I am Smart

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Pazzk Minor Gallery

―――

– Cactus is screwed…

(Moon Si-hyun broadcast capture)

In the end, San-deng successfully barged in… which means…

The trio’s impromptu broadcast filling the gap just before the after-party meeting…

And a few days later, the after-party begins…

As the after-party is coming to a close…

Moon Si-hyun fidgeting at the front door… next to her is San-deng…

San-deng declares, with a hand on her shoulder, “We’ll just take off for a second round”…

Cactus, watching from afar…

Ah… ㅠㅠ

– Is this the BSS intro cliché?

– Well, it’s over now…

– This is what even Moon Si-hyun’s female radar recognized.

– When did people start thinking San-deng and Moon Si-hyun weren’t “popping”?

ㄴ Kyaaaaargh

ㄴ (Unicorn collapsed in DC)

ㄴ ㄷㅊㄷㄷㅊㄷㅊㄷㅊㄷㅊㄷㅊㄷㅊㄷㅊ

– Even if Cactus gets stolen away, his reactions will still be top-notch.

ㄴ Hahahaha, damn

ㄴ ???: Ah!!! Shit!!! My Moon Si-hyun!!!

ㄴ Contributions can be made right away, yes yes

– No way, if Cactus doesn’t get kicked off and San-deng does, doesn’t that mean Cactus has potential too?

– I’m suddenly looking forward to the after-party story…

ㄴ Moon Si-hyun might not even attend the after-party, yes yes, she seems to be skipping it.

―――

– Can’t we trim down San-deng a bit from Moon Si-hyun’s broadcast?

It’s annoying.

– Why is it annoying?

ㄴ San Taeyang is really annoying.

– True.

– Trim down Jok-deng.

ㄴ Is Jo-shin-jok okay?

ㄴ Yes yes.

ㄴ But what’s the difference between the two?

ㄴ Not that I’m saying Cactus is fine, but I genuinely think San-deng would really take Moon Si-hyun.

ㄴ I’ve seen Cactus’ face in a video, you idiot.

ㄴ Honestly, it’s just that Cactus is being annoying; he’s not that bad.

– Didn’t these guys claim to hate VTubers? Why is this kind of post up on the fan gallery?

ㄴ For real, it’s a colony of the Harbour Gallery, huh. Sigh.

ㄴ Si-hyun isn’t a VTuber.

ㄴ If she’s not a VTuber, then what is she, idiot?

ㄴ She’s my future wife.

ㄴ ?

―――

After coldly declaring a break, the two were caught in Moon Si-hyun’s room, and the unexpected joint broadcast began. As news spread, viewers steadily flocked in, totaling thousands.

Moon Si-hyun, San-deng, and Cactus.

… Viewers who knew each one’s nature and image easily predicted how their game would play out.

… But.

– Thud… thud…

The footsteps sound heavy just from hearing them.

“…… Hey…”

… In the dimming vision of the man left behind, the two were getting farther away.

In the lower left of his vision, his quickly depleting stamina finally exhausted, now the health bar was visibly draining.

[Cactus, what were you talking about behind us?]
“…… Help me……”

[No, just chit-chat. Let’s just keep going without looking back. But how do you open the equipment screen, Si-hyun?]
[Oh, like this. You just gesture… and it pops up like this.]
“Shit……”

[Oh! Thanks. You’re really smart. Hmph…]
[Hmph… it was in the tutorial. Still, being smart is correct.]
“Help… I’m asking for help……”

– Thud

“……”

Dimming vision, the two disappearing over the hill… the auditory sense dulling.

He collapsed, completely out of stamina.

[Si-hyun, wait a minute. No!! Hey!! If you can’t even lift this big thing, what use are you?!!]

But cutting through that came a voice full of anger… no, upon listening closely, it was Cactus’s voice, filled with excitement.

San-deng, who was already familiar with it, recognized it.

… It was a voice that had caught its prey.

Overwhelmed by it, San-deng squeezed all his strength to throw off the burden that had pinned him down.

“Hey, shit! I thought I was going to suffocate! Are you kidding me!?”

[I thought I could lift it. You two are always showing off your strength when it’s just you two.]
“No. What’s that got to do with the game!?”

The two immediately started bickering quite loudly.

Of course, they wouldn’t admit it, but San-deng actually felt a bit pumped up this time.

… And that quarrel continued.

[… What’s going on?]

From afar, from the hill down below, Moon Si-hyun heard it well enough.

… After a little while.

The two gathered, a bit more reserved.

[- So, you need to get along.]

