What was Haneul doing while Yor was lost in thought?
“… Hoo.”
She was diligently trying to recover her frayed mental state.
For someone who rarely went out, what had happened today was incredibly stimulating.
It felt like she had drained all her energy for the week… How could a game be so psychologically exhausting?
“It’s tough…”
Muttering to herself, she sat on a nearby bench.
Thank goodness there was a place to sit in this slum. Otherwise, she might have ended up sitting on the ground like the nearby beggars.
It was also fortunate that Yor had taken her blunder rather casually.
Though it was just a mistake, he could have easily taken offense if he wanted to. She had seen many people socially mauled in such ways.
Mostly in the online world. It’s a bit unjust, but that’s how relationships between men and women go.
Yet, he had teased her playfully, alleviating his apology.
Of course, that did mess with her mental state a bit… but it also reduced the awkwardness.
Yor was, after all, just genuinely teasing her… but she felt it that way, so that was what mattered.
‘What kind of guy is so relaxed?’
Even if it was a mistake, was he really okay with it? She found herself questioning that for a moment.
In any case, he was a rather peculiar person.
After a brief moment of rest, her next thought was this:
‘So, why am I here…?’
After all, she had come all the way to the city just to end up in a corner of the slum.
There wasn’t much to see, and the security wasn’t good either.
Of course, she had suspected it. Considering the wistful expression he had while looking around, it was impossible not to notice.
That this place held memories for him.
‘Was this where he lived back in the day?’
Come to think of it, he must have lived in the city before the pattern appeared.
She never imagined it would be in such a slum, though.
Haneul managed a bitter smile while thinking of him.
Regardless of his personality, it was easy to predict that Yor’s life hadn’t been easy. Even now, with a slightly closer relationship, she could sense his lingering wariness.
Haneul felt a momentary pity for him.
Fortunately, that thought didn’t linger long. She understood it would be rude to dwell on such things.
Instead, she resolved to focus on her own mental state like earlier.
She didn’t know when he would come back, but considering the duration of the illusion, he’d be back within the hour.
In the meantime, she planned to leisurely sit on the bench and enjoy the scenery.
The remarkable graphics of [Demon’s Saga] even evoked a certain sentiment in this shabby area.
Even in this seemingly dark place, there was a warmth of its own.
Children in tattered clothes scribbling on the walls. Priests sharing food with beggars.
The sunset was painting a beautiful picture in the sky.
It was a scene of complete tranquility. It seemed like it would last forever.
However, this peace was shattered faster than expected.
“Gahhhh…!”
“Run… we have to run!”
Suddenly, a scream pierced through the serene backdrop.
Curious about what was happening, she looked toward the source of the noise and saw people fleeing with terrified faces.
Behind them, a remarkably handsome man was walking casually closer.
With long blonde hair, an incredibly tall stature, and a caring expression.
Realizing who he was, Haneul couldn’t help but be shocked.
He was the culprit stirring up commotion in online communities lately.
‘Seere?’
The 70th demon, Seere. Seeing him, Haneul felt confusion wash over her.
How could a monster, which required a raid to subdue, suddenly appear in the back alleys of the Empire?
In the midst of it all, the situation continued to unfold.
Swish-!
Suddenly, Seere swung his hand, severing a beggar’s ankle.
It wasn’t a complete dismemberment, but it was clearly a serious wound.
“Gahhhh…!”
“I told you not to run, didn’t I?”
Seere walked over to the beggar and asked.
“Now I’ll ask you again. Will you join my service, or will you die painfully like this?”
His appearance matched the description from the community. It was clear what choice the terrified beggar would make.
One by one, those who were fleeing began to stop and accepted his offer.
Haneul’s mind was in turmoil.
‘What should I do?’
She never imagined that the event everyone had been so curious about would come to her.
Other users might have been thrilled to meet Seere, but not her—especially with Yor present.
‘Why, of all times…?’
She herself didn’t care if she died. Losing an item was disappointing, but ultimately, that was all it was. However, Yor, as an NPC, would vanish from this world the moment he died. The value of life was drastically different.
Also, if he were forcibly inducted into the organization, it was only natural that he would leave his home. Regardless of the outcome, Haneul could only foresee a bleak future.
‘No way.’
At the very least, she needed to warn him. To tell him that a demon had appeared and they needed to flee immediately.
With a resolute expression, she tried to escape from Seere.
And that was a mistake.
“Are all humans’ ears clogged? I’m starting to get annoyed.”
Swish-!
With that sound, Haneul felt a searing pain in her thigh.
“Ugh…!”
The intense pain brought her lower body crashing down. She quickly lowered her transformation rate to the minimum.
As she completed the setting, Seere was already standing right in front of her.
No matter how briefly she had paused, was he really this fast?
From far away, he had noticed her steps, and the force of his attack was on another level entirely.
