Chapter 25
There was something a mentor of mine once said.
The moment you give up, the game is over.
Well, it was something a basketball mentor said, not Teacher Han Seonghwa, but anyway. They were words that lit a fire in my heart.
The moment you give up, the game is over.
Then if you don't give up, doesn't that mean the game isn't over?
The nexus blew up? It's not over yet.
If I blow theirs up in the next game, I'll recover the points, and if I blow it up again the game after that, I'll ultimately win.
Anyway, in that sense.
“Do you think it's possible?”
“Where can't a taxi go?”
I didn't particularly like seeing Mr. Steelix call a surrender at exactly fifteen minutes.
Still, wasn't he the one who'd given me a handful of viewers?
-We're going togetherㅋㅋㅋ
-Wayo Emperor's loyalty bbㅋㅋ
Honestly, it was a somewhat impulsive choice.
I hadn't even considered going into the middle of a city at war.
But….
“Phew~ Nice night air.”
Life was unpredictable, after all.
That's what made it fun: you never knew what was coming.
Across the road, with darkness all around.
In the distance, I could see a city glowing even at night.
“Does nobody sleep?”
I muttered while looking at the city, which somehow seemed to smell of acrid gunpowder.
-For real, nobody sleeps
-Maybe sleep a little less and turn your stream on earlier?
-But do you have a plan?
“A plan? Well, can't we just go in?”
“There's a checkpoint.”
Looking at chat and muttering that, Mr. Steelix, seated in the back, spoke.
“A checkpoint….”
“They'll inspect vehicles on the road, but they won't stop everyone.”
Hmm, checkpoints were tricky.
Still, as Mr. Steelix said, they wouldn't stop everyone.
There wasn't just one or two roads.
They were obviously only blocking the key routes.
For example….
“They're gathered right over there.”
Like that entrance from the southern outskirts into the city.
“...What do we do?”
“Want to hide?”
“Hmm, they'll spot me immediately if they search….”
This game also had a function for hiding in the back of a vehicle.
Of course, if a player searched, they'd be caught immediately.
“Tsk, better than being out in the open.”
Still, it was better than not hiding.
Mr. Steelix squeezed his body under the seat.
“Hey, you there! Slow down!”
I slowly eased off the gas as I headed toward the checkpoint ahead.
There were too many people; pushing straight through looked impossible.
If I just kept driving, I'd end up full of holes.
At times like this, I had to act calm.
Still, putting on a mask was something I was good at.
Hadn't I always lived wearing two masks: Model Kim Ahyeon and Wayo?
Putting on one more would be no big deal….
“Huh?”
…But the mask cracked the moment I reached the checkpoint.
“Pingping?”
Because, astonishingly, a familiar face was working the checkpoint.
-Pingping?
-Good to see you, you Haega bastardㅋㅋㅋ
-Wow, meeting here
“What the hell, you! You haven't shown your face this whole time.”
I hastily patched the slightly cracked mask back together and looked at the acquaintance before me.
The acquaintance was wearing a police uniform, with pink hair tied into twin tails.
Yes, it was streamer Haebin.
…I knew Haebin was a police officer, but of all places, we had to meet here.
“Huh? Ah~”
This was a fairly nerve-racking situation, but it was fine.
Wasn't I a fisherman?
I was ready to fish not just for fish and time, but for people too.
“I heard there was a war, so I came.”
“You're pretty late for that….”
“I only just heard about it.”
Ah, for reference.
On this server, people who had directly exchanged invitation tickets could pretend to know each other under the concept that they were hometown friends.
So that was why that Haega bastard had acted like he knew me.
…Tsk, a police officer I didn't know would have been better.
“Really? But it's dangerous, so you should stay out of the way. You'll have your car stolen at this rate.”
“It's a company car, so it's fine.”
“...?”
-This bitch??
-This is the Wayo Emperor mindset bbㅋㅋ
-For real, it is fine~
-Ah, just have the insurance handle itㅋㅋ
“More importantly, can I pass through?”
“Are you in a hurry? We haven't seen each other in ages.”
“No, you're working right now.”
