Chapter 53

Almond, the genius archer, Season 1 Episode 53

18. Unexpected Audience (3)

Once again, Almond eliminated his opponent with an unbelievable play. His strategy was to exploit the fact that while sniper rifles deal high damage, their rate of fire is very slow. Since the rate of fire for arrows and sniper rifles is similar, he calculated that he could counter each bullet with an arrow. Almond believed this was a more precise way to nullify the opponent's attack compared to dodging.

"I tried this because I didn't have many options to dodge, but it really worked."

This strategy was efficient, but only for Almond. After all, it required the impossible task of hitting bullets with arrows, something too embarrassing and difficult to even mention.

- Is he crazy?!

- This really happened...

- Oh, man...

- Why did he do it like that? 😂

- Just run and dodge, human...

Most people would simply run and dodge. Hitting a sniper shot is already hard, so there's no need to engage in such a way. However, Almond thought differently.

"If I run and dodge, my life is in the hands of the opponent. I don't like that."

If he ran, his fate would be determined by whether the opponent hit or missed. But if he faced the shots?

His fate would be determined by whether he hit or missed the bullets.

- 😱

- So cool.

- Mom, I want to be Almond when I grow up! Mom, I want to be Almond when I grow up! Mom, I want to be Almond when I grow up! Mom, I want to be Almond when I grow up!

- Almond!!! Almond!!! Almond!!! Almond!!! Almond!!!

- Mom: You can't be Almond...

- Wow, what a sexy quote.

- This is insane. Thinking he could do it was insane, and actually doing it was even more insane 😭😭😭😭

Everyone was in awe of his words, which were always backed by results. Especially in this match, from returning the grenade to countering the bullets, it was a series of unbelievable events. The individual match was even more exciting than the extreme situation of his first solo squad match.

Great plays are always followed by great rewards. Despite not winning yet, a flood of generous sponsorships poured in, amounts he hadn't seen before.

- He hasn't even won, but it already feels like a win 😂

- Hanwha League 1st win status

- Almond wins!!

- Give him an artistic score win!!

- Wow. Sponsorships 😱

- How much is this exactly?

The price was staggering even for Almond. While RubySword was already familiar, a new sponsor gave 300,000 won, even though he hadn't won yet.

Thump, thump.

Almond calmed his trembling heart with ease.

'Right. I haven't won yet.'

He also thanked the sponsors. More importantly, he needed to win now.

He slowly approached the last remaining prey.

Just one more to win the individual match.

Huff...

A quiet breath broke the silence.

'Remain calm.'

He didn't know where the opponent was. Despite the loud fight, the opponent still hadn't shown up. The opponent seemed as calm as Almond, if not more so.

This quiet and calm game continued for a few more minutes. Meanwhile, the chat was in chaos over the fact that the recently killed player was the famous Bubblegum.

- No way, the one who just died was real?

- Bubblegum??

- Wow 😂

- Really 😂

- Wow, you're famous now, bro!

- Gum up!

Almond didn't even glance at the chat. His competitive spirit and determination were burning fiercely. All his focus was on the hunt.

When aiming for victory, he was a predator. Even the easiest prey would receive his full effort. Whether it was the first or the tenth arrow, his mindset never changed.

The arrow and the wind are unaffected by past results. So, even in Stones, he gave it his all.

Swoosh.

Almond quietly placed his head on the ground and heightened all his senses. Each grain of sand in the desert felt like part of his skin, and the sparse green hairs stood on end.

Sssss?

They sensed someone nearby.

'...!'

Almond quietly stood up with his bow.

'Is it that way?'

Looking at the ambiguous 45-degree angle to his right, he began to move without hesitation.

- What? Did he hear something?

- 😱

- He looks like a professional hunter.

The viewers were puzzled by Almond's steady progress without any hesitation. They couldn't hear anything.

But Almond could.

Click.

Almond suddenly stopped and quietly turned to walk sideways, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Then, he drew his bow.

Creak.

He aimed his bow at something.

- What? Where is he shooting?

- ???

- Where is he?

Bang!

The arrow flew straight and hit something, making a thud. The arrow had hit the edge of a helmet.

"Ah!"

The last remaining player screamed in surprise.

- Wow, he was really there.

- What was he doing hiding? 😂

- That's the average in Stones, lol.

Despite being the last player, the opponent was hiding. He probably thought his position was advantageous for the blue zone and was trying to wait it out.

'He wasn't calm... he was just in a good position?'

The opponent was just hiding as much as possible. He had bet everything on hiding, but his position was too easily discovered.

"Damn!"

When his plan failed, the opponent quickly drew his gun.

What Almond saw was not the clumsy aim of the gun but something else.

'Legendary?'

The opponent's helmet glowed with a faint golden light. It was legendary grade.

