Chapter 48 : Organic Dungeon Alpine Farming 2

– Hahahahahahaha

– The malicious ones got struck by lightning, hahahaha!

– Their expressions are hilarious, hahaha.

– Ah, life is real combat, lol.

Yeonseo's spatial manipulation ability was convenient in many ways.

From infiltrating a dungeon in an instant, to using enough force to cross continents in a flash, or launching surprise attacks with teleportation, she was an all-around hunter.

And today, with her all-purpose ability, Yeonseo took her malicious viewers on a fun trip to the sea.

It goes without saying, Yeonseo disliked malicious people.

She preferred a peaceful and clean chat room, aiming for a stream without any cursing.

There was a reason why Yeonseo set up a broadcast with the warm, comforting vibe of "Country Grandma's Retreat."

She hoped that viewers who came here would feel as if they were visiting the countryside, spending leisurely and enjoyable moments chatting with Grandma Yeonseo about trivial things.

Aren't we all too exhausted and worn out from the harsh modern society and lives filled with malice?

"Wh-Where is this…? Ahhh…?!"

"Ack…!"

"This is the East Sea. Isn't the view refreshing?"

To others, it might have seemed like a gentle and kind smile, but to the malicious netizens suddenly dragged out to the sea by Yeonseo, it looked like the smile of a crazy woman.

Sure, they knew Yeonseo was the strongest hunter and a living legend.

They also had a vague sense that messing with a legend could end badly.

'But… But just for a few malicious comments in the chat, who would have thought she'd drop us 100 meters above the East Sea?!'

"Ye-Yeonseo-nim! Isn't this a bit too much?"

"Hmm?"

In the end, one of the netizens, unable to come to grips with the unfairness of it all, began to confront Yeonseo.

Others were scared, but secretly cheered for the person standing up to her.

"Ye-Yeonseo-nim, you might not know this, but if a hunter streamer does something like this, they can crash in an instant! Viewers have the right to chat freely, and kidnapping us like this won't just end here!"

"Y-Yes, exactly!"

"That's right! Crash! Crash! Crash!"

"Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!"

"If you don't want to fall from grace, you should behave…!"

"Child."

But from Yeonseo's perspective, it was absurd.

What didn't she know?

Yeonseo was the one who invented the job of hunter streamer in the first place.

She was the first-generation hunter streamer, and every job related to hunters could be traced back to her.

But what?

Some kid, who looked barely older than an adult, telling her that she didn't know anything? It was beyond ridiculous.

These malicious commenters must have thought Yeonseo, having retired as a hunter, was just a newbie casually streaming for fun.

To think that first-generation veteran Yeonseo, a seasoned pro among pros, was being treated like a rookie by these troublemakers… Tsk, tsk. Maybe she should come out of retirement after all.

But Yeonseo, finding it too bothersome to explain this long and complicated story to these troublemakers, grabbed the head of the kid complaining and made them look down.

"Child, the crash you're talking about…"

"Huh?!"

"Do you see it down there?"

Yeonseo was standing in mid-air.

At the moment, her spatial manipulation allowed both her and the malicious commenters to stand safely in the air, but below them, the clean East Sea stretched far, with Ulleungdo Island faintly visible in the distance.

The ocean, swirling in shades of blue, seemed so dark that it looked like it harbored secrets in its depths.

"Gulp."

"This is the crash you're talking about."

"Huh…?"

And with a sweet smile, Yeonseo waved her hand at the malicious commenter, as if saying goodbye.

It didn't take long for the commenter to understand the meaning of that smile.

The invisible physical support beneath their feet vanished, and the body of the malicious commenter began plummeting into the churning waters of the East Sea below.

"Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

-Hahahahaha

-They're falling so cleanly, lol.

-This is what you get for being malicious, haha.

-Hahaha.

-The scream is so satisfying.

Yeonseo didn't only bring the four malicious commenters; she also brought along a camera drone for the broadcast, so the viewers cheered as the chat blazed with excitement.

It was one of the few moments when Yeonseo's usually calm and peaceful stream became this lively.

-Wow, wouldn't they get hurt falling from that height?

-It's not just getting hurt; they could die, right?

-They'll be fine.

-Nope.

-They won't get hurt, lol.

-Grandma always safely retrieves them before they hit the water.

-Oh, really?

Snap!

"Ugh, ugh…ugh…!"

Just as the chat said, with the snap of her fingers, Yeonseo safely retrieved the malicious commenter just before they hit the water and placed them beside her.

