Chapter 80: Ah, this… This is what they call the Metaverse.

Learning about VTubers was relatively recent for me.

While browsing YouTube during my breaks, I noticed streamers who used something different from standard 2D avatars during their broadcasts.

Since joining the internet broadcasting scene, my interest in the industry had grown significantly, so I found myself intrigued by VTubers and began exploring the concept.

I soon realized that this was a much more entertaining and advanced technology than I had initially thought.

VTuber culture started in Japan and only recently became established in Korea.

The initial investment costs, including equipment, weren’t cheap, but I decided to go for it.

After all, using the money I had earned from streaming to invest in something new for my broadcasts didn’t seem like a bad decision.

Si-Young also supported my choice, saying it wasn’t a bad idea, and helped me in various ways.

As a result, here I am now.

In reality, I have black hair and black eyes.

In contrast, my virtual counterpart has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Even the expression of this other version of me appears much kinder than my usual look.

I had only ever heard about technological advancements and how the world was changing, but experiencing it firsthand was truly fascinating.

So this is what they call the Metaverse?

I suddenly felt trendy, as if I had become part of the MZ generation.

[Trendy Mollru declares a conquest of the VTuber market ᄃᄃ]
[What’s a VTuber, you weeb?]
[-Boomer-]
[Kids these days only watch VTuber streams ᄏᄏ]
[Oh, so you don’t know VTubers~]
[Metaverse? You don’t know the Metaverse?]
[Ah, so you do know the Metaverse. That’s seriously impressive.]

“That is impressive.”

I chuckled as I read the chat.

At the same time, my virtual character mimicked my mouth movements as if it were speaking.

It was a facial recognition feature that immediately transmitted my expressions onto the screen.

There were many other cool functions as well.

“Look at this, everyone. Isn’t it amazing?”

When I raised my hand and moved it around, my avatar followed suit.

I could also adjust my facial expressions to appear sad or happy, depending on how I felt.

Since I was in a good mood, I set the default expression to a smile.

[Creepy grin-]
[That’s scary ᅲᅲ]
[It looked fine a second ago, but now…]
[Of course, Mollru would pick something uncanny.]
[A sly smirk… sinister grin… hehehe.]
[This just turned into a horror stream.]

“Yeah, I guess it does look a bit too cheerful.”

[It’s not cheerful—it looks broken.]
[ᄅᄋᄏᄏ If I talk to it, it might chase me.]

The second smile preset had an uncanny quality to it.

The unblinking eyes, the fixed upward curve of the lips—it was hard to put into words, but it gave off an unsettling vibe.

It was the perfect example of the “uncanny valley” effect.

The time was now 11:24 PM.

Not exactly the kind of face you’d want to see this late at night.

“I guess facial expressions aren’t quite perfected yet.”

From what I remember, the human face has over thirty muscles dedicated to expression.

That’s why we can show such a vast range of emotions.

AI still hadn’t fully captured that complexity.

But if it did—wouldn’t that be a bit terrifying?

I suddenly thought about those dystopian novels and films where advanced AI enslaves humanity.

<Kim Chul-Goo has donated 10,000 won!>
– So, will you be streaming as a VTuber from now on?

“Hmm… I haven’t decided yet. I’ll try it for a while, and if it’s fun, I’ll keep going.”

Why do people watch internet streams?

Because they offer a different kind of entertainment than traditional television or other forms of media.

Since I had already invested in this, I planned to continue using the VTuber model for a while.

If I enjoyed it, I’d stick with it.

If not, I’d simply go back to no-camera streams.

It wasn’t like I had anything to lose.

[Is this better than no-cam…?]
[It did feel kind of empty before.]
[No-cam is better. This weeb avatar will just scare off new viewers.]
[Are you ignoring weeb viewers? Their numbers are insane.]
[Just joined—is this AI? Is this one of those AI streamers?]
[Not AI, there’s a real person behind it.]

<Hello ^^ has donated 100,000 won!>
– First time seeing this VTuber. The avatar looks elegant. I’ll visit often.

So much for losing viewers.

My numbers were growing, and the increase in donations meant I was attracting a different audience than before.

However, I couldn’t just celebrate.

“This feels kind of… off.”

I had expected my viewer count to drop, not rise.

Sure, I knew there was a dedicated VTuber audience, but I assumed that for every new viewer I gained, I’d lose an old one.

After all, VTubing is still a niche culture.

