Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Time is Poison
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [All counselors are currently on the line...] [Estimated wait time: 2 hours 47 minutes.] "Haa..."
Four days had passed since my visit to the Awakener Association.
Four days.
No contact from the assigned investigator.
It had now been a full week since that unidentified black mist had swapped my body.
Three weeks left.
Anomalous Phenomena and items appeared in their zones every two weeks.
Which meant...
I only had one or maybe two chances left.
I had to be the first to find the next Anomalous Phenomenon and item.
Otherwise, I'd die.
They'd dispose of me.
I wanted to correct that saying—time is medicine.
Time is poison.
Just sitting around with a complacent "it'll work out somehow" attitude wouldn't cut it, not even for something that should.
I was at the point where I might as well stage a one-man protest at the Awakener Association entrance.
This wasn't a joke.
I was seriously thinking about storming in and causing a scene.
Hey, last time I went, slamming my head on the desk got me a meeting with an investigator, right?
If I smashed every desk in the Awakener Association with this thick skull of mine, I'd probably get to meet some big shot—for better or worse.
Yeah, decided.
I'm going to the Awakener Association to raise hell.
No time left to hesitate.
Glancing at the clock, it was 5:30.
"..."
Looks like before I cause that scene...
I need to start the stream first.
Too late today.
But I have to do what needs doing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Recently, one VTuber has been the talk of the domestic VTuber gallery.
Her name is Lee Jia.
Debuting from the unheard-of company [Omnia Archive], she grabbed a ton of attention with her insane cultist concept and top-tier quality.
Lee Jia's assigned investigator.
Kim Junghwan was one of them.
Truth be told, Kim Junghwan didn't particularly like visiting the VTuber gallery.
Because he...
Wasn't a general VTuber viewer who watched multiple streamers.
He was an Ayase stan who only tuned into Ayase Mitsuko's streams.
No need to hit up communities to check other VTubers when he had his favorite.
But the reason he ended up there anyway?
Lee Jia.
Seeing posts about Lee Jia, Kim Junghwan thought:
'So it wasn't my imagination.'
He'd been suspicious at first.
The VTuber [Lee Jia] and Awakener [Lee Jia] looked eerily alike.
Even their voices matched.
But Awakeners doing VTuber streams? Unheard of. So he brushed it off as coincidence.
What convinced Kim Junghwan that VTuber [Lee Jia] and Awakener [Lee Jia] were the same person?
Her concept.
📰 Breaking News "Today, I'll offer a prayer to Reflecting Myriad Stars and begin the stream. Ahh, Reflecting Myriad Stars, please grant us many donations." ⚡ DONATION ⚡ [Strengthening Maniac donated 10,000 won.] I'm challenging +13 today, pray to Reflecting Myriad Stars or whatever, fuㅣㅣㅣck
"Ahh, Reflecting Myriad Stars! Please aid this poor devotee's enhancement... What? You need 30,000 more to help? Ahh, yes, that's right. Strengthening Maniac, send another 30,000. Only then can you receive salvation."
⚡ DONATION ⚡ [Strengthening Maniac donated 10,000 won.] Fu
⚡ DONATION ⚡ [Strengthening Maniac donated 10,000 won.] ck
⚡ DONATION ⚡ [Strengthening Maniac donated 10,000 won.] Bitch
💬 Comments — Anonymous - lolololololololol — Anonymous - This chick's insane lololol — Anonymous - Donation bait? HerTube — Anonymous - Is this even allowed? — Anonymous - This is a VTuber? This is a VTuber? This is a VTuber? ⚡ DONATION ⚡ [Strengthening Maniac donated 10,000 won.] Kya, success thxthxthxthx
⚡ SUPERCHAT ⚡ [Strengthening Maniac donated 100,000 won.] Reflecting Myriad Stars! Reflecting Myriad Stars! Reflecting Myriad Stars!
"Oh my, the devotee offers another 100,000 in tribute! Did you see that, my fellow devotees? This is all thanks to Reflecting Myriad Stars's grace! They shattered that 10% enhancement chance!"
Her concept of worshiping a god named [Reflecting Myriad Stars].
This... couldn't be coincidence.
Kim Junghwan was convinced.
