Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 499

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Genius Archer’s Streaming Season 2 Episode 219
76. 1 vs 42 (2)
For streamers who typically broadcast “skill showcases,” G-Star was the ultimate opportunity.
Why?
Because G-Star gathered the attention that these streamers couldn’t summon on their own, allowing them to display their skills freely while their viewers could claim the rewards in return.
That was precisely what the Challenge system was.
Lol, there are a lot of people who came to this G-Star to hunt for challenges.
[List of streamers with insane physical skills participating in G-Star]
[This challenge lineup is absolutely stacked]
[Pick the right streamer and get free chicken. List of viable streamers for this challenge.jpg]
When a streamer successfully completed a challenge, the rewards went to the viewers, not the streamer.
In other words, the better the streamer’s skill, the higher the probability that their viewers would receive rewards.
Put differently, to maximize your chances of getting rewards, you should watch a streamer with exceptional skill.
So this was an enormous opportunity. Streamers who possessed genuine skill but hadn’t garnered attention could easily make their existence known through this challenge.
After all, hundreds of thousands of floating viewers could potentially visit their channels.
-Gamtwe? Let’s check that one out.
-Red?? Who’s that? Challenger with 500 points? Why’s she so unpopular; didn’t know about her
-Looking for a honey room~
Viewers seeking rewards hunted for streamers who were relatively unknown yet possessed outstanding gaming skills.
That offered the highest probability of claiming rewards.
Wow, Steak Pepper is still streaming, his tier is still the same.
└Seoksa Pepper is pretty good actually…
└She even won the BattleRage amateur tournament
As a result, high-ranking players who hadn’t been particularly popular were being mentioned en masse in community comments. Gamtwe, Red, Seoksa Pepper… and so on.
These were what people commonly called “Challenge Hunters.”
Haha, those hitmen ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The lineup is crazy.
“That tier is insane, why aren’t those guys pro? lol”
Among these professional hitmen, Almond’s name was inevitably overshadowed.
Almonds are insane too… why is this one ranked so low?ㅋㅋㅋ
While Almond had certainly gained considerable fame, he didn’t have any games where his tier was overwhelmingly high.
Of course, the reasons varied depending on who you asked.
What are you talking about? That’s basic insider knowledge.
Lol, while those antisocial gaming nerds are grinding away to hit Challenger and then hardstuck, us cool kids just casually hit Diamond and dip out to go have fun, right?
└He’s just a casual gamer, obviously
-VNS numbers are on par with electronic blue waves. Why does that even matter? lol
-Isn’t it because his career is short? Climbing tier requires investing time anyway…
Almond was like that because he was a popular kid, because he was a casual gamer, or because his career was short and he didn’t have the time… and so on.
All of it was technically correct.
However, in a way, it all amounted to excuses.
The reality was that there was no game with overwhelmingly higher tiers.
When substantial rewards were on the line, people preferred choices with visible, tangible results.
-I’m switching channels today
I’m sorry, but I can’t see you.
-The competition is too fierce…
Considering these factors, Almond’s channel couldn’t help but lose viewers.
‘Sigh.’
Juhyeok knew this fact as well.
“I’ll think it over and contact you soon.”
“Yes, yes. Please let me know anytime!”
Juhyeok accepted the Department Manager’s farewell and immediately turned on his phone to check.
‘I knew it, but….’
Juhyeok’s expression darkened.
[Current Viewers: 23,000]
Almond’s channel currently averaged around 35,000 viewers.
That meant over 10,000 fewer than usual.
‘It can’t be helped. Today… Almond is challenging streamers who are on the larger side.’
In truth, there was a bigger issue here than whether to trust Almond’s skill or not.
The fact that Almond was quite a popular channel among skilled streamers was actually the problem here.
More people meant a lower chance of winning chickens.
Becoming 100 out of 40,000 versus becoming 100 out of 1,000—it was obvious who had the advantage.
Given the circumstances, I should have been grateful that 23,000 viewers remained.
‘In the end, like always, I just have to put on a show.’
Juhyeok watched the screen where the ninja mode challenge was unfolding.
