NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53
Let’s give up.
In the end, I came to that conclusion.
– Haha
– Can’t even get past the wall of the first stage…
The chatroom was already in a festive mood.
The fact that I fell at the first stage again seemed to make the Izutomos so happy that it felt like their glee was growing out of control.
But when I say giving up, it means I want to break through and move on to the next stage with skill, not that I want to give up on receiving praise for no reason.
In other words, it was time to use my secret technique.
[Loading…]
This stage was ‘Spectacular Fireworks.’
It was a map where getting hit by fireworks flying from all directions meant elimination, and the frequency of fireworks increased over time.
Moreover, the stage flips halfway, randomly mixing up the characters’ positions, making it a tough map according to many.
[Game Start!]
With the ringing of the start bell, numerous characters rushed towards me once again.
Every game, I’ve been digging a new room, so how come the Izutomos are all trying to knock me out in unison?
Shouldn’t at least one person help me?
– Hug me
“Ugh…!”
So far, the number of fireworks was extremely low, so avoiding them wasn’t difficult, but at this rate, elimination was a given.
So ultimately, I slowly prepared my neck to use my trump card.
“Hmm. Ahem.”
It’s a little embarrassing that it turned out this way from the first stage, but it can’t be helped.
The movements of these guys trying to knock me out here were sincere, no matter what anyone says.
If this keeps up, I’ll surely keep falling at the first stage until the broadcast ends.
“Ah, maybe I want to be first today~!?”
– ?
– Suddenly?
“I’ve been working really hard these days, so maybe I want to receive tons of praise!?”
Ignoring the questions in the chatroom, I subtly, no, blatantly revealed my intentions.
“If I get first here, I might want everyone to lift me up?!”
– Hahaha
– Not embarrassed, Mei-chan? ( ・ˍ・)
I wish you’d be quiet because I’m super embarrassed.
But the bad thing is you guys.
I just wanted to enjoy the game with everyone and also come in first, while hearing things like, “Mei-chan is amazing!”
“If you make me get first, it would really be awesome~.”
To my steady appeal, the characters surrounding me, the Izutomos, gradually began to retreat.
Some even started to push other Izutomo characters away, and slowly, no one was left around me.
Sincerity really does connect…
“F-Finally passed the first stage…!”
– Congratulations
– Finally after 40 minutes since the game started lulz
– Can’t play
… I swallowed the words, “It’s all your fault.”
If I said that and they came piling on me again at the next stage, it would be a disaster.
[Survival Success!]
The characters of the Izutomos who didn’t make it into the top 60 fell to the ground in a tumble.
Seeing my character not on this screen was a first for me.
It felt oddly strange.
[Loading…]
The second stage I transitioned to for the first time was ‘Trampoline Race.’
As you could tell from the name ‘race,’ all you had to do was run to the goal.
However, this map features trampolines at intervals, which you can jump on to soar toward the finish line at tremendous speed.
But you have to climb a rather high platform to get on the trampoline, and naturally, you sometimes move faster by just walking because of the crowdedness.
In other words, you have three possible choices: to jump on the trampoline from the start, to give up and choose the next trampoline, or to abandon them both and run straight to the finish line.
That means it’s a map that demands three types of psychological warfare from the get-go.
[Game Start!]
And with the sound of the bell, 60 characters began to move simultaneously.
However, not everyone was rushing toward the finish line.
Many were moving to hinder other characters around them.
And I…
“Ha, hehe….”
Of course, I was not hindered by anyone.
Only 4 characters were moving faster than me.
That means I was currently in 5th place, and the total remaining players in this race were 35.
A rank that should normally be impossible to lose.
If a problem arose, it would be the Izutomos’ interference, but right now, they were working to make me number one.
So there were no variables…!
Before I knew it, I arrived at the platform with the first trampoline.
Among the 4 in front of me, 2 began climbing up the platform, while the other 2 chose to run.
I, of course, went for the trampoline.
Since at this moment, no one was hindering me.
And that choice proved correct as well.
[Survival Success!]
“I-I won…!”
I managed to cross the finish line in 3rd place.
– Doesn’t winning like this bother your conscience?
– Let’s just consider it a victory and wrap it up
“It’s fine, I’m a super cute girl after all….”
Just so you know.
Being cute is a status that allows one to be forgiven for just about anything, as long as I’m not committing a crime.
