Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Please Save the Kidnapped Uparupa!
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Meanwhile, at the same time.
Lee Ra-hee was consumed by a deep sense of helplessness, lamenting the fact that she had survived while leaving the maknae behind.
"Hic... Lulu...! I'm sorry, sis. I'm so sorry I was the only one who made it..."
"Please calm down, Lady Luke."
"That's right. Lulu wouldn't want to see you so sad."
Watching this scene, some of the Garlic Squad wept alongside her, while others burst into laughter at her over-the-top immersion.
On the other hand, Gig and Wanggae, who had survived with her, simply patted her back as if sharing her sentiments.
It was a testament to how moving Da-jeong's sacrificial spirit and heroic end had been.
"Now that we've got our car back, we can go find Lulu. Don't be too sad."
"We can really find our Lulu, right...?"
"Of course. We'll stake these lives she saved for us and find her. Don't worry."
And so, with the lives saved by Da-jeong, the three survivors finished farming resources here and there before setting off on their journey to find her, honoring the promise Ra-hee had made just before her death.
Vroom!
Starting from nearly the edge of the map, the three headed toward the central area dense with military bases and residential neighborhoods.
Along the way, they happened to cross paths with another car passing by.
"Whoa? People!"
"Huh? That voice... Ina, is that you?"
That was right.
The other driver was none other than Seo Ina, the streamer currently going by the nickname Ina, whom they had faced in the Hyper War tournament finals.
"Hey Ina."
"Hey. Where are you all headed?"
Thanks to her naturally friendly, no-distance personality, Ina greeted them warmly and struck up a conversation.
Ra-hee answered on behalf of the group.
"We're on our way to find our maknae. Lulu saved us earlier and died alone, so we promised to go back for her."
"Huh? Lulu? I just saw her."
"What? Where...?! Where'd you see our maknae? Is she doing okay?! Eating properly?!"
"W-Wait a sec. Lady Luke, calm down first..."
At the mere mention that she knew Da-jeong's location, Ra-hee flipped in an instant, pressing forward aggressively as if about to grab her by the collar.
Ina, thoroughly flustered, pulled out her map.
She had marked the last spot where she'd met survivors, just in case.
"Um... so if you look at the bottom right of the map, there's a chicken joint across the river?"
"This one right at the three-way intersection?"
"Yep, yep. I saw Lulu in the building right below that chicken place. Yuki was with her too?"
"...Yuki?"
Hearing that she was with none other than Yuki, the Garlic Squad all seemed relieved.
Yuki was second to none when it came to doting on Lulu.
She was a member infamous as an even worse Uparupa mom than their revered Vampire Queen—or perhaps even more extreme.
With Yuki there, nothing bad would happen, they figured.
The Garlic Squad unanimously advised Ra-hee to do a bit more farming before linking up.
Rushing to join and making the group too big wasn't always the best move.
It might actually be safer to secure a proper base to settle in, stock up on supplies and gear, and then bring Da-jeong along.
Their advice was sound in that regard, but Ra-hee kept feeling a nagging sense of wrongness.
'Together with Yuna? Something feels off.'
First off, meeting them meant they'd talked.
From their perspective, encountering a lone survivor like Ina, they'd naturally suggest joining up—but they hadn't.
"Ina, did Yuki or Lulu say anything like 'come with us'?"
"No, nothing like that."
Ra-hee asked in case Ina had refused, but that didn't seem to be it.
'Yuna maybe, but Da-jeong's personality—she'd definitely suggest it at least once.'
Yuna was such a free spirit who loved wandering solo that she might not want outsiders joining, even fellow members, aside from Da-jeong.
But sweet Da-jeong, who no one could outdo in kindness, hadn't made the offer in this zombie apocalypse world?
It felt strangely off.
"Did you see what the two of them were doing?"
"No, I didn't. Actually, I only talked to them from outside the building."
"Outside the building?"
There were definitely several odd points.
No hard evidence for certainty, but Ra-hee's womanly instincts were screaming that something was up.
"Thanks anyway. We'll go find our maknae now."
"Okay, stay safe."
After bidding Ina farewell, Ra-hee immediately asked driver Gig to turn the car toward the location she'd described.
'In this world, humans are scarier than zombies.'
For some reason, a line from a zombie apocalypse novel she'd read before suddenly flashed through her mind—one that had stuck with her vividly.
Yuna sat on the bed next to Da-jeong's character, letting out a sinister chuckle.
"Heh heh heh... slurp."
Watching this, her fandom, the Da-ru Squad, clicked their tongues, thinking here we go again.
