Chapter 2: Chapter 2.1

“Ugh… I'm so bored. Isn't there anything fun to do?”

Until a few months ago, I was just a regular gamer girl who loved playing video games. I’d buy anything that looked fun and wouldn’t hesitate to spend a reasonable amount on in-game purchases. After starting my job, though, I had to cut back on gaming to focus on work. Even so, I still made it a point to try out new releases whenever they came out.

But that day was different. Exhausted from a particularly rough day, I picked up some alcohol—a rare occurrence for me—and after just a couple of drinks, I found myself clicking on a "horror game" review. It was a category I usually avoided because I’m a total scaredy-cat.

“Huh, so many new horror games are coming out.”

Scrolling through the main page, I skimmed over the titles, all of which were plastered with eerie black and red monsters and ghostly figures oozing menace. Normally, I would’ve closed the page right away, spooked by the imagery, but the alcohol dulled my nerves just enough to make it bearable.

Why do people even play horror games?

Unless you have some masochistic hobby, I’ve never understood why anyone would enjoy them. Yet, my curiosity was piqued, and I found myself mindlessly clicking through reviews and posts until one particular phrase made me pause.

"The Murderer of the Palzgraf Estate."

“Huh, didn’t I see this game earlier? A new release from A-Comz…”

Crushing the now-empty beer can in my hand, I tossed it aside and started carefully reading the review. A-Comz was known for its niche aesthetic, particularly for games that poured effort into their OSTs, period settings, and storylines. Every new release generated significant buzz among fans. However, A-Comz titles often suffered harsh criticism due to the impossibly high expectations set by its reputation.

The usual complaints came to mind.

I waited so long for this, and it sucks. Total trash. What a letdown.

The more I read about how disappointing it was, the more curious I became.

How bad could it be for everyone to call it trash?

Or maybe… it wasn’t bad at all. On internet gaming forums, a game being labeled as "trash" often meant it was secretly a masterpiece. The more "bad game" parrots there were, the better the game performed, often climbing to the top of sales charts.

It was a strange rule of thumb, but it held true—especially for A-Comz.

“Now I’m curious. Should I give it a try?”

Before I realized it, my hands were already navigating to the A-Comz website and hitting the purchase button. Downloading and installing the game didn’t take long.

The moment I clicked the game icon, my screen was flooded with a blood-red hue. A massive European-style mansion appeared amidst the classic rumble of thunder, flashes of lightning, and pouring rain.

True to A-Comz’s obsessive attention to detail, the mansion was a masterwork of gothic European architecture—grand, elegant, and elaborate enough to look like it belonged in a movie. It was the kind of design that screamed an artist poured their soul into this.

As I absentmindedly munched on some leftover snacks, the minimalist menu popped up:

★ New Game

★ Exit

Selecting the first option brought up another pitch-black screen. A deep cello melody accompanied by a grand and ominous orchestral score began to play.

And then—

“AH! Damn it!”

A horrific scream blasted from my speakers, and the monitor suddenly filled with the face of a young man. Startled, I nearly fell out of my chair. Once his face shrank back, I managed to calm down enough to stay seated.

His complexion was so pale that his veins were visible, making him look more like a boy than a man. His chilling gaze met mine as he raised something in his hand. It took me a second to realize it was a severed woman’s head.

Her blood-matted hair, terrified expression frozen in death, and half-closed eyes were rendered so realistically that it almost felt like I was looking at a photograph.

Then he started chewing on the head. Slowly, methodically.

I winced.

“What the hell… Is this some kind of niche horror? Ugh, gross.”

As his actions slowed, text began to appear across the screen, summarizing the game’s lore:

An underground world of demons had been ruled by a single lord for centuries. However, a civil war erupted when the lord’s daughter, Lilith, rebelled against him. The conflict split the demon world into two factions.

The most powerful demon of all, Satan, sided with the lord to oppose Lilith. A long, grueling war ensued.

When Lilith was finally defeated by Satan’s overwhelming power, she cursed him with her dying breath.

The curse stripped Satan of his immense power and trapped him in the frail body of a human. Awakening in this weakened state, he found that the only way to survive was to kill humans and absorb their life force, much like a vampire.

And so, Satan began to kill. And kill again.

Until he could fully regain his power and reclaim his place—or meet his end as a condemned murderer.

The player assumes the role of Adrian Caesar von der Palzgraf, the frail young heir of a noble house. He is Satan’s new vessel. The game ends if Adrian is executed before reclaiming his power or if the player breaks the game’s rules.

“Well, this is… bleak.”

