Season 4: Chapter 84. If This Was the Plan, Why Do It Like That? (3)

When Black Pepper died, murmurs already began to ripple through the streamer community.

[Almond's server: Okay, but who are those guys? They don’t seem like NPCs.]

They hadn’t yet pieced together that the two individuals were Black Pepper and Salt. Something about that duo felt off and different from the usual Cheese Village residents. That suspicion came naturally for those who had spent any real time in the server.

— If they’re players, how do they have metal weapons this early?

— Exactly. That gear shouldn’t even exist at this stage, but they’re not behaving like NPCs either.

— I thought they might be NPCs at first, but their reactions were way too real. No way it’s just AI.

— So what, are they part of some other faction? Damn, the devs really planned this out.

Talks of a new faction had begun with more evidence.

— Also, why didn’t Almond turn red after that kill? Isn’t that weird?

— He didn’t go red???

— Nope.

The Red Player status was a mark inflicted when a player killed someone from their own village. A Red Player couldn’t buy land, NPCs would attack them, and they’d be treated as outcasts.

Each server had its own rules, but the basic idea remained the same. Someone who killed their own would get exiled. Their status would only return to normal after a certain period or by atoning.

Somehow, Almond had killed two people and still hadn’t turned red. That could only mean one thing. His victims hadn’t been village residents. Then, another piece of proof surfaced.

— The other guy died too, but Almond still wasn’t red.

└ He didn’t change into a red player??

└ Nope.

Salt had gone down right after Black Pepper. Still, Almond remained unmarked.

— Okay but damn, that was a savage kill lol

— Straight up deleted his soul

— Left him in his underwear lmao

— But seriously, why isn’t he red? That’s wild

Salt’s death left more questions than answers. Soon, posts began popping up on the streamer forums.

[Evidence There’s Another Village in Cheese Server]

[Cheese Village Suspicions Summary]

[Proof of a Second Village]

Maybe the posts sounded too much like conspiracies. Some viewers began pushing back.

— Okay, now you’re just writing fanfic lol

— Where’s the proof? You’re reaching

— Is this on Almond’s stream?

— Yeah, it’s from Almond’s stream

— Of course, it is lol the Nutcases are at it again

Viewers who didn’t follow Almond’s stream weren’t buying any of it. Their favorite streamers were peacefully farming, mining, and just about to explore the outskirts for herbs. Everyone else was barely scratching the surface.

[Zelo’s crops failed lol! He’s mining now]

[Acorn Jelly is forming an expedition party outside the village]

[Sweet Radish’s farming skills are insane wtf]

Everyone had a different perspective with so many streamers participating in the Cheese Village project. Watching the same content from different angles led to completely different interpretations. Naturally, viewers migrated toward whatever stream suited their vibes. That meant many now drifted toward Almond.

[Almond stream is wild right now lol]

— What the hell is going on? There’s another village?

— You should just check it out. It’s nuts

— Almond’s stream is on a whole other timeline

— Dude plays like he’s in a different game

— Just watch Almond

With viewers shifting toward Almond, fan tensions were bound to erupt.

[Nutcases, calm down already~]

— LMAO these guys are too much. What, Almond is the main character now?

— Zelo pulled everyone in with his cute rage quit, but now it’s all about the Nuts?

— Talk to me when you’ve passed Bubblegum’s numbers, Nutcases

— Yeah, okay lol the Mad Nut fans are always doing the most

Everyone had joined the same content, but some streamers received the spotlight while others were pushed aside. Naturally, fans took it personally. The more devoted ones, those who equated their streamer’s popularity with their own self-worth, went on the offensive and slammed Almond wherever they could.

— Y’all just salty because your fav isn’t getting attention. Don’t get mad that Almond is in the spotlight.

— It’s not that. It’s the way these Nutcases act like Almond discovered everything first. Like the whole damn world revolves around him lol

Just like that, the fandom wars escalated. The cynical forums like LIL Pro already saw it coming.

[Big: What? All the streamers joining the same event?]

A post had predicted the apocalypse.

==== ====

Civil war incoming?

Everyone is dead lol

Got 250 alt accounts ready on Community Garden

==== ====

— LMAO “civil war” he says

— Shadow clone jutsu unlocked

— Always prep supplies before the war. I’ve got fifty alts ready

— Two hundred fifty? Are you a Chinese bot farmer? lol

Just as they predicted, the fan wars had begun.

[NutcaseDownfall: He actually went to another village]

The narrative suddenly took a massive turn.

— What?

— What just happened?

— Wait, is that for real?

— That’s not Cheese Village?

Almond had returned to Paprika Village. The second village, once only a rumor, was now undeniably real. Even to casual viewers, Almond obviously wasn’t in Cheese Village anymore.

— Even the coordinates are totally different

— Yo, what?

— Where is he?

— That’s kind of creepy...

More than surprise, the viewers felt a chill. The new village had proper buildings and maybe even a town hall. The civilization there looked like it had taken several steps forward.

— What is this place?

— Okay, but the starting balance here is way off???

— Why is everything so nice?

