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As I mentioned before, [Demons' Saga] is a skill-based game.
Your combat prowess varies even at the same level, depending on how well you can move and how sharp your decision-making is.
Since it involves physical action, there’s inevitably some difference in innate ability.
As such, it wasn’t hard to guess which types of professions excel at [Demons' Saga]. Military personnel, martial artists, athletes... Physical professions tended to do well.
Shin Hanbyeol was no exception.
In fact, no one blossomed in this game with talent like hers.
Once a promising gymnastics prodigy, she had learned how to use her body from an early age. She was indeed gifted. She was briefly even considered for the national gymnastics team.
People showered her with praise every time she performed, which made her enjoy gymnastics too. Believing in her potential, her family even went into debt to support her. That’s probably when her unique brand of pride was born.
Though sometimes the cheers of others felt overwhelming, she grit her teeth and pushed herself. When she soared over the vault or swung on the parallel bars—sports at the peak of elegance—she even felt a certain freedom. And the thrill of finally nailing a move that she couldn’t perfect before was electrifying.
...But the world can be cold.
Despite her relentless effort, her dream of the national team slipped further away. It wasn’t a lack of skill—she learned quickly.
Her height and chest size, however, were a problem. Gymnasts benefit from being small and light; it helps them stay airborne longer and land with more balance.
Her hard work compensated for it to an extent, but competing against world-class giants was impossible.
Then came the ankle injury.
And so, she had to step down from the mat, left only with a bloated ego and a fierce will.
“What am I supposed to do with my life now...?”
Even after stepping down, the world remained unkind. Society was a puzzle to someone like her, who had only known gymnastics. She hadn’t learned anything else, and while her pride ran high, her social experience was thin.
She got fired from part-time jobs, argued with customers because she couldn’t rein in her personality. It hurt her, but with her family in debt, she couldn’t take time off.
One day, when she was wearing herself down in small, unseen ways, [Demons' Saga] found her.
“Might as well give it a shot...”
Eager for something to immerse herself in, Hanbyeol quickly picked up the game. The capsule was pricey, but she could afford it with a 12-month no-interest plan.
Then her talent blossomed.
It was as if everything she’d built up until then burst forth. [Demons' Saga] was the perfect fit.
What had been a disadvantage—her height—became an asset, giving her greater reach. Her strength and technique, honed through gymnastics, were still there. Her talent helped her adapt swiftly to combat.
Around then, she started streaming.
Fortunately, many people remembered her from her gymnastics days. Thanks to her dazzling combat scenes and unique beauty, she quickly became a skilled and popular streamer. Soon enough, she had nearly paid off her family’s debt.
But that wasn’t all. Her true strength lay in her familiarity with failure.
She had already tasted bitter failure due to physical limitations.
To Hanbyeol, defeat was a familiar thing. She was killed in combat, made mistakes that got her killed, lost to knights. Still, she didn’t care.
After all, as a gymnast, she was no stranger to pain. There was even a strange thrill in it. She could see room to grow.
So she kept pushing forward until, before she knew it, she was ranked number one in the country.
Reaching any higher would mean pouring in time and money, so it was an impressive achievement.
When she sought out Yor, it was for the same reason.
To be honest, she hadn’t really expected to win.
She had prepared as best she could, but her opponent was someone who could overpower demons.
She just thought she’d be lucky if she gained experience fighting a strong opponent.
‘Though I didn’t expect to be this utterly outmatched...’
There was no helping it. Honestly, she’d been a bit cocky after achieving sword energy.
...But getting tied up like this was a bit much, wasn’t it?
She’d expected to die in defeat, but she hadn’t imagined she’d be slapped and bound in ropes.
Creak! Creak-!
The ropes rubbed noisily as she struggled. Though she’d been tied up for a while, she didn’t give up and kept wriggling. When the ropes didn’t budge, she began to feel a rising heat.
“Haa, haa... Damn...”
[Looks like she’s losing her cool]
[Noona, don’t be madㅠㅠ So scary]
[How can someone be named Happy? Lol]
[Wow, Hanbyeol, I’m jealous, getting to be Yor’s petㅋ]
[Isn’t it a win to be a handsome guy’s pet...?]
Of course, her viewers only enjoyed watching her anger. It was a rare sight on her normally skill-focused streams.
And, to be honest, there was a bit of satisfaction in seeing her like this. Her strong personality didn’t sit well with some viewers.
She was also popular with male viewers... though she didn’t seem to notice.
“Struggling won’t help. That rope’s made to capture magical beasts, tougher than most chains.”
As she flailed, Yor approached. His skin was dewy as if he’d just showered.
While viewers responded with all kinds of reactions, Hanbyeol could only glare at him.
“...Untie me.”
“I already told you. Drop all the holy water you’re carrying and tell me where it came from, and I’ll let you go.”
She scoffed.
She didn’t know why he was so obsessed with holy water, but her pride would never allow her to comply.
“You think I’d tell you in this state?”
“Oh, is that so? Then I have no choice.”
Yor stood up and began moving one hand purposefully.
"...!"
Hanbyeol clenched her eyes shut. She thought he might slap her again. He was capable of stabbing her as “interrogation”; violence wasn’t out of the question.
“......”
But no matter how long she waited, nothing hit her.
She cautiously opened her eyes, only to find a dish in front of her—a fried rice of minced meat and rice, looking quite tasty.
She tilted her head.
