Confined Together with the Horror Game’s Male Lead - Chapter 68

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Chapter 68

Translator: Yonnee

—

As the floorboards cracked open, they transformed into thick vines that engulfed the man.

“Aaack! What the hell is this!”

Bound by what was once the floor and lifted into the air, Erik screamed with a terrified face.

How interesting.

I never thought I’d see a scene from the game like this.

Whenever Charlotte was attacked in the game, the surroundings turned into weapons and entangled people like this.

When cornered by cats, even a rat would bite back. Likewise, in the game, when the bandits attacked Charlotte, they thought she was a demon.

Thinking that killing the demon would allow them to leave the mansion, they charged at her with all they could muster. Even as they were falling unconscious, they never stopped trying.

That’s when I realized it.

I was frustrated about how ‘Dietrich’ couldn’t attack ‘Charlotte’, but it was a futile effort anyway.

One reason I was so casually acting like this was for this reason—because I couldn’t die anyway and was safe from external attacks.

So far, the only thing that could harm me was a penalty from the system.

“What the— AAACK! It’s getting tighter!!”

As Erik struggled, the vines tightened around him.

After floundering for a while, Erik, terrified, looked at me.

“You…”

“……”

“You demon!”

I did not respond. I merely watched him.

Then, Erik started screaming.

“Save me! Aaagh! There’s a demon here! A demon!”

The moment Erik screamed, the vines that were entangling him loosened.

I was slightly surprised. The fleeting thought just passed through my mind that it might be good if they loosened a bit.

And they did. Immediately.

‘They need to loosen a bit only so I can take the ring and the crushed shards.’

Because the vines had tightly bound Erik, I couldn’t touch him.

“You! I’ll kill you!”

At that moment, Erik, now free to move, charged at me.

I was already expecting him to react this way.

I pulled down a silver candelabra, which was hanging on the wall, and struck his head with it.

To prevent him from attacking me.

* * *

“…You hit Mr. Erik on the head with that silver candelabra?”

Dietrich asked, shocked.

“Yes. But as soon as he was hit, he immediately got up though? Screaming loudly and full of energy.”

“…….”

I continued to explain what happened next.

“After that commotion, Hesta and Felix ran over, and with Erik scared as he was, he ran away from me. I followed Erik to retrieve the crushed shards, but I couldn’t find where he went.”

“…….”

“After wandering around a bit, I saw him in his room… and found him dead.”

Leaving out the part about using bewitching, I told Dietrich everything that had happened.

Ah, and Erik said something strange.

—So there’s a child in this mansion too, huh? Were you deliberately hiding that child’s existence?

What did that mean?

Again, I didn’t know why Erik was dead now.

This scenario never happened in the game, so I was also perplexed.

The tedious system window with [Steel mentality is being implemented], popped up several times earlier. But It’s quiet now.

“…So Mister Erik was up to such things.”

It seemed my story was quite shocking to Dietrich.

“Is it a bit hard to believe?”

“…No, I believe you.”

Shouldn’t you not believe me?

[ Darkness: 29% ]

At this rate, it would reach 30% in no time. That would be a problem.

I pulled out what I was holding and handed it to Dietrich.

“Here’s the crushed shards. But I couldn’t find the ring.”

“Could it be that the blood on you… came from when you were searching through Erik’s dead body?”

“Yes.”

“……”

I felt a bit tired.

Just as Dietrich had done for me a few hours earlier, I leaned my head on his shoulder.

He flinched, surprised, but he didn’t push me away.

This was almost a first.

“See, I told you. I really don’t need your help.”

“Just say thank you.”

“Alright. Thanks.”

“…Never mind. What’s the point of receiving thanks for such a thing.”

“…Didn’t you just tell me to say thanks?”

“Right… I did.”

Dietrich weakly smiled. I silently smiled along with him.

[ Mission: Failed ]

I know.

The mission handed down by the Second Floor Administrator—to steal back the ring in Erik’s possession—was one that I failed due to extraneous circumstances.

Fortunately, there was no penalty.

Finding solace in this situation was amusing to me.

That’s when it happened.

[ Charlotte’s Task ]

Erik has been murdered.
Though he was a scoundrel, he was a guest who had entered this mansion.
Charlotte, maid of this mansion, reveal the true culprit who killed Erik to ease the guests’ anxiety and find the missing ring!

Upon mission success, you will be one step closer to ‘Charlotte’s Authority’.

Will you accept this mission?

※ Refusal shall temporarily disable ‘Steel Mentality.’
※ Failure shall temporarily disable ‘Steel Mentality.’
※ Time remaining: 24:59:59

[ Yes / No ]