TL/Editor: raei
Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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After defeating the mid-boss expected on the 45th floor around the 43rd, Han Se-ah's hero party had their next steps clearly outlined.
They didn't need to worry about dealing with stone dwarves and harpies, as those matters would be handled by the Guild and the Temple.
So, when Han Se-ah turned on her notepad and started scribbling, most viewers nodded in agreent.
-Proceed to the 45th floor and search for the next quest trigger
-Collect mana stones by defeating wild harpies
-Capture any speaking red harpies encountered
"This plan should cover it. We've passed a major one, so there probably won't be any boss-level threats until we break through the 50th floor, but there might be so nad ones."
-The goal is to collect mana stones, not to fund terrorism.
-How is such a large explosion possible without gunpowder?
-The first task is quest-related, but the second and third seem... personal.
-So, you're planning to buy bombs and acid, engage in poaching, and kidnap attractive creatures for sale?
Despite the clarity of Han Se-ah's explanations, not all viewers were receptive.
The stream's popularity grew internationally, attracting viewers from around the world, so of whom used translation services to follow along.
However, the core of the stream remained focused on making things difficult for Han Se-ah.
On a mountain path where the only sights were unique rock formations and clouds, viewers' options for interaction were limited.
They participated in the rapid chat, spending money to tease Han Se-ah and watch her reactions, or they invented their own content.
For example, sothing like a virtual relationship show.
"Did you go sowhere with Roland yesterday?"
"Yes! We went to the ruins on the 42nd floor to help clean up the ruined city. I wasn't much help, though."
Grace, eager for details, probed further, while Katie listened in from a distance.
Their curiosity rekindled the viewers' excitent, who had been engrossed in similar discussions the day before.
The chat's lively reactions to romantic developnts reveal why virtual romance shows remain popular.
Both in my previous world and on Han Se-ah's Earth 4[1], creating buzz has always been effective.
Now, they've taken to enjoying virtual relationship dramas using NPCs.
"Did you both stay there the whole ti?"
"Yes. It was a very aningful ti."
The viewers, Grace, and Katie showed no sign of losing interest, their questions flowing endlessly.
The peaceful high mountain area, less fraught with battles than other regions, had made everyone more inclined to chat.
Unaware that Han Se-ah was pointing the cara at them, they excitedly quizzed Irene about the previous day's adventure.
Despite this, the party adeptly dealt with occasional attacks from wild shadow leopards, which were too weak to stir any sort of tension.
"Hmm... If we keep going this way, we should reach the passage to the 45th floor. Oh, look, there it is."
"So, there's nothing on the 44th floor? Hanna, what's our next move?"
The exploration of the Tower, surprisingly gentle and calm, progressed without incident since defeating the mid-boss.
There were no earthquakes breaking the mountain paths, no powerful monsters blocking the way, and no hostile nad harpies hindering the exploration.
The exploration of the 44th floor was so smooth it was almost boring, with only a few battles against shadow leopards and wild harpies being the highlight before they already saw the passage to the 45th floor in the distance.
"Let's just go straight up to the 45th floor and then consider exploring the underground passages. We might encounter more stone dwarves."
"So, we're exploring both the surface and underground? Understood."
She appeared a bit troubled, likely due to concerns about keeping the stream interesting.
Talking about a virtual relationship show with NPCs like Irene and I could only entertain viewers for so long.
Even a seasoned strear can't sustain interest with just one topic for over five hours.
The stream would benefit from introducing exciting elents like discovering the trigger on the 45th floor or encountering a new type of speaking harpy.
Fortunately, past streams where they rely wandered through caves and swamps without finding anything significant have set viewer expectations not too high.
The Heroes Chronicle stream often just runs in the background until sothing happens.
Thus, with little achieved, Han Se-ah's exploration of the 44th floor concluded unremarkably.
As typical in RPGs, there are dull periods.
Even in a ga touted as a cutting-edge virtual reality experience by a mysterious company, these lulls are unavoidable.
The ga's design, which requires encountering stronger enemies as players progress, ans that 'progress' cannot happen without effort.
That's simply the nature of the ga.
Growth in the ga takes ti, whether you're drinking mysterious potions for hours of grinding, or tackling dungeons and bosses that reset regularly.
"What's this about? A bounty request from outside the Tower? Is this a side quest?"
-How the hell would we know
-What kind of request would soone give to a 'Hydrochloric Acid Bomb Inventory One-Trick Hero Chemical Terrorism Girl'?
-Nothing on the 44th floor, but at least it looks like we might be doing sothing now
-Side quests are a key part of RPGs. They're ant to entertain during the dull monts. It's common knowledge in the industry.
"What's going on, Hanna?"
"We've got a bounty request from a noble, but it's in an area I'm not familiar with."
Normally, we could ignore a standard bounty request, but this one was big.
We received a formal request via a Temple Knight after returning to explore the 44th floor underground.
The letter, adorned with a gold leaf and a sophisticated seal, slled of expensive perfu and featured incredibly precise handwriting.
It was clear a rich and influential noble sent it, sparing no expense on gold, gems, and magic.
The perfu alone on the envelope could cost as much as an interdiate-level adventurer earns.
"Antibes? That sounds like it's on the southern edge of the Kingdom. Our estate's rchant often ntions traveling from Antibes to the Grand Duchy."
"So, we're heading to the south this ti?"
I tried to rember the Kingdom's geography based on what Katie had said.
The Kingdom, as featured in Heroines Chronicle, included various dungeons well known for player growth.
The South, unlike the West we visited last ti for an orc hunt, is filled with swamps and jungles, ho to characters typically dressed in minimal leather and tattoos.
While the North is largely unexplored due to its mountains and snowfields, the South is known for its dense jungles and swamps, rumored to house barbarians and witches.
However, most of what's heard is based on superstition and rumors.
"What's the south like, Roland?"
I wondered, recalling images of barbarian warriors in leather bikinis and swamp witches in form-fitting dresses rather than traditional robes, drawing curious looks from those around .
Knowing I had traveled across the Kingdom the most for various requests, I carefully chose my words before speaking.
"The south is a place teeming with trees, similar to the 31st floor before its corruption. The abundance of trees, grass, and insects makes it quite a hassle."
"Ugh, bugs? If Roland says so, it must be serious."
"The bugs aren't just occasional nuisances. In so areas, they swarm in numbers so vast, they resemble clouds or fog."
Despite this daunting aspect, the story would be too bleak if left at that.
In a world without environntal pollution and with a hot, humid climate, the land is overflowing with life.
While sotis ignorance is bliss, being forewarned is preferable.
Observing my companions' worried expressions, I continued.
"We'll run into mostly insect-type monsters. This includes swarms of giant beetles and locusts, spider colonies, and centipedes bigger than snakes."
"Eek!"
The southern part of the Kingdom is not just the birthplace of barbarian warriors and witch characters but also a haven for insect-type monsters.
---
[1.raei: Earth 4 - DC universe! One of the alternate Earths within their multiverse.]
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