62 Episode 10-Disaster of Lasers (1)

The King was dead. His eviscerated head was almost separating from his body, but it clung on. I checked his cadaver and saw a bite mark from a flare zombie. Heh, he was gonna die anyway. Well, he wouldn't rise again since I bore a hole through his skull. With a hesitant hand, I reached for the flag attached to this man's back. For so long, I was calling myself a King when I didn't have this essential item.

(What's this called again in stories? Leveling up your characters? Plot development?)

With a renewed will, I grasped the flag. A second didn't even pass before I saw the incoming messages. In what felt like a long while, I felt giddiness rise through my chest and fill my brain with dopamine.

[You have won the flag of the "Northwest School Group."]

[Your Navy Blue Flag is empowering you and your people.]

[You are one step closer to the King's Road.]

[Your influence has expanded by taking over a station.]

[The hidden scenario has arrived!]

[The King's Road has begun!]

As I read this message, I felt my excitement increase more and more. I wasn't an emotionally visceral person, but I had to hype this moment for the Constellations.

"Yooo, Constellations, look at this! I got the King's Road!! We win these!!"

After doing my bit, I began to read the contents of the upcoming scenario.

+

[Hidden Scenario - King's Road]

Category: Hidden

Difficultly: A

Clear Conditions: Take over a minimum of 10 stations within the time limit.

Time Limit: 10 days (Five days left)

Reward: The attribute of a "king."

If you cannot take over a minimum of one station per day, you and your group members will die.

+

The joy from gaining this flag was snatched and thrown into the void of dread.

[Fragment of the 4th Wall is suppressing your stress.]

[Con gr ats.]

(Thanks. I couldn't have don't it without you.)

[Hm. Go fi nd Ge or ge.]

"I will. First, let me give some orders."

Using my necromancy gem and the flag, I ordered all sides to disengage in combat and stand down. I was about to look for George, but I saw the corpses of KKK members and Confederate soldiers on the parking lot cement.

I walked to one corpse.

[A Constellation wonders what you will do to the bodies of the fallen!]

I answered by T-posing over the dead body. I was asserting my dominance.

"Chat, I got the bloody W. After a bunch of Ls, I finally got the W. Anyways, gamer moment right now."

[Constellations are going crazy!]

[Some Constellations despise your lack of respect!]

[Some Constellations of Absolute Good are leaving this channel!]

[New Constellations of Absolute Evil and Neutrality are entering channel #HE-2020!]

[Members of the Nebula "Black Cloud" are pinging Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon!"]

[Members of the Nebula "Black Cloud" are spamming, "He did the thing!! HE DID THE THING!!"]

I saw a peek of Herald's chat. My god, it was a clusterfuck of text flying so fast my Enhanced optic nerves couldn't keep track.

[Lol]

[Lmao]

[Lol]

[pog]

[Pog]

[Gamer moment]

[rise up gamers]

[Lmao]

[HE DID THE THING!]

[Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" has entered the channel.]

[Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" wonders what he missed.]

[Lol]

[Lmfao]

[dragn to late]

[he mised out lol]

[rip dragon]

[ETHAN DID THE THING]

[Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" is griping that he missed out!]

[Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" is glaring at Nebula members of "Black Cloud" for not pinging him earlier.]

[Constellation "Secretive Plotter" has said to Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon," "Watch the VODs and catch up."]

[Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" is harrumphing and says, "It's not the same, I wasn't there. I might miss out even more."]

[Constellation "General-Slayer" is proud of Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura" and his actions!]

[Nebula "Secret Six" are proud of the Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura" and his actions!]

[Nebula "Radical Republicans" are proud of the Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura" and his actions!]

[Constellation "Secretive Plotter" is proud of your success.]

[Constellation "Egyptian Thought" is glad for your wellbeing.]

[Constellation "Savior of the Corrupted" is looking at you.]

[Constellation "The Black One, Lord of Muspellheim" is looking at your success.]

[Many Constellations are recommending your scenarios to the Star Stream.]

[You have been sponsored 4200 coins!]

After interacting with chat, I heard the crackling of lightning. I saw Herald in his modest attire when turning around.

-!Tsuchuchuchut!-

-[Ethan! You have done it! You've become a king! The channel is going crazy! Besides the ones who left, you're receiving a lot of positive feedback!]

-[I'm glad. I'm going to check on George now.]

