I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work - Chapter 90

<The Matched Tournament>, <The Dog Tournament>, <The Well-Done Tournament>, and so on.

If I had to pick a defining characteristic of these streamer-targeted tournaments hosted by Ppajijik, it would be the ‘player auction’ held a week before the tournament.

Its popularity is considerable, even warranting its own broadcast.

Viewers find it entertaining to see how much their streamer sells for, or how many times they go unsold.

Sometimes, a player who’s never been seen before, or someone you know but has never done Combative, gets sold or goes unsold for unexpected reasons, and that’s where the memes start rolling.

Then, if the directors’ thoughts get tangled and only weak players flock to one side, forming the worst possible team… that’s when the community war begins.

Is that director out of their mind?

How can you screw up the team this badly with an auction?

Oh, our streamer’s chances of winning are gone again.

But the high-tier players who become directors also have their own hardships.

It’s not like they intentionally fail at team composition.

Twenty players in total, divided by skill into tiers 1-5.

Even within the same pool, their positions are all different, and some can cover only one position while others can cover three.

Players who can order and strategists (smokes) between tiers 1-2 should be picked first.

But if you use too many points to win the most important player, you ruin the entire auction. Conversely, if you’re too frugal, you fail to create the team you wanted.

In the midst of all that, you also have to bring in players you personally prefer.

Directors all have different positions they can focus on improving, and operations become easier when they bring in teammates who match their personality.

What’s more, the auction time per player is only about a minute at most.

While watching players drop out of the pool, you have to revise your strategy in real-time, and while managing your remaining points, you have to form a team of five, one from each tier from 1 to 5.

How could that be easy?

No matter how thoroughly you prepare, something is bound to go wrong somewhere.

[Auction Order]

— — — — — — — — — — — —

Magia (3)- …….- Kamick (1) – Keugemang (5) – Bajubi (4) -……..- Serena (2) – Taro (1)

— — — — — — — — — — — —

The auction order itself foreshadowed turmoil.

The two players considered key picks for this tournament were placed at the very end of the auction.

[Wow. This auction is going to be chaotic. Look at the order, it’s insane!!]

[Okay, let us explain why we’re making such a fuss about the order.]

[Let me reiterate. There are only four players in this tournament who can order. And, there are only two players above tier 2 who can order. Taro in tier 1, and Serena in tier 2. These two are last. This is a disaster.]

Even though this game has become lighter with the addition of skills, the foundation itself is a heavy military FPS, so a team with good synergy and tactical completion is unconditionally advantageous.

To be tactically perfect? You need at least one player who can take the helm, give orders with a clear sense of direction, and move the entire team.

Challenger-tier directors can’t give detailed instructions in-game, after all.

That’s why higher-tier players who can order receive a huge bonus, and among them, strategists (Serena) with smokes and entry fraggers (Taro) who open up entry angles with flashes are highly preferred.

It’s more efficient to breach while opening the way yourself than to order someone to “throw a smoke!” or “throw a flash!”

Moreover, Taro was last year’s tournament winner and MVP, so virtually every team wanted him.

[Everyone will be quiet until Serena’s turn comes. Like the calm before the storm.]

[That’s right. You can’t rashly use points. How can you use them when the most important players are at the end!]

In other words, most players will now go unsold.

Someone like me who hasn’t proven anything, and whose submitted video shows me getting two kills with a yolo play and then dying?

Even the first in order? Of course…

[As expected, Magia goes unsold right away.]

[It seems the directors weren’t willing to bid easily. This player is quite famous in Battle Coliseum, but her Combative experience is only a few days old. The video she submitted showed her skill, but it wasn’t Combative. Too aggressive?]

[That’s right. But it’s also a player you don’t want to let someone else get on the cheap. The directors don’t want to get caught in a bidding war, so they’re passing for now and looking forward to the next round.]

[That’s right. Let’s think about it after we pick the important ones, that’s the feeling?]

I nodded silently, as I expected, and the viewers were busy sighing in relief.

– Hah

– Can’t be carrying the whole team from the start lol

– Glad there’s no hype around her lololol

– Unsold is nice for now

– Getting a free ride on a good team is the best, duh lol

:: Anonymous Sponsor donated 10,000 Clouds! ::

:: But why did you play off-stream? We don’t know how good you are, so we can’t figure out the right price lol::

“I’m busy working, how can I even stream?”

– You did it during Wicker Town though πππππ

– Do it like Wicker Town!!!!!!

– πππππ

“There’s a misunderstanding, I only did that back then because the members’ situation room was my job.”

:: Anonymous Sponsor donated 10,000 Clouds! ::

:: What was Magia the Demon? Queen all about? ::

“I just happened to get the position, and it was a role with considerable responsibility, so I did my best. I’m participating in the tournament because doing well can promote Parallel.”

– Sigh, I might as well be talking to an AI

– No matter how much you guys try to persuade her, Magia won’t listen lololol

– These guys still haven’t given up lol

– Just watch, don’t waste your energy lololol

What followed was as expected.

A relay of unsold players, except for some in tiers 4-5.

But the more everyone held their breath and waited for Serena’s turn, the more pressure it put on Serena.

Everyone is only looking at Serena and Taro now.

[Ughhhhhh…….]

[Serena hasn’t been able to speak since earlier?]

[Fourteen unsold is a bit much. This is really screwed up.]

[One team is definitely going to get struck by lightning. Everyone has over 950 points left.]

Then, Serena’s turn finally arrived.

Bidding messages immediately popped up in the auction window, which had been quiet all along.

– Youngun 500p

[Five hundred?!]

[Wow, crazy, Youngun gave up on tier 1.]

