Chapter 55 of The Genius Archer's Streaming Season 1

19. Unexpected Attention (2)

Rumble.

An alarm went off in Seo Ji-a's stomach.

She hadn't had a proper meal all day.

“......”

But she didn't budge.

In the dim corner of the room, she kept her eyes fixed on the monitor.

The feeling of hunger would eventually fade away.

Just like all the pain in this world.

As long as she kept watching the broadcast, everything disappeared.

Even that guy who had sent her to hell.

Disappeared.

“Wow......”

In the hazy light of the monitor.

Almond's super play unfolded, and Seo Ji-a couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

The real Yoo Sang-hyun and the Yoo Sang-hyun in the virtual reality were really different.

Click—

She marked an edit point when Almond dribbled past four players.

Then, she opened her notebook and wrote something down. It was a simple synopsis and storyboard.

Swish—

The pen moved as if it had an AI that moved automatically.

Suddenly, it stopped.

[The Indomitable Warrior has donated a whopping '1.5 million won'!]

It was because of the donation alert.

‘......What?’

Seo Ji-a's expression stiffened.

She quickly opened another window to check Almond's list of donors.

1. The Indomitable Warrior

2. Seo Ji-a

...

She was in second place.

Seo Ji-a was in second place.

The mouse was already hovering over the [Donate] button.

The pointer trembled from side to side.

‘I'm an editor, right?’

Ji-a stood frozen.

After a long while, she collapsed on the desk.

Her messy hair covered her face like a veil.

Her eyes closed.

* * *

A little while later.

Seo Ji-a got up again.

‘I have to work.’

Her mouse moved swiftly.

Click. Click.

Based on the edit points she had marked, she started piecing the video together, trying different combinations.

‘This one. It's good.’

From an editor's perspective, this video felt good.

Even without any editing, it was already filled with outstanding plays.

Even low-frame-rate GIFs were already making waves in the community.

In other words, the video already had the potential to be a hit.

With the right editing, it could be a massive success.

“I have to make it happen.”

Not just to make it more enjoyable than the live stream, but to make even those who had watched the live stream want to watch it again, mouths agape.

This was her job now, not just about donations.

With that determination, she continued working, unaware that the sun had already risen.

Finally...

[Battle Royale EP.2: All These Plays in One Match?]

A video with this title was created.

Chirp, chirp—

Now, the sound of birds could be heard outside the window.

Forcing her almost drooping eyelids to stay open, she looked outside and saw the sunlight.

Even the lazy early winter morning had arrived.

“Haaaaa.”

Ji-a's small body shivered as she stretched.

[Video Uploading 43.2%]

Thud.

Seo Ji-a slumped onto the bed like a melting snowman.

Swoosh.

She fell into a deep sleep as if the film had been cut.

* * *

9:00 AM.

On Almond's channel, this notification appeared.

[Battle Royale EP.2: All These Plays in One Match?]

[First Release in 5 minutes!]

As befitting a first release, viewers started to enter.

-Who told you about the first release?!

-Almond!! Almond! Almond!

-Show yourself!

-Ahhh, I'm transforming! Turn it on quickly!

-Hahaha, the guys above are all mad lol

-I can't hold it in!!

-I can't hold it in!

-Mini, I can hold it, but... Mega, I can't hold it! Ahhhh!

-Almond, everyone here is crazy! Just upload it already!! Please!

If there was a door to the AllTube channel, they would have broken it down to get in.

Boom. Boom.

The sound of knocking echoed in Yoo Sang-hyun's ears.

‘So many?’

Even though it was his own channel, he was amazed at how many people were so eager to watch.

[1 minute until first release]

Gulp.

With one minute left, both Yoo Sang-hyun and Joo Hyuk, who was watching beside him, swallowed hard.

[Seo Ji-a: Video uploaded. I'm going to bed.]

She had left this simple message and uploaded the video.

Neither Joo Hyuk nor Yoo Sang-hyun had seen the video. For them, this was also a first release.

So it was natural to be nervous.

