Chapter 178: Even If I’m Scared, I Won’t Give Up! That’s Just Who Lulu Is!

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Sure, I got unfairly blocked along the way, but somehow, I pushed through the terror and made it pretty far.

Well… actually, I’m not even sure if it is far.

I mean, I know where Chapter 1 ends, but I have no idea about Chapter 2.

Still, judging by how long it feels, I must’ve made decent progress. My hands, which endured so much fear, are still trembling.

“Lu… Lulu, you okay? Your mouse hand is shaking…”

“Uu… I-I’m fine…”

“Hang in there a little longer. From what I can tell, we’re almost there.”

Even Yuna, the one who dragged me into this horror game in the first place, sounded worried. I forced a nod, suppressing my emotions, and she patted my shoulder to cheer me on.

[‘blue dear’ donated 1,000 won!]

• Hang in there, Lulu! You’re almost there!
• LOL, this is so pitiful.
• Still, it’s admirable how she’s pushing through to the end.
• You got this, Lulu!
• Fr, there’s not much left—you can do it!

Our stream usually bans spoilers, but hints about progress are fine, so cherries started cheering me on in unison.

Ugh, is this what they call “giving poison and then medicine”?

Now that I think about it, the reason I’m even playing Poppy Playtime traces back to Yuna, and it was the cherries who sealed the deal.

But hearing their encouragement does give me a little courage…

A-anyway, focus on the game! The cherries aren’t that evil—they wouldn’t lie in a situation like this. There really can’t be much left.

With that thought, I moved forward, and an old construction-site-like passage appeared.

Gotta turn left here, right? There’s no other exit except over there… Huh?

“W-wait, it’s a dead end…?”

I followed my instincts, but the path was blocked by a wall. Wondering if I took a wrong turn or needed to jump up, I looked up—

Drip… drip… drip…

“WAAAAAH!”

“KYAAAAAAAH?!”

• LMAOOOOOOOOOOO
• Her reaction is GOLD.
• Nah, even I got scared just now.
• The devs are SAVAGE, fr.

The final boss, Mommy Long Legs, suddenly dropped from the endless darkness beyond the ceiling, using her long, tentacle-like arms to brace against the walls. My scream spilled out like braised tofu dumped in water.

But surprisingly, Mommy Long Legs didn’t attack me immediately. Instead, she started reciting her lines, just like our first encounter.

“Now, let’s play one last game! It’s hide-and-seek! I’ll count now, so run as far as you can!”

“W-wait, hide-and-seek?! So I have to run for my life now?!”

Clank—

“10…”

The iron gate blocking my retreat swung open. The moment her countdown began, I bolted without looking back.

“NOOOOOO!”

“2… 1…”

Her eerie voice echoed in my ears, but I repeated “I can’t hear you!” in my head and ran as far as possible.

Before I knew it, the chase music faded, and a lever—the kind used for puzzles—appeared in front of me.

Squeak—

“Huh? This one isn’t reacting…?”

“Guess we gotta go somewhere else?”

“Y-yeah.”

The first big lever did nothing when pulled. So I went another way and found four levers, each a different color: red, blue, green, and yellow.

Is there a specific order to pull them?

Looking around, I spotted a small hole in the ceiling. I reached up, hung onto it, and peeked inside—

“Oh?! This is the puzzle!”

“Huh? That’s the puzzle?”

• ?
• Am I the only one lost?
• What’s happening?

Inside were small boxes labeled 1, 2, 3, and 4, each connected to a lever by a colored wire.

So pull the red lever first (connected to 1), then the rest in order.

Yuna and the cherries seemed confused, but I climbed down and yanked the levers as memorized:

Red, yellow, blue, green.

Clank— The gate blocking us lifted.

“Whoa! Lulu, how’d you know?!”

“I-I just had a hunch. These things usually follow an order. Figured there’d be a hint somewhere.”

• KYAAAAAAAA!!
• Gaming genius, fr.
• Bro, I didn’t get any of that.
• Puzzle master but a scaredy-axolotl in horror games LOL.

“Sh-shut up! Being good at puzzles is enough, okay?! And people who aren’t scared of horror games are the weird ones! Who wouldn’t scream at monsters like that?!”

Hehe, but the praise did lift my spirits a little. With lighter steps, I passed through the exit—

THUD.

“KYAAAAAAAH?!”

• SHE’S HERE LMAOOOOO
• OH NO!
• Got praised and was feeling good, then got absolutely wrecked LMAO

Once again, Mommy Long Legs emerged from the darkness, blocking my path. Of course, a scream loud enough to shatter soundproof walls burst out of my mouth.

WHAT IS SHE EVEN MADE OF?! HOW IS SHE EVERYWHERE I GO?!

Okay, fine, it’s obviously scripted that way—but still!

Either way, complaining wastes time. Running comes first. I immediately turned around and bolted back the way I came.

“Lu-Lulu! But the exit where the levers were—isn’t it blocked now?!”

“Gah…!”

My heart sank at Yuna’s question.

Oh, right.

When we pulled those levers earlier, the path behind us sealed shut, and only the opposite gate opened. So even if I make it back there, how do I escape? Is there even a place to hide…?

