The Rice-Eating Hero’s Capitalist Streaming - Chapter 84
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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 84
Constellation’s Game [Lyka]
South Korea’s Hunter industry is at a world-class level.
While the influence of producing many rankers relative to its territory and population played a part, it was primarily thanks to companies that quickly adapted to changing times and experienced explosive growth within the industry’s unique characteristics.
At the pinnacle of these companies was ‘Escul Labs’.
Number one market share in the domestic potion market.
A biotech giant manufacturing customized artifacts and reagents for the top 1% of Hunters.
The saying that Escul Labs held the lifeline of the Hunter industry was, in some sense, not an exaggeration at all.
[Economy] Escul Labs, domestic potion market share #1 for 5 consecutive years… “We hold the lifeline of Hunters”
[Exclusive] Escul Labs, new drug ‘Blue Capsule’ reportedly entering Phase 3 clinical trials
[Securities] Escul Labs signs ‘next-generation mana stabilizer’ supply contract with 3 major guilds
And Chloe Kang was the late-born youngest daughter of Chairman Kang Seok-hun of that very Escul Labs.
However, her name became known to the world less than a year ago.
Chloe Kang had never once shown herself to the outside world for over 20 years.
The reason she became known to the public was due to an ‘awakening’ article reported by a Gate Management Bureau correspondent 6 months ago.
[Exclusive] Escul Labs’ ‘hidden youngest’ Chloe Kang, emerges to the world as an awakened individual after 20+ years?
[Business] Will Chloe Kang become the dark horse in the succession war?
A late-born child of a chaebol family and an awakened individual with outstanding talent.
The public was enthusiastic about this special background.
Even though her face had never been properly revealed, a fandom that revered her had emerged.
[Report] “100 million won for one photo?”… In search of the ‘Princess of the Glass Castle’ that even paparazzi gave up on
But the more attention grew, the deeper Chloe Kang hid herself.
It wasn’t mysticism, but because of ‘unfamiliarity’.
She was afraid of people’s gazes and felt burdened by expectations and curiosity.
Most of all—she had never experienced handling such attention.
Chloe Kang was someone born with a ‘curse’ that prevented her from having normal human relationships from birth.
Before awakening, she was literally a ‘walking source of contamination’.
[Ahhh! Miss! You mustn’t take off your gloves!]
Objects she accidentally touched would melt away black, and even a brush would leave burns on the other person’s skin.
With such a body, it was impossible to form normal human relationships.
So her world was narrow from the beginning.
Family, medical staff, and thoroughly controlled sterilized rooms.
That was all Chloe Kang had lived with.
So it was natural that the sudden outpouring of public attention felt overwhelming.
Every word people threw at her, every glance, every expectation-filled fuss felt like ‘a kind of violence she was experiencing for the first time’.
So hiding wasn’t a choice, but a reaction close to instinct.
However, the ironic thing was that this curse that made her hide… was also the reason that pulled her back out into the world.
[Miss. The fact that you’ve awakened… means God hasn’t abandoned you.]
[So won’t you try to find some courage?]
Awakening mana as a Hunter and becoming able to control the poison within her body.
That was the only way for Chloe Kang to live like a human being.
[If you can just control the energy within your body… it will become possible for you to enjoy an ordinary life, Miss.]
So Chloe Kang became a Hunter.
Even though she was afraid of people’s attention and wanted to hide because the world felt unfamiliar.
To overcome the pain she’d had since birth and live ‘normally’… she had no choice but to go out into that world instead.
The reason she decided to appear on 【Hunters School】 was ultimately in the same context.
“The test results will be out soon, Miss. Please sit and wait for a moment.”
“Alright, Uncle.”
So before the full-scale group living began.
Even though it was called the last free weekend given to participants, the only place Chloe Kang could stay was 【Sector Zero】 at Escul Labs headquarters.
Not only did human relationships not really exist for her in the first place.
Doctor Choi, who was both her attending physician and only friend…
Was the only person who could resolve the curiosity that was currently filling her mind.
Whirrrr—.
Cutting through the air of the silent sterilized room, the printer spat out a single sheet of paper.
It was the result sheet from Chloe Kang’s detailed examination that had just finished.
Choi Jinhyeok picked up the warm chart that had just been printed.
His gaze quickly scanned the numbers densely written on the chart.
Like a mathematician decoding complex ciphers, or like a machine trying to find errors.
The pupils behind his silver-rimmed glasses seemed to flicker slightly, then he opened his mouth in a dry voice.
“Remarkable.”
“Really? How is it remarkable?”
“The blood toxin concentration… measured more than 3% lower than usual.”
Choi Jinhyeok checked the chart two or three times again as if he couldn’t believe it.
It might be called just 3%, but for him who knew Chloe Kang’s physical condition, it was a number no different from a miracle.
