Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Red Plum Blossoms and the Little Fox
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A true professional streamer must never panic, no matter the moment.
Sure, stumbling in shock could become its own charm, but that requires a built-up image to pull off.
In Wakamo's case, she'd always shown herself steadily conquering the tower climb.
In a general gaming stream, maybe it'd be fine, but during a tower ascent, she couldn't afford to flinch at accidents, shrink back, or show an unsightly side.
If Wakamo Inarizushi, the VTuber, was doing tower-climbing content live for her followers.
Especially if it was one-of-a-kind.
As a pioneer blazing through the wasteland!!
Mistakes were absolutely unforgivable!
What is a fox? A cute creature that enchants people, symbolizing wise conduct in Korea and a clever problem-solver in the West. The fox embodies quick judgment and adaptability.
If she called herself the fox goddess, a beast that demonstrates cunning.
Then she just had to overcome this situation with her wits and leap beyond it!!
Assess her skills and remaining mana, understand the enemies' patterns and abilities—and finally, observe everything with her eyes. With extreme multitasking and focus, turn this seemingly hopeless crisis into an elegant, beautiful display.
And, as always, smash them head-on with overwhelming force.
Right, first the line—
"This form... I didn't want my followers seeing it."
Her voice hadn't changed, but people fixate more on appearances than they realize.
She'd prepared this model for sneaking out incognito, never imagining it'd see use like this.
ASMR gets a 1 out of 10, but this performance? A solid 5...!!
※※※
An unprecedented streaming accident erupts mid-Wakamo broadcast.
But viewers, followers, and climbers all knew it was bound to happen someday. Climbing the tower means always preparing for the unexpected.
Climbers who naively trust only the given info and freeze when surprises hit? Most end up traumatized, quitting the climb... or not coming back alive.
That's why some got vicarious thrills from Korea's one-and-only VTuber climber.
Sure, there were jealous or envious types too.
But even before reaching Floor 20, the pressure felt like the tower itself was out to kill her. Viewers worried for Wakamo, sensing the vivid killing intent through the screen.
They called her a monster or fox goddess, but at the end of the day, followers were just her fans.
From the [Elite Monster]'s appearance to monsters that should be on Floor 30 showing up—no one was jealous anymore. Instead, more people admired Wakamo for staying cool and winning despite climbing blind like early pioneers, with zero prior intel.
Some said, "She's not human, so of course she can handle it"—but even non-humans only get one life.
That's why her followers were stunned.
-No way!! Why are European demon-type monsters showing up here!!!
Six of them, no less. Enemies that shouldn't appear until Floor 30+, and zero relation to Incheon Tower.
But Wakamo hadn't even hit Floor 20 yet.
A few viewers claimed it was like the [Goblin Horde]—but goblins swarm by nature, and this was different. Followers pointed out the difficulty had been off since then.
-Demon-types are brutal without Companion skills!!
Overseas viewers, seeming like Korean followers abroad, chimed in too.
As mentioned before, the tower affects the whole world. Belonging to a major faction can grant a [Companion] skill tailored to them.
That's why Vatican influence in Europe had grown. Join up, and you get a skill that hits demon monsters hard.
Most European climbers were probably Vatican members by now.
To fight the demon-types lurking in the tower!!
But this was Korea.
And Wakamo didn't have such a skill.
-Why isn't she breaking the chains?!
-Even the guild leader's hits barely dent them???
-Their weakness is the chains, but if they don't shatter, what now?!
-Get bound, and you're done!
The chat burned hotter than Wakamo, in full panic.
Six Chain Devils surrounding her wasn't bad enough—the unbreakable chains left her fully restrained as they charged. Viewers imagined the gruesome scene ahead.
She might tank the hits, but six [Hellfire]-wreathed monsters roasting her alive while immobile? Horrific.
But Wakamo shattered their expectations beyond belief.
The massive mountain seemed poised to crush her—then it vanished, chains slumping. From within emerged an adorably huggable little girl.
"This form... I didn't want my followers seeing it."
