Above the Grave of the Shipwreck.
The lifeless body of a hunter was cast into the sea.
It was the price he paid for insisting on a no-brain build, even after the nerf.
What an infuriating guy.
If he’d been nailed inside the coffin, he should’ve just stayed put.
[Victory achieved! Earned 28 points…]
Alone atop the shipwreck, thud.
Lying on my back, I caught my breath for a moment.
How many rounds have I done by now?
I couldn’t quite remember, my body feeling strangely lethargic.
It was the sign that it was about time for me to log out.
The human body can’t function without sleep; it was sending me a warning.
[System: 47 hours have passed since connection.]
[System: Excessive gaming could harm your health. Rest is recommended.]
[System: Sweet dreams come when you are well-rested.]
Yeah.
Guess I should log out then.
Once I’m out, I should stuff myself with food immediately.
I’ll need to make sure I also take proper nutrients like supplements.
Long periods of inactivity require unusually delicate management.
But there was something I had to do before leaving.
[Dragon King’s Tear]
[Item Grade: Unique]
An ancient tear collected from the eye of a ferocious dragon.
A dragon’s tear can only be collected at the moment of its death, making it impossible to acquire by conventional means.
It’s said that there’s a way to trade it in a secluded shrine under the moonlight…
[Obtained via: Guild Quest]
[Usage: Magic Array Catalyst]
[You can trade this item after 120 hours of acquisition. (Remaining Time – 00:00)]
[Trading restriction time only decreases while connected.]
[If you die, there’s a 60% chance of losing ownership.]
This was my best loot from the previous mission.
Deep within my inventory rested an item the guild held in high regard.
Needless to say, I hadn’t returned it to the SSA guild yet.
It’s my rightful loot.
I fulfilled every requirement of the mission, and even exceeded the expectations.
Out of ten enemies, I took down eight single-handedly—there’s no room for complaints.
It wasn’t me who stole the item in the first place, but the assassin from Dongmicham.
And the fact is that I reclaimed it from the assassin.
Strictly speaking, these are two separate incidents.
Whether the SSA guild would agree with this reasoning is another matter.
But it seems they think I’ve lost it since they haven’t contacted me.
Likely, they assume Dongmicham has already retrieved it.
Considering the report they got only went up until the point where I was killed by the assassin, they’d have thought I ran off and didn’t bother chasing him.
But the five days’ trade restriction has finally ended.
This means I have full freedom over what to do with this item!
Still, my hand hovered over the list of my friends.
It’s important to show some loyalty if I want to keep working in this field.
Since SSA was the client this time, giving them the first option to purchase it wouldn’t harm anything.
Of course, they would have to pay the right price.
[Whisper to Dynamic Station Agent…]
Yo,
What’s up?
(Item Link: Dragon King’s Tear)
I’m going to sleep, but tell me how much you’re willing to pay.
(Dynamic Station Agent is typing…)
[Infinity Black has been terminated.]
[Thank you for using the service, Gawol.]
What’s for dinner today?
Ramen, naturally, but there’s a vast variety to choose from.
Even the decision of boiling versus frying ramen can be a serious matter.
Alright, I’ve decided.
I’ll try black bean paste ramen for a change.
Standing on one leg like a heron, I place the pan on the stove.
Pour some cooking oil, crack an egg in; I don’t usually splurge on luxuries like eggs, but I’ll use what’s here.
I gently place the half-cooked fried egg aside, and then boiled the ramen.
“Man, why have I been craving this today? I don’t even eat it that often.”
I can’t remember the last time I had real black bean noodles.
I’ve had black bean ramen after the change in my body, but it’s fundamentally a different food to me.
Although the taste may be similar, there’s a subtle difference.
While boiling the ramen, I had to maintain my one-legged stance.
It wasn’t an easy task, so I took a break by sitting on the chair.
Meanwhile, my phone was buzzing with notifications.
