Chapter 53


[Isia’s Stream of March 7th – A Collection of Nonsense]

– Likes: 924

1. Yeonseo Unnie’s dungeon cabbage, a silly Seongnyeo munching on it.

2. Seongnyeo caught cabbage raiding, making eye contact with Yeonseo (Why is Unnie there?)

  

3. Not nonsense, but just a pretty duo shot of Yeonseo and the Seongnyeo for my personal enjoyment.

4. A clip of me getting my meat stolen by an orc while chatting with viewers.

5. Isia pretending to cry while collecting donations from malicious viewers (But honestly, I’m just so into how cute she looks when she cries; I wish someone would make her cry for real).

6. A pic of Isia casually saying she’ll quit being a Seongnyeo to become a Meat Fairy instead.

7. A clip of Isia successfully avenging the meat.

8. Yeonseo and the Tentacle Sorceress intertwined in an oh my moment.

9. An accident where the Tentacle Sorceress accidentally resurrects an orc, leading to a swift orc head explosion.

10. As soon as the pork belly starts grilling, the malicious Seongnyeo ignores the viewers and focuses on devouring the food.

[Thanks for picking up the clips]

[LOL, once again, she did ‘nonsense’.]

[Wow, but the duo shot of Yeonseo and the Seongnyeo is super pretty]

– [Pretty x Pretty]

– [They are just one year apart, haha!]

– [Huh? What do you mean?]

– [Yeonseo is 86 years old, and Isia is 85; she mentioned it on the first stream.]

– [Really???]

– [Yup.]

– [But the ethics review said their mental age is 21. Then they’re just 21, right?]

– [Is it because they’re returnees that they get special treatment?]

– [No idea]

– [I know, you brat.]

– [Ah! I see.]

– [If you know, just tell me, brat!]

– [No!]

– [Hahaha!]

[The Seongnyeo stream is one of the original 13. I’ll share my opinion on the Seongnyeo.]

– Likes: 1128

“I don’t really know about Hunter Isia.

Not just me; the readers and Susu probably don’t know much either.

Anyway, about a month or two ago, I was wandering the depths of the Switch looking for an easy-to-handle streamer.

Even though I already had a subscription to a big company, the thrill of finding new talent was hard to resist.

Then, I saw this massive red blob on screen, and before I knew it, I became part of the original 13 of Isia’s stream.

The funny part was that I mistakenly streamed because I mismanaged the drone.

But with a pretty face and a chest much larger than the average, I thought she would definitely be a star Hunter streamer with just B-grade skills.

However, before long rumors started swirling that she was not just B-grade but S-grade.

Isn’t that so unfair?

Her looks and body are godly, but her Hunter skills and abilities are also S-grade?

Life is seriously unfair, haha.

After Isia’s first stream, my life got so busy that I didn’t even have time to return home; let alone log into the Switch, so I didn’t get to see her broadcasts for weeks.

Recently, I managed to log back into the Switch after a bit of free time.

Naturally, I flipped through pages and wondered how much my cute streamer Isia had grown during the weeks I was away.

But Isia’s viewer count was beyond what I expected.

Isia had transformed from a small streamer to simply a rising star… You could honestly say she was on the brink of becoming a big company.

But I never expected her fame to grow from nonsense, not from her Hunter skills or appearance.

Susu kids say she cooks with dungeon monsters.

I wondered if she was making weird food on screen, but that was just the beginning.

This silly Seongnyeo didn’t just do weird cooking every stream; it felt like she was genuinely on a quest to find ultimate delicacies from dungeon monsters.

Until then, I found it amusing.

But then, she suddenly started throwing ‘nonsense’.

Just looking at the visuals, I can’t believe she’s frying a Bladed Centipede.

She regularly storms into wyvern nests in the Kurtala Mountains to steal their eggs.

Would this greedy Seongnyeo even understand the sorrowful cries of the wyverns?

In any case, Isia’s foolishness was changing daily.

Some days, she wouldn’t act silly at all and show a pretty Seongnyeo’s demeanor.

She’d ask viewers to choose her outfit or casually chat in the early morning, sometimes falling asleep during broadcasts, and when silent, she seriously looks stunning.

In any case, I often saw small-time streamers pulling in subs and views by making adult content or hosting suggestive shows.

The usual fate of ‘fallen female streamers’ was to get stuck extracting money from old viewers and ultimately fail.

