Chapter 84: Summer Welcome Co-op Game (6)

【Kang Arin just started Scrap Planetㅋㅋㅋ】

[Just tuned in, and she’s playing with Argon and Kreetzone.
Legendary teamㅋㅋㅋ]

• Isn’t Argon a former pro?
• Wow, that’s a hardcore gaming party ㄷ

【Argon, that crazy guy, the moment a collab with a girl shows up】

[Immediately starts streaming, kind of patheticㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

• Trueㅋㅋ
• Finally crawling outㅋㅋㅋ
• So it’s Kang Arin’s physical skills + Argon’s game sense?

【But why is Kreetzone joining?ㅋㅋㅋ】

[Isn’t he just average? Does he fit in a serious gaming party?]

• There was someone else, but they got food poisoning, so he’s a substitute.

【By the way, isn’t Yoo Seo-yeon playing too? I heard Raidel is with someone.】

[Are we going to see Yoo Seo-yeon?]

【Honestly, don’t you think Kang Arin will take first place?】

[No matter how good Yoo Seo-yeon is, it’s a combo of a pro trainee and a former pro.
Their physical skills are on another level.]

• True, but SilverHair’s team has Siren, and she seems a bit shaky. Doesn’t look like she’s played much.
• Compared to Kreetzone, Siren might be… better? Not sure about this oneㅋㅋ
• Still, the pro experience can’t be ignored. The difference in game sense should be huge.
  ㄴ But didn’t Argon take a break from gaming lately?

【But when I saw Seo-yeon crush that octopus head earlier】

[When Raidel was tanking, she one-shot the tentacle head by immediately identifying the weak spot
and doing a full swing with the pickaxe.
Her playstyle is just different ㄷ]

• For real, I was surprised when I saw that. Other teams just ganged up on it.
• Raidel blocking all those tentacles while screaming was legendaryㅋㅋㅋ She’s unexpectedly good.
• Argon seems to have lost his edge with age, and Kreetzone is just dead weightㅋㅋㅋ
  ㄴ Dead weight confirmed.
• Honestly, if you look at Yoo Seo-yeon’s play, she’s practically on par with pros.
• Even so, in the end, Kang Arin will probably win, right?
  [Seo-yeon has good instincts, but Kang Arin’s physical abilities are on a different level.
  Argon’s experience from years of gaming isn’t gone either.
  Honestly, their team will probably have a better record.]
• Yeah, Argon has an eye for the game. There’s a difference in understanding.
• It’s like Yoo Seo-yeon’s single skill versus the combination of physical and game sense. The latter is more likely to win.
• I also think Kang Arin will take the win. SilverHair is great, but it can’t be helped.

---

“Th-That… AI core, right?”

Raidel gulped and pointed to the object near the defeated monster.

It was on top of a broken control panel,

glowing faintly blue, resembling a high-end graphics card.

– 「That’s it.」

– 「It looks heavy and expensive.」

– 「Gotta loot itㅋㅋㅋ」

《‘SilverHairIsCute’ has donated 5,000 won!》

• Since GPU prices are skyrocketing, they’re telling people to loot them from places like thisㅠㅠ

– 「ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「They really are priceyㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「So true, so true」

“I’ll grab it.”

I moved forward.

As I got closer, I noticed intricate circuit patterns etched on its surface.

I carefully reached out and picked it up.

[Obtained Rare AI Core: Damaged Memory Circuit]

[Acquisition Value: 250 Gold]

Despite expecting it to be heavy, it was surprisingly light.

At the same time, the interface in my vision updated.

[Time Remaining: 21:45:12]

[Quota: 500 Gold]

[Current Amount: 250 Gold]

“250 Gold?”

Siren peeked over and widened her eyes.

“With just this one, we’re already halfway there?”

“Phew… That’s a relief…”

Raidel finally let out a sigh of relief.

“We got a great item right from the start. If we gather just 250 more gold, we can take a breather.”

Reaching half the quota with the first item was a huge gain.

– 「Wow, halfway alreadyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「What kind of luck is that?」

– 「Seriously, that’s a great start ㄷㄷ」

– 「But the time limit is ticking fast. Doesn’t seem like it’s a real 24 hours.」

It definitely seemed like a promising start.

I quietly placed the AI core into the inventory.

The first step was secured without a hitch.

“Now… where should we go?”

Siren looked around the vast area.

Multiple paths extended into the darkness, their ends unseen.

While scanning the floor with the flashlight, I noticed a downward-sloping ramp.

“Let’s head this way. The game is supposed to take us underground.”

“Okay, then I’ll take the lead…”

“No, I’ll go first.”

Raidel surprisingly took the initiative in response to Siren’s offer.

‘Looks like she’s trying to be proactive.’

Although her footsteps were still a bit awkward, it was much better than hanging back.

If only she could keep her screams a bit quieter.

The three of us lined up and continued down the dark passageway.

Squeak… Clunk…

As we descended, the creaking sounds from the old machinery grew louder.

The flashlight’s beam was limited, illuminating only small patches.

The rusty steel stairs seemed precarious,

and occasional drops of water fell from the ceiling,

hitting pools of scrap metal with eerie echoes.

The walls were covered with incomprehensible warning signs and scratch marks.

Scattered around were broken robot parts that looked like skulls.

It was a place that clearly wasn’t normal.

