Chapter 177
Chapter 177
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Missed Collab and Catacombs Hell
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"Man~ Isn't it fun seeing our members' songs in the World Cup too?"
Iosif Khan was running a World Cup bracket with covers and original songs included.
Pipkin Mami had a ton of entries, probably because she sang famous American songs that even Koreans knew.
She'd been steadily preparing to drop big money on hiring all sorts of singers and artists for original tracks.
Since she'd announced it on her own stream, Iosif brushed it off casually and grinned, saying she was really looking forward to it.
"So, when are we doing a collab? I'd love a climbing collab stream, but everyone's so busy these days."
-You can catch it on TV lol
-She looks like the VTuber character but she's not red-pilled~
-Only the first-gen have any integrity, fr lol
-Adeleheit's face looks terrifying, is that right?
"Hey! No mentioning other climbers during my stream. I told you no spoilers, right? Should I eat you?"
-That's a reward~
-I'll offer you up to the White Dragon!
-You look tender and juicy lol
-Not junk food, right?
-Might die from microplastics lol
"Take care of your health, everyone. Got it? Even becoming a climber won't fix baldness!"
-The tower that revives the dead can't fix baldness.
-You don't die, but it's no different from dying.
-No salvation for the bald lol
-[Human] The curtain on the hunt rises in a way we never expected.
"Okay, okay~ Time for another fun song stream~ Look forward to Iosif Khan's second original song coming soon!"
She'd really prepared a lot—and not as a joke, but for real.
This time, she'd even lined up the order so she wouldn't get buried by peers like the 【Pirate】 or the mystery tower stuff.
Lucia was seriously pondering music as art, and since she'd joined before Iosif but was still agonizing over it, better to get it out quick.
She was a young German genius artist, after all.
Naturally, her talent dwarfed Iosif's, who was only now dipping her toes into music and dreams while living as a soldier.
Pipkin Mami was the easiest target, but she had that free-spirited joy in singing her own style.
She was an idol who knew how to lose herself in song like belting it out solo in a karaoke room, ignoring everyone else's stares.
Iosif, on the other hand, sang with desperate effort to do well, which raised the bar too high.
Comparing herself to her favorite VTubers made her even more self-conscious.
"Oh, and there's that thing about Aska-senpai opening a merch shop in the Russian tower, right? Wouldn't it be fun to all grab cards and duel? I made mine already~"
Iosif adjusted the cam to show her hands, flashing the deck she'd prepped with purchased cards.
Viewers joked about whether it'd be offline.
There'd even been a clip uploaded to the cafe of the real White Dragon intently eyeing cute cards for a duel.
Iosif of course pivoted, saying the game was online anyway, so they'd do it there.
"Okay, okay~ Next up, cafe tour!! So happy with all the recent fanart, but it's all the same stuff."
Before diving into games proper, Iosif warmed up by browsing the cafe.
Mostly glasses versions or White Dragon pics; very little actual Iosif Khan fanart.
Still, with steady song streams, variety games, and action broadcasts, her fans were growing.
She had a bit of a cult following(?), so among first-gen, she had the most subs.
But why did she feel like the least present first-gen?
'Man~ I wanna do a climbing stream soon~'
Showing off the [Skill] from the 200x 100th floor reward would make fans love it, right? They'd swoon over their top White Dragon?
Idol glamour in performances... climber elegance in strength... the ultimate super idol with it all!!
"Ehehehe..."
-Our White Dragon's fantasizing again.
-Hurts my heart every time I hear that empty laugh....
-Singing about wanting a concert...
-My heart hurts too much.
-Don't cry, Aoji Khan...
-Our Chinggis Khan is the best.
-Hang in there, Jingis Khan....
-You could be the second Watame!
-Call her by her name, you bastards lol
-Mute Glasses Khan...!!
-Shinpachi!!
-Naniwa's Schumacher!!
-Ugh, you damn idiots lol
The White Dragon stream rolled on with trolls and pity-partiers mixing it up.
Snapping out of it quick, she said she'd continue last time's game and picked a group collab game for fun with viewers.
Fighting games and FPS were fine, but last-man-standing or co-op were the real joy.
She made a room on first-come basis and waited when a donation popped.
[Enemy☆Controller donated 1000 won]
-Dragon darling, you know Ichigo turned on membership stream as free live today only, right?
"Huh? For real? Did the Seoul Reclamation Final Chapter drop?"
She thought it wasn't fully cleared yet, but apparently they'd filmed it.
It was the zeroth-gen collab anyway, so they could film without her—she didn't sweat it.
