Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 109

-Hahahaha
-The relative deprivation is real here
-Wait, did the streamer get a handsome character and Tae-u get an ugly one??????

Right beside where Tae-u had been placed stood an enormous mirror.
It was positioned exactly where the developer intended it to be seen.
They were clearly meant to examine their avatars.
Tae-u must have caught sight of that mirror long ago and let out a wail.
Seo Jun turned his gaze toward the mirror and immediately understood everything.
Their transformed avatars were a stiff toy soldier and a yarn doll with a hastily constructed face.
And Seo Jun’s avatar looked quite impressive.
Tall frame, excellent proportions, sharp eyes.
But Tae-u’s avatar…
“Did the AI just phone it in?”
There was no sincerity to it.

-Hahahahahaha
-The AI discrimination is too much lol
-I mean, the toy difference is unavoidable, but Tae-u only got the ugly parts while the streamer got only the handsome ones
-Actually, doesn’t the streamer not have any ugly parts lol

“Sigh. Why is even your toy version like this. This is ridiculous. And earlier—that fragment you sent versus completely shattered. Come on. You, get out here. If you don’t, I’ll ban you myself.”
Somehow he managed to send two Donations simultaneously in the midst of it all.
Seo Jun smiled and scanned the chat.

-The guy who Donated must be insane lol sent to both broadcasts at the exact same time. I saw it
-Isn’t watching 2 streams simultaneously a basic requirement for true fans?
-Still impressive though

Seo Jun nodded inwardly.
This was genuinely impressive reflexes, no question about it.
The moment a joke occurred to someone, they’d have to open two Donation windows, type the same thing in both, and submit—all in under twenty seconds.
‘Impressive.’
Seo Jun admired this silently while finishing his inspection of the avatar before the mirror.
This Game Within Game world seemed to be one where toys lived and toys were the protagonists.
The intro had shown pictures drawn on a whiteboard that hinted at this very thing.
“I think the game developers wanted to express that the in-game developer who entered this Game Within Game took the form of a toy.”
“What nonsense are you spouting. Anyway, Seo Jun. Let’s go out and come back in.”
“Hm?”
“No matter how I think about it, since I’m playing the supporting character……”
“Even my laughter plays a supporting role, is that it?”
“Yeah, even my laughter…… No, seriously. Am I actually funny to you?”
In the form of a doll, with that crudely made face getting all worked up and approaching—honestly, it was.
“You kind of are, yeah?”
“Argh! Get out right now! This is role discrimination! Go swap and come back in!”
“Hmm……”
“Don’t say it’s a hassle—just go!”
“No, it’s not about being a hassle……”
“Then what! What is it!”
“I don’t think swapping will make any real difference.”

-Ah! The streamer just said Fundamental Difference!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Fundamental Differenceㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-There definitely is a pretty big difference though

Seo Jun adjusted the settings to display Tae-u’s chat window simultaneously.
It was a feature available when you set up a Joint Broadcast Setting.
On the right side of the screen appeared the usual viewer chat as always, while the left side began to show Tae-u’s chat.

-Hey, get back in front of the mirror quick
-Honestly I envy my friend yes or yes
-How does a doll face get that messed up?
-Completely shattered lol

“Hahaha.”
To be completely honest, Tae-u’s appearance wasn’t particularly ugly.
If anything, he fell into the decent category.
There was a term for this: Camera Massage Effect.
When someone’s face appears on media and they naturally discover how to showcase their charm better, managing their appearance as a result—that’s the effect where one’s looks gradually improve.
Tae-u had been broadcasting with his face revealed for seven years.
Unless he’d completely given up on his appearance and instead leveraged that weakness to make people laugh, he was just an ordinary young man in his twenties.
At an age when one naturally cares about appearance, the Camera Massage Effect was inevitable.
So he was above average, but……
“No, everyone, I’ll show you. I’ll prove it! Let’s swap player roles!”
“It won’t change, so stop. Let’s just play now.”
“No, everyone, download this game quickly and verify! That only my avatar looks better!”
“Oh. If my player really does look better than Tae-u, I’ll swap with him. Go ahead and verify and let everyone know.”

-????
-Did they just advertise that naturally?
-Chilling incarnations of capitalism

Tae-u seemed genuinely sincere about it, but Seo Jun was not.
‘Having only one character look handsome would be entertaining, sure. But it’d be more fun if both characters matched their traits in their own ways. In a game like this, if you create too big a gap between the two players….’
It wouldn’t work.
No matter how much you say there’s a separate supporting role, if that supporting role had to endure sacrifice or found themselves experiencing less fun, they wouldn’t be able to properly enjoy the game.
Besides, the game company had said both would ultimately be supporting each other anyway, so there was no real significance to the distinction.
‘This soldier avatar might suit my image a bit better, but fundamentally there’s no major difference.’
Seo Jun headed toward the spot with a green circular mark.

