While Pilgong focused on clearing each stage, the chat reacted like this:
―Boss! Look at the chat
―Just figuring it out with his body lol
―He's definitely going to fail at some point
That was the reaction at the start of level 1. But as Pilgong cleared the stages one by one, the viewers' mood began to shift.
―Huh?
―He's actually clearing the early stages?
―Eh, it's just beginner levels. I could probably clear that too… maybe…
―Still, he's not bad physically
The fact that he cleared levels 1–3 without guides impressed them, but when they saw him tackle level 4, the chat went wild.
―Fake!
―Fake!
―Fake!
―Fake!
A few viewers spammed "fake." Many people assumed that from level 4 onward, you couldn't clear it without looking at guides.
―Yeah, that's him
―Expectation destroyed!
―Wow, he should've switched to capsule streaming long ago
―I didn't know his physical skill was this good
The regular viewers were just excited. As Pilgong powered through, they typed as if they were cheering alongside him. If Pilgong had seen it, he'd probably have told them not to hype him up.
―You're kidding, clearing it all at once?!
―This guy's physical skill is insane
―Never seen him before… so many viewers?
―Clearing it without guides seems insane…
Then more new viewers came in. The thumbnail of the Physical Test drew them in, and most left exclamations in chat. The overall chat vibe was positive.
One of these new viewers was staring intently at the stream.
"This guy is insane…"
Nowadays, guides dominate the Physical Test. But judging by the chat, it seemed like Pilgong was trying without one. He was a real gem.
"Who is this guy?"
Curious, the viewer looked up Pilgong online. They couldn't understand how someone with this kind of physical skill hadn't risen yet.
"Huh? He even has a page on the Streaming Wiki?"
Having info on the Streaming Wiki meant he was a somewhat known streamer. Yet in capsule streams, no one had seen this nickname before. As they read through the page, one line made the viewer almost spit out their drink.
"Wait… this guy was a PC game streamer?!"
PC game streamers are mostly a dying breed now, almost legendary in rarity. So seeing him suddenly appear in a capsule stream, viewers assumed he was a newcomer.
"This guy is definitely going to blow up."
Her intuition told her so: the uniqueness of being a former PC game streamer, his physical ability, and that face—this stream was destined to succeed. If he'd started with capsule streaming from the beginning, he might have already made a name in a major company. She had finally found a streamer she liked in a long time.
"First, I'll promote him on the community!"
The new viewer recorded clips and began sharing them online. That's how the name "Pilgong" slowly began to spread.
"No! How can you donate there?!"
―lololololol
―He's donating right there lol
―For real lol
The viewers spammed laughter in chat, and it gave me a headache.
"I don't mind donations… but 1,000 won? 1,000 won!"
The unwritten rule when sabotaging a game was usually to donate around 10,000 won. That way, the streamer would be placated. This time, the donation broke that rule.
―Disrupting with 1,000 won…;;
―No wonder he's mad
―For real lol
―Even banning this would make sense
The viewers agreed with me. Seeing that, more donations came in.
['Physical' donated 10,000 won!]
[Sorry;; Is this enough for bail?]
"Hmm… you're free!"
With 10,000 won, the financial damage was patched up, so I declared them "released." And there was still more money coming.
Soon after:
['KimchiMandu' donated 100,000 won!]
[This ended a bit awkwardly;;]
"Ah! KimchiMandu, thank you for the 100,000 won donation!"
Other capsule streamers might dance for this, but this was a mission reward. This reaction was enough.
"I'm also a little disappointed it ended awkwardly."
―Yeah, very awkward
―Will you continue it tomorrow?
―I wanted to record a Physical Test score… too bad
I wasn't the only one disappointed. Other viewers felt it was a shame the content ended so ambiguously.
'It's a shame, but the Physical Test will have to stay for now.'
I had moved up today's planned content, but doing it again tomorrow would be tedious.
'Then… I guess I'll end the stream now…'
Thinking that, I said to chat,
"Alright, I'll be ending the stream for today."
―?
―????
―You're ending it like this?
