Pioneer Land (3)

[Suspicious Horn]

[Item Grade: Rare]

A very hard Minotaur horn.

It shows different magical properties compared to beastman horns from other regions.

It seems to have high value as a material and will likely be used for high-tier equipment.

Can be obtained very rarely from Minotaurs inhabiting the Ancient Kingdom territory.

[Shop Selling Price: 300,000 Gold]

[Acquisition Method: Monster Kill]

[Usage: Material, ???]

The horn felt quite heavy when held.

The cross-section was cleanly cut, and the tip was sharp enough to draw blood if touched.

Soolbbang, examining the horn, came to the same conclusion as me.

“This looks like a quest item, doesn’t it?”

As we continued exploring, we didn’t avoid the monsters blocking our way.

Knowing the monster drop table might be an opportunity in the future.

Even if it was a bit troublesome, we killed all the ones we encountered without avoiding them.

Except when there were too many.

It would all be meaningless if we died by mistake.

Anyway, this ‘Suspicious Horn’ was an item we obtained while hunting like that.

The shop selling price set quite high for an ordinary material.

The name itself was blatant, and the usage was still marked as ‘Unknown’.

My gamer instinct sent a strong green light.

That whatever it is, a delicious reward is waiting in the direction we’re going.

“Will a siege battle open?”

“There’s a possibility. If so, I’ll have to postpone uploading the recorded video even more.”

The first siege battle in the new continent Zephyrion will be held a month later.

But you can’t wage war on unexplored land.

There were inevitable conditions that had to be met for siege battles to be unlocked.

Those conditions varied by region.

From simply defeating field bosses to complex cases requiring clearing lengthy epic quests.

Large conditions like quests are usually placed in the center of the continent.

Where we were, on the outskirts, there was a high chance it would end with dungeon exploration or boss defeat.

By the way, Soolbbang’s words made me curious about something.

“Hey, how much do you make from video revenue?”

“In my case, streaming is my main focus, so not much. On average, about this much per month?”

“I see.”

Numbers written and erased on the dirt ground.

It’s quite a lot for just talking.

Well, Soolbbang isn’t a small-scale streamer after all.

“Serin is the expert in the video field, so ask her later.”

While Soolbbang placed higher emphasis on streaming, Elderin had a balanced ratio between videos and streaming.

That’s why during the second preliminaries, the live broadcast was done on Soolbbang’s stream.

The edited video was uploaded on Elderin’s account.

I realized anew that I still don’t know much about broadcasting.

Maybe it’s natural.

I’ve only watched a lot, but never done it myself.

Even I wasn’t shameless enough to count my reckless intrusions as ‘appearances’.

I had vague dreams about becoming a pro gamer and streamer.

PK was something I started because that aspiration couldn’t be fulfilled.

Was I actually not prepared for it at all?

Someday.

Really someday.

There might be a day when light shines on me too.

I must have been pondering too obviously.

Soolbbang chuckled and patted my shoulder.

“What, interested in streaming?”

“…A little.”

This guy doesn’t understand others’ feelings.

No. Would it be more troublesome if he did?

“Then why don’t you try appearing as a guest or something? You can do it now, right? Haven’t you received any offers?”

“There are some, but guest appearances are just one-time things. Would it be meaningful?”

“Of course it would. What are you talking about?”

After winning the Arena, naturally, several streamers made collab offers to me.

I refused, half willingly, half unwillingly.

The current popularity is just a momentary flash.

In the end, the reality that I can’t stream hasn’t changed at all.

I couldn’t shake off the delusion that indulging in a half-baked dream might even eliminate the curiosity about me.

But Soolbbang simply blew away my concerns.

He spoke as if it was the most natural thing.

“First, you can check which kind of broadcast suits you best. Just look at me and Elderin, our target audiences are clearly different. If you appear on both sides, you’ll know which viewers you match better with. It reduces failures in many ways.”

“Ah…!”

“You’re so clueless in strange ways. Let me know anytime if you need help. I’ll help as much as I can.”

“Th-thanks.”

Suddenly, Soolbbang started to look different to me.

When I met him at the offline meeting, I thought ‘He looks normal but strangely lacks social skills’.

I felt ashamed of having such mean thoughts.

Earlier, how did Soolbbang act at the karaoke?

He’s the guy who just fidgeted next to me, unable to sing properly.

I even sang along with him out of pity, and when he sang, I played the tambourine for him.

Perhaps grateful for that, he kept looking at me for a long time.

But well.

So what if someone lacks social skills a bit?

If they have a kind heart, that’s enough.

Well done, Soolbbang!

“Then, I’ll ask for your help later.”

I didn’t know at the time.

That ‘later’ would be just a few hours away.

* * *

Our efforts, mine and Soolbbang’s, bore fruit properly.

After hunting the Minotaurs scattered everywhere, running away when too many gathered, and thoroughly exploring the area.

