A YouTuber playing someone else's YouTube video?
That could pose a serious copyright problem.
That's why most streamers avoid playing other people's broadcasts on their own streams.
However, there are cases where videos uploaded to YouTube are played for streamers and their viewers, a practice known as 'video donations.'
If donating 1,000 won to display a simple text message is just a 'donation'...
...then donating 5,000 won to play a short, one-minute video instead of text is a video donation.
It has its share of problems and advantages, but I could only laugh at what that streamer was doing.
"He's cashing in on this with video donations."
"Should we take legal action?"
"Normally, I would, but since we're planning to use him too, we should just let it slide."
I pointed Lasian to the channel where her gameplay video was uploaded.
"Look at this. It already has 20 subscribers."
"Twenty people..."
"After a day, it'll easily pass 100, I bet."
I said 100, but in reality, it might even surpass 500.
'A video from the world's number two ranker isn't something only people in Korea will watch.'
The game [Pa-ple 1] was a worldwide hit.
The person who instantly dethroned the Korean number two to take the spot for herself immediately uploaded her gameplay to YouTube?
"The people watching this video right now are probably already waiting for the next one."
"The next video... a video of me taking first place?"
"Exactly. But anyone sharp would have figured it out just by looking at the channel name."
"You mean because the channel is simply named ?"
"Yes."
People who know the unwritten rules of the industry, or insiders like Jin Suyeon, would probably realize it.
"Ah, this is a dedicated gameplay channel set up before a professional gaming VTuber makes her debut."
"...A dedicated channel?"
"It's common for a single VTuber to run multiple channels."
In this day and age, just running a single YouTube channel is incredibly demanding for most people.
But YouTube has its video algorithm, and that algorithm plays a crucial role in a channel's growth.
Analyzing the algorithm is vital for a YouTuber.
It's important to consistently produce videos on topics that YouTube recommends to people.
"If you're uploading gameplay videos and then suddenly a VTuber's face pops up and starts rambling, you'd be mixing two different themes on the same channel, right?"
"That's true."
"Hmm... I don't know if this is the right analogy, but you could think of it like having both Ice Magic and Fire Magic spells in the same spellbook."
"Ah."
Lasian snapped her fingers.
"I think I understand. It would be better to separate the content into different spellbooks. So the spellbook is the channel?"
"Exactly. Gameplay videos go on the gameplay channel, and people who like the VTuber persona subscribe to and watch the VTuber channel. That's where you'd post edited highlights of your gameplay, or just do casual chats."
Since Lasian can firmly establish herself as a skilled gamer, the channels must be kept separate for now.
At least, that's how the algorithm works in 2035.
"Normally, if you just upload a video, you might get four views in 24 hours, zero likes, and maybe one dislike from some toxic kid passing by, you know?"
"So, for a channel with just one video, is this one doing well?"
"It's more than just doing well; it has explosive potential. The fact that is watching it via video donation is already creating a huge viral effect."
He keeps replaying it every minute using the donation system because of copyright issues, but he's willing to put up with that inconvenience to watch it over and over.
And because of that inconvenience, viewers and other interested people will just come directly to the channel to watch the full video.
"Right now... it's kind of a win-win situation for both of us. Look. His viewer count jumped to 1,500 just from the headline that the number three ranker is studying the number two's strategy."
What could that streamer be thinking right now?
Is he happy about the viewer spike from new people who heard the rumors on community sites, or is he feeling the pressure from Lasian, who is clearly more skilled than him?
"Huh...?"
He was probably feeling a bit of both, but it seemed he was also experiencing something else.
"This person, why are they going this way here?"
Strategy.
"It's a little different from my route. Wait, how many seconds did it take to cross the conveyor belt? I think that was about three seconds faster than me."
He realized there were subtle differences between Lasian's clear process and his own.
The final times might not seem drastically different, but the paths taken to achieve them were clearly distinct.
And then.
"Ah...!"
That section.
The part where Lasian got screwed over by the game's RNG several times, wasting a full two minutes.
"Wow, holy shit, if that were me, I would've smashed my keyboard and started cursing. I've never been screwed over that badly."
