Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Chapter 22: Gathering Information (1)
Translation: godtl
"Haaah..."
A deep sigh.
Its owner, Si-mun, pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to soothe his throbbing headache.
The three Constellations who had been his viewers had multiplied to three thousand without him even realizing it.
In fact, before the Black Goat's massacre, the count had even reached the four-thousand range.
"So let me get this straight."
Si-mun, momentarily overwhelmed by the absurdity of the situation, muted his broadcast voice and spoke.
"That Don King guy I fought was the first to act rudely, and then that Hu Yeon-ryong person joined in, is that it?"
[Constellation Zeus nods solemnly.]
"And even though I tried to ignore it, Don King's viewers swarmed in and escalated the criticism?"
[Constellation Black Goat pouts her lips and nods.]
[Constellation Black Goat gnashes her teeth, promising to "crush Donking" if you offer Achievement Points.]
Si-mun immediately shook his head at the Black Goat's suggestion.
"That's not an option."
It wasn't just that he hadn't anticipated a Constellation acting as his manager.
If a Constellation intervened before the official Arena began, the Galaxy Arena system wouldn't just sit idly by.
Especially if the intervention was fueled by Achievement Points he'd provided.
'But if I completely ignore the Black Goat's displeasure, my Pick of Kings stats might disappear.'
His all-stats +3 bonus could easily drop to +2.
Considering it covered Strength, Agility, Stamina, and even Transmutation Power—equivalent to four levels' worth of stats—that was no small loss.
"Now, now, Black Goat-nim. Let's just take a moment to breathe."
Si-mun soothed her in a gentle tone.
"Now that I understand the situation, I'll reopen the manager privileges and chat. From now on, even if more of those comments come in, don't pay them too much attention."
[Constellation Black Goat says she doesn't care about mere humans anyway.]
"Of course, of course. But I'm always grateful that you care about me."
Si-mun kept smiling softly as he placated her.
Fortunately, it seemed to work.
[Constellation Black Goat's cheeks flush slightly at your words.]
[Constellation Black Goat shyly nods her head.]
[Constellation Zeus and Constellation Heavenly Demon stifle amused chuckles.]
'Whew, managed to smooth that over.'
Perhaps it was thanks to his prior experience with the fiery-tempered Go Mal-suk.
Having grown somewhat accustomed to handling this type, Si-mun let out a sigh of relief and proceeded to explain the script he'd just drafted.
"And I'd prefer to keep your existence unknown for now."
Those who garnered the attention of Constellations were incredibly valuable—both in this era and in his past life.
Of course, that often ended badly.
'The whole "If I can't have you, I'll destroy you!" mentality comes to mind.'
In a world where a single Constellation-sponsored player could influence national standing, it was only natural that every underhanded tactic—from bribery to assassination—was deployed against them.
At this stage, when he hadn't even been assigned a rank yet, weathering such attacks was clearly impossible.
Which was why—
"So here's the thing. Roughly speaking..."
Above all else, the matter of the Constellations had to remain hidden.
Fortunately—
[The Constellations nod in agreement with your proposal.]
Perhaps because they understood the complexities of human affairs.
All three Constellations nodded along with the scenario Si-mun had laid out.
"Then I'll leave it to all three of you. I'll turn the broadcast back on now."
Having caught his breath, Si-mun restored the Constellations' manager privileges and reactivated the broadcast screen he'd previously shut down.
And then—
-What? Where'd the screen go?
-Was the manager getting disciplined or something?
-Huh? Wait, did the streamer order the managers to do that?
-You think he'd turn off the screen looking that serious if he did? The managers must've acted on their own.
-As expected, toxic fans are the problem no matter where you go.
-Oh! It's back!
A flood of comments popped up as viewers discussed among themselves.
"Everyone, it seems there was a slight misunderstanding."
Si-mun activated slow mode in the chat.
