Season 4: Chapter 151. Hidden Class (1)
Three senior managers from the Nonghyup Union sat in silence. They were excellent streamers and creators.
“Huff...”
“Crazy...”
“Ugh...”
However, they were never good gamers. All of them were past forty, men who had always been distant from gaming. Even if they had once been close to being good, time had long since pulled them away. By now, they could only admit it.
“This is killing my will to fight.”
Almond was massacring the enemies with nothing more than a bow. They had quite literally lost the will to resist.
Boom!
Bang!
The enemies fell like autumn leaves in the wind. With every arrow, another one dropped. From the perspective of men in their forties, they could hardly believe this was the same Archer class they knew.
— For real, lol
— How the hell is he doing that?
— Looks like hitting a weak point stuns them, then they slip and fall to their deaths.
— The old guys losing their spirit is hilarious, lmao
— No way anyone can beat that, hahaha!
They already knew Almond and his elite knights were skilled, which was why they’d always avoided conflict. Never could they have imagined that the gap would be this wide.
“S-So... we really lost?” Horn Ramen muttered in disbelief.
The Paprika invaders had all fallen, and Radish Servant finished off the stragglers crawling on the ground. If this wasn’t a loss, then what was? Some even begged for their lives.
“P-Please! At least let us reveal our identity!”
— ?
— What the hell does that mean?
— ???
— Huh?
Only then did the Nonghyup realize who they were.
“They were from Paprika Village?”
Donuts and the middle-aged men went pale.
“No way. Really? That was Pepper? No wonder the voice sounded familiar...”
“Wait. Hold on.”
With their long streaming experience, their instincts kicked in.
“Didn’t they say the Platform Tournament was coming soon? What if this is all a setup for that?”
The Cheese Village content had just started, and the invaders turned out to be Paprika. Not just any Paprika streamers, but the Treevy faction. That made this look like nothing less than a prelude to the upcoming Platform Tournament.
‘We’re screwed.’
‘This is a death sentence.’
‘Damn... life...’
It was like cheering for Japan in a World Cup qualifier against Korea.
“I, I didn’t know they were Paprika, okay!? Don’t you dare edit this out of context!”
— Hahahahahaha
— Too late, lol
— Dead already, hahaha
— Donuts just dug his own grave, lmao
— LOL
“You’re talking like you knew they were Paprika, huh? Don’t twist this, man!” Horn Ramen quickly tried to distance himself.
“I may be a detective, but I didn’t know... Please, believe me... I’m just a middle-aged...” Even MiddleAgedDetective cast aside his pride in deduction and surrendered.
The one really in trouble stood nearby.
“...?”
It was Zelo, watching from the side. He had not only made contact with them, but also signed a deal.
“N-No... I honestly didn’t know, everyone... What? Judas Zelo? No, you’re overreacting!”
— How could you not know? You met them yourself.
— HAHAHAHAHAHAHA he’s done for
— Judas Zelo, selling out~
— Judas Zelo, omg lol
“What do you mean, ‘How could you not know?’ You only know because you watched the streams! Who in their right mind would spend three whole days doing this without even streaming? It doesn’t make sense!” Zelo argued desperately.
He really hadn’t known. Voices alone weren’t enough to identify anyone, and he hadn’t been close with any of the Paprika streamers. Like he said, the absurd three-day radio silence made it impossible to guess.
His excuses fell flat.
Ba-bam!
[Dying has donated a whopping 1,000,000 won!]
[Zelo, ChocoShroom, Donuts, Horn Ramen, MiddleAgedDetective... remember them as the Five Traitors.]
— Wow
— Damn
— True patriots, wow
— Epic
— Even ChocoShroom, lmao
— This is it~
“!”
Zelo tried to say something, but the system triggered faster.
[Instant death from a 1,000,000 won donation!]
Boom!
With a burst of fireworks, Zelo’s avatar vanished.
— LOOOOOOL
— Oh my god, I can’t stop laughing
— Insane hahaha
— Even if he was a traitor, at least he made money on the way out
— Explosion ending, lmao
“Kyaaaaah! Z–Zelo!” ChocoShroom collapsed in terror at the sight of Cheese’s independence fighters delivering judgment.
Shake. Shake.