-[Wait, Ethan, I have to tell you something. I haven't been making these sub-scenarios; it's someone else.]

I froze when Herald mentioned it. I almost forgot, but I've noticed this one dokkaebi interfering with my scenarios and making them harder. Who the hell was it?

-[Who are they? Who's the other dokkaebi?]

-[They're very infamous for stealing other Dokkaebi's main Incarnations. His name is-]

-[Hello, Incarnation Ethan Nakamura. I see you are reaping the rewards I sowed very well. A "thank you" would be appreciated.]

Snapping my head to look in a different direction, I saw another dokkaebi floating a little further from us. Could he hear my conversation with Herald? No, it was private for the connected people. This dokkaebi shouldn't be able to hear me.

-[Herald, who the heck is that?]

I heard an audible, irritated sigh from Herald.

-[That's Dogkak. He is a prominent Star Streamer stationed in Tokyo and Kyoto.]

(Dogkak? That person is Dogkak?)

I've heard of Dogkak from the original novel. This dokkaebi was him? Then I'd seen him before. That damn Dokkaebi was the one who steered the probability towards the Toy Master and created this stupid Slave-Game scenario. I was at a loss for words, but Herald filled the silence with a fear-inducing statement.

-[Dogkak is also stationed beyond the sight of my cameras.]

That slithery bastard. Why was he here?

-[He created a Dokkaebi Communication line with me. What should I do?]

-[He WHAT!?!]

With a snap of his fingers, Herald abruptly placed an ad in the Stream. I saw the messages from the Constellations and how they complained, but I soon saw Herald's excuse.

[Due to the speedier turn of events, Incarnation Ethan Nakamura is taking a break, and the following situation is a sweet potato. Please, bear with us. There is also other live-camera footage of the different scenarios I have created!] -Dokkaebi Herald

(Heh, look at this guy being so sly.)

Reacting so quickly to such a situation was a professional trait higher-grade Dokkaebi possessed. My skepticism of Herald only grew, a person who was masquerading as a lower grade.

-[I presume you two are privately conversing with Dokkaebi Communication. If I weren't doing the same, I would have reported Herald to the Bureau for channel manipulation.]

After speaking, a prompt appeared in front of me.

-[Dokkaebi Dogkak wishes to enter your private Dokkaebi Line.]-

[Do you accept?]

[Yes/y]

[No/n]

-[Don't accept, Ethan. I'll create another Dokkaebi Communication channel. He might tamper our chat.]

-[Alright.]

-[Dokkaebi Dogkak has entered the Dokkaebi Communication Line.]

-[I see that you are doing quite well for yourself, Herald. I'm surprised since you came back from a recent break. You take those too often. The Constellations like consistent content, you see.]

-[It's the way I stream, Dogkak, unlike you, a person who doesn't have enough of a life to live his own. You don't take a few months of leave at all.]

-[It's simply due to the joy my career brings me.]

I interjected into this heated conversation.

-[It's the joy of getting coins, right? And watching Incarnations die too?]

Dogkak looked at me. I shivered from his cunning stare, which probably held more malice than mine.

-[I will be honest, Incarnation Ethan. It IS due to the coins and the deaths of Incarnation. There's just a rush I can't describe when I make a fantastic broadcast.]

-[You sure you aren't an R-18 channel?]

-[Very humorous of you. Even though you spent seven years of your life in a mere simulation, you still have that cheeky bravado. It's no issue, though. Many Constellations like the sassy, angsty teenage boy archetype. I believe the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon is one of them.]

Dogkak basically called me a plot device. I had enough of this crap.

-[Let's cut the fluff and get to the point. Why are you here, Dogkak? Washington is far from Japan.]

-[There are rumors of a powerful and popular Incarnation circulating the Star Stream. When I first heard of it, I thought, "I must see it for myself."]

I gritted my teeth. Dogkak referred to me as an "it."

-[There's hafta to be more than that. Tell us.]

-[Very well, very well, I understand, consuming time takes away from the broadcast, and taking time is taking away the money.]

Dogkak grinned something sickly.

-[Alas, it's a shame I don't have a longer explanation. The simple terms are this. Incarnation Ethan Nakamura, I want you to be an Incarnation of my channel.]

I reflexively looked at Herald. The main actors of any Dokkaebi's channel were integral to their popularity and income. Giving away your most popular Incarnation was the equivalent of giving away a winning lottery ticket; doing so is career suicide. Any Dokkaebi with a proper backbone would smack-talk Dogkak to his face and tell him to fuck himself with his lightning. So, why? Why was Herald unfazed and calm under pressure? Not a trace of anger could be felt.

