Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game

Chapter 136

[Warning!] [An unknown figure has infiltrated the arena!] [All restrictions in the arena are being lifted.] [Escape sequence is activated.] [Escape device in operation…]

The alarm blared loudly from above, as if to signal an emergency situation.

This system message wasn't just for the otherworldly beings, it seemed. Even the Gaian individuals looked up in confusion.

Pop-! Pop-! At the same time, one by one, the figures disappeared in an instant. It was as if they were teleporting somewhere.

This must be the escape device that the system referred to.

‘They even prepared something like this...’

I watched as people vanished one by one, feeling a sense of awe. Not only was the intruder’s arrival unexpected, but to have such a supernatural safety mechanism prepared as well was a surprise.

At the same time, something changed within me. My body, which had been weighed down, suddenly lightened, as if the sandbags I had been wearing were removed. It seemed that the system had lifted the restrictions on my body, as this was no longer a situation for peaceful sparring.

Pop-pop-! At the same time, my spear returned to my hand. I grasped the spear tightly and stared ahead. Slowly, the dust cloud cleared, revealing the figure of the demon beyond.

“This place gives off such a nasty aura…”

A body made of flesh and limbs writhing in transformation. Unlike the demons I had encountered before, this one had a rather grotesque body, causing me to frown.

“This demon looks really disgusting.”

If it had looked a bit more like Andras, I might have been more at ease. It would’ve been easier to fight if it wasn’t so unsettling.

Regardless, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. From the rumors I’d heard, and the immense pressure I felt now, this one seemed to be quite a strong opponent.

I thought to myself.

‘This is an opportunity.’

Seeing that the escape device was in operation, it wouldn’t be long before the demon also returned to its own world. I wasn’t certain, but even if I were to die, my arena abilities could save my life. This could actually be a good chance to safely test the opponent’s strength.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to rush in first. The demon was the one to make the first move.

Shwoooosh! The demon’s arm, made of red skin, lunged straight toward me. Recognizing the attack, I immediately raised my spear to block its arm.

BANG! A heavy force pressed down on me. The strike was so powerful that it made me grit my teeth. My feet slid back for a moment, but I managed to block it.

“Oh.”

The demon, seeing this, tilted its head in apparent interest.

“You dare block my attack… Interesting. Alright, try blocking this one too.”

At that moment, another attack came flying at me. Red spikes filled my vision, rushing toward me.

“Damn.”

Even as I cursed, I prepared to block the attack. I coated my spear with a blade of energy and sliced through the flesh-like spikes. If the attack had been light, I could have blocked all of it, but each spike was heavy, making it hard to handle.

Eventually, a few spikes pierced through my body.

Thuk-! Thooook-! A cold sound rang out as blood trickled from my side and leg. However, I wasn’t about to let it pierce me completely. My abilities didn’t just stop with my limbs; they extended to my blood as well.

Crack, crunch! The blood that spilled out from my wounds quickly solidified, forming a defensive shield. The spikes that had been pushing through my flesh were soon halted by my blood barrier.

I took a step back and thought to myself.

‘This is tough…’

The demon had the ability to freely alter and enhance its body. Just dealing with that was already troublesome, and the power behind it was no joke. I could feel the pressure building, albeit slightly.

What surprised me more, however, was that the demon's attack didn’t end there.

“Annoying.”

The demon grimaced. Without giving me a chance to catch my breath, it prepared another strike. Its right arm rose high into the air.

“I had intended to maim you before finishing you off. Yet, a pesky little insect like you dares to withstand my blows. If your wish is to be crushed, then I shall show you my true power.”

The body began to transform once more—larger, wider.

A massive hammer, made of bone and flesh, covered half of the arena’s sky. I couldn’t help but mutter in awe when I saw it.

“...Wow.”

Now that was unfairly powerful, wasn’t it? But then again, such power was necessary to take down a king in just two days.

‘Can I block that?’

I didn’t know. But one thing was certain—I couldn’t just stand here. If I stayed still, I’d be crushed, quite literally. The only silver lining was that most of the spectators had already returned to their original positions. When I glanced around the arena, only a few were left. And they, too, were teleporting away, one by one.

So I just had to hold on a little longer. Whether I could do that, though, was another question.

Krrrrr-! The hammer made of flesh descended toward me.

“Ah!”

I gathered as much mana as I could and formed a barrier in front of me.

...But I didn’t get a chance to block the attack. Before I could do anything, someone else rose and sliced the incoming attack in half.

Shaa-! The satisfying sound of the flesh hammer being sliced through echoed, followed by its disintegration. It was as if the colossal mass vanished in an instant.

I quickly looked around to see who had made that strike.

And I was shocked.

“You fucking bastard…”

The one who had stopped the attack was none other than Hanbyeol, the same person who had just been under me, getting crushed by my ground technique. Her face was filled with rage.

