How a Nuisance Character Survives a Horror Game Chapter 29

Wait.

Calm down.

“If I can’t leave this place, how am I supposed to breathe?”

My fingertips felt cold.

My heart pounded so violently from tension that it seemed ready to jump out through my throat.

If the water continued rising until it swallowed this entire space—

my life would end too.

[To ensure smooth quest progression, you are specially gifted ‘Air PANG!’]

What kind of PANG?

[Air PANG!: Allows you to breathe freely underwater for approximately 5 hours.]

If they were giving me something this convenient, then they were obviously forcing me to clear the quest no matter what.

Something translucent covered my nose and mouth before vanishing as though it had never existed.

So I really have no choice but to plunge into that black water……

I don’t want to plunge.

Wait……

“Don’t you guys seem…… closer to me now?”

We are not close enough to have gotten this close this quickly.

I babbled nonsense in an attempt to overcome my fear.

The head monsters merely stared.

S-Stop.

Please stop staring at me.

I’ve never received this much passionate attention in my entire life……

While I hesitated, the water had already risen to my thighs.

I cautiously opened my mouth.

“……Ah-byoh.”

[Attack Power increased by 1%.]

[Accuracy increased by 0.1%.]

See?

I’m threatening.

I swung the nunchaku.

The ghosts didn’t even blink.

I did.

At this point, even Holloway’s thoughts stopped appearing.

Looks like he already forgot someone like me and is living happily.

Holloway.

Your big sis is suffering like hell over here.

Is this really how you’re going to treat me?

Even if you are a thoughtless demon……

Even if your Affection is barely worth shit.

We haven’t known each other long, but still……!

As though telling me to stop spouting nonsense, the water steadily rose until it rippled around my waist.

The ghosts had moved closer by the same amount.

“……Fine. If I have to do it anyway.”

Let’s try.

Like always.

I can’t die here.

My arms won’t move freely underwater.

So first, I need to deal with at least these ghosts while I’m still above the surface.

The louder I shouted ‘Ah-byoh,’ the more Attack Power and Accuracy seemed to increase.

When I whispered it, the system said I lacked confidence.

When I raised my voice slightly, I got buffs—though smaller ones than when I beat Suriel.

Then if I shouted ‘Ah-byoh’ repeatedly as loudly as I possibly could……

Maybe I could eliminate them.

I raised the nunchaku high over my head.

I inhaled deeply.

“AH-BYOH! AH-BYOOOOH!”

I swung the nunchaku down with all my strength.

Whoooosh―!

The weapon cut through the air.

I expected some massive attack to erupt.

Instead, everything remained quiet.

“……?”

Was I wrong?

Did it fail?

Then—

Splash, splash.

The black water around my waist rippled.

The vibration reached me.

A violent gust suddenly began spiraling around my body.

[Attack Power increased by 1011%!]

[Accuracy increased by 810%!]

[Because both values exceeded 500%, a powerful wind will be generated!]

WHOOOOOSH!

A tremendous wind erupted around me and slammed into the monsters floating on the water.

―Kieeeeeek!

―Kiik!

The monsters screamed bizarrely.

They couldn’t resist at all and were swept away by the gale.

The wind was so strong that the water briefly split apart like the miracle of Moses, exposing the pool floor before surging back together.

The water violently rocked once.

Then everything went calm as though nothing had happened.

Every face floating on the surface had disappeared.

[Defeated ‘Red-Eyed Piranha.’]

[Reward: ‘Seeing Eyes’ obtained!]

Seeing Eyes?

[Seeing Eyes: Eyes that can see everything inside the ‘Black Forest,’ where nothing can normally be seen.]

More importantly—

those water ghosts were piranhas?

Imagining the teeth hidden beneath the surface made my skin crawl.

The water had already risen to just beneath my chest.

There was nowhere left to retreat.

No matter how disgusting it was, I had no choice.

At this point, I was basically already underwater anyway.

“Huuup!”

I inhaled deeply and submerged myself.

I squeezed my eyes shut and cautiously tried breathing.

It worked as comfortably as if I were above the surface.

I slowly opened my eyes.