[1,450 viewers watching]

Moreover, a considerable number of people had already gathered for the first release. Yoo Sang-hyun remained calm, but...

“...Did she do well?”

Joo Hyuk couldn't hide his anxiety.

“She's confident, so she must be sleeping.”

With Yoo Sang-hyun's indifferent reply.

Dun dun!

The first release finally began.

The background music used today was a lively New Age tune, which seemed to clash with the hard-boiled action.

However, Almond's movements were so light and smooth that it created a strange harmony.

It was like watching a near-future robot combat film set to classical music.

The music continued with a light prelude, then a tension-building sequence was added.

“Compound Bow”

When Almond's signature weapon was discovered, the camera zoomed in.

Boom! Boom!

Grand drum sounds began to layer over it.

It wasn't just a simple, cheerful piano accompaniment.

Dun dun dun—

Even those who didn't know Almond could tell that something was about to start.

Sure enough.

Bang!

Almond roughly pushed open the door with his shoulder.

At the same time, the bowstring was pulled taut.

“Huh?!”

The opponent's surprised face was close-up, and Almond's hand holding the arrow's end crossed.

Then, his hand gently released the string.

Bang—

The opponent's face was close-up again.

The arrow hit the center of his face.

It was as if the arrow had been stuck in the camera lens.

The viewers felt like they wanted to turn their heads.

-Grunt...

-Heeek

-Crazy kill lol lol

-Surprised.

-Wow, it's like he's playing with us watching.

-He's playing better than when he got reported last time???

The reaction to the first kill was quite positive.

“Wow... It's like an action movie. Hey.”

Joo Hyuk patted Yoo Sang-hyun's shoulder.

“It's definitely more dynamic.”

It was much more thrilling than the actual game.

After the first kill, the video quickly skipped to the next super play.

“Almond, who gained nothing from farming...”

This text appeared, and quite a bit of time passed.

-Hahaha

-Almond-style farming...

-Nut 'ryu' farming lol lol

-Even luck is against him.

-He doesn't use guns, so his farming options are limited.

-Consistent love for the bow...

-Hahaha, how many minutes were skipped?

Then, the second blue zone shrink began.

Crackle.

Almond and six others were fleeing from the blue zone.

“Hmm, here?”

Yoo Sang-hyun immediately recognized this part.

Joo Hyuk nodded.

“Yeah, that 4-on-1 dribble!”

“It looks really stupid in third person.”

The seven looked like fools running for their lives to avoid the blue zone.

Most of them were actually fools.

At a time when they shouldn't attack each other, someone started attacking, risking their own life.

Dun dun dun dun!

A sudden turn of events.

Almond had no choice but to join the fight.

Two near Almond died instantly.

This made the enemies realize Almond's skill.

The remaining four exchanged glances.

“Is that kid good? Should we take him out first?”

They didn't actually say this, but the editing made it seem like they were having this conversation.

It wasn't lying.

They probably did think that way and ganged up on Almond.

-Oh, trolls lol

-Ugh lol

-Attacking each other there?!

-Stones, a place I can't understand...

-So frustrating -_-;

-Sweet potato...

Four fools decided to take out a team, putting a single, normal person in danger. It was a truly frustrating sweet potato situation.

But then, a refreshing carbonated drink hit.

Whoosh—

With Almond's graceful waist movement.

The video slowed down.

The focus was on Almond's movements, emphasizing that everything that would happen next was due to this simple move.

This was the infamous fake move.

“Eek!”

“What...?”

“Shoot, shoot!”

Text appeared over the heads of the four trolls.

They started shooting at each other hastily.

Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun!!!

Bullets sprayed at each other in a near-spray.

Enough to turn someone into a sieve if hit.

Thud!

But Almond, as if expecting it, was already lying flat on the ground, unharmed.

In the end, the four shot each other to death. The bullets they fired at each other exploded them.

Boom!

-Hahaha lol lol lol lol lol

-Comedy lol

-Hahaha lol

-Wow, so cool T_T

-This is the dribble, insane lol

-Troll party lol

-Wow, Almond lol

-So cool, really...

