Chapter 17: Including Paid Ads (3)

The cutscene started as soon as the game began. John and Sandra were looking at the walkie-talkie with serious expressions on their faces.

“Ah, it seems right after receiving the message.”

-Looks like it? The background is exactly the same as the trailer.

-Seems to be just after contacting Jessica.

-???: Hey bro, who was that woman just now?

-Uh-huh-huh suddenly, the atmosphere has changed.

-Will we see some jealousy today? UwU

Lee Kyungbok’s comment resonated with the viewers.

Meanwhile, John got up from his seat. As he prepared his equipment, Sandra grabbed him.

“Sandra?”

“This might be a trap.” Her eyes sharpened. “Jessica is ultimately a member of Lifenex. They may be trying to lure survivors this way…”

Her words caused a stir in the chat window.

-KingSandra strikes again!

-As expected from SandraQueen.

-Haha how can you trust only the walkie-talkie?

-Lmao, it’s different because of Sandra

Many viewers agreed with Sandra’s opinion, but not everyone shared this sentiment:

-Wow, so many haters

-Know your facts before breaking down the established route.

-LMAO, Jessica is also a heroine; don’t be too critical.

-Is John cheating? Ready to kill him off immediately?

Viewers who had cleared the original storyline fervently defended her, as they were already aware of Jessica’s valuable assistance.

“Sandra, I’m not blindly trusting her either.”

“John…”

“But how did Jessica know to contact us?”

“That’s…”

“You’re well aware there are no remaining police officers, right?”

Sandra fell silent at his words. Gently, John wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Even if it’s a trap, I don’t care. I’ll protect you.”

“John…” Sandra’s eyes glistened as she looked at him.

-Look how quickly Sandra trusts John now, huh?

-Ha-ha-ha! Jessica doesn’t stand a chance against him.

-Sandra is clearly the main heroine here, folks~

-John has all the skills and charisma while Purple gets the love interest. Ha-ha-ha-ha!

-Wait, what about me?!

-Will they edit out their bed scene after this?!

-Do these trolls have any shame?

Since most viewers were already fans of Sandra, they enjoyed her reaction immensely.

“And…I really want to meet Jessica.”

However, the chat room mood shifted with John’s next line.

-Huh? What’s he implying?

-Is he boldly asking for a switcheroo? LOL

-Seeing Jessica might change his mind, ha-ha-ha!

-Kingsika is beautiful too, though!

-Fight on, Sica fans!

-Only Sandra. Only Sandra. Only Sandra. Only Sandra.

-Jessica stans unite!

-Is this leading to a nice boat ending…?

As Jessica’s fans seized their moment amidst the chaos, John continued speaking.

“My body…it must be connected to Lifenex somehow. If we contact Jessica, she might be able to uncover something”

“Ah…” Sandra’s eyes flickered as memories from previous cutscenes flashed through her mind—the time she had questioned whether John was truly human while staring at him.

“I understand.” Eventually, Sandra rose with him. The scene then transitioned to darkness.

The duo arrived at a sewer emitting continuous streams of wastewater.

-Wow, the sewer looks so realistic

-I feel like I can smell it

-Haha, suddenly sensing that sewage odor.

-Is this what they call shared perception?

“It’s not as strong as I thought… Still unpleasant though.” Lee Kyungbok spoke while monitoring the chat window. The smell wasn’t unbearable, but it was certainly disagreeable.

-Purple has set immersion to maximum LOL

-LMAO usually, we don’t feel such discomfort.

-I do feel extreme pleasure though LOL

-You know the law of equivalent exchange!

-Yup

“Ah, it seems to be fading quickly now. Maybe my senses have adapted or maybe it was just a temporary effect.” Lee Kyungbok promptly followed up with this comment. In fact, that is what happened.

‘After all, this is still an advertisement.’

There was no reason to make any negative remarks about the game. Although he had received confirmation from the developer that he could play freely, it was important to maintain ethical standards.

“There really aren’t any mercenaries here.”

“That’s good, but…I don’t think there are any lights inside.” While Sandra kept watch, John shone his flashlight toward the entrance as he spoke.

The damp interior of the sewer was revealed. Battling the darkness, John and Sandra ventured deeper inside. With each step they took, water splashed underfoot.

“Jessica,” John said while turning on the walkie-talkie. All that came through were static-filled noises with no response from her.

