novelraw Chapter 137 : Perfect Durante (1)
Chapter 137 : Perfect Durante (1)
Perfect Durante (1)
When he clicked 'Start Game,' a logo appeared on a black background, glowing with a red neon light.
[Demon Must Cry]
The neon glow slowly faded, and the black background transformed into a sky filled with ominous clouds.
Soon, the sound of an engine roared.
A man in a red coat was racing down the highway on a black bike.
"Oh, it's the opening."
There was no sense of control.
As he spoke, the chat window reacted instantly.
― WA! Durante!
― That manly scent is overwhelming, lol
― Wow, how long has it been since I've seen this
― It's perfect for the console version, lol
-lol the Elden fan souls are already passing on
― Unbelievable, that's way too fast, lol
As fans of the console version quickly poured out their excitement, the other viewers grinned with a smile.
Gyeongbok glanced at the chat and smiled too.
― So this isn't a remaster
― Yeah, the start is different from the console version
― Then is this a sequel?
― Could also be a reboot, lol
― Oh, come on, you'll know when you see it!
The protagonist, durante, sped down the road for a while.
A tense voice rang out from the bike's radio.
〈Requesting immediate backup! I repeat! Immediate backup!〉
Then, gunshots started to echo over the radio.
― What is it? The police?
― What's going on, what's going on!
-lol the gates of hell are opening immediately
― Are the demons going to show up right away?
― Are the police supposed to catch demons, seriously
Durante clicked his tongue briefly and sped up even more. The bike's engine grew louder, the speedometer climbing.
〈Backup! When is backup arriving?〉
〈Shoot! Just shoot for now!〉
〈Is Divine Agency here yet?!〉
Urgent chatter poured in simultaneously over the radio. The urgency on the ground was palpable, even through that.
― Oh? The Order is appearing immediately?
― Wow, so is this a sequel?
― Or maybe it's a reboot that jumps right into it, lol
― What even is all this, you boomers!
― The seniors won't explain, lol
As the old fans greeted each other, some viewers teased them. But most were content just to watch.
― What? Don't tell me Godple started Demerc without any homework?
― You, you didn't even study after being assigned homework!
― Trooper, tell us yourself. How many hits should he get?
― Stop the trauma!
-lol this attitude is seriously lacking
― Seriously, should've at least watched a summary on Q-tube
― Info: Divine Agency, aka the Order, is the group from Demerc 5, the last console game
― Thanks, wagonSpeed!
Many viewers criticized those who didn't know the story from previous games. Gyeongbok looked at the increasingly wild chat and spoke.
"Oh, so they appeared in the previous game? I didn't know that either."
That one line filled the chat with question marks.
― Eh?
― Seriously, what if you don't know, hyung?
― Jawa jawa~ jawa jawa~
― How could the guy perfect at his homework make such a mistake?
― I like seeing a human side of Godple!
The viewers assumed that, since this was an advertisement stream, Gyeongbok would naturally know all about it.
"Oh, the sponsor actually asked me to play without any prior info."
But once he explained, the mood changed completely.
-lol well, guess you can't help it then
― They're trying to see noob reactions, huh
― Seriously, it'd be too tough if you needed to know the story to have fun, lol
― That's right, the Elden fan are already the caught fish anyway
― They'll probably add story explanations if needed
― Seriously, that's why this is a test build
The viewers were reminded again that the game wasn't the official release, but a test build.
Meanwhile, the situation in-game evolved.
"Run! Run away!"
"Don't come here!"
"Someone, let me in!"
Cars were stuck as if in a parking lot, and people panicked as they tried to escape.
Far off, flashes and explosions erupted.
But Durante just curled his lips into a smirk and accelerated.
-?????
― Seriously, what is he going to do?
― Is he actually going to mow down civilians?
― What the heck is happening!
Viewers were bewildered.
While it was possible to weave between the cars on a bike, the area was already packed with terrified people.
What was he planning?
"Oh?"
Already synchronized, Gyeongbok could feel Durante's sensation from the cutscene.
And what he sensed now was buoyancy.
Durante lifted his front wheel, used the car hoods as a ramp, and launched himself.
― Dang!
-lol that's so Durante!
― This is what I missed about this series!
― Real men: if there's no road, you make one
― It's stylish already, right?
Durante leaped over the cars with acrobatic skill. As he moved forward, the true cause of the chaos became visible.
A sphere wrapped in flames floated over the highway. The area beneath it was blackened, and police and demons exchanged gunfire.
― Is that the hellgate?
― Yeah, that's it
― On console, it was just whatever, but this looks crazy
― Sensei...! Dang, I can't stop saying "dang"!