Anyone who has played this game would be stunned just by the scene of her being unable to deal any damage for over a minute, then barely finding a damage window to squeeze in some hits and pass.
"Miss Lasian. What do you think is the most important thing when running a channel, both now and in the past?"
"The producer's strategic planning?"
"Flattery is nice, but I'm not always right. I just try to make the most appropriate choices in any given situation. Hey, can you watch the stream on your smartphone for a minute?"
I gestured to the computer where Lasian was sitting and asked for her permission.
"I think I need to make a couple of highlights into Shorts."
"Shorts..."
"I just need to clip about three Shorts. The one where you beat the hardest boss, the one where you just brute-force everything with pure mechanics, and..."
"The part where I wasted time because of the unfair patterns. Is that right?"
"Exactly."
Showing only her best moments is one way to do it, but what's important right now is to create a source for the people who will naturally make it go viral.
"If I clip just the part where you got screwed over, it'll spread by word of mouth, and the narrative will become, 'This is why she didn't get the world's number one record.' I'm sure of it."
And if it doesn't?
Then I'll just have to make it happen myself.
"The video is up, so you can rest now."
"Um... about resting, could I possibly..."
"If you'd rather do something other than watch the stream, you can browse academic paper websites on your smartphone if you want."
"Oh, then I won't hesitate!"
Lasian beamed and started exploring the academic sites I had shown her, delving into her quest for knowledge.
'Alright, shall we get started?'
A skilled gamer streamer provided the source material: a gameplay video from a world-class number two ranker.
A raw gameplay video with no voiceover or reactions whatsoever.
A roughly 40-minute video with nothing to show for it but Lasian's crisp, satisfying gameplay.
Less than an hour after being uploaded, the view count was already over 3,000.
'You have to strike while the iron is hot.'
It was probably a long shot, something impossible when I was younger, but it might just be possible now.
'Still, there's no way the very first video will make it to the trending page.'
"Oh, right."
Just as I was about to start editing, Lasian spoke up as if she'd just remembered something.
"Um, what should we do if that streamer watches my strategy and retakes second place?"
"That's exactly what I'm hoping for."
"Pardon?"
"Because this isn't the only game you're good at, Miss Lasian."
Multiplayer games were still premature.
But for games where you challenge something alone, it was a different story.
"We'll test the waters by uploading a few other games besides this one. Mostly challenge-based games. Then later, we'll upload things like LoL 2, HotS 2, and Eternal Return to attract all sorts of attention."
An absolute master who excels at all games.
Who could he possibly be?
A gamer who posts unfiltered videos of himself crushing games with pure mechanics, without saying a single word, suddenly speaks—and it's the soft, gentle voice of a woman?
The moment 'he' becomes 'she,' the industry will have no choice but to pay attention.
"Honestly, at this level, it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. Because..."
Divinity.
"When you're this good at games, things like algorithms and clickbait become meaningless."
Skill *is* the algorithm, and the viral spread will happen automatically.
"Miss Lasian. Back in your world, did you ever have things like magical duels?"
"I did, from time to time."
"You won them all, right?"
"Yes."
"In that case..."
I pointed to an item on the display shelf.
"Tomorrow, you want to play a fighting game with me?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
And then, a day later.
"Hah..."
About 3,000 viewers had gathered in the streamer 's channel, and they all got to hear the young man's exhausted sigh live.
"Wow, I'm short by three seconds..."
Three seconds.
He was still in third place.
"Even after copying his build and refining it, I just can't keep up with the mechanics in that one section. At least I was lucky enough not to get that unfair pattern. Hah, one more for real?"
-NOOOOO
-Go to sleep.
-Do the marathon stream tomorrow after you've rested.
Stream duration: approximately 20 hours.
The initial viewers had left out of exhaustion, and new ones had come after hearing the rumors, but with 2,700 people watching, his challenge against the number two, 'Lasian,' ended with him in third place by a margin of three seconds.
"Alright, I'll go to sleep and then... huh?"
?
?
???
Refresh.
While checking the ranking site, the streamer ReaperAjo saw it.
"What the?"
He was now in second place.
"...Where did first place go?"
The record of the person who was originally in first place had vanished.
As if someone had forcibly removed him from that spot.