THSP 17🔐

Chapter 17

  <Mirabilis> NPC (3)

I ignore the floating system window and quickly move my feet. I reach out toward the half-open cabinet.

[✟ nbƨᴉqԍ-qoʍu cʁoƨƨ 66 pԍϝʍԍԍu ✟]
[✟ Find: 1 authentic cross! ✟]

between 99 upside-down cross

Find: 1 authentic cross!

Among 99 fake crosses… 1 real one. Confirmed.

[H I N T N E E D E D ?]

Aggro.

▷ Yes
▷ No
▶ No

[O K !]

Cut.

“Pepper! Hey, do you see that decorative thing at the end of the rope? Vertical shape!”

“Yeah yeah!”

“Find the one that’s upside down! Just one! Short on top, long on bottom!”

“But isn’t that dangerous… huh? I can’t see it anyway? Got it!”

“Yeah!”

Patapatapatap—!

I confirm Pepper is running off with clenched fists.

Scratch scratch scratch scratch.

I dodge the eight hands rushing at me, leaving long claw marks across the floor as I run.

Fortunately, the room is wide, so it’s manageable.

“…for now.”

I scan the room desperately as it flashes past. My tightly clenched jaw aches.

Approaching hands, the scratched walls and floor—and beyond that.

Through the space that could be called a window…

The eight eyes of a massive spider.

I feel a metallic taste in my mouth as an illusion. My throat stiffens, palms sweaty.

But I can’t freeze in fear.

If I do, I’ll be reset back to that moment instantly.

I shake my head hard to shake off the fear, take a shallow breath, and look toward the space where Deus was previously held.

Then I notice something.

“…Something’s missing, isn’t it? Back then there was definitely….”

At that moment—

RATTLE—

“Ghk…!”

Scratch scratch scratch!

SKRRRRR—!

Startled by spider legs dropping from the ceiling, I twist my body away.

“…Those spider legs aren’t eight… they’re sixteen?”

Come to think of it, yes.

Earlier, there were eight severed hands crawling on the ground like spider legs.

But even excluding those, there were more hands holding Deus.

Now that there’s nothing left to hold, they’re all coming for my neck.

A total of sixteen severed arms, claws sharpened, crawling toward me.

They looked like worms thrashing after finding prey. Honestly, it was enough to make me want to faint.

But I have a method.

‘This is technically cheating…’

But who cares if I’m about to die?!

Tap tap tap tap—!

I keep running through the room, checking positions where Pepper won’t be caught in the crossfire. Once I find a decent spot, I look at my inventory.

A shabby plush-item called <David’s Doll>, with purple beads where the eyes should be.

I pull out the pin embedded in its heart.

Whoosh.

I throw it.

CRRRRRK—

The landing spot turns black instantly.

Black roots sprout from where the doll fell.

They twist together like ropes, like tangled vines.

They form a humanoid shape, the size of a person.

Purple gemstones embedded where the eyes should be shift left and right.

The grotesque figure sways unnaturally…

Its mouth splits open.

“<LOOK HERE! IT’S ME!>”

“<MY NAME IS DAVID!>”

“<MY NAME IS DAVID!>”

“<MY NAME IS DAVID!>”

It shouts three times—

THUD!

THUD, THUD, THAK! THUD…

TATATATATATATATAT!

All sixteen arms rush toward the scarecrow-like figure.

Like moths to a flame, they latch on instantly.

The sight is horrifying—but effective.

‘…Good thing I listened to Vermin.’

The <David’s Doll> was an aggro item.

Simply put, it draws enemy attention away from me for a short time after being deployed.

I wasn’t sure it would work when I first got it.

Normally, this item appears in the mid-to-late game.

But I had obtained it early through an exploit-like entry.

‘In other words, I used a late-game item early.’

But Vermin, after hearing my inventory list, recommended this plan.

Said it would work.

Said I could gather the spider limbs and finish them in one strike.

Remembering his advice, I watch the doll being torn apart like candy placed at an ant nest.

It was extremely disturbing, but I had no time to hesitate.

Click.

I open a bottle of <Abandoned Holy Water>.

Splash—

I pour it over the cross.

KIIII—

KIIIIIIIIIIII—

A screaming sound echoes.

