Chapter 49 of Season 1 of The Genius Archer's Streaming

17. Escape from Hako (2)

Almond, having swiftly dispatched one enemy, set out to farm. His steps were light. Everyone had already felt it, but he himself could now sense it too. 'It's definitely different.' He had become someone entirely different from the Almond who played the first round. It was like learning to ride a bicycle for the first time. On the first day, you struggle to keep your balance, but by the next day, you can ride smoothly as if by magic. That's exactly how he felt now. The sense of having adapted. However, Almond's starting point was already quite high, so his performance after adapting was not just at the level of riding a bicycle. If we were to use a vehicle analogy, it was like becoming an F1 racer. Almond now knew how to deftly turn the steering wheel even in tight curves without a moment's hesitation. And for good reason. [Almond → Dodori] [Eliminated!] [91/100] ?Pew! Following the first kill, another enemy who tried to enter Almond's space had an arrow pierce the center of his forehead. This shot, like the previous one, was fired without any hesitation or doubt, flowing like water. Thud. The enemy fell flat on his back, not even knowing who had shot him. Almond confirmed the enemy's fall and quietly lowered his bow. His movements were those of a veteran, showing no signs of being a beginner. They were as if he had drawn the bowstring thousands, even tens of thousands of times. - Is this your second round? You're like a seasoned pro. - Wow, indeed, the early-game bow... - Seriously, when you can't use a helmet, headshots give a great feeling. - Already a second headshot? - What the... - Seriously, this video isn't edited, right? - He barely aims and shoots. It's not rigged, is it? The new viewers were amazed by the two consecutive headshots with the compound bow. It was understandable, given that the compound bow is designed to make hitting anything not easy, as it is made to be exactly like the real thing. In other words, people who are used to shooting guns can never handle it properly. Of course, the opposite was true for Almond, who could handle it with great skill. [RubySword donated 5,000 won] [Newcomers don't know, but Almond's arrows only know headshots.] A viewer who had watched Almond from the beginning gave a sharp (?) comment to the newcomers. - Haha - Ah, understand the newcomers, please. They're all surprised when they see it for the first time. - If you don't know, just type 'haha' - The old viewers tease the newcomers. The newcomers might feel a bit annoyed, but what could they do? They really didn't know much about Almond, so they had to keep quiet. "RubySword. Thank you for the donation. Ah, viewers, please don't fight with the newcomers. I'll check where the Blue Zone is going first. It will come in 30 seconds." Almond's skills weren't just in the game; he also knew how to manage the broadcast. While reading the donations, he gauged the chat window's atmosphere and delivered appropriate comments. - Haha - Don't bully the newcomers, Almond. They need to grow. - It's good to have many newcomers, haha. By preemptively addressing potential conflicts, most viewers would agree. If the conflict escalated and then he tried to calm it down, they would never accept it easily, as their emotions would already be heightened. This was a skill he had learned from always watching the bubble gum broadcast. "The Blue Zone's position, as always, is not very advantageous. I'll have to run... about 4 kilometers, I guess." - Wow, Blue Zone position, haha. - Legendary bad luck, haha. - This is also a skill. Despite it being only his second round, Almond had never had good luck. From the solo squad incident to the Blue Zone position, it was always at the end. [GajiBokkum donated 1,000 won] [Still, farm before you go, bro. The early Blue Zone doesn't hurt.] "Ah, GajiBokkum. Thank you for the donation. I'll do that. Last time, I found that medical supplies were important in the later stages." Almond nodded, accepting the feedback. He still had a lot to improve in terms of game management. He aimed to be as accommodating as possible. Almond entered the now empty house and started opening drawers. [Painkiller × 1] [Energy Drink × 1] He obtained a painkiller and an energy drink. "Oh." In the middle of this, he got a fairly useful item for the later stages. [First Aid Kit × 1] It was a medical item that could restore about 30% of his health. Next to it was a double-barreled shotgun with a sleek barrel. - But, really, not using a gun? - Really not picking up a gun? - The double-barreled is really good. Almond read the chat and looked at the double-barreled shotgun. After staring at it for a while, he shook his head. - Is it lagging? - Hey? Knock, knock! - Why did he suddenly faint? Haha. 