According to Almond, a headshot wouldn't kill it. It would be even less efficient.

- Let's see your farming luck.

- Wow, legendary helmet, it's been a while.

- Haha, there's a reason he's still alive, even though he's bad. 😂

- 😂 Unbreakable.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!!

The opponent started shooting. It was more like a spray than a precise aim. The air was filled with the sound of gunfire.

Almond quickly dodged.

Ding, ding! Ding...

A stray bullet grazed Almond's shoulder, but it wasn't a fatal wound.

Almond calmly drew his bow again.

Twang!

The arrow flew quickly.

Thud!

It shattered the shoulder.

"Ah!"

The shoulder that needed to support the helmet was hit. Arrows were more efficient than bullets in causing injuries. When an arrow deeply penetrates, it significantly restricts muscle movement.

"Ugh..."

The opponent, in pain, clutched his shoulder. He couldn't shoot properly anymore.

Meanwhile, Almond was already loading another arrow.

'Hmm?'

Boom.

The opponent threw a smoke grenade.

- Really, he's got everything 😂

- Haha

- Full farming?

- What's this full farming meta?

Many flares and grenades started flying.

This revealed how a fearful and weak player managed to get this far.

'Trying to buy time and heal?'

Almond, despite the many grenades flying, realized this and decided that giving the opponent time would be disadvantageous.

Thump.

So, he charged forward.

The smoke would hide him from the opponent as well. He needed to close the distance and kill the opponent while he was healing.

Boom!!!

Behind Almond's shoulder, a loud explosion and black smoke rose.

It was a massive explosion. Fortunately, it was a blind grenade, so it didn't cause any damage.

Crackle!

Flares exploded, obscuring half his vision.

Regardless, Almond managed to enter the smoke.

Swoosh.

Thick smoke enveloped everything.

Cough, cough.

He heard the opponent coughing in the hazy vision.

'Found you.'

Swoosh.

The advantage of a bow is that it makes no sound.

Creak.

No loading or aiming sounds.

Almond liked the bow in this game for its neat and elegant feel.

The opponent, who was busy bandaging, only noticed the black figure at the last moment.

"!"

Click.

The moment he grabbed his gun.

It was too late.

Whizz-

An arrow flew and pierced another shoulder, tearing the flesh.

"Ugh!"

The opponent, having lost his gun, tried to find a grenade.

Thud!

A fierce arrow pierced his fumbling hand, pinning it like a cross.

He couldn't move.

"Wh-What... How...?"

The smoke hadn't cleared, and he couldn't see clearly.

What was this, this precise aim?

"Wow, I really have to kill you the hard way because of the legendary helmet."

The opponent's muttering was heard.

'Is he streaming?'

Pierce—

His consciousness ended there. Two arrows instantly pierced his chest, and he died.

On Almond's screen, these words appeared.

As a sportsman, no one could fail to be excited by these words.

Click!

Almond instinctively raised his arm.

'I did it.'

Victory!

* * *

First individual match win.

Of course, his previous solo squad win was more valuable, but the audience reaction was even better this time.

It was simply more entertaining to watch.

First, the number of kills was exceptional.

He had killed thirty-one players in this game.

In a survival match with 100 participants, killing 31 was not just a simple first place.

- Wow 😂😂😂😂😂 The kill count is insane.

- Almond!!! Almond!!! Almond!!! Almond!!! Almond!!! Almond!!! Is he crazy?!

- 31 kills 😂 Even in Stones.

- He'll probably get banned again, lol.

- 😂😂😂😂😂 He'll get reported.

- Mom, buy me Almond! Mom, buy me Almond! Mom, buy me Almond! Mom, buy me Almond!

Excited viewers flooded the chat with messages.

Almond smiled in satisfaction and thanked the sponsors he hadn't been able to acknowledge earlier.

"Thank you, everyone. I couldn't properly thank you for the sponsorships earlier. RubySword, Hanwha fan, and... Meticulous. You gave a huge amount. Thank you."

The nickname Meticulous, who gave 300,000 won at once, was quite memorable.

No one had given such an amount before, except for mission rewards and Surgea.

Then,

Fanfare!

The fanfare that only plays for huge sponsorships sounded.

"Ah..."

Sanghyun was momentarily speechless.

'One hundred and fifty...?'

This was the first time such a sponsorship had appeared in a personal stream, even including Surgea.

- No way, why did you think of that first? 😂

- 😂😂😂 Just do something else.

- 😂😂😂 150 is coming.

- Amazing?

- Wow 😂😂😂 This is my monthly part-time salary!

- 😱

- Son! Be Almond! Son! Be Almond! Son! Be Almond! Son! Be Almond! Son! Be Almond! Son! Be Almond!