[CHAT: What kind of sleeping pills were those? Even a ghost can’t handle them. She got a taste of her own medicine.]
I picked up the silver knife from the floor and walked slowly towards the Mother, finally plunging it deep into her heart.
I shoved her body into the nearby fireplace. Amidst the roaring flames, the Mother’s screams turned into a final, explos: ive pop as she disintegrated.
The ground beneath me began to shake violently.
The walls and pillars around us cracked and crumbled. The chandelier fell, smashing the long table to pieces.
The Beastly Father’s abuse of his daughters was the cause, but the Vicious Mother’s obsession was the curse that bound them all. Her twisted attachment was what had trapped the entire family in this mansion, forced to relive their tragedy as NPCs for endless rounds of this deadly game.
The male ghost and the little girl pushed me towards the door.
“Sister… will we… see… each other… again?” the little girl asked, her body already turning transparent.
“We absolutely will,” I said with conviction.
“R–really?”
I knelt down and held out my hand. “Yes. Pinky swear.”
The little girl hooked her tiny finger around mine. Before she could say another word, a support beam crashed down from the ceiling, dissipating both her and the male ghost like two puffs of smoke.
Debris rained down from all sides. The hall was now a pile of ruins.
Knowing I couldn’t stay, I turned and pushed open the great doors of the mansion.
It had just rained outside. As my feet touched the damp earth, a system panel appeared before me.
[SYSTEM: Congratulations, Player Eva Nightingale, for clearing “The Haunting of Crestfall Manor.” Final Rating: 5 Stars]
[SYSTEM: Story Completion: 100%]
[SYSTEM: Player Health; 99% ]
[SYSTEM: NPC Affinity: 100%]
[SYSTEM: Player Eva Nightingale has successfully defeated the hidden boss and earned a rank–up bonus.]
[SYSTEM: Current Rank: A]
“Huh?” I muttered. “What’s NPC Affinity?”
Five years later.
“President, three new players have applied to join the guild. They’re waiting in the lobby.”
I was now the top–ranked S–class player in the game, and the President of its largest player guild.
Standing in the lobby were three familiar figures
Standing in the lobby were three familiar figures.
The older sister was beautiful and tall, though her neck was permanently tilted to the right, as if from a bad crick.
The brother was handsome and brooding, dressed in a high–collared sweater that covered every joint.
The little sister still had eyes as red as a rabbit’s. The moment she
saw me, she launched herself into my arms.
“…S–Sis!”
Yep, the stutter was still there, too.
I hugged her back, enjoying the reunion for a moment before taking a deep breath and letting out a mighty roar.
“WHY ARE YOUR EYES STILL SO BLOODSHOT?! HAVE YOU BEEN STAYING UP LATE AGAIN
The little girl flinched.
I grabbed her brother’s hand. “Your hands are freezing! Have you not been using an electric blanket at night?!”
The brother stammered, “Uh…”
The older sister was already trying to sneak away.
16
“And you!” I pointed. “With that crooked neck! A clear case of sleeping in a draft!”
“All of you are staying here! You’re not leaving until you learn how to get a proper night’s sleep!”
Pre
H