If viewers left because of the challenge, then gathering viewers through the challenge was ultimately the right path.
‘And it’s heating up nicely.’
The battle royale, which had started off lukewarm, was gradually picking up momentum.
More and more players were dying.
“Another kill! And the encirclement hasn’t even tightened that much yet!”
“Whether this is a characteristic of ninja mode or because of the challenge, I’m not sure! But the battle royale’s pace is faster than the existing mode!?”
With many renowned skilled players participating and the ninjas’ movements being distinctly different from the existing battle royale, the pace was fast.
Then—
“Ah! Right now?!”
The commentator’s voice was completely heightened. Incomparable to before.
“Player 1, who showed that incredible play earlier! They’ve just encountered someone!?”
Player 1?
Who is Player 1?
‘Oh.’
Juhyeok remembered cosplay models laughing and guiding Sanghyeon.
Right after that, I met the Department Manager, so I’m not entirely certain, but.
‘Isn’t Player 1 Sang-hyun Yu?’
He walked a bit closer toward the screen.
The murmurs of the crowd became clearly audible.
“Wow. Player 1 and Player 42?”
“Is that really Player 42?”
Player 42?
His curiosity about who Player 42 was quickly faded as the commentators provided an explanation.
“The person Player 1 just encountered is Player 42! The one who received the most bets!? They’re entering while deploying smoke grenades!!”
“The house is shaped like a ‘ㄷ’, so when smoke is sprayed in the courtyard, it’s hard to pass through or get out!?”
“Why did Player 1 go so deep into the house in the first place!?”
Player 42 received the most bets? After checking Player 1’s betting odds, Juhyeok was dumbfounded.
Player 1’s betting rate was extremely low.
Nearly at the level of an amateur participant.
‘What is this? Don’t these guys know who Player 1 is?’
It seemed the audience still didn’t know who Player 1 was.
Well, Juhyeok himself didn’t know either, so it was natural the crowd wouldn’t.
Probably because he’d arrived so early and entered beforehand.
‘This is actually pretty good.’
It was a bit amusing, but this was good news.
This would actually make for great content.
Juhyeok quickly brought his phone to his ear and called Bontovi.
“Bontovi. Ah, yes. I’m at the challenge viewing area right now. I’ll get some footage of the crowd here. Yes. Let’s do an interview after the challenge ends.”
The additional footage Bontovi would shoot from now would likely shine when uploaded to OlTube.
That is, if Almond won.
‘He’ll win. Of course he will.’
Juhyeok had always operated under the assumption that Almond would win.
‘But the visibility is so poor I can’t see anything. Is it the smoke?’
Unable to see the situation on screen clearly, Juhyeok rose up on his toes and craned his neck forward.
But that wouldn’t disperse the smoke in the game.

* * *
Shhhhhhiiiiing…!
Acrid smoke was swallowing the courtyard of the tile-roofed house in one gulp.
The enemy had definitely arrived.
Of all times, I’d just discovered the ninja technique scroll, and the timing couldn’t be worse.
I had to choose: flee immediately or grab the book anyway.
‘I need to take the book.’
I crawled toward the bookshelf, relying on memory.
[Ninja Art – Substitution Technique]
‘I can see it.’
A glowing blue ninja technique scroll came into view.
Snap!
I quickly stuffed the scroll into my chest without even reading the description.
I had to get out of here fast.
As quick as I was, I couldn’t move faster than the smoke pouring into the room.
‘Where’s the window.’
By the time I’d grabbed the scroll, the smoke had already filled everything.
[Smoke Bomb: Prolonged inhalation of smoke causes dizziness and coughing.]
The smoke bomb wasn’t just for obscuring vision. Staying here too long would make me dizzy.
-Getting dizzy (lol)
-Wait, it doesn’t just block vision??
-Damn, I gotta get out
-Does it really make you dizzy?
Fighting while dizzy would obviously put me at a disadvantage. I needed to open the window and escape.
I felt along the wall, searching for the window.
Then, a sudden thought occurred to me.
‘The enemy is most likely on the roof right now.’
Based on how the smoke bomb fell, the enemy was probably on the roof.
