novelraw Chapter 148 : Entering Hell (3)
Chapter 148 : Entering Hell (3)
Entering Hell (3)
Lee Gyeongbok paused to think.
'Why would they make it possible to fight here?'
He wondered if there was a reason to battle a character who seemed like an ally.
― Oh? Cutscene's over?
― We gotta take out this demon jerk, right?
― Trying to act tough, but about to get one-shot, right?
― Lol, no way he survives in front of Perante!
― Demon crush! Demon crush! Demon crush!"
Viewers who didn't realize Andro was an ally immediately wanted an execution. But not everyone felt that way.
― No no, andro's on our side!
― Those instincts though lol, what is he, a Saiyaman?
― Andro was a good guy in the console version!
Some veteran viewers, based on their console playthrough, posted objections to executing him.
― Boomer here......
― Lol, but that's just the console story, right?
― For real, if he's that gullible, he's definitely gonna stab you in the back
― Already got backstabbed plenty in Bark, you know?!
― Stop reminiscing and face reality!
But they lacked the numbers and solid logic to sway the overall sentiment. Even the veterans debated among themselves in response.
― Surprisingly, there's a chance, though?
― Well, it is a reboot, so that's fair?
― Or is this a sequel?
― Remember, durante stayed behind to seal hell in the console version ending
― Yeah, seeing Andro makes it likely this is a sequel
― But then where'd all the old companions go, lol
As debate swirled around whether to fight Andro, Lee Gyeongbok paused the game.
Either way, no matter which side he chose, someone was bound to be unhappy.
What he chose was—
[Game saved.]
—manual saving.
― Eh?
― What's this?
― Oh lol, this is the first time I've seen Godple do a manual save!
Since it was his first manual save during the broadcast, he instantly had viewers' attention.
"All right, everyone! No need to argue. Why not just do both?"
― Lol, good point
― With save-load powers, it's safe!
― Godple's always used auto-save up till now, fool
If any problems arose, he could just reload from this point. The viewers relaxed and looked forward to the showdown, reassured by his solution.
"Well, let's get started."
Lee Gyeongbok resumed the game.
"I'll guide you. This way, please."
Andro calmly took on the role of a guide. But instead of following, Lee Gyeongbok gripped his greatsword strapped across his back.
And then, the ambush began.
The viewers were floored.
― That speed is insane
― So this is the Perfect–draw technique?
― But wait;;; how did he block that?
― The Unique Sword?
It wasn't just Lee Gyeongbok's speed—what shocked them was Andro blocking the massive sword as if it were nothing.
In his hand, a black dagger, barely half the size, held its own against the greatsword.
"As expected, it turned out like this."
Andro spoke evenly, all smiles gone.
"In that case, I'll earn your trust through action."
At those words, andro's body blurred. It was a counterattack at such blazing speed it left an afterimage.
― What the—?
― So fast;;
― Secret boss reveal?!
There was really no chance to react. But the viewers were amazed, not worried.
"Oh, this is fun."
After all, the opponent was Lee Gyeongbok.
Not only did he parry the counterattack with composure,
"This is more of a thrill than I thought."
But in that split second, he even landed a perfect parry, breaking Andro's stance. With a laid-back remark and regaining control—
― Lol, unique Sword is unbeatable!
― Is this how top-tier play feels?
― Godple's like a kid with a new toy, so precious.
-???: Let him enjoy himself
― Thanks for being the perfect chew toy!
Laughter spread among the viewers. But unexpectedly, Lee Gyeongbok's face quickly hardened.
― Focus mode, just like that?
― Per-focus ON!
― Now he's really getting into it, lol
To the viewers, it looked like he was entirely focused on the fight. And no wonder—the exchange of blows was so fast an ordinary person wouldn't be able to follow it.
Lee Gyeongbok wielded the greatsword with one hand and a pistol with the other.
Steel clashed, and muzzle flashes erupted at point-blank range. The sound of metal against metal and gunfire blended into an unmistakably stylish battle.
― Whoa, that's nuts
― These demon jerk AIs are on another level, huh, lol
― BUT WHY WON'T HE DIE?
― If Godple's finished evaluating, he'll die in a flash
The battle dragged on, but the viewers could tell the end was near. After all, they trusted Lee Gyeongbok's overwhelming skills from before.