But this girl, using her ‘nonsense’ instead of falling into unfortunate temptations, has a growth trajectory that leaves her fate, be it a big company or something unimaginable, in total mystery.

Thus, I… turn on this nonsense Seongnyeo’s stream again today.

Before my little stream becomes a massive nonsense broadcast,

I want to enjoy this moment.

[What’s this dude doing, confessing his sins? LMAO]

[Hey, is it ‘yo point’?]

[It’s being called the first 13, damn who even came up with that term? So annoying]

[This feels like that ‘Human Incompetence’ vibe]

[A massive nonsense broadcast? Damn!]

[What’s this vibe?!?!]

[Dude… If you’re working late, should we be shaking carrots?]

– [That’s your future speaking, you brat!]

– [This curse is a riot, haha!]

Surprisingly, the Hunter Association and the Returnee Management Bureau have special departments tasked solely with overseeing the genre Hunter galleries’ public opinion and controlling it.

The genre Hunter gallery has become the largest community since the Great Rift, with millions of domestic users, representing the public sentiment related to Hunters and Returnees.

For Hunters and Returnees, the most critical aspect is their image.

The Awakened Ones, who transcend humanity, caused severe conflicts with the general populace in the early days of the Great Rift.

So many films have been made about the struggles between mutated superhumans and humans.

In the early days of the Great Rift, when Awakened Ones and non-Awakened Ones clashed, it resulted in more casualties than among the general populace, and some countries even experienced wars.

Luckily, Yeonseo established Hunter image, which barely healed the conflict between Awakened and non-Awakened, allowing humanity to survive the Great Rift.

If human division had lasted longer, or if Yeonseo had arrived later, humanity could have already been wiped out.

However, even today, Hunters and Returnees are seen as superior beings in the eyes of the general public.

Non-Awakened Ones worry unconsciously about how frightening it would be if these superior beings turned their blades against them, thus the Hunter Association and Returnee Management Bureau had to earnestly package and promote that they are part of humanity and protect it.

As such, Hunters are not celebrities or politicians, but their image and dignity became paramount.

While there are exceptions like Choi Hyung-Min, who is a malicious hidden camera streamer, a rational Hunter would certainly care about how others perceive them.

“Director Choi Bomi, it’s been three months, and the public sentiment looks good; can’t we breathe easy now?”

“Usually, the third month post-return is the time to be most vigilant.”

Typically, returnees with psychological issues regard the three-month mark post-return as a sort of deadline.

It’s often when the returnees act out in crises or can’t adapt to modern life, suffering from PTSD of ‘the previous world’ and take extreme measures.

In Isia’s case, her abilities are estimated at S-grade, like Yeonseo’s, prompting Director Choi Bomi and a few in the Returnee Management Bureau to form a dedicated team to continuously monitor Isia within the limits of respecting her freedom and privacy.

For reference, Director Choi Bomi knew about Isia’s previous minor friction with the malicious hidden camera streamer, Choi Hyung-Min.

‘Isia doesn’t seem dangerous to me, so I just wiped away the manipulatively negative posts circulating in the gallery…’

Had there been any sign of unease or abnormality from Isia, Director Choi Bomi and their team would have entered emergency protocol, immediately punishing that crazy hidden camera streamer trying to provoke her.

After all, there were plenty of incidents to work with.

Later, I heard from Yeonhwa that ‘everything was appropriately dealt with,’ but Director Choi Bomi didn’t really want to know what that appropriate treatment actually was.

The increase in the number of spots in the Hunter Hospital’s ICU was a minor detail that didn’t need reporting to the higher-ups.

“Well, fortunately, the public sentiment remains pristine.”

“But I’ve been so out of touch with internet culture lately… is this really good sentiment?”

Director Choi Bomi was unsure if the fervent language and plethora of slang spoken among malicious net runners was genuinely indicative of good public sentiment.

“Those kids just play around like this. Youngsters tend to use more flashy language and curses, right?”

“…If I recall, the most numerous age group in the genre Hunter gallery is in their 20s to 40s?”

“They just want to seem younger. Or it could just be older kids acting wild.”

“…I’m not quite sure…”

“Anyway, that little Seongnyeo… I mean, new Hunter streamer Isia is getting such attention in the genre Hunter gallery; it must genuinely be good sentiment and image. Plus, I’ve watched Isia’s streams a few times, and she seems to dominate the viewers instead of being led by them.”

“Really?”

