DCRBG 40

Chapter 40

The Nation of Bows (1)

1.

As expected, Peanut immediately drew everyone’s attention the moment he appeared.

“What the heck is that hamster??????”
“Wow lolololol”
“Where did you get it? Is it a monster?”
“I don’t know, but I just want to nibble those ears already”
“The white fur on the paws is so cute ;;”
“Lol, Megat is bringing in mascots now as cheat codes”
“Is it just a regular golden hamster?”

Perched proudly on my shoulder, Peanut was a sight to behold. His beauty alone could rival any other hamster.

Moreover, Peanut was a well-known attention-seeker even in Avalon. When a drone flew around him, he lightly groomed himself, showing off his charm.

“Our Peanut is cute, right?”

I stroked him gently, boasting a little, and then turned to speak to the viewers:

“Today’s a surprise stream, but since we’re already here in the Abyss, I thought I’d try completing a quest. I chose that… Immortal Army quest.”

As soon as I dropped that line, our beloved commentator appeared as if waiting for the cue.

[<Abyss Encyclopedia> has donated 10,000 KRW!]

Info: Only 1% of players reach the final quest of Immortal Army. This quest tracks undead, and it’s notorious for being extremely difficult without holy items.

In short, it’s a really tough quest.

Isn’t that person Professor Yoo Young-pil, the one who appears on TV sometimes? We have an interview scheduled next Friday, so maybe that’s why he’s donating so diligently. Truly a generous person.

“Thank you, boss!”

Just as I was about to express my gratitude, another donation popped up:

[<Deep-Sea Explorer> has donated 100,000 KRW!]

“Do I not need holy items? Maybe the Mirage Guild can lend them?”

Ah, this is essentially the chairman of our stream, Deep-Sea Explorer himself. Having notable viewers can be tricky, but at least they give money. Tossing 100,000 KRW so casually—definitely a big spender.

I decided to respond politely:

“I work with the Mirage Guild, but I have no plans to join them. Borrowing their items seems a bit much.”

Once again, Deep-Sea Explorer donated while saying “What a pity.” What’s he missing? Still, a big spender willing to give 100,000 KRW is appreciated. We’ll use it for Ian’s snacks.

Also, I had some exciting news to share with the viewers:

“It looks like participation in the 3rd-floor raid is almost confirmed, and the livestream will be on my channel. I’ve already finalized everything with the ESP Management Department.”

Right now, the hot topic in South Korea is, of course, the 3rd-floor raid. Only two weeks remain, and unlike previous raids, lower-level players will need to actively participate, so attention is high.

The focus is on which promising guild members will shine. Not only from Mirage Guild but also top players from other major guilds will join, making it a huge topic.

Failure will trigger random Abyss gates, tying it closely to national security.

“Livestream?”
“Exclusive broadcast?”
“I don’t think so. Usually, you get broadcasting rights along with the raid bid.”
“Whoa; the sixth broadcast and we already have a world-class lineup lol”
“Isn’t that unlucky guy from China joining? He’s supposedly the next top-tier player lol”
“Clean bot detected inappropriate language!”
“Big names from Japan too.”

Even just mentioning it causes huge hype—the viewers really want this content.

I’m glad we’re doing it with Mirage Guild. Even if I just stand around, watching the fights is the most fun anyway.

“Oh, and tomorrow a video on how to enter the Witch’s Forest will go up. It’ll be for members only, so check that out.”

Currently, Tae-oh is editing all night. There’s a huge workload, but he’s doing it willingly. I didn’t expect MTube to grow this much—he deserves a generous bonus. Only players can enter the Witch’s Forest, so no complaints…

“Why members-only? Sharing with all players would be better.”
“Feels too money-grabby, so I support it ;;”
“????”
“It can be members-only, though.”
“Lol, did you guys even help Megat unlock the Witch’s Forest?”
“Right lol”
“Lazy freeloaders, hate it lol”

Troublemakers everywhere. I, Meteor, stick to my principle: say what I want. That’s my broadcast motto.

So, I said firmly:

“If you’re unhappy, unlock it yourselves.”

Peanut nodded approvingly from my shoulder as I glared at the drone.

Beep!

The viewers erupted:

“Speaks the truth”
“Mecha Cola ㄷㄷ”
“But he’s right lol”
“Someone posted value analysis—entrance costs at least 3,000 lol”
“Did the hamster just nod?????”
“It understands humans?”
“First time I’ve seen a hamster nod lol”
“Pea…nut.”

Cute always wins. With announcements done, it was time to start the stream. Today’s destination: Cemetery of Silence.

I already set the concept. I had picked up a cheap weapon last time at the ESP Management Department auction. Proudly, I pulled it from my inventory and declared:

“Today, I’ll only use this weapon.”

“???????????”
“Really? Aren’t you using fists and magic?”
“A bow?”
“Megat can do anything. Trust me, Memen.”
“Memen”
“Does the bow look weak?”
“???????????????”

Peanut and the ultimate bow—today’s broadcast concept. Elves and bows, right?

2.

