Streamer Crazy About Slaughter - Chapter 2
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“Defeating the Desert Drake”
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(Remaining Time: 0 days, 0 hours, 07 minutes)
“Ha… Ha…”
Raspy breaths continued to escape as if my body wanted to express that it had reached its limit.
My mouth was dry from long ago, yearning for water, but the canteens were long since empty.
“Ugh…”
As I consciously inhaled through my nose, I felt the dryness in my mouth intensify, releasing a more painful groan.
‘…I want to go back.’
If I use the consumable item called ‘Traveler’s Return’ from my inventory right now, I can move to a nearby city.
However, doing so would mean that all my efforts spanning a year would turn to naught.
The spellbook that allows for return to the city boasted immense value in itself. Conversely, there were no spellbooks that would transport me to a monster-infested area.
No matter how close the city was, simply moving to the desert area inhabited by Drakes would take at least another week.
……
It was a thought I had already entertained dozens, if not hundreds, of times.
The burning thirst was tempting me to give up, and I kept struggling to erase that thought, only to have it invade my mind again.
“…”
Then suddenly, a silent laugh escaped me.
I thought I was being diligent and working hard, yet here I was in this state.
What monsters had I managed to catch so far? I thought about giving up with only five left.
Moreover, in this world’s quests, failure was not the end. Penalties were imposed proportional to the level of the quest.
The pain I felt when I first gave up on a quest was still vivid in my memory.
Yet what kind of burden would I face if I were to give up on a quest that I could only receive once a year?
I thought that perhaps the pain would be similar to dying, lasting for months.
Then dying might be better. That thought crossed my mind for a moment.
If I had to endure pain that could not be treated by any means for months… it would surely render normal life impossible afterward.
No, I had no confidence in withstanding such torment again.
Step by step, even while lost in thought, I was gradually moving forward.
“…”
It was fortunate that I didn’t have to move across every terrain to hunt thousands of monsters.
And that was also a clear reminder that this world was, without a doubt, a game world.
After some time, the monsters that died were replaced by new ones.
A bizarre form that seemed to deny the very essence of creatures being born from someone.
If I briefly looked away from a place where nothing existed, the monsters would reappear there shortly after.
Surely, monsters that should not have existed in an empty space suddenly returned just by blinking.
“…”
Thud. Thud.
My body, though a character in a game, was expressing severe fatigue.
Just like a real body.
The sharp pain from a cut felt all too real, and the taste of food I had never eaten before came to me as I consumed it for the first time.
Even the NPCs I was so familiar with behaved in ways that deviated greatly from my expectations.
Some NPCs intentionally offered lesser rewards for quests, while others admired my presence, giving me additional rewards.
And in between, there were instances where the quest’s content would inexplicably change, which was confusing.
It felt as if this world itself was a different dimension of reality.
Monsters regenerating, inventories existing, and the existence of hologram-like elements created another reality.
I may have unconsciously started accepting this world as real.
“Kweeeek!”
“Kweeek!”
Had I unknowingly returned to a monster’s regeneration spot? The irritating cry of the Desert Drake echoed in my ears.
Thud!
Thud!
The sound of a large body lumbering closer.
As I raised my blurry gaze toward the source of the noise, even the Drake’s form blended with the desert terrain, making it hard to distinguish.
Monsters and the desert’s landscape seemed like a bizarre painting all thrown together by a child.
However, the fact that the scenery was subtly shifting was almost grotesque.
‘Perhaps… I might d*e.’
Thinking about the view cloaked in vivid colors, I found myself unconsciously considering that notion.
My right hand, holding the Crescent Moon Blade, refused to lower, and even my steps felt unbearably heavy, as if weighted down by something heavy on each leg.
The minimal movements needed to activate skills were painfully difficult, and even lifting my arms seemed taxing.
“Kweeek!!”
At the sound of the Drake’s cry nearby, my body reacted instinctively, even without conscious thought.
My right arm thrust forward with the Crescent Moon Blade, ignoring the cries of pain from my exhausted body.
My other leg stepped forward, activating a technique.
Thunk!
My body felt as if it had regained its strength.
Surrounded by a crimson aura, her leg struck the Drake’s colossal form, and as it drew an arc, the blade descended vertically from above. The red energy began to surge.
“Kweeek!”
At the same time, Lin’s body began to spin towards the other incoming Drakes.
Drawing arcs in succession, she extended the crescent blade, creating zones filled with crimson energy as she faced the onslaught from multiple directions.
Shasha!
Shasha!
The violent sound of rent air echoed as red lines cut through the monsters charging from all sides.
