"How in the world did I end up here?" Young Adrive furrowed his brow, scanning his surroundings. A spartan room greeted him-four walls and nothing more. He sat on a single bed with a nightstand nearby, complete with a barred window that hinted at an attempt at security more than decor. A fog-clouded view outside suggested a world of obscurity with teasing glimpses of light. The wooden door was shut tight, with the silence in the room so thick you could hear a pin drop. Adrive was on duty at the morgue-then, in the blink of an eye, he found himself here. Talk about a sudden relocation! Could this be... supernatural shenanigans at play?
"How in the world did I end up here?"
Young Adrive furrowed his brow, scanning his surroundings.
A spartan room greeted him-four walls and nothing more. He sat on a single bed with a nightstand nearby, complete with a barred window that hinted at an attempt at security more than decor.
A fog-clouded view outside suggested a world of obscurity with teasing glimpses of light.
The wooden door was shut tight, with the silence in the room so thick you could hear a pin drop.
Adrive was on duty at the morgue-then, in the blink of an eye, he found himself here. Talk about a sudden relocation!
Could this be... supernatural shenanigans at play?
As if on cue:
[Welcome to the Dorm Survival Game!]
[Here, you will face challenges where the line between life and death is razor thin. If you die, you die for real. Like, caput. Done.]
[Each player gets their own dorm. It's your home-sweet-apocalyptic-home and your sanctuary.]
[This game round lasts for four days and is called Fright Night.]
[Survive till the end, and you'll move on to the next round-dorm and all.]
[Game settings vary each round. This round has a day-night cycle; daytime is relatively safe-so go outside, beef up.]
[Night ramps up the danger; staying in is smarter.]
[Mastering the day-to-night shift is key to surviving Fright Night.]
[Discover more as you go-seriously, who has time for lengthy tutorials in this fast-paced era?]
[Have fun, gamers!]
A translucent panel flickered into existence before Adrive.
It oozed a sci-fi vibe.
Adrive's eyes went wide.
No way. This is legit?
His skepticism spiked, but curiosity won out. He poked the panel's 'X' to dismiss the intro.
New menus popped up: [Stats] [Dorm] [Chat] [Friends] [Map] [Misc].
He hit [Stats] first, revealing his personal attributes.
---
Adrive:
Level: 1
Status: Healthy
Spirit: 11
Strength: 9
Agility: 9
Stamina: 9
Sanity: 100/100
Energy: 100/100
Life: 100/100
Satiety: 65/100
Equipment: Nada
Skills: Zilch
Note: For a reference, a healthy adult dude is a solid 10 across Spirit, Strength, Agility, and Stamina.
---
"I work out, yet I'm under the standards? Tough crowd," Adrive grumbled internally.
His exploration continued with [Dorm].
---
Room Number: 815
Level: College Freshman Woes (1)
Size: 100 sq ft of cozy
Door Durability: 30/30
Wall Durability: 100/100
Features: A door, a single bed, a nightstand, protective window bars, and an overhead light.
---
Hence the game's title: Dorm Survival makes sense now.
He tapped through more features, finding his [Friends] list emptier than a ghost town.
The [Map] only revealed his current abode.
Under [Misc], a mishmash of mini-applications, including a camera.
[Chat] was next.
Public Channel #77 beckoned.
Another game-like prompt: he needed a handle.
Old gaming habits kicked in, and he typed in 'ZeroDegree'.
Typical game chat ensued: confusion, accusations of wardrobe theft, and someone threatened by digital tough guys.
Adrive scoped out the rest, then made his move to the door.
The actual door opened-go figure.
Peering out into a dimly lit corridor, he spotted a woman across the way, a vision of beauty in panic, retreating into her room.
Admin Group Invite received: [You've been added to Newbies Group #77 as a Trial Admin-Codename Tomato].
Another chat, this one full of fruit-themed codenames discussing the timely mobilization of players and an obsession with zombies.
Adrive absorbed the intel: An hour until darkness falls, zombies on the prowl, and the dire need for resource gathering.
Eyes open now with determination, he pocketed a key from a previously ignored detail on the lock, secured the door, and plunged into the gloomy hallway, ready to hustle.
With only echos accompanying his knocks on door #840, the game was on.
"Yesterday, in the latest round of the chilling game, the player known as 'Gin' completed 10 D-level tasks and 2 C-level tasks, performing beyond expectations to finish the game and earned three 'horror-class' ghost entities. Promptly recognized by the nation, he was recruited as an official Spirit Master." "As the global horror game phenomenon marks its second anniversary, this player from Country C becomes the 13th person to finish the game and be directly employed by the government as a first-class Spirit Master..." Inside the stuffy school bus, Richard, with his eyes closed, listened to the radio news with a hint of impatience, "Can we turn that off?" No one paid him any attention.
The first class of the new semester was taught by the class teacher. The bell had just rung, and the faint whispers had not yet ceased. The class teacher put down the chalk and turned around, his stern gaze sweeping over the students who were whispering. Immediately, the students who were chatting fell silent. "Thoms," Gonzalez whispered, "don't write it."
Every part of Camille's body seemed to be shredded, with every inch of flesh and bone permeated with excruciating pain. Her eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and through the hazy blood-colored sight, even the candlelight appeared tinged with crimson. "Sister, when you took my place in the Eath genre that day, did you ever think it would come to this?" A lazy female voice drawled into her ear, sometimes distant, sometimes near, making her doubt whether this was yet another nightmare.
The sky brightened once again. Thin mist shrouded the vast plains and forests, adding a gauzy veil to everything. Soft, bright orange morning sunlight slid down from the treetops, collecting on the fields and illuminating the thin mist and the low bushes at the base of the trees. It was a chilly morning. Todd huddled in a cramped mountain cave, covered in fallen leaves.
Beatrice died prematurely due to a malfunction in the inferno machine, but the King of Hell promised to let her be reborn and even granted her a few years of cultivation. The condition was that the seal would be lifted five years later. Recalling her memories, this place was Optimus Prime Land. She transmigrated into the body of a seven-year-old girl, abandoned in the mountains by her uncle after her parents had passed away, leaving her and her brothers stranded.
So hungry... Can one feel hunger after death? Amidst a daze, Ashley pondered over this thought. She was not sure how much time had passed until the discomfort of hunger, which seemed to press against her very core, finally roused her.
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
Brenna lived with her adoptive parents for twenty years, enduring their exploitation. When their real daughter appeared, they sent Brenna back to her true parents, thinking they were broke. In reality, her birth parents belonged to a top circle that her adoptive family could never reach. Hoping Brenna would fail, they gasped at her status: a global finance expert, a gifted engineer, the fastest racer... Was there any end to the identities she kept hidden? After her fiancé ended their engagement, Brenna met his twin brother. Unexpectedly, her ex-fiancé showed up, confessing his love...
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”