What is a bow?

A weapon with a long and storied history. Before guns, bows were the primary ranged weapon.

Today, they’re considered sports equipment, but in the Abyss, their value is different: a powerful ranged weapon.

According to Abyss rules, firearms are unusable.

So players specialized in ranged attacks often choose bows or crossbows. Among them, bows are highly regarded…

[<Abyss Encyclopedia> has donated 10,000 KRW!]

Info: Bows are mainly used by players with exclusive bow skills. They’re weapons for experts.

Ah, that’s it. I heard crossbows are more commonly used due to versatility and ease of use, even for weaker players.

Even non-ranged players might carry one for certain missions. Crossbows are strong, with short training periods—but rapid fire is difficult.

“Can you shoot well with a bow?”
“Lol, maybe just for broadcast concept balancing?”
“Koreans are the nation of bows, indeed.”
“Bow = South Korea lol”
“Better than Seo Hye-rim?”
“Her party is attempting the 6th-floor promotion quest.”

Seo Hye-rim is South Korea’s top ranged player. She can hit targets 1 km away and was a former archery athlete. I gripped my bow lightly, smiling:

“I’m skilled with the bow too. Elves teach archery, you know? I learned directly from an elf.”

My archery mentor, Lebon, had once dismissed crossbows as “evil weapons dwarves made to imitate bows.”

“Ah, the elder again; take your medicine ;;”
“Still the boastful persona???”
“Where are the elves anyway?”
“Dark Elves appear on the 6th floor; their bows are insane ;;”
“Getting used to Megat’s boasting lol”

Despite my honesty, viewers didn’t believe me. A bit frustrating in this age of distrust.

[<Got Bow at First Birthday> has donated 10,000 KRW!]

“Wow! You know bows well. If you stream only with a bow today, I’ll donate an extra 1,000,000 KRW.”

Ah, the perfect time to use a ‘mission.’ I delayed mentioning it to avoid seeming money-grabby.

“Then set the mission”
“First time watching this stream?”
“Might really be their first time”
“Who watches streams at this hour? Only home security guards lol”

After some chat, another message appeared:

[<Got Bow at First Birthday> has set a mission!]

Mission: Use only bows until the end of the stream
Reward: 1,000,000 KRW

“Thanks for letting me know hehe”

“Of course! I always keep my word! I’ll use only the bow for today’s broadcast! Thank you!”

A new big spender joined. Big spenders are always welcome.

While I smiled at the drone, we arrived:

[Entered 3rd Floor – Cemetery of Silence!]
[Obtain clues regarding Immortal Army in this area.]

The Abyss… the vast fields from before were gone, replaced by a silent, eerie cemetery.

The cemetery’s size was massive, tombstones densely packed, heightening the horror.

“Nice atmosphere.”

Though it’s my first time, viewers seemed familiar with the place.

“Kingyo’s cursed cemetery”
“Crowds every summer, you know?”
“Really scary atmosphere”
“Special horror stream?”
“Is this where the Immortal Army quest starts? Didn’t know”
“Only players 4th floor and above usually film here”
“This field is harder than other 3rd-floor fields”
Info: “All fields with Immortal Army are harder than usual”

The S-rank linked quest reputation was high. Alone, I might have been scared.

“There’s a foul smell!”

Beep!

Peanut scanned the cemetery, making a sharp sound. Only I could hear it—spirits communicate directly via ‘spirit language.’

As I stepped into the cemetery, the Abyss Encyclopedia boss gave info again:

[<Abyss Encyclopedia> has donated 10,000 KRW!]

“The Cemetery of Silence contains 1,336 undead, according to the Abyss Society. But don’t worry—these are confirmed by scout players; most undead are mere decorations!”

Ah, so the unpleasant vibe I felt was the undead. Clues aren’t handed out easily, of course. I patted Peanut and moved forward.

Crunch.

Withered grass crumbled under my feet. The sky threatened rain. Horror movie vibes, check.

The quest said clues were hidden here. At the center, a gray stone ossuary stood. Surely something’s inside.

“I used to be good at horror games. Don’t worry—this isn’t scary.”

“Lol, shaking legs while saying that”
“Something’s bound to appear”
“Megat’s confident entrances trigger hidden events”
“Lucky matryoshka incident?”
“Event: huge rock falls in canyon hidden event, worst difficulty in dimensional theater. Is this unlucky matryoshka?”
“Need to reevaluate luck matryoshka”
“Megat smashed everything and took rewards”
“Then that’s good?”
“If you made money, yes”

Hmm, the matryoshka is strange. Drops seem biased; incidents keep happening. Is it really luck?

Uoooh!

“…Uoooh?”

Suddenly, a message appeared:

[Warning! Hidden Event Triggered!]
[Hidden Event: Night of the Living Dead]
[The dead awaken, drawn by your strong magic.]
[Zombies are approaching!]
[They are coming.]

…Is this lucky matryoshka a scam? Suddenly a zombie scenario?

Uoooh!

Zombies rose from all directions, their eyes glowing eerily as they charged.