07.
* * *
“Seeing it in person, it’s even more forbidding.”
Luda, who felt like she was inspecting the entrance to hell itself, briefly looked back. There was a chance that people might have come out because of the sound of the wall opening.
Fortunately, the corridor was empty.
As she took a step forward, a system window appeared.
[Warning! The automatic save point will be updated as soon as you enter, and you cannot return to the previous situation.]
[Do you want to continue?]
[Yes / No]
The fact that she couldn’t return to the previous situation was quite threatening. Luda hesitated for a moment and then chose “Yes.”
“Anyway, it seems that auto-save is in effect.”
She didn’t really have much to think about it. She thought of it as a sort of branching point.
As she fully entered the wall, she heard the sound of the door closing behind her.
[Automatic save function activated.]
[Saving progress up to now…]
[Save complete.]
It was a completely dark passageway.
Relying on the light from the key, Luda descended step by step. The staircase was much higher than she had seen with her eyes.
Considering that she couldn’t even take the candle from the room, it seemed like you couldn’t go down without the key.
“Was it originally this long?”
She felt like she was descending in the same spot, but she could tell that she was gradually making progress, thanks to the brightness of the key.
That’s because the key had the characteristic of getting brighter the closer it got to the correct usage.
If she hadn’t known in advance, it would have been quite a hassle to investigate while avoiding people’s eyes.
One thing that bothered her was that even though she was walking alone, her neck and back felt cold, as if someone were behind her.
Suddenly, Luda stopped and switched the key to her other hand, then looked behind her. She couldn’t feel the presence of anyone.
“Well, nobody could have followed me.”
She had certainly confirmed it, but her heart was beating a little faster. In the narrow and long space, only the sound of her own breathing could be faintly heard.
Around the time she thought it would never end, she reached the end of the staircase.
In front of her was a barred window, and someone was on the other side. It was a man with both hands tied above his head. His tattered clothes and light gray hair were noticeable.
In fact, Luda already knew his name.
[???]
But above his head, the name had turned into a question mark and then disappeared.
It had been a short time, but there was one fact that Luda had been seeing since she became trapped here.
Whether it was a guide character or a regular character, the name appeared above the first person she met. It had been like that since she woke up and encountered Yulian.
“But why is it only displayed as [???]?”
Even though it was the same when playing the game, the name had been displayed normally before.
“Is it because of this strange mode? It’s different from the transition.”
The change wasn’t the only thing. Yulian, who used to utter obvious words, had changed, and there were many unfamiliar aspects overall.
Luda pressed the bars with curiosity. She could easily find the keyhole.
She looked down at the key she had been holding in her hand.
The key was emitting the brightest light it had so far. It was about as bright as a single candle.
She inserted the key into the hole in the bars. It slid in smoothly without any resistance.
When she turned it, there was a clinking sound, and the locking noise was heard when she pushed the iron bars.
Luda took the key and walked into the prison, standing in front of the man. Shackles were fastened on each of his wrists, connected to the wall, and his clothes were torn to shreds, revealing more than half of his bare skin.
“These clothes are just like rags.”
The man’s head hung low, and he didn’t make a single move. At first glance, he seemed lifeless.
“Hey.”
She called to him and lightly touched his arm.
[Congratulations! You have discovered a Hidden Character.]
[As a special event reward, you can choose a new ability.]
[Lantern of the Dead / Ghost’s Step]
A cheerful system window suddenly appeared.
“Was this ability name always like this?”
It seemed slightly creepier before.
In any case, Luda carefully examined the two options. Should she just choose based on the name?
Then the system window changed, providing explanations for each ability.
[Lantern of the Dead: Allows you to see better in the dark.]
[Ghost’s Step: Significantly reduces footstep noise while moving.]
In the current situation, she probably needed the former. The mansion itself was dark, and reducing footstep noise wouldn’t be much of an advantage.
“Lantern of the Dead.”
[Starting now, the ‘Lantern of the Dead’ ability will be activated.]
As she answered, the system window in front of her briefly brightened and then dimmed again. Reflexively, she closed her eyes, but when she opened them, she realized that she could distinguish objects in the vicinity a bit more easily. It felt like there was a lantern with a large diameter hanging around her forehead. So, whenever she turned her head, that area appeared brighter.
