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 8

After saying goodbye to Reina and Karin, I rested at the prepared hotel.

How many years has it been since I last slept on such a soft, fluffy bed? It almost brought tears to my eyes.

While sipping on some yakitori and a light evening drink, I browsed articles online.

Already, there were various reports about today’s events. Information spreads so quickly these days. It’s a world that moves too fast for an old man like me.

“The Legendary Old Man’s Fierce Battle Today”
“The Mysterious Identity of the Legendary Old Man!?”
“Emergency Report! All About the Legendary Old Man!!”

Clips from my livestream and analysis videos were already circulating.

Wait, so is “Legendary Old Man” my official nickname now?

Who the hell came up with that first? I want to complain, but it’s probably too late to change it. Might as well embrace the “old man” title and roll with it.

“Rising Expectations for Reinforcements Rosen Maiden’s Stock Prices Soar”
“Analysts Predict Positive Impact from Legendary Old Man Tatsuya Kamiya Joining Rosen Maiden”

This one’s an economic article. Much more serious.

But I don’t want stock prices moving just because I got involved a little. That’s terrifying.

Now I can’t even get drunk and pass out at an izakaya without consequences.

Still, the general sentiment online seems positive. People simply crave strength. They know that Awakened who conquer dungeons and slay monsters directly impact their lives. As long as there are no behavioral issues, acceptance comes surprisingly easily.

“How long has it been since such a strong Awakened appeared?”
“Looking forward to the next battle!”
“Can’t help but be excited.”
“Gonna buy more Rosen Maiden stock.”

Of course, not all reactions were favorable. Naturally, my unclear background raised suspicions. Ordinary people searching the data banks wouldn’t find any records of my past.

“Where the hell was this guy hiding?”
“Kinda hard to trust him.”
“Maybe he trained overseas or something?”
“Too mysterious, kinda scary.”
“There’s just no info on him.”

Among them, one SNS post caught my eye.

“Is the Legendary Old Man a Government Black Ops Agent!?”

The article claimed that the Self-Defense Forces had a secret anti-monster unit. Due to information control, nothing about them was public, but it speculated that the “Legendary Old Man” might be one of them.

Bingo. Almost full marks.

Sadly, this article didn’t get much attention. Even now, the truth doesn’t always spread.

Now, regarding my initial goal of nurturing the next generation, there had been progress.

I’d gained a disciple in Reina. But I didn’t want her to quit her streaming activities either.

Streaming wasn’t just about fundraising.

The world existed in a delicate balance. The anomalous entities and monsters that once emerged from dungeons had pushed humanity to its limits. Direct casualties numbered around 1.5 billion, with another 2 billion lost to famine and disease.

Yes, the current global population was about 4.5 billion, down from 8 billion.

Still, in recent years, humanity had begun to recover. But the reality of dungeons remained unchanged. Monsters still spawned.

Even with emergency drone evacuations, letting monsters escape dungeons would cause massive damage. In such a world, people needed hope.

Through Awakened streaming, people could see that someone was still fighting. Even if despair threatened to crush them, knowing they weren’t alone made it bearable.

Streaming was humanity’s unyielding record of challenging the dungeons.

So, from now on, I wanted to actively engage in it too. Even if it didn’t help anyone, even small distractions mattered.

The next morning, I started my early routine as soon as I woke up.

Regulating my breath, I silently circulated mana through my body, both to check my condition and for training.

The noise of the city and the restlessness in my body faded away.

I had to keep honing this sense, so I could do it even in battle.

Silence, tranquility.

An hour later, I finished my essential routine, freshened up, and headed to Rosen Maiden’s headquarters.

Apparently, my face was already registered, I wasn’t stopped once as I arrived at the 40th-floor training hall. Today, I’d be overseeing Reina’s training. Though, since she’d squeezed this in before her Rosen Maiden duties, it wouldn’t be a long session.

Reina was already practicing when I arrived. Not wanting to interrupt, I quietly watched from the entrance.

“Haaah!”

Her outfit today was much cuter and fluttery compared to yesterday. Well, she wasn’t heading into a dungeon today, so this was probably closer to her usual attire.

Reina closed her eyes, slowly expanding mana outside her body. Repulsive mana formed, lifting her slightly off the ground just a few centimeters. And she was doing this without my guidance. Terrifying talent.

“Prioritizing stability over height, huh!”

Right now, Reina was deliberately avoiding floating higher, focusing instead on maintaining the levitation. That was the right approach. Sustained, stable flight was an invaluable advantage.

Eventually, Reina slowly opened her eyes and landed.

“Impressive. You’ve already got the hang of it.”

I clapped as I entered the training hall. Reina’s face lit up as she bowed.

“N-No! I just remembered what you said yesterday and tried it!”

“You did well.”

“Ahh, I’m glad! Oh, um, about this outfit.”

She hesitated.

“I have a recording and interview later, so my schedule is…”

“It’s fine, really. You mentioned it yesterday.”

Reina’s schedule sounded absolutely brutal right now.

Yet, despite that, she hadn’t stopped challenging dungeons or neglected her training. That alone was admirable.

“I’m sorry. Compared to a master like you, I should probably focus solely on training.”

“I don’t think so.”

I shut that down immediately. Reina was too hard on herself.

“Music is an important part of human culture. And if you can reach so many people with it, that’s an incredible talent. You should nurture it.”

“Sensei…”

“Honestly, I don’t have any skills outside of fighting. Compared to you, my artistic talent is zero. My only hobby is drinking in the evening.”

Saying it out loud made me a little sad. But it was the truth. Reina’s talents and influence extended beyond battle, those other activities were just as important for living a human life.

“Thank you. So, you drink too, Sensei?”

“Well, just cracking open a beer from the convenience store.”

Reina seemed to ponder something. Huh? What was she thinking?

Trying to follow her train of thought was tough for an old man like me. I was always a beat behind.

“W-Well, there’s this nice bar near the building.”

“Yoohoo!! Already at it this early, huh?!”

BAM!

Karin burst into the training hall with a booming greeting. It had only been a day, but she was as energetic as ever.