Chapter 3
There's something called map exploration.
It refers to traveling through game worlds, sightseeing beautiful scenery and searching for hidden elements.
Among players, there were those known as map explorers who didn't properly enjoy the actual game and only explored maps - and [Demons Saga] was no exception.
No, there were actually more of them because it was a virtual reality game. The stunning graphics and vast world were enjoyable just to look at.
Despite penalties like experience loss, partial item loss, and temporary login restrictions upon death, many players still headed to high-level zones just to sightsee.
The forest next to the Empire, known in-game as the 'Forbidden Forest', was one such place.
Though it was quite a high-level zone, there were plenty of people who enjoyed the thrill of forests and monsters.
Then one day, during normal map exploration, a user claimed they discovered something strange and made a post about it.
And because of that post, the forum was filled with discussions on the topic for quite a while.
+
[Could it be a hidden NPC?]
This game has lots of hidden elements
Maybe it's actually an NPC secretly placed by the developers?
Like maybe a native who lives in that forest...
+
[Does that even make sense?? Why would devs randomly hide an NPC there, I don't get it]
[ㄴ fr how could anyone live there with such high-level monsters? Looks like a pain to live in with those complex paths]
[ㄴ This game is super strict about plausibility. To live in a forest like that would need proper justification. Either being strong enough to survive or having some reason. And the silhouette looked male - why would a guy choose to live in such harsh conditions?]
[ㄴ fr if I were a guy I'd just live in the city sucking blood from women lol]
[ㄴ fr lololol]
+
[It's probably just a glitch or photoshop]
Whoever posted this is really good at getting attention;
+
[fr lol]
[100% photoshopped, they just want their post to trend]
[Maybe they just saw wrong? Probably some other object that happened to look human-shaped]
[ㄴ But it looks way too much like a human silhouette?]
[ㄴ Good point...]
[ㄴ Plot twist: it's a ghost wowow the spirit of a man who died in the forest haunting photos wowow]
[ㄴ *gasp*]
[ㄴ Turns out it was a ghost story lololol]
All kinds of speculation emerged.
It's an NPC, it's photoshopped, no it's a ghost story, etc. The mysterious photo taken in the forest was enough to capture people's interest.
The best way would be to check directly, but unfortunately there wasn't a single high-level player yet who could farm the 'Forbidden Forest'.
Like most internet topics, this one started dying down quickly as people half-concluded it was either fake or an urban legend······.
+
[But how weak was that noob to die to just a boar?]
What level were they even lol
+
[Probably around level 15 I guess?]
[ㄴ Level 15 lololol]
[ㄴ What a scrub lololol]
[ㄴ This is why map explorers smh..]
[ㄴ Bet they had their sync rate turned way down like a pussy wwww]
[Hey ffs don't underestimate boars you little shits]
In the end, only the original poster got flamed.
*
I secured the boar. It didn't take much effort.
Being a non-mutated one, I just had to rush in and swing my spear once to finish it off.
"Thanks to this I can head back soon."
Her death was unfortunate, but it got me food. Now I just need to move the hunted game back to my dwelling······.
"...Huh?"
That's when it happened.
Suddenly, something strange occurred with the woman's corpse.
The cold corpse started glowing with light, which gradually dissolved her body.
The light particles floating up to the sky were almost beautiful to look at. All that remained was some women's clothing that seemed rather useless.
Of course, having witnessed this firsthand, I was just bewildered.
"...The hell?"
What the fuck.
Do people normally turn into light particles and ascend to heaven when they die?
No way. While I haven't seen many human corpses, other bodies stayed as they were.
So what I just saw was clearly an anomaly.
"Seriously what...?"
Thanks to this, I could only stand there dumbfounded for a while.
*
Two months have passed since then.
After salt-preserving the boar meat, I was able to figure out that strange phenomenon.
I'd gone to the city once during those two months.
Apparently the information was so widely known that the back alley merchant didn't even charge for it.
-What, you still don't know about that? Have you been living in seclusion deep in some forest?
-Haha···.
-My goodness, even so, to be this behind on information···.
-How much for the info?
-Forget it. Everyone knows this anyway, what's the point in charging?
-That's unexpected. I thought this neighborhood would charge for anything.