Then—spark—it hit me.

That’s it! Earlier, I could hang from the ceiling to solve the puzzle!

If I hide up there, maybe Mommy Long Legs will pass by without noticing!

“GOT IIIIIT!”

With nothing to lose, I sprinted back to the lever room, looked up, and stretched my toy arm toward the ceiling. My elastic limb latched on, hoisting me up.

Clank. Clank.

From my perch, I watched Mommy Long Legs rush past below, completely missing me.

Just as I thought!

There was even a poster earlier that said:

“Hanging from equipment is prohibited in this factory.”

Which means Mommy Long Legs, being a factory toy, probably can’t hang from ceilings. Too dumb to think of it!

“Hehe, dumbass! I’m up heeeere!”

• LMAOOO
• Smooth-brain monster SMH
• The IQ gap is insane.
• She’s just built different.

I smugly watched Mommy Long Legs vanish, then casually climbed down and retraced my steps. The next area was a dim, cobwebbed space.

At the end of the path—another dead end. This time, with a lever as big as me.

Pull this, and the exit opens, right?

“Guess it’s finally ending?”

“Yeah, seems like it!”

• Frfr
• Bro really just said “Frfr”
• Peak Frfr energy.

Brimming with hope, I reached for the lever. One pull, and freedom’s bright exit will—

THUD.

“Found you, you little shit.”

“KYAAAAAAAAH?!”

The moment I yanked the lever, Mommy Long Legs lunged from the left-side darkness. Furious. I spun and ran.

WHEN DOES THIS GAME END?!

“I won’t miss this time.”

“SOMEONE HELP MEEEEE!”

Her voice sounded closer now, like she was right behind me. Panicking, I sobbed-sprinted toward a small door on the left and slammed through it.

BAM!

I tumbled down a ledge, then—gut screaming “TRAP!”—dove into a sewer grate.

SCREEE—

A giant hand (probably Mommy Long Legs’s) shot out from the opposite side, but with no other exit, I ignored it and veered left, escaping the sewer.

“NYAH! NYAAAAH!”

“Lulu, are you a cat now?”

• My thoughts exactly LMAO
• Bruh she’s zoomin’

I tuned out Yuna’s jab and hyper-focused.

Dead end? Ceiling grapple.

Second floor? Sprint right.

Broken bridge? Swing-jump.

Pit? Throw myself in.

Final lever? YANK.

“HOLY—I DID IT!”

• Her spatial awareness is cracked.
• Did she memorize the route?!
• Terrified yet ice-cold logic…

I cleared every section flawlessly, drawing awe from Yuna and the cherries.

Honestly? No clue how I pulled that off.

Chapter 1 was prepped—this was blind. Maybe fear sharpened my instincts, revealing the optimal escape route.

CLANK.

“Gasp! Yukiko! This is really the end!”

“Whoa, it is!”

The lever raised a massive gate, revealing a long, sunlit exit—the first bright scenery since starting. A dumb, relieved grin spread across my face.

“Hehe… hehehe…”

• LMAOOOOO
• She’s like a golden retriever.
• Lu-triever
• GG.

– “Should’ve died at least once, damn it.”

The cherries teased me for my flailing, but I couldn’t care less. Just let me escape this hellhole! Say whatever you want!

Vrrrt—CLICK.

I stretched my hand toward the final door’s scanner. Haa… I actually made it. Maybe the devs had some mercy, letting the ending be peacef—

THUD.

…Huh? That BGM—

As the lock disengaged and the door creaked open, a familiar, heavy soundtrack pulsed through my ears. My whole body prickled.

This is Mommy Long Legs’s theme.

Which means—

“GRAAAAAH!”

“KYAAAAAAAAH?!”

I whipped around. At the far end of the corridor, Mommy Long Legs was charging at me, her tentacle-like limbs flailing wildly.

YOU MANIAC! YOU FOLLOWED ME HERE?!

Can’t the ending just be NICE for once?! Who hurt you, devs?!

Hop! Hop!

“OPEN! PLEASE OPEN! THERE’S A MONSTER BEHIND MEEEE!”

• LMAOOOOOO
• Who’s she even begging to?!
• The hopping is so cute.
• Still using polite speech even in a panic lol.
• I’d be cursing nonstop.

I jumped frantically, praying the door would speed up. It didn’t. Mommy Long Legs inched closer—until, finally, the door opened. I dashed inside… only to hit another dead end.

Just as despair set in—

“Lulu! The LEVER!”

“……!”

I’d missed it in my panic. I yanked it down, and Mommy Long Legs chasing me—

CRUNCH. SNAP!

—was sucked into the industrial shredder I’d activated. Her body shattered piece by piece.

“NOOOO! LET GO! I DON’T WANT TO BECOME SCRAP!”

“PLEASE! PLEASE…! AAAAH!”

As her screams faded, delayed relief flooded me. I couldn’t hold it in—

“BWAAAAAH…!”

“Lu-Lulu?! Don’t cry! She’s gone now!”

• LMAOOOOO
• Lu-tears
• Why’s she always crying in horror games?
• Too adorable.
• GOOD JOB LULU!!!

Once again, I sobbed uncontrollably while Yuna and the cherries comforted me.