Sure, I may be more akin to a guy inside, but as long as I’m an adorable super cute girl on the outside, I should be treated with tenderness even when I do something a little bad.
“Phew, hehehe….”
– Let’s go with that…
★
“F-Finally the finals.”
Now only 5 participants were left.
And this stage would determine the ultimate winner.
[Loading…]
‘My ball, your ball’ was the last stage.
This map simply means that the player who owns the ball at the end gets eliminated.
When it starts, a ball drops in the center, and the owner of the ball is determined at that moment, who then must pass the ownership of the ball to another player within 1 minute.
If successful in passing it, the newly elected player must repeatedly pass the ball to others for the remaining time.
It’s a simple yet psychologically engaging map, with three basic strategies.
The first is the strategy of running away from the ball right from the start.
The second is when you start as the owner, you hold onto it until the last moment, then unexpectedly pass it to another player.
The third is to deliberately touch the ball to become the owner, and then take control of the map.
[Game Start!]
And with the ringing of the bell, my chosen strategy was none of the above.
I decided to simply stand still.
The reason was simple.
Among the four remaining, one of them was the loyal Izutomo!
The blue-furred cat character had been blocking all the other Izutomos trying to hinder me since the first stage.
And yet, he was an outstanding player who made it to the final stage.
Such a powerful player was working to help me win.
So there was no need for me to act first and risk anything.
[Nya~!]
When the game started, the owner of the ball was a different Izutomo, not the loyal one.
He threw the ball at me as if it was only natural, but just as if to say I didn’t need to dodge, the blue cat blocked it and became the new owner.
Then, he cleverly used up time, and at the 3-second mark, eliminated the original owner who was a white cat.
What followed was a relentless slaughter.
The blue cat eliminated the other 2 Izutomos with overwhelming skill.
– Boring
– Win with your own skill
“It’s the winner’s right, you know? And Kurokami-senpai said that using the surrounding players is a legitimate skill too…”
In the end, it was just me and the loyal blue cat left.
“Finally over….”
After a long wait, the fact I could finally win filled me with emotion, and the notification message of only 2 survivors confirmed that this situation was not a dream.
“Hehe….”
In the end, the last holder of the ball was the blue cat as if it were destiny.
He started moving with the ball, perhaps wanting to show off his tricks one last time.
“Wow…”
– Insane lol
– Check out those fancy moves
His movements clearly demonstrated a significant skill difference from the other Izutomos.
And when there were 5 seconds left, he dropped the ball and lightly stepped on it as if to say thank you for watching his tricks.
“W-Wow.”
And then…
[Bump….]
Before I knew it, the ball bounced off my slime’s shoulder and flew away.
“…Huh?”
In that moment as the ball came flying, I wasn’t completely unresponsive.
But since I had let my guard down half-heartedly to enjoy his tricks, the best I could do was shift the slime slightly to the side.
And that amount of movement was only enough to avoid the ball hitting the center of my slime.
[Game Over!]
Those words floated on my screen.
[Winner: Grand Carnival]
“Wait, what?”
My character fell to the ground.
And the rank displayed on my screen was.
[2nd Place]
Without a doubt, it said ‘2nd place.’
“W-What? Why?”
[Winner’s Commentary: Mei-chan is too weak!!!]
– Hahaha Wow lol
– Guess this was the plan from the start lol
“Why…? Uuugh….”
It’s just a game, but emotions surged and my vision blurred.
“Waaaahhhh…!?”
Even when I slammed my desk hard, my anger didn’t dissipate.
No, it felt like it was growing stronger instead.
“You, this is too much! I trusted you! I really trusted you!”
– It’s because you expected something that you got betrayed, Mei-chan (￣∇￣)
– If you had known from the beginning you couldn’t win, this wouldn’t have happened…
– Hahaha
I never even thought I would get betrayed at the end.
I believed he would generously concede the victory to me.
“Everyone, I hate you…!”
– The bad guy is the one who betrayed, right?
– 2nd place is still good, so it’s fine lol
= Isekai Life JP¥ 6,000: There are many kind Izutomos
But realizing the harsh reality of being betrayed, I quietly ended the broadcast.
★
[Izumi Kainoh☆Star’s Flow @KainoIzumi · 3 minutes]
I can’t trust people anymore.
I hate everyone.