I am an NPC in a horror game. Beautiful, but utterly useless—nothing more than a background prop. When the new batch of players arrived, I waited with eager anticipation for them to be picked off by the horrors of this place. But then, a message appeared before my eyes. [The little fool is still smiling. She has no idea these three players are monsters. They tear dungeons apart for fun. They're going to have a field day with her, hehe... The best part is the sandwich.] A jolt of fear shot through me. I belatedly registered the three pairs of hungry, predatory eyes fixed on me. But it was too late. I was already trapped between them. 1 "Time for your shot." At the stroke of midnight, I pushed my little cart into room 401. Inside were an old man and a girl who looked to be in her early twenties. The old man's face was a blank mask, his body withered and frail. I slid the needle into his skin and gave him his pills. He didn't react at all. After him, it was the girl's turn. The sight of the cold syringe in my hand drained the color from her face. A cold sweat beaded on her forehead. With a trembling hand, she pulled a knife from her pocket, her voice shaking. "Get away from me! I'm not taking it!" I stared at her in silence for a moment, then turned and pushed my cart out of the room. Take it or don't. It's not my funeral. This new batch of players was painfully stupid. I'd be surprised if they lasted three days. 2 Every room was the same: one NPC and one player. The players in 402 and 403 were more compliant. Scared, but they let me give them their shots. I was in a great mood, humming a little tune as I kicked open the door to room 404. But the scene inside froze the smile on my face. The NPC from room 404... was a mangled heap on the floor, his limbs twisted at unnatural angles. He'd been dead for hours. And the one responsible, the male player from 404, was sitting casually on the bed, his narrow, sinister eyes fixed on me, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Nurse, isn't it time for my shot?" His voice was a low, magnetic drawl, laced with amusement. A shiver ran down my spine, my vision swimming. This was a real pro. Vicious. He'd only been in the game for one day and had already taken out his roommate. He wouldn't just kill me too, would he? My hand, holding the syringe, was trembling. My legs felt like jelly as I approached the man on the bed. A glance at his chart confirmed my fears. Kane—Severe Mania. Extremely Dangerous. "Sleeve up, please," I said, forcing a calm I didn't feel. Kane raised an eyebrow, studied me for a moment, then obediently rolled up the sleeve of his striped patient gown. His forearm was well-defined, the muscles corded with thick veins. My legs nearly gave out again. He could probably snap my neck with one hand. But what choice did I have? I was a nurse in this asylum. If I refused to give a patient their shot, I'd be erased. I steeled myself and brought the syringe forward, placing one hand on his arm. It was scorching hot. Was a normal person's body temperature this high? Had he merged with some kind of mutated monster in this dungeon? "Is something wrong, Nurse?" the man asked from above, his voice dripping with mock concern. I tried to ignore the heat radiating from him, a heat that felt like it could melt me. I swallowed hard. "Nothing." I tried to push the needle into his skin. But his arm was as hard as a rock. The needle bent, but it wouldn't go in. Had he merged with some kind of stone monster? My vision went black for a second. "Mr. Kane, could you please relax your arm? It's too hard, I can't get the needle in." Kane raised an eyebrow, his tone deliberately teasing. "It's hard?" I nodded. "Yes!" At that, he relaxed his arm slightly. The needle finally broke the skin, and I was able to administer the shot. I let out a shaky breath, nearly collapsing in relief. 3 But my relief was short-lived. A pair of long, strong hands suddenly clamped around the back of my neck, yanking me backward. My back slammed against Kane's chest. His searing body heat and the powerful, rapid beat of his heart thudded against me through my uniform, as if we were being fused together. The heat was so intense I almost screamed. My face went bone-white. So this was it. He was done playing games. He was going to kill me. For a top-tier player like him, killing an NPC like me was as easy as squishing a bug. A powerful surge of survival instinct kicked in. Trembling, I held out a small, pink, rubber-band-like item, my voice a choked sob. "Mr. Kane, this is for you. Please don't kill me. I'll tell you the clue to clear the dungeon." [Nurse's Hair Tie: A hair tie often used by the beautiful but ditzy nurse. When placed on any object, it increases its strength by 20%.] Kane smiled, a slow, meaningful smile. "A nice little toy." He released me, almost reluctantly, and pocketed the hair tie. "The clue." Having escaped death, I slumped to the floor, my head bowed. "There's a door in the morgue," I mumbled. "It's the way out." 4 At my words, a derisive smile touched Kane's lips. His sharp eyes bored into me, as if he could see right through my lie. "Alright then," he said lazily. "Lead the way, Nurse." My heart sank. I couldn't go. That was a lie. The morgue was a dead end. If I went, I would die. I feigned composure, backing away slowly. "I can't. I have to give the other patients their shots." But I quickly ran out of room, my back hitting a hard, unyielding chest. The man behind me wrapped a large hand around my waist, trapping me in his embrace. His voice was a cold, low warning. "Lead the way." Help me! I'm actually going to cry. When did another person get in the room? I hadn't heard a thing. Kane clicked his tongue, his eyes flicking impatiently to the man behind me. "Damian, don't scare her." The man behind me grunted in displeasure, but the grip on my arm loosened slightly. It still hurt, though! I gritted my teeth, my mind racing, plotting how to lure these two bastards into the morgue and let the monsters finish them off. "If you would be so kind, Nurse," Kane said, getting up and walking toward me. His tall frame, nearly six-foot-three, completely overshadowed me. He and Damian had me pinned between them. Sob... It seemed I didn't have a choice. 