The landscape suddenly changed to a dark forest with violently swaying trees in an instant, giving the area a foreboding atmosphere. Tristan stepped forward, his foot sinking into soft mud that squelched noisily under his weight.
'What the hell is this place?' Tristan pondered as he searched the area for any markers that would aid in identifying the position.
The twins were nowhere to be seen, as he had predicted; instead, he was surrounded by nothing but woods and the dark.
"Where am I?" Speaking out his question, Tristan hoped for a divine response.
[Welcome to the Enigmatic Realm]
The timer indicated that he had forty two hours and twenty minutes remaining to finish his task before he would be compelled to respawn.
[Find the yandere sisters and tame them! The ability "Taming" is now yours. Use your new ability to tame one of the twins! This will let you command as you see fit once you've gained control over the emotion! Your tamed companion will be willingly obedient to your commands! But, you must be careful not to lose sight of your control over your partner lest they turn against you. You are presently in a hazardous area. Take caution as you move forward! If at all possible, avoid using this ability]
When Tristan reread the note, he saw that it was referring to Lyla and Lily. He had previously received a warning about their intentions.
He pondered if it would be acceptable to kill them both here and then carry out the rest of his mission. When the twins threatened him, his murderous urge was so strong that he nearly succumbed to temptation. However, his mind quickly reminded him that this was an eroge, so the best course of action was to enjoy his time spent in each level and move on to the main desirable plot as soon as possible.
Tristan moved deeper into the forest, where there was no sign of life to be seen except for birds soaring overhead, and he muttered, "I guess I'll try my luck." There were no creatures in the forest, even though it seemed like a location where they might live. He seemed to have a casual stroll ahead of him as he searched for the two ladies who were determined to ensure he never escaped their grasps alive.
He went on his route after continuing to walk for a while when he noticed something, but upon closer inspection, he observed nothing unusual.
"Boring." His hands were in his pockets as he murmured.
A notification reading 'Yandere within range' flashed across the screen again a little while later before fading away completely.
'Just Yandere? Did they part ways?' Tristan reasoned that this implied that either one or both sisters must be nearby. He began frantically scanning the area for any indications or cues that would point to where they were. Tristan's patience began to wear thin after another minute or so of nothing happening when all he received in return was silence.
To find any sort of hint that would reveal any trace of life other than the trees themselves, he decided to take matters into his own hands and began searching every neighboring tree and bush.
He found the corpse of a man lying face down, his head crushed by the weight of the enormous boulder that had fallen over him. There wasn't much left other than the garments that covered the majority of his body and the blood that was all over them. He appeared to be blaming Tristan for killing him even though he was already dead as his lifeless glassy eyeballs remained fixed on Tristan.
'Damn! this a magnificent work of art; why hadn't I thought of this approach for Chris?' Tristan was thrilled and curious to learn more after witnessing the horrific scene, which left him wondering. He looked into the trees and saw a trail of footprints moving away from where he was.
After following them, Tristan found that they led to a secluded clearing where a young lad was confined to a wooden pole. His skin was covered in bruises, wounds, and grazes, giving off the impression that he had been badly tortured. The poor fellow didn't even have the energy to scream anymore; his mouth hung open wide, showing blood-stained teeth.
Tristan's reaction to seeing this person was a mix of deep curiosity about the person who had done such pleasant things to the victim before him and jealousy since he had wished he had been the perpetrator.
Tristan approached the bound lad, who stayed mute throughout his advancement but finally spoke when he realized Tristan was close by. He mumbled a feeble, "help me," before losing consciousness once more after saying it.
'Could I just put a stop to his agony right this second? Just one wouldn't hurt, as it has been a while since I experienced the rush of a kill.' The only item that caught Tristan's attention as he searched the area for something to ease the lad's suffering was a sizable rock nearby that seemed suitable for his requirements.
"Perfect." With all his strength, Tristan picked it up and threw it down on top of the lad's head. He then watched as it broke apart and crashed to the ground below. The lad was motionless and silent for a few seconds after that, although he still seemed to be breathing slightly as if he were still alive in some way.
Tristan turned to leave after giving him one last look to ensure that he was dead when he heard someone shout out to him: "Hey! You weren't being very kind by doing that. Are you going to abandon me so quickly after what you just did?"
'Bingo!' Hearing the familiar voice, he exclaimed enthusiastically.
*****
A/N
¶ Who do you think called out to him?
I would really appreciate your comments and support of this novel with your power stones. Your active comments would motivate me to write more chapters.