My Glitched Streaming System: I Can Steal Sponsored Gifts

Acting on instinct, Min-ho reached out an arm, grabbing Jang-book by the leg. Then, like a synchronized musical number, Sae-wee grabbed Min-ho’s hand, then she grabbed Ji-su. Dok-su did the same, latching onto Ji-su before reaching out and catching Im-hee at the last minute.

The group hung for a while, unmoving in fear that they would fall. But the longer they lingered, the more the pain echoing throughout their bodies intensified, and the more their strength waned.

Squinting his eyes, Min-ho looked up, then he looked down. A quick observation had informed him that Jang-book was in no condition to pull them up. As a matter of fact, his grip was slipping.

It was up to them to make it out of here.

Turning to the bottom, Min-ho saw Im-hee, frozen in place.

"We have to climb up," Min-ho said through gritted teeth. "Im-hee has to be the first one, we’ll continue from the bottom."

Dok-su—being the second closest to the rift—turned his sights above, then he turned to Im-hee and called out.

"Im-hee," he said, but she did not respond.

She had frozen from fear.

’This isn’t good,’ Min-ho said once he saw how numb she was.

"Im-hee," Dok-su called out. He wanted to shout her name, but withheld from doing so out of fear that something else would hear.

She didn’t respond.

While dread began to settle into everyone, Jang-book did not listen. He had tuned out everything and focused his entire soul into his grip.

He needed to hold on no matter what.

Or... he could just let go.

"Damn it, Im-hee," Dok-su berated, even shaking her a bit.

"Im-hee," Sae-wee called out, in hopes her friend would respond to her voice.

But nothing.

Sae-wee groaned.

"Stupid whore, go fuck a trashcan!" Sae-wee screamed, forgetting to be cautious, forgetting anyone was present apart from her and Im-hee.

The group went still, her words echoing longer than they should have.

Just then, Im-hee snapped out of her daze with a gasp.

Shaken, she looked up. Then she reached a hand out for Dok-su. Carefully, she climbed up his arm, then his shoulder. She slowly hauled herself way up, trying to be careful where she stepped, while putting as much haste into her movements.

After a while, she scrambled over the edge.

A loud sigh escaped everyone.

"Should I—"

"No," Sae-wee interrupted Im-hee, who was attempting to help. "The bridge is not safe. Get to the other side."

Im-hee hesitated.

"Do it," Min-ho said, startling her.

She nodded frantically, then began to walk away.

Dok-su didn’t have to be told before climbing up. He had to make his way up his brother, then he gripped Sae-wee’s hand.

In that instant, he stopped ascending.

"Go on ahead before me," Dok-su said, his voice faint.

Ji-su paused for a moment. But he didn’t protest.

Listening to his brother, he began to scale up—using their hands and shoulders and grips and stepping platforms.

It didn’t take long before he reached the top.

Once again, a sigh escaped them.

"Get off the bridge," Dok-su said, and with a slight hesitation, Ji-su listened.

Min-ho looked down. It was just Dok-su and Sae-wee left. They were almost—

SNAP!

The sound cut through the air and into them like a high-precision laser.

Their hearts stopped, and they went cold.

Min-ho looked up, and his eyes widened when he saw a crack on the bridge.

He slowly turned to Sae-wee and Dok-su. The bridge was giving out, and he didn’t know if another person would make it to the top before it gave way.

Looking at his hand, the weight suddenly seemed too much for him to bear.

He could... just let go.

As this thought came to his mind, he bit his lip.

’We’re going to make it out of here,’ he thought, as his mind drifted to his sister. ’Hang in there, Su-min.’

"Climb as slowly as you can, Dok-su," he said through gritted teeth.

Dok-su gulped, then he began to ascend at the pace Min-ho demanded.

By some miracle, he made it all the way up without causing even a little crack.

He didn’t have to be told before making his way across the bridge.

"Now it’s your turn," Min-ho said to Sae-wee, his eyes closed as his muscles and bruises burned.

Sae-wee took in a deep breath, then she began to crawl up.

It had taken some time, but she too managed to make it to the top.

KRAK!

SHRACK!

The bridge began to lose its integrity.

Their breaths caught, but just then—

"Catch!" Dok-su yelled as he flung a rope across the sky.

Sae-wee reached out and caught it. She then dived for Jang-book and grabbed his hand just as the bridge gave out, shattered, and fell.

She held them firmly in place as they swung across the air before crashing hard into the side of the rift.

But despite all the pain, nothing else mattered but their seemingly secured safety.

As they hung, they began to breathe heavily as relief overcame them.

Min-ho shut his eyes and let his head fall due to exhaustion. He knew they weren’t safe yet, but he couldn’t help but let his guard down. Just for this moment.

---

*

After making it out of the rift in one piece, they made their way toward the Safe Zone as fast as they could. And as though fate had smiled upon them, all Spectors were nowhere to be seen. Even the terrain was mostly flat and straightforward.

This had made getting to the Safe Zone a relatively fast and safer endeavour.

Though the Fog was behind them, they were still ahead—up until they arrived.

The building with the glowing counter above it.

This time, they were welcomed to a structure that looked like an inn. It was made of stone and towered at 40 meters tall. The building was wide and bore several windows—something that seemed to be in short supply in the buildings of this world.

As they stared at it, their initial instinct was to rush in and pass out on the floor of the entrance. But there was one thing keeping them at bay.

Min-ho stared at the counter above the building.

7

There were three people in there.