Even when Escul Labs’ pride, the latest suppressant ‘Blue Capsule’, was injected directly into blood vessels, the numbers would only fluctuate by about 0.5% at most.
But without any medication prescription, and rather after returning from intense combat, the numbers had stabilized? It was a medically inexplicable phenomenon.
“What on earth happened at the filming location?”
“…As expected, my feeling was right.”
Instead of answering Doctor Choi’s question, Chloe Kang nodded slightly.
And soon, she explained exactly what had happened in the dungeon.
“There must have been something in the cooling patch that participant Geon-ryul made for me, right? If not that, then this current state can’t be explained.”
But Choi Jinhyeok’s reaction after hearing her full explanation was cold, contrary to Chloe Kang’s expectations.
“…Are you saying that the toxin blood was neutralized by a single patch made as an improvised measure?”
“Yes.”
“That’s impossible.”
Choi Jinhyeok shook his head firmly.
“Miss. Do you remember why I opposed your appearance on 【Hunters School】 from the beginning?”
“…You said even if a saint came, she couldn’t cure me.”
“Correct. Your illness isn’t a magical curse, but the trait itself imprinted in your genes. That’s not an area that can be purified with divine power. Much less if it’s not even divine power but simply a method of cooling mana’s heat…”
Choi Jinhyeok tossed the chart onto the desk.
“It might be effective in controlling immediate backflow, but it’s impossible for that to become a fundamental treatment methodology.”
Doctor Choi. Choi Jinhyeok… couldn’t fully trust the phenomenon Chloe Kang had experienced.
It was probably due to special environmental factors inside the dungeon, or a temporary placebo effect.
However.
Nevertheless, ‘data’ wouldn’t lie…
He couldn’t miss even the slightest possibility.
If there really was something about that participant Geon-ryul.
Choi Jinhyeok’s eyes narrowed.
“If what you’re saying is true, Miss. It wouldn’t be because of some technical factor that participant possesses.”
“Then?”
“That participant himself must have some ‘special element’.”
“Special element?”
“For example… he might possess mana with a wavelength that perfectly opposes your toxin blood. Or he might have special antibodies in his body… the possibility of being a kind of ‘Irregular’.”
Having said that much, Choi Jinhyeok paused and adjusted his glasses again.
Now that his thoughts had flowed this far, his researcher’s instincts felt interest and curiosity.
“Of course, it’s a slim probability.”
“No.”
However, Chloe Kang’s answer was without hesitation.
“Absolutely.”
“…Do you have any evidence?”
“Something… the scent was different.”
“Scent?”
“Yeah. When I was near that person… there was a scent that cleared my head, I guess? It sounds weird when I say it like this, but that’s the only way I can explain it. I didn’t notice at first, but later I could feel it really clearly.”
Facing Chloe Kang’s confident gaze, Choi Jinhyeok let out a hollow laugh.
It was a claim based purely on intuition, without any medical evidence whatsoever.
But…
‘There does seem to be something there.’
Strangely enough, Chloe Kang’s reckless certainty sparked Dr. Choi’s curiosity.
“Well. I’m still skeptical, but…”
Choi Jinhyeok opened his desk drawer and pulled out a small vial. It was a small bottle with a clear liquid sloshing inside.
“If you’re so certain, let’s investigate.”
“…Investigate?”
“Yes. Whether that participant can truly be your ‘antidote.’ What exactly that ‘special element’ is.”
Choi Jinhyeok slid the vial toward Chloe Kang.
His glasses glinted coldly.
“If your intuition isn’t wrong… then we might really see a path forward.”
* * *
Chloe Kang snapped out of her reverie.
Lost in various thoughts, quite some time had passed.
‘Anyway… the first step went well.’
When she opened her eyes, this event called [Arcana Draft] was almost over.
Not only had all 20 S-rank team leaders finished making their choices.
The 20 A-rank top participants had also all chosen their respective teams.
The participants ranked 41-100 would have their teams assigned by mentors, so now they just needed to unpack at the dormitory.
While it hadn’t been revealed yet which team leaders the A-rank participants had chosen, Chloe Kang wasn’t particularly interested in that.
Of course, she still had reasons to perform well in 【Hunters School 3】, so she would continue doing her best in the missions…
But separate from that, Chloe Kang’s current interest lay elsewhere.
‘If we end up using the same dormitory, I’ll be able to confirm that feeling I had more clearly, right?’
Even now, she was sitting right behind participant Geon-ryul, but honestly, she hadn’t felt that strange sensation she’d experienced in 【Frozen Seoul】 yet.
So Chloe Kang just wanted everything to finish quickly so they could finally enter the dormitory.
Of course, at this moment… her roommate was thinking something quite different.
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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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