"Wow."

Tricky streamers, or managers of YourSpace channels, don’t typically follow the same routine as regular workers. They don’t need to commute, and they can earn their income working from home.

Many of them specialize in Dark Zone content. Thanks to numerous patches and updates, the game has low accessibility but a massive audience, both in terms of players and viewers. Some focus on guides for beginners, while others attract viewers with their raw skill, which was about as common as pebbles on the street.

However, those who run review or informational channels have recently been facing a unique challenge.

-[And now, we welcome today’s pre-selected users, Korea’s national team! Introducing the independent player Yujin and Dice from SSM!]

Yujin.

Just having her name in the title or content was enough to skyrocket viewership. Whether driven by fan devotion or the pursuit of profit, she had become the envy of many Dark Zone review channel managers.

Even securing a single interview with her would bring a massive surge of interest!

Views naturally followed once attention was drawn to a channel. Channel managers eagerly speculated that just having Yujin on their platform would drive unprecedented traffic.

But the truth was, aside from a select few, such opportunities never came.

-[Unreal’s DZ Information // Channel Subscribers: 1,027,439]

Unreal’s channel, specializing in Dark Zone reviews and information, was unmissable in this space.

A couple of months ago, his subscriber count hovered around 700,000, but as Yujin began her streaming career, his channel steadily grew. He had already established a connection with her before others could, securing an interview during the qualifier ranks.

That interview racked up over 6 million views, and even now, it was gaining around 50,000 views a day. His subscriber count? No need to mention it—it was rising fast.

But for those who missed the boat, it was already too late.

"If anyone can get Yujin for an interview, I’ll pay them 2,000 upfront, I swear."

"Stop spouting nonsense and just make your videos."

The speed of her rise was dizzying.

People rushed to catch the last bus, but the bus seemed to reach 100 km/h in just two seconds, leaving them in the dust. Before they could even send a request, Yujin’s status had grown beyond reach within Korea.

With the growing popularity of esports and the increasing accessibility of gaming compared to traditional sports, the weight of the title "Dark Zone National Representative" became too significant to contain in a mere YourSpace review video.

In practical terms, unless it was for a top-tier network interview program or a dedicated schedule covering Yujin and others, there wasn’t even room to entertain the idea.

And these thoughts weren’t confined to channel managers alone.

‘…Is Yujin going to stop streaming at this rate?’

She had grown too big to just be a streamer.

Moreover, Yujin was known to stream as a hobby. That tiny ember of a rumor was like a bomb waiting to go off.

But the people who thought this weren’t entirely wrong. Yujin wasn’t struggling financially, nor was she signed with an MCN. If she needed money, she could have turned her skyrocketing popularity into a full-fledged channel, hiring editors to boost her YourSpace presence, while joining top-tier gaming teams like Xi.

But she didn’t.

‘Is she just not interested?’

‘Judging by the fact that her stream uploads are fully automated and edited by a hired FanSpace manager…’

Thus, from Saturday onward, a rumor quietly began to spread across Dark Zone-related forums: "Yujin’s going to quit streaming!" Within hours, the rumor had spread like wildfire, with layers of exaggeration fanning the flames.

However, as always, there were ways to extinguish the fire.

[Official] Yujin said she's quitting streaming... Shocking!

<Attached image of Harmony’s personal board post announcing a co-stream with Yujin on Monday>

Turns out she’s just going to stream with Harmony from now on, LOL.

As always, the person who started the fire wasn’t the one to put it out. But Harmony’s notice doused the rumor entirely.

With that, the unfounded nonsense burning through the community vanished, and Harmony unintentionally proved something.

The person who could effortlessly invite a national representative to stream.

Maybe, along with Dice, she was one of only two people who could easily set up a collaboration with Yujin.

In any case, this was how things functioned in their world.

It was the usual routine after KSM had ended.

Clap clap clap clap clap!

"Ugh, what is this?"

"Congratulations to our Yujin for being selected as a KSM National Representative! Wow!"

It was the waiting room before the broadcast.

When I slipped in and met Harmony’s eyes, her face instantly brightened into a huge smile, and she started clapping excitedly. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. It was nice when someone else was happy for me.

At least, I was glad there weren’t any fanfares when I entered. With my past habits and slight PTSD, I might’ve instinctively taken cover if I heard a loud noise. If I’d had a pistol on me, it could’ve caused quite a scene.

There were about 10 minutes left before the broadcast started. Time to get back to my role as a streamer.

And Harmony slyly poked at that.

"I saw the rumors that you weren’t going to stream anymore, but I knew you’d come back."

"No way. If I stop streaming, I’ll become a total shut-in. The only thing I do these days is walk back and forth between my house and the gym."

"Hehe, same here. I started streaming for similar reasons."

It was one way to communicate with viewers.

Anyway, I had seen the rumors. It was essentially a conspiracy theory, so I tried to laugh it off, but the world doesn’t always operate on logic and reason. In fact, it often runs in the opposite direction.

