It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

– User_**Y** has donated 1,000 KRW! –

【 Finally, our teacher is trying VR ㅠㅠㅠㅠ This is so emotional……】

– User_**Y** has donated 1,000 KRW! –

【 I feel like I’m going to achieve enlightenment……now just turn on the camera】

– User_**Y** has donated 1,000 KRW! –

【 It’s truly a legend that you haven’t done VR while promoting KoK so much】

Perhaps because of the broadcast title, donations about VR poured in even during the short setup time.

I knew VR was the trend, but was it something to make such a fuss about? What was all the hype about VR?

– User_**Y** has donated 1,000 KRW! –

【 Why have you been using only the keyboard and mouse till now】

– User_**Y** has donated 1,000 KRW! –

【 What’s the real reason you’ve been so adamant about not using VR】

It had become a routine question that felt incomplete if not asked. The wording varied, but the question remained the same every time.

I had never answered this question properly. However, if I had ever started explaining, it would have easily turned into a one-hour-long rant.

Just the fact that complex duel systems had been introduced into AOS (or MOBA) genres was already excessive, and yet, adding VR to the mix? Furthermore, isn’t the joy of gaming derived from doing things in-game that you can’t do in real life? If you had to move your body directly, it would be sports, not E-sports. Why include such elements in a game?

Such thoughts boiled over every time I received this question, but ultimately, VR KoK had been successful. Faced with this harsh reality, these thoughts were swallowed silently, and I consistently ignored the queries.

Looking back now, I felt relieved I hadn’t voiced those thoughts to my viewers.

I easily imagined the ruckus and ridicule that would have ensued if I, grumbling like an old conservative curmudgeon, suddenly decided to try VR.

And above all, now I accepted that my aversion to VR wasn’t really because of those reasons.

I dreaded exposing the stark differences from my past life, fearing to prod the still raw and tender wounds in my heart, and I had clung to the excuse of using a keyboard and mouse.

Like anything in life, the first attempt was the hardest. After visiting the VR room to teach StarPork, my aversion to VR KoK quickly faded. However, I continued to avoid it for a while.

To be honest, I didn’t have the courage to set it up and wear it daily. In the VR room, trained staff assisted me, but at home, there was no one to help.

“Hmm… Does this go on my legs? The instructions say… Ah, it’s displaying on the screen. That part… is it this one? There are at least five more that look similar…”

『?? There can’t be similar looking parts』

『The broadcaster doesn’t make pancakes, but she does a setup show』

– “It had to be visible to know if it was being done properly.”

– “Setting it up and announcing it vs. just starting the broadcast to raise the blood pressure of 10,000 viewers.”

The VR I remembered involved loosely holding a controller in each hand… Why had it evolved into such a complicated dark science?

Recalling Revan’s explanation, I tried to dress up according to the onscreen instructions, but—it wasn’t easy. Really.

Ah, so this is the leg part. Then, if I wrap this around like this—

-Click.

I might not know for sure, but judging by the sound, it seemed to be in place. When you fumble around with something you’re not familiar with, the ‘click’ sound is reassuring, while the ‘snap’ sound is terrifying.

-Vooom.

As expected, it must have been correct. With a soft powering-up sound, the left leg of the figure on the screen began to glow green.

– “Teacher, at least explain what you’re doing…”

– “Turn on the camera if you don’t want to die.”

– “No way, you just put on one leg now?”

“Ah, I’ve dressed the leg now. Since they say beginning is half the battle, if I’ve started and completed the left leg, isn’t that 60% done? I also need to wrap something around my torso. At this point, it’s practically armor. And then…”

Still, once I attached one part, the rest became relatively easier. Maybe it was a matter of getting the hang of it.

After fitting various VR devices to my body… the last part was putting on the specialized gloves, leaving only the headgear. I checked the time; it had been just 30 minutes since I started the broadcast. Not a bad pace.

“Once I put on the headgear, it’s done. Did you enjoy the first part, the VR setup broadcast?”

– “Me”

– “🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥”

– “Rock”

– “Me”

– “🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥”

– “What first part, seriously?”

Even the viewers, who enjoyed protesting, seemed pleased. Nodding, I pulled the headgear over my head—a rather spectacular view unfolded before my eyes.

The vast expanse of space, glittering stars. And… Ah, so this is where the monitor display appears.

When I brought my hand up and made a zooming motion, the view shifted swiftly, as if I were directly looking at the monitor.

Viewing the chat window in VR made me a bit dizzy. I’ll just… remove that temporarily for now.

Anyway… it was quite impressive. Compared to the VR I had experienced before, it was much cleaner. Revan’s description of the high-end equipment seemed not exaggerated in the least.

-ㅇㅇ donated 1,000 won!-

【Alright, since that’s settled, let’s start by customizing the avatar】

The viewers seemed quite excited that the first part had concluded successfully. Donations filled with various emotions were pouring in.

Among such donations, the keyword most frequently mentioned was, undoubtedly, “avatar.”