It might seem like a waste of her powerful abilities just to discipline a few trolls, but Yeonseo had already retired.

No one in this world would criticize her for playing a bit too rough.

"So, are you coming to your senses?"

"H-Hic…hic…"

Completely fine.

No injuries.

Not even a drop of water on them.

Of course, Yeonseo knew how fragile a human body could be.

If someone were to fall from that height, the impact with the water could cause severe injury or even death.

Naturally, Yeonseo had anticipated this and applied a transparent spatial barrier to their bodies, ensuring that they would return to her side just before hitting the water.

Honestly, she felt like giving these malicious commenters a harsher lesson, but a freefall experience was enough to scare these keyboard warriors senseless.

"Hoho, have you reflected?"

"Y-Yes! Yes, I've reflected! I'll…never do anything malicious again!"

"Hohoho, good. Good."

Getting disciplined by a living legend was not something they could experience easily.

The results were impressive; Yeonseo wondered if she might actually have a talent for education.

Maybe in the future, she could become an academy instructor or a trainer?

"Now, since this one has reflected…"

"Eek!!"

When Yeonseo, still maintaining her warm grandmotherly smile, shifted her gaze to the other commenters who hadn't experienced the dive, they all flinched and immediately bowed.

"W-We're sorry!"

"We apologize! We won't do it again!"

"Hoho, is that so? Good."

-Hahaha.

-Look how fast the trolls are reflecting, lol.

-If it were any other hunter stream, would they be this fast?

-Oh man, every time I watch Grandma's stream, I look forward to the viewer collabs the most.

-For real, lol.

Yeonseo wasn't cruel enough to continue tormenting those who had reflected and come to their senses.

These trolls hadn't crossed any serious lines…well, "YeonseoNipplePoke" was a bit much…

"Hoho… yes, your attitude of reflection is commendable. Then, I'll only drop you as many times as you said 'crash' earlier."

"…Excuse me?"

"Pardon?"

"…Huh?"

-Hahahahahaha.

-See, this is what you get for choosing such a ridiculous username, lol.

-Hahaha.

-You should be thankful you're not being dropped for every letter in your username, lol.

-Grandma is having a blast with this stream, hahaha.

-For real, lol.

-Of all the names, seriously, change 'YeonseoNipplePoke' already, lol.

-Hey, no need to mention it.

-Shh, the number of viewers collabing with Grandma is increasing.

"From now on, live kindly~"

"N-No, I'll reflect properly this time… Waaaaaaaah!!!"

They might have come to their senses, but paying for their misdeeds was still necessary.

Seriously, who told them to choose usernames like that?

It was practically advertising that they were here to annoy her from the start.

○○○○

After finishing her little discipline session with the troublesome commenters over the East Sea, Yeonseo used her spatial manipulation to give each of them a dungeon-grown cabbage.

Hadn't she just successfully and sufficiently educated these rude and malicious commenters?

She had heard that even after completing training camps or marine boot camps, they give out souvenirs, so it made sense to give something as a memento after her educational viewer collaboration session.

"Now, if your parents are home, be sure to share this with them. Understood?"

"Ugh, ugh, ugh…"

"Y-Yes, understood."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Get a grip. Get a grip. Get a grip. Get a grip. Get a grip…"

Honestly, Yeonseo didn't really care if these kids tried to harass her.

Back when she was younger, there were times when her mentality was shaken by trivial things, and she'd even cried.

She had dealt with far more malicious and trashy reporters than these kids.

But now, Yeonseo was over 80 years old and had been a hunter for over 60 years.

These malicious commenters were truly nothing but cute little pests.

Still, it hurt her heart to see young people, who should be leading the future, waste their potential, sitting in front of their screens, insulting others and acting malicious.

-It's still heartwarming, lol.

-Grandma's cabbage is a rare treasure, give me one too!

-What? I want one too!

-That's enviable. Dungeon cabbage is rare…

Yeonseo's discipline seemed to have worked well.

Even the trolls who had been the most defiant at the start seemed to have learned their lesson in the end.

Though they had been forcibly dropped into the East Sea, Yeonseo had retrieved them safely with her ability, so not a single drop of water had touched them.

Of course, their faces looked quite haggard from the experience of falling hundreds of meters, but in the end, they even got to take home cabbage that Yeonseo had grown herself, so it wasn't all bad.

"From now on, live kindly~"

Snap!

With another snap of her fingers, Yeonseo sent the children home, then looked at the drone camera with a peaceful expression.

