Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 21

Episode 21

I raised my head at the annoying title, and the bastard nodded.

"Hand over the potions."

Thankfully, he seemed to have somewhat dismissed his suspicions about my identity.

Despite the extremely arrogant command, unlike before, I didn't get angry and immediately took out an Insomnia Potion.

The reason was simple.

From the moment I decided to judge if he'd developed a resistance, I had been observing Kassel closely.

I could easily notice that his eyes had grown strangely heavy compared to when we were in the middle of our war of nerves.

Rooooll, thud.

Just like before, I rolled the bottle to him.

My bowling skills hadn't rusted, so the potion bottle rolled and, once again, stopped at Kassel's foot.

His forehead twitched unfailingly, as if he was still displeased, but this time he drank it obediently without talking back.

As the potion's effect seemed to kick in immediately, he, who had been lazily relaxing, sat up straight and abruptly asked.

"How much time has passed?"

"About 25 minutes have passed."

He raised his eyebrows as if surprised by my immediate answer.

"You're not as stupid as you act."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's a compliment."

'Shut up.'

I glared at the bastard with contempt-filled eyes.

He must think I'm some moron who can't even do her job, just stubbornly staying here on a whim to figure out his resistance.

'Not a chance!'

There was no way this night would go as he wanted.

"I will ask if you need another potion in 25 minutes."

I declared with fiery eyes and a determined voice.

The bastard turned his head with a hmph, as if he was barely listening.

And that's after he started the conversation.

I continued to watch him and checked the remaining quantity of potions.

Insomnia-Inducing Awakening Potions x990

The time remaining until the disaster was approximately 48 hours.

Even assuming two per hour, the remaining potions were more than enough.

'But why did the effect suddenly get shorter?'

To say he'd developed a resistance, the time had decreased ambiguously.

The resistance route usually only occurred at midnight on the second day after the user entered the Count's estate.

And immediately after it occurs, the potion stops being effective, requiring a rapidly increasing amount.

'I've never heard of it progressing slowly…'

Isn't this weirdly realistic?

Of course, this buggy, flopped game often abided by detailed historical accuracy in strange areas.

"It would be best for you to drink it at strict 25-minute intervals."

I repeatedly warned Kassel out of needless anxiety.

I meant he shouldn't just scarf them down thoughtlessly like before, but he must have interpreted it differently, as he said something else to make my blood boil.

"Then leave about 30 and get lost."

"I can't."

I refused decisively, without needing to hear more.

We had just finished a blood-boiling discussion about how I would stay by his side all night and give them to him personally.

Is memory loss one of the Male Lead's traits that I don't know about?

"Why should I get lost?"

I was going to ignore him, but I was so frustrated that I asked back.

Then, a truly unexpected answer returned.

"If you have to keep making potions, shouldn't you bastard go back and get some sleep?"

"..."

"If you give me a magic tool that measures time, I'll be sure to drink them properly this time."

Amazingly, it was the first, relatively normal thing I'd heard since meeting him.

I stared blankly at Kassel with wide eyes, then hurriedly spoke up just as his brow began to furrow.

"I don't sleep."

"Why not?"

"Well…"

To be precise, I couldn't sleep.

Although it wouldn't be visible under the hood, I smiled rather bitterly and muttered in a self-deprecating voice.

"An apothecary's calling, something like that."

"..."

I thought that was pretty cool, even if I said so myself.

It was a badass line you'd only see in a popular forum video.

But for some reason, the bastard just stared at me with a bizarre expression.

And on top of that.

The Lord of Nightmares has doubts about your mental health.

The Lord of Nightmares looks at you with a bit of regret.

'Regret about what?'

I felt bad. But how could a mere game character understand these sad and solemn circumstances?

Pretending to be unfazed, I changed the subject, recovering from the chilly situation.

"Anyway, I'll be giving you the potions myself to check the duration of the effect, so please don't ask anymore."

"You're shifty as a quack, yet you're diligent in useless things."

"Back at you."

"What did you just spout?"

"It's short for, 'I will definitely fulfill my calling as an apothecary.'"

"You crazy bastard."

The conversation finally concluded with the bastard clicking his tongue, 'Tsk.'

And for the rest of the night, the only sound between us was the rolling of bottles. 'Rooooll, thud. Rooooll, thud.'

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

I greeted the morning with open eyes.

Thankfully, the duration of the Insomnia Potion didn't get any shorter than 25 minutes.

'965.'

After checking the remaining number of potions, I finally got up from my spot.

It was only a virtual body, but perhaps because I'd been sitting in a fixed position for over eight hours, my whole body felt unnecessarily stiff.

'Ughhh…'

I stretched habitually, just like I would right after getting to work, but then I flinched and straightened my posture.

I had overlooked the fact that I wasn't the only one in the prison.

"Ahem. Thankfully, it doesn't seem you've developed a resistance."

Perhaps because we hadn't spoken for so long.

A slightly awkward atmosphere hung in the air.

Kassel's gaze, which had been floating blankly in the air, slowly moved to me.

I hesitantly approached him.

Maybe because we'd spent the night together, I was close enough to be grabbed if he reached out, but the bastard showed no signs of attacking.

Clock magic tool

Insomnia-Inducing Awakening Potions x30

Having finished making my offering before I could be extorted, I quickly put distance between us and stated my business.

"I'll be returning to my quarters for a moment to take care of some things. I'll leave this time-measuring magic tool and the potions, so please be sure to take them on time."

"..."

I planned to be back soon, but I didn't know how the situation would unfold while I was catching Darkness-Eating Centipedes, so I left a generous amount of potions just in case.

The duration had shortened, but it didn't seem to have entered the resistance route, so I could leave with peace of mind.

I immediately turned to leave the prison.

But even then, Kassel just stared at me blankly, without any particular reaction.

On top of that, his focus was blurry, and he didn't look to be in good condition, just like when I first saw him.

'...Right. He has no Health Potions, and what little strength he has is probably being continuously absorbed by the chains.'

This was how Kassel was in this scenario most of the time.

His health and mana completely depleted, his mind only kept awake by Insomnia Potions, looking as if he was half-afflicted with a 'status abnormality'.

I wanted to beat him to death when he was running that hell-snout of his, but seeing him like this weighed on my mind.

No matter how much his setting was 'personality-wreck,' he was still the 'Male Lead' of the game my livelihood depended on.

After a moment of conflict, I had no choice but to rummage through my pocket one more time.

'Sigh, I'm feeling generous.'

Returning to Kassel's feet, I took out a red potion and held it out.

"It's a High-Grade Health Potion."

"..."

"Drink it after I leave. Got it?"

The bastard, who had been barely listening to my previous warnings, suddenly looked up at me with a strange light in his eyes.

Then, whoosh!

He shot his hand out like lightning and snatched the potion bottle.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he opened the cap and downed the contents, in a way that didn't look at all like a bastard afflicted with a 'status abnormality'.

"I, I told you to drink it after I leave!"

I was afraid the bastard, his health now full, would grab my neck again at any moment.

I cried out pathetically and dashed toward the door.

'Did I, did I just dig my own grave?'

Seeing him move, he's perfectly fine. This damned nosiness.

This damned "good protagonist" syndrome!

Barely reaching the exit, I opened the door without a moment to breathe.

And just as I was about to exit the prison.

Suddenly, from behind me, came a low laugh, and then.

"...You scurry away like a rat."

'What?'

The moment I turned around creakily, thinking I must have heard an auditory hallucination.

The Lord of Nightmares feels a slight fondness for you.