Of course, the viewers misunderstood. Paprika Village wasn’t some OP haven. It just had fewer than thirty residents. Regardless, the existence of another village now became undeniable.

[Nutcases are DONE lol]

[Where did all the Nutcases go? There’s another village now?? Explain yourselves lol]

[Another W for Almond and the NUTS]

Almond’s fans, riding high, flooded the forums. Other fans tried to fight back in the comments.

— Okay, but so what if there’s another village? That makes him the main character?

— If not Columbus, then who?

— Dude didn’t even discover it first, he just stumbled onto it like anyone would eventually

— Calling him Columbus? LMAO

— Nutcases acting like Almond runs the whole world smh

Resistance was fiercer than expected. Other fans refused to let Almond become the main character of the content. This was their rebellion. A rebellion that, if successful, would spark a revolution. Unfortunately for them, Almond crushed their rebellion without even realizing it.

[The Whole World Is Almond!? (What Just Happened)]

==== ====

Turns out... the whole world really is Almond lol

(Photo)

=== ====

In the photo, Almond stood surrounded by posters bearing his own face. He looked around in confusion after stumbling upon wanted posters with his own likeness.

— What the hell???

— LMAOOOO

— WHY is Almond on wanted posters in that village??

Even in this mysterious new place, the spotlight was still on Almond.

— What’s going on?

— Wait, that’s a wanted poster?

— Seriously?? LMAOOO

— Dude already got himself wanted over there?

— Well, he is the world’s worst streamer, makes sense that he’s a criminal lol

— So even there, he’s the main character? LMAOOO

Just like that, the Nutcase fandom grew more powerful than ever. Only one problem remained.

— Okay, cool that the whole world revolves around Almond... but is he even safe there? Looks like he’s about to die lol

His fans felt thrilled, but Almond himself was now stuck in the heart of a village that clearly wanted him dead. This wasn’t just hype anymore. It was dangerous.

***

Almond blankly stared at the wanted posters bearing his face.

‘How the hell did they even make this?’

He wasn’t familiar with

Survival Craft

’s deeper mechanics, so the idea that players could create and plaster up posters like this was bizarre. Doing something like this required a lot of time and effort. Naturally, another thought followed.

‘They really want to catch me that badly?’

They had to be obsessed to go so far and do something like this.

‘It’s kind of creepy...’

This wasn’t his first time being hunted. During the

Civil Empire

tournament, the Spanish team had done something similar. Even then, he’d only heard rumors about them wanting to capture him. Never had he seen such clear visual proof of their intent. Being surrounded by wanted posters of himself was a whole different experience.

“I... I’ll try to get out of here quietly. I think I wandered into the wrong place,” Almond muttered to his viewers and began moving cautiously.

Thud.

Despite it being empty just moments ago, someone appeared in the plaza ahead and blocked his path.

“Hey, you there. Why is your ID hidden? This is a village, so why are you concealing it?”

— lolololol

— ah

— he’s caught TuT

— we’re screwed

Neither Almond nor the stranger recognized each other immediately, but they knew of one another in real life. It was Orange standing in his way.

“What’s this? You’re suspicious.” Orange began walking toward him.

One by one, more villagers started gathering in the plaza.

‘How many of them are there?’

Almond’s eyes quickly darted around and counted at least ten.

‘I might be able to handle five...’

Any more than that would be too much.

Ding!

[SpiritBomb has donated 10,000 won.]

[Friends! Lend me your strength!]

With the donation came a buff.

[Water Breathing]

[1 hour]

The fantastic buff... allowed him to breathe underwater indefinitely.

— LOLOLOLOL

— what the heck

— is he supposed to run into water now?

— this is insane lol

‘How is this supposed to help?’

Realizing he’d have to deal with this alone, Almond gripped his sword.

He took a deep breath and surveyed the area.

‘Where should I start?’

He quickly mapped out a rough route in his mind, but the donations didn’t stop there.

‘Huh?’

The spirit bomb literally began to gather more energy.

[RubySword has donated 10,000 won!]

[Everyone, raise your hands! \o/\o/]

— if Ruby says raise your hands, then you raise them

— \o/

— \o/\o/

— let’s goooo

— lolol

— \o/\o/\o/\o/

— hands~ up~

[Xiaolongbao has donated 10,000 won.]

[Just chipping in~]

[Umai has donated 10,000 won.]

[Let’s do this!]

[Vegeta has donated 10,000 won.]

[Tch, just this once...]

Suddenly, a flurry of random buffs began to activate.

[Attack Power +50%]

[Defense +30%]

[Critical Damage +30%]

...

[Weapon Enchantment: Lightning]

‘Oh?’

Crackle!

Lightning surged up from Almond’s blade.

“What the hell?”

“Wait, what?”

“There are combat classes that strong already?”

“Bullshit! That’s so unfair!”

“I knew it... must be one of the unknown players...”

The Paprika residents reeled back and muttered in disbelief.

— \o/\o/

— LOLOL

— what the hell lmao

— \o/\o/\o/\o/

— This is what a streamer looks like

— damn

— it’s really a Spirit Bomb lol

— \o/

— ???: I am the legion...

— call in the Nutster LOL