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Chapter ~ 02
…Suddenly?
“Why me?”
Startled, I shook my head, but then—thud, thud!—something hit the door again from outside.
Wasn’t there just one of those monsters earlier?
My lips trembled as I bit down, fear taking over—then I saw the man standing in front of me.
He was tall and muscular—his well-built frame instantly left an impression.
And somehow, he seemed used to this situation.
At least, more composed than I was.
“Sorry for changing my mind, but… let’s go together.”
Right now, the idea of staying alone was far scarier than following some stranger who’d appeared out of nowhere.
I didn’t have the courage to face one of those monsters again on my own.
The man gave a short laugh, then grabbed my wrist and led me out of the room.
In the hallway lay the monster I’d knocked unconscious earlier—and farther ahead, something was biting a person.
Wait. Biting?
“D-do those things actually bite people?!”
“What, did you think they just played around with them? Run!”
The monster, still gnawing at a human body, slowly turned its head toward us.
It rose up, and then began moving in our direction.
The man pulled me along, and we ran—fast, as fast as we possibly could.
By the time my lungs felt like they were about to burst, he shoved open a door, dragged me inside, and locked it behind us.
“Huff, huff…”
“Are you all right?”
“I—I think so… huff.”
No, I wasn’t. I seriously thought I was going to die from running.
After making sure the door was secure, the man went to a cabinet in the corner, took out a bottle of water, and handed it to me.
I grabbed it and chugged it down in one go.
As I finally caught my breath, the questions began to pour out.
“What are those monsters, and where even is this place?”
My question made the man’s expression stiffen in confusion.
“What do you mean, where? Don’t tell me—you don’t remember anything?”
“I just opened my eyes and found myself in a room.”
“I’ve heard of that happening before, but still…”
He hesitated for a moment, then decided to introduce himself.
“My name is Isis Clentine. And you?”
“I’m… Larianne Bellot.”
As soon as we exchanged names, a screen appeared before my eyes.
[You have introduced yourself to the first male lead!]
[From now on, the male lead’s affection level will be displayed.]
[‘Isis Clentine’ Affection: 3/100]
Male lead? You’re telling me this guy is the male protagonist?
My brain immediately started running calculations.
Male lead = Good guy.
He’s the protagonist—meaning he survives until the end.
So if I stick with the male lead… I’ll survive too, right?
It felt like I’d just found my lifeline!
I snapped my head up and met Isis’s eyes.
Suddenly… he looked way more handsome than before.
Lowering my guard, I smiled softly and asked again.
“I don’t remember anything besides my name. Could you explain what’s going on?”
“Of course.”
He agreed readily and began to explain the basics.
“This is the Belkiana Empire. The things wandering outside are called Creatures.”
“Creatures?”
“Yes. They come in many forms, but the ones here are humanoid Creatures.
They usually react strongly to sound.”
So there were others—animal or insect-shaped ones?
The moment I imagined a centipede-like Creature, chills ran down my entire body.
Ugh. Horrifying.
“One day, Creatures appeared out of nowhere, and some humans started developing strange powers. We call those powers Skills.”
“…Does everyone have one?”
“No. Some people never awaken a Skill.”
He gave a bitter smile.
“Most of those people… didn’t survive.”
Oh…
The atmosphere grew heavy. I lowered my head slightly—then BANG! a loud noise echoed from outside.
I flinched instinctively, but Isis calmly said,
“It’s fine. The walls are soundproof, and the door’s made of thick metal. They won’t break through easily.”
“But we can’t stay in this room forever.”
“Of course not. Once you’ve recovered your strength, we’ll move.”
So… we’d have to go out there again soon.
The thought of facing another Creature made my body start shaking like a leaf.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I just want to go home…
I didn’t care about Skills or Creatures or anything—I just wanted to go home.
I was terrified.
If I hadn’t used that strange Skill earlier to defeat the Creature, I’d already be dead.
Maybe I was only alive because I got lucky that time.
But what about next time?
Would I have to risk my life every single day just to escape?
I’d probably die of exhaustion before they even managed to eat me.
