NCSHG CH 20

Chapter 20

I froze mid-step.

Realizing I’d walked right into their trap made my hair stand on end.

They’d acted so friendly, but they were demons by nature.

They gave me weapons, so they could just as easily take them away—this island’s devils.

And like a fool, I’d fallen for their trick, left with only one bullet in my gun.

I should’ve noticed.

But even if I had, it’s not like I could’ve refused to shoot.

My sword was broken, those bastards only screamed from behind without helping.

Honestly, I’d rather hang around with Moran than these guys.

“Noona?”

Don’t tell me these jerks think I’m too dumb to notice anything?

Why are they making it so obvious they’re villains?

I’m pretending not to notice because I don’t want to die.

I wet my dry lips with my tongue and replied with a tilt of my head.

“One bullet left. Why?”

[Dillaf looks you up and down closely. He’s puzzled by how little suspicion you show.]

What do you want me to do about it?

I snapped irritably.

“I said, why? I’ve only got one bullet left!”

[Holloway and Dillaf exchange a subtle glance.]

[Interpreting Holloway’s silent signal, Dillaf decides you must just be a “crazy woman.”]

Gee, thanks, you bastards.

I tried to stand up, but pain flared in my ankle, and I fell limply against Holloway like a paper doll.

“Noona! You can’t just pounce on me like that!”

A kid shouldn’t say things like that.

The fact they made me waste my last bullet made me think maybe they planned to kill me first.

So this time, I’d try acting pitiful to get out of it.

My ankle hurt so much that my eyes teared up on their own.

I used that and whimpered softly.

“My ankle hurts…”

“Your ankle?”

“I think I twisted it.”

Holloway carefully helped me sit and looked at my ankle.

It was visibly swollen.

As he gently touched it, Holloway looked up at me and wiped the tears from my eyes.

“Don’t cry.”

“…Okay.”

[Holloway hesitates, wondering if he should return to his true form.]

Why would you go back—so you can chop my ankle off?

I didn’t feel comforted at all, and Dillaf looked at my ankle and said,

“As thanks for saving me and this kid earlier, I can carry you. Want me to?”

[Holloway’s aura grows dangerous.]

⚠️⚠️ [Danger!!] ⚠️⚠️

[If his killing intent rises any further, your body won’t withstand it!]

[Stop Holloway from going berserk immediately!]

And how exactly am I supposed to do that…?

Maybe it was too much for me, because my body started trembling on its own.

I wasn’t cold—my body was just frozen in fear.

I thought I was fine, but apparently, my body disagreed.

**[➤ What should you do?

1. Let Dillaf carry you.

2. Hug Dillaf.

3. Let Holloway carry you.]**

For once, the choices were easy?

My lips curved up in relief.

Obviously, option 3!

I pressed “3.”

My body moved automatically, leaning against Holloway’s back.

Actually, maybe it was more accurate to say I draped myself over him.

Even in a child’s body, he was strong enough that he didn’t even wobble when I climbed on.

He glanced back at me, confused.

“Noona?”

With that face, he really did look like a kid.

“I don’t like anyone else.”

But don’t get me wrong—doesn’t mean I like you.

[Holloway’s killing intent has disappeared.]

Too easy. Ha!

[Your trembling stops, and your body returns to normal.]

[Attachment +2%]
[Possessiveness +3%]

Goddammit. That possessiveness again…

My mood shot up to heaven and crashed straight into hell in a second.

[When Holloway’s possessiveness reaches 20%, the hotel’s difficulty will increase by one level.]

[Holloway will unconsciously prevent you from escaping the hotel.]

It felt like lightning had struck out of nowhere.

H-how high is it now?

I hurriedly checked Holloway’s stats.

[Affection: 7.5%
Attachment: 16.5%
Possessiveness: 18%]

My pupils shook violently.

Just 2% more and the hotel difficulty rises?

But that’s not something I can control!

Possessiveness could spike at any moment.

I needed to prepare—but how?

I had to escape.

As if reading my desperation, the system offered a “solution.”

[Raise affection and attachment to 20%!]

[When both reach 20%, Holloway will enter the state “Somehow, I Only Want to Hurt You.”]

…That sounds like another bad ending.

Isn’t that just a fancy way of saying he’ll dissect me?

And how am I even supposed to raise those stats?