5 Kane on my left, Damian on my right. One hot, one cold, they squeezed me between them. The faint, metallic smell of blood filled my nostrils. My body was rigid with fear. Ding. The elevator doors opened. The entire second basement level was the morgue. Under the dim, eerie lights, rows and rows of bodies lay under white sheets. I swallowed hard, my voice trembling with nerves. "Gentlemen... this is the morgue. The clue to leave the dungeon is in here. Can I go now?" Kane crossed his arms, looking down at me. "Are you sure there aren't any traps in here, Nurse?" My heart skipped a beat. I shook my head quickly. "It's just bodies in here. It's not dangerous!" The more I said it, the less I believed it myself. This was a horror game dungeon. How could the morgue not be dangerous? The smile on Kane's face deepened. Damian was silent, his dark, inscrutable eyes fixed on me, revealing nothing. Just when I thought my lie had been exposed, they exchanged a look and, without hesitation, stepped out of the elevator and into the gloomy morgue. I scrambled to hit the "close door" button. In the final second before the doors slid shut, the bodies in the morgue shot up, tearing off their white sheets and letting out bloodcurdling screams as they swarmed toward the two men. Kane turned back, a cold smile on his lips, his voice a chilling whisper. "See you tomorrow, Nurse." 6 Hehe. See you tomorrow? See you in hell. I'd heard from other NPCs. The monsters in the morgue weren't strong, but their bites were laced with a deadly corpse poison. Once infected, even the strongest players would be dead within half an hour. The thought of sacrificing my precious little hair tie just to save my own skin... I rubbed my bruised waist, gritting my teeth, and pressed the button for the fifth floor. I'd gotten rid of two powerful players for the Director. I even sacrificed an item. He had to compensate me for that, right? 7 I'd heard the Director of the asylum used to be a player himself. He’d taken out the final boss in this very dungeon, and somehow, in the process, had become the new Director. I didn't care about any of that. I got to the fifth floor and knocked on his office door. "Director, it's me, Lily." A few seconds later, the door clicked open. I smiled and pushed it open. The light in the office was a cold, dim white. The Director, half his face hidden by a mask, sat on a black leather sofa, his long legs crossed, his pale fingers tapping a rhythmic beat on the armrest. "What is it?" His voice was hoarse, and the eye behind the mask was as cold and predatory as a snake's. I ignored all of that, scurrying over to his feet and hugging his leg, pouting. "Director, Lily got rid of two really tough players for you, and I lost my little hair tie." His cold gaze fell on my neck. He reached out, his pale fingertips tracing a line across my skin. "Did they touch you?" I pouted and nodded. This was a work-related injury! The thought of that poor NPC in room 404, the one Kane had killed so brutally, sent a shiver down my spine. I could have been next! At that thought, I hugged the Director's leg tighter, my voice a whiny, tearful wail. "Director, sir, they almost killed Lily this time! You have to give me a raise, or at least some better items." I was confident in my ability to charm anyone with a little bit of a damsel-in-distress act. But the Director just sat there, his eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me, completely unmoved. My act deflated. A thought suddenly struck me. I remembered another NPC telling me that the Director had been a deeply romantic man in his past life. He had died saving his girlfriend. Oh god, how was my memory getting so bad? I'd forgotten my entire past life, but how could I forget that the Director had a girlfriend? I quickly let go of his leg and scrambled to my feet, apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry, Director! I'll go clean the rooms right now!" The Director grunted and handed me a set of clothes. "This is for you." [Pink Nurse's Uniform: A new uniform from the Director! Wear it to share a sensory link with him! In other words, when you're in danger, the Director will feel it too~] My eyes widened as I stared at the uniform in my hands. The function was... misleading. A sensory link with the Director. From what I knew, countless NPCs and players had died at his hands. You couldn't pay me to share a sensory link with a psycho like him. My lip twitched. I hesitated for a long moment before handing the uniform back. "Director, sir, I don't think this item is very useful for me. Could I maybe have something else?" The Director stared at me, his dark eyes unreadable. "Go change." Me: Huh? Was this right? I looked at the thin, pink fabric in my hands, feeling truly lost for the first time. Sensing my hesitation and reluctance, the Director pressed his lips together. "It's a new item I acquired. I need someone to test its effects." Oh... so I was just a guinea pig. I managed a nod and went into the adjoining break room to change. 