“……”

[……]

… Getting scolded by Moon Si-hyun in a friendly manner.

If it were anyone else, Park Tae-yeon wouldn’t have been so easily swayed.

[- Right? San-deng.]

“…… Yes.”

In Moon Si-hyun’s voice. No, it felt like there was some kind of magic to her very presence. If she showed even the slightest discomfort, it felt like a real disaster would strike.

―――

Getting scolded by a girl three years younger than you, hahaha

Hahahahahaha

Why the hell is San-deng getting scolded? Hahahahahaha

―――

“…… No……”

Still, for San-deng, who was only being toyed with by Cactus, his irritation was about to boil over.

But… the emotions he was feeling, and given the person he was dealing with.

Moreover, the more he genuinely rejected this childish act of Cactus, the more it felt like he was sinking into something weird, so he couldn’t say much.

“…… But why am I……”

Still, to ease his aggrieved heart, he muttered softly.

[No matter who started it, the moment you both raise your voices, you are both in the wrong.]
“……”

But the straightforward advice sounded like something from 15 years ago.

Once again, his breath caught in his throat.

[Oops……]

“……”

… The broadcast was flowing completely opposite to what the viewers had anticipated.

Guardians’ Journey.

Just like the game’s title, a wandering adventure of the escort knights who lost their way.

As a game with such a story framework, the scenery changed vividly every time they crossed into a new area.

The three, entering the front forest, advanced by catching puzzles and monsters, eventually emerging from the edge of the woods, where they saw a vast green plain spread around the path. Above the sky, enormous fluffy clouds drifted like cotton candy, slightly shifting their shapes.

―――

Wow

The graphics are nice

Optimization is killer

Wow

This is adventuring, right?

Romantic as hell

―――

“…… It’s beautiful.”

As expected of an AAA-rated game, the scenery reflected in the eyes of Moon Si-hyun and the viewers was stunning.

[Wow, right? Fiore isn’t bad, but it can’t compare to this new game.]

Cactus answered, adjusting his pace next to Moon Si-hyun.

A beautiful landscape of vast plains, hardly seen in modern reality but almost identical to reality itself.

[… Wait a minute.]

… But then, a voice completely opposite to the atmosphere came from the back.

[Let’s take a break. Just a bit.]

It was as if the voice was really tired… that kind of tired voice.

As Moon Si-hyun turned her head back, the figure of the man who still hadn’t emerged from the shadows of the forest appeared on screen.

―――

Hey, that scared me

Hahahahahahaha

Why the heck is his backpack so huge???

I’m about to die from carrying that

Middle Ages Human Rights Commission: This is a bit…

―――

… Behind, San-deng was carrying much more gear than before. San-deng had been desperately matching their strides until now.

As they played the game and got some intuitive grasp on it while listeners offered advice, inevitably, it was San-deng who had to carry his party member’s load.

In a multiplayer context, in this case, San-deng, who plays as the warrior, meaning a tank, had to invest most of his skill points into ‘strength’, making it efficient in that regard.

Realizing this, Cactus cheekily commented, “I instinctively knew that,” while Moon Si-hyun was scolded for not finding Priet’s sword.

… However.

―――

Even if he should be carrying it, why is there so much?

It looks too heavy ㅠㅠ

San-deng, you little demon, are you coming to your senses now?

―――

Still, there was too much. This was the early stage, where equipment weren’t obtained that much, and a warrior who had invested all his skill trees into strength couldn’t tire out just from a few parcels.

… And now, the cause of the problem was clear.

“…… Si-hyun. No matter what, should we throw some of this away…?”

He said, trembling fingers entering the equipment screen.

[Throwing weapons]

[Fairy Dagger ×83]

As San-deng entered the equipment screen, he found the horrific number of items cluttering his bag.

Fairy Dagger.
A common drop item from the forest just recently entered, known as ‘Fairy’s Forest’ in-game.

Each dagger bore a random pattern, a prism-themed dagger. The patterns were mostly related to forest animals.

“……”

San-deng recalled the first time he discovered the Fairy Dagger.

– Hm, reading this, it’s a lower-tier throwing dagger. Let’s leave it behind.

– …
– … Si-hyun? What are you doing? Why aren’t you following?

– … Let’s take it.

– … Huh? Why would we need that—why are you shoving it into MY bag!?

– W-we need to carry it. Because… um, m-my intuition is telling me.

After that, Moon Si-hyun searched the entire Fairy’s Forest, finding every Fairy Dagger.

―――

This bitch could find all this stuff when she pretends she can’t???

