The Legendary Old Man Becomes a Dungeon Streamer: When the World's Strongest Tried Streaming in His Second Life, He Instantly Went Viral and Gained S-Class Disciples. - Chapter 11

After spending two hours straight coaching the two of them, our time was up, and we called it a day. Reina’s growth speed was visibly fast. Especially when I demonstrated something in front of her, she absorbed it immediately.

On the other hand, she seemed to struggle when it came to restoring disrupted mana. She was good at things she could consciously control, but improvisation wasn’t her strong suit.

Karin was the complete opposite. At first, it took her longer than Reina to concentrate mana. But when it came to restoring disrupted mana, she was quick. It might take her time to lay down the path, but once she did, even if she strayed, she could return to it easily or so it seemed.

Then, when time was up, Reina reluctantly left for her duties at Rosen Maiden. I reassured her that training could always continueno need to rush.

That left just me and Karin.

“Don’t you have plans today, Karin? Weren’t you saying something about a battle earlier?”

“Yeah, but honestly, training with you feels way more productive.”

Karin stretched with a loud groan. Seriously, this girl has zero shame.

Or maybe she just doesn’t think she needs to feel embarrassed around an old man like me. That’s probably true, and it kinda hurts.

“Still, if you’re gonna fight, you should probably hit the dungeon too. Mana behaves a bit differently inside one.”

“Ehh, seriously?”

“Depends on the mana density, and there’s a lot of individual variation. Some people struggle with it.”

“Haaah! So I can’t just pick it up right away, huh?”

But Karin didn’t look discouraged. If anything, she was practically glowing with excitement. People like her grow fast though I’d have to rein her in to keep her from doing anything reckless.

“Well, there’s actually a reason I’m not feeling the battle today.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s not a normal fight. It’s a battle royale with shrinking zones and special rules. Lately, I’ve been getting targeted a lot.”

Ah, so it’s a battle royale-style game. The Self-Defense Forces had similar training, so I roughly understood the rules.

First, teams are placed inside a safe dungeon. Each team has to defeat enemy teams or collect various pre-placed items. There are multiple victory conditions, but usually, the last team standing wins.

The defining feature is that the playable area the safe zone gradually shrinks. The longer time passes, the higher the chance of running into enemy teams. Of course, staying outside the safe zone for too long means disqualification.

“What about the others from Rosen Maiden?”

“They’re either busy or just not feeling it. Oh! I know! There’s a perfect solution!”

What now? I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

“Sensei, come with me!”

“I don’t mind but are walk-ins allowed?”

Just then, Kaede’s hologram flickered to life in the dojo again.

Still listening in? Maybe she’s bored.

“Rules-wise, it’s fine. Today’s battle allows teams of up to four, and S-ranks can enter as a duo~”

“See?! Let’s go!”

“I meant more like is it okay with the organizers?”

Would they really be fine with some random old man joining out of nowhere?

“I just checked~ They said it’s fine.”

“Damn, that was fast.”

When things get moving, they really move. The whiplash is giving me whiplash.

“This battle royale event started as a casual thing anyway. No need to hold back~”

“Yeah, and lately, I’ve been getting ganged up on. Too many opportunists.”

“That’s because you keep winning solo, isn’t it?”

“Well, yeah!”

“Alright, alright. Just explain the rules and participants properly.”

“Hell yeah! I’m pumped!!”

Karin threw her arms up and cheered.

Alright, so this afternoon’s gonna be a battle royale. It’s been a while, but I’ll manage. Team combat training is important too.

Two hours later, we arrived at the battle royale venue in Ochanomizu. It was 2 PM, and the event wouldn’t start until 6.

The F-rank dungeon Jagged Jungle in Ochanomizu had been sealed off for the event, with preparations underway. There was a waiting room in a nearby building, so killing time wasn’t an issue.

Karin and I sat side by side, reviewing the rules and participants while lazily snacking on potato chips from a tablet.

