"That isn't what's important right now."
[Huh?]
"Bihyung, don't you want to become the 'Dokkaebi King'?"
[! What are you talking about right—]
"I'm asking if you want to become the greatest storyteller of all, surpassing the likes of Gildal or Imoemangnyang."
I had no idea who Gildal or Imoemangnyang were, but it was easy enough to guess they were Dokkaebi like Bihyung.
"Dokkaebi Bihyung, make a contract with us. Then we'll make you... the King of the Dokkaebi."
I didn't know exactly what the King of the Dokkaebi was, but if even a low-ranking Dokkaebi could wield this much influence, the King certainly wouldn't be weak.
And the authority to command other Dokkaebi would come as a bonus.
[Ha, hahahaha! You're insane! You're absolutely crazy! I should've known when you rejected every single Constellation's sponsorship during the Sponsor Selection!]
I had already guessed it from the way Bihyung looked at Dokja and me during the selection, but as expected, Dokja hadn't chosen a Sponsor either.
The reason I hadn't chosen one was simple: distrust.
Then why hadn't Dokja chosen one?
Knowing her personality, it probably wasn't for the same reason as me. It was more likely that she saw some future advantage. I just didn't know what that advantage was.
[I don't know how you know about the Star Stream, but I can't accept that proposal.]
The Dokkaebi sneered at us—or more precisely, at Kim Dokja, who had laid down these conditions—as if he were testing us.
[I'm a Dokkaebi, not a Constellation, so I can't become your Sponsor.]
"You seem to have misunderstood me. I never told you to 'sponsor' us."
[Huh?]
"I don't need your power. I need your 'channel.'"
A channel. The system that allowed the Constellations to watch everything we did.
If I remembered correctly, every Dokkaebi had a channel, and their status was determined by the number of viewers that channel drew.
And judging by the early reactions, Bihyung's channel didn't seem to be very large.
[...My channel?]
"Since you're having trouble following, I'll put it simply. I want to sign an exclusive contract with your channel."
[! Wait, are you saying you want to make a <Stream Contract> with me?!]
"That's right."
A Stream Contract?
"What's a Stream Contract?"
The two of them were talking as if they were the only ones in on the secret, so how was I supposed to know what they meant?
"Normally, it's a contract made between a Dokkaebi and Constellations. In exchange for having their Incarnation appear on a specific channel, the Constellations receive a portion of the Coins that Incarnation earns."
She said it was a contract between a Dokkaebi and a Constellation, but we didn't have any Constellation, did we?
I couldn't see how that contract would possibly benefit us.
"Just watch."
[Looks like your brother is as clueless as you are. I don't know where you heard all this, but a human dares mention a <Stream Contract>? A pathetic bug without even a Sponsor?!]
"Watch your mouth when you talk to my sister—!"
"Ah, seriously! I told you to just watch!"
When I finally flared up at the Dokkaebi's insults, Dokja covered my mouth and yanked me toward her.
—Squish.
"!!!"
"What... why is your face so red...!!"
—Smack!
"Why is my idiot brother blushing because he touched his little sister's chest?! Are you a pervert?!!!"
"Stop hitting me! It really hurts!!"
"I'm hitting you so it hurts! And how can a guy who almost beat Yoo Joonghyuk complain about a little pain?!"
I didn't know if it was one of Dokja's skills or what, but even though I was obviously stronger, it felt as if my stats didn't apply whenever she hit me.
The pain landed with full force.
[What on earth are you two doing right now!!]
"Anyway, to continue my answer: it's precisely because we don't have a Sponsor that this contract is valuable."
[What?]
"What do you think is the purpose of Constellations entering channels?"
As far as I knew, the Constellations had only one reason.
To relieve their boredom by watching a battle royale where we bet our lives.
That was exactly why I hated the Constellations.
They were nothing but lumps of inferiority, chasing entertainment for its own sake just to feel superior.
That was one side of the Constellations as I saw them.
That's why I actually prefer the Demon Kings. At least they don't pretend to be noble.
"To become a famous channel, you need to satisfy at least one of two groups. Either provide pure entertainment, or help them find a promising target to sponsor."
Of the reasons Dokja listed, the one I hadn't considered was the search for sponsorship targets—finding Incarnations with high value.
Though, in the end, even that was probably just another form of entertainment.
[You're fairly knowledgeable. But what does that have to do with anything?]
"I even gave you a hint and you still don't get it. No wonder you can't break past three subscribers."
[Shut up and just say it.]
"What if there were a channel that could satisfy both 'finding entertainment' and 'finding Incarnations'... at the same time?"
I see. So that was her angle.
First, regarding 'finding entertainment,' we were family. A story about siblings struggling desperately to protect one another.
To put it bluntly, it was such a cliché that it was predictable. But to put it positively, it meant it was a theme valuable enough to be a staple in countless stories.
As for 'finding Incarnations,' I had to admit Dokja was using me.
After all, I had claimed a narrow victory against that insane regressor.
That wasn't just entertaining; it was a demonstration of my potential.
At the same time, the Constellations would think, 'If I make even one of those two my Incarnation, the other will follow.'
Especially after seeing our strong bond.
If sponsoring one meant there was someone else willing to risk their life for that person, the survival rate of their Incarnation would naturally skyrocket.
"Looks like you figured it out. I can tell because you can't stop smiling."
"You sly little thing. Using even my potential for your 'finding Incarnations' angle. That's my sister for me!"
"I knew you'd say that. The Constellations are probably already in an uproar, wondering who these lunatics are that dared stand against that 'regressor.'"
Bihyung began looking back and forth between Dokja and me with a grave expression, as if he had been genuinely persuaded by her silver tongue.
"Just open the channel. It's about to start. Oppa, you've rested enough, right?"
"Ugh. I'm still sore. That bitch Joonghyuk could've hit a little softer."
—Ding!
[?!]
[A Scenario has arrived!]
<Hidden Scenario - Commander Slayer>
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: A+
Clear Conditions: Kill the ichthyosaur 'Sea-Commander' and escape from inside its stomach.
Time Limit: 10 days
Reward: 9,000 Coins
Failure: Death
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