Chapter 31: Don’t bark

The larger the amount of money, the harder it became to just ignore it.

The unreasonable demands wrapped in money made me, someone who no longer worries about money thanks to the retirement fund from my heroic days, think twice.

To be precise, it wasn’t the money, but the atmosphere that was getting heated because of it.

What made me feel a bit anxious… was the thought that, like Da-young said, maybe this was an overreach.

I shook my head, trying to push that thought away.

What I saw when I lowered my head was the bikini armor I had set up using a slight modification of the hero’s gear.

‘Was I thinking I wanted attention? Was that what led to this decision?’ I reflect on myself.

Despite these issues, I didn’t expect it to blow up like this.

I figured… a little support or mission request would come in, and they would eventually give up and get tired of it.

Admit it.

I got too carried away since it was my first stream.

I should reflect on that.

‘But what can I do now?’ It’s already been done.

If the water’s spilled, all I can do is scoop it back up.

“Haah.”

Taking a deep breath, I calmed my mind.

I manipulated the panel and clicked on the mission button.

“Let’s see, if I do a sexy Zero Two dance, it’s a three-hundred-thousand-won mission, right?”

Ding!

With the ringing bell, a mission failure notification popped up.

“Ta-da, looks like success is out of reach.”

[SB Ta-da, why is this guy here?]

[You’re burning three hundred thousand for failing the mission?]

[Hey, young lady! Act like a lady!]

[Looks like you’re full, sensei.]

[We saw your character design, three hundred’s nothing to you.]

[Ask and double it.]

[I was so excited for this, damn it!!!]

[What’s the point of a reaction when it’s this bad?]

Naturally, the chat was half a mess, half complaints.

“I don’t like this kind of reaction. No matter how much you donate, I’m not doing it. So if you want to see me melt money, donate generously.”

[Let’s go, 5,000-won donation!]

Unnie, your outfit doesn’t match your words.

“Outfit mismatch? Ah, you mean my clothes and my words. Yeah, I didn’t think that through. I won’t wear this kind of outfit again.”

[What?]

[Hey, because of you, the room owner changed their outfit too.]

[Is the room owner even wearing a hijab now?]

[Let’s go with the Islamic concept while we’re at it.]

[Sorry, unnie, we won’t donate anymore, but we’ll leave you in that outfit.]

[Normally, mistakes are forgiven up until the second offense, sensei.]

[No, our second offense is just puberty.]

The recent donation gave me a good excuse, something I’d been thinking about for a while.

The declaration wasn’t exactly a declaration, but the chat was growing even more intense, showing no signs of slowing down.

At least there were no additional mission requests from the Golden Sun Frog, so that was a relief.

If the amount kept going up, and the atmosphere kept exploding like a volcano, I’d have considered giving up and doing an unrestrained broadcast.

[Bear Kingcha 10,000-won donation!]

“Hey, you know, unnie’s sexy dance is something you can’t even fathom with just two people watching. It’s that considerate.”

[What? Do you think we’re that naive? Get a grip.]

“Hey! Can you stop making the dog tag clink so loud?”

[If you see that white-skinned dance wave, even Buddha would think it’s handsome.]

[Unnie, I came after hearing your voice. You have such a beautiful voice. Are you trying to become a voice actor?]

I felt a rush of excitement at the relatively positive donation.

It was the perfect time to bury the previous topic.

“Ah, thank you for the compliment. I’m not trying to be a voice actor. I’ve never practiced it either.”

[Unnie, even if you did pursue voice acting, I think you’d succeed.]

[If you learn Japanese and debut, you’ll be Lucifer.]

“Mm, really?”

I could feel the atmosphere in the chat subtly changing.

With a sense of relief, I went with the flow of the chat once again.

“How about later, we pick an RPG game and try mimicking the lines?”

[The female streamer I was watching who practiced voice acting was pretty good.]

[If you dub a character with your voice, it would blow up. The listeners would go crazy.]

[What medieval game should we do?]

[How about the Miel Sequel series? The voice acting is great, and the story is good too.]

“I’ll plan out some medieval game content and let you know later. But today, we’ll stick to solo work. Is that alright with everyone?”

I was just a first-day streamer, but something in me was already getting greedy.

No matter how delicious the meat, you eventually get tired of it if you keep eating the same thing.

There needs to be variety so the main dish can shine.

Luckily, by using the collective intelligence of the viewers, I could see an outline forming, and it made me feel light-hearted.

If my voice was that well-liked, I’d have to think about making content that exudes that vibe in the future.

I’ll have to ask Da-young about this after the broadcast.

[Unnie, I came after hearing your voice. You have such a beautiful voice. Are you trying to become a voice actor?]

