Former Ranker's Newbie Life

Chapter 125

A person, no matter how tough they think they are, eventually breaks down if they don’t mix in proper rest once in a while. After running himself ragged for weeks, Do-Jin decided it was time to take a short but solid break to eat well, sleep properly, and rebuild his stamina.

Once the world event starts, I won’t even get the chance to rest. Better get my body in shape now before the madness hits.

March was when the next World Boss Raid was scheduled to begin. The timing sounded far away, but once that massive global event kicked off, there’d be no such thing as downtime. Even if he tried to rest, his heart would be pounding too hard from the thrill to let him. He had to recharge now while he still could.

Speaking of which... when should I visit Sisala?

He figured a week would be enough for her to finish the rune dye, which meant he only had one week of real rest. He made a simple plan to eat well, sleep plenty, hit the gym, and, most importantly, cut down on game time.

Surprisingly enough, Do-Jin actually stayed consistent. The first day passed without much happening, and the second was no different. By the third day, he was already bored out of his mind. Without the constant adrenaline rush of the game filling every hour, time stretched unbearably. He found himself staring at the ceiling for minutes on end, doing absolutely nothing.

“Is this what withdrawal feels like?” he muttered.

He couldn’t just pour all his free time back into the game either, or the whole point of the break would vanish. He had nearly eight extra hours every day with nothing to do and no idea what to fill them with. That was when Chun Ji-Hyun’s reminder popped into his head.

“Didn’t she say people were waiting for my mage tips?”

Maybe he could handle that while taking it easy. Something light, productive, and mildly entertaining. The idea sparked, and that was all it took. Do-Jin didn’t hesitate.

He grabbed his phone and called out to Chun Ji-Hyun. “Hey, remember that thing you mentioned before?”

From the next room, her voice came back. “What thing?”

“The mage tips.”

“Why...?” The tone in her voice immediately changed.

“I’m thinking of actually doing it. I’m just not sure what’s the best way to go about it.”

Her eyes lit up, practically sparkling with excitement. “Don’t worry about that. If you’re willing, I can get it rolling right away. The content team’s been sitting on a draft plan for months.”

“Good. Then let’s get it done within three days,” Do-Jin said.

“I’ll call them right now.”

Chun Ji-Hyun didn’t waste a second. She snatched up her phone and was already walking out of the room while typing furiously. Within the hour, the content and marketing teams had been notified and meetings were already underway. Apparently, when Do-Jin called the shots, the whole company moved.

***

Do-Jin had thought it would be simple just to record a quick video where he shared a few mage tips and call it a day. Everyone else, however, clearly didn’t share that mindset.

“Up until now, all of his uploads have basically been gameplay footage,” said the Content Team Director, Oh Young-Sik, flipping through a notepad. “There was that one live interview where he interacted with viewers in real time, but that wasn’t even hosted on his own channel.”

“Right,” added Kim Young-Hee from Marketing. “So even if it’s just a basic tips video, this would technically be his first piece of content that directly connects him to the fans.”

The two exchanged looks, and it was obvious that both were already knee-deep in discussion mode.

“From our side, of course we’d love to make this a proper, high-quality guide video,” said Oh Young-Sik, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “But Chun Ji-Hyun said he wants to keep it simple. Apparently, he doesn’t want this turning into some massive production.”

“Then we can keep it as simple as it is,” Kim Young-Hee replied with a knowing smile. “If we overdo it and he decides to back out, that’s worse. You’ll have to let go of your perfectionist streak, Director.”

Oh Young-Sik laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, that’s a fair point. Getting him to agree in the first place already feels like a miracle. Alright then, let’s aim for a Q&A format. Please gather common questions from mage players and have him answer them directly. That way, his total recording time won’t exceed three hours.”

As the meeting continued, Kim Young-Hee hesitated before speaking again. “Actually... what if we took this chance to do a light collaboration?”

“A collaboration?” Oh Young-Sik repeated, skeptical.

“I was thinking of something informal and not overproduced, like a casual joint stream. You know, like those ‘Master’s Corner’ collabs where two creators talk.”

“That sounds... risky,” Oh Young-Sik said carefully. “If it turns into a bigger project, it won’t be something we can wrap up quickly. Plus, we have no idea how Do-Jin would feel about sharing screen time with another streamer.”

Kim Young-Hee tilted her head. “But what if it’s someone he already knows? Someone he’s comfortable with?”

That made Oh Young-Sik pause. Then, his eyebrows shot up in realization. “Wait... do you mean that person?”

She nodded. “Yeah. The one he partied with during the early event runs.”

