I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work - Chapter 139

Cheon Dohui, who was busy enjoying her broadcast, got a message from Majia unexpectedly, catching her completely off guard.

[Zia Manager: President]

[Zia Manager: If the kids ask, could you say I’m just working and not gaming?]

Dohui knew perfectly well that even if Zia made excuses, it wouldn’t cause any problems.

But just in case, it made sense to play the role of president, at least for show.

[I: What are you up to?]

[Zia Manager: Just in case, I installed an extra mod.]

[Zia Manager: I’ll use it to make things a bit confusing for the kids.]

[Zia Manager: It won’t be for long, just until we reset and head to the Primeval Village.]

[Zia Manager: I feel like it’s the right time since the kids are finding the game too easy right now.]

Dohui had heard the tales of the additional mod that hadn’t been reported in advance.

However, what really surprised Dohui wasn’t that.

‘Was she seriously doing nothing…?’

Dohui knew about the existence of the monster called Doppelganger.

If it was Majia, she would have started mimicking that monster on her own, throwing the members into chaos.

Saying that there was no issue with balancing the game through the mod was based on the assumption that Majia knew how to stir things up.

That’s why she thought it was oddly too smooth.

[I: Anytime.]

[I: I figured you were already up to something.]

[Zia Manager: I figured you’d think I’m just messing around, but I know how to play it.]

[Zia Manager: The kids are surprisingly good at the game.]

[Zia Manager: And I didn’t want to make it too obvious.]

[Zia Manager: I don’t want to pull aggro toward me unnecessarily.]

At least, Dohui could understand why Majia was holding back until now.

Back during Wicker Town, she had a crucial role designated by the server itself.

If she had slacked off, she’d surely be getting flak for it, so it made sense to be serious.

But in this Black Warning collaboration, there was no reason to be that intense, so she was probably just lying low.

That was Majia’s sneaky plan to let the members shine.

[Zia Manager: Anyway, that’s why I’m telling you!]

[Zia Manager: Just use the excuse that I’m busy working and ignore me.]

[I: But your stream is on, isn’t everyone gonna find out?]

[Zia Manager: There are ways around everything.]

She seemed to have everything thoroughly prepared.

[I: Well, in that case, go ahead.]

[I: Everyone knows how busy you’ve been lately.]

[I: But using my excuse too much feels wrong; twice is okay, though.]

[Zia Manager: Yes!]

After sending Zia off, Dohui casually checked the chat on Dora’s side.

— Ugh, so easy.

— Those cowards had double damage as a buff?

—’Mid-tier to upper tier could still be a mystery.

— Please, no screwing around, please no instant d*ath.

— If we can get to upper tier this easily, it’ll be so boring!

Definitely.

It wasn’t just Dohui; everyone was feeling it.

The current game was incredibly smooth.

There wasn’t a better time for Majia to jump in.

That way, they could create some appropriate bumps in the game, the members could suffer a bit more, and they could atone for the pride they had while claiming the game was easy.

…Although, that bump would likely be a huge pothole.

Given how long they had been holding back, it would probably be doubly brutal.

But that was just because the members hadn’t experienced enough of Majia’s wrath yet.

If a malicious entity is being tame, taunting it is a suicidal move, and they should start realizing that.

“Let’s do this, guys…”

* * *

In the absence of Majia, the second week moved forward.

With two out of three workdays behind them, the members were about to purchase the licenses they needed for mid-tier planet.

Lucky for them, the tough monsters barely showed up, so everyone was in a happy mood.

“Do we have more talent for this game than we thought?”

“As soon as you said that, I got weirdly anxious.”

“Why? It’s true. Dora suddenly became a beast and is tearing through monsters.”

“Hehe, is that really the case?”

“Yes. Very impactful charge. Dora’s greatest achievement in life.”

“That’s a sad excuse for an achievement…”

Plus, everyone held a tremendous pride in the fact that they were doing well in the horror game even without Zia.

If Majia had been there?

I was just being the pack mule.

It wouldn’t have been this easy without you all.

We’d probably have gone through a zero-dollar relay and been booted from the company.

Cowards.

…That was probably the kind of dialogue that could’ve happened.

But look at them now; they proved it.

The members were all perfectly capable of handling their own shares and deserved to rise to the mid-tier planet!

[Komari: I think Zia is going to take more time.]

[Komari: Should we just go like this?]

[Dora: If we stop in the middle, it’ll ruin the flow, let’s keep going.]

[Maru: Yeah, let’s just do this for now.]

So, with a TokCode chat where everyone exchanged opinions, the members embarked on their final journey to obtain the launch license for the mid-tier planet.

They dove headfirst into Day 3 of Week 2.

And then— what was the randomly decided planet?

[Planet: NWE-554]

[Note: 90% of this year is night; many sound-sensitive creatures live here.]

— Whoa.

— Is that real? Haha.

