Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game

Chapter 138

The Empire possessed a vast territory.

They had expanded their borders slowly over time, with the original settlers having established themselves in the wide plains.

Even though cities and villages were built, it was a difficult task to fill the entire plains. There had been no need to do so in the first place.

As a result, the Empire had many plains nestled between its territories. Some of these plains even bordered the Ruern Kingdom, a kingdom that had now fallen into ruin.

Upon hearing the news that a demon was approaching one of these plains, the subjugation team had already gathered there in advance.

Murmuring.

Countless people had gathered in one place. Empire knights, their soldiers, the forces of the kingdom that had lost its land and now burned with a thirst for revenge, and even a group of adventurers from other worlds.

With some forces from neighboring kingdoms also joining in, the crowd was surprisingly large, even though they had gathered hastily.

Having seen Belled before, there was a sense of ominous tension among the soldiers. Refugees from Ruern had done their best to spread the fear of the demon.

After all, the kingdom had fallen in just two days. It was bound to have a profound impact.

Seeing this, the second and fifth knights’ commanders shook their heads.

“This doesn’t look good. Momentum is half the battle, and they’re already scared.”

“They’ve been listening to useless talk from the refugees. The demon will arrive soon. Tch.”

Given the situation, both commanders of the knights had joined the subjugation. There wasn’t time for more, as the third and fourth knights had already been dispatched to the fallen Ruern Kingdom.

“Ugh, just yesterday I was flirting with a good-looking refugee. Now look at this mess…”

“Enough with the chatter, make a plan. Odelia.”

“Alright, I’ll boost the morale of the scared ones. Serena, you handle the strategy for the soldiers. You’re good at that.”

Perhaps it was because the two commanders had gathered, but the order was maintained. Those who were overly frightened were encouraged by the second commander, while Serena formed battle lines to prevent confusion.

As they were preparing, something began to appear on the horizon.

A grotesque, squirming body and bright red flesh. It looked just like the demon they had heard about in the rumors.

“He’s here!”

“Magicians, begin your incantations!”

As soon as they spotted the demon, the forces immediately began to react.

The mages started preparing their spells, while the archers notched their arrows. Just then, the demon seemed to have noticed the army and charged toward them in a straight line.

Bang-! Kwang-! Countless arrows and magic flew toward him. Each time, Belled spread his flesh or endured the attacks with his body.

He flinched here and there, but his steps never fully stopped.

Seeing this, people shouted in alarm.

“Damn it, he won’t stop!”

“What kind of body is that?”

Although they weren’t as well-trained as the knights, the level of the otherworldly beings was not something to be ignored anymore. Among them, the mages in particular had powerful attacks.

But despite the fact that the mages attacked all at once, the demon seemed unharmed.

Of course, no one knew what was going on inside his body, but the appearance alone was enough to rattle the group.

“Front line, advance!”

Serena gave the order, and along with Odelia, stepped forward.

It was a bad situation. If fear spread, it would undoubtedly impact their combat effectiveness.

So they advanced. By having the commanders take the lead, they hoped to raise the morale of the soldiers.

Among those in the front lines were many otherworldly beings. Since they could resurrect upon death, their lives were of lesser value compared to the human soldiers. In fact, that was their greatest advantage.

Among them were Yoo Chaerin and Shin Hanbyeol, who was still furious.

After the ranged bombardment ended, the direct combat began.

“Waaah!”

With a shout, many rushed toward the demon. Belled responded by creating red tendrils from his body.

Thuk-! Fshhh-! The sound of piercing was heard among the otherworldly beings.

“Do you think just because a bunch of flies are attacking, I’ll be pushed back?”

As he said, the group attacking in waves didn’t seem to have much of an impact.

But that didn’t mean they were being helplessly pushed back either. A small group was holding their ground against him.

The attacks he launched were certainly fierce, but they weren’t impossible to block. The knights, in particular, didn’t find them very frightening. After all, they had fought on countless battlefields and faced demons several times before.

Naturally, that came with the experience of many close calls with death. To them, this level of threat was nothing.

“I’m going to land that sword thrust I couldn’t last time…”

Scrreeeek-! Hanbyeol, too, was holding her ground. Though still slightly pushed back, she couldn’t be underestimated as the number one ranked player in the country.

She was close to reaching S rank soon. And, she was still carrying a grudge against the demon. Perhaps it was because of her anger, but the tendrils that Belled shot at her didn’t feel as heavy as before.

“Support magic, cast it now!”

“Keep the pressure on!”

They weren’t just watching from behind. Mana was being gathered to cast buffs, and arrows were carefully aimed at the demon’s body.

Despite Belled’s call for them to be like flies, their combined efforts made them a nuisance.

After all, the otherworldly beings had less fear of death.

With the continued assault, Belled began to falter.

And in that opening, Hanbyeol was finally able to land a strike.

Shaa-! With a sound like flesh tearing, her sword struck the demon’s main body. Unlike the fleshy tendrils, this part of him seemed to have circulating blood, as red blood splattered onto the ground.

Seeing this, Hanbyeol grinned.

“Finally landed a hit. How’s that? Feeling a little relieved?”

“Bastard…”

Belled’s vicious expression twisted as he spoke, bleeding from his body.

“This body was originally only going to pass by and take your king’s head. I had no need to exert any great strength to dominate you all.”

“…? What do you mean?”

“I’m saying I’m going to kill all of you. If you want to die like that, fine. I’ll show you my true power.”

