Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: How to Deal with Absurdity
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Thanks to Yoo Euisul, the mission was a success.
If the mission had come with all sorts of conditions attached... I probably couldn't have cleared it even after 24 hours.
For example, something like "Achieve 1 kill for the win" or "Deal at least 100 damage and win."
My aim was just that awful.
I couldn't even figure out why simply clicking the mouse to shoot was so damn hard.
Having pocketed a generous mission payout, I finally ended the Battle Lounge session.
I'd started streaming at seven, and it was already two in the morning.
Time to wrap things up.
Right before ending the stream, I chatted a bit with the viewers.
The hot topic, of course, was my gaming skills.
💬 Live Chat — ㅇㅇ donated 1,000 won Real talk, no nasty comments like "quit gaming right now cuz you're total ass" nnnnnnnnn — Anon You're the worst lololol — Anon Just straight-up throwing the game lololol — Anon No but fr, it's pretty bad — Anon Not even human... — Anon Not a person. She's a Fervent Devotee. "St... still, we won, right?"
— Anon ? — Anon ???? — Anon You got a conscience? — Anon Excal hard-carried your ass to victory — Anon Thought it was your conscience pocket but nope, empty;;;; — Anon "Win with bomb necklace Lee Jia" <- this could actually blow up as streamer content...? — Anon Skill gods, prove you can win with Jia. — Anon Bet if she enters a tourney she'd dominate the forums lololol — Anon No joke, she'd legit stir up drama in a tourney. "...I'll admit it."
I had to agree—it'd probably cause a stir if I joined a tournament.
Not just Battle Lounge, but Loader and other games too.
The platform I streamed on held streamer tournaments pretty regularly.
At least one big one per quarter, and including small ones, you could say there was one every month or so.
If I joined one of those...
Like the viewers said.
What did my teammates ever do to deserve that?
— LeeJiaFanboy donated 3,000 won Guess that means no more tourneys from our leader ㅠ "Nah, if I'm invited, I'll definitely go."
— Anon ? — Anon Didn't you just say you'd be deadweight?? Being deadweight was still being deadweight.
But if I had to do it, I would.
It wasn't a crime to suck at games.
If balance controversies erupted, that was on the organizers, not me.
So if they wanted to invite me, they could do it knowing full well the backlash.
...
...
...
The moment I lay down in bed to crash right after ending the stream...
My phone rang—Yoo Euisul calling.
[Hey.]
"Yes?"
Her voice coming through the speaker had some inexplicable edge to it, making me flinch in surprise.
Was she mad because I was so bad...?
[It was fun.]
"Ah."
Nope.
She'd just called to act tsundere.
"It was fun for me too. Thanks, Euisul. Thanks to you, I cleared the mission..."
[Call me unnie.]
"..."
[So, when are you handling that Anomalous Phenomenon? You said at least once a month.]
Yoo Euisul was the straightforward type who never beat around the bush.
Anomalous Phenomenon.
Yeah.
I had no idea when to go either.
"I don't have any solid plans yet. But right now streaming's keeping me swamped..."
[Let's go this week.]
"...This week?"
[Yeah. If the Awakener Association calls, say you'll go no matter what.]
"W-wait, that's too sudden..."
[Hanging up.]
Click.
The call ended just like that.
Classic Yoo Euisul—say her piece and bail.
Ah, damn.
I wasn't mentally ready yet...
Like she said, to avoid getting purged...
I had to resolve at least one Anomalous Phenomenon this month.
There was that saying about taking the beating first.
It was wrong.
Beatings were better delayed as long as possible.
There was only one reason I wanted to put off resolving Anomalous Phenomena as late as possible.
My streamcon was blocked.
For instance.
Say the Awakener Association called tomorrow saying an Anomalous Phenomenon popped up.
Time: exactly 7 p.m.
I was just about to start streaming.
I'd have to choose.
Stream for exactly 30 minutes, then head to the site.
Or resolve it first, come home, then stream afterward.
The first option risked delays creating unknown variables.
The second... in the worst case, resolution drags past midnight.
Either choice carried risks.
No.
Honestly.
Shouldn't this get normalized?
No matter how I sliced it, this patch felt absurd.
