This chapter is brought to you by anubisscans. More updates on our website.
Support us by reading at anubisscans.com.
chapter 80
“Then let’s proceed like this.”
Avantgarde’s recruitment, decided almost on impulse, moved forward smoothly.
Since he wasn’t affiliated with an MCN to begin with, only his own decision mattered.
“Thank you. I never imagined I’d become family with you two like this.”
Avantgarde wore an emotional expression.
While reviewing the contract, he made several suggestions to Yeonwoo.
He advised against giving streamers too much freedom when bringing them into a company.
Apparently, other companies had suffered quite a bit of trouble over that.
Watching this, Hanbit asked Yeonwoo,
“So what do I do now? Does being part of the company change anything for me?”
“You can just keep streaming freely like before. The company will only manage off-stream work and video clips. Oh, I’ll send the formal contracts to all three of you tomorrow. Since you and Kim Jaeha need to handle resignation procedures first, just keep me updated.”
Yeonwoo rattled off explanations quickly.
Unlike Avantgarde, who was visibly excited, Kim Jaeha nodded solemnly.
After all, he wouldn’t truly be free of Taeyul until his resignation was finalized.
“That about wraps things up, so there’s one more thing I should mention. I’m planning to go to the restricted area today. I’ll head to Ifrit after that.”
Hanbit briefly explained the restricted area.
Fortunately, Kim Jaeha seemed to have looked up some information as well.
“If you’re aiming for the first title here too, you’ll need to be quite careful.”
Avantgarde focused on the word “first.”
Without knowing what lay inside, first entry alone held meaning.
Better to be the first to check than to regret being late.
Of course, that too depended on the situation.
“The first is important, but I don’t plan on forcing it. There’s no news yet of anyone finding the area or entering it.”
The restricted area was important, but Hanbit had no intention of repeating meaningless attempts.
It was completely unknown territory even to him.
“Oh, and you two don’t have to go in together if you don’t want to. It’d be a loss if you died for nothing.”
“I’ll go. You accepted me as part of the company—I should do my best. Dying a few times is fine.”
“You absolutely have to take me! A restricted area—just hearing the words makes my heart swell!”
The choice he’d offered just in case turned out to be meaningless.
In any case, plans could only be made after seeing it firsthand.
Nodding, Hanbit looked at the two of them and said,
“Then let’s check out the restricted area together.”
***
One hour later.
Back home, Hanbit connected the effector Avantgarde had given him and logged into the game.
“Ah, you’re here.”
“We’ve been waiting!”
Voices came from right in front of him.
Avantgarde and Kim Jaeha had already arrived.
“Hello. It took a while since it’s pretty far.”
“How’s the effector?”
“Honestly… I’m surprised.”
The twenty-million-won effector showed clear effects.
It felt like his gear level had gone up by about half a level.
“I’m glad it’s helpful. I’ll be sure to pass that on to the manufacturer.”
“Thank you. Let’s form a party first.”
To proceed, the three formed a party.
Looking at their nicknames, Hanbit turned his gaze and said,
“You can speak comfortably now. I’m younger, and we’re coworkers now.”
“Is… that really okay?”
“The boss is like that, and I’m more comfortable treating people like brothers.”
“…Then shall we? My speech had gotten way too stiff anyway.”
Kim Jaeha nodded, his expression visibly more relaxed.
Avantgarde, however, was different.
“I’ll keep using honorifics. I can’t lose my sense of reverence.”
“……”
He was so firm that it was hard to argue.
Forcing casual speech in a family-like company didn’t make sense either.
“Alright. Do what you’re comfortable with. Then before people gather, I’ll use this first.”
Since there was no one around yet, Hanbit quickly took out the Dreaming Compass.
The compass, which had consumed the Five-Colored Clamshell, had changed slightly from the day before.
[The compass is ready to guide you to the place you desire.]
[Please enter your desired destination.]
The effect of the compass awakening from a good dream.
Hanbit immediately entered “restricted area” as the destination.
The change happened at once.
Flash—!
Pure white light emerged from the compass glass.
Stretching out in a long line, it pointed somewhere.
“Oh! So that’s the compass’s effect!”
“It looks like it’s stretching really far.”
The two watched the light in fascination.
Following the glow to its end, Hanbit nodded inwardly.
‘As expected, that way.’
The cave in the western mountains of Ifrit he’d seen on the community.
Just from the direction, he could tell it was there.
Putting the compass away, Hanbit looked at the two of them.
“It’s the direction of the cave we talked about earlier. Let’s turn on the stream first.”
“Then I’ll post an announcement right away.”
Avantgarde quickly moved his hands to post on his channel.
As Hanbit started walking, he pressed the broadcast start button even faster.
-Oh.
-Dragon hi.
-Hey hey.
-Here from Bangabang.
-Who’s next to him?
-Isn’t that Hammer Man?
-Yeah, the blacksmith uncle.
