Chapter 51

**Chapter 51 of "The Genius Archer's Streaming Season 1"**

**18. Unexpected Audience (1)**

With 5,000 viewers.

Achieving such results in a short period could be considered a marketing success. His experience from the company proved valuable.

'This is the vibe that comes from experience.'

Although Juhyeok was not in the marketing department, he had always been interested in it. He maintained a close relationship with the senior managers in that department.

- "Noise marketing is a double-edged sword. But for those who have nothing to lose, there's nothing better."

This was one of the things he often said.

- "Look at the hip-hop diss battles. It always benefits the less famous side."

Thus, the incident involving Almond and the management team was bound to favor Almond. The effects of this are now showing in the results.

[Current Viewers: 5,391]

It wasn't intentional noise, but it was a huge success in noise marketing. From Juhyeok's analysis, most of the new viewers today were first-time viewers who came through specific links.

In other words, the broadcast's scale had significantly increased.

'Now, the key is how to maintain this.'

Juhyeok's mouse pointer moved to the virtual world where Almond was running hard in the desert.

'It's up to you.'

Just because 5,000 viewers came in doesn't guarantee they will stay. In fact, it might be a bubble that will quickly burst. Interest driven by a brief issue always fades quickly.

Turning that bubble into real assets depends on Almond's performance.

'You can do it, I'm sure.'

As always.

Almond will handle it effortlessly.

* * *

Did Juhyeok's wish come true?

After winning a 4-on-1 battle, Almond's momentum was unstoppable.

Thud!

Almond's arrow, flying swiftly, pierced the enemy's head.

- "Wow, another kill!?"

- "Another one!"

- "How many kills already?"

The users with Stone rating, who had lost their only chance to kill Almond, could do nothing.

"Alright, now I'll farm the bodies."

Moreover, Almond had mastered how to play in this rating.

[Farmer of the Doomed World donated 10,000 won.]

[Why farm? Just kill them all and take their stuff!]

[Big Farm donated 1,000 won.]

[This is Almond, who doesn't farm!]

Instead of focusing on farming, he simply went ahead and killed everyone.

There was a significant skill gap.

Not only in aiming but also in game sense, he had no rivals in this rating.

Swish, swish.

With now quite skilled movements, he searched the bodies for items.

[First Aid Kit × 1]

[Bandage × 2]

The First Aid Kit was a good item, but Almond's expression was not good.

"I need to find a helmet, but there's none."

He already had two First Aid Kits. He currently lacked a helmet. If he had one, he could fully farm.

But it wasn't appearing.

- "Is this rating so bad that everyone can't farm properly and just run around?"

- "Everyone lacks a helmet, so is it good or bad?"

- "You'll die in front of Almond without a helmet."

- "12 kills."

Whether it was good luck or bad, no one with a helmet had appeared. Thanks to this, Almond had already achieved 12 kills with headshots.

"I want to find a helmet..."

He thought it would be better to find a helmet. After all, it's a survival game, and the number of kills isn't everything.

[Helmet Killer donated 5,000 won.]

[But why are you looking for a helmet from people? Don't you usually just search houses? Haha.]

- "Haha, that's true."

- "Haha, yeah."

- "You sound so obvious, but it's really weird. Haha."

"Ah, thank you, Helmet Killer, for 5,000 won. I decided not to farm. It just doesn't appear. I'll kill those who wear it and take it."

- "Haha, bold farming."

- "Almond-style farming."

- "Almond-type farming."

- "Nut-type farming."

- "Haha, helmet killer."

Almond's confident (or overconfident) statement made the chat scroll up rapidly.

This is the mindset of the genius they were hoping for.

The pleasure of ignoring basic rules with overwhelming skill.

"Anyway, I'll target those with helmets. I'll let those without pass if nothing happens."

Almond declared his farming strategy and checked the Blue Zone before moving to a new position.

[The Dilemma of the Novice donated 1,000 won.]

[So, are the remaining 23 players safer with or without a helmet?]

- "Not a prisoner, but a novice. Haha."

- "Novices are always in a dilemma. Haha."

- "The biggest life challenge. Haha."

- "Doc2222."

- "Avoid Almond's hunt! You silly people!"

"Thank you, Novice, for the donation. Well, look, there's someone over there."

Thud!

He killed them as if swatting a fly.

[Almond → Opera Setup]

[Eliminated!]

[22/100]

Tada!

The suddenly fallen enemy fired a few shots into the air before collapsing.

"Making noise as you die... and no helmet."

Almond walked away, indifferent to the noise.

- "Haha, crazy."

- "What just happened?"

- "Is it a fly's life?"

- "Killing and complaining about noise. Haha."

- "Haha, too much."

[Nut Personality donated 5,000 won.]

[??? : Well, if you're bad, die quietly!]

