Chapter 31 : Spy (no)

Laisen.

As the name suggests, this hero’s concept revolved around controlling electricity.

Why he was called ‘Noeseon,’ meaning ‘Thunder God,’ but with a Japanese name, I had no idea.

That’s not what’s important.

What’s important is.

‘I’m finally free from Minder.’

I was free from being a one-trick Minder, and I could sweat less.

And I could talk!

That was the most convenient part.

Even if I could control the chat with cognitive acceleration, how could that be more comfortable than speaking directly? I could guarantee it, speaking was definitely more comfortable.

Ignoring the chat that was scrolling up like crazy, I entered the waiting room with Baek Ji-hyeok as soon as the queue popped.

Then, two allies who were also in the queue recognized my nickname and tilted their heads.

“Huh, what? It’s not Minder this time?”

“Laisen? Hmm. Did the AI get an update?”

“What, are you believing in some conspiracy theory? Why would you believe that?”

The two allies, who were bickering moderately, soon realized that the Sharp-tongue next to me was Baek Ji-hyeok’s main account.

“What, No Surrender is here too. Hi.”

“Ahaha, hello.”

“What, are you duoing with that person over there?”

“Hmm, APK No Surrender… transfer… memo…”

I smiled contentedly as I watched them.

As expected, the higher ranks near The Hundred were different.

Anyway, you have to see the people you saw in the previous game in the next game. Whether they were allies or enemies. So, it was a habit to be polite, kind, and gentle to each other.

A very good attitude.

So, should I try to be polite too?

“Hello. I’m Sno.1, a new streamer, SeongWon. I’m currently live streaming on Pachichik.”

Then, the bodies of the two allies, excluding No Surrender, stiffened as if they had been struck by lightning. I gave a thumbs-up to the two people who were turning their heads like dolls, and finished my speech with the same lines as usual.

“Please subscribe, like, and turn on notifications.”

* * *

▣ f*ck, SeongWon is an AI, they said.

[Sno.1 broadcast clip]

He’s talking, f*ck, he’s human.

[A picture of a Tyrannosaurus trying to swing its fist. Its arms are short.]

─Are you surprised that AI can talk? ㅋㅋ Are you from North Korea?

└North Korea? What are you talking about, that hasn’t existed for ages. Please correct it to ‘the area north of the former armistice line of the Republic of Korea.’

└Don’t treat people who lived under the Kim regime and the fully redeveloped Manchuria the same way, it’s offensive;;;;

└Well… Aren’t you all ‘Joseonjok’ anyway…?

└[Deleted comment]

└Definitely hit a nerve.

─It’s been decades since talking AIs came out, can we really say whether it’s an AI or not based on this?

└In the first place, the streaming world is divided on whether someone is enhanced or not based on whether they can do live streams, so what does AI controversy have to do with voice? I really don’t know.

─So, is the voice hot?

└Yup

└The voice is really good.

▣ Noㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Sno.1 broadcast clip, SeongWon is asking the stunned Overload to subscribe and like the video]

SeongWon hasn’t changed anything even after he started talking instead of chatting?

He still teabags people by telling them to watch his stream, subscribe, and like after catching a hero?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

─He’s just an AI, f*ckㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└It’s more of a problem if he’s not an AI.

└True madness

─But it’s funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It’s so chaotic.

─Ah, there is one thing that’s different. Now he’s asking to turn on notifications too.

└He started doing that recently.

└He must have changed the AI settings after seeing the notification feature.

└Is there no possibility that he’s not an AI?

└It’s better if he’s not an AI.

▣ Tried to verify it for now.

[National Intelligence Service website report submission photo]

I reported him as a spy and I’m waiting for a response.

If it’s true, I’ll definitely get a watch, and if not, oh well.

─If it’s true, it won’t end with a watch, they’ll give you a reward of 3 billion won.

└Really? They give that much?

└I’m not sure if the Russian Socialist Federation is a hostile country, but anyway, spying for an allied country has been a crime for a while, so it’s probably possible?

