Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Spiders and Hate Comments Depend on How You Use Them (4)
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"Aaaargh!! Why the hell did he end the stream right there!!"
9 p.m. sharp.
A quaint rural house somewhere in the Korean countryside.
The hunter known as Baekgwi Dojang, who had been watching Yeoto's broadcast, tore at his hair.
"Common sense says you charge right in!! The stream's only been going for like 30 minutes!!"
Making viewers wait days, then cutting it off after just 30 minutes?
Does that even make sense?!
Of course, this wasn't a cool-headed assessment as a fellow hunter.
"I'm dying to know what's inside!"
It was the raw reaction of an ordinary viewer!
The regret of not getting to see more of the stream!
Baekgwi Dojang's outburst stemmed from that.
And at the same time, it was clear proof.
"Damn it. When's the next stream? Any announcements?"
Even a seasoned hunter and streamer like Baekgwi Dojang had been sucked into the addictive pull of Yeoto's broadcast.
"...Sigh. Nothing. Well, it's only been a little while since he ended it."
-Plop!
Baekgwi Dojang flung himself into his chair and jiggled his legs.
It was a habit that emerged unconsciously when he was deep in thought.
"He broke through the Absolute Defense Line, and he's still just F-Rank."
Baekgwi Dojang pulled up the Hunter Association site on his computer.
To check the trading records for the Absolute Defense Line.
'Normal hunters don't buy that gate.'
Not because it's scary or dangerous.
'Because there's no profit.'
Gate clears are a business, after all.
If there was some dire reason to clear the Absolute Defense Line no matter what, there were plenty of ways to do it.
'Throw money at it like water, and even an E-Rank raid team could pull it off.'
Like Yeoto chugging potions nonstop.
Or ten mages taking turns blasting spells.
Or thirty summoners overwhelming the traps.
But why bother?
'No reason to go that far.'
Why do raids fail to clear the Absolute Defense Line?
Because hunters are people—and businessmen.
A clear with a 100% guaranteed loss.
No wonder they avoid a difficulty like that.
'If you fight tooth and nail without spending money, maybe... but that's nonsense. People would die.'
This isn't the early Cataclysm days.
No one's trading their life to close a gate anymore.
The nation itself bends over backward to prevent that.
Deaths during gate closures?
That screams a flawed system.
'Sacrificing lives to avert disaster and wrapping it in heroic bullshit? Nonsense.'
Outdated heroism. There's a limit to being behind the times.
A healthy society doesn't work that way.
'Hunters are people too. No one wants to die.'
So they retreat when it gets risky mid-clear.
Wisely abandon if someone's about to get hurt.
Standing your ground when you should pull back?
That era of calling it "courage" is long gone.
'Showboating like that just follows in Charlotte Guild's footsteps.'
Unprofitable business gets shunned.
Even if it's the worst E-Rank gate.
Risky, grueling, and bad cost-performance.
Everyone hates shit with bad value.
Especially when lives are on the line.
"...But Yeoto's different."
Baekgwi Dojang narrowed his eyes like a batter sizing up a pitcher's throw.
'Yeoto's raid team is unparalleled in every way.'
Clearing the Absolute Defense Line in 30 minutes.
Could an S-Rank guild pull that off?
Sure, if it was stacked with A-Ranks.
But that misses the point.
It's like saying, "It'd take days normally, but just nuke the core!"
'No way. Not even S-Rank guilds could match Yeoto.'
Baekgwi Dojang shook his head after running the numbers.
'Even rounding up their promising prospects, they couldn't clear it that fast.'
Future A-Ranks guaranteed to make it big someday.
Even they couldn't match Yeoto.
'...Maybe if they gathered ten C-Rank summoners.'
Sheer numbers might do it.
Herd 'em in and swarm— it'd clear quick enough.
'But the stream would be boring as hell.'
Problem is, it'd be a challenge you could win barefoot.
Viewers wouldn't enjoy watching.
And besides, Yeoto cleared it solo!
'Yeoto's streams aren't business. They're challenges.'
At least, that's how they'd look to viewers.
Fierce, nail-biting fights.
Hard-won victories after bloodbaths!
That's the kind of stream audiences crave.
'If your raid's overpowered for the difficulty, there's no point in clearing it.'
Bringing a gun to a local kendo tournament and getting applause like it's impressive? Psycho reaction.
In that sense, Yeoto was one of a kind.
'He can tackle it recklessly as much as he wants.'
The worst E-Rank gate that takes others 3-4 hours?
30 minutes. So what if the raid wipes a bit.
Blow the traps. Misc mobs? Whatever, together.
Tank to pull aggro? Bombs are the tanks.
Raid damage, close calls—all content. Charge ahead at world-record speed.
Not cautious "filming" weighing win rates.
Dive headfirst into "challenges" that seem impossible.
In Yeoto's streams, even main DPS worth millions throw themselves into the fray like fearless warriors!
"Still blows my mind thinking about it."
Baekgwi Dojang chuckled rewatching the stream.
Raid safety margin?
Summons have way bigger margins than humans.
Pull back smartly if hurt?
Bullshit. They'll fight to the last one.
Yeoto's raid was different from everyone else's in every way.
A dream team of national athletes running like every day's their retirement match!
Hell, it'd be entertaining even as regular sports.
'Chain gates aren't the issue anymore. Yeoto's already a hunter for the history books.'
No exaggeration. Pure objective fact.
Yeoto rewrote gate-clearing history.
Of course, some hunters might gripe.
Claim they'd do the same with summons like his.
"Think we cherish our lives or something, fighting conservatively?"
'They could too? Pfft. Bullshit.'
Viewers just want entertaining streams. Done.
The rest is post-game fodder.
"Bad ROI," "Could do it but too risky"—
All excuses.
