Chapter 129

The morning has dawned.

Fortunately, there were no attacks from monsters or beasts while we slept.

Well, there was one voice sponsorship that popped up, though.

Guburi, who was on night watch, must have been bored and sent it as a prank.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─ㅎㅇ (Hey)

【Min Ji】─You’re awake now.

【Yoho】─Good morning.

【Handsome Licker】─A lively morning in the jungle. *Lick*.

As soon as I opened my eyes, the augmented reality chat window floated up.

I slept with the lens on because I was too lazy to take it off.

I was worried my eyes would feel dry when I woke up, but since it’s equipment made by the drift, there was no discomfort.

“You all woke up early.”

【Yoho】─I couldn’t sleep deeply because I was worried about the Room Master.

【Min Ji】─Me too. Hehe.

【Handsome Licker】─Min Ji, you were on the last night watch, so you were already up. *Lick*.

【Min Ji】─Shut up.

【Handsome Licker】─*Whimper*.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─I had two night shifts, so I couldn’t sleep, you bastard. LOL.

“Right, Guburi. You sent a prank voice sponsorship in the early morning, didn’t you? Wanna die?”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Sorry, I was bored.

【Min Ji】─Let’s kick him out!

“I hate being disturbed when I’m sleeping… But since it’s you, Guburi, I’ll let it slide this once.”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─LOL, thanks~ Sex.

【Min Ji】─?? Why are you letting it slide?

【Yoho】─Because it’s you? Because it’s you? Because it’s you?

【Handsome Licker】─*Lick*? Are you two hiding something?

I decided to ignore the chat.

I got up and looked up at the sky.

The search helicopters Yoho mentioned are still nowhere to be seen.

There were supposed to be dozens of them, not just one.

But since they haven’t found this island yet, it’s clear this isn’t an island between mainland Korea and Jeju.

In other words, the hypothesis that we’re inside the Mermaid Queen’s stomach is becoming more plausible.

【Yoho】─Because it’s you?

“Yoho, shut up.”

【Yoho】─Okay.

Of course, I can’t be sure yet.

I decided to take a walk to clear my head and think things through.

***

【Jujijoa】─Se-hoon woke up early.

【Meng Yao】─Surprisingly diligent.

【Cheerful Hyeon Ji】─Ugh, I’m tired.

【Qkrnfl892】─First time pulling night watch in a stream. Damn.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─LOL, is this what you have to do every time in the military?

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wakya! Good morning!

【Maid】─Warkya! The jungle is always clear after rain!

【Big Girl】─It’s still clear now.

As I walked, other viewers woke up one by one and started chatting.

They must be tired from the night watch, but they’re such diligent viewers.

“Hey, guys.”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Sex?

After confirming that all the viewers were gathered, I stopped for a moment and shared an escape plan that just came to mind.

“I just thought of a good idea… What if we keep digging and escape the island?”

【Qkrnfl892】─?? You’ve finally lost it.

【Handsome Licker】─Se-hoon, stop thinking. *Lick*.

【Cheerful Hyeon Ji】─Still got a headache?

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─LOL, dig through the earth and escape to the other side? You bastard?

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Oh. Is Guburi a genius?

【Yoho】─Gyeongsaeng, stop swearing.

【Big Girl】─Probably, assuming we’re inside the Mermaid Queen’s stomach, it’s a plausible idea.

【Min Ji】─So you’re convinced we’re inside the Mermaid Queen’s stomach now?

“Not convinced, but the probability is high. Honestly, doesn’t this place seem unusual to you guys too?”

【Min Ji】─Hmm…

【Handsome Licker】─Hmm, *lick*.

【Meng Yao】─Just try digging. If we’re in the Mermaid Queen’s stomach, it’s not a bad idea.

【Jujijoa】─Yeah, no harm in trying.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

【Big Girl】─Well, we’ll find out if we dig. Whether it’s the Mermaid Queen’s stomach or just an island.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─LOL, sounds like hard work. Even if it’s the Mermaid Queen’s stomach, finding her butt would be easier than digging.

【Handsome Licker】─Gross. *Lick*.

【Qkrnfl892】─Hmm. Better than doing nothing?

【Yoho】─Right. We should try every possible method. We can’t just sit here trapped forever.

【Min Ji】─True. Let’s at least try something.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wakya! What will you dig with?

【Maid】─Warkya! Got a shovel?

“The ground… I’ll dig with my hands.”

【Cheerful Hyeon Ji】─?

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Right, Gye Se-hoon is a monster who can punch through concrete…

【Cheerful Hyeon Ji】─???

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Stop with the question marks, you b*tch.

I made a decision.

Assuming we’re in the Mermaid Queen’s stomach, I’ll dig for two hours.

It’s more efficient than wandering around aimlessly.

“Then, let’s do some warm-ups first…”

After about 3 minutes of light warm-ups, I was about to punch the ground when…

[Hello!]

