Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Cult Fanatic Concept's Underground Stream GOAT
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After finishing our meal, we headed to a cafe to chat.
Having a conversation with Yoo Euisul was surprisingly fun.
Yoo Euisul was a first-generation Awakener, entering her tenth year since starting her activities this year.
I had a lot of questions for her too, so we got to clear up our curiosities about each other.
The thing I was most curious about with her was...
"Why did you become an Awakener? Not everyone who awakens has to do Awakener work, right?"
"Back then, I had to."
"Even as a high schooler?"
"You'd know what it was like at that age. The shock when Anomalous Phenomena first appeared."
"...I get it."
Yeah.
I was just a kid back then, and I really thought the world was ending.
I figured God, Buddha, and Allah had teamed up to smite humanity.
BAM!
"Gwehk."
"...Is this that 'price of blasphemy' thing?"
"S-Sorry! I won't mention any other gods!"
"You live a pretty cursed life, huh."
Can't you cut me some slack here?
Mentioning any god besides Reflecting Myriad Stars and getting punished is way too harsh.
I slammed my head into the cafe table and spilled my coffee.
Yoo Euisul wiped the table with some napkins and spoke in a bitter tone.
"The moment Anomalous Phenomena appeared, the government collapsed, and laws meant nothing. You could run away if you wanted."
She then downed the rest of her coffee and continued.
"I was fucking pissed off back then."
"...I see."
I didn't bother asking why.
I could guess without asking.
It had to be family issues.
Back then, countless people lost family to Anomalous Phenomena.
Me? I never had any family to begin with.
I'll probably never understand what it's like to lose them.
Let's drop the gloomy talk.
Next up were Yoo Euisul's questions.
She seemed to have a ton of curiosities about me.
"Like I said, I checked out your streams yesterday. You're hiding that you're an Awakener, right?"
"Y-Yeah. For now."
"Why?"
"I figured it'd attract too much aggro."
"Isn't attracting aggro a good thing?"
"Depends on the case."
The floating population's firepower is terrifying.
I've seen plenty of VTuber streams tank because troll aggro floods rolled in.
There's only one way to block that overwhelming firepower.
You need a concrete shield thick enough to tank cosmic defenses.
So, it's not time yet.
"Plus, I'm a VTuber. VTubers can't show their faces."
"Why? You've got a pretty face and big tits—people would love it."
"..."
One surprising fact.
This was only my second time meeting Yoo Euisul.
In just the second meeting, she's spewing words without any brain filter.
She's probably the only one who does that.
Long story short...
"Nah. They might not like it."
"Why not?"
"Some people prefer 2D over 3D."
"Bullshit. Who in the world?"
"They exist."
"Where?"
"Right in front of you, Euisul."
"...You?"
"Yeah, me."
Yep.
Me.
I prefer 2D over 3D.
For example...
I'm not curious about Ayase's red pill at all.
Whether she's an S-rank cool beauty in real life.
Or has a plain face.
Even if...
She's a guy. Doesn't matter.
As long as I don't observe it, it doesn't exist to me.
If I was curious about the red pill, I'd have used my ability on her right after becoming Reflecting Myriad Stars' Fervent Devotee.
Not curious at all.
To me, Ayase is just 'VTuber Ayase'.
"I don't get it."
"You don't need to."
"No, I get that some people prefer 2D over 3D."
"But?"
"I don't get you."
"...?"
"Your avatar looks exactly like your real face from the start. So that red pill...? Doesn't matter to you, right? They're the same anyway."
"That's..."
Nothing to say.
She's right.
Having my avatar match my real face perfectly means I've already broken VTuber unspoken rules.
If it was because I commissioned it that way, I wouldn't complain.
Why did Reflecting Myriad Stars make my avatar identical to my real face?
I don't know.
You don't know.
Only Reflecting Myriad Stars knows.
Or maybe...
Surprisingly, no reason at all.
Just brain-off, mindless identical design.
BAM!
"Gyehk."
BAM!
"Ziyaaak!"
"Ooh, that one was harder?"
"..."
Nope.
There was intent.
Then tell me the intent, at least.
