Chapter 100: I prepared it again for you

“Don’t proceed like this here. You need to push the surrounding furniture to block the door, then run to buy some time.”

“I thought I could just close the door and run right away.”

“That’s the problem. It’s a subtle trap, so if you just run away without knowing, you’ll get surrounded immediately.”

“Ah, I see. Now, if I jump here, it should work!”

“Good job. Looks like we’re getting close to the ending.”

I patted Forming’s head as they struck a fighting pose, shouting “Yes!”

[The ending is slowly taking shape.]

[The pace is fast… As expected from Forming…]

[Forming has always been good at this kind of game.]

[Even before quitting, they were always like ‘ugh, ugh, ugh!’]

[Hey now, Forming never quit. They just took a break for two years.]

It had been three hours since we started playing, switching out whenever a game over occurred.

Forming, who was now playing, cleared each scenario with skilled moves, defeating enemies one by one.

Although I didn’t plan it, I ended up watching the game while eating snacks, adopting a spectator mode.

Games like this, which aren’t just about physical skill but also require solving puzzles and interpreting various mechanisms, tend to be a challenge for players like Friede, who focused on pushing through with raw strength.

“This camcorder mode is a bit inconvenient. But aside from that, it’s okay.”

“You have to do it this way to properly understand the story.”

When using the camcorder, the protagonist records their thoughts at specific places or during certain events.

The story’s branching points change based on how much footage you’ve recorded, which was an interesting setup.

• Huff, huff!

The protagonist’s steps, breathing heavily, were tainted with despair and degradation.

Even after the death of their parents, they went deeper into the hospital, searching for answers, and faced all kinds of hardships.

They were captured by a mad doctor, had their ears cut off, fell from the third floor, and soaked in drugs—essentially pushed to the extreme of a tragic tale.

Moreover, the story was turning more and more desperate.

The last thing the protagonist could do was to erase the evil spirit that was preserved in a secret underground research facility.

Even if they succeeded, it seemed their life would be in grave danger, as subtly hinted in the protagonist’s monologue and the surroundings.

As the story progressed, the protagonist’s ability to act was increasingly restricted.

In the first stage, the protagonist could fight off mad, diseased patients with a stick, but later on, encountering vengeful spirits or massive monsters, they could only escape.

The game was designed that way.

Fortunately, there were sections where the protagonist needed pure physical skill to overcome, so Friede was able to step in as a substitute for those parts, but that was all.

This meant that Friede’s role was limited, and I ended up just sitting by, eating snacks, watching the game unfold.

Unlike Soul Warfare, which always had a bold and flashy style, Friede’s position as a spectator, sitting crouched down and taking the brunt of the humor, added an interesting new charm.

[Bus passenger Friede ᄃᄃᄃ]

[Friede on the bus… So precious.]

[Fighting like a warrior in a horror game, then being utterly defeated, hahaha.]

[Prepare some popcorn, Friede!]

[I knew from the early stages when their parents were killed.]

[Ah, I see…]

Perhaps it was the right moment.

The chat was lively, with people ready to dance in response to Friede’s powerless appearance.

‘If Friede were a proud person, they might have gotten angry, but isn’t all of this just part of the content?’

‘Even famous people showing a clumsy side can have their own unique charm.’

“Ah, it’s over.”

I snapped out of my thoughts at Forming’s sad exclamation.

On the screen, the protagonist fell helplessly during the final boss battle, and the game over message appeared.

“From here on, it’s all about physical skill. I’m not good at this kind of thing.”

Forming grumbled about the extreme physical demands of the horror game.

I thought that it was only natural since the difficulty had been set high from the start, but I decided to remain quiet.

Well, then…

“Hero~ appears~!”

“I|!”

With a light jest, I pinched Forming’s cheek and sat back down.

As we relaxed and prepared for the last boss battle to reach the grand ending, a new mission notification appeared.

***

[HordeIsNothing’s 100,000 Won Mission!

—Clear the ending without getting hit by a single ghost on the first try!]

That was quite a provocative mission.

But there was a reason why they felt confident about this challenge.

Anyone who had watched the game “Revenger” knew that it was almost impossible to succeed at that on the first try.

