How a Nuisance Character Survives a Horror Game Chapter 25

This bastard has a consciousness.

I’m certain.

There’s no other explanation.

Unable to tolerate how irritating it was, I punched the system window.

I expected my fist to pass straight through like always.

But—

Swoosh―.

“……?”

Something brushed against my hand.

Startled, I reached toward the window several more times and waved my hand around.

Nothing touched me again, as though the first sensation had been imaginary.

But it felt too unsettling to dismiss as a simple illusion.

What exactly is this system?

It talks to me too……

It isn’t just a game system.

There’s definitely something else.

Something about it bothers me.

Unable to think of what, I bit down hard on Cletta’s shoulder while he was still hugging me.

After all, he seemed to be the cause of Holloway’s jealousy.

“Ugh.”

Cletta groaned and finally released me.

[Holloway’s Jealousy decreased by 6%.]

[Jealousy: 10%.]

……Is lowering it supposed to be easy?

I couldn’t tell.

It hadn’t exactly plummeted.

Just an oddly specific six percent.

Whatever.

One thing was certain.

‘Holloway himself is a land mine.’

Even with a decent amount of affection, surviving around him was difficult.

And now Jealousy?

Possessiveness was already driving me insane.

Now I had to manage Jealousy too.

“That hurts, Evelyn.”

I glared at Cletta as he rubbed the shoulder I’d bitten.

“Don’t hug people without permission. Where are your manners?”

“I was happy to see you. Are you angry?”

“What is anger?”

I’m someone who doesn’t know such emotions.

I’m naturally gentle.

That was what I meant.

Cletta misunderstood completely.

“Hmm. Anger is the emotion you feel when something displeases you or makes you upset.”

“You bastard. Do you think I asked because I don’t know what anger means?!”

“Haha. You didn’t know what hydrochloric acid was either, so I thought maybe you genuinely didn’t.”

Aagh!

Because of the system!

My sarcasm didn’t work.

I’m devastated.

I staggered dramatically from the emotional shock.

Cletta tried supporting me, but I smoothly dodged him.

“Were you alone? Where are the others?”

“No idea. We ran into monsters and got separated again.”

“Again?”

“Ah. I was originally with Sir Werner and Moran.”

We were doing nothing but talking, yet Holloway already looked unhappy.

[Jealousy increased by 3%.]

[Jealousy: 13%.]

Good.

From this moment onward, I’m not speaking to Cletta again.

The Jealousy stat probably appeared because Holloway’s Possessiveness was already unnecessarily high.

From my perspective, it was obvious.

He thought of me as a comedian.

Seeing me talk with other people and make them laugh was probably pissing him off.

Anyway.

Holloway’s personality is fucking terrible.

“But……”

Cletta looked around and suddenly stopped.

His gaze landed on narcissistic Suriel wearing his ridiculous clothes and striking every obnoxious pose imaginable.

Moved beyond words, Cletta covered the lower half of his face.

“……That’s, um……”

Apparently he was too overwhelmed to speak.

Unable to think of anything appropriate to say, Cletta finally looked away.

But something……

felt strange.

Suriel was being unnecessarily quiet.

Normally, he should’ve been obsessing over my hair or Cynthia and endlessly babbling.

Then a line from the game suddenly came back to me.

‘Suriel was quiet. He was deciding which of Moran’s fingers to cut off first.’

Then Suriel……

A chill ran through me.

I looked toward him.

[Holloway and Suriel are negotiating.]

About what……?

Why……?

With trembling eyes, I looked at Holloway.

He gave me a bright smile as though deliberately showing it to me.

[Suriel says that if he cannot have your hair, he wants permission to take your thumb instead.]

My thumbs-up finger?!

Are you insane?!

Tell him no!

Holloway will refuse.

I believed in him.

There was no way he would betray that trust……

[Holloway says that much is acceptable.]

Betrayed.

And what do you mean ‘acceptable’?!

Just let him cut my hair!

Do you know what the difference is?

Hair grows back!

My damn thumb does not!

I desperately wanted to scream all this aloud.

But doing so would basically advertise that I was eavesdropping on their conversation.

I was forced to swallow my fury.

The instant he received permission, Suriel looked at me with a deep smile.

Without hesitation, he strode toward me.

I screamed in horror.

“He’s coming! He’s coming! That crazy bastard is coming!”

“……Big sis.”

Oops.

I was so startled that I accidentally said out loud what I was supposed to keep inside my head.

Suriel doubled over laughing.

“Hahaha! She’s seriously hilarious.”

Of course you think it’s funny.

You’re about to take my thumb.

Everything probably looks beautiful to you right now.

But not to me!

I prayed desperately.

Give me a weapon.

Please!

Give me something capable of fighting that demon!

Instead of a weapon, Cletta stepped in front of me.

