Maybe it was because Taker’s voice was so loud, but he could feel the gazes of the people inside the building immediately turn towards him.
“Oh no…”
Taker clicked his tongue, having unintentionally drawn aggro, but the situation was already unfolding.
“What’s going on, it’s Kayak!”
“Why is the casino boss here…?”
“You came fully geared up?”
Taker was facing Kayak, who was decked out in expensive equipment, and Taker couldn’t help but mention her level 37 battle status.
As expected of sharp-witted streamers, they immediately grasped the situation.
“Hey, hey, are you really going to hunt a dragon?!”
“Battle level 37…? Our guild’s rookie is 51, you know.”
“Looks like you’ve been too busy with business to hit the dungeons?”
Wahaha—
Laughter echoed within the Adventurer’s Guild. It wasn’t sincere mockery but rather playful banter mixed with the typical streamer’s humor.
[Job? Casino Boss, hahaha. Battle level? 37. Hahaha!]
[For a boss that can do a raid over 90, 37 is a bit shaky….]
[Leveling up before coming is RPG etiquette, huh?]
[What were you doing without leveling up?]
[Got a lot of dependents to feed, had to grind hard for cash.]
[Oh no.]
[How have you lived, Kayak?]
[To insult Kayak so publicly, you truly are a Broadcast Host.]
[The revenge of a gentleman may take ten years, but it’s never late. D:]
Suddenly, Taker became the one who publicly embarrassed Kayak in front of everyone.
“No, I wasn’t trying to…”
He was flustered, trying to clarify.
Kayak, who had been standing calmly amid the jeers and laughter, continued.
“Then I guess I’ll be the first dragon slayer to catch a dragon at battle level 37.”
“…What?”
“What if I hunt a dragon without leveling up and staying at 37, Taker?”
Was the laughter from the crowd a hit after all? A slightly scratched Kayak spoke with a confrontational attitude.
Normally, Taker would have scoffed, saying, ‘Go ahead, let’s see how easy that is—’ but now…
“…”
For some reason, Taker couldn’t say a word.
It wasn’t because he felt sorry for Kayak or was slow to respond while picking his words carefully.
‘Damn, what if she actually catches a dragon at 37?’
The fleeting possibility flashed through his mind. Could it be that Kayak might actually pull off something utterly outrageous? A small fear crept in.
It was a thought uncharacteristic of Taker, a die-hard realist. An imagination that wouldn’t be out of place if shrugged off as a delusion.
Imagining something that wouldn’t be weird even if I confessed.
According to the developers, they did mention that damage doesn’t even register properly below battle level 80, didn’t they?
Therefore, Kayak’s statement of “I’ll catch a dragon at battle level 37” sounded like the ramblings of a delusional person.
Like saying, “I’m actually close friends with the president from high school,” or “My uncle is Jensen Huang, the chairman of NVIDIA”—pure nonsense.
However, the woman in front of me was someone who had the ability to turn such nonsense into reality.
Kayak, this stubborn individual, had already shattered the Taker’s reality several times.
I had witnessed her casually accomplishing things that were, logically speaking, impossible way too many times. This left the Taker confused.
“Battle level 37. Profession: Dragon Slayer. Doesn’t that sound romantic?”
“Wait, wait. There’s no way that’s possible…”
[Wha-whut?]
[Battle level? 37, pffft! Only 37? Profession? Dragon Slayer, gulp;;]
[Kayak, indeed romantic ooh ooh]
[Can’t she just raise her battle level?]
[For real lol Acts like she’s cool, but it just makes it inefficient lol]
[But it’s romantic, let’s have a drink]
[At 37, the damage can’t register?]
[It probably can, just not effectively]
[While others hit once, she has to hit three times]
[Going for a self-imposed hard mode, whoa… This is Kayak]
[Kayak doesn’t back down]
[The scarier part is that Kayak might clear it]
[Kayak really is ridiculously cool;;]
“Wanna make a bet, Taker? Whether I can catch a dragon with these specs. The loser grants a wish to the winner. How about it?”
“No, what kind of bet—”
“Scared?”
At that moment, once again, everyone’s attention turned to them.
Kayak’s arrogant claim about catching a dragon and her provoking bet made everyone curious about Taker’s response.
Taker looked flustered, while users gazed at him with interest. In the midst of this, he declared.
“I’m not making the bet, I’m not!”
“Huh, really?”
“Why would I make a bet? Even if I win, it wouldn’t be that great.”
“Eh, but it’s a wish? Just wish for whatever you want.”
“No thanks. I don’t have anything to wish for.”