“I guess we can’t reach her here.”

“Yes, we’ll have to go farther in if we want better reception.”

They needed to delve deeper to reestablish contact with Jessica. The camera then panned back to show the entrance behind them.

The light at the entrance gradually faded as they ventured deeper inside.

-Wtf is this darkness?

-What do you mean? Did it close?

-I think it’s just representing how far away we’ve gotten from the entrance.

-100% sure nothing can pass through that barrier now.

-LOL, it’s like an impenetrable force field or something!

-How did they infiltrate HQ in the original storyline?

-They sneaked in on the mercenaries’ vehicles.

While the chat window buzzed with activity, another cutscene played out. Two figures relying solely on their flashlight in the darkness were shown.

…Ah, I think something is about to happen.

Lee Kyungbok held his breath, sensing an ominous presence.

“Jessica, Jessica?” John tried contacting her again, but there was still no response. All he could hear were static and splashing sounds.

Something was off.

“John?”

Sandra, who had been cautiously scanning their surroundings, suddenly bumped into John from behind. When she turned to ask what was wrong, he raised his finger to his lips.

“Do you hear that sound?”

“A sound?”

L-Listen???

Hear what?

Oh shit… Did something appear out of nowhere?

A-Aw, man! I’m muting it now.

I knew this would happen, so I learned how to mute earlier!

M-Mute? LOLLOL

The viewers sensed an ominous atmosphere and anticipated some sudden event, but nothing occurred as expected. Instead, they heard the sound that caught John’s attention—a distinct splashing noise unlike before. However, neither John nor Sandra were moving, ruling them out as the source.

Then…

“John…!”

“It’s coming!”

With that cry, control returned to Lee Kyungbok. It was time for him to take action.

“This way!”

The sewer wasn’t a straightforward path; there were multiple junctions, and where John and Sandra stood was one such fork in the road.

LNo, can you pinpoint its exact location?

LThe sound is echoing everywhere.

LIs this footage real?

LI’m impressed!

LOh, Purple rank, huh? LOL

As Lee Kyungbok swiftly shone his flashlight down the dark corridor, something writhing caught their attention. A shadow quickly emerged within the beam of light.

“A rat…?!” Sandra’s eyes widened in shock.

It was indeed a rat with black fur stained by sewage and bloodshot eyes. However, although it appeared as one creature, it wasn’t just one. Red eyes flickered amidst the damp black fur. Composed of hundreds of individual rats, they were intertwined like cells clustered together.

-Whoa, that’s insane!

-I don’t know whether to praise the design or…

-If it makes people curse like in zombie games, then it’s well-designed! LOLLLL

-Is it similar to the cluster type?

The viewers speculated on the identity of this zombie. Since it was from an undisclosed route, it represented a new species of zombie.

Meanwhile, Lee Kyungbok swiftly switched his equipment. Holding a gold shotgun with both hands, he aimed at the creature. With Sandra holding the flashlight, visibility wasn’t an issue. There was no reason to hesitate. Amidst thunderous noise, the shotgun pellets swept through the swarm of rat zombies. Instantly, the sound of splattering blood filled the air as the rats were reduced to a bloody mess.

-It got instantly killed, right?

-Looked creepy but turned out useless.

-Is that all for a Purple rank…?

-Way too easy.

-Suddenly, what’s with the split?

The viewers thought the problem had been resolved immediately.

“No, not yet,” Lee Kyungbok disagreed.

His reasoning stemmed from the ominous presence dispersing rapidly after its initial concentration. The intact rats separated and began scurrying along the ceiling and walls.

-Looking at separation too?

-A detachable zombie, huh?!

-No way… How to catch this thing?

-Crossed the line again and again.

-Rather, it will multiply if you explode them.

-Have something like a flamethrower?

The viewers expressed their dissatisfaction as they watched the swarming rat zombies. Right at that moment:

[‘CapCompany_kor’ has sponsored you 10,000 won.]

[Don’t unconditionally fight enemies! You can also run away! Otherwise, you might regret it!] The message was broadcast alongside the sponsorship notification.

-Huh? Sponsorship open?

-Woof woof woof, come quickly doggy style

-What? Why only ‘doggy style’?

-Host! Open the door!

-Discrimination in sponsorships?

Some viewers raised questions. Was Lee Kyungbok making a mistake?

