I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work-Chapter 94

The tension was thick in TalkCord.

However, the chat in the custom game lobby, where ten players were gathered, was anything but quiet.

That was because the shot-caller for Team Gongsadamang was none other than Subak Jeongol, the youngest member of the Makgeolli Crew.

Since Crkemang had a habit of teasing his younger teammates, the two of them kept up their banter even in the finals.

[All] Subak Jeongol: Hyung, you better be ready to die.

[All] Subak Jeongol: Old men should know better than to crash a kids’ tournament. I’m about to make you regret it.

[All] Crkemang: Uh-huh~ You’re hitting 30 next year too, you old man~

The two of them, with a combined YouTube subscriber count of five million, were bantering so loudly that no one else dared to interrupt.

Everyone else was simply watching, gauging the situation.

Then, someone boldly inserted themselves between these two whales playing word games.

It was none other than Magia.

[All] Magia: LOL

[All] Subak Jeongol: No, Gia, don’t laugh!

[All] Magia: Oh, my bad. I thought this was team chat.

[All] Subak Jeongol: Wait, why does that make me even more pissed?

[All] Magia: It was an honest mistake.

[All] Crkemang: That’s it, my niece, keep stirring the pot!

[All] Magia: Drrrk drrrk

[All] Crkemang: ???

Strictly speaking, in terms of subscribers, Magia’s official Parallel channel sat at 175,000—one of the lowest among the ten players in the lobby.

She was only slightly above Serena, the rookie.

So to the others, it was amusing to see her act so boldly.

But the members of Team Gongsadamang weren’t letting their guard down.

That tiny, harmless-looking little gremlin was the most dangerous person in the entire lobby.

Ever since Signal Flare (Awakened Magia) made her debut, their win rate against Team Youngun had plummeted to 0%.

Before that? 100%.

The entire food chain had been flipped.

In round score ratios, it was close—about 7:10—but every time Magia cracked the game open at a critical moment, everything would spiral out of control.

Still, Team Gongsadamang had taken down Pandral, a championship favorite, so they were plenty confident.

But the issue of stamina couldn’t be ignored.

Yesterday, they had played three overtime rounds, and the last set had stretched to nearly 50 rounds.

Exhaustion was setting in.

And because of the pressure to prepare for the finals, no one had gotten much sleep.

Subak Jeongol was keeping up the playful banter with Crkemang not just to have fun but because he knew his teammates were too drained to even crack jokes.

But still—this was the finals.

If they were going to burn out, they might as well burn bright.

As soon as the game start signal was given, Subak Jeongol wrapped up his chat with Crkemang and switched to team voice chat, speaking loudly.

Even the team coach, Gongsadamang, remained silent, thinking there was nothing left to advise.

"Alright. Let’s not overthink Magia and just play the way we always do. Without her crack plays, their team isn’t that aggressive."

"More importantly, when we faced Pandral’s team, we saw that if someone dedicated themselves to marking Magia, she could be somewhat contained."

In Team Pandral’s match, Taro had been the one locking Magia down.

He had an uncanny ability to read her mind, throwing flashes at just the right moments to blind her.

Even Magia, usually unfazed, had visibly struggled against him.

[That’s true, but none of us can do what Taro did. That’s been our biggest issue since the scrims.]

[Her unpredictable plays are impossible to deal with. The way she layers mind games using smokes is unreal. And even when the team is scattered, she somehow always shows up at the crucial moment. It’s pure chaos.]

"I agree. But we still have to try. If we can’t stop her, we lose."

[Yeah.]

[Let’s do our best....]

Even with the determined words, the atmosphere remained heavy.

Nothing they said could change the reality of their exhaustion.

That’s why Subak Jeongol, ever the youngest member of Makgeolli Crew, had to lighten the mood.

His suppressed dialect came bursting out.

"Hey, hey, brothers, don’t get so down! Everything’s gonna be fine! Even if we lose, I’ll treat you all to a great meal.

"If we lose, it’s because we weren’t good enough—not because we weren’t in sync. So let’s keep our heads up, alright? Let’s go!"

Meanwhile, in the calm and collected Team Youngun’s voice chat, the entire team burst into incredulous laughter at Youngun’s comment.

"Honestly, I knew we’d make it this far."

— You bastard.

— Die.

— Get out, man.

— LMAO

— This guy is STILL at it.

— Let’s deal with you AFTER the tournament, buddy.

— We’re holding a tribunal, right?

"But hey, it’s not like I’m saying I drafted the team well. We’ll hold a tribunal later after the tournament, so anyone who wants to yell at me, feel free."

— Okay, so you DO know.

— Good. As long as you admit it.

— Sigh... LOL

"Anyway, I just wanted to say something."