— Wow, I’ve been waiting for this planet to appear.

— For heaven’s sake, don’t farm late into the night. Haha.

Dora looked puzzled by everyone reacting enthusiastically at the name and characteristics of the planet.

“What the heck… what’s here? Why are you hatchlings so excited?”

— Ahem, haha.

— No, really haha.

— Come on, hurry up and go.

— I don’t know about Mom, but seriously!

— Hahaha~

“It feels suspicious. Guys, let’s be careful. There’s something here.”

“Okay, got it.”

“Nice briefing, Dora.”

Perhaps because the members moved organically under pressure?

They searched the ruins until sunset, but no special events warned by the viewers took place.

In fact, the members even discovered their first fan character doll on this planet.

Not only did they secure the mid-tier planet license, but they were able to buy weapons and taser guns to prepare for the new planet.

As they swung their shovels and took down monsters, confidence bubbled up in Dora.

“What? This isn’t anything big. Were you guys trying to scare me? Seriously, hatchlings, such fuss over nothing.”

Rain, overflowing with confidence, started running around in the dark indoors without a care.

The lower-tier monsters weren’t that fast, and they were reasonably able to flee. For someone like Rain sprinting around, there was hardly any danger.

“Kiddo, chill out. Nothing special!”

Yet, the responses in the chat didn’t deviate too much from earlier.

— I’ll taste the chill sauce properly.

— You’ll get me killed, lol.

— Chill? More like the shotgun’s chilling me, haha.

— Running around like that, you’re gonna end up in trouble!

When Rain saw that, she exploded.

“Hey, hey, hey! Get it together, puddles. We aren’t that stupid, are we? If nothing’s shown up by now, it probably doesn’t exist, right? Zia isn’t here either; nothing’s a problem. We’re going to the mid-tier planet, no doubt!”

At the same time, the in-game clock hit precisely 18:00.

Suddenly, an eerie sound echoed from somewhere.

[GRRAAAAHHH—.]

It sounded like a massive dinosaur roaring, mixed with metallic clanks.

Anyone could guess a monster had just appeared.

— Hahaha.

— Here it comes!!!

— I told you not to farm late!

— Bye-bye.

— Has it been fun until now?

— Now, let’s head to the Primeval Village~

Confident Rain swelled with arrogance.

“Wait, what’s all the fuss about? Tell me why you’re so worked up, you puddles of mystery!”

— Yep~ You’ll find out.

— Definitely not telling you! Haha.

— Ten hit combo!!!!!! Didn’t you know? If you didn’t, you better get hit!

— No worries, sis, just charge in; it’s going to be fine.

— Hey, you’re doing great, keep it going.

— Chill, bro.

The mischievous fans didn’t want to give away the answers.

However, news of Majia potentially having her last stream spread, resulting in a massive influx of viewers, with about 100,000 combined watching from five different channels today.

Unexpectedly, it was strange that no one had popped a question that could get them banned or didn’t read the rules.

:: Thanks to an anonymous sponsor for donating 10,000 clouds! ::

:: It’s a cursed wolfdog; it’s massive! If you make noise, it’ll hear you and come after you, so be careful! ::

— Ah.

— What the heck.

— No way, for real?

— You’re banned.

— Seriously, how did you not see this coming?

The person who explained immediately got a paid ban, but Rain took in the advice.

“Babies! They said to be quiet! There’s a monster that hears sounds and comes after you!”

“Really?!”

“Shh, shh! This might be dangerous too…!”

“…Mmm!”

Four members who emerged from the ruins carrying metal scraps immediately hushed up and cautiously advanced toward the flat terrain where their spaceship had landed.

Once they reached the open space, the members finally saw the identity of the monster.

Even with the environment being quite dark and overgrown, a massive black shadow was stomping around, making it horrifying.

And even the footsteps went thud, thud.

It clearly showed how massive it was.

The members whispered to each other, but their voices got drowned out by the gusts of sounds from the planet.

“…!”

“!!”

“! ! …!”

“……!?!”

— Still, we’ve no clue.

— For real, we’ll know when we depart.

— Please, doggo, listen to the sounds!

What’s funny was that, compared to the oblivious Don-e, the wolfdog in the game had a remarkable sense of broadcast.

It was prowling around until it perfectly blocked the members’ path to the spaceship.

“…!”

“!!”

The members nodded and gestured to signal that they should turn back.

At that moment, the viewers prayed, please don’t get caught, please!

“GRAAAH!!”

At the back.

A loud noise erupted from where Dora was.

It was the typical scream of Dora often heard in horror games.

Everyone turned, startled, but Dora was waving her hands insistently that it wasn’t her.

The trio who turned to look back immediately faced the charging wolfdog that was already running at full speed!

“Dodge!!”

[GRRRR!!]

A massive body flew and WHAM!

Dora couldn’t dodge in time and was knocked into the air by the wolfdog’s maw.

