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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Ding-dong-!
He could almost hear the death knell.
The notice had made his mind go blank.
He’d considered this possibility. Ever since his identity was revealed, thanks to Dantalion… no, even before that, ever since he’d started living in this forest.
He’d always known, deep down, that this day might come.
The Knights would come for him. They’d put a sword to his throat, sever his head, and return to the city with it as a trophy.
They’d parade his severed head through the streets, proclaiming that the Empire had finally eliminated the demon child they’d failed to capture thirteen years ago.
That peace had been restored.
He’d often had these morbid thoughts as a child, fear gripping his heart.
The Knights were a far more concrete and terrifying threat than the forest, or even the occasional monsters from the deep layers.
And now, that imagined threat had become reality.
In a far more devastating form than he’d anticipated.
A bounty of 100 million won had been placed on his head. That meant not only the Knights, but also the otherworlders, would come for him.
It wasn’t a possibility, it was a certainty.
Thankfully, his hands weren’t shaking like they had when he was a child.
Perhaps he was still in shock.
One thing was certain. His peaceful life was over.
“Yor, are you okay?”
“You look so pale…”
Their concerned voices snapped him out of his thoughts. His distress must have been visible.
He forced a smile.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. But… aren’t you two in danger?”
“Huh?”
“The last part of the notice. They said they’d punish anyone associated with me.”
He felt a strange sense of… injustice. Being punished for associating with him? It was like being ostracized, but on a national scale.
“Well, that’s…”
They hesitated. Just for a moment.
He wasn’t offended. It was a natural reaction.
Even for otherworlders, antagonizing the Empire was a serious matter. It would make their lives difficult, and they could even be imprisoned.
Not just for a few days, like Shin Han-byeol, but for years, even decades.
It was essentially a suspended sentence. They couldn’t afford to be careless.
Especially since their livelihood depended on the game.
He sighed.
“Go back.”
“No, it’s not that…”
“I’ll stay here. We should figure this out together.”
“No, I’m worried about you two. I’m fine. Just… keep an eye on the situation.”
He persuaded them to leave. He ignored their worried glances as they retreated. He needed to be alone with his thoughts.
After they were gone, he began to think.
‘What am I going to do?’
He didn’t know. The situation was overwhelming. He couldn’t think straight.
Should he run? Where would he go?
Could he even escape them? All the demons who’d received subjugation decrees had been eliminated.
Perhaps his fate was sealed as well.
How strong were the Knights? What was the average level of the otherworlders now?
Countless questions swirled in his mind, but there were no clear answers.
He felt a surge of resentment.
‘Why is this happening to me?’
He’d had the same thought when he’d escaped the Empire as a child.
Was being born with demon blood such a terrible crime?
He’d endured over a decade of solitude in this forest because of it.
And now, they were going to destroy the only home he’d ever known.
He was doomed from the moment he was born.
“Ha…”
A hollow laugh escaped his lips. He wasn’t sure if it was from amusement or despair.
One thing was certain.
He wouldn’t go down without a fight. He wouldn’t surrender, whether it meant fighting to the death or running for his life.
“Found him!”
“It’s the Golden Goblin! Attack!”
He’d barely organized his thoughts when he heard voices nearby.
Otherworlders, lured by the bounty.
They’d found him so quickly, even before he’d had a chance to burn down the goblin huts. The reward must have been incredibly tempting.
He didn’t hesitate. He charged, his spear aimed at their throats. He wasn’t going to show any mercy.
Thud!
“Gah…!”
“No! Warrior-nim!”
“Who’s going to tank now?!”
One of the otherworlders died instantly, his throat pierced by Yor’s spear. The others stared in shock.
There were six of them. They’d come as a group, hoping to overwhelm him and claim the reward.
It didn’t matter.
“Come on, let’s play.”
He swung his spear.
It didn’t take long to kill all six of them.
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+
[Let’s be realistic.]
He has no chance against the Knights.
Yor is just a boss mob. He was destined for a raid from the moment he appeared in that forest.
So stop whining and focus on getting the reward.
+
[Is this really okay?]
[Yes. Or do you want to help him and end up in jail?]
[That’s not what I meant…]
[It’s not right to kill someone just because they’re a Carrier.]
[These dick-riders are so desperate to save him just because he’s a man lol. Get over it, you weebs!]
[Right lol. If we were saving every man, our Seere oppa would still be alive lol.]
