Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game – Chapter 68

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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My first thought after he revealed my secret was, I’m screwed.

I was already screwed because of the demon blood, but now I was double screwed. He’d just called me a Carrier on a live stream.

I briefly entertained a sliver of hope.

Maybe the stream didn’t pick up his words? Maybe the viewers didn’t hear him because he was too far away?

[Carrier? What’s that?]
[Is it edible?]
[Probably not.]
[Hold on, I’ll look it up online.]

But my hopes were quickly dashed as the chat exploded.

They didn’t seem to know what Carrier meant yet, but they would soon find out. And once they did, the information would spread like wildfire, given the otherworlders’ tendency to share everything.

I sighed deeply.

“Haa…”

I’d managed to keep it hidden for so long, but it had finally come out. I knew it was a risky situation.

The number of people entering the forest was steadily increasing, and my cave wasn’t exactly a hidden fortress.

But I hadn’t expected it to be revealed so casually.

“Ah, it seems our otherworlder friend isn’t familiar with the term ‘Carrier.’ Allow me to explain.”

But surprisingly, I felt… calm.

I’d expected my heart to pound with anxiety, but instead, I felt a sense of liberation. Like shedding an ill-fitting garment.

The future was uncertain, and that was troubling, but in this moment, I felt strangely refreshed. I’d always envisioned this scenario – my secret being revealed, exposed for all to see. It was a bomb waiting to explode ever since I was discovered.

So, in a way, I was prepared.

It had happened. There was no going back. Dwelling on the irreversible was pointless. I had to focus on the immediate problem.

“A Carrier is, simply put, someone who possesses the blood of a demon. The offspring of demons, whom you so despise. Individuals whose very existence can bring calamity upon you!”

He continued his monologue, seemingly reveling in exposing my secret. True to his demonic nature, he seemed to enjoy causing chaos.

Swish!

I prepared to attack, but this time, it would be different. There was no point hiding my abilities now that my secret was out.

I dispelled the Sword Qi surrounding my spear. I couldn’t use both my blood manipulation and Sword Qi simultaneously. But I could coat my spear with something far more potent.

Drip.

I cut my palm, letting the blood flow freely. But instead of dripping to the ground, it flowed towards the spearhead, coating it in a crimson sheen that shimmered in the sunlight. This blood could crush a sword imbued with Sword Qi like a piece of paper.

It was incredibly strong and, when refined, could rival the sharpness of obsidian. Even he wouldn’t be able to ignore it.

I thrust my blood-coated spear towards him.

“Hmm?”

His reaction was slower this time. Perhaps because he’d been distracted by the stream and his monologue, his barrier materialized a fraction of a second later than before.

He’d probably sensed my intention to attack, though.

‘Does his mind-reading have limitations?’

I wondered.

Maybe he could only read one person at a time, or maybe he could only glean fragmented thoughts. It was a plausible theory.

My attack continued its trajectory. He’d managed to erect a barrier, albeit a bit late. The mana barrier shimmered before me. But this time, the outcome would be different.

Crack!

A sound that shouldn’t emanate from a mana barrier echoed through the air. Not the clear ringing of deflection, but the sound of something shattering.

Thud!

And then, the sound of flesh being pierced. My spear had not only shattered his barrier but also torn through his flesh.

“Kgh…!”

His usually composed expression contorted in pain.

Thump.

One of his ears fell to the ground, followed by a stream of dark, viscous blood.

I smirked.

“Now that’s an expression worth seeing.”

“D-Dantalion-nim…!”

“What the…!!”

The cultists behind him gasped in shock.

The chat was scrolling too fast to read. I didn’t pay it any mind. He’d given me an opening due to his momentary distraction, but I couldn’t afford to be complacent.

He was still a powerful demon, considered the most troublesome of all the demons summoned so far.

“Hu, huhu… I seem to have underestimated you.”

See?

His grimace was quickly replaced by that unnerving smile.

His next attack came swiftly. Five or six black spears materialized in midair, aimed at me.

Menacing and powerful. I could dodge them now that I’d seen them.

But since my secret was already out… I decided to fight as I normally would.

Thud! Thud!

Instead of dodging excessively, I allowed some of the spears to graze me. Blood welled up where they’d struck, but I didn’t let it go to waste.

I channeled it towards my spearhead. Wounds didn’t matter.

They fueled my next attack.

Of course, this method had its drawbacks, but I could handle the strain of enhancing my weapon with my blood.

I couldn’t thrust with my current unstable footing.

Instead, I swung my spear downwards in a wide arc.

Swish!

The blood coalesced, forming a blade-like crescent. It resembled a glaive. My attack struck his barrier again.

Crack!

Once again, my spear pierced through his defenses. His face contorted in pain.

“Kgh…!”

The mana flowing into his barrier intensified, as if trying to reinforce the already shattered defense. His strategy worked. My attack lost momentum and failed to reach his body. His defense was still formidable.

But there was something I still didn’t understand.

‘Why doesn’t he dodge?’

