Chapter 42: The Hybrid’s Dilemma

Hybrid

Stealth techniques and memory techniques.

The achievements from mastering these two new martial arts were impressive.

These techniques were effective even against martial artists.

Against the mummified, emaciated monsters, there was no reason to struggle.

‘It seems like the easy path ends here.’

From the enormous city gates that connected to the royal palace,

the monsters’ physiques and complexion changed.

Unlike the near-death mummies, they only looked somewhat gaunt.

Monsters in their prime, with bodies not much different from their peak.

On their necklaces,

several half-demons and humans were tied up,

looking like pets.

‘They’re scared.’

These half-demons and humans, chained like livestock heading for a slaughterhouse,

were clearly unwilling to go.

Their destination was a massive arena in the center of the city.

“Go, Oboroguruma! Headbutt!”

“Oboro!!”

“Not a chance. Earthshark, lift!”

“Sharkshark”

In various battle zones around the arena,

the half-demons and humans, led by their monsters,

fought each other like Pokémon,

following the monsters’ commands.

‘What am I even watching?’

She never thought she’d see such a sight in the heart of the monster realm.

Hahahahahaha

Monster Pokémon, lol

• Wait, there was such a thing as this?
• What’s that? I wanna try it, someone let me in!
• Just like honor-bound monsters, they immediately start getting pumped up, haha

The viewers couldn’t help but laugh,

amused by the absurd yet thrilling scene.

However, seeing humans fight wasn’t quite as entertaining

or exciting enough to laugh at.

“Stupid human, use more weapons!”

“It’s over. Haeeung, throw in the ingredients.”

“Haeeung!”

“No, stop! Please don’t come any closer, you crazy old hag!!”

A monstrous old hag, with a beak-like nose, crooked back, and a crooked jaw,

caught a struggling human with a long pole

and threw him into a boiling pot.

At the gruesome sight,

the chatroom, which had been lively with the ‘monster Pokémon era’ excitement,

grew cold.

• Woah
• This is too much;
• Ah, I forgot these guys are monsters…

For humans who were forced into these arenas,

fighting not against other monsters but half-demons or full monsters,

was no different than a public execution.

‘This strange monster culture makes things difficult.’

She wanted to infiltrate the palace right away,

steal what she needed, but

there were several guards with leashes on their monster subordinates

patrolling there as well.

‘I need to find a way.’

As she hid in the shadows, observing the arena and the palace alternately,

she saw the winner of the arena match being invited to the palace.

At that moment,

an idea, though a bit bizarre, crossed her mind.

‘If I win a match in the arena, which happens regularly, I can enter the palace.’

There were about 3 days left until the next match.

‘I need to find a monster to team up with. One that won’t put a real collar on me and has a special tendency to work with humans.’

Her strategy was entering a new phase.

After watching the monsters for a while,

Hae Eung Eung learned some additional facts.

‘Monsters with a history or legends behind them tend to be stronger.’

For example, the two-headed dog

with a snake head instead of a tail, the Orthrus.

This monster, killed by Hercules in one of his 12 labors,

wasn’t particularly powerful in reality, possibly because it didn’t play a significant role in legends.

‘Monsters with a special growth process can sometimes be stronger than those with legendary status.’

The face of the kappa looked like a monkey with a bald head,

but it had the beak of a bird, a turtle’s shell, and webbed feet.

Kappas usually lived near rivers or ponds,

stealing cucumbers and ambushing children who fell into the water to drain their souls.

However, the kappa in the arena,

having undergone special training,

wielded a giant cucumber like a club and brutally beat Orthrus.

“Crack crack crack!”

“Kappa! Kappa!”

Orthrus, who had been beaten like a dog on a hot summer day,

fell lifelessly, a symbol of how monsters and half-demons could become stronger as they grew.

But the only ones who could benefit from this growth were the monsters.

“Master, please, give me the bloodline of a monster!!”

“Shut up. My sponsors want to see human gladiators suffer. If you become a monster, why would they continue to support you?”

“My next opponent is that giant kappa with the huge cucumber!!”

“Die or survive, do whatever you want. Humans like you are easy to replace.”

“Aaaah! I don’t think I can eat lunch!!”

The match, held before lunchtime,

was a sad sight for the human slaves, who were tearfully resigned to their fate,

but Hae Eung Eung knew she couldn’t save them all.

The numbers were too overwhelming.

‘There are 36 gladiators participating in the arena.’

Considering that each gladiator dragged around 4 slaves,

there were a total of 144 gladiator slaves.

If you counted the spectators as well,

there were over 1,000 monsters filling the arena.

