“What the hell…?”
Yoo Chaerin.
She felt a moment of confusion at the sight before her.
The reason she came here today was nothing special. It was just to deliver information, as usual. Today, however, there was quite an important piece of news.
Then suddenly, she heard a woman screaming near the forest, and out of curiosity, she decided to check it out. After all, who wouldn’t be intrigued by some crazy person screaming in the woods?
But… who would have thought she’d witness this kind of scene?
One woman, with her top off, came into view. Thank goodness she hadn’t turned on her stream; she could have easily gotten flagged.
Could it be that she was trying to pounce on Yor again, like last time…?
No, both of their faces looked too calm for that.
‘Wait, if that’s the case…?’
For a brief moment, her thoughts wandered to ‘that kind of thing.’ No need to explain what ‘that kind’ is.
But she shook her head as those thoughts passed. The atmosphere between the two didn’t suggest they were that comfortable with each other.
Yor, noticing Chaerin, asked her, “Chaerin? What are you doing here all of a sudden?”
“Well, I heard a noise, so I came to check…”
“Yor? Chaerin? Do you two know each other?”
Niki chimed in with a smirk plastered across her face.
“Ah… Wait, are you saying you can’t come here because of her? You can’t let go of your crush?”
“C-crush?!”
“What kind of nonsense is that…?”
Yor frowned, baffled.
It was an absurd assumption. There was no substantial evidence, nor did it make sense in context. Chaerin simply stumbled upon this place by chance.
But that was already of no concern to Niki.
Her trigger had already been pulled.
‘Trusting someone not from your kind. How foolish…’
In truth, Niki had lived among people for a short while after turning ten. Her family, which valued honor, wanted to hide the fact that a demon’s blood had manifested in their lineage.
She had been cast out of her home, but as a result, she managed to survive.
As a manifester, she harnessed her physical abilities to become an adventurer. She had to make a living, after all. Adventurers, who didn’t care about origins, suited her perfectly.
Things went pretty smoothly. She made close friends, had juniors who looked up to her, and even dated a guy she connected with on a deeper level.
Maybe, with those people, she could reveal her ‘demon’s blood’… she had thought once.
How foolish that thought was, her current situation in the Lemegaton would explain.
– “Damn it! Bring me an axe!”
– “Shit! That demon spawn has been masquerading as a human all this time?!”
– “Honey, I’m sorry. Just please spare my life…”
Trusting another human is a sin.
It’s sheer greed for a cursed human to wish for normality from their birth.
She felt something dark rising within her as she watched her kin posturing as ordinary people.
“Hey, don’t you know who she really is?”
“Me?”
That’s why the revelation of Yor’s identity came so casually.
“That guy is a manifester. He’s got demon’s blood.”
“Hey!”
Confusion flooded Yor’s face. Niki chuckled at his reaction.
Let’s be clear: this was her own action.
The Lemegaton preferred to keep information secret, after all.
But she just couldn’t understand why.
Why should they? If they lost their home, they’d have to join the Lemegaton anyway, right?
Sure, there might be initial hostility, but eventually, they would probably find a way to coexist.
“Yor, come here! This is the only place you belong! We can welcome you!”
Saying that, she glanced at Chaerin’s face. Chaerin still seemed dazed, unable to process the situation.
A strange sense of anticipation bubbled up in Niki.
Soon, that dazed expression would turn to horror, just like the experience she had gone through before. Just thinking about it gave her a thrill.
Finally, Chaerin opened her mouth.
“Ah… I’m done for. What was I thinking…”
“…Huh?”
Niki tilted her head at Chaerin’s remark. That was not the reaction she wanted.
“So that’s why you’ve been hiding it all this time? You could have just said it!”
Chaerin then walked over to Yor with a brisk pace.
Was Yor just as startled? He looked bewildered as he stared at Chaerin.
“Not the way I wanted to find out, but hey, at least I learned one secret.”
Chaerin’s expression already hinted that she had anticipated this.
*
Yoo Chaerin was no fool.
She wasn’t the top student in school, but she could certainly sense that Yor was hiding something.
From their very first meeting, he seemed shrouded in secrets.
Even living in this forest was odd, and he completely avoided questions related to her.
He had logged out during their last fight, and there had been the incident with the blood – there were enough strange things to notice.
