How a Nuisance Character Survives a Horror Game Chapter 26

Cletta looked confused by the ominous energy pouring from Suriel.

“What is that? Isn’t this a place where neither mana nor aura works?”

This was hardly the time to calmly analyze Suriel’s energy.

We needed to put as much distance between Suriel and ourselves as possible.

In the game, whenever the player encountered a situation like this, it ended in Game Over one hundred times out of one hundred because there was no way to defeat a demon.

[Suriel’s Murder Value has reached MAX. Everyone present except Holloway has become a murder target.]

See?!

We’re fucked!

[Because you are in danger of death, the time limit before transportation to the 5th floor has been shortened.]

What?

By how much?

As though deliberately hiding it, the system refused to show me the remaining time.

In a crisis like this, it didn’t even display Holloway’s thoughts or anything related to Affection.

Meaning it didn’t care if I died.

Fuck.

The only person I can rely on is myself.

And if I alone got transported to the fifth floor, Cynthia and Cletta would remain behind as targets.

The system clearly didn’t care.

But even if saving myself came first, my conscience pricked painfully at the thought of abandoning those two.

“Th-That, that……”

Cynthia’s hand covering her mouth trembled pitifully.

“I-I knew it. I thought he didn’t seem human……!”

“B-Big sis……”

Shameless bastard!

Holloway came rushing toward me pretending to be scared.

Just as I wanted to shove him away—

[A weapon is located five steps behind your current position, inside the guest room to the left, on the sofa.]

I was trying to determine the location when—

“Aaaaaagh!”

Suriel’s elongated nails pierced straight through Alhulf’s stomach.

Alhulf screamed from the horrifying pain.

Blood poured from the hole in his abdomen in thick gushes.

Cletta was the one who had actually damaged Suriel’s face, yet Suriel didn’t attack him.

That was probably because, one way or another, Cletta’s face still appealed to his aesthetic sense.

In other words—

poor Alhulf was the one sacrificed for no reason.

Suriel withdrew the hand he had stabbed through Alhulf’s stomach and casually shook off the blood.

Droplets fell onto the floor every time he moved.

His lips stretched into a grotesque smile.

“This all could’ve ended with that crazy woman’s thumb.”

This isn’t the time to stand around panicking.

The weapon!

I have to do something before the game ends here.

I need to buy time!

My survival instinct forced my body to move even with that gruesome scene unfolding in front of me.

I immediately took five steps backward and threw open the door.

“Cough—L-Lady Evelyn……!”

Alhulf apparently thought I was abandoning them.

He pitifully reached toward me, but I ignored him and entered the room.

Everyone shouted my name in shock at my sudden action.

“Evelyn!”

“E-Evelyn!”

“Big sis!”

While I searched for the weapon to the sound of their desperate voices, Suriel laughed mockingly.

“Leave her. She clearly wants to survive alone.”

[Affection decreased by 2%.]

[Attachment decreased by 3%.]

[Possessiveness decreased by 5%.]

[Affection: 4.5%

Attachment: 4%

Possessiveness: 2%]

I ignored the values dropping one after another.

Suriel’s mocking voice continued ringing in my ears.

“She acted so confident before. Looks like even that woman can’t help herself when death is right in front of her.”

Talk all you want.

Letting Suriel’s voice go in one ear and out the other, I finally reached the sofa.

There was no time to inspect what kind of weapon it was.

I grabbed it immediately.

[Obtained ‘Nunchaku’!]

What the hell am I supposed to do with these?!

[Feature: Attack power and accuracy increase the more frequently and loudly you shout ‘Ah-byoh!’]

“AH-BYOOOOH!”

Suriel, you bastard.

I’m coming!

I can’t let the game end here!

The moment I emerged making bizarre noises while holding nunchaku, Suriel froze.

He stared at me.

“Heh.”

When he saw my confident smile, Suriel seriously asked,

“……Did you go into that room and eat something?”

What the hell would I have eaten?

I confidently marched toward him, but Cletta blocked my path.

“Evelyn, he’s not someone you can handle!”

“AH-BYOH!”

I only shouted and swung the nunchaku randomly.

Yet they struck Cletta directly in the side.

“Ugh!”

Cletta grimaced and clutched his ribs before dropping to one knee.

I passed him and approached Suriel.

Suriel sneered.

“Hah. You really think you can beat me with some ridiculous weapon you picked up somewhere?”

“Do I look like I brought this because I think I can beat you?”

What kind of amateur thought process is that?

After I thoroughly embarrassed him, Suriel pressed his lower lip between his teeth.

“I came out here with this for exactly one reason.”

“……?”

“To evacuate everyone here.”

I didn’t know how much time remained before transportation.

But if I beat Suriel for long enough, eventually I’d be transported.

So before worrying about myself, getting everyone else away from Suriel came first.

