<World Line>. The world's first VRMMORPG... or at least the world's first widely successful one.

Although it had only been released for less than a week, the number of concurrent players had reached a world-breaking record of a million logged on at once on debut.

Even after, the number of concurrent players averaged around 500,000 each day.

This led many companies and technology experts alike to question what kind of mysterious black box technology was being used to host such a well-developed and graphic-intensive game.

However, for the average player, the important thing was that the game was fun.

A wide and expansive fantasy world to explore that was true to life. The ability to carve out a path of your own with a blade in hand. The potential to become a 'hero' and shift the fate of the world entirely with enough effort. An entirely parallel life to fulfill the wildest dreams.

And the game that <Prodigy> was streaming for their collab membership announcement stream.

xxx

Private Clip: Miya Musashi adjusted the starter katana sheathed at her left side and then took a look around.

Public Clip: The <Starter Plaza> was where new players usually entered <World Line>. Right in the middle of the <City of Origin>, it served as the central hub for players to gather, sell wares, sell information, etc.

As a result, it was crowded with players and NPCs alike.

Private Clip: Miya frowned and turned towards her gen mates. "Is it going to be fine streaming like this?"

Both Titor and their manager had mentioned that a 'streamer mode' had been added to the game so that a similar fiasco like what happened with Aoko wouldn't arise.

And Miya was sure that it was on since the people around them were phasing past like ghosts, but...

Public Clip: Kuromi threw out some practice punches and kicks at the crowd, marveling as they phased right through. After that, she nodded and turned back to Miya. "We'll be fine! See?" She stuck her hand in a player walking past to emphasize and said, "We're like ghosts right now, so nobody will bother us!"

Tsubame adjusted her white cleric robes and then held up a staff. Taking a look around, she said, "It is a bit disconcerting to be ignored like this... but it does make our time here simpler."

Rhea sighed and adjusted her glasses. "I still don't see why we couldn't just do an ordinary stream."

Kuromi turned towards her and said, "That's boring! Besides, don't you want to have fun beating up some monsters?"

Rhea idly rested her hand on the flintlock pistol at her side and hummed. "I guess..." She glanced around and said, "And I see some other people streaming right now, so it won't be too weird."

Private Clip: Miya tilted her head and said, "There are other people streaming now too? And not in streamer mode?"

Rhea nodded and pointed off to the side. "Yeah. Like that guy."

Miya glanced towards where Rhea was pointing to take a look.

Public Clip: A player with spiky orange hair and wearing custom cosmetics with lots of chains and spikes was walking backwards through the crowd. Staring up at a floating holographic camera and a floating chatbox, he grinned and said, "What's up guys!" He struck a pose and then started making hand gestures to emphasize his words. "It's your favorite hitman, burglar, pizza deliverer, trashbag, wolf, isekai protagonist warrior, Alex Frivolous! Today..."

Whatever he was going to say next was drowned out as a group of people wearing black hoodies with orange ears surrounded him and started cheering.

Private Clip: Miya blinked and then slowly said, "Yes... We are not doing that."

Public Clip: Rhea rolled her eyes and said, "Duh. If a small indie streamer like that draws a crowd, imagine what'll happen for mainstream people like us? But anyway..." She swiped her hand and opened up a floating UTube window. "Should we start our POVs?"

Kuromi swiped her hand and opened a UTube window as well. Glancing at the chat, she said, "It looks like everyone's excited!"

Rhea glanced at Kuromi and said, "Do you have to be so energetic all the time, Senpai?"

Kuromi tilted her head and said, "I'm energetic?"

"...Hah. Never mind."

Tsubame delicately swiped her finger through her air like flipping a page of a book, bringing up her own UTube window. Reading the chat, she said, "Our esteemed guests seem to be getting impatient." She looked over at Miya and said, "Shall we begin?"

Private Clip: Miya swiped her hand, opening her own UTube page and popping open the chat.

xxx

Public Clip: [] Miya-chan! Where are you?!
[] Can a normie like Miya even play games?
[] Bets on who gets one-shot by the wild boar first.

