Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: I Had a Dream
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Today, while watching a collab stream after a long time, I ended up tripping.
I endured the pain and opened my eyes, only to see my ID disqualified from participation right in front of me...
I completely forgot my age and cried out for the armband in utter grief.
But no matter how much I shouted, the armband never showed up...
Is an armband that doesn't appear when you really need it really a proper armband?
I don't think so...
-Don't cry, gay...
-The gallery was dying while you were laughing and having fun in the collab.
-I thought everyone had depression.
-Where'd all the kids squeezed by Aska's thighs go?
Jealous? It was fucking awesome lololol
ㄴFuck you!! As a man, I'm jealous!!
ㄴIt's a girl?
ㄴI was wondering if you got offended by my insult.
ㄴLook at that super quick response lololol
ㄴGotta bow fast to survive.
-Just jealous. So damn jealous.
-I'm dying of resentment, fuck.
-No, was it really first-come-first-served for 400 people?
ㄴThere were conditions, so not exactly first-come?
ㄴFor viewers watching the streamer's broadcast, it's basically a non-issue hurdle.
ㄴWhat if it doesn't work? Gay, are you an outsider?
ㄴNeck.....
ㄴThen you couldn't participate anyway, so stop crying.
ㄴYou bastard.
ㄴEven I, a primordial ancient believer, couldn't make it.
ㄴThe entrance is fucking narrow....
[Author: Anonymous]
[Title: It Was Really Fucking Awesome]
The streamer told us about it, but I was honestly skeptical.
But then a notification popped up approving participation even though I'm not a climber.
I immediately lay down in bed and hit "Link Start."
Whoa, the sensations were so vivid, but it didn't hurt when I got hit.
No knee pain from jumping, no backache—everything was gone.
I ran around like I was back in elementary school.
Bouncing around all day without my body hurting.
Climbing jungle gyms, swinging on swings, playing in ball pits....
Even chasing after the captain as he did his fart-car routine....
It felt like compensation for all the playtime I missed going to academies as a kid.
Just let me live as a fox spirit forever.
Isn't digitizing viewers the real hope...?
I tasted the freedom of liberation from the shackles of the flesh, everyone.
It was so sweet and intoxicating that I woke up crying.
I cried because it was reality, not a dream, and because of the cruelty of not knowing when the next one would be.
Were those tears of happy memories, or fear of becoming just a spectator...?
Even if I have to pay, I want to feel that prairie wind again, that lightness free from the body's constraints....
-Literary award winners are all over the community.
-It was seriously so jealous-making....
-What's the principle? Just uploading your mind into a fox spirit?
-What happens if the body dies? Stuck as a fox spirit forever?
-Climbers who get injured and can't walk anymore—better to live as a fox spirit.
-Spectators going crazy, participants going crazy—is this for real?
-The part about no pain shows the streamer's kindness.
ㄴFr lol, even getting hit with a wooden stick on the head didn't hurt.
ㄴIf they said no mental or physical damage, it'd be a lie.
ㄴFuck, this is straight-up drugs lololol
-She's really ushering in the holometaverse new era.
-Please expand the next participation a bit.....
Only 400 people.
Wakamo's test-run viewer participation broadcast, meant just to try it out, set the community ablaze.
Viewers transformed into adorable [Fox Spirits]—unable to speak, but free of pain, light, energetic bodies.
Running around, hugging and rolling with each other, tossing balls and goofing off.
They forgot it was viewer participation, losing track of time playing on jungle gyms and trampolines.
And it didn't stop there—they spent joyful times with the Oshi VTubers too.
Some chased the captain turning into mist, reminiscing about nostalgic fumigation truck memories; others, chased by academics without real playtime, etched happy memories into their hearts.
The finale of the all-night viewer collab—a VTuber outdoor concert stage. What about that?
Unable to speak, but shaking glowsticks freely without glancing around, surrendering to emotions and pure joy.
Hiding their true selves, free from pretense or age, tasting "freedom"...
