Fenrir Translations
"We came out, gritting our teeth and sharpening our swords. But while we were wrestling with our blades and whetstones, they were building the strength to wield both hammer and anvil at the same time."
— Chris, a Taiwanese pro gamer
“Now, let's discuss what items we're going to dump on Dice.”
“Wow, dump? Really? You’re not even trying to hide it anymore?”
“I’ll let you choose: would you like it delivered by mail or will you come pick it up yourself?”
“No, I’m not streaming! Go ahead, split me open—whoa, they’re actually coming at me! Everyone! Call the police now! Help!”
In a flash, the number of viewers shot past 50,000, all staring intently at Eugene through the screen.
Her words seemed casual and ordinary enough, but when they came out while she was holding an axe in her right hand, the tone shifted dramatically. The 50,000 pairs of eyes were locked onto Eugene, whose gaze seemed to drip with an unsettling madness.
Madness is something that emerges naturally when the mundane and the bizarre coexist in a strange way. The image of Eugene, casually walking around her own home with a tactical tomahawk in hand, fit that description perfectly.
And now, without any hesitation, Eugene boldly declared that she was going to dump all the useless items on Dice, which added another layer of absurdity to the scene.
<Gogumabap has donated 10,000 won.>
“Wow, this is my first donation. How do I respond to this?”
“Just react however you want.”
Dice.
She had been in many interviews before, but receiving direct cash donations through a live stream was a new experience for her. It was essentially a direct show of support from an individual.
In light of that, it wasn’t surprising when she bowed slightly, showing gratitude for her very first donation. However, this act took on a different meaning as the viewer count surged past 60,000.
Even if only 1 in 100 viewers sent a donation, that would be 600 people. It might be fewer, but the point was, the number would still surely be in the hundreds.
Within just 10 minutes, Dice was already complaining of back pain.
“My back hurts…”
“I’ll pause the donations for 10 minutes. We’re cooling down.”
“You’re a full-fledged streamer now, Eugene.”
From Dice’s perspective, it was pretty shocking.
She already knew Eugene was a streamer, and she’d watched several of her streams before, but seeing Eugene expertly manage an audience of 60,000 in real-time was a whole new experience.
If it had been her, she probably would’ve been thrown off her game.
Of course, Eugene wasn’t fazed, whether it was by money, complaints, or attracting attention—though there had been a time when she literally kicked viewers out of the stream.
Aside from all that, Eugene’s unboxing had its own peculiar flair.
She didn’t mention where each package came from before opening it and reviewing the contents in detail, like typical unboxing videos. Instead, she simply pulled out a pile of boxes stacked in the corner of the room and introduced them briefly.
Even just this made the viewers feel a sense of satisfaction. There was a catharsis to opening up a mountain of packages. To put it simply, it was the kind of moment that made one’s heart swell with excitement.
Dice herself had watched a few unboxing videos from other streamers or YourSpace channels the day before, but, as expected...
It went beyond her expectations.
“I’ll open the boxes. Just help me with the tape.”
“Ugh, can you put the tomahawk on the other side? It’s making me really uncomfortable.”
“Want to hold it?”
Surprisingly, she accepted it without complaint.
It was quite heavy, matte black, even the blade. Normally, you’d expect it to “shine bright blue,” but this was truly tactical in every sense.
However, the blade was also incredibly sharp. Sharper than most knives, the axe’s edge had been honed to a terrifying degree, paradoxically tempting one to touch it out of a strange curiosity.
Noticing this, Eugene nonchalantly added:
“You’ll get hurt if you try to touch it. Best not to.”
“Ah, right. Here you go.”
Ownership transferred back to Eugene.
With a flick of the wrist, she brought the blade to the tape, which instantly split with a soft snap. Dice was glad she hadn’t tried to handle it herself, and she tore off the remaining tape, crumpling it into a trash can.
Now, all that was left was to pull out the contents and fold up the box...
“Wow, what is this? It’s so cute.”
“What the... What even is this?”
She opened the box.
It was much larger and heavier than usual, but the clattering sounds coming from inside hinted that it wasn’t a sophisticated mechanical device but rather several loosely packed items.
Curiosity piqued, she eagerly anticipated the contents. And what she found...
<Carpe Diem has donated 5,000 won.>
Inside the box were dozens of SD (Super Deformed) figures, each one posed differently—not one identical.
As Eugene struggled to make sense of it, she noticed a discreetly placed envelope. The letter inside read something like this:
We’ve collaborated with a Japanese figure company to produce various prototypes.
Not all of them will be produced, but we’ve created a few samples available for limited sale. You can access the sales link via the QR code at the bottom of this letter.
Please review and advertise the products. We’ll choose the most popular items for production.
A floating drone cam subtly adjusted its angle, capturing the scene.
She quickly gathered her thoughts. She couldn’t just throw up a QR code without knowing what the products were, so she decided to introduce them all first and then share the link. That was the plan she came up with immediately after.
Carefully, she removed three flat, rectangular glass cases from the box, along with a pile of bubble wrap. Once removed, the dazzling SD figures were revealed in all their quirky glory.
There were 42 of them in total.
How they managed to make so many was beyond her. However, the letter explained that they had reused as many existing designs as possible, which allowed for quick production.
“...I feel dizzy.”
“Wow, I want one. I bet having this next to me while I play would improve my skills.”
“Stop saying weird stuff.”
The bottom of each figure helpfully explained what scene it was based on.
One box opened, and the figures were placed on the table. The drone cam moved automatically, showcasing the products from multiple angles.
“...Eugene holding a tactical tomahawk. This is the first one.”
