“Auto-save?”
Luda lowered her gaze as if nothing had happened.
As they began to walk slowly, Yulian stood beside her, matching his strides with hers.
Come to think of it, when she played in normal mode before, she could manually save progress whenever she wanted. There were multiple save slots, so she often saved whenever she was about to make a big decision.
“Could there be a way to save progress other than this?”
Luda thought about various phrases like “save method,” “I want to save,” “save,” or “save me,” but the system window didn’t respond. It was unfortunate.
Generally, automatic saving meant that there could be significant risks ahead.
“I need to stay alert.”
Although she had Yulian as insurance, she didn’t know if she would die like she did then.
The maze garden was where Luda had her first game over in “Love in Horror.” It was also where she had completely given up on Esteban’s route. Since the first night, she had practically given up as soon as she started.
“But how far do we have to walk for it to count as a stroll?”
Luda glanced at Yulian walking beside her.
Yulian had a calm smile on his face as if this situation wasn’t bad at all. It was fortunate that he didn’t seem uncomfortable.
The surroundings were densely filled with trees, making it so dark that they could only distinguish what was right in front of them. In such conditions, wearing an eye mask might have been a better idea.
“Miss Luda, there’s something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
As they turned the third corner of the maze garden, Yulian spoke up.
“Why aren’t you holding my hand now? I didn’t mind you holding it first. In fact, I liked it.”
Luda made an effort to control her expression.
She hadn’t held his hand because she liked Yulian, nor did she have any ulterior motives. It was simply to avoid getting into trouble by going in the wrong direction.
‘I shouldn’t make pointless excuses.’
She might end up being caught in her own words if she did. Yulian had a finite feeling to him, but he also had subtle aspects, as he had shown when he opened the door earlier.
It was better to change the subject.
“Oh, I just wanted to hold hands differently from before.”
“What do you mean?”
“Form an alliance with me. I’ve wanted to say this since earlier.”
Yulian, who had stopped walking, blinked his eyes quickly. After a brief moment of confusion, he lifted the corners of his mouth slightly.
“Miss Luda seems to trust me quite a bit.”
“To some extent, yes. More than the others.”
[Yulian’s affinity has increased.]
[Yulian (Capturable)]
[Affinity: 7 (3 ▲)]
It had been steadily increasing, and now it had reached 7. It was a decent result.
‘Maybe it’s okay to endure until the end like this while avoiding Esteban.’
Luda thought while lowering her head slightly and resumed walking. The stroll quest had not yet been completed. Additionally, she was still searching for items on the ground.
‘It stands out subtly, so why isn’t it there?’
Luda, who was walking alone, suddenly turned around.
Yulian, who used to follow her when she moved first, was standing still.
“Why aren’t you coming?”
“Wouldn’t it be useless if I were a sacrifice or Miss Luda was a ghost, or vice versa?”
Luda thought Yulian would easily accept it, but it seemed like something was bothering him. Sacrifice and ghost, ghost and Sacrifice.
It was a valid point. The two couldn’t cooperate because only the sacrifice had favorable conditions.
Luda had never been interested in what would happen to the ghost after the sacrifice escaped in the “Ghost’s Night” so far.
In most games, it was similar. Players generally didn’t care about where and how the monsters chasing them had been all this time.
“No, it’s useful. As long as we don’t kill each other.”
“Is Miss Luda a ghost?”
Luda stared at Yulian, who was standing still.
Even the faint smile on the man’s face, bathed in pale moonlight, had disappeared, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.
‘Is he pretending to be a ghost?’
It was confusing. Originally, she was supposed to be the one pursued.
‘Or Yulian is also a sacrifice.’
The latter possibility was a variable she had never considered. Two sacrifices among the four participants.
Maybe the system was just trying to scare her by putting the name of the mode in a bloody way and labelling it as ‘Hell.’
“And what about you, Yulian?”
“I am the scarifice.”
Yulian’s voice, as he turned back, showed no hesitation.
‘He’s readily admitting to being the sacrifice?’
Luda felt a slight confusion.
