As a Reincarnated NPC, I Want to Live a Peaceful Life - Chapter 14

I waited quietly, over and over, until finally—after finishing the last piece of fruit and enduring another hour of my stomach growling—I grew bored. Rising from the chair I had long since hardened with my sitting, I approached the door. No footsteps could be heard outside, and even with [Soul Vision], I detected no one behind it.

I knocked, hoping to catch Deng Deng’s attention, but there was no response.

Had they forgotten me? Just left me in this tiny room to rot? Clutching my empty stomach, I felt my energy beginning to wane. Worse yet, the room had no insulation, and the cold was creeping in… My temperature sensitivity was a curse—no matter how comfortable the air might seem to others, the moment it crossed my threshold, I’d either freeze or overheat.

The bed had no blankets, and the cushions did nothing to retain warmth. Standing by the door, I hugged my right elbow with my left hand, shivering as the chill seeped into my bones… Night had fallen, and with the setting sun, the temperature plummeted further, sending tremors through my body.

[【Cold】Acquired]

….

(—Cold: Can be acquired under any circumstances. Removed by fire spells, campfires, etc. Progressively intensifies over time.)

(—LV.1, Cold: Slightly reduces efficiency and physical damage. Gradually drains HP over time.
LV.2, Bitter Cold: Severely reduces efficiency, lowers physical and magical damage, and continuously drains HP.
LV.MAX, Freezing: Unable to interact or perform physical attacks. Spell damage drastically reduced with increased MP cost. Percentage-based HP drain.)

….

I hesitated at the door, debating whether to break it down. The window was specially reinforced against both physical and magical attacks—while I could smash it, the noise would easily draw attention. Then I’d have to explain how I shattered it, so that wasn’t an option…

As for the door, the sound wouldn’t be as loud. If I held back, even if caught, I could claim I used a tool. My eyes sharpened as I clenched my right fist and swung.

Boom!

My hand punched straight through the door, yet the structure remained intact. I blinked, pulling my arm back.

Too much force?

At this rate, unless I obliterated the entire door in one strike, things would only get worse.

Faint shouts echoed from outside, but I paid them no mind. Instead, I curled up on the bed, desperate to conserve what little warmth I had left. My knees pressed against my chest, but the cold still gnawed at me… At least I had my long hair—a makeshift blanket, however pitiful. It was barely more than psychological comfort, but I’d take anything.

Hungry. Cold. Trapped. Forced to hide my identity—or die. I’d had enough. Squeezing my eyes shut, I willed myself to sleep, but the chill and restless energy kept me awake… The bed was as cold as an ice coffin, and the floor was no better. Clutching the thin mattress, I searched for warmth but found none.

Using [Telekinesis], I pulled the seat cushions over myself—first over my legs, then my torso. My hair covered my head, so that would have to do… For a moment, I felt a flicker of warmth. But I’d only been here two more hours. In-game time was now 20:00. Why was it passing so slowly? How much longer would I be stuck here?

Was this that man’s plan? To let me freeze to death? No… He shouldn’t know my weakness. So this was just… an accident. Just bad luck…

I exhaled as little as possible, conserving body heat. My shivering grew violent. If only I’d learned fire magic—then I could warm myself anytime… A bitter laugh escaped me. At least my insomnia kept me from dying in my sleep.

Ah, to die in a dream… What a lovely thought. My HP ticked down steadily from the cold, and I was powerless to stop it… A few minutes ago, I’d considered forcing my way out, but my body refused to move.

[【Bitter Cold】Acquired]
[HP Approaching Critical]

What a joke. A hidden boss, felled by a stupid accident—frozen to death in some noble’s estate. The devs would laugh themselves sick if they heard…

I couldn’t even tremble anymore. My senses dulled.

How pathetic.

…

…

In the city, under the hush of curfew, two wolves began their hunt—except their plan was foiled before it even started. The guards had caught wind of them.

Now, they were just fugitives, wolves searching for shelter to rest and recover.

Being chased was nothing new. They slipped into a noble’s manor, knocking out the gate guards like it was routine. Thankfully, this noble seemed influential—patrols hesitated to barge in, and security was laughably lax.

“Hah, didn’t expect it to be this easy.” One of them, a boy, smirked as he looted coins from a guard’s pocket. Money—exactly what they needed right now.

“Don’t get cocky. We’re not safe yet.” The other, a girl, shut the manor door after confirming no one had followed.

“So what? We can always slip away.”

“You— Ugh, come here. That cut on your arm’s still bleeding.”

She chopped him lightly on the head before gently taking his arm. From her pouch, she pulled out bandages and began wrapping the wound. She’d always handled their medical needs—though the boy knew better than to test her.

Piss her off, and she wouldn’t hesitate to dose him with poison or knockout drops.

