Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Mafia Game (4)
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QWER.
That name had become a symbol in the VTuber industry by now.
He was the man who created the world's top VTuber. Given the VTuber world's limited resources, calling him the one true god wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.
In modern times, sure, a massive corporation could pour hundreds of millions into outdoing him with advanced tech and sheer cash firepower. Just look at Hollywood—avatars with overwhelming budgets were already surpassing Myth in quality. But that was all within the 'movie industry.'
Dumping hundreds of millions into a single VTuber, a single avatar? That's a whole different story. It's like your bellybutton being bigger than your stomach. If that VTuber flops, you'd thank the heavens for recovering even 10% of the investment.
What company would burn that kind of cash on a tiny, unpredictable market like VTubing, where success is a gamble?
'No wonder Mika was flipping out, calling him a cheat.'
The VTubers, led by Maki, licked their lips as they gazed at the man—QWER, Legend—the first real chance they'd had to talk to him.
Legend's existence was basically a cheat code for the VTuber scene. In an industry where investing in top-tier avatars, outfits, and maps was a pipe dream, he churned them out weekly. That alone denied the industry's limits.
Industry estimates pegged the cash value of Myth's outfits, avatars, and maps from this year alone at over a billion won.
"I nearly lost my mind seeing that White Day map!"
"I cried at the dating storyline! I tweeted about it—did you see?!"
"No need to apologize for that?"
"Nothing to be sorry about! It's impossible to check every tweet! Oh, I'm Eris, the angel who crossed the rainbow from DreamLive EN!"
"Potion seller from another world! Name's Pone! Nice to meet you!"
"Uh—um, yeah—that's—"
Eris and Pone, the two still lightweights in the scene, were especially hyped. Mika and Maki, the veterans, managed to keep their cool, but expecting the same from those two was a stretch.
As Legend struggled to respond, Myth spoke up.
"Alright."
Her low voice cut through the bustling XCode chat like a landing chopper. Everyone flinched—except Sara, the only one close to both Legend and Myth. Yeon-ah might've been in that club once, but guilt kept her from laughing freely.
In the priceless silence that followed, Myth opened her mouth again.
"Looks like everyone's here. Shall we get started?"
With Myth's declaration, the first round of Alien vs. Human began.
Alien VS Human.
The game was a simple mafia variant: hide among survivors, hunt out the aliens via votes, and win.
Survivors and aliens had special roles and abilities too, but we'd figure those out later.
No filthy sewer water sloshing or nose-burning stench—obviously. I turned my head to scope out my drop spot.
No one else in sight. Random scatter across the map was the gimmick, and I'd landed solo.
Lucky, maybe. Dropping with an alien would've meant my neck gone in seconds.
"Sewer?"
Players usually pulled up the map here. I did the same to pinpoint my location.
"Underground tunnels, huh."
The map showed me on a separate layer. Ground floor and second floor—my sewer was B1, others probably on 2F.
As mentioned, survivors got unique roles and powers. Mine seemed tied to these tunnels.
I found a nearby crack and pressed my eye to it.
"Hehehe~ Eris senpai~. Guard's weak, huh? Stab stab. Go on, poke her?"
"Waaah! Pone! Don't stab! Sorry!"
Through the narrow gap, I glimpsed Pone and Eris—or rather, just their lower halves. Looking up from below, unavoidable.
In real life, I'd be a total perv peeping on girls, but it's a game. I steadied my breath and tuned into their chat.
"Shhh! Sh-shhh! Sh-sh-shhh! This ain't from my mouth!"
"Pone?! You're way too hyped on Korean!"
"Ahahaha! My era today? Come on, Eris senpai! Time to reveal your real role!"
Pone was shadowboxing the air with weird noises.
Huh, that 'shhh' meme exists in Japan too? Pone's Korean was suspiciously fluent—could pass for native if not for her JP agency.
Was Pone the alien, toying with Eris before the kill? Right then—
"Me? Tentacle monster."
"Huh?"
"Tentacle monster."
Eris said it flatly, and one arm warped into something grotesque—not human, pure alien horror.
Fleshy tendrils writhed out like tentacles.
"Kiyaaaaah!!!"
Pone screamed and bolted the other way. Eris watched calmly.
Wait, no instant kill? Now everyone knows Eris is alien?
"No you don't."
Eris thrust her hand forward. Visibility cut out, but I heard bones crunch, flesh burst, then a wet splat on the floor.
"Hic?!"
I stifled a scream.
"Told you not to bluff without the knife skills, Pone. Now~ where's QWER? Better move."
Looking for me? Why? As questions swirled, footsteps faded away.
...Far enough? I cautiously pulled back from the crack.
Turned around—and some mystery figure waited.
"Uwaaah?!"
"Shh shh! Seol-ah. It's me."
The familiar, oh-so-adorable voice calmed me fast. Mystery figure: Myth, apparently.
As I caught my breath from the scare, Myth chuckled and patted my back.
"Oh, it's you."
"Jeez. How'd you end up in this game?"
"...Yeon-ah unnie begged me to save her. Was it a mistake coming in?"
"No way."
Myth grinned and led the way. I followed quietly behind.
"Honestly, I panicked at first, but now I'm thrilled? We hardly stream together since you don't broadcast much."
"True. Gotta do my pro-viewer duties."
"That's why I love it. Time we'd spend apart, now together."
Myth hummed, genuinely delighted. My face heated up for no reason.
"Hey, we're live."
"So? Public couple. Other VTubers would kill for this luxury. Gotta enjoy it proper. Heh, boyfriend risking life for me."
Myth unleashed a praise storm like she'd hit the jackpot, dumping all the backlog from stream time.
Her shameless compliments only made me more embarrassed.
She was doing this on purpose 'cause I crashed in. Totally.
"Though I don't love other girls clinging while you go all slack-jawed."
Myth pouted. Character didn't show it, but I felt it.
"Whatever. He's your boyfriend."
"...True that?"
A bit steamy for sewer talk, but hey—public couple, per Myth.
My stream was off, so no viewer reactions, but Myth'd rein it in if issues arose.
"I only got eyes for you anyway. No worries."
"Ugh... Sweet talk. But too embarrassing—let's drop it."
"You started it."
"That's different. Anyway."
Faint fan whir leaked through Myth's mic.
Face too hot, portable fan to the cheeks. Still weak on the receiving end. I smiled, heading for what looked like sewer-exit stairs ahead.
"Oh yeah, Seol-ah—you're the Peeker, right?"
"How'd you know?"
"Call out to a wall-hugger with no reply, it's Peeker or... Eh, tell you later. Anyway, yeah. Seen anything?"
"Right! Eris—she's Tentacle Monster. Tentacle'd Pone to death. Find the body, report it?"
"Ah..."
Myth stopped abruptly. Problem?
"What, Myth? Something wrong?"
"Hm... Thinking."
"About what?"
Myth flashed a bright grin.
"Kill you or spare you. Game rules say kill, but ghost-mode girls swarming? Annoying. Hmm..."
"Um, Myth?"
"No choice. Seol-ah, think of me as you die. No cheating even dead?"
Myth's arm twisted grotesquely. No time to react—my character flopped cold on the floor.
Myth beamed at my corpse.
"Cheat, and I'll really kill you."
...Instinctively, I clutched my real-world neck outside the monitor.
No cheating plans anyway, but damn if it wasn't a fresh vow.