However, he didn’t seem inclined to reveal anything, so she had endured the frustration until now.
‘Demon’s blood…’
That term was something she was aware of too. It had stuck in her mind since the first Mine incident.
She knew how dangerous it was, and she understood how sensitive the NPCs here reacted to it.
But despite that… she felt a twinge of pity.
In the end, they weren’t born wanting to be that way.
‘So that’s why he was living in this forest…’
She looked at Yor with eyes filled with sympathy.
“That can’t be right!”
Suddenly, Niki raised her voice, hostility radiating from her face.
It appeared she was annoyed that things weren’t going according to her plan.
Niki glared and asked, “I’ve lost everything! Why are you so unfazed?”
“…Why do you care?”
It was Yor, not Chaerin, who answered that question.
He too was surprised by the calmness of his reaction but had an inkling of an answer.
There could be many reasons.
For an Otherworlder like her, this place could simply be a game, or there might be a disparity in perception between Gaian and Otherworlder civilizations.
Or perhaps, she lacked sufficient information about ‘demon’s blood’.
But instead of listing all those reasons, Yor opted for a more straightforward and provoking explanation.
“Because I have a penis, and you don’t.”
“…What?”
“Hey.”
A question mark appeared above the heads of both women at Yor’s words. They seemed to think, ‘What kind of nonsense is that?’
But he had no intention of retracting his statement.
Being born with such a unique trait in a reversed world was a significant deal.
Just having a rod down there could increase one’s likability!
For humans, emotions are a crucial factor of judgment, and attractiveness is influenced immensely by those feelings.
So, having a penis was undoubtedly a significant fact.
“No, that can’t be true!”
“Feeling oppressed? Then go and grow one!”
“That’s impossible!”
“No! Accept reality! Your lower half has no value!”
It’s the fault of the guy who confidently strutted around in this reversed world.
Or maybe, he should have just avoided living in such a world to begin with.
Yor’s taunts sent Niki into a frenzy.
As a manifester, her mental state wasn’t exactly stable. Her reaction to such light provocations showed that.
“……”
Chaerin, suddenly stuck in a state of a confused mute, stood there, dazed.
But those jibes were short-lived; Yor regained his seriousness and spoke again.
“Well then, I should explain why I won’t be going in there, shouldn’t I?”
Niki was not entirely incorrect.
“You’re right; going in there might mean a more comfortable life.”
Because the woods weren’t exactly a cozy place.
She understood why she entered the Lemegaton, in a general sense.
Even though the Lemegaton had many enemies, for manifesters, the whole world was ultimately their foe.
Whether for survival or quality of life, joining a group was a rational choice.
“But that place serves demons.”
He continued speaking, an ember of anger igniting within him.
“I can’t accept that. In the end, it’s those damned demons that spoiled my life.”
The local people’s viewpoint made sense. Even if unfair, it was something he could grudgingly understand.
After all, when one became a Mine, their lives were indeed in danger.
But those demons? What the hell were they? How could they be considered such magnificent beings, putting so many people through suffering?
“I mean, for fuck’s sake… they want me to join the cult that serves them? Am I some stupid dog looking for a master? Hell no, I’d rather bite my own tongue off and die!”
That was quite a harsh statement. Chaerin glanced at him for a moment.
And she saw him, brimming with anger.
She had seen him irritated a few times before, but this was the first time he exuded such a murderous vibe.
That indicated that he had many pent-up frustrations inside.
“If you understand, get lost. The only reason I’m not killing you right now is out of ultimate respect for my kin.”
“…Damn.”
With those words, Niki left without saying another word.
She realized it was pointless to try and persuade him further.
And thus, only Yor and Chaerin remained in a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
“……”
“……”
A moment of silence passed between them.
Taking a sigh, Yor finally mustered the courage to speak to Chaerin.
“I’m sorry you had to see that. If what you heard today…”
“Keep it a secret? Don’t worry, that’s a given.”
“…Thank you.”
Yor opened his mouth several times.
A mix of anxiety and worry swirled within his heart.
He tried to emphasize again, but then he just gave up.
It would only make him look more pitiful.
But one thing was surely changed: the number of people sharing a secret with him had increased.
However, contrary to his expectations… it didn’t feel as bad as he thought.