-[I wanted to make a joke, but I know you aren't kidding.]

-[Herald, do not fear and have no worry. I am not here to whisk your Incarnation away. I'm not some evil dragon taking the Prince's betrothed. It's a matter of negotiation. I am entirely willing to compensate you for the sake of bringing Incarnation Ethan to my channel. I have a base price, but we may negotiate. Ng?]

Earlier, I felt grateful because I wasn't a slave. I decided to retract the statement. I was still an Incarnation, one of the most vulnerable people in [Star Stream]. I was still a mortal, a plaything of the Constellations, who had the known universe as their sandbox. As of this moment, a park manager appeared in front of me: Dogkak. A short moment passed, and I turned to Herald.

-[If you may, could you create a private line for us to speak in? Dokkaebi to dokkaebi?]

-[Oh, I don't think so. Ethan is the main Incarnation of my channel, so he deserves to participate in this conversation. Say your piece.]

-[Alright then. Herald, I will be willing to pay you a base price of 500,000 coins for Ethan Nakamura. I will make base payments of 20,000 coins monthly for two years to bring the total price near 1 million coins. Although, we can negotiate further, such as interest rates, which are bound to grow due to Incarnation Ethan's growing reputation.]

If people could get turned on by money, they would get super hard from hearing this offer. Dogkak placed my value OVER 1 million coins since he needed substantial gains to pay the initial price. Any other person would get an ego boost, but it only made me sour. It meant my infamous reputation was spreading amongst the stars too fast.

-[What a lofty price. Although, this begs the question, why don't I keep Ethan for myself and earn the projected coins you calculated? It makes no sense. This is the same as relinquishing a goose that lays golden eggs for some gold ingots.]

-[You see, Herald, this is where our status comes into play. Do you think you can keep the goose you have healthy?]

Great, I was being referred to as a fucking bird now. Was I Eren Yeager or something?

-[Do you doubt my ability to gain viewers?]

-[It's beyond a question of a doubt that your fanbase is starving for content. As I said earlier, you take too many hiatuses. What can a dokkaebi, an existence born to create stories, do with their time?]

-[I'm going to forget the question you asked. Returning to the statement before that, yes, my fanbase is starved for content.]

In the longest of time, I saw the trademark Dokkaebi grin lay on Herald's face.

-[But that means more of them desperately flock to the hand that feeds them.]

[All Constellations want the ads to end!]

[All Constellations are complaining!]

[Many Constellations do not care about the game "Raid: Illuminated Legends!"]

[Some Constellations are clicking the link to the game "Illusion Connect!"]

As if to prove his point, the Constellations spammed messages, demanding Herald to end the commercials. Dogkak's expression darkened. He knew that Herald had the Constellations feeding on the palm of his hands and twisted around his fingers. Was this the audience the fanbase of a low-grade Dokkaebi? It didn't make any sense.

-[Hm. Fine then. Indeed, prominent streamers who come back from breaks receive a boost in the Star Stream recommendation algorithm. You'll be able to ride this tidal wave and expand. Although] Dogkak said with malicious grin and tone, [do you trully think all those viewers can protect you from the incoming Probability storm heading your way?]

If I were the type of person to pee their pants, I would be dripping yellow. Dogkak mentioned Probability storms. No creature was immune to it. Probability, plausibility, feasibility, whatever you call it in your language, all existences were bound to it: Incarnation, Constellation, and even Dokkaebi, beings that should have a firmer grasp of it. Here was a Dokkaebi featured in the main novel, warning me that it was coming. How could I not be afraid?

-[Shouldn't the viewers of my hypothetically expanding channel increase the probability present? Your argument makes no sense. Did you forget what we were taught at the Bureau?]

-[Just because Constellations are part of your viewership doesn't mean they love the story equally. There are different ranks for the consumers in one's channel. Some are stans.]

[Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" is rioting from the ads!]

-[Some are admirers.]

[Constellation "Anti-Confederacy" is proud of Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura" and Incarnation "George Machen."]

-[Some hold slight disdain for the story.]

[Constellation "Demonic Judge of Fire" is about to leave!]

-[Some wish to use the Incarnation for their own goals.]

[Constellation "The Black One, Lord of Muspellheim" is wondering where Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura" is located.]

