Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 20

Episode 20

Of course, if I groveled even more and sucked up to him, it might be possible by some slim chance, but I can't do this anymore.

'That damn rapport. It's disgusting, I don't need it!'

I'd never seen a single user who'd gotten friendly with Kassel anyway.

Right up until the ending, he was never swayed by sentiment, moving only according to his own interests.

In other words, he's a cold-blooded man who wouldn't hesitate to join hands with the enemy if it was the fastest, most rational way to stop the disaster.

'Since it's come to this, I'm going the strict business route. I'll make you feel in your bones just how cold-blooded human business is, you lowly AI.'

I was laying out the childish thoughts of a third-rate villain, but I drew the line in a fairly cold tone.

"For tonight, you will tell me when you are sleepy and receive a potion. Other than that, I would appreciate it if we kept conversation to a minimum."

"The feeling is mutual."

The bastard added with a cold laugh.

"I'll warn you one last time. Whether it's to the Count or to me, handing over everything you have and running away is the only way to prolong that paltry life of yours."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I need to see if you've developed a resistance."

"..."

As I repeated the same words like an NPC, the bastard shut his mouth with a frigid expression.

'Now do you know how I feel?'

That blood-boiling feeling of being speechless every time I talked to him.

I considered that the silent compromise between us was settled.

"...Looking all shifty. No skills, yet trying his damnedest to earn his pay."

Until I suddenly heard the bastard mutter in a low voice.

I, who had been staring blankly into space to kill time, stammered, wondering if I'd heard an auditory hallucination.

"What... did you just say?"

Then the bastard smirked and replied.

"I didn't say anything. You must be hearing things."

"Huh!"

I was so dumbfounded that I grabbed the back of my neck and let out a dry gasp.

'That... That bastard just copied me, right? That, that...!'

This evil AI wraith had learned my exact behavior and was using it.

My head knew I shouldn't get swept up, but a person's heart can't be controlled so easily.

"You've never even seen me, so how would you know if I look shifty?"

"You?"

"Yes, you."

"Ha. And when was it you were bowing and scraping, calling me Sir?"

The bastard, who made his displeasure perfectly clear by raising one eyebrow crookedly, suddenly snorted.

"Does Adam Hailey know you're such a sneaky bastard?"

The Lord of Nightmares feels a spark of interest in your change.

It said interest, but it was clearly the bad kind, which made me feel even worse.

"I only call someone 'Sir' if they show me courtesy."

"Ridiculous. Who would show courtesy to a mere potion-peddler?"

"And you, you're just a pris...!"

The moment I was about to shout, 'Who are you, a prisoner, to run your mouth like that?'

GM Sera: There is a saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

GM Sera: It is right to always treat the Crown Prince of the Empire with courtesy.

GM Jinu: If you can't pick up on this level of foreshadowing during a conversation, you're just a game-illiterate, right?

GM Jinu: Can't beat the ending, right?

Suddenly, the words the developers had said flashed through my mind.

Perhaps because I only read them as text and not heard as voices, their words were always full of what seemed like jokes and mockery, but it was better to take them to heart.

After all, they were the ones who made this game.

"I'm what?"

Finding it strange that I'd stopped mid-sentence, the bastard tilted his head cockily.

It seemed to mean, 'Go on, try spouting the rest.'

'I can't go any further than this...'

From under my hood, I glared at him with all my might, suppressing my seething breaths.

How many users had been instantly killed just for saying one thing, like 'You bastard prisoner!' after being shocked by the main character's outrageous words and actions?

I had to protest the unjust verbal abuse, but I had to be tactful and stay within the lines.

"...It's nothing. I have work to do, so please rest a little."

I meant, 'Rest your snout.'

But his crimson eyes, staring at me as if to say 'What work could a runt like you possibly have,' didn't lose their interest.

'Was this Male Lead bastard always this talkative and curious?'

A question suddenly arose.

From what I saw in the short highlight videos, he seemed seriously taciturn as long as you didn't get on his nerves...

But, if he'd been that gentle, all those users wouldn't have raised such a fuss.

It was then.

Zenith Empire Calendar, 13th Month, 20th Day

An alert popped up in a much larger font than usual.

It was finally 12:00 AM, midnight. A day had passed.

I ignored the stinging gaze fixed on me and stood up.

And I approached the sword stuck in the center of the prison.

The Greatsword Restoration Quest could only be done once per day.

Normally, you'd gather a ton of Essences of Darkness over a full day and do it all at once, but most people didn't even try during the first half-day after entering the Count's estate.

This was because most users were too busy finding the Darkness-Eating Centipedes within the potion's duration to have time to gather Essences of Darkness.

With my outstanding play, I'd had time left over and tried tossing one Essence of Darkness as a test. I might be the first person ever to perform the Greatsword Restoration Quest on day one.

