Not Actually an NPC
I'm not actually an NPC, though.
The Five Azure Demon King — usually a silent log of a gentleman — suddenly started spouting nonsense.
My organs are gonna get harvested? What is he even talking about?
Meanwhile, the others were losing their minds, thoroughly scraped raw by the Five Azure Demon King's chat.
"Huh?"
Something about that excuse felt off.
"Five Azure Demon King, are you a person… no, a Korean… wait, are you a hunter?"
Demon King… so like, king of the demon beasts? He's weirdly good at this.
The way he scavenges every line off the internet almost makes him seem human. And the chat speed is fast, too.
"What is it?"
"What's a dimension, and what's a planet?"
So that Red Cloud Silk I got earlier could wrap the entire Earth? The scale is so huge I can barely process it.
"Consequence-free thrills?"
"Why would they come looking for me?"
"What does that even mea—"
"What?"
"What's a Human Pill?"
Do they actually eat them?
No — more than that, there's way too much I don't know.
"Then what's a dual-cultivation cauldron?"
"A sex partner? Like… the one I'm thinking of?"
"Perverts… wait, then what's human-form transformation?"
"You know about the KKK?"
For a moment, I couldn't find a single word.
The people who helped me when I was struggling, who even gave me gifts… grind people into medicine, turn them into sex cauldrons, make them into puppets?
"Five Azure Demon King… is what you said true?"
He was solo-carrying a total rampage. The fact that nobody could even push back made it look like they'd actually done some truly awful things.
"Uh… okay. No, how could they even do that!"
While everyone scrambled to make excuses, the Blood River Ancestor — who had been quiet until now — finally moved.
"Excuse me?!"
No, what's with casually admitting you're a cannibal?
"How long have you lived?"
"Four thousand years?!"
That means he was born around when Dangun founded Gojoseon and has been alive ever since!
My mind went hazy.
"I'm going to live four thousand years? I have no intention of living that long."
"What would you even do living that long? Doesn't it get boring? Are all of you like that?"
The Five Azure Demon King really knew how to get under their skin.
No — this is not the time to be impressed.
"Look, no matter how much you want to live long… you make Human Pills, dual-cultivation cauldrons, puppets? You make those things?"
"No, it's not."
Well, some things do come to mind…
"It's not completely nonexistent, but it's rare. Almost never happens."
"I'm the only cultivator here."
Suddenly I'm supposed to be a king? What?
"Do you know how many hunters there are here? There are tons of strong people."
"Is there even a reason to go that far?"
I couldn't really understand it.
Our values are just too different, I guess?
Isn't it good enough to make decent money, buy some beef, and sleep in a warm house? Why struggle and claw for thousands of years?
It's so long I can't even feel it, but still — going that far just to live a few thousand years?
Our worldviews were completely out of alignment.
As the silence stretched on, Ok Han-bing-hu stepped in — like an adult soothing a child after someone had told them a scary story.
"Huh?"
"Swear upon the Dao? What's that?"
"Heavenly retribution? So it's like saying, 'I'm telling the absolute truth'?"
Is it like swearing on your mother's name?
So cultivators aren't allowed to lie?
Everyone was speaking so seriously that it didn't seem like a lie. Would they really get hit with heavenly punishment?
Still, I'd already gotten the warning from the Five Azure Demon King. If they ever told me to come over — or said they were coming — I could just ban them, right?
If I thought of it as free online lectures, it didn't seem so bad.
"Alright. I'll head to the fourth floor first."
I hurried toward the fourth floor.
🏛 Type: Public Hunting Field
⚔ Monsters: Great Tusk Wild Boars
📍 Floor: 4
"Everyone, scatter like I taught you — run!"
At the hunter's shout, the other hunters expertly dispersed in all directions.
They're moving just like I taught them. At least that feels rewarding.
The hunter who remained was named Han Sung-woo — a bus driver quite popular among newbies.
Other bus drivers rushed passengers straight to their target floor for time efficiency and called it a day. He was different. He carefully explained every precaution and even let them practice on easier-looking monsters. He answered every curious question without a hint of irritation — a best-in-class driver.
