Chapter 36
『Lee Suhyuk has started the stream.』
No matter how renowned a streamer is, they start with zero viewers. The difference lies in how quickly those viewers increase.
– Su-hi!
-Su-hi!
– You’re quick LOL
– I’ve been waiting for this moment sincerely
– Seriously felt like I got interrupted mid-pee yesterday
The viewer count rapidly grew. About three minutes into the stream, Suhyuk checked the viewer trend.
『Viewers: 900』
The viewer count was rapidly increasing. Just as he was about to begin the stream in earnest—
『IloveLeeSuhyuk has donated 100 points.』
『Another long night tonight?』
Along with the donation, a question popped up.
“Thank you for the donation, IloveLeeSuhyuk. No, it’s going to be a short one tonight.”
– Su-hi!
– A short stream, damn it LOL
– Why? ㅠㅠㅠ
– Not going to the third floor?
In the pristine white room of the trial site, Suhyuk turned on the camera and microphone. He believed it was necessary to communicate a bit before starting the main content of the stream.
“Yes. Before ascending to the third floor, I think a bit of reorganization is necessary.”
An amateur player might be busy both mentally and physically. There’s no redo in trials, and Suhyuk had no intention of ascending while failing.
Rushing the challenge and failing would only prolong the time needed to conquer the tower.
Like climbing stairs, calmly and steadily.
One must proceed with a perfectly recovered condition and mental state to achieve perfect results.
“I also need to sort out what I gained from the second floor, so the strategy for the third floor will start in the next stream.”
– Ah, come on
– I wanted to see you going up to the third floor
– Seriously, let’s see some lightning strikes LOL
– What’s with the Heart of Lightning?
A pertinent question came up for the progress of the stream.
The Heart of Lightning.
Probably, those tuning into his stream were here because they were curious about it.
“I’m curious too. I haven’t checked it yet, so we can all find out together.”
– Awesome
– A true streamer;
– You didn’t sneak a peek, did you?
“No way.”
Viewers empathize with the streamer’s circumstances and mood. Knowing that, Suhyuk hadn’t checked what the Heart of Lightning was beforehand.
‘No mention of the cutscene.’
No matter how much he read the chat, there was no discussion about the cutscene he saw at the end. The countless eyes looking down on him from above the clouds.
Even through watching Falcon Eye’s stream, it seemed like only he could see them.
‘This isn’t your ordinary cutscene.’
What exactly was it?
The myriad of names displayed as ■■■.
If these entities could avoid the eyes of Player’s system-approved program, they were certainly not ordinary beings.
‘Let’s find out.’
His eyes narrowed beneath the mask.
‘Starting now.’
『Begin the second-floor trial.』
***
Whoooosh-!
The view shifted.
Like starting a new game, everything surrounding Suhyuk changed, revealing the scene of a destroyed village.
“Gather the wounded to one side! Treat the severely injured first, and bring the herbal medicine….”
The first person he made eye contact with was Ferius. Upon spotting Suhyuk getting up, Ferius beamed brightly.
“Savior! You have awakened!”
His voice was high-pitched. His speech was more formal, and even his approaching steps were courteous.
Suhyuk muttered as he got up from the hard bed.
“What’s up with him?”
“Yes?”
Ferius, who was approaching closer, looked puzzled.
“Oh, right. The microphone.”
– LOLOLOL
– Ferius looks confused LOL
– Starting off with laughs LOL
Suhyuk quickly adjusted his microphone.
So that what he said wasn’t audible to Ferius.
“It seems AhemFerius is getting better treatment now. Is it because I took down the giant?”
– Still calling him AhemFerius LOLOLOL
– Honestly, he deserves better treatment
– Seriously, if they still ignored him, that’d be inhuman
– Ferius had always been a knight favorable towards Suhyuk.
– But even then, it had never been to this degree.
“Savior! Are you alright? We were worried when we found you collapsed at the village entrance. If you hadn’t woken up….”
“Oh, shut up.”
– Shut up LOL
– Oh come on, we get it~
– Seriously, good thing Ferius can’t hear this
Preparing to brush him off, Suhyuk made a mental note to adjust the microphone again.
“I’m still feeling dizzy. Could you step back for a moment?”
“Oh, is that so? I’m sorry.”
At Suhyuk’s words, Ferius hesitated and then stepped back. Or so it seemed. In reality, he stood nearby, preventing anyone from approaching Suhyuk.
– Such dedication
– AhemFerius… you are something else…
– Maybe it’s time to start reciprocating his feelings
– Start dating! Start dating!
– Let’s go with the couple game!!
Ignoring the chat, Suhyuk first surveyed the surroundings.
“The trial progressed quickly. It seems like the remaining giants have been cleared out.”
Buzz-.
The yellow jewel from his inventory emitted a faint light.
The Heart of Lightning.
It was the reward Suhyuk obtained after defeating the giant in this trial.
“Let’s check the reward together first.”
【 Heart of Lightning 】
Grade: Unique (Growth)
Wearing Restriction: –
Non-tradeable (Bound)
Increases lightning attribute resistance by 30%
Increases ‘Lightning’ attack power by 20%
Majorly enhances immunity to ‘Status Effect: Electrocution’
“……?”
Suhyuk’s eyes widened. He muttered a rare curse under his breath.
“What the hell….”
– Oh
– LOL That’s a curse, right?
– Is this disappointment or amazement?