I wanted to leave quickly.
I answered calmly as that Haega bastard kept trying to chat me up.
-Look how his voice got sweet because he's nervousㅋㅋ
-Wouldn't that make him catch on instead??
...Was I being too sweet?
I furtively looked around, hiding how nervous I was.
There were people in suits here at the checkpoint as well as police.
They were probably the gang that had joined hands with the police.
Haega bastard was worried about me, but being here right now was actually the most dangerous thing.
“Hmm, is that so? Then go on through, and contact me later now that you're in the city!”
“Sure, haha.”
-He didn't notice that??
-Haega's an idiot
-Info) That Haega bastard is playing Zhang Fei in the Peach Garden Oath
Still, fortunately, Haega bastard seemed to have no suspicions and stepped aside.
Well, who would have guessed that someone who'd spent all their time fishing on the outskirts would have the boss of an organization in their car?
Even I hadn't known an hour ago. It was safe to say nobody could have caught on….
“You there, stop.”
…Or so I thought.
A frigid voice came from behind.
“What brings the bitch who only circles the outskirts here?”
-??
-?
-Well, look who it isㅋㅋ
I turned at that cold, familiar voice.
“You haven't shown your face even once.”
A white-haired woman in a suit, just as familiar as Haega bastard, was glaring at me.
‘That damn bunny girl….’
More precisely.
It was Yeongukno, the bastard who'd been wearing a bunny-girl outfit the last time I'd seen them.
I hadn't seen them in a while, either.
It felt like only yesterday they'd been coyly flirting in a bunny-girl outfit in front of the camera.
“What's with the bunny-girl act?”
“B-Bunny girl…?”
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Bunny girl my ass
-That day was pretty damn intense, for realㅇㅇ
“Hey, get out of the car.”
At my thoughtless remark, Yeongukno's expression turned cold as they approached.
More importantly, they weren't normally like that.
They must have chosen a shitty concept for the RP server.
Well, they were in a gang, so they had to act tough like that.
“How's a taxi driver supposed to get out of the car?”
“Talking back to a gang isn't a good idea.”
“You're not a gang. You're a bunny girl.”
“Hey, you…!”
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Why is this bastard provoking them??ㅋㅋ
-This reaction is deliciousㅋㅋ
Just as Yeongukno's RP was starting to crack because of my teasing,
I quietly drew the gun I'd left on the seat beside me.
-Oh?
-Finally?
-Whoa, are they going to use the gun?
Yeongukno might not look it, but they were thorough.
The fact that they'd caught me meant I wasn't getting away just by driving off.
So I had to break through while they were off guard.
Tap tap.
I also gave Mr. Steelix, hiding in the back seat, a signal.
As the gang boss, he was sure to play his part.
Click.
“You keep… Huh?”
For reference, I hadn't done this much lately, but….
-Whoa, finally
-This bastard is finally shooting a gunㅋㅋㅋ
-Why didn't they join the war
Half the games played by all-game VTuber Wayo were
Bang!!
FPS games.
**
The now half-ruined boss of the Steel Gang.
Steelix shouted at Master Wolong, who was driving beside him.
“You're insane!”
“Hoo-woo!”
-Siuuu
-Kyaㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Wow, they broke throughㅋㅋ
Dopamine surged through Kang Seok's head.
Kang Seok and Master Wolong had broken through that checkpoint.
“You're not Master Wolong; you're Lü Bu!”
“Kyak kyak kyak!”
-Look at that laughㅋㅋㅋ
-Wow, they really are Lü Buㅋㅋ
-Who the hell are they???
“Why was someone like this acting so refined….”
Recalling what had just happened, Kang Seok followed Master Wolong and chuckled.
It was truly a scene from a movie.
They'd suddenly drawn their gun and shot the gang members, subduing them in an instant.
Then they'd floored it, spraying warning shots around them.
It left an even stronger impression because they'd exposed themself and fired too.
-For real, why was someone like this fishing??
-Let's recruit them into the Steel Gang??
-Today was a legendary stream, seriously
-Why watch movies???
It was easy to understand why the chat was racing upward faster than ever.
