"Here she is," Noa exclaimed, approaching the hunching woman. "Perfectly harmless human being who can't kill me."
Viewer_1: LMAO
TomatoSlayer: Someone is traumatised.
The woman sat at the corner of the wooden house. She had baskets full of tomatoes and cucumbers by her feet, clearly trying to sell them.
Her hands were wrinkled, and her clothes looked worn.
Sure enough, she seemed harmless, though her deep ocean eyes scanned Noa closely.
Plastering a friendly smile, Noa whispered, "Good afternoon, ma'am. The smell of your tomatoes brought me here. Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?"
The woman didn't answer right away.
So the silence fell, quickly broken by Noa's chat that was livelier than usual.
Viewer_16: Who is this freak? Why am I getting IRL streamers on my For You Page? Tsk… these grass toucher normies are invading my entertainment.
Before the hunched woman came up with an answer, a new viewer appeared.
They even commented, thinking that Noa was just doing a real-life stream instead of playing games.
Thankfully, the chat was quick to act.
gothlover: Look at this noob. He can't even tell that this is a game.
WildGuy3: I was like that at first. But welcome aboard, brother. Don't leave yet.
Viewer_5: Don't leave us, dear Viewer_16, we need you, we need weirdos like you.
Before the person in question could comment, the woman's eyes squinted, her eyes lingering on Noa and his strange clothes. "You don't belong here," she spat calmly. "Your face… it looks funny."
Silence fell.
Even the chat held their breath, not sure if they heard the woman right.
For one, they were surprised because Noa could converse with her, and chat could also understand her, unlike the previous day.
However, the words the woman uttered caused the chat to laugh out loud.
In an instant, messages flooded Noa's vision, with slurs, mocking remarks, and ridiculous comments filling his chat box.
For a moment, he didn't know how to react.
Not in his wildest dreams would he have expected to be roasted by a random granny in another world.
Viewer_16: Are you guys sure this is a game? You're not pulling my leg, are you? What NPCs mock a player like this, let alone with graphics this weirdly realistic?
While most of the chat ignored this, the new viewers seemed to agree.
They didn't just buy the claims that Noa was playing a game and argued that he was straight-up lying.
The older viewers didn't seem to mind.
They just liked seeing Noa in an uncomfortable and scary situation… even if it was part of the skit.
But some of them showed doubt.
Enough to let Noa know that it was time to step up his game and increase the immersion.
"That's true," he answered the woman. "I am new around here… just passing through and want to know more about this place."
Hearing this, the woman sized him up again and shuddered in discomfort.
Of course, the chat didn't let this opportunity slip by.
Hecar: Bro isn't even that ugly, but this woman has no chill. Imagine being looked down on like this. I think getting punched is better.
xx_miki_xx: Just put the fries in the bag, bro.
[Need2Pee donated $5]
Need2Pee: This is for your plastic surgery funds. You are welcome, bro.
The woman, meanwhile, started speaking. "Paserbay, huh? You are nothing but a brat who wants to ask too many questions. You want to learn more about this place? Listen carefully, boya. There are only two kinds of people in this world. Those who are working hard, like me… like people in this humble village."
"What about—" Noa tried to question about the second kind of people, but the woman cut him off.
"And there are poor people who want shortcuts and desire to wield the unseen," she said in a hoarse voice, leaning back to the wooden wall.
The chat lit up momentarily.
F00l: The unseen? Is this our new lead?
TomatoSlayer: LORE DUMP!!! LET'S GOOOOO!!!
gothlover: I bet she is talking about mages.
As Noa listened to her and also read through the hovering text messages, the woman's gaze sharpened. "The unseen… I can tell, it's not for you. Not for oustriders. Not for the likes of you who don't belong here."
Noa was intrigued.
He hadn't expected someone to describe magic like that.
What's more, according to her, he wasn't cut out for it. But as for the reasons, the woman only offered that he was a stranger.
Still, it was exciting.
Dangerous, yes, but thrilling enough for his content and personal curiosity.
Although some still thought that Noa had planned everything in advance and the woman was working for him, the chat was mostly on his side, looking forward to his journey to uncover more.
"What happens if I try to see the unseen? What if I want to learn how to wield it?" he asked, curious to see how the woman would react.
"It's simple, really," she grimaced. "Then you die like the fool you are. There are no second chances. The unseen will devour men like you. It will start with your bones and flesh, then your soul."
Noa leaned closer.
Saying that he was scared would be an understatement.
Yet, he didn't show it.
He had to create content, entertain, and grow his audience. So he ignored her ominous tone. "Well, I am not scared. I want to see it myself. If I lose myself because of it, so be it. At least I can say I died following my ideals."
Viewer_1: What an amazing speech. Too bad it's coming from someone like you. But if you show us real magic, I am willing to donate $50.
The woman, however, narrowed her eyes.
She looked conflicted, surprised, and… even angry.
Despite that, she sighed after seeing Noa's stubbornness, her lips twitching. "If you really want to embrace death, go north. Past the rivers and two mountains. You will hear bells at midnight, follow them, and you will find a priest. He will help you."
Viewer_16: A quest, huh?
Hecar: Do we have a chat geographer? Write the coordinates down. We are going to complete the mission at any means necessary.
The chat wasn't the only thing offering Noa texts to read.
[System notice: You unlocked a rare condition: Meet the priest for further information]
The system also covered his vision.
But it wasn't all.
[You have 120 SP. You can spend it on gacha or purchase something from the store]