The Rice-Eating Hero’s Capitalist Streaming - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Capitalist Streaming of a Freeloading Hero

 

Episode 37

 

The Game of Constellations [Lyka]

 

We sat in the cafe giggling for almost four or five hours.

 

Even though it was a cafe with few people, we were so conscious of others that we ordered dessert two more times.

 

From the cafe part-timer’s perspective, they might wonder what two guys could possibly have so much to talk about…

 

But it wasn’t like we could explain that a ten-year gap had made us like this.

 

However, that didn’t mean we only had meaningless conversations the whole time.

 

As we talked, naturally the topic of each other’s livelihoods(?) came up.

 

We were quite surprised by each other’s stories.

 

“Wait.”

 

“What, what now.”

 

“So according to what you’re saying… you reached level 20 just two weeks after starting as a Hunter?”

 

“Not 20, it’s 22. And if it weren’t for the Quest, I would’ve gained at least 5 more levels…”

 

Jeongmin seemed quite flustered after hearing about my recent situation.

 

Perhaps he looked even more surprised than when I told him about being dragged to another world…

 

Just the stories from the past two weeks alone made his pupils shake as if hit by an earthquake.

 

“Wow, what? You’re not lying about that, right?”

 

I wondered why he was acting like this, but it turned out my level was the problem.

 

My level was too high compared to the short period of two weeks.

 

He looked so incredulous that I even opened the Administration Bureau app to show him my synchronized level information.

 

Of course, my first login date wasn’t recorded there.

 

But the date I first registered as a Hunter and my level could be seen.

 

“Wow, it’s almost really true.”

 

“What do you mean ‘almost really true’?”

 

“Level 9 was two weeks ago. So it should be considered about 3 weeks.”

 

“…”

 

I had reached level 9 on the first day, and it essentially took a week to reach level 20.

 

But I didn’t say more since he probably wouldn’t believe it anyway.

 

After checking my Hunter registration information, Jeongmin suddenly asked with sparkling eyes.

 

“Hey, whether it was 2 weeks or 3 weeks… with this much, don’t you think your talent is really amazing?”

 

“Yeah, it’s not that much.”

 

“This bastard even learned to be cocky while I wasn’t looking.”

 

“What do you mean…”

 

“When you reached level 20 in 2 weeks, which normally takes at least 100 days, saying you have no talent isn’t modesty, it’s being cocky, you bastard.”

 

Hearing that, I flinched for a moment.

 

Was it because I’d been gaslighted by the fairy so much?

 

Even at this moment, I sincerely didn’t think my talent was outstanding…

 

But listening to Jeongmin, I realized that was based on ‘Hero’ standards, and by ordinary Hunter standards, it might be decent talent.

 

“Anyway, so what. Is there anything that would change?”

 

At my counter-question, Jeongmin made a meaningful expression and continued.

 

“Of course there’s something that would change.”

 

“Hm?”

 

Then Jeongmin’s expression became even more scheming.

 

“Hey, would you… be interested in appearing on a variety show?”

 

What kind of crazy talk is this now…

 

“You said you need to make money.”

 

That was true though.

 

“…”

 

He said he was a variety show PD at a broadcasting station, but would there be any need for a newbie Hunter like me?

 

Jeongmin had an unusually serious expression.

 

Maybe knowing my situation of needing to make money, he was trying to help…

 

Hmm.

 

But if that’s the case, I probably wouldn’t appear on a variety show.

 

Hustling inside Gates during that time would likely earn me more money.

 

I’m not a celebrity or anything, and appearing on variety shows… I’d be lucky to get around 200,000 to 300,000 won, right?

 

But President Jung, who had been listening to my story, opened his mouth again with an incredulous expression.

 

“Hey, Geon-ryul Lee.”

 

“…?”

 

“You don’t know how much the basic appearance fee for Hunter variety shows is per episode, do you?”

 

How would I know that?

 

“The basic is 5 million.”

 

Excuse me?

 

“For major variety shows, it starts at 15 million. And if you go to real variety shows filmed inside Gates… you can multiply that by 3.”

 

“…!”

 

Listening to Jeongmin’s words, my pupils began to tremble mercilessly.

 

Even 5 million won was an amount that would make my butt wiggle immediately…

 

That could become 20 million, and then multiply by 3 on top of that?

 

“Moreover, for the one currently being planned, The Hero’s casting has been completed too.”

 

“Then…”

 

“It means it’s major among majors.”

 

Having finished calculating in an instant, I unconsciously grabbed President Jung’s hand tightly.

 

“H-hyung!!”

 

* * *

 

Hunter-Entertainment.

 

The show business industry based on Gates, abbreviated as H-Ent, was currently the industry with the steepest growth and most mainstream appeal.

