Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

The weight of Black Daffodil's words lingered, absurd in their implications yet unshakable in their clarity.

To say that something was waiting outside the plane of Carcosa—an unknowable force so determined, so singularly focused on my death, that even Black Daffodil doubted I'd survive without her intervention—was, frankly, insulting.

Worse, it made her need for my survival all the more evident. It wasn't a selfless offer born of some newfound altruism; no, she needed me alive. My death, it seemed, would bring her significant discomfort—or perhaps worse.

And then there was the second layer of absurdity.

Strip your face clean.

The words echoed in my mind, churning irritation into outright anger. Black Daffodil, connected to me as intimately as a reflection in a mirror, had to know how those words would affect me.

That compulsion to strip away imperfection, to remove unsightly asymmetry, the awful curse that had ruled my life…

It was a wretched affliction, an unrelenting need to rid the world of faces that weren't perfect, faces that offended my very existence.

And now, as Narcissus, I was no longer burdened by the constant agony of that compulsion. My own perfect face, flawless in every conceivable way, had become my salvation. I could simply gaze upon my reflection to quell the whispers of imperfection clawing at my mind.

To suggest that I strip it away?

The thought alone stirred something primal within me—an irrational, fiery rage. My jaw clenched, my hands curled into fists. It wasn't just irritation anymore; it was the kind of seething anger that burned hot and fast, threatening to consume.

I took a slow, measured breath to avoid snapping outright, forcing my voice into a strained calm. "Are you insane?"

Black Daffodil tilted her faceless head, the void where her features should have been radiating a kind of detached amusement. "Your anger is misplaced," she said coolly, her voice as elegant as always. "I did not suggest you pick up a knife this very moment and slice away at your precious face. I merely offered you a… contingency plan."

Her words, so measured and calm, only made the fire inside me burn hotter. "A contingency plan, I see," I echoed with a scathing hiss. "It's quite the horrible requirement to draw whatever the hell you have in store. Not to mention, you said it as if it were some trivial thing—like taking off a coat."

Her hands folded delicately in her lap, a regal gesture that only added to the air of condescension. "And yet, here you are, alive and whole, fretting over possibilities that have yet to come to pass. Do tell me, Narcissus, how exactly is this my fault? I merely pointed out an option~"

I narrowed my eyes at her, "The way you phrased it was downright malicious, whether you meant it or not." My voice dropped into something more cutting, my irritation seeping through, a sarcastic melody, "You knew how it would affect me, and how it might affect the beautiful trust that we're starting to build for one another."

Her laugh was soft, melodic, and utterly maddening. "Oh, my dear Narcissus, you overestimate my cruelty. Or perhaps you're merely giving yourself too much credit. To be honest, I have no interest in your temper tantrums. They're hardly entertaining."

I took another slow breath, reigning in the urge to lash out further.

In the end, she was right—displacing my frustration onto her was pointless. But that didn't make her any less aggravating.

Worse, she was still a higher existence than me, meaning that I could merely gather the hint of her words from truth or lies by analyzing the essence uttered.

If only I had Charis with me right now at my side.

Then again, bringing my beloved sunshine to this dangerous realm is probably one of the last things I would do.

"Fine," I said with a forced calmness, leaning back in my seat. "You're right. This isn't entirely your fault. But let's not pretend you didn't enjoy watching me react."

Her silence spoke volumes, though her body language betrayed a subtle satisfaction.

"And," I added, closing my eyes above my smile. "Don't think I didn't notice the literal wording you used. You didn't mean anything metaphorical, did you? You're saying that, at some point, I might actually have to physically remove my face, and you're definitely placing this requirement with the intent to annoy the hell out of me."

For the first time, she tilted her head in what might have been a mock surprise. "Oh, did I use the word 'strip'? My apologies. I'm not always one for subtlety~"

I scowled, though her words confirmed what I already suspected. There was no escaping the literal truth in what she'd said.

