The Damn Family Is Back Again - Chapter 281



Chapter 281. Afterparty (9)

The situation twists and tangles.

I know all too well the malicious aspects of this game.

Even as I scream at the monitor, I cannot forget that I have been drawn into this place, possessed by what lies within.

Yet, in this moment.

An endless sense of disquiet crashed over me.

In this game, it is commonplace for Karsein to face all manner of trials.

It is not entirely strange for events with minuscule probabilities to unfold.

Threats, including choices and episodes, loom like a blade pressed against the throat, and I have had my share of near-death experiences from status ailments.

Yes. That is how it should be.

From noble mtl dot com

At the center of any incident lies Karsein.

‘And Karsein is me. So, I must be the one to be attacked.’

But why.

Why is Harnié being so overtly targeted instead of me?

What on earth is the reason?

─Kyaaah!!

“…!”

The scream that echoed once more snapped my dulled ears wide open.

‘…Right. This is not the time for such leisure.’

-Shring.

▶Episode V. The afterparty of the martial arts tournament is underway.◀

▶The final event occurring in the venue has been designated.◀

▶Eliminate all monstrosities present within the venue.◀

[ Number of monstrosities: 50 ]

To the untrained eye, nothing would seem amiss.

Yet, within this event lies an invisible timer.

As the onslaught of the beasts continued, the participants found themselves flustered, unable to unleash their full strength.

Moreover, the moment they laid eyes on the monsters, the surrounding onlookers were thrown into a panic, diminishing the aid that the allies could provide. They could not recklessly cast spells within the confines of the building.

If time were to linger here…

‘Time limit. It’s game over as it stands.’

A bad ending where everyone present would be slaughtered for failing to counter the beasts.

That was the dead flag rising in this event.

In other words, it was all on me, the player.

This event would not conclude until Karsein eliminated the designated number of beasts.

Given their rare appearance, the difficulty was set to a filthy degree.

In any case, I had to move, and quickly.

“Karsein!”

As I drew my sword and prepared to move, Harnié grasped my arm.

“You’re trying to uproot the beasts, aren’t you?”

“It’s dangerous, Harnié. If you’re asking me to take you along, I refuse.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

For a moment, she hummed softly as a magic circle unfurled, and soon a small gem fell from her clothing. She extended it toward me.

“This is…”

“Take it, Karsein. You’ll need it.”

A gem that Harnié had always carried, affixed to her attire wherever she went.

A finely crafted protective charm of this world, designed to detect poisons or aphrodisiacs, ensuring the safety of her delicate form.

“I can’t accept this. If I take it, you’ll be in danger, Harnié.”

“…You’re the one in more danger than I am.”

“What do you mean…?”

“You’re planning to go inside and eliminate the source of the beasts, aren’t you? If that’s the case, it’s far more perilous for you, who will be moving alone, than for me, who can fight alongside those people. You won’t even take something to illuminate your path in such a place?”

“…”

I had no words to counter her.

While I thought I could just charge through and shatter the source like in the game, it must look different from Harnié’s perspective.

To face those beasts, each one threatening human lives, alone would undoubtedly seem perilous beyond measure.

‘And besides, the interior of the building is completely dark.’

Just like when I faced this event in the game, all the lights had gone out.

The chandeliers were extinguished, and every light in the rooms had vanished, even the ones powered by the magic stones, their glow dimming to nothingness.

In this shrouded darkness, as I fought to evade the onslaught of the beasts, avoiding injury became an impossible task.

But.

If this exists, the tale shifts.

“It’s alright. I may not wield magic freely, but I can protect myself well enough. And…”

Harnie gently clasped my hand with both of hers.

“If you’re that worried… then perhaps you should hurry back.”

“Pardon?”

“You just need to be by my side.”

…To offer up the only means of safeguarding oneself, yet suggest that I should return swiftly to protect her.

But that is the truth of it.

It is indeed right to swiftly deal with this event and return.

-Whish.

“I will return as quickly as I can.”

[ 3. I draw my sword and head to eliminate the source of the beastly invasion. ]☑

-Ding!

▶Choosing this option will determine the branching path.◀

▶The previously hidden time limit is now displayed, and the timer slightly increases.◀

[ Remaining Time: 11 minutes 29 seconds ]

[ Additional Time: 2 minutes ]

▶Warning! Hostile beasts are emerging in droves!◀

▶Beware of the beasts’ attacks to avoid death!◀

*

“Keek!”

-Ding!

[ Beasts eliminated: 16 ]

[ Remaining beasts: 34 ]

When this event occurs, the path forward while eliminating the beasts becomes exceedingly treacherous.

The aftermath of this gathering is a space rife with traps laid for Karsein, and even after this event unfolds, those traps cannot be ignored.

The traps, which had led to mishaps with female characters, press Karsein in various ways.

As the dance unfolded, the weakened door suddenly collapsed, allowing a gap to form, and the children, having playfully scattered bananas, found themselves beset by the very beasts they had sought to evade.

The worst of it, indeed, lay in the injuries wrought by the crumbling debris of the building, or the sharp splinters of wood and rubble that gnawed away at HP, leaving one in a state of disarray.

Those traps were laid out in countless numbers.

I could not grasp them all, and some shifted with the onslaught of the beasts, forcing me to taste bitter defeat each time I played.

Yet, amidst this chaos, one status ailment stood out as the core of my troubles.

If that one was not ensnaring me, then surely, Karsein would not fall so easily.

And so it was.

▶You are immune to the darkness status effect due to a specific item!◀

Once the darkened vision lifted, the traps that had once plagued my mind became visible.

