Episode 112
The robot’s heart, that is, its life, had only three. And now, all three hearts had turned ashen gray. That meant simply tossing the robot into that incinerator would end the tutorial. This is the tutorial, right? Originally, a tutorial is meant to be a guide for learning something. So it should be detailed, kind, and the barrier shouldn’t be high. It should show the path forward and make it feel fun. But when some guy you’re playing the game with sets the difficulty to something defined by a nightmare-inducing, brutal term because he thought it’d be fun, you just have to accept it. Especially if the viewers put up a mission. It’s an unavoidable fate, something like a streamer’s destiny. Looking closer, it seems possible to adjust the difficulty midway, which seemed like a good thing. Only for other users, that is. He had no intention of changing it from Nightmare difficulty.
“First, let’s push him that way.” “Yeah.”
Seo-jun kept his eyes on the robot as he headed toward the incinerator. The robot, so destroyed that even a toy repair center would wave it off saying they don’t take things like this, was staring down at the ‘thing that had been a scraper.’ It looked like it might actually cry.
– *LOL* We’re sorry
– Hurry up and turn dark and protect my money!
– Phase 2 is seriously insane!
The mission fee had climbed to two million won now. Maybe because it was a million per person.
“You’ll look at the patterns first again this time, right?” “Yeah, let’s play it safe.” “That’s the way.” “Everyone, shall I try to hook him easily like before?”
If Seo-jun hooked and pulled the enemy as it passed, the enemy’s body inevitably had to turn. Then, Tae-woo just had to throw more safely without any interference. Of course, earlier, the fact that the arms were one-piece and could only move forwards and backwards helped with the hooking, so phase 2 might be a bit different. But we’ll manage again if we keep trying.
– How far are you going to spoon-feed him!
– Excessive protection will hinder the child’s independence...
– You have to teach independence early so the child can rise again when they face real great setbacks and despair...
– Have you all gone crazy because the mission seems likely to succeed?! *LOL*
Ignoring the chat, Seo-jun examined the robot. The thing had composed its emotions and seemed to be back in rage mode, glaring fiercely. It looked like it was going to roll in fast now. Seo-jun walked forward to meet it in advance.
The biggest difference in phase 2 was that while it could no longer scrape trash easily, its freed arms and hands allowed for far more versatile attacks.
*Whirrrr.*
Rolling its wheels, the robot charged swiftly at Seo-jun and immediately swung its arm. Seo-jun dodged by lightly jumping. Ducking was risky because the thing had laid its sword too low. It wasn’t an attack you could dodge sideways, and retreating backward was out due to the long reach. The robot drew a diagonal slash with its other arm. In its path was Seo-jun, suspended in midair. As expected of Nightmare difficulty. Since he’d jumped purely out of habit, if he’d done a double jump, he’d have been left helpless in the air, caught with no way to act. Seo-jun stepped back onto the empty air.
“Kyah!”
That’s why you conserve your options by only using minimal movement. The moment he landed, the robot launched the next attack. The timing to dodge was designed so tight that if you hadn’t learned the pattern, you’d hesitate and get hit. And this was his first time facing an enemy this huge. Of course, that didn’t matter. There was no problem.
– Oh *LOL*
– The movement is insane
– Is he really your classmate? What on earth were you doing instead of learning from him?
As Seo-jun dodged the giant enemy’s attacks with acrobatic finesse, using his double jump, Tae-woo’s viewers, seeing Seo-jun for the first time, were amazed. Each time he dodged like that with improvisation, it was the very extreme of physical prowess. Meanwhile, Seo-jun's own chat was as usual. Aside from not holding a sword, Seo-jun’s appearance was hardly different from before. If there was one difference...
– Ah, makes me crave a sword
– Someone hand him one
– If he had a sword, he’d have parried 150 times and ended it long ago *LOL*
– Love seeing the streamer unable to counterattack!
You can’t do something the system doesn’t allow. It was about time to end this. As the enemy thrust its arm down vertically, Seo-jun shifted just slightly to dodge, signaled Tae-woo, and jumped up. Naturally, the other sword moved to block him. Since the enemy’s attack came from the front, a double jump here to leap over it seemed difficult, but Seo-jun kicked off once more. By applying force differently than before, he slowly rotated his body, allowing him to precisely slip past at an angle just as the blade passed. Then, tensing his stomach, he rolled forward and launched the hook. It was time to finish. After all, even if it was phase 2, the number of lives hadn’t increased, had it?
*Clank.* The hook latched exactly, and Seo-jun pulled with all his might to turn the robot’s body. He added a comment as he did so.
“If it were me, I’d have cut the rope with a sword.”
– That was clean
– It’s hard to move like that in the air
– *LOL* Cutting the rope with a sword would be cheating
– Let’s fight by the rules, by the rules
One second. Two seconds. The robot’s body turned, and Tae-woo, who had received the signal, rushed over with perfect timing. “Take this!” *Clank.* Nightmare difficulty, nothing special.
Seo-jun spoke kindly, as if soothing the robot. “Alright, time to go now?” As they slowly headed toward the incinerator.
– That’s terrifying as hell
– Robot, hang in there! Get up! Cut the rope or something, hurry!
– Phase 3, we need phase 3
For the generous viewers who set the mission, it was a shame, but what greeted them was not phase 3.
