Thumbs Up, Level Up Chapter 2

‘Hmmm.’

It was… very similar to the video platforms Ji-Cheok had seen on the Internet.

Coincidentally, a video was playing at the same time on Ji-Cheok’s phone where a streamer cooking something gave a thumbs-up saying, “Doesn’t it look delicious?”

Wait, wasn’t this the site that people used all over the world? The layout of the video website on his screen was very familiar to Ji-Cheok.

‘G… grandpa…?’

Was this what he had meant? Was this the thing ‘better than winning the ‘lottery’?

‘Let’s check out the description first.’

[The ‘GodTube Influencer’ is a job offered by God ???. From now on, you need to collect Likes[1] from other people. Each Like will be converted to points, and you will grow based on how many you receive.]

Ji-Cheok saw himself in the video. When people gave him thumbs-up, he began to shine and grew bigger.

‘… Likes? Is this for real?’

Ji-Cheok knew that the Awakened, also known as the Hunters, gained a power called the ‘System.’ The points allowed them to do whatever they wanted in the system, and people needed them to raise their stats or purchase skills. Some called them XP[2].Not only that, but there was also a Hunter-exclusive auction house, where Ji-Cheok was pretty sure they traded using points. That said, it looked like Ji-Cheok was different from normal Hunters. There was one part a bit… unusual. Hunters gained points by hunting monsters, but he was instead gaining points by receiving Likes.

‘What the heck is this?’

Ji-Cheok suddenly remembered the message stating that he had received seventeen Likes from his fellow Hunter Assistants.

[Not only that, but you can also buy rare items or skills with Likes. When you reach a certain rank, you’ll gain access to the auction house.]

[Enjoy greater power with more Likes. Likes are your power!]

Well, the explanation sounded a little all over the place. Ji-Cheok clicked the status button.

[Check personal status.]

[Um Ji-Cheok]

[Job: GodTube influencer

Stamina: D

Strength: D-

Agility: D

Mana[3]: F-

Charm: C

Intelligence: D

Class: Unknown GodTuber

Overall review: A rookie who hasn’t debuted yet. Gather Likes to become strong and famous.]

‘My class would certainly be ‘Unknown GodTuber’ since I haven’t really started out yet.’

A thumbs-up button next to each stat got Ji-Cheok’s attention, and when he clicked the description button, a message appeared.

[You can increase your stats by using Likes.]

‘Wooh, this is fascinating.’

Ji-Cheok had expected to gain more outstanding capabilities like shooting lightning with his hands, but he couldn’t believe that he had just become a GodTube influencer.

‘It’s a good thing that I took off the body cam. If this happened while I was wearing it, I’d definitely have to declare it to the government right now.’

‘Oh, well. Let’s see how far I can get.’

“I’ll invest everything in mana.”

[Would you like to use 15 Likes to increase your mana to F+ rank? (Yes/No).]

Usually, people thought it would be useful to develop Strength or Stamina, as one had to be able to smash skulls in order to survive when the goblins and orcs showed up. However, Ji-Cheok upgraded his mana instead on purpose.

‘Mana seems to be the most important, based on what I’ve seen.’

He had watched the Hunters hunting in person instead of on GodTube or television. People often called Hunter Assistants ‘sidekicks,’ but it was the best career for those who wanted a front-row seat to witness a hunt.

‘Mana is required to use skills, and the level of mana plays a great part in determining the victory.’

After all, the endurance and mastery of a hunter who could use skills six times was on a different level compared to the one who could only use them three times.

Of course, there was no immediate difference in growth when increasing stats other than Strength or Stamina. That’s why there were a lot of Hunters who disregarded mana. Those kinds of Hunters would fall behind in intermediate-level dungeons.

‘Huh? What’s this calculation formula? Why does it cost fifteen Likes to get to F+?’

Looking closely, Ji-Cheok thought the formula was weird.

‘Oh, that’s right. There might be limits in place since popular Hunters could probably gain thousands of Likes at once.’

‘Hmm… I should use them with caution even if they’re easy to gain.’

“Yes.”

[Your mana has been upgraded to F+!]

[You have spent 15 Likes.]

[Mana: F+]

Ji-Cheok could finally accumulate and use mana, as F+ was the lowest rank where one could start using it. He felt something flowing within his body and welling up in his heart.

‘Huh? This… this is mana?’

