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

Chapter 10: Escaping to the Third Floor

Li Pai stood in front of the room's door. Even before opening it, he felt a chilling breeze seeping through the gap at the bottom of the door. The compass on his chest started vibrating.

"No way... Is this room dangerous?" Li Pai pondered, his hand halfway reaching for the doorknob. The trembling compass indicated that there must be something impure inside the room, but what exactly it was, Li Pai couldn't be sure.

"Should I go in...?" Li Pai was conflicted. Although this floor no longer contained any of Mrs. Elora's body parts, there might be other things that could increase his exploration progress. Plus, the situation on the third floor was unknown and could be even more perilous.

"The female ghost wants me to run errands and collect Mrs. Elora's body parts. If this room is beyond my abilities, wouldn't she remind me in advance?" Li Pai reasoned with himself.

In the end, he decided to go in and take a look. Li Pai believed that the real danger lay in the attic. From this perspective, the room didn't seem so terrifying. Li Pai took a deep breath, gripped the doorknob, and tried to turn it. It was freezing! The copper doorknob was icy cold, almost piercing through his hand. Li Pai couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so cold! Is this room an ice cellar?"

However, the cold couldn't deter Li Pai. He tilted the oil lamp to warm up the doorknob with the flame for a while. Feeling ready, he quickly touched the doorknob again. It was still chilling, but at least he could hold onto it this time. Li Pai firmly grasped the doorknob and turned it.

Creak.

The door opened.

A rush of cold wind whistled out from the crack. The flame of the oil lamp flickered, nearly extinguishing. Li Pai felt uncomfortable with the cold gusts, which carried an unpleasant smell of dampness, chill, and decay. It was like a pile of dead rats rotting away in an abandoned restroom.

The compass trembled even more violently. "Just now, the female ghost seemed to vanish in this direction." Li Pai guessed that it might be the female ghost's room. If so, it might not be as dangerous since the ghost needed him to run errands and wouldn't harm him directly. Nevertheless, he couldn't rule out the possibility of other unknown entities lurking inside.

"Why don't I take a peek first?" Thinking this way, Li Pai only opened the door slightly, enough to observe inside. He wanted to confirm the situation before making a decision. Just as he was about to open the door wider, a sound suddenly came from the gap.

Click...

Click...

It was like the sound of fingers tapping on wood. Then, a few fingers appeared at the door's opening! These fingers resembled withered tree branches, bizarre in shape, with a bluish hue, and their nails were longer than Wolverine's cousin.

Click...

The fingers touched the door as if trying to push it open! "Holy...!" Li Pai didn't hesitate. He kicked the door with all his might. There was a loud noise, and the door slammed shut, trapping the injured fingers. A faint cracking sound followed, and then a pained scream. The injured fingers quickly retreated.

Li Pai delivered another kick, closing the door tightly. The next second, he turned around and ran without saying a word.

No matter what is inside, it would surely be seeking revenge for me breaking its fingers. I better make a run for it. Li Pai sprinted to the stairwell. Behind him was the roaring unknown creature, downstairs was the hospitable female housekeeper, and upstairs... was the unknown terror. It was a damned three-way junction.

As the door on the second floor was forced open, the creature's roars now came from outside the room. Strange footsteps followed suit. The creature was giving chase! No time to hesitate, Li Pai ran straight towards the third floor. The old stairs creaked under his heavy footsteps, wailing in the dead of night. After a few large strides, Li Pai reached the third floor.

At the top of the stairs, Li Pai raised his oil lamp in one hand and pointed his wrist crossbow at the staircase with the other. If the creature caught up, he would not hesitate to use a silver arrow on it. Meanwhile, he needed to stay alert for any potential threats lurking on the third floor's hallway.

The bizarre footsteps stopped directly below Li Pai. The creature seemed to be at the second-floor staircase but hadn't caught up. It appeared that the creature was constrained by some rule. After a few more roars, the sound of its footsteps gradually faded away. It seemed the creature had left, reluctantly.

Li Pai breathed a sigh of relief. He decided to conserve crossbow bolts whenever possible.

"That damned female ghost! Why didn't she remind me about this creature on the second floor?" Li Pai grumbled. He knew the ghost meant no good, but she should have at least given a warning when there was danger. If he met his end, who would collect the body parts for her?

Muttering to himself, Li Pai shifted his gaze towards the staircase leading upwards, which led to the attic. The hunter's diary, the bed, the bookshelf, and the female ghost all mentioned the attic. "What exactly is up there in the attic?" Curiosity reared its head, but Li Pai quickly suppressed it. "I, Li Pai, absolutely won't go to the attic!" He silently pledged.

"Better focus on increasing my exploration progress." Holding the oil lamp, Li Pai cautiously moved forward. The third floor's decoration was more refined than the second floor, with a red carpet trimmed with gold. However, it looked like no one had tended to it for a long time. On both sides of the corridor were low tables with vases, but the flowers inside had withered, leaving only dried-up branches.

"The third floor should be the master's room. Maybe it can raise my exploration progress by a good amount." Li Pai mumbled to himself while walking.

After a few steps, he suddenly felt as if he was being watched, a sensation that sent shivers down his spine. He slowed down and carefully surveyed his surroundings. Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught sight of a pair of eyes!

Li Pai's heart skipped a beat. He immediately stepped back, raising his wrist crossbow with his right hand. In the flickering light, Li Pai saw what was in front of him—a half-length portrait hanging on the wall. It depicted a middle-aged woman in courtly attire with golden hair, sitting upright, staring straight ahead with her eyes fixed. There was a slight resemblance between her facial features and those of Mrs. Elora.

"A painting... Is this... Mrs. Elora's relative?" Li Pai rubbed his chest, calming his panicked heart. It seemed that some Western nobility had a custom of displaying family portraits. The person in the painting should hold a high status and reputation within the family.

Li Pai continued walking forward. Every few meters on the hallway's walls, there was another portrait, and all of them depicted women. "Does Mrs.Elora family only have women in it?" Li Pai was puzzled.