I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 115

I fiddled with my phone, checking for any changes.

“What did you do?”

The employee only smiled subtly and didn’t answer. Watching him smirk as if telling me to check for myself, I looked down at my phone with suspicion.

A familiar screen appeared.

It was the loading screen of The Saintess is a Spy!. The character creation button had been the only thing glowing since I logged out, but now there was a new message.

Player [Lee Juha] Second Playthrough Server

• 81 hours remaining until the server shutdown. (All records will be deleted after server shutdown.)

I thought all playthrough records had been erased, but had the deletion not been completed yet?

Other than the system window at the top of the screen announcing the server shutdown, there was no visible change.

As I tapped on my phone screen, my brows furrowed. The countdown indicating the server shutdown was decreasing by the second.

Deletion of all records—the server being deleted was the one I had played in for my second playthrough. As I reviewed the screen, I noticed something odd and reread the text.

<Player [Lee Juha] Server>

The way the system phrased it made it seem as if the server was shutting down because I ended my playthrough.

Furrowing my brows and double-checking the text, I slightly lifted my head and asked, “So, the entire server is shutting down?”

“It is Player Lee Juha’s server.”

“What I mean is, does this server also include other players…?”

“Player Lee Juha’s exclusive server. Other players do not use it.”

“Is that even possible…?”

If I had a private server, wouldn’t that mean other players had private servers as well? How could they manage that many servers?

Suspicious of the employee’s firm response, I muttered skeptically.

“It is possible.”

The employee answered without hesitation. Although I looked at him doubtfully, he straightened his back and continued smiling.

If he said it was possible, then fine, whatever. But…

“What does ‘deletion of all records’ mean?”

“It means exactly what it says. Playthrough data, capture characters, all components—everything will be deleted.”

His response felt unusually cold. Maintaining his mechanical smile, the employee leaned slightly over the desk and quietly added, “If Player Lee Juha chooses to reconnect, everything will remain intact. Otherwise, the server will not be preserved. There is no reason for it to be.”

“But I already deleted my character.”

As I replied reluctantly, the employee smiled widely, his eyes curving as he straightened his posture.

“Player Lee Juha, whether here or there, it makes no difference. Don’t let yourself be bound by anything—just decide.”

“Decide what?”

“Our company wishes for you to be happy, wherever you are. Because you are someone who deserves happiness.”

What nonsense is he talking about?

The employee, who had suddenly started spouting strange words, erased his natural smile and returned to his usual stiff expression. I had many more questions I wanted to ask, but he simply repeated in a mechanical tone that there was nothing else he could assist me with.

***

[78 hours remaining until server shutdown.]

“[    ].”

Having returned home earlier than usual, I watched the people who didn’t belong in my house. One of them stiffened and fidgeted anxiously under my gaze, while the other met my stare with a calm smile.

I turned toward Dietrich, who looked more composed.

“Yes, Saintess.”

“How did you come here?”

The thing I was most curious about was how they had managed to reach me.

Dietrich stared at my lips for a moment, then blinked, as if he had just heard something ridiculous, before breaking into a clear smile.

“I told you this morning. The system.”

“I mean, how exactly are you using the system…?”

“It activated when you collapsed. Anyone who was connected gained system privileges.”

Dietrich continued with his smile intact, “We also obtained an item. It allows us to move to specific locations, and apparently, one of those locations is by your side. That’s why I volunteered. [    ] was far too unreliable for a task like this.”

Dietrich, having finished his explanation, pointed at Ardal, who remained seated in silence.

“The same goes for him.”

Considering the game’s setting, Dietrich’s world was one where magic and holy power existed. It was not surprising that he accepted the system naturally. However, that was not the case for me. While using the system had been completely normal when I played the game, here in reality, it was anything but.

Understanding the sequence of events—the game ending, character deletion, and the characters emerging into reality—was nearly impossible.

Wasn’t this just like a scenario from when virtual reality games were first introduced?

“Come back, Saintess.”

I had been nervously rubbing my fingers when a soft voice drew my attention upward. Dietrich spoke to me in a serene, low voice.

“[    ] and [    ] visit the temple every day, worried about you. The coronation was interrupted because of what happened right before it, and they are waiting for your return.”

“The coronation isn’t over yet?”

“No, they said it would be meaningless without the Saintess there. Of course, I agree with them.”

Dietrich whispered in a voice that could mesmerize anyone. He carefully took my hand, which I had been roughly rubbing, and tenderly caressed the finger I had cut off in the game. His voice was filled with longing as he pleaded.

“Let’s go back together.”

“[    ], I…”

“Don’t force her.”

I was about to respond as if entranced when a stern voice snapped me out of it. Ardal, who had been glaring sharply at Dietrich, spoke in a restrained tone.

“Do not rush the Saintess’s decision. Are you trying to sway her by appealing to emotions?”

“Can’t you just keep your mouth shut for once—”

Dietrich, who had been whispering sweetly, muttered something in an utterly low voice. As soon as he noticed my gaze on him, he bit his lip and forced a smile.

He was smiling, but his clenched teeth were clearly visible.

“Saintess, if you return, you will never be able to come back here again. You must not make this decision lightly.”

I could hear the sound of grinding teeth. Dietrich released my hand and clenched his fists tightly. The veins on the back of his hand bulged ominously, as if he wanted to strangle Ardal. I worried he might throw a punch at any moment, but he held himself back.

