Chapter 10
Wow shit, that scared me.
Someone suddenly struck my head, making me wonder what was going on.
Fortunately, they didn't hit too hard - otherwise it might have really hurt.
Huh? Shouldn't I say I almost died in situations like this?
Sorry, but my head is quite sturdy. It won't die easily from a normal hammer.
You'd need quite a bit of force for a one-turn kill on me.
To be honest, I was fully conscious even when I first got hit in the head.
I just pretended to be knocked out to make them lower their guard.
This wasn't my first rodeo, though I'm not proud of it.
Just because it's a dangerous forest doesn't mean people won't come looking, and those who do tend to be quite capable.
And among those types, some were after the bounty on my head or my body itself.
Damn, I wasn't even twenty back then. Those disgusting pedophiles.
... Anyway, back then, skill alone wasn't enough to catch those bastards.
Had to use every trick available.
In that sense, this "playing dead" trick was quite effective.
When someone stops moving, it naturally makes the opponent lower their guard.
Some even lose their composure and focus entirely on me.
"Haa... haa..."
Just like now. These situations make things easier to handle.
Winter was also an advantage. All I had to do was pull out the dagger hidden in my sleeve and swing.
Shuck!
"Kyaaaah!"
Just like that.
With a bit of resistance, the opponent's wrist was severed.
The opponent was a thief wearing light leather armor. Face... slightly below average looks.
Since that wasn't important information, I immediately pinned them down and started the interrogation.
What's important now is finding out why and how this bastard got here.
"Now, speak. What brought you here?"
"Urgh... ugh..."
"Answer."
Stab!
"Uuuugh...!"
Unfortunately for them, I wasn't exactly a gentle interrogator.
Since ancient times, pain and fear have been the best truth serums. I gave them a little stab in the thigh to demonstrate what awaited if they didn't answer.
Though I don't have much interrogation experience, usually this much is enough to make them talk.
'Hm?'
But their reaction was a bit strange. Instead of speaking, they were waving their remaining hand in the air.
It seemed more purposeful than just a pain response.
Having a hunch, I immediately activated 'Player's Eye'.
Then, a window appeared before my eyes.
[Would you like to adjust the Synchronization Rate?]
[15%90%]
It was the Synchronization Rate adjustment window. Since the skill activated, seems the opponent is also a Player.
Having confirmed this, I immediately pierced their remaining hand with my knife.
"Tsk tsk, bad hand."
"Kyaaaah!!"
This was my first time seeing the Synchronization Rate window, but I knew what it was from Chae-rin.
It's supposedly the degree of sensations one can feel from the game.
The opponent had their rate set to maximum, probably expecting pleasure.
That's why they're in so much pain now. They brought this disaster upon themselves.
Anyway, now I knew the opponent was a Player, an Otherworlder.
"I... I just wanted to taste you... because you're so handsome. I'm sorry."
Maybe it was the third stab that did it. They finally felt like talking.
They spoke with tears in their eyes.
I asked them:
"How did you get here? This isn't an easy place to reach."
"Th-that..."
Seeing them hesitate, I pulled out my dagger and waved it in front of them.
That made them spill everything quickly. The knife truly is the best conversation tool.
"The stream! I saw it in the stream! It showed the location so I looked for it!"
Hearing that, I let out a sigh.
"Haah..."
Right, the stream. I had a feeling that exposure would cause problems eventually. And here we are.
"From how you say 'stream', I'm guessing you're an Otherworlder."
I already knew they were one, but I deliberately played dumb.
No need to reveal the information about 'Player's Eye'.
I asked them a few more things after that. Whether the path here was shown in detail, if they thought others would come looking too.
The one fortunate thing was that they hadn't come knowing about the bounty on my head.
I was an international criminal with even a wanted sketch of my face.
Fortunately, the sketch was drawn 12 years ago so it looks quite different from me now... but there are still some similarities.
Given that their only goal was "to have their way with me", they probably don't know about that yet.
They also said they had to research hard on their own to find this forest.
Seems it's difficult to figure out all the paths from a first-person perspective stream.
[Would you like to adjust the Synchronization Rate?]
[15%90%]
"Ugh! Huu... huu..."
Ah, and I just learned something new - the Synchronization Rate can be adjusted with eye movements too.
Makes sense, you'd be in trouble if you couldn't adjust it while being tortured with your hands and feet bound.
Thanks to that, their pained expression became much more relaxed.
It was slightly annoying, but well. They gave plenty of information, so I'll let it slide.
"One last question."
As I continued the interrogation, I asked what I was most curious about.
"How strong are you among Otherworlders?"
It was an important question. Their answer would determine how I handle things going forward.
If Players were extremely strong, I'd have no choice but to relocate.
While I could probably handle them, there's no need to pick fights. I also had to consider the possibility of them coming in hordes.
But if most were around this level?
No need to move. With just a bit more caution, I could handle opponents of this caliber just fine. Of course, I'd need to be careful during Rage Mode and when facing clergy.
That level of risk was acceptable.
"M-me? Well, I'm actually quite strong among Otherworlders..."
Their answer was somewhat hopeful.
Still, they could be lying, so I waved the dagger near their eyeball.
"Really?"
"Re-really! My level is 79, which is very high among Otherworlders!"
I'm not sure how high level 79 is, but they seemed sincere.
Well, with a knife as a conversation tool, how could they lie? Even with lowered Synchronization Rate, pain doesn't completely disappear.
"Hmm, is that so?"
Hearing that, I smiled slightly. This is considered high?
Seems the Otherworlders' abilities are still pathetic.
That's somewhat fortunate.
This level I can handle just fine. No need to abandon my precious den yet.
Even if they come in groups, that's fine. This forest has natural defenses besides me - the monsters.
"Alright, I'll let you go now."
With that, I pointed my dagger at the now-useless opponent. Seeing this, they asked with fear in their voice.
"Uh... didn't you say you'd let me go?"
"If you're an Otherworlder, you'll revive anyway, right?"
Would I really let someone who tried to rape me go free? Only shame is I can't give them eternal rest.
With that, I stabbed the knife into their heart.
[Critical Hit!]
[Your HP has reached 0!]
"Gurk... N-no! My items...!"
With those words, they turned into particles of light and ascended to the sky. Even the blood splattered on the ground and the severed hand - everything disappeared as if it had been an illusion.
All that remained were the greaves they wore and a high-quality dagger.
Looking at those, I sneered.
"Hmph, how unfair."
I only have one life while they can revive like that.
The way they treat my life as casually as a game character's.
While life is a constant battle for me, it's just entertainment for them.
It didn't leave me feeling particularly good.
*
Even if unpleasant things happen, time flows on.
Every morning, the frost that gathered on leaves slowly melts away.
The bitter winter that penetrated to the bone slowly warms as the days pass. The only things unchanged are the dense trees whose leaves don't fall even in winter.
The season when life hidden in the thawing soil gradually emerges.
It's been 5 weeks since Yor appeared on YouTube.
Winter has gone and spring has arrived.
"...Alright."
Yoo Chae-rin took a deep breath before entering the 'Forbidden Forest'.
It was time to progress the quest her editor had requested - becoming friends with Yor.
Of course, Yor had told her to get lost and never come back, but. She planned to at least try talking to him.
'W-well, he seemed like a nice person despite everything...'
Though he looked scary and was a bit prickly.
Still, he did feed her and let her stay the night, right?
Chae-rin ran some hopium circuits before going in. Without that, she felt she really wouldn't be able to go due to nervousness.
"...Let's go."
Having mentally prepared herself, Yoo Chae-rin stepped into the forest.
Just hours before she would face Yor's weeks of pent-up irritation.