Chapter 59
Chapter 59 - End of Broadcast
“What's he talking about?” Adam asked Desmond.
Spreading his hands helplessly, Desmond could only shrug.
“I've no idea. And even if I did, judging by the word ban in the chat, I'm not authorized to tell you, unfortunately.”
BlueDye: Don't worry about it. It’s good news. But it concerns certain secrets of the universe that can't be easily shared. All I can say, and this is for everyone from the planet Earth: when it comes to magic, let your imagination run wild. Anything you believe is possible is possible. Anything you believe is impossible is also possible.
“Very cryptic,” Mei said. “I like it! It really feels like we're part of an epic story.”
BlueDye: You aren't not.
“Cool.”
The Q&A session continued for a while longer, with the three of them answering a variety of questions from the chat. Some were serious, others were surprisingly personal, and a few were so strange that Adam wasn't entirely sure how they had made it through the moderation process.
Eventually, Desmond clapped his hands together.
“Alright, we are unfortunately out of time today. It's time to wrap things up.”
PotatoSkin: Noo! I didn't get my question answered! Potatoes are the best food, right?
SeeCuteGirl-iClick: Over already?
“Sorry, but we simply can't go any longer. Our guests' bodies are still within the tutorial, and although they're inside safe pocket dimensions, the upkeep costs required to keep them living and breathing are staggering.”
Adam blinked.
“Excuse me? Did you just say we could die while in here?”
Desmond shook his head.
“No,” he said, then hesitated. “Well, yes. But no. It's perfectly safe unless we run out of resources. Which is almost impossible, aside from our budget limitations…”
“Well, that's reassuring.”
“Ahem.”
Desmond cleared his throat and turned toward 3Y3, who hovered patiently nearby with his camera lens pointed at them.
“Alright, everyone, that's a wrap on our first episode of A Peek Inside the Impossible! Make sure to tune in next time, where our guests will be participating in a fun game show!”
He glanced toward the three of them.
“Would you like to give a parting message?”
Mei immediately nodded and jumped up in front of 3Y3's camera lens. She got so close that her entire face filled everyone's screens.
“Okay, chat! If you wanna see more of us kicking ass, head over to our co-op channel, MeiBe_We_Survive, where we'll be broadcasting all of our epic boss battles and more! You can also follow us on all the social medias under that same username!”
The chat immediately filled with mixed reactions.
SweetSarah (mod): Bye-bye!
Gojira: It was better than I expected. But I'm still unsure how these three are special.
BlueDye: Heh. They are beyond special. This livestream was a true eye opener.
SeeCuteGirl-iClick: Bye :wave: https://cdn.betterttv.net/emote/6542cdee4d8e6d1dc9985ae8/1x.webp See you next stream!
#1MeiFan09: Wait! I just tuned in! Don't go yet!
PotatoSkin: Answer my question!
HottieHunter: @Adam please wear that speedo again in the next stream 🙏 or nothing is fine too. Actually nothing is better.
“Sarah, get her,” Mei said.
(Bot): @HottieHunter has been timed out for twenty-four hours by moderator: SweetSarah
Adam's brow twitched when he saw a certain name in the chat proclaiming to be Mei's number one fan, but he didn't have time to address it.
Without warning, a blinding light swept over the three of them.
Adam barely had time to blink before his vision was consumed by white. In the same instant, Mei and Granessa vanished from the cabana, and the livestream abruptly ended.
The cheerful atmosphere that had filled the room only moments ago disappeared with them.
Now alone, aside from the hovering robot, Desmond leaned back in his beach chair and released a weary sigh.
“Haa… That was more exhausting than pulling three all-nighters in a row.”
He closed his eyes for a moment before a small smile crept across his face.
“But it was fun.”
For a few seconds, he simply enjoyed the silence.
Then his smile faded.
“But what was that about Earth?” he muttered. “Is it special in some way?”
“Very special.”
A female voice, dripping with elegant charm, drifted into the quiet cabana from outside.
“More special than anyone could have believed. It is that world.”
Desmond immediately sprang to his feet.
His tired expression vanished, replaced by one of rigid respect. He straightened his suit before bowing deeply toward the woman standing outside.
Despite Desmond wearing a business suit on a beach, he didn't look nearly as out of place as the woman waiting beneath the shade of a massive palm tree.
She held a pitch-black umbrella over her head, shielding herself from the sunlight. An elegant black gown draped over her slender body, hugging her pale, bloodless skin. Her pure white hair contrasted sharply with her crimson lips, which were curved into an ever-present, condescending smile.
