“They want to bury our QBS instead of NoName, huh?”
Breaking the unwritten rule, the media pays a hefty price for their actions.
The public? No, the ones attacking are the media outlets that are supposed to be on the same side.
The era of the public voicing their opinions first is over.
Media outlets set the stage for the public to throw stones, reminding them of the many students who were sacrificed in the media’s nonsensical star-making.
About 30 years ago, countless boys and girls were introduced in the news and variety shows as the “Second Ham Cho-rong” or the “Rebirth of Ham Cho-rong.”
However, those with promising futures (or their parents) couldn’t withstand the growing pressure and continued to take reckless steps.
Claiming to have solved globally infamous problems, revealed secrets of the magical realm, or developed new drugs that could cure incurable diseases.
Looking back now, those were truly absurd claims, but the public had no choice but to believe them wholeheartedly at the time.
The media packaged lies as truth, and listening to the sprightly interviews of children naturally bred trust.
Eventually, everything was revealed as a lie, and Korea faced disgrace beyond redemption on an international scale, leading the public to scrutinize such articles with a critical eye each time they appeared.
Thus, articles reported by QBS were now nearly impossible to find in this day and age. This was what Jang was concerned about when speaking to the editor-in-chief.
“It seems everyone thinks that NoName hasn’t proven anything themselves.”
They weren’t entirely baseless in their doubts.
As soon as QBS introduced this news on News Talk Talk, they quickly initiated investigations, gathering interviews with prominent professors from institutions like Singapore University, UC Berkeley, and Zurich University as supporting material.
The idea that a 14-year-old could prove such a complex problem was simply unfathomable.
“It’s kind of funny,”
Na-me picked up the microphone.
“I thought there would be more people questioning the proof itself and prepared for various angles. So, let me reverse the question to the journalists. Is there anyone here who understands even a single line of the proof I mentioned in the video?”
The echo of the microphone resonated throughout the hall.
The stillness of the hall was so profound that the sound echoed back continuously.
“Really, no one? Not a single person?”
Jang felt a twinge of guilt at her words.
QBS was just as unprepared.
A sigh escaped the small child’s lips.
“First, let’s make sure of the age.”
The screen projected from the beam projector lit up.
Na-me immediately went online and clicked on V-tube.
She logged out of the account and then logged back in with her ID.
Then, she clicked on the World of Arseria Nightmare clear video uploaded on ‘NoName Official’, filling the screen with a black warning sound.
[This video cannot be viewed by anyone under the age of 15 without guardian consent.]
“I think this should be enough for you to understand. Now that we’ve established age, what’s next? You think it’s not just one person?”
With both hands holding onto the seemingly heavy microphone, she stepped down from the podium.
She approached the journalist who had posed a sharp question earlier and said,
“On the day the competition ends, I promise to show you my true self, not in virtual reality, but in reality. Of course, by that time, I might not even invite all of you journalists to the same place.”
Seeing the man squinting, Na-me sneered dismissively.
Jang, watching this unfold, couldn’t help but chuckle at how mature she was for her age.
“Do you have a question too?”
“Ah, question, question…! Just a moment, can I borrow that tablet, Ah-young?”
“Ah, sure! Here you go!”
“Let’s see…”
Live streaming on QBS Channel 3 was underway.
Their prepared questions had all concluded, and it was time to ask what the viewers wanted to know.
“Any questions?”
“That’s…”
Jang scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
-D Cup! D Cup! D Cup! D Cup! D Cup! D Cup! D Cup!
-Please ask about her measurements!
-The comments are all over the place; do you not manage this?
-Show us, NoName! If you truly carry the will of D, show me the future of this era!!!
-168 cm height? That’s not possible! This isn’t the NoName I know, waah…
-Muhi likes it, haha!
-But can a 14-year-old even get a tattoo? Isn’t that illegal?
-Is it true she has a tattoo on her hip?
-Has she dyed her hair? If so, it must be blonde!
└ Is she a golden sun? Haha!
-Where do you get this information from?
└ Kariri’s live stream is way more informative than this!
-Ask if her toes are visible when she stands straight!!!
-Can her elbows touch each other?!?!
What the heck is going on?
“It seems there’s nothing. Good luck, NoName… I’ll be cheering for you in the competition.”
Jang’s shoulders drooped.
“Ah, thank you for the encouragement. Same to you.”
