Chapter 59

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: penny

Chapter: 59

Chapter Title: Role-Playing (5)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

I kept staring blankly at the status window for no particular reason.

Half out of worry that it might turn black again, half out of hopeful anticipation...

I just kept gazing at it vacantly.

"..."

At this point, anyone but a complete idiot would have figured it out.

The monster that possessed Sakai Yuuto's corpse and dragged me into this role-playing horror tale... was the wife monster.

Otherwise, why would the thing that kidnapped me into a horror story apologize to me?

'Heh, first time in my life getting an apology from a monster... Not even begging for its life or anything...'

I'd half-expected the wife monster to say sorry to me.

Probably something like, sorry for cheating on you while you were gone.

But...

'...Yeah, she's got a lot to be sorry for.'

It was just a role-play, after all.

Why feel sorry for a monster—not my real wife—cheating in some scripted drama?

'No, wait. Maybe it's sorry for kidnapping me into the horror story.'

That made it a perfectly reasonable apology.

Of course, getting an apology from a monster was still utterly ridiculous...

"...No clue."

As I tried to figure out this nagging unease bubbling up inside me,

suddenly...

'...Hold on.'

To recall one of the memories from inside the role-playing horror tale, I quickly typed IY into the input field to check the universal panacea.

'Found it.'

The last remaining universal panacea.

I wasn't thrilled about using it sooner than expected, but...

One thing I knew best about myself was...

'I like saving the best for last...'

I had a habit of hoarding good stuff.

'...Why?'

As proof:

In some games, I'd hoard consumables like top-tier healing potions, only using them in the final boss fight because it felt wasteful otherwise.

I'd save the best cut of meat for last.

In other words...

'...I acted on instinct, so why...?'

Of the two universal panaceas I originally had,

my instinct-ridden self should have used the one that reduces max Sanity by 110, not the one that drops it by 140.

'So that's what was bugging me.'

Realizing the source of my inexplicable unease cleared things up nicely—

'...Wait, hold on... Does that mean I wasn't acting on instinct...?'

...Huh?

'The instinct-ridden me... didn't personally shove the universal panacea into my own mouth...?'

Thinking back... yeah, that was right.

My arm, as I was dying in the role-playing horror tale, wouldn't move no matter how hard I tried.

No matter how instinct-dominated my body was, would my arm have been able to move again...?

'...If I didn't take it out myself...?'

Then someone else must have pulled the universal panacea from my status window and fed it to me, right?

But... who?

How?

The reason I hadn't thought of this sooner was simple.

No one else could manipulate someone else's status window.

I'd tested it with Choi Min-ah, and the community had run countless experiments with the same results.

'That doesn't make sense...'

We couldn't see, touch, or control anyone else's status window—

'...The black status window.'

No.

Despite all the failed experiments by surviving humanity... there was one being that had succeeded in controlling someone else's status window.

The wife monster in the role-playing horror tale could freely manipulate others' status windows...

So she could have kidnapped me into her horror tale.

She could have peeked into my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠inventory.

And...

'No way...?'

She could have found the universal panacea in my open inventory, taken it out, and fed it to me.

"..."

An intelligent monster.

A monster that showed a bewildered expression right before dying.

One that hesitated over whether to drag me back into her horror tale after confirming I was okay...

And ultimately let me go with an apology.

And...

'Heh... damn...'

She was the monster who had saved my life.

'Never thought I'd end up owing another monster besides the one in Bellierd Library.'

Two and a half weeks had passed since escaping the role-playing horror tale.

During those two weeks, I'd poured every ounce of focus into raising my total Sanity.

Investing 150,000 Dol to buy Sanity from people during exchange times.

'Time to start selling corrections when the Dol runs low.'

My account, which had been close to 300,000 Dol, now sat at around 150,000.

If I used all 150,000 Dol on Sanity... I'd easily surpass 1000 total.

'Finally feels like I'm prepared.'

Feeling like I'd hit my target, I decided to take a short break until my Sanity filled up.

