novelraw Chapter 144 : Defeat (Im)Possible (4)
Chapter 144 : Defeat (Im)Possible (4)
Defeat (Im)Possible (4)
Pride.
A word used to refer to the feeling of being proud of oneself.
But sometimes, the scope of "oneself" changes. It expands beyond the individual, reaching the group to which one belongs.
The pride that the viewers felt while watching the stream was of that kind.
― How do you get so good just by growing up like that?
-lol for real, we went through the same education, why are the results so different?
― Ability gap!
― Ah lol, just be thankful Godple was born in Korea
― Luckily we blocked foreign capital invasion lol
-lol come to think of it our country's compensation is the highest
― Oh lol, dollar is second, yen is the lowest lol
― They just don't have faith yet, need more confidence tsk tsk
Just being among those who recognized Lee Gyeongbok first was enough to make them feel satisfied.
As for Lee Gyeongbok himself, he found their reaction adorable, but he couldn't keep watching forever.
"Alright, everyone, let's focus again. The mission complete message hasn't popped up yet."
With that one phrase, the viewers turned their attention like obedient students.
― Purple focus ON!
― Dog chew! Did you prep the cutscene!?
― This is a test build, do you think they expected anyone would beat this?
― Honestly, they wouldn't have set up the quest if they didn't prepare for this lol
― No matter what, I doubt they thought anyone would win like this
This was a boss officially declared as "impossible to defeat."
So did the devs actually prepare post-victory progression?
Lee Gyeongbok resumed the paused game.
"Oh, there is a cutscene."
The moment he lost control, the boss's corpse appeared in the cutscene—exactly in the way Lee Gyeongbok had taken it down.
-lol it's supposed to be impossible and yet they made this
― Oh? The scenario is just as it was?
-nice lol, it's upgraded a bit
― Did they finally get it together after the Bark incident?
-???: There wasn't a rocket launcher. Actually, there was.
― Ah lol, immersion really took a nosedive back then
― A+ for adaptability!
Laughing, the viewers recalled the incident from the Bio Crisis stream.
Meanwhile, durante moved forward. The vines making up the giant tree had withered and drooped.
Inside, opened up like a blooming flower, a pulsating heart had become a lump of blood.
Durante reached his hand inside. Unfazed by the sticky blood, he pulled something out.
-?
― What's that?
― Looks like a jewel?
― Why would a heart have a jewel tho;;;
― It looks kind of like jade, round and smooth?
― Oh lol, I get it. He wanted to use the parasite to start a jade mat business
― Why bring up jade mats all of a sudden lol
― Multi-level marketing what? lololol
The viewers wondered what it was.
― Never saw that in the console version, though?
― Must be a new setting for the reboot?
― At any rate, must be important!
― If you think about containers, anything in a cutscene is a big deal
The old veterans felt the same.
"Sir Durante!"
"Are you alright?!"
Familiar voices rang out then.
When Durante turned, beatrice and Caron were there.
"Are you injured?"
"What about the memory—the memory chip!?"
The simultaneous questions immediately sparked chat reaction.
-lol look at Baldy prioritizing the memory chip!
― Definitely a mad scientist character lol
― Meanwhile, saint-nunna is a real angel!
― Not actually an angel, right?
-lol, can't argue with that
Instead of replying, durante pulled out the memory chip. As Caron's face brightened, durante flicked the chip lightly with his thumb.
"Eh? Ah! No—!"
As the memory chip flew through the air, caron turned pale and dove for it, barely catching it in time.
"Keheuk... please don't throw it like that..."
He wheezed, prompting the chat to erupt in laughter.
-dang! That's so Durante!
― Seriously;;; what if he broke it?
― Nah, only weaklings worry like that
-lol, if it's Durante, he's calculated everything
― Leveling up from macho man to super macho lol
Durante lightly ignored Caron's complaints and turned to Beatrice.
"Let me thank you on behalf of everyone. Thanks to you, many lives were saved."
She bowed her head respectfully and expressed her thanks.
"With the parent (host) destroyed, all other parasites died as well. With this... the Holy Knights should finally know peace."
Though she tried to act composed, her lips quivered slightly. Perhaps she was trying to hide her agitation.
She steadied her breath and changed her expression.
"This event has made me even more confident in my judgment."
"Confident?"
Durante's brow furrowed.
"Yes. After all, I was listening to Branch Manager Caron's stream, too. Despite being able to leave, you chose to help."
She ended with a gentle smile.
"Truly, you are—closer to human than demon, I believe."
Warmth radiated from her gaze at Durante. The positive energy Lee Gyeongbok's intuition picked up became even stronger.
― Kkk! This is it lol
― The heroine that believes in the protagonist is so cute!
― How high is the stack going to get!?
-lol, but honestly Godple just did it for the quest
-lol, now even the NPCs are being tricked!
― Saint-nunna, don't be fooled! He's just doing it for the money!
― Ah lol, loving money is definitely a human trait
Satisfied, the chat didn't miss the chance to tease Lee Gyeongbok.
