and stroked his chin.

'It's not as if I'm anxious, but...'

He didn't show any reaction to just leaving it to Genome.

But it was possible to go beyond relying on divine energy and look for a better plan.

He'd already experienced that during the voice pack DLC contract.

"That's fine, but I actually worked something out with my friends too."

After forming the crew and deciding to participate in the tournament, he'd had meetings with Choi Byeonghun and Park Juho about the related matters.

Of course, that included discussion on filling the team lineup.

"You've come up with another idea?"

"Oh? What is it?"

As the other two showed interest, Lee Gyeongbok went on to explain. As he did, their eyes gradually widened.

"You'd go that far...?"

"Wait a sec. That's not bad."

Eclipse was just amazed, but Genome's eyes sparkled brightly.

"Honestly, I'd reject it immediately if it was anyone else. But since it's us—no, since it's you—I think we can pull it off."

"Certainly... if Purple-nim's in, it could really work."

At that, Lee Gyeongbok gave a broad smile.

"All right, let's do it this way."

* * *

That evening, stream time.

With all three appearing together, the chat exploded.

—The time for purging has come!

—Tonight is Godple-Master king marathon Matjji? Right?

—Ecl-nim and Genome's tier has gone up, so now it's only going to be Platinum and Diamond games.

—Finally, the ranked points are going to match, lol.

—Zeroback bus ON!

—Bus stop is packed with people, lol.

—Who will be today's lucky Per-casting duo!?

With the higher ranks of the team, expectations soared for even more fun games than before.

Genome clapped his hands with a grin.

"All right, everyone, calm down. Tonight, we have something even bigger than the main event—major, huge news!"

—Something bigger than Master Promo?!

—Not just "big news," but "major huge news"? LOL

—Is it news about Perfazan?

—Crazy, is it THAT king? LOL

—Is it really something huge? Something huge?!

As attention turned to him, the viewers started making their guesses.

—Oh? Is it CrazySmurf?

—Heol? Is that it?

—Tournament participation confirmed?

—Time for PerG-Day in the tourney?!

—5252, isn't that "A. Ma. Teur" tournament!

—Is there an amateur team that went undefeated in ranked for 5 days?!

—Practically pro-level amateurs, that's what "Perfect-Amateur" is (nods)

—Yeah LOL, amateur anyway!

—LOL, Genome's punchlines all getting stolen by the Genomes.

—Did they snatch it away? GenomeKick!

With tournament season approaching, their guesses were sharp. As Genome continued to drag things out, the chat's fervor only increased.

But then an utterly confident grin spread across Genome's face.

"C'mon, guys! Didn't you used to be more imaginative? This isn't just big news, it's major huge news!"

A sea of question marks spread in the chat.

With an even bigger smile, Genome cleared his throat.

"Hrm. As of today, Genome, Eclipse-nim, and Purple-nim will form a new crew: PerG-Day Crew. I'm officially announcing this to our viewers."

It wasn't a long proclamation.

But the impact was certainly anything but short-lived.

—Eh?

—A crew announced officially?!

—WA! PerG-Day Crew!

—If this is a dream, don't wake me! If this is a dream, don't wake me!

—It really is huge! Really is huge! Really is huge!

—So are regular collabs coming now?

—What a favorite combo! What a favorite combo! What a favorite combo!

—The Skilled One, the Sword-Wielder, Genome

—Genome is just... Genome, lol

—I'm a legend for having witnessed this moment! I'm a legend for having witnessed this moment!

—It's the day of regular purges! Day of regular purges! Day of regular purges!

—Purge party! Purge party! Purge party!

—Damn, I got chills

—Now I can die without regrets!

—LOL, can't die, got to watch the stream!

—For real LOL, I'd haunt the stream as a ghost

Countless exclamations of joy filled the chat window.

Eclipse, too, spoke in a satisfied tone.

"The first battlefield for our PerG-Day knight order shall be CrazySmurf!"

At the grand proclamation of their debut stage, the chat once again erupted.

—LOL, for Ecl-nim, the crew really is a knight order?

—Battlefield is called CrazySmurf?

—Ecl-nim saying 'CrazySmurf' with that real passion is hilarious, lol

—Actually so funny LOL

—Official purge schedule is nuts

—Exactly how many are you going to cut down?!

—Withdraw from the fight, you rookies!

—Are you going undefeated through the tourney too?

—LOL, that's basically a guarantee

The joy in the chat only doubled. Finally, Lee Gyeongbok stepped forward.

"I'm glad everyone's happy. We've decided to enter the tournament, but before that we need to recruit two more team members. So, after putting our heads together among the staff..."

Signaling the others, Lee Gyeongbok continued.