When you asked her to find treasure chests, she didn’t even look for them.

???: I’m more aligned with masculinity??? I’m more aligned with masculinity???

How the hell did she find all this…

Is this just a crazy concept?

―――

Someone so stubbornly denying it, but with a peculiar preference everyone knew, there was no way she would let that pass.

“No, then maybe just a bit of usage…”

[…… No way.]
“Why not…?”
[It’s… intuition.]
[She said it’s intuition! Just shut up and carry it!!]

“……”

But she had never used the Fairy Dagger categorized as a throwing weapon, a consumable.

… Instead, she just kept ‘collecting’ them into San-deng’s bag. The Priest Cactus and the Swordman Moon Si-hyun hadn’t invested even a single point into strength, making it unavoidable.

… Finally, after San-deng received the bag that massively reduces the weight of unusable gear that Moon Si-hyun found for him later… only then could he finally proceed with a proper adventure.

Continuing their adventure, they opened a colossal main gate.

‘Purple Giant’

As that name appeared, a 20-meter tall purple giant wielding a mace rose from the far end of the vast stage.

At the same time, majestic music began.

―――

Wow

Damn that’s huge

Crazy cool

What’s up with the music?

Are we supposed to fight that?

―――

This boss marked the end of this stage.

For San-deng and Cactus, it was their first boss fight.

San-deng straightened his posture while glancing up at it with the two beside him.

Moon Si-hyun, although feeling annoyed, couldn’t exactly get angry…

“……”

[What’s up? Why.]

… That annoying Cactus from today was more infuriating, almost wanting to punch her right away.

Carrying gear, taking the hits, being the first to dive into danger… Feeling like all the tough tasks had to fall on him as the tank only made that feeling grow.

… Still, it wouldn’t be a lie to say he felt a sense of accomplishment from the game.

The three were passionately driving themselves forward.

“……”

Feeling an unfamiliar emotion, San-deng slightly lifted the corners of his mouth and said, “Get ready.”

[Yes.]

[Let’s go!!]

[Be careful of the pattern!!]

[San-deng, make sure to dodge once. I’m good.]

“Yes.”

―――

Wow, they’re doing really well

Are we going to clear Purple Giant on the first try?

Oh hell, this is hardcore yet they’re still managing

I’m okay (physically)

The other two are amazing too

In hardcore mode, if you get hit even once, you’re done, but they dodge like eels

―――

Surely, because they had teamed up multiple times in Fiore, they executed their roles smoothly and effectively.

Among them, Moon Si-hyun stood out the most. She showcased almost supernatural movement, dodging attacks that seemed inevitable by a hair’s breadth and focusing relentlessly on the Purple Giant’s legs without a moment’s pause.

Watching that dazzling and beautiful movement while they fought back-to-back, San-deng felt the earlier emotions wash away.

… Just then.

– Smash!!!

[…… Ah.]

The ground erupted from the impact of the mace that the Purple Giant swung down as Moon Si-hyun was landing after a successful dodge.

What happened was an exceedingly rare kind of bug where terrain and the player’s polygons overlap.

―――

Huh?

We’ve never seen anything like that before

What’s going on??

It’s a bug

Damn, this is a bullshit bug

Hahahaha, what the hell is that??

―――

… As if stacking on top of the bad luck, the boss that had turned to look at her raised its mace with both hands.

… It was a pattern they had seen several times before, bringing the mace down to strike.

“…… Hmm.”

San-deng quickly calculated.

‘This seems like a bug. If she can’t move, she’s done for.’

Finally settling on the result, he calmly began to think about what action to take next.

Moon Si-hyun had just faced an unexpected variable. Despite the seeming ease of the boss battle, the boss’s HP was quite low.

‘With how far we’ve got, I think San-deng and I could probably take it down together—’

[Nooo!!! Not Si-hyun!!!]

At that moment, a desperate cry that could make one mistake it for reality rang out.

It was the healer, Cactus, behind San-deng.

“…… What—”

– Thudding!!

He was now pushing past San-deng at the frontmost line, sprinting earnestly towards Moon Si-hyun.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going!! Hold the line!!”

[I’ll protect her!!!]

But his run didn’t stop. After shouting some weird words he couldn’t comprehend, he threw his staff aside and dashed towards Moon Si-hyun with all his strength.

San-deng, flustered, spoke urgently.

“Hey, hey, hey! No! No!!! If we focus fire together we can—!!!”

– BANG!!!

[Ally (Moon Si-hyun) has died.]

[Ally (Cactus) has died.]