Hana was no less excited than Noa to experience what this new gaming setup could do.
So she straightened her back and watched Noa shake the mouse frantically. He acted as if he were in a hurry.
Still, the PC had almost everything it needed.
The most important apps, such as Steam, Discord, and Wallpaper Engine, were already downloaded.
All he needed to do was log in and purchase the games.
Because Aleksandr "helped" him, he didn’t have to spend $11,000, which left him with enough money to buy everything he might want in the store.
The fact that he got even better gear was also a bonus.
From the moment Noa booted up the first game, hours passed in a blur.
Be it platformers or co-op adventures, they had them shouting at each other for every mistake in both joy and frustration.
Hana was a little prodigy.
The way she adapted to the new games and learned their controls was no slower than his. She could even beat him in fighting games. Not always, but it was enough for Noa to struggle against her.
Only when the sun began to fade did their laughter die down.
Like a good student, Hana stretched suddenly, grabbed her schoolbag, and announced in a serious tone, "I should start doing homework."
Noa leaned back, watching her go.
The glow from the monitors dimmed as he was lost in his thoughts.
He turned towards the window and saw the narrow streets lined with worn-down buildings. Everything around him made him feel small.
Strangely, he didn’t like that.
The tiny apartment where even the internet connection flickered from time to time. How old everything looked. How there was no room for him to move or give Hana a more comfortable life in her home.
Rubbing his chin, he realized again that this place wasn’t good enough anymore.
What was the point of having this amazing gaming equipment and nice clothes if, at the end of the day, neither of the siblings had their own room?
That’s why he wanted something better even more urgently now.
A safer neighborhood, a bigger house, faster internet, and perhaps a nice garden for the siblings to grow some plants.
’Should I start a side business?’ he thought.
However, he had no experience in this department.
The money he had would barely cover any expenses, and he might even lose it all.
If the system taught him a thing or two, like it happens in urban stories, he could actually achieve something. But he was a streamer after all.
And honestly, he didn’t really want to do anything else.
Streaming felt exhilarating. It was a simple dopamine rush to his brain, and he knew he was getting addicted to it.
So, every thought of doing something else evaporated instantly.
He had worked for others enough and had no intention of doing it ever again.
But a spark of ambition was still inside him, feeding his hungry soul to achieve more, and luckily, he had the means to achieve it.
Before Hana was done with her homework, Noa searched for something healthy for them to eat.
Candies, cookies, burgers, or chips were good for special occasions.
However, he couldn’t just allow Hana to eat them every day.
Thankfully, there were plenty of healthier alternatives on the app, and he ordered two big portions of salad with chicken breasts.
The moment the food arrived, Hana happily pushed the books aside.
"You actually ordered grass," she teased but didn’t complain. Then, without another word, she dug in with a playful smile on her face.
Her appetite had somehow grown even bigger.
"I am going to make fun of you when you get fat," Noa promised. "I think we should have a better diet because having a fat sister isn’t really my thing."
Hearing this, Hana snorted in disdain. "Don’t worry. I am young and healthy. My metabolism can handle this much."
She looked smug when she said that.
Noa couldn’t help but imagine her with chubbier cheeks and laughed.
Hana noticed his reaction, her cheeks puffing in anger.
Once they were done eating, she finished the last bit of homework, brushed her teeth, and yawned. "I am sleepy."
"Good night, sleepyhead."
Hana eyed him for a moment and shook her head. "Don’t stay up late."
"I will try," Noa replied, his heart beating faster with excitement.
And as soon as Hana went to sleep, he asked the system to transform him into another dimension.
The system obeyed his command instantly.
A split second later, Noa was connected to a streaming world in complete darkness. His surroundings had distorted, revealing streaming interfaces. "Start stream," he muttered in his head.
The glowing digital realm shifted before his eyes.
Hovering system panels, flickering lights, and stream overlays started to look even more real.
The stream began.
Meanwhile, Noa materialized in a forest, right where he had last stood before leaving the world.
Megatron was in his hands as well.
The tiny dragon had no idea what had happened.
He didn’t even know that Noa was gone for quite some time. He just watched the human with wide eyes and let out a small puff from his nostrils.
Noa laughed at his reaction.
The connection between them returned.
"It’s good to see you again, buddy," he said and looked at the flickering system panels before him.
[Current viewers: 10]
The number was low at first.
Yet it grew quickly, proving that viewers still wanted to watch his adventures.
Noa drew a sharp breath.
Seeing Megatron in good condition, confirming that everything wasn’t a dream one more time, and noticing the numbers roll in lifted a weight off his shoulders.
"Howdy, losers?"
He waved his hand and announced loudly.
"Let me see who is excited for our next stream and who is ready for a gacha pull?"
In an instant, the chat became livelier.
Viewer_1: I am unbeatable. No one can open the stream faster than I.
Need2Pee: Let’s GOOOO