“I’m calling dibs on this one.”
“...”
One by one, they continued to unbox the figures.
Eugene in a padded jacket, shivering. Eugene firing a gun. Eugene lying flat on the floor. Eugene with a strange smile... And over 35 more awaited her.
At this point, it didn’t seem like these were made from existing designs—they all appeared to be newly created. The advancements in technology were remarkable. With 2040 just around the corner, such things were apparently possible.
Surprisingly, it didn’t take that long to introduce all 42 figures.
“...That’s a total of 42 figures. I’ll upload the purchase link soon, but it seems like there aren’t many available. When you get in, there will probably be a survey. You’ll need to vote for your favorite products... Ha.”
“Stop! Eugene! We’re in the middle of an advertisement! You can’t let your real feelings slip out like that!”
“Why does this even exist? It’s terrifying.”
At that moment, the QR code link was uploaded.
Within a minute, the sales site crashed.
Traffic overflowed in just a few minutes, and donations started to flood in. Within moments, Eugene’s stream turned into a money pit where it would take over an hour just to have your message displayed—meaning the donation queue was an hour long.
And then, her phone suddenly rang.
“Hold on a second, what’s this about?”
“What’s going on?”
“I just got a phone call. You entertain the viewers for a bit.”
“Huh? Wait, Eugene! Where are you going?! Ahhh! Hold on—!”
Dragging sounds.
Even as Dice clung to Eugene’s pants leg, the latter’s steps never faltered. The sound of Dice’s soft belly scraping against the floor echoed pitifully as her strength left her, and she collapsed onto the ground.
Click. The door closed as Eugene disappeared to take the call, leaving Dice to awkwardly stand and fiddle with the drone cam. The broadcast screen came up, showing what the viewers were currently seeing. In short, the streamer could monitor the live feed.
Glancing at the closed door, Dice spoke:
“...Did she leave? She left, right?”
Only then could Dice breathe a sigh of relief.
She picked up one of the neatly lined-up figures and held it up to the drone cam. It was Eugene eating. The quality of the plastic food was impressive, and, more importantly, the figure was cute. And thanks to its material, when she pressed its cheeks, they felt soft and squishy.
Speaking in a low voice, she glanced around and said:
“I like this one. Isn’t it cute? The tail’s well-made too... But why does it feel so creepily detailed? Anyway, it’s cute, so I’m satisfied. If a product based on my character came out like this, I’d actually be happy.”
“But everyone, this isn’t the end. There’s still a lot more Eugene merchandise to come. Even last year, there were tons of products for pro gamers. Team logos, personal logos on clothes, keyboards, mice, VR devices—you name it.”
Mugs. Pillows. Keychains, badges, bracelets, eco-bags, snapbacks, figures, and more.
She started recalling last year’s chaos. Having been at the center of it before, it wasn’t hard to relive those memories—her mind filled with the various products.
Of course, “various” included some truly bizarre items.
For instance, a team that had completely lost its mind had released a dakimakura—a body pillow cover—last year. The rating on that product was... well, let’s just say it pushed boundaries. If you’re wondering, it wasn’t shy about being bold.
And considering Eugene’s unique trait—her tail—there were bound to be plenty of equally wild products. Even if it wasn’t something outrageous, a tail cushion or pillow, perhaps?
Wait.
That’s a good idea.
“Hold on a second. I need to open another box.”
There was no hesitation.
Grabbing the dismantling axe Eugene had left behind, Dice no longer found it intimidating. Once a target was in sight, there was nothing to stop her. She randomly picked up a box and tapped it lightly. If something sounded suspicious, she set it down.
Or, more simply, she could just check the delivery label on the package. And before long, she found a box labeled “personal merchandise sample.”
Placing it in front of her, she started cutting the tape.
“It’s done.”
“Whoa, I didn’t do anything!”
“Why are you so startled?”
Well...
Maybe it was because she had too much on her conscience.
It’s like they say—people who’ve lived rough and rugged lives are quicker to react than those with nothing to worry about. And as someone who had just been imagining a tail pillow for Eugene, Dice found Eugene’s sudden appearance particularly terrifying.
At any rate, it was time to ask what the phone call had been about.
Dice posed the question, and the answer quickly came.
“So, what was the call about? Was it something sensitive?”
“Oh, nothing like that. It was from the company that sent the figures. They asked what happened because their site crashed. When I told them it was due to the ad, they awkwardly hung up.”
“Ah, haha…”
If I were the person in charge of that site, I wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry, Dice thought. But now it was her turn to answer some questions. She responded as she tore through the package’s tape.
“Anyway, I saw that the label said it was personal merchandise, so I brought it over.”
“I’m already dreading what’s inside…”
“Oh, don’t worry. These sample items were all approved by Icarus before being sent out. Anything too sensitive or weird would’ve been screened or outright rejected.”
Should I really trust that?
Dice didn’t notice, but Eugene’s expression from behind was growing more and more sour.
And then, a few seconds later...
Fwomp!
“Wow! What is this?!”
“...Oh my god.”
Anaconda tail pillow.
Dice clutched the pillow tightly to her chest, shouting, Why is this real?! Meanwhile, Eugene felt a twinge of pain in her neck.
“...Why does something like this exist?”
Everyone’s dancing on the line.
But ironically, even Eugene couldn’t deny the thickness and softness of the pillow. For a brief moment, she wondered if a drink might be necessary to get through this situation.
Sinking into the sofa, she let out a faint laugh, trying to recover from her lost sense of disbelief.
It was a day with only a short time left before the Asian qualifiers.
I'll take your entire stock