-You bought plenty of goods. That volume deserves at least this much hospitality. Well, if you're really grateful, you could always offer me your body hehehe···
I ended up throwing a small regulation at that merchant, but that's beside the point.
Anyway, the information I got was quite shocking.
Otherworlders had appeared in this world.
People from a different world who don't leave corpses when they die, and even resurrect after a few days.
And not just a few - tens of thousands appeared all at once.
It was such a huge event that even in remote countryside everyone knew about it.
I was the only one who didn't know because I was truly isolated.
The world was in chaos because of it, but apparently people have somewhat adapted now that some time has passed.
The country's quick response was a big factor, and the fact that most Otherworlders were generally peaceful played a major role too.
Of course, countries have mountains of things to sort out, but that's a different world from mine.
After hearing everything, I smacked my forehead.
'So that was an Otherworlder back then.'
Now the puzzle pieces fit together.
No wonder they seemed so careless with their life. They could resurrect anyway.
Resurrection is seriously OP.
"Ah, so that's when I should have used that skill..."
Heading back to the forest after finishing my trade, I thought to myself.
I think I figured out how to use the 'Player's Eye' I obtained before.
It needs to be used when there's an Otherworlder nearby, not when I'm alone.
Since it's seeing through a player's eyes rather than my own.
This raises an interesting question.
What are Otherworlders?
Who are they, and how did they come here?
And where did they come from?
Come to think of it, I'm technically an Otherworlder too. Not a native human, but one who died and reincarnated.
If they're similar to me···.
'Should I meet them...?'
The tempting thought crossed my mind briefly. But I soon shook my head.
No, I can't. Curiosity should stay as curiosity.
I couldn't casually meet people I had no proper information about, especially ones interacting with various countries.
If they learned about the concept of 'Demon's Blood' and started seeing me as hostile, things could get very troublesome for me.
Remember. I'm a criminal eternally exiled from society.
And the shackles binding me are none other than the blood in my body.
So let's stay quiet and keep to ourselves like before.
"Haa··· ah."
As I sighed with these thoughts, breath misted from my mouth.
A sign that it had gotten quite chilly. The weather's cold. Winter was slowly approaching.
While Demon's Blood enhanced survival ability, it didn't make me a superhuman immune to cold.
"Need to gather firewood soon···."
Should stock up on more food too just in case.
Organizing the various thoughts in my head, I returned to the cave.
The cave was dark and lonely as always.
······And another two months passed.
*
"Yooha! Nice to meet you everyone!"
If it's possible to enjoy playing a game, it's also possible to enjoy watching others play it.
Especially with a game like Demons Saga that has incredibly high freedom, it was possible to create content through various playstyles.
Monster guides, raids, user PVP, NPC romancing, map exploration, etc···.
Yoo Chae-rin, a streamer belonging to Piri-ri, was one of those who made Demons Saga their main content.
As soon as she started streaming, chat messages started flowing.
[hi hi]
[You seem extra energetic today lol]
[What's today's stream about?]
[Don't tell me it's grinding mobs again? Please don't tell me it's grinding mobs again??]
[Stop with the grinding already it's boring try playing with people like other streamers...]
[Our streamer's too much of a loner for that~]
"Ah, don't worry everyone! No grinding today."
[oh]
[fr?]
[Then what are we doing?]
"Don't be shocked. You know why I've been grinding levels non-stop?"
She cheerfully revealed a skill while saying this.
One of the new skills she learned after reaching level 66.
+
[Stealth]
You who have faced countless opponents. Now you know how to avoid others' sight.
When activated, your body blends with the surroundings.
+
[oh lololol]
[A skill for peeping wowow]
[I heard that costs a lot of skill points did you really grind just for that?]
[Didn't know you were this perverted..]
[I'm disappointed.. Chae-rin]
"No! That's not why I learned it, it's for new content!"
Yoo Chae-rin, who was gradually being labeled as trash in chat, hurriedly explained.
"You all asked for map exploration content before."
She continued.
"But most places have already been visited by others, right? So I wanted to go somewhere that's not easily accessible."
"So where are we going today?"
She opened the map. Then pointed to a large, vast forest next to the Empire.
"Today we're entering the Forbidden Forest."
Never properly explored before.
No, even those who entered mostly died before passing the middle layer. One of the high-level exclusive maps.
"As deep as possible."
Exploring the Forbidden Forest.
That was her main content for today.