Streaming of a Reincarnated Genius

Chapter 9.

The End of Childhood (1) – Sword & Sorcery

Hyunseong had many reasons for choosing Sword & Sorcery as his second game.

But among them, there was one reason he couldn’t share with the viewers.

‘Edward Cain.’

A knight with a strangely familiar name.

That was the biggest reason.

By now, there was no doubt left—Edward’s memories were not just simple dreams. If they were, how could they affect his real-life performance? At times, it even felt like another personality was taking control of his body.

He still wasn’t sure what exactly was happening.

“Is this some kind of past life experience?”

That was the best guess he could make for now.

Either way, the important thing was that he knew what to expect.

First, the sword.

Then, the battlefield.

And finally, the very mindset of a knight.

Edward always emerged through these elements.

That’s why Sword & Sorcery was the perfect choice. The protagonist of the game was the heir to a famous knight family—what better way to face this head-on?

“No point in running from it. If I’m going to use this, I might as well embrace it.”

— [Ohhh!]

— [Sword & Sorcery??]

— [Let’s gooo!]

— [This looks fun!]

Of course, Hyunseong also considered that the viewers would love it.

— [Host, have you played this before?]

Hyunseong pointed at the 30-minute playtime displayed on the screen and answered,

“I tried it out a little while preparing for the stream, but this is my first real playthrough. It’ll be fun discovering things as we go, so…”

— [That’s nothing.]

— [Okay okay.]

Hyunseong smiled secretly to himself.

“Discovering things one by one? Getting lost?”

There was nothing more unfitting for a regressor than that.

In this stream, he planned to show the viewers a gameplay they could never expect.

“Alright, before we start, let me give a quick explanation of the game. Sword & Sorcery is a medieval fantasy single-player open-world RPG. Its combat system is just as good as Knights of honour, and on top of that, the NPC AI is highly advanced…”

— [The story is great too!]

— [Yeah, the plot twists are insane.]

— [No spoilers, please!]

— [Mods, ban the spoilers!]

“That’s right! As you said, the story is amazing, so please avoid spoilers for those experiencing it for the first time.”

— [Of course, of course.]

— [Trust us~]

Hyunseong was relieved to see that no trolls were trying to ruin the stream. Finally, he pressed the Start Game button.

The screen faded to black—then slowly brightened.

As he woke up, he could feel the softness of the bed against his back.

The first thing he saw was a luxuriously decorated, unfamiliar room.

It looked exactly like the kind of noble’s chamber you’d find in a classic medieval fantasy.

And Hyunseong himself? He was now wearing elegant clothing that matched the surroundings.

“A-Ah. Oh? My voice… sounds different. Younger?”

— [Yeah, your character is a kid!]

— [I think the prologue starts at 15 years old?]

He stood up and walked toward the mirror beside the bed.

As expected, staring back at him was the face of a young Western noble boy.

At the same time, the first system message appeared before his eyes.

〈You are the sole heir of the prestigious knight family, the Count House of Prior.〉

〈Please enter your name.〉

〈von Prior〉

“Oh, so this is the main character I’ll be playing. He’s… annoyingly good-looking. Not that it’s a bad thing.”

— [LOL, yeah, not a bad thing at all.]

— [What will you name him?]

“I’ll just go with Mars. Mars von Prior. Sounds decent, right?”

— [o0]

— [Mars is pretty normal.]

— [Better than naming him Hoyangbo von Prior…]

— [Or… DeerRebel von Prior… almost said it~]

Some viewers were testing the limits, sneaking in joke names. Hyunseong muted them for an hour as a light warning.

After quickly finishing the character customization, Mars turned around—

Knock, knock.

“Young master, I’m coming in.”

A man stepped into the room.

He was a middle-aged knight wearing a navy uniform with light armor. His strict and disciplined aura was unmistakable.

〈Norton〉

“Are you ready? The Count is waiting for you.”

The moment he finished speaking, the screen turned gray.

The world froze.

A choice menu appeared.

〈Game Paused〉

〈Respond to Sir Norton.〉

1. I’m ready. Let’s go.

2. I need a little more time.

Both were simple, natural responses that wouldn’t break immersion or make the conversation feel awkward.

— [Pick option 1!]

— [Let’s speedrun this.]

“Just picking the given choices will get you an average run.”

But that wasn’t what Hyunseong had in mind. If he wanted to play the way he planned, he couldn’t just stick to preset options.

〈3. (Speak Directly)〉

— [O?]

— [???]

— [Did he just pick the free speech option?]

“This was the most interesting feature I heard about this game. You can say whatever you want, and the NPCs will react accordingly. Their responses change based on what you say.”

— [That’s… true, but…]

— [Dude, just pick the options.]

The chat was full of doubt.

Despite all its advanced AI promises, Sword & Sorcery’s “Speak Directly” feature had been heavily debated.

The problem?

The NPCs reacted way too realistically.

— [One wrong word and the mood gets super awkward lol.]

— [Are you sure about this, man?]

Even experienced role-players and hardcore streamers had struggled with it. Some even gave up.

“I totally failed my first time too.”

But for a regressor?

That was never a risk.

Hyunseong already knew exactly what to say in every situation—from the prologue to the ending.

“It’s all about confidence!”

— [Not convinced. Maybe in combat, but this…?]

— [Well, if it sucks, he can just stop lol.]

— [Just start already!]

With his regressor’s knowledge, Hyunseong made his choice.

Just as Hyunseong was about to start playing in a way no one else could…

〈Game Resumed〉

“!?”

As time began to flow again, Mars opened his mouth to speak—then froze.

His whole body tensed. He shut his mouth.

