I Became a Stalker in a Yandere Dating Sim

The First Trial

A dungeon filled with OOPArts.

Divided into ten large floors, trials exist on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels to assist in the awakening and growth of magic users.

In simpler terms, there are trials on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels, and the final level serves as a stage to test these trials.

At the top of the platform was an ancient, weathered stone slab with a peculiar magic circle inscribed upon it.

Without any incidents, we arrived at the location of the first trial.

Erin, seemingly tense, stood there blankly, clutching the hem of my clothes.

She had been like a child who discovered a toy related to magical power, ecstatic and overjoyed.

This time, however, she wore a face like a kid who had forgotten the rules of a game, tightly pursing her lips.

“Homework doesn’t just disappear when you ignore it?”

As I rested my hand on her shoulder, she looked up at me with wide eyes.

Normally, she would have freaked out and demanded to know where I was touching her.

“What are you saying? I’m worried about what might happen to you, so I’m holding you back, okay!?”

Look at that? I don’t know where she learned it, but she was trying to shift the responsibility and embarrassment onto me.

—

If there’s even a hint of a chance, it’s a loss to the national treasury.

As I tried to shove it into the magic circle, it stubbornly clung to my hand like a sloth, refusing to budge.

“If you really don’t want to part with me, then there’s nothing I can do!”

With a face full of sheer terror, it was putting up a desperate fight, yet it sat there looking all smug like a childhood friend dragging me to the bathroom on a horror movie night.

It truly sat down on the floor, bracing itself as if it were in pain.

The problem here is that I have no childhood friend! Erin’s behavior is, quite literally, nonsensical…

“Haah…”

For some reason, I flinched at Rika’s sigh from behind, arms crossed as she watched.

Indeed, no matter how long it’s been, this magic circle is something that can show the essence of an ancient civilization.

It’s as if it liberates the brain 100%, no, even more, ruthlessly elevating the abilities needed by wizards.

Just standing nearby makes my consciousness drift away, unable to hold onto my thoughts.

It wasn’t because I wanted to tease Erin, who had stuck to me like glue.

I had sworn to Changu that I would only tease her three times a day, so it definitely wasn’t that, not at all.

To prove this, Rika and Jane were standing far away from the magic circle, as if they didn’t want their heads to get messed up.

“I, I want to go in too—!”

“No, Ciel, please just stay still.”

In truth, I was just trying to stop Ciel from thinking her head was a complete mess.

“Right! How about Ciel goes in instead? You stay with me, okay?”

Like a puppy that doesn’t want a bath, Erin seized the opportunity and wouldn’t let go.

Usually, she would pick a fight just by being around.

“Listen well, Erin, if you can’t even handle this, you’re just a lunchbox.”

Since I could only mess with Erin three times a day, I laid down the facts.

“W-What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden? You’re acting weirder than usual because of that strange magic circle, aren’t you? Let’s get out of here quickly!”

Then Erin countered with facts, proving to be a formidable opponent that I’d have to deal with three times a day.

“No, miss, you were whining about wanting your deck to get stronger.”

“Oh my, now you’re finally calling me ‘miss’?”

“Nooo! Stop messing around and get in!!! What do you mean ‘miss’!!”

“Ugh—!!! What?? If I’m not a miss, then what am I!?!”

“A little kid from Dangoma!!!”

“Miss kick!!!”

—

“Is she really a crazy woman!?”

I couldn’t help but admire Erin’s desperate attempts to twist the conversation and change the subject.

“Miss Backchoke!”

“No, why does a wizard know grappling, and at that level, it’s not a backchoke but a backhug? Why do you keep adding ‘miss’ in front of it??”

She continued to display bizarre behavior, skillfully taking advantage of my personality, which couldn’t resist nitpicking at her actions.

Like a wounded beast, she clung to me, her persistence almost artistic.

But the fault lay with her.

I lowered my head and grabbed Erin upside down.

It was a bit uncomfortable, and as she squirmed, I hugged her tightly and walked straight toward the magic circle.

“Ahhh—!!!! Let go, you pervert!!!”

“The pervert here isn’t me; it’s you. You’re done for now.”

After all, this magic circle only responded to those who had truly mastered the magical arts, so I kept walking.

At first, Erin’s face turned red, but soon it went pale as she screamed to be let go.

