LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 66
[Suspicious Horn]
[Item Grade: Rare]
A very sturdy Minotaur horn.
It shows magical properties different from beastman horns from other regions.
Its value as a material is high, likely to be used for advanced equipment crafting.
It can be obtained very rarely from the Minotaurs residing in the Ancient Kingdom Region.
[Shop Sale Price: 300,000 Gold]
[Acquisition Method: Monster Hunt]
[Usage: Material, ???]
Holding it in my hand, the horn feels quite heavy.
The cross-section is neatly cut, and the tip is so sharp that it seems like it could draw blood if touched.
Sulbbang, who was inspecting the horn, came to the same conclusion as I did.
“This seems like a quest item, doesn’t it?”
While continuing our exploration, we didn’t avoid the monster blocking our path.
Knowing the monster’s drop table might be a future opportunity.
Even if a bit bothersome, we decided to fight every creature we encountered instead of dodging them.
Unless, of course, it was too overwhelming.
If we happened to die, it would all be pointless.
Anyway, the item we obtained while hunting was this ‘Suspicious Horn.’
The shop sale price is pretty high for an ordinary material.
The name itself is blatant, and its purpose is still listed as ‘unknown.’
My gamer instinct is sending out strong signals of a rewarding experience waiting ahead.
Whatever it is, we’re heading toward delicious rewards.
“Are we starting the Siege War?”
“There’s a possibility. That means I’ll have to delay uploading the recorded video.”
The first Siege War on the New Continent Jepirion will take place a month later.
But we can’t have a war on uncharted land, of course.
To unlock the Siege War, there are conditions we must achieve.
These conditions vary from region to region.
From simply defeating field bosses to completing long narrative quests, it can get quite complicated.
Significant conditions like quests are usually placed centrally on the continent.
We’re located toward the outskirts, so it’s likely that we’ll end up with dungeon explorations or boss battles.
By the way, Sulbbang’s comment piqued my curiosity.
“Hey, by the way, how much do you make from video monetization?”
“In my case, since streaming is my main focus, not much. On average, about this much a month?”
“I see.”
Numbers written on the dirt ground and then erased.
For talking, that’s quite a bit.
Considering Sulbbang is not a small streamer, it makes sense.
“Serin is the expert in video content, so you can ask her later.”
While Sulbbang placed a lot of weight on streams, Elderin balanced video and streaming equally.
So during the second preliminary round, Sulbbang’s stream handled the live coverage.
The edited video was posted on Elderin’s account.
Suddenly, I realized how much I didn’t know about streaming.
Then again, it might be natural.
I’ve only watched a lot but never actually done it myself.
No matter how bold I am, I wouldn’t have the audacity to call my forced entry a “guest appearance.”
I developed a vague dream of becoming a professional gamer or streamer.
That longing might have sparked the idea of starting a PK.
But was I truly unprepared for it?
Someday.
Really someday.
There might come a day when I, too, will bask in the light.
I must have been worrying too obviously.
Sulbbang nudged my shoulder with a chuckle.
“Why, are you interested in streaming now?”
“……A little.”
What a clueless guy.
No, maybe knowing would make things worse?
“Then why not appear as a guest? Now you could, right? Haven’t you had any offers?”
“I have, but guests are usually one-time things. Would it really matter?”
“Of course it does! What on earth are you talking about?”
After winning in the Arena, naturally, various streamers offered collaboration proposals to me.
Half willingly and half unwillingly, I turned them down.
The current popularity is just a fleeting moment.
Ultimately, the reality that I can’t stream hasn’t changed anything.
Couldn’t this be erasing even the curiosity people have about me, getting lost in some naive dream?
But Sulbbang dismissed my worries with ease.
His tone was so matter-of-fact about it.
“In any case, you can check what kind of content fits you best. Even just looking at me and Elderin, the target audience is clearly different. If you appear on both sides, you’ll find out which viewers you resonate better with. It will reduce failures in various ways.”
“Ah…!”
“Honestly, it’s strange how dense you are. If you need anything at all, just tell me. I’ll help as much as I can.”
“Th-thank you.”
Suddenly, Sulbbang began to seem different.
When I met him during the gathering, I thought, “He seems fine, but wow, he’s quite awkward.”
I reflected on such rude thoughts.
Back in the karaoke bar, how did Sulbbang act?
He couldn’t even sing properly next to me and just fumbled about.
Out of pity, I sang along, and when he finally tried to sing, I even played the tambourine for him.
Maybe that’s why he stared at me for a long time.
But really.
What if a person is a bit awkward?
If they have a good heart, that’s enough.
Well done, Sulbbang!
“Then, I’ll ask you later.”
Little did I know.
That ‘later’ would be just a few hours away.
