I Became a Malicious Streamer

The reunion with the crew was shocking.

Not that it was a total surprise, but Rita couldn’t hide her fluster.

The peaceful villagers had instantly turned into gamblers engaging in illegal betting inside the house—so of course, it was bewildering.

[Cyborg Gambling House;;]

[Gambling House KITA—AAA]

[Already laughing at whose work it looks like]

[For real, lol]

“Rita-san, you’re here! Do you want to join too?”

“Rihah.”

“Hiya.”

The crew greeted Rita cheerfully.

First things first—she decided to get the whole story.

Who started all this?

“It was Mollru.”

“Mollru asked us to do it!”

“This is Mollru’s house.”

[Just remodeled their own house into a gambling den ㄷㄷ]

[When did they even build a house without one before?]

[Mollru poisoned the Flare Server]

[What kind of place has this in the basement?]

[Feels like a secret lair]

“House?”

Come to think of it, this was a place Rita hadn’t seen until she logged off.

It was a nicely built log house.

In front of the house was a field, and the cozy size of the log house matched the natural scenery, providing a comfortable living environment.

However, as she entered, the reality of the situation was laid bare.

Wasn’t there a hidden staircase leading down to a basement with this kind of place?

Rita started to interrogate the owner of this illegally remodeled house.

“Did you really mine only diamonds for this?”

Running this cyber gambling house required some start-up funds, after all.

While others were out building houses and farming, the diamonds Mollru mined were serving their purpose quite well.

“It’s actually a decent business idea, you know.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Hey, just hear me out for a sec.”

[The King of the Underground, Mollru]

[On Winded Blabbering]

[What are you doing to innocent country girls ㅠㅠ]

[After tasting this, there’s no going back]

Mollru spouted excuses as if preparing in advance.

“You know KangXland, right? KangXland.”

“‘Huh?'”

“They operate legally, you see. It’s a state-run gambling house.”

Out of nowhere, they brought up a real-world example.

Rita nodded, as if to encourage them to continue.

“If our Flare Gambling House operates publicly in the village, that’s all that matters. And I’m the manager.”

“Who gave you the right to say that…”

“That’s why I’m asking for permission now, village chief.”

[Taking action without prior notice, huh]

[Just trying it out first, yes yes]

[That’s what they say]

“Village Chief” refers to Rita as both the leader of the Flare Crew and the founder of this village.

With her now a silent statue of honey, Mollru continued to explain.

“I’m not doing this purely for my profit. It’s a public project, so it should benefit our village.”

Mollru interacted with the box.

“What’s this?”

“Open it.”

[How many are there?]

SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1WmlzdDlMRnJyNUlmSXZKUjB1YzFXdlJOZHpEbEJsWTJtejNLRUVHcTlYZw

[Is all this Mollru’s? They’re loaded]

[Just look at how they made a killing]

Inside the wooden box Rita opened were dozens of diamonds.

Diamonds presumed to be owned by Mollru.

However, what came out of Mollru’s mouth completely denied the presence of the diamonds before her.

“It’s the commissions from running the gambling. This diamond will be used as a fund to develop our village.”

The way they spoke it like it was the most obvious fact made Rita unknowingly question.

“But then, Mollru, you have no profit, right? Just running the gambling house with no reward.”

“There are two main reasons.”

Mollru’s character jumped twice.

“First, it’s fun. Watching people win and lose money is entertaining in itself.”

[It does sound fun, yeah]

[For real, what else is there to do in a rural village? This is a must-have]

[It’s a cultural industry, haha]

It’s definitely entertaining from both a broadcasting and gaming perspective.

Rita couldn’t help but agree internally.

“Second, I’m both the operator of this gambling house and a banker.”

“A bank?”

No way.

A single thought flashed through Rita’s mind.

“When you play the game, there are times when you can lose all your assets. It’s often called ‘liquidation.’ For those who lose everything but still want to keep playing, I lend them my diamonds for a fee.”

“And that fee?”

“Collateral. For example, Hanyang’s diamond equipment.”

“That’s basically loan sharking.”

“Hey, loan sharking? I’m a bank lending to those in need.”

