– Why is the room leader so scary and not saying anything…
– T^T
– I took some serious damage, damn…
– Adella, even though I didn’t like you, I never wished for you to be this unhappy T^T
– Who called her ‘Am-Del’ you bastards!!!
– After going through all that trouble to save her, it looks like Adella’s death in Part 1 was a done deal.
– Is that a firefly? The one that shows up at the end?
– Don’t spoil it! Read the room!
– You’ve already done everything you could!
– Seriously, why did she commit suicide? Is she really dead? Really…?
The chat window was in utter chaos.
Those who knew of Adella’s demise from the start had hidden the information thoroughly.
This story unfolds when you defeat Professor Jin Chronicle while accompanying Adella on Nightmare Difficulty.
Among the Korean streamers who solely focus on rapid strategies, hardly anyone had gone through such a development.
It was always a disadvantage to fight alongside Adella.
Whether Adella survived didn’t affect the clear at all.
Fortunately, the shocking conclusion of Part 1 revealed by a small number of “Adella stans” in foreign communities could only be known by those who truly delved into the community.
– Seriously, are you even human?
– One thing’s for sure, the story writer isn’t human.
– That’s why the Wagal entrance is always about Adella, not Giselle or Luna…
– (Crying Adella)
– I’ve been hanging out in the galleries for a month and still didn’t know; I just thought the bracelet was from a cat person.
– Bring back my cat, you bastards!!!!
Where Adella’s blood had pooled, there was once again an intact ‘Laurel of Life.’
When Na-me picked up the laurel, a different notification sound played.
[Laurel of Life]
[Synchronization Complete.]
[May the blessing of the World Tree be upon you.]
[You can now use 2nd Circle Magic.]
[Level: 9 → 10]
[HP: 2400 → 3200]
…
Dead NPCs disappear cleanly when they are more than a certain distance away.
That’s why Na-me couldn’t leave Adella behind.
Instead, she headed towards the Abyss Branch with the cold, lifeless body in her arms.
– At least say something…
– You’re really going to drag her along to the end?
– Someone please comfort our room leader with donations;;
– She doesn’t look like she’s crying though.
– Maybe she’s too shocked for that.
– Why is this rated 15+? I’m going to report it immediately.
– Me too!
[‘Daehagwonsaengsalryeo’ donated 50,000 won!]
– NoName, are you okay?
Despite the generous donations out of concern, she still didn’t respond.
– Damn, this is backfiring!!!
– Our room leader probably still thinks she’s a high school kid; she’s gonna get trauma.
– Was she a high schooler?
– Didn’t they say she was a girl? Is she really a high school girl?
– What’s going on? Why is an entire building that should be there completely gone?
The Abyss Branch was already in ruins.
There were linear gouges in the ground. It was the handiwork of Professor Jin Chronicle.
Had he anticipated the invasion time too?
They had encountered Na-me’s party while they were all away from their positions, returning from pillaging the main base.
From within the ruins, the Gestalt Branch Leader popped out, groaning.
“NoName? Are you alright? What’s that you’re holding?”
“…”
– Oh please…
– Just show us already.
– I can’t look, I’m too nauseous…
– Just turn it off then. I’ll summarize it for you later in the gallery.
– How could I not watch this?
“Don’t tell me… could it be?”
Pitter-patter goes the sound of rain.
Na-me disregarded her outer coat and covered Adella with every piece of clothing she could find.
Gently laying down the corpse.
As the branch leader peeked through the gaps to confirm this, he broke down in tears.
“Ultimately… it’s my fault… it’s all my fault… I should have gone with her instead…”
– What happened to Repi? She wouldn’t have gone with her, right?
– Kidnapped.
– Kidnapped.
– The original normal story is mainly about rescuing Repi.
– So this is when she got kidnapped.
– No, no. Originally, she was supposed to be kidnapped much later.
– The room leader is losing HP in real-time right now!? She’s about to die!
– It’s the cold gauge! She’s getting soaked without wearing clothes!
[‘Peolwuri’ donated 10,000 won!]
– Recover your health quickly! If you die, so do you!
“Our vampiric clan has the ability to foresee a person’s lifespan.”
[HP: 110/3524 (3200+324)]
“Poor Adella only had less than half a year left…”
[HP: 103/3524 (3200+324)]
“I couldn’t find anything but the means of the Laurel of Life due to my lack of ability. Ignoring the headquarters’ directive to wait to save Adella, this was all my own unilateral decision.”
[HP: 94/3524 (3200+324)]
“I might have been hoping for you. If I didn’t seize this opportunity, I might lose her forever… If it’s your virtue, Forest Keeper, can I borrow it, even for just a moment…?”