Pushing past the discomfort, I leaned forward, propping my chin on my hand as I regarded her with my former composure. "You seem to know quite a bit about what's coming. Anything else I should be aware of? Any other ominous warnings you'd like to drop while you have my attention? Might as well drop it so that I have not much reason to go back to this place so occasionally."

She chuckled again, a sound like silk brushing against stone. "Oh, Narcissus. I'm not the author of your story~ I know some things, yes, but hardly everything. You overestimate me, as always."

I arched my brow, unconvinced of the essence that followed after her words. "That's awfully modest of you."

"Modesty is a luxury I can afford when it suits me," she replied smoothly. Then, with a tone of casual curiosity, she added, "But since you're asking, perhaps you should consider the… observer."

"The what?"

She gestured vaguely, her faceless void tilting as if she were pondering some distant star. "The force that has been watching you for quite some time now. Surely you've felt it—the occasional sensation of being observed, yet never threatened."

I frowned, leaning back in my chair. She wasn't wrong. Ever since my ascension, I realized a lot of things outside of the fading connection of the world's system with my soul.

There had been a lot of moments, fleeting and subtle, when I'd felt the weight of unseen eyes. It was never malicious, but it was undeniable.

"I've already tackled this topic. And Kuzunoha had already given her words about it," I admitted after a moment. "Charis, too. You know it, since you're basically watching through what I experienced. It was likely some curious cosmic entity taking an interest in me. Nothing more, nothing less. No harm, no foul."

"Indeed," Black Daffodil mused. "But curiosity can be a dangerous thing. Even gods grow bored. And bored gods tend to meddle~ Don't you think that when it comes to reading a story, you would feel some sort of conflicting emotion from time to time when your favorite character does something that annoys them?"

I allowed myself a small, prideful smirk. "Well, I am irresistible, after all. Who wouldn't want to watch my brilliance unfold? Who cares about what they think, they don't dictate my story. I'm the one who dictates it."

Still, if this was really a story unfolding from a being who latched an interest on me.

Then maybe existing outside of finding happiness and stability have some extra meaning to it.

Ever since I was a member of a theater club back on Earth, I had always found solace in the thought that someone was watching every action and choice that I made.

Because they could reference my story and maybe make a thought or choice based on it.

Won't that just mean that my presence extends from a mere character inside a story?

Black Daffodil's laughter was quiet but unmistakably sarcastic. "Your narcissism truly knows no bounds. It's almost endearing."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Almost?" I shot back with mock indignation. "You wound me, Black Daffodil. I'm the most narcissistic a man can be. It's just that I'm quite the decent and empathetic person on top of that."

"That sounds oxymoronic."

"Since when are things not oxymoronic?"

"You're probably one of the most absurd ones."

"Ah, you wound me yet again. Can you please put that sharp tongue of yours down? I know that you're still scheming something disgusting against me, but I'm not planning to deal with that right now~"

"Some wounds are necessary," she replied cryptically, though her tone remained light. "And for my credit, not all of my schemes are directly harmful to you. You're a smart girl, you know that I kept you alive for a reason."

I shook my head, the tension easing just enough for me to find my balance again. "Well, thanks for the considerate attempt to keep me alive—ominous as it may be. I'll think about that… offer. Maybe. Or not."

She inclined her head gracefully, her void-like face as unreadable as ever. "As you wish. Survival often requires sacrifices, after all. And sacrifices are rarely painless~"

With that, I rose to my feet, turning toward the shifting chaos that marked the boundary of her domain. "I'll be going now. Oh, and by the way…" I glanced over my shoulder with a sly smile. "Don't expect Kuzunoha to visit you anytime soon. She's got better things to do."

A soft, amused hum escaped her. "Pity. I did enjoy her company. She amused me to not end~"

"Well," I said brightly, stepping through the vortex, "Maybe you should learn to love yourself a little more. And by that, I mean me."