Of course not.

Oh, is that what this is about?

Lee Kyungbok had blocked regular viewers from sponsoring him but made an exception for developer accounts. This was because he couldn’t personally explain every single branch like Logan’s scenario. Moreover, if he knew all the possible outcomes beforehand, it would make the stream less interesting. Thus, they’d agreed to have developers monitor his broadcast and inform him via sponsorship whenever there was a branching point.

-I’m watching this homework stream for the first time.

-Lots of trolls here

-What regrets could you possibly have?

-Don’t say “work hard” or “take a break”;;

-Purple can do whatever she wants!

Fortunately, most viewers were accustomed to this type of sponsored segment.

This allowed Lee Kyungbok to continue playing without interruption. Although he could follow the sponsor’s message, the choice ultimately rested with him. A faint smile crossed his face.

“I want them to run away.”

He switched out the shotgun for a combat knife in one hand and held onto the pistol in the other. He slightly crouched down, positioning himself so that he was ready to react at any moment, crossing both arms in front of him.

“You should’ve brought stronger opponents.”

His statement caused the chat to erupt like a volcano.

-Looking to take on all these monsters yourself?

-Aren’t you pushing it too far just because it’s being broadcasted?

-Haha, this is clearly the escape route~

-Why so many doubters?

-Praise Purple! Praise Purple!

-Switch from human eyes to Purple vision, I say~

-Don’t trust the developer! Trust Purple!

However, Lee Kyungbok paid no attention to these comments.

In the dark corridor, shadows writhed, and red eyes glared at him from all directions. Footsteps echoed rapidly around him, and foul odors wafted through the swirling air. His heightened senses absorbed this information, and his instincts took over.

At the same time, he sensed the approaching rats.

“Here they come.” As soon as he uttered those words, Lee Kyungbok’s hands sprang into action. His combat knife sliced through falling rodents while bullets fired from his gun splattered blood everywhere.

It didn’t matter where the rats emerged; Lee Kyungbok had already positioned his blade and gun muzzles accordingly.

-Looking good

-Check out all that blood splatter LOLLL

-Is he seriously moving that fast?!

-Drawing art in midair LOLLL

-He’s one of the best ever LLOL

As one viewer noted, at first glance, it looked like Lee Kyungbok was wielding a paintbrush rather than a knife. The spray of blood painted the air, and the muzzle flashes cast dazzling shadows akin to fireworks.

-Wow… Look at his purple eyes!

-Yeah, crazy…

-He’s tracking and taking care of each rat individually?

-LELLELLEL He can’t be human.

What astonished viewers most were Lee Kyungbok’s eyes every time his gun fired. His slightly trembling irises seemed both mysterious and eerie.

“Oh my goodness…”

Lee Kyungbok slowly retreated to maintain some distance from his opponents. Sandra also backed away behind him, marveling at Lee Kyungbok’s martial prowess. Perhaps due to her astonishment, she failed to notice the imminent danger approaching beneath her feet.

“Ahhh…!”

By the time she realized it, it was too late. The rat zombies had stealthily swum toward her under shallow water and now leaped at her all at once. There was no time for her to prepare, but just then, Lee Kyungbok swiftly spun around with his gun drawn.

With one hand, he unholstered his pistol from its place on Sandra’s hip, and using the momentum of pulling her closer, he swung his knife with the other hand.

With a loud crack, rats split apart.

-WTF? What just happened?

-What’s going on?

-Sandra almost got killed.

-The rats suddenly swarmed around Sandra.

Lee Kyungbok frowned, sensing something was off.

…Why target Sandra specifically all of a sudden?

His intuition indicated that the movement of the rats had changed abruptly, but the outcome remained the same. He continued dispatching the remaining rodents with his knife or occasionally crushing them underfoot using the walker.

-Rats only targeting Sandra now, huh?

-Seems like it aligns with her original death route?

-Looks that way

-Guess Gumdrop’s regret referred to this

-But they spared her?

–No regrets (obviously).

The battle finally ended when the sewer water turned red from bloodshed.

–LMAO LMAO LMAO LMAO LMAO

–Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

–Anonymous: They could’ve run away. (They actually said this!)

–LOL Who would run when they can win?!

–Cue laughter track!

–Sharp quip, LOL LOL LOL

–Tonight’s hot clip right here!

