Chapter 9: Escape Day 1 (4)

“How did this happen…?”

Han Seola stared at the screen, transfixed.

The game’s NPC, ‘Han Seola,’ mirrored her perfectly.

A memory surfaced from her time as a model for Escape’s developers.

– The NPC ‘Han Seola,’ based on you, can never leave the tutorial.

– …Why?

– She’s designed to attract zombies! The tutorial only gives basic weapons. Even if you’re lucky and kill the first six, you can’t escape the area!

– Why go that far!!!

– Because it’s delicious! Your kind savior gets torn apart by zombies right after helping you! Doesn’t that tug at the heartstrings?

– No! Tug my ass! There’s no tugging!

– Alright, break’s over! Let’s shoot the scene where a zombie grabs your ankle! Yes, perfect! That raw expression is gold!

– HIEEEE!!!

Even now, the voice of that obsessive, clear-eyed, perverse developer made her shudder.

Yes, that’s what she’d known.

The NPC modeled after her, Han Seola, could never survive past the tutorial.

But here she was.

Alive, clearly outside the tutorial zone.

And blushing in a man’s arms!

“How on earth…?”

The answer came soon.

• Wow, what? Using the spear like a pole vault…

He leaped over zombies, fighting alone against enemies on all sides.

A battle pushing physical skill to the limit.

Gulp.

Han Seola swallowed hard, dazed.

• Insane…
• …He’s nuts.
• Crazy…

Normally, her viewers would’ve teased, ‘Angry FluffyBun x100 vs. Pro Streamer ○○,’ but now they were speechless, only gasping in awe.

The real highlight was the showdown with the Patchwork Golem!

• He’s going for that?
• One hit, and it’s game over, right?
• That thing’s not meant for soloing;; it’s for teaming up with survivors to gang up on!

In a perilous situation where a single hit meant game over, the man dodged every attack by a hair, relentlessly harassing the Golem.

Yet, the Golem’s massive bulk seemed to block any decisive blow.

Then the twist came.

Out of nowhere, the man unwound the rope from his arm and started pulling off rope stunts!

Han Seola’s jaw dropped as he swung around the Golem, rope coiling its body, darting freely.

“No way, is that even possible!?”

• Damn, couldn’t copy that if I tried?
• Who is this guy?
• ‘Tangle Yuhyun,’ streaming right now, I think.
• Can’t wait, going to watch!

The Golem didn’t just take it.

Its grotesque body pulsed ominously, clearly preparing a technique.

As predicted, flesh chunks shot out, raining down on the man.

In that instant, he charged straight at the Golem.

“Gasp!!”

Han Seola, immersed, gasped involuntarily.

But—

SLASH——

He slipped through the tiniest gap, decapitating the Patchwork Golem.

“…”

A shiver ran down her spine.

The viewers watching with her went wild, naturally.

I’ve never seen a male streamer do this.

Overwhelming skill, immense intensity, god-tier looks.

A monstrous rookie, a comet in the scene.

Who is he?

Curiosity surged.

Then—

Ding—♪

[‘AnonymousDonor’ donated 1,000 won.]

[˗ˋˏ Congrats! ˎˊ˗ 20-year forced virgin Han Seola finally hugs a man! ˗ˋˏ Congrats! ˎˊ˗]

Seriously, they watched that and sent this donation?

NPC Han Seola’s appearance was just one brief scene earlier.

Yet, true to form, they seized the chance to tease.

• Yesss, Fluffy got hugged by a hot guy lol so jealous
• ???: “Uh, Y-Yuhyun.”
• ???: “C-Could you let go of my waist…?”
• Sneaky glance (licking lips reluctantly)
• Such a tease lol
• She asked him to let go, so why’s she like that? Clueless lol

The donation sparked a pile-on from other viewers.

“That’s not me!!!”

• ? Your personality, speech, looks, athleticism all copied, and that’s not FluffyBun? Then what is it?
• For real lol
• —Bun—

Han Seola bit her lip.

If I’d actually been hugged by that guy, I wouldn’t feel so wronged!

Her avatar got the cozy moment, but she got the mockery.

Was this responsibility without pleasure?

Ding—♪

Another donation hit.

[‘Aiji’ donated 5,000 won.]

[Hey, he’s the first to save you, your lifesaver. Shouldn’t you thank him? You had nightmares and stress from that game lol]

‘Hm… is that right?’

Han Seola paused, thinking.

‘Kinda feels like it…?’

***

Taking down the Patchwork Golem and cleaning up the remaining zombies didn’t take long.

The other survivors?

Dealt with before the Golem reached him.

Hoo—

Yuhyun exhaled lightly, smiling.

“Not bad for a change.”

He felt lucky to have landed in this parallel world.

If nuclear war hadn’t broken out in his original world, if he’d returned there, adapting would’ve taken ages.

He couldn’t have swung spears or fought monsters like this there.

Another reason for his smile?

The nonstop donations!

