Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The Mages' Mage (9)
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Speed Wagon. Dana Elisha Hyacinth.
She’d been dealing with a dilemma lately.
“Beep. Target face—face recognition failed. [Negative emotion 43% / Positive 36% / Unidentifiable 21%]. W-Wa-Water. Here’s some water. Master’s hydration is essential for the human body. Water. Here’s some water.”
“...Haaa. Thanks, Genie.”
Dana let out a sigh as she took the cup of water that her last remaining personal asset—a malfunctioning housing AI named Genie—had barely managed to hand over.
She’d lost her entire network and all her colleagues, and had barely escaped to Area 47 through Dome’s rescue team. Normally, she should’ve been out on the outskirts like the other refugees, clawing at each other and battling the cold. But thanks to these people treating her specially, she was in the warm administrative medical wing, occupying a small but private room.
Looking out the window at the bustling city below and the bonfire spectacle encircling it.
“...Feels like being a princess trapped in a tower.”
She chuckled unwittingly at the thought. The problem was that she was playing the prince’s role. The princess trapped in that tower of 0s and 1s was the Professor who’d brought her here, and she was stuck watching him struggle to get out from a reality she couldn’t touch.
No, she wouldn’t just watch. At the very least, she’d make sure he didn’t feel like he was fighting alone.
“How did I end up meeting someone this uniquely eccentric from head to toe...”
About an hour ago, she’d been watching the Professor’s latest updated play recording.
As always, it was cheerful, utterly unhinged, and brimming with sincerity. If not for his prisoner-like situation, it could’ve been seen as a reward for all his efforts so far.
She’d been chatting happily with the Area 47 folks while watching when her eyes caught the memo the Professor had left for the outside world.
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Urgent.
* List of all Hero Units active in the Empire and surrounding areas right now. Include appearances, traits, strategies (photos mandatory). For Hero Units that survived into Era 2, use their aged faces from the aging program please.
* Every map of the 3rd World circulating in the community. All of them, no matter the nation or region. From capitals to back-alley villages.
* Summaries of brutal battles from medieval, early modern, and modern war history. Everything recorded.
* Videos left by that streamer who broadcasted as a mage. There was a book he read from the Magic Tower. Understanding of Magic Studies or something? Scan of that file if you have it.
* Cultural traits and histories of each nation and race. Everything available. Major group locations and traits if possible.
* [GG Foodie Tour] or whatever? That chef player who just ate and analyzed recipes everywhere. Split their videos by dish.
* Known major item locations in the 3rd World (I know Thousand Stream Emperor cleared most, so just what’s revealed).
* High-yield mines.
* Trade hubs.
* Natural disaster zones.
.
.
.
.
.
I know this is basically asking for data mining as I kept writing.
I get that you can’t give me everything. But I really, really need this.
Without you guys, the gaps in my knowledge hurt like hell. Consider it saving a life and help out.
Honestly, that incident in Area 30? If it weren’t for me, everyone around here would be dead, right?
Gotta pay it back. You’re all stuck underground in Dome anyway, pedaling away like human generators. Or thrown into communal farms. Every survivor protected in Dome territory is obviously mobilized for wartime rations. So instead of mindlessly pedaling, use those idle hands to dig through the community.
When I get out, big feast on me. Offline meetup, meetup. I’m loaded now.
My friends who’d surely be 40-something single unemployed internet ghosts if not for the war.
Entrusting this to your vast, ocean-deep NEET energy.
# Signed - Park Professor, great hero of humanity and sorta your lifesaver.
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“Pfft!”
Oh man. The way he hammered it in like he desperately wanted it seen, chuckling to himself—it was so him. She’d rewatched it several times, but each time the laughter bubbled up uncontrollably.
Where did that look like a desperate plea?
Even funnier were the reactions from the Area 47 folks watching the broadcast together.
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- Deer Drug Please: Sigh, damn. He hypes us up like this, hard to troll openly...
- Nutria Pass: Right? When it comes to NEET energy, no one’s second to us!
- Holy: Um... that’s not an insult, right? It’s good?
- Deer Drug Please: Holy, you wouldn’t get it, but that’s him praising us as folks who know ‘style’ in this dry era where everyone lives for survival and cash. Ahh, spent another unproductive day. Isn’t this the ‘true’ humanity that sets us apart from animals?
