Volume 1.6 The Frail Young Man (2)

The metallic odor of blood lingered in the air. People's shouts and cries echoed left and right. Because of the preceding earthquake, there were apparent fissures in the wall. Other than this, there was nothing dreadful I encountered yet. However, when I turned to another right corner of the hallway, I retracted those words right away.

*Gasped!*

I couldn't help but be sickened by the lifeless bodies strewn everywhere. I forced myself not to gag and proceeded to go on with a lingering lethargy inside of me.

The lifeless bodies of aristocrats and servants alike. None of them were spared for those seeking absolute power. It was nothing like the lifeless animals I'd usually hunted back in my kingdom.

On the game screen when I played this game, I didn't care. They were all NPCs. Nothing more and nothing less.

'Sigh.'

I paused. I couldn't stomach walking towards the blood-splattered floor while barefoot. I had no other option but to approach a dead maid and check her flat and pale black shoes.

Her eyes were wide open, and I had the impression she was watching me. But I knew that was no longer the case now that she was dead. She appeared younger to me as well.

With tensed hands, I reached for her shoes. 'I'm sorry.' And carefully removed it from her. I put it on right away, and even though it didn't fit perfectly, it was slightly bigger, but I could still move around in it. I took off my emerald earrings and placed them on the dead maid's hand. I closed her eyes and whispered a silent prayer.

'I apologize for taking your shoes. Please have at least this earring in your afterlife, and may you rest in peace.'

There was a custom in the kingdom where I grew up. Where we put valuable items in the coffins of the dead, thinking they would need them in the afterlife. It was similar to pharaohs building pyramids and burying all their wealth with them.

If this were my previous life, I would find such behavior amusing. However, as someone who had previously died and been reincarnated, it was no longer a silly concept to me. Those views about the afterlife that many people dismissed as fantastical myths may turn out to be real after all. And reincarnation was one of those myths that I proved to be real.

I didn't know what else to do either. They were dead, and I was even stealing from them. When I glanced forward, numerous other corpses were ahead. I took a deep breath.

'I should go now.'

Onscreen, it was nearly the same scene from my previous life. It was really brutal and gruesome, but it was necessary to add flavor to the game. However, rather than just being a flavorful element, it was now more of terrible carnage.

They used to be able to smile, speak, and work for their own lives and motives. They were definitely not emotionless NPC's. All of these people had their own lives to live right. However, because it was a necessity to this event, they died.

Their lives were staked on something that was decided as a game. They were all sacrificed so that the main characters could shine.

Would I meet the same fate as them? It's possible. So, do I have to murder someone in order to live?

I was very cold and fearless when I questioned that frail man whether he would kill someone merely to receive someone's card. To be able to survive.

Maybe I should have stayed in that room? Where I could ensure my safety for a few hours and wait for things to calm down first. And think things thoroughly. Am I acting too hastily?

I don't know. But time would not be patient and kind to me if I waste it on simply waiting.

I would be fine. I had the knowledge of the game accumulated for five years of my past life. I just needed to keep going. And as long as I can, I don't need to take someone else's life.

My body just continued to move on its own.

The main goal of this event was to keep just one card at the end of the event. However, the Sub Mission spurred many people's desire to wield immense influence over the rest.

The main theme of the first event was 'desire'.

The desire to live.

The desire to become powerful.

The desire to protect someone.

The desire to have revenge.

The desire to survive.

The whole palace was now surrounded by everyone's overwhelming desire. And it was the literal description that if desire became uncontrollable, everything would fall to utter chaos.

'Whoever or whatever is behind this? They are certainly nasty and vicious.'

I was careful to turn every side, to see if anyone was there. Once I secured the way, I continued to tread on. As I continued through the hallways, the corpses became lesser.

Hah. This palace was truly humongous.

Thank heavens I was able to attend several balls and formal meetings here. In addition, I remembered the full game map of the palace from my previous life. I'd be completely lost without them.

It would be much easier if I could use the main stairs, but there was a greater risk of being discovered by other nobles who killed others for their cards.

I was able to obtain a considerably sharper and more durable sword from one of the dead knights I encountered on my trek. And a pair of daggers which I tied its hilt on my waist. I felt like gathering item drops, but this also made me feel worse.

I've never felt so disgusted with myself for robbing dead people.

I clenched the grip on the sword as I went on ahead.

{Event Time: 18 hrs: 22 mins: 16 secs.}

"How tiresome," I had been running for about two hours. This simply served to emphasize how massive this palace was.

*Panting.* I looked up to see the final set of stairs I needed to climb.

'Just a bit more...'

'I will be at the top tower now. Just one more climb. '

"Princess!"

"?!!!"

When someone leaped in front of me, I was utterly taken aback.

"Argh!" When I stumbled on the floor, I winced. I heard a strange crackling sound on my left forearm, which had taken the brunt of the impact of the fall. I couldn't help but feel furious when I saw the assailant.

"You?! What are you doing here?!"

It was none other than the frail man at the time. He was on top of me.

'I told him not to follow me. What is he doing here?!'

Our face was so close together that I could feel his breath.

"I-I'm worried since you don't have any good shoes with you," he said as he smiled. But then he fell down on me.

"What? Hey!"

I felt something wet and icky in my hands. When I glanced at it...

Blood?

My heartbeat was quick. When I raised my head, I saw that his entire back was becoming crimson. 'Did he just save my life?' '

*Jingles*

*Jingles*

That was when I heard the sounds of bells. And an extremely familiar sound at that.

"So he's got two clubs."

I grasped the sword on my left side and pushed myself to rise. With the support of the sword, I managed to kneel with one knee raised. 'I'm so careless.'

"Now it's your chance to give me yours. Oh, never mind, I'll just kill you and collect it off your corpse. Hahaha!" A woman's shrill laugh rang through the empty halls.

'Damn, I told him how useless he was, and yet he was dying like this due to my carelessness.' I lifted the sword while holding the frail man in my embrace. I could feel myself turning frigid when I finally got a good look at the woman who had attacked us.

'Of all people to meet...' I couldn't help but smile wryly.

Purple hair in a neat bun, paired with a white maid cap. She was dressed in a black and white maid uniform and had a malicious smile on her face. In the game, her main weapon was a long metal chain with two sharp blades connected at the end. Exactly the same thing she was holding right now.

The leader of the assassin group called Grim Bells, was working directly under the Imperial Family. She hid her real identity under the guise of a maid. And she was one of the essential supporting characters that would aid the female lead in surviving the forthcoming events.

Irene. This was the name bestowed to her by the current emperor and had the meaning of "peace". Because her job implied that as long as she eliminated adversaries of the Imperial Family, the empire would remain peaceful.

Her most recognizable characteristic was the black choker around her neck, which held a single silver bell. When you heard the sounds of the bell in the game, it meant she was close by or on her way.

This was the reason she got her other nickname in the underground as Bella of Death.

Against an elite assassin, versus a mere princess with mediocre hunting skills.

What tough luck I have.