"The managers were just trying to prepare something for boring old me... but things got tangled up. My apologies."
He wrapped up the apology neatly, crafting a hypothetical scenario as he went.
And then—
Ahh, that was some next-level trolling. Kinda fun, though.
Fun? What's fun about pissing off a Constellation?
I had fun, though. A newbie in the Abyss needs to stir the pot like this sometimes.
At least he planted a solid hook. Nice one, managers.
The tide in the chat swiftly turned in his favor.
Of course, there were still a handful of negative comments.
BS! What kind of psycho runs a broadcast like this?
Relying on trolling for hype won't last long. Like, how great do you think you are? Lol.
Broadcasts like this (special feature) never escape the Abyss. Deadass.
But then—
What kinda nonsense is this about "never escaping the Abyss"? Y'all didn't see him wreck Don King?
There are way worse bastards in the Celestial Realm. What, are the moral police out in full force now?
Fr lol. Other broadcasts are full of actual criminals. Y'all really getting worked up over a little trolling? Lol.
Must be the puritans. Can't take a joke as a joke.
Managers, I thought it was hilarious!
Damn! He's actually standing by his people. Personality check passed!
Haaang~! Goat-nim, kick me out too, please!
Unlike other players who boldly cut ties and draw lines when controversy arises, Si-mun's unwavering support for his own people left a strong impression.
The negative opinions were swiftly crushed under the wave of positivity.
Soon after—
Even if it's just trolling, I'm glad. Instead of bus riders, we finally found a real powerhouse in the Abyss.
Facts. Gonna learn a lot from Si-mun-nim's broadcasts from now on!
I'm an Abyss local, and this arena left a huge impression on me.
[I Am Gold has donated 100 AP!]
= Hyung, keep the broadcasts coming! I'll stay loyal-loyal!
And then, his first-ever AP donation arrived.
[Achievement 'First Donation' unlocked!]
[100 Achievement Points acquired!]
As achievement notifications popped up one after another—
"Thank you for the donation, I Am Gold-nim."
Si-mun smiled warmly, expressing his deep gratitude.
Of course, his appreciation was genuine.
'A donation already?!'
While a Constellation's support was undoubtedly significant, in the long run, the donations and attention from regular viewers were absolutely crucial.
Hadn't Kim Si-hyeok and Go Mal-suk's main source of Achievement Points in their past lives been their broadcasts?
As proof—
[Achievement '5,000 Viewers Reached' unlocked!]
[500 Achievement Points acquired!]
An achievement window appeared, showing that his viewership had already soared past 5,000.
'Good. If the broadcasts keep growing, I'll be earning Achievement Points regularly.'
A kind of salary, you could say.
At the thought of a stable future income of Achievement Points, Si-mun couldn't help but smile.
Omo. What's with that smile?
Wait, this guy's actually handsome?
Right? That soft smile got me grinning like an idiot too.
He's a deceiver, but I'm down bad.
Aah! I'm so down bad too!
The chat immediately reacted to Si-mun's smile.
But then—
[The Constellation Black Goat expresses discomfort with the excessive chatter.]
As the previously silent Constellation Black Goat showed signs of barging back in—
"Ah! The arena isn't over yet, so let's focus on the match."
Si-mun swiftly shifted the topic.
"Since I'm still new to broadcasting, I'll turn off the chat for now. Everyone, please keep it civil."
Naturally, he closed the chat window too.
Flick.
With a snap of his fingers, he synthesized [Moon Owl's Body Tissue] into his eyes and swiftly moved to hunt down the remaining survivors.
After dealing with the last remaining player and returning home—
[You have successfully cleared the arena 'Frozen Abandoned Mine'.]
[You achieved an overwhelming record of 25 kills as the last survivor.]
[Clear rewards have increased based on your performance.]
[You have completed the Constellation Heavenly Demon's mission.]
[500 Achievement Points acquired.]
A welcome series of system messages greeted Si-mun.