An illustration of Adrian gnawing on a corpse popped up on the screen—grotesque enough to make my stomach churn.

Did I just waste my money on this? Should I refund it now?

After a moment of hesitation, I clicked to continue. Suddenly, the screen brightened.

The grand mansion I had seen earlier was now bathed in sunlight, its splendor fully visible. Flawlessly white walls, intricately carved statues of gods, and harmonious curves softened its rigid structure. The gardens stretched endlessly, meticulously trimmed and impossibly lush.

It was the kind of house you’d never dream of owning in South Korea—a tiny apartment in a small town’s outskirts was all someone like me could ever afford.

“Wow… If I could live in a place like this, I’d die happy.”

As I sighed, looking around my cramped one-room apartment, the character introductions began to appear on-screen.

★Leticia: Hey, Hilda! Hilda! Get up already!

Leticia. A loyal housekeeper who immigrated from another country. She has never even dreamed of betraying the Palzgraf family.

★Leticia: Hilda! Are you sleeping in again? You need to bring Master Adrian his medicine!

★Hilda: I’m already up.

Hilda. An orphan abandoned on the streets and rescued by a priest, who sent her to work as a servant for the Palzgraf family.

★Leticia: Hilda, the medicine!

★Hilda: Yes, yes. Where’s Katarina, anyway?

★Leticia: Don’t even think about passing this off to Katarina. You need to hurry up and take care of it yourself! Oh, our poor Master Adrian… What a pitiful situation. He can’t even go outside like others his age and has to take medicine every day because of his illness. Sure, things are dangerous out there right now, but not being able to enjoy a bit of freedom is just so sad.

★Hilda: Dangerous? What’s going on outside?

★Leticia: Haven’t you heard? They say there’s someone wandering around nearby with a knife. Apparently, someone’s already been stabbed. But what are you still doing here? You haven’t taken Master Adrian his medicine yet? Get a move on!

★Hilda: Okay, okay! I’ve got everything. I’m going, geez!

Grumbling to herself, Hilda walked down a long corridor. The bright hallway had an odd, eerie atmosphere that made the mansion feel unsettling despite the sunlight streaming through the windows. At the end of the corridor stood a large door.

Knock, knock. The sound of Hilda tapping lightly on the door echoed before her dialogue popped up on the screen.@@novelbin@@

★Hilda: Master Adrian, I’ve brought your medicine.

★??? : Come in.

Creeeeak. The sound of the door opening was strangely out of place in such an expensive-looking mansion. Finally, Adrian appeared on screen—this game’s protagonist and the frail young master of the Palzgraf family.

Known as the “Little Count” and rumored to host Satan himself, Adrian looked to be about twenty years old. He greeted Hilda with a soft smile that was worlds apart from the blood-drenched image from the intro screen.

★Hilda: How are you feeling today?

★Adrian: The sunlight feels a bit harsh on my eyes.

★Hilda: I’ll close the curtains for you.

★Adrian: There’s no need. Just leave the medicine on the table. Thank you.

★Hilda: Don’t mention it, Master. Please get better soon. Leticia’s been so worried about you. Of course, I’ve been worried too.

Adrian suffered from asthma and countless other chronic illnesses that, given the medical knowledge of that era, were incurable. Hilda knew this as well as Adrian did, but she still sincerely wished for his recovery. Adrian responded with a gentle smile.

Even within the game, his dazzling appearance practically radiated light. It was hard to reconcile such a pure and innocent face with that of a murderer.

★Adrian: Thank you. You may go now.

★Hilda: Yes, Master. Rest well.

Creeeeak. As Hilda left the room, the angelic smile on Adrian’s face disappeared. Without a single expression, he walked to the table, picked up the medicine bottle, and stared out the window.

★Adrian: Hah… Too many eyes are watching. It’s hard to make a move.

★Adrian: But it’s fine. With this body, no one would ever suspect me of murder.

He seemed displeased with his frail body but appeared to appreciate the advantages it provided. The massive size of the Palzgraf estate meant there were many eyes watching. Avoiding the servants who constantly attended to Adrian made committing murders nearly impossible.

“So this is why they said the game is hellishly difficult. That’s why they called it trash.”

I managed to kill a few people, but each one took a significant amount of time.

At this rate, maybe Satan would just grow old and die while trapped in Adrian’s body… Pondering that grim thought, I absentmindedly moved Adrian around the game world before slumping back deeply into my chair.

I clicked half-heartedly through the game, occasionally pausing to read the scenario text or pulling up a walkthrough on my second monitor. Eventually, my heavy eyelids drifted back to the game.

