The Rice-Eating Hero’s Capitalist Streaming - Chapter 59

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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 59

 

Constellation’s Game [Lyka]

 

The day of the first recording of <Hunters School>.

 

Around the special studio in Sangam-dong, countless crowds had gathered.

 

And for good reason, as inside this studio right now were big-shot rankers so incredible that it was hard to believe they had all gathered in one place.

 

Starting with The Hero who became a world-class ranker with just a single sword, and Ma Gwangcheol, master of ‘Taesan’, one of the top 10 domestic guilds.

 

Also Seo Jihyeok, who was both a director of Eclipse, another top 10 guild, and a ten-million-subscriber star influencer.

 

With the addition of legendary first-generation hunter Choi Jaemin and Han Soeun, the nation’s top-ranked healer famous for the keyword ‘saint’, all gathered in one place, it was only natural that countless crowds had assembled here in Sangam.

 

“Ugh, got caught in traffic hell.”

 

“I know, right. I never expected this many people to gather…”

 

However, The Hero, one of the people who held the biggest stake in this situation, wasn’t the type who could enjoy such circumstances.

 

‘This won’t be easy from day one.’

 

Though she had no choice but to appear due to her connection with the HBC director.

 

Being exposed so directly on broadcast was burdensome for someone of her personality.

 

Moreover, the fact that her real name would be mentioned due to the nature of the broadcast was also one of the uncomfortable factors.

 

The Hero Elize didn’t particularly like revealing her real name.

 

Of course, just searching the Awakened Wiki would easily reveal that her real name was ‘Chae Yu-hyun’…

 

But that was a separate matter altogether.

 

“Huu.”

 

The Hero, Chae Yu-hyun, lifted the edge of her mask slightly with her index finger as if feeling stuffy.

 

This hard mask felt a bit heavier and more suffocating than usual today.

 

“Hey, Yu-hyun! You look even more prickly than usual today?”

 

Just then, a heavy bass voice grated on her nerves.

 

The Hero narrowed her eyes behind her mask and looked ahead.

 

A massive build that made the sofa look cramped.

 

A man holding a cute espresso cup with his muscular arms that looked ready to burst.

 

He was none other than Ma Gwangcheol, master of Taesan Guild.

 

‘Ugh, that carefree guy.’

 

Chae Yu-hyun chuckled as her eyes met Ma Gwangcheol’s.

 

Actually, among the people in this studio, Ma Gwangcheol right in front of her was the most comfortable relationship.

 

She had experienced quite a few life-or-death raids together with Ma Gwangcheol, and each time, he had always been a more reliable comrade than anyone else.

 

Though his first impression was of someone quite simple and brutish, Yu-hyun knew well that this rough muscle mass became a more dependable shield than anyone else on the battlefield.

 

So Ma Gwangcheol was… one of the few comrades-in-arms and drinking buddies she could trust her back to in this industry crawling with hypocrites.

 

“I’m suffocating. Older Brother has it good. Walking around with an iron plate for a face.”

 

“What? Look at this girl talking. I’m saying this because I’m worried about you.”

 

Ma Gwangcheol clicked his tongue and tossed a vitamin bottle that was on the table.

 

“Here. Make sure to take these.”

 

“My goodness, anyone watching would think Older Brother bought them?”

 

“Didn’t you just come back from the Ashen Citadel recently?”

 

“I did?”

 

“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard lately? Your skin looks all dry.”

 

“Older Brother’s eyes are more amazing, seeing skin when I’m wearing a mask.”

 

“My eyes see everything, you brat. You have the perfect complexion for muscle loss.”

 

A faint smile spread across Chae Yu-hyun’s lips again.

 

And right at that moment.

 

Click-

 

The waiting room door opened, and a familiar face entered.

 

“Haha, you two are still the same. Always bickering whenever you meet.”

 

A gentle voice suddenly interjecting between the two.

 

Their gazes naturally turned that way, where a man in a neat suit was waving a tablet PC.

 

A genius mage who had risen to the position of director at Eclipse before even turning thirty.

 

It was Seo Jihyeok, also called the idol of the hunter world.

 

‘Eclipse’s fox.’

 

Chae Yu-hyun’s eyes narrowed slightly as they met his.

 

Always wearing a smiling face, but with a calculator running 24/7 in his head.

 

His cunning nature was like polar opposite to hers, but he was still one of the few rankers whose abilities she had to acknowledge.

 

“Come on, don’t fight and look at this. This lineup is truly legendary, I tell you?”

 

Seo Jihyeok casually tossed the tablet he brought onto the table, and the screen on the waiting room wall naturally lit up, wirelessly connected to the tablet.

