Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 41

Episode 41

'To think that's the Male Lead.'

I shuddered at his unspeakably vulgar words and actions.

Despite that, my situation, cautiously lowering my eyes, was miserable.

As the chaotic situation seemed to be mostly over, I belatedly recalled that the developers' page-terrorism had actually been helpful.

It was something I'd felt for a while, but those bastards seemed to react quite sensitively when it came to Kassel.

'To think they're strangely coddling him, just because he's the Male Lead.'

Along with that thought, I felt a slight sense of disappointment.

If it had been nothing, as I'd hoped, I could have gotten my revenge fair and square.

It was then.

With a 'Pop.' sound, the Male Lead chugged another insomnia potion.

Now, there was only one potion left on the floor.

The duration really did seem to have shortened.

I asked, still side-eyeing him with my head bowed.

"...How much did the duration shorten?"

"About five minutes."

I wasn't surprised, as I had been expecting the duration to shorten even more from the moment I acknowledged the resistance route.

It was just annoying that this only happened when I wasn't around.

But this was a trap that originally occurred when entering the resistance route.

It was something other users had also experienced, so I couldn't even complain to the developers.

"Do you have more of the potions you made today."

Kassel suddenly asked.

At his words, I began to fumble in my pocket and pull out a large bundle of potions.

Insomnia-Inducing Awakening Potion x200

Kassel, seeing the large quantity of potions stacked neatly on the floor, let out a dry laugh as if dumbfounded.

"Ha. That's quite a lot, considering how you've been giving them to me bit by bit."

"...I received the ingredients from the Count and worked hard to make them."

I answered hesitantly, as I had a guilty conscience.

The bastard would never know.

That even after handing over this many, I still had over 700 insomnia potions in my inventory.

Before, I was worried about the resistance route and gave them out matching the time and quantity as much as possible, but now that he'd reached the peak of resistance, it was meaningless.

Feeling a little depressed, I confessed the truth.

"...It seems there will be no problem supplying potions from now on."

Unaware of my inner thoughts, he nodded nonchalantly and spat.

"Hand over everything you have before I search you myself."

"This isn't the time to be spouting that kind of crap."

"Spouting?"

"...Speaking."

Grabbing hold of my senses, which had momentarily slipped, I corrected my words and worried about the future that might soon be upon us.

"The resistance is getting worse. The potion might stop working altogether soon."

At my words, Kassel flinched and shut his mouth.

He, too, would know that better than anyone.

He repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist, which had barely healed from the healing potion, and replied quietly after a beat.

"...We have to try until we can't anymore. There's only one day left now."

"..."

"We just have to endure for one day."

Would the potion's effect, now shortened to five minutes, really last for the remaining 24 hours?

'No.'

I was extremely pessimistic about Kassel's words, but I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to rain on his parade and get choked.

It was at that moment.

Zenith Empire Calendar, Month 13, Day 21

A notification in large letters, announcing midnight, appeared in the air.

As it was what I had been waiting for, I shot up from my spot.

And immediately ran to the middle of the prison.

It was, of course, to use the Essences of Darkness I had gathered.

Using 100 Essences of Darkness on the Broken Greatsword That Lost Its Light.

As I poured out everything I'd taken from my pocket without delay, all the goddamn trouble I'd gone through today finally paid off.

Vwoooooom.

The sword began to emit light with a low vibration.

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

Broken Greatsword That Lost Its Light Restoration 128/99

"I believe I told you it was useless."

An unpleasant impurity chimed in amidst the hopeful system windows, but I paid it no mind.

Vwoom, vwoooooom!

Meanwhile, the vibration and light emitting from the sword began to grow stronger.

I could feel Kassel flinch at the different reaction and watch quietly.

The greatsword, which had been shaking precariously as if even the embedded part would break, shed its old gray color of dust and grime and gradually turned pitch black.

The Broken Greatsword That Lost Its Light has been completely stained by the evil energy.

The broken blade is restored, now fully filled with the monster's thoughts!

'Finally...!'

I looked back and forth between the system windows popping up one after another and the sword, which had turned black all the way to the hilt, and felt a deep sense of relief.

Lv.1 Incomplete Greatsword Submerged in Darkness

With this, I had safely completed the first stage of the greatsword restoration quest.

Although the result looked like a Level 1 trash-tier item...

The part that was stuck in the floor and unseen before had no blade at all.

Fitting for its name, 'Broken Greatsword,' only half of it had been stuck there.

But thanks to me restoring it with the Essences of Darkness just now, a new blade must have formed on the embedded side.

'Well... I guess it is trash-tier for now.'

This sword was a legendary wannabe item for users, passed down in the communities.

In reality, upon successful enhancement, it becomes a legendary-grade weapon, and just obtaining it was like taking an express train to the ending.

Also, you could complete the rapport-building with Adam by handing over this sword, which was as good as a Hailey family heirloom, during the final boss, the Ancient Demonic Dragon, raid.

Then, the greatsword and Adam would combine, and you would gain a strong and dependable ally called the 'White Sword God,' incomparable to a mere weapon.

'Of course, that's only if the enhancement is successful...'

I sighed deeply as I stared blankly at the pitch-black sword, which had just reached the "ready for enhancement" stage.