It was this brilliantly shining gem that illuminated my sight.

‘…Thanks to the gem Harnié gave me.’

◆Gem of Protection

[ Protects the owner from various threats. Immune to status effects below level 3, excluding darkness and poison, and significantly reduces damage taken due to protective effects. ]

▶Complete immunity to darkness status effects.

▶Complete immunity to status effects below level 3.

▶75% reduction of effects from status ailments of level 4 and above.

▶Increases visibility by 5.

With my sight brightened, the reduction in stamina and action points became markedly less.

Moreover, HP barely dwindled, allowing me to move freely, with time to spare.

Thanks to the effects of this item, which lingered in my status window, I navigated without triggering a single trap.

As I methodically dispatched the beasts, I soon reached the count of fifty.

But then.

“Hmm?”

▶Eliminate all beasts present in the arena.◀

[ Beasts eliminated: 50 ]

[ Time remaining: 4 minutes 8 seconds ]

Even after vanquishing fifty.

Even after eradicating the source of these beasts in time.

The event clear message did not appear.

“Isn’t this supposed to clear the event and the episode?”

– Ding!

▶ You have more than 3 minutes remaining. ◀

▶ A choice has appeared. ◀

“… What the hell is this?”

▶ Please select a location to move within the aftermath field.

[ 1. Flowerbed ]

[ 2. Room 382 ]

[ 3. Right Fork of the Sponsorship Path ]

[ 4. Main Kitchen ]

…

…

Choices unfurled before me, ones I had never seen before.

Instead of the episode clear window that should have popped up after satisfying the number of events completed, there was this bizarre selection.

[ Remaining Time: 4 minutes 6 seconds ]

“Is the timer still running in the midst of all this?”

It’s absurd.

Even if the episode had been cleared with a satisfying resolution, now I had to choose something twisted… What in the world was happening?

“No. It doesn’t matter what this choice is.”

I must not choose.

The risk is far too great.

If it were simply a matter of gathering information, there might be a reason to take the risk, but this is not that kind of situation.

The place I first set out from was the main hall.

Even in my memories, I had returned there after completing the event.

Just as I was about to turn my steps back.

– Clatter. Kughung!

“…”

Debris had forcibly blocked my path.

“No, damn it. This is just telling me I can’t pass— Ugh!”

– Thud! Kughugugu.

What a ridiculous mess.

—

Just because I cursed once, you’re swinging this building around as you please.

“…If I try to go back now, it’ll take time.”

Having focused on the battle with the multitude of beasts, my remaining mana is not much to speak of.

It won’t be easy to cut through that wreckage, and I can’t even tell how far I’ve managed to block…

In the end, it means I have to choose.

But here, I can’t discern what the right answer is, so I hesitate to decide. It could be a place with hidden traps, or a field where triggers might activate, and that would spell disaster.

As I rummaged through my memories, trying to eliminate options and gradually select a safe spot, it happened.

– Thud thud thud. Thud thud!

From somewhere, a familiar sound echoed.

With a chilling noise, something rough came hurtling toward me.

– Clang!

“Ugh…!”

The heavy weight pushed my body back.

If I hadn’t sharpened my senses in time, I might have been sent flying several meters instead of just barely blocking it.

As I regained my stance, something crawled out from the darkness, writhing.

It was undoubtedly a beast.

But it was different.

“This is… from that time with Marf…?!”

Not like the kinds I had eliminated here until now.

*

“Grrrr.”

– Thud.

The beast, swinging a wooden branch in a frenzy, finally collapsed.

Fortunately, it wasn’t that strong…

“Why on earth is this thing here?”

The tree monster, Marf.

It should have completely vanished after separating from Claire.

This is not a place for such a beast to be.

And it’s not one that should have appeared in this event.

What in the world has happened…

—

‘Hmm?’

A voice echoes from somewhere in the corridor.

No, it’s not really a voice, is it?

“Ugh, hhh…!”

It was a sound of weeping.

I wonder what kind of situation this is, but strangely, as I follow the sound of the crying, a place appears in my choices.

Perhaps, it was not mere coincidence.

-Click.

As I open the door and step inside, a terrified woman comes into view.

Ah. But why does her voice sound so familiar?

Heli. It was her?

A hollow sigh escapes me in this absurd moment, yet this woman—

She does not appear to be in a normal state.

“I-I saw it. Th-Those people… turning a person into a monster… into a monster…”

“…What?”

“Th-Those who turned into trees… they were all once human…! They said it was a plan!”

Once human? A plan to turn people into monsters?

In that instant, something flickered through my mind.

“Hey. You, tell me more. What exactly—”

“They said to proceed with the plan, we must… eliminate Lady Harnié… I-I don’t know anything else! I swear! So please, please save me!”

After that, Heli babbled incoherently, clutching at me, repeating her plea for mercy until she collapsed in exhaustion.

But what I heard here—

Matched perfectly with the sudden sense of unease that had arisen.

“…We must eliminate Harnié?”

-Ding!

▶Episode V. You have cleared the aftermath of the martial arts tournament.◀

▶You have succeeded in invoking results beyond the choices!◀

▶You have cleared a hidden event and obtained additional information.◀

[ You have discovered the plans of an unseen force. ]

[ ??? is rising. ]

[ Current Status: 80% ]

▶??? Having reached 80%, the secrets of the world shall be revealed. ◀

【 Your death has bestowed despair upon another. This despair has spread like a plague, binding that soul to this place. 】

【 Yet, it is not too late. Kim Min-hyuk. 】