Two sharp fangs protruded from beneath her lips.
There was no mistaking what she was.
A vampire.
“Greetings, Department Head Alina!” Desmond said, his voice slightly strained as a bead of sweat formed along his brow.
Alina was his old boss and the head of the Livestream Department. She was also very much not someone you wanted to offend.
Unless, of course, you didn't mind having your blood sucked dry and being left as a living mummy for several months.
“Mhm,” she acknowledged him with a soft hum before continuing her earlier comment. “You weren't around back then, so of course you wouldn't recognize it. In fact, even the CEO failed to notice anything at first. But I'm sure you'll understand if I were to tell you that it is the world which vanished when the Breach formed.”
Desmond's eyes widened at the revelation.
Even 3Y3's camera lens seemed to widen, increasing its exposure so dramatically that the little drone nearly blinded itself.
Alina watched their reactions with a hint of mocking laughter in her eyes.
She wasn't actually mocking them. Unfortunately, no matter what expression she made, it always seemed to come across as mocking or condescending in some way.
If Mei had been there, she probably would have immediately diagnosed Alina with the ultimate form of resting bitch face, resting bitch personality. Of course, that wasn't an actual medical condition, and Mei would have invented the term on the spot, but it would have been surprisingly accurate.
“Is it really?” Desmond asked after finally recovering from the shock.
“It is. But that isn't why I'm here.”
Alina waved one hand dismissively, as if revealing that the supposedly vanished world was still around wasn't particularly important.
“Rather, I came to ask you something. Would you consider transferring back to our department? I can offer you a twenty-percent pay raise from your current salary, as well as the position of Vice Head of the Livestream Department.”
She paused and looked directly at him.
“I'll only ask once. What do you say?”
Desmond blinked.
Is that really more important than finding that world?
The question screamed through his mind, but he didn't let any of his confusion show. Instead, he inclined his head respectfully once more.
“I'm sorry, but I'd like to stay here in the Tutorial Administration Department.”
“Hmm?”
Alina raised an eyebrow.
“Really? I know it has received a rather significant amount of attention lately, but it's still doomed to fail once those two complete the tutorial. If you instead take your project and transfer back to my department, you can gain the recognition you deserve.”
Her eyes briefly flashed red as she subconsciously activated her inborn [Charm] skill.
Fortunately for Desmond, his head was still lowered. Otherwise, a single glance into her eyes would have been enough to enslave his soul to her will.
He really wanted to tell her that she was the one who had kept ignoring his proposals when he'd been with the Livestream Department.
However, he valued his life more than his pride.
“I…”
He was about to reject her again when an alarm suddenly went off inside his brain.
Desmond glanced up.
For the briefest moment, he saw Alina's fangs enlarge, growing slightly longer and sharper.
A cold sweat broke out across his entire body.
He immediately changed what he was about to say.
“C-could I think about it a little longer?”
“Hmm.”
Alina hummed thoughtfully before tapping her chin with one long, sharp black nail. It looked capable of slicing through a man's neck with nothing more than a slight graze.
“Don't make me wait too long…”
She paused.
“…or else.”
Desmond shivered and nodded hurriedly.
“Yes! Yes, of course! Thank you, ma'am!”
What Desmond didn't know was that her ominous “or else” simply meant that he would lose out on the benefits she was offering if he waited too long.
She had absolutely no intention of physically harming him.
Alina would never actually hurt a fellow employee of the company, especially not one of her former subordinates.
The rumors that she would suck dry anyone who crossed her weren't exactly wrong, but they weren't entirely right, either.
She had never harmed another employee.
However, all of her enemies shared the same gruesome fate. Their blood was drained completely, leaving them in a state somewhere between life and death.
Alina didn't waste any more words trying to persuade him. She simply twirled her umbrella above her head and vanished from the beach as though she had never been there in the first place.
Desmond remained frozen for several seconds.
Only after he was certain she was gone did he release a long, heavy breath. He patted his chest repeatedly, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.
“I thought I was going to be sucked dry…”
“Beep…”
(Translation: Me too…)
3Y3's little camera lens turned toward him.
Desmond stared at the drone in confusion.
“But you don't have blood.”
“Beep.”
(Translation: I have oil.)
Desmond's expression became even more confused.
“Do vampires drink oil?”
3Y3 floated up and down, its movements resembling a shrug.
“Beep, beep?”
(Translation: I don't know, maybe?)