―We'll come after you if you do
The chat went wild, but I was too hungry to continue. With capsule streaming, unlike PC streaming, I couldn't eat while broadcasting.
"Anyway, the setup is done, and the stream went well. I'll turn it on again soon."
I pressed the end stream button without reading chat. It was probably pure chaos in there, and I didn't need to witness the abyss firsthand.
"Ah, my shoulders…"
I stretched as I got up from the capsule. Lying down for hours had made them stiff. I did some stretches, opened the cupboard, and hummed,
"Time to eat."
I took out microwave rice and spicy tuna, heated the rice, set up a spoon and table, and ate them together.
"Ah, hot."
That was enough for a meal. While eating, I checked how the stream went.
"Hmm… is this real?"
Since the capsule launched, average viewers had been declining. Usually, my average was barely 100. But today was different.
"Average viewers 200?"
Almost double my usual. And today's content was just the Physical Test at the end. But even so, the average was nearly 200.
Even more impressive wasn't just the average.
"Why was the peak 301?"
The graph showed viewers surged just before I ended the stream. If I hadn't ended it, the average could have gone higher. Capsule streams clearly had a different viewer flow. Seeing this graph gave me hope.
"Pilha."
―Pilha
―Ph
―Pilha
After three days, I turned on the stream and greeted them. I hadn't had time to stream because of various tasks. Only after handling most of the backlog could I turn it on.
['KimchiMandu' donated 1,000 won!]
[Pilha]
"KimchiMandu, thanks for the 1,000 won. Pilha."
It had been a while since I got a donation right as I started, so it was a good start.
"Before we begin today, I have an announcement."
―Huh?
―Announcement all of a sudden?
―What is it?
Most viewers were curious. Normally, you'd use a flashy title like "Important Announcement" to attract attention, but I didn't bother.
'My recognition is low right now.'
It wasn't zero, but it was low. Using a grand title when it's uncertain if I'll continue the stream would attract too much unnecessary attention.
"This is about the stream itself."
―Okay
―Hurry up
―What is it, stop teasing us!
Even though I spoke slowly, eager viewers began pressing me. Normally, I wouldn't like this, but today was an exception.
'It's been a while since I've seen these kinds of viewers.'
I started the announcement:
"I plan to continue this capsule stream for about a month."
―A month?
―Why set a period?
―Can't you just keep going?
―Are you leaving again?
As expected, people asked why. The reason was simple:
'I need clear data.'
If I streamed for a week and suddenly quit, the numbers would be meaningless. Even if I continued, results weren't guaranteed. So I set a clear standard: one month, enough to gauge both revenue and viewer trends.
"So, please understand that's the plan."
―Okay
―Well, I'm glad we get to watch for a month
―Yes
―Then why one month?
Luckily, viewers didn't press further. A few asked, but they were a minority.
"I'll decide after a month whether to continue or stop as planned."
―ㅠㅠ
―Don't leave again ㅠㅠ
―We'll never let you leave!
Some viewers got dramatic, but I just chuckled.
"Also, I won't continue the Physical Test for now."
―?
―Huh?
―What did you say?
The chat erupted. Many new viewers had joined because of the Physical Test yesterday.
The Physical Test is an "entry-level" game. While it's good to attract viewers, it doesn't fit my current plan. With a one-month limit to gauge trends, I can't just wait indefinitely while streaming it.
"Okay, that's the announcement. Let's get into the game."
―Which game?
―If it's not the Physical Test, I'm out
―Tell us quickly
Even a small pause sent chat into chaos. I checked the declining viewers.
'Out of roughly 200, about 70 left.'
Around 30% gone. It was fine; I could gather more with the upcoming game. I changed the category before announcing the game.
"Today's game is…"
―Excited noises
―Let's go!!!
―Go! Shoot!
With the fiery chat, my background changed. From the capsule's flashy default room, the surroundings turned into a bunker-like environment. Some viewers immediately guessed the game.
―What is this?!
―Wow! This is legit
―Let's go!
―Godgong! Godgong! Godgong!
"Today's game is Battle Hill."