Am I supposed to stream, or resolve Anomalous Phenomena? Make up your mind.
Can't do both at once.
Normalize.
Please.
I promptly started a guerrilla worship session from bed.
This wasn't me whining—this was a genuine need for normalization.
After a solid worship...
I checked [Archivist's Duty] with high hopes.
⚙ ARCHIVIST'S DUTY ⚙ 1. No off days except death. Fail to stream at least once a day, and you'll be forcibly returned to the Omnia Archive. 1-1. Once you start streaming, you must go at least 30 minutes. 1-2. Achieve 500+ followers this month. [Duty Complete] 2. Create at least one new [Item] entry per month. 3. Create at least one new [Anomalous Phenomenon] entry per month. 4. Fail any duty, and you'll instantly lose Archivist status and get purged. - Archivist's Duty updates in real time. - Nothing had changed.
"Ah, so fucking stingy!"
Blasphemy be damned—I vented out loud.
Damn, even for a god...
This was too absurd.
...No, wrong.
The whole [Archivist's Duty] setup was absurd to begin with.
If you're gonna impose absurd shit, at least make the duties realistically doable.
Stream? Resolve Anomalous Phenomena? Which is it?
Fuck the gods.
Fuck Reflecting Myriad Stars.
Fuck Omnia Archive!
Bracing for the blasphemy penalty about to hit, I squeezed my eyes shut.
"..."
But.
No matter how long I waited...
No penalty came.
What did it mean?
Proof they understood my rage fully?
Or maybe...
Late night.
Gods sleep too? Or having their solo fun time...?
Thud!
"Gahk..."
Seemed like the former.
Forgives "justified rage," slices "baseless bullshit" like a knife.
...Fine, got it.
Even understanding my anger, no duty change meant...
They couldn't help it either.
"Haa..."
What could I do?
Just tough it out this week.
There were ways to cope with the duties.
So I sat back down at my desk.
Booted up the PC.
Set up the cam.
And started streaming.
— Anon ? — Anon ????? — Anon Wtf? — Anon Why are you here Nuna — Anon Didn't you just end stream? "Can't sleep. Gonna do 30 more minutes then bounce."
Can't sleep my ass.
I was so sleepy my eyes were drooping.
Ah.
Honestly, I hoped an Anomalous Phenomenon popped up tomorrow.
...
...
...
As if on cue...
[Jia, it's an Anomalous Phenomenon! If you're free...]
The next day.
Spooky timing—call from Kim Junghwan at the Awakener Association.
Without a second thought, I said,
"I'll go."
Today's duty was already done in the wee hours—no issues.
"Euisul's coming too, right?"
[Yes. Yoo Euisul insisted on bringing you along...]
"Where is it?"
[Seoul's Anomalous Phenomenon zone.]
Close.
Seoul's zone was a 10-minute bus from my place.
I threw on some clothes and headed out.
Oh right.
Forgot to buy new ones again.
Damn.
Skirt as usual today.
What kind of lunatic goes to resolve an Anomalous Phenomenon in a skirt?
Wait.
Actually...
This might be good?
Showing up in a skirt at an Anomalous Phenomenon zone? Reporters wouldn't even suspect I'm an Awakener.
Like I said—what kind of lunatic wears a skirt to resolve one?
Obviously, for that, you want comfy clothes.
Yoo Euisul showed up in custom battle gear.
...Hmm.
Flashy clothes might actually be decent camouflage for the zone.
...
...
...
Ten years ago.
When Anomalous Phenomena first hit.
Landmarks worldwide became targets for unknown reasons.
Paris's Eiffel Tower sprouted a massive bloodshot eye.
The Statue of Liberty morphed into a goddess of madness, tentacles sprouting from her laurel crown.
In Korea.
The 'Han River' and 'Namsan Tower' were hit.
The Han turned into a river of death sprouting thousands of black hands.
Namsan Tower...
I had no clue.
No records.
Weird, right? No info on how such a huge landmark changed.
Anyway, ten years on, you can't see Namsan Tower anymore.
Its spot...
Got replaced by the Anomalous Phenomenon zone.
Seoul's Anomalous Phenomenon zone.
Namsan.
Arrived.