I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

Chapter 255: Bigger and Better 5

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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Han Se-ah had managed to fend off the harpies' stream suspension dive attacks, but through external means.

"Okay! I got permission! I got an email."

-Why are you suddenly doing your job well?

-From conglomerates to small fry, everyone's live streaming. If they don't want to lose ad revenue, they need to figure something out.

-We've surpassed the number one bikini body cam girl.

-Their advertising sponsorship is worth ten million won a day? Imagine if they earned that in viewer count.

-So, what happened?

"Direct or indirect sexual acts are not allowed, but simple exposure, including nipples and genitals, is okay. They've raised the standard as long as it's not blatant grabbing and spreading!"

The impact of Heroes Chronicle, the world's first virtual reality game, couldn't be ignored by video streaming sites.

After all, the VR craze is blowing through not only internet communities but also mainstream news, educational documentaries, and even books about neural-linked virtual reality.

With such popularity, it would be stupid to suspend streams due to obscene monsters appearing after the 40th floor.

Thus, Han Se-ah, having sealed the greatest weapon of the red harpy, marched out of the city with a majestic demeanor fitting of a hero.

She had made quite a bit of money and had hired new stream staff, including a manager, to ease her workload.

"I'll go out first and send a signal if it's safe, so everyone, wait inside the cave for a bit."

"Got it, Roland. I'll help with detection, but still, be careful."

So we climbed up and up the stairs of Granny Pipi's city.

While Han Se-ah was telling her viewers about how she managed to change the regulations to maintain her stream's top spot, we were settling into our positions.

The problem was that the stairs of Granny Pipi's city, though connected to a cave, were inside a unique mountain range known as the harpy's nest.

Maybe the entrance to Granny Pipi's city wasn't a safe zone, so it was up to me to physically block it.

The 24-hour cooldown of Durandal, used for clearing the passage, was up, and my basic skin of shield and armor wrapped around my body more sturdily than any fortress wall.

Knowing my defense wasn't something a mere harpy could penetrate, I stepped boldly out of the cave without hesitation.

"Do we have to cut through the clouds? What a load of crap."

-Teacher Roland also calls this sh*t lol.

[Chat deleted by the mod]

-Can't see a damn thing here.

-Use that gust thingy to clear all the clouds?

-Evolved from swamp cleaner to cloud cleaner.

As we headed towards the cave entrance, what unfolded before us was a sea of clouds.

The camera drone that was sneakily following behind me caught the scene, eliciting curses from the viewers at the unexpected sight.

A cloud covered the entrance to Granny Pipi's city like how clouds covered the waist of the mountain the harpy nest was perched on.

The visibility was barely 5 meters.

It wasn't the naked body of the red harpy that was the problem; both the camera and my eyes couldn't see a damn thing.

"What's going on, Roland?"

"We're enveloped in either clouds or fog out here; can't see a damn thing ahead. Looks like we'll need to move slowly... but which direction? Do you sense any harpies around?"

"I don't feel anything. It looks like we can just walk up."

As there was no sound of battle, one by one, the party members started approaching the entrance from inside the cave.

Excluding Han Se-ah, who had seen the situation through the camera beforehand, everyone's mouth dropped open in disbelief at the sight.

Extending a hand to stir the air only to get wrapped in clouds was a sight to behold.

Yet, since the clouds were thick enough that even the harpies couldn't spot us, we decided to stick close together and move in a line.

With no information at hand, judgment was solely up to Grace, our scout.

Trusting her judgment, which was supported by detection passives instead of attack skills, we stepped into the clouds.

"How do harpies even fly around in this?"

"There's no obstacle in the sky, so they probably just shoot straight through, right?"

"They have wings, after all."

In the thick clouds where you couldn't see an inch ahead, a misstep could send you plummeting down the cliff.

Yet, as we walked, we didn't feel too tense.

Without the black harpies that usually circled overhead, all we needed to do was watch our step.

The party members might appear fragile and beautiful, but they're 5s, beings who have reached a superior state.

Being able to project mana outside their bodies, climbing a mountain should be no issue.

"Man, this is nerve-wracking. Reminds me of that movie where, amidst the fog, monsters emerge, and a family commits suicide except for one, only to be saved by the military[1]."

