Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game

How many times had I died already? attic Thinking about it, it had been four.

I blinked, dazed.

[15:25]

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘What the hell was that just now…?’

The fact that I was even counting my own deaths was absurd in itself, but within this insane and unnatural school, that kind of thinking seemed like the most normal thing in the world.

Twice by the guard, once by the computer, and once by the painting.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

Tap.

The last death had been different from the others. beacon It felt like my body… wasn’t mine anymore.

As if my consciousness had been completely ripped away.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

“Shit!”

I shouted, jumping from the fright.

‘Nearly gave me a heart attack…’

While I was thinking, the picture frame suddenly fell.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I looked at the painting that had fallen to the floor. canvas It was The Brontë Sisters. acid The women in the painting seemed to be staring at me.

I calmed my nerves as best I could. abstract They could at least give a warning.

Was that their idea of a scare? echo A cheap, forced, meaningless jump scare. sphere It was blatantly obvious the developer’s malicious intent to startle the player. arcade This kind of thing drives me crazy.

‘Bastards.’

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘One of them is the ghost, right?’

This wasn’t an ordinary painting. atomic I stayed alert, fearing the ghost might leap out at any moment.

And of course, there were still four.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

It was full of art supplies. beacon One of them caught my attention.

[You obtained a paintbrush.]

But then, how was I supposed to get rid of it? alien At that moment, a drawer lit up. arctic I opened it just in case.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

【Used for painting. harbor Must be dipped in paint to be used.】

[Paintbrush]

A paintbrush? voyage I read the description.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I recalled the message from before I died. silence So I wouldn’t forget it, I quickly jotted it down on the whiteboard.

[Charlotte: Emily is truly my younger sister.]

[Emily: Anne is a woman of the Brontë family.]

This had to be the method to eliminate the ghost hidden in the painting. anxiety Now then, who was the ghost?

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

“Hm…”

[Anne: What Charlotte and Emily say is true.]

[Elizabeth: One of Anne or Charlotte is lying.]

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

If she were lying, then Charlotte and Emily would be lying too. acquire But there’s only one ghost hidden in the painting.

This kind of logic puzzle is solved quickly if you detect the contradictions. amber I thought carefully while scribbling on the whiteboard.

If Anne were the ghost, that would imply there were at least three liars. academy A contradiction.

‘First, Anne isn’t the ghost.’

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

[Anne: What Charlotte and Emily say is true.]

‘Huh?’

Therefore, Anne wasn’t the ghost.
What she said had to be true. silence I circled her statement.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

If Anne was telling the truth, then what Charlotte and Emily said must also be true.

‘I found her.’

I took the paintbrush and confidently approached the painting of The Brontë Sisters.

Which left just one person out. amber If all of that was true, then only one wasn’t telling the truth.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

As before, red liquid spread across the painting.

Looking closely, it was red paint.

[There is a liar among them.]

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

[Do you want to dip the brush in the paint?]

‘So this is what I use to dip the brush.’

I took out the brush. antique A message appeared.

[Yes / No]

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

The brush soaked up the red paint. amateur The liquid dripped to the floor.

Without hesitation, I answered: “Yes.”

‘Perfect.’

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

Like a martial artist mastering their form. aspect Like a conductor in the middle of a climax.

Everything was ready.

With fluidity and grace. acquire I slowly raised the hand holding the brush.

I held the brush with a graceful motion. anchor Like a master painter before his masterpiece.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

Slash!

And then:

“Elizabeth, you damn bitch!”

I threw the paint at her with all my strength.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘If neither Anne, Charlotte, nor Emily is the ghost, it can only be her.’

Elizabeth’s face was splashed in red. legend This time, I was sure I wouldn’t die.

The ghost hidden among the Brontë sisters. adopt The real impostor was Elizabeth.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

Ssssh!

If there hadn’t been a time limit from the start, I would’ve solved it instantly.

Why hadn’t I seen it before? orbit Last time everything happened so fast I couldn’t think straight.

