hotmtlnovel Chapter 91
Chapter 91
Rion arrived on the first floor.
“This location is not safe.”
The AI’s voice echoed again.
The basement and the stairs were separated by a reinforced glass wall. Through the glass, Rion could see the horror of the first floor.
There were bloodstains splattered everywhere. Chairs were toppled over, and shattered lightbulbs littered the floor. Zombies roamed around aimlessly.
"This is way too real...""Eek.""So gross..."
[NormalDesire donated 1,000 KRW] [Wow, that’s hot.]
"?""???""Is someone here unhinged?""What a terrible username for that comment..."
“Ugh...”
Rion gagged unconsciously. Like most people, she had a weak stomach.
Peeling skin, exposed guts spilling from torn bellies, and eyes hanging loose. Skeletal bones poked through decaying flesh.
‘I hate this so much...’
She never really liked zombies or horror games. The only reason she ever played them was to gain popularity.
Especially with Dead Rows being the developers, the zombies in this game were disturbingly realistic and grotesque. Combined with the vivid VR experience—down to the stench and the air’s texture—it heightened the horror to an almost unbearable degree.
Rion swallowed hard.
“Amazing sight from the get-go.”
Suddenly, a relaxed voice cut through the tension.
“Unni...”
“Don’t just stand there; come over here. There’s no point in letting them see you.”
Laura beckoned her over. Right... this whole thing was her idea in the first place...
Rion had tried to decline initially. But since they couldn’t find anyone else to fill the last spot, she ended up here.@@@@
Filling the numbers was part of it, but more than anything, Rion had a personal reason to be here.
Probably no one in this world wanted Laura’s success more than she did. Even more than Laura herself.
“...Alright.”
Rion took Laura’s hand and pressed herself against the wall to avoid the zombies’ sight.
While Laura kept an eye on the zombies beyond the glass, Rion held her breath. Not long after, footsteps echoed from the stairs below, signaling that the other two had finally logged in.
“Mom! Auntie!”
"Auntie lol""If Laura’s the mom, then I guess she’s the aunt? lol""This is too funny.""What a big family."
“Do you want to die, nya?”
Rion muttered under her breath as soon as she was called “auntie.” It was Ainatsu. With her inability to drink lately, her mental sharpness had plummeted, and now she’d even started calling Rion “auntie.” Maybe it was time to give her a proper beating.
“Wow... what is this place? I really hate this atmosphere...”
The other one was Sora. She glanced around and muttered in disgust.
[‘The Great Duchess’ Party Status (4/4)]
[Aurora][Nekozuka Rion][Tanabe Ainatsu][Ayanokoji Sora]One flashlightA handgun with eight bulletsOne bandage
“These items are conveniently placed.”
“That’s just how horror games are.”
In horror games, it was normal to find random weapons and supplies lying around. As expected, they’d have to use these items to get through the first part.
“Over here! I found a ladder going up!”
Ainatsu had found their escape route.
“Alright. Sora and Ainatsu, you go up first. I’ll get Laura.”
With that, the Great Duchess party members escaped through the secret passage from the basement.
Well, most of them.
When Rion reached the first floor, she found the glass barrier opened for some reason.
“Oh, you’re late?”
Laura stood beyond the glass, smiling slightly, as she gently caressed a zombie’s head.
“G-gngh...”
Laura casually drove a survival knife into the zombie’s neck, cutting through it smoothly as if slicing paper or meat.
In a single fluid motion, she severed its head. The zombie flailed, but it was a futile struggle. Without consciousness, it was merely acting on animalistic instinct. Now, it was nothing more than a rotting hunk of meat.
Thud.
The headless corpse fell, leaving Laura holding its decayed head, which she promptly tossed aside as if it were nothing but garbage.
“Unni... what are you doing?”
“I noticed a knife nearby, so I put it to use.”
Tsk tsk.
Laura tapped her foot on the floor.
“Aren’t horror games fascinating? Weapons are just lying around everywhere.”
She gestured around her. Discarded heads and severed corpses littered the floor.
“Call Sora and Ainatsu back. This area seems safe now.”
“They’ve already left through the secret passage...”
“Oh, have they?”
Laura touched her cheek in mock dismay, not caring about the rotten blood now staining her face.
“Well, I’ll clear out a bit more around here. Bring them back when you can.”
“...”
So, she wasn’t planning to use the secret passage at all.
Rion let out a small sigh.
It seemed that the duchess had a natural affinity for the apocalypse.