Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game

"Whoo... this feeling, no matter how many times I experience it, I can't get used to it."

After coming out of the capsule, Chaerin lightly stretched. Even though she played the game every day without fail, this feeling, like her consciousness momentarily leaving her body, was something that just didn't get easier to adapt to.

Of course, she'd never avoided the game just because of that reason.

"Ugh, I'm tired."

Saying that, Chaerin began to prepare her meal.

As her body stayed still, it would have been nice if the exhaustion didn’t pile up, but her mind felt like it had been worked hard, as if proving it when she turned off the game, and the fatigue came rushing in.

Of course, that didn’t mean she was planning on going to sleep already. She still needed to check the YouTube video she uploaded the other day, and there were a few things left to do.

After heating up the frozen stir-fried pork she ordered, she sat at her desk with the food in hand. Then, she immediately logged onto YouTube.

A satisfied smile appeared on her face as she checked her channel.

Since the launch of Demons Saga, Chaerin's channel, which had consistently broadcasted game streams, had recently reached one million subscribers.

One million subscribers!

It was a figure that could easily be considered a major player in the vast YouTube world. Out of the countless Demons Saga streamers, there were only a handful with such a number.

She probably achieved this because she actively participated in the game's events. Thanks to that, her views and recognition had skyrocketed.

But of course, if she had to pick the biggest reason for the channel’s growth… it had to be Yor, the NPC she frequently interacted with.

His looks, his skills, and the fact that he was a Manifestor — he had all the elements that drew people’s attention.

While there may be many who didn't know Chaerin, a million-subscriber streamer, a lot of users were familiar with Yor as an NPC. In Demons Saga, NPCs had an unusually high status.

In fact, unlike most other games, NPCs in this game showed a great degree of autonomy, which made it understandable. Thanks to that, Chaerin had benefited significantly from the influx of new viewers.

Chaerin then checked the video of the Amon Raid she had uploaded. She had already traveled for two weeks by carriage, and her older sister had edited the video.

The video was long, and editing it must have taken quite a while, but... the editing was clean, and the sense of timing was great.

“Really, so competent.”

Chaerin once again felt lucky to have such a capable editor. Sometimes, she wondered if she was overworking her manager... but well, she paid them well. After all, her manager, Haneul, had volunteered to help in the first place.

Anyway, after watching the video, Chaerin checked the comments.

It was a raid involving high-level players, so naturally, many skilled people participated.

Although the battle was fought by directly breaking the altar, the video itself was spectacular. Because of that, the YouTube comments had a lot of positive reactions.

[“Isn’t this almost all NPCs?”] [“Yeah, we’re basically NPCs here, haha.”] [“Why does Aiden look so weak, though? Isn’t his level not low?”]

[“Why does Amon look so hot?”] [“I will always worship you, Amon.”]

[“It looks great, but it’s hard to see because of the fire.”] [“Yeah, seriously, the last phase wasn’t even captured, lol.”] [“Why couldn’t they get the most important final blow scene?”]

[“Why did the editor cut Yor’s clothes burning?”] [“Wait, that happened?”] [“Yeah, yeah, he almost got naked. Why’d they edit that out?”] [“Does the replay still have that? Please, please, please.”] [“It probably got deleted, right? It’d get the channel banned if left in there.”] [“No! Put it back, put it back!”]

Naturally, there were responses regarding Yor as well.

Like the flames in the video, the fact that his clothes burned and were edited out had gotten a lot of attention.

Of course, Chaerin had no intention of releasing it.

If she uploaded it, it would definitely get a strike, and even though Yor was just an NPC, she still felt guilty about revealing such things.

“I’ll just keep it to myself.”

Chaerin thought to herself as she finished checking her channel. She knew the views for this video weren’t bad, so now it was time to explore other places.

If the previous actions were part of her work, now it was purely for leisure.

She entered the Demons Saga community, also known as "Akgal." It was a place with little moderation, where anyone could easily post their thoughts.

There were plenty of idiots and useless threads, but… it had a certain human vibe to it.

[Breaking News) Samsun died while trolling, lol.]

[“I want to try opening the 19 mode…”]

[“Ah, I die fighting monsters, and then I meet my husband after 3 days. Love him, for real.”]

As soon as she entered, countless threads filled her screen. Most were either discussing streams or complaining about events that happened today. Some were even shamelessly posting their desires.

Chaerin chuckled and slowly scrolled through. She knew most of the threads were pointless, but with Demons Saga as a common topic, just browsing felt somewhat entertaining.

Beyond just fun, there was another advantage to the Akgal community. Since there were so many users, quality information was often posted as well. The updates were usually fast, so a quick glance at the threads could give her a sense of the latest major events.

The most talked-about subject recently was, of course, Amon. The demon was a significant event in the game, and many high-level players had participated.