The noise is so sharp I clutch my head and look toward Pepper.

Between whipping spider webs and shaking chaos—

“Found it!”

She raises a cross the size of her own body, tail wagging.

I quickly roll over and reach her.

Tap!

“Thanks!”

I grab it.

Turn back toward the window.

Beyond it—the void-like space.

Eyes form words that shift violently:

THE SPIDER
PUPPETEER’S
ALL LIMBS

A primal disgust surges through me. Fear tightens my lungs.

But I ignore it.

Open another bottle of holy water.

Run.

Tick.

Time limit: 07:39

Raise my arm.

Hurl the cross.

It flies into the spider’s mouth—

SPLASH—

A deafening sound.

The chaos freezes.

The trembling space slowly calms.

The eight red eyes close peacefully.

The void outside becomes… a world again.

A background again.

Something familiar—

…But then.

‘Why isn’t it changing?’

At that moment—

A blue eye appears in front of me.

A web lashes out and binds both my arms tightly.

Then I realize something.

Spider eyes: eight.
Spider legs: eight.

But—

The severed hands in the room: sixteen.

Then how many spiders?

“…Two.”

…Fuck.

Tick.

Time limit: 05:21

I GOT YOU!

Time limit: 00:01
Time limit: 00:00

I, Korean developer Park Minhyun.

In my fourth life, I learned something.

Life is fucking real, and the world is absolute fucking wilderness.

Whether I’m a paladin, a local NPC, or some loser trapped in another world—

My enemies don’t care. They come at me anyway.

Everything in this world is hostile toward me, and I, a loser, have to survive.

Why?

“Because otherwise I die, you fucking—”

I curse as I recall what just happened.

A chill runs through me. Goosebumps rise. Tears blur my vision.

Then—

“Traveler, what does ‘fuck’ mean?”

“…It means something good.”

“Oh! Traveler! Fuck!”

Hey.

“…No. That’s a lie. Don’t say it. It’s a bad word.”

“Then why use bad words? Bad, right?”

“….”

“You shouldn’t say bad things.”

Her pure question makes my heart sink.

Still, there is one upside.

I’m not alone. This small creature is here with me.

That makes it slightly less terrifying.

But…

Thud. Thud.

I bang my head against the wall.

The hallway echoes as Pepper moves onto my shoulder.

She seems to be complaining, but I can’t hear her. My head hurts too much.

Tears keep flowing.

Enough to solve the world’s water shortage, probably.

After a while, I sit against the wall, wiping my eyes.

I need to analyze the situation.

I can’t keep living here like this.

‘There was no phase 2. Not in the original game.’

Normally, once the spider swallowed the consecrated cross, it would disappear.

Deus would already be gone, I’d get annoyed, then move on.

That was it.

But now there’s a phase 2.

‘No way the director patched this in real time… right? This game is years old.’

If that were true, I’d go back and quit my job while slapping executives with a flyswatter.

Anyway, ignoring that absurd theory…

I think back carefully.

‘What changed? What did I do differently?’

Leaving Deus behind.

Pepper joining.

Using <David’s Doll>.

Using <Abandoned Holy Water> instead of priestly prayer.

‘…Yeah. That’s enough variables to break things.’

Did they scale difficulty? Anti-cheat adaptation?

No, that seems unlikely.

While I think—

CHAP!

Pepper slaps my forehead.

I blink, confused.

She’s been silent for a while, tail trembling.

“Focus! Focus! Don’t space out!”

Chap chap chap—

Her tiny paws keep hitting my forehead.

It wouldn’t hurt my real body, but David’s body doesn’t flinch.

She’s clearly angry.

Honestly, it’s a little funny.

I sigh and apologize mentally.

Even if her timing is terrible, this isn’t her fault.

Then—

“…?”

A thought forms.

Spider legs. Severed hands shaped like spider legs.

Spider… Puppeteer.

Why puppeteer?

At the same time, I recall a game choice.

Where to throw the cross?

▷ Spider eyes
▷ Spider mouth

…and then—

The spider’s “legs” that tried to kill me.

Weren’t those actually hands reaching for me?

Then—

I suddenly stand up.

“Traveler!?”

A strange certainty rises inside me.

This time for real.

“I… I might be able to clear this…”