The Rice-Eating Hero’s Capitalist Streaming - Chapter 76

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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 76

 

Constellation’s Game [Raika]

 

A massive chunk of ice cracked with a tremendous noise.

 

Crack- Crackle-!

 

Inside the ice, intricately carved ancient rune letters were pulsating while emitting blue light.

 

Whoooosh-!

 

From the cracks in the split ice, frigid cold so harsh that just brushing against it would chill one to the bone was seeping out.

 

Beep- Beep- Beep-

 

Checking the PDA heat detector that was reacting frantically, I focused on the System Message before my eyes.

 

[※Warning! Large heat source detected ahead.]

 

[Estimated temperature: -50°C ~ 800°C]

 

[The master of <Frozen Seoul>, ‘Dongjang-gun’ will soon awaken from slumber.]

 

[Recommended level for conquest: 70]

 

[Recommended party size for conquest: 15~20 people]

 

…Omitted…

 

After checking all the System Messages, I drew out the Ignition Buster.

 

Looking at the recommended level and party size, I could roughly calculate what level of boss difficulty this was.

 

‘At this level, the boss is probably set around level 80?’

 

It felt a bit high, but it was still within my predicted range.

 

Considering the participants’ average level, it didn’t feel like a boss that was meant to be defeated….

 

‘That’s why there’s the body temperature mechanic. When this is utilized to the extreme… it’s designed to be barely defeatable.’

 

Rather, at this point, I felt my whole body coming alive with sensation.

 

This kind of extreme difficulty… was the first I’d experienced since returning.

 

Click-!

 

After checking my abilities that had become roughly 5~7 times stronger, I focused all my senses toward the back of the crumbling ice wall.

 

At the same time, a massive presence began pressing down on my entire body.

 

Grooooar-!

 

Winter’s Master.

 

It was the appearance of Dongjang-gun.

 

[Have you too come here harboring hope?]

 

A booming voice echoed through the cavern.

 

[What remains here… is only eternal winter.]

 

Every time that voice echoed, goosebumps rose all over my body.

 

Crack-!

 

The thin ice that had been spread like spider webs layer upon layer in the air shattered away… and finally Dongjang-gun’s form came into our view.

 

A massive circular hall that brought to mind a small sports field.

 

At the very center of that hall, a giant ice throne erected atop 12 steps.

 

The throne itself was one massive ice sculpture, and Dongjang-gun who had been sitting upon it slowly rose to his feet.

 

And at the same time….

 

Thud-!

 

Dongjang-gun looked down at us.

 

‘Interesting. This is really the first time I’m seeing this boss too.’

 

Confirming Dongjang-gun’s true form, I was quite surprised internally.

 

Honestly, before coming here initially, I thought Dongjang-gun would probably end up being an homage to some other boss monster I knew.

 

But had the production team really created a boss of this caliber in virtual space?

 

Dongjang-gun was a boss form that existed nowhere in my memory.

 

While I was thinking such thoughts.

 

Whirr-!

 

Bright blue lights revealed themselves from all directions.

 

[Dongjang-gun has summoned ice wraiths.]

 

[Ice Spirits reveal themselves.]

 

Ice elementals with mystical appearances slowly circling around the throne.

 

Fortunately, I was familiar with these guys.

 

‘They’re mobs that fit perfectly with this field.’

 

In a field covered in ice like this, these were guys that had at least 1.5 times more destructive power than their original specs.

 

So even at around level 50, they couldn’t be ignored.

 

“Sohee, you’re ready, right?”

 

At my question, Chloe Kang nodded.

 

“You don’t need to kill them all, just prevent them from approaching.”

 

“Got it.”

 

After finishing my orders to Chloe Kang, I checked the remaining quantity of Heat Beads.

 

[Remaining Heat Beads: 264]

 

The roughly 300 beads I had collected just before the ice age began had already been consumed by over thirty.

 

‘Definitely… there isn’t much time.’

 

This amount would let me endure about 25 more minutes at my current limit body temperature.

 

In other words, I needed to defeat this boss safely within 20 minutes.

 

Clatter- Click-!

 

After exchanging a final glance with Chloe Kang, I loaded the Ignition Buster and aimed it at Dongjang-gun.

 

Then, using the firing sound bursting from the crude magic gun as a signal flare….

 

Bang-!

 

The battle with Dongjang-gun began.

 

* * *

 

Kim Yerim was holding her breath while absorbed in the screen.

 

The staff were all busily preparing to wrap up the mission, but her gaze had no intention of leaving the monitor.

 

Silver-white plate armor covering his entire body.

 

A single magic gun emitting red heat that contrasted with this frigid space.

 

[Rat-tat-!]

 

The sight of participant Geon-ryul Lee firing it while weaving between ice cracks felt surreal to her.

 

‘Damn… this is just insane….’

 

In Ye-rim’s view, this wasn’t something that could be considered a simple survival variety show mission video.

 

Rather, it should be called the climax of an intentionally directed action movie.

 

The narrative was perfect too.

 

To save the other participants desperately holding back the monsters flooding into the Last Stronghold….

 

A solitary player who challenged ‘Winter’s Master’ alone, knowing it was impossible.

