Chapter 45: Hidden Ending (2)

Chapter 45: Hidden Ending (2)

After trying 15 different methods for 7 hours and receiving 5 more opinions, the hidden ending was still far.

James' expression began to sour.

"Is there really a hidden ending to this?"

Doubts started to creep in.

It was because they had tried so many methods.

They dissected the pattern frame by frame, thinking that perfect exposure of the pattern might be the key.

They also tried the opposite, attempting complete pattern failure, testing specific weapon combinations, and single weapon trials.

They even tried everything from using game mechanics to "doing nothing" – all of it yielded incorrect results.

The fatigue over time was taking its toll on the viewers as well.

『Luka: What could they have hidden so deeply?』

James pressed his hand against his stiffened forehead and pondered.

"That damn Cheon Yeonho."

The face of Cheon Yeonho, whom he had only seen in photos, flashed in his mind.

It was about understanding the creator's intent.

His scruffy face, personality traits displayed in conversations, and attitude.

He tried to piece together various other clues to derive an answer, but Cheon Yeonho remained an enigma to James.

It had been that way from the moment he proposed the broadcast via email until now.

"...An enigma?"

Could there be a clue there?

With a throbbing head, he continued to brainstorm the next idea.

Nothing came to mind.

In the midst of it all.

『Hellic2joy: Have we overthought this?』

Someone who had been typing confidently in Korean suggested an opinion.

『NoTclean: Sigh.

BloodLoad: Maybe we should have thought more simply.

Dadbom: What are you talking about?』

Accusations in Korean and questions in English scrolled by.

In that moment, James froze.

To reach that point...

"...Simpler?"

It felt like a bolt of lightning struck his head.

James lifted his head abruptly.

"Wait, just a moment..."

His hand stroked his sparsely bearded chin.

His gleaming eyes recalled something from the past.

His mouse quickly searched through the item inventory.

James thought to himself.

The exact moment he decided to hunt down the Cancer Giant.

Maybe the hint was there.

"Did I have a reason to kill that guy?"

He didn't.

If anything, there was a bounty, or a desire to prove himself better than others.

The official SNS event notice came to mind.

It was clearly written there.

"The difficulty is extreme, the Cancer Giant..."

He had slightly softened it.

"...Ah."

Could it be?

He felt like he could see the answer.

'Luka: Is this it?'

The chat message appeared.

[Entering the Hell of Resentment.]

James pushed Alice into the boss room without making any adjustments, leaving her at level 1.

Viewers were filled with confusion.

『Kissme: What is he doing?

DoDorian: Is he insane?

Zessicz: ?

Khanzing: ?

NoTclean: ?』

Amidst the confusion, only one person understood James' intent.

『micetester: Uh...?』

It was 'micetester,' the figurehead of the hardcore community who had introduced Hellic 1 to North America.

James let out a bitter laugh.

"Really..."

If it was true, then Cheon Yeonho was the most despicable person in the world.

"At the same time, he's the one who finished the excellent design as a director."

Kik

Alice left, and the Warden appeared.

In the butterfly's hand was a level 1 slingshot.

No points were allocated.

"I want to try something."

James, as soon as he entered the boss battle, struck warden with the slingshot.

Damage was dealt.

Only one, just like when hunting Cancer Giant.

[02:57]

The timer ran out.

James recalled.

"The time it takes to defeat a Cancer Giant is three hours."

It's a strategy time calculated through multiple cases.

The incoming damage is only 1; if you get hit even once, you die.

In other words, to hunt Cancer Giants, you need to maintain a tempo of hitting the 10,000 health bars 3,333 times per hour without getting hit.N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.

James simplified it.

As the notation of "3 minutes, simple calculation, 100 health," it would be the same if he set it for one minute.

To exclude any external factors, he hit the Warden with a level 1 slingshot in his hand.

Exactly 1 minute, 33 hits, and then the first counter pattern appeared.

Ping!

Clear, again dealing until the second counter, and then the pattern execution.

Ping!

Clear again, and finally, dealing until the third counter.

"99 hits."

That's how only one remained.

Gansu prepared for the final pattern.

[00:00]

If you clear that gimmick, the pattern ends.

After all, clearing it every minute was the condition.

"And."

The remaining number of hits to the goal is also 1.

It was the number of times to throw a counter.

Suddenly, it felt like the world beyond the monitor was slowing down.

James knew this feeling.

It had been like this when he entered a state of concentration.

It was a sensation of the screen beyond being divided frame by frame.

"This must be the answer."

A strong intuition, and at the same time, Warden's attack was slowing down.

James recalled several facts he could know from the human named Cheon Yeonho.

"A gaming enthusiast."

Yeonho was someone who was obsessed with immersion in games.

He was someone who faithfully followed fan service as part of the immersion.

"A detail freak."

Yeonho was someone for whom even the smallest details had to be preserved to satisfy his sensibilities.

That's why he had been asking for feedback every other day since the closed beta.

What kind of hidden route would he have designed?

There must be something that comes to mind.

By satisfying both the narrative and the system.