[] How am I going to watch all four POVs at once? T_T
[] You obviously aren't on the MIRAIZ app
[] John needs to just buy out Googol already
[] Twotch too! Those guys are too greedy!
[] Don't get me started on that new sponsor stuff...

[] So we've got Miya as DPS, Tsubame as Healer, Kuromi as Tank, and Rhea as...?
[] Mascot?
[] Does this game even have a gunner class?
[] Flint-locks are a thing, but they're trash, so...

xxx

Private Clip: Miya moved the chat to the side and then said, "I think we've kept everyone waiting long enough." She looked back at the other members of Prodigy and said, "Should we start the stream?"

Public Clip: "Oh!" Kuromi waved to the other girls and then moved towards Miya. "Let's start with a group huddle!"

Rhea sighed and said, "Do we have to?"

Tsubame tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and said, "This is a collaboration, is it not? It would be best to at least begin in unison, even if we split apart shortly after."

Rhea grumbled and said, "Fine, fine."

After that, the girls gathered around Miya.

Private Clip: Miya nodded and said, "We'll start on three then. One... two... three!"

Public Clip: Rhea fumbled and said, "Most people start on 'go', not three! Argh!"

"Eh?" Kuromi tilted her head while starting her stream. "Why would we start on five?"

Rhea groaned and said, "Not five, GO- Ah, we're live."

Private Clip: Miya ignored the other girls' shenanigans and instead focused on her chat and recording window. Moving it to put all the Prodigy girls in view, she said, "Good afternoon, everyone! Hope you're having a wonderful day!"

Public Clip: In the background, Rhea muttered, "Mimi still hasn't found her intro, huh?"

xxx

[] lol
[] normie waifu for laifu
[] Mya Miya!

[] I was just there!
[] Whoa. It's trippy watching the stream in-game
[] Aww. They're in streamer mode.

[loreowl] :prays for no more lore:

Miya pointedly ignored Rhea and instead tilted the screen to show the other girls. "Can everyone else introduce themselves?"

"Yosh!" Kuromi punched her fists together and said, "Kuromi Tekken! Let's have a blast today!"

Rhea adjusted her camera and muttered, "Another generic normie to the bunch..."

After Kuromi, Tsubame smiled and waved with her right hand while cradling her staff over her left shoulder like she would an umbrella. Gently bowing her head, she smiled and said, "Hello esteemed guests. Welcome to our collaboration stream." She raised her head and said, "I pray that it will be enjoyable for everyone involved."

Following Tsubame, Rhea let out a bright smile and flashed a quick peace sign while winking at the camera. "A Rhea-l good time's in store! Let's go with the flow and make a masterpiece today!"

Private Clip: Miya stifled a chuckle after hearing Rhea's introduction.

Rhea's eye twitched for a bit, but she didn't break character at all and simply kept smiling.

Seeing that, and seeing that everyone had introduced themselves, Miya nodded and looked back at the camera. "That's everyone! Now, I know there's the membership announcement, but we thought it'd be fun to go around and fight some monsters first. We've already done the tutorial, so..." She glanced back at Rhea and said, "How do you feel about going to a dungeon gate, Rhea?"

Rhea blinked and then said, "Why're you asking me?"

Miya smiled and said, "Oh, I was just worried you might run out of bullets if we explore too long."

Rhea's eye twitched, but she didn't fall for the taunt. Instead, she twirled her gun around and said, "Do you think a genius like me will run out of bullets that easily?"

Considering how the game was so close to reality, Miya definitely thought so. But she didn't say that outloud since people were watching. Instead, she smiled and said, "In that case, let's have a poll! Let's see... there we go!"

A poll popped up in front of Miya. After making sure it was correct, she said, "Where should we go explore first, everyone?"

Public Clip: [Prodigy Dungeon Raid Poll]
>Goblin Den (F-Ranked)
>Slimey Cavern (F-Ranked)
>Fruity Woods (E-Ranked)

xxx

[] Obviously the woods
[] Highed rank, higher loot!
[] Aren't the woods dangerous though?

[] I've seen enough He*tai to know where this is going...
[] Um. Aren't those all bad-end areas?
[] YABE

[] :popcorn:
[] :nosebleed:
[] :prays:

[rationalrabbit] Y'all need Jesus.