NOVEL WEB Chapter 27
Uh…
– Are you conscious?
– Streamer, are you awake?
– Nose so funny, lol!
– Wake up, streamer?
– Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!
– Hi.
– The streamer is finally awake, lol!
The Kurtala Mountains were not home to just the dead saintess Shia.
As a massive dungeon covering an area comparable to a major city, the Kurtala Mountains had hunters staying throughout for their respective purposes. Among them was A-grade hunter streamer Cheon Ah-Young, known as a “big company” hunter streamer.
Cheon Ah-Young wasn’t particularly talented or gifted with inherent awakening abilities compared to other A-grade hunter streamers. However, she was a hardworking hunter who fought her way up from F grade to A grade through sheer effort, with a consistent broadcasting career spanning 12 years since earning her F-grade hunter badge.
“Oh, I could die from sleepiness. Don’t camp out, everyone. Do it at home.”
Currently, the well-established A-grade hunter streamer Cheon Ah-Young was running a content titled “A Week in the Dungeon.”
This was not solely her solo effort. Nicknamed “big companies,” streamers with a minimum of tens of thousands of average viewers would broadcast under a specific theme and purpose, reminiscent of the hit entertainment show “Happy Saturday’s ‘2 Nights 3 Days'” that was popular in the past.
Each episode had different content and main themes.
In some episodes, all the streamers would gather together to conquer a gate dungeon while camping. There were also episodes where only a couple of streamers out of the group would suffer dreadful challenges due to ridiculous fate penalties during their 2 Nights 3 Days.
The “A Week in the Dungeon” content, which started a year ago, initially attracted only the original streamer’s fans. However, as editing skills and content quality improved over time, it gained popularity among ordinary viewers.
Thanks to that, the average viewers reached hundreds of thousands.
Moreover, since it was a live broadcast, viewers could experience the real-time struggles of an A-grade hunter surviving in the dungeon, receiving rave reviews from fans.
And thus, A-grade hunter, known as “Shield Protector,” Cheon Ah-Young was currently shooting her solo “A Week in the Dungeon” content.
Ordinarily, she would have a party, but due to a stroke of bad luck in a game of chance held a week ago, Cheon Ah-Young found herself solely responsible for managing her food and shelter in the dungeon.
Without any supplies or backup, of course.
‘Ah, honestly, those guys seemed like they planned it before coming out…’
But saying no would be too difficult as there were a lot of viewers.
It had been a precious content running for a year now.
With the pride of an A-grade hunter, she had to endure even blatant manipulation.
Indeed, the viewers’ reactions were quite positive.
An attractive female A-grade hunter surviving alone for 2 Nights 3 Days in a dungeon would be inherently fascinating.
‘Ugh, I’m hungry… really hungry…’
The real problem was that she was genuinely starving.
Hunters expend a lot of energy.
Of course, their physical abilities are significantly superior to ordinary people, allowing them to endure without food and water longer than regular folks.
However, feeling hunger is a different story.
No matter how much one stuffed themselves in the morning, by evening, they’d still hear their stomach grumbling.
The phrase “the strength of food” isn’t just a joke among hunters.
In fact, a university study indicated that hunters who eat and sleep well under the same conditions experience a dramatic increase in stats and condition, which ultimately leads to rank advancement.
Anyhow, right now, Cheon Ah-Young was extremely hungry.
While she wouldn’t collapse from hunger, fasting was painfully tormenting.
“Ugh… I’m so hungry, everyone…”
[‘Cheon Ah-Young’s Hand Towel’ donated 30,000 won!]
– Use this to order chicken.
“Dammit… how am I supposed to order chicken in a dungeon?!”
– LOLOL
– Just for looking at it, lol.
– So you’re not grateful?
– Oh come on, streamer, have you lost your original aspiration?
“Well, I’m grateful, but…”
[‘Chicken House Destruction’ donated 100,000 won!]
– Be more thankful!
“Thank you, Chicken House Destruction! Thanks to you, I’m feeling really… not that much, but anyway, thank you.”
– LOL the hungry one is the real issue!
– LOLOLOL
Cheon Ah-Young had only been awake for less than 3 minutes, but as a seasoned 12-year streamer, she had the skill to guide the broadcast wonderfully, even in a groggy state.
