Popular NPC in a Gender-Reversed Game

If there’s one thing that changed with the arrival of spring, it’s the weather.

For one, it’s gotten much warmer.

No, actually, it’s straight-up hot. As time passes, it’s clear that summer is slowly creeping in.

When I think about summer, I can’t help but frown. Maybe because winter here was so short, the summers in this place feel way too long.

Thankfully, it’s cooler than the killer heat back on Earth caused by global warming, but unfortunately, my cave doesn’t come with air conditioning.

You can probably imagine what a problem that is. During summer, I usually stay in my cave without a shirt, or even just in my underwear.

I mean, why wouldn’t I? When you're at home, you dress comfortably, right? And since this cave is my home, it’s only natural I’d do the same.

But this time, that might not be an option. You never know when an uninvited guest will show up at my door. Sure, I’ve camouflaged the cave a bit, but if someone takes a close look, they could easily notice the difference. I can’t help but feel a bit anxious about it already.

‘Well, I’ll deal with it when the time comes.’

For now, I’ve got things to do, so I decided to put that worry aside for later.

One downside to spring is that it’s not just plants that thrive. The animals start to grow too, and with the good weather, monsters also get more active.

Sometimes, creatures from the deep parts of the forest even expand their territory and wander down into the middle layers. It’s rare—maybe something that happens once every few years—but it’s still something to keep an eye out for.

There’s always the chance a dangerous beast like a mountain lord could come down. Though not all monsters are that deadly, there’s no need to go looking for trouble.

So today’s task was reconnaissance. I wandered around the forest, looking for any signs of change. If nothing seemed different, great. But if there was something, I’d at least check to see if it was dangerous.

I walked around the areas of the middle layer where I usually spent most of my time. After a while, I finally stumbled upon a trace of human activity.

Footprints and the corpse of a monster, seemingly slashed by something sharp. In other words, definite signs of people.

Slash!
“Krrrik!”

Following the path of the sword, a crimson line appeared across the goblin’s body. The frail creature couldn’t withstand even a single strike from the assailant’s blade. Yet, despite the victory, the attacker’s face was still twisted in frustration.

Thud!
The goblin fell to the ground with a dull thump, and the assailant spat out a curse.

“Damn it, why are there so many of these damn monsters…?”

This forest was definitely different.
As if to prove it was untamed land, enemies lurked everywhere.

Still, retreating to the upper layers wasn’t an option. The pursuers could be searching there.

“Phew…”

It was an exhausting situation in many ways. She was hungry, her body was tired, and she couldn’t even tell what was safe to eat. On top of that, the stress was building, and… well, her desires were also creeping up.

“Damn…”

But she pushed through her fatigue and kept moving forward. She needed a place to hide, a base where she could lie low for a while. From there, she could figure out how to contact the cult.

It was while she was moving ahead that she noticed something.

“Hm?”

Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of a man. She couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘Wow…’

The man was incredibly attractive.

He had sharply defined features, a strong body visible even under his clothes, and perfect proportions. His aura was slightly intense, but that only added to his unique charm.
A man of such caliber, rarely seen even in a bustling city, had appeared out of nowhere in the middle of this forest.

Questions popped into her mind.
Who is this? Why is there someone here?
Does he live in this forest? Judging by his appearance, he didn’t seem to be from the city.

As she pondered these thoughts, a plan formed in her mind.

‘This is a good opportunity.’

If she played her cards right, she could attack him and steal his supplies. And if he really did live here, she could take over his base.

With that, she hid her presence and prepared to strike. She wasn’t reckless—if he was living in this forest, he must have some level of skill. She waited patiently, ready to pounce the moment the opportunity arose.

But the situation didn’t play out the way she hoped.
He noticed her before she could make her move.

“If you’re going to let your scent of blood leak like that, there’s no way you can stay hidden.”

The man smiled casually, looking directly at her hiding spot.
She was stunned.

‘What?’

How did he detect her from this distance?
She had confidence in her skills, especially when it came to stealth and assassination.

She was, after all, the one who slit the throat of the knight guarding the carriage during the raid.
She prided herself on her ability to remain hidden, yet he had already noticed her.

‘Damn it.’

Tap!
She bit her lip and charged toward him.

She had no intention of retreating just because she’d been spotted. If the surprise attack didn’t work, she would simply overpower him with brute force.

Her sword flew toward the man, Yor.

Unfortunately, the strike was blocked by the dagger he pulled out.

Clang!
Sparks flew as her sword was deflected upward.
She quickly assessed her opponent.

‘He’s strong.’

The sword she was using was a cheap, stolen weapon, but it was still steel. Yet he had easily parried it with a small dagger.

She quickly realized this was not someone she could handle, especially in her current, exhausted state.

Still, she had no intention of backing down.

She had faced many powerful enemies before.
And each time, she had been the one to walk away victorious.@@novelbin@@

‘I just need to find the right moment.’

All she needed was a single opportunity to land a decisive blow.
Even if he survived the strike, it would incapacitate him enough that he wouldn’t be able to fight back.

Clang! Clang!
The sound of their blades clashing echoed through the quiet forest.
She was on the losing end, clearly. Despite the fact that he was only wielding a dagger, it felt as if she were facing a massive greatsword.

Every attempt she made to find an opening was immediately blocked.

There was no doubt—this was a strong opponent. Stronger than she’d expected, at least.

But on the other hand, she was deliberately making it look like she was struggling.

She exaggerated her movements, furrowed her brow, and acted as if she was being overwhelmed. This was to lure him into a false sense of security. As an assassin, she wasn’t great at head-on fights. Her true strength lay in creating unexpected opportunities and striking from the shadows.

And then, the opportunity she had been waiting for arrived.
Yor pushed her back with a strong blow, causing her to stumble.

“Ugh…”

She grimaced, but inwardly, she was celebrating.
Finally, a chance had opened up.

She quickly pulled her sword back and prepared to thrust.
The distance between them was too great for her sword to reach, but she wasn’t worried. Just like she had done when she stole the guard’s key, she had the ability to extend her arm.

Whoosh!

Her sword shot toward Yor.
At first, he didn’t react much, as it seemed she was still too far away.

But what she hadn’t accounted for was this:
Yor wasn’t just a skilled fighter. He was a survivor of this forest, someone who had faced many formidable enemies and lived to tell the tale.

And once you’re aware of an attack, you can always react to it.

Yor’s eyes widened for a moment, and then he immediately raised his dagger to block.
The assailant’s sword reached him.

Clang!
Sparks flew as the weapons clashed.
Her strike, filled with all her remaining mana, was far stronger than any of her previous attacks. It was powerful enough to push Yor’s dagger back, even if only for a moment.

But that was all. If the blow had landed directly, it might have worked.
But once the attack was blocked, there was no way she could penetrate his defense.

Slice!
Yor’s arm was nicked, but her sword was knocked from her grasp, flying into the ground.

“Wow, that last strike was impressive. Most people would’ve fallen for that.”

She was speechless. She had poured all her remaining strength into that blow.
Even though she couldn’t yet create a true sword aura, her strike had been close enough. And yet, he had blocked it so easily.

As she stood there, staring in disbelief, she noticed something.

The small wound on Yor’s arm was healing at an unnatural speed.
And she felt a faint, dark energy coming from him.

She couldn’t help but mutter in shock.

“A… blood manifestation?”

“Hm?”

At her words, Yor’s gaze shifted toward her.