Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game-Chapter 118: Now me too

Anywhere where people gather is bound to be noisy. Even if each person only says one sentence, the noise quickly becomes overwhelming.

The Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t any different. When I first entered, it felt like a marketplace.

Adventurers gathered around the boards to choose missions, while others sat at tables in the corner, casually eating. Thankfully, since this was a guild, there was no alcohol being served.

As expected, most adventurers looked tough. Not exactly menacing, but they exuded a sense of power. The guild had a low entry barrier, so there were plenty of male adventurers as well.

I had arrived unexpectedly, but fortunately, I didn’t attract too much attention. My hood seemed to work well as a disguise.

However, there were a few Gaian adventurers who recognized my companions. They had likely crossed paths with them in the past, as they had been adventuring for quite some time.

Some of them [N O V E L I G H T] called out to my companions:

“Wow, look who it is. Isn’t that Hanbyeol? Long time no see!”

“Who’s that person in the cloak next to you? Hehe, could it be your boyfriend?”

“No, no, what are you talking about...”

Hanbyeol awkwardly denied the teasing, clearly flustered. It seemed my body shape was hard to disguise, even with the hood.

After a brief pause, I headed straight to the guild’s reception desk. My purpose, as mentioned, was to obtain a new adventurer’s badge and find a blacksmith.

“Ah, welcome.”

The receptionist, a woman with a few freckles, greeted me in a rather uninterested manner, her tone flat as if she were bored with her job.

She stood stiffly and asked, “How can I assist you today?”

“I need an adventurer’s badge... and, before that, I’d like to get a blacksmith,” I said, placing a bundle of money on the counter.

Getting an adventurer’s badge was simple enough. Even someone like me, who lived in the woods, could make one. All you had to do was pay a small amount, and you’d get an F-rank badge. You could level it up slowly by taking on missions.

Alternatively, you could pay more money and undergo a skill test, where you’d fight a guild adventurer to determine your rank. I, of course, opted for the latter.

As the receptionist reached into her pocket, she spoke.

“Alright, then, please remove your cloak.”

“Uh... do I really need to show my face?” I hesitated.

“Yes, we need to ensure that no one is stealing an adventurer’s badge. Guild members should know your face and name,” she explained.

I sighed and slowly removed my hood, revealing my face, which had been concealed in shadows. The receptionist’s eyes widened in shock. She took a quick breath, clearly surprised.

After a brief moment of silence, I urged her, “Are we done with the registration?”

“A-ah, yes, of course...” she stammered and resumed her work.

However, just as I thought everything was in order, an unexpected commotion began.

“Hey, wait a second, look over there!”

“What, what’s going on? I’m eating...”

“What’s that? Haven’t seen that face before. Is he here to become an adventurer?”

“Is that even important? Damn, look at his face. He looks like he’d be fun to put in bed...”

The mercenaries eating nearby were whispering to each other, commenting on my appearance.

“Wait a second... isn’t that Yorl?”

“Wait, really? Why is this NPC from the forest here?”

I heard a few adventurers from another world recognize me. They were trying to be subtle, but with my enhanced hearing, I could catch every word.

I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

‘Ah, this popularity...’

This is exactly why I had been wearing a hood, to avoid drawing too much attention. However, the reactions were mostly positive, so I wasn’t too displeased.

But that didn’t last long. As soon as the otherworlders recognized me, Gaians started asking questions about me.

“Who’s that guy? I think I know him.”

“Is he well-known among otherworlders?”

“Well...”

The otherworlders began to explain who I was. After all, news about me had spread throughout their ranks, so it was only natural they’d talk. As expected, when the Gaians heard the words "demon’s blood," their expressions changed.

“What? Demon’s blood...?”

Their expressions turned hostile at the mention of it.

“Damn... does that mean he’s an awakened one? How has he survived this long?”

“Shouldn’t we just take him out now?”

“Eh? No, no, it’s fine. I heard he’s been recognized by the emperor...”

“Yeah, maybe the emperor was just temporarily out of his mind! How could they just leave someone like that alive, who could explode at any moment?”

Their voices became more heated, and the mood in the room shifted from curiosity to outright hostility. I could feel the tension building as adventurers began subtly caressing their weapons, eyeing me warily.

My companions must have noticed the change as their expressions grew more serious as well.

In the midst of this, I calmly turned to the receptionist and asked, “Is everything ready?”

“Yes, yes, your name is engraved on the badge,” she replied, showing me the adventurer’s badge. It was the size of the palm of my hand, with my name etched neatly at the bottom.

However, there was no rank displayed in the center, which meant I hadn’t yet taken the skill test.

The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

“You’ve paid the extra fee, so you’re planning to take the test, right?” she asked.

“Yes. But how do I get assigned an adventurer to fight?” I asked.

“We usually assign guild adventurers for the test, but sometimes you can pick your opponent. However, they must be strangers, no collusion,” she explained.

“That sounds good. I’ll go with the second option,” I said with a smile.

I then turned to the adventurers, raising my voice just enough for everyone in the guild to hear.

“Hey, no need to whisper behind my back. If you have a problem, come and face me.”

There was an immediate silence. Everyone in the guild, from adventurers discussing missions to the receptionist, stopped what they were doing and focused on me.

The atmosphere grew tense as adventurers and otherworlders alike sized each other up. Some of the more daring adventurers even clenched their weapons.

I felt the shift in the air, but I didn’t let it faze me. I was already used to being a target.

“I’m giving you an opportunity. My weapon broke recently, so if you want to fight me, I’ll fight you bare-handed. If you win, maybe there’s a reward for you.”