Still, she should watch her peer's stream, so she moused over to Ichigo's live channel. "Let's all watch!"
"Huh? Pipkin Mami and Aska-senpai are streaming too? Should suggest a collab...... Huh?"
-lollllllllll
-lolll
-lollllllllll
-Holy shit the title lolllll
[Pipkin Mami is live! [Catacomb Exploration with Wakamo Corporation Members]]
[Aoi Aska is live! [0th-Gen & 1st-Gen Joint Membership Broadcast Kickoff—!!]]
"????"
-For real that face lolll
-Don't make the dumbest face in the world lolll
-You're the only one not getting it???
Seeing the titles, Iosif blinked dumbly at the screen showing Aska, Pipkin Mami, and Hajime Ichigo moving together.
Her expression was so idiotic that viewers clutched their sides in unified laughter.
Those pure, shining eyes on a zero-IQ face were especially killer for inducing belly laughs.
[Hajime Ichigo is live! [Hajime Ichigo Membership─『Italy Hell on Catacombs』All 0th-Gen and 1st-Gen Comrades Together!!]]
-Yo!! Iopung!! Why didn't you join the collab!!
-Khan, that one's not coming.
-Fine, Aska, maybe it's better if she doesn't....
-Iosif's definitely the weakest among us...!
-That's how the world works.
-Ao chad ham lolll
-No fr why didn't you come, Iopung!!
Crash!!
Bang!
Clunk!
Thud!!
The virtual character froze mid-tilt as sounds of her kicking open the door in panic blared through the mic.
Iosif dashed up stairs, roamed the house frantically, phoned someone.
Wakamo, Mare Pirate, and Adolf Lucia were busy fighting in the arena, so no answer—fair enough.
But Aska, Mami, and Ichigo???? Why Italian catacombs???
And there they were with some unknown black guy and Robert subbing in—Iosif trembled with rage.
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA──!!"
-The world's saddest performance begins.
-The dragon's roar echoes loudest in grief.
-Hear the world! Iosif Khan is here!!
-Iopung... don't cry...!!
-Yo!! Kim Verbung!! Watch my stream!!!
-Wanna do commentary??
-Lay down some BGM.
-Oh, this costs so much I can't fit White Dragon in the deck.
-Lol yeah that's it lolll
-Fate of OP chars, can't be helped.
-Dragons are broken...
※※※
Catacombs.
Known as ancient Rome's underground cemeteries—the most famous are probably "Paris Catacombs."
Italy's got Poveglia ghost city more infamous though.
Still, home to Vatican—Papal States—and Rome itself.
Camera pans VTubers landing at an Italian airport from a plane.
No Wakamo, so Aska handled [Internet Connection] and [Camera Manipulation] skills for filming.
Who'd have thought Wakamo taught Aska those skills for just such contingencies?
"Call me codename Morpheus."
"Then I'll go with Indiana Jones."
"Shall we?"
Pipkin Mami ignored the murmuring crowds and strode on.
Rocking [VTuber Skin] from Russian 【Tower Lord】's illusion gear, stares were inevitable.
Hard to ignore a twin-tail cosplay girl with ankles-length hair strutting around.
Aska blocked camera shoots from others; [Oracle] guided the group.
"I foresaw the future, but you know [Six Freaks] have regular meetups, right?"
"Yeah, I know."
"【2nd-Gen】 angels and the 7th Saintess are coming too. Fighting a giant like Vatican leaves no choice but [Six Freaks], but now one's more."
"Not dragging us into something annoying, right?"
Mami buckled up in the driver's seat with Ichigo donning shades, asking Oracle as she fastened her belt.
His foresight got messed by [Black Tower], but [Idols] were still involved.
Good or bad, anything hurting Boss needed fixing.
Plus, rumors Vatican snagged data on Russian scientist's monster experiments.
Better scout before it blows up, even if messy.
Connections would smooth it.
Mami lit a cig, floored it, and peeled out.
"How the hell does Boss pull this off?"
Aska inserted real-time footage, BGM, manipulated cam to film the receding car.
Live stream, but also long-take for membership—she added intros for characters.
Mami cracked up at Oracle in black coat flapping dramatically, adjusting shades perfectly.
Cut to super-fat Indiana Jones rolling nimbly through ruins, agile as hell.
Over-the-top action spectacle from the jump—cinematography so slick it felt pro.
Then Aoi Aska hacking computers, Pipkin Mami hard-boiled cig in mouth driving.
Finally, Hajime Ichigo gearing up: bulletproof vest, mask, guns—5-min arming montage in shadows with red glowing eyes.
