I’m an NPC in a horror survival game. When a new batch of players loaded in, something weird happened: I could suddenly see the stream chat floating in the air. [Here she comes! Our precious baby girl has arrived!] [Even the Level Boss in this horror game is going to treat her like family.] [Any NPC who dares to touch a hair on her head is gonna get ripped to shreds by the Big Bad.] [Hey, I’m talking to you! You, holding our waifu! You scared her into fainting! You are SO done when the Boss gets here.] I looked down at the woman dangling from my grip, hesitated for a second, and then tossed her onto the floor. If the Boss of this dungeon can't do his job properly, then I’ll do it for him. 1 I’m a veteran NPC in the horror game system. My tenure is so long I’ve honestly lost count of the years. I just remember the early days, when we were short-staffed, and I had to moonlight across multiple dungeons. I played the Drowned Bride in River God’s Wedding. I was the Cult Deity in Mountain Sacrifice. I was even the Mean Cheerleader in Oakwood High. Eventually, the roster filled up, and I got a permanent station. Three years ago, I transferred to this specific dungeon. Since the moment I gained consciousness, I’ve memorized the 108 rules of the Employee Handbook. Scare the players. Torture the players. Eat the players. The higher their Terror Meter, the better they taste. We’re only one day into this cycle, and I already snagged a player. A girl. She was so scared she cried until she passed out. Players like this usually die in the prologue. I was planning to take her back to my lair, bread her, and deep-fry her. The smell alone would make the ghouls next door cry with jealousy. But I’d only taken a few steps when the text started scrolling across my vision. [Let go of Baby Girl, you ugly freak!] [You are dead meat! The Male Lead is looking for her, and she has the 'Family Bond' buff with the Level Boss.] I stood there for a moment, feeling a wave of indignation. Who are you calling ugly? I am widely considered the cutest monster in a ten-mile radius. [She’s so soft and fragile, being held by that hideous thing must be terrifying.] [Look at that axe in her head! I’m gonna have nightmares.] I was mad. Furious, actually. I opened my mouth to curse them out, but the chat just spammed more insults. [What is it doing?] [Is it glitching?] [God, the AI is so stupid.] I got so angry that I circled back to being calm. Whatever. I ignored the floating text, grabbed the girl, and headed back to prep dinner. But I didn't get far before someone blocked my path. I scanned him. New player. Probably part of the same party as the girl I was carrying. The guy in the lead was handsome, in a delicate, boy-band sort of way. Not my type. The moment they saw me, they tensed up and pulled out their items. The chat exploded, and I couldn't help but peek. [The Male Lead is here! RIP Ugly.] [Chase has cleared so many dungeons. His items are S-Tier. He can one-shot a low-level mob like this, no problem.] I glanced at the guy. The chat called him "Chase." Apparently, his gear was "OP." I grinned, ripping the axe out of my own skull. I charged. Screams erupted. Half the players behind him bolted immediately. Sweet, sweet Terror Points. Come to mama! I sprinted at Chase with a twisted, limping gait. This little combo move usually makes players wet themselves. I learned the walk from the Nurse NPC next door. She died jumping off a building and broke her legs, so her walk is naturally janky. When I first mimicked her, she got super offended. It took me lending her my axe as a hair accessory to calm her down. She even gave me tips on how to limp scarier. Chase lived up to his "Male Lead" title. He waited until I was right in his face before deploying his item. A blinding white light flashed. I couldn't see anything but the dense wall of chat comments. [AHHH! Chase is so cool!] [That ugly thing is dust.] [It’s a Legendary Item. An NPC doesn't stand a chance. That’s what it gets for touching our Queen.] The light faded. Chase and I stared at each other in awkward silence. Then, I screamed. My axe! My beautiful axe had crumbled into dust! Chase looked horrified. "My S-Rank Holy Light... didn't work on her?" The chat, serving as the third-party observer, was equally shook. [What the hell? How is that NPC still alive?] [Glitch? I swear Chase used that to one-shot a Boss in the last game.] [Isn't this just an A-Rank dungeon? It shouldn't be this hard. Plus Bella has the 'Universal Adoration' trait.] [Yeah, her synergy with the Male Lead is supposed to be perfect.] I was seeing red. My eyes literally started glowing. That axe was the one that killed me. It had been with me for... forever. The memory of the axe breaking tore open a sealed part of my mind. My father killed me. He called me a monster. When my mother was alive, he just hated me. After she died, I lost my only shield. He decided to dispose of "the freak." That night, he walked into my room, face twisted in hate, the axe raised high. After I died, I used that same axe to return the favor. Violent, tyrannical energy