“Is something wrong, young master?”

— [I KNEW IT LOL]

— [Not so easy, huh?]

— [Classic small streamer moment haha]

But it wasn’t because of awkwardness.

This feeling…

A strange sensation ran through his body.

It was as if another person’s personality was wrapping around him.

“Edward Cain? Why now?”

There was no sword in his hand.

No armor on his body.

No battlefield, no blood, no war. Just a peaceful noble’s mansion.

Then why…?

“Is it because Norton is a knight?”

The exact reason was unclear—as always.

But one thought came to mind…

Maybe this could be useful.

“It’s nothing. Good morning, Sir Norton. I’m ready. Let’s go.”

It worked.

Mars’s voice sounded completely natural.

More natural than any streamer Hyunseong had ever watched.

For a moment, even he forgot he was acting.

“Oh dear. I forgot to greet you properly. My apologies, young master.”

“It’s fine. I overslept. Just don’t tell my father.”

“Of course, sir. You must have lost track of time while training at dawn.”

The middle-aged knight grinned and winked.

It was such a friendly gesture that the viewers couldn’t believe their eyes.

— [Wow.]

— [That was so smooth, I thought it was a cutscene.]

— [Wait, since when does Norton joke around like that??]

— [Why is the streamer actually good at acting?]

— [Dude’s having small talk with an NPC lol.]

Even Hyunseong hadn’t expected this.

He had just discovered an advantage that no one else could copy.

Though surprised, Mars quickly regained his composure and played it cool.

“Huh… I guess this actually works.”

And so, the prologue continued.

〈Main Quest: Meet with your father, Count Prior.〉

The meeting with the Count—the reason Norton had come—went smoothly.

Then, the tutorial began.

〈Main Quest: Patrol the mansion with Sir Norton〉

This was meant to introduce the world and family lore while teaching basic controls.

But it was also notoriously boring.

New players often quit here out of frustration.

— [Wait, was the prologue always this fun?]

— [The immersion is INSANE.]

— [Feels like watching a movie.]

— [Is this guy secretly an actor??]

But judging by the chat, that wasn’t a problem anymore.

“Salute! No issues on duty, sir!”

A guard at the front gate snapped to attention.

Mars smoothly returned a flawless noble’s salute.

Looking at that, even he had to admit—

Yeah, no wonder they were impressed.

“This part is usually boring no matter who plays it… but if it’s turning out this good? No complaints.”

Because at this moment, after meeting the front gate guard, the notorious tutorial section was finally over.

〈Quest Complete: Patrol the mansion with Sir Norton.〉

“The patrol should be enough for now. Let’s head back insi— huh?”

Norton had just turned to lead the way when his face suddenly darkened.

— Clip-clop, clip-clop!

From the distance, a carriage was approaching, its heavy hooves pounding against the ground.

— [Wait, we’re already here??]

— [First time I didn’t fall asleep during this part.]

— [Oh boy, it’s happening.]

— [The real fun starts now.]

“Is there something wrong with that carriage?”

“It bears the crest of Duke Richard… Your uncle.”

“He left the family a long time ago. I doubt you remember him.”

Mars shook his head.

On the outside, he acted as if he had no clue.

But inside?

“How could I not know? He’s the game’s main villain… and the final boss.”

Just as those thoughts passed through his mind, the carriage arrived.

The door opened, revealing a tall man stepping out.

He wore a long coat and a monocle, his cold features eerily similar to Mars’s father—

Except his presence was completely different.

A suffocating dark aura surrounded him.

〈Richard Prior〉

He walked toward Mars and Norton with a polite yet chilling smile.

“Sir Norton! It has been so long. How have you been?”

”…Duke Richard, have you been well?”

“Of course! How could I not be, when someone like you is concerned for me? But more importantly…who is this?”

The moment Richard’s monocle turned toward him—

A chill ran down Mars’s spine.

It was the kind of eerie atmosphere that made first-time players scream, like something straight out of a horror game.

‘Tsk, no matter how many times I play this, it’s still a masterpiece.’

Even the dullest players couldn’t ignore the feeling that something was very, very wrong.

But Mars stayed calm and played his role as the count’s son.

“Have you been well, Uncle?”

“Oh? You remember me?”

“Not clearly, since I was too young… But I’ve heard many stories.”

“Hah! No need for empty words. There’s no way my dear brother talked much about me— unless old age finally made him senile.”

Richard spoke lightly, but the air around him darkened.

If ruining the mood were a talent, then Richard was a born genius.

Even Norton and the gate guards stiffened at his words.

“If you’re here to see the Count, he’s in the main hall. It’s cold outside, please come in.”

“Thank you for the hospitality, Sir Norton. Thanks to you, even my twisted heart feels a little more at ease. Now! Lead the way.”

Norton hesitated but reluctantly turned toward the mansion.

Richard followed, his crow-like smile unsettling to watch.

Mars trailed after them.

— [Ugh, I wanna spoil so bad.]

— [Just spoil and get banned, easy.]

— [Then we wouldn’t get to see what happens next, you idiot.]

Richard’s arrival had players itching to spill spoilers.

But even if they said nothing, Mars already knew exactly what was coming.

Richard Prior.

The Count’s younger brother— a madman obsessed with dark magic.

He believed he was the true heir of the Prior family, and that his brother had stolen his rightful place.

Tonight…

He would massacre the entire Prior household, including the Count himself—

And then declare himself as the new ruler.

In the process, the player, the rightful heir, would lose everything— his family, his name, and his home.

He would be forced to flee with nothing.

Of course, Mars had no intention of letting things go that way.

And he knew exactly what to do to stop it.