330. [Rin x Plea, Dayum]
330. [Rin x Plea, Dayum]
***
Viewers generally liked twists.
And among viewers who watched multiple streams, internet broadcasting viewers especially did.
From streamers called big-name streamers with tens of thousands of viewers, to small-time streamers commonly called small-timers with double-digit or single-digit viewer counts. Their broadcast content itself wasn't actually all that different. It was uniformly cut from the same cloth, and from a broad perspective, there was almost no change in content.
Streamers all broadcast from their own homes or studios, and it was only natural that static indoor activities took precedence over active outdoor ones. And in that atmosphere, it was perhaps inevitable that talk shows and game-focused broadcasts suited to streaming became the mainstream.
Talk shows followed the day's hot topics, and when there was a hugely popular game, all streamers generally followed it. There was a difference in who did it first and who did it later, but in the end, playing the trending game was the same.
So in internet broadcasting, who did it mattered. People who watched broadcasts to see that streamer's charm were the overall majority.
Simply because they liked that streamer,
wondering what reaction that streamer would show while doing it,
even if they'd already seen the same game, viewers watched to see that streamer's reaction.
In the end, though there were many reasons, the result was that they watched because they liked the streamer themselves.
A streamer's appearance couldn't be left out of that. If the character representing them was pretty, the effect was even greater.
A unique, distinctive, and beautiful character with charm.
In that sense, the combination of three women—Plea, Rin, and Bloody Night—along with the near-impossible challenge of a 3-person raid drew in countless viewers.
And the actions they were performing right now were truly a massive twist that viewers hadn't expected.
...
[Wow]
[What is thiiiiis?!]
[What's this, what's this?!]
[This is the country...]
[Peak]
[Put an 19+ rating on!!!]
[Dayum, dayum]
[I'm jealous of Rin but also jealous of Bloody Night... wow, both of them are so lucky]
[It's like a scene from a movie lololol]
[The skill effect is insane but everyone's only looking at Rin and Bloody Night lolol]
[Who cares about some skill right now? That performance just now was crazy lololol]
[Bloody Night must've really lost it; at this point isn't she trying to seduce Rin? How can a person be like this]
[lolol but Bloody Night who did the bloodsucking is embarrassed and Rin who got her blood sucked is calm]
[For real lol]
[What's with Plea's spaced-out face lololol]
Rin's stream had already surpassed 70,000 viewers. The chat window wasn't just going wild—to the people watching the stream, it looked utterly surreal.
As if dozens of images of chat messages were crossing in real time, the chat window rippled with each person's messages and kept changing rapidly.
If you tried to read one chat message, it was already pushed away by other messages in that instant, making even slightly long messages hard to read in full.
And that, right now.
A man with a cynical impression was watching with his face deeply furrowed.
Another World rank 2, nickname Phantom. That was Yoo Kangjun.
"Why on earth did she change her mind?"
Even as he muttered coldly, Kangjun couldn't quite believe the screen shown on the stream.
On the screen, as if showing off how friendly they were—no, beyond friendly—they were exchanging affectionate gestures. Especially the sharp-featured woman in the black suit. Bloody Night was smiling at Rin as if she couldn't be happier, to the point it felt alien.
Because in that expression, there wasn't the slightest trace of malice or hostility toward her.
And then the message he'd confirmed this morning came to mind.
Bloody Night.
[Icon of two baby lions scattering bundles of cash]
【—Please accept 31,000,000 won.】
[Phantom, sorry, but I've changed my mind. It's been a while since I accepted the request, and you probably waited too, so I added a bit more as a courtesy. Anyway, sorry.]
She'd actually added more money while conveying her intention to give up the request.
When the user Plea recoiled and showed she didn't want to lick the blood, Rin moved directly and was seen carefully taking the blood.
"..."
Kangjun let out a deep sigh, and his expression gradually cooled.
Her ability—having formed a True Ancestor vassal contract and even gained a new power—looked far from ordinary.
Means of increasing abilities beyond a user's equipment and class were extremely limited, and people generally relied on buffer casters. But Bloody Night, awakened as a vassal, had a skill that with a single use rivaled the very best buffers.
A skill that increased stats by over 30% didn't exist among any buffer he'd ever met. Truly an unparalleled increase value.
'With an ability like that, she'd be fully capable of facing Rin.'
It would depend on whose blood she consumed, but it still looked like an ability sufficient to take on Rin.
Beyond strengthening herself, being able to strengthen someone else also seemed to have many applications. The more he thought about it, the deeper his regret, and a faint breath escaped Kangjun.
Tap. Tap.
Kangjun, who'd been tapping his hand lightly on the table, thought about what could have caused her heart to change in a single day.
'What could have happened in just one day...'
No, to be precise, it hadn't even been a day.
Just yesterday he'd confirmed she'd done a collab stream with Rin, and only today she'd suddenly sent that message.
"She saw Rin in person... and changed her mind."
Kangjun, who'd muttered a word without thinking, felt he had a rough guess about the change of heart.
Starting yesterday, Rin had begun seriously wielding a sword on stream. That sight was clearly not ordinary.
Bloody Night. He couldn't help but think it was highly likely she'd felt something else after actually facing Rin in person.
Even with that vassal ability revealed today, she might have judged it impossible on her own.
"Either way... in the end, I need to find a new candidate."
