Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game – Chapter 43

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Whether a demon was resurrected and causing mayhem, whether all the administrators were on edge because of Lemegeton, whether someone was frequently visiting Yor, or whatever else…

Time marched on, relentlessly. Life could be difficult, but the sun would still rise tomorrow.

Thus, more than two months had passed.

It had been almost a year since the launch of [Demon’s Saga].

And just as most games received major updates on their anniversaries, this one did too.

A game that rarely received patches suddenly released patch notes.

Long patch notes, filled with new content.

It was PVP content. PVP where even NPCs could participate.

Well, since they weren’t players, it was technically a mix of PVP and PVE.

It was a significant update.

They had actually created a dedicated space for players to fight.

Well, the fighting had gotten out of hand. Otherworlders were fighting amongst themselves, and with NPCs, both sides eager to tear each other apart.

The conflict had escalated after Seere’s arrival, as many otherworlders had joined Lemegeton.

To the NPCs, Lemegeton was a continental enemy, a threat to their very existence.

But the otherworlders joined the cult for trivial reasons like Seere’s good looks or curiosity about the choices offered.

The NPCs couldn’t understand this.

As a result, anti-otherworlder sentiment among NPCs was at an all-time high. The innocent players who hadn’t joined Lemegeton felt unjustly targeted.

So, they fought whenever they met.

The taverns in [Demon’s Saga] were constantly being wrecked. The tavern owners were reportedly in tears… They’d actually created a solution for this.

Even entering the Arena was simple. You just had to tear a ticket.

The groundbreaking update set the online community ablaze.

[+ This game actually gets updates…?]

– I mean, it’s a game, so it’s only natural, but…

– The devs completely ignored the players, so I thought there wouldn’t be any patches

– So, they were paying attention…

[+ Thank you always]

[Why would they listen to the players? There’s no alternative to this game lol]

[Yeah~ if you don’t like it, quit~]

[+ I’m always curious]

– Why do these guys always try to sound so serious in their announcements?

– Powers, Gaians… they sound like obsessed nerds.

[+ It’s a concept]

[If you’re bothered by that, how do you even live?]

[+ So, when does the Arena open?]

– I love duels, so I’ve been picking fights in taverns, but now I don’t have to, right? Now I can have life-or-death battles in the Arena? Lol

[+ Why are you picking fights, you crazy bastard?]

[Life-or-death battles (Synchronization Rate 15%)]

[ㄴFucking casualwwww]

[ㄴJust get a dick already lol]

[The Arena opens today lol]

[ㄴReally?]

[ㄴI’m in the Alhez Highlands, and there’s a new colosseum. That’s probably the Arena ㅇㅇ]

[ㄴOh, they have it there too? I’m in the Tooth Plains, and there’s one here too]

[ㄴPatch first, announcement later ㄷㄷ]

[ㄴCrazy, this company updates the game before announcing it lol]

The community was buzzing. The new content had created a festive atmosphere.

Some players had already tried the Arena and posted their reviews. They mentioned the extensive customization options and the variety of duel types.

The overall reaction was positive.

‘Hmm.’

Chae-rin nodded as she read the comments. She wasn’t particularly interested in the Arena. She was too busy leveling up to bother fighting other players.

Of course, as a streamer, she considered using it as content later. But that was a problem for another time.

Right now, there was something more important.

She smiled slyly.

‘More things to talk about.’

She had new material for her conversations with Yor!

She’d been running out of things to talk about lately, since she’d been visiting him so often. While the Arena update wasn’t directly related to him, he enjoyed hearing about what was happening in the world.

‘I’ll visit him tomorrow morning.’

She decided, grinning.

Unaware of what awaited her the next day.

Before going to bed, she glanced at the night sky. There was no moon.

It was a new moon.

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Two months had passed since the holy water drought began.

During those two months, Yor had been forced to face a harsh reality.

He had run out of holy water.

And today, of all days, was a Berserk A day.

What did that mean?

Fwoosh-! Fshhh-! Crackle-!

“Kgh…!”

For the first time in months, Yor was forced to resort to self-harm.

He sliced his left shoulder with the dagger in his hand. Blood spurted from the wound, accompanied by a burning pain.

He winced.

‘Damn it, the timing couldn’t be worse…’

He’d been running low on holy water due to recent back-to-back Berserk A episodes, and now, of all times, it had happened again when he was completely out.

Perhaps because it had been a while, the pain felt even more unbearable than usual.

Of course, the Berserk state didn’t care about his suffering.

The world moved on, indifferent to his desires.

So, he had only one option.

To endure the pain and survive the night. It was difficult, but he had no choice.

He could surrender to the demon, but… he’d deliberately removed that option.

He knew what happened to those who became demons.

He crawled deeper into his cave and writhed on the ground.

“Kgh… ugh… hngh…”

His bones creaked, and his skin felt like it was peeling off.

Each spasm brought waves of indescribable agony.

He used the dagger to release the surging blood.

In moments like these, he wished he had someone with him.

Anyone would do. They didn’t even have to help. Just their presence would be enough.

Enduring this agonizing time alone was too much.

Alone in the dark cave, he felt utterly isolated, and a sense of dread washed over him.

It was a foolish wish, of course.

He couldn’t tell anyone about his Berserk episodes, and it wasn’t a sight he wanted anyone to see.

Still, time passed.

“Huff… huff…”

After what felt like an eternity, the surging blood finally subsided.

The long night was over, and morning had arrived.

He looked around.

It was a gruesome scene, one he hadn’t seen in a while.

The ground was slick with blood, and his body was drenched in it, as if he’d showered in gore.

A sticky, wet sensation clung to his skin.

Blood was supposed to smell metallic, but only up to a certain point. Beyond that, it was just a nauseating stench.

He forced himself to his feet and stumbled out of the cave.

He wanted to see the sunlight.

Cleaning, as always, could wait.

As he walked out, negative thoughts filled his mind.

‘How long do I have to endure this?’

That was the first thought that came to mind. He had survived this month’s episode, but it wouldn’t be his last.

Next month, next year, maybe even decades later, he would have to endure this pain again and again.

He wished there was a way to stop the Berserk episodes, but he wasn’t even sure if such a thing existed.

The thought was exhausting.

Was this life even worth living?

He usually tried to avoid such thoughts, but he was only human. Such thoughts were inevitable in moments like these.

One’s mental state was influenced by their physical condition.

“Sigh…”

It was a truly shitty morning. It had been months since his last Berserk A episode, and the awfulness felt amplified.

Irritability and frustration welled up inside him.

In that state, he walked outside. And he met someone.

A regular visitor to his cave.

Yoo Chae-rin.

“Uh… uh…?”

Her face hardened when she saw him.

Thud.

The weapon she was holding slipped from her grasp. She was so shocked that she dropped it.

His body was covered in blood.

‘Uh, what the…’

Normally, he would have greeted her cheerfully, but he was in a foul mood.

So, his words were impulsive and sharp.

“What the fuck are you looking at? Have you had enough sightseeing? Are you fascinated by a blood-soaked man?”

…He regretted his words as soon as he spoke them.

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[LETS FUCKING GOOOOO!!!]