[User A gave 1,000 won]
So stingy, lolololololol.
[User B, I love you, gave 1,000 won]
Is this for real…?
[User C, the completion of Tsubo, gave 1,000 won]
Brother, let‘s just play a survival game. At this rate, I feel like I’ll disappoint you, sob sob.
“These guys don’t know anything. I’m tired of survival games too.”
The gaming room was bustling with activity on the laptop. As the streamer spoke, the donations kept pouring in.
Just by listening, I could picture the situation.
The streamer must have died miserably without even landing a proper shot in a first-person shooting game.
It would be more entertaining to see it firsthand, but that was an impossible task for me.
Still, the fun of imagining was quite satisfying.
“I’ll help you up. It’s time for dinner.”
The caregiver supported me and sat me on the bed.
After placing a pillow behind my back, they fed me something lukewarm.
“Isn’t it too hot?”
“No.”
The caregiver only asked about the temperature, not about the taste.
Of course. I couldn’t sense any taste at all.
My sense of taste was one of the first senses I lost.
Next was my sense of smell, and three months ago, I lost my eyesight.
How long will my hearing hold up?
“Hunter-nim.”
“Don’t call me that. It’s been a while since I escaped from invasion.”
“…San-nim, I’ve prepared the bathwater. Are you ready now?”
“Yes.”
I nestled against the caregiver and entered the bathroom.
The caregiver gently splashed water over my shoulders as they lowered me into the bathtub.
“I saw on the news that not all hunters are suffering from the syndrome.”
Some time ago, the world escaped from the invasion known as the “Trial of the Holy Sees.”
People rejoiced in the restored peace, but not everyone became happy.
The awakened hunters, who emerged along with the onset of invasion.
They suffered from a peculiar illness called “Hunter Syndrome” as soon as the invasion ended. It was a monstrous affliction where their sensory functions, including the senses, deteriorated without any apparent cause.
People speculated that Hunter Syndrome was a kind of side effect.
It was seen as the price humans paid for wielding the power of the Holy Sees.
And indeed, the lower-level hunters had milder or no symptoms at all.
On the other hand, the higher-level hunters experienced severe symptoms.
If Hunter Syndrome was truly the price for wielding the power of the Holy Sees, then it was only natural that I was dying miserably and horribly more than anyone else.
I was a hunter who never let go of the top rank until the end of invasion.
“To provide the greatest help in saving the world is to experience the greatest suffering.”
If I had known this in advance, would I still have saved the world?
“So, Hunter-nim, I mean San-nim, there’s a possibility of improvement…”
The caregiver’s voice distorted gradually. It sounded as if I were hearing it underwater.
It was a phenomenon similar to when I lost my eyesight.
I groped for the caregiver’s arm hesitantly.
“Put my hand against your mouth and speak.”
The caregiver took my hand and pressed it against her lips.
Soon, her lips moved, and I felt her breath.
“——–.”
She was speaking.
But I couldn’t hear any sound in my ears.
* * *
The next morning.
I jolted up from the bed. Goosebumps covered my entire body.
Frantically, I swiped my arms down and shivered uncontrollably.
‘Ouch, damn it! Was I that close to dying? It would have been a disaster if I hadn’t seen it!’
In my previous life, I was blind and deaf, unable to smell. I couldn’t taste anything I ate.
The muscles throughout my body had stiffened, rendering me unable to move on my own.
A life that was no different from that of a living plant.
I begged desperately until the moment of my death.
‘Just let me walk on my own, even just once! Let me see things with my own eyes, have conversations with someone, smell, and taste! Please, just once!’
But luck did not come my way.
I suffocated and died while lying in bed.
I could have survived if only I lifted my head slightly, but my body had become so rigid that I had to die as is.
It was a futile end that had nothing to do with the hero who saved the world.
‘No wonder the food tasted incredibly delicious.’
In my past life, where I had lost my sense of taste and smell, every meal felt like an eraser.
Nevertheless, I had to force myself to eat. It was solely for the sake of survival.
But then, when I possessed Astel’s body and tasted real food, it was truly moving.
“Phew…”
I took a deep breath to calm my startled heart.
