Chapter 20
People who streamed and also ran video channels were often plagued with malicious comments, especially that time. Hawk Eye was receiving an unprecedented flood of hate comments.
– Hahaha, is this guy blind in one eye or something?
– To think he’d say that just because Su-hyeok got one Lightning skill strand.
– He ran away because he was scared of fake giants. He can’t do anything.
– A guy like that is the 2nd Lee Su-hyeok? Lol.
Most of the hate comments either mocked streamer Lee Su-hyeok or dissed Hawk Eye for praising him too much.
Hawk Eye wasn’t just someone with good eyesight. He was able to understand how people were thinking just by reading their comments.
‘The extreme fans are divided into two groups.’
The original Lee Su-hyeok had transcended Earth and become an idol for all players. 20 years had passed, and since another Lee Su-hyeok appeared and had also gotten the Lightning skill, people weren’t sure what to think.
‘They either became huge fans instantly or criticized him as a fake and became anti-fans.’
Some liked him for resembling Lee Su-hyeok, and some hated him for being a fake. What the two kinds of people had in common was that they were extremely biased.
‘So far… there are more of the latter.’ That was the conclusion Hawk Eye reached after examining the ratio of the comments.
There were more people who disliked the streamer than those who recognized and liked him, and that dislike extended to them denigrating how Su-hyeok had used the Lightning skill.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said that?” Hawk Eye scratched his head. The new streamer’s control surpassed the original Lee Su-hyeok, but he was taking quite the figurative beating for making that statement.
Creak—
Hawk Eye leaned back in his chair and recalled the streamer’s play. Though he’d mumbled about regretting saying it…
“There was no avoiding making that comment.” He hadn’t started streaming to make up things that didn’t exist, read public opinion, or not be able to say what he wanted.
Most importantly, that was the very reason he was so successful. Hawk Eye believed he should keep doing things his way, and it was the promise he’d made to himself when he started streaming.
Vrrrr—
A call appeared on his kit, displaying the caller ID of ‘Team Leader’.
‘Team Leader? Is it an ad?’ Balhae Entertainment’s John Tail was calling him. Since it was rare for the man to call, Hawk Eye looked puzzled as he answered. “Yes?”
Hawk Eye heard John Tail’s loud voice. “What were you saying about Lee Su-hyeok?”
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator – SCM
Proofreader – ilafy
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* * *
[You’ve entered the ‘Dungeon: Lair of the Exiled Lizardmen’ boss room.]
Bzz, bzz—
Yellow currents of electricity flowed through Su-hyeok’s body. Although it stung and tingled, it was bearable.
[‘Selfish Sacrifice LV3′ resists the damage from ‘Lightning’.]
Bzz—
The electric current quickly subsided. That much was bearable. Selfish Sacrifice had reached level three and was better than expected.
‘In most situations, this level of power is optimal.’
Creak—
The boss room opened, and he heard the cries of the lizardmen.
Hiss, hisss—
Dozens of monsters with lizard heads stood over two meters tall, and beyond them…
BOOM—
[Boss: ‘Salamander’ is appearing.]
Hiss—!
The dungeon boss appeared amidst the massive, rage-filled lizardmen, engulfed in a subtle flame.
‘In that case…’
“I wonder how much damage I can deal,” Su-hyeok mumbled as he walked toward them. He was there to see how much damage he could deal with full Stamina and Selfish Sacrifice.
The salamander was one of the highest-ranking monsters on the 2nd floor and made for a worthy opponent.
“This feels familiar.”
Hiss—
The huge lizards flicked their tongues as they approached Su-hyeok. Beyond them, the salamander glared at him. Though the lizardmen weren’t as big as the giants, it felt similar to when he’d killed the giants’ leader.
Paf—
[‘Lightning’ permeates your feet.]
BZZT—!
Su-hyeok moved forward as if he were sliding over ice. Unlike the three-meter-tall giants, the lizardmens’ necks were easy for his sword to reach.
Slash—
A golden line appeared, and the lizardmens’ heads went flying. For a moment, the surviving monsters hesitated. Regardless, Su-hyeok advanced toward the boss.
Slash—
He slid toward the lizardmen.
Hiss—
Screech—!
The lizardmen, having regained their senses, tried to block Su-hyeok as he approached their boss.
Su-hyeok’s eyes gleamed, and he saw the perfect opportunity to decapitate a few in one strike.
‘I feel light.’ With plenty of Stamina and Magic Power, he increased his speed and added strength to his sword.
BZZT—!
[‘Selfish Sacrifice Lv3’ resists the damage from ‘Lightning.’]
Flash—!
A yellow flash burst from Su-hyeok’s sword in an instant.
BOOM—!
A noise erupted outward, shaking the cave. Lizardmen with severed heads and charred necks fell to the ground. Far away, even the dungeon boss, the salamander, seemed flustered.