Some people absolutely loathe it to the point of rage.

Yet, this was the result.

[Hah! You really thought viewers would leave?]
[Do you not know the loyalty of Mollru fans? They’d watch even if it was just an empty screen.]

[Does this person dislike having a lot of viewers?]

[Yeah, totally hates it. Specializes in filtering out newcomers. Get out, all of you.]

[Oh, so that’s the concept?]

[That’s a unique RP style.]

[What are you even saying?]

RP, or roleplay—VTubers often exaggerate certain traits as part of their unique personas.

It seemed that the new viewers interpreted my cautious stance toward increasing viewership as part of my character.

How did they see me?

Did they think I was the type to treat my audience like sheep, hurling insults and scorn at them?

Or did they assume I was a cool, indifferent beauty who found streaming tedious and half-assed everything?

Neither was an assumption I particularly wanted to encourage.

“So this is VR World…”

A place where anything can be rendered within the limits of graphics.

I had arrived in VR World.

I explored various locations: a midsummer beach, a scenic forest, a cozy café, a skyscraper rooftop, a snowy mountain.

Places that would be difficult to visit due to real-world constraints were just a portal jump away in VR World.

[There are a lot of other fun worlds too!]

[How about a game map?]

[Check this one out ᄀᄀ]

They say you can smell a newbie from a mile away.

I had spent plenty of time playing games and detecting that “newbie scent” on fresh players.

Now, the roles were reversed.

As a VR novice, I fumbled with the controls, struggling to utilize features properly.

The veterans, having caught a whiff of my inexperience, swarmed in to offer unsolicited advice.

“Yes, I’ll check out all the places you recommend, one by one. Just be patient.”

Before I knew it, the chat had completely shifted away from talking about my face.

Up until I entered VR World, people occasionally mentioned it, but now even those comments had disappeared.

The intense distraction had effectively redirected their attention.

[Why is this actually fun?]

[VTubers… Maybe they’re not so bad?]

[You’ve already fallen for it.]

[Honestly, this is better than I expected. Not off-putting at all.]

[It’s just okay, but not bad.]

Even my regular viewers, who weren’t part of the VTuber audience, responded positively.

There were countless maps in VR World.

Simply exploring each one became a form of content.

This was exactly what I had envisioned.

A VR-focused stream would feel fresh and different to my regular audience.

It was the same for me.

“Oh, there’s a place like this too? Darts, billiards, table tennis, bowling… Is this a full-fledged arcade?”

One viewer had recommended a place purely dedicated to games.

Rows of entertainment options lined the space, all seemingly playable.

“I’ll try darts first.”

I picked up a dart and was just about to throw it at the target in front of me when—

-#@!$%!-

“Huh? There’s someone else here?”

Another character appeared beside me and spoke.

So far, all the maps I’d visited had been empty.

This was the first time I had encountered another person.

-^%@$#!-

“What are they saying? Sounds like Japanese. Can anyone translate?”

VR World was designed for global interaction.

Meeting foreigners was inevitable.

Given how much larger the world was compared to Korea, it was far more likely to run into non-Koreans than fellow countrymen.

“Hmm… Kimochi? Thank you?”

-#@$www!!-

The Japanese person reacted intensely.

It seemed they understood the universal language of “kimochi.”

[A lunatic who drops ‘kimochi’ in a first encounter?]

[Feeling good… Feeling good? Feeling good.]

[Mollru, the VTuber who makes people feel good.]

[This is getting a little spicy.]

[They’re asking if you’re Korean.]

“How did they know I was Korean? How do you say ‘Nice to meet you’ in Japanese?”

With chat’s help, I managed to keep the conversation going.

It turned out that they had a Korean friend and understood a bit of the language.

-%@$@!-

“Tomodachi? What does ‘tomodachi’ mean? Friend? Are they asking to be friends?”

A Japanese woman with an impressive level of social skills.

She quickly sent me a VR friend request before casually disappearing, saying she had to go.

“There are social butterflies even in VR. What an interesting person.”

A short but memorable encounter.

Despite being unexpected, it had been an enjoyable experience.

“Meeting people is surprisingly fun. Should we try another public map?”

A public world open to all users.

Taking suggestions from chat, I entered a highly-rated map.

I wondered what kind of people I’d meet this time.

-!$*!@$-

“…A Chinese person?”

I had now encountered someone passionately preaching the greatness of their motherland.

Next Chapter.