The Game descended. To save their own skins, my adoptive parents threw me into the trial in their place. 【Who the hell tossed a three-year-old in here? I’ll bet she doesn’t last the night.】 【I’ll give her half an hour, tops.】 On the first night, the security guard who’d been boiled alive in the heat opened his bloody maw to devour me. I blew a tiny puff of air toward him. “A little breeze to cool you down, Grandpa~” On the second night, the dripping phantom of a girl wrapped her icy hands around my throat. I used my sleeve to wipe the water from her face. “Be careful, big sister, or you’ll catch a cold!” … On the final day, the last remaining players kidnapped me, trying to steal the protective relics I carried. That’s when every single Boss in the realm went berserk. “HAS ANYONE SEEN MY BABY?!” 1 【Welcome to the Evergreen Estates Realm.】 【Survive for one week to clear this trial.】 【Initial Players: 7—】 The system’s eerie voice hitched for a second. 【Initial Players: 6.5. The kid counts as half. Have a nice, quick death.】 “You’ve got to be kidding me, a kid?” “She won’t make it through the night.” A cold glint flashed in a middle-aged man’s eyes. “Well, if you’re going to die anyway, you can scout ahead for us!” With that, he shoved me, hard, into the sprawling, desolate suburban complex. I tumbled head over heels, the rough gravel tearing open the half-healed cuts on my knees. A sharp gasp of pain escaped my lips. I pushed myself up, patting the dust from my worn-out clothes. “It doesn’t hurt, Cici. It doesn’t hurt.” I sniffled, forcing back the tears that burned my eyes. Crying was not an option. The last time I cried, my adoptive mother slapped me until my head rang. “Useless brat, crying all our good luck away!” she’d shrieked. “A psychic told us adopting a girl would bring our son good fortune. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have wasted a dime on you!” I shoved the memory down, scrubbing at my damp eyes with the back of my hand. Limping, I made my way to the security booth at the entrance. 【That’s the room of the S-Class Boss, Arthur! No one who enters ever comes out alive!】 【God, that poor kid. I can’t even watch.】 【You can’t blame the other players. It’s survival of the fittest in here. Everyone’s just trying to live.】 I knocked on the door of the security booth. The moment I did, the sky plunged into a sudden, deep twilight. The door creaked open. An old man emerged, his skin a terrifying, purplish-red. Sweat poured from him, drenching his uniform, and his eyes bulged from their sockets as if they were about to pop out. Nine cats swirled around his ankles. “Hot… so hot…” he rasped, his voice like a skipping record. The comments in the live feed flew by. 【Arthur will throw you into a high-temperature steamer and cook you alive… That kid is done for.】 【And those cats aren’t normal. They’ll strip you to the bone.】 【I’m out. Switching to another stream.】 But in the next second, one of the cats began to rub against my leg. I froze, stunned by the soft, unfamiliar feeling. I stared down, wide-eyed. “Grandpa,” I whispered, my voice trembling slightly, “the kitty… it keeps bumping its head on me!” 【LOL, I’m dead. The cat’s trying to be all spooky and seductive, and she’s just like, ‘Help, it’s ramming me!’】 【Aww, sweetie, you’re too cute for this world.】 【That cat ghost is thinking, ‘I’m throwing my best moves at a brick wall here.’】 【Wait, isn’t it supposed to eat her? Why is it cuddling?】 The cat heard me and paused, its furry body stiffening. It opened its mouth in an annoyed hiss, fangs glinting, ready to bite. But I knelt, stroking its head gently, then scratching under its chin. A deep, rumbling “purrrrr” vibrated from its chest. I’d never been allowed to touch a cat before. My adoptive parents made me sleep in the cold corner of the basement with the family dog, and that dog would lunge at any cat it saw. I’d tried to stop it a few times and gotten bitten for my trouble. This was the first time a cat had ever nudged me. The other eight cats crowded around, pushing their heads against my hands, all demanding to be petted. I went from one to the next, scratching and stroking until my forehead was beaded with sweat. 【Is this for real? She’s turned a horror game into a cat café!】 【So… we’re supposed to pet the ghost cats? Last time I tried that, one bit my hand off. I’m typing this with my foot.】 【Ew, dude.】 The lead cat meowed at Arthur a few times. He was silent for a long moment, then said in a strange, gravelly tone, “You can come in.” Cradling one of the smaller cats in my arms, I followed Arthur inside. The tiny security booth was suffocatingly hot and airless. It felt like an oven. But the cats had their own dedicated fan, and every single one looked sleek and well-cared-for. The moment Arthur stepped inside, sweat began to pour down his face like rain. Carefully, I turned the fan so it pointed toward him. Instantly, Arthur’s eyes blazed crimson, and blood began to trickle from the corners. “WHO TOLD YOU-YOU COULD TOUCH MY FAN?!” he roared. 【Okay, now she’s really dead… Arthur hates anyone touching his fan.】 【RIP, little one.】 