Chapter 10: [Craft!] First merger! The wild survival story of a young lady and a fox! [Yuki/Miho/Lunaverse] (2)

“Hmm? It’s a pyramid!!”

Fifteen minutes after we began our desert crossing—

Miho and I finally found a pyramid.

A square-based pyramid, like the ones from ancient Egypt.

Though it was a bit small, probably due to the game engine’s limitations.

But that didn’t matter. The appearance wasn’t important—the real prize was what was inside.

The pyramid was the only place in the desert where you could get useful items.

– Ohhh

– Thank god you found it quick

– gg gg

– Going in right away?

“We have to. I’ve barely got any FP left.”

[FP 1/10]

Miraculously, I had just 1 Food Point remaining.

But having 1 FP didn’t mean I could relax.

The moment that last FP ran out, I’d start losing HP.

If I didn’t want a game over, I needed to find food fast.

“You check upstairs, Miho. I’ll head down to the basement.”

“Okay!”

I went straight down the stairway at one corner of the pyramid.

A dim underground chamber lit by only a few torches.

In the middle of it all was something that looked like a giant sarcophagus, surrounded by small chests.

I didn’t dare touch the sarcophagus.

If you mess with it, something bad pops out, and then you’ve got a fight on your hands.

I kept my distance, circling the room and looting the side chests instead.

[Looted Items]

• Iron Sword ×1
• Gold Ingots ×4
• Bones ×8
• Golden Axe ×1
• Gunpowder ×5
• String ×6
• Golden Apple ×1
• …

My inventory wasn’t big enough to carry everything, but I managed to grab the important stuff.

Among them, the standout prize: the Golden Apple.

Not only does it recover FP, it also grants a variety of buff effects—it’s one of the best foods in the game.

“Got a golden apple!!”

“A golden apple?”

“Yup. It’s got super low drop rates, so we’re lucky.”

– OOOH

– Golden apple???

– No way it dropped?!

– Uhyooo~ Golden Apple GETTO DAZE! Super lucky!!

– wtf lol

– I can’t believe that actually dropped;;

Golden apples had low spawn rates in any region.

If I remembered right, it was around 1%.

So finding one right off the bat in the first pyramid? Insanely lucky.

“Well then, bon appétit~”

Crunch crunch

[FP 5/10]

As soon as I ate the golden apple, my FP shot up to 5.

Golden particles surrounded my avatar as the buffs kicked in.

[Buffs Applied]

• Regeneration 01:59
• Resistance 01:59
• Strength 01:59

As expected from a rare item, the effects were amazing.

I got buffs useful for battle—though currently, they were kind of useless.

“Yuki? Do you have anything I can eat?”

“Nope. That was it.”

“I’m at 0 FP now…”

“…Ah.”

– Ah? Ahh?

– Poor Miho

– AA.

– What a ruthless boss…

– Feed your teammate!!

– You’re not giving Mama food???

– She’s fire-type obedient daughter now

– I’ll become… a pyromaniac daughter-in-law…

“I forgot. Sorry.”

“That’s kinda cold… You ate a whole golden apple and didn’t save me anything…”

“C’mon, I couldn’t help it. There was only one.”

There really was just one. It wasn’t like I could split it.

I didn’t skip her on purpose, so calling me a “fire-type obedient daughter” (TL note: Korean meme meaning someone who ‘devotes’ themselves to their parents by cremating them) is a bit much.

Still… maybe there was something else I could give Miho?

From what I picked up…

Oh, right! There was one thing.

“Miho! Come down to the basement!”

“Huh? Why the basement?”

“I’ve got food for you.”

“Ooh, okay! On my way!”

She came bounding downstairs like a puppy responding to a whistle.

As she descended, her avatar started flashing red and glitching slightly.

She’d hit 0 FP—her HP was probably starting to drop now.

I had to give her food fast, or she’d starve to death.

“Here, eat this.”

I pulled a bone from my inventory and handed it to her.

“……”

Miho was so stunned she couldn’t speak.

After a pause, she replied in an exasperated voice.

“…This?”

“Yup.”

“This… isn’t edible…”

“Why not? You’re a fox. Foxes are canines.”

“I mean… that’s…”

– No way

– bruh lololol

– That’s so wrong

– Speciesism alert!

– Doggo??

– LMAOOOO

– Did she just insult a fellow VTuber?

– That’s a flame

– Roasted like a dog~

“Insult? What insult? I’m just stating facts. Right, Miho?”

“……”

“See? Miho agrees.”

– ;;;

– Koitsu, she’s bullying her lol

– STOP

– ✋

– Please stop workplace harassment

– STOP

– Stop the bullying in the workplace!

“Bullying?! Our company’s like a warm, close-knit family, okay?”

“Warm family or not, can I please get actual food? I’m really going to die…”

Still flashing red, Miho’s avatar was clearly at death’s door.

“Okay, okay. Hang on.”

If I left her like this, she’d definitely die, so I handed her a rotten flesh item.

“……”

“Sorry. This is literally all I have.”

“…Forget it. I’ll find something myself.”

Miho turned her back on me, clearly upset, and started walking—

right toward the sarcophagus in the center of the room.

– No way

– Noona, not there

– Aah…

– It’s over

– RIP

“Mi-Miho!! What are you doing?!”

“Eh? Eh? Did I do something wrong?”