We chatted while I kept slamming my head into the table, and before we knew it, it was 5 p.m.
Time to head home.
I excused myself to Yoo Euisul.
"Yeah, go."
"...Okay."
Yoo Euisul was cooler than I expected.
She's letting me go super easily.
"See you next time."
"Use casual speech next time."
"Got it."
"I said next time."
"...Yeah."
Whether now or next time.
It's the same.
Next time we meet...
Guess I'll call her Euisul-noona.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I still had time before my stream, so I watched Ayase's broadcast while prepping mine.
Yes.
This is life.
This is human happiness.
Finally, Ayase's one-week ban lifted.
The past week was hellish torment.
Solved an Anomalous Phenomenon.
Met Yoo Euisul.
Did a 24-hour stream...
Too much happened.
I'm exhausted, for real.
💬 Live Chat — Viewer [Today we're trying a horror game!] — Viewer - Oh fr??? — Viewer - Big one incoming — Viewer - Ayase wasn't a scaredy-cat? — Viewer - Is Ayase doing this because of 'that stream'? lololol Aaah.
My heart's getting purified.
Hearing Ayase's voice after so long feels cleansing.
Yeah, Ayase is my one true god...
...No!
G-God might be too much...
Let's say someone I admire.
I sold my conscience out of fear of blasphemy's price.
Sorry, Ayase.
— Ayase [Yeah, I'm doing a horror game because of that stream.] Ayase is someone with a lot to learn from.
It's been over a year since I started watching her streams.
In all that time...
Has she ever broken a promise to viewers?
Snapped at someone openly on stream?
Ruined a collab vibe?
Not once.
Ayase has tons to teach, but...
If I benchmark her style, I'd probably flop hard.
Her style is uniquely inimitable.
That's why she's top-tier indie VTuber viewership.
— Ayase [Today's horror game is... The Call of All-Gulrazad! I wasn't gonna do it 'cause it's scary, but seeing Jia's 24-hour stream changed my mind.] See this?
This is Ayase's strength.
She's super generous with shoutouts to other streamers.
Specifically...
She mentions indie VTubers and rising newbies a ton.
Just getting namedropped by a big corp VTuber boosts their growth.
Me too.
She just shouted me out, so it'll positively impact my stream...
...Wait.
Who?
— Ayase [You guys saw it too, right? ZiyaAAAAK! or whatever? I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe.] — Viewer - Saw it lololololol — Viewer - How does a laugh go 'ZiyaAAAAK!' — Viewer - What monster is that lolol — Viewer - Everyone's playing this game because of that VTuber lately — Viewer - Ayase's clear time? — Viewer - Predicting 3 hours. — Viewer - Ayase's secretly good at games, could 1-hour it? — Viewer - Good at games but scaredy-cat lol — Viewer - S C A R E D Y — Ayase [Provoking me? Fine, I'll clear it in under an hour! No way it'll take eight hours like Jia's.] "Giyaaaaak!"
Ayase mentioned my name several times.
I slammed my head into the desk.
The price of shame and humiliation.
...Of course.
Her shouting me out on her stream is definitely grateful.
I know better than anyone it's her way of giving props.
I know, but...
I worried she might get backlash from associating with me.
Honestly.
My stream's the deep end.
Avatar keeps high viewership, sure.
Can't drop RP midway.
Stuck with cult RP forever, so I can't go mainstream.
With those thoughts, I started my stream.
"Sigh."
I sighed right from the start.
💬 Live Chat — Viewer - Goddess here — Viewer - She's heeeeeere — Viewer - KITAAA KITA KITA!!!!! — Viewer - Bow to the Pontiff. — Viewer - Bow to the Pontiff. — Viewer - Donations, d-donating! ??? : No need. — Viewer - When Lee Jia started streaming, there was light. — Viewer - This too is Reflecting Myriad Stars' grace... — Viewer - Reflecting Myriad Stars! Reflecting Myriad Stars! Reflecting Myriad Stars! — Viewer - Omnia Archive! Omnia Archive! Omnia Archive! — Viewer - Holy power pouch! — Viewer - Holy power GOAT lol This is underground? What's so underground about it?