“Kweeek…”
“Kweeekeeek!”
“Kughugh…”
The monstrous screams from the Drakes and the bizarre laughter of a woman intertwined in the space.
Despite the eviscerating pain that made her feel as if her body might explode, she continued to move.
Though my body was at its limit and it knew d*ath was near, I was unconsciously using techniques that suited the circumstances.
– Dance of the Ghost.
– Red Flower.
– Insulation.
– Explosive Drill.
– Bloodstep.
Continuously using multiple techniques like flowing water, unimpeded.
The familiar sensation of tearing flesh and skin.
The moment of impact as I pierced through the monster’s hide rendered a blunt yet surreal feeling.
Each instance resonated with more vibrancy than ever before.
– Ding!
The sound ringing in my ears signaled the completion of the quest, yet I moved as if entranced.
I simply kept swinging my Crescent Moon Blade, slaughtering the Drakes.
……
How much time passed afterward?
Suddenly, there was no sound. No monsters. The extreme pain I had been feeling also vanished.
I simply existed in a pure white space.
Then I felt the familiar weight in my hand disappear.
Even in my dazed state, my hand continued to wave around as if searching for the Crescent Moon Blade.
Moments later, the things attached to my body began to vanish one by one. This bizarre sensation of lethargy repeated endlessly.
“You can return now.”
Then a sudden voice echoed.
I couldn’t tell if it was male or female; it was so alien that I almost wondered if it belonged to a human at all.
Yet the meaning resonated clearly in my mind, making me aware that someone was speaking to me.
“Where… is this?”
In a situation where my thoughts couldn’t connect, I managed to utter just that one question.
It felt as if someone was deliberately rummaging through my mind.
“I never thought you could hunt a million monsters in that world, not even I could foresee that.”
“What do you mean… by that?”
“You’ve worked hard all this time. You no longer have to suffer.”
With that statement from a being I did not know, my consciousness suddenly faded away.
……
ㅡㅡ!!
A sharp pain in my head jolted Lin back to consciousness.
The moment I regained awareness, I reflexively reached for the Crescent Moon Blade.
Swish.
Swish.
But I only waved my hand through empty air.
Moreover, I didn’t even feel the sensation of the straps that should have been around my right arm.
As my dazed mind opened my eyelids, I entered an unfamiliar space.
Blinking slowly and getting up, I felt a soft, enveloping sensation all over my body, but I could rise without a moment’s hesitation.
“Ah…”
At the same time, an overwhelming sense of helplessness gripped me.
The immense energy that should have been present inside me felt like it had vanished completely.
Where holograms should have been in my sight.
Inventory.
The many equipment I had cherished and collected like my own limbs.
I tried to take them out while thinking of all of it.
But there was nothing.
It looked as if everything was gone.
Like a fleeting dream of a single moment.
“Why… why?”
Muttering foolishly, I continued to verify my immediate reality, as if I couldn’t accept it.
A supple body as if I hadn’t trained at all.
Wearing a light cloth garment, my appearance was extraordinarily contradictory to my memories.
The vivid memories from before came rushing back.
Yet all of it felt like a fleeting dream, and this body seemed too strange.
It was as if…
This body was at the same level as when I first fell into that world?
And then I finally took in the space I was in.
It was a place entirely unfamiliar to my memory.
The varied furniture had a refined appearance that hinted at its exceptional value.
And the items placed throughout the rather spacious interior also seemed quite extraordinary.
Table. Chair. Cabinet. Shelf. Door. Closet. Air Conditioner. Computer… Among them, several familiar-looking objects were mingled with some I had never seen before.
One enormous object shaped like a rounded sphere had enough space inside for a person.
But looking at it revealed a clear truth.
This was undeniably ‘reality.’
Not the world of the game…
Literally.
“…Reality?”
Mumbling absentmindedly, I checked the interior again.
Modern devices from my memory filled the room, making it difficult to recall the game’s background.
Absently pulling at my cheek, I winced at the feeling of pain.
“…This is real.”
No.
Then what was this unknown house, and what of this body?
A vertically positioned full-length mirror was in the room. The figure reflected in it was all too familiar.
That was undoubtedly the appearance of ‘Lin’ that I had customized.
My own character.
The one who had wandered the game’s world for years.
In that instant, I realized that the figure in the mirror was me.
The sensation of physically touching my body was there, and the way my thoughts seemed to follow through perfectly was undoubtedly an action only I could perform.
“…How am I supposed to take this in?”
Muttering in a daze, I slumped down against the bed.
An unfamiliar space with a body that was all too familiar yet alien.
That was the reality I had to accept now.