Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 52

“You know my type,” Ju-Ran said.

“Yeah. You like a man who is kind, a good homemaker, and who will support you to the fullest,” Bi-Ga said as she pulled the candy out of her mouth.

“That’s not Ji-Cheok. If he became my lover, I might just kill myself.”

“So you like him purely as a fan?” Bi-Ga asked.

Ju-Ran nodded.

“Well, I told Ji-Han to give me some of his company’s shares so we’ll get a response from him soon enough. And if he does, you should join too.”

“Yeah, I’ll take a part in it.”

“Wow, Ju-Ran. You are?serious.”

“Yes, I am. Hunter entertainment would make me a lot of money. Might as well make money while I stan Ji-Cheok. Isn’t that very productive of me?” Ju-Ran’s eyes shined brightly.

“You like him that much…?”

“Yes. Ji-Cheok is that much of a star! Do you remember how I picked my allies back when I was in college?”

Ju-Ran was confident that she was a good judge of character.

“So, Bi-Ga, try to pressure Ji-Han to give up some of his shares. I will use my money to support you,” Ju-Ran said.

* * *

Ji-Cheok reviewed the video he took today. He received 70,000 Likes just from his live broadcast. Adding the 20,000 Likes he got from the Gods, the total number of Likes Ji-Cheok received during his stream was 90,000 Likes! Ji-Cheok was surprised by the fact that the percentage of Likes was high compared to the number of views. And then there was the Shin Ju-Ran intrusion incident. [Ssun_Ju_Ran] was the username used by Shin Ju-Ran. Ji-Cheok still didn’t know how much she spent on the coffee, but he knew that each voucher cost around 5,000 won. If there were 1,000 fans watching, it would be 5 million won, 10,000 fans meant 50 million won, and 100,000 fans would mean a massive 500 million won.

“...Don’t tell me that many of my fans watched my live broadcast,” Ji-Cheok said.

Ji-Cheok’s fan club was still new, and watching live streaming required effort to empty their schedule and watch. Ji-Cheok wondered how many fans watched his stream, since it wasn’t at a popular time of day, and people were busy.

‘Let’s just update the video. When the update is over, I’m sure more Likes are on their way.’

Ji-Cheok sent the video file to the editing team. The editing team would edit this video, and go through the process of correcting any shaky or blurry parts.

“What do you think I was lacking in this battle?” Ji-Cheok asked Cheok-Liang.

?Nothing that I could think of. Not just any Hunter who’s been in the business for less than half a year can clear the entire gnoll village, including a level 80 boss monster.?

“I see.”

?However, as your trusted advisor, I would recommend that you be more careful in the future. The more attention you get, the more enemies there will be.?

Ji-Cheok somewhat expected this to happen. However, Ji-Cheok’s abilities only increased as he received Likes, which meant that without attention, leveling up was impossible. Ji-Cheok knew that making enemies along the way was inevitable. That was why Cheok-Liang couldn’t say anything more and just told Ji-Cheok to be more careful.

“Then, what else do we need to do? I don’t want to lose to anyone who comes at me.”

All Ji-Cheok wanted to know was one simple thing—how to be strong.

?You are an ideal master for an advisor.?

“What do you mean?”

?I mean that it is worthwhile nurturing you, Master. Anyway, the next mission is for you to draw out your Sword Qi.?

“Sword Qi? What about it?”

?If you can use your Sword Qi freely, long ranged attacks are possible with your swords. Also, Sword Qi can largely ignore the opponent’s defense.?

“I can do that with Mono Blade.”

?The time limit on that skill is fatal. It can be difficult to fight against enemies with long-range attacks and high defense. If they attack you while running away, it’s going to be hard for you to deal with them.?

“You mean, after ten seconds, when I would be exposed to enemy attack until the cooldown returns, right?”

?You are a fast learner, Master. If you were dealing with an enemy of the same level, it wouldn’t matter, but…?

“Then the level of attention will drop.”

Ji-Cheok needed more attention for more Likes.

“The problem is that the number of views doesn’t matter to me. The number of Likes is what’s important,” Ji-Cheok said.

Even a video that viewers had enjoyed was often skipped without clicking the Like button. Most viewers would just subscribe to a channel if they wanted to see the next video they posted.

