The offline meeting had finally begun. On a stage erected in the center of the stadium, the members of the Official Children—myself included—were gathered. Our appearances were projected onto a massive screen panel, likely making us clearly visible even to spectators in the distant stands.
The number of fans gathered for this offline meeting was two thousand. It was quite small compared to the size of the venue, but considering the costs poured into it, the amount was astronomical. Renting out this entire ship alone must have cost an unimaginable sum, and the invited guests were granted free use of all facilities. It had apparently been realized due to Pomerni's strong desire, resulting in a lavish event that could be called abnormal compared to previous years.
Even though the numbers were small, the heat of the venue felt as though it had already reached its climax. The voices of the crowd, in a festive frenzy, reached all the way to the stage. As Six's heart rate rose in proportion to the noise, the event proceeded, beginning with the introduction of the stars.
"And now, let us introduce the greatest heroes who grace this historic day! The eleven elites chosen by the I-Tuber King, Pomerni! Leading the pack is the number two I-Tuber in both name and reality, the Don of the gaming world—Captain Trail!"
"Ah, hey there."
A man bowed repeatedly as the camera was pointed at him. His head was completely covered by a skeleton mask, hiding his true face. He primarily posted gameplay videos and never showed his face.
The idea that one could easily gain views just by showing their face was a misconception. Many of those in the top rankings did not rely on such methods. While it served to prevent their identity from being leaked, a stance of not asserting oneself too much and keeping a step away from the viewers was sometimes preferred.
Gaming content was the largest faction among all videos in terms of sheer numbers. It had an ease of entry where one could start without having to think up a project from scratch, and many people came to watch. Consequently, the competition was extremely fierce, making it a difficult genre to climb.
The man reigning at the top of that gaming community was Trail. Seeing him up close, he looked like a perfectly ordinary man; one could not feel anything like star quality from the atmosphere he wore. If his face was off-limits, one might wonder if his voice was particularly good, but that wasn't the case either. He didn't have what one would call a 'silky voice,' which is often an important factor for popular posters.
If one asked if he was skilled at games, he was certainly good, but he remained within the realm of a typical advanced player. There were likely countless posters with better gameplay than him. So, what was it that made him powerful enough to be called the number two, second only to Pomerni?
It was his 'ordinariness.' In other words, his approachability. He possessed an exquisite balance between 'skillful play' and 'entertainment value,' something every gamer struggles with. Just being skilled isn't enough to bring out the full charm of a commentary video, yet playing in a clumsy, sluggish way would earn dislike.
His terrifying strength was his ability to maintain this balance naturally, without making it look intentional. Even during blind plays or live streams, he was surprisingly stress-free to watch, providing a sense of security as if one were playing with a friend.
When it came to gaming, it was Trail. Regardless of the genre—action, RPG, or horror—his playstyle and commentary had the dignity of an established old shop that never missed the mark. His record of maintaining the immovable second-place spot since the founding of the Official Children proved it.
The introduction ended, and Trail returned to his seat. As he sat down, a loud noise like a firecracker went off, and a startled Trail tumbled from his chair. The man sitting next to him was howling with laughter.
"Whoops! He's already pulled one off! The prank-style I-Tuber, Jack High!"
"Merry Christmaaas! Santa has brought wonderful presents to all the good children again this year! Pu-pu-pu-pu..."
Jack, a short man wearing a Santa costume, was an I-Tuber who traveled the world playing pranks on numerous celebrities. His pranks ranged from silly things a child might think of to large-scale setups like something planned by a television station.
His passion for pranks was incredible, and the 'Jack Victim Association Foundation,' formed by his sympathizers, supported his pranks in their entirety. It was funny to watch, but for those on the receiving end, it was nothing but a massive nuisance.
However, despite appearances, he had the side of a man of character; all earnings, including video ad revenue, were managed by the foundation to provide support for underprivileged children worldwide. He himself had a history of being left alone in the world after losing his family to war in his youth.
Because it functioned as a sort of charity project, many celebrities who were pranked laughed and forgave his actions. However, that didn't mean every prank was justified; there were times when people became genuinely enraged, leading to police involvement, and he remained an undeniable troublemaker.
"Next up, the physical-type Hunter I-Tuber who travels to unexplored regions—Blade Max!"
"Muscle-muscle-muscle-muscle!"
A large man emphasized his muscles along with a strange laugh. He possessed a powerful body like a bodybuilder, and his safari jacket, the kind explorers wear, was so tight the buttons looked ready to fly off. Why didn't he choose a size with more room?
Among I-Tubers, there were those who made videos of dangerous acts that ordinary people couldn't mimic, all for the sake of views. Extreme content that violated public order and morals should be restrained, but some posters filmed using professional techniques and knowledge. While there was no clear standard of judgment, they were categorized as the Hunter-type.
'Hunter' was not a word that sat comfortably in my ears. It was the profession that man, Mock, had claimed for himself. However, I had looked into the reality of it using the internet.
Apparently, it wasn't a word that simply referred to a hunter of animals, but was an internationally influential qualification. Rumors flew across the net that it was the highest-paying job in the world, or that they were a group of superhumans who had transcended humanity. The exam passing rate was said to reach several million to one every year.
It wasn't that one couldn't post Hunter-type videos unless they became a Hunter. The term was merely used to describe videos that 'seemed like a Hunter' from the perspective of an ordinary person. However, in Blade's case, he was a genuine Pro Hunter with the actual qualification.
