Greatest Swordsmaster’s Game Streaming - GSGS Chapter 4: Streaming Preparation

“Two times more than I expected…”

20 million won. For someone just starting out or in Geomseong’s age group, it was a substantial amount but not entirely out of reach for an essential investment. Still, it was a significant burden for him.

“Worrying about unnecessary things again?” Hayun noticed his conflicted expression immediately.

“The amount is larger than I thought. And since it’s a new model, there are no used ones.”

It would be less burdensome if it were a used or older model. But since only the latest version was available…

“I earn well, you know? I have a lot of savings, and thanks to you, I don’t have any debts, so it’s fine.”

Geomsung looked closely at Hayun’s confident expression. She wasn’t overextending herself.

“Alright, I understand. Thanks.”

It wouldn’t be polite to refuse too much. Seeing his sister’s admirable attitude, Geomsung smiled.

Hayun, sipping her Americano, said with a small smile, “I hope you win like you used to.”

Words filled with hope and desire.

“There’s a saying that class is eternal even as times change. I hope you can show that.”

Eternal class. That was what Hayun hoped for with her substantial support.

Kim Geomsung, the world Kendo champion. He was always a source of pride, having never lost in any tournament and breaking every existing record.

Hayun just wished her brother would shine again like he did back then.

Of course, the reason for her support wasn’t just this.

“Because you protected the family.”

Hayun and Geomsung were raised by their mother and grandfather after their father passed away. Despite the tight living conditions and their mother’s illness, they led a happy life thanks to Geomsung’s support. Hayun was able to focus on her studies and attend university comfortably.

Just as Geomsung once protected their family, now it was Hayun’s turn to support him.

“Sorry for making you worry all this time.”

“It’s alright.”

Geomsung smiled wryly. Even though they were siblings who might have thought of each other as annoying, they were now the only family left.

It was strange to feel how much time had passed.

“Well, I have an appointment later, so I’ll be going now.”

Hayun checked the time, quickly packed her bag, and stood up.

“Leaving?”

“Yes.”

As Geomsung watched his sister’s departing figure and drank the rest of his coffee, his old smartphone suddenly rang.

“Huh?”

He quickly turned on the screen to check and saw a message that the payment had been completed.

“She sent the money? For the capsule?”

With a dazed expression, he checked the bank app.

“Huh?”

[Balance: 5,368,100 won]

An unexpected 5 million won deposit. Below it was a message from her.

[This is for your living expenses until you settle in. Don’t just eat cup noodles, alright? I’ll send the capsule right away. It will be delivered by premium rocket shipping, so it should arrive tomorrow.]

Receiving the capsule was one thing, but now there was also support for living expenses.

‘How much money does she have, anyway?’

It was a thought that crossed Geomsung’s mind as he looked at his bank account. He had only heard that she worked for a major corporation but hadn’t learned how much she actually made. Given that she could deposit such an amount so freely, it seemed like her annual salary was indeed in the millions.

‘…I don’t know.’

With her prestigious art school background and the thriving virtual reality industry, she was probably earning a lot.

He wasn’t familiar with the specifics of a corporate employee’s life or salary, so it was best to take it at face value.

‘With this kind of support, I need to give something back in return.’

Geomsung took a deep breath. The hot air filling his lungs became a symbol of his resolve.

‘Let’s go again.’

As he wished, and as his sister wished.

He would promote himself widely through streaming, become famous, and even participate in competitions.

‘I will regain the top spot.’

Just as it was in the past, it would be no different now.

Though there might be setbacks, there would be no fall from grace. Class is eternal.

—

A day passed, and Geomsung waited patiently for the capsule in the living room.

‘When will it arrive?’

He felt his heart racing with anticipation when the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of the long-awaited capsule.

“I’m coming!”

He opened the door to find a person in formal attire operating a delivery machine.

“This is from the capsule company VMR. Please sign here.”

“Oh, sure.”

After signing, the employee operated the delivery machine to move the box containing the capsule inside.

“Where would you like it placed?”

“Hmm…”

Since there weren’t many pieces of furniture, any place would be fine. Curious if there were any specific requirements, Geomsung asked.

“Is there anything needed for the installation?”

“It does require quite a few outlets.”

In that case, the living room was the only option. Geomsung nodded and gestured towards the area.

“Please install it here.”

In the corner of the living room where the outlets were gathered. The employee diligently installed the capsule.

Since it was just a matter of positioning and connecting, the process didn’t take long.

“Finished. The manual and warning notes are all included inside, and if you have any issues, you can contact us at this number.”

The employee’s business card. The person who installed the capsule was the one responsible for Geomsung’s capsule maintenance.

“Have a good day.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for your hard work.”

With a smile and without looking back, the VMR employee left. Geomsung sent a proper farewell before returning to the living room.

“Now….”

Just as he was about to check the new capsule, his old smartphone rang.

The message was, as expected, from Hayun.

[Did you get the capsule? I’ve installed all the streaming equipment for you. If you need to know how to use it, ask my friend whose number I sent you before.]

‘Looks like she’s already in touch.’

Geomsung nodded and immediately opened the capsule.

Swoosh—The glass cover opened, and white smoke billowed out.

