LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 93
Chapter 93: Huh, a Stalker? 1
Do you know who the current gallery leader of the Hunter Gallery is?
It’s Shia.
Previously, when Yujin and her teammates perfectly completed the S-class raid dungeon strategy that was broadcasted, Yujin had been the gallery leader.
Every month, depending on the popular hunter broadcasts or trending memes, sometimes an S-class hunter from abroad, a rising A-class hunter, or a freshly graduated newbie hunter would become the gallery leader.
There was a female hunter who had the ability to have a long tongue and smooth skin like a frog.
She became quite a sensation with various memes and gifs circulating, and despite not having much strength, she played the role of the gallery leader of the Hunter Gallery for a while.
And recently, the biggest storm, stirring up numerous controversies, was none other than Shia.
Shia had many tags attached to her.
The Hunter Gallery, which recorded various information on all hunters worldwide, including those from Korea, listed Shia as…
[Shia]
Returnee
Age: 85 (Mental age 21)
Species: Human, Undead (as mentioned by herself, Undead)
Height/Weight: [Unconfirmed] – Estimated to be over 180 cm, weight unknown, though presumed to be quite heavy if including her holy power pouch and tentacles.
Occupation: Saintess (Saintess of the Dead)
Special Characteristics: Physical type, melee, body transformation, wide-range abilities, healing abilities
Other Tags: Tentacles, Insane, Wild Lady, Kindness, Saintess, Beautiful when silent, Craziness, Holy Power Pouch
Hunter Broadcast: Yes, broadcaster
Guild Affiliation: X
Rank: X (Temporary Hunter Certificate)
Subscribers: 620,000
Fan Nicknames: Followers of the Dead, The 13 Exalted
Various wikis were attached like this, and it was constantly being updated.
[What the hell, why isn’t Shia turning on her stream?](119)
ㄴLikes: 643
『The gallery leader, this crazy lady, blew up in popularity within a short period of time, and her mental state got messed up as a result.
At first, she would turn on the camera diligently, even for trivial things, as if she was trying to be a dedicated streamer.
But once her average viewership hit around 10,000, she suddenly became so unreliable.
It’s only natural that viewers would drop off since her streams have only been going for less than six months, but this chaotic lady doesn’t even give any notice and just stops streaming again.
She must have some serious guts, huh?
Think about it.
Shia became the gallery leader in such a short period, but isn’t she lacking substance?
Other than being strong, having tentacles, an estimated S-class rank, an enormous holy power pouch, looking rich, and being a little pretty, she has nothing.
Wait, now that I think about it, she’s got it all, damn.』
[LOL]
[She’s got everything, LOL]
ㄴ[LOL]
ㄴ[LOL right]
ㄴ[That’s why she doesn’t stream, huh, bro LOL]
[But honestly, the gallery leader has huge assets]
ㄴ[It’s not assets, it’s her holy power pouch LOL]
ㄴ[You’re delusional…]
ㄴ[Want to be a lesbian? Heu-eung, noona…]
[Bro, didn’t she stream from the Great Forest last time?]
ㄴ[So? Turning it on for a moment is enough?]
ㄴ[You sound like an idiot LOL Do you even know what the Great Forest is?]
ㄴ[The heck…]
ㄴ[This guy’s a total nerd]
ㄴ[Student,,, these days,,, do you get milk at lunch?,,, Back in my day, we drank white milk even though we didn’t like it, mixing it with powdered chocolate,,, Oh boy,,,]
ㄴ[Old man, they stopped giving out milk like 20 years ago…]
ㄴ[?]
ㄴ[Really?]
ㄴ[What’s powdered chocolate, you geek]
[The Elf Great Forest is super secretive, right?]
ㄴ[I mean, yeah, I know it’s secretive, but what does that have to do with her barely streaming?]
ㄴ[It’s classified, you idiot]
ㄴ[Classified but she streamed from there?]
ㄴ[She must’ve gotten permission, obviously]
ㄴ[Is this guy putting on a persona?]
ㄴ[No, listen up, you idiot. If the gallery leader went to the Elf Great Forest, it means she probably received some classified request to go there.
So, when she streamed, it was from a restricted area where she got permission.
It’s natural that a returnee hunter of an estimated S-rank would be too busy to stream every day, you dumb basement-dwelling loser who has to have everything explained to him.]
ㄴ[Aaargh, fine, shut up]
ㄴ[Why am I getting hit]
[(Breaking News) Gallery Leader, awarded Best Hunter of the Quarter.](2942)
ㄴLikes: 3,219
[A meme of the gallery leader shaking hands with the Vice Minister of the Hunter Association]
Current B-class hunter here.