 

Whirr-

 

On the screen appeared the image of Kangmin-woo holding his famous money-burning magic gun.

 

“Tch. I don’t like that bastard.”

 

Ma Gwangcheol openly frowned.

 

“A man should trust his fists, what’s the point of relying on equipment?”

 

“Aw, hyung-nim. Don’t be so narrow-minded. Being able to spend tens of billions on a single weapon is also an ability, and if he hunts monsters well with it, that’s skill too.”

 

At Seo Jihyeok’s cheeky defense, Ma Gwangcheol’s expression crumpled further, but he didn’t add more words.

 

Anyway, since they had appeared as mentors on Hunters School, Seo Jihyeok was right that they should view all mentees as objectively as possible.

 

“Hmm.”

 

In that sense, Chae Yu-hyun also held her tongue.

 

Though she inwardly agreed with Ma Gwangcheol’s opinion, there was no need to pour cold water on the good atmosphere.

 

“Well… Seo Jihyeok’s words have merit too. Equipment is also part of one’s strength.”

 

“See! I knew The Hero would understand!”

 

And one more thing.

 

The content of the first mission shared by the production team also came to mind.

 

“And anyway, the first admission mission. Won’t everything be revealed there?”

 

At The Hero’s words, Seo Jihyeok also grinned with a cunning expression.

 

“Ah. Come to think of it, the admission mission dungeon was a ‘farming dungeon’ type, wasn’t it?”

 

“That’s right. So if it really was all equipment-dependent, he’d start with an F-grade stigma from the first mission results.”

 

Seo Jihyeok joked around as he flipped the screen.

 

“Then this time… what about this guy?”

 

The next person to appear on screen was Seong-hwan Lee.

 

Royal family of Silver Knights and a strong candidate for this term’s championship.

 

It seemed to be in the order of profiles Seo Jihyeok had most recently viewed.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Then, a middle-aged man who had been leaning against the window with his arms crossed spoke heavily.

 

Graying hair and deeply etched wrinkles.

 

But his eyes were sharp enough to remind one of a bird of prey.

 

It was Choi Jaemin, guild master of Cheongyongoe and a first-generation hunter of South Korea.

 

“Blood really can’t be fooled, can it?”

 

“You mean Master Lee Hyeonmu, hyung-nim?”

 

At Ma Gwangcheol’s question, Choi Jaemin nodded.

 

“Right. Somehow he gives off the scent of that guy Lee Hyeonmu. Well, I can’t be certain until I see with my own two eyes.”

 

When Choi Jaemin spoke, even the talkative Seo Jihyeok listened quietly.

 

And for good reason, as Choi Jaemin was one of South Korea’s legendary first-generation hunters.

 

The early days of the Gate incident… the ‘Original Five’ who protected Korea during that chaos.

 

Choi Jaemin was a figure no different from living history, having written that legend alongside Lee Hyeonmu, head of Silver Knights.

 

‘I never expected to meet this person here.’

 

Chae Yu-hyun straightened her posture.

 

Since all the mentors had gradually gathered, she needed to approach this situation a bit more seriously.

 

Probably from now on, the conversations in this waiting room could somehow be inserted into the broadcast of <Hunters School 3> in some form.

 

“Ah, sorry I’m late. Traffic was really backed up.”

 

And finally appearing in the waiting room was ranker Han Soeun, who held the nickname ‘Saint’.

 

She was also the guild master of ‘Halo’, one of the top 10 guilds, and ranked first among domestic healers.

 

While the public praised her beautiful appearance and image, Yu-hyun actually knew her true nature to some extent.

 

A woman who prioritized her own safety and interests above all else in almost every situation.

 

‘Well, it’s not like I have any personal grudge against her…’

 

Honestly, she was very far from the nickname ‘Saint’.

 

While Yu-hyun was having such thoughts, several more mentee profiles flashed across the screen.

 

However, among them, there wasn’t anyone who particularly caught his interest.

 

That is, until a completely unfamiliar person named ‘Hajun Park’ appeared.

 

“Huh? Look here. There’s another level 49?”

 

At Seo Jihyeok’s words, Ma Gwangcheol’s eyes widened slightly.

 

“What? There’s another 49?”

 

Among the profiles provided to the mentors in advance, there was definitely only one level 49 – Seong-hwan Lee.

 

Setting aside everything else, this had to be quite a surprising profile.

 

[Hajun Park (19 years old / No affiliation)]

 

A boy with disheveled hair and sharp eyes, without even a proper profile photo.

