Chapter 11 : Hostage Situation?! Me?! (2)

“Hello, everyone.”

I bowed my head as subtly as possible, trying to read the room.

As expected, the chat was in complete chaos.

Holy sh*t! Give us Hanseong back!

You can’t trust a monster.

Hey, you fing bstard!

You said you wouldn’t kill him!

You said you wouldn’t!

See, I told you not to come in here.

I even went out of my way to warn you guys while hiring S-ranks left and right, but you didn’t listen.

That’s on you.

I have nothing to be ashamed of.

Choi Hanseong isn’t dead, and I’ll heal him properly before sending him back.

“Whoa, whoa~ Calm down.”

LOL.

He’s telling us to calm down.

Why did you kill him?!

Whoa, whoa?

Is this war?

War?!

F* yeah, let’s go!

This is seriously bad.

Shouldn’t we call for support from the S-rank hunters or something?

Even though I told them to calm down, the viewers wouldn’t stop their rampage.

‘If I get cursed out any more than this, I might actually get hurt…’

I thought I had grown numb to insults in my past life, but my new body seemed to be a lot more sensitive.

It was best to avoid getting cursed at as much as possible.

“No one is dead.”

“I understand what you’re all saying.”

I quickly changed the subject.

???

…?

He’s not dead?

No one’s dead?

What kind of nonsense is this?

As soon as I spoke, waves of skepticism flooded the chat.

My expression almost hardened, but I forced myself to smile and slowly turned the camera toward Sword Ghost.

???

Why is he suddenly showing his minion?

She’s kinda pretty, though.

You think Sword Ghost is pretty?

You’ve lost your mind.

No, but she is kinda pretty.

Have you all lost it?

‘…Get a grip.’

“Sword Ghost, move aside. I think they need to see it to believe it.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Master” LOL.

Wow.

Holy sh*t.

The chat’s atmosphere shifted strangely.

As Sword Ghost, who had been tending to Choi Hanseong, stepped aside, Hanseong’s unconscious form was revealed on camera.

Smiling, I made sure to capture both my face and Hanseong’s peaceful sleeping figure.

“Ta-da! See? No matter what you all think, I did order them not to kill him!”

“Seriously, this is so unfair.”

Realizing I was getting too worked up, I took a deep breath and moved even closer to Choi Hanseong.

“He’s alive. Don’t worry too much.”

I leaned in further so that the audience could hear his breathing.

“See? He’s breathing.”

“…Everyone?”

The chat wasn’t moving.

Why wasn’t anyone chatting?

Weren’t they the ones demanding to see proof?

Ah, so that’s what it is.

I straightened up confidently, puffed out my chest, and smiled.

“You guys aren’t typing because you feel bad for cursing me out, right? Right?”

At least some of them had common sense.

Yeah, if you misunderstand and insult someone, you should at least feel sorry afterward.

Just as I was about to graciously forgive them, I saw the next flood of chat messages and realized I had made a terrible mistake.

They weren’t staying silent because they felt guilty.

????

Explain!

Explain!

Explain!

Please, don’t kill him!

Holy sh*t, is this a hostage situation?!

So now it’s a hostage drama?!

LOL.

😂 😂 😂 😂

A monster is still a monster.

Look at how evil he is.

What do you even want?

This is crazy.

Don’t kill him! Please, don’t kill him!

He’s alive?!

LOL.

???

WTF.

Wow, damn.

It was just chat lag.

For a moment, I felt dejected.

“…Why, why are you still cursing at me even though I saved him…?”

My voice trembled in shock, but the chat’s response was ridiculous.

Stop the hostage situation and let him go!

What about our oppa?!

He’s unconscious in a monster’s den!

I can’t take this anymore.

Knowing he’s alive makes it even scarier.

Please, just let him go.

They ignored my question entirely and just kept demanding I return Choi Hanseong.

I was planning to send him back anyway.

“…I will return Choi Hanseong.”

“This is not a hostage situation, and I don’t want anything from you.”

“At least now, you’ll stop trying to raid our tower, right?”

“We can’t guarantee anyone’s safety beyond this point.”

I bowed my head toward the camera.

“…So…! Please, just… don’t come here anymore!”

“…Thank youuu…!”

Tears welled up in my eyes.

This was unfair.

I wasn’t even a drama YouTuber stirring up controversy.

I was literally begging for my life, showing proof of safety over and over again, yet all I got was more insults.

I finally understood.

I had a weak mental state.

In my past life, I had brainwashed myself into thinking it was okay to be hated because I was just a drama chaser.

But now, I wasn’t.

I hadn’t killed anyone.

I had never harmed a single person.

I had pleaded, begged them not to come, but they hadn’t listened, and now this mess had happened.

This was so unfair.

