Reinforcement (12)

A royal decree.

That fierce command revealed just how resolute Barad's will was.

Hyun-soo bowed deeply.

"...I accept the royal decree."

The most shocked person in the room was Hyun-soo himself.

There were over 2.5 billion people playing Ares.

Beyond Korea, across the world, plenty had already risen to the rank of earl.

I'm not the only one growing.

As Hyun-soo grew, so did they.

And recently, some had even ascended to marquis.

Yet none among them had ever been named heir to the throne.

It felt profoundly new.

He checked the title he'd received: Heir to the Throne.

The title was extraordinary.

It guided the path to kingship through quests.

Hyun-soo understood what "Star of the Kingdom" meant.

Constantinu, Lookburg, Bello.

It meant rising to marquis, standing shoulder to shoulder with them.

"It seems there are things to sort out."

Barad's words as he gazed at Hyun's Forge.

Before stepping forward, Barad gave Hyun-soo a small smile.

"...Thank you."

Hyun-soo replied with a faint smile.

They filed out like a receding tide.

"We'll take our leave as well."

The faces of the Hyun's Forge guild members showed clear exhaustion.

But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hyun-soo stayed until the end, alone.

For the viewers waiting.

Disappearing like this could breed resentment.

He wanted to give them a proper farewell.

***

Viewers waiting for the broadcast to resume were buzzing in the Ares community.

Then.

And the viewers who rushed in changed tones.

Hyun-soo had thought many viewers would have left due to the broadcast ending.

It had dropped from the peak, but it was still impressively high.

Were they that curious about what I got?

Hyun-soo was now quite accustomed to viewers.

He had a somewhat rugged charm that appealed to strangers.

"I logged in to thank you all for watching the broadcast."

"Yes."

"???"

"Anyway, despite the shortcomings of the broadcast..."

Then.

"Reaction donation?"

Hyun-soo thought of reaction streamers and Lewdichi.

Many internet broadcasters did reactions for donations.

Of course, Hyun-soo wasn't one.

True enough. Crazy Rookie planned to show his face to the public often.

And moreover.

Even famous users were among them.

Of course, those big names talked reactions, but it seemed they saw it as a chance to catch Hyun-soo's eye.

For Hyun-soo, more funds were always good.

Let's go with this.

Hyun-soo thought of a reaction they'd love.

In an instant, his expression hardened again.

A powerful aura rippled from his dignified face.

He took a stance, blood-matted hair swaying, hand on his sword hilt. It captivated the viewers.

Finally, he murmured softly.

"Sword King's Swordsmanship."

And suddenly, he fainted.

Thud—

The viewers were baffled.

Hyun-soo, unleashing immense power with Sword King's Swordsmanship, suddenly collapsing—it was enough to stun them.

Soon, the viewers were shocked.

Because of the alert.

As his consciousness faded, Hyun-soo thought.

No...

It was his first public reaction.

And the public had promised more donations for a good one.

Ugh... no more donations now...

Hyun-soo grimaced.

He knew his first reaction in life had utterly failed.

***

Hyun-soo fainted amid his worries.

Worried his donation reaction might go down as the worst in history.

Especially since he'd received massive donations during the main broadcast.

Enough that an alert said donations would be tallied after the stream ended.

In that context, such a reaction!

But Hyun-soo, not being a reaction streamer, didn't know.

That faint would turn into a blessing in disguise.

Internet streaming boomed around the 2010s.

Thirty years later, BJ reactions had all been done to death.

In this era of stale reactions, it hit fresh and shocking.

There are many ways to hook viewers.

Novelty held great power among them.

Plus, immersion in the BJ made for even bigger cheers.

There were big spenders among the viewers too.

The faint gif showed Hyun-soo with a dignified expression, aura swirling, then collapsing flat.

A video also appeared on ReactionTube's trending.

The title was pure clickbait.

Viewers didn't know, but it was hastily edited and uploaded by archer Ian.

Those who missed the live stream eased their regret with this before the official archive opened.

The high views came from Ares players offline, and even non-players just browsing ReactionTube.

12 hours after broadcast end.

At AJ Internet Broadcasting, Director Lee and PD Kim checked the total donations.

"What is this...?"

"Even after Helinya hunt it was high, but post-reaction donations are insane..."

They blinked.

"Highest ever since AJ Internet launched...?"

"Top ten in broadcasting this year."

They contacted Hye-in to announce the donations.

***

Fainting in an Ares capsule mimics actual sleep.

After 12 hours out cold, Hyun-soo clutched his head emerging from the capsule.

Hiss—

"...My god."

He'd pulled an all-nighter flop in front of millions.

Especially now, donations were crucial for Hyun's Forge.

Now publicized, they needed strength and funds more than ever.

To flop like this...

Hyun-soo sat at his computer.

Then shook his head.

Still, it'll be decent.

Even if the reaction flopped, prior donations would be hefty.

Checking the group chat, Hyun-soo panicked.

Soon, he heard the full story from Nel.

Hyun-soo steadied his pounding heart.

Hyun-soo hurriedly opened his computer.

Previously second place.

Hyun's Forge had been just 200k behind Black Anvil.

Recently narrowed to 100k.

Still, more subscribers the better.

It had to be.

For Hyun's Forge to influence not just Korea, but the world.

Black Anvil had 3 million; Hyun's Forge hit 2.9 million.

Hyun-soo was stunned.

800k in one day?

Hyun's Forge was now undisputed #1 in Korea.

How 800k...?

Right on cue, Nel messaged.

"...!?"

Hyun-soo tensed.

Sweat beaded on his palms.

In the Helinya raid, subscribers were secondary for Hyun's Forge.

#1 long-term was powerful, but not immediate.

Donations were different.

Donations were immediate power for Hyun-soo and Hyun's Forge.

Hyun-soo opened the donation details Hye-in sent.

Seeing it, he nearly choked.

What the...?

An absurd amount was listed.