Chapter 70…
A vision blackened.
And yet, no words announcing Game Over or Death appeared.
Only a pitch-black world.
[???]
[Why isn’t it ending?]
[What the heck, why isn’t it going back to the start screen??]
[What’s happening??]
The chat, which had been full of explosive dopamine, suddenly began to fill with countless hook emojis.
Lee Ji-han too scratched his head awkwardly, a little flustered that the screen wasn’t moving on.
[LOL look at 5 o’clock getting flustered]
[Bottom-cam is cute]
[Hahaha Ji-han, you’re confused too, right?]
[Wasn’t that the explosion ending?]
[A wrong choice maybe?]
[Well, still—we had fun together, didn’t we?]
We had fun together, didn’t we.
Those words were the greatest comfort to Ji-han.
Just as he was about to start worrying he might have ruined the ending, that one sentence pierced straight into his heart.
In the end, it had felt like a grand festival.
Fiery explosions, taking down swarming monsters in a single blow.
Every NPC could be saved.
And on top of that, all the viewers enjoyed it too.
Of course, Ji-han himself had fun as well.
So wasn’t that a perfect ending?
Just as he was thinking that—
FWOOOSH!
Suddenly his vision brightened, then went dark again.
—10 years later.
[What?]
[Huh?]
[Um?]
Suddenly, red text appeared.
Step, step, step.
Footsteps.
“Marcus, is this the place?”
“…Andy, did we really have to come back?”
“Uncle said so. He told me—let’s meet again.”
“Think about it. There’s no way the Boss survived. Do you remember how huge those flames were?”
[??????]
[What the heck]
[Whoa]
[Huh?]
[Holy crap;;; what is this?]
The viewers must have felt the same.
Ji-han rubbed his goosebump-covered arm, shivering.
And there they were—
The freckled little kid, Andy, now fully grown into a young woman, and Marcus, looking even more worn-out.
“So you think Uncle died?”
“No, just look at these ruins. If anyone survived this, they wouldn’t be human—they’d be a monster.”
“Uncle’s alive!”
“I want to believe the Boss is alive too! Of course I do! There’s never been anyone like him!”
The two began to argue.
But the subject of their quarrel was Boss—Uncle.
It was about Ji-han.
[LOL this is wild]
[Wait, this footage exists??]
[What is this??]
[JC, is this what you were making? Patching this in?]
[Unbelievable; wow;;;]
[So that long black screen earlier was to process all of this??]
“Uncle’s alive, I’ll find him no matter what. Marcus, don’t follow me! I don’t need people who don’t believe he’s alive!”
“Hey, Andy! Kid! The Boss asked me to take care of you!”
“I don’t need a babysitter! What I need is a comrade who believes Uncle is alive!”
[Wow look at that kid’s fire LOL]
[But seriously, she grew up solid]
[LMAO strong and dependable]
[Yeah! Ji-han’s alive!]
[5 o’clock is crying tears of emotion right now]
[Wait, for real?]
[He’s crying? LOL]
[Ji-han don’t cry, you’ll make us cry too]
[Come on man, why cry on such a good day]
“Andy! Andy! Whose stubborn streak did you inherit, huh? Whew.”
Marcus ended up following her anyway.
The camera panned back.
Before them lay a massive crater.
It was the scarred battlefield where Ji-han had fought the alien parasite to the very end.
“You’re really going in there again?”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Andy kicked at the collapsed entrance. Marcus walked up, drew his hatchet, and skillfully began prying it open.
CRACK!
“You have to use tools, Andy.”
“…So you’re coming with me after all?”
“Told you, the Boss ordered me to protect you. If I go in and bring him back, maybe he’ll even praise me, right?”
Marcus grinned slyly.
Andy couldn’t help but laugh.
“…Uncle, wait for me. Even if it’s just a scrap of your clothes, I’ll find something.”
“Hey now, you said he’s alive.”
“Of course! Of course he’s alive! But still!”
And so, the two headed into the ruined lab.
The shattered doors yawned open like the jaws of some alien beast.
What awaited them inside?
[Wow;;;]
The screen slowly darkened.
[Insane;;;]
[So what now?]
[Yeah, what happens next?]
And then text appeared:
—They, and he.
It vanished.
Another line appeared:
—Will return.
It too disappeared.
—Project: Zombres 2
—TO BE CONTINUED.
The screen froze on that message.
That’s what it all was—
An actual teaser for the sequel, Project: Zombres 2.
[Holy crap]
[Bro]
[What is happening]
[Is this a dream?]
[No way, this old game is getting a sequel??]
[Is this real??]
[JC, is this for real?]
[James, we know you’re watching Ji-han’s stream—show yourself!]
[Jamie, hurry up and appear!]
[Come on! Come on out!]