 

Regardless of the facts(?), that’s how the scene felt to Ye-rim.

 

‘This… isn’t this a lethal dose of romance?’

 

Thanks to that, participant Geon-ryul Lee had already become her first pick in Ye-rim’s heart.

 

[Bang- Bang-!]

 

But even Ye-rim had never once thought that Geon-ryul could defeat Dongjang-gun.

 

The imagination of a level 35 player defeating a level 80 boss monster… wasn’t easy even with considerable rose-colored glasses.

 

[Crack- Crash-!]

 

But when 5 minutes had passed.

 

And then another 10 minutes went by.

 

Ye-rim was beginning to feel something was off.

 

‘Wait. How is he still holding out?’

 

She had been too focused on watching with bated breath to pay attention….

 

Geon-ryul Lee on the monitor had been engaged in fierce battle with Dongjang-gun for 10 minutes already.

 

Moreover, she realized a chilling fact.

 

‘Wait. Come to think of it… he hasn’t been hit even once yet, has he?’

 

A level 30 player would normally die instantly from a direct hit by a level 80 boss monster’s attack. (Of course, this doesn’t apply to Geon-ryul Lee, whose stats are buffed by more than five times.)

 

So Geon-ryul Lee has been performing this deadly tightrope walk for over 10 minutes now. (Actually, he got hit once.)

 

[This… damn rat bastard!]

 

The fact that General Winter was so enraged that he spat out such clichéd lines… was understandable enough.

 

[Kwaaaaang-!!]

 

General Winter’s massive crescent blade whooshed and swooshed, blowing up various parts of the field.

 

But even in this moment, Geonyul dodged all those attacks… and drove a charged powerful mana cannon into his heart.

 

[Kwaaaaang-!!]

 

Could he really end up defeating General Winter at this rate?

 

Could such an impossible thing actually happen?

 

‘How is a level 35 fighting a level 80 boss… to this extent?’

 

Perhaps participant Geon-ryul Lee was… not just romantic, but a crazy genius whose talent itself surpassed Seong-hwan Lee?

 

[Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! Kwang-!]

 

While Ye-rim was having such thoughts watching the acrobatic rapid-fire mana shots…

 

The large blue gem at the center of General Winter’s chest suddenly began emitting a subtle red light.

 

‘Huh…?’

 

And Ye-rim knew what this meant.

 

She had seen the dungeon planning team’s simulation documents before.

 

‘Really… the final phase?’

 

General Winter’s full helmet with horn decorations.

 

The two blue flames glowing in that helmet’s eye holes also began burning brighter with red light.

 

The translucent crescent blade, which had a more threatening aura than any steel, also began swirling with red light.

 

[Now… it’s over, human.]

 

The red light and blue ice thus created met, and countless purple blade winds swirled around General Winter.

 

“…!”

 

Now those dozens of blades would become a single whirlwind, rushing to slice Geon-ryul Lee to pieces.

 

And after this storm of ice blades passed…

 

Either General Winter, having exhausted all his mana, would collapse, or Geon-ryul Lee, sliced to pieces, would be eliminated from the mission.

 

Ye-rim held her breath and watched this final scene.

 

General Winter’s end.

 

Or the scene that would be Geon-ryul Lee’s end.

 

And shortly after.

 

“Heoeoook…!”

 

Kim Yerim, who had been holding her breath as if being sucked into the monitor, unconsciously covered her mouth with both hands.

 

* * *

 

The battlefield was dyed purple.

 

Monster corpses piled up like mountains, completely staining the color of the blue snowfield.

 

But it wasn’t only monsters that had fallen.

 

Under the assault of elite monsters pouring in from all directions, the participants were also slowly crumbling.

 

“Just a little…! Please hold on just a little longer!”

 

“This is… impossible now. I can’t do any more.”

 

“Healer! Jinwoo-nim!”

 

“Jinwoo-nim has been eliminated. Now there are only three healers left.”

 

All the participants know.

 

If they just endure this fourth phase, all those remaining will survive.

 

But conversely, they also know that until this phase ends, this violent monster wave won’t stop.

 

So no one could hold hope for ‘survival.’

 

Nearly half of the participants who remained when the third phase ended had been sacrificed by now, but there were still 20 more minutes left.

 

“They made this… expecting us to survive?”

 

So when someone muttered with a hollow laugh, all the participants nearby couldn’t help but agree.

 

At this rate, no one in the dungeon.

 

Not even Seong-hwan Lee or Hajun Park with their overwhelming capabilities.

 

It was too obvious that none of them could survive.

 

“Keueuuk-!”

 

So right now, though no one spoke it aloud.

 

The reason participants were desperate until this moment was… actually because of the final competition.

 

Even if no one survived, rankings would ultimately be decided.

 

The last person to die would take first place in this entrance ceremony mission.

 

Therefore, even while their whole bodies trembled, the survivors continued swinging their swords and squeezing out mana.

 

But at that very moment.

 

The icy ground in the center of the plaza suddenly began cracking with a splitting sound.

 

Crack- Crackcrackcrack-!

 

A massive swirl of cold air burst through the gaps…

 

Kwadeuk- Kwakwakwang-!

 

And rose towering in the middle of the battlefield.

—————
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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