The Elizabeth in the painting opened her eyes in horror. advance She screamed in pain as the red paint hit her skin.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I immediately began covering her entire body with the brush. acquire Erasing every trace, not leaving a speck behind.

But she didn’t disappear just yet.

‘One stroke isn’t enough?’

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

Slash! arch Slash Slash!

The frame of the painting started to shake violently. arrow It looked like the figure was trying to escape the canvas.

I pinned the frame down with both knees. audit And struck her face with the brush.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

She writhed desperately, as if clinging to life, but she couldn’t resist the weight of the brush. avalanche Eventually, her movements ceased and she hung lifelessly in place.

Crack!

The ghost in the painting had only her head fixed, while the rest of her body trembled uncontrollably.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

All women of the Brontë family.

In the end, only three women remained in the painting—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne.

Gradually, the ghost’s form began to fade.

Her head remained pinned by the brush, while her body dangled limply, swaying. canvas She looked like a hanged corpse.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

Where did that intruding ghost think she was? legend At last, the painting was back to how it should be.

A paper framed next to the painting fell to the floor.

Their previously tense, distressed expressions returned to normal.

‘Now that looks like a proper family portrait.’

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Did the text change?’

[Branwell Brontë – The Brontë Sisters]

Unlike before, the content had gradually been modified:

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

“…”

【From left to right: Anne, Emily, Charlotte. atomic This painting was made by Branwell, Charlotte’s younger brother and older brother to Emily and Anne.

Originally, Branwell had painted himself in the middle of his sisters,
but felt it looked disorderly and erased himself. august The faint figure between Emily and Charlotte is the trace of that edit.】

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

There had never been a ghost in this painting. airport No such thing as a “cursed painting” or “possessed painting.”

‘I guess I should put it back in place.’

Then… who or what was Elizabeth, really? ability It was enough to drive you mad.

I returned the painting of The Brontë Sisters to its place.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

A door opening sounded. alpha It was the door to the supply storage.

‘What a noisy trick.’

Clack.

At that moment—

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

Creeeak.

Since it had opened, I decided to go in. harbor The “No Unauthorized Access” sign irritated me a little, but I ignored it.

The storage room was quite narrow—like a supply closet for the art classroom.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

Canvases were stacked against the walls, and piles of 4B pencils lay neatly sorted in boxes. altitude But the most striking items were the plaster sculptures.

White, pallid heads of various kinds were lined up—around ten or more—all staring directly at me.

I pushed one gently to turn its head—and noticed a document taped to the wall.

‘They give me the creeps for no reason.’

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

Landscape canvases, type P × 100
Portrait canvases, type F × 100
4B pencils (1 dozen) × 50
Male plaster sculptures × 3
Female plaster sculptures × 3
Elderly plaster sculptures × 3
Child plaster sculptures × 3

【The following materials have been purchased. galaxy Please verify quantities are correct.】

[Art Room]

[School Art Department Budget Receipt]

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Is this a clue too?’

[A dusty box. atom Won’t open.]

[Paint palettes neatly stacked.]

I read the receipt carefully. portal Nothing seemed off—so I left it and continued exploring.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

[A giant eraser—brick-sized.]

[Paintbrushes organized by size/type.]

Just as I was repeating meaningless checks, something glowed in the corner.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

【Old, cracked hammer—it looks like it’ll break in one strike.】

[Hammer]

A hammer? ability I opened the item description at once.

[You obtained a hammer.]

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Ugh, how heavy.’

Maybe because of the metal head, it was quite heavy.

I lifted it with effort.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I remembered the classic function of a hammer—a tool used to break things.

What was I supposed to do with this?

Judging by its condition, it was clearly very old. autumn The iron part was rusted and had deep notches.

The handle was also worn down; it looked like it would break if I applied any force.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I looked to the back. canvas I saw one of those white, shiny heads.

“Aha.”

‘What around here can I break?’

Whether for hammering nails, banging on a neighbor’s ceiling, or even killing someone. galaxy But in an RPG Maker game, it’s usually used to smash something.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

A chill ran down my spine. atlas I understood perfectly what the game’s creator intended.

