The words felt heavy—too heavy to fully bear. I forced a small, bitter laugh.
"With that… I'm also quitting my job as a streamer."
[STREAM CHAT]
[SoulEater99]: …Wait, seriously??
[FanGirl99]: Nooooo! Don't quit streaming.
[FinalViewer]: You literally carried this game on your back… mad respect, man.
[SilentViewer]: …so this is really the end, huh.
[DragonLover]: First player to slay Fafnir, last one to log out… that's kinda poetic.
"So… do you want to become a poet, DragonLover-ssi?" I replied.
The notifications still hovered in my vision, glowing like trophies I'd never hold. I shut down my interface and let darkness swallow the screen.
This wasn't victory.It was a farewell to all my supporters around the world.
[STREAM HAS ENDED]
[STREAM CHAT]
[Admin]: That's a wrap for the stream. Let's all say our goodbyes to Kim Yujeo-ssi.
[User_144]: GG EZ, brooo!
[LunaChan]: NOOO!! Why'd you end so soon??
[DarkHunter21]: Yujeo-senpai… you're insane at this game.
[xX_K1LLF33D_Xx]: Infinite Abyss GOD! We bow down.
[CherryPie]: Rest well, Emperor.
[ShadowFox]: WRAITH KING OF THE ABYSS.
I stared at the fading screen of goodbyes watching the chat slowly die down as my computer shut down.
I stood up and stretched before tossing myself onto the bed. The coldness of the mattress against my skin gave me a strange sense of comfort and calmness, causing me to drift into the realm of dreams.
Before I drift off… I guess I should do you the honor of introducing myself properly.
My name is Kim Yujeo. Online, people call me the Emperor of Hardcore. I'm a full-time streamer, specializing in permadeath challenges across every genre imaginable.
But there's more to me than just streams and highlight reels. After all, I'm one of the six players worldwide who've officially cleared the 99 Floors of Infinite Abyss.
It's a title that carries weight in certain circles… and a burden far beyond what most could comprehend.
I chuckled softly, staring at the faint cracks on my ceiling.
As a streamer, you'd think I'd be rolling in cash, but reality's a lot harsher. On average, I pull in about ₩8,000,000 a month. Sounds decent, sure, but once you factor in expenses and the lack of stable sponsors.
Since, I refuse to sell my soul to ads, it's not nearly as glamorous as people imagine. So yeah, I still end up eating cup ramen more often than I'd like to admit.Though,I eat them for the night only.
I'm also an investor in several major companies. I'd tell you which ones, but thanks to Webnovel's rules, my hands are tied. A really big shame because I could've taught you a thing or two about making real money. Not that you'd be able to keep up. Besides, if I went into detail, the poor author would probably cry about having to write so much. So, I'll spare him and myself the trouble.
Sure, if I wanted, I could walk out of this cramped place tomorrow and buy myself a penthouse. But I'm saving for my marriage. More than that, I don't have a place I can truly call home.But, maybe after I'm married, the house I buy will finally be somewhere I can call my own.
I'm an orphan. My parents died in a car accident when I was seventeen. I still have a younger sister and some relatives, but… truth is, I never really learned how to cope with losing them. I pushed forward anyway. Graduated with a Master's in Commerce by twenty-one.Yah,it is impressive on paper, sure. But a degree is just ink and formality. It doesn't fill the silence when there's no one waiting at the dinner table.
So, right here I built my own home. Between screens, streams, and the endless flood of strangers who scream my name in chat. This room, these games, this persona… they're more real to me than the hollow comfort of sympathy ever was. Call it ego, call it survival but this is who I am. This is where I exist.
Soon,I drifted into the realms of sleep, and when I woke the next morning, the sun was already spilling its pale gold through my curtains.
For a moment, everything felt normal. The hum of the ceiling fan, the distant cars outside, the quiet comfort of a new day… all of it trying to remind me of an ordinary life. But I'm not ordinary, and normal has never been enough for me.
But that fleeting peace didn't last long. Nothing ever does when someone like me is involved.
I groggily sat up, stretched my arms, and plopped down on my gaming chair. My fingers moved on autopilot, opening my investment app to check the markets.
[Investment Dashboard — 07:12 AM]
TechCorp (NASDAQ) — 12.7%
Global Electronics —8.9%
CryptoX —15.4%
Portfolio Status:Massive Gains
I blinked.