└But is a game AI considered espionage?

└If it’s being used for military purposes, then yes.

─Reporting this is such a loser move ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋSeriously.

└Hey, say “f*ck the USSR”.

└No, let’s do “f*ck Lenin”.

└Idiots.

└He can’t say it, let’s report this guy too.

└MarxLeninStalinPutinFuckingRetardedMotherlessBastard, satisfied?

└I’m still reporting you, bye.

▣ So, is he entertaining?

I don’t know if he’s an AI or what.

Is he entertaining?

─Whether it’s an AI concept or real, the broadcast itself is worth watching.

└Aside from the external stuff, it’s fun.

└He’s kind of a psycho, but a really good psycho.

─The engagements and stuff are similar to the pro scene, but it’s a bit lighter. Maybe because it’s a stream.

└Subscribing.

└Sno.1 SeongWon, currently live streaming on Pachichik~ Please subscribe, like, and turn on notifications~

* * *

Laisen is one of the few heroes in Soul Frame that can receive ‘environmental buffs.’

They’re also called attribute heroes, and it’s like they receive a firepower buff when using skills in certain terrains. Of course, due to balance issues, the buff isn’t huge.

His performance is average. Decent.

But.

-Pzzzzt!

Brainpower flowed through my hand.

Every step I took sparked, and the lightning energy surrounding my body made me feel like Zeus, controlling thunder.

That’s why this guy has a good pick rate despite his decent performance.

He’s cool.

‘Lightning Form.’

My body flashed and accelerated in an instant.

Since it’s not a movement speed increase skill, but a location-designated dash, the destination is fixed. It has a long cooldown to be used as an evasion skill, and can only be used for attacking.

But.

Who cares.

I am the Thunder God now.

So I’ll strike down like lightning.

-Krrrrrr!

The Overload, who was diligently farming creeps, clutched his face and screamed at the punishment that struck down from the sky with thunder.

“Argh! Shit!”

Lightning Form gives a flashbang, a vision debuff, if it hits right in front of you. So before he could get his act together, I immediately crammed in the next skill.

‘Thunder Drum.’

Drums appeared behind me as I flicked my hand.

Since I had stacked it up, the fully charged 8-stack drums roared, and loud thunder became the background music.

-Krrrrrr! Bang! Krrrrrr!

Simultaneously, my brainpower increased rapidly.

I swung my brainpower and struck the Overload nicely.

Smack, smack.

“Argh! Shit! Laisen is on me! Someone help!”

The poor Overload flailed his bony limbs and cried, but no one was coming to help him anytime soon.

The standard play for Overload is to ignore joining up with allies and just run around alone, farming creeps and running away to grow. That’s what high-blood characters are like.

So there are no allies near this guy.

On the other hand, me?

“Hey, SeongWon. Why are you going in alone?”

“I’m going crazy, really. It’s like a missile. He just launches whenever he sees an enemy.”

“He’s an AI, so the programming must be messed up.”

I’m with my allies!

That’s the difference between me and that damn skeleton.

So die nicely, Overload.

“He always flies off when he sees an Overload. Is it because of what happened last time?”

“More than that, this game is really crazy. Why are there three Overloads?”

“Thanks to that, all three of them seem to be ruined…”

“Just unlucky, I guess.”

When the allies finally joined, the Overload just became a handful of ghosts. To be precise, he was stunned.

I approached the fallen Overload and crouched down.

I felt stares from behind, like ‘again’.

But who cares.

“Ah, seriously. My team is always full of trolls. Sigh.”

“Hey.”

“What. Just kill me already.”

“Do you know Sno.1’s stream?”

“Huh?”

Only then did the Overload read my nickname and flinch.

I gave him a thumbs-up and patted his shoulder.

“I’m currently live streaming on Pachichik. Since we met like this, it’s fate. After the game, would you consider subscribing, liking, and turning on notifications?”

“No, shit, what the… Were you human?”

“Yes. So, will you do it?”