“Right, right! I heard they hunted together a few times. And wasn’t it through her that he even ended up signing with us in the first place?”

“Exactly. If we bring her in, he’s more likely to say yes. He’ll be able to relax, chat, take fan questions, and toss in some useful mage tips while he’s at it. It’ll look natural.”

Kim Young-Hee leaned forward. “And for her, it’s a huge opportunity. Can you imagine? Being featured alongside Do-Jin would boost her visibility like crazy. From a company standpoint, it’s a win-win. One of our creators grows, and Do-Jin’s audience expands too.”

Oh Young-Sik sat back in his chair, a grin forming as he nodded slowly. “Yeah... that actually sounds pretty damn good.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment, then scribbled something down on his notepad. “Alright, let’s run it by Chun Ji-Hyun. If she thinks Do-Jin will bite, we’ll move ahead with the idea.”

The two exchanged a look that said everything: this wasn’t going to be a normal video anymore. Once Do-Jin said yes, the entire machine behind him would start turning at full speed.

***

The person the two directors were talking about for the joint stream was none other than Theresa. And “that person” they mentioned was Kim Soso, the only daughter of the chairwoman, the owner of Rael Entertainment, Kim Hyang-Gi.

The way Theresa ended up becoming a Rael Entertainment creator was, frankly, absurd. It had started with Soso walking into the office one day and blurting out nonsense.

“I want to learn from Ju Kang-Hee.”

Ju Kang-Hee was one of Rael’s top producers, and she hadn’t known what to make of that at first. But before she could even respond, Soso followed it up with another bomb.

“Please, I want to learn from you and be your manager.”

Ju Kang-Hee just stared at her. “What the hell are you plotting? You stir up drama and you know what happens, right?”

“I know. But still.”

Ju Kang-Hee sighed, muttering something about regretting her life choices, but still signed off on it.

That was how Soso, the heiress of Rael Group, officially became a “junior manager” at the very company her family owned. The moment she got her shiny new job title, she went straight to Theresa’s apartment with nothing but a contract in hand. She knocked once, stepped inside without waiting, and held out the paper like a debt collector.

“Sign it.”

Theresa blinked at her. “Excuse me?”

“Sign it. It’s a contract.”

Obviously, Theresa refused. That was when Soso, completely unfazed, smiled and casually tossed out her next line like it was a perfectly normal offer.

“This contract offers you full rent coverage, a three million won base salary, and all meals covered. What do you think?”

Theresa froze. “What?!”

“I said I’ll pay your rent, give you a monthly salary, and feed you. Just sign it.”

It wasn’t even written into the contract but given as a verbal promise, a bonus clause straight from the mouth of a chaebol daughter. In other words, it was a friendship allowance.

Theresa’s jaw clenched. “You should’ve written that on the top of the fucking contract!”

And that was that. In the end, Theresa did what any sane human being would do when faced with overwhelming capital. The once-proud solo streamer had officially become a Rael Entertainment creator.

***

When the company pitched the idea, Do-Jin’s expression immediately soured when he heard the word “collab.” But when they mentioned Theresa, his eyes flicked up in surprise.

“So that’s what she’s been up to while we haven’t talked.”

Out of curiosity, he shot her a quick message for the first time in months. A few exchanges later, after hearing the rough story of how she’d somehow ended up as a Rael Entertainment creator, Do-Jin let out a dry laugh.

“Yeah, sounds like some real Soso bullshit,” he muttered under his breath.

Still curious, he searched up Theresa’s channel and there were roughly 40,000 subscribers. It wasn’t bad, especially considering how short a time she’d been active.

I guess the whole teaming up for that hunt thing probably gave her a bump, he thought.

Most of her uploads were just raw hunting footage. Grind after grind, boss after boss. Watching it made him think that this woman’s got stamina. There was no gimmick or fake hype but just endless footage of sweat, skill, and stubborn willpower. It was the kind of persistence only someone who really loved the game could pull off.

However, one detail made him pause. Hold up. Why the hell is her manager in the videos?

He clicked a random one, and within seconds he was laughing under his breath. Theresa was hammering away at a forge with the dead-eyed focus of someone who’d lost all will to live, while beside her, Soso lay flat on the ground, hands folded over her chest like a corpse, apparently asleep.

Do-Jin chuckled. “Yeah, they’re really putting in the work.”

In her most recent video, Theresa proudly showed off that she’d reached a Level 100 hunting zone. Grinding up there without power-leveling, just through pure effort was honestly impressive.

A collab with her... He leaned back, thinking it over.

There wasn’t much in it for him. From a business standpoint, it was clearly designed to boost Rael’s internal creators with Theresa included. Still, the company had approached him politely, almost deferentially. And Theresa wasn’t some random stranger. She was someone he actually knew, someone who’d put in the effort.