— ChocoShroom’s reaction is comedy gold
— HAHAHAHA omg
— Are you not afraid of divine punishment, ChocoShroom?
— You’re next ^^
— LMAO
— Dig up the traitors!
“Z–Zelo...” She called his name fearfully, but all that remained were piles of ore and the sunglasses he had been wearing.
She reached for his legacy...
Thud.
But shadows cut her off. It was the Nonghyup Union that couldn’t resist the temptation. What treasures did the village’s best miner, Zelo, keep in his inventory?
Gulp.
“We’re doomed anyway. Might as well take a look!”
“Yeah, traitor property gets seized!”
ChocoShroom tried to block them, but it was already too late. “Nooo!”
“Out of the way!”
Smack!
Horn Ramen swatted ChocoShroom aside and acted first.
— LMAO omg
— Poor ChocoShroom
— He just punted her away hahaha
— Her eyes rolled back lmao
When Horn Ramen opened the chest, his eyes went wide. Not because it was worthless, but because it was far too valuable.
“Y-You’ve got to be kidding me. He really was Judas Zelo.”
— Whoa
— Holy crap;;;
— Insane
— Wow hahaha
The chest was packed full of Obsidian ore. Considering the ongoing battle, it was obvious who he’d been selling it to.
Thunk.
Horn Ramen quietly shut the chest again. “Let’s just pretend we didn’t see this.”
— HAHAHA damage control
— Smooth move
— That’s what a seasoned streamer looks like...
— So he really sold Obsidian to Paprika???
ChocoShroom pressed her forehead with a groan. “W-What do we do now, Zelo...?”
Zelo’s betrayal was now out in the open. Even the Nonghyup knew. He had no excuses left if the village cast him out.
***
“Are you crazy? If you’re asked, you reveal your identity. It’s only proper!” Black Pepper seized the moment and jumped up, throwing back her hood.
She took the plea as permission. The others, Sweet Radish and the Knights, remained silent.
‘This much should be fine.’
‘We won anyway.’
‘It’s still a broadcast.’
It was the kind of unspoken courtesy streamers gave each other, a matter of dignity.
“We came from Paprika to crush you!” Black Pepper tossed off her robe.
Swish!
[Paprika_BlackPepper]
Her ID lit up above her.
“Wow...”
“S-So, it really was Paprika!”
She had even changed her ID back for this reveal to make it obvious. Salt, Parsley, Olive, and everyone else began unveiling themselves one after another.
“I’m Orange!” The moment Orange stood up to declare himself, an arrow whistled through the air.
Thwack!
‘W-What...?’
For him, time suddenly slowed.
“O... Ooooorange?!” Black Pepper spun around, eyes wide.
‘Noona... why...’
The other streamers were untouched, but Orange’s helmet was already bristling with a dozen arrows.
‘Why me...?!’
He had no idea why every arrow was aimed solely at him. None of them even knew who was shooting.
‘Ah...’
Orange’s life flashed before his eyes. The laughter and chatter while they prepared for battle. They had been brimming with hope, especially Shrimp, the Lava Shaman, who had been ecstatic and convinced that this was their chance to blow up in popularity.
“We’ll corner them, make them pay tribute, then gather up and reveal our identities on stream.”
“Damn, that would be badass.”
“Epic. Absolutely epic.”
Shrimp had even planned everything. Olive and Parsley laughed along. Pepper had prepared with grim determination. All of it was for one reason...
‘The stream... I have to stream.’
It was all to stream. Without that, none of it mattered. Gritting his teeth, Orange forcefully went live.
Thud.
His head hit the ground, and he died.
[Death]
He was dead, but his stream was live.
[Orange has started streaming!]
— ?
— Why’s it black and white the moment I join?
— LOL
— Paprika initiation map
— What the hell is this?
— ???
— LMAO
— Why’d he die already?!
“O-Orange?!” Black Pepper’s eyes nearly bulged out of her face. “No... How could this happen? Sweet Radish! How could you commit such a merciless act? Are you really the Sweet Radish I once knew?”
“Uh...”
Asking Radish Servant was pointless. If Lord Almond judged it, then so it was.
“Show no mercy to the enemy!”
If the lord fired, then there was a reason. In battle, his judgment was flawless.
Potato Servant raised his voice as well. “Show no mercy!”