 

Han Soeun’s eyes sparkled.

 

“Hajun Park? Has anyone heard of him?”

 

The Hero also looked at the screen again carefully, wondering if she had seen it wrong.

 

But Hajun Park’s level was clearly stated as 49.

 

She had never thought there would be another monster besides Seong-hwan Lee who achieved level 49 within 200 days of first accessing the Gate.

 

‘And this guy… doesn’t seem to have any supporters either.’

 

Though it was too long ago to remember exactly, the record of level 49 on day 200 was quite ahead of even The Hero’s own record.

 

Of course, it was difficult to compare the early days of the Gate with now, and especially in Seong-hwan Lee’s case, he was a rookie with the massive backing of Silver Knights.

 

‘Level 49 alone in the wild. That’s definitely interesting.’

 

This participant named ‘Hajun Park’ definitely felt different.

 

At 19 years old, he was among the youngest of the applicants.

 

“Interesting.”

 

For the first time, interest flickered in Chae Yu-hyun’s eyes behind the mask.

 

“Seong-hwan Lee, a greenhouse flower, and Hajun Park, like a wild weed…”

 

“Hey, Hero. If you say it like that, player Seong-hwan Lee would feel hurt. He actually hasn’t received anything from Silver Knights.”

 

“Well, anyway. This should make for a good show, right?”

 

A strange sense of anticipation circulated among the mentors, including The Hero.

 

Certainly, having unpredictable elements pop up like this would make the program itself more interesting.

 

While The Hero and Seo Jihyeok were having a brief conversation…

 

Han Soeun quietly turned to the next page and kept an eye on another target.

 

“The daughter of Eschool Lab is here too. Ms. Chloe Kang.”

 

At Han Soeun’s murmuring words, Seo Jihyeok asked with slight surprise.

 

“Saint, do you know her personally?”

 

“Well, not quite that… Eschool Lab here has a partnership with our guild.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“So I’m a bit happy to see her. I should take good care of her, right?”

 

Han Soeun smiled her characteristic white smile, and The Hero threw a comment her way.

 

“No going easy, Saint. It won’t be fun if you favor someone you know.”

 

“Hehe, of course not. I should take ‘special’ care of her instead. So she gets plenty of screen time.”

 

After the reconnaissance of the top-tier participants ended, Yu-hyun checked the time once.

 

‘About 10 minutes left now?’

 

About 12 minutes remained until the actual filming would begin.

 

The mentors in the waiting room also became quiet, each having their own things to do, and The Hero also quietly leaned back on the sofa, slowly turning through the tablet pages.

 

Anyway, if they could discover good talent in this <Hunters School>, it would help the guild.

 

She intended to familiarize herself with the mentees’ faces once more before the actual filming began.

 

But as she was turning through the pages like this.

 

“…?”

 

One name caught her attention.

 

[Geon-ryul Lee (36 years old / No affiliation)]

 

[Player Name: Dave]

 

‘Dave…?’

 

It didn’t come to mind immediately, but it was definitely a nickname she had seen many times somewhere.

 

‘Ah!’

 

Yu-hyun’s memory went back a few days.

 

And she remembered.

 

The very player who had sold [Jerathos’s Banner] at the Trade Exchange.

 

The peculiar man who had boldly proposed a ‘deal’ to her.

 

‘Could it be that Dave? It seems like it’s probably him.’

 

The corners of Yu-hyun’s mouth, hidden behind the mask, curled up slightly.

 

She never even thought they would be connected again like this.

 

Naturally curious, The Hero slowly read through Dave’s resume.

 

And the next moment.

 

[Special Notes: Estimated 30 days since Hunter registration as of <Hunters School 3> application date. Achieved level 33]

 

She was so shocked she almost jumped up from her seat.

 

‘Level 33 in 30 days?’

 

This was an impossible speed by common sense.

 

Including herself, none of the rankers she knew had ever achieved the 30s within a month.

 

No, there should have been at least a similar case for her to even think it might be possible…

 

‘Isn’t even level 30 in 40 days nearly impossible?’

 

This made no sense no matter how she looked at it.

 

So there was only one conclusion The Hero could reach.

 

‘Ah, it’s a typo.’

 

They had mistakenly written 30 days instead of 130 days.

 

It seemed to be a mistake by the writers.

 

‘Even level 33 in 130 days isn’t a bad level. If he had continued at that pace for about 2 more months… he would have easily reached close to level 40.’

 

As The Hero was thinking such thoughts while scratching the back of her head… just then, the waiting room door opened and the FD entered.

 

“Mentors! Let’s get ready for standby!”

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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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