-[Some are general viewers.]

[Constellation "Prisoner of the Golden Headband" is looking at the environment.]

[Constellation "Lord of Unlife" is looking at the flare zombie horde.]

-[Some are haters.]

[Nebula "Masters of Klan" are saying Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura" is a #############!]

-[And lastly, some are dangerous opportunists.]

[Constellation "Secretive Plotter" wishes to see the Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura."]

[Constellation "General-Slayer" wishes to see the Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura."]

As if to add weight to Dogkak's words, messages from the stars appeared.

-[Do the both of you think all those stars will give you their light? Do you think they'll shine it onto you? No. Some wish to use that very light-]

Dread fell deeper down my throat and stomach.

-[to burn you where you stand. This is the nature of the Constellations. So, I'll repeat it: the Probability Incarnation Ethan Nakamura has consumed more than he can gain - at the moment. If he comes to my channel, I will be able to handle the storm and protect him.]

-[Stop, stop, stop,] Herald said while folding one arm to his chest, and pressing one hand to his forehead, [why is a Probability storm coming towards Ethan?]

Instead of answering directly, Dogkak explained something else.

-[All the viewers of a story are biased towards it. They believe the events are probable but, viewed from an objective view, realize it is not. How did Ethan receive a Myth-Constellation for a backer? How did he survive so many times? How did he find so many profitable dungeons? Do you know what that is called, Herald? It's called plot convenience, a narrative aspect that the Star Stream loathes. The Star Stream prefers well-earned stories filled with many tribulations.]

With a showy sweep of his arms, Dogkak gestured to Northwest School and continued his rant.

-[How do you think Incarnation Ethan Nakamura has come to this point?]

With a toothy grin, Dogkak said the most self-cock-sucking sentence yet.

-[It is due to the scenarios I have orchestrated.]

If listening to someone's monologue could give probability, then I should've gained a myriad for listening to these bullshit words.

-[Cut the goddamn crap, Dogkak.]

-[Excuse me?]

-[You mentioned opportunists earlier, but you're nothing but an opportunist yourself. You want to commit daylight robbery against Herald and use me as an entertainment monkey. Even if you pay us, it's still Herald's loss. If we disagree, you'll probably report him under the pretext of committing "channel manipulation." I bet you have this big 'ol report ready to be sent if we don't.]

-[So insightful of you. I understand how you made it far with such intellect. So, you fully grasp the situation. It means you should agree to the terms.]

-[I would rather die my preferred death - a fiery explosion - than join your channel. You may be a Dokkaebi, but even you understand this gesture.]

I flipped Dogkak the bird and decided to say what so many Dokkaebi probably wanted to say to him, especially when he gave his bullshit offer.

-[Go fuck yourself with your own lightning and go. You're interrupting the stream, and time is money. I ain't taking your deal, and Herald feels the same.]

Dogkak's furry face contorted in rage. His fangs emerged, and his fists clenched. He raised one hand towards me-

(Wait, no, he's gonna use balloon burst?!)

-but held himself back. Instead, Dogkak pointed an angry finger at my chest.

-[I will give you one last chance, Incarnation Ethan Nakamura. You are a Japanese Incarnation, so it is plausible for you to join my channel. If you apologize and refer to me respectfully, we can still proceed with the contract.]

-[No means no. Stop clamoring and get out.]

Dogkak's fur stood up on end, his horns twitched, and I thought I could see veins bulging underneath.

-[You have made the worst choice. You will regret what you did today for the rest of your life. I will make sure of it.]

Herald and I stayed silent. Soon, Dogkak vanished with a flash of lightning. The Dokkaebi was gone, but the premonition of a threat remained. Herald soon spoke and encapsulated this entire encounter perfectly.

-[This is shit.]

-[It is.]

-[Did you have to enrage him? He's not someone to trifle with.]

-[Don't scold me. I think I have a skill that increases my chance to piss people off.]

-[I'll lift the ads now.]

The Constellations flooded into the chat.

-[Hm. Go find George.]

-[Alright.]

I turned away and decided to go to one building. I gave George orders to find the prisoners he drugged and make sure they were bound. As I walked, though, I had a thought.

-[Herald.]

-[Yes?]

-[Do you think you should finally meet George?]

His eyes widened from my proposition. I think it was time for Herald to meet George Machen, the victim he introduced to the world of tragedy.