The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 98 Mama, Uuu~ 1

[Starting today, the Gallery Owner is Shia] (10021)

Number of recommendations: 9421

A post boasting an overwhelming number of recommendations and comments had been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Genre Hunter Gallery.

Its content wasn’t anything special.

It was just a capture of Shia’s previous broadcast along with a short recording, but the content was anything but ordinary.

『

“Alright! Left side! Right side! Let’s bare our teeth~ Pop pop pop~”

“Ahhh, save me!”

“Terikusai ne~”

』

[Hey, isn’t that an old-fashioned song?]

[Ah, our Gallery Owner is a returnee, haha.]

[Seriously, it’s giving off subtle old vibes lol.]

[But since there’s a remake of that song, could it not be so old? Maybe?]

[But her mental age is 21, kawaii~]

[Whether it’s old or not, who cares? Her holy power pouch is insane.]

[For real lol.]

[Heuuung, Noona…]

The content came from an unintentional joint broadcast with the stalker during Shia’s last stream.

Fortunately, the stalker’s identity remained anonymous thanks to the drone camera’s identity protection filter.

This was probably fortunate for both Shia and the stalker.

Even though things ended well and Shia, the broadcast host, forgave and rehabilitated him, stalking and kidnapping were serious crimes.

It was lucky that Shia came out of it unscathed. Had it been someone else, who knows what could have happened?

If the stalker’s identity had been revealed, innocent relatives, acquaintances, or family members could have suffered.

There will always be people who cross the line, wherever you go.

[What you caught was a chick, kiddo. It’s like a baby chicken.]

[Eh…?]

[But we don’t fry baby chicks into chicken, do we? Right?]

In any case, despite the sensational topic of ‘stalker’ and ‘kidnapping(?)’, Shia managed to turn the situation into a quite remarkable and saint-like conclusion.

It didn’t escalate to the point of overkill, and although it was a sensational subject, the consistently humorous and lighthearted tone helped lift the atmosphere.

In fact, from the viewer’s perspective, it might have felt like they were watching a comedic movie.

『

[Ah, no! This is really too much!! Help me! No, please help!][Ahhh!]

[Save meeeee!]

[S*itttttt!!]』

[Lololololol]

[Hey, why didn’t they reveal the face of that punk?]

[For real, lol. Even if we don’t know him online, if someone messes with the Gallery Owner in real life, they’d better be ready to die lol.]

[Even though the Gallery Owner acts crazy all the time, she’s oddly sharp about this kind of thing.]

[She’s got the filter set to protect everyone’s identity except her own, so she’s strict about safeguarding others.]

[Even though we call her “Antics Saintess,” she’s still a saintess.]

[Heuuung, Saintess Noona…]

The scene where the stalker, who had the guts to kidnap Shia, was being taught a lesson by the Crazy Red Chickens was, instead of being unsettling, seen as satisfying by the viewers.

[Did some digging on that gutsy stalker.] (32)

Number of recommendations: 329

[There’s nothing to find, dude.

The range is too broad to narrow down.

From the broadcast, all we know is that he’s a C-rank hunter or lower, and a man, but do you know how many C-rank hunters there are in Korea? Trying to narrow it down lol.

A man, living in Seoul, C-rank hunter, and a loser.

Plus, with the perception distortion filter on during the Gallery Owner’s broadcast, it’s impossible to dig up anything with keywords.]

[Lololololol]

[It’s probably better not to look.]

[Why?]

[The Gallery Owner said not to.]

[For real?]

[Yeah, she said during the broadcast that she already rehabilitated the stalker, so we should leave him alone.]

[If she’s okay with it, there’s nothing more to say.]

Of course, even during all this, Shia didn’t stop her antics.

[…I’m going to get it. Eheh. Look over there. That big egg. It’s different from a wyvern egg, but it’s got its own flavor. I’m going to bring it over.]

[Antics… Antics as always…]

[She’s up to her antics again, lol.]

[Someone called her an egg-laying saintess during the chat. Honestly, is that even possible?]

[Definitely possible.]

[How could it not be?]

[Where is it, bring it over.]