‘Not only do I have to make sure a lot of people watch my videos, but I also have to satisfy them enough for them to click the Like button.’

Ji-Cheok knew that no one would Like his videos if he faced a weak enemy. Cheok-Liang put his paws together and started dissecting Ji-Cheok’s abilities.

?It will be difficult for any Hunter with six months of experience to defeat Master at close range. According to my analysis, the number of monsters that you can fight at once is approximately three humanoid monsters or one large monster, such as a boss monster…?

“That’s amazing to hear.”

?You have secured some mobility with the Mono Bike, which relieved some of the problems, but it would still be good to have a better means of attack. Remember? You ended up cutting down logs to use them as weapons.?

It did frustrate Ji-Cheok a lot. He tried to supplement the sword with the [Light Blade] skill, but it still didn’t have the same reach as a spear. Ji-Cheok knew that a better means of attack was needed.

?Even the enemies will know your weaknesses eventually.?

“So, you think Sword Qi is the top priority?” Ji-Cheok nodded.

?Yes. When using Sword Qi, ranged attacks and wide-area attacks become possible. The blade of the sword itself can be extended to the length of a spear.?

The analysis of Cheok-Liang was very accurate.

“So the only answer is training, I guess,” Ji-Cheok said.

?Yes. That… I cannot help you with that.?

An advisor could point their master in the right direction, but they certainly could not train on behalf of the master. Training Sword Qi in particular was easier said than done; cultivation skills had different growth rates and required deep knowledge about cultivation itself.

‘It’s not something you can learn by just swinging your sword ignorantly. I need to study my sword as I am swinging my sword ignorantly.’

Ji-Cheok’s decision did not take that long.

“I’ll do it.”

?It takes backbreaking effort. All future training is going to be harder…?

“It’s okay, Cheok-Liang, I’ll do it. You’re my advisor, aren’t you? I’m sure you only advised me to do it because you honestly believe that it will help me.”

?Master…?

‘Did I answer too quickly?’

Cheok-Liang seemed like he was about to cry as he wagged his tail. He seemed to have been moved by Ji-Cheok’s words.

?As you train your Sword Qi, your physical ability will also grow significantly. The Heaven and Earth Divine Arts also share the same characteristics. And if you learn another cultivation skill that can be paired with the Heaven and Earth Divine Arts, then the growth will double.?

“Is there such a thing?”

?Yes. The way you use your dual swords right now is not bad, but it has a disadvantage in that you acquired it as a System skill. Compared to cultivation, where you have to mind your every step and train things one by one, whatever you learn as a skill is inevitably going to result in weaker performance in the long run.?

“Essentially, what you’re saying is… don’t rely on skills and learn Sword Qi from scratch? That’s crazy…”

The time consumption of this training was absolutely insane.

?I know how hard it will be. This path is not for someone who seeks convenience,? Cheok-Liang’s ears drooped.

“I’m gonna do it.”

?Master!?

This time, Cheok-Liang raised his tail.

“Don’t be so moved. I trust you as my advisor.”

The end of this discussion signaled the beginning of grueling training. But contrary to what Cheok-Liang thought, Ji-Cheok felt good.

‘In the past, no matter how hard I tried, I got no returns. But now it’s different.’

Before Ji-Cheok became a Hunter, every day had been a battle for him. He felt like he was rowing on a lifeboat all by himself in the vast ocean. He didn’t know where to go, and he didn’t know how much he had to row before he reached the land. For Ji-Cheok, each and every day of his previous life had been hell.

Ji-Cheok stroke Cheok-Liang’s head.

?Haha, Master.?

Cheok-Liang wiggled his tail, seemingly feeling better.

‘Now it’s different.’

Since Ji-Cheok learned how to work hard and the rewards that came with it, there was no reason for him to stop.

* * *

When Ji-Cheok got home, his brother ran up to him and hugged him.

“Hyung, are you crazy?” Mu-Cheok said.

He tackled Ji-Cheok and put his wrestling skills on his older brother.

“Ouch! Dongsaeng, please!” Ji-Cheok shouted.

“No, I won't stop. You told me Ji-Han’s team would support you. You said that it might look like you are doing it alone, but you have secretly put all safety devices in place?”

