—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Huff… huff…”
Gasps of air filled the silence as Dantalion, having escaped the forest, spoke.
“This expedition was a failure.”
Despite the smile still plastered on his face, the atmosphere was far from pleasant. Blood continued to flow from his severed ear. Even demons felt pain, it seemed, as a slight twitch in his eye betrayed his discomfort.
It seemed like every encounter I had with demons resulted in them losing a body part. At least, unlike Seere, it was only an ear this time. An inconvenience, but not something that would hinder his combat abilities.
“The human realm is full of strong individuals. I never expected to find someone like him in such a remote forest.”
“…Indeed.”
Harold nodded in agreement, recalling Yor’s final stance. The crimson spear, the intense killing intent. He’d looked like a cornered beast, ready to fight to the death. Even Harold, who prided himself on having lived a difficult life, had felt a shiver of fear at that moment. The fact that Yor could injure a demon was proof enough of his strength.
Of course, he could fight him.
“What should we do? Should we gather more forces? If it’s about the altar, the other District Managers will cooperate.”
“No. For now, let’s postpone the search for the altar in the forest.”
There were too many variables. Andromalius’s arm had given them a general direction, but that was it. They didn’t even know if the altar was inside that cave or beyond it. It was better to search later. They couldn’t risk deploying a large force in such an uncertain situation. The potential losses were too great.
Strangely, it was Dantalion, the demon, who was concerned about losing forces, not Harold.
Harold was puzzled.
“Dantalion-nim, forgive my impertinence, but may I ask why you allowed her to stream?”
“For publicity, of course.”
His face shifted and changed. Even with a missing ear, the transformations continued, though the ear didn’t regenerate.
“Although things didn’t go as planned… I intended to showcase your group to attract more followers.”
“I see… But we already have many followers. You don’t need to go to such lengths, Dantalion-nim.”
“No, we need more. Far more than we have now.”
Harold looked at Dantalion, sensing a strange ambition in his eyes.
“What… what are you planning…?”
“I plan to build a kingdom.”
Dantalion’s dark eyes unfocused, as if looking beyond the present.
“A kingdom that no human can challenge. A kingdom ready for my King’s arrival, so that he may easily conquer this world.”
“…”
Harold nodded silently. It was an ambitious plan, but not impossible. It appealed to his own desire for power.
“Let’s go. More altars will appear soon. We have much to do.”
And so, they returned to their hideout.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
As mentioned before, the NPC Yor was quite popular online. His striking appearance, the fact that he was a “man,” and his considerable combat prowess all contributed to his fame.
But that wasn’t the main reason for his popularity. The true source of the fascination was simple, a seemingly ordinary man living in the dangerous Forbidden Forest.
Why was an NPC there? Why didn’t he live in the city? Why choose a dangerous and uncomfortable forest over the comforts of civilization?
From the moment he appeared in the game, people had questions, countless speculations, some quite plausible. But without Yor himself speaking, they remained just theories.
And then, the answer suddenly appeared on a livestream.
He was a Carrier, a potential Demon Child, harboring the blood of a demon. The stream itself had gained traction due to its focus on Dantalion. The viewer count was steadily increasing, and it skyrocketed when Yor and Dantalion confronted each other, reaching its peak during the fight.
By the time the stream ended, it had nearly 30,000 viewers. A number usually achieved only through large-scale collaborations between multiple streamers. Even though it had been forcibly ended by her superior, the stream itself was a resounding success.
Of course, more than half the viewers were probably trolls due to her Lemegeton affiliation, but it still translated to views.
With so many people watching, the online community was buzzing with discussions about Yor. Not just about his demon blood, but also about his impressive combat abilities. It felt like the entire forum was talking about him.
+
[I knew he was high-level, but…]
He’s insanely strong.
How is he even fighting a demon on equal footing…?
+
[He was even pushing back at the end lol]
[Is he seriously Knight Commander level?]
[Is a Knight Commander a joke to you? lol]
[Then do you think Yor is a joke?]
[Well, he’s a dick… hehe]
+
[What was that blood-coating technique he used on his spear?]
I’ve never seen anything like that in this game. What was it?
