Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 18

Episode 18

"Yes? What pay…"

I was mumbling, wondering what kind of nonsense this was all of a sudden.

When suddenly, a scene flashed through my mind like lightning.

"Hand over all the potions to me and leave. I'll make sure you're well compensated."

The offer the Adjutant made me before I came to the dining hall.

I had just dismissed it as one of the monster's many tricks to stop the disaster.

'…Adam Hailey? Why?'

Had I ever seen a user who experienced this situation?

I looked up at Adam with confused eyes.

Humans tainted by demonic energy have dull eyes and bizarrely dilated pupils.

But Adam's bright blue eyes were still as clear and distinct as ever.

Adam Hailey is displeased by your silence.

Perhaps frustrated by me just staring without an answer, a system window suddenly popped up, and his brow furrowed slightly.

I was still utterly confused, but I had no choice but to agree for now.

I slowly nodded my head.

"...Yes. A little."

"That damn bastard! As if a potion-peddler like you would ever see that kind of money…!"

"Bill. That's enough."

The moment I agreed, a furious roar erupted from the Adjutant, which Adam blocked with an annoyed expression.

The clearly defined frown, unlike just a moment ago, felt unfamiliar.

"I see. I'll make some adjustments, and we'll talk again tomorrow."

With that, he dismissed me.

I could hear that bastard Adjutant muttering something in a voice full of dissatisfaction behind me.

But I couldn't hear him clearly because of the words that floated in the air at that moment.

Adam Hailey feels a slight fondness for you.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

By the time I left the castle, enveloped in a strange feeling, it was dark outside.

The sun had set.

I could only catch my breath once I'd hurried my steps and reached the front of the Tower.

"I don't know what's what…"

I'd thought about it over and over on the way here, but I just couldn't understand it.

Why Adam would suddenly make me such an offer through the Adjutant, who was a host for the Darkness-Eating Centipede.

He had to stop the coming disaster.

Leaving the game's story aside, it was the obvious thing to do.

He was the lord who governed this place.

At the same time, this place was his 'home,' clearly filled with memories of his vassals and knights who had sworn loyalty to him, as well as his parents who passed away early.

In the post-credits scene that plays if you fail to stop the disaster.

The image of Adam Hailey screaming desperately as he looked at the land, which had become a pit of fire and vanished without a trace, is still vivid.

In the end, Kassel, tainted by absolute evil, disappears, and Adam ends his life by suicide.

After that, it was, of course, without a doubt, Game Over…

Remembering that left a bitter taste in my mouth.

After checking that no one was around, I immediately opened the chat.

Me: Hey. Can main characters become hosts for the Darkness-Eating Centipedes, too?

GM Ari: Shari-nim, nice shot!

GM Ari: Your performance today was so awesome!

GM Ari: The bad guy was totally frozen by your shamelessness, Shari-nim!

GM Sera: I knew your improvisation was quite something, but I didn't know you were this reckless, hoobae!

GM Sera: Starting today, may I call you ☆ The Runaway Ib-beol-gu (Liar Every Time You Open Your Mouth) ★?

GM Jinu: What're you gonna do if you get caught lying?

"Ib-beol-gu!"

Today, too, the chat window was exploding over the streamer's hard work.

It seemed like compliments, but looking closely, it was all just mockery of my hastily fabricated lies.

'These people, they can't even cheer me on for getting out of it well.'

My mood completely soured, I scowled and clacked away at the chat.

Me: What do you mean----I'll just have to insist that overdosing on sleeping pills causes memory loss as a side effect.

GM Sera: As expected, the audacity of an Ib-beol-gu is magnificent.

GM Jinu: Rapport-building is totally screwed, right?

Me: So, should I just stand there, get framed as a witch, and be burned at the stake?

Me: And please, just answer my question!!!!!

The first question I asked when I opened the chat window had already been pushed so far up it wasn't even visible.

Only after I emphasized it by typing five exclamation points did a reply come back, as if they were reluctantly tossing it to me.

GM Ari: In this scenario, there is no setting where a main character gets taken over by a monster.

Me: Then why did Adam use the Adjutant to offer me a deal to leave the potions and go?

GM Ari: I'm sorry, but this is the first time I'm encountering this situation, too… ㅠ Has anyone else seen this before?

GM Sera: I am also the same as you.

GM Jinu: Nope.

"Hoo…"

Watching the continuous stream of chats, I let out a sigh filled with deep frustration.

Then Ari added a comment that seemed thoughtful, but was useless.

GM Ari: Maybe Adam has his own circumstances?

Me: What are those circumstances?

GM Ari: (Typing…)

Since they'd admitted they didn't know what was going on, there was no way an answer would come.

But I just couldn't accept it.

'No, how can the developer say they don't know?'

As if reading my mind, Sera spoke in a gentle, placating tone.

GM Sera: Hoobae. We can monitor your situation through this chat server, but we cannot grasp every single variable.

But no way!

Me: You guys have never played this far, have you.

GM Ari: (Typing…)

GM Sera: (Typing…)

GM Jinu: (Typing…)

"Ah, forget it!"

I had a feeling I might die of anger before I starved to death, so I immediately closed the chat window.

I'd find out what those circumstances were tomorrow, anyway.

Having finished that thought, I looked up at the peak of the Tower soaring before me.

"Haah… I don't want to go."

Just thinking about having to suck up to that bastard Kassel made my head throb.

Honestly, I was starting to get confused about whether the real thing I needed to stop for the game's ending was the disaster, or the Male Lead with the rotten personality.

But I had to go.

I had to feed the Greatsword, which must have been starving all day, with the 27 Essences of Darkness I'd acquired…

And I did have to check on Kassel's condition, whom I had just left with the potions.

I trudged powerlessly up the stairs.

Clank, creeaak.

I opened the prison door and stepped inside with a slight sense of tension.

"...Sir. I'm here. Apothecary Shari."

I stuck close to the prison door and peered inside.

'I am absolutely not getting close for a while.'

I wasn't stupid enough to repeat the nightmare of almost being choked to death by needlessly approaching him to check his condition.

Kassel had torn the chains from his handcuffs, freeing his hands, but his feet were still securely bound in shackles.

Therefore, unless I went crazy and approached him, there was no way he could get to the door where I was.

Fortunately, his rampage phase seemed to be over, and he was sitting quietly, leaning against the wall.

"How, are you feeling any… Wait."

Just as I was carefully observing the bastard, who didn't even deign to answer.

Tatatak!

Mocking my own thoughts from just a moment ago about not being stupid, I frantically ran up to Kassel.

"...One, two, three, four, five, six..."

No, even excluding the one Health Potion bottle I gave him, a total of five bottles.

My jaw dropped as I counted the five empty bottles rolling around at his feet.

"Right now… you drank all of these right now?!"

"..."

At my almost-scream of a question, the bastard finally lifted his head and stared at me.

Still no answer, but his gaze was utterly defiant, as if to say, 'So what?'

'Please, someone do something about this madman.'

Is this what it feels like to be on the verge of fainting?

The time I'd been gone from the prison was two hours at most.

I had given him five, a generous amount just in case, but Kassel had chugged all the Insomnia Potions in just two hours.

In other words, this crazy Male Lead bastard was pioneering his own drug resistance route.