“This Fido guy’s team has really good coordination. Plus, they’re careful they don’t fall for divide-and-conquer tactics.”

“Hmm… So what’s the counter?”

“When I’m alone, it’s tough, so I just run and delay fighting until I can win.”

“Good call.”

Given how many times she’s participated, Karin didn’t resort to reckless strategies. The essence of battle royale is knowing when to fight and when to avoid it. Picking your battles and timing is everything. Of course, things don’t always go as planned.

“But you’re the only S-rank here, right? No others in the other teams?”

“All the high-lethality techniques are banned.”

This battle royale was held weekly on Saturdays at 6 PM. The conditions were C-rank or higher awakeners affiliated with mid-tier or higher agencies. So it was more of a game than a serious battle, no excessive bloodshed. Think boxing rules: one knockdown and you’re out.

That’s why it had a lot of family-friendly viewership. Safe to watch, after all.

“So, Reina’s Black Hole is a no-go?”

“Obviously. Way too dangerous.”

“S-rank specialized abilities tend to be lethal.”

“Yeah, and a lot of those guys think holding back is stupid.”

Still, this battle royale was popular, having already surpassed its 100th event. The prize money was a hefty 10 million yen, so sponsors were plentiful.

“Battle royale’s hot right now. There are even awakeners who specialize in it.”

“Times change, huh!”

Then again, events like this only exist in peaceful times. A world where you’re constantly at risk of being killed by monsters in dungeons is the abnormal one.

Knock knock.

Someone rapped on the waiting room door. When I opened it, I found one of the participating teams, Fido’s squad, the one we’d just been talking about lined up outside.

“We came to greet you. I’m Fido.”

Fido was an A-rank awakener, a blond guy who looked a bit like a playboy. His team was optimized for battle royales, with excellent coordination. They were regular high performers, a strong contender.

Fido smoothly extended his hand.

“Well, well. How polite. I’m Tatsuya Kamiya.”

I shook his hand. His grip was slender but firm clearly well-trained. And his mana control was no joke, either. Karin stayed seated, munching on chips. They’d fought before, so they were on casual terms.

“What, scouting us out?”

“Heh, obviously. Ignoring the legendary old man now would be dumb.”

“Nah, nah, it’s my first time. Go easy on me.”

“So, what do you think of me?”

“You’re strong.”

Fido looked to be in his early twenties. With multiple piercings, he gave off a carefree vibe, but his mana didn’t lie. This wasn’t a level you reached without serious training.

Still, he probably hadn’t been an awakener for more than ten years. That meant he still had a gap compared to veterans like Reina and Karin, who had over fifteen years of experience. But even so, his talent was undeniable.

“Fido, what’s your honest impression of the old man?”

“An unprecedented monster.”

Damn, he didn’t hold back. Fido released my hand.

“My agency has S-rank seniors too, but I never felt the gap was this big. Sure, they’re strong, but I always thought I could catch up or surpass them eventually. But you’re different, you’re on another level.”

“Haha, you’re overestimating me.”

“I thought your lack of battle royale experience might be a weakness, but that was too optimistic. I’ll do my best to avoid fighting you until the end.”

“Likewise, I’ll be learning from you.”

“Well then, we’ll be going. See you at the venue.”

With that, Fido and his team left. Quite the declaration of intent.

If you know you can’t win head-on, you strategize and delay until you can. That’s the right approach.

Karin dumped the remaining chips from the bag straight into her mouth.

Munch munch. “Figures even someone like Fido can tell without fighting you.”

“You barely ate any of those chips.”

“Ah, sorry, I was hungry.”

Ugh, old men get hungry too, you know!

Luckily, lunch was provided soon after, so disaster was averted. My favorite salmon bento, no less. Karin devoured hers in seconds apparently, she had quite the appetite.

This old man was already full. Watching Karin eat like that, I couldn’t help but think. Youth really is something else.