Chapter 07
The Village’s Petty Criminal (2)
It’s not easy for someone from the 21st century to experience theft firsthand.
Not because I’m particularly kind or anything, but simply because I’ve always lived surrounded by cameras, so I naturally stayed cautious.
In that same sense, the closest I’ve ever come to “stealing” was taking a bite of someone else’s ramen, a sip of a friend’s liquor, and… tears.
But here… survival without theft was nearly impossible.
Why?
Because—
“…the infrastructure is absolutely terrible.”
Retum Village was basically a small medieval Western-style settlement.
Tiny brick or wooden houses were dotted along a dirt path like scattered blocks in the countryside.
It was also located far from the capital where David had stayed—extremely remote.
In other words, there was almost nothing resembling modern civilization here.
If you needed medicine or vegetables, you gathered them from nearby mountains.
If you needed milk or eggs, you raised cows and chickens.
And meat?
Hunters brought animals they had killed.
From what I could see, there was some trade with the outside world, but fundamentally it was a self-sufficient system.
Unless you secured a proper “position” within the village and interacted with the residents, surviving here would be difficult.
“Of course… if you’re capable, you could probably make a living here too. If all else fails, hunting or foraging would work.”
But I couldn’t interact with the villagers.
If I met them, there was a chance I’d be pulled directly into the main storyline of the game.
“And honestly…”
I hated to admit it, but a modern person spoiled by civilization was weak by default.
If I wanted fried chicken, I just ordered it. If I needed water, I used a purifier. If something broke, I called a service center.
That kind of blessed life had left me completely unprepared.
When I saw wild animals, I felt fear rather than excitement.
I didn’t even know how to properly identify edible plants.
And this was the result.
“…this really does sting a bit.”
When I secretly picked fruit hanging from branches, the voice of my elementary school ethics teacher echoed in my head.
When I stole an egg while avoiding aggressive chickens, my nonexistent conscience twisted and screamed.
I tried to atone in small ways—cutting firewood for villagers or pulling weeds along the road—but the guilt still pricked at me.
Still, I eventually steeled my resolve.
“I’ll repay this later through a cathedral raid…”
A paladin has to eat somehow.
“Boss, are you doing well? Thanks to the game you designed, I’ve become a thief.”
If you can hear me, please patch the food acquisition system. I’d prefer a mini-game instead of wrestling wild animals.
Also the life system… and everything else. Please make it easier. I’m seriously… suffering, boss.
“Oh, and reduce the number of monsters. Add easy mode. Give David superpowers. Just… please save me.”
Imagining the game director calmly eating iced Americano and cheesecake in a high-rise office, I stood in front of the mirror.
After putting on a crowbar I found in the attic and the darkest clothes David owned…
“…I’ve seen this in a game.”
I looked like the protagonist of Thief Simulator.
For a moment I wished I had a shabby auto shop, lockpicks, and a black market computer—but that was asking too much.
Gripping my crowbar tightly, I stood at the door.
Not just because I was nervous about stealing.
Because—
“Kaaaaang—!”
Clack, crack, screech…
“David… I’m here.”
The hallucinated sounds of Mirabilis flooded my mind from beyond the door, drilling into my brain.
Even when I covered one ear, it didn’t stop.
My heartbeat rose faster and faster until time itself felt suspended.
Whispers seeped into my ears as if someone was right in front of me.
I held my breath.
After a while—
Click. Click…
The sound slowly faded.
I exhaled and glared at the door.
Right.
This was exactly why I didn’t want to go out.
Because right now… monsters were roaming, and hallucinations were active.
The night air was cold.
Even indoors, it felt chilly.
Well, “indoors” wasn’t exactly accurate—it was actually inside a trash bin placed around the village as a stealth hiding spot for players.
Clank, clank.
Ignoring the faint metallic sound, I curled up tightly.
Cold seeped into my face buried in my knees, but I didn’t want to look up.
Because just above my head, near the lid of the trash bin—
Sniff… sniff.
A damp breath drifted in.
“There…”
“Here…”
“Here… here… here… something’s here… where is it?? This is weird!!”
A rough voice echoed.
It sounded like someone squeezing a hoarse throat, trying awkwardly to mimic human speech. It was unsettling.
My internal alarm rang loudly.
There was also the sound of something digging into the ground.
“…Why is it digging the ground?”
Is it… my grave?
My eyes watered involuntarily, but I forced myself to stay still.
That’s why I didn’t want to come out.
But I had no choice.
To gather food without meeting villagers, nighttime was the only option.
And if I had to choose between meeting villagers and getting dragged into the storyline during the day, or roaming at night—night was the lesser evil.
Eventually—
“Turn around… turn around… I should turn around because it’s here…”
The beast muttered and left.
Clack.
Thud…
And then—
Tap-tap-tap!
I quickly crawled out of the trash bin and ran toward a house.
From what I remembered, the beast roaming earlier had no eyes or ears.
But it had an extremely strong nose.
The survival method was to hide in designated stealth spots like closets or trash bins and wait until it left.
And—
Leave smelly objects nearby.
“…It hasn’t fully left yet, but I don’t have time to wait. So—”
This is it!
I jumped over the gate and rushed inside.
And then—
“…!”
I covered my mouth before a scream could escape.
“Hah…!”
Leaning against the wall, I gasped for breath.
The air smelled metallic and thick.
On a chopped tree stump were two axes with chipped blades. Dark red chunks hung from their edges.
Most disturbing of all were the pools of red liquid soaking the ground and scattered remains of something.
And I had seen those remains before.
“…at the butcher shop. There was no blood, but still.”
I looked up.
Ding!
#001-3. Hunter’s House
A house belonging to a family of hunters in the village. Your childhood friend Emily lives here.
“…Right. Nothing strange. It’s a hunter’s house, so of course there’s blood and body parts. They butcher animals here.”
Nothing unusual.
No reason to be scared.
Back in my world, there was a 24-hour butcher shop. I was just visiting something similar at night.
…That thought didn’t help at all.
That was a real-world butcher shop. This was a horror game.
Totally different. Entirely different worlds.
“W-what if the owner comes out and turns me into that…”
The image of Emily holding an axe formed in my head.
I wanted to go home.
Why did I even come out?
Just as regret flooded in—
Sniff sniff.
That horrifying sound returned.
I lowered myself and crawled past the gruesome remains, using the smell to mask my presence.
Then—
The beast’s nose entered the space.
Sniff…!
It twitched.
A massive head leaned into the yard, its black nose inches above my back.
The smell of wet earth, blood, iron, unwashed rain, and living human traces mixed together.
Everything that could exist… I used it to survive.
And then—
Sniff.
Sniff.
Sniff…
The creature turned away and left.
Success.
“Thank… God there aren’t too many roaming monsters…”
If this were a proper temple full of divine beings, I wouldn’t even try.
“…Though I guess I’ll end up going there anyway.”
I wiped my sweaty face and climbed over the wall.
No monsters nearby.
I kept moving low to the ground.
My first target for tonight was already decided.
Following the path from Emily’s house, I arrived at a shabby, messy-looking home.
I scanned it quickly.
A half-open door, clutter everywhere inside a wooden house, firewood axes and tools scattered outside.
I stepped in immediately.
Ding!
#001-7. Sheriff’s House
The house of Peritas, a former mercenary and current sheriff. One of the missing persons used to live here.
I didn’t care.
I turned away immediately and looked at the trees inside the yard.
A dry, thin branch.
Between the remaining leaves—
“There!”
Red fruit.
I rushed toward it.
And watching me—
“….”
There was a gaze from beyond the window.
I only realized that much later.
