Radosh
I already told you, but until the start of May, I'll be releasing more chapters than usual. Though not as many as the previous week.
“Fuck! No! Don’t come any closer!”
I run as if my life depended on it. In fact, it does… because if those flying piranhas come close enough to me, I’m done for.
“I told you to stop moving already! You really don’t want to make me angry, you know!?”
I taunt them but, of course, it makes no difference to my current situation.
I continue running. I’m faster than them, the problem is we’re currently moving through a place with lots of obstacles and crevices… I can’t run straight, while they can. And this isn’t good because they’re slowly catching up to me.
The thunderous dragon is slowly catching up to me. I don’t dare to look behind, I need all my attention on what’s in front of me to avoid falling from a cliff or bumping into a rock or something. But I know how close they are thanks to the sound.
There are two things I’m worried about right now. The first is the swarm chasing me. And the second is the fact that the fanatics are now left to their own devices and I can’t stop them until I somehow get rid of this Spark Swarm chasing after me.
Though the latter isn’t necessarily a bad thing: they’re sooooooo crazy, they might self-destruct at any moment, even if left alone. I don’t want to take the risk, so I have to solve the former first.
The swarm keeps getting closer. I can almost feel their tiny but sharp teeth shredding my skin, as well as the rest of my body, to pieces.
“Uaaaaaah! Somebody help me!!”
The cracking noises are so close, and so numerous, that I can barely hear myself screaming. How many of them are chasing after me? Maybe fifty or so?
The good thing - or bad thing, depending on which side you’re on - about critter units is that they’re very cheap, so you can use lots of them with little cp cost. This is why they can create so many of the same units chasing after me at the same time. I’m sure the whole swarm doesn’t cost more than 600 cp.
But they have two drawbacks that are what prevent players from effectively using them.
The first is their AI. They aren’t planned to use in combat, so their basic AIs are very basic. But making them ‘follow x unit’ isn’t hard, and this is what they’re currently doing: following ME.
In fact, I’m sure they don’t even have any means to directly attack me at all. Not that they need it. With their innate Lightning Elemental passive skill, they reduce all incoming lightning damage by 50%. Because of how damage is calculated, this includes every time my attacks jump from target to target, quickly reducing any amount of damage to zero.
They also have the Static Discharge skill, dealing continuous lighting damage to their surroundings. They only need to get close enough to me and I’ll take constant damage, while they don’t damage one another thanks to the Lighting Elemental skill.
How do I know they have this skill combo? Well, they are the same ones I use in my Static Lambs mobs, and I know what the Static Discharge looks like. I’m sure about it.
“Why are you so into copying everything I do!? I’m going to sue you!”
As I run, I continue to say bullshit. One must stay on character at all times.
“If I kill myself, would you commit mass suicide too!? Now I’m tempted to try it…”
The second weak point critter units have is their low stats. They usually die in one attack. But the problem is the only AoE I have are the Chain Lightning and Shared Voltage, and they negate them completely…
If only Ricard or Laura were here…! They could deal with the whole swarm in an instant!
I could kill them one by one with Cold Blasts, but I don’t have enough MP to cast so many of them. Plus I would have to stay still to aim, and this would get me killed.
Oh, yeah, don’t worry about my stupidity… This time I haven’t forgotten about the Grand Finale skill. If I use it, I can kill all the piranhas in an instant. But I don’t want to use it if possible, because… who knows what other crazy stuff the fanatics have prepared for this match! If I use the Grand Finale here, I’ll lose the opportunity to save the day later on.
Though I won’t hesitate to use it if they manage to surround me. Wasting it and being turned into a cripple is still better than dying uselessly.
If only I could find a way to lose them somehow…
“Oh! I know! Fufufufu! Hahahaha!”
I take a quick look around, trying to find a small crevice.
“There it is! Fufufu! Hahaha! It’s time to apply the RATT protocol!”
I run to the crevice and when I’m right next to it, I activate the Rat Transformation skill before entering it. I continue advancing until I reach the other end, never looking behind.
It seems I managed to lose them! The cracking noises are getting further away! Hahaha!
I undo the Rat Transformation.
