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I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 281
🕑 Added 2025-01-31 12:19:28 +0000 UTCChapter 281: The After-Party (9)
Things were getting complicated.
I knew better than anyone how malicious this game could be.
Even after transmigrating into this world, I hadn't forgotten the frustration and anger I had felt while playing it.
But this time,
A profound sense of unease washed over me.
In this game, Carsein was constantly subjected to all sorts of trials and tribulations.
While it wasn’t unusual for low-probability events to occur,
The threats, the choices, the episodes, the near-death experiences, the swords pointed at his throat…
Yes, that was normal.
Carsein was always at the center of the chaos.
‘And Carsein is me. So I should be the target.’
But why?
Why was Harnie being targeted so blatantly?
For what reason?
—Kyaaa!
“…!”
Another scream snapped me out of my reverie.
‘…Right. This isn’t the time to be distracted.’
-Unsheathe.
▶ Episode V: The After-Party is in progress. ◀
▶ The final event has been designated. ◀
▶ Eliminate all monsters in the venue. ◀
[Number of Monsters: 50]
From an outsider’s perspective, it might seem straightforward.
But there was a hidden timer for this event.
With monsters running rampant, the participants would be panicked, unable to fight at their full potential.
And the other guests, terrified by the sudden appearance of monsters, would be even less effective, as they wouldn’t be able to use magic freely inside the building.
If too much time passed…
‘Time limit. Game over.’
A bad ending, where everyone in the venue was killed by the monsters.
That was the death flag for this event.
In other words, it was all up to me, the player.
This event wouldn’t end until Carsein eliminated all 50 monsters.
And since it was a low-probability event, the difficulty was ridiculously high.
I had to act quickly.
“Carsein!”
As I drew my sword, Harnie grabbed my arm.
“You’re going to eliminate the source of the monsters, aren’t you?”
“It’s dangerous, Harnie. And I’m not taking you with me.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
A magic circle shimmered briefly, and a small gem detached itself from her clothes. She held it out to me.
“This is…”
“Take it, Carsein. You’ll need it.”
The gem Harnie always wore.
A protective engraving, designed to detect poisons, aphrodisiacs, and other harmful substances, a top-tier protective charm for her frail body.
“I can’t. You’ll be in danger without it.”
“…You’re the one who’s in more danger.”
“What…?”
“You’re going inside, to eliminate the source of the monsters, aren’t you? That’s more dangerous than staying here, where you can fight alongside the others. And you’re not even going to bring a light source?”
“…”
I was speechless.
I had simply planned to eliminate the source of the monsters, just like in the game. But from Harnie’s perspective, it was different.
It must have seemed incredibly dangerous to face those monsters alone, in the dark.
‘And the lights are out.’
Just like in the game, the entire venue was plunged into darkness.
The chandeliers, the lights in each room, even the mana-powered lights had all been extinguished.
Fighting monsters in the dark, while avoiding traps, was bound to result in injuries.
But…
With this, things would be different.
“It’s fine. I can’t use magic freely, but I can protect myself. And…”
Harnie gently took my hand in hers.
“If you’re that worried… then just come back quickly.”
“What?”
“You can protect me, can’t you?”
…She was giving me her only means of protection, and telling me to come back and protect her?
But she was right.
I should just take care of this quickly and return.
-Unsheathe.
“I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
[ 3. Draw your sword and eliminate the source of the monsters. ]
-Ding!
▶ Choice selected. Branch determined. ◀
▶ Hidden time limit revealed. Bonus time added. ◀
[Time Remaining: 11 minutes 29 seconds]
[Bonus Time: 2 minutes]
▶ Warning! Dangerous monsters will appear! ◀
▶ Avoid being killed by the monsters! ◀
***
“Kyaa!”
-Ding!
[Monsters Eliminated: 16]
[Monsters Remaining: 34]
This event, if triggered, was incredibly difficult.
The after-party venue was filled with traps designed to target Carsein.
And those traps, usually triggered by accidental contact with female characters, would hinder me in various ways.
A weakened door, suddenly collapsing during a dance.
A strategically placed banana peel, causing me to slip and fall, leaving me vulnerable to the monsters.
And the worst-case scenarios: falling debris, sharp wooden splinters, and exposed rebar, causing injuries and status ailments that rapidly depleted my HP.
The traps were everywhere.
I couldn’t memorize all of them, and some even changed their locations with each playthrough, making it impossible to avoid them completely.
But all of those traps revolved around a single status ailment.
If I could avoid that, then I wouldn’t be so easily defeated.
And that was indeed the case.
▶ Darkness status ailment nullified due to item effect! ◀
With the darkness dispelled, I could see all the traps that had once plagued me.
The gem Harnie had given me illuminated my surroundings.
‘…Thanks to Harnie’s gem.’