Her voice was the same—but the tiny Wakamo, tails going "pata-pata" with each step, spread golden fans and smiled.
Soon, red plum blossoms scattered across the screen.
※※※
Tchack—!
"Rushing me six-on-one like sore losers? Fine, I'll play along. My followers will love the show."
Red plum blossoms swirled around Wakamo as she leisurely smiled behind her fan. They bloomed and danced in empty air.
A screen effect? Or... what skill makes actual petals scatter?
Shrrk—!!
The six Chain Devils regrouped and whipped chains at her again.
Wakamo responded with a casual fan-swipe through the air—no one could comprehend it.
The incoming chains halted midair, thrashed, then fell limp to the floor.
These were sure-hit chains with binding on contact.
Counters exist: bat them with weapons, block with shields, deploy [Barriers]—endure the sure-hit, dodge the bind.
But Wakamo repelled all six without looking or moving much.
Her graceful, refined motions evoked a wuxia master.
-lollll
-Loli baa has arrived!!
-Wakya pyahuk nongmo
-She's so fresh and pure.
-Pedo death.
-Wakyapahuk nong jjuk kyenk kyenk lolll
-Loli goddess descends.
-Red pill exploded lololol
-Nongnongdan assemble!!!!
Her immature followers ignored it all, flooding chat in ecstasy over cute Wakamo. Fastest scroll yet—five times the speed.
Rotten fans, huh? That thrilled?
She pulled the camera close, winked, and fluttered her fan.
—What she showed now was a misdirection ploy.
Urgently registered to [VTuber Assets]: [Red Plum Blossom Effect]. Unlike light, these petals sank to the ground—tangible proof.
She'd learned from the [Dual Disc] that card-placed items gain physical form.
Scattering petals consumed her [mana] while active.
Fallen ones vanished, new ones appearing—but all were extensions of Wakamo's body.
Petals trailed her hand's sway. Fan-spread arms summoned wind-like red plums.
Using [Mana Manipulation] to draw petals, she swung her fan wide, channeling [Idol's Form] into red slashes along the arc.
Humanoid monsters dodged the incoming slashes—Wakamo dispersed mirage mist from petals and [Idol's Form] everywhere.
She grasped they relied on sight, spreading mana to hide within.
Distinguishing her inside? Impossible.
No breath, no heartbeat—her body was pure mana.
Diving into mana was like a fish plunging into water.
Cats on the surface could only wait for the fish to surface.
And her three floating cameras for [Video Recording] exposed their positions fully.
Oblivious demons turned toward the "pata-pata" footsteps like charmed.
Hearing it from all three cameras at once, they whipped around, staring right at them.
Viewers who accidentally locked eyes with demons freaked.
Here it comes.
Amid followers' hype—the smoke parted, Wakamo's roundhouse smashing a Chain Devil's head. Nail-shattering acceleration, yet it only tilted slightly.
—Damage insufficient.
[Stats]
Magic Power: 501,231
Real-time checking, she'd infused 10,000 magic power—yet barely a dent. She sighed. Chains handled or not, that didn't down Chain Devils with [Hellfire].
So pre-climb, she gambled on the new skill.
[Weight of Faith]
-Grows lighter or heavier proportional to followers.
A sparse one-liner—but with [545,876] total followers, she amped it that much.
[Weight increased by 545,876 KG]
'Huh?'
Quick mental math: 545 tons.
Hydro cranes in truck form hit ~500 tons. Wakamo atop the Chain Devil? Beyond heavy trucks. Tanks are just 50 tons...
KABOOOOOM!!!
Wakamo plunged vertically, cratering the ground—the Chain Devil crumpled, exploding.
Foul black blood sprayed wildly; red plums like bloodflakes settled atop it.
At the meteor-impact epicenter stood Wakamo.
'Can't move!! No, moving would kill me!!'
[Stats]
Magic Power: 501,231 -> 172,563.
Not a finger could twitch. She could move, but instinct screamed mana shortage.
Plus massive impact damage from the crash.
She canceled the skill instantly—judging she needed control.
Grinning at finally getting a [attack skill].
