Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 61

—————
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 1 Episode 61
22. Deployment Complete (1)
Thanks to Juhyeok’s stellar performance, Balloon Gum’s fan cafe was flooded with posts like these.
[URGENT!!! Poongsna is on the verge of getting a taste of real discipline right now ㅋㅋㅋ]
[Archer Man VS Pungsna! LIVE!!]
[Pungsna from Stones getting played by a newbie in 1 minute]
Pungsna—a user whose name any Balloon Gum fan would recognize.
The name itself literally means Balloon Gum Sniper.
Naturally, she had quite the notorious reputation among the fans.
-Is this real?
Hallman? Almond? Hahahaha
Looks like Hwalmun is gonna lose lol
So like haha, Hallman Stones or whatever… You’re really underestimating Poongsnare.
Wow, this is going to be fun haha
-Oh.
-This is gonna be hilarious
Plenty of people disliked Pungsna, but not a single user was betting against Almond’s victory.
Dislike is one thing, but skill is skill.
But what did it matter?
Regardless of who people thought would win, this matchup was undeniably captivating, and that’s what mattered to Juhyeok.
‘The fish are biting.’
The view count was climbing steadily. The comment count was rising too.
-Did Pungsna queue up specifically to get revenge and snipe him this time?
If Poongsna loses this time too, it’s gonna be hilarious lol
└For real, looks like she’s been chasing the queue.
└She even knew where he was dropping.
Hahaha, that’s so fucking ugly. As expected from Poongsnah…
-Ugh, Pungsna. Don’t tarnish Balloon Gum’s honor, just die already.
I’m going to cheer for Hwacheon, damn it.
This is bound to be fun lol
This matchup was irresistible to anyone watching.
It was guaranteed to deliver. A flavor explosion. The kind of combination that simply couldn’t taste bad.
Like an English muffin with bacon and cheese and eggs—it couldn’t possibly be anything but delicious.
A clash between a brilliant newcomer who appeared like a comet and a veteran villain whose skill everyone acknowledged was bound to be entertaining.
The hype was predetermined.
It would be like watching a blockbuster film while cursing at it.
I came because I heard you met with Funsnah.
Hahaha, that’s hilarious
-Almond vibes
-So this is Almond.
-Archer Man, hey
The chat in Almond’s room began flooding with messages, and the viewer count swelled by roughly another thousand.
When all that attention converged.
Thwack!
Almond’s blade finally pierced through Pungsna’s forehead.
Juhyeok Kim, witnessing that moment.
Thud!
He slammed his desk and shot to his feet.
“Oh! Yesssss!”
A triumphant shout as he thrust his hands skyward.
The joy was fleeting—Juhyeok soon felt awkward.
He lowered his hands, which had risen so clumsily.
“Ahem, ahem.”
An uncomfortable silence settled in. Only the whirring hum of the capsule’s engine echoed through the space.
That’s when it hit me.
‘Was I really just screaming like that?’
How absorbed I’d become in this game. How captivated I was by Almond’s stream.
If I’d made such a commotion back at my original home, someone would’ve burst through my door immediately. And I’d have gotten an earful. When I was younger, I would’ve been hit.
There was a reason I’d always been called an unusually ‘well-behaved child.’ The adults approved, but for me, it was anything but good.
I had to live with the constant feeling that someone was watching me.
‘But… that’s not the case here, is it?’
Sanghyeon’s home was different.
There was truly no one here.
Just Sanghyeon and me.
Though it was an old house in Daldongne, it was still a detached residence. No lower floor, no upper floor.
No burden on anyone else.
“!”
That’s when an inexplicable sense of liberation washed over me.
A freedom I’d never experienced before. Some might laugh if a thirty-year-old said such a thing.
But for Juhyeok, who’d walked an unrelenting elite path his entire life, it was no joke.
I had never once.
Truly tasted freedom in my life.
‘It really is like that.’
A bitter realization.
For the first time in thirty-one years.
‘So this is what freedom is.’
I’m only now understanding it.
That I was a free human being. I’d forgotten for far too long.
That liberation was so overwhelming it threatened to spill over.
Perhaps that’s why?
[1st Place]
The moment Almond eliminated the last enemy and the word “1st Place” emblazoned itself across the screen.
Juhyeok let out a roar loud enough to shake the entire neighborhood.