“Haa.”

The new ID donation from Da-young made her sigh in relief as the atmosphere in the chat changed.

With this, I had managed to put out the fire.

No, it was more than that.

The base desires, dark and lowly, seemed to wash away as a new topic, carried by the wind, revitalized Frieda’s stream.

Relieved by the shift in mood, Dayoung leaned back in her chair and spoke coldly.

“Hey. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?”

“Ugh!”

The suffocating sounds of breathing behind her didn’t faze Dayoung in the least.

It was no wonder.

The first broadcast for a streamer is crucial, and Sehee nearly crossed the line this time.

This moment would define how the streamer’s future broadcasts would be remembered by the viewers.

If Dayoung didn’t establish the right direction now, they’d be tossed around by the audience.

“Ugh, just thinking about it pisses me off.”

What if, hypothetically, Sehee had danced the ‘Sexy Zero Two’ dance this time?

‘How would the chat atmosphere change from the next broadcast?’ It’s obvious.

Frieda’s flashy gameplay would no longer matter.

The only thing they’d care about would be donations, only focusing on Sehee’s body, turning her into just another cheap female streamer.

Of course, the theme of a broadcast could change depending on future activities, but there was no reason to start off with a negative female streamer image.

‘I didn’t like that outfit either.’

This was also Sehee’s issue.

‘Who in their right mind would wear a bikini armor with dolphin pants?’

There’s a limit to how much you can degrade a hero’s equipment.

If it had been an MS Room limited character, she’d have let it slide, but if Sehee had played like that in Soul Warfare, Dayoung would’ve scolded her long ago.

“Ugh!”

The tightly bound and gagged Pepe struggled behind her.

Well, let’s hear what kind of ridiculous protest he has to make now.

“Got something to say?”

“Y-You… Dayoung, you gay! I didn’t mean to… kek!”

Clang!

“You still haven’t come to your senses.”

Dayoung’s gaze at Pepe, whose head was now bent at a sharp angle, showed no hint of mercy.

This time, Dayoung wasn’t going to let it slide, and neither was Pepe.

“If you keep this up, you’ll turn that bitch into a star, and all you’ll need to do is suck up to her! You gotta strike while the iron’s hot, right?”

Pepe, with his mouth finally opened, started to rant like a demon lord.

Narrow-minded, selfish, and oblivious to his surroundings….

Dayoung had tolerated Pepe’s absurd behavior before, after all, it had always been just the two of them.

She had thought she could overlook his antics.

It wasn’t until Sehee, with her new stake in things, got involved that Dayoung realized how negligent she’d been.

She now understood just how much she had turned a blind eye.

‘I shouldn’t have let it go like this.’

Her leniency had led to this mess.

‘Was it all my fault, in the end?’

“I’m being honest here. Like I said before… I really did plan to ride on Sehee’s stream for the perks. But she dreamed of being a streamer and wanted to rise up in style, not be a cheap female streamer. I feel the same way.”

“We both wanted a future where we could win-win, rise together. She’s the one who saved me as a hero. She’s the one who saved you too.”

“Who cares about that right now!?”

Of course it matters.

“I don’t want to make that person into something cheap just to make myself successful. I’m not even happy about getting this help.”

“You really thought I’d be happy about it?”

“If I was really that happy, I wouldn’t have made a contract with you to save the world when I was summoned to this world.”

Staring straight into the eyes of the partner who had changed so much since the time they saved the world together, Dayoung knelt down.

“Pepe. You…”

And with slightly wet eyes, Dayoung saw Pepe’s bloodshot, crimson pupils.

“Do you have no pride as a hero?”

In this world, Pepe had always been a little odd, but more than anything, he was pure and full of passion.

‘How did he end up so corrupted? Was this the curse of the Demon Lord?’

‘I wish that were the case.’

If this was really Pepe’s true nature, it would be too sad.

“It’s funny that I’m talking about this after coming back to Earth.”

“Dayoung, you gay…”

“Don’t talk like that anymore. If you say even one more thing…”

Dayoung stood up and nonchalantly turned back to her chair.

“You’ll know that I’m done with you.”

The backrest of the chair that separated them was thicker and more imposing than any barrier.

‘Had she said that in haste, pouring her feelings out without thinking?’

“Ha…”

Her throat was so dry that she took a sip of the cold coffee from her tumbler…

Without realizing it, Dayoung let out a bitter laugh.

‘Ah…’

This coffee had no sugar in it.

The bitter taste came on so strongly, yet it felt oddly sweet.

‘Too sweet.’

It was a flavor that felt overwhelmingly melancholic.