Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game

The problem that arose when that guy suddenly released three years' worth of power was that it became extremely difficult to continue the battle.

‘It's too hot...’

When the flames only reached my feet, I could endure the heat and keep fighting, but when it reached my waist, the heat became unbearable.

It was tolerable for a short while, but without some other way to protect myself, I would quickly burn out from the heat. What's worse, the guy had become even stronger than before.

“Grrraaaagh!”

A scream suddenly pierced the air. I turned my head toward the direction of the sound and saw Ammon extending his flaming arm to grab the adventurer.

I don’t know how he managed to grab someone with fire, but the result was horrifying.

Sizzle!

A chilling sound followed, and the adventurer was burned to a crisp.

The scream that had been ringing loudly quickly faded, and the shape of the adventurer disappeared into the flames.

“Jackie!”

“Don’t go in! It’s already too late!”

One of the adventurer's comrades tried to rescue her, but was immediately restrained by another adventurer. They must have been close, as the comrade’s face was twisted with anguish.

Time was passing, and casualties were starting to pile up.

‘Damn it.’

I couldn’t help but scowl.

Although I didn’t have much attachment, it didn’t sit well with me when people died around me.

That’s why I started to smash things around me with more force. If I didn’t want to see any more of that, the only thing I could do was to keep moving.

Fortunately, I was able to endure better than others. Maybe it was because blood is a liquid, or maybe the dark magic helped resist Ammon’s flames, but it wasn’t as hot as I had feared.

Even if I did get burned, it was better for me to keep moving, as I could regenerate.

Bang! Bang!

The ground cracked and stone fragments flew in all directions with each powerful collision.

For a moment, I regretted not bringing a mace or a hammer.

While breaking everything, a thought came to me.

‘Damn... should I just hit the core again?’

After repeating this tedious labor, I began to feel frustrated. Earlier, I had simply poked with my spear like a toothpick. It hadn’t made a major impact compared to his massive body.

If I made the spear like a halberd and cleaved him in one stroke, things might be different.

But despite my thoughts, I couldn’t take action.

The enemy’s body was so damn big that cutting it cleanly would require a lot of blood. With no certainty of how long the battle would last, I couldn’t afford to waste my strength on something so reckless.

And before I had to try, I didn’t need to.

Yurgen suddenly expanded the blade of his sword and immediately launched an attack at Ammon.

Swoosh!

With a sharp cutting sound, Ammon’s massive body split in half in an instant.

Even though his body was soft, this was an extraordinary feat of skill.

‘What kind of human is this...?’

However, I couldn’t afford to celebrate just yet.

As if the flames were joining together, Ammon’s body quickly reformed.

“You’re just a pathetic little fool who can't even use fire... how dare you try to slay a king’s body.”

Boom!

Ammon’s fiery fist slammed down. Yurgen easily dodged it, flashing a bitter smile.

“This one’s no fun to fight. If he descends fully, I have no idea how we’re supposed to deal with him.”

I could relate to her words.

I hadn’t let my guard down just because I had heard the word "king," but honestly, this was beyond what I had imagined.

Other demons, even if they came alone, were manageable. But with this guy, even though not all of him had appeared yet, the entire hunting team was putting in all their effort just to survive.

Truth be told, I wasn’t confident about a one-on-one fight. Especially since his power was fire, I really didn’t want to fight him.

“Ugh, if that’s the case, I should’ve just attacked the ground instead. I put some effort into this, but it’s all for nothing.”

As I was thinking that, Yurgen spoke up. She looked a little worn out.

It seemed that the attack she just made wasn’t easy for her either.

Still, it was a decent attempt.

Thanks to that, I had cleanly dismissed the idea of attacking him.

The other members had also been poking at him, and everyone quickly gave up when it became clear it was pointless.

So, I spent a while digging up the ground again before finally retreating into the safe zone.

After moving for a few hours, the heat was unbearable.

If I didn’t rest periodically, I felt like I’d collapse first.

The safe zone that the others had created in the corner now felt like a full-fledged shelter.

Some of the adventurers who had their clothes burned were resting, while the mages were chanting magic spells and setting up barriers around the area.

The knights were periodically stepping up to block attacks aimed at the team.

At least, it seemed that for now, the safe zone wouldn't be breached. I wasn't sure how long it would last, though.

“Yor, you’re back!”

As I entered the safe zone, Chaerin greeted me. She must have arrived here first.

She stopped when she saw me and froze, her body going stiff. But, unlike her, the chat box beside her was filled with much more intense comments.

[Wow lol]
[Why the hell are you watching that? This is basically porn lol]
[Ugh, definitely gonna get a strike for this one;]
[On the contrary, I like it]
[Even a nun would step out of the way for this, haha]

I had a rough idea of why they were acting like this. Chaerin, who had been frozen for a moment, hesitantly asked.

“Uh... Yor, your pants...?”
“They’re completely burned.”
“Then why... why are you wearing that...?”
“...I couldn’t go any lower, could I?”

[No, please just open up already, please]
[Those muscles though... damn]
[How do his abs get so clearly defined?]
[It’s like I can see the outline now... so damn tempting]
[If I could just taste it once, I’d have no more wishes left]
[These bastards are talking like nothing while the manager’s in battle, lol]

As the chat suggested, I was in a pitiful state.

My upper body was almost entirely burned, leaving only scraps of cloth, and my lower half was practically just a pair of underwear made of blood...

I think even primitive people would have dressed better than I was now.

Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing.

No matter how much I was used to it, this outfit was tough to wear. Not only from the broadcast but even the adventurers resting nearby were stealing glances at me. Of course, some of them were knights.

What was even more embarrassing was that it wasn’t just me.

Others had their clothes burned off too. Some of them even took off their armor, and their underwear was burned away, leaving them nearly half-naked. A prime example was Shin Hanbyul...

Somehow, their important parts seemed to have been spared, but it still looked close.

I couldn’t hold back my curiosity and asked.

“Why are they taking off their armor...?”
“They said it’s too hot. Most of it’s metal, and they’re worried their skin will melt.”
“Ah.”

It made sense, so I nodded in understanding.

Then, I started singing the national anthem, which I couldn’t quite remember, in my head.

‘I can’t let Sojung get angry...’

If things grew any worse down there, it would be a disaster.

So, I forced myself to turn my head and look away from the safe zone.

Though the fire made it hard to see, I could still get a rough sense of how the battle was going.

A lot of people were still fighting, but a few were frantically pounding at the exit.

Even the most battle-hardened adventurers wanted to at least have an escape route, given how long the fight was dragging on.

At least if they failed, surviving would be a good enough result, and the energy they spent fighting would give them an advantage in escaping.

But no matter how hard they hit, the exit wouldn’t open.

Ammon had probably set up defenses around it, knowing it would be a pain if anyone tried to escape.

I could see the adventurers’ faces stiffen as they hit the passage, but I didn’t keep looking for long.

‘In the end, we’ll win, and that’s all that matters.’

After a brief rest, I dove back into the flames.

Back to the grind.