The only problem now is I can’t move anymore for a while. I’ve been training a lot lately with the skill and can now move in the rat form, as long as I stay in it for less than five seconds. But by then, I’m so sick I can’t move again for the next minute or so…
“Ugh… I want to puke… I’ll have to promise myself to never do this again unless it’s completely unavoidable…”
Staying on the ground, slowly dragging myself like a pathetic and drunk worm, I look around my position. I should be in one of the multiple tunnels that cover this area, the tunnels that connect the dungeon portals to the next defensive position.
“I think… I remember, this, one… Ugh… Somebody… please, kill, me…”
“Are you sure about it? Do you want me to do it?”
WHAT!? Did I finally turn crazy too? Because I’m hearing somebody talk to me!
“Now, I’m turning… crazy, too… I hear, voices!”
“Hey, don’t be rude! I’m right in front of you.”
I hear the same voice again. Slowly - I’m in no state to make swift movements - I turn my head in the direction of that voice. There, the sharkman is looking at my pathetic situation. It looks like he took the same path I coincidentally ended in.
We both stare at each other for a while, the exact same surprised expression on both of our faces.
“Um… do you mind, waiting for a while, until I, recover…?”
“Uhm… sure, why not.”
Like this, we agree to wait until I can stand up again. I’m glad they’re only crazy and not rude too.
“Hey bro…”
“What do you want now…?”
Slightly raising his eyebrows, the Leader thinks how annoying this follower can sometimes be…. well, most of the time.
“Umm… you said we were coming here to share despair with the world and with His great persona, right?”
“That’s true! It’s the noblest of purposes, to show the true way to live to the unbelievers, as well as share with Him our greatest plans and devotion! Hahaha!”
“I see… Then, why is it us the ones who are suffering right now?”
The human-looking player takes a peek behind as he continues to run. Currently, they’re being chased by something very dangerous, an enemy they can’t hope to defeat without taking big losses.
“You fool!” The Leader gets angry at his subordinate. “Why are you still asking such questions after so long? Do you still not understand our purpose here!? It isn’t only to show Him our devotion but also to receive His teachings directly! So of course we must suffer too! And you should be enjoying it, like me! Fufufu! Hahaha!”
“Is that so…?”
Not completely convinced, the follower continues to run side by side with the Leader.
As they continue running, the ground trembles. Then, a gigantic figure appears from the ground, devouring one of their support monsters whole, before diving again into the ground, as if it were a fish jumping out of the water to eat an insignificant insect.
Finally, the vibrations start to fade away, signifying the monster is no longer chasing after them.
“Hahaha! How many does this make!? I believe it’s the third one already. Fufufu! Hahaha! Do you see this, Al? Don’t you enjoy the thrill too?”
“I don’t know, Leader… I still feel like giving despair is better than receiving it.”
“How can you still… Aaaaagh!”
The Leader forces himself to calm down after an angry cry to relieve tension. He punches a wall - quite a lot of times - before continuing.
“I must admit I really didn’t expect to suffer so much before being able to face Mad Rat directly. First the falling trap and now the two Tunnel Mimics with changed behaviors… Who could have guessed it was so easy to turn them into big predators by just changing their AI! Hahaha! He always manages to teach us new things!”
“...”
Al, the human follower, stares at the Leader without saying anything. He must be thinking about something the other just said.
After a while of doing nothing, he asks another question.
“Bro… why did you have to sacrifice Gery to one of the Tunnel Mimics when they first attacked? Now we not only lost Bil but also Gery… and we lost Gery’s map… can we still make it both of us, alone?”
“Oh, come on, don’t be a crybaby! And it was Gery himself who volunteered! Now, thanks to him, we only need to worry about one of those worms instead of two! Because he must have killed it from the inside! Hahaha! And he must be safe! Lost and alone, somewhere, in this extremely dangerous place… But ALIVE! It’s an honor for every one of us to serve a greater purpose! I’m sure he’s proud of it! Hahaha!”
“But you clearly pushed him in front of the worm to save yourself!”
“That was an emergency measure, you fool! We already agreed on it before the match! Just go and ask him! Hahaha…!”
