Sponsored by Crysella. Thank you! ✨ (2/2)
“S-sir!”
Only then did I remember what I had forgotten.
That I had roughly shoved the muzzle of a gun into the mouth of a man I was supposed to be treating like a baby bird in the heat of the moment.
I immediately rushed to Cassel.
“Sir, I sincerely apologize if my behavior offended you. From now on, I will be more careful with the potion tools…”
Kneeling before him and earnestly begging, my mind raced as I hurriedly retrieved the tranquilizer gun, only to be struck by the sight of my bare hands.
I’d forgotten to wear gloves because I was in a hurry.
My heart sank. I hastily apologized for that, too.
“I’m also really sorry for not wearing gloves… If you can move your facial muscles, could you please open your mouth in advance?”
“…”
“In that case, I can shoot the gun with minimal contact…”
「 [The Lord of Nightmares] is feeling a strong resistance to your words. 」
「 [The Lord of Nightmares] is very dissatisfied with the current situation. 」
But the system windows that popped up one after another left me speechless.
‘Damn! What the hell do you want me to do?!’
His eyes were intense as if he wanted to tear me apart.
If I didn’t do something, he might get up and try to kill me with his superhuman strength.
「 [Insomnia-Inducing Awakening Potion] Duration: 00:50 」
Realizing that ten minutes to do the quest had already flown by, I became frantically anxious.
At that moment, a brilliant idea flashed in my mind.
“…W-would you like a health potion?”
“…”
One of Cassel’s eyebrows twitched.
His reaction told me that it was the right answer.
In the game, it took a few more hours until Cassel could move his body.
Because the effects of the awakening potion needed more time to accumulate in his body.
The health potion could accelerate that process.
However, most players had never thought of giving Cassel a health potion.
They didn’t have the money or materials to spare.
But who was I?
A wealthy apothecary NPC who always carried health potions!
“When you’ve recovered enough to move, you can take the potion yourself. Then I won’t have to be rude to you!”
I did my best to persuade him, hoping that this would prevent the character with a volatile temperament from trying to kill me.
It seemed that my bizarre efforts had an effect as Cassel’s threatening gaze softened slightly.
“W-Well, but for that… I have to use the potion injection tool one more time…”
However, his expression turned menacing again at my next words.
But there was no other choice. Whether it was a health potion or an awakening potion, he had to take it at least once to activate the effect.
I had a spoon I’d gotten just in case, but I wasn’t sure I could feed it to him without spilling it, and I was pressed for time.
Frankly, using the monster tranquilizer gun was the easiest way. I couldn’t understand why he was so dissatisfied.
“I-I’ll give you an advanced potion!”
“…”
“If you permit me just this once, in the future, you can take all the potions yourself without me…”
I practically begged the protagonist for permission to use the gun.
Now that he could move his facial muscles to some extent, Cassel frowned and stared at me.
‘Maybe an advanced potion won’t work…?’
I teared up as I thought of the S-rank potion I had planned to use in emergencies.
Then, suddenly, Cassel, who had been glaring at me, turned his head away and…
‘Ah.’
He slightly opened his mouth.
「 [The Lord of Nightmares] considers you unreliable. 」
It was his silent consent.
I looked at him and the system window alternately with my mouth still open.
I couldn’t tell whether I should cry or laugh.
– ̗̀ ˚ ·* ༊*·˚ ˊˎ-
“I really can’t stand this…”
I felt completely drained by the time I descended the stairs of the tower.
In the end, I used the [Monster Tranquilizer Gun] again to feed Cassel the advanced potion.
He had given permission himself, so why had he made such a fuss?
If he could shoot with his eyes, I would have already become a beehive.
「 [Insomnia-Inducing Awakening Potion] Duration: 00:41 」
Meanwhile, 20 minutes of golden time had already passed.
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
― Me: Where is it?
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
I immediately opened the chat window and asked where the [Dark Eater Centipede] was.
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
― [GM Ari] : I’ve been waiting for you,
Shari!
― [GM Jinu] : You’re not dead yet?
[GM Sera] : Your skills in handling
Cassel are quite good, junior.
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
I was stunned by the flood of messages from the game developers as soon as I opened the chat window.
Thanks to that, I quickly found out the whereabouts of the parasitic monster.
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
― [GM Jinu] : The patrolling knights
will be here soon.
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
As he said, three knights soon appeared near the tower’s grassy area.
“What, who’s this?”
“Oh, she’s the witch the lord brought in.”
“I heard that Bill swore badly because of that dismal robe.”
Their pupils dilated as soon as they saw me, and their eyes turned dark with malice.
‘Bill… isn’t that the aide? I’ll have to kill that bastard, too.’