[HP: 80/3524 (3200+324)]
“There’s no law stating that she had to die like this, even if she was on borrowed time… it’s all my fault…”
[HP: 72/3524 (3200+324)]
The branch leader explained to Na-me the path ahead.
[HP: 48/3524 (3200+324)]
The group that seized the laurel is related to the imperial palace; he shared what he knew of their suspected sub-organizations.
[HP: 23/3524 (3200+324)]
And he also informed her that Repi had been kidnapped. It was likely their doing.
It seemed Daniel had set off again to retrieve her.
[HP: 10/3524 (3200+324)]
[HP: 6/3524 (3200+324)]
[HP: 3/3524 (3200+324)]
[HP: 1/3524 (3200+324)]
[HP: 0/3524 (3200+324)]
[YOU DIED]
[All Stats are being readjusted]
[Current Penalty (1): -15%]
[NoName (NoName)]
[World of Arseria – Priest Nightmare 10/10/10]
[Broadcasting Time – 3:10:49]
[Number of Viewers – 4043]
*
“Alperion and Ciciela are waiting with six members from the academy alumni. And NoName, we won’t assign you a difficult operation. You are still a rookie and haven’t dipped your toes in our Abyss for long. You understand, right?”
“…”
“Hmm, I see you might need further explanation. It’s quite simple. Just go to the academy’s back gate, distract the soldiers, and run away.”
The system presented yet another annoying choice before me.
[This makes sense; I’ll accept it. / Is the operation from Baldy really that level?]
– How unfortunate, we could have cleared it.
– Isn’t this the first time clearing Part 1 with a 10/10/10?
– In the end, I died without reaching the Part 2 checkpoint.
– Defeating the boss is practically a completion, right?
– If we’re talking about that, I’ve maintained first place since Ballum’s time.
– That’s true?
– When was the last time a hero on a white horse appeared in the storyline?
– After watching ACK broadcasts all the time, it feels good to see a story again.
[You have exceeded the operation time.]
[▶ Is the operation from Baldy really that level?]
“Baldy? Hmph! This is a plan I’ve pondered over for more than two months…! Anyway, you’ll go with Adella tonight. It’s a simple bait-and-switch operation, easy, right?”
The Gestalt Branch Leader kept clearing his throat, awkwardly avoiding eye contact.
At the tip of his finger was a cat beastman wearing a sullen expression.
“The specific operation details will be communicated as Daniel and I circulate among the groups. In the meantime, feel free to introduce yourselves.”
Once again, Adella left for her room before the operation meeting concluded.
She was going to down the beer she had hidden there before the branch leader arrived.
Nothing more to see here.
I immediately ascended the stairs.
Room 302.
I knocked on the door but burst in without waiting for a reply.
The door wasn’t even locked.
“Ugh?”
It was just the same.
Just like before, Adella was in bed, holding up a mug of draft beer, utterly dazed.
[‘WolrMot’ donated 2,000 won!]
– Why not just delete and start from scratch?
“Adella.”
“…”
“Adella.”
“Ugh…?”
Adella’s faint response froze me unexpectedly.
I felt a sense of strangeness. I frowned trying to pinpoint the cause, but nothing came to mind.
“I see it’s you again. You’re really quick to find me, huh? Did the meeting end fast or something?”
Gulp gulps
It was only after she emptied her remaining mug that she finally sat up.
“Cough! Nyaaaa! Hahaha, what’s your name, Forest Keeper?”
Stretching luxuriously, she tossed me the same question as last time.
And here I was,
“NoName.”
And you replied,
“I don’t know who came up with it, but it’s a pretty crummy name.”
Your response was the same.
But what was this strange feeling?
Adella began to pick her nose and blew on her finger.
Her expression didn’t hold a trace of the gravity it once did.
The fact that the first round’s Adella was dead hit me hard again.
Did I fail? Me?
No.
No, I didn’t do anything wrong.
Not even once,
I didn’t do anything wrong.
I can’t be wrong.
I must be perfect.
My obsession flared up again.
Pushing aside the sadness of having to let go of a life, I found it revolting that I was angrier at myself for not being perfect.
Adella plopped back down on the bed and began to doze off.
Feeling pity for her for no reason, I reached to pat Adella’s head.
“Nya? What’s this? Were you just going to touch my head?”
I flinched. Before my fingers could even brush her hair, Adella ducked her head in shock.
With her face red from drinking, she scolded me.
“We beastmen have really sensitive ears, you know! You can’t just pet so casually! It’s rude!”
Right, I could identify the cause of strangeness.
She clearly thought I was an invisible ghost last time when I punched right in front of her.
Even though we shared the same space, many conversations felt futile.
So I chalked it up to the limits of AI.
But for some reason, the Adella of Round 2 seemed more human than the Adella from Round 1.
