Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 223

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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 223

“Congratulations on winning the real tournament. Well done, haha.”
“Thank you.”
“With that in mind, I’ve brought a proper contract.”
The game’s director had come to a café near Seo Jun’s apartment once more.
Lim Gang-san pulled the contract from his bag and handed it to Seo Jun.
“It should be the same content as what I sent by email yesterday. Please review it and sign, if you would.”
“Of course.”
After reviewing the contents, Seo Jun signed both copies of the contract and handed one back to Lim Gang-san.
The day after the finals ended, everyone skipped streaming to celebrate.
The day after that, they all shared their thoughts and stories.
Seo Jun wrapped up his own post-match broadcast with viewers.
And three days after the tournament ended, on the morning of the next day—
Seo Jun had just closed a contract for a forty-million-won advertisement deal.
While the victory clause deserved credit, the sum itself was top-tier corporate scale.
“You had seventy thousand viewers in your recap broadcast yesterday, correct?” Lim Gang-san asked after taking a sip of coffee, looking at Seo Jun across from him.

“Yes, that’s right. Are you hoping I exceed that in today’s broadcast?”
“Haha, no. I think the promotion is already sufficient. I saw the announcement you posted yesterday.”
Lim Gang-san shook his head as if to clarify.
Seo Jun himself agreed that the announcement from yesterday seemed to have generated enough buzz.
After the short recap broadcast, the Last Chronicle community had been flooded with talk about Seo Jun in response to the next game announcement.
“Then what is it?”
“Just that it’s fascinating how you’re still being called a newbie despite everything. It’s not every day a first-year streamer pulls in seventy thousand viewers, after all.”
“I suppose not.”
It really wasn’t common.
Seo Jun let out a small laugh, remembering Tae-woo from back then.
His friend was in his second year and had asked him to drop by a stream once just to pad the viewer count.
“That said, if you play our game, your viewer numbers might drop significantly.”
“Ah.”
Seo Jun noticed the shadow crossing Lim Gang-san’s face.
The director was worried that viewers might leave in droves and Seo Jun might ultimately stop playing until the Four Heavenly Kings Raid.
He might be wondering if they should have paid more and switched to an advertisement broadcast format instead.
Or perhaps he was rationalizing that the promotion starting yesterday was already profitable enough.
Either way.
“Don’t worry. I’m not the type to be swayed by viewer numbers.”
“What do you mean?”
“If the game is fun, I’ll keep playing.”
Seo Jun was aware that his current viewer count was largely inflated.
True, the numbers might not have dropped even after For the Sect ended, but this new game was clearly less popular than his previous choices, which he’d specifically selected for their larger player bases.
It couldn’t be helped, really.
Since The League was the most popular game, no matter what he chose, there was no way to pull in a significant number of new viewers.
“If the game is fun… I understand. Then I’ll look forward to watching with joy.”
“I appreciate that.”
“But Seo Jun?”
“Yes?”
“Have you decided which server you’ll be playing on?”
Which server?
At first, Seo Jun didn’t catch what he meant.
But then he realized it had to be related to the game.
Curious why the question came up so suddenly, he asked back.
“Why do you ask?”
“I checked the community on my way here this morning, and it’s what viewers are most curious about.”
“Oh, really?”
Ah.
Was this what Han Ji-min had mentioned checking earlier?

* * *

[You NEED to announce the server! Why haven’t you set it up already, you admin!!!]
==
Ugh, admin, seriously? Where are you even telling us to go?
==

-lololololol
-Admin’s never played an RPG before!!!!!
-Nah but seriously lol, if you were gonna do this, you should’ve just told us during the recap after the tournament and saved us the asking!

[Seo Jun’s Announcement Comment Section]
==
(Screenshot of comment section filled entirely with questions about which server to choose)
And you still haven’t answered? Man, that’s cold.
I mean, at this point, don’t you think even the admin should at least check his own announcement?
What’s the editor doing lol
==

-Server! Spill it! Let me pre-level!
-Admin, we’re coming! But it’s not decided yet
-Which way should we go?

