Chapter 105
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[General] Ainatsu: “You need to go right. Go to the right.”
(Highlighted)
Anna: “Aaaack! 😱😱 It’s chasing me! It’s really chasing me! 👤 I keep hearing it coming closer! 😱😱 What should I do? 😱😱 Which way is right? Where’s right? 😵😵 Oh, there’s right, right here! ⏩⏩ But I can’t get in! It won’t let me in, teacher! 🤯 Why won’t it open? Is this a bug? It’s a bug, isn’t it? 😫😫😫 Am I stuck? Stuck? Do I pull out? Ah, this is messed up. I’m doomed. 😔😔 Please save me, Mom 🙅 Dad 🎅. Mom’s at home, please let me live! Aaaaaah!”
[Comments]
– Anna’s really good at singing, she even knows how to rap.
– For real, get out of there!
– Why does she keep trying to force her way in? 😂
ㄴ (Author) She doesn’t even think about backing up. 😂
– She tried to rush in and got her avatar stuck against the wall. 😂
– She claims she lives alone; what a lie. 😂
– She’s terrible at horror games. 😂
===
Some people can watch the same movie over and over again.
There are times when, after watching it two or three times, you notice things you missed the first time around. I heard Inagika has rewatched Bot■ther Rock about eight times.
But even rewatching has its limits. Maybe two or three times is fine, but if it’s five times, you’re bound to get tired of it, no matter how great it is.
So, they go with someone else.
Rather than enjoying the movie’s production or plot, they focus on how others react.
Even if you know the plot, there’s still some enjoyment left when you’re watching with others. This is how Inagika managed to watch the same thing eight times. I heard she found it so moving that she even watched other VTubers reacting to it in sync.
In short, this is my way of saying that, even though I knew the plot of Party Playtime, there was still enjoyment to be found.
“I can’t go forward! It’s blocked! This way is blocked! Where am I supposed to go? Where do I go? Where do I go?!”
“Anna, look behind you! Behind you! Look around if you want to find your way!”
Despite Ainatsu shouting at her, Anna kept rubbing herself against a dead end.
From watching her, I’d realized that Anna’s mind freezes in scary situations.
No matter how much people around her try to guide her, she just keeps throwing herself at the obstacles.
I’m guessing she does that because “she’s too scared to turn around.” From an outsider’s perspective, it’s just funny.
Roaaaarrrr!
“Kyaaaa!”
The monster’s face filled the screen—a jump scare.
Anna was so startled that her chair almost tipped backward. Ainatsu managed to grab her just in time and let out a sigh.
“Can’t you just calm down a bit? Just a bit….”
“Sniff… I can’t do this anymore….”
“We’re almost there! Hang in there just a little longer!”
“You said that a while ago….”
Anna was halfway in tears. Ainatsu, who had been with her for a while, also looked visibly worn out.
Three hours had passed since they started Party Playtime.
Anna hadn’t been able to get past the climax of Chapter 1.
Whenever she faced a scary scene, her mind seemed to blank. It wasn’t that she was slow-witted—she just couldn’t remember the paths.
“…Can’t Laura just do it instead?”
Anna asked hesitantly. This was about the twentieth time I’d heard that today.
Before answering, I took a sip of my tea.
“No.”
“But won’t the viewers get tired of it?”
“It’s a punishment game, right? What’s the point if I play it for you?”
“Ugh…”
Hearing that, Anna visibly slumped. She looked like she would rather do anything else.
It was true that her progress was slow, but it would be awkward for me to take over now. The viewers knew I’d played Party Playtime with Sora during Chuseok.
How much fun would it be if someone who already knew the game played in her place?
And yes, it was frustrating, but frustrating streams have their unique appeal.
Even streamers who are terrible at games have an audience when they play things like Elden King. If they finally manage to beat the boss after countless tries, people celebrate as if it’s a human victory.
So, if I took over, it would likely backfire.
‘But it’s true Anna’s focus has dropped.’
Continuing like this would be a waste of time.
“Let’s take a quick break and have a light chat.”
I suggested that.
Anna exhaled, seeming relieved, while Ainatsu stretched and loosened up a bit.
“A break is good. But do we have a topic to chat about?”
“Nothing comes to mind. Should we ask the viewers for suggestions?”
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【When’s Chapter 2?】
“Probably tomorrow.”
“Whaaat?!”
I was just responding to the viewer’s chat, but Anna looked horrified.
“W-wait a minute… You’re saying… tomorrow…? Why….”
“We agreed to finish it.”
“Well, yes, but… But there’s no need to do it immediately tomorrow! I’m staying here for about a week!”
– A week?
– Missy, is her house an inn?
– Chel stayed for almost a month, too. 😂
– What, does Laura coat her house in honey or something?