Ji-Cheok felt like he was going to die when Mu-Cheok, who was twenty centimeters taller than his older brother, used the guillotine choke on him.

“Ouch, ouch. I’m sorry. I really am,” Ji-Cheok said.

“No matter how many times I watched the live broadcast, I couldn’t see the safety devices or the support from Ji-Han’s team. Isn’t that a little bit weird, hyung? No matter how well you hid the devices, there was no way that I couldn’t find it, but there were no signs of it at all,” Mu-Cheok said.

“I’m sorry.”

Mu-Cheok knew that his brother was not the kind of person to fall for his clutch move, but Ji-Cheok was doing it because he felt sorry for his younger brother.

“I couldn’t sleep a wink until you came home. I never thought I’d feel the same as last time again,” Mu-Cheok said.

“...” Ji-Cheok didn’t have anything to say.

As Mu-Cheok’s arm loosened, Ji-Cheok slipped out.

“But I succeeded,” Ji-Cheok said.

“Yeah, I saw. You did a great job,” Mu-Cheok replied.

“You don’t have to worry too much.”

“If you were me, wouldn’t you worry about me fighting there alone?”

Mu-Cheok had a point, but there was nothing Ji-Cheok could do. The mindsets of viewers and family members were completely different. While the viewers enjoyed the stream, Mu-Cheok wouldn’t have. Ji-Cheok knew that his brother probably looked at the stream while praying and cursing him at the same time.

“Never do it again,” Mu-Cheok demanded.

“I can’t promise you that,” Ji-Cheok replied.

The firm answer from Ji-Cheok had left Mu-Cheok speechless. Ji-Cheok reached out and ruffled his brother’s hair.

“When I decided to live as a Hunter, I was already prepared to do anything,” Ji-Cheok said.

Mu-Cheok’s eyebrows moved crookedly.

“You said you were prepared to do anything too,” Ji-Cheok retorted.

“I know, but…”

“Let’s stop talking about it.”

“Hyung…”

“I’m hungry.

Ji-Cheok used the magic word. Mu-Cheok sighed.

“Okay, you must be hungry after all that running. What do you want to eat?”

‘Thank god, he is letting it go.’

“Ham-egg pancake,” Ji-Cheok said.

“That’s a side dish.”

“Then anything with chicken.”

“Good thing I bought the ingredients.”

* * *

The dinner was like a feast. Everything was tasty and fattening. Kimchi, spinach, and lotus root in the corner were there just to make the meal look healthy. Ji-Cheok thought, that with this kind of diet for a month, he could become extremely obese.

“ I know why there is the fried chicken and the braised spicy chicken, but why are there pork ribs?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“I marinated them yesterday. Just eat it or I’ll nag you again,” Mu-Cheok replied.

Ji-Cheok realized that his brother was still angry. He didn’t know what to do. It seemed like Mu-Cheok was quite angry this time because Ji-Cheok had lied.

“Cheok-Liang, you can eat too. I don’t know what spirited animals eat but I made something that fennecs would like,” Mu-Cheok said.

?Chicken? Is that chicken??

“Yes. GodTube had a recipe for dog food, so I tried to make it. You can probably eat it too.”

?Absolument délicieux!!?

Ji-Cheok had no idea where Cheok-Liang had learned that phrase, but the advisor certainly seemed to enjoy the food.

?As expected of Master’s brother. Your cooking skills are amazing!?

“My brother is a picky eater, so I always had to study cuisine,” Mu-Cheok said.

“What are you talking about? I also eat convenience store food,” Ji-Cheok said.

“You eat that stuff to survive, not for the taste.”

‘Why is he so sensitive?’

Ji-Cheok knew that if he didn’t eat more than usual, he would be scolded by Mu-Cheok again. Thankfully, Ji-Cheok was starving and the food tasted amazing.

“You are really good at frying chicken. It’s crispy on the outside, and soft and juicy on the inside. You should open a fried chicken restaurant,” Ji-Cheok said.

“If you quit being a Hunter, I’ll do it,” Mu-Cheok replied.

‘... I’m sorry.’

1. Form of address for a younger sister or brother.

2. Cheok-Liang speaks Chinese here, so we went for the nearest equivalent.