Chapter 86: Summer Welcome Co-op Game (8)

“What… what was that sound…?”

Raidel spoke in a trembling voice.

Her hand holding the flashlight was subtly shaking.

She tried to act like nothing was wrong, but it was clear she was terrified.

– 「ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Is Delbung scared again?」

– 「Her voice is shaking so muchㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「Running from the mantis earlier was legendary」

“It sounded like something opened…”

Siren tilted her head in curiosity.

I silently stared into the darkness where the sound came from.

“Should we check it out?”

I spoke quietly.

– 「Let’s go~」

– 「I’m curious too」

– 「But wouldn’t it be safer to just farm and survive the day?」

– 「Yeah, you have a 100,000 won mission on the lineㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「What if it gets blocked the next day if you don’t go now?」

– 「It feels like a hidden route, so I’m curious」

– 「If Yoo Seo-yeon is hesitating because of the mission, upvoteㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

‘True. Maybe it’s better to just farm safely and get the 500 gold.’

Since the mission for surviving the first day is 100,000 won,

it might be smarter to just gather the gold and not risk it.

If we go thinking it’s a hidden route and die, the mission will fail.

100,000 won would just vanish.

But,

“It might be a hidden route, right? Solving your curiosity is more important than 100,000 won.”

– 「Wow~~~」

– 「LOL」

– 「As expected from SilverHair」

– 「Truly a streamer who loves their viewers」

– 「Rightㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「Honestly, who can resist a hidden route?」

Honestly, I was curious too.

If it really was a hidden route, it might disappear if we come back later.

“Let’s go.”

I said, and Siren nodded in agreement.

“Y-Yes… okay…”

Raidel, sounding a bit intimidated, murmured.

I took the lead, relying on the flashlight,

moving slowly toward the source of the sound.

Creak, clank.

With every step, unpleasant noises echoed from all directions.

“Th-There’s nothing here, right?”

“…Since it’s a horror game, there’s probably something.”

“Eek!”

Raidel and Siren exchanged nervous banter while following me.

Not long after,

we came to a stop in front of a massive waste compression machine.

“Huh? It’s blocked here.”

Siren looked confused.

“Guess it was nothing…”

Raidel let out a relieved sigh.

“Wait a minute.”

Between the massive machine and the adjacent wall,

there was a barely noticeable gap.

It looked less like a crack and more like a precise boundary.

I reached out and felt the surface.

Beneath the cold metal, I sensed a faint outline different from the surrounding walls.

“There’s… a gap here.”

Raidel and Siren focused their attention on the spot I pointed out.

– 「?? I can’t see anything, it’s too dark」

– 「How did you even notice that?ㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「Her eyesight is crazyㅋㅋㅋ」

“Oh, you’re right.”

Siren moved closer, shining her flashlight at the gap.

“But how do we open it?”

“Try putting your fingers in and pushing.”

All three of us—me, Raidel, and Siren—pressed against the wall like barnacles.

“One, two…”

Three.

We wedged our fingers into the gap and pushed with all our might.

Creeeeeak—!

The sound of heavy, rusty metal grinding filled the air as the door slowly opened inward.

Dust billowed up, proving how long it had been since anyone entered.

– 「This really is a hidden area」

– 「Even TriWiki doesn’t have this listed」

– 「First time seeing this place, for real」

Beyond the door was a short staircase leading downward.

“Let’s go down.”

I stepped onto the stairs first.

Siren followed immediately,

and Raidel took a deep breath before joining.

At the bottom of the stairs, we found a surprisingly spacious area.

“Feels like something from Terminator.”

“Yeah, like that nuclear bunker.”

It looked like an abandoned shelter or a small control room.

The walls were tangled with old, dusty cables,

and various control panels lay dormant, as if long dead.

In the center of the room,

there was a single old computer, thick with dust.

“Should I try turning it on?”

“Yes. But I’m not sure how to…”

Buzz—!

Suddenly, the room filled with static noise as the monitor glowed blue.

“Kyaah!”

Raidel nearly screamed as she jumped back.

The screen flickered with indecipherable text before turning black again.

After a moment, a distorted video started playing.

The quality was terrible—grainy and shaky.

In the video, a person wearing a white work suit—

identical to the player’s spacesuits—appeared.

Through the crackling noise, a broken voice could be heard.

[…If someone… sees this record…]

[…There might still be hope…]

[This place… is not just… You have to go… deeper…]

The figure coughed dryly.

[…The ones called managers… They control the entire system…]

The voice was interrupted by severe static.

[…Ordinary scrap weapons… have limits. Use this. It’s a fragment of… ancient technology…]

An image of a blueprint appeared on the screen.

A weapon resembling a sword,

and another shaped like a gun.

At the same time, my wrist began to glow.

To be precise, the device strapped like a watch was reacting.

The same device that provided information when we scavenged the first scrap.

[Weapon data has been updated.]

[Weapon Data: Laser Sword]

[Weapon Data: Mini Railgun]

– 「??? Laser Sword? Mini Railgun?」

– 「Were those special weapons always in the game?」

– 「Not even listed on TriWiki…」

– 「Why does it feel like an SF game while everyone else is playing a horror game?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

The chat was flooding with comments.