[Infinity Black App – Unread messages…]
[Infinity Black App – Unread messages…]
Whoever’s searching for me so eagerly is pretty obvious.
Judging by the length of the message, it might not even be just one person.
Probably the Guild Master or some top officials from SSA.
But what can you do if I ignore you?
Other than trembling with fear that this opportunity will vanish, what else can you possibly do?
A smirk crept onto my face.
I’ve resolved to reply in 12 hours.
I can’t break my schedule.
Sadly, once I finish eating, I’ll head straight to bed.
But maybe I’ll check just a little?
I won’t reply, though, right?
[Checking message in stealth mode.]
[Sender won’t be notified of confirmation.]
The moment I woke up, a peculiar intuition struck me.
There’s a demon in the bed sheets—a demon that has tormented countless humans.
Afraid to confirm my intuition, I squeezed my eyes shut.
It was a meaningless gesture.
The demon couldn’t be escaped by simply ignoring reality.
Instead, my other senses became heightened, amplifying my ominous feeling.
The demon that approached me—an unwelcome visitor.
A curse that past generations often described as a “negative force” or “punishment from the gods.”
A curse that rusts iron and makes flowers wilt, manifesting through blood.
Bracing myself against the fear, I lifted the blanket.
Eventually, the strength drained from my hands.
“Damn… What am I supposed to do about this?”
The soft fabric of my pajamas was stained red.
Yes, the demon was my period.
Typically, I’d have some warning a day or two beforehand.
It seems I was too absorbed in the game to notice the signs.
I had gone directly from being in the game to sleep—it was almost expected.
At least the sheets seem untouched.
I had worried about cleaning the stains, but it looks like just washing my clothes and taking a shower will do.
“Ow…!”
As I reached for a towel from the storage cabinet, a sudden wave of abdominal pain caused my body to curl up.
I’m not sure if my menstrual pain is unusually severe.
While I don’t tend to exaggerate, pain isn’t something you can compare.
Especially not since my body transformation, making it harder to be certain.
It feels like my lower abdomen is being shredded.
My body trembling in cold sweat, I let out a groan.
“Urrgh… Ungh… Huff… Huff…”
It’s fine. Pain doesn’t last forever.
It’s just another month’s worth of suffering to endure.
A little pain here and there is unavoidable.
But what truly troubles me isn’t the pain in my lower abdomen.
My one-room fortress feels like a cell without bars.
I feel like aimless garbage adrift in the vast sea.
And I can’t control the erratic mood swings that come with this, laughing without any reason at times.
That’s the real demon tormenting me.
This won’t do.
“Let’s start with a shower first. I’ll feel better once I clean the blood off my body. After that, back to the game.”
As expected, my judgment was correct.
As soon as I stepped under the water, the sticky sensation in my heart eased somewhat.
‘Feels nice and warm, doesn’t it?’
The temperature of human skin stays slightly cooler than body temperature.
That’s why when we hold hands with someone, we exchange warmth and feel the heat.
It must be because humans are animals that crave connection.
But in this world, there are people like me who can’t get that warmth from others.
Sometimes, I need to find warmth in hot water, or in the folds of my blankets.
‘A little lonely, isn’t it? I thought I was used to this by now.’
I used to rarely feel unwell, but I’ve realized that pain makes one strangely sentimental.
That’s why I despise menstruation.
There’s no affection for the red stains carried off between my legs, nor the awareness of my swollen breasts when using soap.
At times, I thought about chopping off my long hair completely.
However, the stylist sister protested it was a waste, and it seemed it wouldn’t benefit me, so I decided against it.
Cutting it feels like trying to escape, making me feel bad anyway.
I’ve already changed.
Trying to pretend to be the same as before is just ugly; it’s not my style.
‘But I don’t have to bear this pain alone.’
Towel on my head, I immediately turned on the internet as I placed the sanitary pads.
I searched for live-streaming gamers while marking their location in my mind.
They all looked so happy.
Even though I’m all over the place today, let me join in their fun for a bit.
