NOVEL WEB Chapter 42
Three months had passed since Shia returned.
During that time, Shia streamed at all hours.
However, that “all hours” didn’t mean she was as diligent and regular as other streamers.
“Hey?”
– Oh, the streamer is here early.
– ㅎㅇㅎㅇ
– ㅎㅇ
– Is this the room of that damn Seongnyeo?
– Wow, I heard the rumors and came, and look at that Seongnyeok pouch, it’s so healthy!
– What? This isn’t a dungeon; it’s your home?
– That looks like a Returnee Shelter.
– Oh, it’s the streamer!
“So, I’m going out, which outfit do you think looks better?”
– Both.
– I don’t care….
– The left outfit looks like it’ll rip if you wear it.
– For real, lol.
“Is that so? Then I’ll go with the left.”
– No, I’m telling you it’ll rip!
– Have you thought about your bust size? lol
“But…. I don’t want to take your advice….”
– …?
– What?
– Then why the hell did you ask? lol
“Well, see ya.”
– Stream end –
– Huh?
– What’s up?
– Hey, what the hell is going on?
– Why did the stream end?
– What? I just got here, why’s it black?
– Ugh, I ordered chicken, dammit!
– Mom, it’s cold! Mom, it’s cold! Mom, it’s cold! Mom, it’s cold! Mom, it’s cold! Mom, it’s cold! Mom, it’s cold! Mom, it’s cold! Mom, it’s cold! Mom, it’s cold!
– Why aren’t you showing us what you eat!?
In this way, she frequently streamed for a moment and then cut it off within 10 minutes… or even 5 minutes.
Shia didn’t set a regular streaming schedule or make any promises.
There was no announcement of when she would stream, but whenever Shia did stream properly, the Hunter Gallery would be flooded with her nonsensical antics and the weird monster dishes she had made.
Given that, even as a so-called “hako” streamer, it became a matter of fact that a new S-grade Returnee was born, capturing the attention of many net runners and Susus in the genre’s Hunter Gallery.
However, there hadn’t been a proper cooking stream since her formal first broadcast where she made and ate Fried Centipede Dragon.
Once she did stream going to a Wyvern egg hatchery in the Kurtala Mountains to bring back a few eggs, but aside from that, she was just casually showing her mundane daily life, cutting off her streams after 5 or 10 minutes.
As a result, her viewers began to grow restless.
If she weren’t streaming at all, they wouldn’t expect anything.
Occasionally streaming 10 minutes of buying seasoning ingredients in the market would only heighten their anticipation for what weird dish she’d make, but the actual stream would just end up being a view of the market itself.
– What’s up that you don’t match prices like this?
– Mom, please, mom, please.
– Let’s make this one go over 10 minutes, please.
– No freaking way, what is this? lol
– If I give you more money, does the streaming time get longer?
– Agh, lol, just let me stream infinitely.
Some viewers filled with complaints even thought about punishing the streamer with money.
What is the aim of most streamers?
Money, donations, and support.
Just one donation from a crazy, dedicated malefactor with a red background can easily melt even the coldest, wounded streamer into a syrupy voice that flirts.
The great power of money could achieve that.
Some well-off Susus with nothing to do decided to show the damn Seongnyeo the bitter taste of capitalism by attempting to control her streaming time.
An ordinary hako streamer naturally would cherish even the smallest donations.
But what happened was surprising.
– What’s this? Why can’t I donate?
– Ugh, damn it!
– What the, the streamer didn’t even set up donations.
– You gotta be kidding me, lol.
– Hahahahahahaha!
– Wait, come to think of it, I haven’t seen the damn Seongnyeo get donations once?
– Yep, just blocking the donations, that’s all~
This damn Seongnyeo didn’t have even the donation settings set up for her stream, making it impossible for the wealthy Susus to punish her with money.
Despite being certified by the Hunter Association and having taken down the Centipede Dragon in an instant, did she never imagine she would block donations? The once bright chat turned dark as they lost their streamer.
After a while, the streamer finally turned on a stream lasting over 10 minutes.
– Please, please, please, please, please!
– This time, don’t cut it off at 10 minutes, please.
– You damn girl, are you a streamer after doing that?
– Shut up, if you make the streamer feel bad and she cuts it off, what are you gonna do?
– Noona, noona, noona, noona, noona, noona, noona, noona!