That vibrant energy society made them forget or never feel...
Granting the happiness humans should naturally enjoy, returning them to innocent play without worries, laughing like kids, just playing.
Even spectator viewers were envious and jealous enough to sprout horns.
But unexpectedly, the aftereffects hit the participants harder.
The sense of loss and emptiness returning to heavy bodies, stripped of the lightness and vitality felt as [Fox Spirits].
That it was reality, not a dream, made it even crueler for them.
Some even pleaded on the community to let them stay as fox spirits forever.
For climbers with mental or physical issues, the sweetness of a perfect body's liberation rivaled drugs.
Despite no pain, agonized posts flooded the cafe from phantom pains.
When the cafe turned from chaos to desperate pleas, even Wakamo felt troubled, like this wasn't the intent.
[Regarding Participation]
-The body dying's effect on [Fox Spirit] is unknown even to Wakamo.
-[Fox Spirit] isn't permanent.
-Next participation will include more viewers.
In the end, she posted an announcement to somehow contain it.
Truthfully, with enough mana, [Fox Spirit] could last until Wakamo dies. But if the viewer's body dies, where does their mind go...? Wakamo had no idea—and honestly didn't want to know!!
Plans for total human foxification, fox spirit security plans, fox god digitization, infinite Tsukuyomi, Matrix era, etc....
Slander flew that the fox god's evil plot to fully control believers had begun.
Giving a taste of heaven, then demanding worship and offerings in return.
Evil beast plotting to force idol worship, etc. With powerholders on Wakamo's 1st floor not accepting just anyone, they resorted to media play.
Wakamo didn't care.
She only worried how to handle viewers losing their minds in obsession.
Sighing at posts from viewers outside, lamenting missing out despite warnings.
The notice clearly said to stay home at broadcast start—she warned multiple times, so it was their fault for not listening.
Some pointed that out, but seeing others pitying them and clamoring for another participation left her stumped.
If this kept up, every new viewer during streams would ask when the next one was.
She warned on the cafe: No discussing viewer participation timing during broadcasts; violators get 3-day bans.
She told other VTubers not to cause trouble... but Aska's stream was flooded with "When's participation?"
Aska, capable of 24/7 streams and separate collabs via multitasking, was still fielding questions post-broadcast.
"I don't know. Don't ask Aska, you lowly creatures. Insolent, are you? Outsider? Banned. Read Aska stream rules. Why are unjoined cafe humans here begging for participation?"
Community lit up with Aska personality controversy bait, but as a rights-less AI familiar, no issue.
Hiding no displeasure, she pinned the notice in a screen corner post-Wakamo's post, instantly banning such questions and continuing.
-By the way, Aska ban means bans everywhere else too.
-Blacklist sharing lolololol
-Ah, she'll do it someday, fuck lololol
-Look at these impatient fuckers losing it.
-Just have patience; streamer will do it eventually.
-Faith! Devotion lacking!!
-Trying to rush an idol worship spot? Lol
-Streamer doesn't even take donations; we can't shake her lololol
Still laughing it off for now, but missing the 2nd participation might drive them insane.
Total subs over 4 million now; even 1 million wouldn't suffice—can Wakamo handle that many?
If someone, anxious despite warnings, rushes from outside and dies in an accident?
Wakamo believed viewers would handle their own safety when sending invites.
The tower seemed to mediate midway... maybe tweak settings for it to filter automatically.
"Today's stream... gotta keep it light...."
※※※
The viewer participation broadcast's aftermath was too intense.
Even Ichigo's stream got invasions asking slyly, getting banned en masse.
Climber Association scholars begged for the principle, flooding requests. Even the usually silent chairman messaged via manager to tone it down.
Innovative for VTubers, but climber-exclusive participation on this scale drew massive curiosity.
Already hounded by historians, Wakamo's sighs multiplied daily.
Ending stream short, seeking solace watching VTuber streams.
Suddenly, Jackson cautiously asked if Wakamo could come to Wakamo 1st floor.
