Chapter 91

BBQ had met Miu while going out to make a direct sale to an excellent customer who wanted to buy a thousand food ingredients at once.

At the time, Miu’s notoriety had only begun to grow. He was infamous for killing anyone who annoyed him in even the slightest way. BBQ had heard plenty of stories about veteran players getting fed up and trying to gang up on Miu, only to fail.

[(Global) BBQ: Not to be rude, but what are all those corpses beside you?... lol]

[(Global) Miu: They kept speaking casually to me, so I killed them.]

[(Global) BBQ: That many of them?]

[(Global) Miu: Would you like to lie down beside them?]

To think that scene would unfold right in front of him.

Miu had shown no mercy even to someone he was trading with. BBQ had found him terrifying even then. But one day, while he was wandering around without an alliance, he heard that Miu had personally created one. He joined out of curiosity—and ended up staying for good.

The reason was simple.

There’s no one stronger than Miu...!

BBQ believed that sticking close to someone strong and living long and quietly was the fastest route to a successful gaming life. And there was no question that Miu was strong.

Miu had a bad personality. He hated anyone bothering him.

[(Alliance) Miu: I don’t like being #25.]

He also hated having anyone above him. After <47> entered the rankings at #25 for the first time, it had climbed madly all the way to #1.

That had brought the alliance plenty of benefits.

He’s scary. That guy is terrifying!

Miu was quiet but vicious. When alliance members tried to act friendly with him, he could have played along. Instead, he always said exactly what he needed to say, then gave businesslike orders.

(Group) Miu: And Momo is already good at harvesting. What are you talking about?

(Group) Miu: I should be the one learning a thing or two from Momo.

(Group) Miu: Right? Haha.

And now he was actually using hahas while speaking so warmly to 0momo0—the person he had suspected most of being a spy!

(Whisper) BBQ: What the fuck is that?

(Whisper) BBQ: Who are you???????

None of this made any sense.

(Whisper) 0momo0: Ah... actually, we started speaking casually before!!

(Whisper) 0momo0: It just felt awkward to speak casually in front of everyone else, so we pretended we weren’t haha.

(Whisper) 0momo0: Don’t worry, BBQ!!

(Whisper) BBQ: Uh... lol;;

(Whisper) 0momo0: Ah!! We’re on good terms too!! We made up, and now we’re close!

But, but...!

(Group) 0momo0: Huh?? I’m really good at it??

(Group) Miu: Yeah. Momo is good at every—

(Group) 0momo0: Didn’t you call me a legendary crop failure before??

(Group) Miu:

(Group) 0momo0: Miu?

(Group) 0momo0: ?

(Group) Miu: Ah, my monitor shut off for a second.

(Group) Miu: What were we talking about again? Haha.

(Group) Miu: The vanilla beans look like they’re spoiling.

That was impossible.

Casual speech isn’t the problem anymore, Momo!

BBQ stared in horror at Miu, who was standing beside 0momo0 and talking to him so sweetly.

He told me farming was for idiots with too much time to waste!

Miu had maxed out every farming level, said exactly that, and then abandoned farming entirely.

And yet...

(Group) Miu: When you harvest... it’s better to click a little after the cursor passes the middle, not right when it reaches it.

(Group) Miu: The success chance is higher at that timing.

(Group) Miu: Like this.

He was personally harvesting vanilla beans to demonstrate how to trigger a combo!

(Group) 0momo0: A little... later?

(Group) 0momo0: Ah, it burst.

(Group) Miu: It’s okay. We can use this one instead.

The moment 0momo0, who was clumsy at mini-games, harvested an unripe vanilla bean and a rain cloud appeared above his head, Miu switched places with him.

(Group) Miu: And this one gives you two chances, so we can still fix it.

(Group) Miu: Do it like this, and your quality will go up too, Momo.

(Group) 0momo0: Oh! It says the vanilla beans have started ripening!!

(Group) 0momo0: The quality went up a little!!!

As though that were not enough, he even ran a pointless quality-repair mini-game that did nothing except wear down harvesting equipment!

(Group) Miu: Haha.

(Group) Miu: See? You’re good after all.

Then he even acted as though it had nothing to do with him!

Seeing that, BBQ became certain.

(Group) BBQ: No, Miu, that’s not you, right?? lol

(Group) BBQ: Whoever you are, you’re getting punished.

(Group) BBQ: Zombie Village is strict as hell about hacking. What are you even doing? lol

A spy.

This was definitely a spy. Not an alliance spy—a spy who had hacked into Miu’s account and stolen his entire body.

