The Unpredictable Path (3)
An Italian hallucinating mushroom addict plumber who rescues a kidnapped head of state from a monster who loves humanity — a racing game derived from a platformer.
Following the principles of the racing game genre while incorporating various casual elements, it became an extremely popular game not only in Japan but worldwide.
But no matter how casual it is, this game is no exception. Once you get hooked on a racing game, you can't stop. The same applies here.
Basic techniques like drifting, dashing, developer-intended shortcuts, using items, and the shortest path to minimize lap time.
And among them, the ultimate position was using glitches to skip the course.
In short, jumping from a specific point on the course to another. Normally, the system forcibly respawns you when you excessively deviate from the course, but there are sometimes sections where this respawn doesn't apply. Using this method, you can skip a significant portion of the course.
Of course, this is a glitch exploit of the system, and while it might be overlooked in time attacks, it's condemned in online battles and such.
──However, if it's for the purpose of beating a friend in a casual setting, the story is different.
"One more time...!"
From the very first round, Mary Tepes's broadcast chat room was pure chaos.
The bike rapidly accelerated and veered off the circuit, jumping down to the road below. Below it, another road was arranged like crossing.
The moment the wheels touched the ground, the bike slid with the characteristic squeak of a drift. Instead of stopping, Mary continued running forward.
As a gamer, Mary Tepes's strengths could be listed as a few things. Her astonishing memory and excellent analytical ability. Stage strategies based on that data.
Even a racing game, when broken down one by one, is just a series of decisions on how to accelerate and corner at each point. In that sense, it was even easier than Soul-like game strategies, as random patterns don't appear.
But compared to the hardcore gamers who break records, her skill and practice were still lacking... but if it's against the people she's currently facing, using glitches for course skipping was close to cheating.
"This is the power of the real queen!"
With her fangs bared in a grin, Mary shouted triumphantly.
The starting line was in front of her. She had skipped from the middle point of the course to the point where one full lap ends.
[FINAL LAP]
As she crossed the line, an announcement floated in the center of the screen. While others had barely completed one lap, Mary had already finished two laps and was entering the final lap.
It was an overwhelming lead difference. The viewers couldn't help but be amazed by Mary's antics (?).
It seemed she had practiced hard with the determination to feed alcohol to someone no matter what.
"Huh♪"
Mary hummed a tune while leisurely continuing her drive.
If she just trampled over her too much, it wouldn't be broadcast-friendly, so she decided to let her get a few hits in the middle and take some punishment. It was also character-wise okay for Mary to be arrogant and then get stabbed in the back.
The worry she harbored was nothing more than a happy worry done from a superior position.
Arriving at the midway point of the circuit where the course skip is available. Mary, preparing to declare victory, ran out of the course.
"Huh?!"
──And at the same time as she jumped, she was hit by a cart that shot out from the side.
The bike Mary was supposed to be going to was flying in a much stranger direction than intended. Of course, that place wasn't where the glitch applied, and the bike fell for a long time before respawning on the road with a fall judgment.
"Eh...?"
Mary froze, forgetting to even run the course. She looked like she couldn't process the situation from a moment ago.
"Sion-ssi...?"
And belatedly, Mary recalled the color of the cart that had just hit her and turned her head to look to the side. There, Sion, Han Seoyeon, was smiling at her.
"Sorry. I was careless."
"No, no matter how you think about it, it was completely intentional, right?!"
Without changing her expression, Sion apologized in a tone that didn't seem at all sorry. Of course, the chat got even more heated by her brazen attitude.
"Hoo, okay. There's still a gap, so we can just try one more time... Sion?"
"Why?"
"I mean, why are you just standing there without running?"
"Because if Sion tries to jump again, I'll be waiting to ram you."
"'Because' what 'because' is that?!"
Not just passing by and attacking, but completely ignoring even crossing the finish line. Because she made such a declaration so boldly, Mary had no choice but to be shocked.
Yeah. The one running this road wasn't just Mary.
When running alone against CPU, even if she got interrupted, she could just try again after they passed. Doing two or three attempts was much faster than normal course running.
But now, it was practice and the situation was different. It was clear that thinking you could plan a racing game strategy was wrong, but when the cheat code invaded, the strategy was shredded.
"S, Sion-ssi? Let's think smartly...? Since we have to drink for 3rd place, if we do this, Sion-ssi will also get punished, right?"
"As long as Sion doesn't go to a place that's not the road. If you don't deliberately fall, a few bumps into the cart won't be a problem."
It wasn't entirely wrong. Because she was trying the glitch that requires jumping at exactly that narrow angle, even a slight collision caused this situation.
"Ugh... Even if you say that, I won't back down!"
Nevertheless, Mary got fired up and accelerated the bike as is. If she somehow avoids it and succeeds in jumping, it might work out somehow.
"Hek?!"
Of course, that confidence didn't help much. Mary's vehicle was blocked in front instantly and couldn't even properly jump.
The third and fourth attempts also didn't differ much in results. Just not jumping properly or jumping and getting fall judgment and respawning, repeating.
"Sion-ssi, let's not do that and talk... now!"
"Even if I do, would you fall for that?"
"Uwaaaah...?!"
The fifth time, even while talking, she tried a surprise acceleration but got stopped. Mary was trembling with a mix of frustration and humiliation.
[1st~]
1st Place
And in the meantime, Maya and Tsubasa crossed the finish line. Sion, who had her punishment confirmed along with Mary, finally released her and could finally activate the glitch.
Of course, it was a meaningless lap time reduction after 3rd place was already decided.
"Alright, then let's have a drink."