If this weren’t a game, the Leader would be sweating buckets right now. Up to the point that a poodle would soon form under his feet. Luckily, this is a game, and we don’t have to see that disgusting scene.
Al then moves a step away from the Leader, a mix of fear and anxiousness on his face.
“T-then… a-are you g-going to sacrifice me n-next? I-i don’t want t-t-to end inside a w-worm…”
“Nah, don’t worry. You fool… As if I would leave our secret weapon to die by himself! I’m the only one who can properly guide you, so I’ll never leave you behind. I’ll take care of you, don’t worry! Hahaha!”
“You promise me?”
“Yeah, I do!” Then the Leader adds, in a whisper so that Al, who’s right next to him, doesn’t hear. “...I wouldn’t hesitate at all to use Bil or Gery as a sacrifice again…”
The tremors have completely disappeared by now. This means the Tunnel Mimic is too far away, and not only they can’t sense it anymore, but it’s also true the other way around. It’s the perfect moment to continue moving.
“Let’s stop wasting time and continue! Mad Rat, you managed to divide us and teach us there’s always a higher realm, to never conform to what we already know! Now, it’s time for us to show You what we have prepared! Fufufu! Hahaha!”
“But bro, we first need to find him.”
“Shut up! Don’t make me look bad! And I told you to not interrupt me in the middle of laughing!”
“...I’m sorry… But don’t leave me alone, ok?”
“Yeah, don’t worry…”
The Leader rolls his eyes for the umpteenth time. If not because of Al being the best player in the Mad Rat’s Cult, he would have never brought him to this match.
“What do I do now? I’m alone…”
I just emerged from the Tunnel Mimic, but I don’t know where I am right now.
A while ago, Bil got separated from our group because of the falling collapsing cave trap… or should I say we got separated from him…?
If we’re the ones who fell into the trap, we should be the ones getting separated, but because our group is bigger than Bil, who’s alone, then it should be him who got separated… Which one is the good way to put it?
And now I got separated too… Should I say I got separated from the main team, or that I got separated from the already split team?
“Ou… my head hurts when it comes to things like this…”
I grab my head in pain.
I managed to kill the Tunnel Mimic that ate me, attacking it from inside. I have way higher stats because I’m a high-level champion, there’s no way I would be defeated there!
This isn’t the first time I got eaten. It’s been already more than ten times, so I don’t care at all anymore.
Don’t tell anyone, but I kind of find it funny… Being dragged away to a random place when killing the worm, and not knowing where I am at all, or what dangers I’ll find… It’s a secret pleasure of mine.
But there’s one weird thing in all this. I was running away from it when I was pulled in front of the worm.
I shouldn’t have been eaten by it, I wasn’t the closest one…
“Well, I’m alone now and there’s nothing I can do! Not that I care... Gery’s solitary adventure begins now! Fufufu! Hahaha!”
I toss the map I was drawing to the floor and stomp on it.
“This shit… if the Leader didn’t tell me to draw it, I would never do it! Drawing maps is for the stupid or the scared ones! A true believer would never do it! Hahaha!”
I look around and assess the situation I’m in.
“Hmm… it looks the same as before: lots of tunnels with no mushrooms at all. If it’s like this, I don’t know if I’m close or far from the place the Tunnel Mimic ate me…”
Well, there’s nothing I can do about it at all.
I choose a random tunnel and enter it. I’m going to continue exploring alone. Fufufu! This reminds me of the best times inside The Mad Rat’s Lab! Not knowing anything at all, and being nervous about what I’ll encounter…
“Let’s see, let’s see… Let’s see what you have prepared for me, Mad Rat! Hahaha! I’m looking forward to it!”
I rub my hands together in excitement. Let’s see what I encounter and how much I suffer from it…
“Fufufu! Hahaha!”
A few viewers thought everything happening in this match was previously arranged by the participants because it was ‘too good to be true,’ and everyone was doing whatever they wanted instead of focusing on the match. Everyone except for Ricard, Laura, and Clara, the ‘unrelated players’.
Later on, when things started to get truly crazy, they understood it wasn’t possible. Because nobody can feign emotions as well as the ones displayed by the players in this match.