As it was a legendary-grade weapon, it was naturally not easy to obtain.

This current quest, catching Darkness-Eating Centipedes to restore the broken blade, was nothing compared to the enhancement quest.

To the point where there were users who had played well past level 100, but had reset dozens of times just to get that one weapon.

'Thinking about all the goddamn trouble ahead, would it be better to just catch the monster and make the sword now?'

Since it was the sword used to seal the monster, the sword's complete restoration was, of course, related to the sealed monster.

The feeling of not wanting to face a level 99 monster already and the feeling that it might be better to finish the sword-making quest quickly clashed violently.

It was then.

"...Did Count Hailey give you all those Essences of Darkness?"

The bastard Kassel, who had just been clicking his tongue about it being useless, asked with a slightly surprised expression.

"Eh."

"He never batted an eye in front of the Emperor or the nobles. How strange."

When I affirmed noncommittally, he frowned and muttered to himself.

'I guess there were a lot of demands to restore the sword?'

Since it was a legendary-grade weapon, there must have been many people after it.

But Adam, who would know better than anyone how the sword is completed, would have had no choice but to consistently ignore them.

Having roughly understood the meaning of Kassel's muttering, I added a few words to supplement the lie that Adam had ordered it.

"From what I hear, the situation doesn't look good."

"What doesn't."

"They say the arch-monster sealed by the Hailey family's ancestor is starting to awaken."

"So that's why there was an earthquake earlier."

He must have had the presence of mind to feel that, even while tearing his hands to shreds with glass shards.

I nodded silently and added.

"The Count seems to be preparing for a worst-case scenario. I'm not sure what it has to do with the sword..."

"..."

"I'm just doing as I'm told."

So stop spouting crap at me about it being useless.

It was the moment I successfully finished drawing the line.

"So, is that why the Count overlooked your thievery?"

The bastard Kassel suddenly pointed out something even I had forgotten.

He seemed to be talking about how I was dragged away earlier on charges of stealing supplies and harming employees.

"Because he tasked you with restoring the blade with Essences of Darkness? Tsk, so much for being an upright and pure talent. He's nothing special."

"Thad waz cleered ub az a falze chardge."

Fury welled up at the bastard, who was clicking his tongue and lumping Adam and me together sarcastically, and I retorted through clenched teeth.

"And why do you think the Count overlooked it? He defended me, saying it couldn't be true because his trust in me is deep."

"True... If he heard you harmed employees with that body, he'd probably think it wasn't true. If anything, you should be thankful you didn't get your ass beat."

"I'm good at fighting."

"I'm sure you are."

It's true!

I added, thumping my chest, but I couldn't even make a dent in the bastard, who just let out a "Pft" and sneered.

After hearing my words, Kassel rubbed his brow with his fingers for a while, lost in thought.

Then, as if finding the situation absurd, he suddenly let out a dry laugh.

"...Ha. What a total clusterfuck."

'Even you think your attitude is dogshit, huh?'

I naturally thought he was talking about the argument with me.

But I realized that wasn't it from his following mumble.

"...It's amazing Adam Hailey hasn't tried to kill me and start a rebellion already."

I pretended not to understand his words and said nothing.

What Kassel muttered was something I had also briefly thought earlier.

With the arch-monster's seal, which had been maintained for hundreds of years, coming undone, they not only failed to provide support but also dumped a disaster-causing time bomb on him.

'It's no different from telling him to self-destruct for the sake of other regions.'

If Adam had been a psycho with a rotten personality like Kassel, he would have already led his army and overturned the Imperial Palace.

"Hey, Apothecary."

As I was having these thoughts, Kassel called me.

"Eh."

Thanks to him and Adam, I had reached the point where I would reflexively look up just at hearing "Hey, Apothecary."

Kassel, who was silent for a while after calling me, finally spat out in a firm voice.

"If, before this day is over, the insomnia potion stops working..."

"..."

"Go to the Count and get a sword."

"A sword?"

"Yes."

"Why...?"

"Get it and give it to me. Or, if not, stab me yourself. Here, see between the shoulder and the collarbone? This is the easiest place to stab..."

"Stop, stop!"

Having absolutely no immunity to cruelty, I shuddered and cut him off.

"Do we have to use such a scary method? There might be other ways."

At my shout, Kassel tilted his head.

"Other than that, what is there?"

"Um. That is, well..."

My mind went blank at his question.

Honestly, I just vaguely assumed I could solve it with the insomnia potion; I couldn't think of any other way.

To wake someone up, what else is there besides causing pain and stimulants?

After gaping for a while, I finally protested timidly.

"But... you could die from being stabbed like that. There's a limit to what healing potions can do if you bleed too much."

"You're saying something stupid."

I was trying to stop him out of my own form of worry, but he barked coldly.

"Can't you tell by looking at my body? If I were going to die from being stabbed once or twice, I would have crossed the River Styx long ago."

"Still, I'll try to devise a more humane method. For example..."

It was the moment I was about to suggest things like, "dousing him with ice water."

"For example, what. Throwing and breaking a healing potion?"

The bastard suddenly cut me off, his blood-red eyes glaring.