VTuber [Lee Jia] and Awakener [Lee Jia] were the same person.
Well, whatever.
Awakeners don't have to devote themselves to society, and streaming online isn't a big deal.
The real issue?
Her stream banter.
Turned out to be 'fact' way too often.
— Anonymous - So what's this Reflecting Myriad Stars thing anyway? "G-G-God! Blasphemy! How many times do I have to say it's not a person, it's a god! And it's Reflecting Myriad Stars, not 'Bitch Myriad Stars'!"
...It was true.
The blasphemy warning was true.
Not a person, but a god? True.
— Anonymous - Why stream every day? Contract clause? "Yes, contract clause. If I don't stream every day, I die. They dispose of me."
This too.
True.
Of course, whether 'die' meant the VTuber Lee Jia graduating...
Or the person Lee Jia's life ending... who knows.
But true nonetheless.
Uncommon, but believable.
Thanks to the 'black mist' she claimed to encounter.
'If that black mist really was an Anomalous Phenomenon... anything could happen, and it'd make sense.'
Anomalous Phenomena defy human common sense by definition.
Can't understand it, but can accept it.
The real problem starts here.
Lee Jia clearly said:
If she doesn't become an Awakener, she dies.
And that was true, not a lie.
Kim Junghwan was pretty shocked hearing it, but he didn't think much of it.
Because he naturally assumed she'd become an Awakener.
However.
After two internal meetings.
The conclusion: 'Lee Jia can't become an Awakener right now.'
They decided to train her at the Association first, then register her.
Sensible from the Association's view.
Lee Jia was precious manpower—you don't just send her into an Anomalous Phenomenon zone to get sniped.
Kim Junghwan thought:
'Guess I need to talk to her again.'
Can't become an Awakener = death.
I need to ask her the exact deadline.
Having decided, Kim Junghwan went to contact her...
But stopped.
She'd started streaming.
'Said no stream = death, so better not interrupt.'
What a tricky woman, he thought.
Ordering chicken naturally, he tuned into Lee Jia's stream.
Ayase had just ended anyway, nothing else to watch.
And honestly, her cultist streams?
Pretty entertaining.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Over the past week.
I'd been doing lazy just-chatting streams.
Not because I'm unprepared.
No time to prepare.
Unlike what people think, I'm not some trainee who debuted after years at a company.
One day, boom: 'Debut today. Start streaming!' Obligation dropped.
No time for content planning.
But that's an excuse for week one.
Not anymore.
Time for solid fixed content.
So I prepared.
"The hour of confession has arrived."
💬 Comments — Anonymous - ? — Anonymous - Oh? — Anonymous - No lazy stream today? — Anonymous - Actually prepped content for once — Anonymous - Real cultist content, fucking lololol Truth be told.
Confession content requires invoking Reflecting Myriad Stars's name, so I was a tiny bit worried...
But from my week's streaming experience.
Reflecting Myriad Stars forgives anything short of direct blasphemy.
For example.
"Reflecting Myriad Stars decrees: Everyone send me 1,000 won!"
That wasn't blasphemy.
Even though Reflecting Myriad Stars never decreed that.
Pure fabrication from my head, yet no punishment.
But think like this:
Reflecting Myriad Stars...
No, Reflecting Myriad Stars is no god, just an Anomalous Phenomenon.
And fuck, the bastard who forced my gender change...
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
"Sorry! Sorry! SORRY!!!"
💬 Comments — Anonymous - Why's she doing this again lolololol — Anonymous - Price of blasphemy? — Anonymous - She hasn't said shit yet lololol — Anonymous - Blasphemed in her imagination? — Anonymous - RP skills are insane lolololol — Anonymous - She's lost in the concept lmao "Reflecting Myriad Stars is a god and invincible!"
"Reflecting Myriad Stars is a god and invincible!"
"Reflecting Myriad Stars is a god and invincible!"
...Like this.
Direct blasphemy against Reflecting Myriad Stars brings instant punishment.
Ugh.
Got a bump on my forehead.
Anyway.
By Reflecting Myriad Stars's name.
"Let confession begin. Entry fee... Ahh, They say 10,000 won. Devotees, please offer 10,000 in tribute and join voice chat."
Time to collect fees.