NoveLight ™
Above the Graveyard of Shipwrecks, the body of a hunter, now lifeless, was thrown into the sea. It was the price he paid for stubbornly sticking to an overpowered build, even after it had been nerfed.
What a shameless fool. He should’ve stayed in his coffin once it was sealed shut.
[Victory! You have gained 28 ranking points…]
Alone on the wreckage, I collapsed with a heavy thud, sprawling out as I caught my breath.
How many matches have I played today?
My body felt oddly sluggish, and I couldn't quite remember. It was a sign—it was time to log off. No matter how much you push yourself, the human body needs sleep to function, and mine was clearly sending me a warning.
[System: 47 hours have passed since you logged in.]
[System: Excessive gaming can be harmful to your health. Please consider taking a break.]
[System: Sweet dreams are better when your health is protected.]
Yeah, it was time to log out.
Once I did, the first thing I'd have to do is grab some food. I should probably take my vitamins, too. Living like a recluse for extended periods requires a surprising amount of careful self-management.
But before that, there was something I absolutely had to do.
[Tear of the Black Dragon]
[Item Rank: Unique]
A fragment of a tear supposedly harvested from the fierce Black Dragon’s eye long ago. A dragon's tear can only be collected at the moment of its death, making it impossible to obtain by ordinary means. There are rumored ways to trade it at a temple under the moonlight...
[Acquisition: Guild Quest]
[Usage: Magic Barrier Catalyst]
[Cannot be traded for 120 hours after acquisition (Remaining Time – 00:00)]
[Trading restriction only decreases while logged in.]
[60% chance of losing ownership upon death.]
This was the most valuable loot I had from my last job. A treasure coveted even by entire guilds now rested safely in my inventory. Naturally, I hadn’t returned it to the SSA guild yet.
It was my rightful spoils, after all. Not only had I fulfilled every part of the contract, but I had gone above and beyond. I killed eight out of the ten enemies—there shouldn't be any complaints.
It wasn’t like I had stolen the item. DongmiCham’s assassin had taken it, and I simply recovered it from him. Completely different situations.
Whether SSA would agree with me was another matter. But since I hadn’t heard from them, they probably assumed it was lost.
They likely thought DongmiCham’s crew had recovered it. After all, TorchBearer must’ve only reported the location where the assassin had killed him. Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered chasing after the assassin myself.
But now, the five-day trading restriction had ended. I was free to do whatever I wanted with the item! Still, my hand reached for a name on my friend list.
In this line of work, showing a bit of loyalty can go a long way. Since SSA was my client, it wouldn’t hurt to offer them the first chance to buy it. Of course, they’d have to pay a fair price.
[Whispering to DongjakStationAgent…]
(DongjakStationAgent is typing...)
[You have logged out of Infinity Black.]
[Thank you for playing, Gawol.]
What should I eat today? It’ll definitely be ramen, but even ramen comes in many varieties. And there’s an important question: do I boil it or fry it?
Alright, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll have jajang ramen today for the first time in a while.
Balancing on one leg like a crane, I grabbed the frying pan. I poured in some oil and cracked an egg. Normally, I wouldn’t splurge on something like eggs, but since someone had bought them for me, I might as well use them. After gently frying the egg to perfection, I started cooking the noodles.
“Why do I crave this so much today? I don’t even eat jajang ramen that often.”
I couldn’t quite recall the last time I had real jajangmyeon. Even though I’d eaten instant jajang ramen since my transformation... the two were still entirely different foods in my mind. The flavor was similar but just not quite the same.
While the noodles cooked, I stayed balanced on one leg, although it wasn’t exactly an easy task. I ended up taking a quick break in a chair. Meanwhile, my phone was lighting up with notifications.
[Infinity Black App – You have unread messages.]
[Infinity Black App – You have unread messages…]
I could easily guess who was trying to reach me so desperately. It didn’t seem like just one person based on the number of notifications. Probably the SSA guild master or some other guild officers.
