[Main Quest: Escape from the Haunted Mansion]
[Reward: 50 Exp and 500 Gambit Points]
[Failure Penalty: ???]
[Sub Quest: Defeat the Monster Residing in the Haunted Mansion]
[Reward: Random Unique Traits]
[Failure Penalty: None]
[In three days, a Clear Quest will be given. Completing it will allow you to return to your original world, proving your worthiness.]
Balthazar stared at the glowing blue system window before him and gave a firm nod.
His goal was now clear, to escape from the Haunted Mansion. The Sub Quest, on the other hand, was optional. He could ignore it, or he could attempt to do it.
But really… what kind of lunatic would dare fight that horrifying creature? Especially when death in the Gambit Realm meant true death.
Still, his eyes lingered on the Sub Quest reward: a Random Unique Trait. Something like that could be invaluable for strengthening himself.
He began weighing the possibility of taking on the Sub Quest.
Very well. Let's try defeating that monster. From what happened earlier, there should be others trapped in this place besides me, he thought with determination as he rose to his feet and glanced outside the window.
The mansion's gate lay to his left, which meant he was currently in the right wing. He would have to head left to reach it.
Turning, he walked toward the brown door and carefully pushed it open.
He expected to see a hallway leading left or right. Instead, what greeted him left him utterly bewildered and frozen in shock.
Time itself seemed to slow.
A long, straight corridor stretched out before him. No turns, no branches. To make matters worse, at the far end, a pale silhouette materialized.
It was her, the monster woman from before. She stared straight at Balthazar's room, her mouth curled into a grotesque, wide grin. Sharp teeth glistened between bloodied lips, and in her hand she clutched a knife still dripping crimson.
She stood there at the end of the corridor as though she had been waiting patiently for him to emerge.
The instant their eyes met, even for the briefest millisecond, Balthazar acted. He slammed the door shut.
Schick!
Too late. In a blur, the woman's knife pierced straight into his abdomen.
Balthazar staggered, his mind reeling, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Clutching at the blade embedded in his stomach, he grabbed the monster's hand, desperately trying to push it away.
"Khihihihihi!"
Her eerie laughter echoed in his ears as she shoved him down, sending him sprawling onto the floor.
Balthazar writhed in pain, then lashed out, striking her cheek with a clenched fist.
Bam!
The woman didn't even flinch. She simply raised her knife high above her head.
Panic surged through him. Was this truly how he would die? Pathetically, in such a miserable state?
Blood gushed from his wound and spilled from between his teeth.
Schick! Schick! Schick!
She stabbed him again and again. Balthazar's vision blurred, his eyes turning bloodshot. Hatred and regret roared in his chest as he cursed himself for his recklessness.
He knew the Gambit Realm was unpredictable. He knew this Haunted Mansion was no ordinary Mansion.
Fucking idiot.
Those were his final words, echoing inside his mind, before the monster split his skull apart.
And just like that, Balthazar died. The room was soon filled only with the ghastly laughter of the woman who had slain him.
---
Elsewhere, within a room adorned with crimson curtains, a tall bookshelf, and a chessboard atop a polished table…
Unlike Balthazar's room, this one brimmed with luxury. A long velvet sofa, finely carved furniture, a grand chandelier above, an array of food and wine, swords mounted on the walls, and a regal painting of a golden-haired, golden-eyed man holding a majestic blade.
At the center sat a woman with flowing black hair and radiant golden eyes. She sipped her warm tea delicately. Suddenly, a blue system window appeared before her.
[Stats]
[Name: Luciana Na Mana]
[Class: Pseudo Heroine (Detail)]
[Race: Human]
[Flaw: ??? (Detail)]
[Hp: 110]
[Mp: 150]
[Level: 10 → 40 Exp required to level up]
[Gambit: Queen]
[Unique Traits: ??? (Detail)]
[Skills: ??? (Detail)]
> Strength: 14
> Agility: 5
> Endurance: 6
> Intelligence: 10
> Luck: 2
> Charm: 5
[Gambit Points: 1000]
The woman's red lips curled into a faint smile.
Her gaze drifted toward a black door engraved with ornate carvings. Her golden eyes shimmered as if reflecting the depths of her heart.
She was waiting for someone. Someone dear to her.
Ding!
The sharp chime of the system did not rattle her. She simply turned her head toward the glowing blue screen.
Her eyes widened, her smile faltering.
[Balthazar Na Silva has died.]
For the briefest moment, she bit her lip. Yet just as quickly, a smile returned to her face.
"Calm yourself, Mariel. There is no way he would die so easily…" she murmured softly, lowering her head with a faint curve on her lips.
[Would you like to activate it?]
[Yes / No]
The black-haired woman studied the screen.
Seeing those choices, she couldn't help but smile once more. Ever since she had entered this world of fiction, fortune had favored her, blessing her with the Gambit of the Queen.
Even more, this realm had granted her the power to tether her soul to the man she favored above all others.
She raised a slender, graceful finger and gently pressed [Yes].
[Warning! You will not retain any memories of the current timeline. Time will be reset, and only Balthazar Na Silva may remember what has transpired.]
Instantly, the entire Gambit Realm quaked violently. Everything around her — walls, furniture, even the sky outside — melted into inky black fluid.
She took one last sip of her tea before the porcelain cup dissolved in her hand.
Her golden eyes returned to the system window one final time. The name displayed there made her lips curve.
[Balthazar Na Silva]
"Let us meet again in the next life, My Dear Protagonist~" she whispered, her voice a blend of softness and seduction.
And with that, the world itself unraveled into nothingness, collapsing into the endless, empty Void.