NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43
Baek Eun Ha and Song Ha Yeon’s joint broadcast concluded with a great response.
As the Special Rank Rookie, who had not engaged in any public activities, appeared before the public for the first time, the attention was even more special.
【Today’s Master Appeal.jpg】
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– They challenged each other to see who could pick chicken bones better, lol.
┗ No, but seriously, they did it well, it was surprising.
┗ I want to take one home.
┗ The content might be like that, but honestly, seeing it seriously, their control is quite good?
【If you want to see her again, hit the like button.】
– Honestly, whether she’s a Special Rank Rookie or a promising prospect, it’s not like she’s a part-timer, she’s cute.
┗ The cute hunter fanboys changed their minds in an instant, lol.
┗ Even though she’s a bit messy without makeup, her visuals are off the charts. From now on, I’m only looking at Baek Eun Ha.
【But is it a joke? Or is Baek Eun Ha really the master?】
┗ They say it is, but I’m not sure, lol.
┗ If she’s begging like that, even if it’s not true, she should get a chance.
【Didn’t they say she’s an introvert? But in the video, she’s chatting away?】
┗ Those kinds of people usually can’t say a word in reality.
┗ When they complimented her, she was smiling and doing everything they asked, seems legit.
┗ Just yesterday she was so nervous she took out a skull and wrecked the place, remember? Song Ha Yeon hasn’t been this serious in a while.
The community’s reaction was mostly positive. Since the image of a Special Rank Rookie had mostly been one of being sharp and competent, the freshness of her character was generally welcomed.
However, at the same time, some controversial remarks had also become a major issue.
【Korea’s Divine Baek Eun Ha, targeting Jackson on Internet broadcast?】
【Analyst Lee Hoon, “Is it confidence or arrogance? Even if it was a joke, it was an utterly reckless remark.”】
【C Rank Hunter challenges an A Rank Hunter. International criticism follows.】
Journalists, always on the lookout for sensational topics, certainly couldn’t miss such an incident.
As a result, one remark from Baek Eun Ha spread widely, being referenced and reported in multiple countries.
【Seems like karma will stack up. Who asked that question anyway? lol】
【Why, it’s good to be so confident. I wish they’d stop being so mindful of foreign opinions all day.】
【Jackson himself has been quite controversial because of his broadcast remarks from the start.】
In fact, the reason such questions came up in the broadcast was related to Jackson’s previous actions.
Having the title of “tireless Gladiator,” he would often talk about Summoner Class Hunters like this on his broadcasts.
“Personally, I don’t like them. They can even raise the corpses of their comrades as minions when necessary; it’s too grim and unrefined, don’t you think?”
That remark drew attention, leading to questions related to Song Ha Yeon’s broadcast, and Baek Eun Ha took the chance to strike at Jackson.
While it could be dismissed as simply a joke, the situation became rather delicate as events unfolded.
Shortly after the incident started gaining traction, Song Ha Yeon and Baek Eun Ha received a call from someone visibly agitated, summoning them to one place.
That person was none other than Seo Ha.
“Oppa. How could you say such things in public? Especially to a celebrity.”
“Well, I didn’t mean anything by it…”
“Song Ha Yeon, you should have put a stop to it. You have broadcasting experience, it’s not like this is your first time.”
“I’m sorry…”
In reality, the current Hunter sphere in Korea is in a position where it must pay attention to powerful countries like the U.S.
Thus, politically, such issues wouldn’t be welcomed at all.
After scolding for quite a while about public conduct, Seo Ha hesitated, as if deep in thought.
“This is just between us, but that guy named Jackson… he doesn’t have a good reputation.”
“Why? Is he a criminal or something?”
“Something like that.”
At that, both I and Song Ha Yeon tilted our heads, looking at Seo Ha. We only knew Jackson was a rising star being promoted in the U.S.
“I’ve only heard second-hand reports, so I can’t be certain, but I’ve heard he was originally a big shot in the underworld. He’s well connected with high-ranking individuals.”
“He doesn’t match the appearance at all…”
Nodding in agreement, Seo Ha added with a serious expression.
“…And I’ve heard he holds a grudge very tightly.”
That was quite an unexpected statement. When I asked for more explanation, Seo Ha pondered, appearing conflicted about whether to say it.
“He never lets go of those he had any sort of disagreement with since his rookie days.”
“Does that mean we could end up in trouble?”
“I think that side is exaggerating, but you never know. At least the source of the information is credible. Moreover, for some reason, he seems to have a pathological hatred for Necromancer class Hunters.”
Upon hearing this, Song Ha Yeon spoke hesitantly.
“Should we post an apology?”
“Going that route might be best.”
Honestly, it wasn’t something to make a fuss over, but if it could avoid unnecessary disputes, then there wasn’t a reason not to.
However, I rejected that with a disgruntled expression.
“No.”
“Why not? There’s a saying that you avoid shit because it’s dirty. What if a psycho who digs in shows up in front of you?”
Despite Song Ha Yeon’s persuasion, my stance was firm. For this, I was serious.
“That parasite-like jerk disrespected me, and you want me to tolerate it?”
“When did Jackson disrespect you?”
“He said all Necromancers are worthless trash.”
At that, Song Ha Yeon looked perplexed, tilting her head. I sighed and glared at Song Ha Yeon.
“Such a lowly base…”
“Why, what’s wrong now!”