While viewers marveled at the spectacle—
"He was acting like it was a big deal but it's not that bad."
Gyeongbok's voice brought a wave of question marks to the chat.
"Oh, they applied voice synthesis here too."
He quickly explained: just like John from Bio Crisis, the protagonist Durante had Gyeongbok's voice.
-lol his voice suits him so much
― Durante's cynical tone just fits, lol
― After Sweet Purple, now Grumpy Purple? I like it!
― No manly Godple can be resisted, lol
-lol, if I hear him in my own voice, I'd wanna punch myself, lol
-lol, you'll be able to turn off voice synthesis in the official release, right?
― Are you watching, devs? Suggestions are pouring in already!
The chat was pleased, but the in-game situation was quickly deteriorating.
"Oh no, this is bad..."
"Damn it! Where's Divine Agency?!"
"Mark! Watch your back...!"
"Aaaaargh!"
Ordinary guns were not enough to stop the demons. As the casualties mounted, police panicked and retreated.
As they pulled back, the demons advanced, and the surroundings were further encroached upon.
"Looks like it's cleaning time."
Durante said with a smile, and the cutscene paused.
A message appeared before his eyes.
[Non-Combat Operation Settings]
[Auto – AI handles all actions except for combat movement.
(You won't have to worry about driving in situations like this.)]
[Manual – The player controls all actions and movement.
(You will be driving and fighting at the same time in situations like this.)]
[Tip〉 For first-time players or those without a driver's license, 'Auto' is recommended]
A necessary setting before the real game began.
― Oh? They even support stuff like this?
― Well, since you're not playing with a keyboard or controller, it makes sense
― Seriously, can you imagine old fans trying to drive and fight at the same time?
Gyeongbok, looking at the chat, laughed and said,
"It definitely feels like a convenient feature. I'm surprised they paid this much attention in what's just a test build."
-lol capitalist remark alert!
― Even Black Company is kind to its clients, huh?
― Troopers, be mindful^^
― Wow! Seriously!
― Only a legendary company like CAP COMPANY!
― I'm so! Amazed! It's! The! Best!
― Hyung! Is this what I'm supposed to do?
-lol, it's really a good feature but the chat...
Amidst the playful reactions, Gyeongbok made his choice.
He picked 'Manual'.
-lol, what a contradiction
― Handy convenience feature (not chosen)
-lol, didn't you read the explanation?
― Seriously, 'Auto' is for beginners!
― Honestly, do you expect Godple to pick 'Auto'? lol
― First playthrough (not a newbie)
-lol, doesn't make any sense
― Life hack: if you add 'Purple' to an impossible situation, it becomes believable
― First playthrough 'Purple' (not a newbie)
― Just two extra syllables and suddenly it's valid?
― No one can refute that lol
Gyeongbok added a quick word in response to chat.
"I want to show you as much as I can. Isn't it easier to show off more on manual than on auto?"
That prompted an eruption of 'truth' and 'seriously' in the chat.
Once he resumed the game, control immediately returned to him. He masterfully maneuvered the bike.
― What? Is Godple really playing?
-lol, there's no difference from the cutscene
― Where'd he get those driving skills?
― Seriously, who can ride a bike that smoothly?
― Honestly, this is basically the same as auto, lol
His skill was so impressive that viewers were in awe. Gyeongbok smoothly made his way toward the hellgate.
But only for a moment.
'Is it a battle right away?'
As divine energy activated, his senses flared. He felt a chilling presence all around.
As expected, demons appeared ahead. Bat wings, small bodies, and oddly enough, arms shaped like blades.
― WA! Imps!
-lol those were just fodder on console, but here they're different
― Seriously, an air battle for the first fight?
-lol, they're crossing the line on difficulty, even on auto this is wild
The first enemy, 'Imp,' made viewers nervous. But Gyeongbok reacted differently.
'Same weapons as in the trailer.'
He calmly surveyed the enemies and checked his weapons.
The greatsword on his back, the twin pistols in his holsters—they were exactly like the ones shown at the game show.
'There are some restrictions because of the driving.'
But he felt confident. Even just holding the handlebars and shooting would be enough.
'But the core of Demerc is the stylish action.'
The company imposed no restrictions on the broadcast.
They did ask for one thing: to emphasize the game's identity—'stylish action.'
Gyeongbok quickly scanned the area, then grinned at an idea.
― Smile! That smile!
― The killer smile is here again!
― When he smiles... even demons die...
― Looking forward to demon slaughter is making him cheerful, lol
― Only Godple would be bored by something too easy
Even those who were worried were reassured by his expression.
The bike's engine roared harder. Like Durante in the cutscene, Gyeongbok sped up.