[The picture’s becoming clearer]

[Didn’t think Mollru was such a scary person]

[All set out to plunder their souls]

[What’s Jay doing alone in the corner?]

[Just watching, right?]

A character of Jay, looking a bit downcast in the corner, caught Rita’s eye.

“Is that related to why Jay is over there?”

“Oh, Jay? Unfortunately, he just went bankrupt after a one-on-one throw with Ria.”

“Oh dear…”

Rita looked at Jay with sympathy.

However, Mollru’s follow-up words changed that gaze slightly.

“In the process, he borrowed diamonds from me… but then lost again and couldn’t pay me back. So I took his collateral.”

“Rita-san, I-I was cleaned out…”

“Where are you learning these phrases?”

[Laundering! Lmao]

[Must have seen Tazza or something]

[Did Jay get tossed out too?]

[Totally being played in front of the pros]

Rita looked at Jay, who was sobbing earnestly, with a sigh.

“Cleaning out? It was a fair contest. The one who won was Ria, that’s all.”

“Ah ha, how dare you challenge one of noble blood like me? What a sight to behold.”

“Please return my Tower of the Sky…!”

“That’s collateral, so it’s a no-go.”

The tower that Jay built to become the king of the sky ended up belonging to Mollru.

Not that the flimsy building held much value, anyway.

But was there any significance in securing the rights?

“I want to borrow again! I have nothing left to lose now!”

“If that’s the case, how many diamonds should I give you?”

“30, oh no, make it 50!”

Yelling decisively like it was all or nothing, Jay echoed, while Mollru pulled out the diamonds.

Rita interjected between them.

“Wait a sec. Jay has nothing to put up as collateral anymore. But you’re lending him diamonds?”

“He has one thing left.”

“Ugh…”

Jay’s character darted around the room, showing signs of anxiety.

“If you can’t repay here, you’ll provide me with labor instead.”

“Labor?”

“Um… For instance, you could build something I want or till my field for me.”

“That’s just…”

[Isn’t that just slave labor?]

[For real, lol. Lose and become a servant]

[No such thing as a good deal! That’s a steal]

[That’s right, true that]

The viewers chimed in, voicing the thoughts Rita wanted to say herself.

“So that’s where the explanation ends, do you want in too, Rita-san?”

“Rita should join… it’s fun…”

“Put your glasses back on and speak up, Jay.”

Since there was a broadcasting element for fun and a communal fund for the village, Rita couldn’t outright ban this gambling house.

Sure, it looked like Mollru was raking in the profits while someone like Jay suffered terrible losses, but as long as they regulated that, it was no issue.

“I’m not joining. You all should enjoy yourselves and get back to work.”

“Yeees~.”

“See you later.”

Reluctantly giving her business approval, village chief Rita turned her back on the underground gambling den.

*

“This goes here, and that goes there…”

Rita, running the village quietly as usual, noticed something strange.

Was Jay climbing the tower he named the Tower of the Sky?

“Jay, what are you doing up there?”

“Woo… Rita-san…”

She thought maybe he’d won the gamble back and gotten his collateral back, but hearing Jay’s voice soon dashed that thought.

If that were the case, he’d be strutting around like a triumphant general.

“I’m laying down the tracks… Mollru wants a Sky Car.”

“Looks like you’ve resigned yourself to that.”

The ride in Minecraft that cuts through the sky.

Mollru seemed to want that.

—Jay-san~ are you working? You can’t be slacking off~

[Spotted anyone slacking off, lol]

[He’s just talking for a bit between working]

[Mollru knows how to work people]

[Still, Mollru’s a pretty good boss]

[For real, a celebrity-level appearance with a generous heart and nice voice—being their servant would actually be a bonus]

[Yup, yup, I envy Jay]

“Yikes…!”

“Oh dear, indeed.”

Jay flinched at the distant voice of Mollru.

If one were only to hear that, they might think Mollru was cursing and whipping them on.

“I’ll see you later, Rita-san…!”

“Yeah, uh… good luck.”

Rita looked at the crew member who had fallen into servitude, shaking her head in disbelief.

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