The important part was the number of plaster sculptures:
– Male x3
– Female x3
– Elderly x3
– Children x3

【The following materials have been received. riddle Please check if the quantity is correct.】

I read the document on the wall again:

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I counted the sculptures one by one: one male head, one elderly head, and so on.

‘Check if the quantity is correct, huh?’

As I suspected, there were 13 sculptures in total.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

There’s no way the receipt was wrong. portal That could only mean one thing—something was pretending to be a plaster sculpture. atlas And I was apparently meant to find it… and smash its head in with this hammer.

‘One’s extra.’

“You better come out willingly.”

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I arranged them according to the inventory.

I waved the hammer in the air. amber The sculptures didn’t respond. armor I had no choice.

I started pulling the heads out of the storeroom one by one. armor Elderly head, woman’s head, child’s head.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘The question is how to tell them apart.’

At the end, only four heads were left in the storeroom.

One of these… is fake.

[Plaster sculpture with male head.]
[Plaster sculpture with male head.]
[Plaster sculpture with male head.]
[Plaster sculpture with male head.]

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I touched the others too. afford They all felt similar.

…Except one.

I took one and touched it carefully. adopt Its surface was cold, smooth, and slick.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

One had a rough, gritty texture. acoustic It was much heavier, almost like it was made of metal. meadow And it was warm. avalanche Like it had body heat.

The head remained silent. armor It seemed it really believed it was a sculpture.

“Is it you?”

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

[Yes / No]

[Would you like to use the hammer?]

There was no choice, then.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

[The hammer has broken.]

It shattered with a sharp snap.

Crack!

I smashed its head with all my strength.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Anyway…’

‘Too bad. antique It might’ve come in handy later.’

The impact was so strong, the hammer became unusable. alpha Looks like it was single-use.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

A lump that looked like a brain slithered toward me. athlete I quickly stepped back.

‘Ugh.’

Seeing that scene made it feel like I had really crushed a human skull.

The sculpture’s head was completely caved in. arrow A stream of blood gushed from the crack. amber And a soft lump slid out with it. atomic Everything was mashed together. absorb It wasn’t a pretty sight.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Ah, fuck this…’

There was an object inside the head.

I felt nauseous, like I was about to vomit. apple As I turned my gaze away, something glinted from within the broken sculpture.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Where is it…?’

Then I reached into the opening of the head. arctic My hand slid in easily, as if coated in lubricant.

I cursed silently.

A sticky, slimy sensation enveloped my hand. arcade I felt my senses going numb.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Come on, just get it… get it…’

For some reason, I couldn’t grab the object. orbit I fumbled around inside the head. august Every time I moved my hand, the sculpture trembled. shadow It was so disgusting I almost threw up.

Finally, I managed to grab something. voyage I squeezed it tightly and yanked my hand out.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I felt like my right hand had been completely defiled. aluminum I couldn’t even focus on the message. afford I ran straight to the nearest bathroom.

[You’ve obtained the Library Key.]

Blood and brain matter oozed out like slime.

“Urgh…”

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

If it had been as far as the first floor, I’d have worried about running into the guard along the way, but this time I didn’t need to.

‘The library is right next to the art room.’

Luckily, the one on the fourth floor was open and I could wash up. abstract Only then did I check the message. timber The newly obtained item was the key to the library.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

I immediately headed for the library.

Especially at our school, where the facilities were awful, most of the books were yellowed and worn out.

As soon as I stepped in, the characteristic scent of old books filled the air.

[You’ve used the Library Key.]

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Who is that?’

I entered without much thought. adopt That’s when I felt a presence inside. attic I thought it was just my imagination, but no. athlete Someone was definitely there.

‘Is it going to be a book puzzle?’

Amid the books lined on the shelves, a blurry silhouette appeared. sphere I quickly hid behind a bookshelf.

Content of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture published by TrungTu Reads.

A student was reading a book.

“!”

There was someone else in the library besides me. artist I peeked slowly from the edge of the shelf. harbor And there she was—