Director Choi Bomi hadn’t seen Isia’s streams directly, but those under her were avid followers, practically fans of Isia’s broadcasts.

Some enjoyed them as if it were their job, so Isia’s streams genuinely were walking a path of prosperity.

“Well then, if the issue is settled… I’ll step out to see the Vice Minister for a moment.”

“Isn’t the Vice Minister with Yeonseo?”

“Again?”

Director Choi Bomi didn’t know what was going on between Yeonseo and the Vice Minister, but they knew firsthand from their first day on the job at the Returnee Management Bureau, back when they witnessed the former Director getting constantly slammed and bullied by Yeonseo.

Now, years later, even after a promotion, their relationship remained the same.

“By the way, why’s the Vice Minister looking for you? Is it for another ethics review?

“No.”

Director Choi Bomi looked at the document with Isia’s information on their desk.

This small country had a peculiar number of S-grade Hunters—about a dozen.

When considering that a large country like China couldn’t even maintain over a hundred, South Korea certainly held a surprisingly high number.

Thanks to this, Korea enjoyed its golden age since the advent of Hunters’ times, largely due to the existence of the living legend, Yeonseo.

But Yeonseo was now retired.

Even so, she was still in great demand. With a packed schedule, she even had to hire a secretary to manage her travels across the globe.

In other words, the world of Hunters relied too heavily on Yeonseo.

It’s not without reason that she’s called an SS-grade Hunter that doesn’t even exist.

In that sense, Isia could very well be the new anchor steering this Hunter era.

Hadn’t Yeonseo said, “I can engage in battle with her”?

That alone was more than enough to place expectations on Isia.

“For a new S-grade to emerge, she needs results.”

“…The wind feels great.”

– Hey, what are you doing?

– Is today just a chat stream?

“…I just turned it on ’cause I was bored.”

– We’re not your friends.

– Where is this, your streaming house?

– Yeah, it’s my house.

– This is the Returnee Shelter, right?

– How do you know that?

– Our neighbor is Tia Lau… something with a long name, I can’t remember. Anyway, a Skeleton Knight lives there, and we chatted while drinking once.

– ???

– But how does a Skeleton Knight even drink?

– Doesn’t everything just spill through its ribs?

– Hahaha!

“….Sniff… sniff…”

-?

– Why are you suddenly crying?

– What’s wrong?

– No, the Seongnyeo is just in a collecting mood.

– The stream hasn’t even been on for a minute already, why’s she collecting funds?

Suddenly, as the broadcast started, Isia began to sob softly, startling the viewers once again.

Regardless of prior experience, a pretty girl with big breasts crying is completely mind-boggling for a bunch of single-Ed guys.

[‘KawaiiHorned’ gifted 20,000 won!]

– Hey streamer, calm down and tell us why you’re crying. Did something happen?

“The Skeleton Knight can’t eat, and I feel sorry for it… it brings tears to my eyes…”

-…..

– What?

– Nonsense on.

– It hasn’t even been 30 seconds since the stream started, and you’re throwing nonsense already? Hahaha.

– But we shared a drink together, right? Hahaha!

Once again, the nonsensical antics began, quickly changing the mood in the chat.

Wait a minute, really, it’s kind of sad…

For guys like me, everything I swallow physically fills my stomach, transforming into Seongnyeok or getting stored in my soul, forming a tombstone.

That’s one of the reasons I feel quite a bit of hunger, but at least I can eat something.

But the Skeleton Knight truly… can’t eat anything at all…

No matter how delicious the meat is, it will only fall through its jaw and ribs, and any tasty drink will just slip through.

Just thinking about it makes me sad again.

Sniff sniff Poor Skeleton Knight…

“Grrggh…”

“Ah, I’m hungry.”

– So are you getting up now?

“Yep, as soon as I got up, the drone camera was right in front of my face, so I rolled over and accidentally hit the broadcast button.”

– What did you do to accidentally press anything?

– Seriously, I laughed.

“Well, maybe it was my chest causing it; maybe I mistakenly hit the hologram button?”

– Huh??? Your chest?

– Hahaha, what do you mean your chest caused the stream to turn on? Hahaha!

– You’re talking nonsense, seriously! Hahaha!

– Imagine if your magical pouch rolled over and unintentionally crushed the drone camera while you were sleeping; that would be oh my!

– Wait, why does that sound plausible?

– Seriously, LMAO!

– With such mass presence, it seems possible!

Oh boy, these Susu brats.