[No way, 500 right off the bat?]

Usually, expensive items are auctioned off in the 500-600 range.

In other words, bidding 500 from the start was like saying, “I’m going to win this player no matter what.”

[Youngun is simping. He’s a Serena fan.]

[Crazy, but still, 500. Serena, are you okay?]

[Ughhh, why. Why! Why! Why 500! Why!]

And if this happens, the other team leaders won’t stand still.

They would make Youngun win at a high price, even if it meant giving up Serena, to gain an advantage in the subsequent auctions.

As expected, a counter-bid immediately followed.

– Pandral 550p

– Youngun 555p

– Pandral 600p

– Youngun 605p

It’s a scary amount to jump in.

But considering the value of the Serena pick, each of them must have had a personal limit.

Perhaps Director Pandral’s limit was 800 points.

The Serena auction, which had been threatening to break the ceiling, finally stopped when Youngun bid higher with 805 points.

– Auctioned!

The commentators went wild.

[Ah, in the end!! Youngun wins Serena with 805 points!!]

[A new record high in the Matched Tournament Combative division!!]

[But, is Youngun’s team going to be okay? It seems like it will be difficult to bid in other tiers. Wouldn’t it have been better to let Pandral have Serena for 800 points just now!!]

[I guess that’s how much trust Youngun has in Serena. We can’t not meet Serena, the star of this auction. Let’s connect for an interview.]

500 points was expensive, but 800 points?

It’s an absurd amount of pressure on the player.

What would public opinion be like if the player they brought in by throwing in all the money they needed to pick other players couldn’t perform properly?

A complete disaster.

Even if they managed to prevent the broadcast from going down the drain, there were plenty of people whose skills deteriorated more than usual because they were conscious of the pouring attention and chat.

Even the chat during the tournament is very spicy.

It would be fine if it was full of constructive feedback, but there are all kinds of trolls who come from all over, and there are more than a few people waiting to criticize you if you don’t do well.

As expected, Serena’s voice in the interview was full of bewilderment.

[Ah, uh. That. 805 points is. A bit. Ah. Augh.]

[Oh no. Serena has lost her language functions.]

[All we can do is tell her to cheer up…!]

[We’ll have to hope that Director Youngun puts together the rest of the lineup well?]

[But. The points. Uh. Ah. Ughhhh! I don’t know!!]

[Hahaha! Let’s watch the auction more! Good luck! Serena!]

[Good luck!]

After the interview, I kept watching Serena’s appearance on the second monitor.

Her expression was trembling with anxiety, and her voice was tearful.

She was overwhelmed with pressure and didn’t know what to do.

‘This is a big problem.’

She was a kind and meticulous mentor to me.

But still, she’s only a rookie who debuted a few months ago.

Taro, the MVP of the last tournament, might be enjoying this situation, but Serena looked like she was about to collapse mentally.

This is really not going to be easy.

The paradoxical situation is about to unfold where Serena is being criticized because of Youngun’s desire to be on the same team as Serena.

It would be fortunate if they could form a good team with the remaining 195 points.

Kamick, the least preferred in the same pool, is already confirmed for tier 1.

Tiers 3-5? This side isn’t easy either.

And that prediction turned into certainty after seeing the price Taro, last year’s MVP, was sold for in the very next round.

[Yes, Director Pandral wins Taro for 655 points!]

[It’s a bit expensive, but it’s an acceptable price!]

Youngun was properly blown up by Pandral’s counter-bid.

Director Pandral, who is expected to have the strongest team, has 345 points left, and the other two directors still have 950 points.

Desired items with 195 points?

…This looks like only unsold picks will be gathered.

*    *    *

When conducting an auction, there are cases where the team is automatically confirmed after being pushed back and pushed back until the end.

Ambiguous to pick using points, and too good to give to others.

Players who are better off waiting and waiting for the fate to be decided.

[Yes, with this, Magia in tier 3 will naturally join the Youngun team.]

[Wow… this is going to be tough for the Youngun team?]

[Youngun team. Kamick, Serena, Magia, Bajubi, Keugemang. The five have been finalized.]

And one of them was me.

– Wow, they’re screwed

– lololol

– Kuaaaaaak

-Youngun!!!!!

– Is this even a team πππ

– The weakest team is born lol

– I was worried from the moment they bid 805 points on Serena… but I didn’t know it would be my team!!

-Emergency!!!!

Damn it.

It ended up like this after all.

So much so that even the commentators are struggling to cover up our team’s demise.

[Wow. This. I usually don’t jump to conclusions… but this really seems like the weakest team in this tournament.]

[I agree. Serena’s shoulders must be so heavy!]

Serena’s wish to be on the same team as me has been fulfilled.

This team seriously doesn’t look like it’s going to win.

Kamick, who is tier 1 but can only do damage and often dies in vain without orders.

Keugemang, a tier 5 player who is famous for eating up the main order with frequent monologues.

Serena, a rookie who debuted a few months ago, has to control these two.

In the meantime, Hakko Bajubi, who started every sentence with “I’m sorry,” and I, frustrated by the AR and assault prohibition shackles, were stuck in the middle.

It was obvious that the balance was a mess, but compared to that, the balance of the other teams was clean itself.

I was just planning to get a ride on the bus and do my part.

At this rate, I don’t know if I can even achieve a sense of accomplishment through victory in the competition, let alone promote Parallel.

[Okay, then let’s have an interview with Magia, who joined us last.]

[Magia, are you there!]

“Hello.”

[So Magia, this is your first time participating in this competition. How do you feel right now?]

As I had so much to think about that my head became complicated, my awareness that I was broadcasting on the official channel naturally faded.

“I think I’m fucked.”