[The bound trait 'Philosopher's Stone' has distributed a portion of experience.]
[Your level has increased by 5.]
[The Philosopher's Stone level has increased by 3.]
[You have obtained a 'Powerless Mine Core' as a clear reward.]
'Wow! These rewards are insane.'
Just from a placement test, I gained 5 levels?
Considering the Philosopher's Stone also leveled up by 3, that's roughly equivalent to gaining 8 levels' worth of experience.
On top of that, completing the Heavenly Demon's mission and obtaining rare crafting materials...
But Si-mun didn't immediately raise a toast in celebration.
Because—
-Huh? The screen went dark again.
-The Arena's over, right? That last kid must've been the final one.
-I've never seen a player speedrun an Abandoned Mine like that. Can you even see where you're going?
-Fr, we should call this a Mine Dash. Absolutely insane.
The broadcast was still running, after all.
Perhaps to protect the player's privacy.
Arenia's broadcast feed automatically cuts off the moment a player returns to Earth.
-But this dude didn't set up any waiting screen commissions, huh?
-Yeah. Doesn't even have a thumbnail or anything.
Fortunately, the location of his studio apartment remained undisclosed.
Reading the rapid-fire chat messages, Si-mun suddenly realized.
'Come to think of it, I don't have anything prepared for the waiting screen.'
The alternate screen that displays when no live feed is available.
Being new to streaming, he hadn't set up these details yet.
As a result, viewers were just seeing Si-mun floating alone against a black background.
"I only started streaming recently. I'll prepare and set up a waiting screen soon."
-Si-mun-nim. You don't need illustrations or anything, just upload a selfie.
-True. Even if your selfie game is weak, just post it. That'd be fun in its own way.
-If it's too hard to get one, send me your email. I'm not the best, but I'll make something for you!
-Absolutely possible!
Even though the Arena had ended, the viewer count remained steady at five thousand.
The chat continued nonstop.
Seeing this, Si-mun felt something warm welling up in his chest.
'This is the first time I've received so much attention from people...'
Though there were some pointed comments here and there.
Most of the chat was overwhelmingly positive.
For Si-mun, who'd lived his entire life as a level 1 with mana disability, this was an unimaginable situation.
'Back then, I was just one of those viewers.'
Maybe that's why it moved him so deeply.
Pouring his sincerity into his words:
"Thank you all for watching my amateur stream. I'll come back better than ever!"
-Oppa! How can you just end the stream with that smile?!
-This fraud!! Blur your face!
-Absolutely possible!
With a faint smile, Si-mun ended the broadcast.
Just the disappearance of a single chat window.
"......"
A sudden silence fell.
At this, Si-mun chuckled softly and shook his head.
"This... I might get addicted to it."
-Don't get too addicted. Oppa is mine, after all.
Perhaps dissatisfied with only seeing the chat window.
The Philosopher's Stone chimed in with its bright voice.
"You little rascal."
Si-mun gently stroked the stone.
Then—
'Right. I should check the rest of the system messages.'
He reopened the system window he'd temporarily dismissed.
[As previously announced, Player Kim Si-mun's rank placement period has concluded.]
[Based on MMR, Platinum-rank would be appropriate. However, additional adjustments are being made considering your level and stats.]
[Adjusting...]
'Good, I'm not going straight to Platinum.'
No matter how overwhelmingly he'd performed in every match, it had only been three games.
Considering the average level of Platinum-rank players.
It wouldn't make sense for him to be placed in Platinum at his current state.
Fortunately, the Galaxy Arena system seemed aware of this.
The "Adjusting..." message persisted for quite some time.
About ten minutes passed.
[Adjustment complete.]
[Player Kim Si-mun has been given two selection options.]
[1. Be placed in Gold-rank. Receive 10% additional experience and rewards until your Platinum-rank Promotion Match.]
[2. Be placed in Silver-rank. Receive 30% reduced experience and rewards until your Gold-rank Promotion Match.]