Viewers instantly reacted to the scene unfolding before them.

Meanwhile, another cutscene began.

“Sandra, are you okay?!”

“Yes, yes… I was caught off guard, but I’m fine.” Sandra responded while catching her breath. Her gaze then returned to the pile of rat corpses.

“…It looks like the virus is present in the sewage as well.”

“I bet it is.”

Their expressions turned grim as they realized even the sewers weren’t safe. Just then, static and noise crackled over their walkie-talkies.

“John? John? Are you there?”

It was Jessica’s voice.

John exchanged glances with Sandra before nodding and responding.

“Yes, we’re here.”

“Oh, thank goodness! Did you reach the sewer?”

“…Yes, but there was an unexpected issue.”

“An issue?”

John explained the rat-zombie attack. The surprise in her voice was evident through the device.

“Z-zombies in the sewers?! I-I had no idea!”

“Really?” Sandra, who’d been listening quietly, sharply interjected.

-Look at Sandra throwing some serious shade!

-Jessica’s definitely being sly here…

-Hmm, seems like she’s pretending not to know something, right?

-Again with these nitpickers?

-Jessica hasn’t shown her face yet, so she’s playing coy ㅋㅋㅋ

-I like Sandra too, but I prefer non-swearing Jessica ㅎㅎ

The chat window split between supporters of Sandra and Jessica, sparking a heated debate.

“Yes, indeed… But…the sewer is connected to where they dispose of animals from failed drug experiments.”

“Experiments?” John asked.

“Yes. It seems likely that rats ate those animal carcasses. And it’s possible not all creatures here are rats.”

“You’re telling us this now?! We almost died over there!” Sandra interrogated sharply, eliciting a tearful response through the walkie-talkie.

“I’m sorry… I truly didn’t know. Please head back for now! I’ll find another route.”

With these words, John and Sandra exchanged glances once more. Eventually, Sandra let out a deep sigh.

”…It’s okay. Maybe there wouldn’t have been another opportunity at that time. Just guide us properly now.”

[Y-Yes! Understood. Th-The sewer walls will show you a passage marked with an ‘L’. Follow it and it will lead to the research facility!]

“Understood. We’ll contact you again.” John responded and cut off the transmission. At the same time, my view went dark.

In this brief moment, sponsorships arrived:

[‘CapCompany_kor’ has sponsored ‘10,000 won’.]

[I-I can escape by running away… There is also a gimmick for handling it in some way. And then the game volume would be… No, nope. Huhu.]

The chat window was flooded with ‘heh heh heh’.

-Heh heh, cute nu

-Ah, Evan is long-winded

-Long text should cost 50,000 won.

-(drunkcon)

-The volume was there but now it’s gone.

-??? : You should’ve brought someone stronger.

[‘CapCompany_kor’ has sponsored you 50,000 won.]

[Jangmoon, I’m sorry for crying… But please note that I am sponsoring with my own money. Please look favorably upon Bark… Ah, and fighting spirit, Purple! (For reference, personally, I prefer Sandra)]

-Gum is not from a big company… Why so stingy…

-Throwing away 50,000 won on this trash!

-Look at him spending 50,000 won just to boast… ᄏᄏᄏ

-Favoritism towards Sandra!

-Sick of it, rise up!

Lee Kyungbok observed these reactions and said, “Still, it was an entertaining stage. Even though Sandra almost died, fortunately, I saved her. Perhaps her favour towards me will increase?”

-Look at him showing off…

-Hahahaha… Spitting while laughing, really?

-Bastard! Leave Sandra alone!

-Don’t touch our Dracu!

-If it’s not Purple, he can’t handle it.

-There was a reason why the developer advised us to run away

-No way! He’ll crush them instantly~

-If it wasn’t Purple, we wouldn’t have seen Sandra again!

The viewers protested half-jokingly and half-seriously.

“Don’t worry too much,” Lee Kyungbok reassured his audience. “It doesn’t matter if this is for an ad or not. I’ll play ‘perfectly’.”

These words might sound casual, but they carried weight coming from Lee Kyungbok himself.

-Purple King? No, it’s Purple Power!

-It suits you perfectly!

-Purple! Purple!

-Go all the way with Sandra!

-Forget the developer’s scenario! We’ve got Purple on our side!

-No Black Ox without Purple Coins, right?

The viewers believed in his confidence.