I've Got Connections in the Horror Game - Chapter 1

My butler was very capable.

He could hold his own in polite society and work wonders in a kitchen.

He’d also lived a very long time.

Apparently, he’d even met the Egyptian pharaohs.

Bullets couldn’t kill him. Neither could fire.

In the end, he choked to death on a drink of water.

I suspected he was faking it.

But he didn’t come back to life even after I’d buried his body.

I moped until I was suddenly dragged into a horror game.

I found myself sitting in a swaying horse-drawn carriage.

A lovely male voice sounded beside my ear.

[Game loaded.

New players have arrived. Connecting to the system’s livestreams.

Viewers may place bets on their preferred players.

The more popular a player’s stream, the greater their reward at the end of the instance.

Enjoy the game. May you become an overnight sensation.]

The carriage stopped just as the announcement ended.

I climbed out and looked around. We were on an aristocratic estate with a medieval European feel.

The sky was overcast.

Dense woods surrounded us, dark and sinister.

The perfect breeding ground for monsters.

And standing right in the middle was, of course, a Gothic castle.

Twin flights of stairs curved around toward each other. The stone steps looked cold and desolate.

The whole place had that lovely “step inside and fall into an abyss forever” vibe.

Atmosphere aside, though, the castle itself looked a little familiar.

“Where the fuck are we? That electronic voice out of nowhere scared the shit out of me.

“It sounded weird as hell. Not even remotely human. Gave me goosebumps.”

Several people had climbed out of the carriage beside mine, interrupting my thoughts.

I turned to find a boy who positively radiated spoiled-rich-kid energy swearing up a storm.

I thought back to the voice I’d heard.

It had been deep and alluring, polite, full of feeling.

It had made my ears tingle and my heart go numb.

Nothing weird about it.

Suspiciously familiar, though.

Had I heard something different from everyone else?

While I was puzzling over that, someone who’d got out with the rich kid spoke.

“This is one of the instances in the endless horror game. You can only get out by completing the mission.”

“That was the system’s voice. It doesn’t sound very human, true, but you’ll get used to it.

“It’ll accompany you through every instance from now on. If you keep surviving, that is.”

His voice was resonant, his back straight.

He was answering questions without being asked, too. He seemed kind and helpful.

Like a police officer.

Still, I didn’t dare ask too much.

From what he’d said, my system voice might be rather special.

Being special made you a target.

Keeping quiet seemed safer.

Once all eleven people delivered by the carriages had gathered, we introduced ourselves.

Besides me, an unemployed layabout, and the rich kid and police officer I’d guessed correctly, there were people from all sorts of backgrounds.

A doctor, a teacher, a judge, a wealthy woman, a businessman, a student, a writer.

Even a murderer.

Introductions over, we climbed the steps.

The moment we entered the castle, the doors slammed shut.

Rain poured down outside.

The voice spoke again.

[The Storm Manor instance has been locked.

Total players: ten.

Find the true owner of the castle within the allotted time.

Present your invitation to them.

Otherwise, you will be eliminated as an intruder.]

[Welcome to my world, my dear… mistress.]