Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: #12 The Maginot Line of Ranker Recognition
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The video on Goldbunker's GodGold broadcast channel cut off abruptly.
After the hunters entered the gate, viewers who had been waiting for the Goldbunker main channel's stream started chatting among themselves out of boredom.
It was unusual, considering GodGold's hallmark was their lightning-fast updates.
-Why isn't it up??
-Did something happen to the first string?
-If the whole first string went in and something goes wrong, what then? They're already saying hunters are a matter of national power.
└Korea's national power is screwed.
-Kaisha unnieㅠㅠ I just became a fan, don't do thisㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Communities were buzzing.
There were even clout-chasers raking in views by streaming about why the live broadcast wasn't happening.
[(Live) Goldbunker Explains Why They Can't Broadcast]
Goldbunker guild members' personal stream.
-Yo lololol
-Couldn't even imagine this lmao
-Guild master and all the guild members went in, and this is okay??
["Not all of them, just the siege first string."]
["No way they got wiped, right?"]
["We all got curious and checked it out, but the internet gets weak near the gate."]
["Comms cut out inside."]
["So don't worry."]
Through the stream, it spread like common knowledge that Wi-Fi doesn't work inside gates.
-GodGold guys went in too?
-Why didn't you guys go?
["GodGold bros didn't go in. They're probably stressing hard right now over what to do for the next content since comms are down."]
["Why didn't we go? They only took the core siege members."]
["Like the vanguard. No one wants to rush in blindly and get wrecked."]
["Some folks are pissed they couldn't go."]
["Yeah, saw some recruiting for follow-up teams on the communities."]
["Crazy bastards. I value my life too much for that."]
["Puhaha! Same!"]
Since only the main guild's siege core went in, it was truly just a fraction when you factored in all the allied guilds' alliances.
["Oh yeah, when's the Bipa server maintenance ending?"]
["They shutting it down for good this time?"]
["No way, shit."]
It was a clickbait title, so the main topic was short, and the chit-chat dragged on.
["Miss Midgard. The immersion was insane. Wanna see my bound heroes too."]
["What's the deal with that game anyway?"]
["Once you try Bipa, other VR games feel like trash."]
["People who skip it because of the entry barrier? I don't get it. If you can't siege, at least sightsee."]
["Feels like it's gonna shut down."]
["No! No way! My heroes! My items! My levels—!!"]
Someone approached from behind, asking, "You guys streaming?"
-Goldbunker guild members?
-I'm Goldbunker too but those are all second string lololol
-As expected, the hotshots hang together.
-This channel's gonna blow up.
-Already 300k subs.
That's when a former male idol celebrity popped up on the stream screen.
["Hello, I'm Kay."]
-????
-For real?;;
-Wow, actual celeb...
["He's even hotter in person."]
["Dude, when we found out he's a celeb, everyone lost it."]
["I revealed my face thinking maybe he'd model for guild ads, but nah, guild master's hotter than me."]
Kay struck a sad pose, and the guild members cracked up.
-Well, with all those guild members.
-Gilgamesh is hot tho.
-Once faces are out, all kinds pop up lol.
-Fullminak even had a chaebol heir.
-Chaebol?? ㄷㄷ;;
["Fullminak chaebol? You mean Hyun-woo-nim?"]
["That guy's face too..."]
["But seriously, why are all the guild masters so hot? People might think they recruit for looks."]
["Kaisha too. Ah, wanna see Kaisha-nim in person. Missed her during the second raid 'cause I hung back."]
["Speaking of, let's run some Kaisha siege PK footage."]
["Hell yeah!!"]
Click click went the mouse, and sure enough, siege footage played.
["Guys!! Kaisha's Dark Spear incoming!!"]
["What?! Where where!!"]
Rustle rustle.
Awakeners from Goldbunker's second string crowded into frame.
-Screen's exploding lololol
-Why so funny lololol
-No lolololol
-Having a blast lolololol
Drawn in by the title but curious about hunter life, viewers smashed subscribe.
["Damn, thought it was live."]
["Bro, I've seen this like ten times."]
["Ten? Gotta loop it a hundred for battle analysis."]
["Analysis my ass, it's just fangirling."]
["Busted?"]
The hunters' banter continued.
["Dart bitch was quaking in real-time when he got deleted."]
["Lowguard massive battle was the best for me. When's Kaisha leading upfront again."]
["Bro straight-up joined the fan cafe."]
["Yeah. Signed up with noona's ID, and get this—the fan cafe's already got 3k pre-orders for Kaisha's photobook."]
["3k whaaat?!"]
["Whoa, my eyes nearly popped out."]
["She's a full celeb now."]
["Kaisha debuting or what?"]
["Ha. That last PK never gets old no matter how many times. Dart getting wrecked is peak."]
["Dart, so utterly destroyed he ends up in ads."]
["Face is money, huh."]
["When's the ad dropping?"]
["Editing's gonna take forever. They're rushing to capitalize while hunters are hot."]
["First dibs went to Kaisha's umbrella ad tho."]
["Puhaha! True!"]
Kaisha's explosive debut turned umbrellas into a hunter skill meme, selling like hotcakes.
Especially to students.
