A Swordsman’s Stream

Chapter 14

There existed a channel points system in Travel.

Channel points were accumulated automatically under certain conditions while watching Travel. Typically, a viewer starting Travel for the first time could receive 100 points.

And though rare, long-time viewers of Travel could gather points in the millions.

However, what rewards those points could earn varied from streamer to streamer.

That’s because it was the streamer who set those rewards.

In broadcasts where points weren’t given much meaning, no matter how many points one collected, there usually wasn’t much use for them.

However, in streams where points were actively utilized, if one had enough, they could change the font of their chat messages, obtain or modify emoticons, request songs, or even demand horror games from the streamer.

But the true reason viewers loved these points laid elsewhere.

“Alright! I’ve given you plenty of time, so take it easy, everyone.”

It was because of the channel points prediction system, where viewers bet points based on the content of the stream.

『PREDICTION』
『During today’s stream,~』
『1. They will accidentally find one or two “grains.”』
『2. No, they will find three or four grains.』
『3. What nonsense. Nameless will fail completely like everyone else. (0 grains)』
『4. No, Nameless has a third eye that sees grains like an alien! (Finds 4 or more)』

Various prediction options written by Alpaca were posted ahead of time.

Viewers could now place their bets on one of these options while monitoring real-time odds, number of participants, and total points bet.

– Haha, there’s no way they’ll find anything.
– Surely no one’s foolish enough to bet on the alien, right?
– I think they’ll find one or two. Let’s go!
– Guys, I’ve got insider info. A few days ago, it was a hot topic in the community, and hundreds tried but found nothing. It’s buried now, get it?

Of course, points had no monetary value and were generated solely from watching Travel, with no exchange or trading allowed, making this prediction system non-gambling.

There was no harm in losing points.

Even if one gathered a lot, the most it allowed would be making chat look a bit fancier for a mere second. That’s the usual case.

But.

Human nature.

Even if you haven’t touched an old comic in 10 years, you feel like you’re losing something if you give it to a younger cousin.

So, what if you were to actively bet and lose those points?

Despite having no real value, it’s natural to want to win the prediction and hoard points.

– I’m choosing the safe bet.
– Are there really fools who believe and bet on that?
– These crazy risk-takers, betting on the 1%? Haha.

“What’s a ‘safe bet’ and a ‘risky bet’?!”

Sojun inquired curiously, watching the chat.

Alpaca kindly responded.

“Ah. A safe bet is betting on the team that is expected to win, which has a higher chance of winning but yields less money if it does.”

“Oh, so a risky bet is the opposite.”

“Correct. It’s usually said about people aiming for a big win.”

“Hmm. Then it’s odd. Why is betting on me finding more grains considered a risky bet?”

Sojun understood how absurd it sounded to claim he could see grains unless one knew about his past life.

He also comprehended that the real-time betting ratio showing 55% expected him to find nothing, 39% thought he’d find one or two, 5% believed three or four, and 1% being convinced he was an alien made sense.

Yet, for the sake of fun, Sojun displayed an utterly shameless expression and continued.

“If you bet on me finding ‘four or more’, it’s a 100-to-1 payout. Trust me.”

– Did he really say that? Haha.
– Why would I trust you with my precious memories?

“Memories? What memories?”

“Oh! Since these points are accumulated by watching broadcasts, people call them memories.”

“You’re betting those precious memories on something like this? Wow.”

– Hahaha, exactly.
– What a burn, he nailed it, hahaha.
– Yeah, still not betting. Haha.

“Alright, alright. Now onto the game…”

『’I am Joseon’s Assassin’ has generously donated 10,000 won!』
『Sojun-nim, I bet all the points I saved for 3 years on more than 4. Am I sane?』

– No
– Wow! Foreign currency has arrived
– What a sucker LOLOLOL LOL
– For real LOLOLOL

Usually, when viewers from another channel place a bet, it was expressed as “foreign currency coming in”.

“Ah. Congratulations. You’ll probably win 100x this time. Maybe.”

Jin Sojun grinned.

If that system called “grain” followed the grains Jin Sojun thought of.

But if not?

Well, nothing could be done.

To be honest, he felt it might be right.

An instinct you build up through past lives.

Just knowing.

“Alright! Then let’s check it out now. We don’t know the results either. We’re only saying there might be something because Sojun said so. We can’t take responsibility.”

-Maybe LOLOLOL LOLOLOL
-Soon, 3 years worth of memories will vanish
-Seriously, a heart of a beast ㄷㄷ

When the prediction time ended, Sojun executed “Assassin’s Dawn”.

“Ah, wait!”

The screen transitioned as the unexplained scream of Alpaca was buried in the background.

* * *

In the highland background, darkness suddenly spread, and Jin Sojun appeared in the heart of Altheon.

In his right hand, he held a pipe, and before him, half of the stage troupe was visible in ruins.

Sojun evaded the spot, activating the “Assassinate Together” feature and slightly wandering before inviting Alpaca from his friends list.

After waiting for a short while, a shadowy figure crawled up from the shadows.

It was Alpaca.

“Phew. Thankfully, you invited me well. Right after you sent off the viewers Sojun-ssi, I panicked.”

-LOLOLOL LOL
-There’s never been an artisan like this.

