kscans

Chapter 114 - Episode 114 <Stream Comment Section>

The first Saturday since Shinonome Academy started.

"Hello everyone, and welcome back! It’s time for the Hayate-Style Four-Sword Style Promotion Office!!"

The compulsory broadcast began, showing Hayate inside a dungeon somewhere.











"So this is what it’s like inside a dungeon. I’d heard about it, but you really are just talking to a space with no cameras or anything."

"When I was watching, you were looking right at the camera, so I thought there was some kind of marker."

"There’s nothing like that. It just gets broadcast nicely somehow. If you pick your nose, the whole world will see it, so be careful."

"I would never do that."

"Yeah. Me neither."





"Ah, sorry for the late introduction. Today, two friends I made in high school will be clearing the dungeon with me. This is Naoto, and Sakinon."

"I’m Naoto."

"My last name is Sakino, but please call me Sakinon, just like Hayate-kun does."

This meant exposing their personal information to hundreds of millions of people, but even if they used fake names or player names, they would eventually call each other by their real names if they were always clearing dungeons together. So they decided to go with their usual names from the start.







"Ah, these two are dating, so please be advised."






"I’ve always watched your streams, Hayate, and you have this amazing back-and-forth with the comments section, so I thought you could actually see something. But there really is no reaction at all."

"I’m surprised you can talk so much with nothing there."

"I know, right! There’s no reaction, so I’m actually always nervous!"

"But when I rewatch the stream later and see that my banter with the viewers was a success, there’s this mysterious sense of accomplishment."








"It makes me happy when a lot of people’s impressions and comments about our actions match up."

"I get that. I’ve been watching Hayate’s streams forever, so it got me hyped to see lots of people with similar thoughts to my own."







Shortly after dungeons appeared in this world, many FWO players tried to challenge them. However, defeating monsters wasn’t as easy as in the game, and with the risk of losing one’s life, few people now enter dungeons lightly.









"I have a feeling comments saying it’s unfair that Naoto and the others aren’t getting stronger on their own are about to start popping up."

"Eh, really?"





"So, this time, Rena and I..."

"Will not be helping with the clear."





Hayate and Rena were wearing equipment made from materials obtained in a Grade 6 dungeon. Naoto and Mei, on the other hand, had the beginner equipment you get after finishing the tutorial.

"Even if we don’t help them. Even if we don’t give them equipment to power-level them, I’ll show you all that these two can clear the Black Dungeon with ease."

In FWO, ‘power-leveling,’ where high-level players would give their unneeded equipment to beginners to let them dominate the early dungeons, was a popular trend. It’s a common occurrence in MMORPGs that have been out for a while. Beginners get to experience the thrill of dominating early dungeons with strong equipment. The power-levelers get thanked by the beginners, satisfying their ego, and it also helps maintain the game’s player population.

Hayate had given Naoto and the others top-tier equipment, but he decided not to let them use it in this Black Dungeon. He planned to help immediately if things got dangerous, but the basic plan was to have them clear it using only their own strength. The goal was to prevent viewers from building up hate towards the two of them.

"Alright, let’s begin the clear of the Grade 1 Black Dungeon!"

"We’re the ones clearing it, though."

"You’re just watching, Hayate-kun."

"Ah, sorry. It’s just a habit."

Hayate, who had stepped forward to take the lead, moved back.






In Hayate’s place, Naoto stepped forward.

"Well then, this is our first real battle."





Those were the words Hayate had spoken when he first entered the Black Dungeon that appeared in the real world.

"We, who have received the teachings of the Hayate-Style Four-Sword Style... are gonna see how far we can go!!"










Naoto hadn’t done it consciously. He had just watched Hayate’s videos so often that the words came out naturally. This served as an appeal to Hayate’s fans, showing that he too was a comrade who had been watching Hayate’s streams all along. A single phrase. But by choosing the right one, he had succeeded in reducing the number of haters before he had even demonstrated his skills.