Possessiveness rises right alongside them!

My mental scream was met with another “helpful” message.

[Control the pace wisely!]

You piece of—

“Noona, are you just gonna stay like that?”

I stood up, limping.

Holloway supported me, wrapping an arm around my waist, but it wasn’t much better.

Still, I couldn’t let my rotten attitude show.

“Thanks. That’s a lot better.”

[Affection +2%]

So he likes compliments, huh?

Fine, I can use that.

While I focused on Holloway, Dillaf cut in again.

“Hey, give me your arm. I’ll help you walk.”

Without even waiting for my reply, he grabbed my arm.

I flinched and yanked it away.

“I—I’m fine!”

“Wow, your attitude.”

Yeah, and it’s scary, right? Don’t touch me if you value your life.

I limped away, trying to get out of there.

The monster was dead, but I still feared that hulking figure might come charging back at any moment.

Stuck traveling with two demons, I was beyond annoyed—

—but showing it would be a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

So I kept quiet.

As I tried to climb to the third floor to avoid the monster, someone called out my name in shock.

“E-Evelyn?”

“That’s me.”

“Evelyn!”

The speaker was none other than Alphulf, who had shoved Moran aside and run off earlier.

Apparently, he’d forgotten all about that because he came running, crying, and threw himself into my arms.

He hugged me so hard I could feel the impact through my injured body.

“I was so scared!”

The weight made me tense my injured ankle, and pain shot up my leg, forcing a groan from me.

“Ugh!”

My leg gave out under the throbbing pain, and Alphulf’s weight pulled me backward.

Dillaf was beside me, so we all went down like dominoes.

I was lucky not to have a concussion at this point.

I’d lost count of how many times I’d hit my head here.

With my head and ankle pounding, I couldn’t think straight. Alphulf clung to me, sobbing.

“I—I was just so scared alone…”

I pushed his crying face away and pressed my palm to the floor to sit up—

—but instead of hard stone, I felt fabric.

A chill crawled up my spine. I froze.

“What the hell. You gonna move your hand or what?”

That icy voice—

I turned my head slowly, dread pooling in my gut.

My palm was pressing directly onto Dillaf’s eyepatch.

The slightly crooked patch looked like it might slip up at the smallest movement, revealing his eye.

And everyone who’d ever seen that eye… had died.

Maybe Holloway had, but—

I quickly lifted my hand before it could shift.

Dillaf adjusted his eyepatch and stood up.

He didn’t say a word, but the air around us turned razor-sharp.

[Dillaf’s anger gauge +80]

[You are facing imminent death!]

He stood over me, hands in his pockets, glaring down.

His cold voice sliced through the silence.

“You just touched my eyepatch.”

I shut my mouth tight and shook my head frantically.

Playing dumb was my only strategy.

No sooner had I survived one crisis than another hit.

Dillaf sneered.

“You saw my eye, didn’t you?”

“No! I didn’t!”

I really didn’t! Please believe me!

But from the moment I’d touched his eyepatch, he’d lost all reason.

A +80 anger spike meant nothing I said would save me.

He grabbed my head, fingers digging into my scalp. His low, growling voice slipped through clenched teeth.

“You saw.”

Squeeze—!

“Ugh!”

His grip was so strong it hurt. I couldn’t stop the groan escaping me.

[The gaze beneath Dillaf’s eyepatch glows with killing intent. To survive, you must suppress his bloodlust.]

An obnoxious system emoji flashed across my mind, mocking me.

[➤ What should you say?]

Beg for your life.

Because this demon would actually kill me.

The way the mood shifted just from me touching his eyepatch—yeah, it meant that thing was sacred to him.

His grip on my head tightened, and I grabbed his thick wrist with both hands in desperation.

Dillaf glanced at my hands, then snarled:

“Let go.”

I couldn’t even answer; my lips just trembled.

And then—

The system popped up choices again.

[1. Okay, on three, let’s take off your eyepatch! (Cheerfully, like a show! (/▽＼))]

Oh, hell no.

[2. One bullet left… (Aim the gun at Dillaf’s forehead. O(￣┰￣*)ゞ)]

Might as well aim it at my own temple.

I prayed there was a third option—my last hope.

[3. You doubt me? How dare you?! (Slap him hard. (ノ｀Д)ノ))]

…So this is it.

My grave.