Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game – Chapter 89

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Chae-rin and Ha-neul, while unable to face the deeper layer monsters directly, had their own survival strategies.

Chae-rin possessed the ‘Concealment’ skill she learned a while ago.

Ha-neul, while not as proficient, could use the ‘Illusion’ spell to mask her presence.

Enough to avoid detection, at least.

They set off for the deeper layers the next morning.

Their disguises were rudimentary, unlikely to fool the monsters for long.

But the monsters’ attention was focused on the Knights. The subjugation force was a significant presence in the forest.

This allowed Chae-rin and Ha-neul to reach the deeper layers relatively unscathed.

They hadn’t told anyone about their plan. There was no need, and the risk was too great. Their livelihoods depended on this game.

For Chae-rin, the streamer, and Ha-neul, her editor, this game was their source of income. Imprisonment would have real-world consequences.

They were risking everything to help him.

Helping an NPC… It seemed ridiculous, even to them. But they couldn’t stand by and do nothing. They knew they’d regret it later.

“Do you even have a plan?”

“…Not really.”

Despite their resolve, they had no concrete plan.

They’d tried to think of something, but their options were limited. They were facing the Knights, a subjugation force backed by the full might of the Empire.

Their intervention would be like throwing eggs at a rock.

“…We’ll just have to help him escape.”

Their only viable option was to create a distraction and help Yor flee.

They ventured deeper into the forest.

“At least his Berserk episode isn’t for a while… That’s good…”

“…Berserk episode?”

“Oh, um… it’s a thing. I’ll explain later.”

Ha-neul, having been to the deeper layers before, led the way.

The Knights’ encirclement was wide, but they remained undetected.

The towering trees came into view. Dense, claustrophobic, yet vast.

‘Wow…’

Chae-rin was awestruck by the eerie beauty.

She briefly worried about finding Yor in this vast expanse, but their encounter was swift.

“Whoa!”

“Shhh! Quiet.”

They’d barely entered the deeper layers when Yor appeared.

Chae-rin was startled.

He looked… dangerous.

His wounds seemed to have healed, but his clothes were still stained with blood. He looked like a beggar.

Dark circles under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion.

He probably hadn’t slept properly since the subjugation decree. It was understandable. He was being hunted.

But what truly surprised her was the vigilance in his eyes. He scanned their surroundings, even as he looked at them.

Checking for pursuers.

It was a natural reaction, but it saddened them. He was like a cornered animal, spines bristling.

“…Sigh.”

Satisfied that they were alone, Yor spoke. He lowered his guard, slightly.

“It’s been a while… I told you not to come. What’s going on?”

“We’re here to help you escape.”

Ha-neul spoke first. She’d been the one to suggest this plan.

“Come on, we’ll get you out. There are a lot of people outside, but you should be able to slip past them with Illusion.”

“What about you? You’ll be punished if you’re caught.”

“Does that matter right now? You need to survive.”

Ha-neul frowned slightly. His words frustrated her.

Yor smiled, grateful for their concern. He’d been surrounded by hostility lately. Their kindness felt… overwhelming.

But his answer was already decided.

“I appreciate the offer, but no.”

A firm refusal.

“But—”

“But why?”

Chae-rin interrupted, unable to comprehend his refusal. Her face was a mask of frustration.

“You need to escape! You’ll die here! Don’t you see all the people waiting outside?”

The subjugation force had formed a perimeter outside the deeper layers, unwilling to risk entering.

They weren’t sure they could capture him here, and they didn’t want to risk being wiped out by the monsters.

It had bought him some time, but that was all.

To Chae-rin and Ha-neul, it was a temporary reprieve from certain death.

Yor, however, remained calm. His resolve was unshakeable.

“You need to survive.”

“And go where?”

“Anywhere. You’re strong enough. You could even join Lemegeton…”

Chae-rin suggested various options, her voice laced with worry.

Yor smiled silently. Their concern was evident, but he remained calm, his decision made.

He asked a simple question.

“If I escape, we might never see each other again.”

Chae-rin froze. So did Ha-neul. They’d been focused on helping him escape. They hadn’t considered the consequences.

But Yor had.

He’d been thinking about it ever since the subjugation decree.

His life, his routine, shattered once again. And this time, it might be permanent.

“If I run, I’ll be hunted for the rest of my life. Looking over my shoulder, wondering when the guards will find me.”

“My face is known. I’ll have to live in hiding, fearing that other otherworlders will recognize me and report me.”

“And if I’m caught, I’ll be hunted again, until I die. Or maybe I’ll actually die next time.”

These thoughts had solidified when Lemegeton had made their offer. He’d refused, but he hadn’t understood his own reasons.

He’d felt like a fool, unable to grasp his own feelings.

But he understood now. He’d thought about it long and hard, and he’d reached a conclusion.

“I don’t want to live like that.”

He’d always been forced to make choices, not out of desire, but out of necessity.

He hadn’t left the city because he disliked civilization. He’d been forced to flee because of his blood.

He hadn’t chosen the forest because it was a comfortable place to live. He’d chosen it because it was the only place he could survive.

He’d hidden from humanity, venturing deeper and deeper into the forest.

He’d fought monsters as a child, enduring countless lonely nights.

Not to become stronger, but to survive.

…How long would he have to live like this? Was he destined to be a fugitive, forever at the mercy of his circumstances?

He’d refused Lemegeton’s offer for the same reason. It would have been a choice made out of desperation, not out of free will.

He’d chosen to stay in the forest.

Chae-rin, after a long silence, asked a cautious question.

“What are you going to do…?”

“Fight.”

When two opposing forces clashed, with no room for compromise, there was only one solution.

Break the other.

Even if it meant breaking himself.

He would fight until the world was forced to acknowledge him.

She asked again.

“Do you have a plan?”

“Not yet. I’ll figure something out.”

“Do you think you can win?”

“It’s better than fighting outside. This is my home turf.”

The forest was his advantage.

He had no clear strategy, but he would fight here, on his own terms.

Chae-rin frowned. So did Ha-neul.

It seemed like stubbornness to them. A reckless defiance that would lead to his demise.

“Do you need any help?”

Yor’s voice was sharp. He knew they’d only be a hindrance.

“No. You’ll just get in the way. Leave.”

“Why are you being so harsh? You need help! Even if it’s just a little!”

Throwing eggs at a rock. But the rock would still bear the mark.

Her words were desperate, heartfelt.

Yor hesitated.

He was tired. Mentally and physically exhausted from fighting so many people.

He didn’t need an army. He just needed… a moment to rest, to lean on someone.

He sighed, his resolve wavering.

“…Fine.”

He swallowed his pride and spoke.

“Help me… a little.”

And in that moment, a window appeared before them.

Until now, he’d been a boss, an enemy to be defeated.

A potential threat to humanity, a ticking time bomb.

A being that had to be eliminated.

The world, the game system, had decreed it. And the players had no choice but to comply.

But something had changed.

They looked at the window, their hands trembling.

A new path had opened before them.

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