Chapter 63 of The Genius Archer's Streaming Season 1

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Xiaoming ran towards the manager's office.

No, he turned around and went to the deputy manager's office. The manager had also been cut along with Kim Gi-yeol.

The new manager who just came in probably doesn't fully grasp the gravity of the situation. If he fumbles, the report might get delayed again, and that would be the end of it.

In Lee Daesu's mind, the deputy manager's words from the last incident echoed.

"The tire and almond advertisement planning is set. After a few meetings, we'll probably get a proposal."

They were planning an advertisement collaboration with Almond.

'If this gets buried again, it's over.'

Lee Daesu closed his eyes tightly and headed to the deputy manager's office.

Knock knock.

He gently knocked on the glass door and entered, saying,

"Sir... I received this email."

"Huh?"

The deputy manager raised his glasses and frowned.

His expression clearly said, 'Why are you bringing me this?' Lee Daesu, expecting this reaction, stuck to his guns.

"It's about the Almond project you're planning... I thought it would be better to bring it to you quickly."

"Almond? Did they send an email?"

Only then did the deputy manager show interest.

His expression suggested he misunderstood it as good news.

'The content of the email isn't good, though.'

Lee Daesu, feeling awkward, scratched his head and handed over the tablet.

"Hmm."

The deputy manager read it for a moment, pushing up his glasses.

I thought he would soon have a sour look on his face.

"Uh... Hahaha? This is a funny one? They're trying to pin everything on us?"

The deputy manager laughed.

It wasn't clear if it was a pleasant laugh, but it didn't seem to be the worst.

"What should we do?"

The deputy manager waved his hand, dismissing Lee Daesu's words.

"Almond's manager? Who is this guy? I like him."

'What exactly does he like about him?'

Lee Daesu was confused.

"What? What's that look for?"

"Ah... I mean, what exactly about the email do you like...?"

"Oh. It's just so neat and tidy, like a formal report, Mr. Lee. Compare it to the documents you send."

This was a mistake. Asking only hurt him.

'He just seems to be good at his job.'

Lee Daesu nodded, not getting any satisfaction.

"Y-Yes, sir."

"Anyway, this is a good thing, a good thing."

Good thing?

Another situation he couldn't understand.

They're trying to shift responsibility, and he calls it a good thing?

"Hey, Mr. Lee. I have a good idea."

"Really?"

Lee Daesu asked, but he felt he wouldn't get any satisfaction, so he just agreed.

"The ratings came out too high. It's an AI, right? Is there a chance of an error?"

"No. It's a Flare 3, so it's correct."

Lee Daesu answered confidently. That part couldn't have an error.

"But why all the fuss?"

"Well... Such a ruling is very rare."

"Rare? Has it ever happened?"

"Yes. A player in Denmark received a Flare 4 after placement."

"Hmm..."

The deputy manager adjusted his glasses and nodded.

"Right. So, we can just post a clarification and be clean. But are we going to end it there?"

"Huh?"

What else could they do if they don't end it here?

Isn't it just a matter of posting a clarification?

"Advertisement! Advertisement!"

The deputy manager suddenly barked.

"Ah!"

Lee Daesu didn't understand but pretended to be enlightened, surprised, and impressed.

"I, I didn't think of that!"

He didn't know what he hadn't thought of, but the deputy manager seemed to understand and smiled contentedly. 'That's right. That's what I meant.'

"We can extend the Almond proposal. We can invite them to test why Almond can only be Flare 3, and run the advertisement simultaneously. We can promote our operation methods and prove their innocence for them."

'Ah!'

This time, he swallowed his exclamation.

Lee Daesu finally understood the deputy manager's thinking.

'He sees this as a natural opportunity for an advertisement proposal!'

Instead of saying, 'We made a mistake, so we'll give you an advertisement,' saying, 'We'll prove it for you,' looks much better.

While doing so, showing our facilities and conducting various tests will also increase trust in the management.

Lee Daesu nodded vigorously.

"Understood!"

"Okay. Tell the new manager, too."

"Yes, sir!"

"Post the announcement properly today!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

That day, Almond played four more games until 8 PM.

He won all of them.

The news heated up the community once again.

It was understandable.

While getting a top rank in the placement test isn't common, it's not unheard of. However, winning four consecutive top ranks in the Platinum 3 tier was a different story.

The placement test starts with a very low rating, but the Platinum 3 tier is where skilled players gather.

Winning first place among 100 such players means this person is definitely on a different level.

- Wow, he's on another level...

- His level is really different.

- He's playing a different game by himself.

The commonly used term 'Another Level.'

Moreover, Almond was still winning without using firearms, only using a bow.

- I didn't know he could shoot a bow even at this level lol

- Wow lol

- He's sweeping the bow mission rewards again.

- How much is he making today?

This made him seem like a person on a different level from other Flare 3 players.

Meanwhile, the bow concept had a very positive impact on mission requests.

"Thank you, Totoro, for the mission. I'll achieve a win with the bow in this game."

"Thank you, WeatherEye, for the mission. I achieved 10 kills with the bow."