But strangely, andro wasn't going down.
"Give it up. You can't measure up to Lord Durante as I knew him."
In fact, andro calmly urged him to give up.
― Is this a hidden cam prank?
― Godple can't win?
― Hyung! Enough horsing around!
― Lol, seriously, stop toying with him!
― Godple's face looks dead serious right now though?
― Is it really this hard for him?
The viewers were shocked. They'd never seen him struggle this much.
Lee Gyeongbok paused the game. Was he actually about to give up?
Before anyone could start typing in chat, he spoke.
"Looks like I'm up against a system wall here."
At that one line, a thousand question marks rose from the chat. He added a quick explanation.
"Hmm, seems to be a sort of 'invincibility' setting. Notice how from the first moment Andro appeared till now, nothing about him has changed at all."
― Oh?
― Now that you mention it, he looks completely untouched.
― Seriously, fought all this time and he's exactly the same!
Lee Gyeongbok nodded, watching the chat.
"Yeah, I tried testing it during the fight. Not only does his body not react, not even the clothes get ruffled."
But contrary to his expectations, what surprised the viewers wasn't Andro's invincibility.
― Eh?
― You were running tests mid-battle?
― He seriously took time to check everything while fighting, lmao
― Definitely got that Octa-Core processor
What looked like an epic struggle to the viewers had merely been Lee Gyeongbok running experiments.
A wave of admiration and exasperation swept the chat.
['CAP Company_kor' has donated 10,000 won.]
[Purple is correct! The character Andromalius is coded so that damage is 'not applied'!]
A donation from the dev team arrived, explaining things.
['CAP Company_kor' has donated 10,000 won.]
[Also, the character's physical abilities and behavior patterns reflect player data accumulated from past missions! I've never seen Andro fight this well, haha;]
With that, both Lee Gyeongbok and his viewers figured things out.
― Whoa, no wonder he could keep up with Godple.
― The "damage not applied" setting though!
― So it's legit invincibility, lol
― This is truly a 'cannot be defeated' boss setting!
― But why did they let us fight him at all? Just to tick us off?
With understanding, came new questions. Why make a fightable character if he's invincible?
"Turns out, the battle does serve a purpose."
The answer came not from the devs, but from Lee Gyeongbok.
"He's not set as a beatable boss. He never really went on the offensive either."
Andro had focused on defense and reactions, never mounting a real threat. If he were truly invincible, neglecting defense would have been the optimal play.
"It was probably meant to show he doesn't mean real harm. And he dropped a few hints mid-battle, didn't he?"
― Oh? That's true.
― So the setup is for the player to accept the situation.
― Could have killed me, but didn't = must be on my side
― Honestly, that makes sense
― Andro's lines show he remembers pre-amnesia Durante
― So they are allies?
― So that's why he's coded to be unkillable
― Even Godple wouldn't be able to do anything then, lol
― Really cannot be defeated, eh?
Thanks to Lee Gyeongbok's analysis, the viewers were able to grasp the devs' intention.
But then an unexpected comment dropped.
"No, he can be defeated."
A contradiction to everything he'd said before. The chat exploded with question marks and confusion.
And they weren't the only ones wondering about his meaning.
['CAP Company_kor' has donated 10,000 won.]
[Excuse me? With this character, it's a different case than with Parasite Blossom. So we didn't even include him in HQ testing?]
Unlike the first demon they tested, andro wasn't even coded to "die".
The devs never thought to test that possibility.
When a follow-up donation appeared, laughter swept the chat.
― Per-voice ON!
― Even the advertiser is freaking out!
-???: What are you saying, you're paid to run ads!
― But if Godple says it's possible, there's always a catch, lol
― Yeah, that's why you had him test it, isn't it?
Whether he'd read chat or decided independently—
['CAP Company_kor' has donated 10,000 won.]
[I believe it's not possible, but if you do find something, it might be a bug. There's no harm in trying!]
Lee Gyeongbok answered brightly to this donation.
"Understood. No more theory-crafting—let me show you directly."
― It's here! The Perfect-explanation!
― Tough guy move: just show, don't tell
― Lol, why talk when you can simply demonstrate
― So this really CAN be beaten?
― Kemalcon reload incoming!
