Chapter 6: Wild hunter newbie

—— Training Simulation Gallery —–

Title) Sh*t, why is this real? Why is this real?

I said it twice because it’s important.

Seriously, 500 points was actually possible?

I saw it live and I still can’t believe it…

-What’s that, you weeb?

-The guy above is so slow with the news.

-FR lol.

-Ah, you don’t know this~?

-Slow.

-If you’re that slow, you won’t survive in this cruel world, O Hero.

-Ah sht, what is it? Stop teasing and tell me.

-It’s Haerang, that bstard.

-You don’t know Haerang-sensei, the born-to-be-god with 500 points?

-FR lol.

-Who’s Haerang?

-What the sh*t, is this a hidden camera? Why am I the only one who doesn’t know?

-(Link) Go here and check, the VOD is still up.

-Yeah, checking now.

---

Title) I’m the b*stard who cursed in the post below earlier.

So what is this? Isn’t it a hack?

Or manipulation?

Kang Daehan’s score is 493, how does 500 make sense?

-What are you gonna do if you don’t believe it? Hahahaha.

-FR lol.

-Haerang-sensei personally engraved it into your eyeballs that it’s a fact.

-Open your eyes, O Hero.

-(OpenYourEyes.jpg)

-Author: My eyes are open, you shthead. But what am I supposed to do if I see it and still can’t believe it?

-What do you mean what to do, you just have to believe it.

-FR lol.

-Author: I get it, so stop with the FR lol. I’m going to get a neurosis.

-FR lol.

-Author: Sht..

-So when is Haerang streaming?

-Dunno?

-Proprietor, open the room!!!

-Author: Why are you writing that in my post?

-Ah, this isn’t it? Sorry sorry hehe;;

---

“This is ridiculous.”

I chuckled and put down my phone after checking the community posts to see the reactions to yesterday’s broadcast.

For reference, yesterday, after showing the training simulation score, I ended the broadcast in less than 10 minutes.

The original plan was to start playing a game right away.

“Looking at the situation, it seems like more new viewers will come.”

Organizing my thoughts, I gently touched my lips with my finger.

Even while I was doing the training simulation, the number of viewers kept increasing.

The last viewer count I checked was 3,420.

Most of them were probably drawn by the controversy, but what mattered was that they had personally confirmed whether my physical abilities were real or not.

Announcing today’s gameplay at the end of yesterday’s broadcast was also a calculated move.

I naturally expected that, like the day before, there would be talk on the gallery after the broadcast, and it turned out just as I predicted.

This created an environment for more inflow.

As I organized my thoughts, I suddenly remembered the viewers’ reactions from yesterday and couldn’t help but smile.

When I closed my eyes, the scene came back more vividly than I expected.

“Then, that’s all for today’s broadcast.”

-You’re really leaving like this…?

-No, stop!!!

-Freeze!!!

“I plan to stream at the same time tomorrow. I’ve warmed up a bit today, so I’ll get into the main game properly starting tomorrow. Still doubt my skills? Feel free to set up a mission anytime, and I’ll personally clear things up for you.”

-Show us more!

-Hey, proprietor, where do you think you’re going just taking the money? This isn’t right!!!

-Is that really the end?

-The chivalry of the Kangho has fallen…

(TL Note: Kangho, often refers to the world of martial artists or a more general “world of wanderers/adventurers”) 

The chat window was pandemonium, but I nodded once and raised my hand in a polite greeting.

“Pa-bye~”

(TL Note: Pa-ba~ (파바~) is a cute way of saying bye-bye, like Haerang’s sign-off.)

-No!!!!

-Stop!!!

-Proprietor, freeze!!

Yes, I can.

As I quickly ended the broadcast, the viewers in the remaining chat window started clamoring even more.

-Sob sob.

-Holding my breath until the streamer comes back!! Hup!!

-And so, hundreds of years passed.

-He turned into a stone.

-Goodbye.

-But the streamer is coming tomorrow, right?

-Dunno?

-Ah, how am I supposed to endure for a whole day…

---

“That was fun.”

Looking at the time, it was almost time for the broadcast.

I got out of bed, picked up Nyua who was sleeping beside me, and headed to the capsule.

“Nyueua…?”

Nyua looked at me, still dazed with sleep.

I gently stroked it with my fingertip.

“It’s about time to start the broadcast.”

Reacting to my words, Nyua seemed to wake up and started to groove.

Dum-chit, dum-chit.

The creature, which had let its body go limp, made itself like a soft mochi again, naturally flew up, and clung tightly to my neck.

The soft sensation enveloping my nape.

It wasn’t unfamiliar anymore.

Entering the capsule in that state, the familiar startup sound played, and the private room unfolded.

