leave it to us

Previously, our handsome, young, talented, and manly protagonist found himself trapped (once again) in an unknown space, supported by his companion, a (self-proclaimed) seductive serpent goddess, along with an army of cute, small, and helpful straw doll curses.

Which brings up the question: what will happen next?

"How do we get out of here?!"

Alright, enough escaping reality, let's head back to where we left off, okay?

<"Calm down. Evidently, we should be able to leave by completing the unfinished story.">

However, at the same time as I panicked, following my desperate question, Echidna answered calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world while the breeze gently swayed the foliage around us.

"Could you repeat that...?"

So, naturally expecting answers, I asked again to confirm!

<"As I said, to escape a literary world, you simply need to complete the story's unfinished plot to leave.">

...And indeed, Echidna repeated herself in confirmation... Does that mean that to leave we have to find something... by overcoming a potentially labyrinthine tower...?

"I see... We just have to finish the story... We're doomed..."

Yep, once I understood that, I immediately dropped to my knees onto the damp grass, dramatically despairing as I covered my face with both hands.

Do you want to know why?

Well, to recap, you might remember that all the stories in this world are, to put it mildly, peculiar (weird), and this one is most likely no exception.

How am I so sure, you ask...?

Elementary, my dear reader! I'm so sure because moments before being completely absorbed—or rather sucked in and dragged into this place after opening the book—while I was being trapped, I managed to read enough of this story to know what I had to do.

You see, this story is about a fantasy world where a powerful, dying king decides to leave his most precious treasures atop a massive tower filled with traps and beasts to protect them from thieves!

Which naturally means that this story focuses on a character who manages to reach the summit to claim the king's treasure.

The problem, however, is that the beasts, traps, and the tower's guardian were far too strong, so no one ever managed to seize the king's treasure, leaving the story unfinished with a blank ending!

So, to get out of here, I must scale the imposing tower, overcome the traps, beasts, and guardian to claim the treasure, and grant this story a conclusion.

"Easy, right?"

As if I'd say something like that!

<"...I suppose I should step in... Oh, maybe it won't be necessary...">

Don't mess with me! I practically have no offensive attacks, and you want me to clear a dungeon that must have some sort of labyrinthine structure?!

"How on earth am I supposed to climb this?!"

But while I was sinking into an unbridled sense of despair, at that very moment...

(Slap)

...Unexpectedly, one of the small straw dolls suddenly slapped my cheek.

"Ehh...?"

I'll be frank, I was prepared to get slapped by Echidna... But I never expected it from one of these little ones...

(No problem! Leave this to us)

Immediately after, the straw dolls proudly puffed out their tiny straw chests right in front of me while comforting me.

"Ohh!... Yeah..."

...I'm not going to lie to you, the straw dolls' gesture felt so heroic and attractive that honestly, I even blushed a little.