Rough Story Progression 1
Rough Story Progress 1
Congratulations!
You have completed the tutorial!
From now on, the Witch of Brainwashing's free journey is possible!
Complete quests and spend your time!
However, caution is required when entering areas that do not match your appropriate level.
——
The Status Window appeared as soon as Seis disconnected.
It was literally a window announcing the end of the tutorial.
The last sentence was ominous, but I didn't bother reading it carefully.
Anyway, it's a problem that can be solved as long as I don't go outside.
"Harin-ah~ Let me have just one more~♡"
Pai rubbed her body against me, whispering slyly.
"G-get lost."
Putting Pai aside, is all that's left for me to live freely?
Ding-dong~
Just as I was quietly organizing my thoughts, the doorbell rang.
I mean, the sound of a doorbell.
"W-what? Who's here?"
"What do you mean 'what'? It must be a letter!"
A letter...?
Pai bounced out with quick steps.
Following her into the living room, something caught my eye in front of the front door.
A red exclamation mark floated like a hologram.
An exclamation mark, like one you'd see in a game, was bouncing around the front door.
"What is this...."
Is this the quest the Status Window mentioned?
And just as I was about to reach out my hand without any doubt, a thought flashed through my mind.
"Harin-ah, what are you doing?"
"This... I don't have to open it, right?"
Well, it goes without saying, but if I proceed with quests in this game, I'll eventually get 'it'.
Like a cunningly woven fate.
'Getting 'it', huh....'
Actually, I can't definitively say it was a bad experience.
It certainly felt good, and the sensation of being enveloped in a languid mood wasn't entirely unpleasant.
But you know... the post-nut clarity hits.
It's not that awkward feeling that comes right after cumming, but rather a mental disappointment in myself.
Because, first of all... I'm an inventor, aren't I?
It might seem a bit out of the blue, but the profession of an inventor is my defining identity.
How much effort did I put in?
In other words, I am and always will be an inventor.
To satisfy my unquenchable curiosity.
To be with Doctor Aerus-nim.
To unravel the origins of gods and superpowers.
I've run my hardest to reach this point.
"What's wrong? Why do you have such a serious expression?"
Pai stared intently.
"Just... the post-nut clarity hit."
Why on earth am I even here?
A hollow laugh escaped me unconsciously.
"Post-nut clarity? What's that?"
I mean....
Why do I have to suffer trying to avoid these vulgar situations?!
I didn't study to do this kind of stuff...!
"Aren't you going to open the door?"
"No. Don't open it."
I said firmly.
Pai-yah, I'm serious right now, okay?
The days I spent studying day and night are clashing in my mind with the farce that just unfolded on that hobbyhorse.
How many people would understand this feeling?
"Hmph...."
I pinched the bridge of my nose and sat down on the living room chair.
'That bastard Seis....'
The more I thought of him, the hotter my head got.
If I ever meet that bastard again, I will never play into his hands.
With a solemn posture, I made that resolve.
Click.
"Wow~ It's a letter~!"
"... Pai?"
As she opened the door, a man with a hat pulled low appeared.
"Thank you for using the Mana Communication Center today."
"Yes~"
Pai replied cheerfully.
She took the letter and grinned at me.
Even sticking her tongue out slightly.
"You just...!?"
"Harin! I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it~ We owe a lot of money, don't we?"
"... Money?"
"Yep! We took out a huuuuge loan."
What are you talking about?
"So we have to pay back the money before Money Man arrives!"
Ding~
At that moment, the Status Window chimed.
——
[ Main Story ]
* Let's pay back 100 million gold!
The Witch of Brainwashing, who borrowed money from Money Man to buy adult toys!
You must survive against Money Man, the loan shark who will come in two days!
Completion Condition: Survival.
Time Limit: 2 days.
Reward: Bank Unlocked
Hint: Shall we try a new skill?
(Hint display can be changed in settings.)
——
"Wait, wait."
What is this supposed to mean now?
Why would I borrow money? And for adult toys?
Ignoring my dizzying head, I glared at Pai.
"Ahahaha... Right~ You had amnesia, didn't you?"
At the same time, she walked behind me and whispered in my ear.
"We~ might even get sold off~♡?"
"What the—."
"Because we didn't pay back the money~"
Pai, addicted to Aphrodisiac, was not in her right mind.
"But right now~ I feel like it'll be fine for some reason~♡"
I pushed away Pai's face, which was pressed close to mine.
"What kind of setting is this now...."
"Setting? I don't know about settings, but the Slime and Tentacle alone cost 50 million gold. Hehe♡"
The Slime and Tentacle that appeared in the beginning?
So, to summarize, those were all adult toys, and the original Witch of Brainwashing borrowed money to buy them—is that the setting?
And I have to pay it back.
"Hmm."
Why me?
I have no intention of progressing the story, you know?
"Come on, Harin~ Don't make that face~ We have to do what needs to be done! Come on~ Quickly! Let's go make potions!"
The moment Pai touched my shoulder, I shook her hand off.
I might look a bit childish, but my will is firm.