After a brief silence, Youngun spoke.

"Thank you. I’ve learned a lot from this tournament. I don’t know if I’ll be able to coach again in the next one, but I’ll use this experience to become a better coach if I do."

"Also, to Crkemang, thanks for following my request to keep the shot-calling minimal."

[That was no big deal, haha.]

"Bazubi, if you’re still mad at me, you can hit me at the afterparty. Kick my ass if you want. Punch me in the gut. Slap me across the face—"

[...Let’s move on.]

"Serena, I know I put you through a lot. But we’re not done yet, so hang in there. That 805-point bid? Totally worth it. I’d go up to 1,000 if I had to."

[Haha... Can I punch you instead of Bazubi?]

"Next, Kamik. You did your job well. A true Tier 1 player. We really benefited from your ability to survive while securing kills."

[It was my pleasure. Thank you.]

At this point, the mood felt as if the finals were already over.

The team was on the verge of an emotional explosion.

After all, they had suffered so much throughout this tournament.

Until they secured first place in the round robin, it had all felt like a dream.

"Lastly, Magia. Honestly, I knew nothing about you, and that caused some major gaps in our team. But that one time—you spoke up without hesitation. And because of that, we made it this far."

"Once I found out you were a working professional, I actually felt guilty. I imagine it must’ve been a burden to be in a tournament surrounded by full-time streamers. But your courage in standing your ground... I really respect that."

But Magia?

She was still pissed.

She had wanted this tournament to be over from the very start.

Sure, once the leash was off, she had rampaged and blown off some steam.

But in the end, this wasn’t fun.

It wasn’t a tournament for her.

It was a job.

On top of that, because of this, she hadn’t even seen Momo properly.

So Magia, looking downright vicious, shot back:

[To be honest, Coach, I never want to see you again.]

The chat exploded in laughter.

Serena, who had suffered the most, laughed the loudest.

— LMAO

— SHE SAID IT

— BRUTAL LOL

— A LEGENDARY QUOTE

"Ow! That hurts!"

[If you’re going to draft like this again, just go full undrafted team next time.]

"...Should I actually try that?"

[Are you out of your goddamn mind?]

— DEAD LOL

— Hysterical

— I CAN’T BREATHE

"Anyway... will you be at the afterparty?"

[I’ll check my schedule. Work piled up because of this damn tournament.]

"I hope you can make it. We’re so screwed! LET’S GO!!!"

***

The Finals: A Hard-Fought Battle

The match itself was neck and neck.

The first set dragged into overtime, with Team Youngun barely scraping by with a 15:13 victory.

In the second set, they were leading 9:7, but Team Gongsadamang was still right on their heels.

But then—

{{ Magia >> (head)(Dragon-B) Subak Jeongol }}

[MAGIA——!! MAGIA HAS BROKEN THROUGH A AGAIN!!]

[Goddamn. That smoke mind game is absolute bullshit!! Even in pro scenes, you don’t see plays like this. But this isn’t a pro tournament! The fact that she’s making it work half the time—she definitely knows it too!!]

In the end, the biggest issue was nobody could completely shut down Magia’s unpredictable hard pushes at critical moments.

Taro, from Team Pandral, had been the only one to consistently mark her with precision flashbangs.

But with Team Pandral eliminated in the semifinals, Magia had free reign.

Every time she found an opening, the defense crumbled.

[That last play was massive. Team Gongsadamang had just started to fall back to defend. But Magia has clearly adapted to their tactics. She predicted the retreat and rushed at the exact right moment.]

[Exactly! Magia is tearing apart the very defensive strategy that Team Gongsadamang had spent this tournament refining!!]

It wasn’t like Magia hadn’t already shredded their defenses multiple times.

While Team Gongsadamang relied on a single shot-caller processing all the data, Team Youngun had two brains at work.

And one of those brains was attached to a smoke-wielding, self-aware battering ram, which made things a hundred times worse.

[Come to think of it, why were we even worried about this team?]

[Scrim results.]

[Oh, right. They were 0 wins, 22 losses. But!! That very same team is now on the verge of winning the championship—with a commanding 2:0 lead!!]

[They are absolutely shattering expectations. This is amazing!!]

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

[And speaking of which! Bazubi just went down in a 1-for-1 trade against KalJam! It’s now 4 vs 1!! Team Gongsadamang is on the brink of collapse!! Can they make a miracle happen?!]

And just like that—

Magia closed out the final round in a storm of burning pellets.

BOOM!

{{ Magia >> (head)(Dragon-B) Jinsam }}

[GG——!!]

The official broadcast feed switched to the players’ cameras.

Everyone, including the coach, was cheering and celebrating.

Everyone except for one person.

