Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: Keep the Rewards Secret!
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"Don't tell the believers—the rewards are still a secret!"
-Ah, why?
-Curious—
-What comes after Emperor's Cao Cao horse?
-Horses are innocent lololol
-Just obey the master.
-Didn't Cao Cao's horse ditch its owner and go to Liu Bei?
-That's it lololololol
-No, so why not use Yi Seong-gye's bow, Captain?
-A Japanese guy connecting Yi Sun-sin and Yi Seong-gye... my heart swells.
-Captain Captain lololol watching the stream???
-Fist King came out and dropped a bombshell stream.
-He's showing off his family tree, saying he's from a prestigious lineage lololol
-No, if he had a huge dojo in Kyoto even before the tower appeared, of course he's rich.
-Not a real estate tycoon?
-A pro who won tons of gold medals isn't everything??
"....What is it?"
For today, the climb ended here. Everyone was pretty injured and exhausted, after all.
They decided to reveal the rewards each had obtained in the next stream, and for now, they disbanded.
Olga and Eva grumbled that getting zapped by lightning felt utterly awful, but they didn't complain when they saw Adelheit, who had voluntarily stuck her hand into the lightning and burned everything below her elbow.
It was impressive how she was usually so meek, but flipped a switch like a different person the moment engineers were mentioned.
"Why do you hate engineers so much?"
"As a genius German artist with a bright future ahead, I became a climber at 19 and fell into the abyss with the worst legendary class—couldn't even graduate high school, let alone college, couldn't sell my works, couldn't make money, barely scraping by on pity from other flesh horrors in back alleys, then got cancer and a terminal diagnosis on top of that, and all I got was screwed over by engineer politics and constant comparisons."
"At this point, even a judge would rule murder legal."
"Germany sucks..."
"And to top it off, my parents took all the money I earned from childhood success, then kicked me out of the family registry the moment I got a junk rating, and turns out they'd already had a younger sibling they were raising as the heir to make into an artist."
"Eva, why drag out such dark memories? My bad."
"Then why'd you bring it up!!!"
"I didn't ask!! Ugh, that's why cops!!"
"What'd you say, Russian soldier!!"
"For the record, I'm a human experiment victim too?!"
"Girl, you too? We're BFFs starting today!"
"Wanna grab some drinks?"
"We saved some Gutin-Q, mix it with absinthe?"
Adelheit's eyes sparkled as she showed off some strong Korean liquor fans had sent, calling it something-or-other. Eva and Olga pondered briefly, then laughed—hey, we're superhuman climbers, no way we'd die from alcohol poisoning—let's head home and drink together.
"Let's have some grown-up talk only adults can relate to, just us girls—" Then clueless Mei piped up, "Like a pajama party?" and got blasted by Eva for feeling a generation gap.
"What's that, you've watched too many teen movies? That stuff doesn't exist anymore. You're too fanciful...."
"So what do young American ladies do for fun?"
"Uh, clubs or going out places... I'm an elite study nerd, so I wouldn't know."
"Lies."
"Wh-what?!"
No one wants to hear "lies" from a fox who's lived over 1,000 years unchanged, so Eva teared up for real, and Mei apologized.
Thus, Wakamo Corporation was full of climbers whose personalities were excessively over-the-top, each and every one.
"Haa... Engineer... Just like when you dragged me down, or sent minions to Korea to interfere... Send some ambition my way... Feel the Germanic blood flowing in me... 'Rhineland', 'Anschluss', 'Sudetenland demand', 'To the last man', 'Total mobilization', 'Goebbels' flight', 'Reassert eastern claims', 'Remove the red plague', 'Sickle operation', 'Dunkirk', 'Awakening of the Giants'—Engineer?"
"[Engineer is too busy to take calls.]"
"Show some resolve to return Germany to its glorious days!! Is it the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact?! Open your eyes!! Time for Paris to fall!! Please, anything—even a situation where I can stab with a knife!!"
"[Please, forgive us!! It's not me, it's the German government that's bad!!]"
"The German government is the Engineer's minion... You confessed!! Evil Nazi remnant!!"
"Adelheit looks so healthy, it's a relief."
"As long as she's having fun."
"Not our problem."
[Architect] Jackson and [Professor] Sebastian watched her, now healthier than ever—like a new person—and felt warmed.
Even if [Engineer] kept changing numbers and dodging calls, Asuka wouldn't allow it.
Asuka-sensei the doctor prescribed venting on Adelheit to her heart's content, claiming stress relief was the best mental therapy. It had the downside of giving [Engineer] neurosis, but no one cared, so no issue.
"I kinda hate Britain too, actually."
