It has been quite a while since I started my activities as a virtual streamer.
Occasionally, there were people curious about my face, but the frequency of such inquiries significantly decreased, and instead, most discussions revolved around my broadcasts.
Their main interest was primarily centered around how Mollu, the streamer, interacts with other streamers.
It felt like they were more curious about my personal relationships than about what games I was playing or what achievements I was accomplishing.
Even though it’s not pure to be that interested in other people’s relationships, it was what it was.
This trend was particularly pronounced among newly joined viewers.
The newly joined viewers referred to those who started watching after I began my VTuber activities.
They have a term in their own jargon called “teete,” but I had no idea what that meant.
Whenever I engage in friendly conversation with someone, “teete” would flood the chat.
Except in cases where the other party was male.
It’s said to be a unique culture among VTubers, but I really could not adapt to it.
“Rita, be careful!”
“AAAH! I think I got bitten…”
“AH! What are you doing, biting that!”
“But, it’s been said I’ve been bitten, Chief.”
It went in turn with Jay, Rita, and Hanyang.
Even after the successful conclusion of the joint Minecraft stream, we often played games together under Rita’s lead.
It wasn’t strictly business; it felt more like friends having fun together.
The game we were currently playing was a four-player cooperative game where we survive against zombies.
As the last surviving humans, we needed to avoid the swarming zombies while getting weapons, finding shelters, and gathering food in this survival game.
“Hmmm… I clearly said that if you get bitten one more time, I would abandon you.”
“Ah, please. Chief, don’t abandon me.”
“What should I do?”
“Should I dispose of her?”
Here, “Chief” referred to me.
Despite it being my first time playing, I naturally got appointed as the leader of this group due to my superior understanding, adaptability, and physical skills in the game compared to other streamers.
As we each took on our roles and progressed in the game, Rita ended up getting bitten by a zombie.
Glug.
The sound of someone swallowing their saliva could be heard through the mic.
The decision-making power lay solely with me.
Whether to “dispose” of Rita or not was entirely up to me.
[Let’s just kill her, how many times is this?]
[For real, that’s some wild behavior.]
[Why hasn’t the moderator been bitten though?]
[Does Mollu’s physicality look like Joso?]
[At this point, it’d be more surprising if she didn’t get bitten.]
[Rita is a liability.]
[Didn’t expect her to look that way.]
[Is there a vaccine?]
It wasn’t the first time Rita got bitten by a zombie.
She had been bitten once early on the game when we first started and another time during a midway wave, totaling two times.
Of course, both Jay and Hanyang had each experienced infection once, making me the only one who hadn’t been bitten.
I had previously announced that once everyone else had been infected, I wouldn’t hold back and would either expel or execute them.
As the leader of the group, that was the right choice to make.
In movies or dramas, there are often cases where characters fail to cast away those infected by zombies, leading to their own infection.
In the tense situation where all that remained was my decision regarding Rita’s treatment,
My decision was,
“We still have time, so let’s see if we can find a vaccine. It might drop from a special entity.”
“Sniff, okay!”
For now, survival was key.
Honestly, I had anticipated that someone would get bitten at least once more when I said that if Rita got bitten again, she was finished.
While playing, I realized that this was not an easy game at all.
Underestimating it could lead to serious consequences.
“Hey, hey, I’m only letting you off this time.”
“Either way, if we can’t find the vaccine, I’m dead. Don’t get too happy.”
I’m not sure if it’s only the Flair crew, but VTubers have a characteristic of incredible immersion in specific situations.
This game, “Survive Against Zombies,” or “Zombisal,” was enjoyable both because the game itself was fun and because the banter that arises among streamers when playing multiplayer added a unique charm for viewers.
They were very good at bringing that out.
Either way, even if someone died, the character currently in play would disappear and respawn.
While it was frustrating, it was somewhat merciful since it didn’t mean being permanently out of the game.
[She’s back.]
[Ah, too bad lol.]
[Rita Mollu teete.]
[This is teete too.]
[What is teete anyway, you bastards?]
[Oh dear.]
[Rules! :: Please use polite language on Mollu’s stream ^^.]
[The new ones keep using weird language.]
[For real, it’s as if the newcomers are ostracizing the existing viewers.]
[But… teete is something that can’t be ignored.]
[KYAAAHAHHHHH!]
“If Rita isn’t here, there won’t be anyone to cook, and we need to eat, so I’m saving her.”
“Oh, right. We need to cook for Rita.”
“That’s true.”
Rita is our cook. Jay is our driver. Hanyang is our pack mule.
We divided up the roles like this. Me? I’m the party leader and main DPS.
That should be enough for the role.
“Anyway, let’s search the building for a vaccine first. Hanyang and Jay, don’t stray too far from each other. Stick together like comrades.”
“Comrades?”
“Um… it means to cover for each other closely so you don’t get bitten.”
“Ah, got it.”