While Lee Gyeongbok laughed it off, durante let out a cold chuckle.
"I hunted because there was a demon in front of me, nothing more."
Even at his dismissal, beatrice's gaze didn't change.
"That too is not demonic, but uniquely you."
As Durante was about to retort—
"Eh? Eeeeeeeeeh!"
A voice, like a startled cry, suddenly interrupted. The two turned to see Caron, now recovered, his jaw dropped.
― Seriously;;; the mood was good and then he interrupts
― Doesn't he know when to get in and out!?
-lol what's that, some Paleozoic period slang?
― Maybe his roots left early because he doesn't know when to leave?
― Shocking lol, too harsh
― My roots, don't listen, it's not your fault!
Fortunately, caron couldn't see the chat. He raised his hand and pointed at Durante.
"T-that! Where did you get that!?"
His finger was pointed exactly at the jewel in Durante's hand.
Despite such a strong reaction, durante merely looked bored. Too lazy to answer, he gestured with a nod towards the burst heart.
― If he reacts like that, it's gotta be special
― For a boss officially unbeatable, it better be special, right?
― Is this the big one? Is the big one coming?
Caron gulped and rolled his eyes.
"This shape, color, even the texture... I've definitely seen it in the data before? Ah! High demons were said to possess something called a 'Demonheart,' yeah! That's it!"
His breathing grew rough as he muttered, then suddenly he lifted his head.
"Sir Durante! Please, would you entrust it to me? I'm sure if I research it, there could be some incredible discovery—"
"You're not one for moderation."
His rapid-fire words halted instantly at Durante's cold remark.
Glancing at Beatrice, durante spoke.
"You said we'd cooperate, but all I've heard so far here are one-sided demands."
"T-that...!"
"N-no! I'll make sure to compensate you! Just name it—please, let me have it...!"
Before Beatrice could answer, caron reached out pleadingly.
Durante snorted and flicked the gem, catching it in his gauntlet.
"Keep your end of the bargain first... hm?"
Suddenly, durante's eyes sharpened. The gauntlet—Celestial Cube—started to hum and vibrate.
The other two also turned their gaze toward it.
― What? Why is it like this all of a sudden?
― Looks like the cube is absorbing it?
-lol, here we go!
― Stacked the quest so well, huh!
The viewers, too, watched with ravished attention. The gauntlet began to transform at once, soon becoming a thorn whip.
"What is this?"
"H-h-how did this happen, branch manager Caron?"
Caron, the only possible one to know, gazed at the transformed cube and answered, entranced.
"What on earth...? The Celestial Cube and Demonheart are resonating?"
"Is it because of the demon blood?"
"No, no! There's no record of this in the data! Demonheart never did this—"
Caron's anxious eyes suddenly flicked to Durante.
"If there's one anomaly in the data—Sir Durante, it's you."
"What?"
"There's never been a cube holding the blood of a half-human, half-demon before! Clearly, your unique trait is the cause of this resonance...!"
As Caron's volume rose, he suddenly stopped. And in that pose, he toppled over to the side.
― Huh? Why'd he suddenly do that?
-lol, touched the thorns and got pricked lol
― Does the whip have boss properties, maybe?
-lol, what is this lol
Entranced and examining the whip, caron had gotten hurt. Beatrice quickly checked on him, startled.
"Branch Manager?! Are you okay!?"
Meanwhile, durante only sighed as he looked down at him.
Soon, the screen faded to black.
-lol, console system carryover here lol
― If you beat the boss, you originally got a weapon themed after them
― Yup, they seem to have adapted that
― That's kind of Demerc tradition, I guess?
The veteran viewers instantly understood the situation. Meanwhile, as the black screen lightened, the location changed.
"Oh, it's the lab again."
It was the room where they had first met Caron.
Time seemed to have passed; Caron was moving again.
"Ugh, can't open one eye. Gotta note that the paralysis duration was quite long."
But since the paralysis hadn't completely worn off, he kept winking as he blinked.
The chat overflowed with 'lol.'
"Ahem, now then, let me explain the information Sir Durante requested."
But when he said that, viewers focused their attention.
"Our Divine Agency and church have been researching methods to track hellgate formation sites in advance, in preparation for demon invasions."
At Caron's gestures, all kinds of data screens were projected as holograms.
It wasn't just the burning sphere that the Gargoyle had guarded—there was one exuding cold like dry ice, one flowing like mud, another swirling like squid ink.
"But the cause was far beyond the scope of human knowledge. There'd been no breakthrough. So, up until now, the best we could do was to track the special waves that occur when a hellgate opens..."
"Just the main point."
As the explanation started to drag, durante cut him off with a low voice.
Swallowing hard, caron operated the device again. The holograms changed, and a new set of data screens appeared.
― Why a desert all of a sudden?
― Why's there a city in the desert?
― Probably modeled after Las Vegas?
― It's totally destroyed, though?
An image of a desolate desert with a city in ruins appeared. Quando saw it, durante's expression hardened.
Standing nearby, beatrice stealthily glanced at his face.
"The place where the demon invasion began."
Caron continued the explanation.
