Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game – Chapter 90

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 
Disbelief was their initial reaction to the quest window. They hadn’t expected a quest to appear in this situation.

But their surprise quickly turned to elation. This was their chance.

‘This is it!’

A way to help him, to fight back instead of running away.

The success conditions seemed daunting, but it was their only option.

They quickly accepted the quest and spoke with renewed confidence.

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out!”

“Yeah! Don’t worry, we’ll gather a lot of people!”

Their optimism was infectious.

This was a rare opportunity to be the heroes, the saviors. They wouldn’t let it slip away.

Yor, however, remained confused. He’d seen the quest window appear through Player’s Eye.

It felt… unnatural.

The timing, the content… it was all too convenient.

And the reward description mentioned “future calamities” again.

This wasn’t the first time. He’d seen a similar reward when he’d reported Lian, the Lemegeton cultist.

He’d assumed it was because his actions had led to the discovery of Lemegeton, preventing some future disaster.

He hadn’t given it much thought.

But this felt different. It implied that his survival was crucial to preventing future calamities.

‘…Hmm.’

He didn’t like quests. They reminded him that this world, to others, was just a game.

But to him, this was reality. He didn’t care what others believed.

Questions swirled in his mind.

What did the system want from him? How did these quests even appear?

‘…Whatever.’

He pushed the questions aside. Survival was his priority.

This was good news, regardless.

“We’ll be going now.”

“Take care.”

They left, filled with hope.

“Should we film it now?”

“Yeah. Film it and send it to me. I’ll add the subtitles.”

That evening, a short, edited video appeared on Chae-rin’s YouTube channel.

[Urgent! Looking for players to join a quest! Anyone!]

The thumbnail was a black screen with white text, emphasizing the urgency.

The video was simple. A call to action, inviting players to join a shared quest.

“Hello everyone. I’ve received a very important quest…”

Her channel, thanks to her collaborations with Yor, had reached 700,000 subscribers.

The video quickly gained traction.

“It’s a difficult quest. I know. High risk…”

Her words reached a wider audience.

Including the Knights.

Her identity was well-known, and the subject of her video was… controversial.

She could be arrested as an accomplice.

The guards might already be looking for her and Ha-neul.

“But everyone, we’re players! We always take the risky path, right?”

She didn’t care. She’d made up her mind the moment she accepted the quest.

“If we fail… well, we can always join Lemegeton.”

The video ended.

And her inbox was flooded with emails.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Sigh…”

A man, deep within the forest, let out a heavy sigh.

Reilly, the Fourth Knight Commander.

His initial plan had failed. He’d been worried.

He’d intended to capture Yor in their first encounter.

Yor’s escape into the deeper layers had complicated matters.

The Knights couldn’t pursue him effectively in that environment. They’d learned that the hard way.

The predatory plants, the high-level monsters… and the Mountain Lord.

They’d been lucky last time. Yor had injured the creature, forcing it to retreat.

But they couldn’t rely on luck. They’d lost over ten Knights injuring the Mountain Lord.

Even for Yor, that creature was a formidable opponent.

The subjugation force had established a perimeter outside the deeper layers, waiting for Yor to emerge.

They could handle the mid-level monsters, at least. The injured Knights had been replaced, so their numbers were still strong. Despite their losses.

‘I wanted to capture him quickly…’

Reilly sighed again.

Yor’s decision to flee had surprised him. He’d underestimated Yor’s resolve.

He’d prepared, but he hadn’t anticipated everything.

The situation had changed, and he needed a new plan.

He decided to maintain the perimeter and slowly advance into the deeper layers.

“Proceed with caution. Take your time. Check your surroundings thoroughly.”

They moved slowly, carefully avoiding the predatory plants and eliminating any monsters that approached.

It would take time, but they had no other choice.

“…”

Well, there was another option.

Wait for Yor to emerge.

Reilly considered this the more likely scenario. The deeper layers were uninhabitable.

High-level monsters roamed freely, and the lack of sunlight meant limited food sources.

The occasional monsters that emerged into the mid-level layers were driven by hunger.

And Yor wouldn’t be able to sleep properly. The intelligent monsters of the deeper layers were known for their nocturnal ambushes.

He would either die, or be forced to flee.

Reilly believed those were Yor’s only options.

…But.

What if he survived? What if he adapted, using the harsh environment to become stronger?

‘Hmm…’

Reilly decided not to dwell on that possibility.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Day Eight.

After Chae-rin and Ha-neul left, I began my preparations.

Preparations for survival.

I checked my weapons, counted my vials of holy water.

I packed Dantalion’s ear and Seere’s arm. Valuable items, and potentially useful.

My weapon pouch, thankfully, was spacious. It had been a worthwhile investment.

As I worked, I recalled my conversation with Chae-rin and Ha-neul.

The quest, their parting words.

– What are you going to do now?

I’m going to survive. Especially if they want a quick victory.

– We’ll gather people. But we don’t know when you’ll be fighting, so it’s hard to time our arrival… Can we set up a signal?

She was right. Unlike her, I had no means of communication. Her reinforcements would arrive eventually, but they might be too late.

I decided to set a time for the confrontation, but I told them to keep it a secret.

The timing was crucial.

‘The day after it rains.’

It might take a while, but it was summer. It would rain eventually.

When the air was thick with the smell of rain, when the ground was soaked and muddy, when the fog rolled in, limiting visibility and hindering movement.

Terrible fighting conditions, even for me.

But it would affect everyone equally. And that would be my advantage.

I finished my preparations and set off, venturing deeper into the deeper layers.

I wouldn’t wait passively. I’d already been defeated once. I couldn’t afford another loss, even with reinforcements.

And the Knights still had plenty of holy water.

I needed to become stronger.

“I’ve been too complacent…”

I chuckled, remembering my early days in the forest.

When I was a child, hiding from the occasional humans who ventured into the outer layers, forced to move deeper into the forest.

Fighting monsters stronger than myself, barely surviving, desperate for a safe place to rest.

Not pleasant memories, but I’d grown stronger then, driven by the need to survive.

The situation was similar now. I would return to that mindset.

The hungry, desperate child I once was.

“Haa… haa…”

I gripped my spear tighter.

I took a deep breath and moved deeper into the darkness.

The monsters, sensing my presence, wasted no time in attacking.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