-ㅇㅇ donated 10,000 won!-

【I’ll give 100,000 won if you make the avatar look like real life】

Avatar. Avatar, huh.

One of the significant changes in KoK was this. Gone were the days when they barely released skins as an annual event with poor customization features.

Though I didn’t particularly like it, since I’d already started broadcasting for the viewers, there wasn’t any reason to refuse this either.

When I turned my attention to the related menu, a 3D model filled with complex figures and parameters greeted my. It seemed quite detailed customization was possible.

-ㅇㅇ donated 1,000 won!-

【The closer you set it to your real body, the less VR nausea you’ll experience. Remember this!】

… Could that be true? It had an oddly convincing ring to it, but felt like there might be another intention there.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try, even if I got tricked.

I adjusted the height a bit… Should the chest be relevant too? I thought of my real body and slowly moved the sliders to the right, and kept going, and going… until they reached the end.

Ah. It couldn’t be implemented.

“Hmm… It can’t reflect reality. There’s a limit.”

Thinking about it, I’d be wearing a compression garment while gaming anyway. Maybe minimizing it would be better. As soon as I decided to fine-tune it, a wave of laziness overcame me, and I pushed the sliders to the opposite end and hit the complete button.

Right. How important could an avatar be?

I could play a rank match and reconfigure it if necessary.

* * * *

It was a game where he had gained the upper hand. Not because his team was good, but because the opponents were bad.

A clumsy rogue and an even clumsier knight. The one-two punch of the opposing team displayed a formidable force. As if hitting themselves simultaneously on the chin and the temples, they delivered a catastrophic defeat to their team from both underground and above ground.

Especially the knight… It was hard to believe he was even in Diamond, let alone Challenger. Fortunately.

Even when hiring a proxy, one would usually hire them up to a reasonable tier. His skill was so abysmal that he wondered what his original tier was.

‘After this game, I need to take a break. If he’s on my team, it’s a certain loss.’

He knocked down the knight, who couldn’t fend off even simple attacks, with my axe twice. Wielding dual axes, the warrior felt confident of drilling a straight path not only through the central stronghold but also through the opponent’s base.

An easy win was always welcome. With just a few more victories like this, achieving Challenger status this season might no longer be a dream.

With these thoughts, the Warrior advanced leisurely, his ears catching the thudding sounds from afar. The footsteps sounded like sweet music, promising yet another easy kill.

Shortly after, the figure appeared—unsurprisingly, it was that knight. Clad in heavy armor, wearing only gauntlets made of plate, and audaciously not even carrying a shield.

Initially, seeing that greatsword had been intimidating. However, now, the absurdly oversized sword slung over his shoulder looked quite comical.

All he had to do was rush in and take his head. It was such an easy task. The battle would be over before the greatsword could even be swung.

With that thought, the Warrior began to accelerate.

One step.

Two steps.

And three steps.

The Warrior successfully closed the gap, unchallenged, breaching the knight’s defenses. From this point onward, the elongated, cumbersome greatsword would be too unwieldy to counter him in such close quarters.

In other words, it was practically the moment of the Warrior’s assured victory. Perhaps the knight, who had likely boosted his rank through a proxy, didn’t realize this. With a sneer, the Warrior swung his axe—

—*Clang!*

A sharp metallic sound. It was the first time his attack had been blocked. Had the knight anticipated it? The knight, who had smoothly transitioned to a half-swording stance, was slowly shifting his weight.

It must be a coincidence. The odds are he just got lucky in his panic, transitioning to a defensive stance. But regardless of the reason, there was no need to give him more time.

—*Whoosh!*

Though it was surprising that the attack was blocked, it had been a straightforward strike without any feints. Perhaps he had underestimated his opponent too much. With this slight reflection, the Warrior prepared for a combo.

Feigning a head swing with the left-handed axe, while his true intention was a strike aiming at the shins with his right. It was a tried-and-true tactic for dealing with such amateurs.

For humans, it’s almost impossible not to be drawn to the blade rushing toward their face. And in a VR environment that’s hard to distinguish from reality, this human instinct remains intact.

Expecting the satisfying impact, the Warrior saw a fist coming toward him.

Growing larger.

—*Bang!*

With a deafening noise, the Warrior’s vision turned a bright red. The knight’s fist had collided with his helmet—the weight and mass of the plate gauntlet made the attack anything but light.

Had it been reality, his head would have shaken inside the helmet, rendering him unable to fight. The slightly reddened vision and the embarrassing fall to the ground were thanks to the game’s unique balancing.

He would’ve preferred it if these game mechanics didn’t exist.

Grinding his teeth at the thought of being hit by a beginner’s lucky punch, the Warrior couldn’t hear—

From a distance, the opponent murmured in an exceedingly calm voice, “Adapting… Hmm. I think I’m getting the hang of it. VR makes using fists easy. Maybe I should kill him with just punches once.”

Such were the words the Knight was uttering.