Chapter 51
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Ariant World Strongest Tournament (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After delivering the melody to the siren, rain began falling in the underwater garden, applying a healing block debuff to Oolian.
Now, attempts to hunt Oolian were possible. And there was more than enough reason to take it down.
The rain pouring around the village in the underwater garden. To push through it, a jellyfish umbrella was needed, but it was highly likely that loot from defeating Oolian would be a key material.
"Yawn..."
Cheisi let out a big yawn.
It wasn't that her sense synchronization was acting up again or anything like that. She'd simply streamed for too long and was exhausted.
"Anyway, that's it for today. Let's try taking down Oolian tomorrow."
She'd streamed far too long. With fatigue hitting so hard, she decided to put off the Oolian hunt for one day.
Will you join the Abyss tournament?
"I probably won't, if I can help it. It takes too long, and it doesn't help with finding new zones anyway."
Yeah, true.
1st place reward is a title, but the effect sucks.
『1st Generation Strongest』
Winning the streamer tournament grants that title. It's a decorative limited title with no effects.
The title alone stirred her collector's itch a bit, but it wasn't tempting enough to go for.
After ending the stream, Cheisi sent a message to Yoo Wol.
-Where are you?
-Hunting in the Fog Mine.
-Come to the front of the smeltery.
Cheisi warped to the Megrana Fit smeltery and waited for Yoo Wol.
The moment they met, Yoo Wol proudly boasted that her stamina and defense had gone up.
She seemed to be growing into a fine tank.
"Do you have an Abyss account?"
"No."
"...I'll show you how to make one."
There was a reason Cheisi had come to meet Yoo Wol right after ending her stream.
The Ariant World Strongest Tournament. An Abyss tournament open only to VR game streamers.
Unlike herself, Yoo Wol wanted to join, so Cheisi had come to teach her how to start streaming.
"First, go to the Abyss homepage..."
Explaining verbally confused Yoo Wol.
Frustrated, Cheisi snatched the internet window Yoo Wol had opened, finished creating the account, and then realized something crucial.
All the streaming equipment that installs into capsules was sold out. Without it, streaming wasn't possible.
"You don't have to stream... If you just have an account, you could still enter..."
"That wouldn't make you a streamer."
Ignoring Yoo Wol's disqualifying comment for a streamer, Cheisi pondered for a moment.
"I'll lend you my streaming gear for a bit."
"...Lend it to me?"
"Yeah..."
The next morning.
The black-haired girl guarding the counter at the VR game center stared blankly at the Ariant World promo video on the screen, unconsciously running a hand through her hair.
'Ugh, withdrawal symptoms...'
It felt weird not having the mist crown that was always on her head and impossible to remove.
It hadn't been long since it was forcibly equipped, yet she'd already grown so used to it?
'...I want to log into Ariant World. Can't I hire someone for this part-time gig?'
Yoo Wol grumbled inwardly.
Once a week, she had to cover the game center counter. She hated her current situation.
"Hey, you see that bard got discovered?"
"Yeah, but it didn't interest me much. Buffers are boring."
"I'm thinking of going bard. But it seems you can't enter without stealth. What to do."
"Strategy teams are forming, so they'll probably find other ways soon and share. No way there's only one method."
People coming to the game center often talked about VR games.
Yoo Wol perked up her ears to their chatter.
Listening to customers' small talk was pretty fun. It was a good way to kill time.
"You know about that Abyss tournament?"
"...Not hyped for it. The streamers I watch probably won't place anyway."
Abyss talk came up occasionally.
"Cheisi's not joining? Why?"
"No reason to, right? She was busy tackling that elite in the underwater garden."
"Oh yeah?"
And very occasionally, talk about Cheisi.
Whenever that name came up, she always snuck a glance, paying attention.
'Talk about someone I know...'
It started as mere curiosity, but somehow she added her as a friend, and now she directly observed her hunting new zones right beside her.
Watching her dodge monster attacks while chatting with viewers was so awe-inspiring it made her wonder if she really was a cat.
Thinking that such a person topped her friends list brought an inexplicable sense of pride.
"Um, could you ring this up?"
As she rang up the customer's items, their eyes met.
The customer immediately asked in a surprised voice.
"...Are you Oh Yoo Wol by any chance?"
"No."
Yoo Wol answered instantly. Hanging out with Cheisi meant people in-game recognized her sometimes.
But since she'd barely changed her VR customization from her real appearance, it was happening in real life too.
Hating the attention, she denied it whenever recognized.
"...You totally look like her."
"No, I'm not."
After sending off the suspicious customer, the next one called her name too.
"Do you know Yoo Wol?"
"...No!"
This hadn't happened last week.
Yoo Wol sighed inwardly and answered quickly.
"Eh, they said she was definitely here."
