Chapter 170: The Job of the Top Student (2)

Why did horror games even exist in the world?

I found myself shaking my head in disbelief, pale from the intro video.

While most game intro videos are like watching TV from a distance, this game’s intro video was vastly different.

Of course, I’d heard that most horror games adopt this approach.

So what is this ‘approach’ exactly?

“Eeeeeeek!”

“Damn…”

It meant becoming the protagonist of the intro and experiencing it in first person.

It didn’t take long for me to realize I wasn’t particularly talented at horror games.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Outlast really does have a killer intro.

-Yeah, but isn’t this reaction a bit too much? Someone might think this game is terrifying.

-It really is a damn scary game.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This guy’s a gem in horror games.

-Barkeep! Close the shutters today! We’re going to watch him piss himself!

-Everyone, take your seats!

The viewers, naturally, loved it.

This was the first time in my streaming history that I’d screamed like this.

To be honest, I didn’t expect it to be this scary from the intro alone.

Why was that?

There were countless scary scenes in the games I’d played so far.

The sight of zombies swarming in hordes and monsters popping out from caves.

Visually, those weren’t any less terrifying, but they couldn’t compare to the current situation.

It was a spine-chilling feeling.

So scary, it felt like cold sweat was running down my back.

[Your memory is insignificant compared to this world…]

[Everything is manipulated. Your world, even your memory.]

[Face the end.]

All the dialogue was perfectly translated into Korean, and the further the intro video progressed, the more immersive it became.

“Huuh… Huuh!”

As the intro video finally ended and the start command became active.

I could barely catch my breath and had to close my eyes tightly.

I almost died from the intro video.

Judging by the intro video, this game didn’t seem to be about ghosts.

It was a game featuring grotesquely terrifying fanatics.

As with most of the Outlast series, the game focused more on supernatural entities rather than ghosts.

More accurately, it featured monsters based on humans.

I hadn’t previewed this game, but it was such a famous series that I roughly knew the storylines of 1 and 2.

‘Nationalist Mission Man’ donated 100,000 won!

[Streamer, aren’t you setting the sound properly? Are you trying to make this broadcast too easy? You should’ve said you can’t handle horror gamesㅋㅋ]

After the intro video ended, Seong-soo hyung’s donation notification popped up.

Oh my goodness.

I hadn’t even turned off the donation alerts yet.

Given the nature of horror games, there was a risk of the atmosphere being ruined by donations.

That’s why it was almost a rule to turn off donation alerts while playing horror games.

After barely pulling myself together, I bowed my head and responded to Seong-soo hyung.

“Thank you so much for the 100,000 won donation. Oh, and it’s not that I can’t handle horror games. Honestly, it’s hard to even pretend I can’t.”

I tried to act nonchalant.

I regretted saying that I could play any game well.

I never imagined that a horror game could evoke such fear.

Just as I was catching my breath.

[‘Juhyun’ enters this story.]

[‘NayoungNayoungNayoung’ joins this story.]

“Oh! Oppa, you’re here already?”

“Chan-sik, why the face?”

“…You’re here?”

Nayoung and Juhyun, who had finished watching the intro video, joined me.

But their expressions were much more relaxed. Unlike me, who was barely holding back the shock, they started chatting with smiles.

“This intro is really well made.”

“Right, unni? I think this is the best intro among the series. It looks fun.”

“Since this is the first series with co-op play, it should be really fun!”

“I can’t wait to start.”

I’d heard that those two often collaborated on horror games.

Nayoung and Juhyun’s horror game collabs always garnered a hot response, often hitting the top viewership on Twipod.

Moreover, they were very good at horror games.

They were like two fearless women.

When I checked out their previous collab, I could see their style of playing horror games.

One thing was certain, I could never do it like them.

I sighed deeply and said to them.

“Let’s start quickly.”

It’s best to get the beating over with quickly.

Having been vaccinated through the intro video, it would surely be less scary once the actual game started.

So it was best to start and finish quickly.

The shorter the pain, the better.

At my words, Nayoung and Juhyun shrugged their shoulders and nodded.

“Okay.”

“Then, let’s start quickly.”

At least at that moment, I thought I’d become immune to the horror through the intro video.

But it didn’t take even ten minutes to realize that thought was wrong.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-This guyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Bringing shame to all

-No, reallyㅋㅋ There’s nothing thereㅋㅋ Huh?

-Stop being so scared, please!

-You looked fearless playing League of Storm, but why are you such a coward here

-ㅋ

The chat window exploded with viewers going wild.

“Ah, this is so frustrating! Hey! Chan-sik, just follow me!”

“Oppa, then just close your eyes. We’ll lead you, okay?”

Nayoung and Juhyun started expressing their frustration.

I clenched my fists and hung my head low.

A form of hell I hadn’t known before was unfolding right before my eyes.

4.

Outlast 3 had a clear point of distinction from other horror games.

Pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen.

An unsettling silence that evoked anxiety.