-I want to do that too...

-Wow, 4-on-1 dribble, this is it lol

The reactions were hot.

Joo Hyuk nudged Yoo Sang-hyun.

“Good reactions?”

“Yeah... definitely.”

The chat was different from what they saw during the live stream. The atmosphere was different.

These people seemed more like the kind of people they usually saw.

“Oh, now the grenade comes.”

Joo Hyuk leaned in, more excited.

As he said, the next scene was the grenade battle with PungSuna.

In one corner of Almond's field of view, PungSuna's silhouette was faintly visible.

“Named notorious troll: PungSuna”

This text appeared with a thud.

Below it, a timeline of PungSuna's misdeeds was listed.

Yoo Sang-hyun felt a strange sense of satisfaction here.

-What??

-PungSuna, that guy -_-

-Wow, PungSuna, what a surprise

-Diamond and still trolling, what a jerk lol How is he still alive?

-Almond got a ban for trolling, but this guy is still alive lol What a world...

-Is this a country!?

After a wave of curses from the viewers.

PungSuna, with a despicable smile, rolled the grenade.

Rattle—

A high-level technique known as the assassination grenade.

Almond's eyes shrank to the size of beans when he saw the grenade.

“Wow... I was that surprised?”

This text appeared in his shocked eyes.

“Run away VS Kick it away”

At the same time, the screen paused.

It was a scene that instantly conveyed the dilemma Almond was in.

Yoo Sang-hyun whistled in admiration. It was a great technique.

-Both are ambiguous

-Damn troll -_-

-Is this just an assassination grenade? He should just die

-Whichever choice is ambiguous...

The first release participants couldn't find a solution.

Ding!

The video resumed, and this text appeared.

“Shoot the arrow and run away!”

-???

-What?

-What?

-What arrow?

Almond quickly leaped backward and aimed the arrow at the grenade.

At first glance, it looked like he was trying to detonate it.

-If it explodes, he'll get hurt

-Really...

-What?

Ding!

The arrow hit the grenade at a clever angle.

The grenade flew back to PungSuna.

“What...?”

PungSuna only managed to say this before he exploded.

-Wow!

-So satisfying lol lol

-Really, he's insane lol

-That troll dying feels so good lol

PungSuna was eliminated.

“Yay. So satisfying? Hey. Right?”

“Yeah... definitely.”

The video quickly moved on.

Including the climactic bubble gum scene.

Even Yoo Sang-hyun flinched here.

“Streamer: Bubble Gum”

A scene where Bubble Gum, holding a sniper rifle, waited for Almond appeared.

His chubby and comical avatar holding a sniper rifle was quite impressive.

During the live stream, Bubble Gum meeting Almond wasn't a big issue.

‘How will it be this time?’

The AllTube platform might react differently.

Yoo Sang-hyun focused on the chat.

-OMG Bubble Gum

-Bubble bro lol Can't do it!

-Crazy lol The skill gap is real

-Wow, he met Bubble Gum?

-Bubble Bubble Bubble!

-Wow, Bubble bro lol

-Bubble Gum T_T

-Why did he meet Almond lol

-Oh, this is hilarious lol

-What a twist of fate lol

‘The reaction... is good?’

Yoo Sang-hyun's lips began to curl up.

Maybe it would become an issue on AllTube again?

At that moment, Joo Hyuk nudged him.

“Hey, look at this.”

Joo Hyuk showed him the situation on Bubble Gum's fan page and the Bara31 board.

[Bubble Gum vs. Almond]

[Extreme aim skills showdown lol]

[Bubble bro lol So funny lol]

[How can it be this funny?]

The encounter with Bubble Gum, which was overshadowed during the live stream, was gaining attention again.

Perhaps this was a gift from Seo Ji-a to Almond.

* * *

Park Sung-tae, Bubble Gum's manager.

He was also looking at the same screen that Joo Hyuk had seen.

Stroking his chin, he muttered.

“I didn't expect this to blow up.”