* * *
As Seo-jun and Tae-woo dragged it to the incinerator, the body moved automatically. Seo-jun and Tae-woo widened the distance to either side, pulling the rope to shove it in all at once. Whether their strength was mismatched or intentional, the robot’s body spun as it entered the incinerator. Inside, the incinerator suddenly turned into a steep drop like a cliff appearing out of nowhere. If the robot fell straight down, there seemed to be no way back up. Fortunately, even while spinning and dizzy, the robot hooked its sword on the doorframe (unable to grab it with its hands, though) and held on without falling. For a toy, its survival instinct was remarkable. “It’s alive thanks to us,” Seo-jun remarked briefly at the sight. And Tae-woo caught on perfectly. “Right. If its arm had stayed one-piece because we hadn’t ‘helped,’ it wouldn’t have been able to grab the doorframe and would’ve fallen straight into the fire pit.”
– *LOL*
– Insane psycho duo *LOL*
– Why’d it fall then! *LOL*
– So shameless
The robot looked like it could climb back up on its own, if only not for Seo-jun and Tae-woo’s interference. Its body had regained freedom. So just as we were wondering whether to push that robot now, Tae-woo’s character spoke.
[Hmm. Push it?]
(＼ ／)
The robot’s expression, once filled with such rage, had at some point turned pitiful.
(ㅠ△ㅠ)
The toy shook its head, dripping liquid—whether tears or oil—and Seo-jun’s character said. [Oh dear. Isn’t it kind of cute?] [Are you crazy?] It was cute, admittedly. [It’s the one that suddenly charged at us the moment it saw us.] [That’s just how this world is. A world where you have to live as you’re set, as you’re made. Attacking us was probably its predetermined task, so it charged right in. Hmm. Shall we save it?] [You’ve really lost it.] [We just need to make it promise not to attack.] [Ha. Fine, do as you say.] [Hey, let us off this once?] The robot nodded its head.
Seo-jun was quietly listening to the narration, while Tae-woo was wandering around here and there. “Seo-jun, I think we need to step back a bit.” Tae-woo judged that with the person who had thrown it in standing firmly in front, the robot couldn’t put its strength into climbing out properly. Seo-jun asked, “Then if I stay here, will it fall?” “The progress won’t continue.” “Ah.”
– Ah, what the... *LOL*
– *LOL*
– That’s crystal clear
– Yeah, this is how you need to mess with the streamer.
“No, I do have something to say. From what I see, the protagonists of this game seem to have quite devilish personalities. So maybe my character said that to give hope and then snatch it away. That intention was...” [‘BigBrother’ has donated 30,000 won!] [Don’t make excuses] “Yes, sir.” Seo-jun shut his mouth and stepped back.
– Beating him with money isn’t bad either *LOL*
– The only way we viewers can beat this streamer
– How does a viewer without money beat him? ㅠㅠ
Whining, the robot climbed up. Then it approached them, smiling, spreading its arms and waving to express thanks.
(^ ^)
The boss fight was over. So they make up and it ends like this? Well, considering the narration from earlier, it’s not incomprehensible. Did it say it acts on command? I wonder what kind of world it is.
“Then, let’s now go to where the mark has appeared on that wall.” A green mark appeared at the lower part next to the entrance where the compactor robot had come in, and Seo-jun and Tae-woo followed the curved wall toward it. Behind them, the compactor robot followed along. It didn’t attack. To think its attitude would change this much just for being saved... But fighting, going all-out, one side on the verge of death, stopping the fight to save them, and becoming friends—that’s practically a classic trope.
When they reached the mark, the compactor robot swiftly passed them and went ahead. Art spoke. [You’re telling us not to go through the main entrance? Because your friends are asleep there?] The robot nodded. [What? Did you gain some kind of ability??] [No. I spoke using my wits. So if there are friends there... then where do we exit?] [Hmm. The protagonist left through that discharge chute using a rope, but we couldn’t reach it. Maybe because we split into two?] [Let’s try combining into one.] [But there’s something I want to test first. I know a secret passage. I had designed it for an Easter egg later.] [Designed? Then does it exist?] [Yeah. This compactor truck was something we’d only thought of as a setting, we never made the actual game file, yet here it is. So the secret passage might exist too.] [Ha. ‘We’—it was probably just you. Anyway, go look for it or whatever.]
Seo-jun placed his hand on the wall with the green mark. Then, the wall moved like a precise mechanical device, creating a small crawl-way. The compactor robot saw this and clapped its hands beside them. Clang! Clang! Sparks flew. “We’re going!” Tae-woo said goodbye to the robot first and entered the crawl-way, and Seo-jun followed him in. The secret passage was narrow and so low they couldn’t lift their heels. After walking a bit, the end of the passage came into view, and Tae-woo, who was ahead, suddenly stopped. Seo-jun went to his side and asked, immediately understanding the reason. “Why?” “Whoa. I zoned out and almost fell.” Because a sheer cliff was greeting them.
“We’re probably supposed to ride this, right?” “Yeah.” Tae-woo pointed to a bar hanging from a rope in front. There were rings on both sides to hook the rope onto, and they were glowing green. Seo-jun and Tae-woo launched their hooks, latched them there, and pressed something like a button on the wall. *Whirrrr.* With the sound of a pulley turning, they rose rapidly upward, and at the spot they arrived... Tae-woo screamed. “Uwaaagh!” *Squeak squeak?* There was a rat? – ??? – Why is he screaming? – It’s just a common rat? *LOL* – What’s going on *LOL*
And Seo-jun, watching the scene, curled the corners of his lips upward. No wonder he’d been less talkative since earlier.