Chapter 7: A solemn resolution
My name is Lee Ria.
My other name is Ria, a low-tier VTuber scraping by in the dirt for two months.
[Ria’s here! …What should we do today?]
“Hey, everyone, Riha~ Good evening!”
As always, I started streaming after my shift.
Tired, but real life’s part one was done—time for part two as a streamer.
“Huh?”
Something felt off.
[Participants: 20]
‘What? Why are viewers spiking so fast…?’
Hitting 20 viewers right after starting was unheard of in my two months on Forest.
Oh, I’ve experienced this before.
On the old platform.
In the worst way possible.
– This her?
– First time seeing her.
– lol Guess we’re watching here today.
– Nice to meet you.
– Taking a seat.
Chat was moving way faster than usual.
No lie, my heart was pounding.
I couldn’t help but think:
‘…Did I get caught?’
I’d hidden it so well—did someone figure out I reincarnated?
Is today, finally, VTuber Ria’s judgment day?
But don’t panic!
I’m a seasoned VTuber now, aren’t I?
[Participants: 40]
Viewers kept climbing, but I tried to stay calm.
“Phew.”
I muted the mic, took a deep breath, and steadied my nerves.
How did I even stream back then?
500 steady viewers on solo streams, four-digit peaks during group collabs.
‘…40 viewers, and I’m this nervous?’
Humans really are creatures of adaptation.
The dirt-tier, low-tier VTuber life had sunk into my bones!
I’d started groveling for every little mission.
I learned to cherish every single viewer.
Not necessarily a bad thing.
It brought me back to my roots.
Anyway, with the situation at hand, I had to handle it right.
“Guys, wasn’t it freezing today? I went out and had to layer up—it was brutal!”
I tapped into my pro mindset and started the stream calmly.
– Is this the VTuber balancing with Rainberg for Killwatch today?
– lol Been a while since I saw Killwatch.
“Huh?”
Then, the chats made me realize I’d misunderstood completely.
“Wait, did I actually get picked for the internal match!?”
– Yup.
– You didn’t know?
– lol Good thing you started streaming before 10.
– Hurry to D-chat! First-timer showing up late? The clips will haunt you.
“Eek, got it!”
Viewers with unfamiliar nicknames.
For floaters, they were surprisingly kind.
I scrambled to open D-chat.
I never dreamed I’d get picked.
And for Rainberg’s balance!?
Good thing I started early just in case.
I’d assumed I’d get rejected.
Being late would’ve been a nightmare!
“Guys, how do I get invited?”
Problem was, I was a total stranger to the other internal match members.
Living as a low-tier, semi-isolated streamer on Forest didn’t help.
– Hurry up, they’re waiting.
– Yo, chill. She’s clearly a newbie—why the rush?
– Rebug-nim probably posted the D-chat ID in his channel.
“Oh… right! Let me—”
Then, a donation alert and an electronic voice chimed in.
[Rose donated 10 Berries.]
– 【Rose】: Ria-nim, can you make me a manager for a bit? Also, drop your D-chat ID in manager chat.
I quickly checked Rainberg’s channel post.
Sure enough, Rose was listed in the confirmed lineup.
Clicking Rose’s nickname, I confirmed it was the real deal, not a fake.
“Oh, Rose-nim! I’ll do it right now!”
Thanks to Rose’s help, I got invited to Forest’s main community D-chat smoothly.
Rough estimate, over 200 streamers were in the server.
‘This place exists?’
Two months into streaming, getting invited here felt surreal, but being here was what mattered!
Ding!
“Phew…”
I took another deep breath.
With this opportunity, I had to nail VTuber Ria’s image from the start!
Steeling my nerves, I cleared my head.
With firm resolve, I turned on the D-chat mic.
“Hi, I’m Ria. Looking forward to today!”
What followed was beyond anything I expected.
“Rebug-oppa, be honest, you picked a girl VTuber ‘cause you’re scared, right?”
“…Wow, what a moron. What’d you say?”
“Am I wrong? Bet you’re scared, 100%!”
“Yeah? You’re breaking your team’s morale before we start, so no wonder your win rate’s under 10%.”
“Nuh-uh! It’s ‘cause of moron teammates!”
“Rebug-nim, Hwayeon-nim, save the sibling fight for later and let’s game.”
“Rose, you still don’t get it? They’re hyping up for a big side bet.”
‘Uh…’
What’s this vibe?
Less like a collab and more like middle schoolers yelling in a PC bang.
“Alright, guys, I’m betting 5,000 Berries against Hwayeon today.”
Rainberg was already fuming before the game.
“No backing out, moron. Loser’s getting a knee strike too.”
Hwayeon, a stranger to me, took the side bet like it was expected.
The internal match was funded by donations and team drafts.
The team setup moved fast.
“Alright, it’s my comeback stream, so let’s keep it chill with 2,000 Berries.”
“Sounds good.”
“Call.”
“Yep, I’m in!”
“Of course!”
“…Can’t we go bigger?”
“Hey, we’ve got a first-timer. Stick to 2,000.”
“…Ugh, lame.”
Despite seeming pissed, Rainberg confirmed all 10 members were in D-chat and declared the match start.
The others, watching the banter like it was entertainment, went to their fans for 2,000-Berry donations.
“Alright, Rebbagi bros, thanks for the funding!”
“Hwayeon fans, please fund too! We can’t lose!!”
They hyped the crowd for donations like they hadn’t just been fighting.
This must be their usual WWE-style routine.
The problem was me.
Getting friendly through gaming was the plan, but…
‘How am I supposed to get 2,000 Berries?’
Did I even have fans to donate?
Cold sweat started dripping.
‘This is a real mess.’
I jumped into the match without knowing it was donation-funded!
For a low-tier VTuber like me, 2,000 Berries—200,000 won—was no small feat.
Realistically, it was my fault for applying without knowing.
If everyone else got their funding and I didn’t, I’d be the odd one out!
‘No choice. I’ll fund it myself.’
Ugh.
Thinking of this month’s budget brought tears, but this was an investment!
‘Tighten the belt!’
This month, it’s cup ramen for every meal!
‘Gotta ask the store boss for near-expired ramen on the cheap.’
Gotta be thrifty.
With that resolve, I opened the Berry donation page.
And then.
Ding.
【Riaz_DeepSea donated 500 Berries for the match mission.】
【HakkoRia donated 500 Berries for the match mission.】
…Wait.
“Huh?”
Familiar nicknames caught my eye.
My few loyal fans.
The ones always chatting in my five-viewer dirt-tier streams.
【Riaz_DeepSea: First time seeing an internal match. Go win.】
【HakkoRia: Phew… this month’s lunch is gukbap.】
Once again, the Ria Guardians carried the load.
And then.
【Forest_VirtualYudong1 donated 1,000 Berries for the match mission.】
“What?”
Hold on.
That nickname.
It’s unmistakable.
The viewer who sent the long feedback recently.
The one who tipped me off about this match.
“Wait a sec!”
I hurriedly called out to VirtualYudong1.
But they left the stream right after donating.
Like they didn’t want too much attention…
No words of encouragement, no celebration, no comments.
Just gone.
Like they’d accomplished their mission.
Clench.
I gripped my fist tightly.
In that moment, I steadied my scattered emotions in this new environment.
Gulp.
I took a sip of water from the bottle on my desk.
My mindset locked in, tension fully released.
Right now, I’m a Killwatch gamer.
“Guys, I’m taking down Rainberg!”
I’ll make it happen.
Like a soldier commander vowing to slay Titans before Erwin!
With fierce determination, I dove into the internal match.