"Tsk... A friend I know can't even pay rent anymore, might lose contact soon."
"Uh.... Lend money?"
"No, I have plenty?! Uh... Wakamo. You're recruiting 1st gen, right? Girls only? She's a climber..."
"Hmm...? [Six Freaks]?"
"No, legendary class so hopeless even they wouldn't take."
Jackson pondered where to start.
Previously, as allies, he'd told Wakamo about [Six Freaks].
Wakamo's max output was [Strongest] among known climbers, but absolute mana need meant big attacks left her vulnerable if not finishing blow or extra foes—severe drawback.
Veteran or legendary climbers had unexpected aces.
Even Jackson withstood Wakamo's Jupiter Storm, shockingly.
"Even that German engineer's 'creation' gave trouble, right? And Wakamo avoids killing. If they fought... honestly, without favorable terrain, Wakamo's win chance is 30% at best. She knows nothing of opponent; opponent knows her—disadvantage."
Wakamo's mana weakness was infamous.
Architect Jackson didn't know Engineer Hildegaard's weaknesses/skills fully.
But self-proclaimed [Six Freaks] member, defying German Climber Association pressure, maintaining forces openly building power.
"US's 'Man Eater' nullifies all human attacks—insane skill. Yet US rank 3?"
"Heard, had such [skill]?"
"Yeah. Original Man Eater hurt by monsters, immune to climbers/humans, killed by bombing. Conspiracy: US gov't artificially created via job change intel—secret weapon."
Grim tale. Anyway, tons of climbers, bizarre legendaries, per architect Jackson.
And—now the world's [most trash legendary class], face crumpling tearfully, he sighed deeply.
"Thanks to Wakamo, my luck turned. Living full and comfy... remembered her. Contacted—barely alive."
"......What legendary class makes it that bad?"
Where to begin....
Arms crossed pondering, Jackson said she's a German girl, became climber at 19, now 23.
Can't pay rent now, severe illness—won't live long, she told him; Jackson teared up.
Climbers rarely die of illness without quitting.
Can't climb? Climb 1st floor, all illnesses heal.
Some quit, climb reset floors for health—yet this legendary couldn't.
"Her class: 'Artist'. Germany's first legendary pre-engineer. High schooler prepping art college via school art. Awakened legendary climber—huge uproar. Entered tower with expectations—couldn't even climb 1st floor."
"Huh? How? German 1st floor... old goblins?"
"Yeah. Failed 1st floor legendary. National shame. Low civility...? Then engineer rose, crushed her for fame. Media hounded, disowned by parents. Art college reject, expelled from school."
"Wow....."
"But couldn't climb 1st floor—serious issue."
Understandable.
Nation busy nurturing climbers—legendary fails 1st floor?
Neighboring nations mocked via her; witch-hunted, exiled. Wakamo couldn't imagine.
"4 years like me, clinging to art dreams... seems limit reached..."
"How'd you meet?"
"Tough times, wanted to vent to similar. She was more pathetic..."
He explained her sole skill from Artist job change.
[One Who Loves Art]
-Stats rise proportional to completed artworks.
-Higher ratings boost extra effects.
-Bonus to art creation skills.
-Can imbue effects on certain grade works.
-Special effects per artwork description.
-Doesn't distinguish art types.
-Only art-related tools equippable.
-Art tools can't deal damage.
-Body treated as art tool.
"No, gotta kill monsters to climb—what?!"
"Art with monsters."
"Insane?"
Can't kill monsters, but monster-art okay?
Pure madness.
"Then kill monsters with art/sculptures?"
"Needs intelligence to understand works."
Jackson: Couldn't even kill Incheon 100th tower's 1st floor oil slimes.
Wakamo speechless at shock.
[Tower's Weakest Legendary on Ground]—tower's intent baffling.
Even [Artist] can attack with instruments!!
"....Still, rushing recruitment problematic."
"Stage 2 pancreatic cancer."
Wakamo booked Germany flight.
If manager no, she'd run there.
Manager's workload grew today too.