Chapter 77….
Daesik. Wasn’t it supposed to be a cat?
Mari didn’t take the request of that handsome (?) fishbowl-headed guy too seriously.
Handsome or not, surely he’d take care of his own business.
[Hey hey, don’t slack off.]
[If you’re gonna make a clan you gotta grind for money lolol]
[Forget weird requests, just focus on cash and hurry up to join Iruna lololol]
Right.
She needed to stay focused.
But strangely, that so-called Daesik kept nagging at her mind.
[Lolol Mari-noona thinking about the cat again]
[TMI of the day: Mari is actually a princess from the Cat Star]
[But fr the Fishbowl Guy was fine af lol give me replay coordinates]
[Fishbowl Guy lolol how can you be handsome without a face]
[But the age gap was hilarious tho, 27 years younger brother?]
[Kim Mari (24, idol) – Special trait: has a 27-year-old younger brother (physical monster)]
Mari. Handle “Kim Mari” on Pretzel.
She was in the same group as Iruna, a big-name virtual streamer as well as an idol who’d joined the large streamer server.
[Honestly if you’re gonna do a concert, you better start grinding hard now]
[An idol concert inside Punk Loader would be legendary]
[Guys chill, our noona’s gotta make money rn lol someone show the request list]
[Nah, once you debut as an idol money prints itself lol]
[But I’m hyped for the final-day concert… I need that concert NOW!!!]
Her goal with her group:
To hold a concert inside Punk Loader.
But right now, she said—
“Should we try finding that cat called Daesik too?”
The words just slipped out.
[Wait so what’s up with Daesik that she zones out like this lol]
[Cat? Can’t resist. Give me that ‘Find Daesik Quest’ right now]
[Black cat Daesik… even the name is cute. Starting my life as an online cat owner today]
[Show me Fishbowl Guy again!!!]
[Fishbowl Guy parrots, what’s wrong with y’all lol]
[Forget HAN or whatever, Daesik’s more important!!!]
[Conclusion: Mari-noona just relax and go find Daesik lol we’ll fund you]
She couldn’t focus on money-making anymore.
If she found Daesik, maybe she could get in touch with that fishbowl-headed guy again.
‘No, it’s not Daesik. It’s HAN that’s really on my mind.’
HAN, was it?
Where a head should be, a fishbowl.
Inside it, flames flickering like a face. Below, a body shape far too alluring.
‘How the hell can he look handsome without a face!’
At 24, she realized she was developing a bizarre new fetish.
After all, how many people out there had a thing for “object heads”?
‘I must be crazy. Totally crazy.’
But after exchanging a few words with him, after hearing that deep, magnetic voice rumble in her ears—
She realized her preferences had… “expanded.”
Ddan-dtadadan-dtan!
[‘NoonaCreditGift’ has donated 100,000 won!]
– lol let’s go find Daesik!
Cha-ching!
– 10,000 points deposited.
– 1 point can be exchanged for 10 credits.
– Would you like to exchange?
A hologram message popped up before Mari’s dazed eyes.
“Oh my, NoonaCreditGift~? Thank you~ Haha, noona, really? Here I’m twenty-year-old Mari! Thanks, oppa!”
With practiced streamer reaction, she did a cute dance in her gnome body.
[Awww cute!!!]
[Today’s reactions are crazy good lol]
[Look at Mari’s adorable dance line ㅠㅠ this is idol quality]
[Idol (Race: Gnome)]
[LMAO the dance line works even with that tiny body]
Yes.
Short body, cute dance moves that matched perfectly.
She was a pro idol through and through, showing off every charm she had.
[If this is what 10k points gets us, what do we get for 100k? A concert preview?]
[100k points = 1 million won lolol]
“For a million won, of course~ I’d definitely consider it!”
[Fair enough lol]
[Money-hungry Mari ON lol]
[Max donations today. Mari do whatever you want]
Mari giggled at the chat and stretched her little body before continuing on.
“Anyway, Daesik aside, we still gotta finish these requests.”
[Why is she still doing delivery quests lol]
[For real, the donation just now is worth 3 deliveries lol]
[What kind of economic sense is this]
[Quest (3000 credits, 15 min) vs. reaction (10k credits, 15 sec) – wild balance game]
[Obvious choice lol who would pick deliveries]
[Hey! Our Mari values honest labor!]
[Bruh even idol dancing is hard labor lol]
[Emotional + physical labor = idol. Facts.]
In the end, quests and streaming were both “work” to Mari.
Smiling faintly at the noisy chat, she walked on.
“Anyway, Daesik, black cat. We’ll look for it while we deliver.”
And so she wandered around the Punk City.
And then—she met Daesik.
“Huh?”
Or rather—
[Daesik…?]
[Is that really Daesik?]
[Wait, that size is supposed to be a cat?]
[Mari-noona, that’s not a cat, that’s a tiger… or maybe a panther?]
