A Swordsman's Stream

Chapter 118

『Newbie and Veteran of a Game That Launched Less Than 3 Hours Ago.avi』

A brief four-minute video was uploaded for the first time on Sojun’s iTube channel.

Since Sojun’s channel had gained a lot of subscribers, many iTube viewers did not watch the live stream, and the first release was the perfect way to see those people’s reactions vividly.

The beginning of the video.

A doll fell from the ceiling and approached menacingly before the screen turned black.

Soon after, letters appeared.

『Newbie』

The video began inside a corridor.

A sense of urgency, increasing pressure.

What was approaching? From what were they fleeing?

Thump, thump, thump!

Sounds of someone chasing could be heard.

And then.

『Aaah!』

As the owner of the view turned around, a doll appeared.

The scream belonged to Kim Taewoo.

With each glance back, the doll drew nearer, delivering a thrill.

Even the smallest pause could cause one to be caught.

However, the reactions of Taewoo, now a seasoned expert in horror games emerging from this tense chase scene, provided enough entertainment to make the viewers laugh.

-Is that Taewoo?
-This is from today’s stream!
-Ahahaha, it is terrifying though, lol.
-Why do you keep screaming every time you watch, lololol.
-Just run! lol.

While directly entering virtual reality might not be as terrifying, watching horror game videos usually felt quite scary.

However, when the streamer made it humorous, the horror dissolved into sheer amusement.

『Stop! I told you to stop coming!』

It was no coincidence that monsters in horror games sought out skilled “streamers”.

In horror games, the streamer’s reaction was crucial above all.

If the reaction was entertaining, fear decreased, and the emotions from the game could turn into fondness.

A game that tormented one’s favorite streamer.

If the quality was decent, one might feel tempted to try it out, at least once, or wish to watch another favorite streamer play it.

In other words, viewers might want to attempt feeding it, and if it became trending, it might become a huge hit.

Forced fear or jump scares might not be well-liked.

But a chase was different.

Its unique atmosphere was perfect for streaming.

『Open up! Open the door, quickly!』

“It was a left turn earlier, you idiot.”

At that moment, a calm voice was heard, and the focus which had been solely on the escape route ahead and the pursuing doll shifted to the side.

Someone was coolly walking backward beside them, advising on the direction.

It appeared strange to anyone observing.

-Isn’t that the streamer?
-He’s up to something silly again?
-Why’s he walking backward?

However, Taewoo’s hurried footsteps were swift, causing Sojun to quickly disappear from sight and out of mind.

『Dr, dr, drrooop!』

Taewoo, nervous about a doll suddenly appearing from the front, released unintelligible sounds and eventually let out a scream while dodging to the side.

Then, he proceeded to the next corridor, activated a gimmick, and after moving to the following corridor, entered as soon as the automatic door opened and began looking around frantically like a madman.

Sojun emerged belatedly from the hallway and fired a nail.

Whoosh!

The nail struck the control panel, and a door began to lower.

And then.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The approaching sounds grew louder as a doll thrust its head through the corridor in an instant like a guillotine, and the descending door sliced the doll’s neck, causing the head to roll.

“Aaaah, huh?”

At the moment when Taewoo intended to scream out of sheer fright, tension unexpectedly eased.

The relaxation wasn’t due to the end of the chase.

Because.

-Whew, that was scary…??
-Lol
-What is that?
-I mean lol

On the doll’s rolling face, there were unmistakably things embedded that couldn’t have originally belonged there.

Nails.

And the eyebrows formed by those nails.

When curiosity lingered about what had just transpired, the screen darkened, transitioning the scene.

『Veteran』

Once again, it began in a narrow passage, but the perspective was different.

The owner of the screen looked in the opposite direction of movement.

After leaving the corridor, a dark room appeared, and the gaze remained backward.

And a doll ascending on a conveyor belt along the wall was seen.

The doll approached quickly and menacingly.

Once entering the corridor again, it forced through.

-Wow! Turning back!
-It’s definitely the streamer.
-This is why he’s a veteran, lol.
-But this is even scarier, right?
-It’s so horror!

The real-time chat from viewers on iTube matched those of people watching Sojun’s live stream exactly.

Turning around occasionally was startling terror, but facing it from start to finish was pure horror.

And so, a voice came from the video.

“Ah, I intended to make it less scary, but it’s even scarier? Hmm.”

He could simply look forward, but a veteran’s thoughts were different from ordinary people’s.

“Then should I give them some eyebrow tattoos?”

-???
-What on earth is he saying?
-If you give up understanding, it gets easier, lol.

His immediate action upon speaking those words was exceptional.

Despite the urgent situation, running backward with the risk of being caught with just one mistake, Sojun swiftly fetched nails from his waist and threw them by hand.

Nails began to amass on the eyebrows of a pursuing doll.

While Taewoo, glancing occasionally, remained unaware, the accruing nails on the forehead gradually formed distinct caterpillar eyebrows.