“Ha, first things first, I’m starving, so let’s hunt something.”
The A-grade erosion dungeon, the Kurtala Mountains, was ruled by wyverns, but various plants and animals serving as the ecosystem’s foundation existed within.
Among these were certainly consumable creatures for humans, but the A-grade hunter Cheon Ah-Young, accustomed to modern civilization, hadn’t eaten anything but a small F-grade monster that resembled a bunny on the first day of her stay.
And today, too, she hadn’t succeeded in hunting even a single beast.
What was going on? Why was she not seeing a single creature?
“Ugh… why am I so hungry? Why don’t I see anything? It wasn’t like this last time I came…”
– Seems like it’s during the wyvern breeding season, so everything’s fled.
– For real, lol.
– Horrible luck, LOL.
“Ah, right, it’s breeding season for the lizards… Ah, this is bad. I was hoping to steal a wyvern egg out of desperation if I got really hungry, but if one of those eggs goes missing, all the wyverns will come after me, ugh…”
– An egg is worth 30 million won; you’d steal it?
– What a luxury, lol.
“I guess you don’t know how bad a hunter can be when they’re hungry. This has been published in papers…”
– Ah, yes, yes.
– Sure~.
– Just say you’re hungry, lol.
– It’s not a paper, it’s a thesis, lol.
– LOLOLOL
– You eat like crazy normally anyway.
“No, do you know how bad the consumption rate of an A-grade hunter is? If I eat five servings for breakfast, I have to eat five servings for dinner!”
– Streamer’s shocking confession. I eat ten servings a day…
– Zoom Zoom? Are you secretly 90kg?!
“Hey! Do I look like I weigh 90kg?! At most, I weigh about 50kg!”
– ?
– ??
– What?
– Huh?
– Where’s your conscience?
– LOLOLOL
– Your breasts are so small it might feel light, lol.
– LOLOLOL
– A cliff, lol.
– If the maternal pouch is small, it’s justified.
“Hey! Where do you live!!!”
– Streamer is mad, lol.
– LOLOLOL
– Aww, too bad…
– A small maternal pouch means a small heart, the theory is correct.
In truth, Cheon Ah-Young wasn’t really that angry, but to keep the viewers amused, she needed to keep her tension up with some back and forth banter.
However, beyond her comedic engagements with the viewers, she was genuinely very hungry.
There would eventually be a limit to how long she could joke with the viewers.
After all, the main purpose of viewers watching the hunter broadcast was to see the hunters using their flashy skills and abilities to hunt monsters. Only when there were decent monsters to hunt could Cheon Ah-Young fill her growling stomach and generate actual broadcast content.
If she continued loitering around without encountering any targets, the fun of the show would eventually plummet.
‘Still, if I provoke the wyverns, it would be disastrous. Breeding wyverns scream, summoning all kin if they sense an attack…’
Even beasts and monsters at the bottom of the food chain were probably hiding somewhere during the wyvern’s breeding cycle, making them hard to find.
“Hmm?”
As she wandered aimlessly in search of prey, Cheon Ah-Young tilted her head at a shadow cast over her from above.
“What? Wyverns…?”
– Holy shit, oh no!
– What’s going on?
– Looks like someone touched a wyvern!
As a horde of wyverns flew overhead, Cheon Ah-Young instinctively deployed her protectors around her.
‘If the wyverns swarm me, I can maintain a defensive stance and safely escape outside the gate, but…’
Fortunately, the wyverns were not coming for her.
As expected, Cheon Ah-Young had been aware that it was the breeding season for the wyverns and had been careful not to provoke them while broadcasting from the dungeon so far.
“Suddenly, the wyverns are all flying like that, which usually means… someone must have stolen their eggs…”
– Isn’t that dangerous?
– Looks like a newbie hunter might have touched their breeding grounds.
“…..”
Cheon Ah-Young’s mind raced.
If it was someone from the same industry who provoked the wyverns, she had to rush to help.
Her ability was the protector.
With a translucent energy shield, she could block and nullify attacks to protect allies.
However, this ability had developed a lot when she reached A-grade. Initially focused on blocking attacks, her protectors now had evolved to strike monsters, trap them, or even block air.
