Noa felt like he was in a digital world.
According to his senses, he was just wearing futuristic VR glasses, blending fiction with reality in near-perfection.
But his mind was lucid, and he knew the world before him was real. Well… almost.
He was still standing on the bridge between these two dimensions, and to cross the path, he had to start the stream and go live.
Thankfully, it wasn't Noa's first time dealing with this darkness.
So with that experience, he even knew how to handle the interfaces and what to do next.
First things first, Noa looked at the empty chat. No one messaged him because no one was there. The viewer count showed zero as well, waiting for him to announce the start of the stream.
"Let's begin," Noa said finally.
The system arranged everything, and his blurred environment shifted.
With that, the darkness dimmed quickly, and Noa found himself standing on a familiar path in the village.
It was the exact place he had ended the stream last time.
Noa even recognized the corner where the villagers surrounded him. Luckily for him, time passed, and the farmers no longer seemed to be searching for him.
But who knew, they might recognize him in an instant.
And if that happened, Noa knew he would be doomed.
However, before Noa could even take a single step, his vision was flooded with countless system notifications, announcing the subscribers he had received, though he'd never had the chance to see them.
[Viewer_3 has subscribed! Revealing username: Need2Pee]
[Viewer_4 has subscribed! Revealing username: Hecar]
[Viewer_6 has subscribed! Revealing username: xx_miki_xx]
[Viewer_10 has subscribed! Revealing username: F00l]
[Viewer_11 has subscribed! Revealing username: WildGuy3]
Subscribers who joined right after Noa ended the stream now flashed in simultaneously, causing dizziness as his eyes had to adjust to sudden bright colors.
The notifications weren't done. Not yet.
Noa had to see the recent one he got upon completing the newest quest.
[Quest Completed]
[Requirement: Start your first official stream before midnight]
[Reward: The system function that shows how many subs you need for level up]
Seeing this, Noa instantly summoned his status window, eager to look at his even more gamified situation.
[Name: Noa Osbron (OvertimeOrc)]
[Title: Dimensional Streamer]
[Level: 2]
[Sub Progress: 5/25]
[HP: 95%]
It was just as he had expected. Sleek. Simple. And catchy.
Looking at his status, something clicked in his brain, activating neurons that made him happy. 'Me see numbers, me happy.'
Unfortunately, Noa's joy was short-lived.
He didn't even get the chance to breathe in peace as the chat exploded, welcoming him.
TomatoSlayer: Look who is back! Are you going to mess with those villagers again? Or do you have something even funnier planned?
Need2Pee: He is just standing there.
Viewer_5: I am getting déjà vu. We have definitely experienced this before.
Hecar: Let's just wait and see. He will move. Trust!
gothlover: Tsk. I was late, huh? Man couldn't even take a piss in peace. But let's see what we have got here.
Though the chat didn't have plans of stopping, Noa wasn't too bothered because of it.
His vision wasn't obscured.
Seeing the beautiful world before him was still possible, allowing him to relax for a moment. But knowing that he had to move and be entertaining, Noa didn't dwell for long.
"Good evening, losers," he announced, giving a mocking bow.
Even his voice sounded sarcastic, and as his eyes swept over the street, Noa realized one thing. 'I don't have plans.'
He didn't know what to do.
If it were other streamers, they would have planned something. They would consider possibilities, learn more about their surroundings, and then act.
But in his case, Noa couldn't really prepare anything.
For one, he had spent an entire day shopping with Hana, leaving his mind too occupied to come up with something.
Yet, even if he had time and thought about things to do in this unknown world, Noa doubted he could have devised a sound plan.
This dimension was full of mysteries.
He didn't even know if magic existed here. What if there were dragons, goblins, orcs, and… elves?
What could he do against them?
It wasn't like he could bring a sword from Earth. And even if he did, he would still be useless with no prior knowledge and experience.
Despite that, there was one thing Noa could do.
A simple idea emerged in his mind, telling him the direction his content should take.
"Now, we are going to meet the villagers again. But this time, we are going to speak with them and learn more about this world."
With a language proficiency ability already in his pocket, Noa wanted to use this opportunity.
Thankfully, the chat didn't seem to mind.
On the contrary, they continued spamming GIFs, pictures, and memes with Noa's face in them. They also spammed short sentences, mainly agreeing with his decision.
WildGuy3: Do it! Do it!
xx_miki_xx: I have a feeling they are going to kick his ass again.
…..
Viewer_1: We have said it countless times before, but this game looks fantastic. I might actually donate just to know what it's called.
gothlover: Shut your cheap, broke-ass mouth. We know you aren't donating a penny.
The chat was split into different groups as always. Yes, they interacted with themselves, but their distinctive personalities birthed different interests.
Still, Noa continued moving through the street.
The road remained unchanged. It was dusty, rough, and uneven, with small rocks scattered across it.
Stray animals that looked like chickens and dogs walked around aimlessly. Further ahead, a green field of different veggies could be seen.
Noa tried to avoid every single one of them.
He planned to locate an old, weak woman and speak with her.
Someone harmless.
Someone who wouldn't suddenly try to kill him.
"Chat, listen, our plan is simple," Noa said and lowered his voice. "We need to find Granny and ask her about this world. Only then can we go and do some dumb shit."
xx_miki_xx: I bet he is going to get cursed by an old witch.
Ignoring the stupid comment, Noa's eyes searched for a suitable target. Finally, after spending three minutes looking around like a lost kid, he spotted her.