“f*ck off.”

“Hmm. It’s a shame if you don’t.”

I shook my head and stood up.

“Shall we go now? I’ve done everything I needed to do.”

“Yeah, sure…”

“…Let’s go.”

Then, Baek Ji-hyeok and the other two nodded with uncomfortable faces. It was because it was already agreed upon.

Only then did the Overload realize the situation and scream.

“No, shit. You’re leaving without killing me after messing this up? Are you crazy? Are you really insane?! Hey!!!”

“I hear bones rolling around somewhere.”

“I remember your nicknames! Don’t go! Kill me and go!”

His voice, full of resentment, continued to be heard from behind, but we just went our way. It was because we had already heard this reaction twice before.

But, anyway.

Even if you mess up an Overload like that in the early game, their presence in that game is zero, right? Do we really need to kill him and help him quit the game and start the next one?

‘I should lock up those evil skeletons so they can’t play the next game.’

It’s definitely not because I was attacked before for not stopping him.

It’s just because he didn’t subscribe, like, and turn on notifications.

Who told him to do that?

Hehehe.

* * *

Today’s broadcast was also fruitful.

Today, my goal was just to shock people, so I didn’t really communicate with the viewers, but from the next broadcast, I’ll start communicating. Of course, with my voice.

-Clank!

With the usual sound of the hydraulic press, I woke up in the virtual machine. Hmm, this refreshing feeling. It must be because I didn’t use Minder, I’m not sweating at all, right?

Then, I saw the cover of the machine next to me open.

Soon, APK No Surrender, Baek Ji-hyeok, woke up. He slowly came out, moved his body around a bit, and muttered with a slightly dazed expression.

“Oh, um. The machine your team uses is much more comfortable than the one we use. Even after using it for a long time…”

“Well, it’s an expensive model, right? Or maybe it’s because it’s a new one.”

“You bought a new one…?”

“Originally, there was only one machine here, but since you came, I needed to use it in front of you to explain things. So I bought another one for various reasons.”

Then, Baek Ji-hyeok looked at me with fearful eyes. Why?

“Well, let’s go out for now?”

At that moment.

The door to the broadcast room opened, and Miley came in, huffing and puffing. CEO Cha followed her in a hurry.

“Mai-, Butler Mackie. Instead of being certain, let’s check the internet first…”

“I saw it with my own eyes earlier. At that time, I didn’t know exactly what that number was, so I just left it…”

Miley looked at Baek Ji-hyeok with contempt. Baek Ji-hyeok flinched at her gaze.

“I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person. I’m disappointed.”

What’s this, again.

“What’s this, again. Miley. Explain.”

The answer came from CEO Cha.

“Th-, we got a call.”

“A call? From where?”

“From the NIS…”

NIS? National Intelligence Service?

Why would they call.

“No, wait. Now, so maybe…”

“Yes. They said to explain.”

I slapped my forehead.

Wow! Is this a country! I’m going crazy.

“Ah. I’m so annoyed, really. Is this because of a report?”

“Yes, Master.”

Miley, who answered that, glared at Baek Ji-hyeok. Just as I was about to ask why she was glaring at Baek Ji-hyeok, CEO Cha glanced at Baek Ji-hyeok and asked.

“Um, Player Baek. I know it might be rude to ask this, but it’s a sensitive issue. You didn’t report it, did you?”

“Huh?”

Then, Baek Ji-hyeok was startled and shook his head.

“Oh, no. I wouldn’t have had time to do that.”

“He was pressing 111 on his smartphone earlier.”

At Miley’s muttering, Baek Ji-hyeok was startled. Soon, he hurriedly took out his smartphone and held it out.

“Um, I just pressed the number just in case. But I didn’t actually report it. There was no time physically, right? Look, you can see it in the records. The records… Uh…”

Suddenly, Baek Ji-hyeok’s words stopped.

I took the smartphone from his hand and checked it.

Smartphone call history.

[111: 1 minute 3 seconds]

Hmm….