Chapter 4. Seizure
An assistant arrived at an unexpected time.
【001】─Assistant count? Is this the number of viewers?
【001】─LOL, only 1 viewer? It’s totally a small-time stream. LOL
Words floating in mid-air.
【001】─LOL, I thought it was a game invite message, but it turned out to be a stream link.
As expected.
I was in the position of hosting an internet broadcast.
It was now certain that the assistant was in the position of a viewer.
There was no better analogy than this.
【001】─Is this your first time streaming today?
【001】─You probably didn’t have any viewers on your first day, so you reached out to your acquaintances. LOL
【001】─I was just bored with nothing else to do, so I’ll be your first viewer. Grateful?
The assistant who had just tuned in was probably watching me in real-time from somewhere safe.
And that safe place would likely be Earth, where I originally lived.
After all, I had sent a support request using the numbers saved in my phone contacts.
【001】─Wow, technology these days is amazing. It’s fascinating that I can see you in 360 degrees.
【001】─I thought a cameraman was filming you, but are you wearing some sort of special equipment?
【001】─Where are you? A cave?
The assistant’s chat messages kept pouring in.
They were a very active person.
As much as I wanted to communicate right away…
Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to do so at the moment.
Even a small sound could alert the spiders to my presence.
【001】─Hello?
【001】─Why aren’t you saying anything?
【001】─Ah, you’re not looking at the chat, huh?
【001】─Jeez. What kind of streamer doesn’t check the chat? That’s why you’re a small-timer!
【001】─Hurry up and take out your phone to check the chat before your precious viewer leaves!
I gently put my finger to my lips.
It was a gesture to keep quiet.
【001】─?
【001】─Are you telling me not to chat?
【001】─But wait, can you even see my chat? How are you seeing it?
I mouthed the words silently.
“I’ll explain later.”
I didn’t know who this assistant was.
But since they were being informal with me, I responded informally as well.
【001】─What? I can’t hear your voice.
【001】─I didn’t mute you, though.
“I said I’ll explain later.”
【001】─Do you need to pee?
【001】─Go ahead. I’ll close my eyes.
My message wasn’t getting through.
I briefly considered whether I should stop monitoring the spiders and move to a distant location to talk, when suddenly…
*Hiss…*
*Hissss…*
The spiders lying on the ground started to fall asleep one by one.
The opportunity to steal their eggs had arrived.
‘Let’s get the eggs first.’
I decided to postpone communicating with the assistant.
Stealing those eggs took priority.
‘Luckily, there’s no one on guard duty.’
I moved stealthily.
Holding my breath, I took careful steps.
I was getting closer to the spiders’ habitat.
【001】─???
【001】─Damn. What are those spiders? Why are they so big? And why do their faces look like puppies?
The assistant’s view…
No, it seemed the spiders were visible on the stream screen as well.
Ignoring the chat.
I paused briefly and slowly rolled my eyes to observe the spiders.
They were all sound asleep.
It seemed they hadn’t noticed my presence at all.
It was fortunate they weren’t very sensitive.
‘They’re probably a bit dull.’
I continued forward, being extremely careful with each step, making sure not to accidentally touch any of the sleeping spiders.
【001】─Ah. Are they like sound-making toys? They’re so realistically made.
【001】─I seriously thought they were real. Well, there’s no way such spiders could exist on Earth.
I eventually reached my destination.
I bent down and carefully lifted one of the eggs.
It was an egg with red spots on it.
【001】─What’s that egg? An ostrich egg?
【001】─But I still have no clue what this stream is about.
I successfully smuggled out the egg.
The spiders didn’t wake up until I had left the area.
***
On the way back.
I carefully examined the egg I was holding.
‘It’s halfway there.’
The red circular spot on the egg was gradually turning green from the bottom up.
It was as if a battery was charging.
‘When this spot is completely green, that’ll mean the taming is complete.’
It didn’t seem to take as long as I thought.
The time spent holding it was about a minute.
Unless the color-changing speed suddenly slowed down,
it meant the taming process would take about 2 minutes.
Of course, this was just the estimated time for this specific egg.
I expected that the stronger the monster, the longer the taming process would take.
Anyway.
While I was returning to the hideout, I briefly explained my situation to the assistant known as 001.
And their reaction was…
【001】─So, you clicked on a text link and got dragged into another world?
【001】─This stream concept is pretty fresh. LOL
Naturally, they didn’t believe me.
“It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. You saw those monsters earlier.”
【001】─LOL, I know they’re just toys.
Maybe because they didn’t see them move, the assistant seemed to think those spiders were just toys.
