1.

The Inmyeon Jiju was begging for her life. She claimed that all she wanted was a friend. Her consistent plea struck a chord.

Since the beginning of Banhyogok, for the first time, the tip of the Mute Swordswoman’s blade began to waver.

Thud, thud, thud…

Her sword trembled as if it was mirroring her inner turmoil. Inside, Hae Eung Eung felt the same way.

‘I thought killing them without pain was the only mercy.’

But what if that wasn’t true?

What if even in such a miserable state, as a Banhyo, there were beings who merely wanted to survive, to coexist with humans, and to find satisfaction in mimicking human life?

‘She’s different from the Executioner or the Su-gwi Captain.’

This Banhyo was clearly yearning for life— a life not as a Banhyo, but one shared with humans.

But she was still a Banhyo, a being with the face of an old woman and the body of a spider. A half-human, half-yo that belonged neither to the human world nor the realm of demons.

【Interaction Choices】

[After the surrender of the Banhyo Inmyeon Jiju, you…]

1. How did you become a Banhyo? (Unlock Hidden Event)

2. I’ll be your friend. (Recruit Ally)

3. Who are you? (Reveal True Name)

4. (Grant her mercy with death.)

It was the usual list. This was now the third time encountering these interaction choices after a field boss battle.

– Run away!!

– The one standing before you is the Annihilation Swordswoman!!

– I can’t think of any reason why the Mute Swordswoman wouldn’t pick option 4.

– Poor Inmyeon Jiju (25 years old).

– Age 25, the Inmyeon Jiju rests here.

– Even Mookteacher didn’t see this event, but the Mute Swordswoman just unlocked it.

– But what’s the point if she just kills everyone after unlocking it!!

– There’s never any clarity, everything remains a mystery! Haha.

– Well, if you’re so mad, why don’t you play it yourself? Haha.

– How can we when we don’t have the physical skills for it, you idiot!

Everyone expected it.

The Mute Swordswoman, without a moment’s hesitation, would behead the Inmyeon Jiju.

[(Grant her mercy with death.)]

Even if such a notification appeared, no one would have been surprised.

[How did you become a Banhyo?]

And that’s why it was all the more shocking.

The Mute Swordswoman, or rather, the Annihilation Swordswoman as she was known, showed curiosity towards another person for the first time— during a game, and during a live broadcast.

The chat froze for a few seconds before the messages started flooding in so fast that they couldn’t be read, but the Mute Swordswoman inside the game seemed completely oblivious to the chaos. She remained focused only on the Inmyeon Jiju and the situation at hand.

[25 years ago, there was a tribe living in the Great Forest.]

[It wasn’t a lavish life, but we managed without much trouble.]

[But before I became an adult, disaster struck.]

The Inmyeon Jiju gazed into the distance as if recalling events from a far-off past.

[Blood began to flow into the river from upstream.]

[The skies opened, and relentless storms came.]

[Then a plague swept through, and soon the entire forest began to rot.]

The decaying Great Forest, slowly turning into a swamp. The hidden backstory of the field was starting to unfold.

[At that time, a man came to our tribe.]

[He called himself a Seonin and said that in order to stop the plague, we had to pretend to be afflicted with an even worse disease to fool it.]

[The villagers who didn’t believe him died from the plague.]

[But those who drank the Seonin’s medicine turned into Su-gwis.]

[They didn’t die from the plague, but…]

[Neither alive nor truly dead…]

[They became grotesque monsters, neither one nor the other.]

The Su-gwis that filled the field, the very monsters that Hae Eung Eung had just slain, were all once human. They were once members of the same tribe as the Inmyeon Jiju.

[I don’t blame you.]

[They always said that.]

[That they’d rather die than live like this.]

[The same goes for me.]

[So, if you kill me, it’s okay.]

[But please, be my friend.]

Who would have thought a mere friend could mean so much?

Even in that miserable state, she still wanted a friend. Or perhaps, it was precisely because of her wretched condition that the need for friendship became even more desperate.