Radosh
I already told you, but until the start of May, I'll be releasing more chapters than usual. Though not as many as the previous week.
“Fuck! No! Don’t come any closer!”
I run as if my life depended on it. In fact, it does… because if those flying piranhas come close enough to me, I’m done for.
“I told you to stop moving already! You really don’t want to make me angry, you know!?”
I taunt them but, of course, it makes no difference to my current situation.
I continue running. I’m faster than them, the problem is we’re currently moving through a place with lots of obstacles and crevices… I can’t run straight, while they can. And this isn’t good because they’re slowly catching up to me.
The thunderous dragon is slowly catching up to me. I don’t dare to look behind, I need all my attention on what’s in front of me to avoid falling from a cliff or bumping into a rock or something. But I know how close they are thanks to the sound.
There are two things I’m worried about right now. The first is the swarm chasing me. And the second is the fact that the fanatics are now left to their own devices and I can’t stop them until I somehow get rid of this Spark Swarm chasing after me.
Though the latter isn’t necessarily a bad thing: they’re sooooooo crazy, they might self-destruct at any moment, even if left alone. I don’t want to take the risk, so I have to solve the former first.
The swarm keeps getting closer. I can almost feel their tiny but sharp teeth shredding my skin, as well as the rest of my body, to pieces.
“Uaaaaaah! Somebody help me!!”
The cracking noises are so close, and so numerous, that I can barely hear myself screaming. How many of them are chasing after me? Maybe fifty or so?
The good thing - or bad thing, depending on which side you’re on - about critter units is that they’re very cheap, so you can use lots of them with little cp cost. This is why they can create so many of the same units chasing after me at the same time. I’m sure the whole swarm doesn’t cost more than 600 cp.
But they have two drawbacks that are what prevent players from effectively using them.
The first is their AI. They aren’t planned to use in combat, so their basic AIs are very basic. But making them ‘follow x unit’ isn’t hard, and this is what they’re currently doing: following ME.
In fact, I’m sure they don’t even have any means to directly attack me at all. Not that they need it. With their innate Lightning Elemental passive skill, they reduce all incoming lightning damage by 50%. Because of how damage is calculated, this includes every time my attacks jump from target to target, quickly reducing any amount of damage to zero.
They also have the Static Discharge skill, dealing continuous lighting damage to their surroundings. They only need to get close enough to me and I’ll take constant damage, while they don’t damage one another thanks to the Lighting Elemental skill.
How do I know they have this skill combo? Well, they are the same ones I use in my Static Lambs mobs, and I know what the Static Discharge looks like. I’m sure about it.
“Why are you so into copying everything I do!? I’m going to sue you!”
As I run, I continue to say bullshit. One must stay on character at all times.
“If I kill myself, would you commit mass suicide too!? Now I’m tempted to try it…”
The second weak point critter units have is their low stats. They usually die in one attack. But the problem is the only AoE I have are the Chain Lightning and Shared Voltage, and they negate them completely…
If only Ricard or Laura were here…! They could deal with the whole swarm in an instant!
I could kill them one by one with Cold Blasts, but I don’t have enough MP to cast so many of them. Plus I would have to stay still to aim, and this would get me killed.
Oh, yeah, don’t worry about my stupidity… This time I haven’t forgotten about the Grand Finale skill. If I use it, I can kill all the piranhas in an instant. But I don’t want to use it if possible, because… who knows what other crazy stuff the fanatics have prepared for this match! If I use the Grand Finale here, I’ll lose the opportunity to save the day later on.
Though I won’t hesitate to use it if they manage to surround me. Wasting it and being turned into a cripple is still better than dying uselessly.
If only I could find a way to lose them somehow…
“Oh! I know! Fufufufu! Hahahaha!”
I take a quick look around, trying to find a small crevice.
“There it is! Fufufu! Hahaha! It’s time to apply the RATT protocol!”
I run to the crevice and when I’m right next to it, I activate the Rat Transformation skill before entering it. I continue advancing until I reach the other end, never looking behind.
It seems I managed to lose them! The cracking noises are getting further away! Hahaha!
I undo the Rat Transformation.
