Something's Wrong with My Love Simulation Game (Patreon)

Chapter 5: Stop Playing With the Head

Li Pai subconsciously took a step back. The handle of the cabinet was pulled by Li Pai's hand, and the cabinet door swung open. 

Light flooded in unobstructed. Li Pai could now clearly see what was inside the cabinet—a head with golden slightly curled hair, pale skin devoid of any color, and large, captivating eyes that sparkled like gemstones under the flashlight's beam. 

A prominent nose and bright red lips... It was her, the woman from the photo in the living room, the mistress of this mansion, Mrs. Elora!

"Stay calm! It's just a head!" Li Pai took several deep breaths to calm himself. 

Yes, just like the severed arm, it was just a part of the body, nothing to fear! 

Li Pai took a step forward and approached the wardrobe. The head remained still on the top shelf.

Li Pai carefully observed the head. It was undeniably beautiful! Despite lacking color and its eyes being dull, her beauty was still breathtaking, surpassing that of real-life European and American celebrities.

"Too bad... it's just a head," Li Pai sighed. Although he longed for the intimate contact with a beautiful woman's head, having only a head would not do. It was too horrifying, and he probably wouldn't be able to endure it.

"Let's take it for now; it might increase my exploration level," Li Pai thought as he reached out and grabbed the head's golden hair, lifting it in his hand.

"Acquired 'Broken Beauty's Head'!"

"Exploration level: 20%."

The system's prompt echoed in Li Pai's mind. "A 10% increase all at once... That's a pleasant surprise," he thought.

At this rate, reaching the 50% exploration goal didn't seem too difficult.

However, there were unclean things floating around in the hallway, and the female housekeeper was on the first floor. If it weren't for that, Li Pai could probably reach 50% exploration just by exploring these two floors.

"These things are a bit inconvenient to carry around," Li Pai said, holding a flashlight in one hand and the head in the other, with the severed arm clamped under his armpit. If he added a thigh or a waist, he wouldn't be able to move freely.

"If it's a game, I should be able to store items and props," Li Pai thought. With a mental command, the arm and head disappeared in an instant. Li Pai felt the emptiness in his consciousness space now contained these two items.

"As expected, it works!" Li Pai's eyes lit up. Next, he tried taking out the head and arm. It was smooth and seamless. Being able to store items made his future actions much more convenient.

"Now is not the time to play around with the head," Li Pai stored the arm, head, and the diary book and continued searching the room. In the bedside cabinet's drawer, he made a new discovery:

"Acquired 'Hunter's Arm Crossbow'!"

"Acquired 'Flintstone'!"

It seemed that these belonged to a hunter named "Hunter." The arm crossbow looked like an arm guard with three silver arrows on it. 

When worn, pulling the cord while making a fist allowed the user to shoot the arrows. It could be considered a useful offensive item, albeit with only three shots.

"Too bad, only three shots left for me to use..."

"Fear comes from inadequate ammunition; this game really embodies that," Li Pai murmured.

"Oh well, it's still better than slapping people with a severed arm."

Li Pai fastened the arm crossbow to his right arm, feeling more at ease with a weapon in hand. As for the flintstone, it was likely just a regular item.

"Only the space under the bed is left to search," Li Pai said. He directed his gaze towards the pitch-black space under the bed. Having watched many horror movies, Li Pai knew that under the bed was the most frightening spot.

However, compared to the outside, this room seemed relatively safe. If he couldn't even investigate under the bed, how could he muster the courage to explore the attic?

Li Pai swallowed nervously and slowly lowered himself to the ground. As his eyes descended, his heart started beating faster. He cautiously looked under the bed, but there was nothing terrifying. Instead, there was something resembling a pocket watch lying quietly there.

"Phew... That's a relief," Li Pai sighed. If there was a head under the bed, his heart might not have been able to handle it.

Given the nature of this place, this pocket watch-like item was probably a useful tool, and he couldn't just leave it there.

Li Pai crawled on the ground, reaching out to touch the pocket watch. At that moment, the flashlight suddenly flickered a few times, and the light gradually grew weaker until it completely dimmed. Li Pai was instantly swallowed by darkness.

"Damn, the battery ran out so quickly," Li Pai lamented. The weak light had provided a sense of security that was now overpowered by fear. 

It seemed he had to use the flintstone to light the oil lamp on the desk for illumination. However, he needed to retrieve the item under the bed first.

Li Pai fumbled in the darkness and finally got hold of the pocket watch-like item.

"Acquired 'Hunter's Compass'!"

"Hunter's Compass: Able to sense nearby monsters." The system's prompt sounded in Li Pai's mind.

"This must be the Hunter's Compass mentioned in the diary," Li Pai thought as he touched the old pocket watch-shaped compass. The compass trembled slightly. It was evident that the compass sensed something abnormal in this mansion.

"With this, I should be better equipped to avoid monsters," Li Pai was pleased with his find under the bed.

Suddenly, the compass in Li Pai's hand started vibrating more intensely.

"What's going on!" Li Pai's heart skipped a beat. If the compass could sense monsters and was vibrating this intensely, it meant...

A monster was approaching?!

Could it be the ghostly woman outside coming in?

The arm crossbow... Could it cause damage to something intangible?

Li Pai tightly gripped the compass in one hand while keeping the other hand ready to fire the arm crossbow.

Thud...

Thud...

Thud...

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway, getting closer and closer until they stopped right at the door. Clearly, whatever was outside was targeting this room.

"Click..."

The sound of the doorknob turning reached Li Pai's ears. It seemed something was attempting to open the door!

The compass tremors became even more violent.

Li Pai's nervousness caused his palms to sweat. He pressed the compass against his chest to muffle the faint vibrations.

He controlled his breathing, trying to suppress any sound. Trapped in this small guest room, there was nowhere to escape. Li Pai could only hope that whatever was outside wouldn't discover him.

"Click! Creak..."

The sharp sound of the door hinge broke the silence.

The door was pushed open…