And right now, that man was fighting for his life.
"Kh…"
Han Sung-woo was limping away on an injured leg.
Just moments ago, a Great Tusk Wild Boar — a monster Koreans simply called a wild boar — had charged at one of his passengers. Throwing himself in the way to save them had been the right call. The problem was he hadn't fully dodged, and the boar's tusk had torn into his leg.
Judging by the blood soaking through his pants, the muscle was ripped. And unlike wild boars in nature, these things were smart — climbing a tree or hiding wouldn't work. They'd already figured out he was hurt and were slowly tightening the encirclement. Intelligent, troublesome bastards.
At this rate I'm actually gonna end up as pig feed.
He was truly backed into a corner.
Then a small figure caught his eye. Someone was walking up ahead.
Han Sung-woo recognized her instantly.
"That kid…"
It was definitely the NPC he'd seen on the first floor. She'd been so cute that he'd offered tribute a few times while passing by. He'd even taken photos and saved them on his phone.
But her outfit's different? She looks like a real NPC now.
Before, she'd worn clothes similar to ordinary Koreans. Now she had on something strange — fabric that rippled and shifted as if it were alive.
Not the time to think about that.
What rose in his mind instead was a video that had blown up on the Hunter Gallery not long ago — a streamer crying for help, and this NPC unleashing a barrage of fireballs that wiped out a pack of horned rabbits.
Clearly, this was a friendly NPC who responded when you asked for help.
Just like in the video, he shouted desperately.
"Kid! Help me!!"
The NPC's head snapped toward his voice. Then, exactly like in the footage, she started swinging her arms in warm-up exercises.
Identical to the video.
Panic spiked through him. If he waited for her to finish warming up, he'd be dead first.
"Hurry and help! I'm seriously gonna die!!"
At his frantic cry, the NPC stopped mid-motion, pursed her lips — and then:
— Fweeeet!
She blew a sharp whistle.
"What the hell is she doing?!"
In that instant, a dagger shot up from the NPC's robes.
— Shiiing!
The dagger sliced through the air, defying gravity. It swerved and twisted wildly as it flew — a scene straight out of a superhero movie.
Yondu?!
The only difference was the long red thread trailing behind the dagger, like needle and thread. The blade stitched through the air and punched through the boars in a blink.
"Kueeeek!"
"Kwek!"
"Kweeeeek!"
— Charararak!
Nearly ten Great Tusk Wild Boars were instantly reduced to pork skewered on a red thread. Then the line began to retract, dragging the carcasses toward the NPC. The moment the bodies drew near —
— Pop!
They vanished without a trace, whole.
"Yep. Definitely an NPC."
Han Sung-woo stared blankly, then glanced up at the sky. His drone cam was still flying without issue.
Got it all on record!
He could finally settle the raging debate on the Hunter Gallery for good.
As he let out a breath of relief, the NPC approached.
"You okay?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. You saved my life. Thank you!"
Han Sung-woo offered his thanks. But even after receiving it, the NPC just stood there staring up at him.
"Got nothing?"
"Huh? Nothing?"
Ah! The video content flashed through his mind. In the footage, the streamer had handed over an oil pouch.
So I just need to give her material items?
He hurriedly dug through his bag and offered up various junk items. Her expression soured.
"Nothing else?"
She didn't like them. Had the pattern changed?
He searched his bag again. All that remained were four lunchboxes left over after distributing them to his passengers.
Well, they are expensive ones from a proper lunchbox shop…
On the off chance, he held them out.
"This is all I've got right now…"
In that instant, the NPC's previously furrowed eyes lit up, sparkling.
"You're giving me all of these?"
Even her tone of voice had changed.
He nodded on reflex.
"Yeah. All yours."
"Really? Thank you!"
The moment he handed over the lunchboxes, they too vanished without a trace.
She's a real NPC, no doubt.
Han Sung-woo made up his mind — today, he would go to the gallery and end this fight once and for all.