“WHY would you TOUCH the SARCOPHAGUS?!!”

“Huh? Sarcophagus? Wait, what do you mean—”

Too late.

Miho was already standing on top of the sarcophagus.

By the time I could react—

RUMMBLLLEE

The floor began to shake violently.

Dust rained from the ceiling as the underground chamber trembled.

Then—Swoosh—the sarcophagus lid creaked open.

A long, skeletal hand reached out from within—

SNATCH!!

—and grabbed Miho, who stood frozen in place.

“KYAAAAAAAAAH!!!!”

– WTF??

– LOL

– Miho’s scream lol

– Her scream’s kinda cute

– KyaaAAaaAACK

Miho dangled from the lich’s grip, flailing.

I felt a little bad, but there wasn’t much I could do.

The boss wasn’t done with its dramatic entrance yet.

Hissss…

A blue mist spilled from the sarcophagus, filling the chamber with light.

Then, through the fog, a gnarled hand holding a wooden staff emerged.

THUNK—

The staff slammed the ground, sending shockwaves through the room.

A cloaked figure rose from within the tomb—

[Lich]

[HP 1000/1000]

– KUUUOOOHHHH!!!!

The Lich.

One of the boss monsters in Craft.

This was a mid-game boss—way too strong for us this early.

“HELP MEEEEE!!!”

“Hold on!! I’m coming!!”

I quickly equipped the iron sword in my inventory and glared at the Lich.

– Grrrrrrrrrr…

Blue smoke leaked from its mouth, and its eyes glowed an eerie frost-like light.

“U-uh… I-I mean, I’m not bad at games or anything…”

– Bait?

– lol

– Is she about to flee

– That’s weak, Yuki

– She’s gonna run??

– Scared?

– She’s really running for it

“I’m not running. I’m conducting a tactical retreat.”

– Tactical retreat lmaooo

– “Tactical retreat” lmao

– LOLLL

– Assay! Reverse charge commencing!!

– pffft

– So shameless

– It’s not fleeing!!!

Look, I’m not bad at games.

If anything, I’m pretty decent.

Back when I was a guy, I used to play a ton, and being in a younger body boosted my reflexes too.

But that’s only average person standards.

In this situation, even a craft veteran of 10 years would struggle.

There was no way to beat a Lich with just an iron sword.

“Sorry, Mama. You’ll have to die for me.”

“…What? You’re ditching me?”

“Yup. Gotta make sure at least someone survives, right?”

– bruhhhh

– She just said “Die for me” lmaooo

– Seriously wtf lol

– Sacrificing your mother?!

– FIRE-type filial daughter intensifies

– lmaooo

– She just straight-up said it

“WAIIIIIITTT!!! THAT’S NOT FAIR!!!”

Miho screamed with tears in her voice.

But I didn’t look back. I turned and climbed the stairs.

It’s not like I’m abandoning her, okay?

I was just circling around to attack from the rear flank.

That’s why it looked like I was running.

Yeah.

This was my escape route.

“Nigerundayo~”

(TL Note: “Nigerundayo” means “I’m getting the hell out of here!” Made popular by JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.)

– LOLLL

– Nigerundayo~

– I smell JoJo

– OMFG

– Seriously though

THWACK!!

“KYAAAAAAAH!!!”

Just as I escaped the basement, I heard a chilling impact.

Followed by Miho’s short, cut-off scream—

Her on-screen model fell over, unmoving.

She must’ve died from that attack.

Sorry, Mama.

But I had to live.

– KUUUOOOOHHHH

Then I heard the Lich’s howl behind me.

Guess it locked onto me now that Miho was dead?

Didn’t matter.

I was already out of its range.

As long as I avoided the mobs it summoned, I’d be fine.

I sprinted toward the pyramid’s exit—

and emerged into—

the pitch-black night sky.

“…Eh? It’s night already?”

– LOL

– It’s over

– to be continued =>

– lolololol

– gg rip

At night in Craft, monsters spawn.

Zombies, skeletons, giant spiders—you name it.

So before nightfall, you’re supposed to hide underground or build a house.

Problem was—I had no shelter.

In the pyramid? The Lich and its mummies were there.

Outside? All kinds of mobs.

I was utterly cornered.

– Grrrrrr…

“KYAAAAAAGH!!!”

I screamed as a zombie lunged at me. I slashed at it with my iron sword.

Swish, swish, slash!

After a few hits, I finally took one down.

But it wasn’t alone.

All around me, I was surrounded by five, no, six more zombies.

Like a scene from a gangbang AV, I—a helpless girl—was surrounded by drooling, aggressive monsters.

“P-please stop… Surrounded by so many men… I won’t be able to resist~”

“Y-Yuki what the hell are you saying?!”

“Haaaang~ Noooo~!!”

– LOOOL

– ???????

– Bruhhh

– She’s broken

– How does she even think like that lol

– tag:group

– That tag lol

– The lewdest VTuber…

– Real af lol

The wild reaction from chat flew by at hyperspeed.

Surrounded by zombies, my HP began dropping fast.

After just a few seconds—

[HP 0/20]

[Game Over]

The screen turned red and the Game Over message popped up.

I let out a flat sigh and spoke to Miho.

“…Wanna make a new map?”

“…Yeah.”

We gave up on the desert map and made a new one.

In hindsight, we should’ve done that from the start.

But hey—it was fun, so who cares?