"Really... I can't, Sion-ssi."
"Thank you for the reward."
Two glasses mixed with alcohol. After clinking the glass cups so the mic would pick up the sound, the two gulped down the strong liquor.
Looking at Han Seoyeon placing the empty glass down, Hitomi slowly drank the alcohol. Feeling the burning heat in her esophagus and stomach, she strengthened her resolve.
We can't keep using this method. If she blocks Mary, Sion will also be 3rd place confirmed, and she will keep getting punished.
If it was just a bet, it would be fine, but as the broadcaster, she couldn't keep doing this. Even if Seoyeon were to continue suicide attacks while the chat burns, if she keeps drinking this alcohol, a gap will start to appear little by little.
So, there is still a way. Mary was strengthening her resolve by swallowing the last sip.
×
"Hehehe..."
"I'm not drunk~"
"You are drunk, Sion."
No, not. I'm not drunk... Mary muttered in a complaining voice.
Of course, that was only Mary's own thought. If you asked anyone on the street what they were like now, they would say drunk.
Originally, her expression was a bit smiling, but the grinning expression didn't fade. Occasionally, she hummed tunes and tilted her head left and right.
In the game, every time the car corners, the body tilts along with it. Originally there was a slight tendency, but now it was completely noticeable.
At first, Mary was grinding her teeth, saying she would use the glitch she had practiced somehow and make it work. Of course, Seoyeon would say that if she drinks, there would be gaps.
...It was after Mary had downed five glasses in a row that she noticed something strange.
The fact that Mary kept getting punished remained the same, but the one drinking with her changed.
Not only that, the one who kept guarding her from using the glitch also changed during each round.
It was around that time that she realized there was an implicit agreement among the other three.
One person starts by guarding Mary from the beginning, while the others run only one lap remaining. Then they alternate, and the guard also comes back after two laps.
And from there, they start simultaneously and decide the winner with three of them. No matter how much Mary skips the course, there are parts she has to drive directly, and it's almost impossible to overtake them without completing one full lap.
From then on, she had no choice but to surrender and run the circuit normally.
Of course, then it becomes a battle of lead and item luck. Since everyone is physical monsters, the match was close, and they would take turns drinking while enjoying each other.
So, naturally, Mary who had drunk a lot from the beginning would be the first to fall.
Well, to be strict, not just Mary but everyone was drunk to some extent. Not completely drunk, but since they all drank similarly, the tension was obvious.
For Maya, she had her younger sister on her lap, who is the monitoring sister who can end the broadcast if necessary. She called her sister over, pulled her close, and hugged her.
Of course, the younger sister, Honoka, resisted... but from the results, she couldn't win against that overwhelming physical strength.
It was natural. In a pure 100% physical fight without using any holy power, spells, or weird things, if a technique is used, even Han Seoyeon wouldn't be able to escape.
"Shall we go to the next round? Or are you too drunk to drink more?"
"Drink more!"
"I didn't ask you. I asked Mary-ssi."
Tsubasa's voice tone was raised a step, and except for the oddly raised tension, she was relatively fine. She had the least number of punishments drunk, and perhaps she just has a strong alcohol tolerance.
...On the contrary, the voice emitting alcohol smell came from the mic, but.
"Sion. Is it okay to continue? Or should we end it?"
"Okay...? Yeah, I like Sion... ."
"...Sion?"
It seemed she had misunderstood the meaning. But before she could point it out, Hitomi giggled and pecked Seoye'son's cheek.
Even as her cheek blushed from the touch, Han Seoyeon felt the remaining drunkenness subside and quickly checked the chat.
- SisMea! SisMea! SisMea!
Yeah. This is what we wanted.
Is it okay to invest SisMea coins?
"Chat...?"
Mary just kept smiling brightly after that.
"What is it, are the hain jealous~ Heh, then the viewers too... peck♥"
Eventually, Mary let out a hehe and gave a strangely seductive smile, brought her face close to the mic, and blew a hand kiss.
Of course, the chat room became a battlefield—"Mary-ssi saw me!"—as the next step.
The chat was rising so fast that, considering she was drunk, it was at a level where even the real Mary couldn't read it properly. At best, it only told that the chat was flashing with colorful colors, including superchats.
"Maya-senpai, thank you as always~"
"Tsubasa-ssi likes it too~"
This is probably going to make her face red tomorrow and delete the rewatch... Of course, by then, there would be plenty of Kirinuki (clips) all over the internet.
Han Seoyeon smiled bitterly while looking at Hitomi.
"Ehehe."
"......Mary?"
Then, as if interpreting that gaze, Hitomi was closing her eyes and slightly protruding her lips. If this expression was broadcast as is, it would be even more oiling, but since her head was turned completely to the side, it was fortunate that the expression wasn't properly recognized.
After staring at the appearance for a moment... Han Seoyeon quietly turned off the mic.
"......♥"
"Since it's still broadcasting, Hitomi."
"Yeah~"
And she slightly bowed her waist and gave her a short kiss on the lips. In terms of broadcast, it would just look like Sion's avatar tilted slightly to the side and returned.
"Shall we continue?"
Soon, Han Seoyeon turned the mic back on and spoke.
Considering she was drunk, the game play was going well. When calling Seoyeon, it was 'Sion' not 'Sion-ssi', seeing that she was clearly understanding the character acting.
So, as long as she wanted, she could continue as much as she wanted.
"Of course. This Mary Tepes doesn't run away from a duel once accepted?"
And as expected, Mary grinned with her fangs bared.
Well, it seemed that the length of Mary Tepes's black history rewatch for tonight would be a bit longer.