The human-faced snake I kicked yesterday slithered out of the bushes and greeted me.

I almost kicked it again out of surprise.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Damn, that pervert snake is back.

【Handsome Licker】─Min Ji snake, *lick*.

【Min Ji】─?

【Qkrnfl892】─Why is it greeting so naturally? LOL.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Seriously, someone might think they’re friends.

【Handsome Licker】─Min Ji probably looks like that. *Lick*.

【Min Ji】─I don’t look like that. -_-

【Jujijoa】─Looking closely, its face is cute.

【Meng Yao】─Yeah, it’s cute.

【Yoho】─No matter how cute, a snake with a human face is a bit…

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─LOL, Min Ji must be grinning after being called cute. B*tch.

【Min Ji】─That was about the snake, not me. -_-

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Stop glaring, you b*tch. I’ll tear you apart for real.

The snake stopped in front of me, blinking its eyes and tilting its head, asking:

[What are you doing?]

【Reverse Rape Mania】─?? How does that snake know Se-hoon’s name?

【Big Girl】─It didn’t say Gye Se-hoon, it said Gye Se-yong…

[Hello? Hello? Hellooo?]

“…I’m trying to dig. Why?”

At first, I tried to ignore it, but it kept circling around me with curious eyes, so I gave a short answer.

You can’t kill a monster without hostility just because it’s annoying.

I controlled my strength when I kicked it yesterday, after all.

[Oh, is digging your hobby?]

“Do I look like it’s my hobby?”

[Then why are you digging?]

“None of your business.”

After giving a short, annoyed answer, I suddenly remembered something.

This snake is the only creature I’ve met so far that isn’t hostile and can hold a proper conversation.

‘…Since I’ve met a monster I can talk to, maybe I should ask if it knows anything about this island.’

It looks dumb, so I don’t have high hopes.

But still, it’s worth a shot.

Asking isn’t hard.

“Min Ji snake.”

[Yes?]

【Min Ji】─Ah!!! Don’t attach my name to it!!!

【Handsome Licker】─Ah, *lick* LOL.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Marine Corps?

【Qkrnfl892】─Why does that snake reply so naturally? LOL.

“You asked me a question, so can I ask you one too?”

[Yes! Ask away!]

“So… this island we’re on, is it inside the stomach of a monster called the Mermaid Queen?”

I asked directly without beating around the bush.

The snake blinked rapidly, then made a dumb face and answered.

[Stomach? I don’t know!]

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─I don’t know! What the hell. LOL. It’s so much like Min Ji, I wanna beat it up.

【Min Ji】─Stop comparing me to it. -_-

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Shut up, b*tch.

As expected, the snake didn’t know about the island.

I didn’t have high hopes, so I wasn’t disappointed.

“You don’t even know what kind of place you live in… Anyway, since you couldn’t answer my question, come here and help me dig.”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Don’t boss it around like it’s obvious. Damn.

[If I help, will you hit me like yesterday?]

“If you work hard, I’ll think about it.”

[Yes! I’ll work hard!]

No information gained, but I got a worker by chance.

“Ah, and I’m tired, so I’ll rest a bit. You start digging first.”

[Yes!!!]

【Qkrnfl892】─What’s tiring? LOL.

【Handsome Licker】─Se-hoon hasn’t done anything yet… *Lick*.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Evil employer bastard.

And so, the joint digging operation between me and the snake began.

***

Maybe because it’s a monster and not a regular snake.

The snake’s digging ability was much better than I expected.

After ten minutes of digging, we were already about 10 meters down.

“Min Neong, are you tired? You can rest if you’re tired.”

[I’m not tired! It’s fun!]

【Min Ji】─What’s Min Neong? -_-

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Min Ji + earthworm.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─It’s not an earthworm, it’s Guburi. Damn.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Guburi?

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─No, you b*tch, it’s a snake.

【Min Ji】─Stop comparing me to that snake. We have nothing in common except for not having legs. -_-

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─Okay.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Okay…

I named the snake Min Neong.

Its way of speaking reminded me of Min Ji, so I gave it that name.

“Min Neong, why do you keep saying ‘yong’?”

[Because I want to become a dragon!]

“A dragon? Can a snake become a dragon?”

[I heard if you eat an orb, you can!]

【Qkrnfl892】─What is it, is it an Imoogi (Korean dragon) and not a snake?

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─That little thing can’t be an Imoogi.

【Big Girl】─You never know. The Imoogi is just an imaginary creature no one has ever seen.

As I chatted with Min Neong and kept digging, suddenly…

『‘Maehwa Tree’ has entered the stream.』

【Maehwa Tree】─Se-hoon, are you okay!?

『‘Se-hoon Defense Team’ has entered the stream.』

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─Damn, why does this happen when I’m not watching the stream?

『‘Drifting AI’ has entered the stream.』

【Drifting AI】─I’m back.

Within minutes, three regular viewers entered the stream.