“OOOOOOOOOOOKAY!!!”
Boom!
The shout had come out far louder than I’d anticipated, and I immediately shrank back.
That seemed way too loud.
“Ahem, ahem….”
Fortunately, it was 5 PM—everyone was out at work.
“Ah, it seems I still need practice before I can truly enjoy my freedom.”
I adjusted my glasses and nodded to myself.

* * *
[Did you see Pungsna VS Almond???]
[This guy’s the real deal. He might actually be able to do it]
[What was Pungsna’s original rating?]
The reactions weren’t limited to Balloon Gum’s fan page. Quite a few posts were being regenerated on Bera 31 as well.
Everyone already knew who Pungsna was thanks to Almond’s Ollytube videos.
And naturally, everyone understood what it meant that Almond had defeated Pungsna once again.
As a result, posts like this naturally received a lot of recommendations.
[Fresh-off-the-press Almond VS Pungsna—A Clash of Titans]
The post’s content was a video of Pungsna and Almond exchanging blades in an intense battle.
-Wow lmao
-Now that’s a true clash of titans lol
-How long has it been since we’ve seen a real clash like this lol
-Never thought we’d see this in the Stones queue lol
-Real talk, this is a battle between two geniuses lol
-Pungsna with demonic talent VS Almond with talent like a demon
└lmao that’s actually true
└I thought this guy only excelled at archery? His sword skills are insane
└He is the best at archery. The moment he picked up a bow in that match, he started racking up kills and got 1st place
└Wait, so he defeated an opponent at that tier level with a weapon that isn’t even his main? Just how good is he?
It wasn’t just that Almond had defeated Pungsna.
The gameplay both of them displayed was spectacular.
It felt like an echo of that legendary “mirror match” from back when the classical faction became famous.
-Regardless of anything else, Almond definitely has star quality. No doubt about it.
└True
└The classical faction blew up from just one video too lol
└That’s true lol
└Real talk, I’m looking forward to what comes next.
Before long, people naturally began comparing Almond to mega-stars like the Classical School.
His presence was unmistakable—everyone could feel it.
Almond’s ‘star quality’ was undeniable.
-The mark of a true star is pulling off something like that in the final, most crucial match of the Placement Exam…
└For real, and it was the Diamond 1 sniper who got countered at the end lol I’d lose my mind and quit lol
└Not even a counter, really. He studied every strategy from before, then sprinted straight to the Armory and followed him down.
There are many factors that create star quality.
But in the world of competition—sports, games—the true mark of a star is ‘decisiveness’.
The ability to perform when it matters most.
That’s what defines a star.
Every legendary sports star has shined in crucial moments.
When everyone else crumbles under the weight of pressure and fails to perform, they radiate brilliance. More dazzling than ever.
Almond possessed that quality.
The final match of the Placement Exam—anyone would be nervous. Especially facing a Diamond 1 sniper. It was despair incarnate.
On top of that, Almond had declared he’d reach Diamond within two weeks.
He carried the weight of all that pressure.
Yet he responded with an even more brilliant performance, elevating his name.
That’s what a star is.
-Honestly, why Almond’s star quality is so insane: his face
└Facts.
└For real lol so annoying
└This could cause chaos on female-heavy forums.
└If he ever appeared on broadcast, it’d be over.
└This is actually the real reason lol lmao
Of course…
I couldn’t deny that his face played a significant role in his star quality.

* * *
“Phew.”
First place.
Only after seeing that number did I finally catch my breath.
“That round was a bit rough. Especially with Pungsna pestering me at the start.”
I said it was difficult, but my expression didn’t show it at all.
That was the humor that made the viewers laugh.
-LMAOOO Pungsna LMAO
-Pungsna mosquito mode
-LMAO oof annoying
-Ah, I love this LMAO
That’s seriously so cool ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-Pungsna check LMAO
-That’s insane;;>
*chuckles*
I smiled at the viewers’ reactions.
My gaze turned toward the mission window. The mission list that had been displaying those flashy numbers since earlier.
[Undefeated Placement: 210,000 won]
[Undefeated Placement Without Gun: 390,000 won]
[Achieve Gold with Placement: 410,000 won]
[Achieve Platinum with Placement: 770,000 won]
[Kill Pungsna Without Gun: 200,000 won]
The amount I could receive right now was 800,000 won.