Back at home after finalizing the contract, Seo Jun sat at his computer scrolling through community posts and laughed.
“Was this really that important?”
“Of course it is, you idiot.”
Tae-woo, standing behind Seo Jun’s chair, wound up to aim a punch at the back of his head.
“Why?”
Seo Jun tilted his head down expressionlessly to dodge.
“Argh! Damn it! At least take one hit properly! This is what they mean when they say you move like Geomsin! Do you have eyes in the back of your head or what?”
“Never mind the Geomsin talk. Just explain it already.”
“Right. First, if I were to explain what an MMORPG is, I’d call it the original metaverse.”
“Metaverse?”
“Yeah. Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s really the original since I haven’t studied game history, but I can definitely say it’s a metaverse.”
“So metaverse means interacting with other people in a virtual world instead of reality?”
“Roughly, yeah. That’s why the server matters.”
“Because you can’t interact if the servers are different?”
“Exactly. From what I’ve looked into, Last Chronicle has something called server integration for core functions like the Auction House and Raids, so it doesn’t matter which one you pick—”
When did he look that up?
Seo Jun nodded while wondering, but his expression gave away his skepticism.
“I see why it matters, then.”
“You do?”
“What you said about servers not affecting gameplay would only apply to regular players. The kind of content your viewers want to play isn’t that.”
“Bingo! Those viewers want to meet you in the field and do stuff together, so the server’s absolutely crucial. Things like Guilds only work within the same server, and Territory Content stuff like visiting players’ lands also requires the same server.”
It was just a matter of interaction.
“But doesn’t Last Chronicle have personal channels?”
Seo Jun asked with a smile, remembering how he used to escape to his personal channel in For the Sect whenever things got too crowded.
“Nope, apparently. Don’t ask me why.”
“Got it. Thanks. Guess I need to figure out where to go, then.”
“It’s getting pretty heated right now anyway. Check this out.”

[Please come to 1st Server. Please come to 1st Server. Please come to 1st Server. Please come to 1st Server. Please come to 1st Server. Please come to 1st Server.]
==
I already have 6 fully leveled characters… Please come to 1st Server.
Our server ‘Lunao’ is nice and warm.
==

-Hey Geomsin! Come to Great Emperor 1st Server, Lunao!
└Lunao IS recognized as Great Emperor 1st Server~
-??? That’s overstepping, isn’t it? Why would Lunao be 1st Server?
└Isn’t 1st Server actually Solain?
└Solain IS recognized as 1st Server
└??? You guys lol Lunao is obviously 1st since it’s at the top of the server list
└Solain has more players anyway lol
└A 2k difference doesn’t count as a real player count difference anyway? Lunao’s basically 1st

“Hmm…”
“Where are you thinking?”
Last Chronicle had two servers, and they were at war with each other.
Over which one was truly 1st Server.
“What does this 1st Server thing even mean?”
“It’s just… pride, you know. Honestly. It has nothing to do with character stats or story or anything. The player counts look pretty similar too, so it’s pure ego. But still—”
“Still?”
“1st Server is still important.”
Tae-woo said it seriously, so Seo Jun accepted it and started thinking.
If player counts were similar, which would be the better choice?
Probably whichever had more streamers?
But since Raids could be done across servers, it didn’t seem like a major issue.
Looking through the posts, the number of streamers seemed pretty balanced anyway.
“Jun, does it really not matter where you go?”
“Seems like it doesn’t.”
Seo Jun scrolled down further.
Everyone was begging him to come to their version of 1st Server.
But they all meant different servers when they said it.
“The fact that 1st Server hasn’t been decided yet proves both sides are equally matched, doesn’t it?”
Tae-woo agreed with Seo Jun’s point.
“I guess?”
“Then here’s the thing.”
“What?”
“What if things play out exactly as this post says?”
“Huh? Oh. Yeah, that could happen?”

