Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game – Chapter 71

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The other side. It refers to the back of an object, the part that isn’t visible. And a person’s thoughts are also hidden, not readily apparent.

Dantalion, the 71st demon, had the ability to read those hidden thoughts.

It seemed the item I’d acquired had granted me the ability to read minds.

Hearing voices directly in my head, rather than through my ears, was a strange sensation. I couldn’t help but marvel at it.

Telepathy was a power everyone dreamed of having at least once.

‘Well, it makes sense that she dresses so lightly in the summer, being so insensitive to the heat.’

I decided to keep the ability active for a bit longer, just to observe.

‘I wish summer would come soon. Then I could see Mr. Yor’s amazing body again…’

‘…Hmm.’

I quickly deactivated the ability. I could see Dantalion’s ears starting to crumble into dust. And Chae-rin’s thoughts were more direct, and… vulgar, than I’d anticipated.

They were just thoughts, so she was free to imagine whatever she wanted… but hearing them directly was a bit embarrassing.

After the demonstration, I gave my assessment.

‘It’s good, but… impractical.’

I hadn’t used it much, and a third of the ear was already gone. The consumption rate was too high, even considering the small size of the fragment. Seere’s arm didn’t seem to have a usage limit, but this one clearly did.

Besides, I couldn’t think of many situations where it would be useful. It was fun to read trivial thoughts, but that was about it. Someone in a position of power could use it to uncover conspiracies, but… I lived in a forest.

Such applications were beyond me.

‘I’m sure I’ll find a use for it someday.’

I put the ear back in my storage space. I’d use it eventually, whether for fun or necessity.

For now, it would remain stored.

“Ah, right.”

I spoke to Chae-rin, remembering something. Good news, from her perspective.

“You can stream when you come to the cave now.”

“Really? Why now… I mean, is it really okay?”

I nodded in confirmation.

I had restricted her streaming before because I didn’t want the location of my cave to be revealed.

She’d had to go through the trouble of turning her stream on and off, losing some viewers in the process. But now that the location was exposed, there was no point in hiding it anymore.

I felt a twinge of melancholy.

Well, at least being on stream was entertaining.

Chae-rin nodded, slightly bewildered. We continued chatting. I’d been busy organizing lately, but I needed breaks like this.

Talking to her eased my mind.

After a while…

“Oh dear.”

It was getting dark outside.

“It’s almost night. I should get going.”

Chae-rin said, preparing to leave.

I frowned.

Not because I didn’t want her to leave.

‘…Oh, right. Damn it.’

I’d forgotten that today was the new moon. It had been more than six days since Dantalion’s visit, and I was due for another Berserk episode.

And the timing couldn’t be worse. I usually endured the episode deep within my cave, but now its location was exposed. And I hadn’t found another suitable hiding place.

It wouldn’t be a problem if it was Berserk B, but the chances of that were slim. I’d had two B episodes in a row.

The same type of Berserk rarely occurred three times consecutively. If it did, the next one was guaranteed to be the opposite type.

So, the chances of an A episode today were very high.

And I had used demon blood recently. Even though it wasn’t much, it might worsen the episode.

Thump thump thump thump.

The thought of enduring that excruciating pain again filled me with dread. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead.

“Uh… Mr. Yor! What’s wrong? You look pale…”

Chae-rin looked at me with concern. She’d sensed my sudden shift in mood.

I grabbed her wrist without thinking.

“Huh?”

“Um…”

I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. Revealing one of my weaknesses to someone else.

But what choice did I have? I had to endure tonight somehow.

If someone intruded during a Berserk A episode, I would be completely helpless. And more than anything, I didn’t want to be alone tonight.

My voice trembled slightly as I asked,

“Could you… stay with me tonight?”

“…?”

Her jaw dropped, a strange expression on her face. But only for a moment. She then nodded vigorously.

It seemed she’d misunderstood my intentions, but I was relieved nonetheless. I led her deeper into the cave.

To the very deepest part…

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When Yor first asked her to stay with him tonight, Chae-rin couldn’t help but think,

‘Whoa, is this it? Is this happening?’

19+ mode! The legendary mode she’d only heard about online. She was finally going to unlock it! Between a man and a woman, asking to spend the night together was a clear signal.

His shy demeanor, his trembling voice – it all screamed “sex.” So, she happily followed him.

But that excitement quickly faded as she felt a sense of unease.

‘…Wait, he’s not the type to be shy, is he?’

Yor wasn’t like that. He would have been more direct.

As she realized this, her distorted memories corrected themselves. Come to think of it, he’d seemed scared. His face had paled as it grew darker, and his voice had trembled. And that was definitely unusual.

She’d seen him in the dark countless times, but she’d never seen him look so vulnerable.

Still, she followed him, her curiosity piqued.

Thud thud.

Their footsteps echoed in the silent cave.

‘We’re going really deep…’

Even though she’d visited this cave many times, she’d never been this far in. The cave grew darker, even though the sun was still up. It seemed light couldn’t reach this far.

Yor walked confidently, as if he’d memorized the path.

‘This is a bit creepy…’

As darkness enveloped them, Chae-rin felt a faint sense of fear. A primal fear of the unknown that lurked in the shadows.

She was glad Yor was with her. If she were alone, she might have cowered on the ground, afraid of ghosts.

As she was reassuring herself, a thought occurred to her.

‘He’s been living in this environment all this time?’

Alone, in this dark, damp cave, for decades.

With few tools and no one to share the long nights. It would have been nice if he had neighbors, like in a village, but he was completely alone.

That was the fate of a Carrier.

Chae-rin imagined Yor alone in this dark space. The thought filled her with a sense of loneliness and pity.

‘That’s… kind of sad.’

She looked at him with sympathy.

And that’s when Yor, who had been walking silently, finally spoke.

“This is it.”

Suddenly, the metallic scent of blood filled the air. A pungent, coppery smell.

“You might be surprised… so brace yourself.”

Whoosh.

He channeled mana into the luminescent stone he was holding. The surroundings dimly lit up, revealing the back of the cave.

And Chae-rin gasped in horror.

“Oh my god…!”

The cave walls were covered in dried blood. Everywhere. Deep scratch marks marred the floor.

The bloodstained, discolored walls spoke of years of suffering.

The sight was enough to drive someone insane. Chae-rin’s breath hitched.

“W-What is this…?”

She looked at Yor, her face pleading for an explanation.

He looked at her with a pained expression.

“I’m sorry, it might be a bit… gruesome from now on. So… just… stay by my side.”

She saw fear and anxiety in his eyes.

A vulnerability she’d never seen before, despite all the time they’d spent together.

She soon understood what he meant.

The sun set, and the new moon rose.

Thud!

Yor suddenly stabbed himself in the shoulder.

Splatter!

Blood gushed out.

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