- Jokasss: Exactly. Among countless community chats, few are as purely unproductive, just shooting the breeze. Proof? Anyone with skills got dragged to makeshift production lines, but our kids are mostly on power lines, right?
- Holy: Heehee. I’m at the hospital.
- Whale is Coming: Farming skills... ghostlike.... Every corner of Area 45 bears my touch.... Shit.... Went from god to useless in a flash....
- Heung An Mandu: Nah, not me. Air force counts as military, so I’m on the outskirts.
- Deer Drug Please: Woo woo! Uselessly competent bastard! Doesn’t deserve to be in the Area 47 chat!!
- Jokasss: Competent prick sitting comfy pulling triggers while we pedal till our feet blister! Gets good pay and food too! Woo woo! Get out!
- Heung An Mandu: Don’t even. Front lines really set up machine gun production and run turrets nonstop. Gunfire doesn’t stop for 5 minutes. Mountable HMGs worth 5 mil each melt into scrap by dozens daily. Been here 3 days, ears already ringing. So gunners implant signal pins under their hand skin. Can’t hear orders, so tactile commands. Got mine yesterday.
- Jokasss: ...World’s gone mad. Anyway, competents GTFO, us incompetents help each other. I’ve got general strategies and Hero Unit lists downloaded on my connector.
- Deer Drug Please: All known Hero Unit affinity unlock methods, optimal farming routes and items for affinity max. Oh, not all. Ugly ones ignored.
- Jokasss: Listing like this’ll never end. Someone’s gotta compile and curate or it’s just text dump. Someone professional, super knowledgeable about info...
- Deer Drug Please: Yeah. Someone who’s been doing this...
- Highway Nacho Man: Someone who’d charge in eyes blazing for Professor’s request—anyone? Oh, I think I know~ Pretty sure~~~
- Speed Wagon: ...I was gonna do it anyway.
- Highway Nacho Man: Yay~~~
- Deer Drug Please: Whoa! Pro!
- Jokasss: Whoa! Sis-in-law!
- Heung An Mandu: Whoa! Dana not using slang anymore, feels weird!
- Speed Wagon: My speech is from pre-war internet. Back then, girls got weirdos swarming in games or online. Post-war, hid it to protect my info broker identity. Now it’s all out, no need to fake it.
- Jokasss: Whoa! Polite speech too! Learn something, Deer! Doesn’t she seem proper just from text?
- Deer Drug Please: Fuck ooff
- Deer Drug Please: Hang an axe blade over your neck and I’ll be proper(斬).
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People fired up over a penniless ‘request.’ Rare in this era—extinct-level bonds.
But enthusiasm isn’t skill.
Professor said give it all and he’d handle it, but even summarizing one small city’s characters, history, culture, thieves to lord factions and succession disputes makes two thick books. How to give all that?
Predict his future direction from video backgrounds, curate needed info. That alone is a mountain.
‘...That much might’ve been doable...’
Problem: GG-to-reality time ratio is 5:1. Five hours there is one here. His auto-uploaded daily videos drop every 4.8 hours (4 hours 48 minutes).
288-minute deadline. Predict, select, organize from info ocean within that.
Impossible even for info expert Dana.
More people, she’d delegate. But Area 47 chat alone isn’t enough. They have Dome-assigned jobs too.
As she pondered, ‘she’ arrived. With a somewhat bewildering solution.
Knock knock!
“Sis~!”
“Dana~!”
“...Come in.”
Waaah!
The girls who’d visited the admin ward often since she arrived burst into her room today too.
“Waaah! Sis! What’s all this?”
“Stuff I organized, so don’t touch. You know, that from the chat. Info Professor needs. Pulled the immediately useful essentials first.”
“You did... all this already?”
“They’re desperate, can’t just sit idle.”
The girl’s vibrant energy brought a smile unbidden.
Holy. Real name Holy Grace. Daughter of marketplace boss Gideon Grace, pampered jewel.
Officially weak constitution keeping her in admin ward, but really dumped here with huge donation for top security amid kidnap/assassination risks.
“Holy~? Unlike fake sickos like us, Dana’s really frail, bully too hard and she might float away. She’s already low-stamina working this hard, ruin her results saying it’s boring and she’ll overwork—”
“!!!”