It seemed that no other streamers or players had found this place before.

Like the pickaxe and flashlight I made earlier,

I could now craft a laser sword and railgun if I gathered the necessary materials.

“C-Can we use these to kill the monsters? I want to make the mini railgun.”

Raidel looked at her wrist with hopeful eyes.

A ranged weapon that didn’t require close combat—

considering how easily she panicked, that made sense.

As long as she didn’t accidentally shoot me or Siren, it should be fine.

“So, this place is for crafting special items? Looks like we’ve found something unique.”

When Siren said that,

the voice from the video played again.

The noise got even worse, and the screen flickered as if it would turn off at any moment.

[…The power… to resist them…]

[But… the most important thing is…]

Chizz— Chizzzzz—!

The screen became almost unrecognizable with distortion.

[…The chain… around the neck… this damned shackle…!]

‘Chain…?’

I instinctively touched the necklace.

The biggest restriction in this game—the explosive necklace.

If you don’t meet the quota, it explodes and your head flies off.

It’s essentially the reason why this game has no clear ending.

[…A way to break free…]

Zzzzt—!

At that moment, the video abruptly cut off.

The blue glow from the computer terminal faded away, leaving the room in darkness and silence once again.

“…”

“…”

“…”

A necklace.

A way to break it.

“Is it really possible to disarm this?”

“Uh, I’m not sure? But if we get rid of the necklace… wouldn’t that mean no more time limit?”

The pressure of meeting the quota would disappear.

If the explosive necklace were removed, theoretically, one could survive indefinitely.

That would fundamentally change the game rules.

If that’s possible…

---

Crrrrk—!

Right in front, from behind a pile of rusty scrap metal,

a grotesque tentacle wriggled into view.

A tentacled waste creature shaped like an octopus.

“I’ll draw aggro.”

Argon spoke briefly and rushed toward the monster.

Despite being called a has-been for fun,

he showed his skills as a former pro gamer,

deftly evading the monster’s attack patterns.

“Kreetzone! Attack together now!”

“O-Oh! Got it!”

At Kang Arin’s signal, Kreetzone swung his pickaxe at the monster’s head.

“Ugh?”

He thought he had hit the weak point, but the octopus monster twisted its body just in time to avoid it.

“It’s taking damage. Just keep hitting it!”

Kang Arin also rushed in, repeatedly smashing the octopus monster with her pickaxe.

The monster resisted fiercely, but—

Thud!

Once its HP was depleted, the octopus collapsed.

With Argon joining the assault, they turned it into a meat pulp.

“Nice.”

Argon grinned.

The first monster was taken care of more easily than expected.

“Yeah. Nice.”

Kang Arin caught her breath.

Although Kreetzone’s skills were the weakest, he still managed to pull his weight.

Smoothly, they advanced to the next area—Waste Disposal Zone B-3.

Screeeech—!

A sharp, monstrous scream.

Four creatures that looked like gigantic mantises appeared.

With their numbers alone, there was no way to win.

‘…This is insane. How are we supposed to beat that?’

A pickaxe wouldn’t cut it.

Rushing in recklessly would mean instant annihilation.

Kang Arin made a quick decision.

“Run! To the left corridor!”

At Kang Arin’s shout, the three of them turned and sprinted without hesitation.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The pursuing monsters stomped heavily after them.

One of the creature’s blade-like arms grazed Argon’s shoulder.

“H-Help me!”

Kreetzone almost tripped over a pipe on the floor, but Kang Arin managed to grab and steady him.

“Whew, are we safe?”

After a tense chase, they managed to shake off the monsters.

Hearing the monsters’ footsteps receding, the three of them panted heavily.

“Hah… hah… I really thought I was gonna die.”

Kreetzone slumped against the wall, his legs giving out.

“That area is definitely designed for dodging rather than fighting.”

Argon agreed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“My HP dropped a lot… but not bad for a first attempt, right?”

Kang Arin muttered to herself.

Perfect.

Even she thought it was a flawless play.

“Uh, can I pause for a second? I really need to use the restroom…”

Argon spoke hesitantly.

Caught off guard by the sudden bathroom issue, Kang Arin nodded.

“Oh, sure. Go ahead.”

“Yeah, nature calls.”

The game was paused for a moment.

Kang Arin also took the opportunity to remove the VR headset and get a break.

She took a sip of water while checking the chat on her monitor.

– 「Old man with bladder issuesㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ」

– 「Did he pee himself from the horror?ㄷㄷ」

– 「Argon’s really getting old…」

Seeing the chat teasing Argon, Kang Arin chuckled and spoke up.

“I’ll just wash my face for a bit.”

She made an excuse and got up.

Pretending to head to the bathroom, she took out her smartphone from her pocket.

She naturally opened the Soopjijik community.

‘What’s going on with Yoo Seo-yeon’s team?’

No matter how well they’re doing, their progress has to be slower than hers.

‘Did they get past the mantises? Or did they game over there? They do have some dead weights.’

With such thoughts, Kang Arin casually browsed the community.

“…..What?”

Her eyes widened in disbelief.