“Oh, I remembered one! Could you tell us your goals and resolution for the upcoming competition?”
Na-me rolled her eyes thoughtfully, then came up with an answer she felt satisfied with.
“Do all that you can, and leave the rest to heaven.”
*
Sephiron Foundation, 2nd Grade A Class, Teacher Jacqueline A. Carroll.
Through her conversation with Kim Yong-seong, she was convinced that NoName introduced on the news was indeed her student, ‘Na-me.’
Yet her assured eyes wavered with doubt once again.
[Literally played 50,000 games from season 44 to 50]
“Na-me was born in ’43… But the game record is from ’44…”
Something didn’t add up.
After scouring the community, she found a few more posts.
It would be hard to dismiss the claim of a person playing LoL for seven years as just coincidence when she was using the same nickname in the current LoL competition.
Jacqueline checked to see if nicknames could overlap or if other people could use the account; none of her hypotheses yielded any satisfying evidence.
Meanwhile, NoName’s press conference was being broadcast live.
“Could it actually be another person? Just a coincidence of a similar avatar…? No, as the director said, they speak exactly the same.”
While copying someone’s appearance through an avatar was not only impossible but illegal, customizing it to look similar was always an option.
Thus, even the few people in the Sephiron Foundation who knew Na-me were in a state of uncertainty, as Kim Yong-seong relayed.
Conversely, Kim Yong-seong was convinced that NoName was indeed Na-me. However, NoName claimed to be 14 years old.
One side must be lying. Or, even if Na-me looked exactly like a 14-year-old, there were still numerous unanswered questions.
[I’ve been a fan of NoName’s broadcasts! Have you considered challenging the pros?]
The previously serious press conference had transformed into a lively fan meeting.
The attendees weren’t just from the media.
There were ten professional LoL teams and 18 professional World of Arseria teams. Individual V-tubers with subscriber counts in the hundred-thousands to millions, along with attendees from universities.
They threw out all the journalists who had intensely pushed for the truth under the pretense of exposing it.
[Why would NoName be playing LoL right before going bankrupt? Can you offer 1 billion in salary?]
[1 billion? We can offer up to 5 billion even for a promising rookie; are you confident?]
The individuals involved were none the wiser, fighting over the kimchi soup before anyone had even considered the main event.
[NoName, your avatar looks so cute up close! Is there a special reason you chose this avatar?]
It was now they took the opportunity to climb onto the stage and ask.
Na-me’s face filled the screen.
Always maintaining an air of detachment, the girl’s expression finally began to crack into a smile.
[It’s a gift from someone very precious to me.]
[A precious person? Both the WoA avatar and the main avatar look amazing; are they from someone in the VR industry?]
[No, it’s not like that… You’ll understand soon enough. So please cheer for me in the competition; streamers like me thrive on your attention.]
*
[Streaming starting: 0:00:01 – NoName]
“What’s with all the fancy decorations?”
“Hehe, you have to win! I won’t forgive you if you lose!”
The private room was filled with balloons and banners on the walls.
It was all set up by Adella after a night of hard work.
Before the competition room opened, they decided to turn on the broadcast and greet the viewers whom she hadn’t seen in a while.
She sank into a cozy chair and gently rocked back and forth. The beats of a lively sound from the speaker next to her played.
[The challenge will begin shortly!]
[It probably won’t be easy!]
“What song is this?”
“You wouldn’t know even if I told you!”
“That’s true.”
Although Adella’s music choice wasn’t to her taste, she decided to respect her effort for today.
[World of Arseria – Do all that you can, and leave the rest to heaven]
[Broadcast Time – 0:01:53]
[Number of Viewers – 4081]
“Have many people joined?”
Feeling like about 2 minutes had passed, it was almost time to start speaking.
“I’m participating in two competitions, so I didn’t want to neglect one of them, and I worked hard for it.”
Especially these past weeks had been a relentless grind.
“I hope the results reflect my efforts.”
Do all you can, and leave the rest to heaven.
It was one of my favorite sayings.
Ironically, when you let go of excessive attachment to the results, you can achieve the highest efficiency.
“I believe I’ve done all I can.”
[msg: The Blory Team, please enter!]
“Well then, I’ll be off.”
[World of Arseria]
[WareSoft]
[May the blessings of the World Tree be upon you.]
