Chapter 33
[I run a sashimi place—thanks, Galju]
Author: SashimiLover
I run a small sashimi place in my neighborhood, and today I hit my highest daily sales ever.
But she was slicing sashimi with a jungle knife, holy shit.
That’s not easy.
ㄴJust watching made me crave sashimi and soju
ㄴI ordered flatfish sashimi delivery too;;
ㄴI came to my local sashimi place and it’s packed. The funny part is everyone’s watching Mystery Rich’s stream on their phones
ㄴLOL
ㄴSo has that bastard Kim Woong officially become part of Reels’s party?
ㄴWho knows?
ㄴFrom the start, Reels doesn’t seem like the type to harshly push people away if they come to her first
[I’m quitting the hag squad and switching over to Nongnongdan]
Author: (113.27)
I got properly red-pilled this time.
Those bitches do nothing but complain all day.
People watch streams to be entertained, not to listen to a streamer whine about her problems;;
ㄴSo you’ve seen the light!
ㄴI was the same at first tooㅇㅇ You’ve become enlightened
ㄴSeriously, whenever Mystery Rich switches to another streamer’s screen, all I hear is whining and sighing, fuck;;
ㄴCan’t they just cut everyone else and only show the Reels party feed?
ㄴYou little shit LOL that’s too much
ㄴWhat do you mean too much? They’re not entertaining
ㄴCan’t argue with that
ㄴI want to marry baby Reels
ㄴLet’s get you to the police station before the child protection laws do
[Kim Woong, you little shit—swear loyalty to Reels]
Author: GymRatWarrior
Even if she tells you to get lost, grab her pant leg and don’t ever let go.
You’re not finding a leader that capable againㅇㅇ;;
Seeing those hag types get taught a lesson by the rain was so satisfying.
Once their makeup washed off, there were two orcs standing there.
ㄴOrcs LOL
ㄴHoly shit LOL
ㄴMan, seeing the female streamers barefaced this time shattered the illusion;;
ㄴWithout makeup, their skin went from Snow White to tom yum soup
ㄴTom yum soup LOL
ㄴTold you, those girl streamers are all makeup buffs and plastic surgery buffs
ㄴMeanwhile, Galju is still ridiculously cute even barefaced, right?
ㄴAs expected, younger girls are the best
ㄴFacts
ㄴIs there no girl around like Galju?
ㄴWhere are you gonna find some rustic cutie who raises a lizard?
ㄴYou couldn’t find one even in fantasy
[So it’s split 3/3/2/2 right now?]
Author: (132.33)
Which team do you think is gonna win?
ㄴNo clue
ㄴFor real LOL
ㄴMaybe because the island is so big, they don’t run into each other much
ㄴOther than one party, donations aren’t really popping off either
ㄴDonating to Reels is pointless anyway since she doesn’t use the API
ㄴI guess I’ll just donate when the content ends and Reels turns on her solo stream. The thousand-won punch squad is sad
ㄴBroke-ass
ㄴNope
@
Mystery Rich’s friend, Han Root.
He’d been in a pretty foul mood lately.
Because of all things, he’d lost at rock-paper-scissors.
With the nature of a 24-hour survival stream, the studio inside the cruise ship needed shifts too.
And he was the one who got stuck with that hellish night shift.
Han Root gulped down some steaming coffee and lamented his fate.
“Ha. What is this, some kind of night watch?”
His voice was thick with the exhaustion of a flipped day-night schedule.
He stared at the monitor with hollow eyes.
“I should’ve just thrown rock like a man…”
The chat was pouring in with messages teasing Han Root.
-Look at how gloomy Root looks LOL
-Half his soul already clocked out
-Root-hyung, are those dark circles under your eyes for real?
-Night watch LOL
-Military PTSD activated
-Just like a loser
-Suffer well for the crime of not throwing rock
-Luck is a skill tooㅇㅇ
Han Root kept reading the chat until he finally snapped.
“No, seriously. Just sitting here watching the contestants sleep is driving me insane. Good thing I’ve at least got you guys.”
-You should be thanking us, huh?
-Tell us a fun story or something
-So Root can’t watch the Reels party?
-Don’t cry, Root-hyung LOL
-Not being able to watch the Reels party mukbang live LOL
Han Root finally slumped deep into his chair.
“…I did watch it. I checked it the moment I woke up.”
-LOL
-So even Root can’t resist Reels?
-She’s basically a cheat code for viewer numbers
-Her charm is insane, and she’s cute too
-Makes me want to book her as a guest for every single piece of content;;
-Can’t you bring her in sometimes as a surprise guest?
-Facts, I never get tired of watching her
Han Root scanned the chat one line at a time.
It was completely plastered with talk about Reels.
It really made him realize just how much attention the contestant Reels was drawing from viewers.
Han Root was also the one who had personally judged her during the audition interview.
He snickered and rested his chin on the table.
“But honestly, even I didn’t think she’d be this good. I was the one who interviewed Reels.”
-Oh
-Interview story time
-Let’s go LOL
-Root-hyung, give us the story
-What was your first impression of Reels?
Han Root’s eyes shifted as he searched his memory.
“So, as for my first impression.”
Hmm.
“I just thought she was some attention-seeking little brat. I figured she was an immature girl trying to stir up drama and cash in on it. Turns out I was wrong.”
-LOL
-Probably what everyone thought
-Who looks at that face and predicts a survival god?
-Now she’s basically a cavewoman LOL
-A talent that even fooled the interviewer
-Documentary junkies are scary
-She even fillets sashimi with a knife LOL
Han Root nodded as if he agreed.
“At first I thought she was just cute. But her raw talent is honestly insane. I’ve already joined Team Love Reels.”