Scamper!
“P-Peel fruit, sis? Coffee? Dad says coffee’s for workers...”
Haaa. This kid too.
Wanted her gone, but those bead eyes would well up. Dana wasn’t heartless.
Holy was fine. Just think lively beagle.
Problem: the overly pretty nurse beside her.
“Let’s see... Elf culture, elf racial skills, Empire’s current interests and conflict hotspots.... Wow! Tons in short time?”
“Got a lot to repay, can’t slack.”
“Hmm... From that angle, not that much. Half the immediately useful stuff unsorted.”
Less nurse, more model in uniform. Knew how to shine, draw eyes. Small expressive face, killer curves showing through clothes—vibrant allure anyone’d fall for.
“Hmm... Prioritized by importance? Skip Blue Line Mountains monster map. Elves as guides’ll show real borders better than net rumors. Oh, 7th Prince info too. He, 14th Prince, 3rd Princess? Overdid noble wars early 3rd World, poisoned. 1st Prince’s puppet alive now.”
“Yeah... definitely.”
Glam yet natural looks. Deeper GG knowledge than long-time info broker Dana. Face known to all wastelanders.
Influence near Dome Chief’s. Seasoned info broker even Dana couldn’t dismiss lightly.
“Levit. Here for that again?”
“Of course! Top dog guarantees! Solves your manpower shortage instantly!”
Levit Princess. Real name unknown. Holds most stable clear seeds in Worlds 1-2, wasteland’s top idol by name and face.
This girl dangling legs on her bed earned yearly broadcast revenue matching Dome’s entire defense budget.
Why was someone like that here, dressed like this, hanging with a girl ten years younger, poking around?
“Levit. You could build a shelter with admin-level security.”
“Tried private guards, but some turned. Hate dealing with that. Plus nowhere matches here for stable power, zero GG server lag. Pros lose big on 0.1-second diffs. As Dome-sponsored ranker on paper, deserve play environment support.”
“Th-That outfit?”
“Casuals’d stick out in researcher/doc-only admin building? Rumors fly, Levit-in-admin leaks, diehard fans swarm, laser turrets pile fan corpses.... Nooo!”
“Bit overthought...”
“Experience. Common in my 12-shelter private digs. Wastelanders lack anchors, mentally frail. Become idols in their hearts, no brakes. Lost shelters till I moved here. Honestly, nurse outfits cute. Style good? Tweak for waist cinch.”
Demonstrating her slim waist with fingertips, she suddenly leaned in face-to-face.
“So Dana, thought about it? Hmm? Hmm?”
Dana’s face clouded at Levit’s words. Yesterday, barging in ‘new guest visit,’ she’d shrieked at eye contact with her proposal.
Solve impossible Professor support instantly, but too alien for her.
“Broadcasting? Revealing my identity fully? No talent for that. Not silver-tongued, not GG expert...”
Yes. Industry #1, immovable broadcast ranker Levit Princess’s first words: ‘Wanna try streaming?!’
“Suuuck! Non-expert, follow expert! Sure, I boast sharp, agile catlike lethal play—buuut! That alone wouldn’t get this far. Biggest contributor to my rise? One thing!”
Slaaam!
“Me! Being pretty! Not just cute—adorable, lovable, humorous, smart, sexy perfect woman! God-crafted beauty! Matches any taste with perfect acting! Plus ‘girl gamer’ title irresistible to guys! Lady to girlcrush, conquered all as perfect woman/actress to top this wasteland!”
Leg on bed, hand on chest, declaring. Then grabbed Dana’s hands.
“To me, Dana Elisha Hyacinth is perfect raw gem! Famous info broker everyone’s heard of! Reveal as fragile, cool, intellectual beauty! Nothing sexier than pro at work! No need big acting or show from start. Just be you, do your thing. Viewers’ll swarm! Just appeal ‘what we can do for wasteland-saving hero.’ Add tear? Romantic perfection! Heart-pounding!”
No arguments, already calling drones to set up.
No quick answer, she’d steamroll. Dana rushed.
“Flaws in assumptions. Applies to blue-ocean wasteland entertainment then, only you as example, and most...”
“Most?”
“...I’m not as pretty as you...”
Excuses aside, why she’d delayed.
