I Gain Infinite Gold Just By Waiting-Chapter 260: Episode 52_Point Maker (1)

1.

The gap between a world on the brink of war and a peaceful one is far wider than people think.

Earth was no longer a place you could call peaceful, but compared to a continent where the Demon King—the final boss, for all intents and purposes—was rampaging and laying waste to everything, it was still relatively calm and monotonous.

The deep emptiness that came from that contrast took time to adjust to.

“Phew.”

People were out laughing and chatting.

Seeing the faces of people enjoying peace without a care in the world, Buja realized just how deeply he had been immersed in the continent. He almost wanted to tell them they shouldn’t be so carefree.

Of course, that didn’t mean he made the mistake of butting in and playing the busybody.

It wasn’t because he was so good at separating game from reality.

Any man who had served in the South Korean military knew how to handle this feeling. You spent your days in a tense, hair-trigger atmosphere, constantly on edge from training and North Korean provocations. Then, the moment you went on leave or were discharged, the civilians you saw outside wore expressions of perfect peace.

People only react to crises that are directly in front of them.

That was why, for the people of Earth, the fall of some distant continent or the descent of a Demon King wasn’t exactly an issue they could empathize with.

’How do I sell this so people say I absolutely nailed it?’

The one saving grace was that many people were interested in the continent’s fate, many of whom were emotionally invested thanks to the vivid, uncut videos that let them experience it firsthand.

Naturally, the imperial princess’s role in that was huge.

Men and women, young and old—all were captivated.

Beyond her striking looks, her personality and iron will embodied a sense of duty and emotion that modern people rarely possessed.

Her purity, in particular, stirred people’s protective instincts, and that would be a key selling point in making the most of the little time he had.

“First, let’s start with the groundwork.”

’At this point, there’s nothing left to hold me back.’

* * *

People were waiting for Kim Buja.

—When’s the new video dropping?

—I hope our princess is still alive. I miss her.

—If I could go there myself, I’d kill the Demon King for her.

—Yeah, sure. A high-ranking demon would clap you instantly.

—I don’t care if the continent falls, can’t we at least bring the princess over here somehow?

To be precise, they were waiting for Kim Buja to bring back videos featuring the princess.

Not just a handful of people, but more than ten percent of the entire world.

It was inevitable.

In cinematic terms, it was already the highest-grossing film of all time; as a series, it had already shattered every ratings record in history.

Anyone could watch it easily and pay for it just as easily.

The chance to explore the continent, feeling as if you were personally experiencing it the moment you hit play, anytime and anywhere, was a unique experience that no movie or TV show could offer.

That alone, regardless of the content, was an overwhelming technological feat.

And on top of that, the content itself was perfect.

—Guess reality shows really are the trend.

—You’d be hard-pressed to see that level of "real" even from dungeon players.

—I’m more shocked he’s still alive.

Above all, the protagonist’s actions were jaw-dropping.

The situations he navigated with wit and decisive choices were astounding.

Who else could have made those calls in those moments?

The more you immersed yourself, the more thrilling it became, and the harder it was to stop watching.

It went beyond simple vicarious satisfaction.

—It’s even better if you focus on the romance with the princess.

—Fr. How did she fall for him, lol.

—He’s still got Seora, though. He’s not actually going to marry the princess, right?

—Why does that matter? The princess can marry me instead. Damn.

And the biggest reason the majority of people were going crazy over it:

The princess’s eyes, seen from a first-person perspective, were overflowing with love.

Everyone knew those eyes were directed solely at Kim Buja, but that trivial detail didn’t matter to those who were fully in sync with his point of view.

All they felt was the desire to protect that love, that trust, that purity, forever.

So people made up their minds.

—I’m buying it the second it drops.

—Doesn’t matter how much it costs, I’m buying.

—Think this’ll be the last episode?

—Dunno. I hope he does side stories and just keeps uploading vlog-style stuff for life.

They were determined to see it through to the end, no matter what.

They naturally found themselves cheering him on.

—Don’t die, Kim Buja. Your life isn’t yours anymore.

—You have to live and protect the princess forever.

—And if possible, I wouldn’t mind a bonus scene where they have an heir to the empire...

It was at that exact moment that a new video was uploaded.

"I’ve spent the last few days on the continent. I figured some of you would be curious how things turned out, so before I upload the full video, I wanted to give you a brief update. As you probably know if you’ve been watching, if I came back alive, that means I cleared the quest safely. Of course, the princess is alive as well, and I haven’t killed the Demon King yet. You can see the details in the video, but I’m afraid the price on this one is a bit steep. You’ll understand why once you watch it. If this video goes up as planned and the next one does too, that will probably be the end."

It was a short announcement video. Not long after, the Chapter 4-1 video itself went up.

As he had warned, the price was high enough to make people frown.

—He wants us to pay for this?