The number of viewers remained high.

Sure, Yeonseo's name carried weight, but she also had a large number of long-time loyal fans, so even though her streams weren't as stimulating as others, many people still tuned in regularly.

"Now that the viewer collab is over, let's finish selecting the cabbages I was working on earlier."

-Grandma, aren't you giving us any?

-What! I want one too!

-Do we have to be malicious to get cabbage from Yeonseo?

"Oh dear, you're misunderstanding. The cabbages I was selecting earlier will be part of a small event…"

Snap!

With a snap of her fingers, the drone camera's screen flipped.

It was as if cracks appeared in the space around her like shattered glass, and before long, she returned to the erosion dungeon where she was growing high-altitude crops.

"Don't worry, I plan to give out cabbages to my beloved children and viewers as well."

-Oh, look at that…

-Behind you, behind you, behind you.

-Yeonseo-nim, behind you.

-Behind you.

-Behind you, hahaha.

-No, haha.

-What is that, hahaha.

"Behind?"

Curious about the sudden flood of chat messages, Yeonseo tilted her head.

Behind? What's behind me…

"Munch… Munch…"

"...….."

That day, Yeonseo saw it.

Like a squirrel happily nibbling on a tasty snack, there it was, holding a mouthful of her cabbages.

No, not just in its mouth.

Its hands and the tentacles emerging from its waist were also stuffed full of the fresh dungeon cabbages that Yeonseo had worked so hard to grow. And its face… was one Yeonseo recognized.

It wasn't unfamiliar at all.

-Hahahahahaha.

-Hahahahaha.

-Hahahahahahaha.

-Oh wow, it's really Yeonseo-nim, lol.

-Hahahaha.

-Caught stealing the cabbages, haha.

-The streamer got caught, lol.

-Hahaha.

-Ah, today's her unlucky day, lol.

Yeonseo felt far more dizzy now than when she saw the nickname "YeonseoNipplePoke."

No, dizziness wasn't even the issue.

What was this… what on earth was this…

Gulp.

"…Um… uh…"

"...….Shia?"

Why was little Shia stealing her cabbages?

○○○○○

Previously, Shia had gotten caught up in some minor gossip on the Hunter Gallery, but thanks to Yeonhwa's help, the issue was quickly resolved.

Perhaps wanting to forget the whole ordeal, Shia started streaming more frequently.

Sometimes she streamed trivial things, and sometimes she even did eating shows where she devoured 10 whole chickens at once.

Because of that, some of her new viewers mistakenly thought Shia was just a mukbang streamer, not a hunter.

In any case, Shia continued her broadcasts smoothly.

Today, she was heading to a dungeon to enjoy a delicious meal after a long time.

"I kind of want to eat fried bladed centipede again, but it might be a bit boring to eat the same thing."

-Yeah, it gets old.

-Wait, what's fried bladed centipede?

-That's a thing? Hahaha.

– Ah, this newbie still hasn't learned, huh?

"Fried Bladed Centipede is like a heavenly mix of shrimp and crab meat…"

['OvertimeSucks' has donated 40,000 won!]

– Sister, stop babbling nonsense and get on with the stream.

"Stupid jerks…"

– Hahahahaha

– Hahahahahahaha

– Instant block for nonsense, lol.

– Hah, blocked just like that, lol.

Although it seemed like casual banter with the viewers, Shia actually enjoyed these conversations.

Even though her stream was full of malicious viewers, Shia was just happy she wasn't eating alone.

But seriously, what should she eat today?

Without a plan for the stream, there were times when she couldn't cook anything she wanted to show the viewers, ending up with nothing.

At least the viewers seemed to enjoy watching Shia's reckless attempts to catch and eat something, but if it wasn't something big, like cooking a Centipede Dragon, they'd probably get bored easily.

'Next time, I should probably do a proper cooking stream by taking a vote from the viewers.'

Come to think of it, she hadn't properly cooked anything during her last visit to 'Water Plains' either.

"Hmm, should I raise something like a hunting dog?"

She had heard there were hunters with monster tamer abilities.

If she had the chance, maybe she could release that rotting Blade Centipede from the last dungeon into another one and see if there's anything tasty there.

Amusingly, that 10-meter-long centipede Shia had set her eyes on was still alive.

She had checked recently, and that Blade Centipede had grown to 13 meters after feeding on the Centipede Dragon corpse Shia had left behind.

'But can you even take monsters out of a dungeon?'

