<h4>Chapter 21: Gamer Soul</h4>


    Taps rang out continuously followed by the clicking of buttons.


    Inside a dark room, the flickering illumination of the television screen continued.


    "Backroll! Backroll!"


    The voice of a person rang.


    "Almost there… firebomb…"


    The screams from the television screen continued.


    The rhythmic cks didn''t seize.


    "Just once more…"


    And then—


    —Bzzzt.


    —The TV went off.


    "Ah…."


    A soft, high-pitched hum rang.


    The room was dark once more, and the controller stopped cking. The electricitying in from the backup generator had finally stopped.


    "This… this fucking shit!!!"


    A thump echoed as the skinny girl got on her feet and mmed the controller.


    "Fucking Iudex Gundyr!!"


    The skinny girl stomped her foot on the ground and hopped on her spot.


    "Almost. I almost killed it fuck!!!"


    How many dangers had she taken up? How much had she suffered?


    The small mess of blood mixed with the trash in her room was more than evident of it all. From killing animals turned weird to pouring diesel in the building''s generators all the while being haunted by zombies out for flesh, she had taken up all kinds of risk.


    For just one goal.


    To power up her TV enough to finish the game she had been ying.


    "JUST WHEN I ALMOST WON!"


    "Ludex is literally the very first boss."


    An intonation that half ate itsst sybles called out to the girl''s tantrum. Hopping up on the messy couch that was mixed with wrappers for food and crumbs of its contents, the small ck cat cleaned the spot with its tail and coiled up.


    "Well, serves you right," the cat continued. "You have been on that boss for two weeks now."


    "Oh shut up! I know this game, I would have finished it all in five minutes after fucking Gundyr!"


    Hair a dark, almost ckish shade of violet continued to flicker as the girl mmed her foot down again. She heaved a giant sigh, fell on her back, and reached under the pillow for a packet of smoke.


    "And now you smoke."


    The girl ignored her cat''s words and pulled the cigarette out. She lightly lodged it in between her lips and then snapped her fingers.


    A very small wisp of ck mes formed on her fingertips and set the cigarette aze.


    "I can''t ept this…"


    "Can''t ept what?"


    "You won''t get it, cat. This is a matter of my gamer soul."


    "And how many games have youpleted in your life?"


    "Three…"


    "You know you can''tplete pacuman, right? Right?"


    "A gamer''s soul doesn''te from the game they havepleted—"


    "You''ve literally been stuck on the first boss for two weeks! It took you two whole days to create your character!"


    The girl mmed her fist next to her and shook her head.


    "Enough."


    The girl took in a puff of smoke and stood up. Her ckish violet eyes the same shade as her hair glinted with a fierce re.


    "I am not going to ept this. Fucking zombies or not, I''ll be ying this game ahead."


    "Break a leg."


    The girl put on her leather coat, picked up her bag and a crowbar, and decided to head out, high out of her mind.


    Before she left, she didn''t forget to take along her cat.


    "Central Darma… this rich ce should have a lot of fuel."


    No matter what.


    A gamer''s soul couldn''t be quelled.