【001】─As a newbie streamer, here’s some advice: if you’re going with a concept like this, you should act more anxious, dude. You’re not selling it right.
“What are you talking about?”
【001】─Aren’t you going with the concept that you were dragged into another world today? Do you think someone in that situation would be as calm as you are?
“I’m telling you, this isn’t a concept. Besides, I’ve been dragged into another world before and returned, so I’m just calm because I’m used to it.”
When I first got pulled into another world, I was also anxious.
There are hardly any people who wouldn’t be afraid of an unfamiliar environment.
Now, since it was my second experience, I could act calm and composed.
【001】─LOL
【001】─Now you’re adding the “web novel protagonist” concept? LOL
【001】─Show me some magic, then I’ll believe you.
“I can’t use magic.”
【001】─Why can’t a returnee use magic? *rolls eyes*
“Just because you get dragged into another world doesn’t mean everyone can use magic… I was more of a physical type, so I didn’t learn any basic magic.”
【001】─Physical type?
“People who only train their bodies to the extreme are called physical types.”
【001】─So, you must be super strong? Show me.
“Show you what?”
【001】─Break a rock nearby with your fist.
Breaking a rock with my fist.
This was a very simple task.
Back when I still had my powers.
Now, it was probably impossible.
“Unfortunately, I can’t do it now.”
【001】─Why not?
“When I returned, all my powers were sealed.”
【001】─LOL, do you want to die? Stop making excuses.
It’s not an excuse.
I had my powers sealed as a condition for returning.
The dimensional mage wouldn’t open the portal unless I agreed to the seal, so I had no choice.
The reason for the seal was simple.
It was to prevent people from causing havoc in another world with the powers they gained.
Apparently, there had been cases like that.
So, I understood the condition and called a thousand sealing mages to willingly get sealed.
【001】─Fine, I’ll play along with the concept.
Well, it didn’t matter.
I didn’t need to prove it now.
Once the egg I was holding hatched, the existence of monsters would naturally convince them.
***
【001】─Wow. What is this place? It’s huge.
I returned to the hideout while chatting with the assistant.
The spot on the egg had completely turned green, but there was no sign of it hatching yet.
There was no need to rush.
It would hatch eventually if I just waited.
In the meantime, I had to keep the assistant engaged so they wouldn’t lose interest and leave.
“Hey.”
【001】─Yeah?
“I’m a bit late in asking, but who are you?”
【001】─?
“What’s your name?”
【001】─Why do you want to know my name?
“Just curious.”
【001】─Do you think I’d just reveal my identity in a stream where anonymity is guaranteed? LOL
I figured as much.
They didn’t seem to have any intention of revealing who they were from the start.
“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. But we do know each other, right?”
Just because the number was saved in my contacts didn’t mean everyone knew me. It could be a complete stranger.
There was also a chance that the number’s owner had changed.
【001】─Yeah, I know you.
“What’s my name?”
【001】─Kang Geon, right?
This alone wasn’t enough to tell.
My name was written in the text message, after all.
“How old am I?”
【001】─29 years old.
Judging by how they guessed my age correctly, they must have known me.
Who could this assistant be?
A school friend?
Someone I met at work?
Male or female?
I was curious about their identity, but I didn’t press further.
It would be a hassle if they felt pressured and ran away.
‘Never mind their identity, I should first ask what kind of support this assistant can provide me.’
To keep the conversation going.
While I was contemplating the next question,
【001】─Hey, hey.
【001】─Hey, hey, hey!!
【001】─HEY!
The assistant suddenly started spamming the chat in a panic.
What’s going on?
I tilted my head slightly in confusion.
【001】─Why can’t anyone else see this stream?
“Huh? No one else can see the stream?”
【001】─Yeah, yeah. A friend just came over, so I tried to watch the stream together. But all they see is a black screen, no sound either. And I don’t think they’re joking. Oh, and the text message with the link got deleted. Now there’s just an app on my home screen that connects to this stream.
I learned something new.
Judging by the assistant’s messages, it seemed that only those who responded to the support request could see me.
【001】─I can’t even take a screenshot of the stream.
【001】─Now I’m being treated like a crazy person. It’s so frustrating.
“That’s what I’ve been telling you. This isn’t an ordinary stream.”
【001】─No way.
【001】─How can you stream from another world?
The assistant still had their doubts.
But now, they’d have no choice but to believe.
Because the egg I was holding was starting to crack.
*Crrrrrk*
Finally, the shell split,
*Pop!*
*Hiss!*
【001】─?
A baby spider pushed its head out of the shell, breaking through.