Chapter 46
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Error?
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“Gaaahhh!”
Yoon Young let out a bloodcurdling scream.
The moment the orb of pain struck him, a truly horrific agony began to surge through his body.
It was like stubbing his pinky toe in a door crack.
Like someone grabbing a hangnail next to his fingernail and yanking it off by force—that kind of excruciating torment...!
‘...Huh? The examples popping into my head feel kinda off?’
As he clutched his aching finger, Yoon Young suddenly sensed something strange.
No, it was definitely horrific pain, to be fair...
But still, wasn't this the kind of agony anyone could stumble into during a normal day if their luck ran out?
If it was supposed to be some insane level of suffering, you'd expect stuff straight out of a gore site's snuff films.
Like being stabbed repeatedly while alive, or having a tire hung around your neck while tied up and set on fire—those kinds of brutal tortures!
Compared to that, this was something he could gladly endure.
“Urk!”
It still hurt like hell, though, so Yoon Young dropped to his knees.
“Huff... huff...!”
As the pain finally started to ebb, the girl smirked down at him like it was all a joke.
“How was that? The ‘horrific agony.’ Pretty thrilling, right? Good job not passing out—I’ll give you credit for that.”
A new orb forms in her palm the instant she finishes speaking.
“So, how about the second one? What’ll it be?”
“The second one...?”
[The second one...?]
Yoon Young’s feelings matched the prompt perfectly.
“Oh? I never said it’d only be once.”
This crazy bitch!
“Come on, pick. Will you take this ‘horrific agony’ yourself again...? Or pass it to your companion?”
[What should I do?]
[Take the second Orb of Pain]
[Transfer it to your companion]
The girl definitely hadn’t said it’d only be once.
She hadn’t even set a limit on the number of times.
Which meant this torment could drag on forever.
Irritation surged through Yoon Young.
‘What kind of shitty game is this? They make the villain this infuriating from the start—what are we supposed to do?’
If this were just a game, he’d have picked his nose and clicked through the pain without a second thought.
The protagonist was the one suffering, not him, after all.
As a player, he was just an observer.
But this world was as real as it got for Yoon Young.
The choices came with consequences—and he bore the responsibility!
Pick “endure the pain,” and he would feel it for real.
Not some comfy protagonist proxy.
Which made the whole setup feel utterly unfair to him.
If it were purely a game, he’d know the protagonist wouldn’t die here and could relax—but there were no such guarantees in this world.
‘Argh, should I just grab a rock and smash her skull in?’
Yoon Young’s hand rose.
It looked ready to slap her cheek clean off—but he stopped himself.
You know pointless resistance just kills the fun, right?
He’d groped her earlier with no reaction since it felt like pervy nonsense, but slapping her with clear hostile intent? Who knew what that’d trigger.
It might turn into a full-on fight like with Faye.
‘And I’d die instantly.’
This girl had tied up four people—Amaël included—just by showing up.
She was like one of those early-game Four Heavenly Kings...
She could kill them anytime; she was just toying with them.
“Sigh.”
At least the ‘horrific agony’ was tolerable if he gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and tensed his abs.
‘Fine! Bring it. Am I gonna die? No way she plans to just toy with us till we drop. Something’s gotta give if we push through.’
With that in mind, Yoon Young picked the first option again.
The NPCs reacted immediately.
“A-Adventurer... Are you sure...!?”
“You’ll really be okay!? Taking that twice in a row could kill you!”
They said that, but none of them offered to take it themselves.
Whatever, whatever. Suuuuuck it in.
“...Are you insane?”
Then came an off-kilter voice.
It was the villain’s.
Not her forced villainous tone, but a genuine girlish voice that matched her appearance.
“You go through that... and without hesitation pick to endure it alone again? How can you do that?”
She looked genuinely puzzled.
Her face screamed utter incomprehension.
“Passing the pain to someone else would make it easier— isn’t that the obvious normal choice!? They’re not family or benefactors, just some random companions with no real bond—what makes them so precious!?”
The girl seemed weirdly agitated.
‘She sets up the game and then complains about how we play?’
Her emotions flaring at this random point screamed backstory incoming.
‘From the way she talks, she really meant to hand out torture like rolling on a salt-rubbed bed of nails.’
