My Glitched Streaming System: I Can Steal Sponsored Gifts

"No, stop!" Min-ho shouted, freezing Jang-book and Dok-su in place.

"What’s the matter?" Jang-book asked.

"The floor isn’t stable. You two could fall through if you come in together," Min-ho said, the dread from before creeping up his spine.

"Right." Jang-book jutted his head out of his tunnel so he could see the others.

"Are you guys okay..." His eyes widened when he saw Im-hee placed against the wall, looking weak and sickly.

"What..." He stuttered. Im-hee met his gaze, then gave him a reassuring smile.

"I’m okay." She gulped. "Just a little battered is all."

Sae-wee fell her gaze, rubbing her arm.

"Jang-book," Min-ho called, trying to change the topic. "We’ll have to go individually across to avoid any mishaps. But Im-hee can’t go without our help. I was thinking—" he pointed to the walls. "Is it possible to make small platforms across the wall? That way you could carry—"

KRAK!

Jang-book pulled out a slab of stone from the wall, then he stepped onto it and pulled out another.

"Yeah, like that," Min-ho said, suddenly feeling dumb.

"Dok-su, you can go on ahead," Min-ho said, then he turned to Sae-wee and Ji-su. "You two, go on. We don’t have time to waste."

They nodded, then did as told.

Min-ho bent low and placed a hand on Im-hee’s shoulder.

"How you holding up?" he asked.

"Not good," she said, being honest. "But not bad either."

She lifted her gaze so she could see Min-ho.

"It’s okay. The pain..." she moaned. "The pain will subside eventually."

She forced a smile.

Min-ho nodded. Then Jang-book came in.

Looking at Im-hee, he had a few words he would have liked to say to Min-ho, but he thought it best to reserve his comment.

He bent low and gently picked Im-hee up.

"Come on, I got you," Jang-book said, his words more soothing to Im-hee than he would know.

Im-hee took in a deep breath, her lips tightening as he picked her up.

Min-ho watched him carry her to the edge of the tunnel they were in, and then create a slab of stone for them.

"I’m very glad you’re okay," she whispered to him.

Jang-book’s heart thumped upon hearing this.

"Me too... um, that you’re okay, I mean," he said, his cheeks flushed.

Im-hee smiled, then she rested her head on his chest.

Having seen everyone off, Min-ho turned to the entrance, then toward the unstable terrain.

’I hope we’re headed the right way,’ he thought, then he exhaled and followed behind.

The path across was at least half a kilometer long and wide. With them taking the straight path, they’d be at the end of this in no time. But with Jang-book and Im-hee going around, they’d take much longer.

As they were below the earth and away from the sun, judging what the time would be was an uphill battle.

He didn’t know if the night period would also stir up Spectors below. But one thing he did know was that they still had a way to go to the Safe Zone. And getting there before sundown was a necessity if they didn’t want to get swarmed by Spectors.

"What about the trio?" Ji-su asked, pulling Min-ho from his thoughts.

He was a few paces ahead of Min-ho, and Dok-su was a few paces ahead of his brother.

Min-ho frowned. He hadn’t actually thought of them.

"We didn’t run into them," Dok-su said.

"Yeah, never saw them," Jang-book added.

"You don’t think they’re dead, do you?" Ji-su asked, dreading the thought.

"I doubt it," Min-ho said, the words slipping out.

Sae-wee said nothing. She just kept walking.

"Well, we should—" Ji-su paused, bringing Min-ho to a stop as well.

"Ji-su?" Min-ho called out, pulling Dok-su’s and everyone’s attention.

They watched him as he stood in place.

"Ji-su?" Dok-su called out, attempting to walk toward his brother.

"Ah," Ji-su moaned.

"Ji-su!" Dok-su shouted.

"Stop!" Min-ho commanded, halting Dok-su from moving. "He’s fine. I’m sure it’s just his Whiplash."

Ji-su held his eyes, crying out still.

Everyone paused, watching him writhe in pain. He moved a little bit from side to side as he felt like his eyes were being skewered.

Looking at his feet, Min-ho’s heart pounded when he saw him drawing closer to a visibly cracked part of the ground.

"Ji-su, control your steps," Min-ho said, but Ji-su did not respond. The pain was getting worse and he was drawing closer to the crack.

"Fuck it, Ji-su, snap out of it!" Dok-su berated, startling his brother.

Min-ho watched the world slow to a crawl as Ji-su jolted, stepping on the cracked ground.

Acting on instinct, Min-ho bolted forward. The ground under Ji-su’s feet gave out and he fell.

Throwing himself like a madman, Min-ho reached out and grabbed Ji-su’s collar.

He then snagged the edge of the ground they fell through, but its integrity was weak.

Now dangling, Min-ho could feel the heat permeating the cavern intensify—like he was inside a really hot sauna.

Looking down, his breath caught when he saw a green lake of boiling hot liquids.

Pieces of debris fell into the water, causing it to splash in every direction. Fortunately, Min-ho and Ji-su were high enough to escape contact. But a moss-like plant resting on a piece of rock below was not as fortunate. Once the green liquid fell upon the moss, it ate into it, melting deep into the rock housing the moss.

Min-ho’s eyes widened.

’It’s not a boiling lake. It’s a pool of acid.’