Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Stocks with Caution, Loans with Even More Caution (4)
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Three days after the day I resolved to stake my life on this gamble.
I was sitting in front of my computer, waiting for the right moment.
'Whew... This is way more nerve-wracking than I thought.'
I'd finished all my preparations over the past three days.
With my remaining funds, I'd fully set up broadcasting gear.
The computer was already top-of-the-line, so no issues there.
The mic was ridiculously expensive, though.
Ordering it felt like blood money; I nearly cried.
Cam? My face isn't the main content.
It's not even a streaming camera, so cheap gear is fine.
'I never planned to hide my face anyway.'
My goal is to succeed as a hunter.
What's the point if I hide my face?
'Buying gate entry tickets registers my info anyway. Hiding it is pointless.'
Anyone determined could dig it up in a day, even a civilian.
Better to avoid needless rumors.
Almost no hunters hide their faces on streams.
'This stream's already primed for hate; no need to pour fuel on the fire.'
Why so much hate potential? Think about it.
I'm attempting a live broadcast in this day and age.
Is there anything crazier?
If it fails, best case is a warning and release.
Worst case, instant red stamp under the law.
'Stop. Don't chicken out before it even starts, Jeong Do-jin.'
Do your best and leave the rest to heaven. Preparations are thorough.
I even bought a thermometer to check Han River water temps.
Winter dive? It'll be freezing as hell. Damn.
Screw it. Just succeed, and it'll be fine.
"I'm counting on you guys, for real."
I glanced at the ghosts inside the gate.
-Sparkle.
Then, the magic stone I'd placed on my desk lit up.
Yesterday morning's test run: cleared one gate with my summons. The result.
'The silver lining is the new undead summon's stats exceeding expectations.'
The ghost dancer wasn't just pretty; her specs were insane.
'Even lowballing it, she's at least E-Rank hunter level.'
More absurd when I think about it: I'm still F-Rank, my own master. Insolence?
'She'll grow as I do.'
Same the other way around.
Summoner and summon levels are separate, but summon exp goes to the summoner too.
'How strong can she get if I keep leveling her?'
B-Rank? A-Rank? Higher?
Exciting, but even if growth caps someday, no big deal.
Planning to add more summons going forward.
And then, the moment I'd been dying for arrived.
The top-ranked live stream ended.
I switched my setup to public.
"Kch, as expected of an A-Rank guild. Real quality."
Park Jin-hu muttered as he took off his headset.
18 years old. Now pondering college paths, his hobby was watching gate raid streams.
'Obviously duller than the live days... but can't be helped.'
-Smack. Disappointed, Park Jin-hu smacked his lips.
Recorded streams had many downsides vs. live.
That's why hunters favored live before the Gate Live Broadcast Ban Law.
Biggest flaw: predictable outcomes.
'Which guild master uploads failure footage? Tanks the stock.'
99% of hunter guilds are corporations!
Upload a flop? Stock plummets, obvious.
Upload means success.
No tension for viewers.
Hell, drag the progress bar, see the ending.
Telling them to tense up is laughable.
'Live had that thrill of fear.'
Live was different.
No prep erases failure risk.
Hunters can fail raids.
They tense up more.
That tension transfers to viewers.
'No chat fun in records either.'
Live era, hunters often replied to chats/donations personally.
Democratic equality? Plenty can't even approach celebs.
Hunters? B-Rank outvalues most stars.
Them reacting to your chat? Fans melt.
Records allow edits too.
'Money on the line, tons of fakes.'
Even variety shows face rigging scandals.
One shoot worth billions in gates? No way clean.
Plenty busted rigging.
Why live dominated gate raids.
Most appealing: minimal delay, quick feedback—pure live.
That's why.
Some popularity-blind guild did 5-min interval lives, botched containment in 5, sparking the ban bill.
"Ha... Charlotte,シャルlotte, total assholes causing headaches."
Because of them, no more lives forever.
Park Jin-hu moved his mouse to post on his fave forum: 'Fucking Hate Country level as always.'
"Huh?"
Suddenly, he spotted something odd.
"A live stream on now?"
His go-to: Unity, gate raid stream site.
One of the platforms hunters use.
[◇ Safely Clearing Dungeons from Your Living Room—Live Broadcast.]
[◇ Channel: Yeoto]
Site not updated yet? [Live Ranking] blatantly shows one broadcasting.
"Pfft!"
Park Jin-hu burst laughing.
Not just streamer mockery.
"Knew Unity was a shit corp, but still have live function? Insane."
Unity's stock is major league.
But infamous for shaky foundation from rapid growth.
Legally fine, ban not enacted yet.
Barely proposed.
UI lag understandable.
But not blocking users from starting lives?!
"Wait, not the time."
Better: roast this 0-sub hack streamer.
-Ding!
He laughed entering; already over 1k viewers, same idea.
Makes sense. Huge on site center, unmissable.
Just after A-Rank guild stream too.
Viewers over 2k now, busy mocking the clueless hack.
Then, a small window popped in the screen corner.
"...What the hell?"
Live, but law-compliant?
No people in dungeon?
Then what's with the roaming camera?
The streamer's voice came through.
Park Jin-hu gaped.
Streamer reading chat and replying?
Proof it's not recorded.
Tadak-! Park Jin-hu typed unconsciously.
Brain lagging on the surprise.
Screen showed a gate cave interior.
High-res dungeon footage, pro A-Rank guild clean.
But no standard raid UI.
'Streamer face in that corner cam? Total game stream vibe.'
Too familiar, zero dissonance.
Call this a raid stream? Sane?
Every element screamed lunatic.
All screaming "watch me."
"Hahaha! This guy's a total psycho, right?! "
Unnoticed by him, Park Jin-hu was hooked on the mad format.
Streamer's voice again.
Park Jin-hu finally checked the title he'd ignored.
[“Safely Clearing Dungeons from Your Living Room—Live Broadcast”.]
A calm young male voice read the title smoothly, like an on-air reporter.
And then.
The off cam in the screen corner lit up.
Brown-haired man, Jeong Do-jin, grinned.
Despite the greeting, viewers' minds filled with question marks.
One quick mind broke free first.
What the hell was going on?