I must have been so immersed in the game that I ended up using professional terminology I only used in the field before.
It’s only natural they wouldn’t understand.
[Comrades, lol, legendary word choice.]
[Mollu served in the military?]
[Her remarkably high combat power and massive resources… everything is explained by the words military-trained high school girl.]
[Comrades system activated.]
[It’s not common to know about comrades in a girl.]
“Use your bullets sparingly and prefer knives. If you think you might get bitten, just use your gun.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Rita, please let us know whenever your condition changes. We need to prepare ourselves mentally.”
“Yes…”
There are a few changes that occur when someone gets bitten by a zombie.
Typical bodily rejection reactions that appear when infected by a virus, such as vomiting, chills, headaches, and dizziness, are the most common.
These symptoms of illness intensify over time until ultimately, you become a zombie.
If you’re unlucky, symptoms can severely manifest from the start, quickly leading to zombification, so continuous monitoring is necessary.
“I’m hungry.”
“Hang in there; if you eat while you’re bitten, you’ll only get hungrier.”
“Got it… understood.”
Hunger is also a common symptom.
The immune system, including the antibodies in the body, continues to fight against the zombie virus, leading to a lack of nutrients.
Eating right away helps slow down the infection, but.
I just teased her a bit because Rita’s reaction as a newbie was cute.
I think I understand why veterans in any game can’t wait to squash newbies.
“Uh, Chief, the chat says that you should eat something…? Otherwise, you’ll become a zombie faster.”
“Really? I guess I got confused. Hurry up and eat something.”
“…You didn’t do that on purpose, did you?”
“I’m also a newbie at Zombisal, so there are a few things I don’t know.”
[I see him lying through his teeth without even wetting his lips.]
[Rita’s zombie transformation plan, huh?]
[The Chief was initially malicious, you know.]
[Once a bad habit, always a bad habit.]
[Ah, was that intentional? lol, almost gave some advice.]
As we had this non-happening happening, we arrived at the building we were searching.
“Lead the way, Rita.”
“Me? Am I?”
“Since you’ve already been bitten, it won’t matter if you get bitten a few more times.”
I was moving around in a twosome with Rita, just like Hanyang and Jay.
Exploring a building in an unopened area could yield unexpected rewards, but it also carried unknown risks.
It was efficient to have someone who had already lost their humanity like Rita lead the way.
“B-but if I get bitten again, I’ll get infected faster…”
“No matter how many times you get bitten, if you take the vaccine once, you’ll be fine. I’m saying this is more efficient.”
“Hiiing…”
Unable to refuse my words, Rita took steps forward.
[That’s a line coming from someone who’d probably run away the moment something happens, lol.]
I ignored the obvious comments in the chat.
If something happened, I’d have to leave her behind, what else could I do?
Thus, we continued our exploration of the building.
-Clank!
A sound of something breaking was quickly accompanied by Rita taking a breath.
Something was off, wasn’t it?
Maybe we had entered a wrong building.
“Kyiiieek!!”
That ominous feeling was proven right as zombies appeared in front of us.
And quite a few of them.
“AAAH…”
“If we don’t break through this quickly, we’ll be overwhelmed. Break through, break through!”
I pushed forward with Rita as the meat shield.
I ignored the screams that occasionally rang out.
“Ack! I got bitten again!”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. As long as we find the special entity…”
If zombies had gathered here in this unopened area, there should be at least one of them.
While pushing forward and observing the surroundings, I soon spotted the creature.
Bingo.
“Rita, look to the left. There’s something that looks a bit different.”
“U-Uh… it’s a red one?”
“It should have the vaccine.”
“Really?”
It was just then that I, along with Rita, who had seen a glimmer of hope at the edge of life, approached the special entity.
-Smash!
The window behind me shattered and zombies began emerging from the back.
“What the hell.”
The wall I thought was safe vanished as I moved with my back against it.
This situation had nothing to do with skills; I couldn’t help but get bit.
Allowing one bite from the zombie, I managed to secure the vaccine from the fallen special entity and somehow made my escape.
“Hurry and get in, quick!”
“Y-You got the vaccine, right?”
With zombies pressing behind us, I loaded Rita into the car and turned back toward the shelter.
Even while rushing, Rita kept asking about the vaccine.
The vaccine was snugly resting in my inventory.
But the problem was…
“Wow, that was a close call. I’m glad I managed to grab the vaccine at least. I almost didn’t get it-.”
“Rita.”
“Y-Yes?”
“I got bitten.”
The car, filled with the echoing sound of Rita’s voice, suddenly fell silent.
After a moment, Rita asked softly.
“No, no way?”
“…”
“You’ll give it to me, right? I was bitten first.”
“Hmmm…”
“I just got bitten, so the infection is going to be faster. Please save me…”
Two people were bitten.
Only one vaccine.
There was no guarantee we could get another vaccine after this.
In the silence surrounding Rita’s question, I quietly drove the car.