“Pungsna without gun… I’ll take the undefeated placement and undefeated placement without gun mission rewards. Thank you.”
*ding*
The IDs of several sponsors appeared as money was deposited in sequence.
-Noooo, this can’t happen!
-I thought Pungsna without gun was impossible, but he’s actually doing it.
-Wait LMAO undefeated placement without gun is literally insane, are you actually doing this?
-There’s no such thing as a safe bet, folks…
Watching the missions I thought were safe get cleared one by one, the viewers chattered excitedly.
“The rating should be displayed soon, right?”
Back in the waiting room, I opened my information window.
[Placement exam calculation has been completed.]
[Check Rank]
Now I just had to press the button to see my placement exam results.
Whether that curtain, currently colorless, would turn gold or platinum would determine everything.
“Honestly, Silver won’t come out, right?”
-Yeah Silver won’t come out LMAO you went undefeated
-Undefeated means at least Gold
-But it goes up to Gold 1, and there’s never been a case where Platinum appeared.
-I remember Jeon-ja-pa was also placed at Gold 1.
“Oh. Platinum doesn’t appear either?”
I furrowed my brow.
Haha, the play mission is basically a bait mission.
-People riding the Gold coin train just bash their heads.
Hahahaha, gold coins are really hopeless. Just take what you have now.
-Ah, a baby is a baby…. Doesn’t know about bait….
-You were hoping for Platinum? That’s totally reckless.
Apparently nothing below Gold appears.
And apparently Platinum doesn’t appear either.
‘Then what is it?’
The viewers had been playing a prank on me.
I felt a strange desire for revenge.
“Ah. What if I just don’t accept the reward here?”
-??????
-???
-Huh?!
That’s crazy lolololol
-This madman on stream… Almond!
-This madman with rewards! Almond!
Hahaha, got it hahaha
I’m sorry, Eba.
No lol
-Don’t take the mission reward, you bastard?!
-The mission reward has a time limit!
-Platinum might still appear!
Apparently the mission reward has a time limit.
And just moments ago they said Platinum never appears anyway.
“If Gold is guaranteed, then I’ll just skip the Platinum reward, no big deal.”
If Gold is guaranteed, I can take it in advance, and since I can’t get Platinum anyway, there’s no point in waiting for it.
-No, you crazy bastard!
-Wow, you’re insane. Almond!!!!
Hahahaha
-Insane! Almond! Insane! Almond! Insane! Almond!
I’m really not gonna let this slide, for real…
Wow, I’m totally screwed until tomorrow’s broadcast ㅋㅋ
-Almond has never once said he’d skip a reward and actually done it, guys.
-Just show us how much Gold appears!!!
That’s when it happened.
Pababababam!!
A loud trumpet fanfare accompanied the donation message that appeared on screen.
[Miho has donated a whopping 500,000 won!]
[Almond! Please show us something before you go!]
-Miho!?
-Sister!
-Sister, I’m dying! Buried under all that money!
-A hero! Miho!
Here comes this body! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Are they dating!?
-Wedding shipper incoming!
-Wait? Is that really Miho?!
-For real?
‘Five hundred thousand won…?’
Even I was left speechless.
The platinum donation was already a hefty 770,000 won, but the mission fund was an amount accumulated by multiple viewers pooling their resources together. (Besides, that mission was impossible anyway.)
A single 500,000 won donation was a different story entirely.
And this person…
‘Isn’t she a streamer?’
A streamer named Miho who plays Battle Rage.
The one who brought up the clan topic last time. Could there be some hidden meaning behind this?
My head was spinning a bit. I wasn’t sure how to handle this.
“Ah…”
I scratched my head.
“It’s… it’s too much money to refuse.”
Ha ha.
Still, I didn’t let my confusion show and, while uttering an appropriate response, I pressed the rank confirmation button.
There was no other way to change the subject.
Crazy stance switch lol
I’m dying laughing ㅋㅋㅋ
-Almond’s shameful!
-Almond… how pathetic…
Damn, a nut snack lolololol
Just lol
Boom!
With a heavy sound effect, my banner began to glow brightly.
Soon the light faded, and the jewel-like radiance began to reveal itself.
[Platinum III]
A brilliant platinum.

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