The Servant in the Horror Game is Suspicious Chapter 23

Jade moved away from the strange plant by scooting on his backside. Snow and dirt soaked into his pants and palms. He tried to stand, but the strength had drained from his legs, leaving him paralyzed.

“Waaaaaaaaah! Waaaaaaah!”

“Uh… easy now…”

As Jade edged away, the plant wailed even louder. The sound was so much like a scream that his ears actually stung. The sharp, piercing cries of the plant echoed across the forest.

Just how big was the main body buried beneath the dirt to produce such a massive sound? He certainly didn’t want to find out for himself. Even the frantic fluttering of birds taking flight in alarm made his shoulders feel cold and eerie.

“Ugh…”

This goddamn horror game!

Jade squeezed his eyes shut and cursed the developer in his head. Even a string of profanities felt insufficient. The bizarre plant was one thing, but the mysterious wailing had instantly turned the forest into a place of terror.

The Elloban Forest was bleak and desolate by nature. Trees tall enough to touch the sky stood in dense clusters, but every single one of them was skeletal and devoid of leaves. Their trunks weren’t the vibrant, fresh colors of life, but were instead columns of black and gray. They looked like Grim Reapers standing in a long, silent line.

Because the trees were so high and packed so tightly that sunlight could barely penetrate them, the surroundings weren’t bright even though it was morning, and patches of fog clung to the ground. Stepping into this forest felt like entering a world of black and white.

White snow, hazy fog, and achromatic trees. The first hint of color he’d seen today was the green tops of the radishes he’d pulled.

In truth, even on the first day he’d come out to forage for mushrooms, he had hesitated to enter the woods. He’d felt like he could die in this forest without anyone ever being the wiser.

He’d thought he was getting used to it after coming here so often, but now that this plant had started crying, the forest’s eerie energy felt fresh and terrifying all over again.

“Waaaaaaaah!”

“I don’t know the reason, but please… stop crying…”

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

When Jade made his polite request, the plant wailed even louder as if to spite him. Jade’s face fell into a pout as well. At this point, the person who actually wanted to cry was Jade.

Still, it was a relief that it was a plant and not a person. When he first heard the crying, he’d actually thought someone might be buried alive. Then again, could he even call this a plant? Not when it was crying as hysterically as a newborn baby.

“Bluewood…”

Jade was stuck in limbo, ruminating on the name the system window had provided.

The name “Bluewood” wasn’t unfamiliar. It was definitely something that had appeared in the game. He felt like he could remember it if he just had a moment to think clearly, but the wailing of the Bluewood made it impossible to concentrate.

Should I run for it?

But if he bolted out of the forest, he was afraid the plant would keep screaming loud enough to be heard all the way back at the villa. That would surely freak out Ian and Buster as well as himself. Judging by the intensity of its crying, it looked like it could wail for a lifetime. He was caught between a rock and a hard place; he was literally going crazy. His eardrums were starting to throb.

“What… what do I do?”

Was the problem that he’d disturbed the Bluewood while it was sleeping peacefully? Jade crept closer and tried lightly sprinkling the dirt and snow he’d dug up back onto the Bluewood’s leaves. Let’s try to soothe it first.

“There now, go back to sleep quietly… Sleep well… Okay? Let’s sleep…”

“Waaaaah-waaaaah!”

He sprinkled the dirt like a prayer, desperately hoping it would fall back asleep, but the Bluewood only cried harder. Its vocal cords were impressively strong as the scream-like wailing continued to circle within the forest. As it cried, it whipped its leaves around, shaking off the dirt Jade had applied.

“Ah, what do you want me to do then!”

“Waaah?”

His patience reaching its limit, Jade shouted out. At that, the surface of the soil where the Bluewood was buried began to bulge and shake. He could feel the plant squirming underground. He felt a wave of anxiety.

“No, no. Sleep well, okay? Go back to sleep. It’s very cold out here, you know? This world is very, very harsh.”

Jade spoke quickly, patting down the surface of the wriggling ground as a last resort. He gathered the fallen dirt from the sides and packed it down firmly. Please, don’t come out.

Pop!

Despite Jade’s efforts, the plant that had been buried so quietly burst out of the ground, scattering soil everywhere. It then slapped Jade across the cheek with its fresh leaf.

“Aaaah!”

Startled, Jade fell back on his butt once more. His scream hit the trees and returned as an echo.

“This goddamn forest…!”

[ >> System <<

‘Bluewood’ could not contain its rage and has burst out into the world. ]

“I know that!”

This damn system had a real tendency to provide information exactly one beat too late. It was incredibly aggravating. Besides, what had he even done to make this Bluewood so “enraged” that it had to come out?

Furthermore, the Bluewood Jade remembered was a massive tree. This thing was small, like a ginseng root.

The moment the soil had started heaving, he’d expected the ground to crack open. In his memories, Bluewood was gargantuan. But the actual body that emerged was tiny. It had simply left a small pop of a hole in the dirt.