“No!!! I won’t go in there!!!”

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, she thrashed about like a pitiful creature who didn’t want to fall into hell, her voice trembling.

Indeed, one could confidently say that her prowess in magic was remarkable.

“Alright, alright, let’s go in together, together.”

“I hate that even more!!!!”

She seemed to have a rough idea of what would happen to her if she went in, letting out a shriek.

This is why I dislike quick-witted and sharp-tongued wizards.

To explain briefly, the first trial involves opening up the brain and mind to maximize and condense it.

In simpler terms, it’s about extending the realm of consciousness not just to oneself but to the surroundings as well.

You could say it’s almost on the level of reality manipulation, though the limits and performance depend on the user’s capabilities.

What’s funny here is that projecting one’s thoughts onto the surroundings means that the surroundings are directly influenced by those thoughts.

“Stop!!! No, please!!! Just let me down—!!!”

“No, stay still.”

In this state, their thoughts and inner feelings would be laid bare.

And that’s while the brain and mind are opened beyond 100%.

In simpler terms, it’s like having your thoughts read by others while in a state of sleep anesthesia or drunkenness.

The remaining two trials were similar mental challenges.

—

I just can’t quite remember the third trial.

If I remembered the location, and it was definitely important, I would have recalled it.

Now that I think about it, the place where the thieves’ guild has made its nest is where the third trial is located.

It’s no surprise that they, being thieves, found the most secretive spot hidden in the dungeon and set up their workshop and office there.

From the very beginning, this place where Erin is standing needs to be activated step by step for the final trial to commence, and one must pass the previous trials to receive the trial of that floor.

It wasn’t hard to understand why they thought of that place as just a secret space and made it their nest.

“Haah… Am I really that appealing? If you like me that much, stop holding back and confess, you crazy idiot!!”

…Seeing Erin, who said she would endure the trials while spouting all sorts of strange words, it wasn’t hard to understand.

“Alright, let’s see how clean Erin’s mind is, who always calls me a crazy idiot?”

As I tucked Erin under my arm and stepped into the magic circle, it activated with a loud display of sophisticated blue, purple, and red hues, despite its age.

“I don’t waaant it!!!”

Until she overcomes the trial and fully manages the influence of her mind and brain, her privacy would be exposed in real-time live streaming, so Erin rather asked to be killed.

“It stings~.”

The moment the magic circle flashed, I calmed Erin down with the familiar line from the nurse and the dentist.

“Kyaaak!!!”

It seemed Erin didn’t trust the doctor’s words about it stinging, as her body bent like a bow.

In a frenzy, she was about to succumb to the dense magical power of the ancient spell, almost dying from it.

In the original work, she would be writhing like this, draining 99% of her energy and stamina, but Erin seemed to be gradually stabilizing her body as if she were controlling it.

Her gaze began to express something with clarity.

It was undoubtedly the kind of foul language that came from skipping a lot in the original work.

“Good job, good job, good job.”

As I cheered for Erin, who was holding on with a familiar rhythm, her gaze somehow became fiercer.

Perhaps it was because her magical power was condensed beyond its limits, or her brain was activated to an excessive level, but her eyes were changing.

Was it because her resilience was somehow admirable?

Or was it that I wanted to tease her every time Erin got angry?

As I patted her, she suddenly burst forth with a flash.

Since everything up to this point operated just as it did in the original work, I held my breath without panicking.

The ones waiting behind were flustered, but as they waved their hands to clear the dust that had risen with the flash, they quieted down.

The reason was simple.

—’What the heck, did it really work!? Hey, can you hear me???’

—

“Erin??? Why can I hear your voice in my head??”

“What is this….”

Due to the first trial of opening the brain and mind, those around Erin could read her thoughts.

-‘I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I really really hate it!! Why can that guy read my thoughts—!!!’

“I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I really really hate it!! Why can that guy read my thoughts—!!!”

Erin, having grasped her situation, was like a frothing madman, showing a perfect match between her words and actions.

“I brought you here because you said you wanted to be strong…”

With a click of her tongue, she glared at Erin, who was acting even worse than a child.

-‘Nooo—!!! I wanted to be strong like Rika or Jane, you know!? Like, I wanted to be all cool and strong while you save me! That’s how I wanted to get strong!!’

“Shut up!!! And stop reading my thoughts!!!”