He adventured through unexplored regions inhabited by dangerous creatures and posted videos of the reality there. Contrary to his appearance, he was rich in biological and geological knowledge, providing detailed explanations of the ecology of rare living things.
A Pro Hunter should be able to earn vast sums of money easily without having to become an I-Tuber. Why did he go out of his way to post videos? It was out of a desire to let many people know the beauty hidden in the unexplored regions.
The diversity of life that had undergone evolution beyond human knowledge, and the structural beauty of the majestic scenery created by nature. His videos were documentaries that recorded them without omission.
The wildlife videos I recently started posting were also called Hunter-type, but compared to Blade's... no, it was presumptuous even to compare them. In fact, the very inspiration for them had been gained from his videos; to put it bluntly, I had just ripped him off.
Seeing the man himself like this, between the aura of powerful vitality overflowing from his body and his overwhelming personality, I felt as though I couldn't possibly compete. I grew slightly depressed.
"Next is the miracle Yoga Master! The dance-type I-Tuber, J.J.J. Simon!"
"Gonna dance the dance of joy."
The black man with dreadlocks leapt up from his seat and actually began performing an acrobatic dance on top of the backrest.
In this genre called dance-type or 'tried dancing,' the performer's visuals are an important element, but above all, it is a world where dance skill is everything. Simon's technique, standing at the summit, was naturally top-tier, but his characteristics didn't stop there.
It was said that he traveled through the Middle Eastern countries on the Aijien Continent where ancient culture remains deeply rooted, devoting his heart and soul to Yoga training. He independently researched ancient breathing techniques, medical massages, and ancient martial arts, pioneering a new frontier called '3J Flutter' by fusing them with modern dance.
Under the concept of 'becoming healthy while dancing coolly,' he posted dance lesson videos that could be tackled by everyone from beginners to experts. This was picked up extensively by the media for having a dramatic effect on dieting, and his fame skyrocketed.
Furthermore, attention was focused on various medical effects such as correcting muscle stiffness and skeletal distortion, lower back pain, joint pain, activation of internal organ functions, and anti-aging. Aerobics incorporating the 3J Flutter became widespread. He was now a dancer recognized globally by everyone from the young to the elderly.
"Now for the next one, the high-pitched cheers are already breaking out! The idol-type I-Tuber, Noah Heliodor!"
"Everyone! Thank you!"
As he waved to the spectator stands with a refreshing smile, the cheers of the female fans heated up even further. As expected of a top-class I-Tuber and idol-type poster, his appearance was very handsome, apparently. His background was also quite incredible.
It seemed he originally started his activities as a 'tried singing' poster. He had many fans as a talented performer with high singing ability, but at that time, he had not yet shown his face. It was a few years later that he gained explosive popularity.
He was born into a prestigious family that had produced famous doctors for generations, and he graduated from Miwal University School of Medicine with excellent grades, holding a position where his future as a doctor was guaranteed. However, unable to give up his true dream of becoming an actor, he made the switch.
From this time, he intensified his activities on I-Tube. His sweet face and beautiful voice caused his fan base to surge. He also achieved success as an actor, rising to the point of being active in Habritt, the global holy land of cinema. Furthermore, his talent as a singer-songwriter blossomed, and he handled the theme songs for numerous famous movies; he was a man to whom heaven had given two or even three talents.
Alongside his acting career, he is still vigorously active as an I-Tuber. Rumors say his hair or used tissues are traded for exorbitant prices like tens of millions of Jenny. I don't understand it.
"Next to be introduced is... wait? What happened here?! He's nowhere to be seen... hm? What's this? A single cloth is falling from the sky. As the cloth flutters down and drapes over the empty chair—oh?! Unbelievable! Appearing from within the cloth where no one should have been is the magic-type I-Tuber, Answer Bat!"
A masked man in a silk hat and tailcoat, dressed entirely in black and holding a cane, Answer Bat was a magician. Far from showing his face, he had never even uttered a word. His true merit was, above all, the sheer size of his repertoire. His motto was 'One Magic a Day.' He carried that out, continuing to perform a new magic trick almost every single day.
When it comes to magic, one enjoys the mystery and then wants to solve the truth behind it. As a magician, having that known should be the same as having one's livelihood stolen, but Bat publicized the secrets of the magic he created without hiding anything. His videos were structured with the reveal as a set. He occasionally failed, but he would push through in silence.
Reveal and analysis videos for magic are uploaded by other posters as well, but to think of and announce them himself every day meant his brain was surely different from an ordinary person's. Some magic required high technique or large-scale sets, but many could be mimicked once the trick was known. He apparently ran a company that developed and sold small items used in magic.
He restrained himself now, but in the early days of his activity, he committed the atrocity of barging into other magicians' magic shows to expose their tricks. He had been sued for business interference several times. Except for a single defeat, there was no magic trick he hadn't seen through ('Answer Bat vs. Hisoka the Magician'). For that reason, he was apparently loathed by his peers.
Even now, he was using gestures to explain to the audience that there had been a space to hide himself under the chair where he appeared. It seemed he had been hidden inside the stage floor in advance, but just how long had he been on standby?
"Next is the man who sees through every future! The mentalism-type I-Tuber, Grandfather of the Galaxy!"
"Tonight, I shall unravel all of your destinies."