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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Time flies these days.”
It had already been a week since I’d heard about Dantalion’s summoning. Time was moving incredibly fast, like someone was hitting the fast-forward button.
Perhaps it was because my daily life was so peaceful. Time always flew when you were relaxed.
‘I wish it could stay like this forever.’
And I wasn’t complaining.
Peaceful days were always welcome.
Perhaps because Dantalion was drawing all the attention, fewer people were visiting the forest lately.
Of course, the holy water supply had been cut off again…
‘It’ll be available again eventually.’
I decided to stay optimistic. Based on past experience, the restrictions on holy water were always lifted after a demon was defeated. So, my strategy was to wait it out.
I was tempted to go see the demon myself, but I couldn’t. I had too much to do.
“Haa…”
I sighed, a faint puff of air escaping my lips. It had been fourteen months since the otherworlders arrived.
The world was preparing for its second winter.
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YeopYeop had been feeling incredibly lucky lately.
Just a few days ago, she’d reached over 6,000 viewers while sharing her experience of participating in Dantalion’s rescue.
Of course, she’d also been ridiculed online for ruining the subjugation… but her popularity had soared, and the donations had poured in.
It was a net positive for her.
She’d planned to milk the “I saw Dantalion in person” story for a while, but…
‘I never imagined I’d be livestreaming right next to him.’
As she’d thought, she was currently streaming.
Right next to Dantalion.
A red recording light blinked in the air beside her.
[Oh hey]
[Yeop hi]
[You f**king traitor, enjoying yourself on the side of the villains?]
[Banned by the manager.]
[Why is she using a facecam in-game today? Usually, she uses a home cam because she’s self-conscious.]
[A stream leeching off NPCs~ so entertaining~]
[Banned by the manager.]
[Isn’t that a demon next to her? Holy crap]
She saw the flood of messages in her chat.
She’d gained a lot of viewers since the recent incident. Or rather, a lot of haters who came to insult her.
‘Whatever.’
She considered it a win as long as her viewer count increased. More viewers meant a higher chance of appearing on the platform’s main page.
Even if they were just here to insult her, it still translated to money.
And it was Dantalion himself who had given her permission to stream.
As she was trying to calm down the chat, one of the cultists walking with her spoke.
“Um… Dantalion-nim. Are you sure it’s okay to let her stream?”
“Is there a problem? Do you have any objections to my decision?”
“N-No. I was just worried… if it was okay to reveal our activities during a mission.”
They were a five-person team currently exploring the Forbidden Forest. Their objective was to find an altar somewhere within the forest.
Aside from the demon, there weren’t any particularly strong individuals among them. The highest-ranking member was a Regional Manager.
The District Managers were all busy, and the knights couldn’t easily enter this forest. It was a difficult area to surround, hence the small team.
It was still surprising that he allowed her to stream…
“Well, isn’t it entertaining?”
It benefited YeopYeop, so she decided to just enjoy the ride.
Someone must have shared the stream link online, as her viewer count was skyrocketing.
YeopYeop glanced at her viewer count and her eyes widened.
‘8,000 viewers…!’
A number usually reserved for top-tier streamers. And it was happening to her.
Even with the chance to see Dantalion, she hadn’t expected this many viewers.
What was even more surprising was that the number was still increasing. Reaching 10,000 viewers wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
‘Though, a third of them are probably trolls.’
YeopYeop indulged in a bit of wishful thinking.
‘It would be great if I could meet that NPC, too.’
“That NPC” referred to Yor, of course.
He was a familiar face to many players, but that didn’t mean their interest had waned.
Looks were a cheat code in streaming, and he was a rare example of a powerful ‘man.’
While the extent of his strength was still unknown, he was definitely at least A-rank. And he lived in this forest, which added to his mystique.
Meeting him guaranteed views.
Lost in thought, she continued deeper into the forest.
And as luck would have it, her wish was granted.
A pit appeared before them as they walked.
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There was one thing I always did as winter approached: stockpile food.
Winter was short, but the animals weren’t going to roam around like macho men in the cold.
So, I had to hunt as much as possible before they hibernated.
Fortunately, I’d finished most of the hunting early this year.
Hunting had become easier lately. Even though the Unicorn was gone, its gift of enhanced hearing was still incredibly useful. If I concentrated, I could even hear the footsteps of small animals like rabbits and squirrels.
With such acute senses, hunting was a breeze.
So, I had most of the winter provisions.
Now, all that remained was to preserve them with salt. Preservation required sterilization.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve done this.’
I’d been holed up in my cave since early afternoon, diligently salting the meat. It felt like I was preparing kimchi, even though I’d never done it in my past life.
“…Hmm?”
I was engrossed in my work when…
Murmur murmur.
I heard a commotion outside.
Multiple voices, like a group of people talking.
Startled, I focused my hearing.
“How much further are we going? It’s getting a bit dangerous…”
“How would I know? We’re just following the arm.”
The voices were quite close.
I’d been too focused on preserving the meat and hadn’t noticed them approaching.
It was a weakness of the Unicorn’s gift. If I wasn’t actively concentrating, my hearing would dull.
“I can feel the demonic energy getting stronger. Well, we’ll reach our destination eventually. Don’t be so impatient.”
“Ah, yes. I apologize…”
I frowned.
Uninvited guests, disrupting my peaceful routine. And what was worse, the voices were getting closer.
They were heading towards my cave.
“Damn it.”
Why this direction?
I didn’t mind people entering the forest. I was used to it by now. But my home being exposed was another matter.
They hadn’t entered the cave yet, though. I quickly concealed my presence.
I had camouflaged the cave entrance, covering it with dirt and leaves to make it look like a pit.
They might just pass by.
“Tsk, the arm is pointing this way.”
“Is it pointing inside that hole, or beyond that hill?”
“I don’t know. Well, let’s check it out.”
But as if to crush my hopes, they stopped right in front of the cave.
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue.
Should I let them enter, or should I go out and confront them?
I didn’t hesitate for long.
I gathered my equipment and headed out to meet them.
They were already right in front of the cave.
Five people.
They looked surprised to see me.
“Oh?”
“Who’s this guy coming out of the forest?”
“Ah, aren’t you that person? The one the District Managers were talking about…”
I quickly scanned them.
The mention of “District Manager” suggested they were from Lemegeton.
But that wasn’t all. One figure stood out.
A frail-looking man whose facial muscles were constantly shifting.
I’d heard about him.
I recognized him immediately.
He looked at me, a spark of interest in his eyes.
“Hooh?”
The demon, Dantalion, was standing right before me.
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