With anticipation running high, he resumed the game.
Lee Gyeongbok took a deep breath.
'Experiment's over.'
What happened next was unbelievable even to his viewers.
Inhale. Exhale.
In a single breath, his tempo and tactics flipped completely. His assault was fiercer than anything before.
― Is that the same guy?
― How can he change up so much, wow
― Lol, was he holding back to experiment?
― Nailed it!
― Lol, tHIS is Godple!
If before his test attacks had come like a downpour, now every strike was a hurricane.
"I have no intent to harm you—"
Andro didn't even manage to finish his line. The difference between the data collected so far and the real action on screen was night and day.
Blow after blow pummeled Andro, rattling his body.
― Yikes, you can really FEEL how invincible he is now
― Seriously, he's still spotless after THAT onslaught
― Just as Godple said, not even his clothes are ruffled, lol
― If he wasn't invincible, he'd be An/Dro/ (crushed to bits) by now
― What's with cutting his name, lol
― So we really can't defeat him after all?
The viewers admired the display, but still had doubts. Even if he upped the pressure, andro was still perfectly fine.
But Lee Gyeongbok kept pressing with his sword and squeezed the trigger on his pistol. Soon a smile bloomed on his face.
― Perfect–Smile engaged!
― Something big's coming! Something big's coming!
― Oh no, another execution incoming!
― Is he gonna do the impossible and beat invincibility too?!
― Pera-crazy ON!
― Come on, do it...! Otherwise that guy's just gonna die......!
― So this is the "everyone dies" plot twist?
For long-time fans, that grin was a guarantee of action. Anticipation surged in chat.
But for some, that smile carried another meaning.
['CAP Company_kor' has donated 10,000 won.]
[Um... Purple? Did you seriously find something? No way, that can't be true......]
At this point, it felt a result was imminent.
But from the devs' perspective, the outcome had to be a "bug".
They couldn't stop him now, or they'd never know what that bug was.
As the dev's confusion grew, so did the viewers' excitement.
"It's almost done."
Lee Gyeongbok beamed as he fired at Andro. As Andro caught the bullet, Lee Gyeongbok leapt aside to change position.
He then pulled from his gauntlet a weapon transformed into a spiked whip.
― A whip?
― Sudden attempt to stun?
― But if damage is off, isn't it pointless?
― What's he hinting at?
― Lol, with Godple, he'll pull it off anyway!
― Yeah, just watch and keep the upvote ready
― Even after watching, you'll want to upvote again, lol
With questions mounting, Lee Gyeongbok spoke lightly.
"Andro's own state doesn't change, but other things do."
As he said it, the whip flew out. Andro tried to evade at superhuman speed as usual.
'Just as I thought.'
But Lee Gyeongbok had already read the move with divine energy, snaring Andro tight.
He twisted his waist and slammed Andro into the stone wall behind him.
With a crash, the wall crumbled, revealing a bottomless chasm beyond.
Only then did the viewers understand his strategy.
― Whoa lol, so that's how!
― If he falls in there, there's no climbing out, right?
― Can't kill him, so just banish him, lol
― But the wall broke so easily though?
― He softened it up with gunfire, lol
― Andro catches bullets, so why keep shooting? lmao
― That's nuts, really
Now, if he just let go of the whip, andro would fall into the abyss. But Lee Gyeongbok hesitated.
['CAP Company_kor' has donated 10,000 won.]
[Wait!]
A donation with just four characters—panic in digital form.
Lee Gyeongbok sensed the urgency and paused the game.
['CAP Company_kor' has donated 10,000 won.]
[You're actually doing this ㅠ Andro is a mandatory story character! Please, spare him!]
― Please" makes an appearance, lol
― This is a true panic, lmao
― Lol, should have believed Godple when he said it was possible!
― Is "please" for Andro or the dev staff?
― Lol, maybe both?
They'd typed so fast, there was even a typo. The viewers burst out laughing at the frazzled response.
"Okay, I won't do it. Calm down, so does this count as proof it's possible though?"
Lee Gyeongbok replied with a cool composure.
He only wanted to show it could be done, not embarrass the sponsor.
― So sweet, Purple
― Lol, capitalism mode is ON!
― So sweet(capitalism)
― Going to let this slide just once?
