MMORPG: Rise of the Peerless Pumpkinmancer

A young man was happily browsing his phone in his room, smirking from time to time. 

Jack really had trouble deciding what kind of streamer to go for. Competitive, informative, or a fun one? 

But that's when his fingers began itching as they began typing a name in the search engine: Seraphine. He stared at it, erased it, typed it back again, and he couldn't forget Lilly's words. 

Should he pry or not? 

He hesitated for a few seconds before resolutely pressing the enter key. So what if he looked into her a bit? He'd just have to make sure that he didn't change the way he acted around her. 

Then his screen got filled with tons of articles: 

< Pro-player Seraphine, a disgrace for the E-Sports industry!? >

< Seraphine, Single-Handedly wins 1 v 3 at worlds then throws the game!>

< The truth behind Seraphine the Shadow Princess's fallout with her studio! >

< Shocking! Seraphine, more than 20 studio offers, all refused! Retirement planned?!>

< Exclusive interview with Seraphine, her reasons for quitting! What are her upcoming plans? >

A disgrace for the E-Sports? Hell, he too had been a disgrace. He knew firsthand how much the press loved to prey on some people without rhyme or reason. Well, it was all about sales. 

He clicked on her interview. He wanted to know her story, as told by her. He devoured the lines slowly, smiling warmly at times, grinning at others, and even guffawing on a few occasions. 

He could understand how she had issues with her previous studio. They were 100% money-oriented, as was the case with most businesses. The problem was that she had never compromised her integrity in the face of temptation or threats. 

At some point, the conflict blew up spectacularly. She showcased her might at a global competition only to surrender right as victory was assured, only to prove a point. This was definitely madness! 

Yet she had managed to get away with enough money for retirement. Jack couldn't help but sigh as he saw her reasons. She didn't wish to be a pro anymore, didn't wish for the spotlight, and wanted anonymity. 

Why? Playing as a Pro had ruined the fun for her. It wasn't about enjoying the game, but 100% about performance. She wanted to leave that life behind. 

Jack could relate so fucking much. Eventually, Infinite would creep over to invade people's lives IRL, and the stakes would rise so damn much! It would stop being just a game and become a full-fledged industry. 

He knew the despair it could bring. He knew how it could quickly consume one's life. Well, for most of the players it would remain a beautiful escape from a harsh reality. 

Jack wasn't an idiot. A plan quickly formed inside his head. He would get her to sponsor him, the return of the gaming star would bring incredible attention to him, and his rise would be stellar! 

He would become an Internet sensation. The cash would be rolling in. He'd be able to afford a good life for his family, and— No. No, no, no! He suddenly shook his head, forcefully getting rid of the idea. 

Fuck no! What kind of man's first thought was to exploit his friends' fame for his own benefit? Not the kind of man he fucking wanted to be! Not the kind of man Lilly would be able to look up to. 

Should he disturb Bubblegum's happy retirement? Hell no! She was playing incognito and had looked displeased at being recognized back then. He would let her live her life peacefully— well, it would be different if she came out of retirement. 

All doubt left Jack's body as he grinned, proclaimed at his phone like a madman: 

"Do I need to leech on others to reach the top? Hell freaking no! One day Jack' Motherfucking O will have more articles praising him than words in the dictionary!" 

— Apparently, 171 476…who knew! 

He quickly returned to work, furiously typing on his phone as if a dimensional monkey on a typewriter. 

"Not this one, not this one, not this—" his quest was suddenly interrupted by a text message notification popping off. 

— Beep! — 

He couldn't help but raise a brow as he saw the contact's name….Lilly had 100% tinkered with it! 

- Cutest Sister ❤️( ^◡^)❤️: Hey, I'll be staying at my friend's house for the night. Don't overwork yourself. I believe in you! ✽-(ˆ˶˶ˆ)/✽

He couldn't help but smile warmly, then laughed as he remembered her online nickname. What part of this was devilish?! She should have called herself heartwarming Lilly. 

He quickly typed in a reply, only to return to work even more hyped. A very childish part of him couldn't wait to show her his videos. 

But as he clicked to return to browse, he just happened to misclick on a random streamer, one that barely had four viewers— not the star he had been searching for. 

The host, a certain "Mighty Infinite Pancakes," was excitingly reading all kinds of news about the game, one after the other: 

"Hey, you all! There's more news about the Demon King. People say he conquered the first dungeon. Do you all think he'll rule over it and evolve into a Demon Overlord? Wouldn't that be great!" 

But just as he was about to leave, his face suddenly twitched as he read the stream chat. What the hell was that?! 

- Pika Pika MF: Hurry up and show a different game, or I'm leaving. Infinite is a doomed game, and only idiots think it has a future. 

- Red Fungus:  Who cares about the Demon Lord? You should be showing relevant stuff! That's why you're the worst streamer! 

- Ouroboro-Snake-Chan: This stream is garbage. It's so atrocious that it's making me wretch!

- Stream Critic: This fatty was born the wrong gender. Look at the size of those tits! Kek 

Yet the streamer didn't even frown at the insults. He flashed the camera a bright smile and answered every single comment tactfully. 

"If Infinite doesn't have a future, then I will create one for it. Do not worry. Follow the Pancakes to glory!" He proclaimed heroically. 

"I'm the worst streamer, you say? I'm so happy to be the best at something!" He strutted akin to a peacock, oozing with pride. 

"Be careful if you're vomiting Snake-Chan. Make sure to drink some water afterward, so you stay hydrated." He recommended with concern. 

"I'm gonna blush! I'm not an easy man, but if you really want to see them, I— no, I can't!" He acted akin to a bashful maiden. 

That's when the trolls hurriedly left, sending a few insults as they went, with the viewer counter going way down. 

Not discouraged in the least, the man kept enthusiastically gesticulating in front of the camera. But so what if he could take the abuse? Jack hurriedly left, too, with the viewer count reaching 0. 

He returned to browsing, looking for any familiar handle. In fact, he found a few that he felt promising, quickly extending them an offer. 

- Jack'O: Would you be interested in cooperation between us? I have Infinite game footage. ^_^ 

He expected these streamers to be gleeful and jump in joy….nope. They all reacted similarly. 

"Scammer alert!" 

"Mods, please ban this guy ASAP!" 

"Pfft— you're the fifth one to make that claim in the last hour." 

"This sure is sad. People are trying to trick one another so much nowadays."

"How about this? Send the files over, and I'll have a look at them. If you're legit, we can cooperate." 

They all reacted with disbelief while acting high and mighty. Just send the file over? Did they think that he was stupid? He wouldn't send them anything concrete before reaching a deal. 

Then again, this was the downside of dealing with professional content creators. They were happy with their lives and not as eager to take a risk. Still, there were also a few who had politely told him that they'd whisper him once their stream ended. 

He could only patiently wait for them to be done. Frankly, he hadn't found any who had wowed him, but it would do for now. 

Out of boredom, he returned to that one "Mighty Infinite Pancakes Streamer". The guy was now streaming to 0 viewers. 

As Jack listened to him, he couldn't help but nod appreciatively. The guy was actually making good content, even when no one was watching! 

He was currently analyzing Infinite's marketing strategy— or lack of. 

It seemed like he had stumbled upon something great too... 

Creator's Thought

Humans sure are peculiar creatures. The duality of man is truly a fascinating subject and I the prime example. I don't mind killing, torturing, cheating, lying, and plenty of other stuff if I deem it necessary. Yet even I have things that I won't do. This includes exploiting a friend if there is another alternative. Does this make me foolish? Perhaps, but it also makes me human.