Chapter 177

Chapter 177

“Can you turn off the livestream?” Han Sae-Rin asked.

Cha Jin-Hyeok curiously tilted his head.

‘What, now?’

He could not fathom why, but Sae-Rin was not the type to spout nonsense without reason.

‘Well, it’s not a bad idea.’

In Jin-Hyeok’s opinion, the Swallowing Croaker content was not as intense as he had thought it would be. There had been close calls with its teeth and digestive fluids, but that was not intense enough to make a fuss about. He thought stirring up some curiosity with the final production could be a good idea.

‘Or maybe Sae-Rin has found something, like a Hidden Achievement.’

Holding onto a sliver of hope, Jin-Hyeok ended the livestream. “So, why did you make me turn it off?”

“I thought there might be something more.”

“Really?” Jin-Hyeok stepped back a couple of paces.

Sae-Rin’s face was slightly flushed, and her breathing was a bit faster.

‘She’s excited!’

This was an excellent sign. It meant that the Navigator had discovered something he hadn’t!

‘What did she find? I hope it’s a Hidden Achievement.’

Worried about interrupting her, he stepped back again.

Then Sae-Rin said, “Come stand next to me.”

“Okay.”

‘What is she trying to find? What is she trying to show me?’

Jin-Hyeok was getting more and more excited.

“Turn off the lights too,” she added.

“Got it.”

Since they were not livestreaming, there was no need to keep Broadcaster’s Light on. With a pop, the lights went out, and darkness fell upon them. The Twisting World of the Swallowing Croaker was very dark. Only the silhouettes of Jin-Hyeok and Sae-Rin were barely distinguishable.

Sae-Rin made another request. “Hold my hand.”

“Your hand?” He did not understand her intention, but complied anyway. It was natural to follow the instructions of a Ruler or a Navigator during Play.

Soon, Sae-Rin said, “You can let go now.”

She asked him to hold her hand several more times, which he did without understanding why.

Eventually, he asked, “What are we doing?”

“I have a Skill where if I hold hands with someone, I can copy their stats. It’s random, so I don’t know when it will activate.”

‘I also wanted to see if my heart races when I hold your hand,’ Sae-Rin thought, but didn’t say it out loud.

“Oh, I didn’t know you had that kind of ability.” Jin-Hyeok was sure Sae-Rin did not have such an ability before his regression. Clearly, she had progressed in many ways.

“Yeah, the other person has to be a non-combatant-class Player, and there are various other restrictions. Anyway, I can temporarily share your stats and Level with this Skill.”

“That sounds like a good Skill.” Jin-Hyeok became more enthusiastic about holding and releasing her hand. “How often does this random activation happen?”

“I don’t know. My guess is around one percent?”

“That’s pretty high, isn’t it?”

“Don’t let go too quickly. I have to hold it for at least three seconds.”

“I see.”

Sae-Rin and Jin-Hyeok focused on holding hands. While trying to copy his stats, Sae-Rin casually asked, “So, do you ever think about dating someone?”

***

Sae-Rin did think there might be something more hidden in this place, which did not seem particularly intense considering this was a Scenario. However, it was also true that she wanted to be alone with Jin-Hyeok.

‘My heart is pounding so fast,’ she thought.

The very first time she held his hand, she had felt a thrill. She wanted to know if that excitement came from the unfamiliar Play or Jin-Hyeok himself. Every time they held hands, her heart raced.

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

Sae-Rin really wanted to say, ‘You are,’ but decided not to.

‘You’re not stupid, but you’re definitely crazy.’

To her, Jin-Hyeok was a person who was crazy about Play to the point of being blind to everything else.

She continued the interrogation. “What about Kaylin?”

“Kaylin? Who’s that?”

“Black Butterfly.”

“Oh, Black Butterball? She’s just mad because she can’t kill me.”

Jin-Hyeok was much more familiar with the name Black Butterball than he was with Kaylin. Realizing he did not even know the Assassin’s real name, Sae-Rin was happy.

“That’s enough. You don’t need to explain,” she said.

“Ah, but there is one person who sees me as a romantic interest.”

“There is? Did she confess?”

“Yes. I do not know her ulterior motives, but she is a Succubus.”

“Succubus... The only Succubus that I know of is... the one from Choi Gap-Soo’s workshop. Is it her? That really pretty one?”

“All Succubi are pretty.”

Sae-Rin suddenly felt tense. The idea of a Succubus confessing to Jin-Hyeok set off alarm bells in her mind. “But be careful. Succubi are dangero—”

“Huh? What was that? I just felt a tingling sensation. Was that my stats being copied?” Jin-Hyeok interrupted her with a smile.

“Yeah, it worked. It’s actually the first time I have succeeded.”

“Wow! How does it feel? Can I upload this to my Eltube channel?”

“You can.”

“Can you see something now?”

“Don’t be impatient.” Sae-Rin closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the surroundings. She seemed to sense everything, from the sticky humidity to the slight movement of the air.

‘Holy shit!’

She had anticipated a significant difference in their stats, but not to this extent.

‘Is this what Chul-Soo feels?’

Of course, Sae-Rin had known there would be a difference between being a Streamer and a Navigator. Even with the same stats, their perceptions would differ. However, this was beyond that.

‘It’s like a new world has opened up.’

Her heart pounded even more fiercely, and her eyes snapped open. She took a deep breath and began to move as her instincts indicated.

‘I can feel its wounds healing very quickly.’

This was not the self-healing power of the Swallowing Croaker; it was more like an external force at work.

‘The divine power is moving through the blood of the Swallowing Croaker and healing the inner walls we cut.’

As if she were possessed, Sae-Rin ran toward the wound. She began to frantically tear at the nearly healed inner wall with her hands.

The Swallowing Croaker was in great pain, causing an earthquake, but Sae-Rin paid it no heed. Her eyes were filled with madness.

‘She’s definitely gone mad,’ Jin-Hyeok thought as he looked at her eyes. The eyes of the insane always harbored such madness, and he found that madness appealing.

Sae-Rin became covered in blood as she tore at the inner wall with her bare hands.

“...I found it.” She lifted an item. “Hehehehe.”

With her blood-stained hand, she brushed back her hair and laughed loudly. “I found it!”

She excitedly continued, “The blood flow was more concentrated than usual near the wounds to heal them. It seems like this got stuck here while circulating.

Sae-Rin approached Jin-Hyeok with a giggle, handing over a bloody item.

[Research Journal on Paper Soldiers]

Just from the name, it appeared to be related to Makendra.