◆ Protection Gem
[Protects the owner from various threats. Grants immunity to Darkness and Poison status ailments below Level 3, and significantly reduces damage from other status ailments. ]
▶ Complete immunity to Darkness.
▶ Complete immunity to status ailments below Level 3.
▶ 75% reduction in the effects of status ailments above Level 4.
▶ Increases vision by 5.
With improved vision, my stamina and movement speed weren't as severely affected.
My HP barely decreased, and I could move freely, giving me ample time.
Thanks to the gem’s effects, I was able to navigate the venue without triggering any traps.
I steadily eliminated the monsters, one by one.
And then…
“Hmm?”
▶ Eliminate all monsters in the venue. ◀
[Monsters Eliminated: 50]
[Time Remaining: 4 minutes 8 seconds]
I had eliminated all 50 monsters.
And I had destroyed the source.
But the event clear message hadn't appeared.
“Normally, this would clear the event, and the episode as well.”
-Ding!
▶ More than 3 minutes remaining. ◀
▶ Choices have appeared. ◀
“…What’s this?”
▶ Choose a location within the after-party venue. ◀
[ 1. Flowerbed ]
[ 2. Room 382 ]
[ 3. Right side path behind the sponsor’s booth ]
[ 4. Main Kitchen ]
…
…
An unexpected set of choices.
Instead of the episode clear notification, which should have appeared after clearing the event and fulfilling the required number of events, I was presented with a set of choices.
[Time Remaining: 4 minutes 6 seconds]
“And the timer is still running?”
This was ridiculous.
Instead of a clean episode clear, I had to make another choice? What was going on?
“No, it doesn’t matter what these choices are.”
I couldn’t choose any of them.
The risk was too high.
If it was just about gathering information, I might consider it, but not now.
I had started in the main hall.
And in my memories, I had returned there after clearing the event.
Just as I turned to leave,
-Rumble… Crash!
“…”
Debris blocked my path.
“Seriously? You’re not letting me leave— Whoa!”
-Crash! Rumble…
This was getting ridiculous.
I had just cursed under my breath, and now the building was collapsing around me.
“…This is going to take time.”
I didn’t have much mana left after fighting all those monsters.
And I couldn’t just blast through the debris. I didn’t know how much there was, or how far it extended…
So, I had to choose.
But I had no idea which option was correct. There could be traps or triggers in those locations.
As I tried to recall the layout of the venue, using the process of elimination to identify the safest path…
-Crackle, crackle!
A familiar sound.
Followed by something hurtling towards me.
-Clang!
“Ugh…!”
The force of the impact sent me stumbling backwards.
If I hadn’t reacted quickly, I would have been thrown several meters.
I regained my balance and saw it, emerging from the darkness.
A monster.
But it was different.
“This is… the same type as Map?!”
It wasn’t like the ones I had been fighting.
***
“Groaaar.”
-Thud.
The monster, which had been attacking with its vines, collapsed.
Thankfully, it wasn’t very strong, but…
“Why… why is it here?”
Treant Map.
I had thought he had been completely eliminated after I separated him from Claire.
He shouldn’t be here.
He wasn’t supposed to appear in this event.
What was going on?
‘Hmm?’
I heard a voice.
No, it wasn’t a voice.
“Sob… sob…”
It was someone crying.
I wasn’t sure what was going on, but as I followed the sound, I reached one of the locations listed in the choices.
This probably wasn’t a coincidence.
-Click.
I opened the door and saw a terrified woman.
And her voice sounded familiar…
Helly? It was her?
I couldn’t help but sigh.
She didn't look like she was in her right mind.
“I… I saw them… They… they were turning people into… into monsters…”
“…What?”
“Th-those… those things that turned into trees… they were all… people! They… they said it was a plan…!”
People? A plan to turn people into monsters?
Something clicked in my mind.
“Hey, tell me more. What are you—”
“They… they said they had to… eliminate Lady Harnie… to carry out the plan… Th-that’s all I know! I don’t know anything else! Please… please spare me!”
Helly screamed, her words a jumbled mess, then clung to me, begging for her life, before collapsing from exhaustion.
But what I had heard…
It perfectly matched the unease I had been feeling.
“Eliminate Harnie…?”
-Ding!
▶ Episode V: The After-Party cleared. ◀
▶ You have achieved an outcome beyond the given choices! ◀
▶ Additional information acquired through Hidden Event clear. ◀
[ You have discovered a hidden conspiracy. ]
[ ??? increased. ]
[ Current level: 80% ]
▶ ??? has reached 80%. Unveiling a secret of the world. ◀
【 Your death brought despair to someone. This despair, spreading like a plague, has anchored their soul to this place. 】
【 It’s not too late, Kim Min-hyeok. 】
