Chapter 59: Favor Work 4
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Here
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It's been a long time since I've seen these familiar faces... or rather, faces that seemed to have gone through some form of transformation.
Just as I underwent a sudden transformation to a handsome gacha character when I entered this world, it felt absurdly normal to see others becoming cooler, more beautiful, and younger.
When she was faced with an excess of 5 characters, Han Se-ah could only stare in awe, shaking slightly.
She was harshly criticized by the chat.
"No, you all saw it too! After seeing such crazy stat windows, it's only natural to get a little greedy...."
-So, you're confessing that you're greedy
-If you're this greedy... lolol
-Way too greedy.
[Chat deleted by the mod]
"Those who are greedy find success. It's the same for all of you, right? When you're gaming and you find a great item, don't you feel that itch to make a gamble, believing the timing is just right? Aren't you guys the ones who indulge then stop, only to break and end up spending even more?"
Despite actively engaging with her viewers, she was still fully aware of her surroundings.
We were traversing the tower as per usual.
It's amazing how she doesn't miss a counterattack, even when a Moss Wolf stages a surprise ambush.
At this pace, she could make her way up even without my assistance.
The party, now complemented by Kaiden, was evolving into a formidable force, effortlessly cleaving through any emerging monsters.
"Today, we seem to be crossing paths with a lot of Moss Wolves, but not many Helmeted Deers. Most of the requests we've received specifically ask for the magic stones of Helmeted Deer."
"Mages know which is which even though they look the same on the outside?"
"The classification is determined by the amount of magic contained within."
In response to Grace's question, Han Se-ah, who casually noted that they were neatly organized in her inventory, starts sneaking peeks at me.
Puzzled, I return her glance, only to have her swiftly avert her gaze when our eyes meet.
...What's going on?
It's not something she can keep secret, considering the viewers constantly watching her.
Her suspicious behavior, or more accurately, her resemblance to a guilty puppy, prompted me to speak up.
"What's the matter?"
"Eh?! No, nothing."
"You claim it's nothing, yet you react like that."
She franticly waved her hands, saying it was nothing, so I decided to let it slide.
It could be a personal matter, it would be odd to pry.
If it is about the stream, I'll learn about it soon enough.
Be it through chat, the forum, or the wider internet, I'll eventually come to know.
Despite being distracted, she unleashed magic missiles at a speed rivaling Grace's arrows whenever a monster appeared.
Is this the reaction speed of a gamer?
Even as my mind wandered elsewhere, a Helmeted Deer, writhing in my arms, transformed into a magic stone with a sad cry.
"Ah, found it!"
"Already? We're on a roll today."
"Should we explore the next floor a bit before heading back, or should we gather more magic stones?"
"Going back would be better since the next floor isn't much different."
"I think so too."
I make sure my words don't come across as orders and instead come in the form of advice.
Irene usually doesn't express her opinion so it's usually up to the other three.
Han Se-ah and Grace talk, and the reserved Kaiden occasionally chimed in, collectively determining the course for our party.
With the recording done on the lantern, Grace turned around without hesitation.
The piece of stone in the lantern spins around and points in a different direction.
It looks like a broken compass with two paths, one leading up and one leading down.
"We should go this way."
"Really? Hanna, your magic is amazing. Just like when we looked for the Full Moon Wolf."
"It's very useful, isn't it?"
Usually, one would roughly deduce their direction, distance themselves from the ascending passage, and aimlessly search for the descending passage with the aid of the lantern.
However, gamers with the mini-map feature activated are exempt from such hassles.
Han Se-ah, with a staff-raising gesture, indicated the direction we should head towards, and Grace, placing absolute trust in her words, moved forward.
Like this, the belief that 'Han Se-ah is a genius mage' completely takes root.
With Grace leading, we briskly navigated the forest trail, the magic stone in the spinning lantern pointed in a singular direction.
It was in the direction confirmed by Han Se-ah via the mini-map.
"But, is something wrong?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Grace subtly drew closer to Han Se-ah, who was pretending to use her staff to consult the mini-map and chart our route.
Is Han Se-ah's poor acting skill noticeable not just to me, but to Grace and Irene, and even Kaiden, who joined us only recently?
"No, nothing's wrong."
"Hmm, you can't tell even me?"
"There's nothing... because there's nothing...."