Goldbunker affiliates—no, hunters—kept yapping.
Trivial daily talk spilled guild internals and all sorts of info.
-Kaisha photobook????
-Insane.... heading to pay now.....
-Link plz
-Wow, what if I skipped this stream today???
-Bought a bundle of Kaisha umbrellas lol my class all brings 'em to do hunter play in the classroom lololol
-Kaisha-nim doing an ad with that Dart scumㅠㅠ Our unnie deserves betterㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-What's wrong with Sa-hyuk oppa? Still saying that after seeing our oppa's dazzling visuals??
-They do match lolol
-Won't forgive if Dart shows up. Kaisha unnie, just chase that money.
-Why's Kay here;;;;;
-Kay fan cafe in chaos.
-But Bipa players really stan Kaisha lol Heard tons of users in her fan cafe.
-True fans are Bipa users.
-Fan cafe's got surprisingly many normie ajusshis.
-Elementary kids too lol.
-Kaisha-nim's popularity spans all ages and genders.
—Nailed the character design and the real-life sync is god-tier...
-Miss Kaishaㅠㅠㅠ
-Praying our noona stays safe inside the gate. Kamen.
* * *
It had only been two days since Ga-hyun unilaterally announced she'd go inside the gate to figure out how to close it and left.
Kim Je-hyun grumbled.
"This jerk torments me even when she's not around. Ha. My fate."
Thud.
Fresh off a call with big bro's nagging, Je-hyun flopped onto the sofa and flicked on the TV, still muttering.
"Turns out he's not my real bro but Ga-hyun's actual oppa or something."
Nonstop worrying about Ga-hyun.
Wondering if sending a girl into a gate spewing dangerous monsters nonstop was smart.
Fair to worry since contact cut out once she entered.
"But Ga-hyun ain't some kid. She's almost thirty in a few years. Same age as me, just a smidge shorter, but she's the baby and I'm the creepy grown-ass dude? Ridiculous."
Bro only dotes on Ga-hyun.
Je-hyun sulked on the sofa, channel-surfing.
He got big bro's side, though.
He'd bluffed that he was the one with Ga-hyun now, so he was fielding all the worry from auntie and grandpa.
Of course, Je-hyun wasn't totally unconcerned about Ga-hyun.
But that worry just flitted by—he couldn't imagine her getting hurt or dying.
"Ga-hyun's probably massacring monsters in there. Obvious without looking."
News said she could fly, after all.
Her second raid exploits were all over the news.
Je-hyun dutifully turned on the TV today too for gate updates, or bro would chew him out.
"Yawwn!"
Yawning hugely, he watched for a while.
["Breaking news. Two SpaceKing hunters found dead at their homes. Military authorities are investigating directly."]
"?!"
Je-hyun's back straightened.
["Authorities suspect foul play based on evidence, possibly infighting among hunters."]
Footage of the presumed hunter residences flashed briefly.
Ambulances wailing, locals gathered in fearful murmurs.
["However, too many suspicious elements to call it malicious hunter activity. Cause unclear. Hunters, please stay vigilant."]
Je-hyun froze, jaw agape at the absurdity.
Hunters fighting each other.
Two dead, even.
Thought superpowers meant safety, but it felt riskier.
"Y-Ga-hyun, nice..."
Almost a relief she'd gone into the gate.
That evening.
Following the two hunters, a famous celebrity hunter died, sending the nation into uproar.
* * *
The day the hunters entered the gate and comms cut out.
"Signal jam was the last thing I expected. Guess broadcasting's a bust."
"Gotta spin it as signal jam content."
"Ah, motivation gone."
Char and Hwang Geum-su.
They were GodGold broadcasters created by Goldbunker—official guild hunters.
Early on, Gilgamesh had lent them a house to live together in.
It was so luxe, even with cash pouring in now, they couldn't afford it.
Earn enough and move out? Nah, still there.
GodGold ran like a company with salaries, but Gilgamesh tossed in bonus cuts of revenue, so the hosts raked in bank.
Naturally, Char and Geum-su adored Gilgamesh.
"Our guild master safe, right?"
"F-rank gate. Top rankers all in together—piece of cake."
No big worries yet despite the comms blackout.
"Sucks. We hyped gate exploration streams, and overseas interest was huge."
"But America's never even entered a gate. Sketchy. We're not lab rats."
"Bull. Stop watching dramas."
Ding dong.
They'd ordered delivery and both shot up from the TV.
Hurried to the door, but.
No food—instead, uniformed military police bowed crisply.
"Good day, sirs. We're here to protect you hunters."
"......Pardon?"
"Please come with us without questions?"
Their faces screamed, "Are we nuts to follow you?!"
One slyly pulled his phone to call the cops, then froze spotting familiar faces behind the uniforms.
Hunters from the gate site with Hyun-woo.
"Huh?"
Spotting recognition, the Hyun-woo hunter saluted sharply.
"Gentle Knights Michael."
"Gah! Hello!"
"Uh, mind explaining what's going on?"
Michael replied instantly.
"Gate shifted from F-rank to S-rank energy waves. Connected to another world—Midgard heroes escaping through the gate."
The two gaped blankly as the explanation rolled on.