Up to this point, it wasn’t much different from other horror games.

However, this game required you to spend most of your time with night vision goggles.

The only optical equipment provided to players.

In previous Outlast series, a camera served this role, but in 3, it had evolved into night vision goggles.

The game was set in a research lab somewhere in the U.S.

According to the evidence gathered so far, various experiments using mind-altering drugs were conducted here, which formed the main storyline of the game. 𝖗

The protagonists had entered this lab for undercover reporting, but honestly, I couldn’t understand it.

Risking your life to infiltrate such a lab for reporting?

Why are the protagonists of horror movies and games always like this?

It seemed they lived forgetting that life was the most important thing in the world.

Our current goal was to collect documents about the drugs scattered throughout the lab.

However, there were non-human entities living and breathing in this lab.

“Juhyun.”

“Yes, oppa.”

“Where’s Nayoung… gone?”

“Who knows?”

I whispered the question to Juhyun while hiding together in a closet.

Originally, the three of us had been moving together, but at some point, Nayoung had disappeared.

It was something I couldn’t even dream of doing.

But Nayoung had adapted to the horror game far better than I had expected.

– Nayoung must have gone off to curse out the monsters againㅋㅋ

– In horror games, Nayoung >>>>>>>>>>>>> Shia

– No, seriouslyㅋㅋ Is she trying to kill the monsters with a capsaicin bomb or what?

– LOLㅋㅋ

– Nayoung’s doing her solo act again.

– In horror games and movies, splitting up always means death.

-ㅋㅋ But didn’t Nayoung find three documents by herself?

The viewers were watching the rare collaboration with wide smiles.

Our roles had significantly shifted.

If originally, Nayoung cursed and I carried the game, now Nayoung was doing everything herself.

The reason Juhyun was sticking with me was simple.

– If Chan-sik is left alone, he might pass out from heart failure. Juhyun, stay with him. I’ll go collect all the documents.

It was Nayoung’s consideration.

It was a measure taken due to my unexpected fear of horror games, and thanks to that, I hadn’t been out of the game yet.

What if Juhyun wasn’t beside me?

…I didn’t even want to think about it.

“So, how long are we supposed to stay here?”

Honestly, I wanted to roam around like Nayoung and collect evidence.

I was eager to contribute to the game.

Just receiving a free ride wasn’t my style.

But Juhyun responded immediately and firmly to my question.

“Oppa, just stay put here.”

“…Why are you like this to me?”

“Remember what you always say when playing ? Remember that?”

What was she telling me to remember?

As I made a puzzled expression, Juhyun leaned close to my ear and whispered quietly.

“If you can’t play, at least ride the bus properly.”

“Juh… Hyun?”

“Oppa, you said that every day when playing your alt account. Didn’t you?”

– Juhyun really seems to watch OurEvil’s broadcast every day.

– She’s a true fan.

– Legit.

– It’s so funny to see Shia being bad at gamesㅋㅋ

– Ahㅋㅋ We should make horror games a mandatory punishment from now on.

Sometimes, just sometimes, it’s inconvenient that Juhyun knows me too well.

Just like now.

I forced myself to stay calm and nodded.

Then I looked at Juhyun and said.

“Juhyun.”

“Yes, oppa.”

“You don’t know that oppa is acting like this to entertain you, do you?”

“Acting?”

“Oppa is actually a fearless person. I was born without fear. Want me to show you?”

By now, the viewers should be fully charmed by my cringing demeanor.

Showing a surprising side often has the most impact.

The truth is, I had forgotten what fear was since birth.

“Phew, pretending to be scared was exhausting.”

Saying that, I stepped out of the closet we were hiding in.

Then, after putting on the night vision goggles, I looked at Juhyun and said.

“Juhyun, I’ll go collect the evidence. Just wait here. Got it?”

She shook her head without saying a word.

Why wasn’t she speaking all of a sudden?

“Why suddenly…?”

That was when it happened.

Goosebumps erupted all over my body.

Just a moment ago, I was fine, but now I was sweating again.

[Your heart rate is rapidly approaching dangerous levels!]

[Calm down!]

[Nothing is more important than your life.]

Warning messages echoed instantly.

Those red-bordered messages scattered my already anxious mind.

Slowly, I turned my head to look forward.

There, I saw a monster with two heads and blood tears streaming from its eyes staring right at me.

Through the night vision goggles, I could see every detail of the monster’s features.

The monster was designed with deteriorated vision but had highly developed hearing.

Its appearance looked as if it had walked straight out of hell, and I could only stare at it in silence.

[Warning! Your heart rate has reached dangerous levels!]

[If the current heart rate is maintained for more than 2 minutes, you will be automatically out of the game.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

A situation where neither laughter nor tears could express my feelings.

Just when I deeply regretted my recent bravado.

From down the hallway, I heard someone’s refreshing swear.

“You dual-core-headed bastard! Stop bothering our cute newbie and come play with me! Huh? Should I make your head an odd number?”