How a Nuisance Character Survives a Horror Game Chapter 42

―Ugh……. Ghh……

Was the key seriously just a surprise key that summoned this kind of ghost?

It wasn’t a clue?

I hadn’t expected a fake-out like this, so I was thrown off.

Still, the ghost was stuck in the drawer and could do nothing but wave its hands.

“So that’s what it was. There was a monster inside.”

Using the hand that wasn’t covered in blood, I grabbed Holloway and moved him behind me.

The system wasn’t displaying any additional instructions.

Before leaving, I began gathering up papers.

“Big sis, what are you doing?”

“Collecting paper. There might be some clue about escaping.”

“You think so?”

No.

Probably not.

I need them as upgrade materials.

I gathered every sheet of paper inside the infirmary.

Pretending to inspect them one by one, I opened the map and pressed the enhancement button.

Every sheet I had collected disappeared.

“……The papers vanished.”

First, I acted surprised.

“What even is this place……”

After putting on the finishing touch, I looked at the hammer floating in front of me.

[Beginning ‘Map’ enhancement.]

[Enhancement Success Rate: 100%]

[Bang! Bang! Bang!]

The hammer enthusiastically struck the map.

Soon it stopped.

Excited emoticons filled the space above it.

[Enhancement successful! Performing the dance of excitement!]

[Map (Lv. 1) → Map (Lv. 2)]

[Level Up!]

[Unfortunately, no new functions were added. It appears you need to try harder.]

You bastard……

You took an entire pile of paper and only raised it by one level?!

The brilliant balancing made me genuinely furious.

[Sudden Quest!]

No.

[There is a note inside the drawer monster’s face. Let’s read it.]

You tell me not to act suspicious, then constantly order me to do suspicious things.

What am I supposed to do?

[They already consider you a strange person, so your actions no longer seem suspicious.]

That somehow hurts my feelings too.

Anyway.

Inside its face?

I stared at the monster whose fragile body couldn’t even stand properly.

Then, without lowering my guard, I approached it.

“Big sis, it’s dangerous!”

“What if we leave it alone and it suddenly crawls out and attacks us? I’ll feel safer if I finish it off.”

“It won’t come out.”

“Holloway, you can’t be certain of everything. For both your safety and mine, I don’t have a choice.”

“So what are you going to do?”

This.

I kicked the monster in the face.

CRACK!

Its bones snapped.

The head went flying and slammed into the wall.

Among the sticky blood running down from it, I saw a note.

……I wasn’t originally this kind of person.

At some point, kicking monsters no longer bothered me.

Living inside this hotel was changing even me.

But survival required it.

Swallowing a sigh, I pretended to look surprised and picked up the note.

[Obtained note ‘Unhappy Us.’]

When I unfolded it, crooked handwriting like a child’s filled the page.

[You’ll die eventually.]

Why are you being so scary?

“……What does that mean?”

“…….”

Holloway said nothing.

For some reason, the hand holding my sleeve began trembling.

[Comfort Holloway.]

……?

The system displayed that window without any further explanation.

For now, I hugged him.

There was no better form of comfort than a hug.

“…….”

“Did that scare you? Sorry.”

“No.”

Even as he denied it, he burrowed deeper into my arms.

[Sudden Quest Complete!]

[Story fragments collected!]

[Collected fragment: ‘Countless Humans.’]

[Collected fragment: ‘Peaceful Land.’]

[Collected fragment: ‘Screaming Underground.’]

While patting Holloway’s back, I carefully studied the images on the collected fragments.

The ‘Countless Humans’ fragment showed many people crying tears of blood.

‘Peaceful Land’ and ‘Screaming Underground’ were the only two fragments whose images directly connected.

On the upper fragment, ‘Peaceful Land,’ people enjoyed themselves at a resort.

Below it, ‘Screaming Underground’ showed humans screaming underground.

This island and hotel formed the very foundation of the horror game.

There was no way their history was ordinary.

Looking at those three images, only one word came to mind.

‘Sacrifice.’

The titles and images were simple enough to interpret.

And suddenly, I understood something.

The system had tried to help me and tried to kill me at different times.

But one thing was certain.

It wanted something from me.

Unlike the horror game, it kept giving me hints.

It clearly wanted me to discover the truth behind this island.

Wait.

When the game first explained the setting, it said biological experiments had taken place here.

‘What if the screams underground were caused by those experiments? The image looks like that too.’

Then was that not merely a cliché horror-game setting?

Did it actually happen?

A chill ran through me.

My shoulders tensed.

Holloway immediately noticed even that tiny change and rubbed his face against my shoulder.

“What is it, big sis? Are you scared?”

“……No.”

I hugged him tighter.

Then did these demons come from the blood-soaked place where those biological experiments had occurred?

Were they the victims?

Or……

Were they the ones conducting them?

I couldn’t determine anything yet.

The fragments were still incomplete.

Even the title remained hidden.

No point jumping to conclusions.

I folded the note and put it away.

The system continued displaying the fragment list.

A few of the previously locked entries remained closed.

Whatever the truth was, the road toward it was clearly long.

And until then—

I had to survive.

The thought almost made me laugh.

Whether the system wanted me to solve a mystery or save the world—

I couldn’t do any of that if I died first.

“Holloway.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere that doesn’t have something reaching out of a blood-filled drawer.”

“That sounds difficult.”

“……Why would you say that?”

“Because this is the hotel.”

Right.

This cursed hotel.

I stared at Holloway’s innocent face.

For a moment, the note’s words returned to me.

[You’ll die eventually.]

And the way his hand had trembled.

Something about Holloway clearly connected to those fragments.

But asking him directly was impossible.

Not yet.

I reached down and held his hand.

He immediately intertwined his fingers with mine.

“Big sis.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re not leaving me, right?”

“Why would I?”

At least not now.

If I had to choose between walking alone through this hotel and walking with the final boss—

the final boss wins.

Easily.

[Holloway is satisfied.]

[Attachment increased.]

[Obsession increased.]

Of course the second one rises too.

I pretended I hadn’t seen it.

For now, survival.

Everything else could wait.