If co-streaming with Harmony could clear up those inappropriate doubts, that was good enough for me. It would be a hassle if I got caught up in strange rumors, and I’d started streaming to avoid that very thing.

Regardless of how my status had changed, nothing else really had. I wasn’t about to abandon the assets I’d built up over the years, just because my position had shifted.

To put it simply, I wasn’t planning on quitting streaming anytime soon.

The more people you share something fun with, the more enjoyable it becomes.

"Anyway, the main mission is coming up soon. Last week, I got a ton of praise... Oh, but I’ve been practicing steadily!"

"Good job. Have you been keeping up with the homework I gave you?"

"Ugh, that’s way too hard…"

"I didn’t give you easy tasks."

1 minute and 30 seconds to clear the CQB course at the shooting range.

Maintaining over 60% accuracy on moving targets during dynamic shooting drills.

Achieving an A-grade in combat simulations and consistently excellent results in PVP mode. Naturally, hitting those targets would mean being good enough to go pro. It wasn’t something you could achieve in just a few days.

Give it about three months, and maybe she’d hit one of those goals.

"Oh, did you see my YourSpace videos? The collab stream I did with four others last week? All those videos have over 1.5 million views!"

"That’s impressive. It’s only been a few days since you posted them, but they’re doing really well."

"Hehe, right? With the money I made from those, I gave the editors a big bonus. It’s all thanks to you, Yujin! I’ll treat you to something delicious next time!"

"I’m winning KSM this time, so it’s fine. It’s my turn to treat you."

"Ah, in that case, I’ll gladly accept…!"

Harmony smiled brightly, her green cat avatar suiting her perfectly.

Thinking about it, there was something else I needed to ask.

"By the way, are you still working out?"

"Ah, w-well..."

"If you slack off, I’ll come drag you to the gym. You know Mina and I live just two stations away, right?"

"Kueh…"

Of course, even if I did drag her along, the difference in our physical abilities was like night and day. We’d just end up doing separate workouts, or maybe I’d supervise her session.

After handling some real-life business like that, I checked the time. Less than two minutes remained until the stream started. It was time to get ready.

Back before VR, setting up a stream involved fiddling with a ton of equipment and programs. But now, with virtual reality, all it took was a single button press to start streaming.

Voice echo settings, volume, effects, and screen transitions could all be controlled by the viewers, making it incredibly easy for streamers to manage. Anyway, it was time to start.

I pressed the broadcast button and accepted the co-stream with Harmony.

Three numbers started climbing rapidly.

One for my viewer count, one for Harmony’s, and the last for the combined total. In mere moments, the total viewership shot past 40,000, erasing any sense of reality.

The last mission we had done involved infiltrating the Department of Homeland Security building in Washington, D.C. Next, we were headed into full-scale warfare. We had to set up a forward base at Tidal Basin, in an operation reminiscent of the Normandy landings—just about 90 years too late.

The silver lining? At least we didn’t have to charge the defensive lines like infantry. Special forces had their own way of handling things.

"Let’s go."

"Let’s do this!"

For the first time in ages, instead of the dry battlefield of the AP, my vision was filled with the snow-covered landscape of New York.

The only living area in the dead city was Central Park HQ. Helicopters flew overhead, and people bustled along the well-worn paths. The once peaceful forested space within the city had been overtaken by buildings and supplies, completely losing its original form.

This desolate world was more familiar to me than anything. The frozen footprints in the snow, the snowdrifts piled high on motionless vehicles, the cold breath pouring from my mouth like a waterfall.

The only difference this time was—

-????????????????? -Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! Collab! -Is Harmony a god!? Is Harmony a god!? Is Harmony a god!? Is Harmony a god!? Is Harmony a god!? -World-class invited world-class! Is Harmony a god!!!!! -How the heck did you get Yujin!? LOL

This overwhelming flood of chat messages filled the space beside me.

For a bit of fan service, I cleared my throat and spoke up.

"…Uh, hello, everyone. It’s been a while. I’m Yujin, your streamer who has no plans to quit anytime soon, and the soloing national representative of the Dark Zone Apex Predator."

-WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUJIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -The Forbes-selected streamer who needs nothing but the main mission alongside Harmony LOL -Honestly, all those people who said she was quitting need their skulls cracked open -This is it LOL -KSM’s over and now she’s streaming? This is… strategic?

The roar of 40,000 excited viewers was truly a sight to behold. I glanced at Harmony to see if she felt overshadowed, but she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she was happily celebrating along with me.

Feeling slightly relieved, I shifted the topic.

"It’s heartwarming to see so many people still waiting for me. The main mission isn’t over yet, and even after reaching max level, the stream will continue. Dark Zone has plenty of PVP and PVE content left to enjoy."

With that, Harmony and I boarded the helicopter.

Our destination: Washington D.C., the interim base—better known as the Department of Homeland Security, which we had liberated during the previous mission.

It was time to head out.

"Today’s mission begins with disabling Washington D.C.’s air defense system. I hope you all enjoy."

The sliding door closed, and the helicopter rose into the cold winter sky.

The keyword for my long-awaited return stream was back to basics.