Mana circulated around his heart and followed his will, gathering in the points he focused on. Ji-Cheok concentrated the mana into his hands, then peeled off the pain relief patch and tore it apart with his bare hands.

‘Whoa! I ripped it without needing scissors!’

It was only a paper-like patch, but Ji-Cheok was impressed. Would he be able to tear apart heavy duty duct tape as well?

Ring-

[Your understanding of mana has improved!]

[Mana: It can temporarily increase Strength/Durability if you use it on your body. It’s more effective when applied to your skills.]

Ji-Cheok could feel mana coming out of his body. After a few moments, it started to gather around him like a school of anchovies in the ocean. With this, Ji-Cheok was finally able to accept that he had Awakened, but he didn’t seem to have any skills yet.

‘Should I collect more Likes to gain a skill?’ He only had two Likes left after upgrading his mana. Then, he remembered the message mentioning the shop.

“Open the Likes shop!”

A large stand popped up in front of him, and a never-ending list of skills appeared.

[Heavenly Demon’s Single Flash: The legendary sword of the Heavenly Demon. It is said that it can even cleave the void. Requires SS-rank Swordsmanship.]

[Archangel’s Serenade: A healing hymn played by Archangel Gabriel. Those who hear it will be cured of all illnesses and curses. Legend has it that once the skill has been fully mastered, the user can even bring the dead back to life. Requires S-rank Musicality.]

‘It can revive the dead?!’ Ji-Cheok was surprised and scrolled down to check the price.

“…9…99999999…999 likes?”

‘9’ continued endlessly like a cheat code hack in an old classic game. Ji-Cheok closed the window as he felt his eyes were going to fall out. He couldn’t afford these anyway.

“Show me something I can buy with 2 Likes.”

[The list will be displayed. Searching… 3, 2…]

[432 skills for 1 Like and 358 skills for 2 Likes were found.]

A long list filled up his view.

[Breathing: You become healthier because you can breathe easily.]

[Walking: You won’t get sore muscles no matter how long you walk.]

[Eating: You eat well and won’t get an upset stomach no matter how fast you eat.]

[Defecating: You are able to defecate well under any circumstances.]

[Sleeping: You fall into a deep sleep almost immediately after lying on a pillow.]

…

The skills looked similar as he scrolled down through the long list.

‘Hahaha, of course these skills are pretty basic, since they cost so little.’

All Ji-Cheok could do was laugh.

‘But… Can I buy an unlimited number of items if I have enough points? That’s unusual, others have restrictions when purchasing skills…’

Other Hunters gained points when they killed monsters, and Ji-Cheok had heard they could use the store as well. However, it was different from what he knew. Well, it wasn’t going to cost him anything to go through the list, so he kept scrolling down. The skills were interesting, they even included ‘Watching,’ ‘Writing,’ ‘Spitting,’ ‘Swimming,’ and ‘Hand Standing.’

[Massage: It helps the blood circulation and restores Stamina. The user can apply the skill to others.]

“Massage? This… is a good way to earn likes, since people usually give me a thumbs-up after I massage them.”

This skill was definitely a diamond in the rough. Even if Ji-Cheok used up all his Likes, he could always put it to use and receive more thumbs-up.

“Purchase the Massage skill!”

This was how Ji-Cheok would gain his capital.

***

The next day, Ji-Cheok went to work.

“Hey, Um. You must’ve been tired yesterday, but you still came early,” Mr. Kim kindly greeted him.

Mr. Kim was always the first to report to work. He didn’t live in a dorm, so he commuted from his place in Gyeonggi-do by transit. Since the early morning bus didn’t charge for the Seoul toll gate, he took the first bus early every morning. It was two hours each way, so four hours round trip. He said that living together with his family was completely worth it, despite the lack of rest.

“Nah, it must’ve been hard for you as well yesterday. Why don’t you take some rest?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“What’s the point of taking a break? There’s nothing to do. I’d rather work and earn more money,” Mr. Kim grumbled and put on his work uniform.

Ji-Cheok also changed into his uniform and placed a bodycam on his chest.

Beep-

– Employee authentication successful. Good morning, Employee Number 20431.

The bodycam turned on with a beep. Ji-Cheok still couldn’t get used to it, even though he heard it every morning.

“Can I upload this video later?” he inquired.

“Why?” Mr. Kim asked.

“Hunters post their bodycam records on their personal video channels, so I was wondering if we could do that, too. Do you think it would be okay, since we are just cleaners?” Ji-Cheok looked at him.