She looked bubbly and cute on the surface, but anyone who'd watched Yuna—or Yuki's—streams knew the truth.
She was one of Blue LUV's most dangerous members, right up there with Lilith.
"Y-Yuki-chan...? I'm thirsty, can I go get some water?"
"Knew you'd say that, so I got water ready. Here."
"Uh, th-thanks..."
Somehow, even though it was Yuna's stream, not a single soul was defending her.
All they did was cry out to save the pitiful Uparupa trapped by this demon.
"Hee hee, Lulu-chan. Isn't it great living here just the two of us? You don't miss the other sisters or the President anymore, right?"
Thrilled with this perfect setup, Yuna's shoulders tensed as she bullied Da-jeong into answering.
Her smile hid a chilling tone—a textbook yandere straight out of subculture.
Yet even under this pressure, Da-jeong couldn't bend her principles.
Sure, Yuna was one of her favorite members, but that didn't mean the rest faded from her mind.
She wasn't some pushover Pista.
"Uu..."
Unable to nod or deny, she just whimpered.
Yuna drew closer, one hand gripping a metal pipe for some unknown purpose.
"Huh? No answer, Lulu-chan? Don't you like living alone with me? I feed you, give you water, let you sleep—don't you like it? Don't you like me? Why? Why? WHY?"
If PK were allowed, she'd probably do something nasty to Da-jeong right then.
The Da-ru Squad all expressed their fear at her insane acting chops.
They prayed someone would drag this demon away, rescue the trembling little lamb, and give her a warm haven where she could sleep soundly, even if just for one day.
Thud! Thud!
"...Huh?"
The moment everyone wished for it with one heart, a heavy thud echoed from outside the door.
Sure, zombies occasionally banged on doors in this game, but this sounded different.
More like something heavy and blunt smashing at the door.
Crack!
By the time Yuna sensed something wrong, the outer door shattered with a boom.
Then the noise started right at the door to their hiding room.
"Lulu! You in there?! Answer if you hear me!"
"S-Sis...?!"
At the familiar voice, Da-jeong lit up and responded, while the Da-ru Squad erupted in cheers.
The savior to pull Da-jeong from this hell had finally arrived.
Crack!
"Kang Yuki, you! How dare you take my precious maknae?!"
Finally, with the doorframe crumbling powerlessly, Ra-hee and her companions burst into the room one after another.
Ra-hee clutched a massive hammer—the rare large hammer that dropped infrequently in this game.
She'd used that to smash the door.
With it, no key was needed to break in.
"S-Sis...?! How'd you know I was here...?"
"Felt something fishy when I heard you were alone with Lulu, so I came."
"Tch, Ina snitched, huh?"
From their brief exchange, the two grasped the situation and faced off.
"Lulu-chan's gonna live here with just me, okay? Don't mess with our love nest?"
"Lulu doesn't seem to want that though?"
"Hmph, no way! Lulu-chan's happy living alone with me!"
"Oh yeah? Why don't we ask her?"
"Fine!"
Realizing they couldn't harm each other, they decided to let Da-jeong, the party in question, have the final say and discuss how to resolve this.
"You won't abandon me, right Lulu-chan...? Right?"
"Come to sis quick, Lulu. Don't stay in such a dangerous place."
Yuna pleaded in a voice that tugged at the heartstrings, while Ra-hee beckoned firmly.
Caught between them, Da-jeong hesitated briefly.
True, Yuna had done wrong, but it came from liking her too much.
Da-jeong's personality wasn't ruthless enough to abandon her over that.
So she reframed her thinking.
If roles were reversed—if she were Yuna, acting like this just to be with the Blues because she adored them—could she forgive herself?
'No, I couldn't...!'
She realized it was unforgivable.
No matter how much you liked someone, binding their freedom like this was absolutely wrong.
"Sorry, Yuki-chan..."
"L-Lulu-chan...?! You're abandoning me? Lulu-chan?!"
And so, Da-jeong carefully approached Ra-hee and stepped beyond the broken door.
Yuna clung desperately, but Da-jeong didn't stop.
Plip-plip.
Only the scattering raindrops welcomed Yuna.
"Gig, floor it!"
"Yes ma'am!"
Thus, the three successfully rescued Da-jeong, hopped in the car, and left together.
Yuna stared blankly at their retreating figures.
[Grrraaah...!]
Gazing at the approaching zombies, she let go of her keyboard and murmured softly as her character's limbs were torn apart.
"A world without Lulu-chan has no meaning anyway..."
And so, Yuki Unit 1's life came to a lonely end, never grasping the love she so desperately craved.