"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.
"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 bus was buzzing with his classmates' chatter, nearly all of it focused on the news story.
"I'm so jealous of those guys. How did they complete those tasks in such a terrifying setting? If it were me, I'd be shaking too hard to even stand."
"They're psychos with ironclad wills, motivated only by the rewards, sacrificing life for money. We can't even compare to them."
"It'll be our turn soon, right? Once we turn 18, we have to enter the horror game at least once. Just thinking about it is terrifying."
"What's there to be scared of? Last year, a newbie turned 18, tackled three F-class characters, snagged some rewards, and afterwards, tycoons tripped over themselves to buy them. Heard he made a billion and is set for life!"
"Let's make an effort; maybe we won't have worries in our next life either," said a student, his voice bubbling with excitement.
"Idiot, with that attitude, don't plan on returning alive!"
"That horror game round, over fifty students entered, but just over twenty returned alive, and more than ten developed heart conditions from the shock."
"The only one who got a reward just hit the jackpot with the easiest task."
"For first-timers,"
"Just focus on making it back alive-that's the best you can hope for," said a boy with a center-parted hairstyle leaning against the window, his voice cold and detached.
His words sent a chill through many of the students.
The counselor hurried to reassure them: "Don't be scared. Last year, the death rate was indeed high, but now, with government intervention, the difficulty of the horror game has been reduced."
"Especially for first-timers, there's a protection mechanism in place. Once you meet that condition, even if you die in the game, you'll safely return to the real world."
This information put the students somewhat at ease.
That did seem the case.
Last month, two batches of newbies made their first entry into the game, and most of them returned alive.
And a few even completed their tasks!
But still,
There were casualties.
"Richard, after this trip, let's find some time to sign up," said a studious-looking guy with glasses.
Simon could very well be Richard's only close buddy, a classmate with a minimal presence.
Signing up online for the horror game.
It's different from being sent in there against your will.
In the former case, under government supervision, you get a protective mechanism. Hit that, and even if you get killed by a ghost in the game, you come back to life in reality.
It's more like a disqualification.
For the latter, the word 'forced' says it all.
Those sent in under duress get no state protection, and whether you're a newbie or a veteran, everyone's treated equally.
To put it simply,
A bronze-level player could find themselves in a champions' match!
"No rush, I'll sign up with you once I sort some things out," Richard yawned.
"Are you talking about the thing with your parents? Any leads?" Simon asked.
Richard nodded.
A year ago, his parents vanished without a trace.
Richard suspected they were forced into the horror game.
But the police found no evidence of their participation in any such game.
Throughout the year, as Richard sought the truth, his studies took a back seat.
Had it not been for his older sister's insistence, he would have dropped out of school by now.
A year without a single lead had left Richard cold.
Even if his parents had entered the horror game, not appearing for a year likely meant...
Worried Richard might unravel if he kept investigating, Simon had enlisted them on a tour, hoping a change of scenery would help.
Distracted, Richard failed to notice the strange look on Simon's face after he spoke...
CRASH!
Just then, the school bus veered from the path, nearly crashing into the roadside barrier, but the driver managed to steer it back just in time.
Everyone was startled, and a couple of students were thrown to the floor.
"Driver, what happened?" students cried out in alarm.
Clutching his chest, the driver offered a weak smile, "Just a sudden pain in the heart."
No sooner had he spoken than he coughed up blood and collapsed onto the steering wheel.
Before anyone could react, the bus deviated from the path again, smashed through the concrete barrier, and plunged from the elevated highway into the river below...
On the bridge, onlookers were stunned.
"Hello, 110, there's been an accident on Jinzhou Bridge. A bus has fallen into the river!"
People crowded the bridge and riverside, frantically making calls.
There were dozens of lives at stake inside that bus!
Rescue teams arrived quickly, diving into the river to save people and retrieve the vehicle.
The bus was hauled out of the water by a crane but, mysteriously, not a single person was found inside.
While boats scoured the river for ages and nets were cast for hours, only the bodies of the driver and counselor were recovered.
The 45 students on the bus had all vanished without a trace!
Elsewhere...
In another world...
The stench of blood and decay filled their noses as Richard and his classmates groggily woke to find themselves in a confined room.
"Welcome all players to your first foray into the horror game. Let me give you a brief rundown of the rules."
"Matching the theme of the game, you will be transported to the respective places. Based on your assigned roles, you are to cater to the guests' needs."
Hint: The customer is always right-don't you dare give them attitude, or they might take something from you-like an eye, a tongue, or of course, your very life.~"
"The game lasts for seven days. Getting along with the customers during this time is crucial. Complete your tasks and, above all else, strive to survive."
"After the game, rewards will be granted based on the tasks completed and your performance during service."
"The theme for this horror game is-Hell's Restaurant."
The mysterious voice resounding through the room sent a shiver down the spine of every student.
In an instant, the magnitude of the situation hit them all.
Richard's face went blank.
They had been forcibly entered into the horror game...
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.
"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?
After two years of marriage, Kristian dropped a bombshell. "She's back. Let's get divorced. Name your price." Freya didn't argue. She just smiled and made her demands. "I want your most expensive supercar." "Okay." "The villa on the outskirts." "Sure." "And half of the billions we made together." Kristian froze. "Come again?" He thought she was ordinary—but Freya was the genius behind their fortune. And now that she'd gone, he'd do anything to win her back.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!