A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 12

Is there any way to earn more money?

Of course, it’s not that I’m short on cash right now.

Fortunately, I can buy time with my rice-gathering.

But fundamentally, the economic issue hasn’t been resolved.

“Hmm….”

To sum it up, I need to earn money.

Simply put, I need to find a part-time job.

Of course, even if I start a part-time job, I have no intention of giving up my rice-gathering.

I realized it’s quite profitable.

In other words, I had to divide my time between investing in a part-time job and rice-gathering.

And I didn’t want to completely give up my hobby of playing New Dimension.

So, I have 8 hours of sleep. 3 hours for rice-gathering. 4 hours for playing New Dimension. 1 hour for housework.

That leaves me exactly 8 hours.

If I could fill these 8 hours with a part-time job, that would be convenient….

“Um, what do you think, Bora?”

“I told you to just call me Bora!”

“I’ll try my best….”

Bora, lying spread-eagle on my bed, giggled at my response.

Since that day, Bora started coming over to our house around 2 PM.

Her mom said it seemed like I was quite liked.

It’s hard to believe that our bond is just from sharing chicken; was the chicken really that good?

I can’t quite understand children’s thoughts.

Well, honestly, Bora’s mom was hesitant to let her come over too much because she thought it might be a nuisance, but since I told her it was okay for Bora to come over anytime, she was thankful and brought various things.

“I just want my sister to keep playing with me!”

“Haha….”

At Bora’s cheerful words, I swallowed a dry laugh.

To be honest, I found Bora a little… no, a lot uncomfortable.

Every time Bora innocently stabbed me with her words, I felt like tears might come out… Not for the same reason, of course.

…There’s just barely any discomfort, really.

Because for me, just the act of having a conversation with someone is an uncomfortable and exhausting task.

Seeing a person’s hair and eyes stained with blood is not something you can just get used to by wanting to.

But still, I hope to fix this personality and rid myself of this illusion….

I have no choice but to hold onto the hope that it will get better if I keep trying.

That’s why I said it was okay for her to come over anytime, even if it made me uncomfortable.

Anyway, how should I invest these remaining 8 hours?

I could keep investing in my rice-gathering, but that’s just too inefficient.

Just doing a quick calculation shows that working part-time at the minimum wage would earn me way more.

…Of course, that requires me to actually get a part-time job first.

“Ah….”

There’s a saying: those who don’t work shouldn’t eat.

But what should you do when you want to work hard, but no one will hire you?

Is that still the fault of those who don’t work?

I don’t think so. Because I think so.

If you were in my shoes, you’d likely think the same way.

Proof complete. Q.E.D.

“But sister.”

“Yes….”

“Thinking about it, can’t you make money from that?”

As I privately raged against the world, Bora curiously pointed at the Reverse Capsule and asked.

I can’t believe a 6-year-old knows about rice-gathering.

One could sigh at the reality of Korea.

“If you do OnTube, I think I’d have fun watching!”

But then Bora continued.

“On, Tube?”

I realized I might find a new path.

★

Broadcast.

According to the dictionary, it refers to the act of transmitting audio or video widely through any media.

And to me, broadcasting was something ‘special people or skilled individuals’ did.

Actors, entertainers, singers, comedians—those with innate talents in acting or singing could do it.

I thought broadcasting was solely the domain of TV or radio.

But in this day and age, broadcasting was no such thing.

Anyone could easily start broadcasting over the internet and watch it from anywhere.

“Internet broadcasting….”

It wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar term to me.

But I had never shown any interest in it either.

In my previous life, I was too busy to care about such things.

That world didn’t even contain concepts like ‘internet’ or ‘broadcasting’; it was a fantasy world.

Even after crossing back over to Earth, now as a hikikomori, my interest lay solely in games and comic information, and I never watched internet broadcasts.

Well, if you consider the videos I watched for information to be internet broadcasts, that’s a different story.

“Hmm.”