– Hehe, I’m a baby Susu. Noona, mama?
– Please, do a proper stream this time.
– Gonna go out for lunch.
Shia was sitting in an area of reeds taller than a person, waving in the wind.
Though it looked like a dungeon, since Shia hadn’t mentioned which dungeon she was in yet, the viewers had no idea where she was.
The most likely guess was the Suwol Plains, but there were numerous dungeons with plains and reed fields.
“I missed you?”
– Yeeeeeeees!
– Oooooooooh.
– Seriously? You only stream 5 minutes a day and cut it off, how could you miss us? Damn!
– Shut up, you jerk!
– Don’t pay attention to that idiot; streamer, please ignore him.
“Hehe, I missed you all, too.”
– Oh…………..
In a brief moment, the chat seemed to freeze.
It’s true that Shia gained popularity due to being an S-grade Returnee, but her appearance was captivating enough to outperform most celebrities, and she possessed a charming Seongnyeok pouch.
When Shia delivered such lines with a bright smile, even the simple Susus melted; it seemed they had forgiven the malicious streamer who just streamed for 5 minutes a day.
– You think we’d fall for you trying to coast on looks? Yep, we’re just piglets, easily caught, oink.
– Oink oink, oink.
– Bwaah! Bwaah! Oats!
– She’s worse off, luring the Susus with her looks.
– Wow, her looks are ridiculously precious.
– ㅗㅜㅑㅗㅜㅑ
– My girlfriend’s voice is so sweet.
– Starting now, the damn Seongnyeo is my girlfriend, and any attack on her is an attack on me.
– Stop joking around for real.
– What crime has the streamer committed? lol
However, Shia gazed warmly at the chat, clearly loving the viewers’ responses.
In reality, she was genuinely happy.
While it might have been torture for viewers to watch her stream for just five minutes a day, her original plan was to hold a real stream exactly one week after taking down the Centipede Dragon.
However, during that time, she felt lonely. Eating alone sometimes made her zone out, which is why she turned on her stream.
Even five minutes together made her feel connected.
‘Was I always this lonely…?’
If she had been alone from the start, she wouldn’t have known, but Shia had formed many bonds.
In the previous world, there was Menelapie and Teresa, along with many prominent members of the empire.
Since returning, she had met Yeonseo and Yeonhwa.
But you can’t always be around them.
Even though Yeonseo retired as an S-grade Hunter, she was still busy, and Yeonhwa was honing her skills to advance to S-grade.
It felt too wrong to reach out just because she was lonely.
Anyway, today would be her second official stream.
With a bright smile, Shia looked at the drone camera.
Beside the drone camera, the hologram chat rooms began to rise like flames, finally making her feel she wasn’t alone.
“So, what should we eat today?”
– You should decide!
– For real, lol.
– If we decide, are you going to eat it?
“Eh? No, I won’t.”
– Then why did you ask? lol
– Hahahaha.
– And hey, set up the donation settings, damn girl!
– Ma, I will.
– Hurry up!
“Donations?”
– ?
– ??
– ??
– What’s with the reaction?
“It had to be set up separately?”
– Are you seriously asking if you need to learn how to breathe through your nose from us?
– Hahahahahaha!
– That was a truth bomb!
Shia tilted her head as if she didn’t really know, which caused the viewers to feel a mix of frustration and amusement.
Whether this was just her concept or if she really didn’t know, who knew?
“Don’t see me as such an idiot, okay? I’ve sent donations while watching other Hunter streams.”
– Someone like that wouldn’t know how to set up donations?
“…. I just forgot.”
– Hahahahaha.
– Pusshung Pasung? There’s a streamer who forgot to set up donations?!
Feeling the audience’s discontent, Shia finally began manipulating the broadcast settings through the hologram broadcast, looking nervous.
Could I do this? Setting up the broadcast was already incredibly frustrating, and these days, the hologram touch sensitivity seemed too high, so things I didn’t intend to press would trigger by mistake.
This really needed fixing.
The touch should react only to fingers. How could it still apply settings if I accidentally touched the hologram with my chest?
Surely, even the broadcast from the Kurtala Mountains wasn’t intended for that.
[‘KawaiiHorned’ donated 100,000 won!]
The first donation is mine.
[‘ChickenHouseFail’ donated 10,000 won!]