‘Maybe it would work if we tried dozens of times, but first try? That’s just impossible.’

In this game, where Friede had mostly been idle, their physical ability was the only thing they could excel at.

However, even that physical strength seemed unlikely to help with the current mission, as everyone was sure it would be difficult to achieve.

The ghosts’ attacks didn’t deal much damage, but since there were so many, delaying would only result in being overwhelmed.

Moreover, the final boss battle map, from the control room to the laboratory, was extremely complicated.

Narrow corridors, makeshift stairs going up multiple floors, and numerous ghosts floating in the air.

The dimly lit underground setting made it even harder to execute a clean play.

The mission to avoid getting hit in this space, where dodging was difficult, required quick thinking and speed from the player.

It was a harsh environment, to say the least.

’This is tough.’

As Forming took a bite of a cookie while admiring Friede’s preparations, there was a gleam of curiosity in their eyes.

Of course, it was difficult.

The chances of success were incredibly slim.

Simply clearing the level and completing the mission without getting hit were two different things.

That’s why the audience who set the mission, as well as those watching, were more focused on how Friede would fail rather than how they might succeed.

Repeated failures as the game streamer suffers—that’s the kind of thrill that has always been a fun element for the audience, no matter how much time passes.

When the game Revenger was first released, it received criticism for demanding too much in terms of physical skill from gamers.

But still, it became one of those games that all streamers had to try at least once.

Perhaps that’s why…

’This is fun.’

Though Friede might have been facing an unfair situation, I couldn’t help but feel that the highlight moment was here, regardless of whether it was a failure or success.

It was guaranteed entertainment either way.

“Ha. This is fun.”

Friede spoke confidently, adjusting their blonde hair and licking their lips with a slight flick of their tongue.

“Accepted.”

[Sensei, you’re so confident.]

[The one getting destroyed was the older sister.]

[Friede, getting destroyed by the ghosts… kinda cute?]

Friede tightened their grip on the mouse.

As the screen shifted to the start of the boss battle, Friede pressed the forward key without hesitation.

At first glance, it seemed like they were simply running forward, but their pace was frantic and erratic.

Eeeek!

With a harsh scream, the group of ghosts charged at the protagonist.

Under Friede’s control, the protagonist sprinted full speed toward the stairs.

[This is a bit dangerous. I need to use the Molotovs I saved last time to create an opening.]

[???]

[Wow, this is ridiculous.]

[Can’t physical strength be beaten after all?]

[Was it possible to dodge like that?]

[Friede’s playstyle is so reckless, but it’s surprisingly skilled.]

[Just got an achievement right away. Doesn’t seem like Friede practiced secretly @@.]

[Oooh, this account is linked, so even if they delete it, the achievement stays. That’s legit.]

[How did you do it, you expletive?]

[They shot in all directions while looking around.] ᄅᄋ

[Really, physical strength 100, intelligence 1—like a warrior, Sensei.]

“Stop talking nonsense.”

A frustrated voice escaped Eunha’s lips as she frowned.

The constant grumbling from the chat was getting really annoying.

‘I mean, what’s wrong with being slightly stuck in a guide?’

‘Could they do better than Friede, who was handling it like a pro?’

Seeing them mock Friede’s well-executed clearance was deeply infuriating.

“What’s the big deal? Shouldn’t you be impressed by the control shown at this highest difficulty?”

Whether it’s a stream or a game league, it’s an old tradition for bronze players to criticize challengers.

But it still made me frustrated.

It almost felt like Eunha herself was being insulted.

Trying to rebut using the keypad, I kept erasing my words repeatedly, and before I knew it, the last boss battle ended quietly.

Just as everything was wrapping up, and the ending video played while I felt slightly dizzy from the crazy moments, a message notification appeared at the top of the screen.

‘What’s this?’

’I’ve been watching my older sister’s stream.’

I might not have noticed if I hadn’t received the notification, but now that I had, I felt I had to check it out.

Opening the messenger, I found the notification came from the STK team chat.

As Eunha entered the chatroom, her eyes were immediately drawn to a long message.

It started with the following:

[They’re saying another event is coming soon.]

“Another event?”

“Again?”