– Ambiguous LOL
Audience reactions were split. Some were pleased, while others were underwhelmed by the item. In reality, the item’s grade was Unique, lower than the Legendary Lightning Spear used to defeat the giant.
But Suhyuk had a different perspective.
‘This is a jackpot.’
Given a choice between the Lightning Spear and the Heart of Lightning, he would choose the latter without hesitation. Although it appeared modest, it had all the desirable traits for a user of lightning like him.
‘For a user of lightning, resistance to lightning attributes is both offensive and defensive power. Moreover, it boosts basic attack power by 20%.’
His eyes sparkled as he read the last option.
‘And greatly enhances immunity to electric shock…’
A smirk formed beneath his mask. If he had this item during his prime, how different would things have been?
He might have fried not just Kim Ilsoo’s neck but all the players of Blue Zone.
『MakeHimDoIt has donated 100 points.』
『Not satisfied with it?』
Noticing his lukewarm reaction, a viewer asked with a donation.
Regaining his composure, Suhyuk replied to the question.
“No, I’m satisfied. Very much so.”
– For real?
– Looks mediocre to me
– Must be decent if he can use lightning
Judging by the chat, it was clear that not many understood the item’s full value.
No wonder.
Though the grade of the item seemed high, its options appeared bland on the surface. Only someone who had actually used lightning could fully appreciate its value.
‘It said to get clues in the village.’
Having finished the first task, Suhyuk’s gaze shifted.
Ferius.
Currently, he was the most favorable figure towards Suhyuk in the village.
***
“Yes, ask anything you’d like!”
Inside the old barrack. Ferius’s eyes sparkled as he faced Suhyuk. This kind of enthusiasm was both a relief and a burden when he asked if he could ask some questions.
“He’d probably tell me how many moles he has on his butt…”
– LOLOLOL LOL
– (Calls him into the barrack) How many moles do you have on your butt?
– Whoa
– He’d strip down to his underwear if needed LOL
Fortunately, Ferius didn’t hear that remark. Ensuring the microphone was adjusted, Suhyuk spoke.
“The legend was true.”
“Yes, I saw. Thanks to you, our city was saved.”
Swish-.
“This came out of the giant’s body.”
Suhyuk first pulled out the Heart of Lightning from his inventory.
“This is an item called the Heart of Lightning.”
The message had said to obtain clues through the Heart of Lightning. Without beating around the bush, Suhyuk got straight to the point.
If he couldn’t get any clues from Ferius, he’d show it to someone else.
But fortunately—
“This is…”
Seeing Ferius’s reaction, it seemed the first step was a success.
“Is this really the Heart of Lightning?”
“Yes.”
The yellow jewel imbued with the power of lightning. Ferius’s eyes sparkled as he discovered it.
“Do you know what this is?”
“N-no, I’m not sure.”
Ferius’s voice trembled.
“I-I don’t know in detail.”
“……?”
– ??
– Don’t know? Don’t know???
– Just AhemFerius as always
Suhyuk carefully observed Ferius’s eyes.
‘It doesn’t seem like he’s lying.’
Judging by his reaction, it seemed like he genuinely didn’t know. Seeing how anxious he was, it was clear Ferius wasn’t faking it.
“W-what I know is only part of a legend. Whether this is true or not…”
Suppressing a sigh, Suhyuk spoke.
“Tell me whatever you know, even if it’s just a legend.”
If this guy couldn’t give him a clue, he’d have to find another person. But that would be a hassle. Repetitive and tedious trials were what Suhyuk despised the most.
“What I know is… just two legends.”
“Two legends?”
“Yes.”
Maybe one of them held a clue. Suhyuk listened closely to Ferius’s words.
“The first legend states that lightning was used to annihilate giants, just as you did, savior.”
This was something Suhyuk already knew. Indeed, he had understood the origins of the lightning this way.
‘It was a connected trial like this before too.’
However, according to Ferius, there was another legend.
“The second legend is about the gods and giants fighting over the lightning.”
“Fighting over it?”
“Yes.”
Finally, a substantial clue.
Suhyuk’s eyes lit up.
“This is more of a legend within a legend. It says that the gods and the giants waged a war over the lightning, and in the process, the giants were defeated.”
Gods and giants.
The reason for their war being the lightning was intriguing.
“And this jewel….”
Staring intently at the yellow-glowing Heart of Lightning, Ferius’s eyes sparkled.
“I believe this was crafted.”
“Crafted?”
“Yes.”
“Who made such a thing?”
Ferius shook his head at Suhyuk’s question.
“The legend doesn’t say who made it. But the purpose is clear.”
“The purpose?”
“The primary purpose is for humans to wield the lightning.”
Suhyuk nodded at this explanation. It was a plausible story. The Heart of Lightning’s options indeed specialized in handling lightning.
‘Though it’s a legend, it seems quite credible.’
The weight behind Ferius’s words added to its authenticity. As he prepared to listen to the next part, Suhyuk noticed Ferius’s expression grew tense.
Gathering himself with a deep breath, “What I just mentioned is merely the primary purpose.”
A flash of fear crossed Ferius’s face.
“There is a greater goal.”
“What is that?”
“The gods and the giants. Beings so great that humans cannot hope to challenge them with mere power.”
After taking another deep breath, he continued, as if fearful to even utter the words,
“This was created to fight and defeat them.”
TL’s Corner:
So gods and giants huh.