The first donation is mine!
[‘ChickenHouseFail’ donated 1,000 won!]
Agh, I’m late!
– Hahahahahaha!
– The virgin donation has been stolen! lol!
– Oh, I can do this…
– What can you do, idiot?
[‘YuksuMaker’ donated 30,000 won!]
“Uh…? Is it really okay to donate that much?”
As soon as donations opened, without her saying anything, viewers began sending donations with various messages.
[‘KawaiiHorned’ donated 30,000 won!]
I happened to start watching the first broadcast in the Kurtala Mountains. I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m one of the first viewers of the damn Seongnyeo’s broadcast. Your skills are amazing, and you’re beautiful, so I became a fan right away. Please stream for a long time.
“The Kurtala Mountains stream… haha, that was an accident. I think I mistakenly pressed something because I wasn’t good at controlling the drone camera. I think it went live because the hologram was pressed against my chest.”
– ?
– A breast stream?
– Is this… the Seongnyeok pouch stream…?
– The breasts guided the broadcast (not).
[‘KillHanzo’ donated 5,000 won!]
Hey, streamer, hi, hi! Buy a soda with this.
“Um… I don’t wanna… one soda isn’t enough…”
– Hahahahahaha!
– She said she doesn’t wanna get it! Hahahaha!
– Seriously, she’s sounding genuinely troubled! Hahahaha!
“Um, so, I know it might sound weird to say this suddenly, but… thanks.”
– ?
– For what?
– For the donation, one donation could tame a streamer, right? lol.
“It’s not just about the donations; I want to express my gratitude to all of you who came to watch my not-so-great streams.”
Shia kneeled by the campfire, resting her face on her knees as she looked up at the drone camera.
To her, it felt as if she was making eye contact with the viewers watching her stream.
“It’s not some grand announcement… I’m really thankful to everyone who showed up here, including those who donated. Even if my friends told me that there are bad net runners on Switch, I really appreciate all of you, including those bad net runners, the unemployed, and everyone else who spent their time on Switch to come and watch me.”
– …Why are my eyes tearing up..?
– Damn, stop the emotional overload.
– Is this gratitude or a bombarding deal?
– Aahhh, it’s too much!
– Ahhh, please, stop!
– At this rate, I’ll cry too!
From the viewers’ perspective, it was uncertain whether Shia was delivering an emotional flood or was genuinely grateful, but she was sincere.
Grrr…
‘Hmm, I am a bit hungry.’
The Malicious Entity had plenty of overflow.
This hunger was simply due to an empty stomach.
It wasn’t severe enough to lead to a hunger crisis, but the feeling of hunger itself always pushed Shia into a new crisis.
“By the way, this is the Suwol Plains. Regardless of whether you’re a lower-grade hunter or a high-grade one, this place is popularly known, and there must be a reason for that?”
– Seriously, is this the Suwol Plains?
– Yup, it’s a great spot.
– An erosion dungeon, and there’s something called Griden minerals here. Killing monsters yields that.
– They sell for hundreds or even thousands per kilogram in the market.
– Hunter weapons are made from that stuff too.
– Yeah, and nowadays, they build power plants with it for more stability.
“Griden minerals…?”
That name rang a bell. Wasn’t Menelapie’s armor called Gridenkart armor in the previous world?
Actually, it was incredibly sturdy and had withstood numerous attacks from a demon lord’s great sword.
“So then, is it not about the minerals? There’s nothing worth eating here?”
– No, lady. When was the Centipede Dragon ever food?
– Hahahahahahaha!
– You hit the nail on the head! Hahaha!
“Uh… I thought it would be obvious that it was food?”
– ?
– What do you mean?
– Huh?
– Ha, finally, she goes off the rails! lol.
– Off the rails on the crazy train!
How cruel to call her a ‘darn Seongnyeo,’ but… honestly, Teresa often tells me to stop my nonsense, so I can’t deny that I may have the same vibe going on.
Right, the nonsense is part of me.
I shall not deny myself.
I am the Mangja Seongnyeo.
One who does not speak lies.
Nonsense is also part of my identity.
GRAAAAHHHH!!
“What was that noise?”
Suddenly, Shia turned to see the source of the sound.
She recognized that sound.
It was the roar of a dragon.
In the previous world, Shia had encountered numerous dragon kin.
