arc5 · 084-ch84

Arc 5: The Immortal's Coup d'État

Episode 84: DanChuTube

"My brethren. What I can teach is limited, but I want you to learn as much as possible and certainly make it your nourishment. This video ends here. In the next video, let's confirm from skill level 1 in order. Well then"

With those closing words, the video stopped. The screen displayed a guide to the next video.

Suzuka didn't open the next video immediately, but couldn't help muttering his impression.

"...Not what I expected"

That was a comment on being pleasantly betrayed.

When Suzuka checked out the DanChuTube content creator Nekoyashika had recommended, he found that the DanChuTube streamer was completely different from what he had imagined. The Old Master of Gu Poison was a handsome older man like an intensely seasoned actor, and the video was as captivating as watching a short film.

"Since it's called a DanChuTube streamer, you'd think it'd be like 'Hiya! Today, right, I'm gonna explain poison magic! Bam, pow, puff-puff~' or something!!"

Suzuka liked watching game streamers' videos and watched them often. He didn't know many streamers personally, but he had some sense of what streaming felt like.

But the Old Master of Gu Poison was completely removed from Suzuka's image of a streamer.

"Maybe it's because he's not used to being a DanChuTube streamer yet that he's this cool? If I watch his latest videos, do you think the Old Master of Gu Poison might be strangely high-energy saying things like 'With poison magic, I'd like to try making poison that only melts the opponent's equipment! A man's dream!'? He wouldn't, right?"

Part of him wanted to see it out of morbid curiosity, but he didn't want to see someone he might even come to respect in such a state.

"Heeh, so this is what DanChuTube streamers can be like too. Completely different from Millimani, who Yasu recommended"

Millimani, Yasu's top DanChuTube recommendation, is a third-grade explorer who mainly does streaming. He focuses on videos that help beginners with exploration, but also does many projects that viewers can enjoy. Rather than an explorer, he gives the impression that streaming is his main job. He's exactly the image Suzuka has of a streamer, and his atmosphere is completely different from the Old Master's.

Even among the same explorers, the difference between those who do streaming as a job and those who pursue the path of exploration came through clearly. It might be easier to understand if I say it's like the difference between game streamers and pro gamers.

Suzuka had watched some of Millimani's videos since he was recommended, but they weren't very helpful. On the contrary, they showed him further into the dungeon, making him feel like spoilers were being revealed, so he didn't continue watching.

For the same reason, Suzuka avoided watching videos by explorers who were second-grade or quasi-first-grade. The thrill when stepping into a new area in the dungeon, the scenery overwhelmed by beautiful nature, the threat and terror felt when seeing a monster for the first time.

Suzuka wanted to experience those. But if he saw them on stream, that thrill would fade. It's like watching a game played on stream before you play it yourself. That's no fun.

But the Old Master was so captivating that he made Suzuka forget such trivial concerns. More than the monsters that appeared, more than the beautiful scenery captured on camera, he wanted to know about poison magic above all.

"Nyako recommended him, so I thought it'd be more subculture-y DanChuTube streamer, but you really shouldn't judge people by their looks"

Nekoyashika has black-purple long hair tied in twin tails and wears a "mine" style fashion that's rare in this era. Suzuka knew she was a serious student working hard as an explorer, but for her recommendation to turn out to be the Old Master of Gu Poison—that was quite a gap.

I'll email her later saying the Old Master's video was good.

"DanChuTube, huh... Maybe I should try it too"

When he parted ways with Yasu and started solo exploration, he had briefly thought that DanChuTube streaming might be interesting too. DanChuTube has various genres—some do planned streaming, some calmly upload exploration footage, some upload videos as teaching materials, and so on.

But of course, his identity would be revealed. The current Suzuka has outstanding strength compared to others his age. To the extent that he wouldn't be out of place getting headhunted by Futōfukutsu, a top-rank guild.

What Suzuka wants to do right now is explore dungeons, and he wants to pursue with all his might how strong he can become. If he reaches his limit, streaming might be good too, but it's probably still too early for that.

"Alright. For now, I'll at least watch the Old Master's videos. They seem like they'll be quite educational"

Suzuka knew there were videos on DanChuTube that explained magic, as well as videos that explained skills and fighting methods. Suzuka himself, when he got hooked on houseplants after becoming an adult, had studied plant types and care methods through videos, and he understood the usefulness of learning from videos.

But he had intentionally kept away from DanChuTube. Of course, avoiding spoilers was part of it, but the biggest reason was that he didn't want to be dyed in this world's common sense.

Coincidentally, just as the Old Master had said, he wanted to avoid "being bound by chains called common sense."

Suzuka had time-leaped to this world. The common sense of his original world lies at Suzuka's foundation.

But the humans of this world—for example, Yasu—have had dungeons as common sense since birth. That you can run faster than a car using body reinforcement, that water blades fly from swords, that wounds heal with recovery magic—all of it is common sense.

Since the body reinforcement skill manifested, of course it can be used. It's a sword's effect, so it would be strange if it couldn't be used. Since recovery magic can be used, naturally it can heal.

That's the baseline of this world's explorers.

You don't know the principle well, but airplanes fly. You don't know how wireless connects to the internet, but that's just how it is. You don't really know what the internet is to begin with, but it's convenient so you use it.

Suzuka himself doesn't really understand it either, but he accepts and uses the benefits of civilization as a matter of course. Explorers are the same. Because that's common sense and natural, they accept it without any questions.

Therefore, they can probably use skills in ways Suzuka couldn't imagine. Like when Yasu dug a hole and trapped the drunken sheep, it becomes established as common sense, they learn by watching videos, they know tricks like walkthrough guides, and they recognize such things as a matter of course. They efficiently handle the knowledge accumulated by their predecessors.

But Suzuka is different.

Everything is fresh.

Exhibiting physical ability beyond what humans originally possess, firing water blades from swords, having wounds visibly close up with magic—all of it is new, completely removed from Suzuka's common sense.

That's precisely why Suzuka could deviate from this world's common sense.

Exploring alone is impossible. Challenging area bosses is suicide. There's no point in conquering Districts 4 and 5.

Because he deviates from such common sense of this world, his current strength exists. If the Old Master's words apply to this, then Suzuka, who has no common sense, should be at an advantage instead.

And in reality, that's probably true. Suzuka had some idea what poisons the Old Master used on each monster.

"Magic is free, huh. A world where magic, a supernatural phenomenon, exists. You can create poison with such magic. In that case, anything being possible wouldn't be strange"

The Old Master had said it. Don't think with Earth's common sense. Explorers are in dungeons, an incredibly mysterious world. You shouldn't think about things with the standards so far.

Humans are creating poison. That alone is a phenomenon that defies reason, so limiting the properties of poison that can be created to poisons that exist on Earth is far too wasteful.

The Old Man probably created poisons that don't exist on Earth. Poison that makes you unable to move, poison that burns from inside the body, poison that makes the body swell and burst, poison that makes the body weather away.

Such poisons don't exist, and if you put them into words, they're ridiculous poisons. If such poisons existed, isn't it like the first person to say them wins?

But being able to create poison yourself—that's probably what it means. If you discard common sense, solidify your own image, and put it into action, poison magic can certainly draw a line from other magic. Because you can create new poisons.

To do that, you need a clear image. An image that approaches certainty that you can do it. Just as Suzuka used manga to train his skills, if you can hold a solid image for poison magic as well, it will become reality.

"Hah. So important things can be learned from manga after all"

Feeling relieved that what he'd been doing wasn't wrong, Suzuka started watching the next video.

And then, that weekend. By the time he was returning from Tokyo Dungeon as usual, his poison magic skill level had grown to 6.