As she wandered aimlessly, Shia found herself entering an erosion dungeon.

Exploring or clearing dungeons was a lot like traveling.

Just like how an unplanned trip could lead to unexpected joys and meals, dungeons could also offer unforeseen delights.

"Hmm, a desert?"

– Where is that?

– Dunno.

– Where did the streamer go into?

"I came all the way to Gangwon-do because I was bored. I've already checked out most dungeons around Seoul and Gyeonggi, but this is my first time here."

– Did you drive?

"No, I walked."

– What the hell, how did you walk from Seoul to Gangwon-do?

– Hahaha

"Just think of it as light jogging."

– Different mindset, lol.

– Is this really an S-Rank (pending) hunter…?

"Haa, I'm hungry… I hope there's something tasty here. But this dungeon is strange. There's no name for it, and hardly anyone was guarding the gate outside."

As soon as she crossed the gate, all she could see was a vast desert and what looked like a fairly large plateau.

Shia spread out her senses to check for monsters or other creatures nearby, but it seemed like this dungeon had been thoroughly cleaned out by hunters.

There wasn't a single monster in sight.

At least the plateau above wasn't part of the desert.

A misty fog with cool, moist air hung around it, so unless she planned to leave now, she figured she might as well head up there.

While the desert looked barren, the plateau seemed like it could hold something.

– Is that maybe…?

– What?

– Uh, you know…

"I'm picking up the pace."

– Hey, hey, the streamer's ditching us again!

– Don't leave us behind!

– Wow, she's fast, lol.

– Abandoned by mom? Abandoned by mom?

Shia checked the drone camera following her and immediately sped up.

Thanks to her powerful legs, the sound of sand exploding beneath her feet echoed as she quickly made her way to the plateau.

"Wow, it's like a completely different world up here."

Shia knew that dungeon environments couldn't be compared to the human world, but this was the first time she'd seen a dungeon with such stark climate differences.

A dry desert below.

And now, after just a short walk, a damp fog filled with cool wind spread in every direction.

"…Is that a house?"

– Uh…

– Hey, look at that…

– Just type "lol."

– Shh.

– Quiet.

– Lol.

After walking a bit further, Shia spotted something that shouldn't exist in a dungeon.

It looked like a well-built modern house.

Around the house, the ground had been neatly cultivated in a very organized manner.

Sure, she'd heard that sometimes they discovered civilizations or different races within dungeons… but this house looked exactly like a modern home you'd see outside.

"…This is a weird dungeon. Could someone actually live here?"

– No way.

– Lol.

– Lol.

– Lololololol.

The viewers didn't seem to know either, judging from the chat.

But those mischievous viewers spouting nonsense were no different from any other day.

Shia slowly approached the house, crouching by the cultivated land, where she found something had been planted.

Seeds.

She didn't know what kind of seeds, but it seemed someone was trying to farm here.

Because of the high altitude… should it be called highland farming?

"Uh…"

As she got closer to the house, she saw a pile of cabbages stacked like a mountain in the yard.

"Wow, that's a lot of cabbage."

– Streamer, that's the thing.

– The thing, the thing.

"Huh? What thing?"

['KawaiiHorned' has donated 50,000 won!]

– That's dungeon cabbage. It's way tastier than regular cabbage and contains a lot of mana.

"Oh, really…?"

Dungeon cabbage.

The term piqued Shia's curiosity, and she moved toward the pile of cabbages.

Before she knew it, her tentacles were already touching the cabbage, trying to figure out what made it different from ordinary cabbage.

'It's packed tight inside. The leaves are firm and fresh… It really does seem to contain mana…'

– FYI, that stuff tastes amazing.

– For real?

– Cabbage is cabbage.

– No, that's not cabbage; it's meat, actual meat.

– Don't spout nonsense. Cabbage is cabbage, what meat, lol.

"Is it tasty?"

– Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

– Yes, yes, yes!

– That stuff sells for a premium in department stores; it's super expensive.

– Really?

– I think I've seen it before.

– Hey, but that…

"Hoho?"

Shia preferred meat, but that didn't mean she disliked vegetables.

In fact, considering she had fried Blade Centipedes and Centipede Dragons before, Shia wasn't picky as long as it was edible.

"But this… doesn't it belong to someone? Is it okay to eat it?"

– Go, go, go, go, go!

– Go for it!

– Lol.

– Of course, it's fine.

– Just eat it.

– You can take it.

– Didn't you know? Everything found in dungeons belongs to the hunter, lol.