*
The effort from me and Sulbbang bore fruit.
After hunting the Minotaurs scattered everywhere, sometimes fleeing when too many gathered, we explored the area thoroughly.
As a result, we discovered a dungeon in a secluded spot.
Just as we had predicted, we would use the ‘Suspicious Horn’ as the entrance key.
But then, one problem arose.
[Dungeon ‘Ancient Minotaur Habitat’ can only be accessed at night.]
Of course, it turned out to be a dungeon with entry time restrictions.
When we found the dungeon, dawn was just breaking.
Considering our need to meet with other party members, moving further seemed impractical.
I thought about taking a short break, but Sulbbang seized the good fortune and suggested he’d start streaming.
As long as we found a suitable spot, our location wouldn’t be visible, so it could become an experience for us.
I couldn’t refuse.
Suddenly, as I nodded, an alert rang out.
[Sulbbang has started streaming!]
The viewer count quickly began to rise.
I stood there stiffly, nervously glancing at the chat window.
I took a deep breath and exhaled again.
Good, at least I’m not shaking like last time.
Maybe it’s because I acclimatized a bit from the Arena experience?
– Where is this?
– Didn’t they say this guy couldn’t stream?
– Is that Gawol next to him?
– Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!
– (Blocked message: Oh, seeing that girl’s armpit, I’m reacting.)
“Yes, yes. Nice to meet you all! Today, I don’t really have anything prepared. Just that Gawol is here with me.”
While Sulbbang was setting up the stream, I scanned the chat window.
Most of the viewers here knew me.
I’d gained recognition since winning in the Arena, but also because I’d entered Sulbbang’s stream multiple times.
Most were looking to take him down, but regardless, it meant they weren’t seeing me for the first time.
There were some usernames that I felt seem familiar.
「FightingKingSpanking has donated 10,000 won」
「Gawol, aren’t you gonna kill Sulbbang today?」
「(Attached video)」
The donation video was from when I choked Sulbbang with my leg to death.
I think the sender was that guy from before.
I don’t remember exactly, but it’s probably right.
Beside me, Sulbbang reacted indignantly upon seeing the video.
“Hey, we’re in the same party right now! You can’t kill me since I invited you as a guest, right?”
“Well, if you ask nicely, I could do it again. Just as long as I don’t kill you.”
“Yeah. Once more… what?”
“I can’t just gulp down a precious donation! Money is important, you know. They’re spending hard-earned cash.”
“Where’s all this unnecessary professionalism coming from?”
What a rude thing to say.
If money is given, then work must be done.
It’s a principle I’ve kept since I started gaming.
It’s relatively recent that Kendo started being considered an elite sport.
And athletes can sustain themselves thanks to tax or fan donations.
If money is received, the least common courtesy should be fulfilled.
If unable to give my best, at least I must try hard.
That’s the way I was raised.
“Anyway, today we’ll just be hanging out a bit with Gawol. Any donations directed to Gawol will be forwarded, so feel free to ask anything.”
– Is it O-Fan Movement?
– Are you a real athlete???
– I heard Kelberos is based on Kendo, is that true?
– Show us your swordsmanship, show us your swordsmanship, show us your swordsmanship!
– (Blocked message: How many experience points do you have?)
– How about just show your face?
– So, is Gawol pretty? I’ve asked this 23,457,218 times!
– Why are these trolls so desperate?
– Should I say I want to suck on those soft black stockings?
At the same time as Sulbbang’s words, the chat began to surge madly.
Maybe it’s because it’s a personal stream?
Here, if there’s something to ask, they dive right in.
Our party members were more reserved and would refrain from asking.
But this level of engagement is okay.
Maybe I could set a proper boundary and answer a few questions.
“It’s true that I did sports, but I’m not doing it now. The athlete status is a secret. Just so you know, I won’t take any swordsmanship questions.”
「BunnyGirlStockingThief donated 10,000 won」
「Are you considering showing your face?」
「SoaringTheGirl’sWay donated 50,000 won」
「How do you practice? The movements in competitions look really tough.」
Wow, questions are flooding in faster than I thought.
The donations are hefty too, and it was a bit overwhelming.
But after all, it’s all money. I was eager to answer what I could.
“First off, no plans to show my face anytime soon. And when it comes to practice, naturally, I’m talking about gaming, right? What I did was… hmm.”
I began to feel a bit more at ease.
After all, I decided to skip personal information.
There’s an engaging question that caught my interest.
Character strength gets significant boosts through stats, yet controlling it ultimately lies with the player.
Balance and posture improvement must be trained directly.
During my sports days, I’d seen some effective ways of practicing for situations like this.
It should be better to show than to tell, right?
Since the ground was flat, it doesn’t look bad for a demonstration.
“Have you ever seen gymnastics?”