Paf—
It was different compared to when he fought the giants. Su-hyeok cut down the lizardmen rushing at him and reached the boss.
‘Let’s see…’ He saw the dungeon boss, the salamander, overlap with the giants’ leader, who had survived despite his neck being pierced.
[‘Lightning’ burns brighter.]
BZZT—!
An electric shock traveled down his arm and into his sword.
‘Let’s see if you can survive this.’ He felt a tingling pain along his arm. The more power he used, the more he damaged his body.
[‘Selfish Sacrifice LV3’ attempts to resist the damage from ‘Lightning’.]
[‘Selfish Sacrifice LV3’ fails to fully resist ‘Lightning’.]
[Your Fatigue has increased.]
As his Stamina decreased and his Fatigue increased, the electricity at the tip of his sword grew stronger.
His body felt hot, and it even felt somewhat pleasant. He was familiar with Lightning, so Su-hyeok knew what would happen if he swung his sword.
He leaped into the group of lizardmen, toward the approaching salamander as flicked its tongue at him in a menacing manner.
Swoosh—!
Su-hyeok launched the lightning.
* * *
WHOOM—!
The sound bounced off the ceiling and created an echo as golden lightning swept through the cave in waves, following the sword’s path.
The screams of the lizardmen were drowned out by the sound of thunder.
[You’ve cleared the ‘Dungeon: Lair of the Exiled Lizardmen’.]
[Your level has increased.]
[+1 Strength.]
[+1 Stamina.]
[+1 Magic Power.]
That meant he’d killed the boss. On top of that, he’d wiped away all the lizardmen in his path in one strike. They’d been trying to protect the boss, but instead, they’d made a perfect target, and he’d killed more than 10 with that strike.
The remaining lizardmen, realizing they couldn’t defeat Su-hyeok, fled.
“Haa.” Su-hyeok breathed heavily while sitting over the corpse of the salamander, whose chest had been split and its corpse charred black. He looked at the traces of lightning left on the ground.
Char marks… To think he could deal so much damage with the Lightning skill.
A grin spread across his lips. ‘It’s better than expected.’ He was still just on the 2nd floor, and he was level 22. To think he could deal so much damage despite that.
[Fatigue: 61]
‘I have quite a bit of leeway in Fatigue as well. Selfish Sacrifice was beyond my expectations.’
Selfish Sacrifice was only at level three. That meant that there was still plenty of room for growth. Even at such a low level, it was very impressive.
“I could probably do more damage.” Lightning’s power was proportional to Magic Power and Stamina, and Selfish Sacrifice reduced his Stamina consumption.
He’d always felt a lack of Stamina compared to Magic Power, so the skill naturally suited him.
【 Selfish Sacrifice 】
# Type: Skill
# Rank: D
# LV: 3
# Suppresses the side effects of skills and items that harm the user.
# Points can be used to upgrade the skill’s rank and level.
# Required Points: 40,000P
The rank had increased to D. Although it was still low, just seeing it go up one rank was enough to feel the improvement.
‘40,000…’ It had started with 10,000; then it was 20,000. For level four, he needed 40,000 points. It’d doubled each time.
“When will I earn enough points to raise it again…?” The point system bothered him more than fighting or trials. At that rate, the amount of points needed might reach a million or 10 million.
As Su-hyeok left the dungeon, he thought of the company that had sent him a message. ‘It was called Balhae Entertainment, right?’
Several other companies contacted him too. Although he had been streaming for just a day, several MCN companies partnered with multiple streamers had contacted him. That’s how valuable he was.
As the 2nd player to receive ‘Lightning’ it was a great chance for the companies to capitalize on the original Lee Su-hyeok, who still had many fans. It was only natural for many companies to show interest.
‘The other companies are too small.’ Su-hyeok didn’t even care about the other messages. ‘If possible, a big company is better.’
Su-hyeok had always been at the highest tier. Be it in the tower, his guild, or his status as a player. That would remain the same for the path he was walking as a streamer.
Since he’d started, he wanted to reach the top. That’s why he had no intention of partnering with any random company. If possible, he wanted to partner up with the best company.
Thud—
The moment he stepped out of the dungeon, he stopped and looked toward the trees spread out ahead of him.
Swiish—
He sighed. “You’re quite persistent.”
Rustle—
The leaves shook, and the man hesitating behind a tree revealed himself.
“I thought you’d stopped following me. Why were you still waiting for me?” Su-hyeok asked. It was Su-hyeok’s third time encountering the man in that 20-year-later world.
“I have a tenacious side. There’s no one here but us, right?” Isaac glared at Su-hyeok with clear killing intent. It was as if he’d been waiting for that moment.
‘This guy…’ Su-hyeok had acted largely indifferent toward the man until then. Finally, his eyes changed. ‘He’s crossed the line.’
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