* * *

As Seo Jun arrived near the mark, it disappeared and narration began to play.

[Damn, is this real? We’re toys?]
[This can’t be right.]
[What did you do! What did you do, you bastard!]
[I don’t know either!]

While listening to the dialogue between characters and examining the next mark, Seo Jun noticed that Crown’s Director, observing from outside, was looking at Manager Kim.
The Director of Crown was watching Manager Kim.
“It’s getting ruined, isn’t it?”
“No…… well? Why? It’s strange…… I’ve replayed it several times, and the avatar was always off, and from the planning intention it was supposed to be fun—the AI was deliberately supposed to score specific facial Points to make it look more ridiculous……”
Manager Kim suddenly broke down.
“Sigh.”
A sigh spread through the executive office.
But that’s fine.
“Well, it’s not really important anyway……”
Hadn’t they said the reason was half-joking to begin with?
The viewer count had already grown.

[Seo Jun – 21,000 viewers]
[Tae-u – 16,000 viewers]

The broadcast was receiving a good response even with just the avatars shown.
If the game progressed from here, something significant could happen.
Even if creating momentum is an incredibly difficult and low-probability venture,
they couldn’t interfere, but one needs some comfort for the mind.
“Right! It wasn’t important at all! Hahaha.”
Meanwhile, the narration continued to flow.

[Wait! Don’t I know this place?]

It was something Seo Jun’s character said.

[What?]
[This Junkyard seems familiar. All the trash is toy-related, and there’s that outlet up there too…..]
[That’s impossible…… wait? Is this…?]
[It’s where the protagonist of our game confessed what they wanted to become, got judged as defective, and was disposed of. Damn. This is like a nightmare.]

“The Tutorial is starting! Once you see this Tutorial, Director, I think you’ll be able to relax.”
“Why?”
“This game is a Puzzle Cooperation Game. It doesn’t require much physicality.”
Of course, there’s a certain level of difficulty.
But it means that you can’t overcome obstacles with raw physicality alone, stand above others, or execute unpredictable plays.
There are no Variables.
“Streamer Seo Jun’s greatest strength is overwhelming physicality. But in this place, situations won’t arise where he can demonstrate that.”
Most popular online games continuously introduce Variables into gameplay.
They present infinite possibilities in how users can play.
That’s why Seo Jun’s broadcast, where he could demonstrate exceptional physicality even in disadvantageous situations, was always entertaining.
“This game has no alternate routes. The fun is in following a set path together and overcoming obstacles along the way.”
If your partner fails, you can’t move forward together.
There’s also no alternative method that the developer didn’t present.
In such a game, Seo Jun’s broadcast would only provide frustration.”
“Yes, you’re right about that possibility. But are you certain there are no other routes?”
“Pardon?”
“Isn’t it just that your physicality isn’t sufficient enough to find them?”
“No, Director…… if you watch the Tutorial right now, you’ll see what I mean.”
The Junkyard had dozens of towering garbage mountains.
Following the narration’s suggestion to climb to the highest point and the green marking that directed their movements, Seo Jun and Tae-u began their ascent.
More precisely, Tae-u first.
The garbage mountain contained large chunks like the boxes they’d been in, as well as small debris.
Tae-u lifted his hind legs, which had sunk into the trash.
And stepped upward.
Skritch-skratch.
The small bits of trash tumbled down like sand with each of Tae-u’s movements, and his body was pushed backward by the cascade.

[Hey?]
[Back down again. Argh!]

-Lol back to square one
-Just crawl up like I said
-How many times is this now, Tae-u

“There are only two ways to climb that garbage mountain. Either crawl on all fours, or two people cooperate by supporting each other. I’ve verified this myself multiple times during testing. You know my skill level.”
Manager Kim—
His job was to constantly test numerous games, so not only did he grasp the core mechanics precisely, he possessed excellent physicality as well.
“The developer’s message is this: if both players cooperate, you don’t need to crawl up the garbage mountain on hands and knees. This is how you have to navigate the game that unfolds ahead. This is a game where you’re locked into these predetermined routes, so physicality has nothing to do with—”
That was the moment.

[Let me try going up first.]
[Go ahead! Everyone, let’s wait for him here, yeah? Come on, swallow your pride already and crawl! Move!]

Tae-u, who’d been rallying the viewers, looked up in disbelief.

[Huh?]

There was only one reason.
Seo Jun was striding up the garbage mountain.

[Huh? Wait, how?]

“What? What physics engine did they use for this? How is this even…?”
Seo Jun, who’d already reached the top, tilted his head with confusion.
And a smile played at his lips.

[Is this difficult?]

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