[He’s not doing it?]
[This guy is really scared;; what an idiot;;]
[Kayak isn’t taking the bet?]
[The Kayak unlimited pass is a big deal]
[I want to make a bet, damn it]
[Let’s bet in high school language, ooh ooh]
[Gunhee acts bold but never does this kind of thing lol Total coward]
“Haha, you’re such a coward!”
“After winning this, wouldn’t it be perfect to propose to date using the wish token? Lol, Kayak’s throwing signals right now.”
“Wow, Taker truly is a man’s man…”
“That’s pathetic, Gunhee.”
“Ugh….”
“So deflating.”
“Taker, your stance is too small…”
Murmurs—
Other people watching from inside the guild didn’t speak up, but the atmosphere reflected a similar confusion as the viewers. They couldn’t understand why Taker didn’t accept the wager.
“Anyway, I wish you all good luck.”
Somehow, the deflated Taker left those words behind and vanished from the server.
“Is my survival the true victory…?”
Left alone, Kayak let out a puff of air, plopping down in her seat.
*
Historical figures and geniuses often show their extraordinary traits from a young age.
From childhood, they act boldly in situations where even adults wouldn’t dare, displaying moments of quick wit that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine.
They naturally stand out since childhood, whether they intend to or not.
Kapu, the streamer who has devoured countless biographies and novels since she was young, passionately admired these characteristics in geniuses.
Their way of thinking is different from the average person’s, and their actions follow suit.
They act as though they are the protagonists of the world, and indeed, they seem like the main characters of their own stories.
Of course, no such thing as a world protagonist actually exists. The master of my life is myself, and those who seem like protagonists are simply living their lives diligently, which she also knew well.
Knowing that, whenever she saw someone stand out like a genius, those thoughts naturally crossed her mind.
Wow, that person really seems like the main character of the world—like they’re shining like the characters from novels.
Just like right now.
“That’s so cool, holy sh—”
Suddenly appearing in the adventurer guild, Kayak took the initiative in her argument with Taker and kept her composure until the end.
In front of everyone, she boldly claimed, “I can take down a dragon even at combat level 37,” and even provoked Taker.
Watching all of this unfold, praise for Kayak slipped out of Kapu’s mouth without her realizing it.
“She is pretty amazing…”
“Young people definitely have their advantages; the broadcast host can’t even say something like that at their age.”
[Whoa]
[He really looks like a shonen manga protagonist, haha]
[That’s some bold statement from a crazy otaku Broadcast Host]
[Romantic, I guess. Don’t get it, though]
“Hey, should I look for a Dragon’s nest with Kayak? Sounds fun.”
Kapu, like Kayak, was also without companions.
Most people come in groups as a Guild to take on a Raid Boss like a Dragon, but Kapu came alone.
Her Guild was more of a lifestyle guild, far from the world of battles.
Kapu wasn’t particularly greedy to hunt a Dragon; she just thought it might be fun to search for one out of boredom and dropped by the Guild.
She figured the operator, Taker, might drop some hints if she asked.
[It’s better to search with someone than alone, yeah]
[But that thing’s a lot bigger… can I really take it on?]
[There’s a rumor that Kayak loves Hako, so it might be fine]
[An-sae is running a business with that person, too]
[Since we’re both on this server, I could ask once]
“Hmm!”
Having made up her mind, Kapu stood up and briskly walked over to Kayak, who was sitting still as if she were submerged.
“Knock knock, Kayak. Are you there?”
“…Shh.”
“What?”
“Shh, be quiet and come sit here.”
For some reason, it felt like she had to obey. Kapu quietly settled down next to her.
“What are you doing right now…?”
“…Speak in whispers. I’m gathering information.”
“Gathering information…?”
“Yeah, I’m pretending to be submerged and eavesdropping on what people are talking about.”
“Ah…”
So that’s what she was doing this whole time.
[This feels off]
[Isn’t this just eavesdropping, lol]
[This whispering is tickling my ears]
[ASMR, whoa;;]
[Going as far as gathering information, wow]
[If you’re doing that, you should strip all your gear and hide to listen better]
[There’s a hint of madness here]
“If you overhear anything suspicious while you’re beside me, remember it and tell me.”
“Um, I didn’t come to do that—”
But there was no answer from Kayak. Looks like she vanished for a bit after leaving the eavesdropping task to Kapu.
Suddenly burdened with a task, Kapu’s eyes sparkled instead.
“What a weirdo… I like it.”
After all, geniuses always have a little quirkiness about them.
Indeed, Kayak was the genius Kapu had imagined as she nodded in her seat.
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