She suddenly checked the key she had been holding. It no longer emitted light.
Thanks to the ability, she could see the man’s appearance more clearly. He was still motionless.
When she lightly touched his body with her fingertips, he slowly raised his head.
His closed eyes opened, revealing bright blue eyes. While his hair was a mix of light blue and gray, his eyes were much brighter.
As if assessing the situation, he blinked his eyes several times, then parted his lips.
“Hello.”
Luda checked the name above the man’s head again. It still read [???].
‘What’s going on?’
The man inside the narrow cell moved his gaze around, still muttering.
“Do you know where this is?”
“No.”
“I see. I do not know either. Why am I like this… … Is this a prison or something?”
The man muttered, shaking his bound arms a few times. The shackles and chains connected to his wrists made a clinking sound as he shook them.
Luda stared at him.
‘Even now, I can’t tell if this is acting or not.’
Luda, who was getting a little impatient, took a step back.
“Wait, just a moment.”
“…”
“Don’t go.”
“Why?”
“Did you wake me up?”
“Yes.”
Luda glanced up and down at the man. He seemed hesitant, probably afraid that she would leave. His blue eyes, filled with desperation, stared at her.
“What’s your name?”
“Me? My name?”
“Yes.”
The man remained silent for a moment, lost in thought.
“…Theo.”
With his answer, the name above his head changed from [???] to [Theo].
In fact, Luda had been feeling a constant mystery about Theo’s existence, and she had been suspicious. Because if he had been locked up secretly in this deep underground place, it gave her a sealed feeling.
But she had finished an ending without Theo’s route, without a love line, so she hadn’t been able to solve the other mysteries.
Then, Theo asked again.
“Tell me your name.”
“Luda.”
“Luda. Luda…”
Theo seemed to be pronouncing her
name several times.
He carried a much warmer aura compared to the cold atmosphere of Esteban or Kyren, and he didn’t appear as malevolent as the sealed entities.
However, despite this, Luda still couldn’t relax. It all seemed too strange.
“But it’s so dark in here. Stuffy. I can’t see your face, Luda.”
After Theo finished speaking, a sudden spherical light appeared at the tip of his hand.
Unlike the faint glow emitted by the key, this sphere radiated an incredibly bright light. Luda squinted her eyes in response, and the sphere quickly disappeared.
Although she had the ability to see well in the darkness, Theo didn’t share that trait. He was struggling to adapt to the dark underground room.
“This is strange. Why did something like that appear in my hand?”
Luda stared at Theo, who seemed perplexed, as he was staring at his own hand.
‘I really don’t know. How far can I trust him?’
Despite being in a similar situation, the confusion remained the same.
“Do you remember anything?”
“No.”
“Then think about it on your own.”
“Are you leaving?”
He fumbled helplessly, a hint of moisture in his eyes as if he was asking her not to go.
But there was no choice. The key could only open the iron bars, and the shackles couldn’t be removed. For now, waking Theo up would have to suffice.
Luda looked at Theo, who appeared somewhat forlorn, and let out a sigh.
“Not completely.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ll be back.”
As soon as she finished her reply, the system window appeared.
[Theo’s Likability has increased.]
[Theo (Captureable)]
[Likability: 5 (▲5)]
The mention of her return caused his likability to increase.
Luda, after checking the system window, took a step back and soon her back touched the iron bars. Even though she would be hardly visible, he continued to look in her direction.
Even though she had to go through all the trouble in the maze garden, there was no particular reason for her to get the key.
It was true that Yulian’s assistance had been significant.
But Theo’s assistance was also needed. It was separate from who he was as a being and what intentions he harbored. Therefore, it was necessary to release the handcuffs as soon as possible if possible.
After closing the iron bars, Luda locked the door for a moment. It would be inconvenient if someone else came into the prison. Of course, that was highly unlikely.
“I’ll wait for you, Luda.”
Ignoring Theo’s voice, Luda began to climb the stairs.
Thanks to the “Lantern of the Dead” ability, she had no fear of stumbling in the dark.
* * *