[Helmet Killer donated 5,000 won.]

[But... didn't you say 5 seconds ago that you'd let those without a helmet pass?]

With consecutive criticisms, Almond scratched his head.

"Ah... did I?"

Haha.

Almond laughed while farming.

The chat was flooded with "Haha."

'But there are unusually many donations today.'

Almond thought while taking a few energy drinks from the enemy's bag.

Almond's stream wasn't known for frequent donations.

The same went for Dotorimuk's stream. The donation ratio was very low compared to the number of viewers, a characteristic of game streams.

'?!'

Almond's eyes widened as he glanced at the bottom of the chat.

'What... what is this!?'

A ridiculous number, making him wonder how to maintain his composure.

[Current Viewers: 5,549]

Over 5,500 viewers.

'If you have over 5,000 viewers, you can become a full-time streamer... and even earn 700,000 to 800,000 won a month...'

Juhyeok's words echoed in his ears.

Memories of his salary, overtime, and entertainment at the company flashed by.

'Wow...'

Almond's lips twitched like a roller coaster.

Almond, trying to maintain his composure, and Almond, dying to laugh.

'I shouldn't have looked.'

Indeed, it's better not to check the number of viewers during a stream.

Almond thought this and tried to focus on the game again, pretending to be calm.

Was it a slight moment of distraction?

Rattle.

A strange sound, and suddenly a grenade staring at him from right next to him.

'Hello?'

It looked like it was greeting him.

Almond's pupils shrank to the size of peas.

'?!'

He had to make a decision.

In a very short moment.

When was it thrown?

When was the pin pulled?

Can he dodge by running?

Should he kick it?

It was an ambiguous distance.

Would he die if he tried to kick it?

Or—

'That's it.'

Almond, making a split-second decision, pulled out his bow and rolled backward.

* * *

Balloon Gum Sniper.

This term floats around Trivia like a meme.

It refers to people who snipe and continuously harass Balloon Gum, a popular but poor player.

Some of them deliberately sabotage to lower the rating and wait.

"A. Where is Balloon Gum...? From the stream, it seems to be around here."

A user with the ominous ID 'BalloonSniper' mumbled with a tone of annoyance.

He was a notorious sniper who pretended to help Balloon Gum but ultimately tortured and killed him.

He was skilled enough to do this, being in the upper Diamond tier.

He was slightly better than the team 'MondayIsGreat' Almond had met before. They were generally mid-Diamond users.

'Is that him?'

He sensed something and hid his body.

His senses and reaction speed were on a different level from the typical users in this rating.

Tada!

As expected, gunshots soon echoed.

'What?'

But the gunshots were short.

Already dead?

He quickly scanned the area and found Almond farming.

'Not Balloon Gum. I need to take care of this.'

He checked Almond's items.

Compound bow, bulletproof vest, no helmet.

'One grenade should do it.'

BalloonSniper quietly took out a grenade, carefully pulling the pin with his teeth.

Ting.

A very subtle metallic sound.

Silently rolling the grenade to assassinate the enemy was one of his specialties.

'Everyone except Balloon Gum must die.'

He held the grenade like an egg, carefully letting go of the safety handle.

It would explode in 10 seconds.

'1... 2... 3...'

He rolled it at 4 seconds, skillfully overcoming the anxiety of it exploding in his hand.

'4!'

Rattle.

It started rolling with much less noise than a typical grenade.

'About 2 seconds left.'

The enemy had only 2 seconds to react.

That is, if they noticed the grenade in time.

A distance where kicking it was ambiguous and moving backward was too late.

Thud.

Even if they noticed with 2 seconds left, what could a user in this rating do?

'Finished...'

Just as he thought it was over.

No, even faster, the enemy quickly turned and rolled backward.

'What?'

An unexpected reaction speed.

Almond, who was thinking about something else and reacted late, appeared to BalloonSniper as a near-predictable reaction.

'Even if you dodge, you can't avoid the damage. I just need to finish it.'

Of course, it was impossible to completely avoid the grenade.

That was BalloonSniper's experience.

But—

"!?"

Ting!

The grenade bounced again.

And it flew back in the opposite direction.

'Crazy, with an arrow...?!'

He shot the grenade at a clever angle, causing it to bounce back.

If he hit the grenade directly, it would explode. If he missed, it would have no effect.

He pierced the 45-degree point on the bottom of the grenade with an arrow, a one-in-a-million shot, while rolling backward.

Whoosh.

The grenade, like a soccer ball, flew back to BalloonSniper.

He had only 0.2 seconds to react.

"Damn. This is a bug..."

Boom!

Before he could finish his curse, BalloonSniper was thrown back and hit the wall.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

Amid the blurring vision from the impact, he heard a voice.

"Oh, this one has a helmet."

"What??"

Thud!

An arrow, like a nail, pierced his throat.