[LMAOOOO Fishbowl Guy you bastard lol]
[Calling THAT a cat? Where’s your conscience lol]
“Grrrrrrrr!”
Black fur…
[Holy crap look at those muscles;; how many years in the gym is that]
[Genetic modification (muscle boost) edition wow]
[This is supposed to be a ‘black cat’…? What even IS Fishbowl Guy’s definition of cat…]
It was a massive genetically modified black panther.
“P-please, spare me!!!”
“RAAARRGH!!!”
After a long period of wandering and hunger, Daesik—
[That’s not a cat noona!!! Run!!!]
[LMAOOOOO]
[Run noona, don’t even look back!!!]
[Suddenly turned into a survival horror lol]
[This is Punk City lol so funny]
[Noona’s about to get eaten ㅠㅠ hurry call Fishbowl Guy!!]
He started madly chasing the tasty-looking (?) gnome.
“HAN! Coordinates! Sending coordinates! Daesik—Daesik is chasing me!!!”
Mari contacted him after they’d split earlier.
It was while Ji-han was rummaging through trees and alley crates.
“What? Daesik is chasing you?”
A cat was chasing her and she sounded this desperate?
Roleplay was instantly shattered.
That’s how absurd it sounded.
[‘Chasing you’??]
[Wait what does that mean lol]
[What is she even saying]
[Ji-han’s face is actually confused lol cute]
[Is his voice shaking… is this serious? lol]
– Yes!!! It’s chasing me!! It’s starving!! Please, please!! Come to these coordinates!!
Coordinates spilled out frantically.
[Coordinates received! lol Ji-han go!]
[A hungry cat? Just buy some cat treats lol]
Ji-han realized things were taking a strange turn.
Still, he’d better go.
“Okay, I’ll give you a rendezvous point, noona. Can you make it?”
Checking the map, he picked an intermediate point and relayed the coordinates.
– I’ll go!! I’ll survive no matter what!!
[Delivering cat treats incoming lol]
[This is hilarious, let’s gooo]
Ji-han sprinted the shortest path.
[Would be easier if he could use light-step like Kangho Sword Chronicles]
[Maybe if he implants some internal-drive tech]
[Easier to just buy a mount tbh]
[Either way, they’re loaded with credits]
[Lol they’re still talking about credits, what about Daesik]
[The cat is starving lol]
Tak-tak-tak!
Whoosh!
When he reached the rendezvous—
Ji-han, and the viewers too—
[LOLOL]
[That’s supposed to be a cat??]
[Ahahaha]
[Wtf Mi-ae lolol]
[No wonder we couldn’t find it, we were looking for an actual cat lol]
They came face-to-face with the massive genetically engineered black panther.
“HAN!!! Uwaaaaah!!!”
Mari’s roleplay was utterly shattered too.
Who could roleplay while running for their life?
[Haha roleplay broken]
[But Ji-han, why’d you draw your weapon?]
[Of course, gotta gear up to protect her lol]
[Hey hey hey, don’t kill Daesik! Capture mission!]
[So it switched from ‘find’ to ‘capture’ lolol]
Ji-han gripped Lianna’s dagger in reverse and charged at Mari and Daesik.
His vision narrowed.
But his fishbowl implant expanded his field again, widening his world.
“HAN!!!”
“Duck!”
Shhhhk!
Mari slid across the ground, and Ji-han slashed Daesik’s chest.
“GRRAAARGH!”
Daesik roared in pain.
Ji-han’s knee then snapped up—
Thwack!
—into Daesik’s jaw.
“GRAAHH!”
Even staggering, the beast swiped claws wildly.
Ji-han twisted easily, dodging again and again, separating Mari from the beast.
Whoosh!
Unable to resist, Daesik charged with his bulk.
Crack!
Ji-han sidestepped and kicked into its ribs.
[Wow]
[Speechless;;]
[Is that even human physical ability?]
[New viewer here, is he always this good at combat?]
The chat exploded.
Newcomers gaped blankly.
[Nice clean hit!]
[That was sharp!]
[Lol poor Daesik looks like it hurts!]
[It’s fine, genetically modified, thick skin, just hurts a bit]
[Hurting is the problem tho lol]
[Runaway bad cat discipline = Ji-han style!]
Long-time viewers felt smug superiority and enjoyed the spectacle.
[Finish it!!!]
[Don’t kill! Capture!]
[Bring it back to Mi-ae!]
Crack!
A Brazilian kick.
From above, foot slammed down.
Smashed into Daesik’s snout, shaking the beast—
Thud!
It collapsed flat on the ground.
“You okay, noona?”
“Ah, uh, I…”
An overwhelming battle right before her eyes.
Mari could only stare at his back, at his face.
Who the hell was this fishbowl-headed man?
What kind of person was he?
‘Why… why does he look so cool right now?!’
Mari thought, again and again.
