Viewer_1: OMG. He is doing it!
Viewer_2: Of course he is. My money is on the line.
Viewer_4: No backing down now. Fight like a true man… and die like a hero.
Viewer_5: If you win, I will sub and throw $20. Now go and don't shit your pants.
Noa ignored the chat.
Letting them influence his emotions would only work against him. So he breathed in, calming his heart down, and raised his hand towards the farmer. "Hey, you!"
The man blinked.
He had long since noticed Noa's arrival but didn't react to it.
It wasn't like it was his first time seeing a stranger in his village. But it was definitely his first time hearing English.
He said something as well, asking Noa what he wanted.
His accent was heavy, though. Words were rough as well, making Noa and the chat think that he was angry.
Noa's throat went dry.
Having no plans didn't help either.
It was only a tutorial, yet he couldn't even communicate with the locals.
[One of the features you will unlock is full language mastery for you and for your viewers. But before that, you have to deal with it.]
Thankfully, the system was kind enough to encourage him.
The same couldn't be said about the chat, as they went completely bonkers, making fun of Noa for not understanding a single word the farmer was saying.
Viewer_4: Don't you have subtitles or something?
Viewer_5: This streamer doesn't know what he is doing, right?
Meanwhile, one more viewer showed up. Seeing this, Noa's resolve hardened. "Shut up, chat," he muttered.
But it only added fuel to the fire.
The farmer, on the other hand, closed the remaining distance, repeating himself.
This time, his voice was louder, his brows twitching. He reeked of wet earth and tomatoes, barking again and again to ask Noa what he wanted.
Viewer_7: What's happening? I just tuned in, and the fight is about to start?
Viewer_1: Shh! He is about to get smacked. Viewer_2's money is on the line; we don't have time to explain.
Viewer_3: Swing it before he does. Punch! Punch!
'Okay,' Noa muttered under his breath. 'I am ready. What's worse that could happen?'
[Reminder: Your tutorial objective is to survive 10 minutes and maintain 10 viewers]
Like a cruel joke, the system's notification caught Noa's attention. 'Survive?' he hissed. 'I don't remember you mentioning that before.'
Less than six minutes remained on the clock.
With no other options left, and the words "No Balls" ringing in his head, something ignited in his heart.
Suddenly, he gained courage.
So Noa swung his hand, hoping the man wouldn't be hurt because of his stupid content, but also wouldn't hit him too hard.
The chat was going wild—especially when his fist missed the target. Yet he had no time for them, and drawing a sharp breath, he swung again.
This time, it looked and felt less clumsy.
Still, it was a desperate, slow punch.
However, his knuckles connected to the flesh with a dull thud.
Viewer_1: Clip this! Streamer is going to get one-tapped. I am going to share it with my friends.
One particular line hovered right in front of Noa, barely registering in his mind.
After his pitiful punch, the farmer blinked at him.
He looked confused, glancing at Noa as if he were watching an ant that dared to bite. Noa's weakness worked in his favor, and the man's confusion didn't turn into fury.
Still, he didn't exactly look happy either.
"I swear you guys are going to get me killed," Noa said aloud, trying to farm more engagement. And luckily for him, it worked.
A sudden ring startled him.
[Viewer_7 has subscribed! Revealing username: TomatoSlayer]
This was Noa's first ever subscriber, and though he was happy because of it, he didn't really have time to celebrate.
The same couldn't be said about the chat, as they could also see the notification on their screens.
Viewer_5: Bro, you subbed at the perfect time.
Viewer_2: And here I thought I would be the first subber. I am disappointed.
Viewer_1: So that's how you can reveal your username. Useful to know. Not that I am going to do that. Hehehe.
TomatoSlayer: Shut up, losers. I paid for it, and it's time for me to enjoy the show.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Noa shook his head.
He already knew how weird people were on the internet, but experiencing it himself didn't make it better. What's more, the view count increased once again.
Slowly but surely, he was getting there.
[5:13 Remaining]
Still, the major problem was the farmer, who just stood there, pointing fingers at Noa.
Clearly, he didn't enjoy Noa's previous performance.
[Warning: Hostility increasing.]
As the farmer barked again, and Noa was ready to try his chances a third time, the chat continued spamming jokes and emotes.
TomatoSlayer had even made a custom gift with Noa's face on it.
It featured the expression he had made when he missed his first punch, lightening the chat's overall mood to Noa's liking.
Viewer_3: He looks silly. But he is hilarious at the same time.
Viewer_5: Wait until he gets punched. That would be real fun, and don't forget to clip it.
Noa didn't waste a breath.
His fists were already clenched—ready for action.
So he swung a right uppercut, cutting the air in the process.
He was faster and stronger than last time. Even his aim improved.
But ultimately, none of that mattered.
The farmer caught his hand mid-air, and with his iron grip, Noa had no escape.
He couldn't pay attention to what chat was saying about his predicament, but he could guess they would be spamming GGs.
At least he had a second hand he could use.
And instead of trying to pull away, Noa wanted to use the same tactic, as his viewers clearly liked it.
But before he could budge a single muscle, the man yelled over his shoulder.
In an instant, from the corner of the village, three figures emerged. They looked no smaller than the guy and walked with tools in their grips.
TomatoSlayer: He called reinforcements. You have to defeat mobs before killing the boss.
And when Noa's situation looked desperate, a soft sound rang in his head.
[Viewer_10 has joined the stream.]
[Current Viewers: 10]
[2:02 Remaining]