Climax: Massive title slams center-screen.
『Italy Hell on Catacombs』
Vroooom──!!
Title up as gritty engine roars, Italian cityscapes whip by.
Daily life scenes clashing with towering tower.
Pan massive Vatican Papal Palace, cam rises to sky.
Perfect timing: Group piles out of car at precarious arrival.
"Wait, what the hell are we running from?"
"Before VTuber, is this just streamer destiny...?"
"Okay, rendezvous is this building's basement. Lots of eyes, so careful."
"Aska's hiding us with spells, no issue."
[Mana] loses to [Holy], but [Shamanism] has weird matchup quirks.
[Shamanism] hits life force hard, wrecking normal [Clerics].
(Vs Wakamo, even 10k shamans deal 0 dmg—ignore for now.)
They crept into an abandoned building basement no one should find.
Oracle strained to shove the rusty steel door—purposefully corroded?—revealing 【Catacombs】.
Unexpected direct link to catacombs underground; group tensed, entered alert.
Deep below, women awaited.
One: Vatican's famed 7th Saintess. The winged halo angel: 2nd-gen Legendary class, 2nd 【Angel】.
Cramped room, no seats; leader Ichigo stepped up, sat, locked eyes.
Angel flinched at eerie red eyes; Saintess stone-faced, recited lines.
"Vatican's top pro who can even assassinate the Pope. FOX Team leader Hajime Ichigo, right?"
Oracle thumbs-upped silently behind: "Top-tier."
Pre-arranged flair.
Grave for them, VTuber gig for group—Saintess paused, composed, spoke.
"—Where to start? All Saintesses look same, from '7th'? Or Pipkin Mami, talk [Angels] like you, born [Esper]?"
"We're pros. Here for [Idol] commission. Handle personal crap yourselves."
Ichigo cut Saintess firm.
Vatican shady schemes obvious.
Mami name-drop and [Angel] mention—like [Guardians]—subclass ploy? Ichigo pondered.
Saintess [La Puchel] chuckled soft: "Very pro." All started recently, she smiled.
"Vatican got Russian mad scientist's 【Monster Mutation Research】 data. How doesn't matter."
End result counts, she eyed Mami.
"Know all monsters have [Classes]? Even slimes are [Slime]."
"FYI, this 【Legendary Class】 got killed by [Guardians]."
"Why even have that class?"
Ichigo baffled; Saintess: Key is using mutation to give [Classes] to normals.
[Angels] mass-produced artificially to boost global [Faith].
"Thus Vatican labs birthed [Angels] underground. Found stable 【Subclass】 job change for climbers too—like some org's blood transfusion."
"Fuck."
Bad memories; Mami mouthed a cig.
Bandage-wrapped angel: 1st-gen killed by [Guardians].
Vatican knew; faithful climber betrayed worst way.
"To counter growing [Idol] climber factions, Vatican births God's legion—[Angels]. Plan smooth underwater. Until 【214th Idol】 popped."
Sudden, no warning: 【Tower】 chose Pope.
Amid tower chaos announcing 【Companions】, Pope hit 【Legendary Class】.
"Tower is path to God. God's trials. God's salvation chance. —Excess faith poisons like nothing else. Righteous belief turns arrogant."
Thus "8th" Saintess canceled, she laughed.
"—Long life isn't greed, right?"
Gorgeous face, she giggled, lit her own cig: "Excuse me."
"Most holy seat rebels [Holy] hardest. 【Companion】 turned poison, terminal. Can't die this stupid—dug for fix. Then monsters crawled from basement. That's the job."
"Hey, Morpheus. Doesn't match what you said."
Ichigo hand on hip gun, glared; he sweated: "[Prophecy] and jobs differ sometimes?"
"He's right. Vatican could've handled, but [Oracle]'s [Idol] ties—hired FOX leader you. Russia nearly fell to God's apostle; Pope to ash? Divine punishment."
Made sense.
Ichigo nodded: "Got it."
"Ancient ones dormant under Italy react to [Idol], rising. Pope's basement lab—can't get caught. Went down cocky with new [Idol] powers, got targeted. You can imagine his face."
"What's down there?"
"You find out—that's the job."
Saintess beamed: Take anything good for [Idols]. Opened basement passage.
Handed Paladin-scouted map: "Big expectations—hurry back."
Monsters rising post-Pope's [Idol] job change.
Dormant ones smashing walls via catacombs for [Idols].
Pope fled tail-between-legs—Ichigo checked gear, Saintess grinning.