—$2,000? Is he out of his mind?

—Did he add an extra zero by mistake?

That was how it looked to ordinary people.

—50,000 points? For a single video? Let us pay cash too!

—Insane. How are we supposed to cough up 50,000 points for this? I need 50,000 points just to watch it.

—I’ve got some saved up, but... is this video really worth that much?

—How much extra damage to monsters can you buy with 50k?

—There’s no way any sucker is dumb enough to buy this and fall behind, right?

And to players as well.

From one angle, it was a pretty insulting and infuriating situation for the people who had been waiting. It was like a game company with a rabidly loyal player base dropping an absurdly overpriced pay-to-win package, exploiting that loyalty to sell something you practically had to buy.

They were curious.

A lot of them were dying to just bite the bullet and pay.

But it felt like a waste.

Those individual thoughts gathered and coalesced, eventually forming a collective mood: public opinion, the force that moves the world.

People often care more about what others say than what they themselves think.

Even if they personally feel something is reasonable and worthwhile, if the majority gives it a negative review, they will arbitrarily downgrade its value.

Once that kind of atmosphere takes hold, sales naturally take a hit.

That is why movies and TV shows care so much about their pre-release image.

It is why marketing often eats up more budget than the actual production.

However, Kim Buja did not interfere with this mood at all.

He didn’t upload any additional videos or adjust the price.

He simply waited.

This was a more critical moment than any before.

He did not have to wait long, just a few days.

Long enough for the advance guard—the people who loved the continent, the princess, and the story so much that they would pay any price without complaint—to trust him, buy Chapter 4-1, and watch it all the way through.

—Wow.

—This is it.

—Damn. I teared up the moment the princess started singing.

—Who else saw our princess singing nonstop until the battle ended?

No one knew the appeal of a short but intense war video better than he did.

That rush, that tension, that sense of duty you could never experience on Earth.

—Watching the demons charge is legit terrifying.

—They’re insane. They keep attacking even while they’re dying.

—I got chills when he wiped them out with magic, and when he dove into the middle of the demons and all those attacks flying in from every direction just barely missed him, I almost pissed myself.

—From Kim Buja’s POV, it’s like you went to see a movie and accidentally got a masterclass.

—So this is how you can move.

He had filmed nonstop from the very heart of the battlefield.

He had burned everything, and that included himself.

—I cried when he introduced them to Korean food: hamburgers.

—Since when are hamburgers Korean food?

Their conversations were full of things only those who had watched could understand and relate to.

Everything you could see without paying for the video was, for all intents and purposes, already out there.

Just from their chatter, you could piece together how the war had gone, how it had ended, and what kind of feats had taken place.

But it did not stop there.

—You have to watch it. The content itself isn’t the point.

—Yeah. If you’re just talking about the plot, it’s nothing special. It’s basically a standard patriotic war movie where they take down one isolated enemy legion. It’s the immersion and realism that are insane.

—I honestly wouldn’t mind if the rest of the demon legions followed the same pattern. I just want to see them all.

Their recommendations flipped public opinion.

On one side were the people judging without watching.

On the other hand was the minority who had watched and were now talking.

Those who had been hesitating because of the price started changing their minds, one by one.

For people with disposable income, not watching the hottest series of the moment was practically the same as being out of touch with the times.

Of course, given the price, no one would have criticized you for skipping it.

They would understand and just tell you about it instead.

How thrilling and moving it had been.

Which only made people want to see it more.

The fact that no one who had paid that much was even trying to judge whether it was "worth the price" meant they valued the work far above that amount.

—If my money can help save the continent, it’s not a waste.

—I just hope he spends it on good gear.

And as Buja had said, those who watched the video understood.

—I’m going to tell myself I bought the princess that hamburger.

—I’m team Kallis. He was seriously badass.

—Fr, you could say Kallis was the real protagonist this time.

More and more people started buying the video.

Compared to his previous uploads, the purchase rate was obviously lower.

However, relative to the price, the response was phenomenal—record-breaking, even.

Because so many people had been eagerly waiting for the video, the number of early adopters who bought it was also large. The overwhelmingly positive reviews from that group made it much easier and more compelling for those on the fence to change their minds.

And there was a specific tipping point where sales exploded.

—Make sure you watch until the very end. Seriously, this is the kind of thing you have to buy and experience yourself, right down to the feel of it, to realize $2,000 isn’t a waste.

—That bastard. Even his tongue work is Legendary class.

—Ha. I’ve got it on infinite loop.

—Thank you, Buja-sensei. The post-credits scene was amazing. I’m looking forward to more.

It was the moment it came out that he hadn’t cut the scene where, right before parting, he received the princess’s promise that he would return—and sealed it with a kiss.

“You could’ve at least told us that was in there.”

Without any kind of hard sell, the video started selling exactly as he had planned.

* * *