Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 37

[Deron Online Gallery]

[Middle School Girl Blood Demon Entry LOL]


(Video of Yeo splattering blood while delivering a cool line)

I was grinding the main quest and noticed kids zooming around, so I started recording because it looked like a fight might break out. LOL, it was hilarious!

[Comments]

[Wow, did you just solo 50 people?]

No [Is this even a game? LOL]

No [She’s third advancement. Those guys are still only second.]

No [Is the performance difference that severe between third and second?]

No [It’s a huge difference, it feels like a different game.]

[The master is definitely a Blood Demon LOL]

No [Looks like she was inspired by a martial arts novel she read recently.]

No [A middle school girl reading martial arts novels?]

No [She’s an active middle schooler, and martial arts novels are trending among her classmates.]

[Wow… the middle school girl has become a Blood Demon…]

[Gallery master is splattering blood!!!!!]

No [Crazy girl LOL]

No [Pussshhhhh!]

[Haha LOL, gallery master has splattered blood everywhere LOL]

[Look at that expression LOL, she’s squinting and looking like she’s digging in, way too funny LOL]

No [Female appeal is on point LOL]

[What class is that?]

No [Berserker]

No [OMG;;; the middle school girl… has gone crazy…]

No [My Berserker isn’t that strong.]

That evening, before the shutdown system kicked in, I lay on my bed checking the Deron gallery, and as expected, my gameplay video had been immortalized. With audio, too.

My entire face felt hot. Cuddling a fluffy pillow, I kicked the bed in frustration.

But it was too late for regrets. The water had already been spilled.

The video posted wouldn’t get deleted.

“Ugh…”

With a deep sigh, I slowly got up. That guy had been watching the whole situation unfold.

The angle of the recording was precisely from where the Lamji Thunder guild member had been hiding behind a rock.

I looked into the large mirror hanging in my room.

The small girl reflected in it was panting with a bright red face.

Calming myself down, I took a deep breath. With each inhale and exhale, calmness escaped my lips.

My flushed face began to return to its usual color.

Knock, knock—

I turned my head at the cautious knock on the door.

“Who is it?”

[Uh, uh, ahem… Guild Master… it’s time to study.]

A burst of laughter I couldn’t hold back mixed with that voice, it was definitely Harang.

The small girl’s face reflected in the mirror twisted in an instant.

As the heat that had been leaving my body returned, my face reddened again.

“You!”

With a stomp, I rushed to the door, flinging it open while Harang stood there startled, kneeling with one knee and bowing his head.

And he started shouting.

“Blood Lord! Blood Lord! Blood Blood Lord!”

The corners of my tightly shut mouth twitched. My fingertips trembled, and all I could see beyond my whitened vision was Harang’s playful grin.

“What are you doing?”

“I greet the exalted one of the Blood Church…”

W-what the heck is this guy suddenly doing?

I looked around in confusion.

Fortunately, I didn’t see my mom. Just Harang and me in the dark corridor.

“Enough…”

“The gallery has gone wild. Everyone’s curious about what the Blood Demon Guild Master read in that martial arts novel.”

“Stop it, I said!”

My breath quickened. I shot a glare at Harang, but he didn’t drop his mischievous grin.

He had that look, like he had found the perfect opportunity to tease me.

“Should I stop?”

“Y-yes… please stop.”

“Then do that.”

Please don’t tell me…

“What did you say? ‘I am the Blood Demon’?”

Harang’s gaze turned serious. It seemed he wouldn’t stop his nonsense until I said that line.

I backed away, shaking my head.

N-no way. I could only do that in the game. This was reality.

“I d-don’t want to.”

Harang let out a playful snort.

With a flick of his fingers, his gaze shifted toward the end of the corridor leading to the living room, where a closed door blocked our view.

Light streamed in from beyond the door. I could hear the faint sound of mom watching TV.

“Blood Lord!”

In that moment, Harang shouted loudly.

As if he wanted my mom to hear him.

I hurriedly reached out to cover his mouth, but Harang nimbly jumped back, dodging my grasp thanks to our height difference.

“Stop! Stop it!”

My insides churned. I had completely overlooked his presence.

Glancing at Harang reminded me of ordinary sibling tales I had heard.

“Hurry up.”

Harang continued to urge. If I didn’t speak up now, he’d yell loud enough for my mom to hear.

“Y-you’re not going to mention I smoked, right?”

“Say it. I quit already. Then I’ll show this to mom. The fact that our Hayun is a Blood Demon.”

“T-this jerk…”

“Hayun Blood Demon, please speak quickly.”

Harang’s annoying smile never faded.

Finally, I sighed and lowered my head.

