Isn't life supposed to be fun?
Why bother living if it's not fun?
That had always been James' philosophy in deciding what he wanted to do with his life and his future. It was a simple way of thinking, maybe even childish, but it had stayed with him since he was young.
Life was already difficult enough, so if not doing something fun, then what was the point of waking up every morning and dragging yourself through the same routine again and again?
Back then, when he was still a little boy sitting cross-legged in front of a computer, life had seemed much brighter.
James had loved watching streamers and gamers. They always looked like they were enjoying their lives to the fullest. Laughing while playing games, joking with their chat, shouting dramatically during boss fights, or casually walking through cities while talking to thousands of viewers like they were friends.
To young James, they looked like the happiest people in the world. Their lives were full of exciting things, and every day felt like an adventure.
They talked freely, laughed loudly, and shared everything with their audience.
And somehow, through a screen, they made life look interesting.
So naturally, James wanted to become a streamer too.
He didn't want to go to college. First, his family's financial situation wasn't good enough to support it and he wasn't smart enough to get a scholarship anyway. Second, he thought college was boring.
Sitting in a classroom for years, listening to lectures he didn't care about, studying subjects he didn't enjoy, and stressing over exams just didn't sound like the kind of life he wanted.
Of course, he knew college wasn't a waste of time.
For people who truly wanted to pursue education and chase their passion, college was important. It could open doors, create opportunities, and build futures.
But James wasn't one of those people.
He didn't dream of becoming a doctor, engineer, or lawyer.
He dreamed of making videos. He dreamed of streaming.
He dreamed of sharing his life with the world and making people smile.
It seemed really fun.
Until it wasn't.
Reality had hit him slowly, like a quiet rain that turned into a storm without warning.
At first, he thought success would come naturally if he just kept trying. He bought a cheap secondhand phone, downloaded streaming apps, and started making content.
He streamed games, he walked around the city, he talked about random topics, he even tried cooking something without even practicing first on stream once and almost burned the kitchen.
He kept going.
Day after day.
Week after week.
Month after month.
Nobody watched.
Or rather… almost nobody.
He often walked around the city holding his phone and camera, trying to act natural while people stared at him.
It was embarrassing sometimes, especially when passersby looked at him with confusion or pity. Still, he kept talking, pretending there were thousands of viewers listening.
But in reality, there were barely ten.
Sometimes even less.
Most of them were bots.
A few were his close friends who dropped by occasionally just to say hello.
And that was it.
Just like tonight.
The night air was cool, carrying the sounds of river water and distant smell of street food stalls.
Yellow streetlights reflected on the dark surface of the river, creating long, trembling lines that danced slowly with the current.
The city was quieter than usual, with only a few motorcycles passing by and the occasional laughter of people walking in groups.
James walked along the riverside sidewalk. Holding his phone in front of him as the livestream continued.
His screen showed the viewer count clearly.
11 viewers.
No chat messages, donations, or reactions. Just silence.
He kept walking anyway, pretending everything was normal.
"So… yeah, today was pretty normal," he said, forcing a small smile while looking at the camera. "Nothing special happened. I just ate fried rice and walked around a bit."
Silence. No response.
The chat box remained empty like an abandoned room.
James continued walking for a few more steps before letting out a long sigh.
"Huh…"
He lowered the phone slightly and stared at the viewer count again.
Still eleven.
Still quiet…. And of course, still nothing.
He chuckled weakly, scratching the back of his head as he spoke in a softer voice.
"…Just another night without much progress."
The river flowed quietly beside him, as if it didn't care about his struggles at all.
For a moment, he stopped walking and leaned against the metal railing, looking at the dark water below.
The reflection of the streetlights shimmered gently and the calm atmosphere made the emptiness of the stream feel even more obvious.
He glanced at the camera again.
"Sometimes I wonder," he muttered, half-talking to himself, half-talking to the silent viewers, "maybe I should've gone to college after all. Maybe this is all not for me. I just became my family's disappointment, I guess. Heheh."
Still nothing.
No response.
He laughed quietly.
"Too late now, huh?"
A motorcycle passed behind him, its engine sound fading into the distance, leaving him alone with the quiet night and his eleven silent viewers.
James looked at the river again and sighed.
Isn't life supposed to be fun?
Why did this feel so exhausting instead?
He tightened his grip on the phone and straightened his posture, trying to regain some energy.
"Well, anyway," he said, forcing his usual streamer voice again, "let's keep walking. Maybe something interesting will happen tonight."
He stepped forward and continued along the riverside path.
And as if the world had been waiting for those exact words, the screen suddenly flickered.
The livestream lagged for a moment.
The lights around him blinked erratically.
James frowned.
"Uh… chat, is the stream lagging?"
The screen glitched again, and strange static appeared across the display.
The viewer count suddenly jumped.
11 -> 37 -> 89 -> 203
James blinked in confusion.
"Wait, what!?"
The phone vibrated in his hand.
The air around him suddenly felt heavier, like it had thickened.
The river water began to ripple strangely, even though there was no wind.
The streetlights flickered violently.
Then the entire world turned white.
James barely had time to react before a blinding light swallowed everything around him.
The ground disappeared beneath his feet.
The river vanished. The city vanished.
The night vanished.
And the last thing he heard was the faint sound of something unfamiliar.