‘Even I, with the will of an executioner, couldn’t take down all these monsters.’

Like the saying, “One hand can’t fight ten,”

with just five years of training,

she would be the one to fall first.

It might be better to find another way to infiltrate the palace.

She began to seriously consider her options.

[Story mode]

As she turned down an alley,

the story mode was activated once again.

[“Don’t come here if you don’t have a soul!”]

[“What are you yelling at me for? Got caught watering down your liquor?”]

[“So, do you even have a soul now?”]

[“I’ll have one soon enough. I’ll make sure to turn some half-demons or humans into my puppets!”]

[“What a waste of the Monster King’s bloodline. You’re just a bastard with filthy human blood!”]

With open disdain,

a monster was kicked out of the shop.

As he stood up,

he made eye contact with the silent swordsman who had been lurking in the shadows.

[“You… could it be…”]

The monster’s pupils dilated as if he were about to call for help.

[Interaction Choices]
[Seeing the shocked half-demon, you…]

1. Knock him out and steal his belongings. (Robbery)
2. Make him your s*ave. (Capture a half-demon gladiator)
3. Make him your gladiator master. (Unlock hidden event)
4. (Choose to kill him.)

The idea of humans using half-demons and monsters as slaves thrilled the viewers.

-22222
-eeeeeeee
-2
-2
-1
-4

• Silent Swordsman wouldn’t let the killing option slide
• How could you make him a s*ave?

[Humgil-dong’s Home Mortgage has donated 50,000 won!]

Considering humanity’s history and traditions, shouldn’t you walk the path of a s*ave trader?

• Wake up, we’d all be serfs or slaves back then
• What if the master is the Silent Swordsman?
• Master, please take my collar!!
• Voluntary slavery haha
• The human landlord squad turned into the cursed collar squad haha

The poll narrowed down to options 2 and 4.

But the Silent Swordsman, focused on the game and with no intention of reading the chat,

was entirely unaffected by the comments.

No one could influence her choice at this moment.

[Make him your gladiator master.]

The half-demon was stunned.

[“You’re not being dragged into this, and you, a perfectly fine human, want to become a gladiator s*ave willingly?”]

[“Have you lost your mind? The arena was made for monsters to cruelly kill humans for their entertainment.”]

[“And you’re… a woman. I’ll look the other way if you just leave now.”]

• Sweet guy, haha
• This man is mischievous
• Are you crazy? Haha, was he really that type of guy?
• Are you my master?
• A beautiful human woman who willingly becomes a s*ave. Wow, this is harder to refuse than being chosen by a stray cat!
• But you did refuse.
• That half-demon must be 100% a virgin.
• Haha!

Whether it was because of the half-demon’s innocence or his sweet demeanor,
Hae Eung Eung felt a slight need to persuade him,
since he had rejected her offer.

[Interaction Choices]
[To persuade the half-demon, you…]

1. Threaten him by pointing your sword at him. (Threaten)
2. Persuade him by offering honor. (Persuasion)
3. Bribe him with your soul. (Bribe)
4. Take off your straw hat. (Beauty trap)

The ideal choice was to persuade him with words.
Even though words might automatically be delivered in story mode,
Hae Eung Eung, sitting on the muddy alley ground,
found her memories stirred by the situation in front of her.

‘I heard that your father intends to take you as his new wife.’

‘That can’t happen. You’ve also been trapped in this palace prison.’

‘If one day you have the chance to leave the palace, will you take me with you?’

The Emperor’s son,
holding uncontested power but witnessing the brutal political world,
had become too mature for his age,
never knowing the carefree life of a child.

‘The circumstances were different, but I ultimately failed to keep that promise.’

It was only many years later, upon his return to the palace for the emperor’s death,
that they crossed paths again.
But this time, the crown prince was a different person entirely,
filled with deep hatred and betrayal.

‘You intend to trap me in a far greater prison than this one, the throne itself.’

Those bitter words had been left unanswered
as the new emperor, born from the union of monster and human blood,
suffered the same deep scars from the past.

This moment might have evoked memories of that time,
when Hae Eung Eung met the new emperor,
who had once been a sweet, naive child, now transformed into a figure of bitterness and power.

[Take off the straw hat. (Beauty trap)]

She removed the straw hat and silently looked at the half-demon in front of her.
The moment he saw her heavenly beauty,
the half-demon, the son of the Monster King,
who had been chosen by the silent swordsman,
whispered softly:

“Mother?”

• “What? Mom?”
• “Why is my mother here? Hahaha…”

The story was so chaotic,
and the half-demon, apparently a “mama’s boy,” had just come out of the closet.