Was that why he screamed?

They first headed to a tavern and opened the skill window.

“Now. The place we’re heading to is one of the four zones called the residential area where the nobles live. In the game, it’s known as the northeastern end.”

Alpaca narrated to Sojun, simultaneously providing natural information to the viewers.

Their destination was the northeastern end.

It was a place developed with high-end stores, entertainment facilities, commercial and cultural amenities for the nobles, and lined with townhouses.

Further out were grand mansions belonging to aristocrats, marking it as the definitive central district of Altheon.

“In simpler terms, it’s the wealthy neighborhood of Altheon.”

It was also where Etor resided.

This area had numerous plazas and parks, and a straight road known as the Noble Path that extended from the grand houses of high-ranking nobles to the royal castle.

The difficulty of assassinating key figures here was just below that of the royal castle.

Unlike the crowded four zones, the northeastern end had expansive open spaces, making it easy to get caught, and there were guards patrolling regularly.

The reason they came here was.

“We’re here.”

While walking, a scream was heard beyond the grand mansion.

Alpaca leaped over the wall, and Sojun followed suit.

Thanks to action correction, they easily scaled the wall over 3 meters high.

After climbing over the wall like assassins, they saw a young man dressed in ragged clothes being bullied by a noble youth with a rapier.

“That’s Luis Neville, the son of Richard Neville, the ruler of the northeastern end.”

He was also the character in the video where the weapon got destroyed.

“First, let’s check if we have the skills.”

“Alright.”

Sojun nodded and moved forward.

He drew the sword given to him by Alpaca from his inventory.

It was difficult to target detailed areas with a pipe. Although, it didn’t matter much to Sojun.

Alpaca started narrating from behind.

“Alright, folks. Even if you know where to strike to destroy it, accurately doing so is challenging. I think replicating the video is harder than parrying by a notch. Of course, with Sojun-ssi’s skills, he’d succeed soon enough but still, might fail a few times… Huh?”

It ended in an instant.

As Sojun approached, Luis Neville grinned and quickly thrust his sword, but Sojun, as if anticipating it, effortlessly sidestepped and slashed the blade diagonally, replicating the move from the video.

Precisely at the exact position and speed as in the video.

Though he had just grabbed the sword, he adjusted the distance as if it had been part of him all along.

Jin Sojun’s indifferent expression reflected an attitude as if it was no big deal, while Luis’s estoc split apart like wood struck by an axe.

– What? Difficult, you say?
– Failing a few times is nothing, lol.
– Wow, a master is indeed different.
– Are the faction members getting nervous?

『Weak Spot Detected』
『Unlock Condition: Destroy a weapon 10 times through its grain (1/10)』

Sojun’s skill window updated.

“Wow, you finished it in one go. You’re really different from us.”

Alpaca continuously murmured words of admiration.

He had barely succeeded after countless attempts, even after watching the video several times.

Accurately hitting a stationary enemy weapon was itself a difficult task.

But to do it mid-battle in one go was indeed something remarkable.

However.

Alpaca approached Sojun.

– Still, you know it’s not proven yet, right?
– The faction members are getting cocky after one success, lol.
– Please, snap out of it.
– Yeah, right.
– If he could find it so quickly, don’t you think others would’ve found it ages ago?

“Well, that’s true.”

Sojun nodded as he dealt with Luis Neville.

He then recalled the sensation he had just felt.

“But now, I’m sure.”

“Pardon? Sure of what?”

“That my theory about the grains is correct.”

For someone who had just destroyed one weapon through its grain, it was an incredibly arrogant statement.

– Yeah, sure, whatever you say, lol.
– If you fall for this, be careful of pyramid schemes, seriously.
– The game’s been out for days, and there’s only one example so far.
– Well, seeing is believing, so let me show you.

Just then, he noticed soldiers running toward them, drawn by the cries of the defeated Luis.

Their shields and swords—they needed to find the weak spots to break them.

The grain, tiny structural defects, post-manufacture micro-deformations.

“The creator embedded that concept.”

The vital point.

“It feels like what a former abbot of Shaolin with divine insight would see.”

That applied to objects, martial arts, anything.

Is his concept similar?

He had never gained insight like the ex-abbot of Shaolin. His enlightenment in martial arts had indeed reached heights in his past life, but his understanding and insight into objects were not as profound as that of a high monk of Shaolin.

So, in fact, he could not see the grain. Nor did he understand it, either in the past or now.

But.

“In the end, the game’s grain is something the creator embedded.”

It meant not needing to recite scriptures or attain enlightenment to understand the essence of objects.

One just needed to grasp the enemy’s intent, meaning the creator’s intent.

And such battles were Sojun’s specialty, thanks to his rich fighting experience.

Raising his sword and closing his eyes, Sojun faced the soldiers.

After all, their movements were predictable.

– Lol.
– Has he given up?
– Why’s he closing his eyes, dude, lol?

In Sojun’s mind, countless lines formed on the shields and swords of the approaching soldiers from various angles.

Of the two examples of the grain he knew, only one was from his own experience.

Yet, it was enough.

In his imagination, lines that did not align with the creator’s design disappeared.

And then.

Sojun’s arm began to descend slowly.