Of course, since it was a selective event, there were few Otherworlders involved... but surprisingly, that wasn’t too big a problem. NPCs in this game were still quite popular.

But not all the trending posts were about Amon. There were plenty of random stories, like a Russian server BJ dating a local celebrity, the Empire finding ways to block the imp pit, or the discovery of the Lemegeton base near a fallen kingdom.

There were also non-game-related stories posted.

[Breaking News) Developers and GM staff are fighting again.]

[“GM Paimon and GM Gaia are having a heated argument.”]

[“Again?”] [“It’s not surprising anymore.”] [“They seem to fight all the time.”]

This meant there was another fight going on at the game company.

Since the game was commercially available, it had its own website where occasional updates were posted. However, the issue was that instead of patch notes, the only thing getting posted there were fights.

Usually, GM Gaia, from the operational staff, would be arguing with developers or server staff.

The operational staff mocked the developers as greedy thieves, while the developers called the operations staff meddling troublemakers.

Of course, users who saw these posts just thought, “Oh, they just don’t get along...” They didn’t know why it had to be posted on the announcement board, though.

“I don’t even know where the company is.”

Anyway, Chaerin continued browsing through Akgal.

[99.9% chance of Grandpas.]

(Photo)

“Hail to your bravery for believing in the 0.1%.”

[“Kyaa~”] [“Big shot, haha.”]

[“Look at that guy’s body; I’d love to devour him.”] [“No, no, that’s real. She’s crazy. Stop.”] [“Wait, for real? Is this not a game?”] [“Seriously, the graphics are so good that it’s hard to tell.”]

In the middle of scrolling, someone had posted a male model photo...

“Hmm... is that all?”

Honestly, Chaerin wasn’t that impressed. She had seen far more stunning scenes in real life.

Well, technically, they weren’t real, but since they were almost identical to reality, let’s call them real.

With a strange sense of superiority, Chaerin scrolled past the post.

[“I’m quitting the game.”]

There was also a post like this.

“The game is still fun... honestly, who wouldn't enjoy this? But I feel like it’s pulling me away from reality.”

“I’m quitting the game and going back to studying TOEIC and preparing for employment.” “I’ll come back if I ever feel like it.”

[“You can’t avoid real life, yeah.”] [“Good luck, take care.”] [“Don’t come back until you settle down and let the NPCs know why.”]

“Hmm…”

Chaerin muttered as she saw the post. It was a common sight these days.

This game had many streamers, but there were also a lot of people just playing for fun. However, not everyone made a living from the game.

The game was still fun, but it wasn’t like everyone could pour their entire life into Demons Saga.

Chaerin couldn’t help but feel a light sense of melancholy when reading posts like that.

Quitting Demons Saga wasn’t just about stopping a game; it meant severing relationships, even the connections with NPCs.

NPCs felt like real people, and the AIs still ran when the game was off... so it wouldn’t be easy to let go.

“I’m glad I’m a game streamer.”

Game streaming is truly a blessing.

If not for that, she might have to face such dilemmas as well.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

When she thought about how she might distance herself from NPCs because of real life... it would have been so sad, especially when thinking about her relationship with Yor.

However, despite this relief, a faint sense of unease bubbled up inside her.

“But can I keep living like this?”

She was fine for now, money-wise.

But it was the relationships that concerned her.

As her relationship with NPCs grew closer, she felt like her real-life relationships were becoming more distant.

It wasn’t just her own anxiety; considering there were users who even married NPCs, it seemed like a common concern.

In fact, she didn’t find it hard to understand why some users married NPCs.

As she had said many times, the NPCs in this game felt like real people.

You could talk to them anytime, and even when the game was off, they’d keep going and sometimes even surprise the users.

In fact, sometimes when Yor asked about her streams, Chaerin was taken aback.

When he, a character in the game, mentioned something like "broadcasting," it felt so jarring.

No matter how advanced the AI was, wasn’t it too surreal for him to casually break the fourth wall like that?

“Eh, whatever.”

Chaerin sighed and decided to forget about her future concerns. She turned off her computer and lay down on the bed.

She wasn’t planning on getting out of her comfortable situation right now… although she did feel like she was playing 19 mode too much.

“I wish Yor would come out into the real world.”

She occasionally had such fantasies.

She imagined him, who only existed in the game, suddenly coming into the real world and having fun with her.

Then, they’d go to an amusement park, eat delicious food, and show him the greatness of modern civilization.

“Heh.”

Of course, she knew it was an unrealistic dream. It was never going to happen.

She wasn’t stupid enough to believe the game was real.

After briefly indulging in her feelings, Chaerin fell asleep.

And then the next day.

"Ah, now that I think about it, show me the chat window."

"Yes, yes...?"

As soon as she entered the game, Chaerin heard Yor’s shocking words. He broke the fourth wall even more forcefully.