Chapter 60 : Red Moon Launch (1)

“Hehe~”

Pixel Wars streamer server.

It was already dusk, with the sun setting and the moon rising.

In the sky hung an ominously red moon.

Its color was so blood-red that it almost seemed like it had soaked up blood, exuding a chilling aura.

But despite the eerie atmosphere, as if unaffected by it,Streamer Rabon hummed a tune as he walked through the back alleys of Belheim.

His steps were unusually light.

Rabon.

A male streamer belonging to the Argon Clan.

He was a highly skilled player, almost matching the clan leader, Argon, in ability.

In the Argon Clan, which prided itself on being a select few, each member’s strength directly contributed to the clan’s competitiveness.

And Rabon was an ace player who lived up to the clan’s expectations.

“Ah, today’s hunt was totally sweet.”

Today’s hunt had gone particularly well.

He had gathered quite a few rare materials.

His steps toward the trading post, where he would sell the items, were thus even lighter.

However, the reason Rabon was in such a good mood wasn’t just because of that.

“Ah… Silverhair’s class was amazing.”

Today, in front of the underground gambling den, Silverhair’s gold rush show had taken place.

By sheer luck, Rabon had become one of the biggest beneficiaries of that chaotic scene.

He had been wandering around near the gambling den, looking for the clan leader, Argon, and other clan members.

It was at the perfect timing when Silverhair had begun throwing gold coins around,and Rabon had arrived just in time.

Of course, Silverhair had announced that even those not present would receive 200,000 gold coins each.

But honestly, the amount of gold coins he had gathered from the ones scattered on the ground was incomparable.

It was so much that the comparison itself felt embarrassing.

Thinking about the heavy gold coin pouch, Rabon’s mouth practically split into a grin.

“With this amount of money… I’ll easily keep broadcasting until the server shutdown, no problem.”

When you have a lot of gold, naturally, you can do a lot more.

Even just broadcasting pet summons or item enhancement gets viewers flocking in.

“Plus, the Season 2 opening is almost confirmed, right? The money I’ve earned won’t just disappear.”

Pixel Wars Streamer Server, Season 2.

According to rumors circulating among streamers, Season 2 was expected to be much larger than Season 1.

The key point was that some of the currency and items obtained in Season 1 would carry over to Season 2.

It was a strategy by the server admins to keep the player base engaged as the end of Season 1 approached.

In the end, if you had a solid foundation in Season 1, you could get ahead as soon as Season 2 started.

Rabon, fully aware of this, had been hunting consistently on the streamer server even on days he didn’t stream.

Of course, the game itself was so well-made that the hunting was fun in its own right.

But ultimately, making gold was both an investment for his streams and a streamer’s fate.

In the midst of that, the massive amount of gold that had come his way thanks to Silverhair was as sweet as honey.

“Ah… Silverhair, may you be blessed.”

With a smile still on his face, he turned the corner of the dark alley.

The night scenery of Pixel Wars was so realistically created that it was almost indistinguishable from reality.

Especially in alleys like this, where even the streetlights couldn’t reach,

the area was engulfed in thick darkness, making it nearly impossible to see even a step ahead.

“Wow… It’s kind of eerie, even though it’s just a game.”

It sent a chill down his spine.

There was no sign of life in the gloomy, dark alley.

Just then, he heard it.

Shuff, shuff.

The sound of unfamiliar footsteps echoed in the quiet alley.

Without thinking, Rabon turned his head.

From the darkness, five silhouettes slowly emerged.

Soon, the figure at the front came into view under the faint moonlight.

Rabon flinched without realizing it.

He definitely recognized that face.

But meeting this person at such an hour, in this kind of eerie alley, was something he never could have imagined.

“…CritZone?”

Streamer CritZone.

And the four other streamers who appeared to be his clanmates.

The five of them quickly surrounded Rabon, as if they had planned it.

“What’s going on here? Do you need something from me…?”

Rabon asked with a forced smile.

He had played a few games with CritZone before, so they were on somewhat familiar terms.

While they weren’t particularly close, they had shared a drink together once or twice.

But now, CritZone,without saying a word, was coldly staring down at him.

It wasn’t until then that Rabon realized something was off with the atmosphere.

And the next moment.

CritZone’s lips curled up slightly, forming a smile—or perhaps a sneer—it was hard to tell.

That was the signal.

Shing!

CritZone’s four clanmates simultaneously drew their weapons from their waists.

With a chilling sound, sharp blades glinted in the faint moonlight.

At the same time, the five players rushed at Rabon all at once.

“Cr—Crap!”

A perfect ambush.

Rabon didn’t even have a chance to react before the attack landed.

No matter how confident Rabon was in his control,the clan members of CritZone were also skilled players chosen by him.

They came at him with full intent, and there was no way to escape.

He attempted to counterattack late, but in the physics-engine-based reality of Pixel Wars, a numerical disadvantage was an absolute handicap.

