When You Cry, Use Triple Split
The next day.
Streamer: Park Sohee
Stream Title: Day 3 — Short Stream
I finished my stream prep and went live. The viewer count that had sat around twenty yesterday had climbed to fifty.
The chat was already flying before I'd even said a word.
Day two of streaming and I'm already used to this.
"Get the hell out, you bastards."
Banned Mood-Boosting Potion.
Banned My Mom Looks Like a Woman.
Banned Bed In English.
Banning Constellations was starting to feel routine.
"Anyway, like the stream title says, today's gonna be a short one. I only turned it on to show you guys me growing with coins."
I was planning to raid a gate eventually, but that would take a little time. You had to file an application with the Association and wait. Joining a guild was an option too, but I hadn't given it much thought yet. Figured I'd try a gate first and decide from there.
"Thank you. Anyway, I looked up growth items and there's a ton of them. I don't know what to buy first, so I'd appreciate any recommendations."
As the Constellations' suggestions started flooding the chat, one message caught my eye.
A Constellation with a nickname I'd never seen before. This guy's handle was already giving me a headache. Most of the Constellations on Han Nami's stream at least had decent names.
Still, I should respond to the chat.
"That requires a donation, and my place isn't soundproofed right now so it's gonna be hard."
What is this guy's problem.
"Hey, just because you tell me to do something means I have to do it? At least throw some coins if you're gonna make demands like that."
Banned Wolf Mama.
And just like that, I got back to streaming. It was only a one-minute ban anyway — he'd come back on his own and keep quiet.
"Anyway, so once I hit a thousand coins I should buy Diluted Elixirs instead of Growth Scrolls? What's the effect on these? The description just says 'overall growth.'"
"Yeah? Magic looks pretty good too, though. I've always wanted to try casting spells."
Since the topic was growth, everyone was holding back on the trolling and taking it seriously. It felt like a bunch of veterans patiently walking a newbie through the basics.
No trolls around makes it feel a little empty, honestly.
That was when Wolf Mama's ban expired and he started typing again.
"I don't know who you are, I don't care who you are, and I can tell your mom's a wolf."
Banned Wolf Mama.
Banned him again.
"You guys, out."
Banned I Pulled Out a Mountain.
Banned My Mom Looks Like a Woman.
"What? Who? Wolf Mama?"
"What kind of gentleman opens with 'where do you live and how old are you.'"
Banned Mood-Boosting Potion.
"Get out, you bastard."
The moment I banned Mood-Boosting Potion, Wolf Mama's chat popped up again.
In that instant, a bad feeling washed over me.
Rumble.
The sky roared.
Shit. Hold on.
Actual Heavenly Punishment?
He was dropping Heavenly Punishment on me because I wouldn't do a reaction? Was that even allowed?
I was reeling. Constellations were supposed to raise hunters and help them hold the gates. And this guy was about to smite me when I hadn't done a damn thing wrong?
Incoming…
In the blink of an eye, about ten viewers vanished. The chat was nothing but unfamiliar nicknames now — none of the ones I knew were typing.
The whole situation was throwing me for a loop.
"This bitch keeps pinning it on me."
Confused or not, the swearing came out on its own.
"You do this in other streams too? Doesn't it embarrass you, going into some easy-target hunter's stream and pulling this shit?"
I didn't know if he'd done this to other hunters. But looking at him, yeah — he absolutely had. The classic grab-and-shake. A textbook stream-hostage troll.
Guys like this, in my old world and this one, never helped anyone.
"Got nothing better to do than skip the donations and gut other people's streams? Heavenly Punishment? Fine. Drop it, you piece of shit."
And then—
Rrrrumble……
The sky that had been seconds from spitting lightning cleared up like nothing had ever happened.
Chat suddenly exploded.
"What, where did you all go?"
The viewer count was back to normal.
"Ugh, stop talking like a boomer already."
Banned Not an Octopus.
"Anyway… hang on a second."
The tension must have broken, because tears suddenly started welling up.
Banned Why Hometown.
Banned Wheelchair Best Driver.
Banned One-Season Millionaire.
"*Sniff.* You guys, out."
Ever since becoming a woman, there were times I just couldn't hold the tears back. Back when I was a guy, something like this never would have made me cry. This was all because I'd become a girl.
Crying was crying. But I still had a job to do.
I switched the stream to a triple split.
"…*Sniff.*"
When you cry on stream, triple split is the golden rule.
Something Park Sohee didn't know — what happened right before Wolf Mama could drop Heavenly Punishment.
The Constellation under the username My Mom Looks Like a Woman, true name Zeus, went from lounging around like a deadbeat to fully geared for departure in an instant. The transformation from something that looked like a shut-in NEET to the image that came to mind when you pictured a god took nothing more than a single flash of light.
This lunatic is actually going through with it!
Wolf Mama's true identity was Romulus, the founding king of Rome — a man who had genuinely been raised on a wolf's milk. Zeus, a god of Olympus, and Romulus, a king of Rome, weren't particularly connected, but a few exchanges as Constellations had made them acquainted.
I figured he'd keep those cheap little pranks in check and leave it at that.
And yet the bastard had forced Zeus to make a personal appearance. First priority: stop him from casting Heavenly Punishment. Second: personally beat some sense into him.
The moment he decided to head for Romulus's residence, his body became lightning and shot forward.
If you've already cast it, you're dead.
He kicked the entrance open — and what he saw waiting inside was this:
"Heh heh. Amitabha."
"Father's here too, I see."
"It is not yet your turn. Kindly wait in line."
"Oh ho, long time no see, Zeus. How's Helios doing? I always did enjoy that energetic streak of his."
"Over here — get in line and wait your turn. I've got business with that bastard myself."
Constellations of a rank comparable to his own. Everyone except the last one shared a similar standing with Zeus.
Which means every single one of these guys…
Had been watching Park Sohee?
The second that realization hit—
KRA-KOOM—!
"*Crackle—* Yo, Wolf Mama you son of a bi— wait, why are there so many Constellations here? Huh? Father?"
Sohee. Do. Not. Come. Between. This. Sheep. And. Myself.
A Constellation riding a giant robot that had just slammed down from the sky, and a colossal octopus that had torn the heavens open to appear.
This is completely insane.
If. You. Understand. Answer. Over.