At that moment, his body began to twist again. It looked like a violent transformation was beginning.

Then, like a balloon inflating, his body rapidly grew. It looked like it might explode at any moment, as if more flesh was being added to his form.

Sssssshh-! Fwoomph-!

“Ugh!”

“Aaagh!”

In the midst of this, tendrils sprouted from his body and began to pierce the soldiers.

His appearance was so grotesque that even the subjugation team hesitated for a moment.

“Ugh….”

“Damn it, that’s really making me want to turn off the game.”

Once his transformation was complete, the sight was grotesque. A massive mountain of red flesh, with hundreds of writhing tendrils growing all over.

It was as if he had stepped straight out of a grotesque video game.

His disgusting appearance crushed the morale of the subjugation team.

Then, Belled spoke.

“You are particularly annoying.”

“!”

Dozens of tendrils shot toward Hanbyeol. She was able to cut a few, but with so many of them, her limbs were soon bound.

Perhaps it was because it was the second phase, but each tendril felt far heavier than before.

Hanbyeol’s body was slowly being lifted into the air by the tendrils.

“Ugh, let go of me!”

“You’re especially going to be executed as an example. Let’s see... how should I kill you?”

The tendrils tightly coiled around her body. Thin tendrils climbed up her thighs, while thicker ones pressed against her chest and pelvis.

Whether it was due to disgust or pain, Hanbyeol’s face twisted in discomfort.

“Ugh…!”

“Should I shove a tendril into your mouth and tear you apart from the inside? Or should I strangle you until you suffocate? Or maybe, I could put you inside my body and torment you for days. What do you think, huh?”

Screeeech!

In an effort to terrify her, one of the grotesque tendrils tore through her tight clothing.

Although her outfit looked thin, it was made from the hide of a high-level monster, so it was incredibly tough. Yet, the tendril tore through it without hesitation.

Because of this, Hanbyeol couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear. It meant that if the demon chose to, her body could be torn apart just as easily.

Just as the situation began to grow more dire, a voice cut through the tension.

“Oh my, what’s going on here…?”

In the middle of the tense silence, a relaxed male voice echoed.

Hanbyeol reflexively looked toward the source of the voice. Yor was walking toward Belled nonchalantly.

“C-Can you please get me down already…?”

Last time, she had been carried by the editor in the princess carry.

I blushed deeply as I placed Haneul back on the ground. She seemed quite embarrassed, darting into the crowd as soon as I set her down.

She must have been really embarrassed by the situation, considering she had been carried.

I drew my spear and stared ahead.

‘I knew it was dangerous, but I rushed here in haste...’

It was definitely a critical situation. Belled had grown unusually large and far more hideous than before. Hanbyeol, in a different sense, seemed to be in danger too.

“Ugh...! Help!”

Her voice was frantic as a tendril, which seemed particularly unpleasant, wrapped around her chest.

“Ugh... Come on!”

I couldn’t just stand here and do nothing. It was a sight I never imagined I’d see, but sadly, once I saw it, I had to deal with it.

I stepped forward, pushing aside any lingering hesitation.

“Stop this already!” I called out, feeling a strange chill as I closed in.

The moment I took a step forward, the demon looked down at me and spoke.

“Hm? You’re the same one from before, aren’t you? Haven’t you learned your lesson yet, feeling the fear of my power?”

“You’ve grown a lot bigger. And it seems your arrogance has grown too.”

The demon flinched at the word “arrogance.”

That hit a nerve. It made sense—he was a demon who gained strength by feeding off the fear of others.

I had been thinking about it ever since Barbatos’s hint, and no matter how much I thought, that had to be the key. This demon’s arrogance fueled his strength, and if that arrogance went unchallenged, he would only grow stronger.

‘It’s not just that.’

As I approached, I noticed a subtle prickling sensation across my skin. Last time, I thought it was just the tension, but now I realized it was something more. The demon had the ability to manipulate the atmosphere to create fear.

It was going to be incredibly difficult if I didn’t figure this out. If I gave in to the pressure even for a second, his power would feel overwhelming.

And once that weight sinks in, I wouldn’t be able to see him as anything other than a terrifying foe.

That was the vicious cycle at play.

“Be careful, Yor. That guy isn’t someone you can just deal with! He’s not like the demons you’ve fought before!”

Odelia’s warning came from nearby.

Of course, I heard her, but I let it go, focusing instead on the battle. Just as I finished thinking, the demon launched his attack.

“I’m getting tired of this. I’ll kill you quickly.”

From the mass of flesh, a particularly thick tendril surged toward me.

Dozens of tendrils rushed at me, creating an overwhelming visual threat.

But I chose to ignore them.

A single strike to the vital points wasn’t something I couldn’t dodge. Besides, I could regenerate quickly enough to shrug off the damage if it came to that.

And honestly, it wouldn’t hurt that much.

I gathered mana in both hands around my spear.

Swish!

I dodged the incoming tendril, twisting my body and swinging the spear with centrifugal force.

Boom-!

The massive impact reverberated, the sound echoing in all directions like a resounding confirmation of the hit.

The demon’s giant body, as massive as a mountain of flesh, began to tilt to one side.

It was a strangely comical sight as the demon’s body, once so imposing, now seemed off balance.

His face contorted with shock.

“!”

“!!!”

Simultaneously, murmurs of disbelief began to spread among the crowd.