Silky silver blonde waves, huge eyes, delicate features, deerlike graceful neck, deep collarbone. Taut waist denying slenderness, proud bust and hips.
Her? Basement community scribbler. Levit? Top gamer era’s best, GG’s hands-on means real-life warrior slicing mutant squads with daggers.
Woman to woman, facing era’s beauty standard shrank her. Each vibrant glimpse reflected her pale, haggard self: ‘Only possible for her.’
[Professor? Saw him once. Curious about his play, chased by red-eyed researchers, lost, guided to ward~ Held hands~ Disguised with makeup/mask, he didn’t recognize.]
Recalling Levit twirling hair, bile rose in Dana.
Curious.
Ran alleys dodging chasers together.
Held hands.
Knowing Levit enjoyed her reactions, Dana couldn’t stop ‘what if she likes Professor...’ anxiety.
Of course, just her thoughts.
Holy’s face scrunched at Dana’s meek reply.
“Ugh, lame.”
“Exactly. Born with what others kill for, pretends not to know—most annoying.”
Holy, peach half-gnawed, nodded furiously, hauled wall mirror wheezing.
“Look~ Dana sis? Check this?”
“Holy, no need comfort. Just saying I fall short of Levit’s expectations, no deep insecurity ab—”
“Now!!!“
Unusually commanding Holy made Dana turn to mirror.
“First, see reflected person. What’s she like?”
Same old. Unadorned, dry, lifeless early-20s woman.
“First... super pale skin...”
“Yess~ Snow-white transparent, never-saw-sun princess skin~“
“Eyes not big, face not ideal...”
“Loong lashes umbrella-worthy, cute button nose contrasting white skin, cherry lips so pretty wanna steal~“
“Ah, um... too skinny unfeminine, no figure...”
“Wireless hospital bra shows clear curves, never-managed yet ethereal slender style~“
As Holy sang away flaws, Dana’s pale face flushed crimson.
“Aww~ Cutie! Dana Elisha Hyacinth! You’re oblivious, world knows rare natural beauty girl! Stream once, pretend tricked. Just say ‘compiling GG strategy big data for public good,’ work. Greet occasionally?”
“Just... working footage?”
“Yup! Like now, compile Professor stuff! Work silent, end and shut off!”
Work anyway. Just show it. Info sources near dozens more temporarily?
“Definitely, with sources gone, any allies help huge...”
Seizing waver, Levit rushed.
“Holy! I prep cams, basic makeup! Base light, lips yaaark—provocative! Get feel?”
“Yes~ sis!”
“W-Wait! I-I’ll do it...!”
Futile against excited teen and 7-year-old rabbit-butcher superhuman Levit.
“Ready~ Standby—cue!”
Five drone cams red-lit, Dana froze. Levit grinned.
“Let’s see... Speed Wagon, hmm. Dry nick. Cute name for title, bit provocative...”
Levit smirked at Dana, beet-red burying in papers, forcing focus.
Ding-!
New! [Frailty Beauty Dana~♥’s Official GG Strategy Guide Stream!]
Pure looks rare in skull-crushing girlcrush era + GG vet ‘who dares [Official]?!’ ragebait title.
“Heehee. Couples synced. Levit Princess says thrilled lovers side-by-side live~”
Perfect timing.
All slaving survival like apocalypse dawn.
Dome duty-provided entertainment kept productivity sans fatigue/terror collapse.
Top entertainment broadcasts priority ops.
They’d spot new streamer Dana’s potential.
‘What’ll Professor think?’
Internet bro’s frailty beauty turned lover now world star?
Cheap light novel, Levit’s excitement swelled.
Levit Princess. Ambitious woman.
Aimed to dominate inseparable human entertainment.
‘Someday, clear to GG server room coords. Not just coords—Rabbit Entertainment with amassed funds and force reaches, runs Gedroits’s Game...!’
Happiness instinct. Starving deaths? Entertainment useless? But top wasteland death causes: suicide.
No food: starve.
No blood: die.
No tomorrow-hope: die.
Equal to her.
Spread/dominate biggest happiness in ruined world. Top GG influence fit dream.
Born beautiful in blood/violence era for reason. Hoped so.
“Now~ Dana? Work hard, grow our market~ More chase happiness?’
Admin tiny private room.
Eccentric, beyond quirky conspiracy ripening.
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