He was observing the situation, waiting for the right moment to enter and kill me.
‘Why hasn’t he come in yet? He probably doesn’t know my exact location.’
Because of the NPC commotion, the thug couldn’t pinpoint my position.
He only knew I’d entered this building.
That’s why he’d thrown the smoke bomb in the center courtyard.
“Ahhhhh! Fire! Fire!”
“Oh my! My lady!”
The NPCs were even running around frantically, adding to the confusion.
[Dizziness]
Sway.
My vision was growing increasingly distorted from the smoke.
Let me open the window ㅠㅠ
-Ugh…
-What the hell is this visibility??
No ventilation needed.
A window?
If I opened a window here, the smoke would leak out conspicuously like a chimney.
‘If that happens, my position gets revealed.’
Then my location would be exposed.
I had to choose: fight with my position exposed first, or fight while dizzy. I had to decide.
‘Let me think. If I keep wasting time, I won’t be able to get either option.’
The NPCs were running around frantically, gradually making their way out of the house.
As time passed, only Almond would remain here. With dizziness.
Then I’d lose my position and fight while dizzy.
That was the worst case—losing both options.
‘Wait?’
Almond realized something.
If there was a choice where I lose both, then there had to be a choice where I gain both.
‘Would this work…?’
Almond grasped a single piece of firewood lying alone on the floor.

* * *
“Right now, Camera 1 can’t see anything at all!?”
“We might need to check Player 42’s drone view!”
Following the commentator’s words, the camera switched to Player 42’s perspective.
“Ah. Player 42 is now on the roof, quietly observing the situation?”
“Why is he doing that?”
“Probably waiting for the NPCs to all leave the house because of the smoke. Then he’ll go kill Player 1, who’s alone and coughing while dizzy, right?”
“Ah! Since the NPCs are causing confusion right now! He’s waiting?”
“Yes. Or he’ll catch the player if they open the window to escape. The moment the window opens, the smoke will pour out.”
Since smoke grenades were an element in the original mode as well, the commentator with pro-gamer experience could pinpoint the strategy well.
“Now, all the NPCs have left! That guy’s civil service exam is down the drain!”
Just as he predicted, the NPCs that had been causing confusion all left.
Hahahaha
-Cleared and cleared again… fixed and cleared a hundred times…
lol that’s funny
-So pathetic
“Player 42! He’s drawing his sword and shuriken as he enters the house?”
Player 42 descended to hunt down Player 1, who now remained alone and dizzy.
“He’s closing in slowly. But he hasn’t figured out which room yet?”
“He’s probably trying to listen for coughing sounds.”
Player 42 came down from the roof and looked around the area.
Tilting his head in confusion as he entered the room, I realized something was wrong.
“I don’t hear any coughing?”
If he had inhaled the smoke, there should have been coughing sounds, but there were none.
There was no one in this house.
“Ah…!”
The commentator cried out.
“Didn’t Player 1 obtain the disguise technique book earlier?”
“Oh!”
Only then did I understand what had happened.
“One of the NPCs who left earlier!?”
He had mixed in with the NPCs and already left the house.
“That seems to be it! Ah! This way, Player 1 obtained the ninja technique and successfully completed the escape!”
“What a shame. Player 42!”
Almond used the disguise technique to appear like an NPC, then bolted out through the front gate.
“…Ah. I missed it.”
Player 42 thought the same thing, and just as he was about to kick away the firewood lying on the ground.
“Damn it!”
Boom──
The firewood he was about to kick suddenly burst into white smoke.
[Ninja Art – Substitution Technique]
[Apply this ninja art to an object of your choice, and you can swap positions within 30 seconds.]
I had transformed into a ninja.
After that─
“!?”
Shring!
A lightning-fast blade draw.
With a firm step on the ground, the sword rises cleanly upward.
Whoosh──
A perfect sword strike honed in the Civil Empire.
──Splaaash!
Crimson blood scattered across the blue sky.
-?!??
-What the heck
-Oh
-Ketchup squirt!
-What is it?
-???: Customer, you forgot the ketchup on your fried chicken~!

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————