He snatched me up, his mouth stretching impossibly wide, lined with teeth as sharp as needles. It was big enough to swallow me whole. “Whoosh,” I whispered, blowing a gentle puff of air at his face. I reached out my small hand and wiped the sweat from his temple. “I’ll blow on it to make it better, Grandpa. Then you won’t be so hot~” 2 Arthur was sweating so much; he must have been miserable. I focused on my task, blowing little puffs of air as earnestly as I could. I was so concentrated that I didn’t see the flicker of astonishment in his eyes. His jaw snapped shut with a click, just before a line of drool could escape. He carefully set me back on the floor. That was a close one. His gaze fell to the scrapes on my legs and lingered there for a long moment. Finally, he tossed a small box at my feet. Inside were antiseptic wipes and clean bandages. I’d never used things like this before. At home, even if I was beaten until I could barely breathe, my adoptive parents wouldn't have even given me a single band-aid. But if my brother, Kevin, got so much as a paper cut, they’d rush him to the doctor in a panic. This was the first time anyone had ever shown me this kind of small, warm concern. I sniffled, wrapping my arms around his leg and looking up at him with all the sincerity in my small heart. “Thank you for taking care of Cici, Grandpa. Cici is so happy!” The fierce, terrifying expression on Arthur’s face softened. The old ghost let out a strange, weary sigh. He lifted me onto a chair, knelt, and began to clean and bandage my wounds with a gentle touch, like a real grandfather caring for his granddaughter. The live feed chat was just a stream of question marks. 【?】 【My brain has short-circuited. Is this happening?】 【Did I accidentally switch to a family channel? Where’s the horror? Bro, you’re supposed to be eating people! It’s work time!】 【The only person who could say no to Cici is this [thumbs up]. I am this [thumbs down].】 Night fell. The players who had been waiting outside the community gates grew restless. Mark, the man who’d thrown me in, scowled. “Why haven’t we heard the system announce that little brat’s death yet?” Arthur had to feed once every night. If he was satisfied, the rest of them would be safe to enter the complex. Just as he finished speaking, the system’s voice echoed through the darkness. 【Night has fallen. All players must now choose a residence.】 【Anyone not inside the Estates in ten minutes will be eliminated.】 【Current Survivors: 6.5.】 “Damn it, that kid is still alive!” “I’m gonna find out what kind of relic she’s hiding!” By the time Mark reached the security booth, I was already fast asleep. Arthur had made a small cot for me and was humming a quiet lullaby. I was used to sleeping on a pile of rags in the basement. This was the first time I’d ever had a soft bed of my own. A bed where I didn’t have to worry about the rain leaking in or being startled awake in the middle of the night. “Thank you, Grandpa,” I’d murmured before drifting off. “You’re so nice.” Inside the booth, everything was peaceful. Outside, Mark was completely bewildered. He couldn’t stop a small, confused “Huh?” from escaping his lips. The sound made me stir and frown in my sleep. Arthur glanced at me, then immediately stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind him. He loomed over Mark, his voice a low, vicious snarl. “Who gave you permission to make a sound?!” Mark’s eyes widened in terror. He opened his mouth to scream, but in the next second… CRACK. Mark was quietly eliminated. 【Serves him right! Trying to use Cici as a scapegoat.】 【Arthur is so protective! I’ve never seen a ghost look so… paternal. I think I might be going crazy.】 The system announced that there were now 4.5 players left. I woke up and rubbed my eyes as my stomach let out a loud, gurgling growl. I clapped my hands over it, embarrassed, and glanced around. I hope no one heard that… At home, I was always hungry. I’d never had a full meal in my life, so I was used to the feeling. I pushed the hunger down and smiled up at Arthur. “Good morning, Grandpa!” He glanced at my flat tummy, then at the food sitting on his counter—a bowl of what looked like stew with strange, misshapen chunks of meat in it. He paused for a moment, then took the bowl away. “Wait here,” he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. And with that, he vanished. Arthur reappeared in front of the remaining players, holding the bowl of stew in one hand while his other hand closed around their throats. “Give. Me. Food.” The players, pale with terror, stammered, “W-what food?” 【Player’s internal monologue: What food? Aren’t WE the food?!】 3 【Why is Arthur out during the day?】 【Dude, I think he’s getting food for Cici… Humans can’t eat ghost food.】 In the next moment, Arthur held the bowl of stew out to one of the players. “You took something of mine. Now give me your food in return!” In the realm, everyone survived on dry rations that barely kept the hunger at bay. The sight of the steaming, fragrant stew with its huge chunks of meat made the players swallow hard. Two of them exchanged a look and quickly pulled out their own meager supplies. Arthur didn’t torment them further. He took their offerings and disappeared. Whether they dared to eat his stew was their choice. When Arthur returned to the security booth, the system announced that two more players were gone. “Grandpa, where did you go?” I asked, blinking up at him as I quickly hid something behind my back. Arthur saw my movement but didn’t call me out on it. “I was making breakfast,” he said. “You can play by yourself for a little while.” I let out a sigh of relief. I took out the piece of cardstock I’d been hiding and carefully drew on it before folding it into a fan. Grandpa was always so hot. I wanted to make him a gift before I had to leave. 