“This is different from Chel! I actually have a valid reason!”
Anna insisted.
“The draft is coming up, isn’t it? I came here to watch the draft together with Laura!”
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【Was there no option to do a collab online?】
“And I came here to combine it with this horror game punishment! Besides, it was all of you who kept bugging me about doing a horror game!”
“Keep your voice down. My ears hurt.”
“Oh, yes. Sorry.”
Anna instantly shrank back.
Anyway, the draft.
“Is there anyone you want to be on the same team with?”
“Obviously, Louis!”
She answered without hesitation. I wondered if I’d asked something too obvious.
Anna seemed to remember something and added,
“Well, of course, I also want to be on the same team as Laura! I mean, isn’t it practically an accomplished fact that we’ll be on the same team?”
“An accomplished fact?”
“Well, thanks to Laura applying to the Fantasy League, my chances of getting in went up a tiny bit.”
Anna explained. What was she talking about?
“Um… How should I explain it? Laura’s a 1st-tier player, right?”
“That’s right. Especially after that 300-hour continuous stream.”
“That was really amazing… The draft selection is made in the order of 1st-tier, 2nd-tier, and then 3rd-tier.”
“Well, that’s obvious.”
The 1st-tier players are the aces of each team, essentially the main characters.
You can’t choose the supporting characters before deciding the main character.
“Exactly. Team owners choose the lead in the 1st-tier and then select the remaining team members to match. And where would they find anyone who pairs better with Laura than me?”
“I’m sure there are plenty. Look over there.”
I glanced at Ainatsu, who seemed to get the hint and poured me another cup of tea.
Chel had stayed the longest in my home, and Ainatsu was probably next.
Now that I think of it, Anna and I hadn’t done many collaborations since becoming VTubers, nor had we played many games together.
And yet, Anna thinks we make a good pair?
“Out of the applicants, I mean! Among the applicants! Ainatsu, did you apply to the Fantasy League?”
“Nope.”
“See? I’m the only VTuber who’s done a Labyrinthos duo with Laura!”
“Duo? Ah, you mean that viewer participation stream with Louis.”
I once teamed up with Son Narin, but she proudly managed to achieve the Master rank in that stream.
If I meet Narin in the Fantasy League, it’ll only be as an opponent.
So, except for Narin, it’s true that the only person I’ve teamed up with in Labyrinthos is Anna.
“Think about it from an owner’s perspective. If they pick Laura as their 1st-tier, of course, they’ll choose me for the 3rd-tier. I’ve even done a duo with Laura! We’re coworkers! We’re close! We’re breathing under the same roof! So, if any team owner is watching this stream, pick me too!”
Anna proclaimed. So, this was all just a buildup to promote herself.
I crossed my arms and thought for a moment.
‘Being on the same team as Anna….’
Anna’s skill has improved a lot compared to before. I’ve kept an eye on her Labyrinthos streams, and the growth was noticeable.
My main character, the Dark Knight.
And Anna’s main character, the Technomancer.
I’d thought for a while that these two characters’ synergy was great. The Technomancer even received a slight buff in the recent Arcade Mode update.
Considering all this, teaming up with Anna might actually be a good idea.
In fact, it might even be the best result.
“That should work.”
“It’ll work, right? Right?”
“Then let’s prove how well we work together in this stream. We’ve rested enough, so let’s get back to the game.”
“…Seriously, what kind of teamwork are we proving in a single-player horror game?”
“Oh dear, are you, a 3rd-tier, refusing the word of me, a 1st-tier, Anna?”
I said with a smirk.
“…Ugh. You’re so unfair.”
***
And so, Anna stayed at my house, continuing with Party Playtime.
She ended up spending almost an entire day on Chapter 2.
As for Chapter 3… considering Anna’s hopeless pace, it would likely take another two to three days.
“If it’s too hard, you could finish it after the draft.”
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【After the draft, you’ll have to practice with your teammates.】
There’s a gap between the draft and the start of the tournament. During this time, all teams are supposed to stream practice sessions.
‘If Anna and I end up on the same team, it’ll be easy to coordinate our schedules.’
But if that’s not the case, it might be difficult to fit in time for Party Playtime after the draft.
Of course, if Anna’s right, we’re likely to end up on the same team.
But that’s not guaranteed. We could just as well end up as opponents.
Better safe than sorry.
So, I decided to make sure Anna, our ultra-scaredy-cat, finishes Party Playtime before the draft begins.
That said, playing Party Playtime every day would wear her down.
So, some days, Anna and I played Party Playtime.
Other days, Ainatsu and I played Aseosal.
And other days, Mashina and I played on the Aseosal Revenge server.
Spending our time this way,
The draft finally approached.