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

Chapter 9: Being Followed?

"To leave this place, the exploration progress must reach 50%. To increase the progress, I need to collect Mrs. Elora's body parts or some items related to this place. Currently, my exploration progress is 25%..." Li Pai muttered to himself.

"Upstairs, there is the right leg and the torso. The right leg should increase the progress by 5%, and the torso may be worth 5% or 10%."

Li Pai sighed. Even if he found the torso and the right leg, it would only add up to 40%.

"That means... I have to explore this building in more detail!" Li Pai felt a headache coming on. He wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, but he had to explore deeper to achieve that.

"In this building, I've encountered two enemies so far: the hospitable female housekeeper downstairs and the enchanted Witch Hunter I shot dead with an arrow. As for the female ghost just now..."

Thinking of the female ghost, Li Pai glanced at Mrs. Elora's body on the bed.

"That female ghost can't be Mrs. Elora!" Li Pai was certain. After careful comparison, the differences were quite obvious. While hair color could be changed, and faces and chests could undergo cosmetic alterations, there was no way the difference in height could be hidden.

The female ghost outside was a few centimeters shorter than him, probably around 1.7 meters. Mrs. Elora, on the other hand...

Judging from the length of the leg, her height would definitely be no less than 1.9 meters.

So, the female ghost outside couldn't possibly be Mrs. Elora.

"Why did she try to deceive me? What is her purpose?" Li Pai pondered, stroking his chin.

Just because the female ghost didn't attack him didn't mean she was friendly. She might not have the ability to attack, or she might see him as someone with utility.

"That's right! She asked me to collect Mrs. Elora's body, so she probably wants a physical body!" Li Pai suddenly realized.

A ghost without a body would naturally need a physical vessel to inhabit.

"So, she sees me as an errand boy, doing her work for her?" Li Pai analyzed. It seemed plausible when he thought about it.

"That unlucky guy I killed just now... Could he be the previous errand boy?" Li Pai thought of the Witch Hunter he had shot dead.

Not long after he entered the room, that guy came in and headed straight for Li Pai's location. The female ghost saw him enter the room, so it was highly likely that she sent him there.

But what was his purpose for coming in? Was he worried that Li Pai might damage something important to the female ghost? Or did he see Li Pai carrying Mrs. Elora's arm and wanted to snatch it?

Both were possible.

However, he didn't expect that the Witch Hunter would be killed by Li Pai.

So, she wanted to turn me into the next errand boy! Li Pai thought, finding his speculation very reasonable. "If the female ghost is the antagonist of this building... What about the female housekeeper downstairs?" Li Pai thought of the hospitable female housekeeper. According to the female ghost, the housekeeper was a lunatic who dismembered Mrs. Elora to claim her property. But Li Pai felt that something was off about this explanation.

If the housekeeper wanted to claim the property, she should have presented herself as the mistress after Mrs. Elora's death. Why was she still dressed as a maid, receiving guests downstairs? Was it some strange fetish? It seemed unlikely. What was she chopping in the kitchen? Why was there something wrong with the tea she served? There were many mysteries in this place!

However, Li Pai had no intention of delving deeper into these mysteries. The more curious he got, the more dangerous it would be! Although he couldn't fully trust the female ghost's words, the housekeeper didn't seem like a good person either. Li Pai decided not to go to the first floor unless necessary. His goal was to leave this place, not play along with any hidden agendas. Even if he lacked a hand, he could increase the exploration progress through other means. The most important thing was his physical and mental health! Staying in this haunted game for too long would drive anyone mad.

After contemplating everything, Li Pai collected his belongings and picked up the oil lamp. There was still one more room on the second floor, and he hoped to find something useful there. He opened the door quietly and peeked into the corridor from the door frame. There was no sign of the female ghost, and the compass on his chest remained still. It should be safe.

Li Pai walked out with relief. After taking a few steps, he suddenly felt like there was a faint sound behind him. It sounded like... very subtle footsteps! "No way! Am I being followed?" Li Pai's heart trembled, and he instinctively turned around, raising the oil lamp to illuminate the area. The flame flickered, and the light swayed.

There was no one or anything in the corridor. "Is it just my imagination?" Li Pai furrowed his brows. He really thought he had heard something just now, but the corridor was empty, and there was nothing around. The compass showed no abnormalities. The eyes might not always be reliable, but the compass was quite dependable.

"Could it be that staying in this oppressive place for too long has caused hallucinations?" Li Pai scratched his head. Now was not the time to dwell on this. After confirming that there was nothing behind him, Li Pai quickened his pace and headed towards the last room on the second floor.

Unbeknownst to him, at the corner of the staircase, a small head quietly peeked out, observing Li Pai…