The challenge was met with a few murmurs. No one rushed toward me immediately, likely because the pressure of being part-demon kept them at bay.

One adventurer finally spoke up.

“Hey, Hanbyeol, you’re an A-rank, right? Shouldn’t you fight him instead?”

Hanbyeol laughed and shook her head. “Me? Nah, I’d rather not. I don’t feel like fighting.”

Despite her rejection, the challenge had been made, and the tension in the guild room continued to simmer. It was only a matter of time before someone took me up on the offer.

“Fine. I’ll step up,” a voice said.

A woman with a spiked mace stood up. She was wearing thick armor and looked ready for a fight.

“Alright, Bepuri! Show him what you’ve got!” her friends cheered.

Clearly, she was well-known, judging by the excited reactions from the crowd.

I raised an eyebrow, impressed by the enthusiasm. Hanbyeol quickly filled me in.

“She’s from the Iron Guardian Clan. Heard she’s on her way to becoming S-rank soon.”

I smirked. “Sounds like a flashy clan, but they probably don’t live up to the name.”

I stepped forward.

The crowd parted, and a makeshift arena quickly formed as Bepuri spun her mace, preparing for the fight.

“Well then, let's see what you've got.”

Even though the emperor gave me a badge of status, it was a radical choice. It wasn’t something that was announced to the world.

Even among the numerous nobles who were around the Emperor, there was a lot of opposition, so how much more so among the common people?

It was only natural that they would immediately be on guard and draw their weapons.

I had a vague idea of ​​that in my head··· but experiencing it firsthand was a bit bitter.

But that was it, I didn’t worry or anything more. I already knew how to overcome this situation.

“Why do you say we should catch him because he could explode at any moment? Why wouldn’t we catch him when he’s right in front of us?”

We can just suppress him with force. That’s how we defeated the Knights.

After all, I’ve already earned the Emperor’s approval.

So what are we going to do if a few mercenary rascals complain?

“Ugh.”

“That guy···!”

The enemy’s voices could be heard from everywhere. Regardless, I continued to speak to the adventurers.

“No, you could say it was an opportunity. The weapon I was using just broke. If I’m going to fight, I have to fight with my bare hands. If you catch me, you might get a reward.”

He continued to provoke me several times. However, no one rushed at me as rashly as I thought.

I don’t know if the fact that it was the devil’s blood put more pressure on me than I thought, or if the adventurers were being cautious.

In the middle, one adventurer shouted at one of my party members.

“Hey, Shinhanbyeol, you’re an A-class! Then shouldn’t you be the one to take the ranking test?”

“Me? Phew, why me? I don’t want to get hit.”

Of course, she snorted and refused.

But.

“······No, if it’s true, it seems better than I thought.”

···For a moment, I heard a strange muttering, but I ignored it.

Since it’s something only I, with my sensitive hearing, can hear anyway, I have to respect it.

“What a disappointment. I didn’t expect anyone to come out like this. Are you scared of one ‘man’?”

“What?”

“This guy···!”

Still, the last words must have been quite scratchy. Finally, one person stood up.

“I’ll come out.”

She was a rather grumpy-looking woman. She was holding a Morning Star in one hand and wearing thick armor.

As she stood up, there were reactions from those around her.

“Okay, Beppri! Leave me alone!”

“I can trust you! Let’s go! If we win, I’ll treat you!”

Judging by the enthusiastic reactions, it seems like she’s somewhat famous.

As I tilted my head for a moment, Haneul, who was watching the situation blankly from the side, explained to me.

“The famous vanguard of the Guardians of Steel Clan... I heard that in a few more years, you’ll be able to reach S-rank.”

“What a grandiose clan name.”

It’s been a long time since the grandiose name meant that there was no substance.

I calmly took a step forward.

The crowd’s attention turned to me. The tables were cleared, and in an instant, something like a stadium was created.

I could sense the receptionist in the distance being embarrassed, but the adventurers’ enthusiasm was already uncontrollably overheated.

The person called Befri spoke as he turned the Morning Star around.

“I don’t give a shit because I’m a man. Hehe, I’m actually looking forward to it. You’re crying with a fractured face. How about now? If I get down on my knees and beg for mercy, maybe they’ll let me.”

“You have the same taste as me? I kind of like that kind of thing too.”

The Morning Star was huge and heavy at first glance. It was hard for most people to lift. Compared to the opponent who wielded such a vicious weapon, all I had was my body.

Honestly, I had other weapons in my pocket, but I didn’t really think about taking them out.

‘Enough.’

I drew up my mana. Then I lightly lifted my fingernail and cut my skin.

A little blood leaked out along with a stinging pain.

I wrapped the red blood that leaked out around the tip of my fist.

It was a small wound, so the amount of blood that came out was insignificant, but there wouldn’t be much difference in terms of strength.

“Die!”

The battle was over in an instant.

The guy who noticed what I was preparing rushed straight to me.

The heavy Morning Star swung down from above.

And as always, if you saw and recognized it, you could respond.

I walked forward one step and lightly turned my body to the side.

The Morning Star flashed past me and stuck in the ground.

Kwaang-!

“Oh, no, the ground!”

The receptionist's voice could be heard from far away, but let's ignore it for now.

The guy used up his turn, so it's my turn now. I punched him in the face with all my might.

Boom-!!!

His face caved in with a dull sound.

Even then, as if he still had energy left, his head bounced once on the floor like a basketball.

After that, he fell down like a corpse. That was the end.

The battle ended in an instant, just as it had started suddenly.

"······."

"Uh······."

In the shocked silence of the crowd, I calmly said.

"Am I now an A-class adventurer?"

No one answered.