[Listen up. Right now there are 1 million Kael supporters on standby. So whichever server Geomsin goes to BECOMES 1st Server. Got it?]
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Got it
==

-I acknowledge this
-Kamen…..
└Kamen? Why does that sound like a raid boss name?
└It’s a neologism combining Kael + Amen!
-Honestly, wherever the admin goes IS gonna become 1st Server lol
-Please come to Solain! Please!
-So the Heavenly Demon Divine Religion’s First Branch is being established!

[If existing players who already leveled characters think they might not see Geomsin, hit upvote lol]
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Yeah, I’m a newbie!
As long as it’s not me!
==

-Seriously these guys have been spamming Geomsin talk all day since yesterday
└Not invested in the game
└What’s that?
└Trolls who don’t play the game
└How dare you call newbies “not invested”? (OP)
└Come on, like you’ll get that many people when you start new lol. Only in the community you guys go on about this
└What server are you on? (OP)
└Solain, you idiot
└Ah, so the Demon Realm then? (OP)
└Please stop the server bashing ㅠㅠ
└But there’s been a lot of incidents there before? (OP)
└More people = more idiots naturally!
└But Solain doesn’t even have that much more people than Lunao? (OP)
└……Please refrain from facts. You bastard
└Yep, Demon Realm (OP)

“I’ve decided.”
“What? Where?”
“Lunao.”
After seeing the recent posts, Seo Jun decided that regardless of player count and streamer concentration, it was better to go where there were fewer toxic players.
His reasoning was simple: he’d have his hands full enough with the kind of people who would follow him.
“Oh? Right now?”
“Yeah.”
“Then should I join too?”
“Do whatever.”
“What’s with that attitude? Here I am, offering to play with you.”
“You’re being loud.”
“By the way, when’s the Capsule coming?”
“It’s not.”
“Why not?”
“I’m just going to keep using the old one. Not getting a new one.”
“Why? This is your chance to upgrade!”
“Shut it.”

-You could really change to a new one. It’s fine—the Capsule we lent you can just stay in the lab.
-It’s okay.
-Is there perhaps…?
-Yes?
-No, setting it up wouldn’t be a pain. We made it so even elementary school kids can install it if they have the strength.
-……?!
-Then what’s the reason?
-…….
-Yes?

“I want to keep using the Capsule I started streaming with.”
Though he wasn’t usually the type to get attached to objects or assign them meaning, this time felt different.
It definitely wasn’t because the installation seemed difficult or tedious.
Definitely not.
It wasn’t as if he’d been shocked to hear that even elementary school children could set it up.
Definitely not.
“Hmm. I see. Anyway, noted—Lunao. Though I’m taking a break today anyway, so I won’t be playing.”
“You heard me. Now get out.”
After kicking Tae-woo out, Seo Jun browsed the community a bit longer.

[Geomsin <–How amazing is this guy, check out today's broadcast if you're gonna watch lol]
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Of course I'm a loyal fan
==

-I haven't made a character yet either and I'm waiting for Geomsin, but anyway I'm definitely watching today's broadcast!
-For real lol
-Like, these guys are literally praising him all day, how amazing could he even be lol
└If their hype drops, that streamer's getting ratio'd
└Just feed him five Judgment Swords and he's done~
└What even is Judgment Sword? As long as he's not some nobody, for real lol
└For real, all that hype's gonna come back as karma
-If the guy's actually a nobody and you hyped him up, you better prepare yourself lol
└The streamer didn't hype himself though?
└Please, let's fight with lies and manipulation instead of facts!
└Anyway, prepare yourself lol. Even a hardcore RPG fan like me's tuning in lol

Seo Jun thought a backlash might be coming.
The hype was getting pretty heavy-handed.
But on the other hand, the continued interest was good proof that momentum was being maintained.
For another streamer, this kind of situation might have felt overwhelming from the start.
"Same as always."
What they called the current greatest flamebait and toxic streamer in Travel picked up on the situation in a single phrase.
Because for him, this was just daily life.
Seo Jun began writing his broadcast title without realizing he was fundamentally different from everyone else.

[Starting the broadcast.]
[Virtual Reality RPG newbie trying it for the first time. Anyone want to kibitz?]

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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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