We were able to find a dungeon in a corner.

As we initially predicted, it used the ‘Suspicious Horn’ as an entry key.

But one problem arose.

[The dungeon ‘Ancient Minotaur Habitat’ can only be entered at night.]

Of all things, it was a dungeon with time restrictions on entry.

When we found the dungeon, morning was just breaking.

Considering joining with other party members, it became an awkward situation to move further.

I was thinking of taking a short rest like this.

But Soolbbang said he’d turn on his stream, saying it was a good opportunity.

He said if we find a suitable spot, our location won’t be visible, and it would be a good experience.

I couldn’t refuse.

As soon as I nodded absent-mindedly, a notification rang.

[Soolbbang has started streaming!]

The number of viewers started to increase quickly.

I watched the chat window, stiff and awkward.

I took a deep breath, then exhaled.

It’s a relief. This time, I’m not trembling as much as before.

Is it because I got used to broadcasts in the Arena?

– Where is this?

– ThisGuyWhoSaidHeCantStreamWhatIsThis

– Is that Gawol next to him?

– Let’sGoLet’sGoLet’sGoLet’sGoLet’sGo~

– (Message blocked: Ah, seeing that woman’s armpits turns me on)

“Yes, yes. Nice to meet you, everyone. I haven’t prepared anything special today. Just Gawol is here next to me.”

While Soolbbang was setting up the stream, I watched the chat window.

Most of the viewers here know me.

Partly thanks to my increased recognition after winning the Arena, but also because I’ve intruded on Soolbbang’s streams several times.

Most of the time, I came to kill Soolbbang.

Anyway, it means they’re not seeing me for the first time.

Among them, there were even some nicknames I seemed to have seen before.

「FightingKingSpanking donated 10,000 won」

「Gawol, aren’t you killing Soolbbang today?」

 「(Attached video)」

The donation video was of me strangling Soolbbang to death with my legs.

The sender seemed to be that guy from back then too.

I don’t remember exactly, but it’s probably right.

Next to me, Soolbbang, who saw the video, shouted indignantly.

“No, we’re in the same party now! I invited you as a guest, you can’t kill me. Right?”

“Well, I could do it one more time if asked. Just not to the point of killing.”

“Yeah, one more time… What?”

“We can’t just swallow a precious donation. Money is important, you know. They spent money they earned with blood and sweat over there.”

“Where did that unnecessarily thorough professionalism come from?”

You’re being rude.

If you receive money, you do the work.

This has been my main principle since I started gaming. No, throughout my life.

Kendo being classified as an elite sport is a relatively recent thing.

And athletes being able to maintain their livelihood is entirely thanks to taxes or fan support.

If you receive money, you should fulfill at least the minimum duty.

If you can’t help it due to your ability, you should at least try your best.

I’ve grown up like that since I was young.

“Anyway, today I’m just going to chat lightly with Gawol. I’ll hand over all the donations sent to Gawol, so if you have any questions, ask them and such.”

– Open fan meeting?

– Is she really a national team player???

– I heard Cerberus is kendo-based, is it true?

– ShowSwordsmanShowSwordsmanShowSwordsmanShowSwordsmanShowSwordsmanShowSwordsman

– (Message blocked: How many people have you slept with?)

– Just do a face reveal?

– So I asked for the 23457218th time if Gawol is pretty

– Why are these trolls sucking up so much ffs

– Would it be wrong to say I want to suck on soft black stockinged thighs?

As soon as Soolbbang spoke, the chat window started to explode crazily.

Is it because it’s a personal broadcast?

As expected, they dig in right away if they’re curious about something.

Our party members deliberately didn’t ask, though.

But this much is okay.

I’ll answer while drawing appropriate lines.

“It’s true that I used to exercise, but I’m not doing it now. Whether I was on the national team is a secret. I’ll say in advance, I won’t be taking questions about the swordsman.”

「BunnyGirlStockingThief donated 10,000 won」

「Do you have any plans to reveal your face?」

「TumultIsAGirl’sQuality donated 50,000 won」

「How do you practice? When I saw you in the tournament, there seemed to be a lot of difficult movements.」

These questions are coming in faster than I thought.

The donation amounts often had large sums attached, which was quite bewildering.

Anyway, that’s all money too. I intended to answer everything I could.

“First, I have no immediate plans for a face reveal. And about practice, you mean in the game, right? As for how I did it… Hmm.”

I got a bit excited.

I’ll pass on content related to my personal information though.

There was one nutritious question, so I felt motivated.

The character’s strength receives considerable correction through stats, but controlling it is ultimately up to the player.

Things like sense of balance or posture balance need to be improved through actual practice.

And during my athlete days, I had seen a good practice form for this situation.

It would be better to show it directly, right?

There was a flat ground nearby, so it didn’t seem bad for demonstration.

“Have you ever seen gymnastics?”