“Ugh. Just, back off a bit. I’m not feeling great.”
Turning away from the fuming Song Ha Yeon, Seo Ha spoke up again in opposition to my opinion.
“This situation could put you at risk, you don’t need that kind of unnecessary risk.”
“…It’s not dangerous. What could that guy possibly do?”
Seo Ha fell silent with a worried expression, and I decided it was finally time to bring up the topic I had been putting off.
“You’ve started to understand now. It’s all the truth, seriously.”
At this point, every circumstance was validating the truthfulness of my claims.
Yet, after spending so much time together, one could easily guess that Seo Ha was beginning to believe my identity.
“…Are all those things you mentioned back then really true?”
“Apparently so.”
After a moment’s deliberation, Seo Ha nodded and finally spoke.
“Okay, I’ll trust you. I’m sorry for doubting you until now.”
She then immediately fired a question.
“…But doesn’t that mean you’ve pretty much lost your original power now? Your opponent is an A Rank, after all?”
“Ugh. N-no worries.”
After all, the guy on the other side wouldn’t be crazy enough to jump in and attack over something like this.
While we were talking, Song Ha Yeon cautiously raised her phone.
“Uh, um. I think you should see this…”
What she played was a clip from the broadcast where Jackson had appeared earlier that day.
[Not really concerned about it. C Rank? They’re still at a stage where they don’t know anything. Talented people tend to get full of themselves at that point. Though they realize the reality before long.]
That statement was clearly aimed at me, and then Jackson’s comments followed again with the host’s question.
[Yes, thank you for your answer. It is said that the much-discussed Divine from Korea also bears the title Necromancer, do you still hold the same thoughts?]
[A true warrior, in my opinion, should engage in battle with their own body. There’s no sense of that noble will in the fights of Necromancers. Those who’ve seen my battles would understand what I mean. If our little lady also wants to become a great Hunter, she’d better not neglect physical training.]
After watching the video, Baek Seo Ha and Song Ha Yeon immediately turned to gauge my reaction.
“Well, it seems like they’re not paying too much attention to it?”
“…If this is the reaction, it should be fine.”
Honestly, I was quite dissatisfied, but if the other party reacted like that, there wasn’t much I could do.
Eventually, the incident that had begun on the broadcast seemed to come to a close.
However, that next day would bring a sudden disruption to my life.
#
Initially, it was just a minor trouble. For some reason, my usual payment method wasn’t working, and I struggled to resolve the issue by calling the related parties.
[We apologize. Upon checking, it seems there was a slight error in the system. We’ve fixed it for normal use. Thank you for your patronage.]
“Ah, uh, yes. Thank you…”
Just as I was about to continue my work while thinking that my luck was bad since the morning, I suddenly received a text from an unknown number.
Ding.
[FSM Church welcomes you. The recipient has committed the sins of falsehood and slander, but the Lord will absolve you of all sins and failures in life…]
“…What the?”
Ding.
I immediately added that number to my block list and set my phone aside, but that was just the beginning.
[Our kids need a new-generation digital newspaper subscription for civic education…]
[Та Хусмандигийн талбайн түүхийг мэдэх үү? Тэнд, хойд насны сайн муу бүхнийг тооцолгүйгээр…….]
Shortly after, various messages from unknown sources kept flooding my phone, ranging from a few dozen minutes to several hours apart.
While I occasionally received spam messages, I’d never experienced anything like this, and just as I was feeling annoyed, I received a message from Song Ha Yeon.
[Ugh. I keep getting spam messages today. It seems like it’s a mess even from abroad?]
[Image]
From this point, I started feeling uneasy. How could two people experience such things at the same time?
That little doubt gradually turned into certainty as time passed.
【Famous streamer Song Ha Yeon, turns out to be a notorious catch and release woman?】
【Information provided by anonymous informant B…】
【C, a middle school classmate, testified that she had a bad reputation since school.】
Ding.
[No way, I was known as the kind-hearted class president back in middle school!]
With suddenly appearing slanderous articles, Song Ha Yeon vented her frustration and whined to me all day.
‘…Could it be.’
Honestly, at this point, it was natural to feel a hint of doubt.
The only person I had clashed with recently was one individual.
And that person, Jackson, posted a message on his social media account that evening masked as a quote.
【Talking about habits I would recommend? I always think three times before saying anything. You never know how it might return to you.】
There was no way anyone could miss who that was aimed at if they were involved.
What a petty jerk!
I was filled with uncontrollable rage. If I didn’t bring this scoundrel to face the music immediately, I feared I wouldn’t be able to hold back my anger.
Ding.
[Wait, I was wondering, is it true? An A Rank Hunter who’s also a successful rich guy?]
Song Ha Yeon reacted to realizing it was Jackson, displaying a look of disbelief.
And finally, the situation crossed an irreversible point.
【Game Play Usage Restriction】
– This account has been permanently suspended in accordance with internal regulations. If you wish to check detailed information, please use the 1:1 inquiry section of the Customer Service Center. Thank you.
I stared at that message for a time, unable to think of anything.
At some point, my hands and feet started shaking involuntarily, and then the joints around my mouth began to tremble.
Now, the only thought dominating my mind was singular.
“I’m going to kill him.”
It didn’t matter whether the opponent was a powerful nation or an A Rank Special Rank Rookie. I swore that in front of that cold, lifeless account, I would make sure to shove Jackson into the depths of hell.