The Dimensional Swordmaster C31

Chapter 31. A Useful Person (1)

At the very top of the screen was a glaring red label reading LIVE. Without a second thought, Yurian pressed play.

A black screen flickered past, followed by the distorted voice of a man.

『…And so, this is footage we just obtained. Let’s take a look together.』

The screen shifted instantly, revealing a familiar location. Brown tables, people eating, even the smiling chicken painted on the wall.

“Huh…? Isn’t this the place from earlier?”

It was definitely the restaurant they had just visited. The footage seemed to have been recorded from the table behind them.

Perhaps the phone had been left casually on the table while filming, because the angle sat awkwardly low. A water bottle cut across the edge of the screen, and beyond it sat their distant table.

Seeing himself from a third-person perspective felt stranger than expected. Yurian stared at the phone as though being pulled into it.

Everything from earlier had been captured exactly as it happened. Their faces were blurred, but there was no way he wouldn’t recognize himself.

The audio quality was terrible, yet the sounds of eating and conversation came through clearly enough. As if afraid viewers might miss something, subtitles had even been added helpfully underneath.

『Stay beside me at all times. And if you’re going anywhere, tell me first.』

In reality, the exchange hadn’t sounded remotely romantic—but onscreen, they looked unmistakably like affectionate lovers.

Yurian let out a hollow laugh.

“What the hell is this…?”

The video continued with heavily edited fragments. Carefully stitched together and polished, the footage painted them as the perfect couple.

The screen ended with the two of them driving out of the parking lot together. Then a man wearing a mask appeared, raising his voice dramatically.

『This happened earlier today, right? That layered dungeon raid everyone’s been making noise about. According to a trustworthy source, something huge happened inside. Rumor has it the Hunter Management Bureau even imposed an embargo because they can’t control the situation anymore.』

The exaggerated delivery and provocative wording were strangely hypnotic.

The man, who called himself “National Reporter,” loudly criticized both the Hunter Management Bureau and the hunters involved. More specifically, his attack targeted “S-rank Hunter Mr. G.”

According to him, while people inside the dungeon suffered and died, Mr. G had done absolutely nothing—only to stroll out afterward and go on a carefree date.

Calling it criticism would’ve been generous. It was practically character assassination.

One hunter was supposedly in critical condition at the hospital, while another—whose name “could not be disclosed”—had allegedly suffered such psychological trauma that they could no longer continue life as a hunter. Yet this same S-rank hunter, who apparently fled the dungeon without even clearing it, was now proudly enjoying a romantic outing.

“What is this nonsense?”

There were too many things wrong to even know where to start.

First of all, it wasn’t a date. It was just a meal. And Gong Siyoung had contributed in the dungeon. If he hadn’t frozen the Dick Shadow, Yurian would’ve wasted far longer trying to locate and kill the core.

And if they were going to talk like that, then what about the others? The idiots who rushed in first, got struck by lightning, passed out, cried because they couldn’t see their status windows, then ran away the moment monsters appeared?

“…Okay, now I’m pissed.”

Making things up was one thing, but this had crossed a line.

The so-called National Reporter had now started insulting Gong Siyoung openly by name.

Real-time comments streamed rapidly across the bottom of the screen as the streamer responded live.

Half the comments were baseless rumors. The other half were basically declarations of pure hatred.

Eventually, Yurian couldn’t take it anymore.

He tapped the screen. Recalling what Myeong Haejin had taught him, he awkwardly pressed down on the comment box.

After struggling for quite a while, he finally managed to type a single comment.

[Don’t mkae up sshit that didn’t happn you fuccking bastarrd💩]

He even proudly added an emoji before posting it.

Satisfied, he immediately shut the phone.

No wonder Gong Siyoung had warned him earlier. Back then, Yurian hadn’t understood why Siyoung reacted so seriously over a simple drink with strangers—but now he finally got it.

If eating one ordinary meal could turn into this, how much garbage had Gong Siyoung endured all this time?

“Honestly, people here are just as rotten as back home.”

So that was why Gong Siyoung was always so tense and defensive. Anyone living in an environment like this would end up that way.

This was exactly why surroundings mattered.

Once Siyoung came out of the shower, Yurian decided he’d at least tell him not to worry about it.

Stretching lazily, he yawned.

Not long after, Gong Siyoung emerged with a towel draped over his head. Spotting Yurian sprawled across the sofa, he narrowed his eyes.

“…Are you sleeping there?”

“Huh? No, I wasn’t sleeping.”

Half-asleep, Yurian hurriedly wiped drool from the corner of his mouth and tried to defend himself. Anyone could tell he was exhausted.

Unable to watch anymore, Gong Siyoung pointed toward the room.

“If you’re going to sleep, go sleep in the bed.”

But Yurian only blinked blankly. Sleep had already swallowed half his consciousness.

Finally losing patience, Gong Siyoung grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

“I said go sleep in the room.”

“Huh? Ah… yeah, the room.”

Mumbling sleepily, Yurian rubbed his eyes. Half-pushed along, he obediently shuffled into the bedroom.

Exactly two minutes and thirty seconds after collapsing onto the bed, soft breathing echoed from inside.

“He falls asleep the moment his head touches something.”

Gong Siyoung muttered in amazement.

He’d noticed it on the first day too—Yurian slept incredibly well. Once asleep, nothing short of death seemed capable of waking him until morning.