Rabon’s health bar quickly emptied after just a few exchanges.

Crack—!

Rabon’s avatar disintegrated into faint light particles and scattered into the air.

On the ground, only a few of the items he dropped were scattered about.

CritZone quietly watched the spot where Rabon had disappeared.

The only name that crossed his mind was one.

Silverhair.

A brilliant, overwhelming divine being who appeared like a comet.

The aspiring streamer, who had not even officially started broadcasting, was brought in by Rydel, who used a golden ticket to bring her in.

Honestly, there was no denying it.

Insane gaming sense, physical abilities that seemed to transcend human limits, ideas that overturned conventional wisdom.

In every aspect, he was no match for her.

The consecutive defeats in recent events proved that.

‘Yeah… I lost in a direct confrontation. I can’t deny it.’

The bitter feeling of defeat.

His ambition to become the main character of this server was shattered.

All the attention and spotlight in the server had already been focused entirely on this new “Silverhair.”

Especially after she wrote a legend at the underground casino today, the situation had completely solidified.

No matter how much he struggled now, he couldn’t go against that massive momentum.

‘But… as a broadcaster, being noticed is still the most important thing.’

The “Betrayer” system.

One of the systems in the Pixel Wars streamer server.

A player could betray the human faction and side with the monsters.

By joining the monster faction, they could attack other streamers and cause chaos throughout the server.

A sort of villain play.

No one had done this kind of play yet.

Of course, PK (player killing) itself wasn’t forbidden, but in this streamer server, it was almost an unspoken taboo.

It wasn’t just a regular game—it was a broadcaster’s server.

If streamers with their own fandoms started killing each other, it could easily escalate into an uncontrollable “Galld Cup.”

The broadcast atmosphere would turn sour, and public sentiment would be lost.

So usually, unless it was really close friends joking around, PK didn’t happen.

‘Sometimes, you need to take bold actions.’

This was a path CritZone would never have chosen under normal circumstances.

He, too, pursued stable broadcasts, and this was a risk too big to take.

But he couldn’t fade away, buried in Silverhair’s shadow and disappear without leaving a trace.

So, he came up with a bold solution.

Using the Betrayer system.

If a direct confrontation was impossible, he would carve out another path.

If he couldn’t be the hero of the narrative, he would rather become an overwhelming villain who captured everyone’s attention.

In fact, that path would be far more stimulating and could generate even more YouTube-worthy content.

A sinister smile curled at the corners of CritZone’s lips.

Indeed, this villain role suited him much better than being a neat, upright hero.

“What should we do with the items that dropped?”

A clan member asked cautiously, seeing CritZone’s wicked smile.

The items that Rabon dropped when he died were scattered on the ground.

Perhaps because they had just finished hunting, some of the items seemed to be worth quite a bit.

“…We’ll pick them up and return them later. If they disappear, it’ll turn into UFC…”

“Yeah…”

“Let’s pick them up quickly. We can’t let them vanish…”

CritZone and the clan members, who had been laughing wickedly, hurriedly gathered the items dropped by Rabon and placed them in their inventories.

They handled them with careful movements, as if afraid they might break.

It felt more like a villainous club rather than a group of actual villains. 

But there was no choice.

They had taken on the role of villains, but if they caused real chaos, they’d be on their way to ruin.

CritZone wasn’t foolish enough to cross that line.

So, the ambush was aimed at someone he was at least somewhat familiar with.

Once the items were organized, CritZone cleared his throat awkwardly.

“…Ahem. Anyway, how’s the situation elsewhere?”

As soon as the question was asked, another clan member reported, almost eagerly.

“We’ve split up and everything is proceeding without a hitch. We’ve poisoned the giant soup pot in the banquet hall kitchen with venom. We’ve also unlocked the back door of the farm and are in the middle of looting.”

“Good. The initial ambush is a success.”

CritZone nodded with a satisfied smile.

He had shaken up the peaceful streamer server.

At that moment, another clan member cautiously spoke up.

“CritZone, since things are like this… how about we come up with a name for ourselves?”

A name.

CritZone paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

Then, suddenly, he looked up at the night sky.

It was as if he had been waiting for this moment, and an unsettlingly large and blood-red moon hung in the sky.

Its ominous glow stained the entire world in a frightening crimson hue.

In that moment, CritZone’s eyes sparkled.

He turned his back to the blood-red moon and declared in a low, resolute voice.

“…Red Moon. Let’s name ourselves that.”

The worst variable that would shake the server’s order.

And the birth of a group of cheerful villains, craving the spotlight.

The first Betrayer faction, Red Moon, was now formed.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s start the broadcast!”

Anyway, the root of all this was Silverhair.

Soon, all ten clan members scattered across the server would gather.

The full power of CritZone’s clan would be united.

There was only one goal. 

The Silver hair girl.

No matter how skilled Silver hair was, there was no way she could fend off 11 people ambushing her.

“Let’s go catch Silverhair!”