His red coat fluttered in the wind as he closed the gap to the Imps in an instant.
"Kieeeek!"
The Imps screeched and lunged. Gyeongbok lifted the front wheel and vaulted off a car.
The spinning front wheel shredded an Imp's face right in front of him.
With the demon's face as leverage, the bike spun. During the spin, Gyeongbok drew his pistols and fired without hesitation.
Gunfire flashed, and the approaching Imps' heads burst open.
-?????
― Huh?
-lol crazy
― You can DO that!?
-(Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)
― The Elden fan boomers just resurrected Kemalcon, lol
― Double shot double kill, it's the national rule!
Longtime fans were familiar, but even they found it surprising.
But the fight wasn't over.
One Imp survived, using its fallen comrades as a shield and succeeded in closing in.
"Kiek!"
A blade slashed with a wicked smile, but what dripped from that blade wasn't blood, but metal filings.
Sparks flew with a grinding noise. Gyeongbok spun his pistol to block the blade.
He shoved his other gun into the Imp's mouth. Its sharp teeth snapped, its face distorted.
"Easy."
Gyeongbok gave a simple closing remark and pulled the trigger. The Imp's head snapped back as blood splashed like fireworks.
He coolly holstered his guns and landed his bike.
-???: Kinglike
-lol, you can do that in virtual reality?
― Such sharp style, lol
― Whew, we'd miss this if you picked auto
–Yeah, on auto you'd just look like an Elden fan
― This is why everyone calls him Godple
― Stylish action? It's 'Perfect action'!
To a flood of praise, Gyeongbok smiled. But, since this was a sponsored stream, he needed to add commentary.
"Thank you for the praise. Compared to other games, the movement definitely feels lighter and faster. I think they set physical prowess higher so you can really feel the action."
-lol Purple never forgets his homework
― Star student meta, what is this
–Isn't this just because Purple's good at games?
― Seriously, it's Godple's marksmanship that's amazing
But the reaction was lukewarm. Gyeongbok realized something.
'There's nothing here that feels different from other games.'
Normally, he could have left it at that, but this was a paid advertisement.
He wanted both viewers and the sponsor to be satisfied.
"Then, I'll show gameplay you can better recognize. There are still plenty of Imps left."
He sped up the bike again. Before viewers could ponder, the second battle began.
Was the first only a tutorial? This time, there were twice as many Imps.
But Gyeongbok was undaunted. He even smiled brightly.
"If you're a little confident in your physical prowess, you can try things like this."
He let go of the handlebars and stood on the bike—like surfing.
While chat filled with question marks, the Imps approached, shrieking and swinging their blades.
Viewers expected Gyeongbok to simply wipe them out.
"There's less to pay attention to than in other games. I think the system gives you some compensation."
But he defied expectations. Standing on the bike, he dodged the Imps' attacks with minimal movement.
― Wh-what is that?
-lol, he's insane
― So they give you physical prowess boost or what?
― I... I was an idiot!
― Sorry for doubting! Sorry for doubting! Sorry for doubting!
― My mind is breaking! Just kill me! My mind is breaking! Just kill me!
― PerMan! Purplelelujah! PerMan! Purplelelujah!
― This unbeliever kneels before Godple!
The breathtaking display amazed and terrified the viewers. Even as Gyeongbok kept dodging, he looked surprised at their reaction.
"Huh? Wait, I still have more to show you..."
But chat only got more intense.
― He's reading chat while doing that?
― I'm getting nervous just watching
― Auto Kegel exercises, what is that
― Kegel exercise, lol
― We get it, you're a stream genius, enough!
Oddly, Gyeongbok was calm while the viewers were frightened.
That's how precarious his display was.
"All right, I'll show you just one more thing and then finish."
His words froze the chat. As everyone focused, Gyeongbok's body vanished from the bike.
"Kieeeeeek!"
A scream followed.
He leapt from the bike, stomped another Imp, and—like on a skateboard—slid forward.
"See? You can enjoy the game in a 'stylish' way like this."
Emphasizing the company's request, Gyeongbok beamed.
― You can do that?!
― Seeing it like this, there's nothing to say lol
-lol, I feel sorry for the demons for the first time ever
― Dang, as expected of the Black Company boss!
― Is this how editors and managers get crushed too?!
― Why are you submitting a thesis instead of just doing homework?!
― That "didn't I do well?" face is cute, lol
― The devs must be dying of joy right now
― Only Black Company Purple cares for the clients!
Seeing the chat, Gyeongbok smoothly leapt again. As soon as he landed back on the bike, he immediately wiped out the remaining Imps.
"Now you see? In Demerc, you can perform complex moves easily, unlike other games!"