"Whoa…" I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "Why the hell is everything surging like this?"
Oh, shit! Author… are you seriously messing with me right now?
Before I could even process it, I switched tabs and opened the news portal, expecting the usual reports of stocks surging thanks to the author's interference.
Of course, the author never responds through normal channels. Even if I knew, he'd just make it look like a coincidence.
But then... I froze.
[Breaking News]
Timestamp: 08:00 AM KST
Headline: Mysterious Tower Emerges in Seoul's Jamwon Hangang Park
Details:Residents were shaken this morning when a massive black tower suddenly rose from the ground in Jamwon Hangang Park, Seoul. The surrounding area as estimated at a 500-meter radius has been heavily damaged.
Eyewitnesses describe the structure as an "obsidian-like tower," unlike anything seen before. Authorities are currently investigating its origin and stability.
Emergency services have begun evacuating nearby civilians, and the government has raised the national Disaster Alert Level to Tier 1 as a precaution.
My breath hitched.
"This… this can't be real."
I hesitated for a moment, then clicked the live stream attached to the article.
"If this is some prank or edited video, I swear… nobody pulls this off better than me."
[LIVE — SEOUL DISASTER RESPONSE]
The footage shook violently as a drone hovered above the Han River. In the distance stood an enormous black tower, spiraling endlessly upward, piercing the clouds like a spear. Its surface had faint runes glowing crimson as waves of black mist rolled out from its base.
Shhhhhh...
The audio crackled as chaos bled through it. People were screaming,sirens were wailing but some tried to maintain the orders yet they drowned in panic.
And then—
A deep, distorted voice rumbled through the speakers, silencing the chaos.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
"The Trial of Infinity has begun."
Rules:
1. Do not approach the Tower unless chosen.
2. Chosen individuals will receive a System Interface.
3. Survival is optional. Death is permanent.
"…What the hell…" I whispered under my breath as fear rippled through my spine.
[LIVE STREAM CHAT]
[HyunGamer97]:Bro… tell me this is just some kinda PR stunt. Please.
[NoonaSlays]: nah fam, my cousin lives near Jamwon… she's not answering her phone.
[Crypto4Life]:YO WTF—bitcoin pumping 'cause of this??
[GoblinMain]:If this is Infinite Abyss in real life, I'm soloing that tower.It's time to use the Emperor's techniques.
[SeoulPD_Chief{√}:This is not a drill. Please stay indoors.
I leaned back, eyes glued to the screen, heart thundering in my chest.
Sure, everything about this screamed wrong. But the chat told a different story. Panic was everywhere. The livestream was chaos. people were screaming, a reporter's hands visibly shaking.
But you know what really froze me? Not the tower. Not the so-called "System."
It was seeing my own subscribers flooding the feed and the freaking Head of Seoul's Police Department right there too. Watching. Same place as me.
This was all real.
But then out of nowhere… no, scratch that. Not "out of the unknown." This was the author's doing. I actually thought this story was gonna be romance… maybe slice-of-life at worst. But nope. Screw you, author.
Still… I've gotta admit, the bastard's got some nerve writing this in. Shameless. Absolutely shameless.
[You have been selected]
[The choices are simple]
1.Do nothing and die peacefully
2.Face my wrath and survive if you can
[Timer 00:59:54]
I froze, the words burning into my vision, the timer counting down like a drum in my skull.
Author please, I do not want to die, not today, not like this.
Then irritation flared, hot and ridiculous, because of course the story would toss me into a corner and call it drama.Fine,I thought, chin up, voice slipping into the showman I am, if this is the script then I will play it and steal the scene.
I am not going to lie down and expire, not with all those viewers watching, not with Seoul PD and my subscribers staring at the feed .So ,yeah, I will do my job as the main character in this mess, but make no mistake, I will do it my way.If fate wants a spectacle, then let it watch the Emperor perform.
Timer keeps ticking, but so do I, and I still have tricks up my sleeve.
I let out a long breath, forcing my shoulders to relax. My lips curled into a smirk.The Author didn't remove it which means it is due to the action of another existence.
"Like hell I'm dying here… Option two."
[To be Continued...]
[End of Chapter 3:The Emperor's Last Stream]