Chapter 45

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 45

Chapter Title: Underwater Garden Melip (2)

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Sunny morning in Azelchen.

While sitting at a restaurant table with her broadcast on, chatting with viewers, Cheisi learned about a certain video uploaded to Moby Dick.

"...Why does a compilation like this even exist?"

-Because it's cute, that's why
-For real lololol
-How do you resist a god-tier kitty bouncing off the bouncy ball

It was a compilation of moments where she herself, trying to break through the Giant Jellyfish Oolian, got bounced back over a hundred times.

"Come on, the person involved is just embarrassed..."

As Cheisi's face burned watching herself get flung in all sorts of poses, a cheerful waitress NPC's voice rang out.

"Here's your delicious skewers~!"

"Ah, thank you."

Having decided to leisurely eat in Azelchen for the first time in a while, Cheisi munched on the fish skewers with relish.

Her goal was simply to kill time until Yuwol logged in.

'Well, he's at least making himself useful now.'

Ever since Yuwol got the Crown of Mist, he wasn't just a meat shield anymore—he'd become pretty reliable.

He still croaked like a pufferfish now and then, but occasionally he really shone like a proper tank.

Waiting for Yuwol to log in soon, Cheisi recalled everything about Oolian.

"Ambush does let me pass right over the jellyfish, but the problem is falling back down."

Her one and only skill, Ambush.

She figured she could use it to get past Oolian. So before even thinking of other methods like blasting the walls, she'd tried it over a hundred times. All failures.

The issue was that the jellyfish bounced back anything trying to rise from below, but not things falling from above.

Ambush took her over the jellyfish's head, only for gravity to drop her right back into the Underwater Garden.

And now a compilation of those fails was immortalized on Moby Dick, racking up overwhelming views.

[Ariant World/Bouncy Ball Bouncing God Kitty Compilation]

-VampireBloodIsntEnough

'...No wonder the views were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so high. It was pinned on this channel.'

The moment Cheisi spotted a familiar nickname on Moby Dick, Yuwol arrived.

But Yuwol's eyes were oddly full of anticipation.

"Cheisi, perchance dost thou know of the Ariant World Strongest Battle...?"

"What's that?"

Yuwol placed a piece of paper in front of Cheisi.

It seemed they were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠holding an event on the one-week anniversary of Ariant World's launch, gathering users for PvP.

Hosted by Abyss.

"This is hosted by Abyss."

"Does it matter?"

"Look closely—it says only streamers can participate."

Yuwol's face hardened.

"I-is that so... Then since I am no streamer, participation is impossible...?"

"Obviously."

Watching Yuwol droop, Cheisi had a great idea.

"How about trying streaming while you're at it?"

"Streaming...?"

"Do you know how happy it makes you? Real-time chats with people, instant reactions, way less lonely than solo gaming, connects across languages and cultures, and you can even tap into viewer big data sometimes..."

The kitty rattled off the joys of streaming with a delighted expression.

-lolololololololol
-Why so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠serious lolol

Yuwol seemed to ponder Cheisi's words before nodding.

"Really?"

Not expecting him to actually go for it, Cheisi stared at Yuwol in surprise.

"If the requirement is streaming, then just for a short while..."

"End stream today and wait!"

"...Can it be canceled?"

"Nah, no canceling."

"Ugh..."

Yuwol sensed something ominous, but it was far too late to back out.

After wrapping up the talk about Yuwol's streaming debut somehow, Cheisi shifted to the loot she'd found at the bottom of the Underwater Garden.

A waterlogged parchment between zones of hook-shaped plants at the Underwater Garden's floor.

Once dried, it became the item 'Hook' Weapon Crafting Parchment.

Seemed like you could choose the weapon, so naturally Cheisi picked the dagger.

It was just too familiar; nothing else appealed.

"So I got this, but here's the thing."

Cheisi pulled a parchment from her inventory and set it on the table.

The item it let her craft was the Hook Dagger.

A level 15 rare-grade dagger. Solid stats, but the real draw was its effect.

"When thrown and it hits a target, it pulls your body right to that spot."

At first it seemed niche, but a quick think sparked a good idea.

"After Ambush over the jellyfish but before crashing back into the Underwater Garden, maybe I can use this dagger's effect to escape outside."

Cheisi puffed out her chest proudly. Her ears perked up.

"I spotted the potential while bouncing off that jellyfish a hundred times!"

Yuwol eyed the parchment on the table and voiced his doubt.

"Where didst thou find this?"

"...Th-there's a spot in the Underwater Garden with hook-shaped plants like catnip."

"Catnip?"

"Just take my word for it..."

Cheisi clammed up.

She couldn't bear to mention the video that had even more views than the jellyfish bounces.

"Anyway, the plan is Ambush over the jellyfish, then dagger effect to escape before falling back."

A donation popped up for the confident Cheisi.

[Thanks for 1000 won donation.]

But if the dagger embeds in a building before you fall below the jellyfish, won't your body try to go up but keep bouncing off endlessly, leaving you stuck?

"Eek. N-no way it judges like that...?"

Cheisi paused in thought.

If the jellyfish was between her position and the hook dagger...

Her body would try to rise, hit the jellyfish, bounce, hit again...

She'd probably die to a tentacle mid-loop, so no infinite loop disaster.

'...It'd definitely get pinned on Moby Dick though.'

Undoubtedly comical. And retrieving the dagger would be a pain.

More risky than expected.

"St-still, worth trying over hunting Oolian, right?"

-True.
-Gimmick has no other solution, can't kill it otherwise.

Of course. Far better odds than brute-forcing a level 30 elite with a weird passive. Viewers seemed to agree.

"Materials for the Hook Dagger are these."

Cheisi displayed the recipe info from the parchment.

The recipe itself was simple.

Gather the two materials, find someone with Weapon Forging, and commission it.

"Weapon Forging can use the blacksmith NPCs in Megrana Pitt, and the wood drops from Forest Giants."

Cheisi eyed the one mystery material.

"The problem is this."

Red Kallium Ingot.

"First time seeing this ore."

All Kallium ore so far had been blue.

This one was probably red, obviously.

Cheisi equipped her Megrana Pitt title and opened the map.

It marked Kallium Dust spots, but she'd already cleared them all. Seemed separate from title-granted ore.

Red ore reminded her of something.

"...I have a hunch."

The smelter gap in Megrana Pitt where coins dropped.

Cheisi explained the spot to viewers.

-There was a place like that?
-Red ore? Sounds plausible.

"Told ya. But to get there, hehe... let's just say we gotta blow up Megrana Pitt's smelter."

-?lolololololololol
-What?
-Blow up what?
-Nooooo... Smelter gone means blacksmiths can't level...

The chat filled with question marks at the kitty's mad ramblings.

[Thanks for 1000 won donation.]

Aren't you scared of the 13 Ariant World blacksmith players?

Even a deflating donation arrived.

-13?
-Why so few
-Few went to Megrana Pitt lol

Cheisi calmed the chat.

"I'll check for other ways first. But if not, I'm really blowing it up."

-ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ
-Just switched to blacksmith??
-Not a blacksmith so blow it up??

Ariant World's blacksmith players and aspiring smiths gathered on the board, chilling as always.

Mainly worshipping Megrana Pitt's smelter.

Keeping tabs on Ariant World's rare Priest users.

The Power of Steel board was leisurely passing time like that—until a bomb dropped in an instant.

News that some streamer was about to blow up the smelter—the dream and hope of blacksmith players.

The Power of Steel board erupted in chaos in seconds.