Magia remained completely unfazed.

And she still looked calm when the commentators joined the TalkCord lobby for the victory interview.

They were well aware that Serena’s leadership had been a key factor.

But when it came to visible impact, who had dominated the most?

The one tearing through the battlefield like a rampaging dragon, laying down smokes and breathing fire with Dragon-B.

It was Magia.

After a brief round of congratulations, the casters turned to the most unexpected star—Magia, who had her eyes closed as if she were meditating.

[Congratulations on the win. Honestly, we were watching your scrim records, and we had no idea this would happen. We saw the match footage and were surprised, but we still didn’t think you’d make it to the finals. What the hell happened, Magia?!]

Magia answered flatly.

"Serena’s shot-calling improved a lot. Kamik’s survival rate went way up. Bazubi really pulled his weight. And my uncle Crkemang adjusted his turret placements perfectly to block enemy entry points."

"Honestly, the team just played really well."

She left herself out of the praise entirely.

— YOU were the best one there, LMAO.

— ACTUAL MVP, STOP BEING HUMBLE.

— MAGIA! MAGIA! MAGIA! MAGIA! MAGIA!

— She carried the team Youngun ruined.

— THE Magia moment.

— Not even a SINGLE mention of the coach LOL.

— BIG Magia Energy.

— Bazubi finally getting ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) recognized, LET’S GO.

— Fck Youngun.*

— Youngun, delete yourself.

As the chat erupted, the commentators pressed her further.

[But let’s be real—you played the biggest role. Do you agree?]

"Sorry, but no. It was a full team effort. And honestly, the coach did his job too. The only issue was... he sucked at the auction."

She refused to budge.

But the commentators weren’t about to back down either.

Their job? To create a tournament star.

Last year, Taro had been the highlight player.

The Flawless Flash—blinding enemies at the perfect moment, stopping rushes before they even began.

[Alright, if you won’t admit it, we’ll break it down ourselves. Let’s review, shall we?]

[First set, rounds 1 to 3—you wiped three players per round with a mini-barrel. Bought weapons for your teammates. Then you picked up Dragon-B and started dropping at least two kills per round.]

[And those smokes—what the hell was that? There’s no predicting them. For the other team, it was a nightmare. And your shotgun accuracy? Everything you shot died.]

Throughout the tournament, enemy players had coined a term: “The Smoke Killer.”

Magia had completely redefined how smokes were used in competitive play.

In non-pro tournaments, a single exceptional player could tilt the scales.

And Magia proved it.

Still, she remained calm.

She felt a bit embarrassed, but after enduring so much in this tournament and the year-end party, her thick skin had only gotten stronger.

"Honestly, I think we only won because Taro wasn’t here."

[Oh, come on—]

[That’s not the answer we wanted!!]

"But it’s the truth."

What could they do?

The player wanted to be humble.

And after all, Magia wasn’t a full-time streamer.

She was a working professional.

So, the casters sighed and wrapped up the interview.

[Alright, then. Let’s finish up with some final words as the champion.]

Magia spoke, her tone flat.

"Honestly, I thought I’d be eliminated early and get back to work. But now I’ve lost two extra days to this tournament. I need to wrap this up and get back to the office."

[Wait, the office? But it’s a weekend night... You’re going to work now?!]

"I stream from my company’s studio. I’m literally sitting in the office broadcast room right now."

The two commentators froze in shock.

They weren’t new to working late—they’d been in this industry for years.

So they knew exactly what Magia’s words implied.

[Wait, you’ve been at work this ENTIRE tournament?!]

"Yes."

[My god....]

***

[ 2025 <Matach Tournament> Combative Division MVP ]

- Team "We’re So Screwed," Magia (Tier-3)

... — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery — ...

[Wait, when did Magia become the gallery mascot?]

Wasn’t everyone saying we should hold back on discussing her because she was just a normal office worker?

Now she’s literally the hottest topic all the time.

[Comments]

— Parallel732: She’s a regular office worker who became a final boss on a major server, won a streamer tournament, and got MVP. How the hell are we not supposed to talk about her?

ㄴ Parallel289: Facts on facts.

— Parallel841: At this point, let’s just admit she’s a VTuber.

ㄴ Parallel094: I was thinking the same thing, lol.

— Parallel258: Honestly, there’s no point in debating it anymore.

ㄴ Parallel258: I just wish she’d stream more often.

ㄴ Parallel890: You too?

... — Parallel (VTuber) Gallery — ...

[Wait, this crazy woman was working while scrimming?!]

I actually kept track of that dude who got hired at Parallel recently.

He drops by here sometimes to post.

Saw a post from yesterday—he said Magia was literally going to work every single day while preparing for the tournament. LMAO.