Heavy? Then go light.
Five Chain Devils lashed [Hellfire]-chains, shredding plums and attacking—but Wakamo rocketed skyward, soaring bird-free.
She stepped on falling petals.
[Idol's Body] let her define physics' rules; [Mana Manipulation] spread plums for slow descent. Tune [Weight of Faith] to zero—air-walking illusion?
Keeping skills active drained mana like crazy.
Leisurely show, but mana plummeting. [Weight of Faith] eats mana too!!
Plus recoil shock on her mana.
Grumbling inwardly, she dashed air-steps on plums.
Crunch—
1,000 KG fox goddess mana-stomped; Chain Devil's neck snapped.
Whirr whirr whirr—!
[Stats]
Magic Power: 172,563 -> 101,416.
Mana near-empty, drowning in death's sea—Wakamo charged the whipping barrage head-on.
Fan flailed wildly; controllable plums blocked [Hellfire], gold fans reinforced by [Mana Manipulation] slashed below.
Eyes behind red shades darted insanely, tracking whips to parry.
Tiny legs didn't run—they kicked off ground like projectiles.
Light weight mimicked lightness skill, slipping in nimbly.
Mid-leap, pre-impact—heavy again!
BOOM!!
Chain Devil folded in half, slamming wall—limbs flailing like a ragdoll, collapsing.
Shraaack!!!
Slicing plums with horizontal whip—Wakamo circus-flipped midair, dodging. Three cameras caught gaps in visible attacks; she curled fetal, slipping through encirclement.
From spinning fox tail—pop—a gourd.
Hook finger to string, whirl it; ape drunken fist movie moves, mouth full of [Sweet Flame Potion].
Asset lights cloaked it—overwhelming red flames mana-spewed, ashing three Chain Devils instantly.
Piercing her flames—an incoming [Hellfire]-chain, foreseen. Fan-batted aside with a "tak!", folding it.
All remaining mana max-infused throw—impaled the last Chain Devil's skull.
Splat—
Demon corpse's final thud.
Amid cascading plums, Wakamo adjusted shades slowly, tweaking cameras.
Vivid battle scars remained. Her flames and their [Hellfire] devoured each other, smoldering—plums poured in a world-apart aura.
A fox goddess stood aloof within.
No head-turn.
Just sidelong glance, a smile.
"Well then, that's the stream for today. Goodnight, my followers."
No explanation of this form.
No word on the red plums.
Driving followers mad with spectacle, the broadcast ended!!
[Stats]
Magic Power: 53.
Reality? No sustain left—she shut everything down in panic!!
'Thought I was dead for real.'
Terror-rooted, not a step. Silver lining: [VTuber Model] costs no mana. Purely cosmetic? Weight change unclear.
She'd just set it up today—first use!!
Skills debuted: who knows how many!!
Cool facade? Pure desperation to survive!!
Show the graceful swan gliding—never the frantic paddling below.
Recovering mana, she waited ages for tower response.
[Incheon Tower Floor 17 achieves Platinum, opening to all humanity!!]
[Tower Platinum clear: settling rewards]
[Climber [Wakamo Inarizushi]'s mana recovers]
[Climber [Wakamo Inarizushi] gains 1 [Tower Climb Ticket]]
"...Huh...?"
[Tower Climb Ticket]
Rank: Consumable.
Enables another tower climb mid-climb.
Ignores climb penalties.
[For Wakamo Inarizushi only]
"...The hell do I use this for?"
Is the tower hinting...? Platinum condition invisible—how'd she hit it? Rewards still settling.
Gripe list long. No answers to questions, worse.
At least mana restored? Thanks? Didn't even advance floors—first time like this.
Tower bugged from her existence...? Play cautious awhile?
"Don't obsess over full clears, just climb some more...?"
Casually fanning the ticket, Wakamo trailed off—realizing something.
Lightning struck her brain; pupils dilated.
"—This is a game-changer!!!!"
Best reward yet!!!
"Followers!! Wakamo's heading to Japan!!!"
Can't resist warp gates!!!