“Wipe them out!”
“Damn Paprika scum!!”
Just like that, the fighting resumed. This time, Paprika begged for no mercy.
Shing!
“You rotten fungus bastards!!”
They all drew their Obsidian swords for a last stand.
Clang! Clang!
Obsidian blades clashed against steel. Of course, the steel faltered in direct combat.
“Ghh...”
Black Pepper locked blades with Radish Servant, then twisted and slashed upward.
Slash!
The durability of his armor plummeted.
“Ugh...!”
She wasn’t finished.
Shraaak!
Shrrrip!
“Argh!”
“How’s that, Sweet Radish? Hm? You should’ve listened to your sister!”
She cut down two more knights in the same motion.
— Whoa
— She’s strong as hell
— Insane lol
— Crazy
Radish Servant didn’t yield.
Rising again, he muttered, “It’s not Sweet Radish. It’s Radish Servant.”
“What...?”
“Radish Servant. That’s the name given to me by the Knights.”
Clack.
He readjusted his grip and glared at Black Pepper.
— Radish Servant!!
— Why’s this so dramatic? hahaha
— Insane lol
— Dude’s out of his mind
For some, it was moving.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[TRUE has donated 10,000 won!]
[SpiritBomb has donated 10,000 won!]
[:O has donated 10,000 won!]
Buffs enveloped him.
Crackle!
Radish Servant charged.
Boom!
His strikes now carried a new weight. Black Pepper met his blade and hissed...
“You’ve gone mad, little brother. I don’t know where you strayed, but your sister will bring you salvation!”
Clang!
Her Obsidian sword flashed as she swung furiously.
‘This... can’t be.’
Radish Servant began to falter. Even with three buffs, the gap was enormous. Full Obsidian gear was overwhelming, and Pepper was a top-tier fighting game player. She specialized in one-on-one duels.
Clang! Clang!
He began to get pushed back.
“R-Radish Servant!!”
“Potato Servant?”
“Uaaaahhh!” Potato Servant rushed in.
Clang!
Black Pepper deflected him.
“What? Have both of you lost your minds?!” She recognized Sweet Potato and scoffed.
“Begone, Paprika!”
— LOL
— Potato Servant lmao
— Damn
— That’s it!
Clang!
Their swords crossed.
Black Pepper fought against both of them and shouted, “Ugh, this is tough! Hey! Give me strength too!!”
She also asked for donations from her viewers.
— ?
— Strength?
— What’s she talking about
— ???
— Strength?? lol
The Paprika viewers who just tuned in couldn’t possibly understand.
“N-No, I mean...”
She tried to say, “Send ten thousand won”, but the words never left her lips.
Thwack!
[Death]
Her low health couldn’t withstand the arrow, and she instantly died.
The servant duo felt relieved. With or without buffs, Black Pepper would’ve killed them in a direct fight.
“Nice shot, my lord!”
— HAHAHAHA omg
— Golf swing?
— Dead hahaha
— LMAO
Clatter.
Radish Servant and Potato Servant didn’t stop there.
“One more down!”
The moment Black Pepper’s avatar staggered, they slammed into her like volleyball players spiking a toss.
Boom!
Her body flew into the abyss. Even dead, her screen lingered.
“Ghhh... ghhhhaaaaahhh!!” She shrieked furiously. “I’m already dead! Why are you hitting me again?!”
The cry never reached them since her avatar was already gone.
— ?
— She started streaming and died in five seconds, lmao
— What is happening?
— Is this a horror game?
— Congrats on your Paprika stream debut~
— What even is this situation?
Her Paprika viewers didn’t see much, but they heard it. Most of them, just tuning in, had no idea what was happening, only that Black Pepper was plunging into flames.
“Kyaaaahhh!”
Alongside her, other knights fell.
“L-Lord! Save us!!”
— The knights, lmao
— Damn
— Paprika power
— They should’ve just fought from the start
— The knights are losing?!
Even if they respawned, Paprika clearly possessed overwhelming forces.
‘Wait. What’s this?’
Pepper’s death had just triggered Almond’s seventeenth kill.
[Invaders defeated: 53/70]
The condition was nearly fulfilled.
[Invaders defeated: 70/70]
Vwoooom...!
Light burst from Almond’s body.
“Oh?”