– Lolololol.

– Hahaha.

"Really? I can eat it?"

Now that she thought about it, Shia remembered that any materials or rewards found inside a dungeon belonged to the hunter who discovered them.

She had even signed the hologram logbook at the association before entering the gate, so there was no legal issue.

"Alright, I'll give it a try then."

Crunch.

Shia didn't expect much from the cabbage.

Though she didn't mind vegetables, she was still a meat lover at heart.

But the moment she took a bite of the dungeon cabbage, a new world opened up in her mouth.

Crunch, crunch, gulp…

"…It's delicious…"

– Hahahahahaha.

– She ate it, lol.

– Hahaha, she ate it.

– Isn't it amazing?

– It's tasty, right?

– It's got flavor, hahaha.

Oh, so these viewers were probably trying to trick me into thinking this cabbage had some kind of poison or side effect, huh?

That's it, these malicious viewers wouldn't just tell me to eat something for no reason.

But too bad. I'm the Saintess of the Dead.

No poison or harmful substance can affect me.

With a smug look, Shia glanced at the fast-moving chat and decided to enjoy the taste of the dungeon cabbage in her mouth at her leisure.

'It's delicious…'

Cabbage wasn't usually very tasty on its own.

You'd need seasoning.

Eat it with meat.

Use it in various side dishes or as an ingredient, and the flavor would improve.

But Shia wouldn't have been satisfied with just cabbage alone.

However, this dungeon cabbage was different.

It had the texture of biting into an apple, with a subtle sweetness lingering afterward.

They say familiarity breeds fear?

Shia was starting to think that the ultimate flavor of every cabbage she'd ever known culminated in this dungeon cabbage.

"Hah… it's so good. Nom, nom…"

As she took a big bite out of the cabbage in her hand, Shia began to chew it slowly, like a cow munching away.

Not only was the first bite delicious, but the aftertaste was just as good. No matter how much she ate, she didn't get tired of it, which was fascinating for cabbage.

"If I had this with meat… rice… stew… that'd be amazing…"

– Amazing…

– Hahaha.

– Hahahaha.

– Lol.

– Just type "lol."

– Hahaha.

"Hey, are you guys hiding something? Does eating this give you a stomachache or something? Too bad, poisons don't work on me."

– Hahaha.

– Oh, is that so?

– Busted?!

– Look at the streamer's sharp intuition, lol.

– Haha.

"Hmph, I'm way ahead of you guys. But seriously, this dungeon cabbage is delicious. Since you said I can eat it, I guess I can take it with me, right?"

One… No, both arms wouldn't be enough.

This dungeon cabbage was so tasty she couldn't stop eating it.

In fact, this was probably the most delicious vegetable she had ever tasted in her life.

On top of that, it seemed like the mana contained in the cabbage was slightly replenishing her malevolent energy.

"Hehehehe. There's a ton here, so I'm going to take as much as I can."

– Hehehehe.

– Hehehehehe.

– Hehehehe.

– Hehehehehehe.

– Hahaha.

– Oh man, lol.

– Look at her innocent face, haha.

Why were they acting so strange today?

They were usually malicious viewers, but today something felt off compared to usual.

– Just type "lol," lol.

Thud!

While she was busy gathering cabbages, Shia sensed someone's presence.

Who could it be?

Someone else here to grab some cabbage?

"Munch… munch…"

"...….."

Oh, it's Grandma Yeonseo… no, it's Yeonseo!

Hehe, perfect timing.

If I can make kimchi with Grandma Yeonseo using these cabbages…

– Hahahahahaha.

– Hahahahahahaha.

– Hahahahahahahahaha.

– Wow, it's really Yeonseo-nim, lol.

– Hahaha.

– Caught stealing the cabbages, haha.

– The streamer's done for, lol.

– Haha, today's her death day, haha.

"…?"

What's with the viewers' reaction…?

And then Shia finally met Yeonseo's gaze.

In Yeonseo's eyes, Shia could see a mixture of disbelief and exasperation.

What's going on…?

Gulp.

"…Uh… Uh…"

"......Shia?"

Ah… Don't tell me, these dungeon cabbages… are they Yeonseo-nim's…?

Did I… did I just steal cabbages?

– Hahahahahaha.

– Hahahahaha.

– Hahaha.

– Haha.

– Streamer's done for.

– The Saintess of Shenanigans stream is about to end…!

– Eh, really…?

What do you mean, "really," you jerks!