See that picture?
The blue-haired girl next to the gallery leader is Yeonhwa, the granddaughter of Yeonseo.
She’s the youngest A-class hunter, having become one just a few months ago.
Despite not joining a guild after achieving A-class, she has the most monster kills and dungeon clears, which seems to have earned her the Best Hunter of the Quarter award.
By the way, Yeonseo was also at the association ceremony that day.
It seemed like the gallery leader and Yeonseo knew each other since they talked several times.
The gallery leader was all smiles while receiving her award, and she looked really cute.
But, damn, every time she walked, her holy power pouch bounced up and down, and it was seriously distracting.
Judging by how it kept its shape, it’s probably not what you’re thinking, but because of how it swayed, it almost looked like she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Anyway, I couldn’t quite figure out what the award was for since the contents were just the usual ‘This person has made great contributions to society.’
I’m guessing it has something to do with what she did in the Elf Great Forest, but it’s probably classified.
In any case, what’s the conclusion?
Shia is invincible and a god!
[No bra? Totally doable LOL]
[Give me food]
[Waiter, one bowl of rice here]
[Okay, fine, the gallery leader is a returnee, but what’s with Yeonhwa? I’ve been stuck at C-class for over nine years, but she’s already A-class at her age.]
ㄴ[You too? Me too!]
ㄴ[You too?]
ㄴ[LOL right]
ㄴ[This just proves that hunters benefit from bloodlines]
ㄴ[Cut the crap, it’s already been revealed that hunters don’t inherit powers from bloodlines, you idiot LOL]
ㄴ[There’s always some fool starting nonsense]
[What’s going on? Can someone summarize in 3 lines?]
ㄴ[Read the post, you idiot]
ㄴ[These days, kids have garbage reading comprehension skills]
[For those who don’t know what the Best Hunter award is](942)
ㄴLikes: 893
[A meme of a frog throwing a punch]
『If you don’t know, look it up, idiot』
[LOL]
[LOL]
[LOL]
[Just in case some of you don’t actually know, I’ll leave a comment.
The Hunter Association gives this award every quarter to hunters who have achieved the most notable results or performed outstandingly.
The prize money alone is 1.5 billion won, and you receive both the President’s Award and the Minister of the Association’s Award at the same time.
It also counts towards meeting the qualifications for S-class promotion.
Basically, receiving it is equivalent to achieving the conditions for S-class.』
ㄴ[Really?]
ㄴ[Except for first-generation S-class hunters like Yujin and Yeonseo who returned during the first Great Rift, every S-class hunter has received this award.]
ㄴ[So, is the gallery leader really going to become S-class?]
ㄴ[Who knows]
ㄴ[After receiving that, the chances are high]
[But what did the gallery leader receive it for?]
ㄴ[No idea. They didn’t say much at the ceremony.]
ㄴ[Did she sleep with the head of the association to get it?]
ㄴ[LOL you’re crazy]
ㄴ[Delete that before the association sues you]
ㄴ[Honestly, though, if the gallery leader flashed her holy power pouch and asked for something, wouldn’t they give it to her?]
ㄴ[Tempting]
ㄴ[Tempting? LOL do you guys want a court date with me?]
○○○○
“Humming, humming~”
[Squeak…]
“Ah, you can’t be picky.”
Ah, it was so good to be home.
Home was the best.
Of course, it wasn’t that I had any complaints about the lodging that Olga provided for me in the Great Forest.
Even my undead body found it comfortable, but nothing could compare to the sense of stability that comes from being at home.
My bed, my blanket, and my pillow, all with my familiar scent.
And now, even my pet blade centipede, who felt like family.
[Squeak…](Get off me…)
“You missed me too, didn’t you?”
I hugged the centipede like a bolster.
It squirmed wildly, clearly indicating that
it had missed me terribly.
For reference, this blade centipede had coiled up in one of the storage rooms in the Returnee Shelter when I left for the Great Forest about a week ago.
And even upon my return, it hadn’t changed its position, still asleep.
At first, I worried if it was okay to just leave the centipede alone without feeding it.
If it ever got hungry and roamed the streets outside the Returnee Shelter, it could cause a disaster, couldn’t it?
Fortunately, blade centipedes are creatures that sleep for a month after a meal.
And this lucky blade centipede was intelligent enough to follow my instructions to stay inside.
“Heu-eung… Yeah, good job. Good job.”
Since it had been obedient, I fed it a gift I brought back from the Great Forest.
Fortunately, the little guy seemed to like the present…
[Ptui!]