Right now, I have no intention of moving.
"W-what's wrong...? Get up! Quickly, onto that hobbyhorse...!"
"You pay it back yourself."
Of course, I don't intend to just stay still like this.
Because, as written in the Status Window, a villain named 'Money Man' will soon come to get me.
Then I'll just get 'it' again.
I racked my brain as much as I could.
"Hmm...."
Should I just hide inside the house?
No, there's no way such a simple method would work to avoid it.
Then, should I go outside the village?
But I can't just blindly run away outside the village either.
My level, having just finished the tutorial, is only level 2 at best.
I'd probably get 'it' again from some unknown monster.
The Professor-nim said.
Outside the village, there are various 'entertainments' including sensory deprivation traps.
I don't know if those are really 'entertainments', but....
"Ugh...."
So, the solution to the current situation?
There is none.
At least, going outside the village and hiding seems like a decent option.
My location can't be pinpointed, and furthermore, I don't feel hunger or fatigue.
"Th-then, at least go withdraw money from the bank!"
"... The bank?"
"Yes, the bank! You always took care of money that way, didn't you? ... Of course, you wouldn't remember that now."
What is this supposed to mean now?
"If you don't want to go to the bank either... should I go by myself?"
And no sooner had Pai finished speaking than a purple Status Window appeared again.
Ding~
——
[ Warning ]
* Are you sure?
Send Pai alone.
[ Yes ] [ No ]
(Hint display can be changed in settings.)
——
...?
Could this be a hint about a Bad Ending branching point?
I quickly pressed 'No'.
"What~ Harin? So you've decided to come with me after all? Well~ there's not much time to make potions, is there?"
The reason I pressed 'No' was simple.
Because it seemed like a way to avoid a Bad Ending.
In terms of game design, such sudden Status Windows usually indicate an irreversible branching point.
Probabilistically speaking, if I send Pai alone, an accident would occur where I'm not present.
And the repercussions would come back to me, a typical Bad Ending route.
In other words, if I had decided to go to the bank with Pai from the start, that option wouldn't have appeared.
Well... I can't deny that it was a judgment based on intuition to some extent, but....
——
Hidden Bad Ending 1 - The Villagers' Rebellion has been added to your memories!
——
...I was relieved when that Status Window appeared.
* * *
Warm sunlight.
Cool breeze.
And the gentle scent of grass.
"Isn't it nice to walk like this?"
In the end, I went outside the house with Pai.
Swoosh.
"Ah, stop it."
"Hehe...♡"
Occasionally, she poked my cheek, so it seemed the Aphrodisiac's effects were still lingering.
The village was smaller than I expected.
The entrance was visible to the naked eye from afar.
However, it wasn't lacking in amenities.
An adventurer's guild and an inn.
Various restaurants and pubs.
And even a blacksmith and a small temple that looked like a church.
In short, it was exactly like a village you'd see in a fantasy movie.
"Harin-yang! How long has it been?"
"It's been a while, Harin-nim."
"Still the same, Harin."
"Oh... hello."
Moreover, greetings from the villagers occasionally came my way.
Come to think of it, wasn't the concept of this game that all these villagers were brainwashed by me?
For that, it seems quite peaceful, though.
"There it is!"
Where Pai pointed, there was a bank.
A building with four large marble pillars supporting the roof, entirely painted white.
Anyone could tell it was clearly modeled after Greek architecture.
The interior, well... wasn't particularly different from what I had imagined.
"Welcome~ Welcome to the Gold Log Center~"
As I approached the empty counter, the female desk clerk greeted us with excessive enthusiasm.
"Uh...."
"What are you doing! Quickly, tell them to give us money!"
"... Please give me some money."
This is a bit awkward.
It's been a while since I've been to a bank, but I still have common sense.
Is there no minimum security procedure here, like identity verification?
And there aren't even any chairs.
"You must be Seo Ha-rin-nim! How much gold will you be taking today?"
"Um...."
"Quickly...! Tell them 100 million gold...!!"
Pai didn't seem to have any intention of hiding it, whispering loudly.
"100 million gold."
"Yes! 100 million gold! Understood!"
No sooner had I answered than the clerk moved towards the back storage room.
And a moment later, the clerk returned empty-handed for some reason, showing a bitter smile.
"I apologize, Harin-nim... Since Harin-nim withdrew 340 million gold last time, the bank's balance is currently completely depleted. I apologize once again...."
"...What?"
"Gasp! It seems we took too much!!"
"...?"
Where should I even begin to be surprised by this?
340 million gold?
Surely I don't have to pay that back too?
The quest didn't mention anything like that....
"Huh? You don't need to pay back the bank's money! Our money is the village's money! The village's money is our money, isn't it!"
"... Th-that's right, isn't it?"
Indeed, the concept here is that they're all brainwashed by me.
Wait a minute. If that's the setting, then surely....
"Um, perhaps... could you spin around once?"
"Yes, sir!"
At that, the female clerk spun around once with a joyful expression.
"Uh...."
"I've spun!"
Hmm.
A good idea came to mind.