HNCSHG 43

Chapter 43

My thoughts ended quickly.
I decided to take Halloway with me.

In novels or games, you always see people judging others however they want based on a tiny hint at the beginning. Then later it turns out to be a misunderstanding, and until then everyone just keeps rolling around in misery. They don’t talk to each other, the rift deepens, and it becomes one of those suffocating situations where you’re force‑fed nothing but frustration.

I decided to cut off the sprout of that situation from the very beginning.

We might want to talk but can’t, so there’s no need to get separated from Halloway because of some useless misunderstanding. Getting separated should only happen when the misunderstanding is completely cleared up. These things always have twists hidden inside. And after consuming so many horror games, other games, novels, dramas, and movies, I know the pattern by heart.

At this point, I can practically sense it.
Surprisingly, he even has some human sides…
…does he?
Well, he does try hard to save me…
…does he?

Anyway.

I’m not going to create a situation where both of us end up frustrated for no reason. We haven’t even gotten close to the island’s secret yet. And since I generally don’t overthink things and live by the motto “focus on what’s right in front of you,” I was able to decide something that might be hard for others relatively easily.

Even if this personality becomes poison later—so what?
This is just who I am, no matter what anyone says.

“You looked gloomy, but now you’re suddenly bright again?”
“I’m not the type to hold onto complicated worries for long.”
“What were you worrying about?”
“How to leave the hotel safely without getting hurt.”
“Oh, you’re planning to leave?”
“Of course!”
“You can leave?”
“…Huh?”
“It’s just that you’re talking under the assumption that leaving is possible. I thought, ‘Wow, such a hopeful person!’”

…Is this guy indirectly mocking me right now?

So Halloway thinks I’ll definitely never escape, right…?
Watch me. I’ll escape so spectacularly he’ll cry blood from those pretty eyes.

A sudden goal lit a fire in me.

“People never lose hope.”
“And it’s also people who crush that hope.”
As always.

Halloway muttered that without a hint of sadness or anger.
Just empty hollowness flickered in his eyes, then disappeared.

“What will you do then? When your hope is crushed and there’s no room for revival?”
“If you’re expecting a profound answer from me, I’m not saying anything.”
“As if I’d expect something like that from you.”

That’s annoying in its own way.

“Answer, Nuna.”
“Mm… I guess I would try to find it again somehow.”
“Even if it doesn’t exist?”
“If it doesn’t… well… I’ll just make it.”
“How?”
“It depends on the situation.”
“Then… I’ll save that answer for later.”

Halloway looked complicated yet somehow pleased.

[Affinity increased by 1%]
[Attachment increased by 1%]
[Possessiveness increased by 2%]

Affinity: 32%
Attachment: 34%
Possessiveness: 39%

[Halloway has decided to take away your hope.]

…Hey, wait.
Why did it turn into that?
What flag did I trigger for it to go this way?
Normally the kid is supposed to get nicer, right?

But Halloway seems determined to teach me just how despairing life becomes when hope disappears.
I really have no idea why he’s like this.

Stupid brat.

[Story fragments collected.]

[Collected “Summon” fragment.]
[Collected “Wish” fragment.]
[Collected “Demon” fragment.]

Along with repeated quest success giving me weapons, I also got fragments.
The images engraved on them were surprisingly plain.
The Summon fragment had a magic circle, the Wish fragment had a simple red background, the Demon fragment a black one.

Did it hide details on purpose so I couldn’t infer anything from the pictures?

Then I had to infer from the words themselves.
“Demon, wish.”
Just like I initially suspected, it was almost certain someone summoned a demon wishing for a wish to be granted.

But why go so far as to summon a demon?
What kind of wish was it?

“Nuna, again.”
“Ah.”

As Halloway’s stats rose, he increasingly hated when I didn’t focus on him even for a moment.

“I have a lot of stray thoughts.”
“It seems so. Would be nice if you could be filled with just one thought.”
“Huh?”
“Well, I can just make it that way soon. Right?”

[Halloway wants to trap you in this hotel.]

I said I don’t like that.

“Our Halloway sometimes says such ominous things. Makes Nuna’s heart flutter.”
“It flutters?”

Not the kind of flutter you think…

“In an indescribable way.”
From fear.

♥♡
♡♥
♥♡

Wait—hearts…?!

It had been a long time since I’d seen such cute hearts, so I poked one with my finger.
It squished softly, then bounced off my hand.

[All emotional stats increased by 1%.]

I didn’t know why the hearts appeared.
Probably random.
The system itself didn’t feel consistent.
Sometimes new things appear, sometimes words change…
Occasionally it insists something existed when it didn’t!

It did whatever it wanted.

Though it was cute. A heart over a kid’s head.
Even if he was terrifying inside.

I patted Halloway’s hair.

[Halloway feels good, yet is displeased by your downward gaze.]

Well, I can’t crawl on the floor.
Before the hard-earned affinity drops, I decided to use my greatest skill: sugar-coated words.

“Come to think of it, Halloway, your feet are big. They say big feet mean you’ll grow really tall.”
“Yes. Tall enough to lift someone like Nuna with one hand.”
“Why do you talk like that? So scary.”
“I find your way of speaking really funny.”

How is my sincere way of talking funny?

Annoyed, I grabbed both his hands and lifted him up.
Halloway’s feet floated in the air.
I didn’t know his true form, but either way, I was bigger.

[Halloway’s mood worsens rapidly.]

“Ah… I really hate this…”
“Kids usually hate being treated like kids.”

We were a bit more comfortable now—well, not exactly stable, but higher affinity made teasing him less scary than before.
Of course, if he were in his real form, I’d be trembling like hell.

“Put me down.”
“It’s fun.”
“You find this fun?”
“When your feet float, it’s fun.”
“I see. I’ll remember that.”
“I was joking.”
“I don’t understand jokes well.”

Damn brat.

“You don’t know jokes? You live such a boring life.”
Poor you, missing the beauty of jokes.

“As long as Nuna enjoys it, that’s enough. You alone do the work of a hundred people.”

…What kind of line is that?

We were chatting in rare momentary peace when—

“Hel—help…! Please, someone help! Is anyone there?!”

Alhulf’s voice echoed through the hallway, full of terror.

“That must be Alhulf.”

[Halloway focuses on the sound and smell.]

[A strong smell of blood fills the air.]

Is Alhulf hurt?

“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Nuna. But not that way—this way.”
“But the voice came from over there…”

[Halloway disrupts your hearing.]
[Hearing is distorted.]

“Please… someone…!”

The voice that clearly came from the right now came from the direction Halloway pointed.

“It’s there, right?”
“Yeah.”

…Shouldn’t distortion mean the opposite?

[You don’t yet have the strength to resist Halloway’s status effects!]

[If Affinity reaches 40%, a certain effect will activate, giving you resistance to Halloway’s powers.]

So for now, I had to just follow the illusion.
But since I remembered the original direction, I hesitated.

Halloway noticed and shook his head, changing direction.

“Or shall we go that way? Either way is fine with me.”

[Halloway has given you the freedom to choose!]

**Your choice:

1. Go right.
   (Not recommended 乂˙―˙))

2. Go left.
   (Recommended (b˙◁˙ )b)**

Ah…

I fell into the greatest dilemma of my life.

I don’t know if the system is truly on my side…
Should I follow its recommendation?
Or trust my own senses?

If I pick the “not recommended” choice, and Alhulf really isn’t there and Halloway is right, he might be disappointed in me.

…What should I choose?