[ >> System <<

Would you like to browse the Botanical Encyclopedia?

YES or NO ]

“There’s such a thing? Of course, yes! Yes!”

A botanical encyclopedia. That was exactly what he needed right now when the memory of the Bluewood was just on the tip of his tongue. Jade smiled brightly and pressed the YES icon. He’d been making good use of the Mushroom Encyclopedia he’d unlocked a while ago. If there was a botanical one, he’d be able to find information on the Bluewood.

[ >> System <<

Your skill level for ‘Root Veggies, Here I Come!’ is insufficient.

Can be viewed once the condition is met.

Condition for viewing the Botanical Encyclopedia: ‘Lv 2 Root Veggies, Here I Run!’ ]

“Then why did you even ask!”

However, the window that popped up again wasn’t the encyclopedia he wanted. After checking the system window, Jade clutched his hair. He had to level up from “come” to “run” just to see it.

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

“Oh, no. I wasn’t shouting at you.”

When Jade shouted, the plant started crying again. In a rush, he waved his hands like he was fanning the air, trying to soothe the Bluewood.

“Ooooh…”

He wasn’t sure if “soothing” was the right word for a plant, but strangely, the wailing subsided a little.

[ ※ You have obtained the title: ‘Discoverer of Bluewood.’ ]

His relief was short-lived as a medal-like icon suddenly appeared before his eyes. Then, the item window opened on its own, and the medal flashed brilliantly as it tucked itself inside. Today was the first time Jade realized such a window even existed.

“Waaaaah…”

[ >> System << ‘Bluewood’ wishes to follow its discoverer. ※ You have obtained the title: ‘Master of Bluewood.’ ]

“Haha, what is this even…?”

It was so absurd that a hollow laugh escaped him. The title had changed from “Discoverer” to “Master.” Master of Bluewood. That wasn’t something he wanted to be. However, the title was decided regardless of Jade’s opinion.

Was this allowed? If the Bluewood wanted to follow him, was he just appointed its master without any regard for his own thoughts? It didn’t even seem like the title did anything specific. The medal had flashed, but there were no stat boosts.

So that’s why it said not to touch it.

He was finally beginning to understand the meaning behind the warning to never lay a finger on it.

But hadn’t Jade seen that warning only after he’d already touched it? It had been right next to the radish, so he hadn’t even considered it was a different plant. To his eyes, the unusually vibrant leaves had just looked like delicious food.

“Waaaaah!”

[ >> System <<

‘Bluewood’ wishes to follow its discoverer.

※ You have obtained the title: ‘Master of Bluewood.’ ]

The system window displayed the same text one more time. Seeing the message twice felt like a form of silent pressure.

“Does this… mean I have to take it with me? No, right?”

Jade pointed at himself with his index finger. His finger trembled with a sense of impending doom.

“Aaaaaah!”

As if answering the question, the Bluewood waddled over and flopped down right on top of Jade’s foot.

“Whoa.”

Jade reflexively caught the falling Bluewood. He was terrified it might start crying again.

[ >> System <<

‘Bluewood’ has stopped crying thanks to its master’s soothing. ]

The system window was now flat-out calling Jade its master. He’d suspected it for a while, but now it was confirmed: the system window’s notification sounds got more cheerful the shittier his situation became.

“Sigh…”

Jade grabbed his forehead. After sitting motionless for a long time, he gently laid the plant down next to the spot where it had been buried, hoping it would return to its place.

“Whoa, the ground looks so cozy and soft, doesn’t it?”

“Aah.”

However, the plant flailed about, picked itself up from the dirt, and took tiny, toddling steps back toward Jade. The title “Master of Bluewood” showed no signs of disappearing.

“What am I going to do with you…”

Jade’s face was etched with worry. He was afraid of what might happen if he brought this plant home, but he also felt guilty about just leaving it behind.

It was probably because… beyond the wailing, its behavior was somehow reminiscent of a young child.

The Bluewood that had emerged from the ground had a very tiny body compared to its large leaves. The leaves were a fresh green, but the inner sections had a pale blue tint.

Its body was an ivory color, nearly white, and it looked like a slightly plump ginseng root. It didn’t have a face, fingers, or toes, but because of its ginseng-like shape, it looked as if it had tiny arms and legs.

In fact, the Bluewood really did toddle around on those short, stubby legs. Perhaps because the leaves were so large compared to its height, its body swayed with every step it took. The leaves wobbled from side to side.

“Hwa-ang.”

Finally making it to Jade’s side with its tiny strides, the Bluewood leaned against the back of his hand to rest.

Once it regained its strength, it dangled from Jade’s hand, flailing about, before slipping itself right into his palm. Then, it lay down as if Jade’s hand were a bed and rested.

“Haaaaah.”

A long sigh escaped Jade’s lips along with a puff of white breath.

Jade knew his own personality well. He wasn’t the type of person who could just walk away from a small, fragile living thing like this.