Standing silently before her, the Mute Swordswoman pondered as the chat behind her devolved into chaos, nearly becoming a sea of tears.

A new set of options appeared before her.

【Interaction Choices】

1. Will you be my friend? (Recruit Offer)

2. Why do you desire friendship so desperately?

3. What is your name? (Reveal True Name)

4. (Cut her down before hesitation grows further.)

Sensing the ominous future, the viewers began a revolt in the chat.

– No, you monster!!

– Spare the Inmyeon Jiju!!!

– You took the Executioner, the survivors from the Underground Prison, and now you’re going to take the Inmyeon Jiju’s life too?!

– Stop the Annihilation Swordswoman!!!

– STOP!!!

– Please stop killing all the NPCs!!

– Do you have no conscience at all?

– The Over-Immersion Association is watching you.

– The NPC Marriage Association is watching you.

– The Blonde Futa Association is watching you.

– My mom is staring at me to get back to work.

– What’s up with these ridiculous associations?

– We’re screwed for sure haha

But as always, the Mute Swordswoman didn’t let the opinions of her viewers affect her decisions.

[Why do you desire friendship so desperately?]

– For god’s sake, just kill me!

– Why give her false hope?

– You’re going to save her, right? Right? Please tell me you’ll save her?

– Why does this feel so ominous?

– This is starting to feel like watching a horror movie protagonist.

– Is this a slasher movie from the killer’s point of view?

The flood of exclamations continued as the mood became increasingly tense.

[Friends can ask each other for favors.]

[That’s what my parents told me.]

[So I need a friend.]

Heading toward an inevitable catastrophic conclusion…

[Become my friend.]

[And help me kill the Seonin who destroyed my tribe.]

The final choice appeared before her.

【Final Choices】

1. Gladly. (Enter the Seonin Hunting Route)

2. If you want revenge, offer your name. (Reveal True Name)

3. (End the poor Banhyo’s life.)

The story had been told. All that remained was her decision.

The Executioner had shown the fate that awaited humans who fell into the hands of yokai.

The Su-gwi Captain had demonstrated how merciless those intoxicated with power could become.

But could a Banhyo, who desired to live like a human, truly be trusted? The Inmyeon Jiju had yet to prove that.

– How are you any different from the cultists of the Demonic Church, a fugitive from the outside world?

– Hae Eung Eung, the Self-Harming Demoness. Must you always become a bloodthirsty murderer simply because you’re labeled as a public enemy of Murim? You choose what kind of person you want to be.

– The cultists of the Demonic Church are no different. We define who we are.

The Demonic Church, which proclaimed itself supreme over the black paths of Murim, had shown her a will unclouded by prejudice, opening a new possibility for her.

[Gladly. (Enter the Seonin Hunting Route)]

The Inmyeon Jiju became the first survivor to encounter the Mute Swordswoman and reap the benefits of that rare honor.

—

2.

[Player Mode]

The Inmyeon Jiju swiftly moved across her web, leading the way.

“We don’t have time. The Great Forest is sinking even now.”

“The Seonin is at the center of the forest.”

“If we’re too late, the path will change. We need to hurry.”

The landscape continued to sink steadily.

If her vision became too dim, her pace too slow, or if she was overly cautious, she would have to retrace her steps several times in this speedrun route.

“Wow, you’re really fast!”

“Did you drink yokai blood too?”

The Banhyo could hardly hide her curiosity, and for good reason. Hae Eung Eung’s speed far outpaced even the Inmyeon Jiju’s. To see a human moving faster than a Banhyo was a sight worthy of awe.

– That’s incredible.

– Is this the legendary ‘veteran step’ that Mookteacher mentioned?

– Her feet barely touch the ground.

– She just taps for 0.3 seconds and then leaps forward.

– But who cares, there’s a survivor for once!

– Congrats Inmyeon Jiju has survived for 25 minutes!

Five minutes of intense combat ensued.