-Can't see anything, maybe spin the camera around to at least give us a view of the landscape?

-What is this, a vlog where everything but the person's face is pixelated?

-Can't see anything

-This is bullsh*t. We've been walking for over ten minutes, how thick are these clouds?

-Feels like something I saw on a travel show, was it the Death Road in South America?

Han Se-ah was the only one feeling uneasy, since she wasn't an actual superhuman like we were.

---Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m n0v𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)/m

Raei Translations

---

"Hanna, should we retreat?"

"They haven't noticed us yet"

After walking for about twenty minutes into the thick curtain of clouds, we were greeted by a swarm of harpies, bustling like pigeons in a city center.

The tall mountain range, sporadically covered in perennial snow, was an impossible climb due to its cliffs.

The walkable path ended below, and above that were daunting cliffs that only those with wings could navigate.

These cliffs, as if they were some kind of hive, had dozens of nests visible in crevices or protruding rocks.

"Even those nests, they're all black harpies' nests. The red harpies live even higher up."

"F*ck, isn't this too much? Is there like an easier way to form an alliance with the harpies?"

Just the number of black harpies alone being in the hundreds, this is no place for a single adventurer party to take on.

Monsters of the 43rd floor, these vicious creatures could treat orcs that swarm out of the 20th-floor altar as a mere snack.

Even Han Se-ah, a high-ranking mage, could barely summon lightning through near mana exhaustion, and that was only effective against dozens.

Hundreds? No way a 5 adventurer party could clear this field.

In real life, we'd turn back without a second thought.

But this is a virtual reality game based on those trashy mobile gacha games.

It's only natural to assume there's a way to overcome such absurdly unfair obstacles blocking the path.

Surely BB Games didn't go insane and think, "harpy nests are unbeatable, so just run away underground~"

If such a game existed, gamers would send the developers' parents, and even grandparents, soaring high into the sky without a moment's hesitation.

They haven't made any significant mistakes so far, so their parents are safe for now.

"They haven't noticed us yet. It looks like they don't know about the underground city, so they only patrol outside the clouds."

"Still, harpies have good eyesight, so it's only a matter of time before we're spotted, right? Those bastards track adventurers from high up in the sky with their bare eyes."

Therefore, we retreated behind fluttering clouds to discuss while hidden.

The idea of fighting off dozens of harpies was daunting enough, let alone climbing a cliff while battling hundreds.

The mountain's peak was so high, it caused a neck strain just to look up at it.

Climbing such cliffs while fighting harpies was neither desirable nor within our capabilities.

No, with such height, we'd run out of provisions in our inventory before even reaching the top.

"Should we form an expedition of adventurers and mages like when we hunted the Full Moon Wolf or the orcs?"

"If we pass through Old Bobo's city and come out via Granny Pipi's city, it might be possible."

-Can't we just deal with them one by one?

-Harpies aren't idiots; if a fight breaks out in their home, they'll all swarm us.

-This isn't a PC game where you can kite and pick off groups one by one.

-But can't we talk to the harpies?

-It's a game where resets are possible, might as well wave a white flag and try talking to one lol.

Hiding in the clouds and discussing, viewers also chimed in with their suggestions.

From diving in and seeing what happens to the absurd idea of surrendering to the harpies with a white flag.

"It seems even the harpies can't see through the clouds. Let's advance as far as we can without fighting."

"Understood, Hanna."

"Usually, it's best to follow the leader's decision in situations like this."

After much deliberation, Han Se-ah decided to move forward.

For her, both as a player and a streamer, retreating right away would leave nothing to capture on camera.

Of course, as she mentioned, while advancing to the peak might be challenging, retreating was well within our capabilities, so no one opposed the decision.

Even the protective magic cast by Irene was impenetrable against the harpies' claws.

If we were overwhelmed, Grace would scatter flashbangs and gas grenades at random, summon clouds with Gust of Wind to disrupt visibility, and retreat under the cover of a protective barrier.

With that plan in place, we stepped out of the clouds, and immediately a dark shadow swooped towards us.

"Hello, squishies?"

It was a stone dwarf riding a giant black harpy that appeared to be of boss/named-tier.

Why are you riding that?

---

[1. raei: this is The Mist, movie from 2007?]

2/5 Enjoy the chappy!

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