I became irritated and smacked his back.

Slap!

Cletta rubbed his back and tried eliciting completely undeserved sympathy.

“That hurts, Evelyn.”

“Move. What are you doing?”

“I’m protecting you. That man is clearly planning something.”

“I’ll protect myself. I’ve done it until now, and I’ll continue doing it. So move.”

All I needed was to stall for time.

Eventually, the system would forcibly transport me to the fifth floor.

I could keep running until then.

I glanced at the remaining time.

[01:32:11 remaining.]

That’s fucking forever.

Suriel coldly ordered Cletta,

“Move.”

“Threatening a woman? Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Not at all.”

Exactly.

There’s no way that bastard would be ashamed.

He has several million layers of shamelessness covering his face.

“Evelyn……”

Maybe afraid I would end up in the same state as her, Cynthia clung tightly to me and trembled.

Honestly, I had expected her to run the instant I became the target.

Instead, Cynthia refused to leave me.

Suddenly, I saw her differently.

Alhulf slowly tried edging away from me.

Our eyes met.

Looking caught, he immediately glanced elsewhere.

“I wasn’t expecting anything from you anyway.”

“…….”

The tears that had been gathering in Alhulf’s eyes spilled down.

I didn’t feel sorry for him at all.

“Lady Cynthia, if something happens, don’t try to save me. Just run. Understand?”

“What are you saying? I can’t do that.”

“You have to. You’re weak.”

“…….”

Losing my thumb would still be better than Cynthia dying.

……

No.

Actually, after thinking about it, sacrificing my thumb still seems unacceptable.

Cynthia wasn’t lovable enough yet for me to go that far.

Sorry, Cynthia.

Still, as long as you remain beside me, I’ll at least try to prevent you from dying.

“I told you to move.”

[Suriel is becoming increasingly irritated because he cannot take the thumb right in front of him.]

“No.”

Suriel looked crookedly at Cletta and stepped right up to him.

At this rate they’re going to kiss.

Standing at an almost nonexistent distance, Suriel smiled ominously.

Don’t tell me……

Sensing something bad, I reached toward Cletta.

Holloway blocked my hand.

“Holloway?”

“It’s dangerous.”

“No, compared to me—”

That was when Suriel grabbed Cletta’s hair.

Apparently, Suriel intended to throw Cletta aside by it.

But Cletta remained standing firmly in place.

At this rate, his scalp is going to come off……

“Still refusing to move?”

“Let go.”

“Then maybe I should take your hair instead.”

Y-You fucking lunatic!

I grabbed Suriel’s wrist where he was holding Cletta’s hair and hurriedly tried stopping him.

“Let’s be humane and leave scalps out of this!”

Suriel merely grinned at me.

Ah.

Right.

This bastard’s a demon.

But even demons shouldn’t mess with someone’s hair!

Ah.

Wait.

This particular demon is literally a hair collector.

“Who knows? Give me your thumb and maybe I’ll let go.”

At that ridiculous offer, I released Suriel’s hand and looked at Cletta.

“Sorry, Cletta. Hair grows back, but my thumb doesn’t.”

“…….”

He didn’t seem to understand, so I kindly elaborated.

“I mean you should just stand there and let him rip it out.”

Better your hair than my thumb.

I gestured for Suriel to continue and pulled Holloway close beside me.

I talked big, but I wasn’t actually going to stand there peacefully while Cletta’s hair was ripped out.

First, I needed to keep the most dangerous one—Holloway—beside me.

Then I could separate Suriel from Cletta before things got worse.

At least, that was the plan……

“Let go.”

“I said I don’t—”

Cletta cut directly across Suriel’s words.

His voice dropped low.

“I warned you.”

Cletta released Suriel’s wrist and raised his elbow.

Then he struck Suriel directly in the cheekbone.

Thud!

“Agh!”

Suriel stumbled backward several steps, clutching his cheek.

He swayed once with his face lowered.

Then he lifted his head.

His pupils had rolled halfway around.

“……My face.”

Suriel’s voice became dark and ominous.

I swallowed dryly.

……We’re screwed.

Fuck.

This is dangerous.

I pulled Cynthia and Holloway even closer and signaled Cletta with my eyes.

Get out of here.

Now.

There was one thing Suriel hated more than anything else.

Damage to his face.

“……You hit me. A human bastard dared to hit me. My face, of all things.”

“A human bastard……?”

Cletta frowned in confusion.

Naturally, Suriel’s wording sounded strange.

He was speaking as though he himself weren’t human.

“Are you saying you’re not human?”

Suriel gave no answer.

Instead—

a vivid crimson aura began undulating around him.

Even ordinary humans like Cynthia and me could immediately tell how ominous it was.

It was the warning sign that Suriel’s rampage was about to begin.