Five minutes of conversation. Fifteen minutes of travel. With just her appearance, the Inmyeon Jiju managed to take up twenty-five minutes of screen time, gaining immense popularity with the viewers, not only for being the first survivor but also for her entertainment value.

– She’s a blessing, giving us extra streaming time!

– If this were a regular stream, the boss would’ve been dead, and the stream would be over already.

– From today, the Inmyeon Jiju is the mascot of this channel.

– Who said you could decide that?!

– Majority rules, my dude.*

– LOL, Google poll opened, here’s the link, go vote!

[87% in favor]

[11% against]

[2% others]

– Democracy has spoken! The Inmyeon Jiju is the new mascot!

– Is this really democracy…?

– LOL, it’s like the infamous Choco Corn Checks debate.

– We did it!

– Marx was right, comrades!

– Democracy still failing in 2050.

– Raise your pitchforks!!

– Sorry, but even the pitchfork belongs to the Inmyeon Jiju now.

Despite 87% voting in favor, the chat remained divided, with those against the decision causing chaos.

– Who’s the idiot who nominated a vertical take-off attack helicopter as mascot?!

– LOL, that 2% “other” was pure gold.

Meanwhile, amidst the turmoil, the Inmyeon Jiju, the mascot supported by 87% of the stream’s viewers, was busy setting up more ominous plot flags.

“When I finish my revenge, I’ll go look for my parents.”

“I’ve never seen the villagers either.”

“Where could they have gone?”

– Please, just stop talking!!

– I can already see the tragic story unfolding…

– It’s even sadder because she’s saying it so cheerfully…

– Wait, was the Inmyeon Jiju always this kind of NPC?

– Back in my day, you got caught in her web, then something swooped down and killed you from above.

Some felt pity. Others were confused. But no matter their feelings, everyone shared the same level of immersion in this unexpected new development. Even Speedmaster wasn’t immune to the storyline’s pull.

“This is some next-level streaming genius.”

It wasn’t just his gaming skills that made him a genius. His ability to lead the stream without saying a word was also remarkable.

The planned progression. The predictable flow. It was no longer the Banhyo Cave that everyone knew.

This was a new game route, one she alone had pioneered.

“Usually, you’d meet the Seonin and go to the shrine at the edge of the map to find the treasure, right?”

– Yeah, but only because you’re Mookteacher!

– Normally, you meet the Seonin, get the quest, and then run.

– The fact that you broke it is weird, too.

“Really? It wasn’t easy for me either. When I got to the edge of the map, killed the boss, and destroyed the shrine, the way back was gone, and I couldn’t find the Seonin. It left me with an uneasy feeling.”

Once the <Great Forest> finished its transformation, the field name would change to the <Sinking Swamp>. The Seonin of the Swamp—despite his title—could only be found in the Great Forest.

He revealed the reason why the forest was sinking, the location of the shrine, and how to destroy it. But in the end, he disappeared along with the Great Forest, a tragic NPC doomed to be forgotten.

Everyone thought of him that way, even Speedmaster.

“But apparently, this Seonin is a villain. Kinda makes me feel like I’ve been backstabbed.”

– This requires hearing the Seonin’s side of the story.

– Are you accusing the Inmyeon Jiju of lying?!

– Our Inmyeon Jiju doesn’t lie.

– Our Inmyeon Jiju doesn’t bite people either!

– Dude, she bit me.

– Yeah, but you’re not human.

– LOL, controlling noobs aren’t human anyway.

– Goddamn splash damage.

– How many of those damned exploding Su-gwi do they have?

– It’s like a hero who’s caused massive AOE damage to at least 10,000 enemies.

Caught between the growing distrust of the Seonin and anticipation of the changing story, the Inmyeon Jiju suddenly stopped.

“I think we’re a bit late. The path’s grown much longer.”

One side of the ground had already sunken, leaving the stepping stones broken in the middle. Only a single rope bridge remained between the cliffs.

“Are you really sure you want to keep going?”