How did he pierce through a shield that dozens of players couldn’t even scratch?
+
[I’m a mage, and it looked like some kind of black magic.]
[If I learn that magic, can I be like him?]
[That magic just lets you manipulate blood. I don’t know how he enhanced and coated his spear with it.]
[Don’t get my hopes up.]
+
[This screenshot looks so badass.] (picture)
He’s counterattacking even after being hit by magic. Is he immune to pain…?
+
[He’s so tough and cool!]
[True chad.]
[It’s a bit gory, but his guts are insane. How could he even think of attacking after that?]
[I’m in love with him again…]
The most popular posts were about the fight itself. It was visually impressive and exciting. While the players’ levels had risen to rival some NPCs, they were still far from reaching the level of superhumans. So, a battle between strong individuals was always good content.
It was awe-inspiring, and there was much to learn from analyzing their techniques.
+
[Isn’t this basically a Dantalion strategy guide?]
His magic is annoying, but if you can break through it, he’s nothing. Seems pretty manageable.
+
[Can you even break through it?]
[The point is, there’s a way to beat him now.]
[Am I going to break through it? Someone else will, and then we can take him down.]
But the most discussed topic was, of course, demon blood. The players were now aware of demon blood. There had been too many related events and incidents to ignore. They knew the dangers and how ordinary NPCs perceived Carriers.
To the Gaians, Carriers were criminals deserving of death. Walking time bombs. There was no cure for them. For the safety of humanity, it was common practice to eliminate Carriers on sight. Some didn’t even consider them human, seeing them as mere demonic spawn or minions.
I understood their perspective. Their lives were on the line. And the medieval mindset didn’t help.
But those who could view the world from a detached perspective, those who had access to diverse viewpoints through the internet, felt something different.
+
[So Yor has been hiding in that forest his entire life?]
He doesn’t live in the city because he’d be killed on sight.
So he’s just been surviving in the forest? Wow… that’s rough.
+
…Pity.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
This was the third goblin hut I’d burned down, and I could sense their intelligence increasing. They’d actually coated the outside of their wooden huts with mud to prevent fires. I was momentarily surprised by their ingenuity. They were determined not to be burned a third time.
But they couldn’t outsmart a seasoned arsonist like me. If the mud prevented the fire from catching, I would simply remove the mud. Fortunately, the goblins weren’t smart enough to build proper adobe houses.
It took a while, working stealthily in the dead of night, but I successfully set their huts ablaze again. The enraged goblins were an added bonus. I felt a little bad for them, but this would make it easier to detect any approaching danger.
“Phew…”
My security measures were in place.
My next task was thorough preparation. I couldn’t leave yet. I needed to leave eventually, but there was too much to prepare. I hadn’t organized all the items in my storage, and finding a new home was a daunting task.
Of course, I would flee immediately if a subjugation force arrived… but that wasn’t the case yet. And I couldn’t just move with the new moon just a few days away.
Two days passed.
I was reminded of the time when Ha-neul had first discovered my secret. I’d been incredibly wary then, and it was no different now. It had been a stressful two days. I couldn’t even sleep properly, worried about someone attacking me in the middle of the night. The Unicorn’s gift of enhanced hearing was a blessing.
Finally, someone came to the forest. The first visitors since Dantalion’s departure.
Step, step.
I heightened my senses, listening to their approaching footsteps. It seemed like a small group, maybe two people. I followed them, wanting to know why they were here.
I found two otherworlder women. Both unfamiliar faces. They didn’t seem hostile.
“…Who are you?”
But strangely, they looked at me with pity, as if I were some kind of… charity case. Like they were about to burst into tears at any moment.
They offered me something.
“Here, have this.”
It was bread. Modern-looking sausage bread, emitting a savory aroma. The paper bag contained other pastries as well.
“Sniff, sniff, we heard you like bread, so we brought some. Stay strong!”
With those words, they turned and left. They hadn’t asked any questions or caused any trouble. It was as if their sole purpose was to give me bread.
“…What was that?”
I stared blankly in the direction they’d disappeared.
I felt strangely… uneasy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[Your Text Here]
