After having a meal with Yukiya, I returned home and started thinking about the recruitment requirements again.
“Hmm… I guess it’s all about balancing freedom and responsibility, stability and romance. That balance is different for everyone.”
Not everyone who becomes a dungeon streamer is solely in it for freedom and romance. Some might actually want a level of stability closer to a regular job, but, finding no alternative, ended up as dungeon streamers.
Offering a balance that appeals to those people could make them jump at the chance… There’s potential there.
“But how do I market that? That’s the tricky part.”
I wracked my brain. I’ll try different strategies, but if none work, then so be it. For now, I want to take a chance on the possibility, however small it may be.
I can’t keep letting Yukiya and Shiba-san shoulder the load forever. I need to gather more people and build up this agency as a strong base for dungeon streamers.
◇
“And so, we’re back again with another stream! This is Yukiya from Shadow Stars.”
“And this is Shiba from Shadow Stars.”
“Today, we’ll continue tackling the last dungeon! This time, I’ll be leading the way through it,” Yukiya announced confidently.
“I’ll be supporting you as best as I can. I’ll hold back from saying much, but if I sense any danger, I’ll be ready to stop you.”
Will they be alright? Yukiya was determined to take the lead, which seemed a bit reckless. Shiba-san’s presence should keep things from getting too dangerous, but I can’t help feeling worried. I would’ve been fine if Shiba-san kept leading for a while longer.
Then again, Shiba-san seemed to think this was a good experience, so I couldn’t say anything to dissuade them.
“Alright, Yukiya, touch this mark and focus on the spot we marked last time.”
“Got it… Here goes.”
“Do you see anything, Yukiya?”
“Yes, I can see the layout of the dungeon.”
“Alright. It looks like there are no monsters nearby. Now’s our chance to teleport. Let’s go.”
“Ready.”
With that, Shiba-san and Yukiya entered the dungeon, and the autonomous camera equipment followed, vanishing after them.
“Alright, time to monitor the stream,” I said, opening the stream on my phone. On screen, they were now inside the dungeon.
“We’re back!”
“Yes. Let’s set this as our base and explore around here.”
“Got it!”
Shiba-san and Yukiya began searching around the dungeon’s entry point, knowing they could easily return to base thanks to the nearby mark. So long as they didn’t wander too far, it didn’t seem especially risky.
“Oh, Shiba-san! Could you teach me magic?”
“Magic, huh… Like I said before, I don’t think you’re naturally suited for it, Yukiya. I can sense it from the way your energy flows.”
“Still, you can use magic, can’t you?”
“Well, yes. But that’s only because I had to learn a variety of skills to tackle dungeons solo. But since you’re working in a party, it might not be that critical.”
“Even so, I still want to use magic!”
Yukiya’s eyes were serious. He seemed really taken by Shiba-san’s magic skills.
“Alright, then. I’ll teach you a simple spell. Focus on drawing in mana from the dungeon and gathering it in your arm.”
“I’m not sure I fully get the feeling of mana, but I’ll give it a shot.”
“Good, good. When it comes to this, it’s faster to learn by doing.”
Yukiya took a deep breath, concentrating, while Shiba-san placed a hand on Yukiya’s arm.
“Picture all the energy gathering here in your biceps, then unleash it all at once.”
“Alright!”
Yukiya’s arm bulged slightly.
“W-wow! What is this?”
“This is Shura-Riki magic. It temporarily boosts muscle strength.”
“Hmm, I was hoping for something flashier, like shooting fire or lightning.”
“Those spells take time to learn. They won’t come so easily. More practice would be necessary.”
“I see,” Yukiya pouted, clearly wanting to learn the type of magic Shiba-san often used.
Comments:
Wow! Casting Shura-Riki right off the bat is impressive!
“Wait, looking at the comments, is it really that amazing to succeed at magic on the first try?”
“It seems so…”
It’s more than amazing! Usually, it takes dozens of attempts to get it right!
I’m still unable to use Shura-Riki magic!
“Is that so?”
Shiba-san looked at the comments, clearly surprised.
“Wait, Shiba-san, did you not know?”
“Well, I succeeded on my first try too, so I assumed that was normal.”
Casually revealing something incredible, Shiba-san, as the strongest dungeon streamer in the region, could pull that off without issue.
But what’s surprising is Yukiya. Just like Shiba-san, he succeeded on his first try. Does he have the same level of talent?
The comments grew lively as Yukiya’s hidden potential became apparent.
Could Yukiya become as powerful as Shiba someday?
A promising rookie, huh?
Of course! If Shiba-san’s teaching him, he must’ve seen his talent.
It wasn’t about discovering talent—Yukiya wasn’t scouted; he was a co-founder. There was no talent scouting involved.
Then, a rumbling sound echoed through the stream.
“What… what is that sound?”
Yukiya reacted, gripping his stone axe, while Shiba-san looked around calmly to assess the situation.
“It’s coming from over there. Do you want to head back, Yukiya, if you’re afraid?”
“Are you kidding? Let’s go check it out!”
Yukiya and Shiba-san headed toward the source of the sound.
What could it be? I can’t stop watching!
This is gripping!
Viewers, being viewers, are often more curious than concerned for the streamer’s safety. If Shiba-san and Yukiya had chosen to retreat, viewers would’ve lost interest. When it comes to streaming, it seems the real value lies in showing viewers what they want to see at times like this.
At the end of a dungeon hallway, they turned right, entering a grand chamber. Inside, a blond young man faced a massive four-legged lizard.
The lizard, around two meters tall, would terrify anyone with a fear of reptiles.
“A d-dragon!”
“No, Yukiya, that’s just a lizard monster. Dragons are far more terrifying.”
Ignoring Shiba-san and Yukiya, the young man wielded a staff, swinging it at the lizard, but to no effect.
The lizard retaliated, swinging its front leg down. The man dodged just in time, and the strike left cracks in the dungeon floor. Taking such a hit head-on would be devastating, making even me, as a viewer, tense up.
“Very well… let’s see you take another taste of my lightning!”
Lightning erupted from the young man’s staff, striking the lizard. The thunderous sound was identical to what we heard earlier through the stream.
“Graghhh!”
The lizard blackened, collapsing with a loud thud, eyes rolled back. After a while, it vanished, leaving behind scales as loot.
“Whoa… that was incredible.”
Yukiya stood there, stunned.
