kscans

Chapter 22 - The Stream's Comment Section

Just as with his previous dungeon runs, people from all over the world were watching Hayate's dungeon conquest.

This time, however, something was strange.

"I will defeat you and have her returned to me!"

Many people questioned the word 'her' that Hayate used when confronting Undine. After all, there were no quests where an NPC was kidnapped by a dungeon boss for a player to rescue.

<──Meaning?>

Those who had been watching Hayate's streams for a while noticed that his behavior this time was odd. On top of that, there was his statement about getting someone back.



When the suspicion that Hayate might be luring people into dungeons arose, tens of thousands of viewers unsubscribed from his stream. The fans who had always insisted Hayate would never do such a thing saw this as an opportunity and defended him in the comments section.

Even so, there were still people who didn't believe, as well as malicious viewers who wanted to diminish Hayate's popularity, but then...

"T, Tidal Wave!"

Undine unleashed an instant-death level major technique.



When it was explained that a cheat-level skill had just been used by the dungeon boss, even the people who doubted Hayate were forced to reconsider.

It was clearly not an attack with a power level meant for a single person. In response, Hayate evaded the massive technique with a spinning slash powered up to its absolute maximum.



While the theory of Hayate being on the Management's side had weakened, a new theory that Hayate was not human had now become much more compelling.



Just as such comments started to increase.

"Since I'm in the mood, I'll tell you something nice. The truth is, I have two more major techniques! Aren't you surprised? Feeling hopeless yet?"



Many FWO players who felt something was off about Undine's dialogue were outraged. She was the most popular boss character among male players. The Goddess speaking lines that Undine would never say sent the comment section into a frenzy.



This comment gained widespread support.



If Undine was being controlled by someone, her strange words and actions made sense.



The Goddess had only revealed herself to a limited number of people. Still, many of those watching Hayate's stream became convinced of a god's existence. At the same time, their frustration with this god exploded.



The comments section was on fire.

Even though Undine was using major techniques from a Grade 6 dungeon boss, and even knowing she had two more instant-death level techniques left.

Most of the viewers could not imagine Hayate losing.

"From here on, I'm using everything I've got. I’m coming at you with my true full power!"

When Hayate said this, he was floating just above the water's surface with a jetpack, but few people questioned it. After seeing him slice a tsunami in two, most viewers had come to think that it wouldn't be strange for him to stand on water.

Making viewers on a stream think that something abnormal is normal. When this state is achieved, it's called 'training complete'. Right now, the viewers were in a state of being perfectly trained by Hayate.



"Hah!"

Using his jetpack, Hayate charged toward Undine at high speed.

"D, don't come any closer!!"

Undine waved her hand, and a massive amount of water tried to block Hayate's path. He sliced through it as he advanced.

"──!? I told you not to come any closer! Aqua Blast Rot!!"

Suddenly, a gigantic pillar of water erupted.

This, too, was an instant-death level major technique that Undine should not have been able to use.

A high-pressure stream of water would shoot up from under the player's feet, launching them upward to be crushed against the boss room ceiling. Among all the magic a boss could use, it had the shortest cast time and was an extremely difficult major technique to evade. But...

Hayate dodged it with ease.

The moment Undine pronounced the word 'Aqua', he predicted that this major technique was coming and moved to evade. And Hayate did not miss the opening right after she unleashed her attack.

"Over here!!!"

"What!?"

The Goddess, thinking she had caught Hayate, was looking up near the ceiling where she expected him to be. As a result, her defense was delayed, and her right arm was sliced off.

"Kuuu. Owww!! Wh, why didn't that hit!?"

"Because you were kind enough to tell me you had two more major techniques. That's the only one that begins its incantation with 'Aqua'. So I dodged the moment you said it. That leaves one major technique left."

FWO bosses only used their instant-death level techniques once. They might have several types of strong attacks, but they weren't designed to repeatedly unleash major techniques capable of incapacitating at least one player.

However, his opponent was the Goddess.

Hayate had properly considered the possibility that she might ignore her earlier words and launch her major techniques repeatedly. While calculating how to block or evade such an attack, he moved toward Undine.

"Th, then how about this! You shouldn't be able to dodge this even if you know it's coming!! Lord of Hydra!!"

Eight pillars of water rose up, forming dragons. They attacked Hayate from all eight directions.

"Hayate-Style Four-Sword Style secret technique, Haze."

The swords held by his manipulators vanished. Swung at a speed that made them appear invisible, the magic swords blew away all the water dragons closing in on him.



"Huuuh!? What was that!? Isn't that cheating!!? That has to be a cheat!!"



Every viewer in the world was on Hayate's side.

"Are you out of major techniques? If you have any more, feel free to use them. I still haven't used my trick of nullifying attacks with the invincibility frames from a skill activation. By the way, considering the shortest possible cooldown for a player skill, you can use your next major technique in 180 seconds. Thinking from when you used the first one, that's about 60 seconds from now."

To make her understand that any struggle was futile, a deadpan Hayate approached Undine while deliberately revealing his hand.

"In 60 seconds, I can utterly crush you."

"Hiii!?"

Overwhelmed by Hayate's presence, Undine backed away.



Nowhere in this world was there an ally for the Goddess who had defiled a game beloved by over 100 million people.