[Comments]

— Parallel485: No way, was she working when she was running the Wicker server too?!

ㄴ Parallel741: Yeah, she was streaming from the office back then too.

ㄴ Parallel038: She’s a goddamn human lighthouse. Wasn’t she logged in from 6PM to 6AM nonstop?

ㄴ Parallel900: Respectfully, that’s terrifying.

— Parallel945: Didn’t Magia say everything should be fine until 2nd-gen debuts?

ㄴ Parallel682: Bruh, I saw in Burmang Gallery that Momo started 2nd-gen interviews right after the damn tournament ended.

ㄴ Parallel682: Wait, does that mean she’s done streaming after this?!

ㄴ Parallel253: Oh hell no.

ㄴ Parallel870: Absolutely not, wtf.

ㄴ Parallel009: Are we fcked?

ㄴ Parallel325: Nothing we can do, lol. The fact that she streamed this much while working is already insane.

ㄴ Parallel029: I suddenly feel like I can’t breathe.

ㄴ Parallel383: We will find a way...

Even after Matach Tournament and The Grand Momo Tournament, more tournaments and major server events were lined up.

But Magia’s time and abilities were finite.

If she didn’t have an environment where she could focus entirely on streaming, she could disappear at any time because of work.

[Parallel / PARALLEL]

@parallel_official | 190K followers

VTuber group, official Parallel channel.

🔴 (Live) <The Grand Momo Tournament> Parallel Command Room 👪 5,332 viewers

#KnightofLegend #Parallel #Dora #Komari

No matter how much the official channel’s influence kept growing...

No matter how much the average viewership of the Command Room kept increasing...

There was a clear limit to how much Magia could prioritize streaming over her actual job.

A New Perspective

But the moment that changed Magia’s mindset about streaming came surprisingly fast.

Two days after the finals.

The night of Team Youngun’s afterparty.

On the way to the subway with Serena.

"Tonight was so much fun. And honestly, Bazubi was hilarious—he barely talked, but he partied hard."

"I think that was only possible because you translated for him the entire night... But how did you even hear him? That room was loud as hell."

"I kinda read his lips? I probably got a few things wrong, but he would subtly grab my sleeve if I did. It was really cute."

At first, Magia thought Bazubi was just a desperate small streamer, but apparently, he was just a guy who enjoyed good food and good company.

Said he had fun, made good memories, and was happy to make some new friends.

It was a bit pitiful seeing him try to escape whenever the larger personalities of Kamik and Serena kept trying to befriend him.

But Magia understood that feeling well.

After all, Momo herself had once been like that.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Back when she was a small VTuber, big-name streamers trying to get close would freak her out.

Especially a certain guy.

A specific person.

Whose name started with "Mu" and ended with "Gun."

Serena giggled.

"That’s why I always find you so interesting, Gia. Honestly, you’re not that different from Bazubi. But you’ve always seemed so comfortable with streaming."

"Have I?"

"Yeah. Like, if you suddenly said ‘I’m a VTuber’, I’d believe you."

Maybe it was the good food or just the relaxed atmosphere, but Magia felt playful.

"Then... what if I actually became your junior?"

"Hehe, that’d be fu—wait. What?!"

Serena’s eyes widened in pure shock as she repeated,

"Wait. What. No. Huh? Are you serious?!"

"You can use your words, you know."

Serena hesitated, then pursed her lips before muttering,

"Bullshit. There’s no way. I’m not an idiot."

"And what if I wasn’t lying?"

Serena narrowed her eyes, bending forward slightly.

Then, after a moment, she said,

"If you actually debut as a VTuber... I’ll stand in front of Parallel HQ and yell ‘I LOVE PARALLEL’ at the top of my lungs."

Magia’s life had been full of people trying to gaslight her into becoming a VTuber.

It was everywhere.

So, naturally, she shot back without thinking.

"People are saying it’s weirder that I haven’t debuted yet."

"If you were going to listen to other people, you would’ve already debuted under Parallel. You’ve had plenty of chances. But you didn’t. Which means there’s a reason you’re not doing it. If you’re debuting just because of what people are saying... I don’t think that’s a good idea."

A reason not to debut.

Magia had only ever heard one other person bring that up before.

Momo.

"Damn. She’s a good person."

But listening to her...

It almost sounded like someone who had been forced into a debut they didn’t want.

The way she had worked herself to exhaustion in Wicker Server...

The way she balanced a ‘healing’ VTuber persona while clearly looking out for herself...

The words "personal circumstances" naturally came to mind.

So Magia asked,

"I might be overstepping, so you don’t have to answer. But... did you not want to debut, Serena?"

Serena laughed.

"Yeah. I was actually supposed to debut as an idol under VIRDESS."