"We've decided to hold an audition to recruit new interns!"

On cue, Genome displayed the prepared materials on screen.

[(Co.) PerG-Day New Intern Recruitment Notice

〈Positions〉

Bottom Duo (AD Carry/Support) – 2 positions

〈Employment Type〉

Contract (with possibility of permanent employment)

〈Requirements〉

Experience at Platinum tier or above

No restrictions for overseas travel

〈Preferences〉

Relevant work experience / Sense for broadcasting

〈Company Overview〉

1) Family-like atmosphere

2) Incentives provided

3) Flexible hours

4) WFH options

5) Simple and easy work

6) Work and study possible in parallel]

The chat erupted in laughter immediately.

—LOL what is this

—They're so serious about the gimmick, lol

—Why is the format so high quality?!

—LOL, the Godple manager must've made this, right?

—For real LOL, it looks just like the translator recruitment template

—5252, manager is already getting worn out!

As viewers read through the details, the laughter only grew.

—(Family)-like atmosphere

—LOL, stop putting things in parentheses!

—Isn't this just for exploiting workers?

—Incentives? That means the base pay is garbage, lol

—So the prize money is literally the pay, lol

—Yeah, if you don't win, you get nothing

—Flexible hours? More like relentless hours!

—It just means they'll call you at any time!

—Of course it's WFH, it's streaming!

—Making the obvious sound like perks? Isn't this totally a Black Company?

—Saying "easy" probably means "hard as hell" by Godple standards, lol

—Work and study together = grind until you make it!

—LOL, why do all the troopers know this stuff so well

—Are you all from that background? LOL

—LOL, is this actually a joke...or is it?

—I can already see the meme screenshot!

—Tricking workers with vague language to exploit them—total Black Company!

—Actually, those terms totally fit bottom lane positions?

—Man! Taste the power of the bottom duo union!

Lee Gyeongbok felt a satisfied pride at the viewers' reactions.

'It's bittersweetly funny, but still...'

He'd simply asked Park Juho to prepare something to fit the Black Company theme, and the document captured real-life experience as the chat suspected.

But what he'd prepared wasn't finished yet.

"It seems there are some misunderstandings. Employee Ji, next page, please."

"Yes, sir!"

Genome brought up the next page.

[〈Benefits〉]

Despite the size of the document, there was only a single line written.

And Lee Gyeongbok read aloud:

[100% Victory Guarantee]

He'd included nothing unnecessary.

—LOL

—Purple confidence is off the charts, lol

—Is this true 'Perfect-Benefits'? What even is employee welfare?!

—LOL, 100% victory is king level for real

—Honestly, if you have just this, you can endure anything

—LOL, sounds crazy, but if Godple says it, it's different, right?

—Common sense increased!

—They proved it with the 5-day win streak!

—LOL, even the daily part-timers experience it and leave

—Are the people riding the bus daily part-timers? LOL

If anyone else had put that line, it would just be a joke or bluster. But coming from Purple, it meant something different.

"Come on, you all haven't forgotten already, right? Come on, what's a given for winning?"

Genome's question filled the chat with laughter.

—Trooper not stupid!

—LOL, uhwooper is just truth!

—So the tourney is actually a science competition?

—Science competition, lol

—Uhwooper is literal science, I'm telling you!

—PerG-Day's science is the world's BEEEEEST!

—Am I really the only one seeing Godple holding the trophy already?

—Has time travel even been invented, lol

Though they hadn't even applied yet, the stream already felt like a post-victory celebration.

Lee Gyeongbok, satisfied, clapped to draw attention.

"All right, for those who want to join PerG-Day, don't hesitate to apply. We're looking forward to lots of applicants, and for fairness, everything will be broadcast transparently."

This was the real highlight.

Their plan was to make the team recruitment itself content for the stream.

"At PerG-Day, we value not only our staff but also our shareholders' decisions. Your opinions will also be partially reflected in the intern selection."

In fact, it was content open for viewers' participation as well.

—We're shareholders of PerG-Day?

—Was I a secret shareholder all along?

—Hey! You were part of the Black Company, too?!

—When you think about it, you guys did encourage overtime!

—Turns out the Troopers were the real Black Company all along, huh?

—Is this the planning power of a rookie crew? What were the other crews?

—Crazy LOL, genuine broadcasting genius, lol

—Recording legendary moments even before joining the tournament

—Par for the course with PerG-Day

—If you get picked, you're going for the championship, lol

—For real, this is the actual finals

—LOL, finals for real LOL

—Who will be the lucky duo?

—Geez;;; are you really opening Per-casting for real?!

Just who would claim these spots?

Now, the viewers' interest was focused on the audition, even more than the tournament itself.