Chapter 13
Attention is a drug.
Whether big or small, humans are creatures that live off the attention of others.
We've lived in cooperative societies since primitive times. Isolation means death.
That's why hikikomori who receive no attention from others wither away, and why you shouldn't worry about celebrities.
Just look at how many people in my time wanted to be on In*tagram or You*ube.
Humans are fundamentally creatures that crave attention from others.
And it seems I wasn't much different either.
No, being someone who had been isolated for 12 years, this kind of attention was bound to feel even more stimulating.
[I really wanna fuck that dog lol]
[ㄴ Has been banned by moderator.]
[Oppa I'll give you money just strip a bit more]
[ㄴ Has been banned by moderator.]
[Damn... I wasn't gonna do it today but]
[ㄴ Has been banned by moderator.]
[Yeah~ ban me moderator you bitch~ I'll just be back in 5 minutes~~]
[ㄴ Has been banned by moderator.]
Look at that, the chat going wild with all sorts of comments just from showing a bit of skin.
A normal 'man' would probably be disgusted by such reactions, but as someone who was originally a Korean male, I found these reactions quite amusing.
How long had it been since I'd shown myself to others anyway?
Even when I went to the city back alleys, I always wore a hood, so there were hardly any chances to get feedback on my appearance.
Sure, I sometimes thought 'I look pretty good' when looking at puddles... but self-evaluations are usually worthless.
But seeing reactions like this... it gave me a slight boost in self-esteem.
"Um, everyone? Please calm down, calm down! Ah, I'll put chat restrictions on for now."
The chaos only settled down after Chae-rin restricted the chat. Around then, I also fixed my clothes. And internally breathed a sigh of relief.
'Well, that's fortunate.'
Though my coat slipped down a bit, at least my collarbone area wasn't visible.
That's where the demon's mark is. Something that must never be discovered.
Sure, I can pass as a normal nature-dweller living in this strange forest now, but once this crimson tattoo is discovered, even I don't know what would happen to my future.
At that thought, a question suddenly occurred to me.
'Come to think of it, what do they think about Demon's Blood?'
Do they know about it?
If they do know, how much do they understand?
Their perception? Would they try to eliminate it on sight like people here, or would they be more understanding as modern people?
There was still so much I couldn't know.
The chat window was too limited a channel to get much information. And directly asking them would obviously raise suspicion.
'I need more information.'
Actually, this was why I agreed to this stream.
While exposing that bastard's true face was important, I was also convinced I couldn't keep hiding forever.
The world is changing.
Just because I hide doesn't mean they'll stop coming to the 'Forbidden Forest'.
They would definitely enter this forest someday, even without me here.
Because to them, this place would be a hunting ground.
Sure, their 'levels' are too low to come now, but who knows what will happen as time passes.
After all, they're warriors of infinity who can control pain and even resurrect.
As long as they're 'Players' and this is a place where they can level up, their eventual influx was inevitable. An unstoppable flow.
If that's the case, I should at least ride that flow.
This isn't a crisis. I'm thinking of it as an opportunity.
That's why I decided to expose myself slightly, ending 12 years of seclusion.
I couldn't keep hiding forever.
And if perhaps, they were even slightly friendly toward Demon's Blood manifestors...
I might be able to secure a new means of survival.
Though it was a bold decision even to me, I thought this was the right path.
'Hah... should've done stocks like this.'
Then maybe I wouldn't have died getting crushed in a studio apartment.
I'd probably be living a sophisticated life drinking wine on the top floor of a Gangnam building.
[But Chae-rin do something]
[Chae-rin... I can't breathe....]
[You played around fine when it was just us... why are you like this now?]
While I was lost in useless thoughts, messages kept appearing in chat.
Seems time kept flowing while I was spacing out.
During that time, that Chae-rin woman seemed unable to say anything, just fidgeting awkwardly.
In other words, she was feeling awkward.
That feeling... I kind of understood. I'd blocked most investigations into my background, and talking to the opposite sex was a different feeling altogether. In my past life too, I'd get breathless trying to talk to the opposite sex.
After that heavy silence, her first words were:
"The, the weather is nice... isn't it? Haha."
[..ha]
[Note... when meeting someone of opposite sex, start with weather talk.....]
[Don't note that shit you might get slapped]
An awkwardly forced question.
But since I was just as awkward, I spoke to her.
"Um, want to stay for a meal?"
After coming all this way to this dangerous place, I should at least feed her.
*
Sizzle-!
"Sorry, all I have ready to cook is salt-preserved meat... or is that enough?"
"Yes, yes! Of course!"
The rich aroma of meat fills the cave. Before us, well-preserved meat is browning nicely. Around it are colorful fruits she brought arranged as decoration.