“Eh?”

I couldn’t help but be a bit surprised.

Shin Hanbyeol—she was feeling far from good at the moment.

How could I even describe this feeling... It wasn’t just anger—it was more than that. Anger was too shallow and mild a word. A more specific description was needed.

What was it like? It was the feeling of spinning the character gacha and getting six full pulls on the ceiling, only for someone to mess it up? Or like watching the horse I bet on in a race cross the finish line first, only for a terrorist attack to ruin everything? The feeling of finally winning a prize after dozens of tries, only for someone to come along and ruin it by throwing shit on it?

It was an incredibly frustrating and unjust situation.

That was exactly how Hanbyeol felt at that moment.

“...Do you know how much time I put into this fight?”

I’d done hundreds of arena battles, only to be constantly interrupted by the streamers asking me to stop and go hunting instead. I’d missed out on tons of experience over the past few weeks, and I’d been worried about my ranking slipping away as I endured all that.

For someone like her, for whom the game was her job, this was a huge risk to take.

And why? To engage in barehanded combat with Yor. It was a petty reason, but for Hanbyeol, it was something of great importance.

So when she finally got the chance, she was thrilled. She was ready to enjoy it as much as possible.

But then, right when she won, a demon appeared and ruined the moment.

Frustrated, sad, angry, and bitter.

For Hanbyeol, it didn’t matter if the opponent was a demon who had destroyed kingdoms or a ruler who instilled fear in thousands of people. She just wanted to land a blow on the person who had stolen her moment.

Her eyes burned with fury as she rushed at the demon.

“Die!”

Two blades of blue energy flared up from her arms. Of course, Belled didn’t just stand still. As he had done to me, he launched spikes to attack her.

Clang! Scrape! But the spikes couldn’t even touch her. They were sliced through like paper.

This happened with every other attack Belled launched as well.

Massive punches, walls of flesh, and blades made of sinew—all of these attacks were deflected as well.

She was wounded a bit and knocked down for a moment, but that was all. With her Assimilation Rate lowered, there was no way the demon’s attacks could stop her.

Thump. Thump. As she got closer to Belled, Hanbyeol’s heart began to race wildly.

She thought it was due to her anger.

Meanwhile, Yor, watching this, couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

‘...What’s going on?’

It was an attack that had been hard for me to block, yet Hanbyeol—who was weaker than me—was charging forward, effortlessly blocking all the attacks.

It didn’t make sense.

‘Does she have some kind of awakening system or something?’

I thought maybe Hanbyeol had awakened due to her rage, but... on closer inspection, it didn’t seem to be the case.

She seemed stronger, yes, but there was no increase in speed, no explosive boost in mana.

Yor just watched, dazed by the sight.

Eventually, Hanbyeol’s steps brought her near Belled.

“!”

Just as Hanbyeol’s sword was about to swing toward Belled...

[Emergency escape activated!]

Pop-! Both Yor and Hanbyeol’s figures disappeared from the arena.

And just like that, the last two remaining individuals vanished, leaving nothing but intense silence behind in the arena.

“...Phew.”

Left alone, Belled sighed quietly.

Pop-! With a brief feeling of weightlessness, my vision shifted.

When I closed and reopened my eyes, instead of the arena, I was now looking at a cozy cave.

I had been teleported from the chaotic battleground straight to my home.

As soon as I returned, I slapped my forehead.

‘What the hell...’

Was it a relief or something to regret? I wasn’t sure. It seemed like a good opportunity to land a hit, but now I was confused as to how Hanbyeol managed to reach that point.

I looked around, wondering if she might know something, but sadly, she wasn’t in sight.

I remembered that she had left the city on her own today. She had mentioned having something to do tonight and had given me a ticket in advance. That’s why her return was bound to be different.

‘Of course, she would be going elsewhere at a time like this.’

There were so many questions in my mind.

I sighed deeply and stood up.

When I looked outside, the sun was still high in the sky.

It was still daylight since a demon had invaded early in the afternoon, so even after the emergency return, it was still bright outside. My entire day felt like it had been disrupted.

Suddenly, a good idea popped into my head.

‘...Should I visit Barbatos now?’

It had been a while since I’d last visited, and since he was a demon, he might know something about this situation.

Without wasting time, I acted on my thought.

I descended deep into the core of the earth, heading straight for his altar.

Upon entering, Barbatos greeted me warmly.

“Hey, you! Why are you so late this time!”

“Well, it’s a long distance here, so it’s quite tough coming over... But more importantly, I need to ask something.”

I calmed her down and asked the question.

“Do you know a demon named Belled?”

“...Huh?”

At my sudden question, she tilted her head in confusion. But that only lasted a moment, as Barbatos let out a smirk.

“What? Belled? Ha, why would you be looking for that con artist?”

“Con artist?”

I tilted my head in confusion at her answer.