“Hmm? You’re adapting to pain quicker than I expected… Ah, you’re one of the otherworlders, aren’t you?”
Seere smiled gently as he spoke. Despite his smiling face, Haneul felt not a shred of emotion. It was as if he were a demon forcing himself to mimic a human.
His exterior was undeniably beautiful, but all Haneul felt was fear.
Then he asked her.
“So, will you join my service?”
A strange pressure weighed down on her. But Haneul had already decided on her answer.
“… No.”
“Hmm… I see.”
His chilly nod followed. Then Seere’s hand shot toward her neck.
Haneul shut her eyes tightly, anticipating the pain.
Soon, her head would roll.
But contrary to her expectation, she wasn’t going to die.
Bang!
Before that could happen, something descended before her.
With a tremendous impact, the ground shook, and rocks scattered everywhere. Haneul felt a slight tremor even from her spot.
Noticing something strange, Seere took a few steps back.
Haneul opened her tightly shut eyes and looked ahead.
And there stood Yor.
“What are you doing here, punk?”
He said with a somewhat annoyed expression.
*
Honestly, Haneul was a bit sentimental.
The memories she thought had faded away began to resurface upon coming here.
This rare, fleeting emotion was quite precious to her, who had been living a monotonous life.
Though slightly bittersweet, it wasn’t a bad time at all. It lingered deeper than when she had eaten pizza bread. If she were to return home now, it would have been a wonderful day…
But what was this? Upon returning to where Im Haneul was, wasn’t there some weird guy lurking around?
He even tried to log Haneul out, so she had to intervene quickly.
If someone who could use ‘illusion’ were to die, getting back for herself would be quite troublesome.
Originally, she had thought of delivering a kick to his face on the first impact, but he was faster to retreat.
That’s when I realized how skilled he truly was.
Considering the ambush, his reflexes were impressive.
“Don’t! Run! You need to avoid him!”
About that time, Haneul shouted to me, her face looking quite desperate.
From what she said, the opponent seemed to be a demon named Seere.
I couldn’t help but feel momentarily flustered.
‘… Seere?’
That was a name I had heard before, a recently trending one at that.
It was said to be a demon that had appeared a few months after Andromalius was slain.
At that moment, the shock of his sudden appearance still lingered in my mind.
Not resembling something from an internet rumor, but now it stood here right before me.
Could this oily-looking guy genuinely be that demon?
By looks alone, he could fit right into a gay adult film. He donned a black leather X outfit, emanating an aura of lurking in the shadows.
But for now, I adhered to her warning.
I wasn’t thinking of running away just yet.
After all, I could handle myself, and there were plenty of other people around apart from her.
‘Why of all times…’
Moreover, these were not otherworlders but regular individuals living here.
If I fled, their lives would clearly be in danger.
It wasn’t due to any feeble sense of justice; that word was miles away from me.
It was just that leaving so many people behind felt a bit wrong.
If it were a situation where my identity was in jeopardy, that might be another matter; however, given my current transformed state with the ‘illusion’, I was willing to buy some time.
To be honest, I wanted to throw a punch or two at that face anyway.
So I donned my hoodie and readied my weapon.
‘Damn, if I had known, I would have brought my weapon pouch.’
Unfortunately, the only thing I had was a self-defense dagger.
It’s not like I could bring an expensive spatial bag all the way to the city, and I hadn’t expected to end up fighting in the first place.
Still, I could fight, so I rushed toward my opponent.
Swish-!
The dagger sliced through the air. However, it didn’t reach him.
He turned away in time to dodge.
A glimmer of surprise flickered in his blue eyes.
“Quite sharp, aren’t you?”
Though my attack missed, I anticipated that shortcoming.
Without hesitation, I pressed on with the next strike, using the momentum from the dagger for a backspin elbow strike.
Thud-!
This attack connected, albeit just against his palm.
With an astonished tone, he remarked, “Your power is quite something too.”
Since I made my turn, it was now his turn to strike.
The moment he knocked my elbow aside, he struck at me with his palm. A faint glimmer of mana enveloped the tips of his attack.
I quickly used my dagger to block.
Bang-!
With a heavy mass crashing onto me, I felt myself being pushed back slightly, yet I managed to hold my ground.
In between our power struggle, our eyes met.
With a tone of admiration, he remarked, “Your looks are quite impressive too.”
I had no interest in being complimented by a man.
Frowning slightly, he continued,
“I have a liking for outstanding individuals. Be it beauty or talent… So, how about joining me? Someone of your caliber is sure to be valued. And if you’re interested in male companionship, I can show you directly.”
“······What?”
I questioned him.
Had I heard him right?
Could this guy actually be gay?!
“What the hell…!”
I hurriedly shoved him away.
A shiver ran down my spine.
