The glowing system screen lingered in front of me, pulsing softly like it was waiting for me to do something monumental.
[First Broadcast: Active]Viewers: 1
"One?" I repeated in disbelief, leaning closer to the screen as if the number would magically increase if I stared hard enough. "There's actually one person watching this nonsense?"
Pixel, my sarcastic floating camera orb, zipped closer and did a little flip in the air."Correction: One brave soul is watching you. You're officially a streamer again, Master."
"Yeah, with one viewer," I muttered. "At this rate, I'll beat my grandma's knitting channel by next century."
The chat box blinked in the corner of my vision. A single line of text appeared in shaky handwriting-style font:
[MysticLass]: Hello…? Is this magic?
I blinked. Then I grinned like a fox that had just found an unguarded chicken coop.
"Oh-ho, we have engagement, people!" I announced dramatically, as if I had an audience of thousands. I clasped my hands and leaned toward the invisible lens. "Welcome, dear viewer! You are officially my very first VIP."
Pixel coughed—or made a sound that was suspiciously like one. "Don't scare her away, Master. This is literally the only person preventing your stream from being a graveyard."
"Relax," I whispered, straightening up. "I've got this."
I glanced at the chat again. The username looked… odd. MysticLass. Either this was a hardcore fantasy roleplayer or—more likely—someone from this very world who thought my stream was some weird magic ritual.
"Uh, hello there, MysticLass," I said smoothly. "This is absolutely magic. The magic of content!"
Another message popped up:
[MysticLass]: Content? Is that a new spell?
I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. Oh, this is gold.
"Indeed," I said solemnly, raising my hand like a priest delivering a sermon. "The Great Spell of Content Creation. Passed down from the ancient elders of… uh… Algorithmia."
Pixel floated in front of me, deadpan. "Algorithmia? Really? That's the best you've got?"
"Shut up, Pixel," I hissed through my teeth, still grinning at the screen.
The chat flashed again:
[MysticLass]: Can… can I learn it?
I nearly choked. She wants to learn content creation. In a medieval fantasy world. This was better than any clickbait title I'd ever written.
"Of course!" I declared dramatically, pointing straight at the glowing orb. "For the low, low price of—"
"Master," Pixel cut in sharply, "no in-stream scams."
I sighed. "Fine. For free."
[MysticLass]: Truly?! Great Creator bless you! Where do I begin?"
I stared at the empty field around me, the endless blue sky, and the single scraggly tree nearby. Not exactly a studio setup. Still, a pro like me could work with this.
"Well, first," I said, switching to Tutorial Mode, "you need an audience. People who will watch you perform spells, fight monsters, or… bake pies. Whatever works."
The response came after a long pause:
[MysticLass]: But I have no friends… only books… and magic circles…
"Oh no," I muttered. She's an introvert mage, isn't she?
"Sounds like half your old fanbase," Pixel quipped.
Ignoring him, I leaned closer to the glowing screen. "Listen, MysticLass. Everyone starts with zero friends—I mean, viewers. But if you've got magic, you've already got an edge."
Another pause. Then:
[MysticLass]: You… you really think people would watch me? Even if I'm boring?"
"Boring?" I barked a laugh. "Kid, I once streamed myself eating noodles for two hours and people loved it. You? You've got magic! That's like… instant content gold."
Pixel nodded reluctantly. "He's not wrong."
There was a final ping, and then… a miracle happened.
[MysticLass]: Then I will do it. I will become… a content creator!"
I raised both hands in victory. "YES! My first disciple has entered the fold!"
Pixel floated closer, its lens gleaming. "Congratulations, Master. You've officially corrupted another innocent soul with your capitalist tendencies."
"Shut it. This is history in the making," I said, grinning like a maniac.
Suddenly, a swirl of bright light appeared in front of me, and before I could react, a girl stepped out of a glowing teleport circle.
She looked about nineteen, with long silver hair cascading like a waterfall, wide purple eyes, and a robe that screamed "I own more spellbooks than social skills."
"Oh," I said eloquently. "You're real."
She blinked at me, clutching a staff nearly as tall as she was."Are… are you the Great Creator of Content?" she asked in a trembling voice.
Pixel muttered, "I give up."
1 Hour Later…
We were sitting under the scraggly tree, and I was trying to explain streaming basics to someone who thought Wi-Fi was a type of elemental magic.
"So, this number here," I said, pointing to the viewer count floating in midair, "is how many people are watching your channel."
Lyra—yeah, her name was Lyra—tilted her head like a confused puppy. "But… where are they watching from? I sense no scrying orbs."
"Don't worry about it. Just think of it as… magic smoke signals," I said quickly. "The important part is engagement. You cast spells, you do cool stuff, and people react."
Lyra nodded slowly, gripping her staff. "Very well. I… I will make them love me."
"Attagirl," I said, giving her a thumbs-up.
Pixel hovered between us, muttering like a grumpy old man. "This is going to end in fire. And possibly jail."
"Relax," I said, standing up. "What's the worst that could happen?"
At that exact moment, the system pinged loudly:
[New Quest: Hit 100 Viewers Before Sunset! Reward: Basic Equipment Pack.][Failure: Channel Termination.]
Lyra and I stared at the glowing words. Then we looked at each other.
"Oh," I said faintly. "That's… not good."
Pixel tilted toward us. "You wanted content, Master? Congratulations. You just got your first speedrun challenge."
Lyra tightened her grip on her staff, eyes blazing. "Then let us begin. I will summon the greatest magic I know!"
And that's how my first real stream in another world started—with a silver-haired mage girl about to blow something up for content.
What could possibly go wrong?