…
The faint sound grew clearer in the middle of the white void like a broken radio slowly tuning into the right frequency.
At first it was nothing more than static and buzzing that scratched against his ears, but then it began forming something more structured, and strangely more… mechanical.
James felt his body floating, or maybe falling. He honestly couldn't tell. There was no ground or gravity, just endless white stretching in every direction.
"Hello?" he called out, his voice sounding strangely small in the empty space.
No answer. There was only that strange mechanical sound.
Then a sharp ding echoed inside his head.
Not outside. Inside!
Like a notification popping up directly in his brain.
James flinched and grabbed his head. "What the hell is going on?"
Another ding resounded.
And suddenly, glowing blue text appeared in front of him. Just floating in the air like a hologram.
[Initializing Connection…]
[Signal Stabilizing…]
[Observer Network Linked]
[Target Identified: James Carter]
James stared at the floating messages with wide eyes.
He thought: "I'm either dreaming, dead, or finally losing my mind."
The text continued.
[World Transfer Complete]
[Welcome to the World of Eryndor]
[Ancient Primal Realm Detected]
[Ancient Magical Entities Present around the area]
[Danger Level: Extremely High]
James blinked slowly.
"What?"
The words didn't disappear.
They just stayed there like they were completely normal.
He pointed at the floating notification with a trembling finger.
"Uh… excuse me… what do you mean world transfer?"
No response. The system continued anyway.
[Prime Stream System Activated]
[Host Selected: James Carter]
[Role Assigned: Live Observer of Eryndor]
[Primary Objective: Survive and Entertain]
[Secondary Objective: Expand Influence]
[System Integration in Progress…]
James' jaw slowly dropped.
A sharp pulse of light suddenly shot toward his chest.
Before he could react, the light slammed into him.
"AAAGH—!"
A burning sensation spread across his body, like thousands of tiny wires were connecting inside his nerves and muscles. It wasn't exactly painful but it was uncomfortable enough to make him feel like his entire body was being rewritten.
He fell to his knees in the white void, breathing heavily.
"What… is… happening…"
The notifications kept appearing.
[System Integrated Successfully]
[Viewer Interface Activated]
[Donation Channel Activated]
[Survival Support Mode Enabled]
[Prime Stream System Online]
[James Carter. You are now the Prime Stream Host of Eryndor. Your life is now broadcast across dimensions.]
[Entertain or perish]
James stared at the final sentence for a long time.
"…Entertain or perish?"
That sounded less like a welcome message and more like a threat.
Before he could question it further, the white void suddenly cracked like shattered glass.
Lines of light spread across the space, breaking it apart piece by piece.
The world collapsed.
Gravity returned instantly.
James felt his body falling again.
"AAAAAAA!!!"
The white space shattered completely.
And then…
THUD!
His feet landed on solid ground.
He stumbled forward and almost fell face-first into the dirt, barely managing to catch himself with his hands. The ground felt rough and uneven and covered with dry leaves and soil. The smell of wet earth immediately filled his nose.
James slowly lifted his head.
And froze.
He was standing in a jungle.
A massive jungle.
Ancient trees towered high into the sky. Their trunks were thick enough to make him feel like an ant.
Giant roots twisted across the ground, while vines hung everywhere. The air was humid, warm, and filled with the sounds of insects and distant animal calls that echoed through the dense forest.
Sunlight filtered through the enormous canopy above, creating scattered golden rays that touched the ground.
James slowly stood up, his legs shaking.
"This is not my city."
He turned around and only saw more jungle.
He looked left.
More jungle.
He looked right.
Still jungle.
No buildings, rivers, streetlights.
No people.
Just endless ancient forests stretching in every direction.
Suddenly a deep rumbling sound echoed somewhere far away. The ground trembled slightly.
James turned with wide eyes. "What was that?"
Another louder rumble followed, like something massive was moving through the forest.
The leaves shook. Birds suddenly flew out of the trees in panic.
Then came a heavy, slow, thunderous footstep.
BOOM.
James swallowed slowly.
"…Okay…"
Another step.
BOOM.
"…This is fine."
Another step.
BOOM.
"…This is definitely not fine!"
He slowly turned toward the direction of the sound, his heart beating faster with each second.
And that was when he noticed something else. There was a small screen in his left-hand vision, showing him that the livestream was still running.
He could see the viewer count there, increasing.
203 -> 421 -> 782
James stared at it in disbelief.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
The chat suddenly appeared.
WHERE ARE WE
What the fuck? Is this a movie set?
Why is he suddenly in a jungle? And why is it a sudden day already?
DON'T YOU HEAR THE RUMBLING SOUND? RUN RUN RUN RUN!
James slowly looked back toward the forest.
The ground shook again. Branches snapped loudly. And from behind the massive trees, a gigantic shadow began to move.
James' voice trembled.
"…Chat…" He was not sure if he could still call them that. But right now, his frantic mind couldn't think of better things.
The shadow grew larger.
"…Tell me…"
The trees parted slightly.
"…that this is still Earth."
A massive reptilian head slowly emerged from the jungle, covered in rough scales and ancient scars, its golden eyes glowing under the sunlight as it stared directly at him.
The creature let out a deep, earth-shaking roar.
ROOOOOOAAARRRRR
James' face went completely pale.
"Chat…"
He slowly turned and started running.
"We are in big trouble. That is a fucking T-Rex!"
—