Chapter 27: When Flavor Link Broke the Internet
1.
【Virtual Streamer Gallery】
[General] This tech is insane???
– First time hearing about Flavor Link ,lol, Looks like they prepped a lot
– So freaking cool lol
– Singularity’s coming…!
– But isn’t it just acting? Kinda sus;
└ No way Elena has that kind of acting skill ㅇㅇ;
└ For real lol
Right after the stream ended, Flavor Link stole the spotlight.
Eating in VR was mind-blowing enough.
More than that, people were excited about the new possibilities it opened.
[General] Doesn’t this mean YouTubers can do cooking streams now???
YouTubers could only appear on monitors for cooking streams before, with eating shown separately.
This solves that, right???
– Yup ㅇㅇ Not just gaming anymore—cooking streams are possible?
– Might be tough. Only Carrier can tweak settings to that level;
└ (OP) Then Carrier can do it for them
└ Why would she? She said she’s not interested in making it a business
– Was kinda lame tho lolol
YouTuber streams had always revolved around gaming or talk shows due to real-world limits.
But adding cooking as a category? That could bring fresh content and fun.
[General] Subbed to Flavor Link ㅇㅇㅇ
Got it to tweak settings for my fave lolol Just wait lol
– Sub fee’s crazy expensive, look at this guy’s guts lol
– I got it too lolol Gonna diet with this, so sweet lol
– Couldn’t this be a huge business??? Mass-market it and you’re swimming in cash???
– Gonna buy it and try. Curious how it works
Some subbed for their faves, others for calorie-free indulgence, some for business, or just curiosity.
With their own dreams and reasons, people bought Flavor Link.
They opened the settings, full of hope, and faced reality.
[General] What the hell is this???
This is Flavor Link’s sensory settings panel, and it’s a mess??? So complicated;
– Look at all these options ffs lol
– The terms are so damn obscure;
– Can’t even understand the Korean ones?
└ The English ones are even worse lol
– Feels like words from a research paper…
The sensory settings were daunting, with unfamiliar terms in a mix of Korean and English, making them hard to grasp.
That was manageable—auto-translation and search could help.
But the real issue was tweaking the settings.
[General] Ugh, this is a headache…
Adjusting settings is a nightmare ffs.
A 0.1 tweak changes everything, but some settings you crank 5-10 and feel nothing lolol
– I’m tweaking one by one, but I’ve got no clue what I’m doing;
└ (OP) Wasted my money ffs
– Been seeing posts like this all day lol
└ Probably a truckload of people subbed to get their faves on a cooking stream???
The biggest problem was the sensory adjustments.
Since everyone perceives stimuli differently, the same settings could feel intense for one person and barely register for another.
Sharing info was pointless—collective wisdom didn’t apply.
[General] Can’t refund Flavor Link?
[General] Damn, should’ve just donated
[General] Wasted real money, ugh~
[General] Carrier <<< She’s a damn genius;
[General] Settings are a NIGHTMARE ffs
Countless victims emerged, and most gave up on sensory tweaks.
Some still tried, but it wouldn’t last.
Disappointed they couldn’t crack the settings, people wondered if cooking streams were doomed. Then—
[General] Just let Carrier handle it?
Can’t tweak settings? Let Carrier, who can, do it.
She’s great at cooking and settings, so just join her stream, right?
– Ffs, you’re a genius????
– This guy’s IQ over 100 ㄷㄷ
└ Isn’t over 100 normal?
└ Below 100 is abnormal???
– So damn smart lol
– True???
Viewers cheered the idea. If you can’t do it, outsource to someone who can!
Excitement over the new possibility was short-lived. A huge problem dawned on them.
[General] Letting Carrier handle it makes sense, but
The issue is Carrier’s just one person.
She said no to a Flavor Link business, so it’s just cooking collabs… but isn’t that limited?
– Oh, right???
– Money solves everything~~
└ For real lol
– Time to use my saved-up cash
– 1 mil won donation might do it?
└ With this gallery’s vibe, that’s nowhere near enough lol
The problem: Carrier was one person.
She could only collab with so many streamers.
– Gallery’s vibe is intense… Something’s brewing…
– Been a while since a real fanwar, huh???
└ Losing fandom = broke fandom, right???
└ For real lol
– These guys are all grinding their teeth
Realizing this, the gallery entered a new phase.
Once united for the cooking stream treasure, they now became rivals.
[General] Loa’s curious about a cooking stream???
[General] Sena wants to try a VR mukbang too
[General] Aive says she’s down to collab lol
YouTubers openly or subtly expressed interest, heating up the competition.
[General] Carrier’s next stream’s gonna be wild lolol
Just skimming the gallery, people are ready to donate like crazy. Can’t wait to see what happens lol
– Legal fanwar ON lol
– I kinda wanna try it too ㅇㅇ
– Wouldn’t it make more sense for YouTubers to donate directly? They earn more
└ Fan donating to Carrier or YouTuber donating, it’s all fan money anyway lol They’re using viewer donations lol
└ True; this guy’s a genius ㄷㄷ
Countless streamers and viewers eagerly awaited Carrier’s next stream. Who’d win? No one knew—yet.
—
2.
The day after the Elena collab, after breakfast, I was lounging on the sofa.
“Hayul, you know the community’s going nuts because of you?”
Noona, sprawled beside me, blurted out. I paused the short I was watching and sat up.
“Going nuts because of me? Why?”
“That cooking stream yesterday was a shock. Even I was surprised. Didn’t expect VR flavors to be so vivid.”
Her tone was calm, but I sensed slight tension.
“Noona, I told you to stop checking the community. It’s bad for your mental health.”
Why does someone so fragile keep diving in? Community addiction?
“…I don’t check often. Just wanted to see yesterday’s reactions. Wouldn’t have if it weren’t for you.”
She said that, but her fingers were still moving.
She’d keep scrolling, so I snatched her phone.
“Hey.”
“Stop looking. Got it?”
“…Fine.”
Noona pouted, answering curtly.
“So what’s going on? Summarize it.”
“There’s a whole process, but basically, you can pull off Flavor Link’s taste because of mana and holy power, right?”
“Yup. No clue how it works, though.”
Still don’t get it. Probably never will.
“That’s the point. People tried all night and realized no one else can replicate the taste like you did.”
“And?”
“So all the hype for Flavor Link shifted to you. Now they’re fighting over who gets to collab with you first. It’s like a fandom pride battle.”
“…Seriously?”
Instead of answering, Noona grabbed her phone and showed me the screen.
[General] Who’s gonna get it lol
[General] Which fandom’s gonna be the broke one lol
[General] We’re winning anyway~~
The post titles made my head spin. A fanwar because of me?
“See?”
“…Yeah.”
I sighed deeply.
‘This isn’t the stream I wanted.’
I wanted a chill vibe—people eating, laughing, having fun.
“This’ll get messy no matter who wins.”
“Probably. There’ll be winners and losers.”
“Should I take a break from streaming? Interest might die down over time.”
“That’s cleanest, but it’d hurt Elena-nim. Even if interest fades, streaming again would spark the same chaos.”
“True. So what do I do…?”
As I pondered, I recalled how the Tower Master handled nobles and citizens.
“Noona, I’ve got a great idea.”
“What is it?”
I explained my plan.
After hearing it all, she gaped.
“…You’re insane.”
“I know.”
I grinned.