Chapter 9: Living Sculpture

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

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

I blinked, dazed.

[15:25]

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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.

As if my consciousness had been completely ripped away.

‘What the hell was that just now…?’

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

While I was thinking, the picture frame suddenly fell.

“Shit!”

Tap.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

‘Nearly gave me a heart attack…’

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

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

I shouted, jumping from the fright.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

And of course, there were still four.

‘Bastards.’

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

‘One of them is the ghost, right?’

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

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

A paintbrush? album I read the description.

[Paintbrush]

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

[You obtained a paintbrush.]

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

[Charlotte: Emily is truly my younger sister.]

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

“Hm…”

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

This kind of logic puzzle is solved quickly if you detect the contradictions. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com arrow I thought carefully while scribbling on the whiteboard.

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

‘First, Anne isn’t the ghost.’

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

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

‘Huh?’

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

‘I found her.’

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

Looking closely, it was red paint.

[There is a liar among them.]

As before, red liquid spread across the painting.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

[Yes / No]

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

Without hesitation, I answered: “Yes.”

I took out the brush. matrix A message appeared.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

‘Perfect.’

Everything was ready. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

And then:

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

Slash!

I threw the paint at her with all my strength.

“Elizabeth, you damn bitch!”

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

Ssssh!

But she didn’t disappear just yet.

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

Slash! afford Slash Slash!

‘One stroke isn’t enough?’

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

Crack!

‘Where do you think you’re going?’

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

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

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

‘Now that looks like a proper family portrait.’

Their previously tense, distressed expressions returned to normal.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

Unlike before, the content had gradually been modified:

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

‘Did the text change?’

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

[Branwell Brontë – The Brontë Sisters]

【From left to right: Anne, Emily, Charlotte. admire 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. action The faint figure between Emily and Charlotte is the trace of that edit.】

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

A door opening sounded. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com. portal It was the door to the supply storage.

Clack.

At that moment—

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

‘What a noisy trick.’

Creeeak.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

‘They give me the creeps for no reason.’

[School Art Department Budget Receipt]

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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. acoustic Please verify quantities are correct.】

[Art Room]

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

[A dusty box. academy Won’t open.]

‘Is this a clue too?’

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

[A giant eraser—brick-sized.]

[Paintbrushes organized by size/type.]

[Paint palettes neatly stacked.]

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

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

[You obtained a hammer.]

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

I lifted it with effort.

[Hammer]

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

‘Ugh, how heavy.’

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

What was I supposed to do with this?

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

‘What around here can I break?’

“Aha.”

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

I read the document on the wall again:

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

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

“You better come out willingly.” This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.

‘One’s extra.’

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

I arranged them according to the inventory.

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

‘The question is how to tell them apart.’

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

One of these… is fake.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

One had a rough, gritty texture. aspect It was much heavier, almost like it was made of metal. athlete And it was warm. matrix Like it had body heat.

…Except one.

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

There was no choice, then.

[Would you like to use the hammer?]

“Is it you?”

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

[Yes / No]

I smashed its head with all my strength.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

It shattered with a sharp snap.

Crack!

[The hammer has broken.]

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

‘Anyway…’

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

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

‘Ugh. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors. ’

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

There was an object inside the head.

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

I cursed silently.

‘Ah, fuck this…’

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

‘Come on, just get it… get it…’

‘Where is it…?’

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

Blood and brain matter oozed out like slime.

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

[You’ve obtained the Library Key.]

“Urgh…”

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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

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

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

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

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.

[You’ve used the Library Key.]

I immediately headed for the library.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

‘Is it going to be a book puzzle?’

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

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.

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

“!”

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

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

‘Who is that?’

Translation of Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game - Chapter 9: Living Sculpture by Indra Translations.

A student was reading a book.