Currently, she had reached a level of integration of offense and defense, recognized for her versatility and power among A-grade hunters.
Having a mindset to help someone in need was fundamental for her.
‘Yeah, I have to go.’
With thoughts resolved, Cheon Ah-Young decided to head in the direction the wyverns were going, knowing her broadcast content was also dwindling.
“Just in case, I’m going toward where the wyverns are flying. I don’t know what might happen during breeding season, but if there’s a person involved, I have to save them.”
– Wow, are we gonna fight?
– Fight, fight, fight!
– Can we even manage with so many wyverns?
– A defensive stance should be fine for the streamer.
– Even if dozens of wyverns come, those protectors won’t be broken by her!
– For real, lol.
Cheon Ah-Young, having asked for the viewers’ understanding, had her protectors out and began to assess the situation.
From this moment on, she decided to act not as a hunter streamer but as a real pro A-grade hunter.
Sounds, smells, and surroundings could all be potential threats, so she couldn’t afford to be relaxed.
If it was a “human hunter” that provoked the wyverns, it would be a relief. Collaborating with that hunter could generate more broadcast footage, and they could escape the dungeon together.
However, if something that counted as the wyvern’s “natural enemy” appeared, it would be a real emergency.
Kiaaak!
“I hear something.”
As the monstrous cries of the wyverns echoed from a distance, Cheon Ah-Young slowed her pace and began to remain vigilant.
Crack!
Flap!
Snap!
From afar, there came the sounds of something being crushed, but due to the distance, she couldn’t grasp what was happening.
Having abilities related to deploying protective shields, Cheon Ah-Young had no means to enhance her vision.
The dense forest and trees also limited her line of sight significantly, which forced Cheon Ah-Young to cautiously advance towards the source of the chaos.
Then suddenly, she caught a bizarre smell.
“…Sniff sniff… what’s that smell?”
If there’s a strange odor in a dungeon, it usually meant she had to raise her level of wariness.
There could be poisonous gas, unknown vapors, or even hallucinogenic substances at play.
However, this odor… was one that Cheon Ah-Young recognized all too well.
“Why does it smell familiar, almost like home???”
It was the smell of soy sauce.
Very rich, and oddly sweet-smelling soy sauce.
Having not eaten for three days, the scent of the soy sauce felt tantalizingly inviting.
As she followed the aroma, she stumbled upon a small campfire with pots boiling, and she was led here by the enticing scent of soy sauce.
Two pots… two pots… why on earth were there pots here?
This wasn’t a normal forest or mountain. This was A-grade erosion dungeon, Kurtala Mountains.
No ordinary person, not even B-grade hunters could approach this place, as only those like Cheon Ah-Young, who had been granted A-grade hunter status, could obtain entry permission from the association.
And here, suddenly, a giant pot was boiling something over an open flame, while next to it, soy sauce —that smelled like her hometown— was bubbling away. Cheon Ah-Young struggled to comprehend what she was witnessing.
‘What’s going on? Did other streamers or staff set up a surprise party for me? No, but all my companions are B-grade, they wouldn’t even get approved to enter the dungeon!’
Thud.
“Eh? The wyverns are running away?”
While Cheon Ah-Young was lost in thought about the soy sauce aroma, she noticed the wyverns screeching and fleeing something.
However, while it was intriguing to see the wyverns flee, the real concern was why that soy sauce was bubbling.
“…..I need to check it out.”
Bubble, bubble.
The seasoning sauce was still closed off with a transparent pot lid, but it was obvious that they were boiling something akin to the soy sauce typically used in soy sauce braised dishes or soy sauce crab dishes.
And in the other large pot… what was cooking…?
“Egg?”
As she opened the lid, Cheon Ah-Young was greeted by the smooth, sturdy surface of an egg.
“This… is it a wyvern egg?”
Cheon Ah-Young manipulated her drone camera nearby and opened the chat window.
– LOLOLOL
– Why the hell is there soy sauce and pots here?
– What is that… what is it?
– LOLOLOL
– Salivation!
– There’s someone cooking in the dungeon?!
– Isn’t this from the streamer?