"FOX Team, op start."
"OK, leave it. Pros."
"Fire by Aska."
"Erm! Adventure heart-pounding. Man in stream? No issue?"
"""No issue."""
"Oops."
...
...
[2025/7/5 Italy Rome Catacombs Basement]
Green text corner HUD.
Four fully armed face dark in skull-wall crypt.
Holographic window pops with [Morpheus (Oracle)].
"[I'll guide via map from here. Prophecy says [Idol]-related below. Monsters woke 'cause Pope jobbed [Idol]. —Leave be, Pope self-destructs via Vatican Companion traits. Job: Minimize Paladin fights, reach bottom. Got it, Neo?]"
"Yes yes, not Neo—Pipkin Mami. FOX leader's Ichigo?"
"[—Hehe, 7th Saintess Veronica. Can buff [God's Blessing] anytime. Costs life, max 3.]"
"Cooldown? Or heavy Holy drain?"
"[My [Lifespan] costs.]"
"Ooh."
Ichigo sorry for prying, aimed forward.
What Legendary lets cast via [Lifespan]?
Tower ups lifespan? Or 【Higher Job】?
No "higher" for Legendaries though.
Maybe someday...
"Streaming this won't hurt Saintess?"
"Vatican burning first probably."
"Aska sees karma. Trust Boss."
"Wakamo prez banned worship."
-Ahh lol it's all "lore" lol
-No one's hyped for membership?
-Just watch and enjoy?
-Damn, scary conspiracy.
-One year Nobelpia webnovels predicts this plot.
-Yeah yeah, holy nation again. Source of all evil.
-Fr lolll
-Wow, but so dark...
Ichigo followed memorized map deeper, checking [Friends] chat.
Paladins/Clerics sent multiple times; none returned.
Paladins normally block monster paths—stealth tough.
But [Oracle]'s foreseen alt route easy for FOX.
Just: What waits in collapsed catacomb tunnels?
Alert for lurking dark, tunneled down.
How far?
"...Something there."
Ichigo's instinct; kicked stone—ripples in empty air, stone vanished.
Aska summoned flame fox with cam attached, scouted.
"...Tower entrance."
"What?"
"Not normal route."
"Obviously. Lost idiots' side tunnel? Indiana Jones?"
"Hm, can bail anytime—let's go?"
No backing down; stepped into tower guts.
Massive 【Labyrinth】 unfolded.
Torches on walls; endless complex corridors unfathomable.
"[Morpheus here. Watching screen. [Foresight] shortest path—hold.]"
"Friends see this?"
-Yeah.
-Wtf is this??
-Awesome af.
-Super deadly tho?
-Our chat in membership??
-lolllllll
-IDK~?
《You have entered Ascension Tower》
-Reach top [■■] to summit.
-No [■■] record; cannot reach.
-Fulfill conditions to "evolve" to [Heroic Spirit].
※Caution- Tower entered is closed, reboot prepping.
[Executioner] patrols for offerings.
Greater rewards await.
※Caution- All traps active via 38 offerings.
Offerings = sacrifices, duh.
38 climbers died entering?
Ichigo leaned on labyrinth wall, eyed corpse.
Unrotted after ages; [Alchemist] eyed [Top-grade Material].
Pure mana body. Like Boss.
"...Impaled."
Chest hole: Classic their hunt style preserved.
Ignores defense, instant-kill pierce. Absurd power monster.
Top danger among climber tower mobs—[Subterranean Folk]; Ichigo conflicted.
"[—Oh yeah, called [Human]? Their [Blessing] like my buffs. Near invincible.]"
"Spill late."
Mami sniped Saintess explanation.
[Lifespan] cost demands results.
Group eyed space-warped labyrinth per Saintess.
Corpses scattered.
"—Traps everywhere."
[Alchemist] Ichigo pierced corridor anomalies, freaked.
Tossed hip grenade light—floor drops whoosh, ceiling boulder crushes.
Boom! Rotten corpse blood sprays cracks, floods hall.
Echoing blast—footsteps everywhere.
They're coming.
Ear-splitting roars; monsters swarm.
"Aska remembered something! Say it?"
".....What?"
"Think I left gas on."
-Check chat lolll
-Ignore to end, Aska!!
-Ugh, our precious.
-Too far to reach.
-Won't hear even yelling in ear.
-lolllllllll
"I'm first-gen too──!!!"
Poor White Dragon's lament watching stream didn't reach labyrinth.
Iosif killed stream, flew to Italy.
Blitz chase war(?) curtain rose.