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Episode 6: The Constellation’s Game [Leica]
So, I spotted Uncle Young-tae right from the main gate of the Gate Management Bureau. I wasn’t entirely sure when I saw the familiar-looking uncle from somewhere… But as I passed close by and glanced, I knew for sure. By the way, did this uncle become a Hunter too? Why is he coming out of the Management Bureau building…? I remember he was an ordinary civil servant… Maybe he stopped by to take care of something for that rascal Kyungjun. Kyungjun is an 8-year veteran Hunter belonging to a major guild.
“Hmm.”
To be honest, I was glad. Even though it’s a very old memory, I distinctly remember he was a very kind person.
But I couldn’t act like I knew him first.
Why?
Because this uncle also saw me coming out of the Management Bureau.
If I greeted him now, it was only a matter of time before my parents found out I had entered a Gate.
So, I pretended not to see him and hurried past towards the subway… but a problem arose.
The uncle was also on his way home.
‘Uh…’
I didn’t notice on the way here.
I was too busy digging through the Awakened community, not even thinking to look around.
But it seemed we must have taken the same subway.
Otherwise, we wouldn’t have met again in the apartment elevator like this.
“……”
It felt awkward to get off the elevator again, so I stayed still.
By this point, he probably noticed…
As we got off on the same floor in that awkward state, the uncle finally spoke first.
“By any chance… do you know someone named Kim Kyungjun
Of course I do, uncle… How could I not?
“Uh… Long time no see, sir. I’m Kyungjun friend, Geonyul.”
“……?!”
Seeing the uncle’s eyes widen, I could directly feel how surprised he was.
Sigh.
Now there’s nothing I can do.
I can only hope the uncle doesn’t tell my parents separately.
Just when I thought everything was going smoothly all day, I encountered an unexpected obstacle at the worst possible time.
“Wow, it really is Geonyul? What on earth happened to you?”
“That… I returned about a week ago.”
The uncle, unaware of my thoughts, looked very pleased.
“No… If you came back, why didn’t your father say anything?”
‘Your father’ refers to my dad. As far as I know, my dad is about two years older than Uncle Young-tae.
“He must have been flustered. My father is also quite shocked right now…”
He asked a lot of other things after that, but there wasn’t much to talk about in an apartment hallway.
So I made appropriate excuses.
“Ah, it’s not like I was sucked into a Gate or anything, as my father worried.”
It’s not like I disappeared for a day or two; I can’t exactly tell the whole job-seeking hero story, can I?
“I contacted Kyungjun first, but he was inside a Gate. I couldn’t reach him.”
Well, the uncle didn’t hold me for too long either.
Instead, before entering his home, he handed me a business card.
And this time, it was my turn to be surprised.
“Seeing as I might be of some help to you.”
But wait, there’s something odd about this card…
Is this for real?
[Ministry of National Defense, Republic of Korea]
[Gate Management Bureau]
[Director Kim Young-tae]
I don’t know much about civil servants, but… isn’t a Director-level at least a Grade 2 official? Moreover, the Gate Management Bureau at that. That’s some serious influence…
As I was thinking that, the uncle casually dropped one more line.
“By the way, you becoming a Hunter… is probably a secret from your parents, right?”
I got goosebumps instantly.
I was already pondering how to bring this up before parting ways.
How on earth did he know?
“If you had told your parents you were going to become a Hunter, I think this uncle would have already heard about it.”
True, if my father knew, given his personality, he would have immediately told Uncle Young-tae. ‘Please look after him well?’ No way. He would have begged him to stop his son.
So, in a hushed voice, I made a request.
“So, um… please don’t tell my parents…”
The uncle chuckled and nodded.
“Sure. Don’t worry. That no parent can win against their child… I probably know that best, don’t I?”
Right.
The uncle must have experience trying to dissuade Kyungjun
“Instead, if you have any difficulties, contact this uncle. Make sure to get Kyungjun help too.”
“Thank you…!”
It’s no exaggeration to say I was so grateful I almost teared up just from his words. Even though we’re not family, he cares for me like this. For a talent, money Hunter like me, it was incredibly encouraging.
“Well then, let’s meet together when Kyungjun returns.”
“Yes, uncle.”
I never imagined I’d gain this kind of backing (?)… It’s not so much expecting practical help, but more a feeling of reassurance.
I suddenly started missing that rascal Kyungjun too.
Maybe because he looks almost exactly like his dad, like two peas in a pod?
Click-
After bowing to the uncle, I finally entered my home.
Checking the clock in the living room, it was already well past 10 PM.
Today felt incredibly long.
Now, if I could just get a good night’s sleep, it would be perfect…
“Geonyul, what time is it?”
My mother, with a very angry expression, was sitting on the sofa glaring at me.
As a result, I… could only lie down in bed after listening to a lecture that lasted almost over two hours.
As morning sunlight filtered through my closed eyelids, I unconsciously sprang up from bed.
“Ugh, what time is it?”
Looking at the time, it’s 8 AM.
This is no time to linger, I have to get to work quickly.
“I’m off!”
“Geonyul, what about breakfast?”
“I’ll grab a quick sandwich!”
“Curfew. Remember?”
“Ah, I know, okay!”
You ask what’s this about a curfew?
To explain that, we have to go back to last night for a moment.
-Lee Geonyul, your curfew is 8 PM from now on.
-Ah, Mom! That’s ridiculous…!
-We couldn’t even sleep because you weren’t home. What is this?