Seeing Dietrich struggle to maintain his composure, I calmed myself and sorted out my thoughts.

First, Dietrich and Ardal both wanted to take me back into the game. Though they had some disagreements, Ardal also wished for us to return together.

The question was, even if I agreed to return, I had no idea how the game system would continue. My character had already been deleted, so how could I log in again?

Second, Ardal kept emphasizing that if I went back, I would never be able to return here again. I couldn’t understand what he meant by that.

Even if I returned, wouldn’t I be able to log out and come back to reality?

Third, the employee’s words lingered in my mind.

“Playthrough data, capture characters, all components—everything will be deleted.”

Will be deleted…

I slowly opened my mouth.

“What happened to my body?”

“It turned to dust…”

Ardal replied in a pained voice. I nodded at him and continued my thoughts.

My body turning to dust must have happened right after I deleted my character.

Deletion meant everything I had seen would vanish—including Dietrich and Ardal, who appeared before me, and everyone else still inside the game.

***

[72 hours remaining until server shutdown.]

Even as I agonized over my decision, time continued to pass. Ardal and Dietrich sat on either side of my bed, each leaning against it as they voiced their arguments.

Dietrich mentioned Hella, Tricia, and Dahlia, bringing up people to stir my emotions. Ardal, on the other hand, kept asking whether I wouldn’t regret abandoning this life and going back.

Ardal’s questions, which seemed to dissuade me from choosing to leave, made Dietrich grind his teeth furiously. Though he didn’t lash out in front of me, it was clear that he believed Ardal was holding me back.

But in truth, it was the opposite.

When he asked if I could give up my life here, I realized I was merely struggling to survive in this place. I had no one I was deeply attached to, and it had been a long time since I’d been able to do what I truly wanted.

When I compared my current reality to the moments I had spent in the game, the scales naturally tipped toward the game.

But a game is just a game. It can never become reality, and I was fully aware of that.

“Saintess?”

At least, that’s what I thought before they came to find me.

As I remained silent in contemplation, Dietrich turned his head back and rested his arm on the bed. I poked his forehead as he propped his chin on his arm, making him scrunch his nose playfully with a grin.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t understand. That place clearly wasn’t real…”

“And does this place feel like reality? To me, being here feels like I’m dreaming.”

Dietrich’s voice was as playful as his expression.

I responded seriously, “This is my reality. [    ] and [    ] appearing in my reality feel… like illusions.”

“Would you say it’s a pleasant illusion?”

As he tilted his head and asked, I nodded. Seeing my agreement, Dietrich beamed.

“The happiest moments are when illusions become reality. Saintess, let’s go back together.”

It was uncanny how every conversation seemed to lead back to “returning.”

Dietrich lured me in, staying just within the bounds where I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, and smiled. As I was about to reply affirmatively to his smile, I sighed and refused.

“No. I have to come back to reality eventually. I don’t want to throw away reality for an illusion.”

Just a few days ago, I had been terrified that my body in reality might suffer harm while I was unable to log out. I had no desire to be hospitalized again. I had received a large compensation payment, and it would be a waste if all that money went to hospital bills.

If it were possible to live in the game forever, of course, I would choose that. But that simply wasn’t an option.

As I shook my head, I felt a touch on my waist from behind. Turning my head, I saw Ardal slightly furrowing his brows as he corrected me.

“I’m sorry, Saintess, but as I’ve been telling you, returning here will not be possible.”

“The body isn’t moving, so of course, I’ll be able to return. Even if I reconnect, it’s just electrical stimulation transferring my consciousness…”

As I explained to Ardal, he and Dietrich exchanged glances before speaking in an odd tone.

“Saintess, your body moves. Just as we came here.”

“What?”

“I told you, the preparations are complete. [    ] has already drawn the summoning seal for you.”

Dietrich pointed into the air with his finger. According to the system…

A soft voice read aloud the text that must have been displayed in the system window. I stared blankly at him, recalling the receptionist’s smiling face from this afternoon.

‘But I deleted that character.’

Even when I frowned and asked, the employee had given no answer.

I had already experienced multiple instances where the system deliberately withheld information during The Saintess is a Spy!.

Still, I never expected even the employee to provide information in such a misleading way!

“You are a second-playthrough player.”

“Most players who make it this far choose in-game rewards.”

“You must not have known.”

He kept dropping hints that there was information I was unaware of. That those who had knowledge chose in-game rewards. That was the core of our conversation.

And then there was “connection.” The words the employee had muttered when I went to claim my reward weren’t something to ignore.

“Since someone is already connected, I recommend the in-game reward…”

I clutched my head and decided to accept a hypothesis that was difficult to comprehend.

As unbelievable as it was, it seemed that the world inside the game truly existed.

It was an incredible assumption, but not one I wanted to deny.

Even if that world was real, however, I had no intention of blindly following behind Ardal and Dietrich.

I had completed all the capture routes, but I hadn’t seen the ending yet. If I went back, what if I ended up in a confinement or dead-end route? If I couldn’t return, wouldn’t that mean I’d face true death?

I liked that world, but it was far too dangerous.

I should just stay here. There would be no more hardships, and I could live comfortably.

I pushed away my concerns about the server shutting down and made up my mind.

I would stay in reality—at least until Ardal and Dietrich left. Just until then.