My heart was still pounding. The moment of death felt all too real,
‘I thought I was really going to die twice….phew’
The scent of dry wood, fibers, and faint dust tickled my nostrils.
Everything felt fresh again in just one night.
To be able to see, smell, taste, and freely move my limbs with a healthy body was a blessing.
‘It feels like being born again.’
I was tearfully grateful for the fact that I had reincarnated with a perfectly fine body.
I wanted to kiss the cheek of the administrator if they were present, out of gratitude.
At the same time, I also felt an intense disgust towards that face.
‘How could I know how I died and still manage to possess another hunter? You, administrator, are you insane?’
Now that I had confirmed the fate of my previous life, a major adjustment of goals was necessary.
‘Farewell to my carefree unemployed life…’
Now was not the time for a carefree existence. It was the time to actively intervene in the destruction.
‘To ensure that the invasion never ends.’
The Hunter Syndrome begins once you escape from the destruction.
So as long as the invasion continues in this world, I won’t have to suffer from the Hunter Syndrome.
‘Yes, in this life, I will be the villain.’
A hero who saves the world? Give me a break.
A life where I‘ve lost my senses and can’t even walk on my own.
Do I really want to experience that horrifying ordeal, feeling like a bug, all over again?
For the sake of this world where there isn’t a single person I want to save?
‘It’s laughable.’
I let out a snort.
‘They say people called Astel a crazy princess, right? Well, I’ll show them what it truly means to be insane.’
And I revised my goals in my mind.
- 1. The invasion must continue, no matter what it takes.
- 2. Hunters who boast about saving the world will be silently crushed.
- 3. Let’s increase our power. We must complete the second awakening.
- 4. Always remember that someone stronger than me can emerge at any time.
After setting my goals, a sigh escaped my lips.
The vanished ultimate technique… Well, let’s just work hard to recover it by gathering points.
Well, even though the reactions might be lacking, I just need to endure it for a while.
However, not knowing the identity of the hero was a big problem.
‘How am I supposed to know who will save the world among all those hunters? It‘s not like they’re consulting with me to make that decision.’
As I was scratching my head, unable to come up with a solution that seemed right.
“Ah…”
A dark red blood dripped from my nose.
It was as if the shock came belatedly as the fragments of the first memory fell into place.
I waited until the nosebleed stopped and then went to the bathroom to wipe my face. It was then that I noticed how surprisingly quiet the dialogue box had become.
“Hole Sees, why are you so silent?”
– Anonymous Holy See: Astel… Are you okay?
– Anonymous Holy See: You died after Channel 32 ended.
– Anonymous Holy See: I knew you had died yesterday because of the possession.
– Anonymous Holy See: I didn’t even know about the Hunter Syndrome…
– Anonymous Holy See: Me neither!!!
‘They didn‘t know? Well, maybe they didn’t even need to know. After all, hunters are like disposable chess pieces to them.’
The reason they cautiously tiptoed around was simple. It was easier for them to manipulate me if they handled me well.
‘For their own amusement.’
I shrugged my shoulders.
‘It‘s in the past. I don’t want to bother with my previous life.’
What I see, the Holy Sees see as well. In other words, even the administrator can see it.
That’s why I have to keep my true purpose a secret until I figure out the intentions behind the administrator bringing me here.
I shifted the focus of attention to the increased number of viewers, which had now reached 27.
It would be awkward if the Holy Sees started prying into what I planned to do in the future.
“That aside, we have many new people joining us.”
– Anonymous Holy See: Yeah, the community went crazy because of you!
– Anonymous Holy See: Clips were circulating, and everyone was flipping out.
– Anonymous Holy See: It went as far as monster grooming, fiercely demolishing a dining table, and even an impromptu rap battle with Dad.
– Anonymous Holy See: There must be a lot of people coming over after watching the clips, right?
– Anonymous Holy See: Honestly, it’s a bit chaotic.
– Anonymous Holy See: Yeah, it’s intense.
This shows as unlocked on the main screen but as premium here. the next chapter is unlocked.
I’m really really grateful to you for letting me know! And very sorry for the inconvenience you had to go through😢 I’ll be very careful next time. Thanks again, Your Grace!
They seem to not care at all that they’ve become a woman. Not sure the genderbend is really necessary