[It’s not here?]

[Then make it and bring it! You guys talk too much, haha!]

[Lololololol]

The scene where she made fried chicken out of the Crazy Red Chickens was also considered one of the most memorable.

With Shia’s top-notch drone camera equipment, as long as the cooking process and the final dish looked decent, it could even rival the food exploration segments seen in Michelin or cooking programs.

But of course, it wasn’t just all about the antics.

『

[Um…]

[Hm?]

[Isn’t it late…no, I mean, isn’t it too late…]

[Nom nom…so, you’re saying, it’s too late to go back?]

』

Thanks to the artistic drone camera work and angles, the image of Shia eating chicken by the campfire felt like a beautiful, cinematic masterpiece, moving some viewers to tears.

『[It’s never too late in life. Until you die, it’s always that way.]

[…………sniff…]

[The moment you make up your mind is the right time. That’s how it was for me too. Believe it or not, I was 84…no, was it 85? Even if my mental age is 21…but based on my experience, yeah. When you think it’s too late, it might be. But if you stop because you think it’s too late, then it’s not just late—it’s where you’ll stay forever.]

[Sniff, sob…]

[Oh dear, don’t cry. A grown man sobbing loudly like that is as pitiful as it gets, you know?]』

When the usually antics-driven saintess smiled with genuine compassion, it had an overwhelming impact not just on the stalker who had kidnapped her but also on the viewers who watched in awe.

『[Gulp, if you have the will to move forward. If you’ve made up your mind, I can help.]

[…sniff, uh…]

[Helping those who have strayed from the path is also part of a saintess’s role.]』

[Noona…]

[Wow, she’s so beautiful, damn.]

[She’s seriously breathtaking.]

[Report for insulting mothers.]

[I don’t even have a mom.]

[Sorry…]

[Suddenly taking it dark, lololol.]

[Lol.]

[Gallery Owner! Gallery Owner! Gallery Owner!]

[That’s our Gallery Owner!]

[The Genre Hunter Gallery is now officially the Genre Antics Gallery.]

[Lololololololol.]

[Well, it’s not wrong, lol.]

[Is that really a saintess…?]

[Heuuuung, Noona…]

[And now, let the Gallery Owner worship begin.] (882)

Number of recommendations: 2192

『

Shia is God! Shia is God! Shia is God! Shia is God! Shia is God! Shia is God! Shia is God! Shia is God! Shia is God! Shia is God!

But seriously. I feel like she wasn’t just talking to that stalker.

Honestly, there are probably a few people here in this gallery living normal lives while hanging out in the Hunter Gallery and the net. But there’s also bound to be a bunch of pathetic losers like that stalker from the broadcast.

Of course, we shouldn’t generalize. Everyone has their own circumstances and lives, but what the Gallery Owner said might sound like an old-fashioned lecture at first.

But the Gallery Owner’s words, “When you think it’s too late, it might be. But if you stop because it’s too late, you’ll stay there forever,” really hit me hard.

I don’t think that was just meant for that pathetic stalker, the forever C-rank hunter. I think it applies to all of us too.

Fellow gallery members.

If you love the Gallery Owner so much, then let’s follow her advice.

First, stop lying in bed scrolling through your smartwatch. Get up and wash yourself.

If you don’t know what to do afterward, go out for a walk or exercise.

Even just taking a stroll is fine.

Or if nothing else, do the dishes or clean up the house for your mom.

I got up, washed, did my mom’s dishes, and then sat in front of the computer again.』

[Sobbing…]

[This is important. It’s true that a person’s life can change with just a small shift in mindset.]

[Why does it feel like this is about me…]

[It’s so sad…]

[After reading this, I stepped outside my room. My mom started crying.]

[Wait, is she crying because she saw your face?]

[Yeah, damn it. I’m such a shut-in that it’s been three months since I last saw my mom.]

[Ah…]

[Oh…]

[Wow, look at the guy above, savage.]

[Apologize.]

[That’s over the line.]

[Sorry.]

[Lolololol.]