(Group) 0momo0: Huh? Hacking??

(Group) BBQ: Yeah, I don’t think that’s Miu lol. Come over here, Momo.

The moment he sent that message, convinced that some hacker with a grudge against Miu from his old rampages was impersonating him—

(Whisper) Miu: Who are you telling to come over here?

BBQ froze as the whisper appeared immediately.

(Whisper) Miu: What are you doing?

(Whisper) Miu: You’ve been pulling weeds all day lately. Looks like life’s getting boring?

BBQ groaned as he read each new line.

That complete lack of manners. That max-level snide tone.

(Whisper) Miu: Want me to kick you out of the alliance and follow you around?

(Whisper) Miu: Should I announce in the war notices that I’ll declare war on any alliance that takes BBQ in? Lol.

That persistence—once he picked someone, he followed them until they quit the game...

(Whisper) BBQ: I-it really is you, Leader............

(Whisper) Miu: I don’t know what gave you the confidence to run your mouth like that.

(Whisper) Miu: But if you want the game to get more interesting, keep talking. Lol.

(Whisper) BBQ: I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry Imsorry I’m sorry

(Whisper) BBQ: I was mistkaen.

(Whisper) BBQ: I had drinks this afternoon, so I guess nonsense came out of my mouth;;

BBQ immediately flattened himself.

(Group) 0momo0: Hacking...?

(Group) 0momo0: Did Miu get hacked???

While BBQ was desperately groveling in whispers, 0momo0, who had been standing there blankly, asked in alarm.

(Group) Miu: No, haha.

(Group) Miu: BBQ was just joking. Right?

Miu immediately cleared things up in a gentle tone.

(Whisper) Miu: Answer.

Only in the group chat, though.

(Group) BBQ: Yep hahaha I think I had some kind of misunderstan—

(Group) BBQ: misunderstanding.

(Group) 0momo0: Ahh...

(Group) 0momo0: BBQ, it was a joke?!! Haha.

(Group) 0momo0: I thought it was real and got so scared!!! Lol.

(Group) 0momo0: You two really are close!!

(Group) BBQ: Huh??? What are you talking about? That makes no sense. Of course we’re—

(Whisper) Miu: Make it convincing.

(Group) BBQ: Best fwends, obviously lol ><!!!!

(Group) 0momo0: Ohhh!!! I almost fell for it, haha.

(Whisper) Miu: Keep the mood light.

F-fuck...

BBQ typed with trembling hands.

(Group) BBQ: How about a toast to farming~?

(Group) 0momo0: Sounds good!!

(Group) BBQ: Cheers!!!

(Group) 0momo0: Cheers!

(Group) 0momo0: Wow, the cheers emote is so cute.

(Group) 0momo0: Can we do it one more time??

(Whisper) Miu: Why aren’t you doing it already?

(Group) BBQ: Sure~!! Cheers~~!!!

(Group) 0momo0: Cheers!!!

After that, BBQ had no choice but to keep watching 0momo0 and Miu act all sweet with each other while harvesting vanilla beans.

(Group) BBQ: Cheers~~ Cheers~~!!~~! ℯ

While shouting “Cheers” for three straight hours.

And BBQ’s confusion was only the beginning.

(Group) KimFactory: I don’t know. What am I even looking at right now?

(Group) FUNK: You’re not alone because I don’t know either.

(Group) 1Poop1: You two aren’t alone. I don’t fucking know either.

A few alliance members seemed to have lost their minds, typing as they cackled. The others merely stared straight ahead as though their souls had left their bodies.

(Group) GoodLuck: What am I looking at right now...

(Group) CheersInMyEyes:

(Group) dude: What... is that.....

(Group) ShinJadu: What even is this?;;;

The members of <47> could never have imagined it.

Their leader, who cared less about others than anyone. Their leader, who had never once shown himself getting close to another person. Their leader, famous for a ruthless play style without a drop of blood or tears!

(Alliance) Miu: Momo, haha. Where are you going?

(Alliance) Miu: Momo??? Want me to help you gather?

(Alliance) Miu: Oh, Momo, you went on a raid too? Haha.

That leader...

(Alliance) Miu: Momo, where are you going? Want me to take you?

(Alliance) Miu: Momo, you know...

(Alliance) Miu: Momo.

(Alliance) Miu: Momo?????

(Group) FUNK: Seriously, stop with the hearts.

(Group) 1Poop1: What is wrong with the leader!!!!!!!!!!!!

...was sticking to 0momo0’s side like glue, as if he had gone completely mad!