"Min-ah... who's this Anon 1 really?"

She flinched!

"...Min-ah?"

"Ah... sorry. Just... uh... tired, hehe... what'd you say?"

"Nah, nothing. Sleep well."

"Hee... goodnight, Big Whale sir."

"Sweet dreams, Min-ah."

It was bedtime for everyone now, so I watched her drift off quietly...

About 10 minutes later, confirming she was asleep...

'Alright, camera's usable now.'

Time to execute the plan I'd mulled over for two weeks.

'If shit hits the fan, return and delete with photos.'

I typed RY into the input and hit enter without hesitation.

'Just checking. Refill returns while I'm in, that's it. Phew...'

My vision blurred...

And when it cleared, back to normal...

I was...

'Back.'

Inside the role-playing horror tale again.

Fortunately or unfortunately...

'Not the wife monster's house.'

Not where the wife monster was, so...

As I headed for the tallest building in this set-like village—the company—

'...A rulebook here too?'

There was a single sheet of paper, stained with dried blood and crumpled, on the desk.

'What's it say?'

Sanity was topped off anyway.

No rush— I picked it up slowly...

Just the raw, desperate cry of someone craving love.

Kiiiek...

"I'm home."

I opened the front door and scanned the silent house.

After sending me back to the safe zone, no new son or husband monsters had appeared.

The place was eerily quiet.

"Phew..."

I took a deep breath.

"Husband's home—what the hell ya doin'!!!"

I bellowed loud enough to shake the house.

Thud thud crash...

Noisy sounds came from the wife monster's room.

I'd be lying if I said the rough noises didn't make me flinch...

But if needed, return and pop a panacea—so I steeled myself and waited.

Soon the familiar door creaked open...

"...?"

She stared at me with trembling eyes full of confusion and bewilderment.

"Ma!!!"

"...!"

"See yer husband and ya don't hug 'im quick—what ya waitin' for!!!"

"H-how... how...?"

"Ha... what'd ya say?"

"Why'd... ya... come... back... s'danger... ous... here..."

"Tch. Shut that trap."

"..."

"Get over here and hug me proper, ya thorn in my side. Missed me? Say it straight."

Poke...

"...Missed... missed... ya... missed... ya..."

"Yeah. Missed ya too."

"Missed... ya... so... much... that's... why... sorry..."

"Tch. One word at a time."

"Wh-what... what... what to... say... what...?"

"I love ya, thorn."

"...Me... me... too... y-you... too..."

"Good."

Phew... Gyeongsang dialect for the win.

Talking to the wife like a '60s macho man melted away the last of my fear.

"Set the table."

"...Huh?"

"Quick!!!"

"Ah... ah... y-yeah... like... that...!"

"Ha... starved all evenin' to eat with my wife... and no food ready?"

"S-sorry... deary..."

"Tch... I'm buyin' tonight. Tomorrow, do it proper. Got it?"

"Y-yes... deary... lo-love... lo..."

"Say it."

"L-like... th-that... so..."

"I beat women too. Huh? Speak up!"

"..."

'...Saying I beat women... too much?'

"I... love... you..."

"Me too. Love ya."

"...Yeah... deary..."

"Tch!! Who said ya could touch yer husband's sky-like body without permission!"

"!! S-sorry...!"

Aha!

This is it!

I'd seized control from the monster!

Time to announce my perfect victory in the mandatory defense war—

"B-but... deary."

"Ugh."

"Yer... stronger... than... be-fore."

"...?"

"So... don't... wanna... lose."

Shrrk... shrrk...

No choice...

Community Secret Technique Chapter 1...

Crash!!!

"!!!"

Flip the dinner table.

"The order in this house is crumbling."

"...Deary?"

"Repeat after me. A wife reveres her husband like the heavens."

"A wife... reveres... her husband... like... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the heavens."

"A wife obeys her husband's words."

"A wife... obeys... her husband's... words."

Never dreamed gaslighting would work on a overwhelmingly stronger monster... but it did.