Perhaps because of ‘Seeing Eyes,’ I could see clearly underwater.

Beneath the black water, countless aquatic plants stretched upward so densely that I wondered how this place could possibly exist.

‘Is that why they called it a forest?’

The thought of something emerging from within those thick plants immediately made me anxious.

I gripped the nunchaku like a lifeline.

First, I’ll go straight ahead……

and look for the drain cover.

I could destroy each jar individually.

But Suriel had collected these things over a long period of time.

Air PANG would probably expire long before I finished breaking everything.

I swam closer to the aquatic plants.

It was the kind of place that made me hesitate simply looking at it.

While I stood there staring, something sparkled between the plants.

What’s that?

I cautiously reached forward and pushed the vegetation aside.

Behind it—

countless glass jars containing human body parts.

‘What the fuck……!’

Bubbles burst from my open mouth in shock.

The sheer number of jars terrified me enough that I instinctively wanted to flee.

Then a thought suddenly struck.

Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to destroy all of them?

With the nunchaku……!

My determination to survive overpowered my fear.

Just as before, I raised the weapon and shouted,

‘Ah-byoh!’

Silence……

Huh?

‘Ah-byoh!’

I shouted again.

Nothing.

……Don’t tell me.

Because my voice isn’t actually coming out underwater?

Then I’ll swim to the surface and scream louder than ever before.

I immediately swam upward.

The moment I reached what should have been the surface—

I came face-to-face with the ceiling.

In other words—

the water had already filled the entire room to the ceiling.

……I can’t use the nunchaku.

[The nunchaku has reached the end of its durability.]

Rustle……

The nunchaku crumbled into powder and scattered.

Evelyn has lost her weapon……

Now that I had lost my means of attacking, there was only one thing I could do.

Find the drain cover somehow and open it.

There was no point grieving a weapon that was already gone.

Especially when I still had to find one tiny drain in this enormous place.

And the time limit wasn’t particularly generous.

I descended again.

Just as I steeled myself to enter the aquatic plants—

―I smell a human.

Crrrk, crrrk.

―Smell…… human……

That means……

me……?

―Delicious……. Smells delicious.

Delicious……

me……?

WHOOSH!

An enormous arm suddenly shot out from between the aquatic plants.

I was completely unprepared and was knocked sideways by the force.

The hand barely missed me.

The arm was bright red.

So red—and strangely blue—as though no blood flowed through it at all.

Thick veins bulged grotesquely across it.

The enormous hand opened wide.

Then it suddenly clenched into a fist.

The force alone shifted the direction of the surrounding water and created a small whirlpool.

―……Failed. Didn’t catch it.

―Not there. Look properly. A little farther to the side.

……Look?

I felt an unbearably intense gaze.

From the aquatic plants.

Definitely.

I barely managed to turn my neck.

The instant I saw the enormous eye that had been staring at me the entire time—

my breath caught.

‘……!’

I was breathing.

And yet I couldn’t breathe.

The oppressive force squeezing my ribs and lungs refused to allow even my fingertips to move.

―Over there.

―……Wait.

Can I escape?

The water resistance made movement difficult.

And I wasn’t even a particularly good swimmer.

―The one…… who killed my children.

―Can’t let her die gently.

Roll, roll.

The pupil spun round and round.

Then abruptly stopped.

The single large pupil split into two.

The huge hand that had missed me earlier came flying through the water at a speed that seemed impossible underwater.

It slammed directly into me.

‘Ugh!’

The force was tremendous.

It felt as though water resistance applied only to me while that monster moved freely.

Like a fly smacked by a flyswatter, I was launched away and crashed into the wall.

Thud!

‘Ugh!’

Blood burst between my lips and floated upward.

‘Kgh!’

My entire body felt as though it had been torn apart.

―Still alive.

The hand withdrew again.

I bit my lip.

I need to run.

But its reach is too wide!

My thoughts raced during those few seconds.

The gun?

Should I shoot?

But I had no idea whether the bullet would have enough power underwater.

And that final bullet was too precious to waste.

Then……

The chances weren’t good, but there was only one method left.