Due to the doll possessing an almost bald face, the densely embedded nails revealed a striking presence.

The comical visage abruptly changed the genre from horror to comedy.

-Seriously, why mock the doll like that? Lol
-Ah, those caterpillar eyebrows are a laughter trigger lol
-In the meantime, his hands are lightning quick, crazy lolol

Moreover, even while Sojun diligently tattooed while walking backward, he never missed the gimmick.

Reaching the last room, he showcased insane tricks with a nail gun.

Whoosh!
-??
-What was that nail just now?
-Is this the real veteran?
-Only 3 hours after launch, and it’s a new game!
-Walking backward, insane skills, crazy antics. It’s definitely a veteran lololol

The video featuring the responses of both the deeply experienced streamer and horror veteran Taewoo was posted under the exact title in No Justice.

The For Justice users well knew how much they’d been at Sojun’s hands previously, and understanding what Sojun was currently up to, they understood the title swiftly and showed great interest.

And the article gained enormous attention, rapidly climbing to the top ten.

Chasing scenes were guaranteed entertaining content, and the polar opposite reactions were so unique.

Initially terrifying, the second one emerged comically absurd, inducing laughter!

The game now received enormous attention, ensuring its popularity.

How the future would unfold, only time would tell.

* * *

The last game’s story revealed that the entity leaving messages inside the box was actually a fairy, intending to instill a sense of teamwork in the two protagonists.

After finishing the game, they resumed their stream outside.

“I didn’t know you’d be so scared of horror.”

Sojun remarked after sitting at the table.

“I didn’t either.”

Currently, in their stream, viewers continuously played an edited version of Taewoo’s scream moments, as a donation.

“This got first place in the top ten? And it reached trending? No, stay… Stop!”

Taewoo was possibly picturing endless horror games offering handshakes in his mind.

Moreover, scenes from today’s stream would continuously resurface on Taewoo’s channel, just like simmering broth.

“I should end the stream.”

“Before that, order some chicken.”

“Again today?”

“Yeah.”

After Sojun spoke to Taewoo, he calculated the mission completed during the initial tutorial.

“Thank you.”

They earned over one million won per person, mainly because Taewoo made the difficulty nightmare, leaving only one life.

That was praiseworthy.

-Grrrr
-Never again!
-Without safe asset, where do we invest? What do we live on?

After stepping into the room briefly and emerging, Taewoo announced.

“I’ve ordered.”

“Okay.”

The two often ate late snacks if the streaming ended at the right time.

Today, it was a natural progression since they collaborated.

Taewoo stated.

“I’ll stream only until the chicken arrives.”

-Why not do a mukbang?
-Wanna die?
-Get back to your roots.
-Share your address^^ So I can block your door.

For a professional streamer like Taewoo, this level of threat was effortlessly brushed off.

Sojun pretended to ignore it all and left it to Taewoo.

He was now also a professional streamer.

Sojun spent the remaining time loosely chatting with viewers, enjoying random conversation.

Talking about the game they’d played earlier, a bit about For Justice.

Occasionally, talk of the Assassin Sect’s dawn emerged.

Defeating a ruler and progressing to a hidden quest, and the ongoing longing for the Christina cut scene.

And more.

“What’s the next game you are playing?”

Naturally, the topic attracting the most interest was about what Sojun planned to play next.

Lost in thought momentarily, he wasn’t worried about what game to choose for tomorrow.

He knew he should now start the League.

But with the League of Streaming announcement not yet out, he wondered whether to express his desire to participate.

It was usual that people kept quiet about this until officially picked.

If he declared his next game to be the League, those questions were bound to surface.

“It’s a break tomorrow…”

Whoa.

The atmosphere instantly tensed, and Sojun flinched a bit.

“Just kidding. Starting tomorrow, it will be League.”

After completing his proclamation, the chat sped up twice as fast as before.

Faster than when he’d mentioned taking a break merely moments ago.

League commanded a massive user pool, being virtually a national game.

It was also the largest game among virtual reality pro leagues.

Despite not being credited with the title of the first virtual reality game, the League was the first one that came to mind when thinking of virtual reality gaming, an undeniable fact to many.

-Wow!
-Let’s conquer the League too!
-Joining LoS? Joining LoS? Joining LoS? Joining LoS? Joining LoS?
-Right, LoS was there, let’s go!
-Now let’s compare skills with real pros! Lol
-But what if you get scout offers? Gonna dump being a streamer?
-Will the streamer wield a sword in the League as well? Honestly, it’s a bit much.

The pro proposals had come long ago.

As for wielding a sword, well.

Seven years ago, the only game he played was League, where all his characters wielded swords.

He prided himself on being very good then.

‘Many things have changed over those seven years.’

That would be something to check gradually.

Intentionally ignoring questions about LoS in the chat, Sojun then said.

“Is there no other question?”

Then a donation rang.

『’○○’ has donated 50,000 won!』
『How did you and Taewoo first become friends?』