[At least he’s nice. When we told him to apologize, he really did…]

And so, Shia solidified her position as the undisputed Gallery Owner of the Genre Hunter Gallery.

Even those who didn’t know her before, now, more and more netrunners who frequented the Genre Hunter Gallery had heard her name at least once.

Meanwhile, at that very moment, Shia was…

○○○○○

“Today, I’m going to eat fried corn crane flies!”

-What?

-Stop with the antics from the very start…

-Seriously…

-???

-What did you just say you’re going to eat?

-I just joined the stream, and what the heck is going on?

-Crane flies???

-Lololololololol.

-She’s gone nuts…

-Lol, what kind of fried stuff did I just hear?

Netrunners who had come to Shia’s stream after being moved by the posts in the gallery were now experiencing a whole new world, thanks to the crazy antics of the Antics Saintess.

The clips and posts of Shia as a saintess, posted in the gallery, were holy and beautiful beyond belief.

After seeing such normal clips, the new viewers tuned into the broadcast, only to be greeted with the words “fried crane flies.”

And floating beside her, the transport drone carried a huge fryer, several bottles of cooking oil, various batter mixes, and even seasoning sauces and pancake mixes.

-Holy hell, how many bottles of oil are there?

-That’s a fried food factory???

-Lololololol.

-The newbies are totally lost, huh?

-Get up, guys! This is hellish madness!

-Lol.

-Is she seriously planning to fry crane flies? For real?

-The Saintess never lies!

-For real?

-It’s real, lol.

Thanks to this, viewers who had already been following Shia’s original broadcasts were having a blast watching the new viewers completely bewildered.

While the newbies were still trying to get their bearings, Shia was already walking into a dungeon that looked like a jungle, seriously searching for corn crane flies.

Corn crane flies.

In other countries, they are also called Corn Crane Flies, roughly 1 meter in size, they were massive insect-type monsters classified as edible.

They were categorized as edible because when the initial raid party of this B-rank jungle dungeon got lost inside, they ran out of food and started hunting the corn crane flies, the most common monsters in the dungeon.

It turned out the corn crane flies were an excellent source of protein, and after the raid party successfully cleared the dungeon by surviving off of them, the corn crane flies were officially registered in the Hunter Encyclopedia as an edible monster.

Of course, that’s just the official story…

The name speaks for itself—corn crane flies.

Literally, they were giant crane flies.

What are crane flies?

They belong to the fly order and are large insects that look like overgrown mosquitoes.

In summer, you can often find them near walls or streetlights, mingling with moths and mayflies, making them quite a familiar sight.

Their appearance alone was enough to make anyone scrunch their nose in disgust.

However, unlike mosquitoes, they don’t suck blood or cause harm to humans.

In fact, they feed on plant sap and nectar, acting as pollinators, so they’re classified as beneficial insects…but…

Because they resemble mosquitoes, they are widely loathed and persecuted as pests.

And the same held true for the monster version, the corn crane fly.

“Ah! There it is!”

True to its name, the corn crane fly lived in groups within the B-rank jungle dungeon, feasting on the dungeon’s corn as herbivorous giant insect monsters.

Now, how would you feel seeing a swarm of these creatures, numbering in the thousands, flying together through the jungle sky?

-Aaaaaaaaahhh!

-Stop her, stop herrrrrrrr!

-That’s so freaking gross, lol.

-Ughhhh!

-What is thaaaat, lolololololol.

-I can’t watch this.

“Alright, here I go!”

[‘KawaiiHorned’ has donated 50,000 won!]

-Wait, you ate chicken last time. Can’t you eat something normal?

[‘ChickenShopClosed’ has donated 5,000 won!]

-Gallery Owner…don’t do everything you want…

[‘LeafFriedforSale’ has donated 3,000 won!]

-Um…I think it’s too late already. Didn’t you eat centipedes last time?

“No, nope! No way! It’s already too late! As LeafFriedforSale said, I’m going to eat them!”

-No, don’t gooooooo!

-Stoooooop!

-Crazy, insane woman!

Bang!!!

And with that, Shia launched herself forward with terrifying leg strength, her body soaring towards the corn crane flies leisurely floating through the sky.

