In the cold, dark night air, unfamiliar red letters began to appear slowly, written as if etched into the sky.
âMain Quest â Murder has begun.â
A main quest I hadnât even known existed now appeared above Adrianâs status window, glowing in ominous red text: [Main Quest] Murder. Seeing that stark reminder made it all too real that I was trapped inside a horror game.
The fact that I hadnât even been aware of the main quest until now showed just how difficult this game was. If I hadnât made up my mind to kill, the main quest might have stayed hidden forever, leaving me to grow old and die inside this world without ever knowing about it. There was no explanation of how many main quests there were or what conditions were needed to complete them, but it seemed inevitable that they were tied to the gameâs ending.
Adrianâs condition was dire, the main quest had appeared, and I already had a sacrifice lined up. Everything had fallen into place perfectly. All I had to do now was steel my resolve. It was the dead of night, pitch black, and there wasnât a soul around to witness anythingâan ideal time for murder. I rose from my crouched position, tightly rolling up the blanket I had carried and setting it down in an inconspicuous spot.
But now that Iâd decided to go through with it, I was at a complete loss about how to proceed. Did I actually have to kill someone myself, or would the system recognize an assist kill like it did with Adrianâs rules? After some thought, I decided to assume the latter since Adrianâs survival was the priority.
I wouldnât kill the target outright, just weaken them enough for Adrian to land the final blow. But how was I supposed to bring someone to the brink of death? My mind went blank. Damn itâwasnât the system supposed to give me something like a knife or another item capable of inflicting lethal wounds for a main quest like this?
âCalm down, calm downâ¦â
I exhaled sharply, trying to steady my nerves, but my heart continued to pound like a defiant drum. As I had realized before, I was an ordinary civilian from a law-abiding society. Even if I knew a criminal had moved in next door, I wouldnât take justice into my own hands and attack them. A normal person would either move away or report it to the police.
When I helped Joanne out of pity, that was the equivalent of calling emergency servicesânothing more. Sure, I felt some moral obligation, but as someone who grew up under the protection of laws and trusted them, it had simply been the natural thing to do.
Thatâs why I knew how abnormal it was for me to now be contemplating killing someone for Adrianâs sake. Ugh, how did I end up in this situation? This is all Lilithâs fault. None of this would have happened if she hadnât cursed an innocent child and caused all this chaosâ¦
My hands trembled uncontrollably as I made my way toward the stables, step by shaky step, cutting through the darkness. Every soundâlike the snap of a twigâmade me jump out of my skin. With nerves like this, how was I supposed to kill someone?@@novelbin@@
But I had a mantra Iâd clung to ever since arriving in this game.
âThis is just a game, a game. Itâs a little too realistic, but still a gameâ¦â
The fear of death still gripped me, but the only thing keeping me grounded was the thought that this world was just a game. This belief had already begun to crumble long ago, but even a shattered illusion was better than nothing to cling to.
Itâs a game, just a game. I repeated this to myself like a madwoman as I rounded the mansion and spotted the gravel path leading to the stables. The faint sounds of horses neighing told me I was in the right place.
As I crept closer to the stables, I realized too late that I hadnât brought anything that could be used as a weapon. Damn it. I had been so focused on the act of murder itself that Iâd completely overlooked the practicalities.
Should I go back and fetch something? A knife from the kitchen, maybe� But I shook my head and scanned the area around the stables instead. If I went back now, I might lose the nerve I had painstakingly built up.
Bruise and swelling on cheek â 40G
Internal bleeding in mouth â 30G
Light bruise on right calf â 10G
Light bruise on left arm â 10G
Internal bleeding in abdomen â 100Gâ