Thinking of all the Essences of Darkness I'd gathered, I felt pleased and took them out of my pocket.

Using 27 Essences of Darkness on the Broken Greatsword That Lost Its Light.

Woooooong.

The sword immediately vibrated with a faint light.

The Broken Greatsword That Lost Its Light resonates with the evil energy.

Broken Greatsword That Lost Its Light Restoration 28/99

'That's right, that's right! Eat up, my Greatsword!'

I was incredibly proud of the number shooting up all at once.

I inwardly clapped wildly, praising my own splendid achievement.

Of course, it wasn't that I didn't feel a little regret.

'If that bastard hadn't scarfed down five of them, I could have gathered more Essences of Darkness during the night...'

I tried hard to ignore the sharp gaze that had been drilling into the back of my head and sank into grief.

I'd made a huge mistake.

To think that the Male Lead, famous for not being in his right mind, would take his potions on his own without any variables...

The inconvenience of having to play the roles of both Hero and NPC had resulted in this blunder.

'It can't be helped. I'll just have to be more diligent about killing them today during the day.'

I'd found the guy presumed to be the leader, and the Male Lead bastard had learned to drink potions on his own.

Today is a Darkness-Eating Centipede massacre party.

Anyway, after finishing today's Greatsword Restoration Quest, it finally felt real that a day had passed without a Game Over.

'It was so much shittier and harder than I'd feared, but...'

Now, it's D-2 until the disaster arrives.

Just as I was about to wrap up my reflections on the first day of the game with that proud feeling.

"...It seems you're trying to restore the Greatsword."

"..."

"It's useless. There's one more condition, even after you fill it with Essences of Darkness."

The Lord of Nightmares finds your actions extremely suspicious.

One full day into this game-life.

The bastard responsible for most of the 'shittiness' was ruining the mood again.

Swallowing a sigh, I glanced back.

"...You still haven't been resting?"

As if he couldn't hear the clear reluctance in my voice, the bastard just stubbornly said his piece.

"It's not likely, but even if you weren't a potion-peddler but some amazing Hero, you wouldn't be able to do it."

"..."

"So stop your useless efforts and spend that time earning your pay."

He meant I should be crafting potions.

Seeing him mock me so expertly while hiding his true intentions, just like me, made a deep, dormant anger well up.

But I had expected this much, so I nonchalantly brought out my prepared line.

"I'm not doing it of my own free will."

At that, curiosity flickered in his eyes.

"Then who ordered it? Is there someone else here with you?"

"No."

I answered, gritting my teeth.

'Why does he keep looking for someone other than me?'

I may be wearing a shabby robe and pretending to be an NPC, but I am the great Hero!

The Lord of Nightmares feels strong doubt about your words.

The Lord of Nightmares finds your identity suspicious.

I wanted to string him along, but at Kassel's repeated status updates, which were like prodding, I answered obediently.

"The Count ordered me to."

"...Adam Hailey?"

"Yes."

Kassel's eyes widened slightly when I used Adam as an excuse.

As long as he was wide awake with his bloodshot eyes, I couldn't avoid his suspicion for performing the Greatsword Restoration Quest.

I couldn't just suddenly say, 'There was an Apothecary, but now there isn't.' and claim to be a Hero.

Fortunately, Adam doesn't visit Kassel separately before the disaster arrives.

Therefore, the lie that I was ordered by Adam was the perfect excuse, with no worry of being caught for now.

Even if they found out my excuse was a lie after stopping the disaster, it didn't matter.

'Because I'll just tell Adam that Kassel ordered it.'

They can just look at the fully restored Greatsword and admire each other's foresight.

Since it was a white lie, I added more confidently than when I'd brought up the Head Maid.

"The Essences of Darkness were also given to me by the Count."

"That guy... caught Darkness-Eating Centipedes?"

"Yes."

Kassel looked confused for a moment at my words, then pressed his lips shut, seemingly lost in thought.

It was good for me. Please, just let this night pass quietly.

Having finished today's Greatsword Restoration Quest, I sat back down by the door.

Then I suddenly felt a sense of unease and tilted my head.

'But how does Kassel know about the Darkness-Eating Centipedes?'

As a prisoner, he'd been locked in the Tower the whole time, so he had no way of knowing what was happening in the Count's estate.

'Is it because he's the Crown Prince, so he just knows the Hailey family's legend or something? Or did that Adjutant bastard come here and run his mouth?'

I nodded silently.

Kassel was someone cursed by an unknown, absolute evil.

Just as I was nodding, accepting that the leader of the Darkness-Eating Centipedes might have come to Kassel and blabbed.

"Hey, potion-peddler."

The brief moment of quiet that had come was over.