8 "Director, sir, it's a little small." I came out of the break room, pouting, and self-consciously tugged at the fabric that was squeezing my chest. This stupid uniform was going to suffocate me. The Director narrowed his eyes, his gaze lingering on me. The white of his knuckles showed how tense he was. It was probably because of the sensory link. He must have been just as uncomfortable as I was. After a long moment, he swallowed, his voice hoarse. "Come here." He gestured for me to sit next to him. I tugged at my uniform, pouting, and sat down. "Director, when can I take this off? Your item is killing me." He slowly pulled a small whip from a drawer. "Lie down," he said calmly. Me: ? What did he mean? Seeing my confused expression, he explained, "The sensory link only works when you're hurt." In other words, I had to feel pain... for him to feel it. The Director... was going to whip me?! In that instant, a thousand thoughts raced through my mind. I remembered how, when he first took over, he had killed every single NPC in the asylum who dared to defy him. Ruthless, dark, twisted—those words were made for him. If I didn't do what he said, he would probably kill me too. Sigh... What's a little humiliation when your life is on the line? I resigned myself to my fate and lay down on the black leather sofa, my face a mask of misery. "Go ahead, Director. But don't hit me too hard. If you kill me, you won't have any other little nurses who listen to you like I do." With my back to him, I didn't see the slow curve of his lips. The whip landed on my backside, not too hard, not too soft. I heard his voice, strained and hoarse. "My name is Cedric," he said. "Forget it again... and you die." 9 I ran out of the Director's office, my face burning. I thought he was going to hit me really hard, but it just felt like he was scratching an itch. Hehe. But he was still a total psycho. Hitting me was one thing, but what was that about an armpit... He wanted me to smell his armpit! Pure humiliation! At least the dead-eyed bastard had a conscience. He compensated me with a whole pile of new items. Back in my little room, I spread my new loot out on the bed. [Beauty Pill: Can be consumed to eliminate acne, blackheads, and other blemishes.] [White and Purple Gradient Seashell Dress: A dress from the human world. Wearing it has a chance to increase your beauty stat by 10%.] My eyes widened in disbelief. I stared at the pile of useless junk on my bed. My body trembled with rage. Stupid Director! Useless Director! I wasted all that breath for this? A bunch of items that were completely useless in a horror game? My gaze fell on the last item. [Prophetic Message: Receive one hint about the future.] My eyes lit up. I used it without hesitation. Suddenly, a message full of pink, bubbly hearts appeared before me. [The little fool is still smiling~ These three men are monsters. They tear dungeons apart for fun. They're going to have a field day with her, hehe... The best part is the sandwich.] 10 What was this garbage? I didn't understand a single word. A message I couldn't understand was as good as nothing. I rolled my eyes and went to sleep. The next day, I got a new mission. Disguise myself as a human and go undercover among the players. At night, I had to give them their shots and pills. During the day, I had to pretend to be a player and search for clues with them? This was ridiculous. They were working me like a dog. I cursed the Director and all his ancestors in my head. Then, I resigned myself to my fate, took a pill that changed my appearance, put on a striped patient gown, and went to the fourth floor to meet up with the other players. "Aaaahhhh—" A man's scream echoed through the hallway. The remaining four players rushed over, crowding around the door to room 401. The female player who had refused her shot last night was dead on the bed, her eyes bulging, her death a gruesome sight. "There were nine of us... and it's only the first day, and there are only six of us left! Three people died in one night! How are we supposed to survive for two more days?" The players' faces were ashen, their spirits crushed. Everyone knew the success rate for the Asylum dungeon was incredibly low. Almost no one made it out alive. Even a pro like the Director had died here. They were doomed. "What's all the screaming about so early in the morning? Is everyone dead already?" A lazy, magnetic voice cut through the despair. Kane stood at the corner of the hallway, hands in his pockets, a playful smile on his lips. Beside him, Damian held a blood-soaked longsword, his cold eyes, shadowed by his messy hair, sweeping over the group. My breath hitched, the hairs on my arms standing on end. They were alive! They had been swarmed by a hundred corpses in the morgue, and they had fought their way out. Kane looked completely unscathed, as if he'd just been for a stroll. Damian, on the other hand, radiated a murderous aura. He was definitely going to kill me. Tonight, when I went to give them their shots, they were going to kill me for sure. But I quickly calmed down and came up with a brilliant plan. "You guys... are you players too?" The other players, startled by the sudden appearance of Kane and Damian, were clearly on guard. "What else?" Kane's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Got tricked by an NPC and sent to the morgue last night. Just got out." The players' eyes fell on the bloody sword in Damian's hand, and a collective shiver ran through them. These two were brave. On the first night of the game, instead of staying safely in their rooms, they'd gone looking for trouble in the morgue. "Did you find any clues in there?" Under the hopeful gazes of the other players, Damian frowned, his voice cold. "No." Of course not. There were only monsters in the morgue. It was a death trap. But the other players didn't believe him. High risk, high reward. A place as dangerous as the morgue had to have a clue. These two were just being selfish. "We're all players! Why are you being so selfish? You won't even share a single clue!" "This is a team-based dungeon! You have to think about the group!" The moral high ground. Classic. Damian was clearly out of patience. His cold eyes shot to the most vocal players, and he slowly drew his sword. That shut them up. They quickly changed the subject, suggesting they split up to find clues.
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