[Please make your selection. (1 / 2)]
Faced with these unexpected conditions, Si-mun tilted his head in confusion.
"Choice options?"
The very notion of having "two choice options" was meaningless from the start.
Anyone would obviously pick option 1.
It was wisest to reach Platinum-rank as quickly as possible.
But.
'Why did they deliberately split this into two options?'
Having experienced a previous life, Si-mun understood this system well.
'The Galaxy Arena wants me to reach Platinum as fast as possible.'
That much was clear from option 1's "10% additional experience and rewards."
Yet.
'Then why create something like option 2?'
Wasn't that just a penalty-laden choice by any measure?
The system Si-mun knew didn't engage in such inefficiencies.
Past Arenas were proof of that.
It never cared about players' personalities or intentional trolling—not one bit.
Didn't it match players solely based on objective MMR data?
If that's the system, there was no need to split the options like this.
'It could've just given me the conditions from option 1 and been done with it.'
At worst, it could've thrown him into Platinum-rank at his current level 12.
And then the system would've just:
Congratulations~.
You've achieved the unprecedented feat of reaching Platinum-rank at level 12~.
'Like that.'
The system had more than enough leeway to do exactly that.
So why deliberately create option 2?
Si-mun stared holes into option 2.
'Even if I chose option 2, it wouldn't be a catastrophic loss for me.'
Even with 30% reduced experience and rewards.
Given Si-mun's playstyle wasn't heavily reliant on items, he didn't need to obsess over rewards.
Sure, the experience penalty might sting a bit thanks to the Philosopher's Stone sharing his experience gains.
'But even that becomes negligible if I perform well in the Arena like I am now.'
A 30% reduction would just.
Bring his rewards down to what normal players receive.
Nothing fundamentally different from now.
'In the end, it's practically no penalty for me...'
There's no way this damn system wouldn't know that.
So why present these choice options at all?
As Si-mun wrestled with this.
The Philosopher's Stone's nagging voice reached his ears.
"Ah!"
A single possibility flashed through Si-mun's mind.
'What if the system has no choice but to place me in Silver?'
Unlike when this Arena began, that razor-sharp system.
Might now have a "reason" forcing it to assign him to Silver-rank?
"No way?"
There was only one conceivable variable in this situation.
"Inventory!"
Si-mun hurriedly opened his inventory.
What appeared in his hand was an ore too bright to be mere silver.
Perhaps because they weren't in the abandoned mine?
The luster within the silver ore seemed extraordinary.
Of course.
This mineral was none other than.
[Mithril Ore]
Grade: S
A metal surpassing steel in strength despite its lightness.
High mana conductivity.
It was mithril—an S-grade material item, no less.
Mithril was so precious it occasionally appeared in Magic Class techniques, not just Production Class crafts.
Naturally, it was an invaluable material for alchemists too, but.
-Wow! The purity's quite high too? At this level, you could use it almost anywh...
"Philosopher's Stone, appraise this for me."
Si-mun's voice held no hesitation.
-Huh? The info window's already open—why waste energy?
"There's something I need to verify."
-Okay, fine. But even with low content, it's still mithril ore—it'll consume a fair bit of Transmutation Power.
"That's fine. Just do it."
Mithril was deeply intertwined with alchemy.
So the Philosopher's Stone, capable of appraising mithril, began immediately.
Hmm.
As Transmutation Power steadily drained, the mithril ore faintly shimmered.
Soon.
[Doria's Mithril Ore]
Ownership: Kim Si-mun
Grade: X
Mithril ore from the Doria mountain range, once sacred to dwarves.
When used during Arena matching, grants entry to 'Nightmare of the Heated Mine.'
Participant limit: 1.
Staring at the altered mithril ore's info window.
"So that's it..."
Si-mun carefully examined the transformed mithril ore in his grasp.
"This was the reason."