Chapter 429
Chapter 429
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 429
Chapter Title: Secretly Lewd (6)
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"You're... the National Scumbag?!"
"......That's a bit harsh for our first meeting."
"Ah, s-sorry!"
Sophia had burst onto the scene like a comet, skyrocketing to national fame. From her very first appearance, she'd earned the nickname "National Healer," and she'd never once hidden who I was... but because she kept posting photos of us together captioned "with my boyfriend," I'd unintentionally picked up a nickname of my own.
The spiteful, jealousy-laced moniker of "National Scumbag."
But I'd never heard it thrown at me in real life... until today, when none other than S-rank hunter Choi Yuri dropped it on me. Damn... did this make me a world-class celebrity now? It felt weirdly surreal that someone as nationally famous as her actually knew who I was.
"Sorry. I was just so shocked..."
"It's fine. That kind of reaction is understandable."
"But still, I never imagined HITOKU was you... Hey, do you get permission before filming those videos? Or do you do it behind Sophia's back? It wasn't just one or two clips..."
"Choi Yuri. Let's drop anything unrelated to business."
"Ah... sorry. I'm not usually like this, but I keep messing up."
It had started as a way to make money by uploading videos... but now it was purely a personal hobby. Uploading even hornier, lewder content and basking in the subscribers' reactions. That's why I'd never mentioned running PornTube to my main girls...
Somehow, they all knew. Every time I uploaded, they'd give me these subtle looks. Still, they let it slide despite knowing, and that was the current vibe.
"It's fine. Really... so let's just finish up the negotiations."
"R-right... You mentioned guilds being a pain?"
"Yeah. Once we got famous, the attention exploded."
"Hmm... honestly, it's not surprising. You're both healers, and Deok-bae, you can tank or DPS too. Plus A-rank. Any guild would kill for talent like that. They're all desperate to recruit you."
"Haa... The Association's a headache too."
"They're short-staffed as well. They'll be just as aggressive."
"Any way to fix this?"
"It's not impossible."
"Ooh."
"But first... tell me your story, Deok-bae. If it sounds good, I'll share mine. Oh, and don't worry about today's talk leaking. I'll use this artifact even just to keep it secret."
Choi Yuri fiddled with the contract artifact, shooting me a glance. Now that she'd calmed down, she was showing the composure befitting an S-rank. Unlike her first impression, she came off as reliable. As a solo healer herself, she seemed confident she could solve our issues.
"Alright. I'll tell you."
"Go ahead."
"Make an alt character."
"......At this point, creating a new account would just be a bad move."
"Not what I mean."
"It's not?"
"Not a sub-account. A full alt character. Not Choi Yuri or YURIJOA—create a completely new persona. Then film entirely different videos with it. I guarantee the first one alone will blow up."
"......A third persona?"
As Choi Yuri had said earlier, uploading photos had its limits.
And even with stalking... would that really work? From what I could tell, she wanted to rent spaces for fake videos... but subscribers aren't idiots. Seasoned by countless setups and hidden cams, they won't fall for fakes.
So I went back to basics, proposing a fresh perspective.
"Could you elaborate?"
"To get that hot reaction from subscribers... obviously, the video has to be arousing. For it to arouse, the woman needs to expose herself or have sex. But... you can't do that, Choi Yuri. So pretend to be someone else entirely. Someone who can expose and fuck as much as they want."
"......You're telling me to expose myself and fuck?"
"Choi Yuri, the point is to act like a different person."
"......Isn't that the same thing?"
"No, it's about opening possibilities."
"Hmm..."
In the end, it boiled down to straight-up exposure and sex. Of course it'd be daunting. She'd sent me that half-nude pic because she had a way to silence me... but posting on PornTube meant no controlling the spread. For someone who'd reluctantly posted her own photos to keep going, this was a tough sell.
But honestly... whether it was hard or easy didn't matter.
With the "Gaslighting" skill, she'd have no choice but to listen.
"Choi Yuri, it's about possibilities—not stripping naked or fucking right away. If you're unsure, think of it like this: 'YURIJOA' posting nothing but panty pics every time, versus a new alt that hides the face but shows full nudity. Which gets more popular?"
"Well..."
"Show panties, show tits... subscribers start thinking, 'She's gonna masturbate next? Fuck some rando?' It sparks their imaginations. But YURIJOA can't change content. That's why it got stale and lost steam."
"......"
"In short... sticking with YURIJOA is like holding a doomed stock to the bitter end. Total idiocy. You get it by now, right?"
"So... the alt is a surefire winner?"
"I'll produce, film, edit it myself. And upload to my channel. Same video, but more subs means way more views—you know that much, right?"
"......Yeah."
"My channel? No way it flops."
"......Hmm."
"And upfront: I have zero interest in you, Choi Yuri. This is pure business. We'll only film what you approve, and I'll get permission before every upload. Pretty reasonable, don't you think?"
"The videos... how exactly do you plan to shoot them?"
"Exposure, obviously."
"Exposure......"
"Specifically, outdoor exposure. Indoor stripping is common and boring. Outdoors? Thrilling. Great material, and even beginners can handle it."
"Even beginners?"
"Choi Yuri. Could you masturbate or give a blowjob on camera?"
"Are you insane?!"
"Right? Exposure is fine, but you don't want to do lewd acts."
"...Of course not."
"Outdoors, you just strip. Super easy. Indoor girls do everything—masturbate, piss, whatever—to grab attention... Outdoors? Just strip."
"......St-still, you could get caught. Wait, can you rent a spot?"
"Yuri. I don't fake my shoots."
"You don't?! B-but..."
"Don't worry. I can keep you from getting caught. And if you're anxious, we can put in the contract that I'll cover any damages. My full assets on the line—trust me. I'm PornTube's #1, HITOKU."
"......"
There, die's cast.
What would Choi Yuri choose?
For the record, offering my full assets... yeah, there was reason. Cecilia was hiding beside me right now. With her "Perception Block" magic, outdoor exposure was a breeze. Yuri wouldn't know, pounding her heart as she stripped... that'd be fun too.
Imagining Choi Yuri exposing outdoors sent a twitch downstairs.
"No choice... no alternatives, huh? Haa... Deok-bae. You sure I can trust you?"
"Haha, trust the multi-billion-won contract artifact more than me."
"True... I'll max out the damages clause, got it."
Yes! Gaslighting worked!
With her surrender secured, I inwardly cheered. Now I could film her outdoor exposure vids and escape the guilds and Association's meddling. Alright... what was this S-rank's advice? I glanced at her expectantly, and she tossed it out casually.
"Form a one-man guild... ah, no. A two-man guild."
It was simple, efficient advice. Really.