'Should've brought vegetables too if this was happening...'
She thought while salivating a bit.
Who would've thought she'd get a meal, and meat at that. Like she noticed last time, this person seemed to take meals quite seriously. They say Koreans are people of rice - sometimes she wondered if he wasn't originally Korean.
[Man's a whole provider fr fr]
[From today on Yor is my husband I've decided]
[Did you get the other party's agreement?]
[Wow he's actually good at cooking unlike how he looks lol]
[It's just grilling meat though?]
[You think grilling meat is that easy? lol]
The chat's reactions weren't bad either. Actually, all they'd seen of him so far was getting annoyed, cursing, and making threats... so this reverse charm was quite welcome.
Chae-rin, who was actually being served, was feeling quite good too.
One unexpected point here was that Yor, living in this cave, used an iron pan.
'I definitely thought he'd cook on a stone slab or something...'
This wasn't because Yoo Chae-rin was narrow-minded, but because of how Yor usually presented himself.
His clothes, his living space. Everything gave off a strong impression of being disconnected from society.
So she hadn't expected him to have tools of civilization. Come to think of it, all the blades he had were civilized tools too.
While thinking about this, another question occurred to her.
'Why does this person live in such a remote forest anyway?'
He clearly seemed capable and quite skilled.
She wanted to ask, but remembering getting shut down last time, she held back hard.
Of course, the chat that didn't know this continued debating enthusiastically.
"Alright, it's done."
While spacing out in thought, the cooking finally finished. Well-browned meat is served before her.
Simultaneously, a window appears before her eyes.
+
[Well-Browned Wild Boar Meat]
Very well-grilled wild boar meat. May be slightly salty due to salt preservation.
+
So this was wild boar meat. She thought this while taking a big bite.
Rich meat juices and savory flavors spread through her mouth. Though it was salt-preserved, for her the seasoning was just right.
"Mmm..."
This was the good point of 90% synchronization rate.
While dangerous enough to cause PTSD when used in combat, when enjoying simple content like this, it could provide supreme satisfaction.
Seeing her eating heartily, Yor asks with a slight smile.
"Is it good?"
"Yes!"
"Good, eat plenty."
[fuck]
[Chae-rin you're enjoying the game too much right now tone it down I'm getting pissed]
[Oppa's smile is handsome too...]
Yor enjoyed watching this.
For someone who had always eaten alone, eating with another person was quite rare after all.
Generally, it's pleasing when others enjoy food you've prepared.
After finishing the light meal, Yor went to get tissues to wipe the grease from his mouth.
He gets up and heads deeper into the cave, leaving Chae-rin behind.
That's when he entered his storage room.
"Ah."
He couldn't help but feel disappointed looking at his supplies.
The daily necessities he'd accumulated were starting to run low.
Tissues, soap, dishcloths - everything was close to running out.
Yor scratched his head irritably.
Come to think of it, he hadn't visited the city recently.
It was time to go to the back alleys to replenish daily necessities.
'Ugh, what a pain.'
And for him, this was quite troublesome. Preparing items to trade, carrying daily necessities - it required quite a bit of labor.
And honestly, getting ripped off buying supplies in back alleys didn't feel great either.
'Oh?'
As Yor was feeling tired, a brilliant idea suddenly occurred to him.
'Wait... since she's here anyway, couldn't I just ask her?'
Though she was an Otherworlder, unlike him, she could proudly walk through the city center.
Which meant he wouldn't have to get ripped off buying from back alleys.
Of course, he felt a bit bad asking for errands from someone he'd only met twice... but that could be handled with some extra money. Honestly, that would still be cheaper than the back alleys.
And maybe... he might be able to get some items only available in the city center.
Yes, like the pastries with strawberry jam he hadn't eaten for 12 years!
For Yor, who had deep childhood regrets, that bread was quite important.
"Hey... um, was it Chae-rin? Sorry, but could you do me a favor?"
Having made up his mind, Yor approached Yoo Chae-rin.
Being the one asking for a favor, he was slightly more humble than usual.
As Chae-rin turned with a puzzled expression, Yor continues:
"Could you maybe buy some supplies from the city? And if possible, a piece of bread from a nearby bakery..."
And that's when it happened.
A window appeared before Chae-rin's eyes.
+
[QUEST - Yor's Errand]
Get the supplies he asked for from the city and deliver them!
Success Reward-???
Failure Penalty - Decreased Affection, Trust
+
"...Eh, ehhh?"
[omgomgomg]
[Quest!! It's a quest!!!]
[Wow lololololol]
[omg oppa what even are you]
For some reason, the chat's reaction was intense.