"Thank you, everyone, for the 3 consecutive wins with the bow mission. I'll achieve it."

Naturally, bow-related missions became very popular.

In a game where firearms are the norm, Almond's bow performance stimulated the desire to set missions. People were curious how long it would last.

Almond inadvertently started a 'bow challenge' in Battle Royale.

'One more game to go.'

He was now one game away from Platinum 2.

He needed to win one more game in the Platinum 2 promotion match to advance.

Winning in this context means placing in the top 10.

To move to the next tier, he needed to place in the top 10 in two out of three consecutive games.

It was quite challenging.

"I'll do the remaining game next time."

Almond decided to postpone it.

It was already past 8 PM, and his stamina was almost at its limit.

- Ah, leaving it like this is so tempting lol

- Not a man~~

- It's already 8 PM?!

- Wow T_T

-I'm curious if he can get promoted.

- Honestly, with this momentum, he will.

- Row the boat when the tide is high, nuts shake...

- Leaving one game before promotion and then getting 10 consecutive losses the next day lol

Everyone mentioned various superstitions and teased Almond.

But for Almond, who had worked in an industry full of superstitions, it was just a matter of rolling his eyes.

The stream proceeded as planned.

"Bye~!"

As the outro music played, Almond's face gradually disappeared.

- T_T

- Ah, bye T_T

- Ah, bye!

- Goodbye!

- See you tomorrow???

Triv's viewers didn't hold onto Almond until the end, knowing that today's broadcast was almost 3-4 times longer than usual.

* * *

Squeak...

The capsule lid opened with a hiss.

Almond, or more accurately, Sanghyun, got up, looking several times more exhausted than usual.

He was drenched in sweat, almost pickled.

"Phew. Hey, are you okay? What's this...?"

"Ah. Maybe I was in there too long."

Sanghyun rubbed his forehead and shook his head.

Each time, sweat droplets fell.

"We have to do this tomorrow and the day after. Aren't you pushing yourself too hard?"

Juhyeok's worried eyes.

It was a rare expression to see from Juhyeok, who was usually quite cold-blooded.

But it must mean my condition is that bad. Sanghyun shook his head.

"Not that. Just a bit of dehydration. Can you bring me an ion drink?"

"Ion drink?"

"Yeah. I put it in the fridge."

Juhyeok opened the fridge he usually used.

"Wait, the one for drinks only."

"Is there such a thing?"

There was another fridge he had never used, looking like a drawer.

Creak.

When he opened it, his eyes widened.

'Do I need to stock this much...?'

The fridge was full of ion drinks.

Almost 3-4 boxes worth.

"Here."

Juhyeok silently handed Sanghyun a drink.

Clank.

Sanghyun popped the can and gulped it down.

"Phew. Hey, you could do an ion drink commercial."

He said it jokingly to avoid an awkward atmosphere.

'This isn't normal, though.'

He thought the situation was strange.

Not just now, but he had been thinking this for a while.

In the capsule, the body doesn't move at all. Only the brain is active.

Can the brain's activity alone cause this much sweating?

"I'm going to take a shower."

Sanghyun got up and went to the shower.

Juhyeok looked inside the capsule where Sanghyun had been sitting.

He expected it to be wet, but the self-ventilation had already dried it out.

He put his hand in.

'It's not hot...?'

Of course, the capsule, a product of modern technology, wouldn't have basic issues like temperature control.

"Hmm... I don't know. Really."

Capsule-related issues are hard to diagnose on your own.

There are few people who can repair them, making the repair costs astronomical.

"But I should check it out."

Juhyeok wouldn't just let this go.

He had been unsure before, but it would be good to get a proper inspection this time.

At a professional facility.

Since a lot of money had come in, he could consider it an investment.

"..."

While thinking this, he sat back at the computer.

He noticed an announcement from Fantasia.

The title was something like this.

The content was roughly this: The AI Ruby not only ranks players but also analyzes their gameplay to promote those likely to reach the top ranks as quickly as possible.

Almond was promoted quickly because of his consistent use of the bow, high kill count, and minimal farming, which the AI deemed as 'yanghak play.'

"Phew. This is settled. The incident."

Juhyeok looked satisfied.

The comments were similar to his thoughts.

-Phew, those losers lol They're upset they can't catch Almond.

- lol Fantasia's official clarification!

-Of course, who would want to keep someone who dominates with a bow in Gold?

-Those jerks would be the ones who hate it the most if Almond dominated in Gold lol They're just being petty.

-They probably didn't like seeing him set records.

-AI's opinion: Almond is a yanghak player.

-Phew. Congratulations, bro!

These were comments on the article that spread across the community, not the official game company website.

Regardless, it seemed like a win for Almond.

"Good thing I sent the email."

Juhyeok thought, checking his inbox. A few new emails had arrived...

One of them was a reply from Fantasia, the Battle Royale developer.

It contained this:

"Is this an advertisement offer?"

While it didn't explicitly say they wanted to run an advertisement, it mentioned inviting him to their official channel for a broadcast.

Fantasia's official channel, the developer of Battle Royale, has one of the highest viewerships in the industry.

They were asking Almond to appear there.