NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5
“What the hell are you?!”
······Yoo Chaerin thinks.
How did things end up like this?
To figure that out, she needs to rewind a few dozen minutes back.
At that time, she was in a rather cautious state.
Perhaps because it was a high-level zone, even mid-tier monsters exceeded her imagination in strength.
Most of them were overwhelming foes, so she had no choice but to keep her stealth activated at all times.
While exploring the Forbidden Forest, she inadvertently stumbled upon an unusually deep cave.
“Oh, what’s that?”
Her initial emotion was, of course, curiosity. As someone exploring the map, she couldn’t help but be drawn to such a cave.
Coincidentally, the viewers expressed the same curiosity.
[Oh, there’s something like that?]
[What is it?]
[Is it a hidden boss room or a place where rare monsters live?]
[Or maybe there’s some special item in there?]
Various speculations were exchanged regarding the cave. In such a situation, her conclusion was clear.
“Should I go in?”
[Okay!]
[Let’s go!]
[Go go go!]
Without hesitation, Chaerin stepped into the cave. The eerie silence and chilling atmosphere welcomed her.
“Wow, this is quite deep…”
As she entered, she and her viewers speculated a lot. A monster’s lair, a hidden piece, a treasure room, or the boss monster of the forest could be inside. However, ‘a person’ was not something she had anticipated.
After all, this was a high-level zone where humans could hardly survive.
So when a silhouette of a person suddenly appeared deep inside the cave, everyone was taken aback.
[?????]
[What is that??]
[Is that a person? Why are they here??]
[Is it an NPC or a player?]
It’s visible. A person, wearing a fur coat, is sitting far away.
Whether doing something or not, a chilling scraping sound continued to echo through the air.
It was quite a terrifying atmosphere, but their collective curiosity proved overwhelming.
[Let’s approach!]
[Hurry up!]
[Get closer!]
“Ah, everyone wait a minute…”
She launched into the chat window to continue speaking.
[Chaerin: I’ll talk through the chat from now on since we might get caught.]
[Just go talk to them!]
[Our host is too timid for that~]
So, she stealthily approached the stranger.
The closer she got, the more clearly the figure became visible.
Dressed in a thick fur coat, the person was sharpening a knife.
Around them were numerous blood-soaked tools, adding to the already morbid atmosphere.
What’s with all those sharp implements? What have they been cutting to make the blades so caked with blood?
[…I can’t talk to them?]
[Would talking get me killed…?]
[Isn’t that a human-shaped monster?]
[No, with the knife sharpening, it’s definitely a person.]
[Oh no no no!]
Yoo Chaerin stopped about 15 meters away, just as the chat suggested.
It was too terrifying.
With the cave’s unique atmosphere, bloody tools, and the chilling sound of sharpening metal—humans feel fear from the unknown.
Her mind was racing with various ominous thoughts.
What if she gets caught?
Even if she lowered the chance of danger, pain could still be felt. Pain that could be quite severe.
She really didn’t want to get stabbed.
[Is that a girl or a guy?]
[I can’t tell because the fur coat is too thick.]
[Come on, get closer! We can’t tell!]
Despite the crowd urging her to get closer, she had her own arguments.
[Chaerin: No, you guys should come over instead; the atmosphere is super scary!]
[We know, but let’s get closer first!]
[It looks like a guy… maybe?]
[Isn’t it just that the fur coat is thick?]
[What if it’s that urban legend?]
[Wow, that might be true!]
[Tibet Fox has donated 100,000 won!]
-Please move a bit closer!
Eventually, only after being motivated by the money, she edged forward.
When hit with money, there’s no choice but to comply. Ignoring such a hefty donation could lead to the viewers’ goodwill dropping.
She sighed inwardly.
‘Huh…’
[Chaerin: Thank you so much for the 100,000 won, Tibet Fox… ]
[lololol]
[Of course you should be grateful! lmao]
[Is that even gratitude?]
[Lol, I see how it is, you wanted money for your bravery!]
Again, she inched closer to the figure, this time to the back of them.
In the middle, she kicked a stone to divert their attention for just a moment.
“…?”
The figure briefly looked around but soon returned to focused on their work.
She sighed in relief to herself.
‘Phew…’
[What kind of horror game is this?]
At about 7 meters away now, she couldn’t advance any further.
Whoosh-!
As soon as she took a step forward, a dagger flew toward her.
It was smudged with blood and looked dull, but it could easily kill someone.
Screaming was the only natural reaction.
“Ahhh?!”
Then, right after, came the sharp spear of the stranger.
Fortunately, neither weapon pierced her, but it was enough to freeze her in place.
···Well, actually, there was another reason for her being paralyzed.
The face hidden beneath the fur coat was finally revealed.
The figure turned out to be a man. With raven-black hair and amber eyes that seemed to hold a slight glow, he was the epitome of handsome with sharp features, contrasting starkly with the menacing atmosphere.
The chat went wild because they were a bunch of guys who were obsessed with ‘men’ in the first place.
[Whoa, d-d-d-d]
[So handsome!]
[It’s a guy!!!]
[Why is a guy in here??]
Normally, she might have stood there, stunned in admiration.
“Hey, what do you want? Are you mute? Can’t you speak? Want me to cut your throat?”
······If it wasn’t for the fact that her life was being actively threatened in real-time.