One bed, one desk.

It was a simple but somewhat likable space.

Lying on the bed in the private room, killing time, I got up and started the broadcast exactly at 8 o’clock.

Less than 3 minutes after turning it on, the viewer count rapidly increased.

It had already surpassed 500.

It seemed like ending the broadcast right away yesterday was the right decision.

“Paah. You’re all fast.”

When I turned the camera to show myself, the chat window exploded.

-Hae-hi! (Haerang-hello)

-Hey hey hey, has the proprietor arrived?

-Is this really only the second day of streaming? What’s with the viewer count?

-FR lol.

-It’s insane.

-Is this the hacker broadcast?

-Ah, yesterday’s armchair analyst who missed the stream is here.

-How can you be so slow with the news, Great Hero!!

-Streamer’s here!!

The rapidly scrolling chat window.

After briefly communicating with the viewers, I scanned the chat with my eyes, waiting for the comment I wanted to appear.

Just then, the donation sound chimed.

[Cheonhyehyangijoah-nim has donated 1000 won.]
[What are your plans for today?]

Bingo.

‘The exact words I wanted have arrived.’

This way, I could more easily transition to the topic I wanted.

I checked the nickname of the person who sent the donation.

‘Cheonhyehyangijoah.’

It was a familiar nickname.

The person who had been saying exactly what I wanted them to say since yesterday.

They seemed to have a lot of money too, a grateful… sucker… no, person, who had shot 500,000 won from the very first broadcast.

“Cheonhyehyangijoah-nim, thank you for the 1000 won donation. What am I going to do today? For this too, I think showing you will be faster than telling you.”

After thanking them for the donation, I immediately launched the game.

Watching other streamers’ broadcasts, they would usually chat about various things at this point to get more donations.

‘I’m still awkward with that kind of thing.’

And these people came to reconfirm my physical abilities, not to laugh and chat with me.

Easy come, easy go for new viewers.

Therefore, I think this method is right to naturally make the viewers settle in.

With a grand sound, the screen transitioned.

[WILD HUNTER]

As soon as the title appeared, the chat window started to boil over once again.

-Ah, you know Wild Hunter, this is really, very. fun.

-Kya.

-Wow, she’s playing this.

-Thump thump thump thump thump.

-Welcome, Wild Hunter.

WILD HUNTER.

Commonly known as WaHeon.

A game set in a vast open world where you hunt numerous monsters, gather their materials, and use them to craft weapons and become stronger.

It was a traditional classic game that existed even before virtual reality became mainstream, and thanks to its highly polished gameplay, it had secured a large number of dedicated fans.

And this latest installment was a masterpiece that the production company had reportedly poured their heart and soul into.

Immediately after its release, it received evaluations like ‘captured both reality and gameplay,’ and garnered high praise from those who actually played it.

However, even amidst such praise, criticism existed.

Namely, the difficulty.

It was highly praised for its overwhelming freedom, but the problem was that this freedom also applied to the monsters.

The ‘attack patterns’ that monsters would normally have disappeared, and instead, monsters appeared that showcased movements more creative than the player’s.

Usually, the method is to learn and conquer the monster’s patterns, but in this game, the monsters’ patterns kept changing.

Even though it was a newly released game, a video of another monster interrupting a fight, throwing dung at the player, and running away surpassed 10 million views and became a legend.

As fierce protests from players poured in, the production company defiantly unveiled a new mode.

Baby Mode.

“Is hunting too difficult? We anticipated this and prepared a mode for such individuals. Alias, Baby Mode. In this mode, monster patterns are standardized, and players can become stronger more easily.”

Thanks to this, the review section, which was about to catch fire, calmed down to some extent, and the game gradually began to attract more casual players.

-The term ‘Baby Mode’ is a bit grating, but it’s fun.

-It’s difficult, but still enjoyable.

-It’s manageable once you memorize the patterns.

-Eung-ae!! Gimme food!!

And the existing hardcore difficulty was separated into Reality Mode, which has now become a hellish realm challenged only by a very small number of hardcore veterans.

-Have you played WaHeon before?

“No, this is my first time.”

At those words, some viewers started to go wild.

-Kya, welcome newbie!!!!

-First time WaHeon? That’s a bit risqué, isn’t it?

-Haah!! A brand-new newbie has arrived!!!!

-Newbie? Sh*t, get ready!!

-WaHeon is hard, will you be okay?

“Yes, I’m fine.”

-Which mode will you choose? Don’t tell me it’s Baby Mode?

-Hahahaha, it’s her first time, of course she’ll do Baby Mode.

-Asking the obvious.

-Are you trying to kill a newbie?!