I desperately swam toward the thick aquatic plants.

If I got inside, maybe I could hide temporarily.

The eye followed me no matter where I moved.

A chill ran down my spine so intense that it felt as though freezing water had entered my body.

Fear of death was right in front of me.

I bit my lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

My entire body pounded with tension like someone beating a drum.

Then my vision began growing blurry.

‘Why?’

Blinking didn’t help.

Neither did rubbing my eyes.

[Your fear is rising. The effect of ‘Seeing Eyes’ is beginning to disappear.]

What are you talking about, System?!

[Seeing Eyes Feature: Your vision darkens when you become afraid.]

……What?

You never said that!

[It was written in extremely small text underneath.]

It wasn’t there!

My protest was ignored.

My vision suddenly went completely black.

My swimming body froze.

I couldn’t see even an inch ahead.

I couldn’t tell whether what brushed my fingertips was aquatic plants—

water—

or something else.

……I’m going to die.

‘Like this? In this state?’

Unable to tell which direction I was even swimming, my body struck something hard.

Tap.

……A wall?

No.

No!

Roll!

‘An eye……!’

Blink.

Blink.

It had only been invisible because it was closed.

After blinking several times, the giant eye stopped.

Then monsters began emerging from inside its two pupils.

Even in this darkness, without the Seeing Eyes effect, their shapes were perfectly visible.

They were monsters I already knew.

The very same ‘Red-Eyed Piranhas’ that had floated on the surface!

There weren’t one or two.

The piranhas emerged almost lazily, swimming toward me while staring.

Then, as though they had been waiting, they opened their mouths wide.

The corners of their mouths split.

Rows of densely packed sharp teeth became visible.

―KRAAAAAAGH!

‘Fuck!’

CHOMP!

‘Aagh!’

A silent scream erupted from me.

The charging monster slammed me toward the bottom.

Thud……

Even in this black water, my blood was clearly visible.

For a moment, it illuminated the floor before dispersing.

I didn’t miss that instant.

Can I see through the blood?

To confirm, I grabbed the hair of the piranha still biting my shoulder and jabbed its eye.

Apparently it hurt.

The jaws clamped around my shoulder weakened.

I immediately tore it away.

Blood gushed out.

I can see……!

Through the cloud of blood, I could clearly see what was in front of me.

Blood.

I can see using blood!

Pain didn’t matter.

My desperate desire to survive temporarily covered it.

Gritting my teeth, I deliberately crushed the wounded area of my shoulder so more blood spread.

Then I flattened myself against the bottom.

Using my own blood like a flashlight, I moved forward.

Every time I did—

piranha teeth sank into my calf,

my thigh,

my arm and hand,

my waist—

‘Aagh! My ass!’

It bit down hard!

Do you bastards have no professional ethics?!

Not the ass!

Tears that had stopped began streaming again from the unbearable pain.

I won’t forgive you.

Seriously.

Do you think I’m going to die here?

I refuse to die here purely out of spite.

[Intense survival instinct has awakened.]

[Due to your survival instinct, the location of the ‘Drain Cover’ is revealed.]

……What are you saying?

If that hadn’t activated, you were just going to let me die?

[If you lose any more blood, your cause of death will become ‘exsanguination.’]

Die?

No!

I swam with every ounce of strength toward the arrow glowing brightly in the black water.

Fighting off the piranhas clinging to me, I stretched out and grabbed the drain cover.

‘Get the hell off me!’

The moment I grabbed the cover and pulled upward—

RUMBLEEEEE!

With the satisfying sound of a toilet flushing, a violent whirlpool formed around the drain.

‘Ugh!’

Naturally, I wasn’t unaffected.

Everything in the water began spinning toward the drain.

My body was thrown back and forth by all kinds of debris.

Through the swirling blood, I saw body parts preserved in glass jars.

RUMBLEEEEE!

‘……The water level is falling.’

The water drained rapidly.

The surface, which had been far above my height, dropped past my neck—

shoulders—

waist—

and finally ankles.

Red candlelight flickered to life and illuminated the space.

Then a brutal cold swept over me.

My body began trembling.