Ding—♪ Ding—♪ Ding—♪ Ding—♪

[Oooo oppa take me!!!!]

[Tangle Yuhyun! Tangle Yuhyun! Tangle Yuhyun! Tangle Yuhyun! Tangle Yuhyun!]

[So damn cool fr]

Mostly 1,000-won punches, but bigger sums mixed in.

[‘SpearGod’ donated 30,000 won.]

[Ho, was that the finesse of Lan-Na-Cha? Quite the promising lad…]

[‘KeyJobManiac’ donated 50,000 won.]

[Not fully raised yet ㅠㅠㅠ Growing too fast… Can’t you stay a bit longer before going solo…? Mom’s sad…]

[‘AlphaMoves’ donated 70,000 won.]

[You proved it! Showed it! Took down the Patchwork Golem! Flew with the rope! What more do you need to dooo!!!]

‘…They said no reaction’s needed for donations after a performance, right?’

Payment for a show delivered upfront, they’d said.

“Oh, SpearGod, thank you. Yeah, I’m not great with spears, so I could only show basic techniques.”

“KeyJobManiac, thanks again. It’s just my second stream, still a long way to grow.”

“AlphaMoves, the Patchwork Golem was a tough one for me too.”

Yuhyun responded to each donation, mimicking other streams he’d watched.

Bam-bara-bam—♪

A donation with a different tone arrived, slightly delayed.

[‘FluffyBun’ donated 300,000 won.]

[Thank you for saving me.]

‘Hm?’

Yuhyun tilted his head at the hefty 300,000 won and the cryptic message.

“Oh, FluffyBun, thank you so much for the 300,000 won. But… what does ‘thank you for saving me’ mean?”

A viewer’s chat answered.

• Info) Streamer ‘FluffyBun’s real name is Han Seola. Modeled for Escape’s NPC. Rumored to have cried buckets during filming.
• True. Fluffy used her exact face and voice lol
• Devs wanted real reactions, so they made her get torn up by zombies lol

‘Oh! No wonder… she didn’t feel like just an NPC.’

Her reactions were too natural, too human for a game character.

It was all based on a real model!

• Yess, 300,000 won flex. Fluffy’s grown lol
• The real deal’s here lol
• Real Han Seola couldn’t resist the alpha moves lol

It seemed common knowledge, and viewers welcomed FluffyBun’s arrival.

‘This is fun.’

“Yes, FluffyBun, I won’t give up on our Seola. I’ll get her out of this zombie apocalypse.”

As Yuhyun finished his broadcast-friendly line, an urgent voice called from behind.

“Yuhyun!!!”

He turned to see the game’s Han Seola, followed by a sizable group.

Elders, children, and the injured.

‘Those must be the enslaved people.’

Their hands were full of what looked like food supplies.

“You saved them all?”

“…Yeah! You bought us enough time. Oh! And this, it’s huge! Huge!”

“What’s that?”

As Yuhyun tilted his head, Han Seola held out her treasure proudly.

“Bread…?”

“Frozen bread! The survivors here were running a generator!”

In her hands was a perfectly packaged loaf.

“It’s been a year since the virus spread—do you know how rare intact bread is? Most are spoiled or moldy, but this is a miracle! I found the last one!”

She was so thrilled, bouncing in place.

If she had a tail, it’d be spinning like a propeller.

Then, her expression froze.

“…”

With a grave look, as if facing a life-altering dilemma, she glanced between the bread and Yuhyun.

Slowly, she held it out to him.

“H-Here, eat this. You’re hungry…”

‘She really loves it, but she’s offering it.’

Yuhyun chuckled at her outstretched hand.

‘Her hand’s trembling.’

But he’d already stuffed himself with chicken, pizza, and jjajangmyeon in reality.

Here, he just needed to sate his hunger.

“Nah, you eat it. I don’t like bread.”

“…R-Really!? Really? How can you not like bread…?”

She looked like a flat-earther learning the Earth was round.

“Canned stuff’s enough for me.”

She asked repeatedly if he really didn’t like it, really wouldn’t eat it.

When Yuhyun refused, she nodded and carefully opened the package.

“Hehe.”

Then—

“Oops!?”

She fumbled, and—

Plop.

The bread hit the ground.

In a flash, Han Seola crouched with unprecedented speed, snatching it up and popping it in her mouth.

Chomp.

‘…It didn’t fall in zombie blood or on a corpse, but is that safe?’

As Yuhyun stared, she looked up, bread in mouth, and mumbled.

“…It hashn’t been three sheconds, sho it’sh fine. I blew on it.”

“Three seconds haven’t passed, so it’s edible?”

She nodded, dead serious.

• Wow, she grabbed that bread so fast lol
• FluffyBun living up to her name lol
• Three-second rule lol
• Han Seola’s so cute lol
• Wonder what real Fluffy’s thinking watching this lol
• (Banging from behind a bookshelf) No! No! No! Stop!! Stay!!

‘Hm, is the real Han Seola like this too?’

Yuhyun let out a wry laugh, watching her.