“You agreed to the confidentiality clause when signing the contract. Why would people like us upload videos of what we do?”

Mr. Kim shook his head and put a cigarette in his mouth. After letting out puffs of smoke for a while, his eyes widened with determination.

“Nevermind, I’ll ask the management,” he said.

“You’ll help me?”

“What do you mean, ‘help?’ They’ll scold you, so I thought it would be better if you had company. That’s the only reason I’m tagging along.”

Mr. Kim smiled cleverly, and Ji-Cheok guessed that he meant that he shouldn’t expect much. Ji-Cheok knew it was hard for mayflies like them to ask for something from the headquarters.

“Thank you,” he said.

“We’ll be told off together, so don’t look forward to it too much, Um,” Mr. Kim replied.

“But still, I really appreciate it.”

He put out his cigarette and nodded instead of answering. Then, he raised his thumb.

“You must have some plans, so…”

[You have received 1 Like.]

‘I should have been the one giving him one.’ Ji-Cheok hadn’t expected that Mr. Kim would support him and cheer him up like that.

“Thank you,” Ji-Cheok said sincerely.

“You’re welcome.”

Then, Mr. Kim left, seemingly embarrassed to have said that.

***

“Um, I heard you’re going to ask the headquarters if you can upload your bodycam video,” one of Ji-Cheok’s coworkers asked.

That day’s task popped up again, and it was just as always, the usual slicing and carrying dead monsters. Some people called the Hunter Assistants ants, and some would scold their kids and tell them to study hard so they don’t end up becoming one. Ji-Cheok didn’t care about any of that, and was just glad no one had gotten injured that day. His body was dead tired, but his mind was bored.

“Oh, did Mr. Kim tell you?”

‘Whoa, those rumors spread fast.’

“It doesn’t matter. We should all go together and ask,” he said.

“Yes, we need to propose it together so our voices are stronger,” another coworker replied.

“He’s right. Getting scolded is fun sometimes when you have company. Don’t be scared of bringing it up,” the other smiled.

Each of the seven coworkers around Ji-Cheok suggested talking to the headquarters together although none of them really thought it would work. He was still grateful to them, and he felt touched.

“Shall we take a break?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“Yes, it’s break time. Hey! Mr. Kang! Let’s take some rest!”

Everyone decided to take a break at Ji-Cheok’s suggestion. Now was the perfect time to give them a massage.

‘How do I use this skill? Use the Massage skill!’

[There is no target.]

Noticing that he had to activate the skill while massaging, Ji-Cheok approached Mr. Kim, who had spoken to him first.

“Stretch your shoulders,” Ji-Cheok said.

“Why? Are you going to give me a massage?” Mr. Kim asked.

“Yes,” Ji-Cheok replied.

“No, thanks.”

His tone was cold, and Ji-Cheok might’ve been embarrassed in the old days. However, he now knew they needed to save energy for work. Mr. Kim purposely refused so directly because he was worried that Ji-Cheok would collapse later during work.

“Hey!’

In this case, it was better for Ji-Cheok to just pull Mr. Kim’s shoulders and start massaging. Then, Mr. Kim would be able to pretend that he couldn’t win against Ji-Cheok’s power.

“Oh, no… You won’t get anything for doing this.”

Mr. Kim closed his eyes as he said so.

‘Use the Massage skill!’

[The Massage skill will now be activated.]

It worked. Ji-Cheok’s hand automatically began to press down on Mr. Kim’s shoulders and unravel the hardened muscles. Although he had never learned any massage techniques, Ji-Cheok moved like an expert.

“Ugh… this hurts,” Mr. Kim mumbled.

“Should I stop?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“No, go on. Oddly enough, it feels pretty nice.”

The stiff muscles loosened up with a cracking sound. Then, Mr. Kim’s back straightened.

“Wow, where did you learn that?”

People had been watching, and they gathered one by one around the two of them.

“He massages like a professional.”

“Whoa… Even experts can’t do it that well…”

Mr. Kim raised his thumb, feeling refreshed despite the pain.

“Wow, it looks like he does a killer massage,” the people around started muttering.

Ring-

[You have received 1 Like.]

It was nice getting a thumbs-up in real-time.

1. The same thumbs-up/likes concept used in various social media and video streaming platforms now.

2. experience points

3. Magical Powe