I barely held back my tears—when suddenly, something soft fell onto my shoulder.
I looked over.
It was Isis. He had draped his jacket over me.
“I’ve heard that some people lose their memories after fighting Creatures.”
“……”
“I don’t know how you got here, but… I’ll help you.”
“…You will?”
He smiled gently, the expression calm and confident, and somehow that eased my nerves a little.
“I’m… pretty capable, you see.”
“Don’t forget I’ve lost my memory, okay? If you scam me right now, that makes you a jerk.”
“Haha, of course not.”
His carefree laugh made me smile without meaning to.
Logically speaking, following him is the smartest choice.
Since the status screen literally called him the male lead, he couldn’t be a bad guy.
Sure, in some dark novels, the male lead is trash—but this one seemed more like a survival story than a tragedy.
And he’d even offered to help me first.
It’d be stupid to refuse.
“…All right. Please, help me.”
“Then let’s get going.”
He stood up and offered me his hand. I took it, and he pulled me to my feet.
“Feeling a bit stronger now?”
“I can at least breathe again.”
Ten minutes of rest—hardly a full recovery, but sure.
He looked around the room, then spotted a decorative dagger in the corner and grabbed it.
Even if it was ornamental, it might come in handy in an emergency.
Once we were ready, we carefully opened the door, making sure not to make a sound.
We peeked both ways, saw no Creatures, and began moving.
Our goal: the main entrance on the first floor.
We were currently on the third.
Once we got out of the mansion, Isis said his companions would help from there.
We moved quickly, reaching the central staircase when—thud, thud!—something crashed below us.
The sound of splintering wood followed.
Definitely a Creature.
“Looks like we can’t avoid this one,” Isis murmured.
“…Are you saying we’re going to fight?”
“Yes.”
He leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Stay behind me. I’ll handle it.”
“Can you really fight them alone?”
“Of course.”
He drew a dagger from his belt—much sturdier-looking than the decorative one.
Placing one hand on the railing, he vaulted over and landed silently on the second floor.
My jaw dropped—most people would’ve broken a bone doing that.
I peeked down the stairwell—Isis was perfectly fine.
The Creature below shrieked hideously as a blade suddenly embedded itself in its back.
He must’ve struck it mid-air during the jump.
Pulling the knife out, he slashed again, diagonally this time.
A burst of disgusting fluid sprayed out from the wound.
Ugh. My stomach churned. I covered my mouth with my hand—
and then CRASH! something flew at me from behind.
“Kyaaa!”
I ducked instinctively, a wooden plank whizzing over my head. What the—!?
I turned toward where it came from—
and saw another Creature grinning grotesquely at me, its mouth stretched unnaturally wide.
So disgusting!!
My mind froze.
I couldn’t even breathe—I just stared in horror.
Then instinct kicked in.
I tried to step back—but realized too late that the stairs were right behind me.
Rumble!
And as if that wasn’t enough, more noise came from below—crumbling walls, breaking sounds.
The Creature watching me started moving, slow at first, then sprinting straight at me.
My brain screamed in alarm.
I glanced down—Isis was still fighting another Creature.
Calling him for help would just be a burden.
My Skill was super strength, right…?
Then I could help him—right now.
Biting my lip hard, I reached out and grabbed the charging Creature with one hand.
Once I had a grip, I twisted my body, aimed—
“Isis! Move!”
—and hurled it with all my strength toward the second floor.
The Creature flew through the air, slammed into the one Isis was fighting, and both smashed into the wall.
CRASH!!!
The sound was deafening. Cracks split across the wall.
Sensing the danger, I hurried down the stairs, where Isis grabbed my hand and started running.
“More Creatures will come after that noise—we have to get out, fast!”
Right, the noise!
Only now did I remember—they react to sound!
“I’m sorry!”
“No—you did well.”
I blinked in confusion as we sprinted down to the first floor.
Did he just… praise me?
All I did was throw a monster.
“If you see any more Creatures, just do that again.”
“…Throw them?”
“Yes.”
I nodded automatically, still not sure whether to laugh or cry.