Footsteps echoed from upstairs. Both froze, but seeing no flicker of lantern light, they pressed against the wall, melting into the shadows.

[Shadow Walk]—a common rogue skill. Unless you had a rare talent to enhance it, it was pretty standard… Blend into darkness, undetectable unless forced out or attacked. The downside? A brief delay before you could act after emerging.

“Hey, hurry up!”

“What do you expect? My skill’s lower-level than yours!”

“Whose fault is that? You skipped upgrading it to study alchemy!”

“And who saved your life last time you were bleeding out, huh?”

“Tch— Wait, light! They’ve got lanterns. The guards are hiding, but… Are they sweeping the whole manor?”

“Probably. We could take them, but if they call reinforcements…”

“We’re screwed. So move!”

“I can’t! My skill level’s too low!”

“Hurry!”

“Quit shoving me! You’ll push me out of the shadows!”

Somehow, they evaded the patrolling servants and reached a hallway lined with doors. The boy tested each one—all locked.

“You’ve got Lockpicking Mastery, right? Get to work.”

“No good. These locks are too high-level. Unless… there’s a gap to reach the handle from the other side, it’s impossible.”

“Yeah, right. Like a noble’s manor would leave a broken door unfixed.”

“I know, okay? Just thinking out loud— Wait! That one! There’s a hole right under the handle!”

“Huh? Seriously? Perfect timing—we’re cornered anyway.” The girl tensed as lantern light crept closer.

The boy darted to the door, pulling out his lockpicks. His left hand slipped through the hole, gripping the inner handle, while his right worked the lockpick outside.

“Three… two… one… Come on, click already!” He twisted the pick, praying for the telltale click.

Click.

The door swung open. The boy grinned, yanking the girl inside before softly shutting it behind them.

Moments later, footsteps passed outside. Through the hole, they watched the light glide past before fading away. Both exhaled in relief.

“Phew! Can’t believe there was actually a broken door here. Probably rats.”

“Either way, we’re safe for now. Let’s rest here and move at dawn. Here—rations.” The girl tossed the boy a flatbread before tearing into her own.

“Mm. Should be out of the city soon. That employer really screwed us over. Thought we could handle it, but now survival’s the priority.”

“Dying once isn’t the end, but grinding back our losses is annoying.”

“Exactly why I’m not keen on kicking the bucket. Life’s precious, y’know? Teacher always said self-respect matters— Mmph! Mmm—”

“This room’s not bad. Has chairs and a bed—must be a guest room.”

“Mmm… Mmm? Mmph! Gulp— Hey, look. There’s something on the bed.” The boy pointed, forcibly turning the girl’s head.

“Ow! Don’t manhandle me—I can see! …Huh. There is something.”

They set their food aside, approaching the bed from opposite sides. A figure lay wrapped in seat cushions, half-buried under long blue hair. A girl?

“It’s a girl. Cute, but… She’s pale. Freezing, by the looks of it.”

“Yeah, but this temperature’s nothing to a normal person.”

“Hey, Noelle… You think she’s dead? Eep—!”

“Dead? She’s still breathing! She’s just cold… Hang on. I’ve got ginger potion—warms you right up.”

“Oho~? Sharing your precious potions? How unlike you~.”

“Shut it. I’m not heartless. Even if this is a trap, she’s half-frozen. Can’t just leave her.”

Laying the girl flat, the girl carefully tipped the golden potion into her mouth. The girl’s lips parted slightly, letting the liquid slide down.

“Gulp… Gulp… Haah… Hah…”

Soon, the girl’s breathing steadied, color returning to her cheeks. The potion—a boosted ginger brew with mandrake—was working.

“There. She’ll be fine soon. The warmth’ll spread, but… I still don’t get it. This room’s only about 10 degrees colder than usual. Not enough to freeze someone.”

“Maybe she’s got a weird condition…”

…

“Alright, let’s rest too. Rogues don’t tire easily, but a nap won’t hurt.”

“You’d really sleep in enemy territory? What if we’re caught? We’d be defenseless—no different from logging out. And if they don’t kill us outright… torture, interrogation… then execution?”

“You’re overthinking it. Suit yourself, but I’m sleeping. Yawn… This bed’s comfy~.”

The boy flopped onto the bed beside the girl, nuzzling into the sheets like a cat. The girl wedged herself between them, shielding the unconscious girl.

“Fine, but leave some space! And don’t harass her… Actually, let’s just sleep on the couch.”

“Nah, I’m staying here.”

“Ugh… Fine. But no funny business, got it? And don’t go blabbing about sharing a bed—it’s embarrassing.”

“Ohhh~? You are a girl? My bad—with your flat chest and short hair, I just figured— Grin.”

“So that’s what you think of me? Fine. No bread for you tomorrow.”

“W-Wait, no! I take it back! Please don’t!”