Adrian was standing still on the screen, lost in thought after failing another murder attempt. I rotated the camera to zoom in on his face.

“Well… he is handsome.”

Maybe it was the alcohol kicking in, but I found myself admiring the in-game character’s face. Objectively speaking, it was a masterpiece: thick, straight eyebrows, well-defined features, slightly flushed lips, those soft, gentle eyes that curved when he smiled.

“Ugh, I should just go to bed. I have work tomorrow.”

My brain told me to get up, wash up, and sleep, but my body felt like a waterlogged sponge glued to the chair. And somehow, despite knowing Adrian was programmed to look at the screen, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was locking eyes with a living person.

I guess I drank… way too much…

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me. My eyelids grew impossibly heavy, and without meaning to, I passed out.

I woke up to a pounding headache. Ugh, damn it… I knew I shouldn’t have drunk so much or stayed up late. That’s what I get for doing something out of character. Rubbing my gritty eyes, I stretched lazily.

What time was it? I needed to get ready for work.

“Where’s my phone… my phone…”

Reaching out instinctively, I groped around the bed, but my fingers couldn’t find the familiar device. Confused, I flipped over and stretched my arm further. I always left my phone on the bed. My bed wasn’t big enough to lose something like that.

But my phone wasn’t there. In fact, this wasn’t just about the phone. This wasn’t my room.

“Where… am I?”

What had I been doing last night? Where did I fall asleep? Did I stay out? No, I distinctly remembered buying alcohol and coming home. I even played that game.

As I tried to piece things together in my groggy state, glowing white text appeared in the air before me.

「Level 1. No skills available.」

「‘Perception’ skill unlocks at Level 5.」

“Am I losing it? Now I’m hallucinating…”

Still half-asleep, I shook my head vigorously. The text disappeared, but the unfamiliar room remained. I glanced around the space with bleary eyes.

What… where am I? Did I fall asleep while playing a VR game? I need to get ready for work.

Just then, a loud banging came from the door.

“Hey, Hilda! Hilda! Get up already!”

“…?”

“Hilda! Are you sleeping in again? You need to take Master Adrian his medicine!”

The voice and dialogue sounded oddly familiar.

But… where had I heard it before?

“Hilda, you hopeless girl! How many times do I have to come wake you up myself?!”

The door flew open, revealing an angry woman’s face. I glanced around the room again, just to make sure.

There was no one else here but me.

“Hilda? …Me?”

Hilda was the servant character from that game I played yesterday. Dumbfounded, I pointed to myself and muttered the name. As I processed her words, I realized the woman standing in front of me looked incredibly familiar too. But not from real life—she was from the game.

“Who else would I be talking to? Stop babbling nonsense and get up already!”

“….”

“Ugh, all the promising ones turn out to be this slow! There’s not a single reliable one among you lot!”

The woman stormed off, slamming the door behind her.

What the hell is going on? I have work today. I need to hand in that report, or my manager’s going to chew me out again.

I stared blankly at the closed door, trying to process everything.

“Hilda, did you oversleep again? Leticia seemed really mad.”

The door creaked open again, and a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Leticia entered. Her face was also one I recognized—another character from the game. My lips moved numbly.

“E… Emily?”

“Why are you saying my name like it’s unfamiliar? Are you feeling unwell?”

“What the hell is…?”

“Hilda, you must still be half-asleep. Hurry up and get ready. If Leticia comes back and sees you like this, you’ll really get it.”

She sighed heavily, her hands on her hips, and pulled something from the wardrobe. Tossing it onto the bed, she revealed a gray skirt made of sturdy fabric and a worn apron to go over it. All the servants in the game had worn outfits like this.

At a loss for words, I opened and closed my mouth a few times before finally picking up the clothes.

“Wow… this dream feels so real. It’s like reality. And I’m… Hilda?”

“Hilda, stop dawdling and get changed already. No, never mind. I’ll take Master Adrian his medicine myself.”

“Me…?”

“Good grief… It’s best if you avoid Leticia for now. She’s been on edge about the servants slacking off lately.”

Emily shot me a worried look before mumbling something about Leticia’s temper. She disappeared out the door, leaving me alone again.

“What is this? What the hell is going on?”

I remembered the scene from the game where Hilda brought Adrian his medicine—it was definitely the opening sequence.

“Did I… get transported into the game?”

Unless I’d gone completely insane…

I stared blankly into the air for a moment before slapping myself hard across the face. The sting was sharp enough to make my ears ring, but I didn’t wake up. And then there was the vivid sensation of pain, the tangible feel of my surroundings, the sound of wind tapping against the window, and birds chirping in the trees. No dream could be this realistic.