[Seere-nim… we miss you…]
The announcement had sparked a heated debate in the community, but…
It eventually settled on a single conclusion. This was a boss raid.
It was unfortunate, but the game had designated him as an enemy.
The players had to adapt.
+
[The Knights are coming later.]
They need time to prepare, since it’s a dangerous area and they don’t know his exact strength.
They told us to scout ahead and… fight him.
+
[They’re using us as cannon fodder again.]
[They said they’d reward us for scouting, even if we don’t participate in the main subjugation.]
[Oh…]
[I’m passing. I play this game for the story.]
Many players chose not to participate. 100 million won was tempting, but the chances of actually receiving it were slim. And some players simply didn’t want to kill an NPC.
But the majority were eager to participate.
Some had already entered the forest, posting about their attempts to capture Yor.
But despite the numerous posts, there were no reports of success.
+
[Six of us tried to gank him and got wiped in 10 minutes.]
I’ll never forget the moment our front line got obliterated by a single spear thrust…
+
+
[Doesn’t he only use a spear?]
I was trying to kite him with my bow, but he suddenly threw a dagger and killed me.
I lost the bow I just bought yesterday;
My 100,000 gold bow!!!!!
+
[Idiot lol]
[He just burned through 1 million won lol]
+
[Whoa, I finally got him!]
He suddenly cut his own hand and a blob of blood flew at me and killed me instantly.
But I still injured him, so it’s a win, right?
+
[What happened to the wound?]
[It probably regenerated lol;]
[So it was pointless.]
[It’s fine, he’s getting tired lol. He’s almost done.]
The next day…
+
[Is Sword Qi invincible or something?]
Can it pierce through shields?
And where did he get that double-edged axe?
I brought a shield, thinking I could just tank his attacks, but he went right through it.
+
[That’s because you suck…]
[You try it then.]
[Double-edged axe? I dropped that when I died.]
[Whoa, was it yours? He’s looting now lol]
+
[Live boss raid photo…]
(png)
Dead players everywhere…
And our blood-soaked boss charging towards us…
I almost peed myself.
+
[Look at his eyes, so terrifying;]
[He’s radiating killing intent.]
[We can’t even reach his cave. He hunts us down the moment we enter the forest;]
[He’s pissed.]
[How many has he killed so far?]
[I don’t know, but at least dozens.]
[He must be getting tired lol. He’ll collapse soon.]
+
[Breaking News) Yor is in trouble lol]
Samsunhi, the #3 ranked player, has declared his intention to participate.
He’s bringing his entire guild, all top-ranked players, to take down Yor tomorrow.
He said he’s bringing at least 30 people.
He’s serious, whether it’s for the reward or the publicity.
+
[Holy shit.]
[Isn’t his guild the one that first cleared the Ogre raid?]
[Yep. And they all have A-rank mercenary licenses now. This is serious.]
[They’re well-prepared. This is dangerous.]
[ㅠㅠ This is it.]
The following day…
+
[Breaking News) Samsunhi defeated lol]
I watched the stream.
More than half his guild was wiped out in 20 minutes, and the rest were hunted down and killed while trying to escape.
Some even got killed by monsters.
Only 2 out of 30 survived.
+
[Someone tried to throw holy water at him, but it teleported to his waist. What was that?]
[That was weird.]
[It was probably Seere’s arm. Remember when he dropped it? Yor must have picked it up.]
[Whoa, so the hooded NPC who fought Seere was Yor?]
[Holy shit, he’s the only one who could have soloed a demon like that.]
[Samsunhi is streaming now, explaining what happened. He looks depressed.]
[How much gold did he lose? lol]
[He must have spent a fortune preparing for this.]
[The combined cost of all the lost equipment must be enough to buy a car;]
[Did they injure him?]
[What’s the point? He regenerates instantly.]
+
[The point is, Yor is getting tired.]
He’s almost done.
We just need to push a little harder.
+
[When, though? Dozens of players have died in the past three days.]
[When is he going to get tired?]
[We can’t even recover our lost items this time lol.]
[I win, since I didn’t even try lol.]
[Let’s just… stop… okay?]
Time passed.
The relentless slaughter continued.
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[Your Text Here]
… huh … really thought he would head to the deep part …
Nube stomping is fun too
Well, he’ll probably be forced to when the knights are mobilized to engage him, for now he’s just wiping out the chaff they’re sending to tire him out.
Cathartic