-Uh… Dad seems to be sleeping though?
-Anyway.
-No, Mom. I left messages and everything.
-You disappeared 10 years ago after sending ‘On my way home~,’ how am I supposed to trust that?
-Sigh… But a curfew at thirty-six is a bit…
-Lee Siyul. From now on, you keep an eye on your brother. Got it?
-Yes, ma’am.
–Sigh…
-, if you break curfew one more time, I’m putting a tracker on you first. Understood?
-Eww!
Well, of course I understand they’re worried. Given the trauma of their son disappearing once, it’s completely understandable. But still, isn’t an 8 PM curfew a bit much? Even when I was a sixteen-year-old middle school, I used to hang out at the PC bang until 10 PM.
“……”
Anyway, for that reason, I was rushing to work. I made up an excuse to my mother about finding a part-time job at a friend’s workplace. Using the name of Jung-min, one of my close friends, seemed to make her accept it. Phew.
By the way, about the curfew… will I really keep it?
If it can make my mom’s heart even a little more at ease, I’ll try to be that filial.
So, to secure enough work time, I have no choice but to wake up early now. Today I woke up at 8, but tomorrow I need to leave home by 6. I earn as much as I work.
Hum-!
[Connection Location: Starting Village – Bereshit]
[Welcome to the world of ‘Leica-Leica,’ Dave.]
As I stepped into the Gate, the bright morning sunlight of the Leica world greeted me.
The air inside the Gate feels this refreshing…?
Have I finally gone crazy?
“Whew.”
Taking a deep breath, I immediately started walking out of Bereshit.
Since I planned to enter a hunting ground deeper than yesterday, I had to move diligently.
My destination was the ‘Shadow Gorge’ field that appears after leaving the western outskirts of the Starter Forest. Since it’s a hunting ground inhabited by Gray Wolves of at least level 13, I could comfortably hunt there up to level 12 while utilizing the ‘Giant Slayer’ title.
Reaching level 12 there and then tackling the ‘Moonlight Garden’ dungeon within today’s schedule was my goal.
I was crossing the Starter Forest, thinking that, when…
└ Hehehe
└ Streamer, where are you heading now?
Suddenly, a chat message of a kind I’d never seen before began appearing in a corner of my vision.
└ You, can’t you see my message?
A new kind of system message, completely different from the usual system messages or chat log format.
└ What’s this? Bug or…? I’m the only viewer too?
Thanks to that, I froze on the spot in panic.
What is this?
Don’t tell me…?
“……!”
A single possibility crossed my mind, and my pupils dilated greatly.
And onto the retina of those pupils, small, shimmering red letters appeared.
[ON Air: ☺ 1]
On the subway home from Seoul Station yesterday, I had studied a bit about the Streaming System.
Because of that, I never imagined I’d get a viewer this quickly.
Why?
They said it’s almost unheard of for a Constellation to attach to a streaming broadcast of a player who hasn’t even class-changed yet. For reference, class change is possible from level 20.
So, having even one viewer at level 9 is an incredibly rare case.
So I was momentarily stunned…
Ding-!
A new line of system message floated up.
[‘The Wandering Goblin’ has donated 10 LP.]
└ Weird. There’s no way you can’t see this.
Startled by the unexpected donation message, I stammered.
“Uh, so that’s… I don’t know how to respond.”
Getting 10 LP without having done anything? This is the jackpot, isn’t it?
By the way, I’m not sure if responding out loud like this is correct.
It feels awkward…
└ Wow, this streamer is a total newbie. What, you’re only level 9?
Th-That’s correct, but…
└ You don’t need to speak out loud like that to communicate. Just think of it as talking to a viewer in your head.
-Like this?
└ Ooh, good. Exactly that.
Although it’s called a streaming broadcast, since there was only one viewer, I somehow ended up in a situation where I was conversing with a being called a ‘Constellation.’
But that situation didn’t last long.
Ding-!
[‘The Returner with the Butterfly Mask’ has entered.]
For some reason, new Constellations started entering the stream.
└ What kind of room is this?
└ I just entered too… Is this streamer really a complete newbie?
Ding-!
[‘The Grape Count’ has entered.]
[‘The Ranker Living Thrice’ has entered.]
└ What? Is this the Starter Forest…?
└ Is it for real the streamer hasn’t even class-changed yet?
The sudden flood of chats from the Constellations was both chaotic and fascinating. The Awakened Wiki was full of stories saying it took months to get even one viewer… What on earth is different about me?
That curiosity was rising in my mind when…
One of the Constellations dropped a meaningful comment.
└ But how did such a greenhorn hero get a promotion?
Huh? Promotion? What’s that?
└ Right;; Isn’t this a system error?
└ ■■ Aren’t you doing your job properly?
As if something was being censored, parts of the Constellations’ messages had noise and were hard to read clearly. But by looking at those conversations, I could realize a few facts.
└ This, this, can’t even trust Leica Corporation’s promos anymore?
First, that this situation was by no means normal.
└ ■■■ is a one-time, basic promo… But to get this, don’t you need at least over 100,000 hours of playtime?
Second, that it seemed related to my beta play record somehow.
└ Dunno, as long as it’s fun.
└ It’s been a while since I saw such a fresh newbie, it’s refreshing.
And finally…
└ But streamer, how long are you going to stand there dazed? Not working?
I also realized that dealing with Constellations… was by no means an easy task.
[ON Air: ☺ 9]