“This is real? No, seriously, this is insane!”

I’ve ended up in a game—no, not just any game, but a horror game full of murder and gore!

If I was going to end up in a game world, couldn’t it have been a romantic simulation filled with handsome men? Why did it have to be a horror game?

“Right, log out! Log out!”

If this was really a game, logging out should let me leave, right? Surely this wasn’t a logout from life itself…

With trembling hands, I clicked the small "Menu" button in the upper-right corner of my vision. A menu appeared in midair, displaying two options: New Game and Exit. No "Logout" option in sight. What if I clicked "Exit"?

I nervously pressed the Exit button, only for a message to pop up:

「You cannot leave the game.」

“Oh, great. It’s a prison game.”

I slumped onto the bed, drained. Maybe it was like this in the PC version too, but it seemed the menu offered no way out for now.

Was there any point in the New Game option? What if that didn’t work either?

I hesitated for a moment, hand hovering over the button, when—

“Hilda! Did you not hear me calling you? How much longer do you think I’m going to put up with this?”

The door burst open, and there stood Leticia, her face red with anger. She looked like she was ready to pounce on me and slap me into next week. Instinctively, I closed the menu, despite knowing it wasn’t visible to anyone else.

“You’ve missed the time to get up, neglected your duty to bring Master Adrian his medicine, and you’re still not dressed? Do you plan on lounging around like this all day? And what’s with that messy hair!”

“Uh, I… I’m sorry…”

“I’ve had enough! Everyone, gather in the courtyard! Clearly, none of you have been doing your jobs properly!”

Leticia stormed off, shouting for everyone to assemble. Emily, who had just returned from Adrian’s room, came rushing in. Still in a daze, I let her prod me into dressing and followed her down the stairs. This whole ordeal reminded me of school days, when our entire class would get punished for something. Those grueling drills came to mind—surely it wouldn’t be like that here… right?

As I followed Emily outside, my grumbling quickly turned into awe. A massive, stunning garden filled my vision, resembling something out of the Palace of Versailles. It was even more breathtaking in person than it had been in the game.

“Why are you just standing there? Get over here!”

“Hey, Hilda! Snap out of it!”

Emily jabbed me in the side with her elbow. Only then did I realize the stares from all directions and hurried to stand in the back of the group.

“This isn’t about blaming one person! Everyone’s been slacking off lately, so I called you all here! Today, we’re working together to clean the garden!”

Groans and sighs erupted from every corner. The garden cleanup seemed like a major annual event. Given its size, even this many people working non-stop would likely need an entire day to finish.

“Quiet! Keep your complaints to yourselves!”

Leticia’s booming voice immediately silenced everyone. She looked angrier than ever—this wasn’t going to end well.

Ah, we’re screwed, I thought. These people clearly didn’t know how to handle punishment. If they’d just worked diligently from the start, Leticia wouldn’t be this upset. Refusing to cooperate would only make the workload worse.

And sure enough…

“You can’t pull yourselves together, huh? Fine! Add the back garden to your tasks as well!”

See? I knew it.

Some people grumbled as they reluctantly grabbed tools to begin cleaning. Fortunately for us, Leticia was soon distracted by the arrival of the Count himself and disappeared in a hurry.

The Count? That must be Adrian’s father. I hadn’t played far enough into the game to encounter him, so I didn’t know much. I should’ve paid more attention to the character details on the wiki instead of half-reading it while drunk.

“Ugh, I had a bad feeling about today.”

Even Emily, who’d seemed confident earlier, sighed in resignation. Watching her, I reflexively picked up a weeding knife. Why was I taking cues from an NPC?

I headed to an overgrown patch of weeds, grabbed a handful, and sliced them with the knife. The satisfying shwick sound of cutting weeds came with an unexpected notification.

「You have earned 1 EXP by removing weeds.」

A glowing message popped up at the bottom of my vision, displaying +1, then disappeared.

Huh? What was that?

I cut another clump of weeds, and the notification appeared again:

「You have earned 1 EXP by removing weeds.」

So, removing two clumps earned me 2 EXP. I squinted at the bottom-left corner and spotted an actual experience bar, just like in an MMORPG. I could even see the slight progress I’d made with those two points.

Wow… this was insane. The level of immersion in this game was mind-blowing. If this game were released to the public, it would’ve been a massive hit.

What happens when the experience bar fills? Could I unlock skills? I looked around, then tapped the "Skills" menu in the upper-right corner.

「Level 1. No skills available.」

「Level 5. Skill: Detection.」

「Level 10. (Locked)」

「Level 15. (Locked)」