The only problem now is I can’t move anymore for a while. I’ve been training a lot lately with the skill and can now move in the rat form, as long as I stay in it for less than five seconds. But by then, I’m so sick I can’t move again for the next minute or so…
“Ugh… I want to puke… I’ll have to promise myself to never do this again unless it’s completely unavoidable…”
Staying on the ground, slowly dragging myself like a pathetic and drunk worm, I look around my position. I should be in one of the multiple tunnels that cover this area, the tunnels that connect the dungeon portals to the next defensive position.
“I think… I remember, this, one… Ugh… Somebody… please, kill, me…”
“Are you sure about it? Do you want me to do it?”
WHAT!? Did I finally turn crazy too? Because I’m hearing somebody talk to me!
“Now, I’m turning… crazy, too… I hear, voices!”
“Hey, don’t be rude! I’m right in front of you.”
I hear the same voice again. Slowly - I’m in no state to make swift movements - I turn my head in the direction of that voice. There, the sharkman is looking at my pathetic situation. It looks like he took the same path I coincidentally ended in.
We both stare at each other for a while, the exact same surprised expression on both of our faces.
“Um… do you mind, waiting for a while, until I, recover…?”
“Uhm… sure, why not.”
Like this, we agree to wait until I can stand up again. I’m glad they’re only crazy and not rude too.
“Hey bro…”
“What do you want now…?”
Slightly raising his eyebrows, the Leader thinks how annoying this follower can sometimes be…. well, most of the time.
“Umm… you said we were coming here to share despair with the world and with His great persona, right?”
“That’s true! It’s the noblest of purposes, to show the true way to live to the unbelievers, as well as share with Him our greatest plans and devotion! Hahaha!”
“I see… Then, why is it us the ones who are suffering right now?”
The human-looking player takes a peek behind as he continues to run. Currently, they’re being chased by something very dangerous, an enemy they can’t hope to defeat without taking big losses.
“You fool!” The Leader gets angry at his subordinate. “Why are you still asking such questions after so long? Do you still not understand our purpose here!? It isn’t only to show Him our devotion but also to receive His teachings directly! So of course we must suffer too! And you should be enjoying it, like me! Fufufu! Hahaha!”
“Is that so…?”
Not completely convinced, the follower continues to run side by side with the Leader.
As they continue running, the ground trembles. Then, a gigantic figure appears from the ground, devouring one of their support monsters whole, before diving again into the ground, as if it were a fish jumping out of the water to eat an insignificant insect.
Finally, the vibrations start to fade away, signifying the monster is no longer chasing after them.
“Hahaha! How many does this make!? I believe it’s the third one already. Fufufu! Hahaha! Do you see this, Al? Don’t you enjoy the thrill too?”
“I don’t know, Leader… I still feel like giving despair is better than receiving it.”
“How can you still… Aaaaagh!”
The Leader forces himself to calm down after an angry cry to relieve tension. He punches a wall - quite a lot of times - before continuing.
“I must admit I really didn’t expect to suffer so much before being able to face Mad Rat directly. First the falling trap and now the two Tunnel Mimics with changed behaviors… Who could have guessed it was so easy to turn them into big predators by just changing their AI! Hahaha! He always manages to teach us new things!”
“...”
Al, the human follower, stares at the Leader without saying anything. He must be thinking about something the other just said.
After a while of doing nothing, he asks another question.
“Bro… why did you have to sacrifice Gery to one of the Tunnel Mimics when they first attacked? Now we not only lost Bil but also Gery… and we lost Gery’s map… can we still make it both of us, alone?”
“Oh, come on, don’t be a crybaby! And it was Gery himself who volunteered! Now, thanks to him, we only need to worry about one of those worms instead of two! Because he must have killed it from the inside! Hahaha! And he must be safe! Lost and alone, somewhere, in this extremely dangerous place… But ALIVE! It’s an honor for every one of us to serve a greater purpose! I’m sure he’s proud of it! Hahaha!”
“But you clearly pushed him in front of the worm to save yourself!”
“That was an emergency measure, you fool! We already agreed on it before the match! Just go and ask him! Hahaha…!”
