NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61
“Hello, this is Mollru’s broth.”
“Uh, skip the greetings and just get started, please.”
“Okay.”
Chuckle Chuckle [Is this cluelessness or just being deliberate?]
[Bangjang’s reaction is delicious, it seems.]
Moll.ru.’s.broth
“I admit my defeat… I acknowledge it.”
Swish swish swish – the sound of PPT pages flipping.
In a rainbow-colored background, Bonobono appears.
I think it would’ve been better to just go with a plain white background instead.
“The game I want to introduce is ‘Terrified.’ If you’ve heard of it, it’s that game. Do you know about it, Mollru?”
“No, not at all.”
[That English pronunciation is a bit on point.]
[Scholarship student, broth ㄷㄷ]
[I was boiled with butter…]
[Butter, seriously? LOL]
[Isn’t this a horror game?]
[Is it really a horror game? LOL]
Information like the developer, release date, and price is listed—things you could find on Steam.
“That’s right. This game is a horror game. The title itself implies it. ‘Terrified.’ It means to be extremely fearful. Earlier, you said if I recommended a horror game, it would be boring, but I have a reason for recommending this game.”
“What is it?”
“This game is not just a simple horror game.”
That’s right; I wouldn’t play a boring game where I just dodge ghosts and clear game elements without any fun.
“If you’re just running away from ghosts, that doesn’t give me a reason to play a boring game.”
“Terrified is filled with puzzle elements.”
“It’s set in a school, and players must wander around the school to find a way to escape from the ghosts.”
“Every time you move or get closer to the truth of the incident, puzzle-like elements appear. If you don’t clear the complicated puzzles, you can’t finish the game.”
This person definitely has a way with words.
Maybe they work in sales because their explanation was engaging without any fluff.
But puzzle elements… Is that really something to boast about?
“Isn’t that just something to extend playtime in a horror game?”
“While I can’t deny there are games like that, puzzles are essential in this game. Finding hidden clues in the map makes the boring story more intuitive.”
[What is this person? Why do they speak so well?]
[Mollru’s broth is rising sharply ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Looks like broth isn’t something anyone can do…]
[They must be from a game company.]
[What a crazy game nerd ㄷㄷ]
[But why is the PPT Bonobono?]
“And because of this puzzle system, the game has not only physical elements but also brainy ones. This means—”
“If you’re dumb, you can’t clear it, right?”
“Exactly. These days, there’s a lot of noise with people flocking in. They’ve been saying Mollru is just some empty-headed person, spouting disrespectful stuff. But this game can really show those unruly people.”
I felt a slight sting.
It feels like I’ve been caught for not thinking too much while streaming compared to other streamers.
I’ve always run my streams the way I want without needing to think much.
But regardless, what this person said about showing both physical and brainy skills was a bit tempting.
It could change my image as a physical player while proving that I’m not a coward.
[Unruly, unruly elements, ugh…]
[For real, broth is no joke. A wordsmith.]
[But does Bangjang really do horror games?]
[They’re just trying to nitpick since they’re scared now.]
[But with such effort in introducing the game, shouldn’t I give it a shot?]
[For real, LOL.]
“Alright, you’ve passed. Today, we will play this game, Terrified.”
“Nice.”
Reactions appeared from those who doubted my ability to play horror games, worried that I might get stuck on puzzles.
I am not a woman who fears intangible phantoms.
And I’m not some dumbass who can’t solve simple puzzles in a game.
With that thought, I changed the stream title and announced the start of the game.
Mollru is live!
– The smart and pretty Mollru has arrived!
*
“Ah, is there no content… something easy that I can just coast on…”
A man, halfway slumped over in his chair, spinning it around.
Tex was burned out after pouring all his effort into the tournament and had let his stream go somewhat.
Viewers chastised him for being lazy, but people usually don’t change that easily.
Tex didn’t even blink.
[Philan donated 10,000 won!]
– “Mollru is playing Terrified, wanna go watch?”
“Terrified? A horror game, you say?”
With his earphones on, he got up like a corpse.
It looked like he’d heard something fun, and he grabbed his mouse, navigating through the live channels.
He spotted Mollru’s stream at the top of the channels sorted by current viewers.
“Wow, it’s real. Smart and pretty girl playing? This won’t be easy, though; Terrified is tough.”
Tex muttered as he looked at Mollru’s stream.
Terrified was a game he had played not long ago.
It involves horror, with puzzle elements that require a certain level of creativity and thinking, making even a fan of thrillers feel shivers down their spine.
The shock of game overs due to failing puzzles or other aspects haunted him still.
“Oh yeah, back then, I really messed up. But, can Mollru manage to clear it? Women usually don’t handle this kind of scary stuff well.”
[Mollru said she doesn’t feel fear.]
[Some part of her brain must be broken.]
[She’s that fearless even when seeing ghosts.]
[Ex-Marine hunting ghosts, ㄷㄷ.]
“Oh, that’s why she wrote that in the stream title. Sounds fun. I really found a laid-back content. Let’s check it out for a bit, shall we?”
After all, just sitting there wouldn’t help him find content.
Tex boasted he’d find something good to stream next time.
Viewers, who didn’t have a bad perception of Mollru, had no reason to reject his suggestion.
“Alright, let’s take a look. Smart and pretty Mollru’s gameplay. I’m just gonna lurk for a bit… you’ll allow that, right?”
And so, I sneaked into Mollru’s stream.
Upon entering, Tex immediately heard an unexpected sound.
Aaaahhh!
A cleanly executed shriek.
Hearing this, Tex casually commented.
“Wow, that almost blew out my eardrums. Mollru, what’s up with that?”
Mollru, the smart and pretty girl, was screaming.
*
Why is that? What’s the reason?
Why am I so startled by a ghost now when I used to not be fazed by them?
Running away from a pursuing ghost, I calmly thought about it.
Though “calm” might not fit the situation, nevertheless, I found the answer.
There was only one reason.
My body had transformed from male to female.
That alone shouldn’t be a problem, but here’s my theory.
Since becoming Ji-eun, my drinking capacity has decreased.
Specifically, my ability to detoxify alcohol has declined.
Why did my detox ability drop? Because my liver has shrunk.
My liver is smaller… Why does the saying about falling liver exist?
People with small livers are often timid and not bold.
Even if they don’t want to, they are physically born that way, leading to many surprising situations.
Right now, I find myself in that very situation.
Despite knowing a ghost will show up, I was startled and screamed like a girl just because a ghost suddenly jumped out.
As evidence, right now, even though I’m being chased by a ghost, I’m not feeling much fear.
I’m calmly dodging the ghost physically.
I tried to share this theory with the viewers, but all I got in return was mockery and laughter.
“So I screamed out of surprise, not fear! My small liver just makes me easily startled!”
[Oh, I see, LOL.]
[We’re acknowledging that, huh?]
[Alright, just stop talking already.]
[It’s kinda cute you’re passionately explaining.]
[That’s a classic female trait) making excuses.]
[I might regret all this…]
“No, seriously. Getting startled is a physiological response, it’s not about being scared! I think our country’s horror films are fundamentally flawed. They just darken everything and play scary background music, then suddenly burst out, who wouldn’t be startled? That’s not real horror, you know?”
[Whoa.]
[That statement… a bold statement.]
[This is unrelated to us ^^]
[I support this take!]
“You understand what I’m trying to say, right? Fear and being surprised are different things!”
I poured my heart out to the viewers, who were only half-listening while dodging the approaching ghost.