They really perk up at any mention of the chest.

Of course, I like chests too.

Mine is great, but in my previous life, there was Menelapie, Teresa… ah, never mind.

Anyway, it’s nonsense to say the stream turned on because of my chest but it’s not a lie.

I truly didn’t have any intention of starting a stream, I just happened to be lounging around in bed, and it led to the drone camera lying on one side being crushed by my chest as the broadcast started.

Well, it’s not like I was in just my underwear, and I wasn’t in some disgusting shape either, so I didn’t think it would be a problem to keep the stream going.

It’s always better with company than being alone.

“…Because I’m hungry…”

Now that I think about it, didn’t I have a lot of orc meat leftover from the last time I had together with Yeonseo Unnie?

Meat is great.

Grilling is good.
Steaming is good.
Boiling is good.

Making soup out of it is delicious as well.

Doing anything less than a worthy dish means shamefully inviting the judgment of the Meat Fairy.

“Then, today we’ll cook something at home.”

– Uhh… the streamer made all the meat… and you’re going to devour it all yourself…

– We want some too!

– What will you do?

“Let’s see…”

When I opened the fridge, there was about 10kg of remaining orc meat.

This should be enough for about 50 servings, so it seems I could fill up a stomach.

– Is there a Seongnyeo eating meat for breakfast?!

– I know a holy maiden who’s a carnivore.

– Pork belly can be chewed in the morning, right?

– I’m hungry too!

I took the meat out and lazily examined the tools.

Last time, I caught wyverns in the Kurtala Mountains, and the rewards I received from the Association were ingredients for food and portable cooking tools along with regular kitchen necessities.

Of course, I’m not a cook.

I’m not a professional chef, and without any cooking skills, I needed help with tools and seasonings to make something even remotely edible.

Fssshhh…

First, I smeared a wide iron plate with a fair amount of butter.

– Wait, starting with butter when grilling meat? Hahaha!

– But that stuff is delicious!

– Man, I’d get fat.

– But the streamer eats dozens of servings each time yet doesn’t gain a single gram of weight?

– Does everything enter the magical pouch?

– Absolutely possible!

Butter is delicious under nearly all circumstances.

Sure, it’ll be tasty for sure!

Next, I’ll chop the leftover orc pork belly into bite-sized pieces and simply throw it in.

Fsssshhhhh!

“Hehe, what a delicious smell…”

– Streamer, streamer, streamer!

– Woah, woah, woah!

– It’s leaking oil!

– The oil is flowing; the grease is spilling!

– Woah, woah, woah!

– Streamer, streamer! Chat, look!!!

Grilled meat itself is tasty, but with butter, it’s definitely way more delicious.

[‘GoodMorningAfternoonEvening’ gifted 10,000 won!]

– You idiot! There’s a hole in the plate for oil, and it’s flowing towards your bed!

“Eh…? Aaaah! My beddd!!!”

What was I thinking? It’s only natural for the plate to have a hole for oil when grilling meat!

I hurriedly grabbed the plate barehanded and tried to shift it away, but a decent amount of butter and oil from the pork belly had already soaked into the bed.

“…Why the hell would I do something like this…”

– Hahahahahaha!

– Hahahaha!

– Hahaha! There’s even a map on your bed!

– The Seongnyeo’s oily map, oh my!

[Miracle – Purification]

“…I hope it doesn’t smell…”

My purification miracle is pretty much omnipotent.

Anything I recognize as impurities, be it the smell or traces of oil, should be erased gone, but… honestly, it feels quite icky.

I need to toss all the blankets into the washing machine after a decent breakfast.

With a sorrowful heart, I started grilling meat again.

This time, I made sure to check the oil hole and placed a paper cup to catch any drippings.

Today, my breakfast will be butter pork belly cabbage stir-fry.

First, I sizzle the pork belly in butter.

There’s no need to fully cook it.

It just needs to be coated on the surface like initial frying.

Of course, eating it like this would only mean I’m eating grilled cabbage and pork belly.

Now I need to add oyster sauce, mirin, and some minced garlic, decent amounts mixed in.

– By the way, what’s that sauce with the meat?

– What is that sauce?

– If oyster sauce goes in, it’s bound to be tasty!

– ‘Bound to be’…?

– Hah, LMAO!

Honestly, I have no clue what sort of seasoning this is.

I didn’t make it up from a recipe or anything; I just tossed it in because it seemed delicious.