“GRAAHHHH………!”

— Hahahahahaha.

— Look at her go.

— Farewell, hahaha.

Dora has died.

Maru, who was in the lead, shouted at the sight.

“Let’s jump into the spaceship! Hurry!!”

“What the heck. Did Dora just receive a d*ath sentence? What’s up with that?!”

“It’s looking this way! Dodge to the side while you can!!”

The wolfdog that had launched Dora turned around, now charging toward the panicked members who were fleeing.

Meanwhile, Komari and Rain managed to change direction and escaped, but terrified Maru didn’t hear Komari’s warning to dodge to the side.

Of course, bang!

“GAAAHHH!”

— Hahahahahahahaha.

— Hahaha.

— This is it, lol.

— Into the vast universe, here we go!

In a flash, two of the four members had been taken out, but since the wolfdog had run past the spaceship, there was now a clear path.

Rain and Komari, who were positioned left and right of where the wolfdog had just passed, exchanged glances and nodded.

“…!”

“!!”

Let’s get to the spaceship.

Once we board the spaceship, we can head to the mid-tier planet.

Why? Because they had the fan character doll Komari had collected.

With just one fan character doll, they could purchase licenses and have money leftover.

However, with the situation being so urgent, the two had overlooked one crucial detail.

It was the sight of Dora earlier, who had been flailing her hands, screaming for no apparent reason.

The two sneaked quietly.

Very quietly clearing a path through the foliage.

But—

“Guys… I’m not dead yet. Take me with you! Don’t leave me behind!”

Suddenly, Maru’s voice resonated from behind Komari’s back, and the wolfdog that had just rushed past the spaceship stopped dead.

“What? Maru is still alive?”

“f*ck! No way! Maru, you’re already dead! That’s a Jangsan Bokeum! Don’t be fooled!”

“Geez, seriously!”

— What? Is that a Jangsan Bokeum?

— Huh? Didn’t they just say that earlier?

— ????

GRAAHHH!

The wolfdog came thundering toward them, swerving to dodge, just narrowly brushing past Komari.

“…Yikes.”

But they were close to the spaceship now.

Just a little further.

If they could jump in and hit the launch button.

If they could just transport the doll.

To the mid-tier planet…!

But Komari’s desperate wish didn’t come true.

“It’s too much! Don’t leave me! Please! Don’t abandon me! Too much! Let me go! I don’t want to be stuck here alone! Save me! Save me! AAAAAAHHHHH!! GRAAAAHH!!”

The sudden loud scream from the spaceship alerted a bunch of wolfdogs hiding among the vegetation.

Before long, three wolfdogs gathered around the spaceship.

It had now become a hellscape where entry was impossible.

“Geez… dammit!”

The spaceship would automatically take off at midnight.

They had to clear a path somehow.

But ahead of them, the wolfdog that had flocked to the noise kept pounding the spaceship.

“AARRGGHH! GRAAAAHH! Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!!”

One of the wolves that had passed by Komari ran back toward the spaceship to join in the pounding fun.

There was no way to slip through that chaos.

If they tried, they’d get bulldozed and be flung up into the sky just like the other two members.

— ???

— Hold on, what is going on here? Haha.

— It doesn’t seem like a Jangsan Bokeum? Haha.

— Is there a new mod installed again?

— What is this? Hahahaha.

The viewers were slowly cluing in, and Komari too realized one crucial truth.

The Doppelganger could only play back recordings of things spoken within the game. The screams they heard now were completely made up of words no one had said in this game.

If they had been roaming separately, it wouldn’t have mattered.

But since they were moving together, they clearly remembered.

Someone was messing around with the mod.

And the only person who could do that was none other than Majia.

“Zia! I know it’s you! Come out right now!”

— It’s definitely Majia, right?

— Is that so?

— But Majia isn’t even in the game right now!

Finally, as the wolves drew near, they yipped and gathered around Komari, launching her into the sky.

However, just after her d*ath, a shocking revelation passed from the ghost of Maru to Dora, who had also passed away.

“Hey, that’s not Zia. Zia isn’t doing anything in her stream right now.”

“What?”

— Uh?

— Huh?

— Yeah, she left the game entirely, they say?

Komari hurriedly turned on Majia’s stream, and indeed, she was simply sitting in the game lobby doing nothing.

And like the chat said, she had already logged out before starting the game.

Claiming she was busy with work, the president.

“The screen… it can’t just be a fake?”

“I asked the boss, and she said she really is working.”

…Then who is currently making all the chaos and confusion for the members?

As soon as Dora’s panicked voice was heard, that fear spread rapidly through the chat.

“I… suddenly became really scared…”

— HEEELP!

— What’s going on? Haha.

— This is a mod I’ve never seen before, haha.

— What the heck! This is seriously terrifying…

— Ugh, mom! 😭😭😭😭😭

— I need to change my pants…

— AAAAGH!!!