That way, I survived.

And they survived.

“You heard me, Lady Cynthia?”

“……What?”

“You’re the only person here I can trust right now. Take Alhulf, Cletta, and Holloway with you.”

Alhulf was useless.

Holloway looked like a child.

And Cletta would probably throw a fit and refuse to leave.

That left Cynthia as the only reliable choice.

“I’m not leaving, Evelyn!”

See?

Cletta stubbornly tried standing and approaching me.

When I threatened him with the nunchaku, he frowned.

“Put that thing down!”

No, you idiot!

If I put this down, we all die!

Ignoring Cletta, I stared directly at Cynthia.

Finally understanding what I wanted, she nodded heavily.

“……Leave them to me.”

Cynthia supported Alhulf, who was the most severely injured.

Alhulf looked at me with glistening eyes.

“L-Lady Evelyn……”

“Holloway too. Hurry.”

Instead of Holloway answering, status windows appeared one after another.

[Affection increased by 6%.]

[Attachment increased by 7%.]

[Possessiveness increased by 10%.]

[Affection: 10.5%

Attachment: 11%

Possessiveness: 12%]

Th-Thank goodness.

For increases that huge, Attachment and Possessiveness aren’t too far apart.

“Huh……”

Suriel looked dumbfounded by my self-sacrificing behavior.

One thing worth mentioning—

Suriel hated kind people.

Enough that he wanted to take everything away from them.

Seeing me step forward to evacuate the others in front of a demon like that made Suriel’s face twist.

“You think I’m going to let them leave?”

Suriel delivered the classic line every villain used.

I didn’t bother answering.

Instead, I screamed wildly.

“AH-BYOH! AH-BYOH! AH-BYOH! AH-BYOH!”

Embarrassment can’t stop me anymore.

As I swung the nunchaku recklessly, buff windows appeared everywhere.

[Attack Power increased by 5%!]

[Accuracy increased by 10%!]

[Attack Power increased by 7%!]

[Accuracy increased by 14%!]

Every time I shouted ‘Ah-byoh,’ I became stronger.

At the same time, Suriel started getting hit more often.

He had been blocking well at first, but at some point he simply began taking blow after blow.

“Agh! Aagh! It hurts, it hurts!”

“AH-BYOH! AH-BYOOOH! AH-BYOH!”

[Everyone present believes you possess outstanding talent as a ‘comedian.’]

I’m saving you, and that’s what you think?

I couldn’t even complain.

The situation might look ridiculous, but I was desperate.

The system said my attack power and accuracy increased.

It never said my stamina or muscles increased.

My thin arms quickly began aching from muscle fatigue.

Still, I couldn’t stop.

If I gave Suriel even the slightest opening, those sharp nails might pierce my heart next.

Until everyone escaped, I had to attack him constantly without allowing him a moment to breathe.

Which meant I couldn’t stop shouting ‘Ah-byoh’ either.

“AH-BYOH! AH-BYOH!”

Hah, hah.

Fuck.

This is exhausting.

Guys, are you gone yet?

Your big sis is one step away from the afterlife.

Did you escape?

I couldn’t even turn around to check.

This was driving me insane.

“Fuck! Stop already!”

“I’ll stop after everyone leaves!”

Suriel was speechless at my shameless response.

Then, when I swung the nunchaku again, he actually shrieked in fear.

At that moment—

[5 seconds remaining.]

……What?

“AH-BYOH! AH-BYOH!”

My mouth kept shouting while I stared at the countdown windows appearing one after another.

[4 seconds remaining.]

[3 seconds remaining.]

[2 seconds remaining.]

[1 second remaining.]

[Transporting!]

“AH-BYOK!”

Whoosh!

Clatter……

With its target suddenly gone, the nunchaku drooped uselessly in my hand.

My surroundings changed instantly.

Suriel, whom I had been beating, was gone.

So was everyone else.

My shoulders and chest rose and fell violently with my breathing.

“Hah, hah……. What? I really got transported?”

I wiped the sweat running along my jaw with the back of my hand and frowned.

Before I could even properly assess the situation—

a thick, overwhelming smell of blood made me cover my nose.

The fishy stench of something that had been rotting for a very long time filled the air.

Even with my nose blocked, the sour, disgusting odor seemed to invade my brain.

Eventually, I couldn’t hold back and gagged.

“Ugh……”

[You have entered the location of the 9th ‘Set Me Free’ Story: 5th Floor.]

[Before the main story begins, danger factors will be released.]

[Hotel difficulty increased by 2 levels.]

[Current Hotel Difficulty: ‘Try to Survive.’]

Try to survive……

As I stood stunned, grotesque sounds began echoing.

Creeeeak……

Creak……. Kiik……

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Kieeeek……

Something was approaching from both sides, pressing toward me.