He had been hostile to me from the beginning.
While I was thinking those thoughts, the three knights chuckled and came closer.
“Hey, aren’t you an apothecary? Hand over the health potions you have, or else you won’t be having fun the whole time you’re here.”
“What? She has health potions? Hey, give them to me first! I have a sparring match with the second group next week!”
“What nonsense! I was first!”
“I’ll pay for it! How much is it?”
“These bastards…!”
Swish―
“Damn it.”
They each drew their swords and pointed it at each other.
“I challenge you guys to a duel!”
“That’s right! Do you remember the insolent behavior you showed before?!”
“Are you pointing a sword at your comrade for a potion? You trash! I’ll personally eliminate you corrupted scum and the witch, and offer the potions to the Count…!”
I haven’t said a word, but the situation was already spiraling into the worst possible outcome.
I suddenly felt like I was being treated like an idiot.
I was diligently playing the game, but I realized that I had never said a cool line like the famous players did.
“Everyone, shut up! I want to say something, too!”
To divert their attention, I took out the potions and threw them at the knights.
But unfortunately, there was no time for a cool line.
Thud―!
“Ouch!”
“Eeek―!”
「 You have defeated three [Lv.1 Dark Eater Centipede] using the [Potion with Sunlight]. 」
This was because they all fainted pathetically.
‘Are the low-level monsters the only ones spawning…?’
All of the monsters dropped items equal to their level.
I glanced at the system window with disappointment and picked up three [Essence of Darkness].
At that moment…
Creak―.
I heard footsteps not far away.
I quickly turned my head to check, but as with the rest of the game, there was only an empty, grassy area.
I didn’t panic and immediately opened the chat window.
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
― Me: Who is it?
― [GM Ari] : It’s the Count’s aide.
― Me: Ah, I see. Thank you.
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
I responded briefly and inwardly nodded my head.
‘Could the aide be the boss?’
A monster boss could control the rest of its clones.
I was currently using the developers to locate their positions one by one, but catching the boss would let me easily detect and defeat the remaining clones and obtain a bunch of [Essence of Darkness].
However, the boss was a whopping level 25.
‘This unbalanced game is crazy.’
Most players during this time were still low-level and would at most equip low-grade weapons.
Given the circumstances, defeating the boss was virtually impossible.
In other words, completing the greatsword regeneration quest was almost impossible.
As I thought about this, the crazy developers who created this ‘unbalanced game’ said:
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
― [GM Sera] : Why aren’t you chasing
after him, Junior?
― [GM Jinu] : There is still a lot of time
left, so why aren’t you following him?
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
「 [Insomnia-Inducing Awakening Potion] Duration: 00:32 」
As they said, I easily caught the boss near the tower, so there was plenty of time left.
I also wasn’t a low-level player, so I could have killed the boss if I chased after it right now.
However, there was no need to act impatiently since I haven’t even reached half of the greatsword regeneration quest yet.
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
― Me: Well…there will be
another chance.
⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋⚋
I roughly mumbled and closed the chat window before I could hear another sound.
I needed a break.
Not for my physical strength but for the sake of my mental health, which was exposed to all kinds of stress from being stuck in this game for so long.
With plenty of time to spare and three ‘Dark Essences,’ I climbed to the top of the tower with a slightly lighter heart.
I entered the prison after making sure to put on gloves, but Cassel was nowhere to be seen.
“Huh? Where…?”
He couldn’t have escaped since he was chained up. It wouldn’t make sense story-wise either.
As I absentmindedly looked around, I spotted a long shadow in the corner.
I involuntarily screamed in surprise at the sight of the two glowing dots in the darkness.
“Ahhh!”
I thought it was a ghost for a moment. I knew that was impossible, but I momentarily forgot that it was just a game and got startled.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw the protagonist leaning against the wall.
‘Why is he just standing there like that?!’
He couldn’t even move a muscle a while ago, so I was curious how he was able to stand upright like that.
Remembering that I had given him an advanced potion before leaving, I cautiously approached him.
“Sir, what are you doing there?”
“…”
There was no response.
It was eerie to see him watching me in silence, like a dead body with its eyes open.
‘Did he get affected by something when he tried to go berserk?’
The magic of the chains that sealed his power might be stronger than I thought.
While tilting my head, I reached out to support Cassel, who still showed no signs of movement.
“Sir, it’s almost time for you to take the potion and rest… ugh!”
And then, at that moment.
Swish, clang―!
A powerful hand grabbed my arm. Before I could realize it, my vision was forcefully turned upside down.
“Urk―!”
“Who are you?”
By the time I came to my senses, my neck was already being strangled by the iron chains.
Like my translations?
Give me a tip!