“No! I told you to eat it!!!”
[Squeak!]
What I was feeding the centipede was soy meat.
A soy meat set.
Grown, harvested, and prepared by the elves themselves.
The elves seemed to have been impressed by my eating habits in the Great Forest because they gifted me with an enormous amount of soy meat—over 100 servings, at least.
Thanks to this well-intentioned but overwhelming gift, I found myself in a dilemma about how to deal with it.
It’s not that it tastes bad.
But like I said before, if I were to compare the elf-made soy meat to other foods, it would be like candy without the sweetness.
Like spam without salt.
Like health noodles without MSG.
Like black bean noodles without black bean paste.
Like fried chicken without seasoning or brining.
It wasn’t inedible, but the more I ate it, the more I frowned, and the more I wanted to throw up.
It was the kind of food that made you not want to eat more after a few bites.
But, as a saintess, there was no way I could waste this sacred food, made with the sincere hands of the elves and blessed by the spirits.
There was no way I could ignore the countless efforts that went into growing these beans and disrespect the care of the wind and sun.
So, I was feeding my precious lucky blade centipede.
[Squeak, squeaaal!]
“Oh, come on, it’s good for you.”
Of course, I hadn’t only received the soy meat set.
The elves of the Great Forest told me that if I ever needed anything, I just had to let them know.
The crops grown by the elves were considered luxurious goods on Earth and fetched an enormous price.
Not only were they expensive, but their taste was also exceptional, just like the highland cabbage grown by Unnie Yeonseo in the dungeon.
It was good to know that I could eat such excellent produce whenever I wanted.
It was a bit embarrassing, but it seemed that I had become something of a benefactor to the elves.
I had just been trying to help my lovely follower, Olga, but in the end, I ended up helping the entire elven race and their Great Forest.
Well, it’s not like I minded gaining such valuable allies.
Oh, by the way, I also got a small fruit that grew on Big Olgania’s head, resembling an apple.
It felt like something condensed with some malignant residue, but it seemed like it could work as a sort of supplement.
I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to eat it as dessert after a dungeon-cooked meal.
“Now that I think about it, I should probably do a stream soon…”
Ah, whatever.
Streaming isn’t a big deal.
After going through so many things in the Great Forest, I felt like my energy was somewhat drained.
Even though my body didn’t get tired easily, there was still mental exhaustion, wasn’t there?
“Maybe I should go for a walk?”
I prepared for a casual outing.
Great.
The weather was cool enough, so I figured I could just wear a sweater underneath.
Hmm, yeah, underwear is bothersome. I don’t really need it, so I’ll just skip it.
Besides, it’s not like my chest would lose its shape without underwear. It’s much more comfortable this way.
A coat over it should be just right.
“You better finish all of that.”
[Squeak…](Damn my life…)
I looked at my smartwatch—it was only 11 a.m.
Maybe because I had gotten into the habit of going to bed early and waking up early while staying in the Great Forest, I no longer stayed up late into the night and slept until midday like before.
Seoul at 11 a.m. was fairly quiet.
At first, I walked near Dangsan Station and then headed toward Yeouido.
By the way, the air quality was pretty nice.
I remembered how bad Seoul’s air was back in 2024, due to fine dust from China and vehicle exhaust fumes.
But by 2088, the air was so clean and refreshing, it reminded me of the countryside.
It was probably thanks to advancements in technology that vehicle emissions and pollution had almost disappeared.
Also, maybe Seoul had been rebuilt after nearly reaching the brink of destruction.
“Wow, this used to be the middle school I went to…”
Of course, its name had changed, and the building looked completely new.
It wasn’t a middle school anymore, but a high school.
Judging by the students, it seemed to be co-ed.
Come to think of it, Yeonhwa didn’t go to a regular school like this but to a hunter academy, didn’t she?
She must’ve had a tough time…
I didn’t remember much from my time as a guy… but every now and then, familiar scenes would flash in my mind.
While walking near the school, it seemed to be lunchtime, as some students were roaming the playground and nearby restaurants, enjoying their meals.
That’s when a group of students suddenly rushed toward me.
Huh?
What’s this?
Wait, am I getting mugged by delinquent students?!
“Excuse me, are you Shia?!”
“Hmm?”
One girl from the group, her face bright red, asked me nervously.
Behind her, other girls were also blushing and mumbling, so it seemed she had been pushed forward as their representative.
They didn’t have to be so shy…
I wasn’t that difficult to approach. It’s not like I was a celebrity or a politician.
Well, there was no point in denying it.
I gave a slight nod to the embarrassed girl.
“…!”
“It really is her!”