['CAP Company_kor' has donated 10,000 won.]
[Thank you, truly! We'll consider this a bug. In our internal testing, no one fought this long or tried messing with the wall ㅠ And no one had even obtained the spiked whip by this point!]
An instant reply, worried public opinion might turn.
['CAP Company_kor' has donated 1,000,000 won.]
[We'll make sure this issue is fixed for the official release build! As you've discovered a bug, we'll add it to the test list and reward you!]
The reaction was true to the purpose of these test broadcasts. The devs sent an appropriate reward.
― Guess no one's ever gonna say "impossible" to Godple again!
― Is this the smurf who found a bug even the devs didn't see?!
― Lol, this is real "Perfect-Test"!
― This was supposed to be a homework stream, but the sponsor got homework instead, lmao
-???: This is a bug, right? Go fix it.
― Homework reversal world," seriously!
-52,52, you thought earning Purple Coins was easy, huh!
The viewers didn't miss the sponsor's abrupt about-face. The chat filled with people mocking the devs.
"Everyone, this really is amazing."
Lee Gyeongbok commented after watching the scene for a moment.
"You rarely see devs fix bugs this quickly. At this feedback speed, you can trust their games!"
― Is he packaging it up now?
― Instant wrap
― That's some packaging skill, lol
― At this rate, isn't Godple basically capitalism itself?
― LOL, this dude knows viral marketing (true)
― Not a serious gamer—he's a serious advertiser, isn't he?
― Advertising streamer, lol
― Real talk, for this level of "homework," best value ever
That one line lightened the mood. Lee Gyeongbok clapped softly to recapture attention.
"All questions answered, so now I'll reload and continue as normal."
He loaded the save file.
This time, he simply followed Andro's guidance.
They arrived at a vast hall.
― Huh?
― Another Gate of Hell?
― Seriously, there are three more?
― It doesn't look like the same gates?
― Yeah, the designs are all different
In the center, three Gates of Hell stood in a triangle, each unique in design.
"Oh, it's another cutscene."
The screen took control.
"To be precise, this isn't hell itself. It's the threshold of hell, you could say."
Andro spoke in a calm voice.
"Threshold?"
"Yes, this is a space called Limbo. In human terms, think of it as a hub connecting different hells."
― Like a hell intersection?
― The metaphor fits so well, lol
― Lol, don't compare it to real life!
― Now I can't take "hell intersection" seriously, lmao
― Feels like there'd be traffic jams here
― Stop tailgating!
They joked, but the mood in the cutscene was grave.
"So, there are three hells?"
"'Domains' is a more accurate word."
Andro circled to the back of the hellgates.
"Greed, wrath, deceit. The three domains of hell, each ruled by a separate lord—all vying for supremacy."
Making a slow round, andro stopped before Durante.
"Those Demonhearts possessed by the lords—please, collect them all."
At that, durante sneered.
"A demon asking for demon-hunting? Ridiculous."
But his laughter vanished instantly.
"If I bring down the lords, I get their place, right?"
His gaze sharpened, as if he'd pierce Andro right then.
Andro, however, shook his head fearlessly.
"Knowing your limits applies to humans and demons both. I'm not fit to be a lord."
"Then why do this? Surely there's something to gain if the lords are removed."
"I can't say yet. But you know my proposal benefits you, don't you?"
Andro's eyes curved in a crescent.
"To reach the deepest depths of hell—a place inaccessible through these gates—you must gather those Demonhearts."
He stepped aside, opening a path for Durante.
"You already sense it, I'm sure. What you seek is in those deepest depths."
Durante moved forward and stopped before Andro, looking down at him.
"There's always a price to a demon's bargain."
His voice was low, tinged with hostility.
"Whoever your master is, tell them this."
Suddenly his hand shot out, grabbing the black serpent coiled around Andro's arm.
For once, andro's ever-composed face distorted.
"Don't forget—I'm half-demon too."
"...... Of course."
Only when Durante let go did Andro regain his composure. Durante then entered the closest gate leading to the Domain of Greed.
The screen went black.
― Those Durante vibes, so intense!
― Half-human, half-demon powers, what a spectrum, lol
― Back when he was with nuna, it was all sweet
― Can't believe they made his character this gripping
― Immersion level: insane
― You'd want to play this even if it wasn't Godple doing it, lol
― But because it's Godple, you HAVE to play it!