Do-Jin exhaled through his nose and muttered, “Fine, whatever. I’ll do it.”

He accepted the proposal with an easy shrug, not realizing how much noise that offhand promise was about to cause.

***

Preparation for the collab between Do-Jin and Theresa moved faster than anyone expected. The company started by gathering questions from every relevant platform, including Do-Jin’s channel, Theresa’s channel, and the Lotranet mage forums. Within hours, hundreds poured in.

Theresa, however, looked like she wanted to melt into the floor. “Do I really have to do this...?” she muttered weakly.

“You can’t back out now,” said one of the content staff members firmly. “Do you know how many people would kill for a chance like this?”

“Well, yeah, but still...”

It didn’t matter. The team wasn’t about to let her escape. Before she knew it, Theresa was being briefed and drilled on every possible question that might come up.

“Work hard,” Soso said beside her, arms folded like a smug overseer. “If you blow up, my numbers go up too. And when my numbers go up, I can finally relax without anyone nagging me.”

Of course Soso was in on it. Theresa’s success meant she could keep using the title of “dedicated manager” as her golden ticket to do absolutely nothing.

Theresa sighed but clenched her fists. Alright... this is my shot. If I can make a strong impression on his subscribers, my life could actually change.

And honestly, the fact that this was with Do-Jin made her want to give it everything she had. If she could leave a good impression, maybe, just maybe, he’d invite her again someday. If it had been anyone else, she would’ve refused flat-out, even if someone held a knife to her throat. But for Do-Jin, she was willing to try.

***

The day of the collab eventually came, and the setting was one of Rael Entertainment’s streaming studios, a modern space for creators to freely record, stream, and edit content on-site.

“It certainly has been a while,” said Do-Jin, walking in right on time.

“Oh, hey, Do-Jin! It really has been. I didn’t expect we’d meet again like this,” Theresa said, smiling a little nervously.

Next to her stood Soso, still as withdrawn as ever. She simply gave Do-Jin a curt nod.

One of the staff members briefed them quickly. “We’ve already announced the broadcast time with some leeway, so you can start whenever you’re ready. We’ll handle all chat moderation. There’s no need to worry about that part.”

Both Do-Jin and Theresa nodded. Before leaving, Content Team Director Oh Young-Sik gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks again for agreeing to do this live, Mr. Do-Jin.”

“Don’t mention it. I should be the one thanking you guys. You always make my videos look incredible.”

He laughed, clearly pleased. “That’s because your footage is incredible. It’s the kind that makes an editor actually feel proud of their job.”

“Then I’ll trust you to work the same magic this time too.”

“Of course.” Oh Young-Sik shot him a thumbs-up before heading out.

“I’ll step out too,” said Soso, slipping away behind him.

Now alone, Theresa fidgeted, rubbing her cheek awkwardly. “So... you heard how it’s supposed to go, right?”

“Yeah,” Do-Jin said. “You ask the questions, I answer. Then we pick a few from the live chat, I give some advice, maybe show a couple things in-game. Though I’ll probably skip that part. That’s too much of a hassle.”

He’d been sent the question sheet beforehand, but he hadn’t even bothered looking at it. They were all about mages anyway, and when it came to magic, Do-Jin was an encyclopedia.

“Alright then,” Theresa said, glancing toward the production crew. “Let’s get started.”

“Sure,” one of them replied.

She took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and faced the camera. “We’re... starting now!”

The stream went live. Immediately, chat exploded.

└ Holy shit, that’s really Do-Jin?

└ No way, it’s actually him!

└ Why the hell is he on some no-name channel?

└ They’re under the same company, dumbass. Rael’s just using him to boost their small creators. I bet the old party footage was all a setup too.

└ Shut the fuck up everyone! He’s finally doing the mage tips stream we’ve been waiting for! I don’t care where he does it!

└ Exactly. I’d watch this man on a North Korean broadcast if I had to.

Within seconds, tens of thousands of viewers flooded in. However, not all of them were kind. Many couldn’t hide their irritation at seeing their favorite high-ranker appear on a channel with only a fraction of his viewership. The moderators quickly froze the chat, but it was too late as Theresa had already seen it. Her expression stiffened and her shoulders shrunk a little.

Noticing this, Do-Jin’s brow furrowed slightly as he spoke, “Just to clear things up, Theresa and I were friends long before either of us joined this company. I’m not here because of Rael. I’m here because she’s my friend. Right, Theresa?”

Theresa’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden declaration. For a split second, she forgot to breathe.