“It’s actually her…”
“Wow, no way…”
“She’s huge… really huge…”
Luckily, it seemed like I wasn’t going to get mugged by delinquents or juvenile offenders.
“I’m a fan!”
“We’re fans too!”
“We loved your centipede fry mukbang video!”
“I’m also a follower of the Dead!”
“I’ve been watching your streams!”
“Are you streaming right now by any chance?”
Oh, I didn’t realize students these days watched hunter streams.
Well, considering the demand from students, many hunter streamers probably set up adult filters and blood filters.
I heard the main goal of hunter broadcasts was for awakened hunters to build a friendly image with civilians, to prove that we were human too.
Seeing that hunter streams were popular among students, it seemed the association’s efforts had paid off.
“Hehe, it’s okay to speak slowly. I’m not in a hurry.”
“Huh…!”
Without realizing it, I smiled, and the students gasped.
‘Hmm, I didn’t think my streams were all that special, but having fans like this feels a little ticklish…’
“Um, uh… can I… have your autograph?”
“Oh, uh, yeah! Sure!”
“Ah..! Thank you so much!”
The girl, who was clutching a book to her chest and hiding behind her bangs, handed me a marker.
This was a first for me.
It wasn’t like I’d never been cheered as a saintess in the previous world… but being approached by a fan and asked for an autograph…
It made me feel ticklish, like I was some kind of celebrity or famous figure.
But was it okay to sign a book?
Just as I was about to sign her book, the girl suddenly hid the book behind her and presented her chest to me.
Huh, what?
“Uh, could you… sign here?”
“………?”
What?
On her chest?
The girl indicated the spot on her school blouse where she wanted me to sign.
“I… I want to grow as big as you…”
“………….”
Well, it’s not hard, but…
If that’s what you want…
“What’s your name?”
“S… Shim Moon-hyang.”
That’s a pretty unique name.
She did look like someone who would enjoy reading books, so maybe it suited her.
Scribble, scribble.
“Kyaa! I got it! I got it!”
Is it really that great…?
The girl, who had seemed shy and reserved, was now jumping for joy after getting my autograph on her chest.
“Um, me too…”
“Could I get one as well?”
“…..”
Well, I guess it’s just one of those days.
And so, after signing for over 40 girls, I was finally able to leave.
More students were poking their heads out, probably hoping to chat with me.
But unfortunately, the school bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch break, so our little fan meeting had to come to an end.
Walking along the streets and seeing the scenery wasn’t bad either.
These alleys, streets, school routes, snack shops, and stationery stores no longer had anything to do with me.
I think this was the first time I had walked around the neighborhood since my return.
‘Now that I think about it, when I first came back, I stayed holed up in the Returnee Shelter for a whole month without stepping outside, just eating…’
It felt like my life had become a little more positive.
…If Menelapie were here, she’d probably praise me for doing well.
Sigh, I need to stop thinking about Menelapie…
There’s no way we’ll meet again anyway.
Click.
“?
But from earlier, I’d been hearing footsteps behind me.
I mean, I always hear people’s footsteps, but this one seemed strangely like it was following me.
What is this?
Click. Click.
Thud, thud.
At least until the students had surrounded me earlier, I hadn’t noticed it. But at some point, it had started trailing me.
I tilted my head, stopping in my tracks.
The footsteps also stopped.
I didn’t feel threatened, so I let it be.
But the fact that it kept following me so blatantly started to get on my nerves.
Maybe it’s a fan?
Yeah, if it’s just a fan, there’s no reason for me to be so sensitive.
Streaming is basically like selling your face, so it makes sense that people would recognize me if I walked around like this…
“F-freeze!”
“……?”
Suddenly, someone pressed a damp cloth to my mouth from behind.
It seemed like they were trying really hard to clamp my mouth shut with a forceful grip, but I didn’t even register it as a threat. It felt awkward to react, so I just stayed still.
What is this?
What the hell is this?
I had sensed the movement earlier.
I just thought it was a fan, someone a little shy or awkward, hesitating to approach me.
I didn’t expect this sudden action.
And the smell from this cloth…
Sniff, sniff.
‘Anesthetic?’
I felt a slight stiffness in my nose and tongue, but that was it.
This body of the Saintess of the Dead was so excellent that not only poison, but almost anything harmful to me didn’t work.
Of course, I did get drunk on purpose sometimes, but…
Why would they use an anesthetic on me?
What for?
I didn’t get it…
‘Huh?’
Oh no, could it be…
‘A stalker?’
Kyaah!
Do I finally have a stalker, too?!
For some reason, I felt happy.