– 「Wow, the atmosphere is intense;」

– 「It’s a bit creepy ㄷㄷ」

– 「Playing this in VR would be terrifying.」

– 「Wouldn’t be surprised if something suddenly popped out;」

– 「Delbung keeps glancing backㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「Siren is sticking right behind Seo-yeon, so cuteㅋㅋㅋ」

‘Hmm.’

I continued walking, carefully scanning the path ahead.

Despite the tension, I felt my senses sharpening in the unfamiliar environment.

After descending for a while, a narrow passage appeared.

Barely wide enough for one person to pass.

Raidel was about to step into the passage when I spoke up.

“…Wait a minute.”

The words came out before I realized it.

“Huh? What, what is it? Is something there?”

Raidel froze, clearly terrified.

Her whole posture screamed, “I’m scared to death.”

Without saying a word, I pointed to the floor.

“Here… the floor color is a bit different.”

It was a very subtle difference—slightly darker gray compared to the surroundings.

You wouldn’t notice it unless you focused.

Moreover, in one corner of the wall, I noticed a tiny sensor-like device.

– 「Huh? Really?」

– 「What’s different? I don’t see it.」

– 「It looks the same to me.」

– 「Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit off?」

Siren also shone her flashlight on the floor, but tilted her head in confusion.

“Really? I don’t see anything…”

“Hold on.”

I took the pickaxe from my waist and tapped the floor lightly.

There wasn’t any particularly unusual sound.

‘Hmm.’

After a brief thought, I picked up a small piece of scrap lying nearby.

Then, I tossed it towards the discolored part of the floor.

Tiiing—

A metallic clang echoed as the scrap hit the floor.

And then,

KURRRRRNG!

With a deafening noise, from the ceiling above the passageway,

a pile of rusty, jagged scrap metal came crashing down like a waterfall!

“Kyaaah!”

Raidel and Siren let out short screams.

CRASH!

The heap of scrap metal instantly filled the passage floor.

A trap.

If we had just walked through it,

it would have been a straight path to death.

“Wow… That was insane. How did you notice that?”

“…It just felt a bit suspicious.”

The floor color was subtly different,

and given the timing, it felt like something was bound to happen.

“I almost… really almost died…”

Raidel’s legs gave out, and she collapsed on the spot, muttering.

– 「Wow;;;; That was almost an instant kill」

– 「How did Seo-yeon notice that?ㄷㄷㄷ」

– 「For real, how do you even catch that?ㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「That trap is brutalㅋㅋㅋㅋ No way to avoid it」

“It’s okay now. Let’s find another way.”

I offered my hand to the collapsed Raidel.

“Y-Yes. Th-Thank you, Seo-yeon.”

Raidel grabbed my hand and managed to stand up.

After avoiding the trap, we started moving again, looking for a different path.

This time, I naturally took the lead,

just in case there were more traps ahead.

We continued downwards, entering another narrow and dark passage.

Unlike earlier, there didn’t seem to be any suspicious signs.

I cautiously moved forward, staying alert.

Creak—

Suddenly, a small sound of something falling echoed from the darkness.

“Eek!”

As expected, Raidel let out a short scream again.

However, this time it quickly subsided.

Maybe she startled herself with her own scream, as she hurriedly covered her mouth.

Not that it did much, given the space suit.

When I looked back, it seemed a few small stones had fallen on Raidel’s head.

“Pfft…”

Behind me, I could hear Siren stifling a laugh.

“Raidel, aren’t you… a bit more timid than I thought?”

“N-No, I’m not!”

Raidel shouted defensively, but couldn’t quite come up with a rebuttal.

It seemed like Siren had also picked up on Raidel’s rather cowardly nature.

“Right. Must have been my imagination.”

Siren still couldn’t completely hide her amusement.

I couldn’t help but smile a little too.

Thanks to Raidel, the atmosphere wasn’t completely stiff.

Actually, Raidel’s exaggerated reactions were providing the kind of entertainment the viewers wanted.

– 「ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「What do you mean you’re not scaredㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「Delbung is being such a wimpㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「She’s really scaredㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「Her reactions are priceless」

Leaving the trembling Raidel behind, we continued walking for a while and soon reached a wider space.

“Huh? This place looks different.”

Just like Siren said,

the area was significantly larger and more complex than before.

Massive waste disposal machines stood dormant,

and conveyor belts lay broken and scattered around.

On one wall, a rusty sign hung precariously.

[Waste Disposal Zone B-3]

“How big is this place…?”

Raidel muttered anxiously.

Just then—

Screeeech—! Thud!

From the distant darkness,

a heavy dragging sound followed by a dull thud reverberated.

It was definitely the sound of something moving.

Or maybe, some machinery still in operation.

“Aah…”

Raidel’s flashlight trembled nervously in her hand.

– 「What was that sound?」

– 「Wow… something’s definitely gonna come out」

– 「Big one incomingㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「I’m so scared I minimized the screenㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「But we gotta gather those GPUs…」

– 「Gotta play as a team for this one.」

I adjusted my grip on the pickaxe at my waist.

Even though the initial time limit was 24 hours,

it was obvious that it wasn’t real-time.

[Time Remaining: 19:31:01]

[Quota: 500 Gold]

[Current Amount: 250 Gold]

Time was running out faster than I thought.

Considering the time needed to head back, we had to move quickly.

Surviving the first day was the priority.

“…Let’s go.”

Just as I said that—

– Bam-ba-ra-bam~!

A flashy fanfare sound suddenly played in my ears.