-Team Love Reels, my ass LOL
-No, you little shit, the staff are playing favorites
-Root-hyung, you’ve gotta stay neutral or Mystery Rich is gonna scold you
-Yerin’s totally turned into a Reels mom too
-‘Our Reels is good at everything!’ LOL
-That tiny little thing taming Kim Woong is hilarious
-She even wrapped the staff around her finger LOL
Han Root waved both hands as if he’d been wronged.
“Hey, we’re human too. Some favoritism is unavoidable. She’s the contestant who enjoys the content the most.”
At that moment.
The mood in the chat changed all at once.
-Root-hyung, fuck, we’re screwed
-Huh?
-What’s that on the Reels party screen?
-Isn’t that wriggling thing by the entrance a snake?
-Huh
-Isn’t that bad?
-If it’s venomous, that’s seriously dangerous
-Root, we’re about to have a live incident, we’re fucked
-Switch the feed first and send in the safety staff
Han Root’s expression hardened in an instant.
“…What? A snake?”
He quickly zoomed in on the monitor.
The cave entrance, battered by torrential rain.
Through the cracks between the wet rocks, a long shape was slowly slithering into the cave.
Sliiide.
It really was a snake.
The Mystery Rich team had scouted the deserted island in advance and removed as many hazards as possible.
But small animals like snakes were something even they couldn’t do much about.
Han Root immediately grabbed the radio and barked an order to the safety staff.
“Safety team, we have an emergency! Deploy immediately, please.”
A hurried voice came back over the radio.
-Yes, deploying now!
The atmosphere in the studio froze with tension in an instant.
But then.
Not long after, the chat started stirring again.
-Huh?
-Damn
-Did it sense something?
-Baby woke upㄷㄷ
-Holy shit
-Look at the way its posture changed
Han Root quickly checked the screen.
Baby, which had been asleep on the bamboo bed, slowly raised its body.
Its distinctive yellow eyes turned toward the intruder.
@
Humans aren’t the only ones who try to get out of the rain.
Shaaah.
Amid the downpour blanketing the entire jungle.
Countless creatures were each moving in search of a place to shelter from the rain.
Birds hid deeper within the branches.
Rodents climbed up trees with thick leaves.
This snake was no different.
Sliiide.
Its long body moved as though gliding over the wet rock.
Dark brown scales streaked with black stripes.
A kind of rat snake commonly seen in Southeast Asian jungles.
It wasn’t venomous, but it had a fairly nasty temper.
This cave had originally been part of its territory.
Humid, warm, and able to keep out the rain—a perfect hiding place.
Then one day, humans suddenly appeared.
They built fires and chattered loudly.
They even slept inside.
A few days ago, when Reels went out to pee and happened to run into a snake, it had been this very one.
Back then, they’d both kept their distance and backed away.
But today was different.
With the torrential rain leaving it nowhere to go, the snake had finally come back into the cave.
Saaa.
Its tongue flicked.
The snake slowly pushed its head farther into the cave.
The first thing it saw was a large human.
Leaning near the fire pit, nodding off where he sat.
The snake instinctively stayed wary.
This human was near a hot fire, and far too large.
Dangerous.
So the snake quietly turned and headed deeper inside.
A small, warm creature on the bamboo bed came into view.
A small human.
The first one that had intruded into the cave, and the one that looked easiest to handle.
Too big to swallow, perhaps, but biting it was still possible.
Just as it was about to bare its fangs.
The large lizard that had been curled up asleep near the girl opened its eyes.
Its yellow pupils fixed squarely on the snake.
The air inside the cave froze in an instant.
And then.
Baby slowly rose to its feet.
Grrrr.
It let out a low, short, threatening sound, as if warning the snake not to touch its human.
The snake too immediately reared up, curling its neck into an S.
Their gazes collided in midair.
As if both were declaring this place their territory, they sized each other up in a tense standoff.
Baby hopped down from the bamboo bed.
Tap.
It landed lightly on the ground.
But the atmosphere was nothing like usual.
The dopey creature that normally wandered around with a mild face and its tongue hanging out was nowhere to be seen.
The scales all over its body were faintly bristling, while only its tail swayed low.
Baby let out a growling rumble and slowly closed the distance between itself and the snake.
The snake, too, kept its body coiled and watched the lizard’s movements closely.
Saaa.
The snake’s tongue flicked rapidly.
Once both had finished readying themselves, Baby was the one that moved first.
Tadat!
Its body launched off the ground in an instant.
The snake responded at once, opening its mouth and snapping its head forward.
Whip!
Their bodies crossed in midair.
Each attack narrowly missed.
But Baby was the calmer of the two.
It regained its stance at once and rapidly followed through with another attack.
Wham!
The heavy lizard’s tail smashed straight into the upright snake’s head.
The solid impact made the snake lose its balance for a moment, its body reeling.
Baby didn’t miss that opening.
It kicked off the ground again and shot toward the stunned snake.
The snake barely came to and tried to counterattack by whipping its long body around as much as it could.
But Baby was far faster.
Not missing the opening, Baby bit straight into the back of the snake’s neck.
Clamp!
“…!”
In extreme pain, the snake started twisting and thrashing like mad, as if in a final act of resistance.
No matter how violently it struggled, Baby never let go of the snake’s neck.
If anything, it only put more force into its jaws.
Crack.
Its neck was crushed.
A grisly sound echoed through the cave.
The thrashing gradually came to a stop.
Still holding it, Baby twisted its body once more to make sure the kill was certain.
Crack!
With its neck fully turned, the snake went limp on the floor.
Shaaah.
Outside, the torrential rain was still pouring down.
With the dead snake clenched in its jaws, Baby slowly raised its head.
Its yellow eyes glinting in the darkness.