He could never have imagined a scene like this a few hours ago.
“Whew, my hands are still shaking.”
“Hoo—calm down. We still have a long way to go, don't we?”
Just as Kang Seok was basking in the afterglow,
Master Wolong, a trace of gentle laughter still in their voice, asked,
“So, how long will it take now?”
After breaking through the checkpoint,
they were currently racing down the road in a car riddled with holes on every side.
They'd just caused a huge commotion, so no one would be able to chase them immediately, but every second mattered.
“We're almost there. Just keep going straight like this.”
Fortunately, the vacant lot where Kang Seok had ordered his men to assemble was quite close by.
“Phew, good. If we can just get there without any trouble….”
Accordingly, Master Wolong was smiling as they spoke when—
Screeech.
They hit the brakes hard enough for it to feel slightly abrupt.
“What is it?”
“Was it a mistake to say 'without any trouble'?”
As they said that, Master Wolong pointed ahead.
The road ahead.
People were gathered close together beneath the bright streetlights.
They had even brought in a bus from somewhere and completely blocked the road.
“...They blocked it off?”
-What the hell, how did they know??
-Do they have a spy or something;;
-No way;
Apparently, information had leaked from among his subordinates.
Life really was unpredictable.
Just as Kang Seok was racing to become the protagonist,
those people were desperately trying to stop him.
“Well, this is a pickle….”
But though he spoke as if troubled,
Master Wolong calmly said, without showing much emotion,
“There isn't a road, is there?”
“Right.”
“Then let's call this the destination. Get out and run now.”
“What?”
Run? Then what about Master Wolong?
Before he could even ask, Master Wolong turned off the meter and cut him off.
“I'll take a lap around the city while I'm here, then.”
“...Are you sure that's okay?”
Hadn't they just caused a huge commotion?
The entire city must already have put out an APB for that van….
“You worry too much.”
Nevertheless, despite his worried words,
Master Wolong slung a pump-action shotgun over their shoulder instead of a fishing rod and grinned.
“We made it to the destination, didn't we? Why worry about the taxi driver?”
“...I'll repay you someday, no matter what.”
“I got the quadruple fare plus surcharge, so we're even. Don't worry about it.”
-Whoa
-That swagger is incredibleㅋㅋ
-The Great Wolong
-How are they a nobody??
-This is Wayo-longㅋㅋ
Just as the viewers reacted,
the sight bore a striking resemblance to the general from a cartoon Kang Seok had watched as a child.
“Heh, thanks.”
Kang Seok got out of the car without trying to stop them any further and greeted Wolong through the shattered window.
Swish.
Wolong casually waved once in response,
Vroom-!!
and once again, the van tore down the road with a powerful engine roar.
Not toward anywhere else, but toward the makeshift checkpoint where the bus had been parked.
-There, there!
-Shoot!!
Rat-a-tat-tat—!!
“...Man, they're young.”
Kang Seok watched them enviously for a moment,
then slipped between the alleys to rejoin his men.
As a result.
The Steel Gang, reunited with Steelix, ultimately managed to make a last stand.
In time, the Steel Gang seized control of the city and became the owner of the server.
**
On a remote beach with not even a decent road nearby.
“Wow, wow! Skipjack tuna!”
A fisherman threw out their rod and raised both hands high.
-Wakya-paㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Wayo winsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Fucking finally, freedom
-Now please stop fishing
“Wow, I finally caught one.”
So moving spots really had been the right answer?
It was the last spot I'd try before the server ended, and I'd finally caught one.
I stared at the skipjack tuna, an unbelievable size for something caught by fishing.
“Well, look at the size of this beauty.”
It was big enough to pass for a bluefin tuna rather than a skipjack.
Well, was that really so surprising?
-But why is skipjack the most expensive?
-Why is this skipjack so huge?ㅋㅋ
-Is that really skipjack? Looks like bluefin tuna
“Ah, that's a translation error.”
Because it wasn't a skipjack—it really was bluefin tuna.
The fisherman cackled.
Who cared? They'd fulfilled their lifelong wish.
The first large server I'd ever joined had been a resounding success.