“No, it’s not like that! I seriously didn’t do this; I just followed the soy sauce scent here!”
[‘AmaneKoko’ donated 40,000 won!]
– If you steal an egg, I’ll donate an extra 100,000 won.
“Come on! No way! No matter what, it was someone else’s!”
– LOLOL
– LOLOL
– Is there a person doing something here?
– They seem to be actively cooking the soy sauce judging by that sauce, right?
– Soy sauce braised wyvern egg?
– Are you seriously braising an egg worth 30 million won???
Oh please.
To braise an egg worth 30 million won like that?
Cheon Ah-Young chuckled at the ridiculous idea proposed in the viewers’ chat.
No way could someone that out of their mind exist…
“Let’s see what this is, anyway.”
Inspecting closer since it was hard to see well in the pot, she used her protective energy to raise the egg to examine it closely.
The egg was immaculately clean.
The boiling water even had hints of salt in it.
Holding the egg roughly the size of her own head, Cheon Ah-Young came to the conclusion that it was indeed a wyvern egg.
“This is a wyvern egg. Moreover, judging by the size, it’s… a first ovum.”
– What’s that, you nerd?
– It’s the first egg laid by a female wyvern… it’s precious.
– Oh, really?
– No, seriously, what’s that?
“The first egg means the female wyvern lays it for the first time, and throughout its lifetime, it continues to breed every cycle, but the first egg carries the most abundant amount of nutrients and mana. So, when other wyvern eggs are 30 million won… this could be worth around 100 million or more. I’ve genuinely never seen one myself.”
– ???
– 100 million?
– What kind of madness is this?
– But that 100 million is being cooked, and over there, soy sauce is boiling?
– Soy sauce braised wyvern egg, OMG!
– I’m salivating!
– They say wyvern meat supposedly tastes like chicken!
– If that’s the case, it should probably be tasty.
– Supposedly…
Cheon Ah-Young, as well as the viewers, began to watch the cooking process as it unfolded.
“Wow, it’s happening in there….”
– Look, they even added wyvern meat!
– Braised egg is absolutely possible.
– Braised egg worth over 100 million, lol.
– It should have some good flavor, right, lol.
– They say wyvern meat tastes like chicken.
– If that’s the case, probably could be good.
“Probably could be good….”
As time went on, not just Cheon Ah-Young but also her viewers began to focus on what the woman with the silver hair was preparing.
“Hey, do you know who she is?”
– ??
– ‘Hunters Isia’ started broadcasting today, she’s a top-tier wild card.
– There’s a broadcast?
– What level?
– I don’t know, but judging from being in the same dungeon as our streamer, at least A-grade, right?
– But I don’t get it, people tell me she doesn’t even realize she’s broadcasting, haha!
– Looks like a publicity stunt, lol.
– Who knows…
However, regardless of the viewers chattering away, Isia remained uninterested.
Her focus was entirely consumed by the task of preparing this wyvern-braised egg.
“Peeling off the wyvern skin…”
“Ah, you know inside the wyvern’s shell is a white membrane? If you’re eating it, you may have to… peel the shell and crack it…”
“….I know.”
After removing the wyvern egg from the pot, Isia carefully used her tentacles to create spikes.
The shell of a wyvern egg possessed a hardness four times that of an ostrich’s egg. However, on the flip side, puncturing it with a nail or knife would easily lead to it breaking.
Crunch!
“Wow…”
“Done!”
As a puncture was created right at the center of the shell, pressure from Isia’s hand easily broke the shell.
But as Cheon Ah-Young explained, that was not the end.
She had to peel away the membrane protecting the egg inside.
With incredible concentration, Isia lifted the egg and slowly instructed her tentacles to remove the delicate membrane, being extremely careful.
The membrane was very fragile and soft, and handling it carelessly could break the precious wyvern egg’s white part, so Isia proceeded with her work in an acute state of awareness.
The entire process resembled a documentary showcasing a craftsman delicately crafting pottery, leading Cheon Ah-Young to intently fixate on the curious scene.
“Success…!”
“Wow, congratulations!”
As the boiled wyvern egg presented its pristine appearance to the eye, a look of joy flourished across Isia’s face, previously expressionless.
Boiling the wyvern egg. Success!