So why was Yoon Young’s pain so mild by comparison?
Did she nerf it to something bearable?
If someone arbitrarily tuned the pain level, that dev was a massive perv.
How the hell do you even code ripping out a hangnail...!?
As he inwardly ranted, three choices popped up before Yoon Young’s eyes.
[Passing pain to a companion goes against a knight’s virtues.]
Charisma +3
[Whether I live or die, I’ll just tough it out.]
Pain Resistance +3
[A real man has to strike a pose in a situation like this.]
Charm +5
‘Choices that boost stats, huh?’
Charisma, Pain Resistance, Charm...
All brand new ones.
‘Which to pick?’
Everyone—man or woman—dreams of being hotter.
Tempted by “Charm,” Yoon Young selected the third option.
‘Not falling for temptation—it’s just the +5 Charm.’
Even as he thought that, he knew he’d have picked Charm even at +3.
[A real man has to strike a pose in a situation like this.]
✨ Charm: +5
“...Just to strike a pose?”
The playfulness vanished from her eyes as she glared at Yoon Young.
“You’ll regret that choice plenty.”
Without mercy, the girl hurled the orb of pain.
Splat—it slammed into his chest.
Thump!
“Hngh...!”
The agony welled up.
This time, it was in his foot.
“Gaaaaahhh!”
My foot, my foot...!
‘Like half-asleep, no prep, no socks, stumbling right onto a sharp Lego!’
He regretted not picking Pain Resistance, just a tiny bit.
Yoon Young collapsed on the cave floor, drooling and groaning.
System messages scrolled before his eyes.
[Amid the horrific agony, you recall your past experiences...]
[You realize the ‘Endurance’ skill from the job changer is granting you miraculous strength to endure the pain.]
[That miraculous power comes from a single word of thanks and smiling faces from those you’ve helped.]
‘Endurance...?’
Even as tears welled up, Yoon Young pondered.
‘So that was the payoff?’
[Recalling a knight’s virtues, you endure the horrific agony.]
[You stand tall once more.]
Magically, the pain faded, and just as the message said, Yoon Young brushed off his clothes and stood.
“A-Adventurer... You really...! You’re like a knight from the legends!”
“Incredible. That mental fortitude...”
Barell and Liena chimed in with their lines.
Now that they’d reached this point, Yoon Young got why this event triggered.
It was like a tutorial boss highlighting the protagonist’s exceptional nature.
“How...!”
The girl stared at him in shock, then shot him a razor-sharp glare.
A fresh orb of pain in her hand.
“...Choose again. Endure it alone, or dump it on your companion!”
A single choice appeared in response.
[Take the Orb of Pain]
He selected it, and the girl’s face twisted in annoyance.
“Hah! How long can you keep up the tough guy act!?”
Ugh, the third one’s gonna suck for real...
He’d just thought that when—
“Why don’t you cut it out?”
A booming voice echoed through the cave.
The girl whipped around in panic.
“What? Who’s there!?”
A woman emerged, clad in full robes and a mage’s hat.
Sky-blue hair, long ears, beauty that could mesmerize any ordinary human on sight...
It was the elf from that hidden cabin.
She shows up here?
“Tch. This old hag...!”
The girl clicked her tongue at the sight of the elf.
They knew each other?
“Kiddo. Bad taste, huh? I don’t know why you’re hiding your shame by dressing human, but how about a little chat with me?”
“...”
Ignoring her, the girl glanced at Yoon Young.
“Remember this, you.”
Shhh.
She dissolved into dust and vanished.
“Hmm. She got away.”
The elf muttered without a hint of regret.
“An elf? What’s going on...?”
“That aura she had wasn’t normal...”
Ignoring the pair’s mutterings, the elf approached Yoon Young.
“You’re something else. Enduring that twice and still standing... That’s no ordinary shock.”
...Her laying it on so thick was embarrassing.
Did game protagonists feel this way too?
“Wait, you... I’ve seen you somewhere. Why? It feels familiar... Why? Ngh. Urk!”
Suddenly, the elf clutched her head in agony, face contorted.
She glitched out for a split second.
Yoon Young couldn’t help but tense up at the error-like vibe.