The viewer count began rising rapidly in less than a minute.
The chat flooded in at a frenzied pace.
“Hello. I’m a bit late due to some business. You know Kim Jaeha, and you saw the person next to me yesterday too—streamer Avantgarde.”
“Greetings! I’m Avantgarde, a streamer who loves RP! As announced, I’ll be doing a joint broadcast with Black Dragon today! No, actually, I joined Roper’s company!”
-?
-What did he just say?
-He joined the company?
-Dropped a bomb 15 seconds after the announcement;
-This guy really joined the company.
-Our Bangabang is an embarrassment anywhere.
-So what are we doing today?
-Yeah, that’s what matters.
The viewers’ reactions were heated in a different way.
But the atmosphere quickly shifted in a positive direction.
[User GoseongBangga donated 100,000 won.]
[What is this?]
“Oh, GoseongBangga-nim! Thank you! Please take a seat!”
Avantgarde reacted first to the donation alert.
He seemed to be a frequent donor on Avantgarde’s channel.
“Thank you for the donation. Anyway, today we’re doing our first joint broadcast, and we’ll start by looking for the restricted area.”
-That’s the play.
-Did you see the RPG post?
-Yeah, the cave made it to hot posts.
-But nobody’s gotten inside yet.
-Isn’t it just new terrain?
The viewers already had expectations for exploring the restricted area.
The cave story had flooded the community.
“As mentioned, we’re heading to the cave. Let’s get moving.”
Hanbit began leading the way along the forest path.
The goal was simple.
Reach the vicinity of Ifrit as quickly as possible.
“Are we heading toward the river?”
Avantgarde recognized the destination without opening the map.
“Yes. There’s a way to drastically cut travel time there.”
“Oh…! There was such a method?”
With that explanation, admiration burst out instinctively.
The viewers, however, reacted differently.
-?
-There’s a method like that?
-If it’s your first time going to Ifrit, it takes at least 30 minutes.
-The map’s huge. Have a drink~
-There are places that take hours later on. LOL
A world more vast than any other game.
Advanced transportation using magic tools existed, but usually walking, horses, or carriages were the limit.
For now, they had to move in unconventional ways.
“This way.”
The three resumed walking toward a winding mountain path.
And when they reached a sharply turning point, the upper reaches of a massive river appeared.
“Wow, I didn’t expect to come here again.”
Avantgarde, who had been here before, murmured softly.
The raging current rushing downstream was intimidating.
“…Just to check. That time-saving method isn’t what I think it is, right?”
Kim Jaeha, standing beside him, asked as if he’d anticipated something.
Avantgarde felt the same.
“For some reason, I think I know what it is. This is oddly nerve-wracking.”
Anyone who’d seen Black Dragon’s broadcast would vaguely recall a scene.
Stepping back one pace, Hanbit raised both hands.
Then, pushing the two from behind, he said calmly,
“Let’s go.”
Splash—!
The two fell cleanly into the water.
Hanbit jumped in after them.
“Aaaah!”
“Wooo…!”
Swept away by the current, Kim Jaeha and Avantgarde each screamed.
Avantgarde sounded like he was on an amusement ride.
-Is he actually insane? LOL
-I’ve seen this scene somewhere before.
-If Roper gets PTSD from this, upvote.
-Bangabang looks way too excited, it’s annoying.
“Grab that!”
As they entered the downstream at tremendous speed, a long branch came into view ahead.
Hanbit’s shout reached the two who were being carried ahead.
“Hup!”
Kim Jaeha stretched out his hand first and grabbed the branch, climbing up.
With his high stats, Avantgarde followed lightly, looking amused.
Thud—
After Hanbit climbed out last, the three moved onto dry ground.
“Wow, I almost died.”
Sitting on the ground, Kim Jaeha brushed back his soaked hair.
The vivid terror of being swept by the water made him momentarily forget it was a game.
“I never thought I’d experience this! I should ride this often.”
A satisfied Avantgarde seemed eager to use it again.
Considering both cost and time, it was the best method.
If luck was bad, it would end in drowning.
“Let’s move.”
Shaking off the water, Hanbit led them into the forest.
Checking the map, they weren’t far from the cave.
“It doesn’t look like anyone’s discovered anything yet. Are we checking other places too?”
Walking behind, Kim Jaeha said while checking the community.
The number of suspected restricted areas had increased.
Hanbit also skimmed the posts, but the cave was the only unfamiliar place.
“Have you heard anything, Avantgarde?”
“Nothing noteworthy. Most people were asking me for information.”
As a streamer who explored the world, many sought out Avantgarde.
Because the chances were high that a restricted area existed somewhere he hadn’t reached.
After chatting like that for a while—
The three arrived beneath a low mountain rising upward.
“There it is.”
Hundreds of people had gathered near the cave entrance.
Leading the way, Hanbit walked forward, meeting the gradually converging gazes.
