A Horror Game Steeped in Immorality - Volume 1 - Part 2
I read through the game’s background description with a bitter taste in my mouth.
The tragedy begins on the day Duke Daymond Albert returns to the mansion. Several of the mansion’s servants disappear as if evaporated, and the mansion is filled with a thick smell of blood and a sinister atmosphere. Leah Albert (the character I would be playing), sensing something fishy, inquires about the whereabouts of the servants, but no one in the mansion responds. Servants disappear, new ones come, and soon they disappear again… What could be the ugly and cruel truth hidden behind the luxurious beauty of this grand mansion?
“The truth, what… They’ve explained everything hinting it’s ugly and whatnot.”
It seemed straightforward – a family member was the murderer of the mansion’s servants, and the player’s role was to find the real culprit.
Although I’m a gamer who usually plays FPS or RPGs, I’m not particularly fond of horror games. However, having completed the game I was recently playing and not finding any interesting games for almost a week, I made an exception and purchased this horror game. At least the NPCs were handsome men, so it wouldn’t feel like a waste of money even if the game wasn’t fun.
While downloading the game, I browsed through the reviews from other buyers.
[RPGMakerMaster: LOL I’m ashamed I couldn’t clear it in a month… I bet no one has played it longer than me?]
[WhenItRainsItGetsDamp: The artistic expression of the graphics is amazing, and the atmosphere changes with the weather, which is also excellent. Lycan is handsome, and not only the main setting of the mansion but also the maps implemented are vast, making it enjoyable to play also once again Lycan is handsome. Thanks to the excellent dubbing, the sense immersion is increased and Lycan is handsome.]
[SSakkk: More than anything, the surprise missions are driving me crazyㅜㅜㅜ The murderer is in the next room, why can I not run away but have to do beatboxing instead? Are they saneㅠㅠ]
[TchTch: You must make good use of items. You must make good use of items. You must make good use of items. You must make good use of items. You must make good use of items. You must make good use of items… see more]
From the reviews, which thankfully didn’t spoil too much, it seemed… not a flop. A notification bubble popped up at the bottom of the display screen with a ‘ding’ sound, indicating the download was complete. I didn’t hesitate and pressed the PLAY button.
* * *
I only wanted to enjoy my last vacation before plunging into the fiercely competitive job market, more savage than the wild.
During the semester, assignments, experiments, and classes kept me from even touching my gamepad. However, on my way to the classroom, I would sneak peeks at gaming websites to check out the trending games.
While some relieve stress through shopping or binge-eating, as a gaming fanatic, I found solace in purchasing game CDs to alleviate my academic stress.
Instead of being filled with books, my room’s bookshelf was filled with game CDs. Just wait until the vacation. I promised myself to clear each game from the first row. This resolve helped me through the semester.
Once the long-awaited vacation arrived, I lived like a hermit in my room, clearing all the games I had accumulated and still having time to spare, I then embarked on a quest to conquer every game from various developers. I played games like a madman, ignoring the snowballing missed calls and unread messages on my phone.
When I downloaded <The Ugly Secrets of the Albert Family>, I had been sitting in front of the computer for 30 hours straight.
…Perhaps that was why. Is this a punishment from the gods for an addict like me who comfortably indulges in games amidst our busy modern society?
A blindingly bright light poured out from the monitor, making it impossible to open my eyes. And then, I was swallowed by the light. Yes, “swallowed” seems to be the most fitting description for this unbelievable phenomenon. Trapped in a dark maw, sucked down past the throat into an exitless stomach, floating aimlessly within the light’s belly like autumn leaves caught in the wind until suddenly, a splash of cold water seemed to snap me back to reality.
“Hwaaah…”
My vision was blurry. As I gasped for air and blinked repeatedly, the surroundings gradually came into focus. Then, various noises began to filter into my numb ears.
Slowly, all my senses awakened. The first thing I noticed was the pungent smell of blood hitting my nose. Ashen clouds loomed over a desolate sky, and screams echoed from various directions.
“Leah!”
A resonant low-pitched voice called out. Then, a man’s face entered my field of vision. He scrutinized my face with furrowed brows, as if in shock. This person… he looked familiar. I gathered my wits and sifted through my memories.
Lycan Albert.
It was Lycan Albert, whom I had seen several times on the game’s website. However, there was no hint of game graphics to him; he appeared as real and breathing as any human. Unconsciously, I reached out and touched Lycan’s cheek, feeling the warmth and softness of his skin.
“Ah…”
But when I touched his cheek, a bright red bloodstain marked his clear, pale skin. As I was about to retract my hand in shock, a larger hand enveloped mine, allowing my hand to caress his cheek, unconcerned that his face was smeared with blood.
“Excuse me, what is…?”
A strange voice came from my mouth, and my tongue became stiff with panic. Then, someone covered my eyes. Startled, I trembled as darkness enveloped my vision, but a warm embrace surrounded me.
“Shh, child. It’s alright.”
A voice deeper and more mature than Lycan’s. Each word he uttered resonated deeply as if vibrating my heart.
“…”
“We need to move Leah to the bedroom.”
“Your Grace, you’re getting blood on yourself. Please leave the lady to us…….”
“Don’t lay a finger on my child.”
