Season 4: Chapter 189. Boston Tea Party (1)

On the community boards, someone posted a cross-section sketch:

[Cheese folks on the surface, Paprika folk underground].

[Cheese-Parasite.jpg]

==== ====

Drew a cross-section of Paprika Village lol. Cheese people living it up in paradise on the surface. Paprika people are suffering in hell below.

(sketch)

==== ====

The cross-section revealed their vertical relationship. What sat above, and what lay below. Nothing depicted the current state of Paprika more brutally than this drawing.

— LMAOOOO

— holy crap that’s dark

— can a diagram be this cruel?

— Cheese parasites

— who still wants to “vacation” in Cheese after this?

— RIP Paprika players fr

Comments of sympathy, pity, and outrage poured in for the people of Paprika. Another post climbed the rankings.

[#2. I finally understand “Come Visit Cheese Village”]

==== ====

“Come visit Cheese Village!” <<<

Actually meant: Come to Cheese because Paprika is literal hell.

==== ====

— oh my god

— Cheese’s slogan was actually life-saving

— “this too is the Lord’s grace”... yeah, no, maybe not

Cheese and Paprika stood in stark contrast.

[Isn’t a guardian needed in Paprika, not Cheese?]

[Isn’t it time Team Rocket actually did something?!]

[As a Paprika player, I’m pissed tbh]

[Figures, everything Cheese plans ends like this]

Accusations of discrimination began to appear, which made sense. This was a Cheese-produced event, and they had introduced Paprika only to turn it into a colony. Those from Paprika were allowed to be mad.

— All the good classes are locked to Cheese

└ facts

└ Avenger got hard-screwed by devs, actual legendary scuffed design

└ then they make them grind IRL to fix it?? are you kidding me?

└ Avenger slander was too much tbh

— Paprika is so barren there’s literally nothing to do, how is this “equal footing?”

└ it’s a trash starter town lol

└ shouldn’t have lost all the iron early, cope

— They struggled even to start streams at the beginning, and now this?

└ why would they even accept this event?

└ what is the point of this content...?

Cheese players felt thrilled with the current setup. However, Paprika devotees genuinely felt angry. They had no idea what the devs had planned and only saw the visible outcomes.

“This is bad,” Park Oh-Hoon muttered as he scrolled through. “Public sentiment is starting to warm up in the wrong way.”

For now, nothing had turned into a full-blown rage thread yet, but he knew how this would go. A few more posts and the mob would turn on Cheese’s production team.

PD Jang knew it too. “

Hmm...

”

Even for a dopamine addict, he was still human. No one liked being dogpiled.

“Just ignore it.”

“Sir?”

“Paprika already got their hint. That’s fine. We’ll reveal the rest in a behind-the-scenes episode. ‘This was the plan all along.’”

“But we’re about to get roasted alive. You know how hard the community hits.”

“Then let

them

make the content.”

“W-What?”

“Viewers only see moments.

We

see the whole plan. If we start flinching at every momentary reaction, our whole design gets shaken. You get me?”

PD Jang planned on going forward.

“When they see what we’ve prepared, they’ll change their tune.”

“Prepared...?”

“Down below. Sleeping.”

“Ah. That.” Park Oh-Hoon grimaced. “But Acorn Jelly just... skipped it.

Sigh...

”

“It’s fine. Look at this.”

Bzzzt.

PD Jang pulled up a screen.

‘Huh? I’ve seen this...’

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

It looked familiar.

“This cross-section?”

“This is the real one. That image online was just a meme. Watch.”

The cross-section of Paprika Village depicted the paths of the mine.

‘Wait...’

The tunnels slanted deeper down toward something massive.

‘So, that’s it...’

One way or another, they would eventually hit the final layer.

“This was the plan, wasn’t it, PD Jang!?” Park Oh-Hoon stared at him with newfound awe.

PD Jang nodded slowly.

‘It’s just a coincidence, kid.’

The mines just happened to line up that way, but talent was grabbing coincidences and turning them into intent.

***

Meanwhile, after checking each miner individually, Almond returned to the office.

“I think we’re just about there.”

The Working Holiday system was operating almost perfectly thanks to Potato Servant’s terrifying training and Radish Servant’s meticulous systems. Radish Servant built the rules, and Potato Servant beat them into people. Paprika had become the ideal mine for Cheese Village.

— Is this the final endgame content?

— he literally completed colonization

— the Lord has achieved perfect capitalism

— feels like time to log off ngl

It felt like there was nothing left to do in these two villages.

‘Right at the halfway mark...’

About one week had passed. Another week remained. In that time, with mountains of iron and items from the mines, Cheese villagers would chase their dreams and branch off into new adventures.

“It’s late. We’ll end here for today...”

He could have gone dragon-hunting in some dungeon or set off to explore new areas. Those were the usual post-survival

Survival Craft

content cycles, but Almond’s final goal hadn’t changed.

“Tomorrow, I’ll go fishing with the founding members.”

He gave the camera a thumbs-up.

Whoosh.

And logged out.

— fishing arc at last!

— OG Knights reunion, let’s go

— this is it... healing time...

— camping + fishing + the Lord = perfect

The fans left his stream satisfied. Some moved on to other Cheese Village POVs. Others went to the Paprika resistance POVs.

— uh

— is fishing really gonna happen tomorrow?

— of all days to go camping...

— this is why dictators shouldn’t leave the office, bro

It didn’t look like it would be that simple.

***

The underground mines of Paprika rang with nothing but the endless crack of pickaxes.

Clang!

Kaang!

Every villager mined like their life depended on it in this grotesque factory of iron and exhaustion.

“For now, we earn. Then, we escape!”

Zelu was no different. He

wanted

to rebel against the Knights, or that’s what he remembered wanting. Yet here he was, swinging his pick like a model laborer.