Naturally, even under Grace's relentless probing, Han Se-ah had no nothing to say.
After all, her concerns were due to the game system.
There's a reason why she started streaming even though she's just exploring the forest without any event or quest.
"Ah, seriously, this is driving me nuts. There's no rush to use the awakening stone, so I have a lot of time to think. But the more time I have, the harder it is!"
-With so many options, it's harder to choose.
-Every option seems somewhat good.
-If we lose Grace, the stream will die
-Why not focus on her exploration ability and bring her along everywhere?
-Having zero combat skills sucks.
The source of her anxiety was the reward she had obtained after completing Grace's character quest a few days back.
It was termed an 'awakening stone', though it bore no resemblance to a physical stone; it seemed more like a system tool used to select a skill and advance a character.
The problem was that when Grace advances from 3 to 4, she had to pick one skill as part of the process.
Unlike me, a 6 character with a passive skill and plenty of possible skills to augment the party, lower star characters have locked skills that unlock as they earn more stars.
'Do different characters unlock skills under different conditions? It feels like a typical RPG.'
Han Se-ah's concern is because of the role Grace played within our party.
She functioned as an experienced scout and guide and also supported allies with her arrows, making her a sub-dealer.
Assuming numerous roles could imply two things for a gamer.
If developed properly, a versatile character.
If not, then useless.
Looking at the viewers, who were practically forming a fan club since she was 'eye-catching,' I can imagine what would happen if Grace was dropped from the party due to a poorly selected skill.
-If you're unsure about selecting a 4~5 archer/rogue, then focus on exploration.
-Don't we require a damage dealer too? You mentioned concentrating on crowd control.
-Even if Roland is strong, long-range is important
"Looking at the chat now, I'm bound to get flamed regardless of what I choose. What should I do! We've been on this topic for three days now. Round and round in circles... Maybe I should just choose?"
-How about a jack of all trades concentrating on traps?
-You're the one who keeps saying the same thing lol
-When have you ever taken our opinions into account? Even Roland's skill was chosen poorly.
[Chat deleted by the mod]
As the number of monster encounters reduced, Han Se-ah resumed talking to her viewers.
Even though I couldn't directly view the chat, it was convenient as real-time screenshots were being uploaded to the forum and the internet wiki.
Who would emerge victorious in a battle between the Blue Pirate King and the Hokage of the Ninja Village?
People always love imagining who vs who scenarios.
Whether it's in games, comics, novels, and across both Eastern and Western cultures, humans inherently rank and compare.
Consequently, a debate broke out over Grace's skill list.
Looking through the screenshots, three skills were frequently discussed.
Reviewing the list, it seemed that the skill to be gained this time would be a passive one.
The first, and most commonly mentioned, is the exploration passive 'Wild Intuition.'
A simple passive that maximizes Grace's senses without any added effects.
A skill that allows Grace, as she does now, to hold a lantern and function as the party's scout but more effectively.
The second is the passive 'Sharp Arrowhead,' which transforms her from a scout to an actual sub-damage dealer.
If Wild Intuition amplifies the senses, Sharp Arrowhead is a passive that enhances her archery.
It's like an enhanced basic attack, so there's a lot of discussion.
The third and final one is the passive 'Ranger-style Trapping.'
As the skill name suggests, it's a passive that imparts knowledge about improvised traps, including not only installation but also removal-related knowledge.
"Considering that Grace serves as our reliable scout, discovering surprise attacks and the like, I think it's better to opt for an exploration-type passive. You know that if you try to do this and that without a solid foundation, nothing will work out."
It seems that her choice is the exploration-type passive skill.
As soon as she makes the selection, the viewers respond.
Naturally, some maintained their original stance until the end.
"Huh? I saw the chat earlier, and I'm not confident to draw a new 4, 5 scout. If we're going to go all the way with Grace, she must be the best scout that works even in the upper floors."
With a serious expression, Han Se-ah makes her declaration, punctuating her point by clenching her fist and swinging it through the air with exaggerated motions.
"Huh? What's happening? Is there a bug or something?!"
"Grace? What's wrong with you?"
"Ah, no. I just feel a bit strange."
Grace, who was gently stroking her forearm back and forth while emitting a cute sound, appears to be experiencing the aftereffects of a newly added skill.
***
hmmm new skill involving senses... right before a 20th-interval chapter. Coincidence? ( )
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