Some engaged in intellectual exchanges with humans, but others were as vicious and brutish as beasts; the voice she just heard was exactly what she would consider ‘brutish beast-dragon noise.’
“Huh?”
– What’s that?
– What is it?
– Was there something like that in the Suwol Plains?
– I thought there were mostly wolf mobs here???
And then she spotted it.
A huge Wyvern cub, exuding a fierce aura that shook the ground.
An ordinary Wyvern cub is not strong.
Even two knights from Menelapie’s empire could handle it, and Menelapie herself had once decapitated ten of them with a single swing of her sword.
Still, she had heard tales of some Wyvern cubs evolving into stronger forms…
“Chomp…”
– Hey, isn’t that an S-grade Wyvern cub???
– According to the Association’s compendium, that’s an S-grade!
– Why is there an S-grade Wyvern cub here in the Suwol Plains???
– No idea, lol.
– Isn’t this an emergency? There are so many low-grade hunters here; if that shows up, it would cause absolute chaos!
– But look at the streamer’s expression!
– That expression!
– What does that expression mean? lol.
– Those eyes look terrifyingly red…
“Oh, this is a problem.”
It looks delicious.
The tough-looking scales of the dragon, with bright red skin, and skin that seems armored, would surely be full of tender meat.
‘If I peel off the scales and spikes first, the inside would surely be full of tender meat, right? The hot and strong flesh of a Wyvern cub… chomp…’
Shia had completely tuned out the viewers’ chats.
She was hungry…
What rank was that?
No, it doesn’t even matter.
I don’t plan to snack on just S-grade monsters.
Food should never be eaten selectively. Even if that scrumptious-looking big Wyvern cub was D-grade, I would eat it all without leaving anything behind.
“Looks… delicious…!!!!!!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!!!
Without even using a miracle, the tentacles born from her waist clashed with her emotions.
Fortunately, that scrumptious Wyvern cub was approaching her in a straight line.
Ah, just like a child longing for its mother.
You too were looking for someone to cook you well!
Filled with joy, Shia leaped towards the Wyvern cub.
Kicking the ground with such force that it seemed as if she would break the ground beneath her, her speed momentarily felt like she was piercing the sound barrier.
Boom!
“AHHHHHH!?”
Somewhere, an odd scream echoed, but she ignored it.
Shia’s directional adjustment failed as she passed the side of the Wyvern cub, causing a small crater to form where she had landed.
– Wow, what the…
– Holy moly!
– Hey, was that a Wyvern cub?
– No idea.
– It looks like a Wyvern cub, doesn’t it?
– But wait, if it’s an S-grade Wyvern cub, why does it seem to be acting a bit strange?
– If I were the streamer and saw that face, I’d honestly just run without looking back.
– I’d potentially piss myself right then and there! lol.
Huff, huff, huff… no resistance?
Why are you just standing there?
If you don’t move, it benefits me.
Okay, don’t move.
If you don’t move, I can make it quick and painless.
Sniff, sniff…
Ah, it smells good….
Is that a monster with a human scent…?
Ah, that smells of human flesh….
There’s less malice in human meat.
There’s bound to be malice in it, but in order to withstand the hunger outbreak, I would have to consume at least ten humans at once.
The efficiency of malice intake is woefully low thanks to how poor the cost-effectiveness is, and even Shia herself thought eating human flesh was truly horrifying.
She still held onto her humanity.
However, the aroma of human meat coming from that… monster?
I can’t resist that.
No, I can’t hold back! How could I hold back?
It’s like I don’t have to toil to protect my reason and ethics.
If I can restrain myself from longing for human flesh, wouldn’t that be the best option?
That thing is something I can eat, right?
“Kyahahaha!!!! Come here!!!!!!!!!!!”
Before anyone else can eat it, I shall devour it first!
Ah, it looks delicious.
So delicious.
Should I fry it? Grill it?
Ah, don’t run away. Don’t run away.
I won’t let you hurt.
Why are you running away?
You look strong, don’t you? You look tough!
Don’t run! It’s okay! Pain is momentary, by sacrificing yourself, we can be together forever!
Ah, I want to eat! I want to eat!
Today is the feast. I am going to eat this monster that smells like human meat with my viewers!
They’ll surely enjoy it too!
Ah, it’s a feast! A feast!