Chapter 9: When I set out on the road like that

Life is unpredictable, and it doesn’t flow like a river according to a set course.

Elders would often say that’s why life is interesting.

Having lived only a little of life, I couldn’t fully relate to that statement.

However, when it comes to games, I can speak firmly.

Unlike life, a game can be exhilarating when it flows as expected.

And when that result is purely created by me, a sense of fulfillment wells up inside.

Should I call it a sense of achievement?

It’s this feeling that makes it hard for me to quit gaming.

I can naturally anticipate when my opponent will attack.

I counterattack at the right moment, throwing out my own attacks.

I think about how to seize the initiative in the game and gain advantages.

Things I only thought about are now unfolding one by one, guided by the flow of the game.

Designing the game in real-time and executing it perfectly.

Jin-eun accomplished something that was impossible for the original me without any difficulty.

There’s no gamer who wouldn’t enjoy the creation of a mad movie.

And with viewers sharing my gameplay in real-time, my joy was doubled.

“I won!”

I achieved victory in the game and received the honor of being carried by my teammates.

This is a visual token showing who led this game.

As the top player confidently went down from the stage after a triumphant ceremony, the chat became even faster.

[Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo!

Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo! Moloo!]

[Are you the only one typing in the chat, you bastard?]

[Noona… you’re so sexy.]

[Master, it’s right in front of you now, haha.]

[You’re doing it cleanly.]

[Was I once a malicious sniper and now a corporate streamer?]

Viewers were spouting all kinds of different messages.

I’ve heard the viewers’ chats described as collective monologues.

Indeed, it was as they said.

The viewers were chattering away about different topics, without anyone listening.

Then the chat that catches the streamer’s eye is read.

Most of the current chats were praises directed at me.

Since there were no specific restrictions, the chats were a bit rough, but it was bearable.

Isn’t the true expression of men supposed to be rough?

Sometimes that tone can lead to misunderstandings,

but I’m not someone who wouldn’t notice that affection is contained within those rough words.

Rather, the spamming was the issue.

The spammy chats occupying three or four lines easily buried other messages.

To avoid being buried, others started spamming too.

It was truly a vicious cycle.

I could see that even those who normally typed in the chat were expressing discomfort.

I myself was feeling uncomfortable at that moment.

“You shouldn’t spam…”

Click-

I forcibly removed a few noticeable spammers as an example.

After that, the spamming noticeably decreased.

[Immediate execution, haha.]

[Blood purge on.]

[Please hang me up too, boo hoo.]

[Extreme award.]

The viewers seemed satisfied as the spam disappeared.

But this was merely a temporary measure.

When I’m gaming, I don’t have the capacity to manage the chat.

I need to have a professional to manage the chat.

Perhaps a manager or something.

It was something to be gradually addressed while streaming.

I never dreamed I would have such concerns during my first broadcast.

The issue of managing the chat usually arises in rooms with many viewers.

800 people.

That was the number of viewers in my room right now.

For some reason, it seems that several hundred more had joined.

Eight hundred.

It’s a number that doesn’t quite resonate with me.

I think there were just a little over a thousand students in my entire high school.

I thought it would be crowded, but it didn’t feel like it was my reality.

Is it because it’s been so long since I graduated?

I didn’t feel a sense of reality, so I didn’t feel any pressure from the number either.

“Wow, a lot of people have come. But there probably isn’t much to see.”

Each broadcast has its own unique atmosphere and characteristics.

There are streamers who are attractive or content that is fun.

Usually, viewers are drawn to those elements and watch the stream.

My stream didn’t really have anything to boast about.

Because I was focused on the game, I had to keep the audio silent.

Actually, it would have been that way even if I wasn’t playing the game.

I couldn’t even imagine myself talking nonstop to fill the audio.

<The Romantic Swordsman donated 50,000 won!>

– “Sister, you’re doing so well. Thank you for turning on the broadcast. What you’re doing as a swordsman is so sexy. I want to be good at sword fighting like you. Your voice is so nice.”

However, a donation came in as if to deny that.

What kind of charm did they see in my broadcast? It was a donation with a quite long and detailed impression.

50,000 won… That’s quite a sum.

“Suddenly receiving such a large amount of money… Thank you.”

[Thank you. The end.]

[Is this all for a reaction? This is ridiculous.]

[Isn’t it enough if the voice is nice? Haha, send more donations. You barely talk.]

