The Constellation Betting Exchange
The elite specters that had been pouring out now shrieked and melted down into the sewage pooling on the floor.
No — they weren't melting. They were being absorbed by something.
Hidden Condition Met: 'Fallen Soul of the Aqueduct'!
Phase difficulty will increase dramatically.
Final Phase has been changed: 'Monster Wave' → 'Descent of the Lord'
KUGUGUNG!
From the massive whirlpool at the center of the aqueduct, a mountain of solid matter began to churn and clump together. Rotted flesh and the remains of hundreds of specters, mixed with centuries of accumulated filth, slowly assembled themselves into a colossal body.
The pressure of black mana crushed down over the entire aqueduct, and with it, an enormous shadow filled every inch of the space from wall to wall.
KRAAAAAAA—!
Level 50. And not just any regular monster — a hidden boss from an instanced dungeon. In other words, at my level it was the kind of opponent you couldn't even engage under normal circumstances. A walking calamity, plain and simple.
But while the boss entrance theatrics played out, my dear Constellations started grumbling. Ever since I'd cut the stream during my deal with the Sword Princess, it seemed a few of them had been sulking.
Well then. Prioritizing customer satisfaction is simply what a service-industry streamer ought to do.
"Communication, you say?"
So, with a rare moment of breathing room on my hands, I decided to play with my Constellations a little. Besides, until that walking pile of filth finished absorbing every last specter, it was functionally invincible — there was nothing for me to do anyway.
Truth be told, even without their prodding, I'd been mulling something over. Thanks to that unexpected crossover(?) with the Sword Princess, my live viewer count had ballooned to a full four digits.
How was I going to entertain a crowd this size and keep them satisfied? The question weighed on me. The viewers who'd been quietly trickling away since we entered the aqueduct had been nagging at me too.
Sharp-eyed Constellations, every last one of them...
"Oh come now, you wound me. My top priority has always been... the dopamine of my dear Constellations, hasn't it?"
Then again, well — they weren't exactly wrong. After all, the single biggest reason I work so hard to keep the Constellations entertained is so I can collect their money. And so my brain, kicking into emergency overdrive, spun up one genuinely entertaining idea.
"Well then, my dear Constellations."
"How about, for old times' sake, we place a little bet?"
At my opening line of pure setup, the Constellations unleashed a torrent of abuse, exactly as I'd predicted.
But even that much was well within my predicted range. Heh heh.
Honestly, if I'd simply pressed on with the bet right then, a few of my hyung-nims would have graciously lined up to be fleeced anyway. The wagers I throw at the Constellations always come with terms so outrageous that they know exactly what's happening and can't help falling for it regardless.
The problem was that it wouldn't be fun. Getting fleeced has to be entertaining(?) too — that's how you achieve a win-win with your Constellation hyung-nims.
"Ah, but then how does this sound, gentlemen?"
And so, from here on out — this is where my real sales pitch begins.
Ring—!
Streamer Dave has opened a real-time betting pool!
A brand-new function that had appeared back when my streaming rank rose to Bronze after I acquired the numbered equipment... but one I had never once gotten the chance to use until now.
[The streamer is setting the betting conditions.]
I'd always figured I'd find a use for it someday. So I decided today was the day.
Ah, my dear hyung-nims. Boring conditions like those died with the last generation, don't you think?
How's this for a start?
Condition: Boss Kill Clear Time (Up/Down on 3 minutes)
If I'd laid this out as a simple bet, the Constellations would have had effectively no choice at all. I would obviously(?) have wagered on a sub-three-minute kill, leaving them nothing to bet on except "impossible."
But with the betting feature, the math changes.
This way, it's not just me — some of the Constellations can get in on the dopamine-soaked underdog odds(?) as well.
Hold on just a second, though.
[Total current pot: 1,735 LP]
Seventeen hundred LP pooled together in ten seconds flat — was this actually happening?
*Insane.*
Staring at all that blind money was making my mouth water. What do I mean by that? I mean I couldn't wait to get my own bet in.
[Current odds: Up (3 min or more) ×1.067 / Down (under 3 min) ×15.90]
Which is to say... I needed a pretext. And hadn't the moment come to finally bring it up?
That's the whole point, hyung-nim!
See, if I'd bet on the long shot right out of the gate, the Constellations would have gotten suspicious immediately. But like this — testing the waters first, then engineering the conditions off of their input?
"Huh. Strange. I think I might actually make three minutes work..."
Ring—!
Aw, what the hell. I can't hold back!
Streamer Dave has wagered 1,000 LP on Down (under 3 minutes).
Well? What now, gentlemen?
Because I'd thrown a full 1,000 LP onto the long shot, the underdog odds came crashing down in an instant.
[Current odds: Up (3 min or more) ×1.55 / Down (under 3 min) ×2.80]
But there was nothing to worry about. From this point on, the wolves would come circling in, drooling, to tear my 1,000 LP apart piece by piece.
Watching my adorable Constellation hyung-nims bicker in chat, I simply could not keep the corners of my mouth from twitching upward.
The outpouring of enthusiasm was, if anything, even more fervent than I'd hoped. I hardly knew where to put myself — truly, you're all too kind.
[Current odds: Up (3 min or more) ×1.11 / Down (under 3 min) ×9.57]
[Total current pot: 14,799 LP]
Leo, watching me grin from ear to ear courtesy of my Constellation patrons, asked with a puzzled look.
"Hyung-nim, did something good happen?"
"Heh heh. You could say that."
And while I was busy basking in happiness, our dear boss finally seemed to have finished its preparations too.
KRAAAAAAA—!
What a trio of pitiful little prey you are—!
So as Leo squared into his battle stance, I laid out a very simple strategy for him.
"Leo."
"Yes, hyung-nim."
"Fight hard for a bit, and when I give the signal... don't mess around with anything else. Just stab the boss in its right armpit. Okay?"
"Yessir!"
He nodded without a single shred of doubt. My party member Leo — an utterly dependable man.
Combat has begun.
The betting pool is now closed.
Perhaps I'd been smiling a little too brightly, because a few of the Constellations couldn't quite hide their unease.
My dear hyung-nims.
But you do remember, don't you?
Here in my channel... the safe asset is always the most dangerous one?