Honestly, that itself was a talent.

Maybe it was because his thoughts and actions were so simple.

Yurian handled almost everything with blunt straightforwardness. Watching him made it feel as though all the world’s worries simply lost meaning.

Could someone really live that carefree and uncomplicated?

Were all people from other worlds like this? He had no way of knowing. But if that personality type was common there, maybe that world itself was a disaster.

As he drifted through those pointless thoughts, a vibration suddenly buzzed somewhere nearby.

Looking around, he spotted the phone resting on the table.

After checking the caller ID and seeing Gong Sijin’s name, he picked up.

“Hello?”

— Gong Siyoung, put your phone down right now.

“What?”

How exactly was he supposed to interpret put your phone down while actively answering a call?

When Gong Siyoung didn’t respond, Gong Sijin repeated himself urgently.

— No, seriously, just listen to me. Especially hunter communities—absolutely do not go into them! Actually, don’t go online at all! Put the phone down! We’re handling things over here, so you stay still and do nothing!

“What are you talking about? Explain properly.”

At first, Gong Siyoung assumed it was more hysteria over the gate incident. He was always the easiest target.

He’d expected criticism already. An S-rank hunter had accompanied the raid, yet they’d returned with injuries and no results. Naturally, people would start looking for someone to blame.

But he was long past the age of being hurt by that kind of thing. Gong Siyoung wasn’t young anymore, nor was he weak enough to crumble under malicious public opinion.

“What’s with all the panic?”

— No… Haah, Siyoung. Just listen to me, okay? Don’t go online. Rest and come to the guild tomorrow at five in the morning. We’re doing the layered dungeon briefing then. We’re trying to contain things here, so… actually, do you want to come to the guild now?

“Now?”

Gong Siyoung’s gaze shifted toward the sleeping Yurian.

After a brief pause, he shook his head.

“No. You said the briefing’s at five. I’ll come then.”

— Fine. But absolutely do not go online. Get some sleep. Seriously.

“Got it.”

Only after repeating the same warning several more times did Gong Sijin finally hang up.

The moment the call ended, Gong Siyoung opened the internet browser.

The portal’s front page was flooded with news about the layered dungeon. Considering they had retreated with nothing but injuries, the reaction was understandable.

Scrolling bitterly through the articles, he was soon greeted by a flood of headlines about an S-rank hunter dating scandal.

There was no reason to ruin his mood further. He skipped past them immediately.

It was all bullshit anyway.

Was this what Gong Sijin meant by “handling things”? Thinking about it, he should probably check in with the lawyer tomorrow regarding the case he’d reported earlier.

Aside from that, nothing seemed unusual. Even after scrolling through several pages, there was no particularly alarming news.

Looks like Gong Sijin was overreacting again.

Muttering under his breath, Gong Siyoung finally opened a hunter community forum.

A post uploaded only minutes ago immediately caught his eye because it already had over eight thousand comments.

[National Reporter Live Was Legendary.jpg (8442)]

Has any hunter not been screwed over by that bastard National Reporter? He’s a vicious clickbait vulture lol

But today he got completely wrecked while talking shit about ㄱㅅㅇ’s dating rumors on streamㅋㅋㅋ

No clue if it was actually him or an impersonator but it was hilariousㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

*“ㄱㅅㅇ” is an abbreviation made from the consonants of 공시영 (Gong Siyoung) 

mk: How many times are we going to hear about “hunter privilege”…

Gyumin: There are still people who don’t know about Gong Siyoung’s personality controversy?

LongLiveHairtail: Lowest Jeju Hairtail Prices Per Kilo! “LongLiveHairtail” Special Free Shipping Event <3 Fresh Hairtails for 15,000 Won!> Click Here!

Kim Ikdang: Please stop posting free ads.

sksmschl: Stop making money off provocative broadcasts. Reported.

Lee Inju: EVEN S-RANK HUNTERS DATE! EVEN S-RANK HUNTERS DATE! EVEN S-RANK HUNTERS DATE!

Gong Siyoung: Don’t mkae up sshit that didn’t happn you fuccking bastarrd💩

Guseul: OMG is that really him?

shekwl: WHAT???

HudadaChicken: ???

Yoonji: ??????

Kim Seungju: Nah that’s fake lol

YoonYoon: Holy shit it’s real. That’s his profile pictureㅋㅋㅋ

Nobody knows whether it’s real or fakeㅋㅋㅋㅋ

But apparently National Reporter immediately ended the stream once the mood got awkwardㅋㅋㅋㅋ

If it’s fake it’s hilarious, but if it’s real it’s legendaryㅋㅋㅋ

Summary:

1. Trashy YouTuber does trashy YouTuber things
2. The actual target appears and throws poop (💩)
3. Trashy YouTuber flees immediately

Comments:

Anonymous: HOLY SHITㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Anonymous: What’s with the hairtail fish ad lunaticㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Anonymous: Wait but is it really him?

└ Anonymous: No wayㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ Anonymous: Absolutely notㅋㅋㅋ No chance ㄱㅅㅇ would type comments like that

└ Anonymous: Streamers can check account info. National Reporter instantly fled = confirmed ㄱㅅㅇ appearance

Anonymous: 💩

Anonymous: 💩💩💩

Anonymous: 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩

ㅋㅋㅋ is just hahahah or kekeke