The viewers suddenly started fighting amongst themselves over which mode I would choose.

Baby Mode? Or Reality Mode? They were engaged in a heated debate.

If there was something they didn’t know, it was that I would, of course, choose Reality Mode.

Furthermore, it was the so-called ‘Double Reality Mode,’ which even utilized the Capsule Reality Mode with almost no capsule calibration.

Since only minimal calibration is applied, the difficulty literally skyrockets exponentially.

Others might call me crazy if they heard it.

‘It has to be at least this much for the dopamine to flow.’

It’s just a game, anyway.

Dying inside doesn’t mean I actually die.

“I’ll go with Reality Mode for the mode.”

-Kya, this is it.

-No, the newbie will die!!

-Aren’t you being too arrogant? If you’re a newbie, it’s better to start with Baby Mode…

-It’s obvious she’s going to suffer from the start.

-Kiya~ Look at that composure, this is the余裕 (TL Note: yoyuu – composure/leeway) of 500 points.

-Com.posure, now that I think about it, sounds like a very perverted word.

-Ooh yeah…

-The atmosphere suddenly got erotic, didn’t it?

-Dude… why are you reading it spaced out like that?

-Is this person also a physicals-only nut?

-Even so, they probably won’t stand a chance against Reality Mode.

-Watching a streamer suffer is the greatest happiness.

-Die die die die.

-Now we’ll see her real skills.

-FR lol.

-This is where it really begins.

-This is the crossroads of whether she’s a training sim one-trick pony or not.

There were quite a few worried chats, but they were in the minority.

Checking the chat window’s reaction, most opinions leaned towards me suffering.

Looking at the content of a few prominent chats.

They were chats like, ‘She’s forcing it to show something,’ ‘She got excited after getting attention,’ ‘It’s for aggro,’ ‘It’s just a ploy to draw attention.’

Then, there was a chat that slightly irked me.

-HuchumatPepper: She’ll probably try a little and then quickly switch to Baby Mode lol.

(TL Note: HuchumatPepper (후추맛패퍼) – Pepper-flavored Pepper)

HuchumatPepper.

‘I’ve memorized your nickname.’

When I pressed Reality Mode on the mode selection screen, a warning message appeared.

[Are you sure you want to select Reality Mode?]

-Warning message, shiver.

-That’s brutal;;

-This is like signing a physical waiver, hahaha.

-Ah, you’re going to suffer, hahaha.

-It might be better to back out now…

I quickly read the warning message below stating that the developers bear no responsibility and pressed the accept button without hesitation.

My vision slowly faded to black.

And then.

Chirp chirp—

With the sound of birds chirping from all directions, the soft feel of grass under my feet, and even a cool breeze brushing against my face.

The realism, as if I had actually entered a forest, made my mouth fall open slightly without me realizing.

‘It was this good?’

I had heard many times that virtual reality games felt real, but hearing about it and experiencing it firsthand were two completely different things.

It felt worlds apart from the training simulation.

There was a subtle sense of incongruity when I moved my body, but I couldn’t hide my surprise at the fact that it had been implemented to this extent.

“This is my first time playing a virtual reality game, but this is truly… a new world…”

-Wait, was this the streamer’s first time with VR games too?

-Is this really okay?

-First experience, ooh yeah…

-??: I’ve taken the streamer’s first experience, haven’t I?

-I feel like we’ve suddenly gotten too close.

-Newbie, haah.

-Everyone is surprised the first time, I was too.

-I wasn’t.

-So what?

The still-awkward sensation of my body.

Since it wasn’t my real body, it felt like it was performing at least 70% worse than usual.

Lightly rotating my arm, slowly adjusting to the sensation of my body, I first spoke to proceed with the broadcast.

“Well then, first, let’s find out what I should do-“

Thwack!

At that moment, a heavy impact on my head.

And my head instantaneously snapped 90 degrees.

“……?”

As I stood frozen in bewilderment, the one who had hit me on the back of the head casually spoke.

“Newbie, not concentrating? You little slacker. Hurry up and follow!!”

-Oh, there he is.

-Ppatppat-i, hi.

(TL Note: 빻빻2 (Ppatppat-i) – a nickname, often derogatory, implying something crushed or ugly. The “2” suggests a second version or character.)

-Seeing this again.

-Ppatppat-i hyung is the same as ever!!

(TL Note: Hyung is used by males to address older males, but female streamers sometimes use it playfully for male characters/viewers.)

-Got hit right from the start, huh? Hahaha.

The chat window buzzed as if they immediately recognized the figure, but that was outside my concern.

‘Should I kill him?’

Clutching the aching back of my head, I couldn’t help but have that thought first, very seriously.