Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Mom
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The game was going smoothly.
Of course it was.
The guy who was supposed to face me had taken one look and bolted.
But at some point, things started getting weird.
My opponent had vanished, so it should've been a 5v4.
Somehow, our team was getting crushed.
Not just pushed back—thoroughly demolished.
There was a monster living on the enemy team. Kills/Deaths/Assists.
They call it K/D/A, and this guy's stats were closing in on a ridiculous 18/0/3.
And me?
I glanced at the top-right corner of the screen.
1/3/2
Not the end of the world, but hardly the mark of talent.
Hide in the bush, pop out—bam!—right on top of my character, and I couldn't do a thing.
"Do I... lack talent?"
I'd crushed bot lane practice. So why this?
Frowning in thought got me nowhere, so while my grayed-out corpse waited for respawn, I checked the chat.
I figured they'd be mocking me. Nope.
I bit my lip.
They weren't trashing me as bad as I'd thought—instead, settling on the enemy being some freak outlier.
Excuses. If I had real talent, I'd have beaten that guy.
Disappointing.
No talent for me. Time to accept it.
"Guess I have to concede in the end."
"Whether I want to pull that ugly crap or not is separate. It's not illegal, and if that's how he wants to play, what can I do about it?"
I shrugged.
Keeping your pride? Your call.
Abandoning conscience to ditch pride? Also your call.
So I had nothing to say to that guy.
"Not mature—I'm an adult."
I puffed out my cheeks.
At 15, a girl's basically grown. Plenty adult enough.
My mind's centuries old, so mentally? I'm peers with the viewers' distant ancestors.
"Enough nonsense. Anyway, surrender's up, so now..."
I initiated the surrender vote.
Score was 3 to their 24. No coming back. Team would vote yes.
Or so I thought.
2 yes (including me), 3 no. Denied.
"Why...?"
Some reverse sweep possible?
But I knew better. Enemies were just toying with us, dragging it out.
No hope here.
Sudden curse.
Less anger, more bafflement.
Heavy swearing.
I masked my confusion and checked his K/D/A.
0/6/1
Worse than me?
No one on our team outperforming me, and now this targeted hate?
Mad we're losing?
Maybe calm him down, talk it out. I tried chatting, awkwardly.
Every word laced with swears.
His habit?
If so, kinda sad. Daily outbursts just annoy people, no real emotional release.
"No... I started the surrender vote..."
Every word grated.
Suddenly twisting facts like that? Even I'd get pissed. Right as I went to reply,
someone else jumped in.
"What the..."
That guy's 0/4/0.
Why butt in and run his mouth? No clue. Didn't care to find out.
"Sigh..."
My mood soured just as new messages rolled in.
Malice dripped from that nickname.
Smurfing with "vermin slayer"? Obvious who the vermin are.
"My head hurts somehow..."
No reasoning with them. Felt like running into the convenience store manager in-game.
Just chat, but I could feel their smug superiority radiating.
"When did you ever say that...?"
Reality's got some kick to it.
Sudden respect for novel protagonists. They pushed through crap like this to bloom their talent and succeed.
Just how tough is that? Hit me fresh.
Deep sigh.
"I can handle any curses thrown my way."
This body's memories agreed.
Swears and violence? Familiar territory for both me and this body. Most roll right off.
But fabricating lies to insult? Whole different beast.
Grates like demands for my body.
Intense irritation turned to headache. Frowned, kept playing.
Surrender denied once? 5-minute cooldown. Play till then.
"Can't run away."
"Conceding defeat honorably is worlds apart from turning tail and fleeing. Can't tell the difference?"
Last shred of honor as Demon Realm lord.
Let the ugly insults and blame rain down. I'd uphold honor alone.
Lips bitten, I fought on.
Finally shook off the malicious hands targeting me, netting a kill.
K/D/A now 2/3/2.
But soon after, Vermin Slayer 4 took me out. 2/4/2.
"What a loose tongue. Makes me wonder his age."
"Don't lie. Someone that age, parents would've smacked sense into him..."
"Not mad. Oh, wait."
Parents would've fixed that mouth. Acting like this means...
Maybe I'd misjudged big time.
"...He's an orphan like me, isn't he?"
No parents? Unavoidable.
Parents don't resonate with me, but rationally, I get their role. Emotionally? Not so much.
Without 'em, kids go off the rails easy.
I gazed pityingly at the nickname beyond the monitor.
My vast magnanimity would embrace this wayward soul's tantrum.
"You guys orphans too?"
"Only orphans get to call me Mom. Anything else is gross."
I shot a contemptuous glare at the camera.