― Are Troopers just Godple salespeople or what? lol
It was only now the viewers could breathe again.
― Is that the end of this mission?
― This mission dropped a lot of story tidbits
― I'm sure there's an evil mastermind behind Andro
― So why is Durante heading for the deepest part of hell?!
― Lol, obviously it's the final boss fight
― If Andro knows about it, it's for real
― Eat the hell lords, eat the final boss, then reunite with Saint nuna and happy ending!
― I hear hell noodles are delicious
― What are you talking about, lmao
― Do you study jokes before the broadcast? lol
With tension gone, the chat became rowdy. But focus soon returned.
"Oh? It's not over yet?"
The screen changed, brightening again.
The location was the same hall with the hellgates, and Andro was still there.
He was staring at the screen.
"You arrived sooner than expected."
He clearly wasn't talking to himself.
'Huh?'
Lee Gyeongbok's eyes widened at a strange sensation. He didn't voice it yet.
"Durante has already left."
As the camera turned 180 degrees, the figure facing Andro came into frame.
Standing there was—
― What the—
― Nuna...?
― Why is Saint nuna here?
― What is going on??
It was Beatrice, the Saint from Divine Agency.
As countless question marks flooded the chat, her lips began to move.
But before she could speak, the screen snapped to black.
[Mission 3. 'The Limbo' End]
With a fizz of static, the neon mission end sign illuminated the screen.
― YA!!!!!!!
― Are you insane?! Really?!?!
― They're ending it HERE?
― Wow, that's next-level, for real
-〈Message deleted by moderation bot (warning 1)〉
― Hands off your keyboards, everyone!
― Lol, I'll take the warning but this is too much!
― The relay channel chat is exploding, lagged out, lol
Chat went wild in an instant. Though Lee Gyeongbok suspected something, even he was stunned.
"Wow, what an audacious development."
His comment made the viewers cool down a little.
― Still Godple, always with the betrayal
― Don't tell me nuna's the villain behind Andro?
― Take that back!
― Redacted
― Auto-redact, lol
― Our heroine, no way she's the villain
― Lol, she's obviously here worrying about Durante, that's all
― Or maybe it's not really nuna?
― What's that supposed to mean, lmao
― Could the mastermind have a transformation ability?
― That's a possibility too
Rapid speculation filled the chat. Surprisingly, few wanted the broadcast to continue.
Because, from experience, they could all pretty much guess what would happen next.
"No idea what's coming next, but that's what makes it more fun, right?"
Lee Gyeongbok's closing remark signaled the end.
― Honestly, it's so entertaining, lmao
― As long as we get a happy ending!
― Lol, godple always gives us happy endings
― Today's stream was really packed
― One-line summary: Perfect-Test
― Recap lol
― For real, obliterated both time attack and "impossible to beat" claims
As he read the chats, Lee Gyeongbok smiled.
"I'm glad you all had fun. Demerc keeps getting more interesting, so please look forward to it, and I'll see you again on the stream tomorrow!"
-(Perba-con)(Perba-con)(Perba-con)
― Trooper bye! Queue bye! Perba-bye!
― Another perfect stream!
― Hyung! Sleep well, see you tomorrow!
With Lee Gyeongbok's closing, the broadcast ended. Yet the viewer count dropped only slowly.
― Why are there only 24 hours in a day?
― But waiting day by day for Godple's stream is half the fun, lol
-???: If Purple's schedule is posted, I'll be happy from the day before
― Kingly prince reference here?
― I'm not Pavlov's dog, I'm Purple-lov's dog, lol
― What even is "Purple-lov," lmao
Viewers continued to share their thoughts. That lingering feeling after a fun stream was a big part of live viewing's appeal.
And Lee Gyeongbok's streams—
― Debungis won't sleep after all those story teases, lol
― Lol, thought only Fromme games did this
― Now I get why Elden newbs turn on their Fromme-brains, lol
― Now that broadcast is over, time for Purple channel's membership launch?
― Insane, international Devil fandom going wild
― If Reddit likes it, I'm gonna try it, lol
—always left you with a sense of joy.
***
**New Names, locations, skills, and Techniques**