“Fine, just this once, okay?”

“Yup. I won’t tease you about it anymore.”

Alright. If he wanted it, I could do that.

I raised my head, keeping my gaze proudly up while slightly tilting it down to look at him.

This was me calling back the perfect Blood Demon persona I showed in the game to this place.

“Oh…”

The moment of Harang’s admiration came, he started adjusting his posture.

Straightening his bent waist, he waved his arms around.

The sleeves of his pajamas flapped loudly.

“I am the Blood Demon.”

His voice, filled with power, flowed out deeply.

At this moment, I had become the great guild master above all the blood church members.

“What are you doing?”

“Wha…?”

Harang’s dumbfounded response made me frown.

How dare a mere guild member hold their head high before the guild master?

That simply couldn’t be allowed.

Words weren’t necessary. I pointed at the floor with my eyes, and Harang’s eyelids flinched uncontrollably.

“W-what the…”

“Kneel.”

This is the Blood Church.

Every member must bow to the Blood Demon.

I was perfectly acting like the Blood Demon Harang wanted me to.

“What are you two doing?”

Mom’s voice rang out.

Turning my stiffened face slightly, I saw her open the living room door, gazing toward us.

“Ah, no, it’s just…”

“Blood Demon? Are you practicing for the school festival, Hayun?”

The moment my worst fears came to life.

Mom must have heard the entire conversation.

I wondered what she heard.

Heat flooded my face, blurring my vision.

As I gaped, unable to utter a word, Harang nodded and answered.

“Y-yeah! She asked me to watch her lines for practice…”

“Really? Seems like middle school chooses martial arts novels for plays these days?”

“Times have changed!”

“Times have changed? They didn’t do martial arts plays back when I was young!”

I felt like I was gonna vomit.

My cheeks were flaming red, feeling like I’d get burned if I touched them.

The hazy vision slowly swayed. As I closed my eyes, tears threatened to spill.

I felt like I was going to die from embarrassment.

“I-I think I’ll go to bed early tonight!”

I hurriedly fled from the scene.

Once I was in my room and closed the door, I could faintly hear Harang and mom’s conversation outside.

It didn’t matter. I wouldn’t listen anymore.

I buried myself under the covers with my ears plugged.

*

The next morning, I acted like the embarrassing events of the previous evening had never happened.

Harang, too, watched me closely, avoiding any mention of the fiasco.

But mom was the problem.

“Hayun Blood Demon? Do you want me to help you practice?”

As she kindly asked while preparing breakfast, I couldn’t bring myself to say no.

It felt like I was suffocating.

“N-no, it’s fine…”

“I was in the drama club in high school! I can help you with voice exercises.”

“It’s okay…”

It felt like food was stuck in my throat.

In the end, I had no choice but to flee to school without finishing my meal.

I went to school earlier than usual, but Sohee was already there.

Calm Sohee spotted me and approached with a wide smile, a big shopping bag in hand.

“Hayun.”

“Hey…”

“Why do you look so down?”

“I-I just… have some issues.”

“I see…”

Not wanting to pry further, Sohee handed me the shopping bag and said, “Gift!”

“A gift…?”

“Yup. I thought you’d like it.”

The shopping bag felt surprisingly heavy.

I hurriedly checked the contents inside, and a scribbled note caught my eye.

[Blood Demon, one more time]

“Th-this is…”

“I thought you’d like it, so I bought it.”

Sohee had given me a martial arts novel.

My eyes trembled near tears. I had endured numerous hardships because of that Blood Demon today morning and last evening.

But Sohee couldn’t possibly know that. Pure and kind-hearted, she wouldn’t have checked the Deron gallery.

She must have seen what I had written in the guild chat and prepared this gift.

It was a present just for me.

I couldn’t bring myself to reject Sohee’s gift.

“Th-thank you…”

I smiled slightly, cradling her gift.

*

After school, the moment I logged into the game, greetings from guild members poured in.

Among them, a few messages contained the term Blood Demon again.

I sighed deeply.

What could I do? All of this was self-inflicted.

At least in the game, the embarrassment felt a bit less.

Yeo- [Everyone, level up faster instead of chatting. I’m preparing for raids with those who hit max level by this week.]

I typed a message and drew my sword. I had finished all main quests but hadn’t reached max level yet.

I had skipped all the side quests.

But it didn’t matter. Rather than wasting time on side quests, it was better to go to higher fields and farm items and level up simultaneously.

I logged out last at a hunting ground.

I dashed toward the monsters immediately.

The red blood aura emanating from me swirled in all directions.

With all skill effects unleashed, the speed of the Berserker’s hunting was incredible.