While Yor was lost in his memories, what was Ha-neul doing?
“...Phew.”
She was busy recovering her heavily shattered mental state.
For someone who barely leaves the house, everything that happened today had been far too stimulating. It felt like she had drained all her energy for the entire week. How could a game be this mentally exhausting?
“This is so hard...”
Mumbling to herself, she sat down on a nearby bench. It was fortunate there was even a bench in this slum. Otherwise, she might have ended up sitting on the ground like one of the nearby beggars.
It was also a relief that Yor had taken it so lightly. Even though it was a mistake, it could have easily been an issue if he'd wanted to hold it against her. She had seen many people get socially "murdered" for far less—usually in the world of the internet. It felt a little unfair, but that’s how things often were between men and women.
Yet, instead of making it worse, Yor had teased her playfully, easing her embarrassment. Sure, her mental state had taken a hit, but it did help reduce the awkwardness.
Of course, Yor had only been joking, but Ha-neul felt that he was genuinely being considerate.
‘What kind of guy is so laid back?’
Even though it was a mistake, was he really okay with it? She wondered for a moment. In any case, Yor was an unusual person.
After a brief rest, the next thought that popped into her head was:
‘So, why did we come here...?’
They had come all the way to the city, only to end up in some back alley of the slums. There was nothing to see, and the area wasn’t exactly safe.
But she could guess why. From the way Yor had been looking around with a nostalgic expression, it was obvious—he had memories here.
‘Is this where he used to live?’
Come to think of it, before his powers manifested, Yor must have lived in the city. She hadn’t expected it to be in a slum, though. Thinking about it, Ha-neul couldn’t help but give a bittersweet smile.
No matter how easygoing his personality seemed, she could tell Yor’s life hadn’t been easy. Even now, when they had grown somewhat closer, she could still sense a hint of the caution he carried with him.
Ha-neul felt a twinge of sympathy for him, though she knew better than to dwell on it for long. Pitying him would be insulting.
Instead, she decided to focus on calming her mind. Yor would likely return within an hour, considering the duration of her illusion magic. Until then, she figured she could relax on the bench and take in the view.
Even in this shabby district, the remarkable graphics of Demons' Saga managed to evoke a certain charm.
There was warmth to be found here—children scribbling graffiti on walls, priests distributing porridge to beggars, and the setting sun casting a soft glow over the scene.
It was a peaceful, almost idyllic moment. As if nothing could disturb it.
But that peace was shattered sooner than expected.
“AAAAH!!” “Run... We have to run!”
Suddenly, from the edge of her vision, Ha-neul heard screams. She turned to see people running in terror, their faces contorted with fear.
And behind them, a man of stunning beauty was walking leisurely. With long golden hair, towering height, and a gentle smile, he seemed almost unreal.
Ha-neul’s eyes widened in shock.
‘Seere?’
It was Seere, the 70th-ranked demon, who had recently become a hot topic online. Ha-neul was stunned.
What was Seere, a raid boss demon, doing here in the back alleys of the Empire?
Even as she tried to make sense of the situation, events continued to unfold.
Shwik!
Without warning, Seere slashed his hand through the air, severing the ankle of a beggar who had been trying to flee. It wasn’t a complete amputation, but it was clearly a deep, painful wound.
“AAAAH!!” “I told you not to run, didn’t I?”
Seere calmly walked toward the beggar and spoke.
“Let me ask again. Will you serve under me, or would you rather die in agony?”
It was exactly how the online community had described it. The choice the terrified beggar would make was obvious. One by one, the fleeing people stopped and began to pledge their loyalty to Seere.
Ha-neul’s mind raced.
‘What do I do?’
Who would have thought that the event everyone had been so curious about would land in her lap?
Other players might have been excited to encounter Seere, but not Ha-neul.
She had no interest in joining a creepy cult. And on top of that, Yor was still here.
‘Why now...?’
She didn’t care if she died. Losing a few items would be unfortunate, but that was the extent of her loss. Yor, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. If he died, he would disappear from the world forever. The stakes were entirely different for him.
Even if she joined the cult, that would be a problem. If Yor was forced to join, he’d have to leave behind his home. Nothing good could come of this situation for her.
‘No, I can’t let this happen.’
At the very least, she needed to warn him. Tell him that a demon was here and they needed to escape immediately.
With her mind made up, Ha-neul steeled herself and tried to flee from Seere.
That was her mistake.
“Are all humans deaf? You’re starting to annoy me.”
Shwik!
This time, Seere’s hand slashed through her thigh.
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“Argh...!”