In fact, one possibility remained that she didn’t want to think about, but she couldn’t rule it out given the strange course of events.
That Yulian might be lying.
To survive until the end, she had to correctly distinguish between those she could trust and those she couldn’t.
“…Did you receive the note? What color was it?”
If Yulian’s response was vague and evasive, Luda would assume he was a ghost.
As she quietly awaited Yulian’s response, she suddenly felt an eerie chill from behind. It was a cold and ominous sensation.
As she tried to turn her head slowly, Yulian shouted loudly from behind.
“Miss Luda, stay still over there. I’ll be right there.”
Luda checked behind her. She was at the end of a path, so there were only trees. When she looked at a new corridor branching off to the side, there was something strange standing there.
No, it was more appropriate to say it was shaking.
A figure in a maid’s uniform had turned around with its body swaying strangely from side to side.
To avoid agitating it, Luda stood still. Of course, Yulian’s promise to come soon also played a role.
‘That’s the one who killed me previously when I was playing the game.’
She suddenly realized.
Luda instinctively recognized it.
At the same time, she recalled the events she experienced while playing “Love in Horror.”
She had been wandering through the maze for a long time when she felt a poke in her back, but at that time, Luda hadn’t even checked what had poked her.
As the player character’s movements slowed down, she collapsed on the floor. Then Esteban appeared. With an unlucky expression.
Esteban slowly walked towards the fallen Luda, his body crouched.
She thought he might help, but instead, Esteban twisted a faint smile. Even though it was only for a moment, his red eyes filled the screen.
‘Why is he acting like that?’
Her health and mental strength were rapidly deteriorating, yet Esteban asked, even though he could see everything just by looking.
‘Why is he like this?’ At that time, Luda gritted her teeth behind the screen.
‘Just ask for help.’
She had asked for help because there was no other option. But Esteban watched her dying state, then got up again.
“It’s unfortunate, but I should just go. You’ve already made a mistake.”
More than the game over, Esteban’s last words irritated her.
After starting from the save point, Luda refused to engage in any conversation with Esteban.
For one, she just didn’t like it, and she didn’t like the situation where her affection rating would increase if she mixed her words incorrectly. She saw no reason to interact with an insane character.
Some might find such interactions entertaining, but either way, it wasn’t Luda’s preference.
[Your mental strength is decreasing.]
Health: 100/100
Mental Strength: 80 (20▼)/100
[Your mental strength is decreasing.]
Health: 100/100
Mental Strength: 60 (20▼)/100
She was awakened from her brief reminiscence by the system messages that appeared twice. It seemed like she had encountered a real ghost, not someone playing the role of a ghost.
The woman was still swaying in the middle of the narrow path.
“Perhaps if Miss Luda moves, it will rush at you.”
Suddenly, Yulian, who had come to her side, wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
“Do we really need to be this close?”
He almost clung to her so closely that it wasn’t very comfortable. Luda looked at Yulian with an awkward expression.
A faint light was emanating from his body, strangely refreshing, like a pleasant fragrance.
As she became aware of this scent, her mind gradually cleared.
[Yulian’s ability has fully restored your mental strength.]
[▶Tip: Yulian has a healing ability that can immediately restore the player’s mental strength. Use it wisely.]
Luda had no idea that Yulian possessed such an ability.
What she had just felt wasn’t just a sensation; it had a real effect. Moreover, the fact that it was labeled as a tip meant that she could use it effectively in the future.
“Close your eyes for a moment.”
“Why?”
“Staring at such a low-level ghost won’t do you any good.”
Suddenly, a large palm covered her face. Luda instinctively closed her eyes.
Although watching it would deplete her mental strength, she was curious about how he would eliminate it.
Soon, a bright light seeped through the gaps, like the sun at high noon.
“Okay, you can open your eyes now.”
The light disappeared quickly, and along with Yulian’s voice, his hand slowly lifted from her face.
Luda examined the spot where the woman had been. It was empty.
“Oh? That’s…”
The symbol she had been looking for on the ground, near where the woman had been swaying, was now visible.