Reaction. Ah, I needed a reaction.

I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.

That’s right. A reaction was absolutely necessary.

I couldn’t just receive the money and do nothing.

In this capitalist society, I was well aware of the greatness of money.

Go outside and try digging the ground; will you find 500 won?

If 500 won feels that way, 50,000 won makes you feel its weight even more.

“What should I do for 50,000 won…?”

[Sing?]

[Turn on the camera, please.]

[Just saying thank you should be enough.]

Typically, when receiving donations from viewers, one would take actions corresponding to the amount.

Like dancing, singing, or yelling while pouring soy sauce…

The viewers’ chat was not much different from that.

These were things commonly thought of within the category of reactions.

However, all of those were things I couldn’t do right now.

I had no intention of turning on the camera, and I wasn’t familiar enough with my own voice to sing.

Even if my voice became familiar, singing for someone else.

Such embarrassing actions were still too much for me.

It was even more impossible to do anything that could cause social controversy.

In the end, there was only one reaction I could do.

I was trying to save it for later, but it couldn’t be helped.

“Romantic Swordsman, do you know what waterfall the older people like the most?”

If I overused it like this, I would run out of material for my jokes later, but this was all I could do right now.

Even though it was similar in context to jokes I had already made twice before, the viewers reacted as if they were primitive people seeing fire for the first time.

I felt a bit embarrassed that they liked it so much.

[Is this… a reaction?]

[Why do we have to be punished for this?]

[Mentioning the nickname… This is a generous reaction indeed.]

[The deal is coming in together.]

[If you like it, then I like it too.]

[Park Bo-gum~~~ You’re funny.]

– Romantic Swordsman: What’s the answer?

A few viewers seemed to know the answer, but fortunately, the one who donated didn’t seem to know.

However, the others did not hastily reveal the answer.

Originally, if someone spills the answer to a joke, it loses its charm.

Thinking that the viewers had a good sense of humor, I opened my mouth with a joyful heart.

“The answer is ‘Naia-gara Waterfall.’ The older folks, who feel sad seeing their age increase day by day, love the Naia-gara Waterfall. You understand, right?”

[It’s not Naia-gara; it’s Niagara, teacher.]

[Perfect, even an explanation after the joke…]

[Is this person doing this on purpose? Why so serious?]

[LOL]

[-Wrong-]

[It’s a missy concept; please understand.]

[This is a joke for mountain club uncles;]

[Not like these young ladies… You have a sense of humor, ^^@@]

The rapidly rising responses in the chat were satisfying.

Just by looking at the chat’s enthusiasm, I could tell my reaction was a success.

I thought I would have to use it often in the future.

I was pleased to realize I had grasped the needs of my viewers.

At the same time, I felt that I wasn’t fully prepared yet.

Since it was an impromptu broadcast, my preparations were lacking.

I also needed to think about how to react to donations and how to conduct future broadcasts.

I couldn’t just do a game broadcast without any topics.

Yes, I had unconsciously started to think about the next broadcast.

Having undergone changes without knowing anyone, my only connection to my previous self was the game.

Playing games with the newly acquired talent was a joyful experience.

Having an audience to watch that play was another pleasure.

As much as I sincerely wanted to be a streamer, I thought I should start preparing right away.

To prepare, I obviously had to end the current broadcast.

I couldn’t conduct such an amateurish broadcast as someone who decided to become a professional streamer!

“Since you all enjoy it so much, I don’t know where to put myself. So, I will end today’s broadcast here.

I sincerely thank everyone who came to the broadcast, and I will see you in the next one.”

[???]

[What?]

[Wait, why the sudden stop?]

[You tell a lame dad joke and suddenly say you’re ending the broadcast?]

[Just one more round before you go.]

“I’ll turn it back on.”

I ended the broadcast, leaving behind the hands trying to hold me back.

The screen turned black, but the viewers’ chat did not stop.

Watching that made me wonder if I should have done a little more, but I thought it was better to leave on a good note.

I also had to start preparing for broadcasting in earnest,

and the viewers… wouldn’t it be okay for them to feel a bit anxious?

As the saying goes, “Leave while the applause is still ringing,” it would be better to leave a little regret for the next time.

So, I reviewed the broadcast I had conducted for about two hours, pondering what my shortcomings were,

and I ended up falling asleep soundly.