“...What’s this?”
“Eat. You must be starving.”
“Did you poison it?”
“Hmph, if you think so, then don’t eat.”
Hanbyeol stared at the plate.
She was indeed hungry after hours in bonds. Suspicion lingered, but any food was welcome.
Yet, there was a glaring problem. Her hands were bound behind her, and there was no cutlery.
“No spoon or fork. How am I supposed to eat...?”
Yor smirked, like a mischievous brat.
“With your mouth, of course. Pets don’t need cutlery, Happy.”
“Ugh...!”
Hanbyeol scowled. He was clearly mocking her.
“My name isn’t Happy! It’s Shin Hanbyeol!”
“Oh dear, training a pet is no easy task.”
[Happyㅋㅋㅋ]
[What’s wrong, Happy? Don’t like the food?]
[He’s treating her like a literal pet, this crazy guyㅋㅋㅋ]
[Please, treat me like a pet, too, lol]
[I’ve got a gentle Pomeranian named Happy, but this Happy’s a bit feisty~]
As his absurd words kept chat buzzing, Yor spoke.
“You won’t get out of here until you talk. You might as well cooperate.”
With that, Yor vanished back into the cave.
Left with only the warm plate of fried rice, Hanbyeol sighed deeply.
She addressed her viewers.
“...I’m wrapping up today’s stream here. See you all next time.”
Ignoring the viewers’ protests, she signed off. She couldn’t deny that being in this position was humiliating.
As silence fell, she began thinking.
‘This is bad...’
Keeping her top rank wasn’t easy. Other rankers would be climbing, trying to surpass her.
It wasn’t good for the stream, either. Her viewers came to see her fight, not to see her tied up.
Naturally, this would lead to a drop in viewership. She still hadn’t fully repaid her family’s debt... that would be a hard hit.
In a way, Yor had made the best move possible.
Being confined here would cost her dearly the longer it went on.
‘I need to find a way out of this.’
She devised various plans in her head.
But no satisfying solution came, and time slipped by.
“Eat, Happy.”
At night, Yor swapped out her plate. This time, the food was hot again, though still no utensils.
With no options, Hanbyeol could only log out at last.
After checking her inventory, she gulped a fatigue potion—the last one she had.
‘Should’ve brought more...’
She regretted not preparing better as she opened her inventory. With her hands bound, she had to grab it with her mouth.
It was a pitiful sight, but at least no one was watching.
Morning had come.
Hanbyeol let out a sigh as she stood in front of the capsule once more.
She logged in daily to maintain her ranking, but today she really didn’t want to enter the game.
She could already predict the scene that would greet her.
“...Hoo.”
But after a moment’s hesitation, she took a deep breath and logged in. She figured she wouldn’t be able to do anything unless she at least went in.
Squeeeak...
As soon as she entered the game, a stifling sensation greeted her. It was a faint sting, as if the ropes chafing her skin had managed to pierce through the synchronization.
Still... it wasn’t as unpleasant as she had expected, which was a small relief.
She planned to take a break from streaming for a while; showing herself like this would only lead to endless teasing.
Looking around the cave, she noticed Yor was nowhere to be seen. It was early morning, so he might still be asleep—or perhaps he’d gone out to hunt.
Hanbyeol twisted her body on the off-chance, but of course, the ropes didn’t budge.
It meant she’d need a new plan.
And the one that came to mind was, naturally, self-destruction.
Otherworlders, upon dying, would have their bodies reconstituted at the Sanctuary of the Otherworld, respawning in the nearest village.
In other words, dying here would set her free.
[So Shin Hanbyeol’s still stuck in that cave?]
Just her and Yor?
Oh... kinda jealous...
[But what good does that do? She can’t move anyway lol]
Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.
[So, no hunting or leveling up for a while, huh?]
[Yup]
[This is my chance. I’ll rocket ahead while she’s stuck there.]
[Dream big, huh]
“...Haa...”
After reading the comments, she let out a long sigh.
As expected, the wolves were already circling, ready to pounce on her position.
Just thinking about what to do next gave her a headache.
“Hmm...?”
Then, something caught her eye. A new post had appeared.
With a slightly tense expression, she clicked on it.
[Here’s a clip of Yor slapping Hanbyeol]
(mp4)
Damn, that slap’s fierce...
People posting crappy clips should get hit like that too.
[So if I post bad clips, I get slapped too? Deal]
[Oh please, stop]
[Why are you like this, seriously]
[The sound alone’s intense; thinking about a guy like that slapping me... might piss myself;]
[But doesn’t it turn you on a bit? The angle, his gaze looking down... I could get a few kicks out of that...]
[In our line of work, that’s called a reward]
[Please, everyone, just die; you’re wasting the air we share]
[The masochists are running wild today;]
After reading the post, she scrunched her face.
No one could be happy about seeing a clip of themselves getting slapped.
“...”
Yet strangely, she didn’t feel that bad.
No, thinking back on it did make her frown... but somewhere deep inside, she felt a faint warmth.
‘...What is this?’
Confused by her own emotions, she felt unsettled.
Then, she found a plausible excuse.
‘It’s probably because I’m not in the clip.’
Indeed, the clip was filmed from a first-person perspective.
Only Yor’s slapping motion was visible; her face wasn’t shown at all.
That must be why it didn’t bother her as much.
“...Hmph.”
She rationalized it and replayed the clip once more.
She repeated that a few more times.