On the screen, Rin was seen carefully bringing her blood-stained finger to Plea, and Plea reluctantly licking it was shown vividly on screen. Watching that, Kangjun's thoughts drifted elsewhere without meaning to.
'Rin's personality is different from what I thought.'
Still, watching today's stream hadn't been entirely fruitless. She, who usually seemed merciless in her attacks, appeared much more considerate when she was with someone like now.
Even while dealing with the illusions, she clearly stood out in how she frequently checked on the other two women.
"...Cooperation."
Muttering the keyword as if sensing something, Kangjun slowly shifted his thinking.
What he wanted was Rin's death. There was no need to be impatient right now.
Rin's fame was growing day by day, and those who envied her were also increasing, knowingly or not.
"Right. There's something to use."
As he said that, Kangjun's gaze drifted to Rin smiling without thinking.
When that face of Rin's twisted.
What words would she spit out? What true feelings would she reveal?
***
"Ugh..."
Sua, looking at me with a completely disgusted, pitiful expression, ultimately couldn't resist my words. Sua began carefully licking the blood-stained finger I held out. And only briefly—Sua kept shaking her head and trembling.
At that, I couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
"Pfft..."
She probably couldn't feel any taste or particular sensation, but Sua's exaggerated reaction was cute and just made me laugh.
"Serin, ugh. Seriously...!"
At Sua shouting as if she truly hated it, I shook my head and apologized.
Sua had said she'd rather die than put her tongue on a wound where Yujeong had directly drawn blood, so in the end I acted myself.
I was trying to take the blood flowing from Yujeong's arm and offer it to Sua so she'd consume it indirectly, but even I thought it was absurd.
Honestly, whether the buff would even apply this way was uncertain.
"So how is it? Sua, did the buff appear?"
"...No. Not yet."
At Sua shaking her head with a tearful expression, I brought my finger back to Yujeong's arm, which was right beside me.
As I carefully grazed my index finger along Yujeong's arm, where blood was still trickling out,
"...!"
Yujeong trembled slightly. When I tilted my head and looked at her, Yujeong laughed awkwardly.
"Ah... um, the sensation was a little strange."
As Yujeong, her cheeks flushed, tried to brush it off like that, I thought, was that so? and held out my finger, now stained red with her blood, to Sua again.
"Let's try just one more time. Sua, okay?"
When I softened my voice a little and spoke as if asking a favor, I saw her looking back and forth between me and my finger with a resigned expression.
"Serin... is this really the last time?"
When Sua reluctantly answered at last, I nodded right away.
"Yeah. Next time I won't force you anymore. It's just that this buff is too good to waste."
Honestly, the buff's effect was so absurd that I wanted to somehow pass it to Sua too, but if the buff didn't appear this time either, I had no intention of forcing it further.
She had a strong aversion to the bloodsucking itself, and licking blood—no, licking a wound—seemed to bother her, so I didn't want to push only my own opinion.
Lick.
Afterward, as I stared blankly at Sua carefully licking my finger, Sua averted her gaze as if embarrassed.
It reminded me of a kitten drinking water, and I laughed for no reason.
[What's this, what's this?!]
[This is a game... this is me... supporting the 3-person raid!]
[Rin! Rin! Rin! Rin! Rin! Rin! Rin! Rin!]
[Rin x Plea, dayum]
[Peak]
[No but isn't today's fan service too much...? Wow, I feel like I'm going crazy]
[Is today's stream content a raid or a 3-person virtual marriage?]
[For real, seems like a virtual marriage lolol]
[Lock]
[Peak]
[Now this is streaming, ah lolololol]
[Big-name streamers are big for a reason. What's with Rin's spontaneous actions lolololol]
[The way Rin thinks is really... lolol so good. Ah, so good]
[Serin... I can lick blood too. I think I could do 100 liters!]
Even as I glanced at the chat window burning with excitement, I felt a little uncertain.
'Does this look really weird on stream?'
From the moment Yujeong sucked my blood, the situation had felt strange, but still, what did it matter.
Since the effect had been proven, Yujeong's vassal ability was close to broken. Even if we were acting for fan service, it had that much value.
And indeed, the buff effect was still visible in the corner of my vision.
*
————
[Craving for True Blood effect: Agility stat increased by 37%]
(Time remaining: 5 hours 56 minutes 33 seconds)
————
*
The buff's duration was a full 6 hours, and its effect was so broken it could be called a semi-awakened state.
"Huh...?"
As Sua, who'd been carefully licking my index finger, let out a dazed exclamation, my gaze naturally went to her. Then Sua, meeting my eyes, muttered as if she couldn't believe it.
"...Serin, the buff appeared."
"Really? So what's the effect?"
"Agility stat increased by 33%... no, does this increase even make sense? She's not even a buffer... how can a skill effect be like this?"
Sua raised both hands dazedly and gestured as if she couldn't believe it. Her movements—lightly extending her hand or swinging it—were clearly different from before.
When I suddenly looked at Yujeong, she nodded slightly and spoke confidently.
"How is it? Pretty good, right?"
And then she asked while staring straight into my eyes. I wondered why she was looking at me.
'Isn't that something she should be saying while looking at Sua right now...?'
I had my doubts, but since she seemed to want an answer, I parted my lips.
"Yes. Yujeong, your buff... really seems incredibly good."
At that, she smiled so brightly it was as if she'd gained the whole world, and watching Yujeong like that, I thought she really was a kind-hearted person.
'Does giving someone a buff feel that good?'