NOVEL WEB Chapter 3
There’s a term called “map exploration.”
It refers to the act of traveling through the worlds in games and enjoying stunning sights or discovering hidden elements.
Among them are map explorers, individuals who hardly enjoy the actual gameplay but only focus on exploring the map, and [Demon’s Saga] was no exception.
In fact, it was even more common due to being a virtual reality game. The outstanding graphics and vast world made it fun just to look around.
Despite the penalties of losing experience points upon dying, losing some items, and being unable to log in for a certain period, many players headed towards high-level zones just to explore the map.
One such place was the forest named “Forbidden Forest,” located next to the Empire.
It was a significant high-level zone, but quite a few people enjoyed the thrill of the forest and monsters.
Then, during a typical map exploration, a user posted about discovering something strange.
And that post sparked discussions on the board for quite a while.
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[Isn’t that a hidden NPC?]
There are many hidden elements in this game.
Could that be an NPC secretly hidden by the creator?
Maybe it’s a native living in that forest…
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[Does that even make sense?? Why would the developer hide an NPC there out of nowhere?]
[Seriously? That monster level is insane. Would a person even survive there? The paths look complicated, which makes living there seem tough.]
[This game is strict about continuity. For someone to live in such a forest, they must have a good reason or be strong enough. And judging by the silhouette, it looks like a guy… Is there really a reason for a guy to live in such a barren environment?]
[For real, if I were a guy, I’d just suck blood from the ladies in the city, hahaha.]
[True, haha.]
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[It’s probably a mistake or a composite image.]
I don’t know what it is, but the poster really knows how to attract attention;
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[For real, haha.]
[It’s 100% composited. That guy probably faked it for clout.]
[Or maybe they just mistook something? It could be another object that accidentally looks like a person.]
[But the silhouette looks too human for that?]
[That’s true…]
[Maybe it’s a ghost? The spirit of a man who died in the forest is appearing in the photo! omg.]
[OMG.]
[So it turns out to be a horror story, huh? hahaha.]
All sorts of speculations arose.
NPC, composite, or just a horror story, etc. The mysterious photo taken in the forest was enough to catch people’s attention.
The best way to confirm would be to go and check it out yourself, but unfortunately, there wasn’t a single high-level player capable of hunting in the “Forbidden Forest.”
As topics on the internet often do, this one quickly reached a half-conclusion of being either a composite or a horror story and began to fade away…
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[But how weak was that guy to die to just a wild boar?]
What level was he at, lol?
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[Maybe around level 15?]
[15? LOL.]
[What a noob, haha.]
[And that’s why map explorers are such a joke…]
[It clearly seems like his diffusion rate was as low as a lame loser.]
[Yo, do wild boars look that weak to you, you idiots?]
In the end, only the poster was mercilessly roasted.
*
I secured the wild boar. There was no need to exert much effort.
The normal one, not mutated, could be taken down with just a single swing of my spear.
“Guess I can head back slowly.”
It’s a shame she died, but I managed to secure some food thanks to it. Now all that’s left is to move the captured prey to my dwelling…
“…Huh?”
Just then, while I was thinking that way, something unusual happened to the woman’s corpse.
What looked like a cold corpse began to glow gradually, slowly vanishing her away.
The particles of light flying up into the sky looked almost beautiful at first glance. All that remained was her clothing, which appeared to be of little significance.
Of course, witnessing that right in front of me left me utterly dumbfounded.
“…What the hell?”
Is this a real thing?
Do people turn into light particles and ascend to the sky when they die?
That can’t be. Even though I haven’t seen many dead bodies, others remained as they were.
So what I saw was clearly a strange phenomenon.
“What is going on…?”
Thanks to that, I had no choice but to stay dazed for a while.
*
Two months passed since then.
Having salted the wild boar meat, I managed to uncover the mystery behind the strange occurrence from a few months back.
I had gone to the city once during those two months.
It seemed this information was widely spread, as even the shady traders in the back alleys didn’t charge me for the info.
“—Hey, you didn’t know that? Were you lurking in a closed-off section of the forest?”
“Hahaha…”
“Seriously, no matter the excuse, you are way too slow on the uptake…”
“What’s the information fee?”
“Forget it. It’s common knowledge; why would I charge for it?”
“Surprising. I thought here people did anything for money.”
“You bought a lot of items. With that much, I can afford to be a bit generous. Well, if you’re really grateful, you could let me take a look at those goods, hehehe…”
In the end, I tossed a small tip to that information broker, but that was just a trivial matter.
Anyhow, the information I got was rather shocking.
Apparently, Otherworlders have appeared in this world.