In the midst of it, Irish [Reaper] Aidan McElroy slyly chimed in.
People have things they dislike, and sometimes learn hatred through their nation's history.
Only VTubers could escape national borders and respect and love each other.
Kang Yeo-ul was always gaslighting new employees into VTuber love.
Veterans even warned rookies never to say "VTubers suck!"
There's a legend at Wakamo Corporation that the fox drags haters to the 【Backrooms】...
Even the Queen of the Backrooms Kingdom drags her crew there, saying she made one herself out of fox instincts—truly terrifying corporate urban legend.
"No, is this really our company?"
How could a real company have gallery rules starting from the get-go, plus internal ghost stories?
The veteran shook his head at the dumbfounded newbie—not even that.
The senior, famous for having two girlfriends, gazed at distant mountains with regretful eyes and told the newbie.
"Our company has warnings about bears and sentai stuff too. You like bears?"
"Nah? The fuss over Fubao was too much, and bears are dangerous to people. Better to hunt 'em."
"Gotcha."
"....Uh, Manager Won Da-hye?"
The veteran silently sipped coffee as the man-eating bear dragged the newbie away.
This company really has a bear in human skin wandering around... Horror movie material.
There's even a [Reaper] walking around with heads, so it's not like Napolitan Gallery's concept posts.
The president Wakamo isn't even human to begin with—what'd you expect from the company?
Employees were baffled that their VTuber charge was really an emperor's descendant.
How do you adapt to Zhuge Liang and Xun Yu discussing collabs or ads with [Hajime Ichigo] alongside staff?
One wrong word and you might actually get beheaded...
......
"Yeah, something like that happened."
"As expected of Liu Xuande—the true hero!! He even understands horses!"
"[Hiiing]"
"Sis is amazed by little bro's growth. But it's a shame he can't use martial arts."
"The dragon robe's too heavy, that's all.."
Yu Ying shared her experiences climbing the tower as [Emperor] with Rong Wei and Kwansi's Xiao Liang.
It was inconvenient in so many ways, she sighed. Rong Wei freaked out—no sighing for an emperor!—so Yu Ying shot back, "Then should I smoke?"
"The summoned soldiers are overwhelming in number, but even with emperor buffs, they have limits."
It was unfair for Yu Ying. The tower ramped up difficulty, but her skills weakened to 1st-floor climber level.
At least all her points went into Charisma—silver lining.
She summoned Romance of the Three Kingdoms generals for quantity-over-quality push no climber could touch.
But [Holy Swordsman] one-swing wipes them, [Idol] gestures cause disasters— not that strong.
Solution: climb higher for [Skills]. But options were all [Aura], [Buff], [Support], [Command]—she confessed her dilemma to the party.
She got Wakamo's climber training guide, but choices were so extreme, caution needed.
"Command's key for Emperor, but... with Wakamo, not really needed."
"Buffs? Ancestors have no stats, pointless?"
"Even so... Auras have range, support... Wakamo covers it besides you two...."
""Ah...."""
Ichigo's worry: Become useful to Wakamo, but nothing helps compared to alchemist days.
Quantity support, buffs—all meaningless; Wakamo has superior versions.
She can summon [Fox Spirits] by subscriber count, explode them for damage.
Each uses 1 [Skill]; even weak, tens of millions overwhelm any climber.
Even Holy Swordsman couldn't handle that many?
""[Pharaoh's Mask] item's useful, but no chance to use it.""
"Any good relic items? For our worrying sis."
"Emperor gear's scarce, summons imperfect...."
"Plus summons lose to Asuka and Inari Fox God..."
""Ah..."""
Latest floor key was Lucia too, but overwhelming MVP: Asuka.
She climbed lightning reverse, wrecked systems, destroyed core—her feat!
[Idol's Lion] specialty no other climber could match!
Even without Asuka, Wakamo avoids calling Inari Fox God as "too strong."
She matched weakened Taegong Mang while guarding Wakamo—what more?
Three Kingdoms generals strong—crush average climbers.
But compared to heavenly elites, they pale.
"Chinese tower made me Emperor, gives nothing... Yu Ying sad."
"—Hm, [My Worlds] has [Tower Coin Shop] too—what special items there?"
"Uh.... Never used it, now that you mention."
Potions/consumables from Korean Climber Association and Manager Won Da-hye; no one but Wakamo uses it.
Sadako's class needs no gear; hers overperform.
But Yu Ying now needs "gear power" most.
Emperor means jewelry galore, escorts too.
"By the way, no 【Partner】 yet? Got ticket from Russian tower lord?"
Xiao Liang recalled, tilting head.
Wasn't she making the best partner?
But never used in climbs or Vatican incident.