“Now, just add the cabbage and seasoning like I would for bulgogi…”

Although it seemed a bit off in terms of culinary instinct, it surprisingly looked good.

The pork belly coated in butter.

The dungeon cabbage I got from Yeonseo Unnie is tasty even when raw, so that’s not an issue.

And finally, the seasoning made from the versatile oyster sauce.

With deliciousness adding up, it only leaves to become more delicious.

I’ll quickly heat up about 15 servings of rice in the microwave…

“Ta-da, breakfast is ready.”

– …Is that breakfast?

– Hahahaha, look at that volume!

– You’re telling me you’re going to eat all that by yourself?

– For breakfast?

– Oh lord, how silly! Hahaha!

The streamer… is a bone compared to the food she eats…

– Hahaha, bone! Hahaha!

“Let’s eat! I won’t share, it’s all for me!”

– Look at that persona!

– Wait, I want some too!

– If I go to the streamer’s house, will she give me some?

– Good luck not getting eaten! Hahaha!

“I don’t eat people; please don’t say such things, even in jest.”

I glared at the chat momentarily.

Even if they’re malicious, don’t say I’d eat humans – I wish they wouldn’t speak that way.

Well, I hadn’t shared details of my story with those weirdos, so it couldn’t be helped.

But at the same time, I couldn’t just share every detail with those idiots either.

Leaving complicated thoughts aside, let’s just focus on eating.

“Gulp!”

Mmm, the harmony of the butter pork belly and oyster sauce…

“Ugh…!”

Shit…

What have I made…?

– Hahahahahaha!

– Hahahahahaha!

– Hahaha!

– Look at that expression! Hahahahaha!

– Hahahahaha!

“Delicious, but… no… disgusting! I mean, it really is gross…”

The butter locks in the unique odor of the pork belly, mixing strangely with the aroma of fragrant butter, producing a fantastically awful symphony.

If I had just grilled it without the butter, all the fishiness would’ve vanished…

Not just that, the sweetness from the dungeon cabbage was way too overpowering; mixed in with the oyster sauce, it tasted less like a decent meat dish and more like cooking meat in syrup or sugary water.

“…Ugh, no way… Ugh…”

– Hahahaha!

– Hahahahahaha!

– Is the broadcasting morning becoming this crazy?

It’s sad.

To be so sad in the morning.

Sniff sniff, but a Seongnyeo must still smile through her trials…

Tell me to either eat this or to laugh at this.

I made it, but it’s horrifically dreadful.

Ding-dong!

“…Hello… This is Isia, currently very sad due to a failed meat dish. If it’s a long and complex story, please leave it in the voicemail…”

[Uh… Isia? This is Director Choi Bomi from the Returnee Management Bureau.]

“Ah, um…”

– Hahahahahaha!

– I thought it was Yeonhwa, but all of a sudden it’s Director Choi Bomi…

“Sorry, please forget what I just said… What’s up?”

[Ah, actually, are you interested in participating in a raid?]

“…A raid?”

[Yes! The quarterly large-scale hunt is approaching; if you wish to be promoted to S-grade, you’ll need some achievements. I thought it might be a great opportunity, so I reached out. What do you think?]

– ????

– What?

– A raid???

– This is big news, all of a sudden.

– The streamer is going on a raid???

Ah, a raid…

It sounds tiresome…

Aren’t there going to be many people?

Am I going to have to cooperate?

But I’m the least cooperative person…

Ugh, maybe Menelapie or Teresa could cooperate, but I’m not sure if I have anyone to pair with.

“I don’t want to…”

[Huh?]

– What did you just say?

– Is she out of her mind???

– Why are you rejecting that? Gossip!

– Seriously, don’t be silly!

Nonsense cut it out!

“However, I just totally ruined my meat dish… with this miserable and sad feeling; how could I do a raid or whatever?”

– STOP THIS NONSENSE!

[‘KawaiiHorned’ gifted 500,000 won!]

– Don’t be stupid; just say you’ll participate first!

“Just kidding. I’ll join the raid.”

– ???

  

– Again, was that a fundraising time?!

– Is the streamer worse than us?!

– I can’t even take it! Hahaha!

[Oh… That’s a relief! I’ll add you to the list! I’ll send you details about the large-scale hunt onto your smart watch, so make sure to read it when you have time!]

“Okay, understood.”

[The schedule hasn’t been finalized yet, so just relax and wait. Sorry for contacting you so early in the morning! Have a great day!]