― Professor, no matter how high we set our stats, we can't do that TT
― It's like this: 10,000 × 10 is 100,000, but 0.0001 × 10 is only 0.001
― Seriously, troopers and Godple just have different base stats
― But seeing all this is pretty amazing, lol
― I wonder what it really feels like
Gyeongbok nodded. The reaction seemed good enough.
"Oh, cutscene again."
The brief tutorial ended, and a cutscene resumed.
Durante approached the hellgate on his bike—but suddenly kicked off and leaped away.
'There it is.'
Before viewers could question it, Gyeongbok had already sensed a new enemy.
At the same time, a black spike from the sky impaled the bike. The bike skidded and exploded.
As if on cue, durante landed and turned around.
"I liked that bike..."
He grimaced at the burning wreck and turned toward the hellgate.
Then another black spike impaled his body.
-?
― Seriously;;
― The devs are doing this again
― If it were Godple, he'd have dodged it, lol
― What did he even learn from Bark!
Instantly, viewers complained about the gap between cutscenes and gameplay.
-lol, what staging
― So is this a reboot?
― Newbies wouldn't get this, lol
― There's a similar scene in the console version
― Boomers, no spoilers!
Yet, old fans welcomed the call-back, and Gyeongbok decided to watch the rest of the cutscene.
With a heavy thud, something fell from the sky. Gray-skinned, like an Imp but with much larger blades, standing at least eight times bigger than an Imp—a demon.
"No matter how weak Imps are, you made it here without a scratch."
The creature let out a sinister laugh and spoke.
"That body could be useful if we make you into a demon. Gargoyle himself will take you as his lieutenant."
The viewers immediately understood.
― Oh? I guess it's the tutorial boss?
― So the boss's line changes depending on your fight earlier?
-lol, that's right, it's just like Sandra's evaluation in Bark
― Pointing out you have no injuries confirms it 100%
-lol Been a while since I saw Honeydra
― Why is a demon saying that anyway!
― What! Put a heroine in Demerc too!
― Devs! Take down this feedback!
Gargoyle advanced on Durante. Just as the massive blade was about to fall—
A clicking sound, and two guns aimed at Gargoyle. The camera zoomed in on Gargoyle's twisted face.
"Guh!"
Gunshots rang out, and Gargoyle staggered back.
Durante, who was slumped before, broke the spike and stood.
"Looks like you're lacking calcium?"
He smirked, yanking out the broken spike. Gargoyle's face contorted behind his impaled abdomen.
"You... are you a 'half-breed'?!"
The hole in his abdomen was already closing. It was impossible for a normal human.
"Half-breed? Better to be gorgeous and mixed than ugly and pure, don't you think?"
Durante sneered at the enraged Gargoyle.
― Look at Durante's verbal skills, lol
― Feels like Godple is putting me down? I like it!
― Seriously, if it were in my voice, I'd shoot myself out of irritation
― Why am I crying even though he's talking to the Gargoyle?
-lol Troopers aren't pure either
― Honestly, troopers are better looking than the Gargoyle, aren't they?
― Where do you live?^^
Viewers had fun spamming the chat.
"Huh?"
Gyeongbok suddenly let out a noise of discomfort. Durante had stabbed himself in the chest with his own sword.
Before viewers could react, the reason was revealed.
"How... how can a half-breed undergo 'demonization'?!"
Durante's red coat wrapped around him. It morphed into a dark crimson armor that covered his skin in an instant.
Though called "demonization," it didn't look grotesque like the Gargoyle or Imps.
"Oh wow, it's almost like a suit. The design is amazing."
― Wow, that's a great design
― In the console version it looked a bit like a bioweapon, this is totally new
― It has a robotic feel too
― The red skeleton outline is insane, lol
-lol, this is next-gen Demerc!
― Even the demons are high-tech now
The viewers all agreed.
― Wow... just how well will Godple fight in demon form?
― Seriously, that physical prowess earlier was already insane
― This playthrough is going to be legendary
― Perfect action! Perfect action! Perfect action! Perfect action!
The anticipation bubbled over.
Gyeongbok answered with a laugh in his voice.
"I'm looking forward to it too. Unlike other games, it seems I can break free from more 'realistic' constraints."
With that remark, the chat's mood flipped again.
-lol, his Breath of Guile is so natural
― Seriously, you wouldn't even notice if you didn't pay attention
― What's that supposed to mean?
― For Troopers, godple's play isn't 'realistic' at all!
― But that shows Troopers' expectations are just too low, lol
-???: If you can do it in real life, it's realistic
― Even if only one person can do it, it still counts as realistic!
What he showed had already surpassed viewers' idea of what was "realistic".
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