If this weren’t a game, the Leader would be sweating buckets right now. Up to the point that a poodle would soon form under his feet. Luckily, this is a game, and we don’t have to see that disgusting scene.
Al then moves a step away from the Leader, a mix of fear and anxiousness on his face.
“T-then… a-are you g-going to sacrifice me n-next? I-i don’t want t-t-to end inside a w-worm…”
“Nah, don’t worry. You fool… As if I would leave our secret weapon to die by himself! I’m the only one who can properly guide you, so I’ll never leave you behind. I’ll take care of you, don’t worry! Hahaha!”
“You promise me?”
“Yeah, I do!” Then the Leader adds, in a whisper so that Al, who’s right next to him, doesn’t hear. “...I wouldn’t hesitate at all to use Bil or Gery as a sacrifice again…”
The tremors have completely disappeared by now. This means the Tunnel Mimic is too far away, and not only they can’t sense it anymore, but it’s also true the other way around. It’s the perfect moment to continue moving.
“Let’s stop wasting time and continue! Mad Rat, you managed to divide us and teach us there’s always a higher realm, to never conform to what we already know! Now, it’s time for us to show You what we have prepared! Fufufu! Hahaha!”
“But bro, we first need to find him.”
“Shut up! Don’t make me look bad! And I told you to not interrupt me in the middle of laughing!”
“...I’m sorry… But don’t leave me alone, ok?”
“Yeah, don’t worry…”
The Leader rolls his eyes for the umpteenth time. If not because of Al being the best player in the Mad Rat’s Cult, he would have never brought him to this match.
“What do I do now? I’m alone…”
I just emerged from the Tunnel Mimic, but I don’t know where I am right now.
A while ago, Bil got separated from our group because of the falling collapsing cave trap… or should I say we got separated from him…?
If we’re the ones who fell into the trap, we should be the ones getting separated, but because our group is bigger than Bil, who’s alone, then it should be him who got separated… Which one is the good way to put it?
And now I got separated too… Should I say I got separated from the main team, or that I got separated from the already split team?
“Ou… my head hurts when it comes to things like this…”
I grab my head in pain.
I managed to kill the Tunnel Mimic that ate me, attacking it from inside. I have way higher stats because I’m a high-level champion, there’s no way I would be defeated there!
This isn’t the first time I got eaten. It’s been already more than ten times, so I don’t care at all anymore.
Don’t tell anyone, but I kind of find it funny… Being dragged away to a random place when killing the worm, and not knowing where I am at all, or what dangers I’ll find… It’s a secret pleasure of mine.
But there’s one weird thing in all this. I was running away from it when I was pulled in front of the worm.
I shouldn’t have been eaten by it, I wasn’t the closest one…
“Well, I’m alone now and there’s nothing I can do! Not that I care... Gery’s solitary adventure begins now! Fufufu! Hahaha!”
I toss the map I was drawing to the floor and stomp on it.
“This shit… if the Leader didn’t tell me to draw it, I would never do it! Drawing maps is for the stupid or the scared ones! A true believer would never do it! Hahaha!”
I look around and assess the situation I’m in.
“Hmm… it looks the same as before: lots of tunnels with no mushrooms at all. If it’s like this, I don’t know if I’m close or far from the place the Tunnel Mimic ate me…”
Well, there’s nothing I can do about it at all.
I choose a random tunnel and enter it. I’m going to continue exploring alone. Fufufu! This reminds me of the best times inside The Mad Rat’s Lab! Not knowing anything at all, and being nervous about what I’ll encounter…
“Let’s see, let’s see… Let’s see what you have prepared for me, Mad Rat! Hahaha! I’m looking forward to it!”
I rub my hands together in excitement. Let’s see what I encounter and how much I suffer from it…
“Fufufu! Hahaha!”
A few viewers thought everything happening in this match was previously arranged by the participants because it was ‘too good to be true,’ and everyone was doing whatever they wanted instead of focusing on the match. Everyone except for Ricard, Laura, and Clara, the ‘unrelated players’.
Later on, when things started to get truly crazy, they understood it wasn’t possible. Because nobody can feign emotions as well as the ones displayed by the players in this match.