【Aww, Cici and her grandpa are so sweet, always thinking of each other.】 【Cici is such a good kid. Never cries, never complains even when she’s starving. God, I wonder what her life was like before this.】 Soon, the delicious smell of cooking filled the small room. Arthur placed a plate of fluffy pancakes in front of me. And five sausage links. And a big bowl of oatmeal. “You’re hungry, aren’t you? Eat up.” 【This is giving me ‘My grandpa thinks I’m starving’ energy.】 I had never seen so much food for breakfast. Each plate was piled high. At home, I only ever ate Kevin’s leftovers—a few grains of rice, gnawed-on bones, and wilted, slimy vegetables. No one ever cared if I was hungry or not. My heart felt like it was soaking in warm water, aching with a sweet, unfamiliar feeling. I couldn’t stop my eyes from welling up. I hugged Arthur’s leg tightly. “Thank you, Grandpa. I hope you live for a hundred years…” Arthur froze for a second, then said with a helpless sigh, “Silly girl, I’m already—” I cut him off by pulling the paper fan I’d secretly made from my pocket. “Grandpa, when I’m gone, there won’t be anyone to blow cool air for you. You can use this instead.” He stared at it, stunned. His cloudy, old eyes grew misty. His weathered hand trembled as he took the simple gift. “Child, I’m the one who should be thanking you.” His voice was thick with emotion. “Before you came, I’d almost forgotten who I used to be. But now… now I remember everything.” As he fed me, Arthur told me the story of his life. He had been a security guard at a high school. When a brutal heatwave hit, the school refused to install air conditioning and withheld his pay. He couldn’t even afford a fan for himself. He had also taken in nine stray cats. He spent his last few dollars on a fan for them, while he himself boiled to death in his tiny dorm room. The moment he finished his story, the system’s AI voice trembled. 【Congratulations. You have completed the hidden task: The Cause of Arthur's Death. Reward: 2000 points, redeemable for items.】 The live feed exploded. 【Whoa, I’ve never heard that story before.】 【Not even the top S-rank players from the major guilds ever figured out how he died.】 【Damn, that’s so tragic… I actually feel bad for the ghost now.】 【Cici is the GOAT!! The leaders of all the big guilds are here. Are they trying to recruit her?】 I knew nothing about any of that. All I did was hug Arthur and plant a loud, smacking kiss on his cheek. I grinned up at him. “Cici will grow up big and strong and become an awesome adult who can protect you, Grandpa!” 【My heart is melting… my baby.】 【Cici’s dimples are so cute I could die! I just wanna poke them!!】 Arthur turned away to quickly wipe his eyes. He handed me his own electric fan. “Tonight, you have to go to another room. This will protect you.” 【Haunted Relic Acquired: Arthur's Fan. Ghosts below S-Class will flee at the sight of you.】 As Arthur walked me out of the security booth, I kept looking back over my shoulder. “I’ll come back to visit, Grandpa!” I clutched the hard-boiled eggs and biscuits he’d packed for me to eat on my journey. He smiled, a fond, grandfatherly expression on his face, and waved. “Be a good girl now, and don’t you trip!” 【This is literally me and my grandpa.】 【I miss my grandpa…】 【What is this, a wholesome family documentary? Meanwhile, another top player just got wasted next door.】 【Don’t call her Cici anymore. That’s my Queen.】 I walked on until I reached the door of Room 101 and knocked. A blast of frigid, damp air washed over me. The room was covered in water stains, overwhelmingly humid and cold. A stunningly beautiful woman in a slinky red dress stood there. Her hair was soaking wet, dripping constantly onto the floor. The moment she saw me, her face twisted into a grotesque mask of rage. Her crimson eyes began to ooze blood, which streamed down her cheeks. 【That’s Elara… she drowns people in a cistern.】 【The high-ranked player from earlier died in here!】 【There’s no problem my Queen Cici can’t handle.】 【You guys are hilarious. What’s a kid gonna do?】 I had never seen a dress so vibrant and beautiful. I didn’t even notice the horrifying change in Elara’s face. I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Big sister, you’re so pretty!” “That dress looks amazing on you!” At the word “dress,” her hand shot out and clamped around my neck. Her lovely features contorted with fury. “You’re here to tell me my clothes are indecent, too? Is that it?” she hissed, her voice a venomous whisper. “Indecent… slut… tramp.” “I’ll kill you all. I’ll kill every last one of you.” 【Oh no, this is her trigger. Elara was slut-shamed and humiliated before being drowned in a pool. She’s extremely sensitive about her clothes.】 【I think this is it for Cici…】
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