The searing pain caused her legs to give out. She hurriedly adjusted her synchronization rate to the lowest setting. When she finally managed that, Seere was already standing in front of her.
Was he really that fast? Even though she had only paused for a moment, he had already closed the distance. His perception of her movements and the sheer power of his attacks were beyond her level.
“Hm? You seem to be adjusting to the pain quite quickly... Ah, you’re from the otherworld.”
Seere smiled kindly as he asked. His face was smiling, but there wasn’t a shred of emotion behind it. It was as if a demon was trying to mimic human behavior.
Though his appearance was beautiful, Ha-neul could only feel fear.
Then, he asked her a question.
“What do you think? Will you serve under me?”
A strange pressure weighed down on her. But Ha-neul already knew her answer.
“...No.”
“Hmm... I see.”
With a cold nod, Seere raised his hand to strike her down. Ha-neul shut her eyes tight, bracing for the pain of her neck being severed.
But the death she expected never came.
BOOM!
Something landed in front of her with a thunderous crash.
The ground split open, and debris flew everywhere. Even at a distance, the impact was strong enough to make Ha-neul wobble.
Seere stepped back a few paces, his expression wary.
Ha-neul slowly opened her eyes and looked ahead.
Yor was standing there.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
He asked, with a slightly irritated expression.
To be honest, I had been lost in thought for a while.
The memories of my past, which I thought had long faded, came rushing back the moment I stepped into this place. For someone like me, whose life had been nothing but bleak, moments of nostalgia were rare and precious.
It had been a bittersweet, but not entirely unpleasant, experience. The feeling lingered longer than even the taste of pizza bread. If I could have gone home after this, it would have been a perfect day...
But as fate would have it, when I returned to where Ha-neul had been waiting, I found some overly elegant-looking guy about to log her out of life.
I had to jump in quickly before she got killed, especially since she’s the one maintaining the illusion spell.
Originally, I had planned to kick him in the face on the first strike, but he was faster. That’s when I realized—this guy was no ordinary opponent.
He’d dodged my surprise attack. His reflexes were top-notch.
“Run! Get away! You can’t fight him!”
Ha-neul shouted, her face filled with panic.
From what she was saying, the guy was a demon named Seere.
I was momentarily confused.
‘...Seere?’
It was a name I had heard recently. A demon who appeared just a few months after Andromalius had been defeated. I remembered being shocked when I first heard about it.
But I had been skeptical, thinking it might just be internet rumors.
‘So this is...?’
Even now, standing right in front of him, I wasn’t entirely sure what to believe.
Was this overly polished guy really the demon Seere? If you just looked at his appearance, he seemed like someone straight out of a cheesy gay porno. With his black leather outfit and that whole vibe, he felt like someone who worked in a shady underground club.
Still, I stayed cautious, as Ha-neul had warned me. But running away wasn’t on my mind just yet. I could handle myself, and there were other people here besides her.
‘Why now...?’
To make things worse, they weren’t players but regular citizens of this world.
If I ran, it would only put their lives in danger.
Not out of some sense of justice—I was far from being a hero. But leaving them behind to die would weigh on my conscience a bit too much.
As long as my identity remained hidden, I figured I could buy them some time. Besides, I wanted to punch that smug face at least once.
So I pulled up my hood and drew my weapon.
‘Damn, I should’ve brought my gear.’
Unfortunately, all I had on me was a small dagger, meant for self-defense. I hadn’t planned on fighting when we came to the city, and carrying my expensive pocket dimension pouch here felt unnecessary.
Still, it would have to do. I charged at the guy.
Shwip!
My dagger sliced through the air, aiming for him, but he dodged with a slight tilt of his head.
His blue eyes glinted with amusement.
“That was sharp.”
I wasn’t too disappointed that the first attack missed. Without missing a beat, I spun and threw a back elbow.
Thwack!
This time I landed a hit, though it was blocked by his palm.
“You’ve got quite the strength.”
Now it was his turn.
He swatted my elbow aside and swung his hand at me. I saw a faint glow of mana around his fingertips.
I blocked the attack with my dagger.
Boom!
The impact was massive, but I managed to hold my ground. Our eyes met during the struggle.
He spoke in a voice full of admiration.
“You’ve got quite the looks as well.”
I had no interest in compliments from a guy.
I scowled, and he continued.
“I like strong individuals, whether it’s their appearance or something else... What do you think? Would you like to serve under me? I could offer you quite a bit of favor. If you’re interested in... certain activities, I could even show you personally.”
“...What?”
I stared at him in disbelief.
Did I hear that right? Was this guy seriously hitting on me?
“You’ve got to be kidding me...”
I shoved him away in disgust.
A chill ran down my spine.