They’ve come from another realm, and when they die, their bodies don’t remain, and they can resurrect after a few days. This was the case for the Otherworlders.
And it wasn’t just a single digit; thousands upon thousands had appeared at once.
It was such a huge event that even distant rural areas were aware of the news.
I was the only one who didn’t know, being in a truly isolated region.
Thanks to that, the world was filled with chaos for a while, but after some time had passed, it seemed everyone had adapted to the situation to some extent.
The rapid actions of the government played a huge role in this, and thankfully, most Otherworlders were peaceful.
Of course, countries had a mountain of issues to tackle, but that was a story from a different world for me.
After hearing it all, I slapped my forehead.
‘So that’s what it was back then.’
Now the puzzle pieces are falling into place.
No wonder they seemed to treat lives so carelessly; it’s because they can resurrect anyway.
Resurrection? That’s totally OP.
“Ah, so that’s why I should have used my skill back then…”
After finishing the trade, I found myself walking back to the forest, lost in thoughts.
I think I now have an idea of how to use the “Player’s Eye” I obtained last time.
I should use it when I’m not alone but near Otherworlders.
After all, I’m seeing through the Player’s Eye, not my own.
Now a question arises.
What exactly are Otherworlders?
Who are they, and how did they arrive here?
And where did they come from?
If I think about it, I too am an Otherworlder. I’m not the human who lived here originally; I’m a human reincarnated after dying.
If they are of a similar sort…
‘Should I meet them…?’
A tempting thought crossed my mind. But soon, I shook my head.
No, I shouldn’t. It’s better to keep my curiosity as curiosity.
There’s no way I could meet someone who doesn’t even have proper information, let alone those who are interacting with various nations.
If they get to know the concept of “Demon’s Blood” and start to see me as an enemy, I might get into serious trouble.
Let’s remember. I am a criminal forever exiled from society.
And the shackles binding me are none other than the blood flowing through my veins.
So, let’s not be reckless and continue to keep a low profile from now on.
“Ha… Ah.”
As I thought all this, a sigh escaped my lips, and I could see my breath in the cold air.
It was a sign that it had gotten rather chilly. Winter was slowly approaching.
Although Demon’s Blood increases my survivability, it doesn’t turn me into an invincible being immune to the cold.
“I guess I need to start gathering firewood soon…”
Maybe I should stock up on food as well, just in case.
Sorting through various thoughts in my mind, I returned to the cave.
As usual, the inside of the cave was dark and lonely.
…And again, two months went by.
*
“Yoo Hah! Nice to meet you, everyone!”
If playing a game is possible, then it’s also possible to enjoy watching the gameplay.
Especially in a game like Demon’s Saga, which has a very high degree of freedom, it was also possible to create various contents through various play styles.
Monster strategy, raids, user PVP, wooing NPCs, map exploration, and all that…
Yu Chaerin, a broadcaster from Piriri, was also one of those who primarily focused on such Demon’s Saga content.
The moment she started her stream, chat messages poured in.
[Hi hi]
[Your energy seems high today, haha.]
[What are you going to do today?]
[Please don’t tell me you’re grinding today again?? Not another hunting grind, right??]
[Stop the grind already! It’s getting boring. Master should try something different with other streamers too…]
[Our master is too nerdy for that, haha.~]
“Ah, don’t worry everyone! I’m not hunting today.”
[Oh]
[Really?]
[Then what are you doing?]
“Don’t be surprised. Why do you think I’ve been raising my level so much?”
With a bright smile, she revealed a skill she recently learned upon reaching level 66.
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[Invisibility]
Having faced numerous opponents, you now know how to evade their sight.
Casting this skill, your body merges with the surroundings.
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[Oh, hahaha.]
[That’s a total peeping skill, omg.]
[That skill must require a lot of skill points. Did you grind just to learn that?]
[I knew the master was shady, but I didn’t expect this level of it…]
[I’m disappointed… Chaerin.]
“It’s not for that reason! I learned it for new content!”
As the chat turned more chaotic, Yu Chaerin hurried to clarify.
“Everyone’s been asking for map exploration content, right?”
She continued her explanation.
“But most places have been explored by others already. So I wanted to go somewhere not easily accessible to everyone.”
“So where are you planning to go today?”
She unfolded a map and pointed to a large, massive forest next to the Empire.
“Today, we’re entering the Forbidden Forest.”
One that hasn’t been properly explored before.
Or rather, even if it had been, most couldn’t go beyond the middle layer and ended up dying. One of the high-level exclusive maps.
“We’re going as deep as possible.”
Exploring the Forbidden Forest.
That would be her main content today.