Was being born a crime?

“…Please, believe me.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Even if the system breaks, I will never, ever leave this place.”

“…I’m sorry.”

😔 😔 😔 😔

Tears welled up in my eyes.

It felt like my very existence was being denied.

Like I was apologizing just for being born.

It was so utterly unfair.

But because I was once human, I understood their fear.

And because I was once human, I craved their trust.

“I’ll end the broadcast now…….”

Even as I pressed the button to end the stream, the chat was still cursing me.

I hadn’t meant to let my tears show, but I think one drop might have fallen right before the screen cut off.

Tonight was going to be a lonely night.

***

Meanwhile, Choi Hanseong.

Choi Hanseong was utterly confused.

“…?”

When he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a hanok-style room.

Not just any hanok—this place looked like a royal palace from the Joseon era.

But the scenery wasn’t unfamiliar.

“…The Nine-Tailed Fox Tower?”

It was the very same room he had seen in the briefing before entering the tower.

The only difference was that all the lights were off, and the room was filled with the sound of a woman crying bitterly.

“…….”

Hanseong silently retrieved a dagger from his dimensional storage and held it in a reverse grip.

He cautiously approached the shaking blanket from which the sorrowful sobs were coming.

‘…What the hell? Is a monster really crying?’

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed multiple fluffy tails sticking out from under the blanket.

They drooped lifelessly, looking unbearably sad.

Get a hold of yourself, Choi Hanseong.

Your opponent is a monster. A beast.

Feeling a momentary pang of sympathy, Hanseong scolded himself and tightened his grip on the dagger.

Then, without hesitation, he drove the dagger deep into the spot where the gumiho lay.

“Haahhh!!!”

“Kuheok?!”

The gumiho flinched.

The crying stopped, and its movements ceased.

“…?”

Hanseong pulled out the dagger and noticed that the blade’s tip was bent.

‘…A dagger made from a dragon’s tooth bent?!’

The dragon dagger he had received as a reward for clearing an A+ rank tower had broken.

And then, just after the motionless pile of blankets stirred, the gumiho lifted the covers and sat up.

As Hanseong swallowed nervously.

“…You’re awake?”

“…What?”

“Thank goodness. I was worried you might have actually become a vegetable, just like the viewers were saying.”

The gumiho smiled gently, her tear-streaked face relaxing in relief.

Hanseong was left speechless as he stared at her.

“…The dagger.”

“Ah, th-this, this is—!”

“…Did you stab me?”

The gumiho gazed at him with an expression of deep disappointment.

“…Yes.”

“That’s really mean.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just go to sleep.”

With that, the gumiho pulled the blanket over herself again.

Hanseong was too stunned to think straight.

‘She’s not going to kill me? Why?!’

‘Would a boss monster really not kill someone after being attacked?’

‘…Is she deceiving me?’

Still confused, Hanseong glanced at the gumiho.

“…I won’t do anything, so please go to sleep.”

“…If you’re worried about my subordinates, you don’t have to be. Since you’re our guest, they’ll treat you with the utmost care.”

As if sensing his apprehension, she reassured him.

“Ah, no, I mean… You’re really not going to kill me?”

“…No. Please believe me. I won’t.”

Her voice was drained of strength, devoid of any hostility.

Before he realized it, Hanseong had already pulled the covers over himself.

‘…What the hell is this?’

Was he dreaming?

With that thought, Hanseong drifted off to sleep.

***

After Hanseong’s survival was confirmed, the world outside the tower erupted into chaos.

[Just an hour ago, Choi Hanseong’s survival was confirmed on the gumiho’s live broadcast.]

[Although his consciousness is unverified, it appears that the monsters have ceased harming him.]

Some people rejoiced at the news of his survival.

Others argued that it was too soon to celebrate and insisted on rescuing him.

And among them.

[The gumiho cried again.]

[Guys, does this make sense?

She cried again.

At this point, let’s just believe her.

Choi Hanseong is alive, and she even bowed and begged.

Honestly, I find it stranger that a monster is intentionally sparing a human.

Let’s give her a chance.]

A growing number of people were starting to believe in Yubin.

The reaction from high-ranking hunters was immediate.

“…Hanseong oppa is alive?!”

“Hyung is alive…?”

“Chanseok oppa! The Master is alive!”

“…What?”

Their initial shock was soon replaced by radiant smiles.

If he was alive, that meant they could save him.

“…Once I’m fully healed, I’m going in.”

“…I’m going too.”

Chanseok and Junghan made their decisions first.

“…Yes! I’m coming too!”

“If everyone’s going, then I have to go as well.”

Even Yuna and Hanyul joined in.

Three days later, on the day of Junghan’s discharge, they resolved to re-enter the tower.