By creating a deeper immersion than the normal ending.

Hellic2joy: Did the hidden ending appear?

Dadbom: It must be a happy ending, right? Please! Please!]

Suddenly, they felt somewhat embarrassed about their reactions.

The upcoming scenes were purely products of imagination.

It felt like revealing childish fantasies to others.

Of course, regardless of those reactions, the video continued.

[Hmm...]

The butterfly sighed.

The place they were looking at was where the door had disappeared.

The butterfly smiled brightly as it shattered into pieces.

Up to this point, everything was the same.

But there was one difference.

[...It's not waves, is it?]

What enveloped the crumbling butterfly was not waves but a shimmering light.

It was like the wind, gently cradling and restoring the butterfly's pieces.

The chat started speculating.

[Zessica: Is she going to heaven?

Luka: That's right! She is meeting Alice in heaven!

Dadbom: Oh, so the Hellic universe includes heaven too?]

Sorry, but they were wrong.

There is no heaven in Hellic.

"You have to experience it for it to exist."

I know that hell exists, and that humans who commit sins end up there.

After all, I've been through it all and seen it with my own eyes.

But I don't know about heaven.

So, it can't officially be included in the universe.

But one thing the viewers guessed correctly was that this ending was a happy ending.

As a gamer and someone who had witnessed their story, I wanted to convey that in the ending.

This was the direction of happiness that I presented in the realm of imagination.

[...A god?]

The scene changes, and the pieces of the butterfly are delivered to the god in the Hell of Heretics

He stares at the butterfly's pieces intently.

And then, he falls silent.

Finally, the god exhales and blows a breath, sending the pieces flying.

And so, the butterfly arrives.

To a place where Alice, who had found her happiness, and the repentant butterfly are together—a personal paradise for the two.

[DoDorian: This time it's a kitchen, huh?]

It was a warm kitchen in a typical home, with steam rising from a bubbling pot.

[Hmm...]

James's eyes widen.

He utters his voice absentmindedly.

[...Alice.]

The back of a girl heading to the kitchen is revealed.

Then, it shows the back of a woman with the same hairstyle.

Mother and daughter hold hands.

Soft laughter plays as it fades out.

The hidden ending is truly a dreamlike conclusion that might exist somewhere.

Naming it accordingly.

[Hidden ending: What If...]

Perhaps, after this, the two were happy.

[Game Clear]

The ending credits finally roll.

***

James felt a tingling sensation at the tip of his nose as the credits rolled up.

"Ah..."

He furrowed his nose in vain.

The feeling of his face turning red was oddly satisfying.

Doesn't he dislike it?

Of course not.

"Uh..."

He was extremely satisfied.

A foolish smile formed on his face.

The chat window represented his feelings.

『Hellic2joy: This is it!!!ᅲᅲᅲᅲ

Zessica: Is this the true ending? Ahᅲᅲᅲ

Dadbom: I did well not to sleep. I would've regretted it if I missed this in real-time...』

He couldn't remember how many hours he had spent on this one scene.

It was a feeling of revitalization filling his exhausted body.

It was because he had received a reward proportional to his efforts.

The achievement of what he desired.

In other words, a reward.

In terms of the game, Yeonho had performed that proposition very well.

James couldn't help but speak.

"Yes, this is it..."

A bittersweet ending? Yes, that had its own charm, so it was fine.

Tragedies had deeply moved people's hearts throughout history.

But here's the thing.

Even if it was cliché and cheesy, wasn't this kind of ending good too?

After all, stories should end happily.

"As expected, a happy ending is the best."

James leaned back in his chair, completely drained of energy.

In that languid state, he stared at the monitor.

Tickling his ears was the sound of a polite music box.

What had initially sounded sad now approached with a hint of nostalgia, tugging at his heart.

It was after the credits had ended.

[And...] Something unexpected happened.

Shoaaa―

"Huh?"

The screen, which should have ended with the phrase 'And you,' once again showed the beach.

Standing there was the Warden.

"...Huh?!"

James jerked his head up as if he had been shocked.

The reactions in the chat were also filled with confusion.

『Khanzing: ???

Kissme: ???

Luka: ???』

Their confusion didn't seem to matter, as the video continued.

The warden's head turned towards the sea.

Thud, thud, the waves grew increasingly turbulent.

And something emerged from the sea.

Shoaaa―

A silhouette so dark that nothing could be discerned except that it was a human.

The screen focused on the Warden and stranger's hands before suddenly zooming in on stranger's hand.

It was right after that.

Swish―!

Suddenly, a deformed blade extended from his hand.

It was a grotesque blade with bulging veins.

Thump!

With that, the screen turned completely black.

On the black screen, the only thing visible was James' own dumbfounded face.

After the silence was broken, the message 'You have cleared the hidden route. Cancer Bat will be unlocked.' appeared on the screen.

James stammered as he fumbled for words.

"...What is this?"

Amid the frozen chat, only one person responded.

『WaitingforHellic3: ...Teaser for the next work?』

A guess as fast as the change in nickname.

The next day, a 20-second video was spread across the community.|