"Now we call it 'Rusty Symmetry.' Unprecedentedly strong waves have been detected from below this city. And they're only getting stronger."
"It's considered top secret even within the church, because the chaos it could trigger would be immense."
Beatrice added carefully.
"Judging by the scale and intensity of the wave, it's similar to the initial invasion. Maybe, just like then, a massive gate connecting directly to hell will open—but we can't say for certain."
Caron scrunched his nose and crossed his arms.
"There were a lot of variables even then. Enough demons poured out to destroy an entire city, but there weren't more casualties. Survivor accounts were limited, so we couldn't find out more. That could happen again this time..."
"No, this time it'll be different."
Suddenly, durante stood and declared. The other two stared wide-eyed.
"Excuse me?"
"What do you...?"
Regardless, durante immediately turned away.
"Wait, where are you going!?"
Beatrice called out as she hurried after him. But Durante did not stop.
"Surely you're not going alone!? Please, let's cooperate...!"
Beatrice's voice faded as she chased after him.
Left behind, caron blinked helplessly.
Still with just one eye, at that.
― Ah lol, he's leaving as soon as the business is done
― Ultimate macho man lol
― So, next is fighting the demon legion there?
― Oh... this time the scale looks to go up a notch?
Viewers assumed this was the end of the cutscene.
"Different? What do you mean, different? How would you know?"
But suddenly, a voice continued, and the chat filled with question marks.
On the screen, caron spun in anguish and muttered seriously.
"Durante isn't someone who lies. No reason to. That means there has to be another reason..."
He abruptly stopped and slowly lifted his head.
His pupils dilated in shock.
"Don't tell me—the reason the demons suddenly stopped invading during the first incursion..."
His mouth slowly opened.
Released from paralysis at last, he blinked both eyes.
"Durante... he was there."
The camera zoomed in on his wide, terror-struck eyes.
Then, over the suddenly darkened screen, neon lights appeared.
[Mission 2. 'Half Human/Half Demon' End.]
A message signifying the mission's end.
― Wow lol, that gave me chills
― What? Durante was there during the first invasion?
― Damn, so he stopped the demon army?
― What a legend, stopping the demon legion lol
― Fricking amazing
― But why was he there though!
― Is him wanting to go back to hell related to this?
― Ah lol, at least give us a trailer like with Bark!
― Isn't it too much to cut it off here?
― Shouldn't they release the game right now with this kind of setup?
― Re.lease.now.
-lol, this is insane
― The real demon was Dog Chew (Godple) lol
― Demon Company surpassing Black Company!
The chat instantly burst into uproar. Their disappointment quickly turned to a sense of crisis.
― Hyung? Hey hyung... you're curious too, right? You're gonna watch the next one, right?
― Don't whine, he'll cut you down for clinging
― Godple's ending sense is the sharpest in the world!
― The time has come for us to part—let's meet again next time~
Given prior streams, the end of the mission meant the stream was ending soon.
"We had a lot of interesting developments today as well. This game's future looks even more exciting! Please keep an eye on it."
Lee Gyeongbok finished with a smile and a concluding remark.
-(Perba-con)(Perba-con)(Perba-con)
― Is it normal to already have Purple withdrawal?
― Ehh
― For emergency Purple withdrawal, please use the Purple channel!
― But really, we saw an insane boss fight today
― That's definitely agreeable lol
― I can't even imagine life without Godple's streams now!
― Ah lol, what are scientists doing? Hurry up and develop clone tech!
-lol could Godple do three shifts a day?
― If that happened, we'd all get no sleep and die young lol
Lee Gyeongbok smiled even brighter. Even as the chat overflowed with jokes, the affection for him shone through.
"Thank you for watching today's stream. Demerc is getting ever more intriguing, so look forward to the next one! Trha!"
* * *
Late night, when everyone had finished work and gone home.
The developer, cAP Company's virtual reality meeting room was suddenly busy.
And it wasn't ordinary staff.
Not only the Korean distributor, but also the North American distributor, and executives from the Japanese head office were present.
"Thank you all for gathering, even though everyone's busy."
An executive from the head office broke the hush with a bow.
"I called this meeting on short notice, but I think you all understand why."
At that, the executives glanced at each other and nodded. Soon, their attention was on the Korean distributor's executives.
"The effect of this trial broadcast..."
The head office executive paused, frowning. It was hard to hide the concern on his face.
He let out a short sigh and continued.
"It's much better than expected."
The trial broadcast's response was far bigger than anticipated. It was delightful, but also a concern from an operational standpoint.
"This is clearly a misjudgment on our part. I apologize."
"No, we didn't anticipate such a great response in North America either."
"The important thing is to figure out how to make the most of this opportunity. We need a plan."
Each executive chimed in, agreeing. The head office executive relaxed a bit.
"I'm glad we all feel the same. That'll make this meeting more comfortable."
Smiles appeared on their faces.
Everyone here had keen business sense.
"Let's discuss the additional promotional contract to offer the streamer, Purple."
They couldn't let this golden opportunity slip away.
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**