But what can they do if I ignore them? All they can do is tremble in fear, worried that they might miss their chance. And what else can they do, really? I chuckled to myself.
I decided to leave my reply for 12 hours. I wouldn’t break my promise to myself. As much as it pained me, once I finished my meal, I had no choice but to crawl into bed and sleep.
Still... maybe I could take a peek? Just reading the messages wouldn’t hurt, right?
[Viewing messages in secret mode.]
[The sender will not be notified that you have read the messages.]
When I woke up, a strange intuition hit me. There was a demon under my blanket. A demon that had plagued countless humans throughout history. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to ignore it.
It was a pointless effort. The demon that had come to visit me wasn’t one I could avoid by closing my eyes. If anything, ignoring it only made my other senses heighten, amplifying the bad feeling.
The demon that came for me was—something I could never welcome. It was what most of humanity once called a 'curse' or 'divine punishment.' A curse that bled and caused iron to rust, a force that withered flowers.
I nervously pulled back the blanket, and as soon as I did, my strength drained away.
“Great… What do I do now?”
My pajamas, made of light and soft material, were stained red. Yes. The demon’s name was menstruation.
Usually, there were warning signs a day or two before. But I had been so absorbed in the game that I hadn’t noticed. After spending so much time inside the VR capsule and passing out right afterward, it made sense.
At least the blood hadn’t gotten on the blankets. I always dreaded laundry because it’s such a hassle in this body. Luckily, I’d only need to clean myself and change clothes.
“Ow...!”
As I reached into the cabinet for a towel, a sudden cramp hit me, forcing me to double over.
I wasn’t sure if my period cramps were particularly bad compared to others. I didn’t think I was the type to make a fuss, but pain is something you can’t really compare with others. After my body had changed, I was even less certain about what was normal.
Still, it seemed like as my body weakened, so did my mind. When my lower abdomen felt like it was being twisted, cold sweat would break out, and I couldn’t stop myself from letting out groans.
“Ugh... ngh... huff...”
It’s okay. The pain won’t last forever. It’s a torment I have to endure every month, so there’s no avoiding it. The pain was inevitable.
But it wasn’t the cramps that were truly tormenting me.
Suddenly, my tiny, fortress-like room started to feel like a prison without bars. Trapped inside, I felt like garbage drifting aimlessly through an endless ocean. Whenever these feelings took hold, my mind would race out of control, only to settle again for no reason at all, leaving me with a bitter smile.
That’s the real monster inside me.
No. I couldn’t go on like this.
‘Let’s just take a shower first. Once I wash the blood off, I’ll feel a little better. Then I can dive back into the game.’
It turned out to be the right decision. As soon as the warm water touched my skin, the tension in my chest seemed to loosen, just a little.
Plus, it felt nice and warm.
Human skin is always cooler than our body temperature. That’s why, when we hold hands, we exchange warmth with others. It’s proof that humans are social animals, craving connection.
But for people like me, who can’t feel warmth from others, sometimes we have to find it elsewhere—in a hot shower, or under a blanket.
‘I guess I’m feeling a bit lonely. I thought I’d gotten used to this by now.’
I never used to be sick, so I didn’t realize it. But when your body hurts, you get all sentimental for no reason. That’s why I despised my period so much.
I couldn’t stand the sight of the red blood running down my legs, nor the weight of my breasts when I soaped myself.
Honestly, I’ve thought about cutting my long hair off many times. But the hairdresser always made a big deal about how pretty it was, and I figured it wouldn’t help much anyway. It would feel like running away, and that left a bad taste in my mouth.
What’s already changed about me won’t go back to how it was. Trying to fool myself into thinking I could look like the old me was just pathetic. That kind of escape wasn’t my style.
‘But, I don’t have to bear all this pain alone.’
I wrapped a towel around my head and turned on my computer. After securing my pad, I started scanning the live streams of various streamers.
One by one, I visited their streams, mentally noting their locations.
They all seemed to be having fun. Meanwhile, my day was a mess. But if they were going to enjoy themselves, they could at least share the fun.
It was time to crash a party.