‘Just like last time.’

Wearing the gear, attaching the ECG sensor, and activating the breathing measurement sensor.

It was time to sleep.

[Activating the capsule.]

[User registration information – Kim Geomsung.]

[Please select the purpose.]

‘It feels so surreal…’

Although he was somewhat worried, the capsule connected without any issues.

Geomsung still couldn’t quite grasp that he was now in virtual reality.

‘It’s fine now. Let’s focus on the task at hand.’

Shaking off his impressions, he quickly got to work with the knowledge he had briefly studied. He created a streaming account, installed broadcasting software, set up the information, and launched the streaming equipment.

‘It’s not that difficult?’

Even with his lack of familiarity with the latest technology, this part was straightforward.

‘Then let’s contact them right away.’

Geomsung made an internet call to the contact Hayun had provided from inside the capsule. After a brief ringing sound, the call was connected.

[…Hello?]

“This is Kim Geomsung. Is this Lee Hyunjeong?”

[Yes…….]

“Did you happen to hear from Hayun?”

[Ah, yes……. I did…….]

Her voice sounded weary and listless. Geomsung tried to keep the conversation going.

“…I wanted to discuss a few things, so I contacted you. If you’re busy, it’s fine to let me know when you have time. I can adjust to your schedule.”

There was no response. He had heard that she was very shy, but he hadn’t expected it to be this severe.

[…I can talk now. I’ll send you a message…….]

Click. The call ended with that last word.

‘What’s going on?’

Even just hearing her voice, he could sense a kind of shyness and awkwardness. It was surprising that an outgoing person like Hayun had become friends with someone like this.

Then, ding, a message arrived immediately.

[Let’s meet in virtual reality. You can enter through VMR chat to meet as if it were reality. The code is…….]

A helpful explanation. VMR chat was a social game, close to a virtual reality community.

‘Is this where I enter the code?’

Adding the code she sent, it was immediately accepted.

[Welcome to VMR chat!]

The vast virtual reality unfolded. A warm red sunset created a comforting ambiance. The park where Geomsung stood was filled with cherry blossom trees, with pink petals fluttering in the air.

‘Did she create this herself?’

Just as he was looking around, he heard a voice.

“Oh… you’ve arrived…”

An avatar with white hair and topaz-colored eyes greeted him. This was Hayun’s friend, Lee Hyunjeong.

“Hello, I’m Kim Geomsung, Hayun’s older brother.”

“…….”

Even though Geomsung greeted her, an awkward atmosphere lingered. The silence felt like a poison with no way to express itself.

“Oh, I didn’t expect to be broadcasting.”

“Indeed……”

A solemn mood. The conversation didn’t continue. How did Hayun become friends with this person? The suspicion was overwhelming Geomsung’s mind.

“…….”

“…….”

After a brief silence to adjust, he finally heard her voice again.

“…You can speak informally.”

“Oh… alright. Hyunjeong, please take care of me.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll take care of you…….”

Finally, it seemed like they could start a conversation. Geomsung, who

had been waiting, immediately brought up the topic.

“Um, shall we talk about the broadcast? I’ve prepared all the basic settings.”

“Oh, is that so? Then let me first explain the basics……”

The first explanation was about the game he would be broadcasting.

According to her, there were many types of virtual reality games.

As Geomsung knew, there were various sports games. Popular genres included FPS, RPG, RTS, and Souls-like, among others.

All the well-known genres were there.

“Oh… and there are horror games too.”

“Ah, about that…”

Anyway, the explanation about the games was brief.

“Now, regarding the broadcast… Channel exposure is crucial. To be honest, streaming these days is half luck…”

The current streaming market is a brutal red ocean.

The supply has exploded as much as the demand.

“Half luck, huh…”

“Yes…”

A challenge that is almost like gambling with no certainty. However, Geomsung wasn’t bothered at all.

Without challenges, there are no achievements.

“Oh, and since you were a very famous kendo player…? I’ve gathered some related games. They’re all games where you can use a sword.”

A hologram appeared in Lee Hyunjeong’s palm, displaying countless icons.

Among them was “Altmate,” a game Geomsung had played before.

“You’ve prepared the games too.”

“Yes… I heard you might not be familiar with this area…”

“Thank you. I’ll take a look.”

Although Geomsung examined the icons, unfortunately, he didn’t recognize any of the games.

He had too little time to gather information and had been avoiding the virtual reality world.

As he scrolled through the icons, he asked.

“Is it better to avoid famous games?”

“Uh, yes…?”

Famous games that everyone knows probably have streamers who have already captured the viewer base.

As a so-called ‘hakko streamer,’ he knew his competitiveness would be naturally lower.

‘Which one would be good…?’

While looking at the hologram window, Geomsung’s gaze landed on a familiar-looking icon.

‘Oh, this one?’

A game that had made its mark in gaming history a long time ago.

It was so famous that it was the only game he recognized.

“I’ll go with this one.”

“…Oh, this one…”

Lee Hyunjeong’s eyes widened. The game Geomsung chose was a famous game known for its extreme difficulty, which had frustrated many gamers for over 20 years.

“Ragnarok Soul.”

A game that marked the era of Souls-like games and its essence.