The customer muttered doubtfully and pulled off the hood worn low over their face.
Yoo Wol panicked at the sight under the hood.
'A doll...?'
That was her first thought.
The most beautiful woman Yoo Wol had ever thought of was a member of some idol group.
If including game avatars, it was Cheisi. The cat girl with long red hair and golden eyes was so cute and beautiful under the sun it stopped her heart. She doubted she could create such an avatar even customizing all day.
At least until now. Seeing the girl before her, she needed to revise that thought.
'But why does this girl have them too?'
Pointed cat ears sat atop the girl's head. They couldn't be real. This was reality, where customizations weren't possible.
'Weird person... but somehow familiar...'
As that question arose.
'...Huh?!'
Yoo Wol realized something and was shocked.
"Hi there~."
The girl greeted her lazily like a cat. The familiar voice confirmed it for Yoo Wol.
"...Cheisi?"
"Yup~."
It was a voice she'd heard countless times. It started off stiff when they first met, but at some point began sounding like a purring cat.
Definitely Cheisi.
Her looks were subtly different, but not by much. Probably VR limits—her real self was more vibrant than the avatar. And for some reason, she had cat ears like her avatar. Unlikely to be real, but they looked incredibly natural, as if she'd been born with them.
"Want a photo?"
"Yes! I've watched since the slime hunts! Huge fan!"
Before Yoo Wol could speak, a customer behind recognized Cheisi and approached.
Yoo Wol watched in fascination as Cheisi took a photo with the fan-like customer. It was proof the girl before her was that streamer she knew.
"Wow, didn't expect to run into a viewer from back then here."
Cheisi—no, her real name was Yoo Seo-hwa.
She waved a worn-out book titled [How to Start Streaming] at her.
"...Ready to hear the Abyss Streamer Perfect Guide?"
Yoo Wol knew why Seo-hwa had come.
To qualify for the tournament, she needed an Ariant World streamer account. But getting streaming gear for capsules took time.
So she'd come offering to lend her own. She had a bag on her back that looked stuffed with equipment.
Seo-hwa's all-out effort to turn her into a streamer felt a bit scary, but Yoo Wol nodded.
"Before that, mind telling me where the bathroom is? On the way here, I accidentally hunted a rat by mistake. I let it go, but my hands feel gross."
Yoo Wol saw Seo-hwa grimace unpleasantly.
"It's over there, but..."
Watching the girl trot off in the direction she pointed, Yoo Wol tilted her head.
'Rat?'
Unfamiliar term. Hunted a rat by accident?
'Joking...? Anyway... can't leave the counter empty right now.'
After a moment's thought, Yoo Wol messaged someone.
Oh Il Wol, who rushed to the game center after getting a message to cover the counter for just one day, couldn't hide his shock.
There were unusually many people today. Way busier than normal.
Spotting most customers' eyes fixed on the employee at the counter, Il Wol approached them and asked.
"Excuse me. Hold on. What's going on?"
Why were so many gathered at the counter?
"She's really not Yoo Wol?"
"Voice matches, and she looks just like the avatar."
And why request photos from a staff member while buying stuff?
Il Wol gave a troubled smile and addressed the clustered customers.
"Wh-why are you trying to take pictures with our employee... haha..."
"You don't know Oh Yoo Wol?"
"I do, but..."
Of course he did. How could he not?
'I'm her father!'
Oh Yoo Wol. His precious daughter, whom he wouldn't trade for the world.
What father doesn't know his own daughter's name?
"She's super famous in VR!"
"Pardon? I don't quite follow..."
But apparently his daughter had done something. If VR meant Ariant World, this was the first he'd heard of her fame there.
Listening to the customers' explanations, Il Wol's eyes went wide.
"Wait, Yoo Wol did?"
She was a named player in Ariant World. Burnt Knight. Got famous hanging with Cheisi.
'Cheisi's that famous player hunting new zones, right?'
He didn't watch Abyss much, but he'd seen the nickname in news. Must be impressive if namedropped.
'Yoo Wol's her party member?'
With such a person part-timing at his game center, no wonder rumors spread and customers flocked.
Gradually understanding the scene, Il Wol was moved.
'Our Yoo Wol?!'
Yoo Wol, who used to binge only Death Knight games and movies in her room all day, now looked different.
Just standing at the counter drew crowds. She had the true aura of a celebrity.
'She finally did something...!'
Even if he didn't know Abyss or Cheisi well, as the game center owner, he knew Ariant World inside out.
Il Wol felt an urge to fire up the news and Moby Dick right then to scour everything about his daughter.
Maybe even put up multiple photos of Yoo Wol around the center.
"Watch the counter for a bit."
"Of course, sweetie."
Laughter bloomed on Il Wol's face.
For almost the first time, he felt proud of his daughter.