Yu Ying just blushed furiously, trembling.
"Th-that... puberty.... Be considerate...."
""Yeees....""
The two adults smiled warmly at the cute 18-year-old emperor.
But their harsh lives brought bittersweetness.
Actually, Yu Ying's life was harshest.
"Live freely, lil sis!"
"Just do Cao Cao stuff?"
Rong Wei's bold line made Xiao Liang's eyes bug out.
Seeing Yu Ying near-death from shame, already done, Xiao Liang gazed afar: Youth...
......
"Listen up, sweetie. Korean items keep dropping, so Daddy got the family tree from Grandpa."
"That's for bro, right? Not me?"
"Your bro's disciples say he gave up on girls."
"Bro.... Crossed the river at last.... Respect in these times.... My bro-in-law's his friend and Daddy's prized pupil."
"What if it's true?"
"Family's doomed. Let's make another sis."
"Twins, they say."
"Don't wanna hear that...!!"
Alchemy marriage means no divorce worries, but Sadako felt an indescribable unease.
More than that, late birth bad for health...? Might call Captain and Inari Fox God for blessings.
Anyway—time for family secrets more shocking than birth ones.
"It's old—over 1,000 years. We're from the Soga clan. Blood's thin, barely there. You might be Baekje!"
"Baekje blood...? Me...?"
"Like 0.001%?"
"Not snacks! Who measures that!!"
"Korean tower won't give nothing, so what else for daughter?"
Shockingly, Fist King's guess spot-on.
Nothing to give, so handing over whatever.
Korean tower'd be stunned: Unimaginable truth!!
Sadako puzzled: Baekje and Joseon relation?
None...? Unless Shin Ramyun.
"Shinra had ties to Japan, so maybe Baekje/Silla blood!"
"Daddy, what bloodline you want for me? Stuck between Japan-haters and Korea-haters!!"
"What'd I say for those punks?"
"Beat 'em up?"
Nod—
Sadako, knowing violence answers violence, grinned and nodded at Dad's teachings.
But doubt lingered: Does Korean tower check bloodlines that deep?
"That's how it went, Captain."
"No naming twins Aqua and Ruby, got it."
"Shut up."
"Our Sadako's Baekje/Silla blood. Heart swells."
"No, it's Schrödinger's Pilot till checked. Crew'll tease nonstop."
Thud thud—!
Wakamo soothed Sadako: Bloodline? Who cares.
But in era where bloodline dictates [Legendary Class], Wakamo had no retort.
"Korean tower that detailed? Felt like random Korean relic dump. Gave me junk too."
No need to look far—Wakamo got random [Hanging] items.
Pointed at dust-covered Gang Taegong rod: See?
Sadako laughed it off—no big deal.
"More worry: How Soga ties in.... Curious Sadako ancestors in Asuka era."
"Not climbing Japanese tower, so whatever?"
"Japanese tower's Korean tower subcontract."
"Damn it."
Sadako grabbed fridge booze: More fun crew tales now—good enough.
Past matters not; live present hard.
No scandals—just booze and pachinko life!!
Thud thud──!!
"So, Captain doing what now?"
"Hm, training?"
Wakamo pounding [Gear Wheel Golem] from [56F] like a sandbag.
[Man]a ineffective, but [Ki] and [Holy] work fine.
Using Russian tower smiths' gear, smashing to bits.
"Pushed like use [Idol's True Form]? Tower can't get info if not used inside."
"Ah.... So?"
"Climb with power control. Like handicap play?"
"Aah..."
Now "handicap play" from Wakamo's mouth.
[Idol's Body] penalty enough, but boring.
Early days: Crush with overwhelming force—no choice.
Now options galore; Wakamo experiments leisurely.
Kwang—!
"Sadako."
"Yeah?"
"Job skill 【Motion Capture】: 'Capture motion' then 'Output'?"
"So?"
"Not [Mana] judgment."
Wakamo shrugged at deep fist mark on golem.
Outputs motion via mana spend.
Not [Illusion]—real [Entity].
Like [Pipkin Mami]'s psychic—telekinesis-ish.
"......This feels like easy mode?"
"How?"
"Sadako, great idea."
Wakamo always gave Pirate good [Skills].
Captain eyed suspiciously—sure?—but mad VTuber Wakamo confident.
"Listen, Pirate."
"Yes?"
"I'll make you Japan's pride!!"
[VTuber Model] and [Model Adjust] great, but—【Motion Capture】 revolutionary for her.
"Pirate 2.0 upgrade time!!!"
Pirate thought: Why just me...?
Wakamo's skills guzzle [Mana].
No one but wizard-her to teach!!