'They can't actually show it on stream.'
What's that if not "can't do it"?
Plenty of hunters greater than Yeoto.
Baekgwi Dojang himself included.
But none who could "do it like Yeoto."
No one in the world.
"And the best part? Yeoto knows it himself."
He knows his strengths and exploits them perfectly.
'The last two streams were proof of that.'
Mad ideas others dismiss as armchair talk become real stream content in his hands.
Of course, Yeoto's streams are calculated.
Not pure, unfiltered madness without pullouts.
But who cares? Entertaining is king.
And without relying on luck, he can keep this potential going!
"Genius... no, monster."
Baekgwi Dojang shook his head, unable to hide his admiration.
Yeoto wasn't a rookie streamer anymore.
He was a once-in-a-generation monster ready to shake the world.
With conviction set, his decision followed swiftly.
'Gotta invest. Before he skyrockets.'
Early investment in moonshots is key.
Can't buy at the knees if you're playing at the shoulders.
'Yeoto'll crush the next one like it's nothing.'
Decision made, Baekgwi Dojang opened his banking app.
Then remembered.
"Ah."
Blew all his spare cash on coins, didn't he.
"Fuuuuck... goddamn Ethereum."
Tearing at his hair again, Baekgwi Dojang sighed.
"Can't invest what I don't have. Back to work, damn it."
Arrow's flown, water's spilled.
Lost money's lost.
Time to return to the grind.
"...Fucking hell, we're screwed!"
Yeah, we're pretty much screwed.
That was my conclusion after much deliberation.
'Even I might not be able to clear this gate.'
The day after the second stream.
I was groaning, leaving the gate untouched.
'Difficulty's insane. No way through.'
Can't drop bait like that and bail. Game over.
So I racked my brain sleeplessly for solutions.
But even after all night, nothing solid.
First idea that popped up.
Climb the wall with Giant Queen Spider.
'Nope. Vampire bats drain her in 3 minutes.'
Second idea, after another hour of agony.
Zombie swarm to corpse-explode the mobs.
'Rejected. Too far, mana shortage.'
Third, just thought of it.
Corpse-explode the whole tower down.
'Seemed most feasible... fuck.'
I linked vision with the little ghosts.
Saw the zombies I'd sent clinging to the tower, heroically sacrificing themselves.
Boom-!!
Zombies leaping in and detonating!
But lamentably, the tower stood firm.
"What the hell's it made of? Stupidly tough."
Not even a goddamn scratch.
How? Vibranium?
If that tower was in Joseon, we'd have won Imjin War. Feels like Tanaka the 35yo farmer peasant charging the walls with a bamboo spear.
'Fuck it, whatever.'
Need a breather.
I unsummoned and opened the internet.
What for? Obviously, search my name.
Content: (Messenger screenshot)
I'm the transporter who hauled Queen Elizabeth's corpse to the gate for that bastard Yeo to blow up on stream today.
Fucking hell, me and my master had no idea it was a bomb. Mr. President, I swear I didn't knowingly violate national security, believe me sob sob.
My master flipped out earlier watching the stream, like why watch this psycho's shit...
Worried about getting disciplined?
Sweated bullets convincing him it'd be fine.
Then El-jjang appeared, Queen Elizabeth showed up, and his KakaoTalk went silent...
Asked if he was okay... who knew that was my master's last sane moment...
He fell hard right before my eyes...
Instantly hooked, dragged to Yeo bastard's channel... left only a scream as he made a donation account... still haunts me.
Don't watch Yeo bastard's streams, folks.
Every stream, 10k vanishes from my account.
(Photo of a mosaic-faced man and El Ayla.)
(Photo of El Ayla throwing up a V-sign with both hands.)
Oh, but I did get pics with El-jjang lol.
Selfie two-shot with the top cool beauty in the province?
Haha no way I can hold back, I'm done lololol.
Got more pics but keeping 'em private so I don't get canned, peace.
Awaken and job hunt at Association transport ASAP.
I'm off to Overwatch. BB~
[Recommendations: 23 | Dislikes: 819]
Damn, that hunter's hot. Which guild?
Background's daytime, posted at night? Fake.
[Title: Let's Hold an El-jjang Fan Sign Event]
[Title: El-jjang Vlog Channel Launch Incoming???]
[Title: 'That Bastard' Stream Still Far Off???]
[Title: Yeo Bastard, Retire Already and Pass Yeoto Spot #2 to El-jjang]
Content: (Screenshot of Yeoto channel stream with the key)
This is the key to open the Sealed Tower chain gate, right?
Other guilds cleared it without dropping, no?
Why only when Yeo bastard grabs it?
Probably some trigger for the key drop.
Talk of the Sealed Tower key was surprisingly common.
Not shocking, though.
Conditional drops are that rare.
'Either way, it's all about me.'
I grinned. This enthusiasm!
Everyone loves me for sure!
Who the hell is this Yeo bastard getting so much hate?
Idk why he lives like that. What if the Ye Clan assassinates him? Phew, survived 'cause I'm Jeong.
'Fans' praise calms the soul.'
Head cleared, I handled one daily task.
Stock app lit up on my phone.
See that? This miraculous rebound?
Locals! My returns are up 4%!
"Ugh, total shitshow."
Me, spouting resigned curses again.
But different from yesterday.
My face was a tad less tense, and the TV news was on.
[Live Broadcast Ban Law, Passed Amid Controversy!]
The Gate Live Broadcast Ban Law had finally debuted.
Sending countless hunters to the guillotine.
Still, my only worry was how to clear the Sealed Tower.
[Live Broadcast Ban Law Enacted as International Treaty!]
[Summon-Based Clearing Methods Ruled Constitutional!]
From now on, it was my era.