Sunday. On the day Daigo’s livestream was scheduled, Shiba, Yukiya, and I decided to gather at my place to watch it together.
It’s important to take a break sometimes; even if you cram your schedule full of streams, all it’ll do is wear you out. Observing and studying other streamers while taking a breather is crucial too.
In my living room, I put Daigo’s livestream up on the big TV screen. Yukiya casually plopped down on the sofa and was munching loudly on cookies from the table. That level of relaxation was typical of him, probably because we’ve been to each other’s houses so many times. Shiba, on the other hand, sat down a bit more reservedly.
“Still, Eito, your house is amazing,” he remarked.
“Exactly! Eito’s house is so rich and fancy; I’ve always been super jealous.”
“It’s not me that’s amazing; it’s my parents,” I replied.
Both of them were doctors and earned a decent salary, though this was before they set up a first-aid station inside the dungeon.
“Oh, it looks like Daigo’s stream is starting soon.”
Yukiya stopped eating his cookie and focused on the screen. Daigo’s stream began just as he entered the dungeon.
“Today, we’re tackling another dungeon livestream. Hopefully, we’ll find some rare materials.”
Daigo flashed a bright smile on-screen. He truly has this charming, elegant vibe that makes it clear why he’s popular. Yet, it feels like he doesn’t care too much about popularity, which seems like a missed opportunity.
If he really aimed for it, Daigo could gain a much larger following… or at least that’s my newbie perspective on this industry.
“Alright… looks like our first monster is here. This one’s a giant bat,” Daigo narrated.
A massive bat, around the size of a small child, was hanging from the ceiling. It swooped down, attempting to attack Daigo. Holding his staff, Daigo skillfully dodged its attacks.
“Why doesn’t Daigo use magic, though?” Yukiya wondered out loud, sipping his orange juice.
“It’s not that he doesn’t want to; he can’t yet. I explained before—humans absorb mana from the dungeon environment to use magic. Right after entering a dungeon, they haven’t absorbed enough mana, so they can’t use magic right away. Even someone with good mana absorption like Daigo needs a little time after entering.”
“Oh, so basically, the MP doesn’t carry over?”
“Exactly. When you’re new in a dungeon, fragile types with high mana absorption efficiency have to strategize carefully; otherwise, they’ll struggle.”
On the other hand, types with low mana absorption and high durability don’t have to change their combat style much and can stay steady throughout the early and mid-game.
“Lucky for you, Yukiya, with your low mana absorption and high durability.”
Yukiya, probably not bright enough to handle the dungeon as deftly as Daigo, would definitely have a tougher time.
“Huh? Why? Magic’s way cooler, though,” he replied, oblivious to the jab. That’s exactly the issue with you, man.
While I was messing around with Yukiya, Daigo was locked in an intense battle with the giant bat. Despite the challenge of hitting a flying opponent, he steadily blocked each attack with his staff.
“Take this!”
Seizing an opening, Daigo slammed his staff down on the bat’s head. A loud thud echoed as the giant bat fell to the ground.
“Finish it!”
Daigo landed a powerful blow with his staff, causing the monster to disappear and leaving behind what looked like a bat wing as material.
“Oh, but I wanted to see Daigo use magic! He beat it with just his staff.”
“Daigo’s not the kind of guy who’d waste magic on such a small fry,” Shiba commented coolly, as though this outcome had been completely predictable to him, a testament to how well he knew Daigo.
- Amazing!
- Great win!
- As if Daigo would lose to some bat!
The comments are also growing more energetic with Daigo’s victory. Right after that, a loud creaking noise echoes.
“What is that sound?”
Yukiya reacted to it as well. The sound from the stream—its source appeared on the screen.
“Pee-gah-gah-gah…”
A humanoid mechanical monster, roughly the size of an adult man, appeared. The monster, with a rusty red full-metal body, wielded a large, rusty axe, which it swung at Daigo.
“Whoa…!”
Daigo dodged the massive axe. As it struck the ground, it tore up the earth and sent rocks flying.
“What is this monster!? It’s strong!”
“This is bad. I didn’t think such a powerful monster would appear in this dungeon.”
Shiba’s expression twisted. His hand, holding a juice cup, shook, and he wore a deeply troubled look.
“Shiba, is this monster that dangerous?”
Shiba nodded in response.
“Yeah. This monster is known as the Murder Machine. Its biggest characteristic is…”
“Lightning Strike!”
Daigo cast a spell from his staff. Lightning hit the Murder Machine, but it showed no reaction.
“No good…”
Daigo was breaking into a cold sweat, while Shiba clutched his head.
“Its main feature… is its resistance to magic. It’s not completely ineffective, but its body has a special resistance that makes magic less effective.”
“No way! Shiba, can’t we do something about this?”
Yukiya pressed Shiba, but Shiba avoided his gaze.
“It’s no use. Daigo relies primarily on magic attacks, and the Murder Machine is strong enough that using a staff, not suited for physical attacks, might not cut it.”
- Wait, isn’t this really bad?
- This might be it for him.
- There’s such a dangerous monster in this dungeon!?
I see. The viewers don’t know which dungeon Daigo is in. They don’t realize that usually, such strong monsters don’t appear here.
“…Eito, Daigo’s in the dungeon we usually go to, right?”
“Yeah, he is. He told me directly.”
Although Daigo publicly shares his streaming schedule, he doesn’t reveal which dungeon he’s exploring. I’m the only one he told.
“Shiba! Let’s go help Daigo ourselves!”
“Yukiya… you should stay here. If anyone goes, it’ll be me alone.”
“What? Why, Shiba?”
“The Murder Machine is strong. If even Daigo struggles against it, I doubt it’s an opponent Yukiya could handle.”
“But I’m your teammate, Shiba! Take me with you!”
Yukiya looked at Shiba with a serious expression, nothing like his usual carefree self. He was ready to risk his life.
“Eito, please, say something to Yukiya. As the company president, make a level-headed decision.”
“Eito! Convince Shiba! I’m a dungeon streamer too!”
I felt caught in the middle. I wanted to think this through, but…
I glanced at the screen.
“Ugh…!”
Daigo was hit in the shoulder by the axe, grimacing in pain. The dungeon’s effect made people tougher, but for Daigo, the effect was slight. He couldn’t withstand such a fierce assault forever.
There was no time to hesitate. My decision was—
“Shiba! Yukiya! This is an executive order! Both of you, go rescue Daigo!”
“Nice one, Eito!”
“W-What are you saying, Eito?!”
I took a breath to gather my thoughts.
“I understand where you’re coming from, Shiba. So, Yukiya should avoid engaging with the Murder Machine directly. But on the way there, you might encounter other monsters. Yukiya, when that happens, you’ll distract them and let Shiba proceed.”
“J-Just me!?”
“…True. I didn’t think about the monsters along the way. Eito’s level-headed judgment really helped.”
Yukiya’s hands trembled. Always relying on Shiba, he’d now have to fend for himself along the way. It was natural to be scared.
“Yukiya, you’ll be fine. I guarantee it. You’re strong enough not to lose to any random monsters.”
“I-Is that so…?”
“We don’t have time to waste. Shiba, Yukiya, head to the dungeon immediately.”
“Alright. Let’s go, Yukiya!”
“Fine! I’ll do it!”
Yukiya… don’t die on me!