'Hmm. What should I do?' Another choice to make. But this time, it was a different kind of challenge. Now, Almond wanted to use the bow no matter what. He had gained confidence from the first round, and using a gun now would only make him worse. The problem was how to convince the viewers. Anyone could see that insisting on the bow when a better gun was available would frustrate some. So, Almond scratched his head and finally spoke. "Ah... a gun? I don't see it." - Hahaha - Ah, so that's why he stared at it for a while, haha. - Oh, right. Almond can't see anything. - Almond is a kid. He can't see anything. - Passing this up? - Broadcasting genius... - Hehe. Almond smiled at the viewers' reactions and headed to the next farming spot. - Wow, really a pro. - Almond! Are you relying on your face? - Laugh... laugh endlessly... - Your vision is bad, but you're handsome, so I'll let it slide, bro (jokingly) Almond's face-based judgment was forgiven. The effect was tremendous! * * * After farming, he obtained a small amount of bandages and an energy drink. As expected, there were no bulletproof vests or helmets. Apart from the first first aid kit, he didn't get any significant items. "Is there any method to find items?" - Haha - There's no such method. It's just bad luck. - Haha, so funny - Really, it's understandable to be suspicious, haha. Almond was genuinely curious, but the responses were only laughter and ridicule. 'Damn...' In the end, he had to admit that he had bad farming luck. "It's fine. Having a bow is enough." Almond consoled himself. As expected, a teasing donation came in. [FlameMan donated 5,000 won] [??? : If I have this arrow and the wind... I can go anywhere] The donation content was read in a typical otaku voice. This arrow~ and the wind~ can take me anywhere~. "Thank you, FlameMan. It doesn't really matter where I go." - Hahaha - Oh, haven't you seen Boys Over Flowers? - You know this meme even if you haven't seen it. - Haha, crazy username - Jihu senior! - If I have a white cloth and the wind, I can go anywhere (sarcasm) Almond actually knew the meme. But now wasn't the time to react to such things. [The Blue Zone is starting to shrink!] Rumble?? Without much to show for it, the Blue Zone began to shrink. 'Next time, I won't farm.' Through this, Almond grew even more. Farming while hiding and waiting for enemies to die was not his style. He preferred to move first, take the high ground, and eliminate enemies. - Run! Run! - Let's go for a marathon~ - Haha, at least we got a first aid kit. Tap, tap, tap. Almond ran with all his might. The Blue Zone was rapidly consuming the surroundings. "Huff. Huff." Crackle...! The Blue Zone made Almond's hair stand on end. It was already so close that it eventually passed him. [You are exposed to air containing toxic substances.] [Move quickly!] His health started to decrease gradually. Of course, the first shrinking Blue Zone wasn't very strong. His health decreased by 1% every 5 seconds, giving him plenty of time. Gulping, Almond even took a painkiller. 'This will help me last a bit longer.' Thanks to this, his health was more solid. He started running again, feeling reassured. 'Entering late might be safer.' Entering after the Blue Zone could be safer because the area outside the Blue Zone was obscured by a fog. However, this was a rather complacent thought. Now, Almond was just a beginner in his second round, and the people he was matched with were either beginners or very bad at the game. In other words, there were few people who moved on their own to avoid the Blue Zone. 'What...?' Almond, who had previously fought elite squads like MondayJoA, saw players who seemed to be playing like 'trolls.' "Aaah!" One person, unable to take a painkiller, screamed while running. Another person, far behind Almond, was running. One person, riding a motorcycle, crashed into a rock and fell. Boom?? The explosion of the motorcycle seemed to signal the start, and the stragglers began to shoot at each other. 'Are they crazy...?' Even Almond, a beginner, knew that fighting each other was not beneficial. These people didn't seem to care. "F*ck, don't come!" The person leading the charge suddenly aimed a pistol backward. Someone in front of Almond, sounding aggrieved, shouted. "No! What if we fight here!?" "Shut up, man!" Bang! Bang! Thud. In response, the other person pulled out a rifle and rolled while firing. Rat-tat-tat! At the same time, gunfire and bullets rained from the side. Ting! "..." Almond had to stop momentarily to avoid the bullets flying past him. 'Are they really going to do this?' He clenched his teeth and drew his bow. Naturally, the viewers cheered. - Crazy party, haha. - Wow, this is Stones... - Haha, crazy. - Completely insane, haha. - This is battle royale, haha. - This is the flavor. Kya, haha. In battle royale, there's almost no shooting in the early stages of a game with skilled players. Everyone is aware of the danger and plays conservatively to score points. But this was different. This was a mud pit. This was a cesspool. Squeak── Almond, pulling the bowstring taut, muttered. "In a cesspool, you follow the cesspool's rules." Bang! The compound bow's pulley spun at high speed, and the arrow flew toward the leading pistol-wielder. "Wh, what...?" –Pew! The player, who was about to ask if Almond would use a bow, received an arrow between his eyebrows and fell. "!" Only then did the other players notice Almond. With only a compound bow, he wasn't a threat to begin with. 'What?' 'How did he hit that arrow?' 'Even while running at top speed?' 'F*ck, that's scary.' 'Him first...' Now, everyone was communicating with eye contact. 'We need to kill him!' Click── Four gun barrels were aimed at Almond. It was a rather grim situation, but. "This feels familiar." He smirked. - Another solo squad. - Countless friend requests... - Another 4 vs 1?! Haha. - This is a solo match, right? - Haha, these trolls are hilarious. A smile still on his face, Almond had an arrow in his mouth, and the next arrow was already nocked on the bowstring. It was a mechanical movement, faster than the others' reloading speed. Bang! Bang! The sound of the enemies' gunfire and the whistling of the arrow piercing the wind rang out simultaneously.