[What even is this, why is this happening??]
Chat exploded.
Donations poured in like crazy.
It was both praise for Ji-han finishing the game, and a herald announcing the sequel to an old series.
That day, another legend began circulating on Pretzel.
Not a creepy rumor, but a true legend witnessed by tens of thousands—over a hundred thousand.
No one clipped it.
That ending video, that trailer—was a tribute to Ji-han, who journeyed alongside Marcus and Andy, and to the countless viewers who shared it with him.
Only one thing spread across forums and Pretzel:
—Project: Zombres 2
—TO BE CONTINUED.
That day, Ji-han became a legend.
Of course, the newly crowned legend Ji-han…
was just crying.
For the first time, he had experienced such an overwhelming wave of emotion.
The story he had built.
The ending to that story.
Maybe not exactly hopeful, but a continuation, a promise of a future.
For Ji-han, who treated NPCs like real people, it was the greatest gift.
They lived, they had their own stories.
Only fragments had been revealed, but still, glimpses of their lives shone through in that video.
Even after ending the stream, he couldn’t calm down.
It was the first time he had ever let out so much feeling.
He collapsed onto his bed, sobbing.
But they weren’t tears of sorrow—
They were tears of emotion and lingering resonance.
—So, are games fun?
When was it again?
He had asked Kim Su-ho this question, before ever starting to stream.
—Of course. You laugh, you cry.
—You cry? From games?
—If it’s a great work, the aftereffects hit hard. I hope you get to feel that someday.
Su-ho’s playful face back then.
And his prophecy had come true—
Just like the prophecies written in Greek and Roman myths, it was inescapable, and it landed squarely.
That day, Ji-han posted a break notice.
The reason was simple.
Reason: I cried too much. My eyes are swollen and my voice won’t come out. Sorry, I’ll rest just one day.
And everyone understood.
Comments flooded in beneath it.
Praises for finishing the game.
Thanks for giving them a new beginning.
And—
[Yo, you crying?]
[We clipped all your crying]
[LMAO if you don’t stream we’ll leak it]
[Pretzel’s gonna be full of your crying videos now]
[Good luck, we’re not going anywhere]
Even mischievous comments missing him.
Ji-han read them and, for once, decided to rest a day without thinking about games.
Ji-han’s day off was plainer than expected.
He never had many hobbies.
Usually just taking slow walks for rehab, or sipping coffee at a café.
Quiet pastimes to chase away boredom.
But now, as a streamer, that stillness felt a little too boring.
Even his nature was changing.
The old joke—Don’t become a streamer, it’ll change your constitution—
It turned out to be true.
Nearly two months in, he was now a full-fledged streamer.
Ding!
While limping around his apartment complex for a walk, his phone buzzed.
He had all notifications off except for messages, so he assumed it was Su-ho.
[Boss! Are you busy!?]
But it was someone else—
Baek Su-ah, his editor.
[No, I’m not busy. I posted a break notice, remember?]
[Haha I thought you’d be too busy resting]
[So what’s up, Su-ah?]
[Oh, I finished the edit. Just needs to be uploaded. Manager said to show you first.]
She sent a video.
Ji-han tapped it open.
A Zombres video.
From his very first stream.
Back when he had co-streamed with Kim Guardian—Kim Su-ho.
Su-ho pushing Ji-han into a dark alley.
Ji-han screaming and running away.
Su-ho leaping rooftops and mowing down zombies.
Then meeting the kid, naturally.
And the kid falling for Ji-han’s face.
A short, 13-minute video.
But it captured the highlights, the storyline.
Not just a string of clips—
But woven together like an actual story.
Light, tight, like a sitcom.
[Well, Boss? You’ve probably finished it by now?]
Ji-han watched it over and over, dazed.
Losing track of time, not even noticing her follow-ups.
[Boss?]
[We really need to upload it!?]
[Manager will scold me!!]
[Hey! Ji-han!]
[Answer me!]
[I know you’re resting but I need your confirmation!!]
Only then did Ji-han notice the pile of missed messages.
Snapping back, he quickly sent them his thanks and a short review.
And finally:
[Please upload it, Su-ah. It was wonderful.]
Permission granted.
That was the moment Ji-han’s YouTube launched.
YouTube, his editor, the streaming station, his manager, his viewers—
At last, Lee Ji-han had broken free from the dark past of being an athlete, a salaryman.
He had found salvation in his new profession—streamer.
That day, he took another step forward.
And tomorrow, he would again.
And again, onward.
“But… what game should I play tomorrow?”
The bigger he grew, the bigger the worries.
And those worries were instantly shattered by messages from Kim Su-ho:
[Ji-han! Hey! Check out this link!]
[A giant streamer server!]
[The one we’ve been waiting for finally opened!]
And just like that, everything changed.