In any case, I was a complete novice when it came to the culture of internet broadcasting.

To be honest, even after looking up various information, I didn’t feel entirely confident in my understanding.

But I felt it was worth a shot.

After all, what I had in abundance at the moment was time.

It’d be a good idea to try something out until I find that part-time job.

Moreover, after doing a bit of research, I found out that Reverse Capsules were quite pricey, making them hard to access, which made their use in streaming inherently interesting.

That means I could at least earn some pocket money, right?

…Alright. Once I decide, I should stick to it; that’s one of my beliefs.

It’s better to make a little progress than to remain stagnant.

So, with a firm resolve, I began preparing to stream based on the information I had gathered so far.

★

The internet broadcasting industry is a red ocean that doesn’t need explaining.

Anyone can easily start broadcasting, and anyone can easily watch it—it’s only natural.

In such a red ocean of internet broadcasting, standing out requires highlighting something different.

Some promote their eloquence. Others showcase their gaming skills, voice, or looks to continually appeal their strengths.

But it’s also true that just one standout feature isn’t enough to ensure success.

When showcasing oneself to newcomers, a single strength won’t leave a deep impression.

Taking that standout trait as a pillar, you must constantly show fans a multitude of things; that’s what internet broadcasting is about.

In other words, a modern internet broadcaster needs to be a versatile entertainer who is well-versed in all elements required for streaming.

[Rene]

[New Dimension]

[New Dimension | 0 Viewers | 3:13:02]

But the newly-started Rena today was entirely unaware of these basic and obvious facts.

She just turned on her stream in addition to enjoying New Dimension like she usually does.

No matter how she uses a Reverse Capsule.

Even if it’s for New Dimension, which is the most popular among gamers, no matter how excellent the player’s skills might be.

There were almost no viewers visiting an unprepared stream.

─Hello

And even the occasional viewers who dropped in—those known as deep-sea explorers or hako enthusiasts—greeted her without any response, while Rena continued playing silently.

No one will stick around to watch a stream with no sound or reactions.

To prove that, during the 3-hour stream, not a single viewer stayed for more than 5 minutes.

It was an utterly failed stream that didn’t need someone to explain it.

★

“Hmm….”

Is this how it is?

That was my first thought after finishing nearly four hours of streaming.

Of course, I didn’t expect to feel full of myself so early in the game, but I shouldn’t be clinging to somewhere with no hope, either.

Or could it be that New Dimension isn’t as popular as I thought?

That would be quite troubling….

“Ugh….”

But contrary to my concerns, streamers playing New Dimension were already abundant.

This proved that the issue lay not with New Dimension itself.

So, what could possibly be wrong with my stream?

As I pondered, I noticed a familiar nickname in the chat.

★

“Well then, everyone, Tuba~!”

─Tuba

─Tb

─Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go, don’t go, don’t go!

“I’m worn out~.”

After finishing the stream, Tuni leaned back against the back cushion of the Reverse Capsule, her voice drained.

After over 3 hours of streaming filled with constant viewer comments, it felt odd that she wasn’t exhausted.

Nevertheless, Tuni was genuinely enjoying New Dimension.

“When I first started, I thought I’d quit in no time….”

It was a game that began as a punishment game.

Plus, considering her tendency to get motion sickness, Tuni initially thought she’d only enjoy New Dimension for a couple of days at best.

But confronted with the landscapes New Dimension showed her, those thoughts quickly dissolved.

Now, Tuni had become a proper New Dimension player, enjoying the game even when not streaming.

“Hmm.”

With a small sniffle, Tuni loosened her body and quietly logged back into New Dimension.

New Dimension is a game that provides no benefits to new or returning players, which could be seen as unwelcoming.

But for Tuni, that provided a plethora of activities.

What should she tackle today all by herself?

As Tuni re-entered New Dimension, she encountered.

[Inquisition Officer]

“…Huh?”

For some reason, death was standing there.

[The Inquisition Officer has requested a 1-on-1 talk.]