If he could read minds and knew where my attacks were coming from, wouldn’t it be more efficient to dodge? But he seemed determined to block with his barrier, pouring mana into it instead of moving.

As I pondered this, I looked at his body. Frail and unsteady, as if he could barely stand.

‘Don’t tell me…’

It was a simple deduction, but I had a feeling I was right.

“You’re not dodging because you… physically can’t, can you?”

“…”

“Huh.”

He didn’t answer, but sometimes, silence was an answer in itself. With that frail body, he probably couldn’t react in time, even if he could predict the attacks. He compensated with his immense mana and instant-cast magic.

“So that’s it.”

I chuckled.

“All I have to do is break through that defense, and you’re nothing, right?”

It was a simple strategy. His no-chant magic was threatening, but that was all he had. He was all bark and no bite.

I felt confident. I could take him down.

As I adjusted my grip on my spear…

Shhhing!

A sharp, piercing sound echoed through the air, like the atmosphere itself tearing.

“?”

Something was approaching at incredible speed. I heightened my senses, wary of the sudden development.

A figure emerged from the forest.

“Ha… ha…”

A man. Middle-aged, with golden hair and golden eyes. He was breathing heavily, as if he’d been running at full speed.

The Lemegeton cultists recognized him immediately.

“H-Harold, the Third District Manager?”

“What are you doing here?”

I frowned.

I was meeting a lot of new people today. And I didn’t like this newcomer, either. The Third District Manager. According to Niki, he was the one who had driven that 13-year-old child to become a Demon Child.

His first action wasn’t an attack or a greeting.

Whoosh!

“Huh?”

He killed the otherworlder. His sword flashed, and YeopYeop let out a surprised gasp before dissolving into particles of light.

Naturally, Player’s Eye deactivated. I still didn’t understand why she’d been streaming, but it seemed to have become a liability, so he’d removed her.

A ruthless move, even for a respawning otherworlder.

After eliminating the witnesses, he introduced himself.

“…Nice to meet you. I am Harold, the Third District Manager.”

“What? Are you here to die, too?”

“Of course not. I simply rushed over after hearing that the situation had become dangerous.”

He did seem to have rushed over. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead. But even so, how had he arrived so quickly?

‘The fight hasn’t even been going on for an hour.’

Was he nearby, or did he have some kind of special method of travel?

Probably the latter, judging by the speed of his sword and the sound of air tearing.

I raised my guard and said,

“So, what are you going to do? Join him in dying by my hand?”

“You’re rather aggressive for a man. Well, I suppose you’ve lived a difficult life.”

He continued,

“By the way, do you think you can handle us both? You seem strong, but fighting both Dantalion-nim and me might be a bit much, don’t you think?”

“…”

This time, I was the one who remained silent.

He was right.

I could probably handle the Lemegeton grunts Dantalion had brought, but a District Manager was a different story. I’d never fought one before. I’d heard they were strong, but I’d never witnessed their strength firsthand.

And the most dangerous thing in a fight was the unknown. Not knowing what your opponent was capable of.

An unknown strong opponent was far more dangerous than an S-rank adventurer with clearly defined abilities.

I could handle a certain level of uncertainty with my abilities, but with Dantalion also present… I had to be cautious.

As I glared at him, he spoke again.

“So, I have a proposition.”

“…What is it?”

“This fight is pointless for both of us. How about we just call it a truce and go our separate ways?”

A truce.

The demon they worshipped was already injured. Fighting was a risk for both of us. So, let’s just stop here.

It was a reasonable offer. Logically, it was the right choice. I didn’t have a reason to risk my life fighting them, either.

But emotionally…

“Pointless?”

I scowled.

“I’ve already taken a loss. And you think I’ll just let it end here?”

No way.

I readied myself for another attack. The blood coating my spear was still potent. A menacing aura of demonic energy and killing intent radiated from me.

I calculated how much blood I would need to expend. My tattoo would spread, and the aftereffects would be severe.

But I didn’t care. I would fight to the death if I had to.

“…So you’re going to be stubborn.”

He raised his guard, lightning-like mana crackling around him.

“Then we have no choice.”

His next action was completely unexpected.

“Farewell.”

Whoosh!

He grabbed Dantalion and ran. They disappeared into the forest at an incredible speed. After all that posturing, he’d simply… run away.

“Huh?”

I was stunned by the anticlimactic retreat. The remaining cultists scrambled to follow.

“H-Harold-nim…!”

“Damn it! Wait for us!”

They seemed just as surprised by his sudden retreat.

I was left standing there, holding Dantalion’s severed ear.

“What the…”

I muttered, dumbfounded.

He was a strange one.

The fight was over. But the real problem was just beginning. Now that my identity as a Carrier had been revealed, I didn’t know who might come looking for me. I had to figure out what to do with this place.

The thought gave me a headache. But I quickly accepted the situation.

‘…Well, it can’t be helped.’

It had happened. It was time to find a solution, not dwell on the problem.

After a moment of contemplation, I decided on my first course of action.

“Alright.”

First, I’ll burn down the goblin huts.

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