Buzzzz!!

The corn crane flies, startled by something suddenly flying toward them, tried to change course, but Shia’s tentacles caught them and crushed them.

Though they were massive at around 1 meter, their body durability wasn’t particularly high, and the corn crane flies were instantly killed by Shia’s tentacle in a single swing.

Nice, one down.

-Ahhh, their blood is green, lolol.

-Crane fly: What did I ever do…?

-They’re herbivores, though, lol.

-A senseless act of violence against a crane fly!

“Huh? Huh? They’re fleeing!”

The remaining corn crane flies, seeing their comrade fall, began to turn and fly away.

Whether or not they had some form of communication was unclear, but since they were such large creatures, it seemed likely that they had some level of intelligence.

Letting them escape would surely lead to no good.

With quick judgment, Shia planted her feet on the ground and, without stopping, leaped forward again.

Bang!

Crunch!

With each jump, one to three crane flies were crushed or captured by Shia’s tentacles.

The corn crane flies struggled, trying to wriggle out of the tentacles holding them, but their basic strength was so weak that it was a futile effort.

“This won’t be enough, will it?”

[Miracle – Holy Body Descent]

“One more!”

[Miracle – Holy Body Descent]!

Crrrunch.

Creak, creak!

-Whoa, damn…

-It’s been a while since she used that.

-There are so many tentacles.

-Every time I see it, I think they must be so soft.

-I could totally do it.

-That guy says he could do it every time, lol.

“Haha, good.”

When Shia invoked the miracle upon her own body, her spine twisted, her flesh boiled and regenerated, and hundreds of tentacles burst forth from her body all at once.

The sight was grotesque and eerie, yet at the same time strangely grand and beautiful.

It even gave off an oddly holy aura.

Though outwardly, the tentacles were undoubtedly creepy and bizarre, the fact that their host was the beautiful Saintess of the Dead, Shia, gave them an unusual, paradoxical appeal to the viewers.

“Alright, catch them!”

Swishhh!

Hundreds of tentacles shot up into the sky, chasing after the fleeing corn crane flies.

It was as if the tentacles had infinite length, stretching through the sky as they hunted the crane flies.

-Wowww…

-Heuung, Tentacle Noona…

-Tentacle Saintess, it’s been a while, lol.

-What’s that? Wasn’t she only using five tentacles before?

-No, that’s her normal state.

-Every time she uses a miracle, the number of tentacles multiplies exponentially from 5.

-So does that mean she has 125 tentacles now?

-I guess so?

-So if she uses the miracle again, would that mean 625 tentacles?

-No idea?

-She’s never used that many before.

Of course, Shia had only increased the number of tentacles this time to capture the large number of corn crane flies, and so the tentacles chased after each crane fly, grabbing them mid-flight.

Crunch!

Crack!

Splatter!

Unfortunately, some corn crane flies were crushed beyond recognition, leaving only mangled remains that fell to the ground.

The fragments of the crane flies, victims of this senseless violence, scattered on the jungle floor, while the 125 tentacles protruding from Shia’s waist neatly captured the corn crane flies, preparing them for her meal.

Of course, there were also a few tentacles that had sneakily eaten some corn crane flies without permission, but that small rebellion was within an acceptable range, so it was fine.

○○○○

And the jungle dungeon was vast.

So vast, in fact, that it was twice the size of the Kurutara Mountain Range dungeon that Shia had previously entered, which was about the size of Daegu City.

There were dangerous monsters, of course, but there were also plenty of easy monsters, like the corn crane flies, which were too low on the danger scale to even be ranked.

Thanks to this, the jungle dungeon, also known as the “Honey Dungeon,” was a great place for beginners or low-ranked hunters to gather secondary resources for a living, as long as they were cautious.

And today, as always, a hunter had entered the familiar jungle to collect his daily bread and income.

Moments later, the hunter witnessed the sight of gigantic tentacles covering the sky.

“Kyaaaaaahhh!! What is thattttt!!”

Neither the person screaming now nor the one controlling the tentacles could have known.

Unexpected encounters begin in the most unexpected places.