 

And at the center of this industry was a major public broadcasting station sponsored by the Gate Management Bureau, which was HBC.

 

The very broadcasting station where Jeongmin now worked as a variety show PD.

 

“Of course, not all Hunter variety shows are this scale. What I mentioned is only based on HBC standards.”

 

And according to Jeongmin…

 

By domestic standards, this HBC occupied nearly half of the entire market pie.

 

“It has to be that way… under current law, it’s impossible to film content inside Gates without Administration Bureau cooperation. Simply put, we were the only public broadcasting station that could realistically show the inside of Gates, and naturally the broadcasting station grew in size.”

 

“Hm? So if it’s not HBC, filming inside Gates is completely impossible?”

 

“As I said, it’s possible with Administration Bureau permission. It’s just not as free as we are.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“Plus, to film inside Gates, the entire filming crew has to be Awakened too, right?”

 

“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

 

“It’s not easy to even enter this market without considerable scale.”

 

At this point, ‘Hunters’ were objects of admiration for many people, and it was natural for non-Awakened people to be curious about what happened inside Gates.

 

So capital concentrating on video content related to Hunters was, when you think about it, completely natural.

 

But still, there were parts I couldn’t understand.

 

“Even so… level 20 Hunters like me are honestly everywhere, aren’t they?”

 

“Right?”

 

“People like that can’t all receive appearance fees in the thousands… right?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

President Jung nodded and, perhaps having a dry throat from talking so much, sipped his americano before opening his mouth again.

 

“That’s why I asked you if it’s really true that you reached level 22 in 2 weeks.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I can only try to push you in if you meet the application conditions.”

 

“Application… conditions?”

 

“A Hunter who hasn’t passed 200 days since their first Gate entry.”

 

“That’s obviously doable.”

 

“While also being a Hunter over level 30.”

 

“Ah?”

 

“Those are the basic application requirements to volunteer as a ‘mentee participant.'”

 

After hearing this much of the explanation, I found myself nodding.

 

A Hunter who reached level 30 within 200 days… there definitely wouldn’t be many players who could apply.

 

“But honestly, even if you hit level 20 in 2 weeks, it won’t be easy. You need to reach level 30 before the screening deadline.”

 

“When is that?”

 

“About 10 days left from today.”

 

“Ah, that’s plenty of time.”

 

“…You do know that levels 21-30 take longer than 1-20, right?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Actually, if we’re talking about players who reached level 30 within 200 days among all players… there would be quite a lot of them.

 

At least the current top-tier players, even if they’re not rankers, would mostly meet that criteria.

 

But among players who haven’t reached their 200th day yet and meet those conditions… they’d definitely be rare.

 

This makes the appearance fee that Jeongmin mentioned start to make more and more sense.

 

“Anyway, meeting those conditions doesn’t guarantee you can appear. They’ll only select the 100 most competitive applicants.”

 

A hundred…?

 

That many?

 

“What do you mean by competitive?”

 

“It’s complex. Either overwhelming talent as a Hunter, or looking good for broadcast appeal. Or having an amazing story?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“Still, if you just meet the requirements and apply, your chances of being selected are extremely high.”

 

“Why?”

 

Jeongmin grinned and patted his chest.

 

“Because I’m here.”

 

“…?”

 

“I’ve been confirmed as the sub-PD and FD for 【Hunters School 3】 this time.”

 

“That variety show is called Hunters School?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Sounds like some idol audition program name.”

 

“Exactly. That’s the exact format.”

 

“…”

 

President Jeong excitedly rambled on about the program, and thanks to that, I was able to clearly understand what kind of show this was.

 

‘So it’s a survival program where rankers mentor aspiring Hunters and discover talent.’

 

And the more his story continued, the stronger my conviction became that I absolutely had to apply for this program.

 

This thing called Hunters School.

 

It seemed to be a variety show with much bigger scale than I’d imagined.

 

So much so that the incredible appearance fee that seemed impossible actually looked plausible.

 

“Let’s give it a try, Geonyul. You probably won’t win, but if you survive just 2-3 episodes, you could earn 2-3 thousand. If you make it to the main competition where they actually film inside Gates, you could really get 5 thousand per episode…”

 

Whew.

 

More than anything else…

 

My heart pounds every time I hear these amounts.

 

1,500 per episode?

 

5,000 for the main competition?

 

Wait.

 

Do they give more if you win?

 

“What do you get if you win?”

 

“Of course there’s a reward.”

 

“How much?”

 

“300,000.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“About 300,000 LP, man.”

 

“…!”

 

I must be becoming a true Alterion Continent resident, because “300,000 LP” strikes my heartstrings more than “3 billion won.”

 

Damn it.

 

That victory…

 

How do I achieve it?

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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