— LMFAO

— he tasted income and forgot revolution

— should’ve just stayed a Cheese miner at this rate

— fulfilling dad’s dream fr

— this is ACTUAL working holiday

Cheese Village paid surprisingly well for ore. Well, it was basically minimum wage, but even crumbs were riches for Paprika.

“Everyone~ this isn’t colonial labor~ nor exploitation~ It’s a working holiday~ We’re not losers~.”

Kaang!

Zelu muttered excuses as he dug like a possessed man. His inventory eventually filled to the brim.

“

Haaah.

A hard day’s work, right?”

“Mommy is so proud of you, Zelu.”

The Zel-Shroom duo joyfully headed to sell their ore. Normally, travel time between the mine and market cost money, but not here.

“Look, guys! Thanks to the Knights’ amazing system, we don’t even have to go above ground to sell! Everything is processed

inside

the mine!”

Indeed, the Worker Knights stood inside the mine as ore buyers.

[Onion]

Unpleasant or not, they paid money. That was enough.

“Oh, look who came. It’s Scrub Zelu and Choco Scrub.”

The Knights received the Miners with bright smiles.

“Yes, sir~ We brought today’s haul!”

Onion inspected their ore and placed a hand on Zelu’s shoulder. “You...”

“Y-Yes, sir?”

Tap.

“You’ve got talent.”

“Huh?”

“Keep it up.”

“O-Oh,

hohoho~

Thank you, sir!!!”

— LMAO HE’S FULLY CONDITIONED

— “you’ve got talent” pleaseeeee

— how is this arc BOTH tragic and hilarious?

— he’s gone...

“But bad news for talented folk. Ore prices... well...” Onion gestured toward the price board.

The value of Iron had dropped.

“

A-Ah...

Then... should we wait a bit before selling?”

“Up to you, but overall demand is falling. Maybe they’ve already crafted everything they need.”

“Oh...” Zelu scratched his head. “Well... even if it’s lower, it’s still money. We’ll sell.”

“Smart choice.”

Thud.

Coins exchanged hands.

“Heading to the dorm?”

Even the sleeping quarters, which were their respawn points, were underground. Truly, they lived the life of a mole-person.

“Yes! Having housing right next to my workplace is soooo convenient!

Ahaha!

”

“

Hahaha!

A true Working Holiday spirit, Scrub Zelu!”

Time passed. In

Survival Craft

time, the next day arrived.

Zelu returned with Iron and Obsidian. If Iron demand went down, he would diversify. It was risky, but he hoped to profit.

“Oh, Obsidian too?”

“Yes,

haha!

Then, the price will be... Huh? Why is it like

that?!

”

Obsidian had also dropped, and Iron was nearly worthless.

“This is how it is.

Haah.

I don’t like it either, but orders are orders.”

“N-No way this price is correct.”

Even other Miners in line muttered.

“What is this...?”

“It’s never tanked this bad.”

“This is robbery.” Zelu frowned. “At least show us the price above ground...”

“HEY YOU LITTLE SHITS!!” Onion exploded like dynamite.

Conditioned fear rippled through the tunnel. All of Paprika flinched.

“You second-class citizens, we treat you nice, call you juniors, and suddenly you think you’re knights?!

HUH!?

”

— OH, HERE COMES PHASE TWO

— 2nd class citizens?!

— villain arc online

— this dude was waiting to flip

“You want to go up? To the surface? Try it and SEE what happens!”

Everyone wilted immediately.

“R-Right, let’s just sell...”

“At least they’re buying...”

“

Sniff...

”

Zelu swallowed hard. “M-Mother...”

His hands shook.

“No, Zelu. Don’t!” Choco Shroom pleaded, but her face suggested otherwise.

— does she WANT him to start a revolution?

— I can’t tell which side she’s on anymore

— LET CHAOS BEGIN

“My inner Zelo is AWAKENING!!” Zelu pulled something out of his inventory.

[Molten Block]

He couldn’t become a Lava Shaman because it had been banned. However, as a high-level Miner turned demolitionist, he could shape magma into blocks.

Zelu could hold it and throw it.

Fwoom!

He threw the magma block straight into the ore stockpile.

— Rasengan energy??

— THIS IS HOW RIOTS START

— my GOD

Hssssssssssss!

The ore meant for sale burned, melted, and vanished into bubbling slag.

“What... what are you...?” Onion could barely speak.

Zelu bellowed, “YOU THINK WE’RE STUPID?! THIS PRICE IS REAL?! THEN WE SELL NOTHING! BURN IT ALL!!!”

Fwoom! Fwoom!

More blocks flew, and the dam broke.

“YEAAAAAAAAAH!! BURN IT ALL!!!”

Paprika’s bottled fury ignited.

“Screw this!! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”

“BOSTON TEA PARTY!!! DUMP IT ALL!!”

— BOSTON. TEA. PAPRIKA.

— history repeats itself

— holy hell

They surged forward. Onion stumbled back and slipped into lava. He was still low-ranked with no gear.

Ksshhhhhhh!

“

GRAAAAAH!!

I’LL REMEMBER THIIIIIS!!”

He vanished in the molten flame, screaming with Oscar-level dedication.

— LMAO THE DROWNING SOUND

— peak villain exit

— never let this man near theater school

“

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

”

The rebellion ignited.

“BURN EVERYTHING! CHEESE GETS NO ORE TODAY!!” Zelu hurled another block and another, then everything.

[Hidden Condition Unlocked]

[Only through stubborn obsession and relentless destruction can one become a true smith.]

This had triggered something.

[Blacksmith of Hell]

Thus, the leader of Paprika’s independence was born.

— ???? HOLY

— HE JUST EVOLVED

— Zeluto ascended

— the village abandoned him, but heaven did not

— OUR KING