flooded my brain. The chat scrolled faster. [Uh, guys? I think the NPC is going Berserk.] [Crap. If the Male Lead's item didn't work, is this a TPK (Total Party Kill)?] [No, look! Bella just woke up! She’s gonna trigger the plot armor. She’ll bring the Big Boss.] [Yeah, this NPC is about to get wrecked by the Level Boss.] I marched toward Chase, step by heavy step, muttering with obsession: "You broke my axe." "You broke my favorite axe!" Chase’s face was pale. He threw items at me like they were free samples. They slowed me down, but nothing actually hurt. Just as my hand was about to close around Chase’s throat, a shout came from behind. "Stop!" The chat cheered. [Bella called the Big Boss to save the day!] [Sobbing, she’s right on time.] [Die, trash mob!] A familiar pressure weighed on my mind. My brain automatically pulled up the Employee Handbook. Rule 21: Within the dungeon, the Level Boss’s command is absolute. 2 A good employee always remembers the handbook. The rage in my brain began to recede. My eyes cleared. The chat became readable again. [Bella’s family is here!] [Imagine being a grunt NPC and bullying the Main Characters. Don't you know the plot armor is thick?] The woman the chat called "Bella" threw herself at Chase, crying an ugly, snotty cry, checking him for injuries. "Oh thank god, you're okay! I was so scared!" I covered my eyes. Hello? Single NPC right here? I died before I even hit puberty, have some respect! A familiar aura swept over me. Luke’s voice boomed above my head. "You’re the one bullying Bella?" The chat filled with schadenfreude. [It’s over. That blind NPC is toast.] [She’s getting arrogant for cannon fodder.] [The Male Lead is human, so he has limits. But the Boss? He’ll rip her apart in seconds.] [Bella is the 'Group Pet' of the horror world. All Bosses love her.] [Seriously, the last NPC who scared her got their head twisted off. It’s probably still rolling around that dungeon.] I slowly rotated my head 360 degrees to face Luke. I wasn't trying to scare him; it’s just occupational habit. When he saw my face, Luke’s ghostly pale complexion shifted. Awkwardness mixed with a hint of fear. He let out a dry laugh. "Sweetie... oh, it's you." "Where's your axe?" "Heh, I almost didn't recognize you without it." The chat froze for a second, then erupted in confusion. [Excuse me? Is this the ruthless Boss we know?] [Shouldn't he be tearing her to shreds and telling Bella 'I'm here, don't be scared'?] [Am I tripping, or does the Boss sound... affectionate?] [What is happening? OOC! OOC! The book says they level up together. Bella charms the monsters, Chase kills the threats.] I gave Luke a smile that didn't reach my eyes. Through gritted teeth, I said, "This human broke my favorite axe." Luke instinctively wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead. He pulled me aside and whispered, pleading, "Sweetie, give me a break. Let it go this time, okay?" I looked up at him. "Do you remember the Employee Handbook?" Luke nodded. "I remember." My face was stone cold. "Recite it." Luke stammered through the recitation. Only then did I nod in approval. Luke whispered, trying to bribe me. "You know that item you always wanted? The one I wouldn't give you?" "I'll give it to you." 3 My eyes lit up. It was a beautiful red wooden comb. I’d wanted it forever, but he’d always refused. Finally! I accepted the bribe and walked away, happily playing with the comb, glancing at the chat occasionally. The viewers were furious at Luke’s reaction. [What kind of Level Boss is this? Garbage! Just kill the NPC!] [He’s unworthy of being Bella’s family.] Some were curious. [Anyone else wonder what the relationship is between the Boss and that NPC?] I tilted my head, thinking about that comment. What relationship? Gratitude, probably. After all, Luke only became the Boss of this dungeon because of me. Back when Luke was a player, entering this dungeon for the sixth time, I caught him. I hadn't had deep-fried human jerky in ages. Crunchy, dipped in a little blood sauce... the ghosts next door would drool. I dragged Luke back to my lair. Just as I was about to prep him, he used a "Scapegoat" item and bailed. Because of that item, when he faced the original Boss, he managed to kill it, but the item's curse bound him to the dungeon, making him the new Boss. We’re neighbors. We see each other all the time. He tried to bully me at first. He blamed me for wasting his Scapegoat item—if I hadn't caught him, he would have saved it for the Boss fight and escaped the game entirely. Becoming a Boss amplifies your rage and malice, so he tried to torture me. It didn't work out for him. I beat the living daylights out of him. The Owner even punished me by making me copy the Employee Handbook for two weeks because of it! I happily walked home with my new comb. I only work one hour a day. The Owner says scaring players 24/7 devalues the product. Supply and demand, or something. Dungeons have rules. I missed my snack today, but there’s always tomorrow. The game lasts five days. Plenty of chances. I lay in my small room, but the chat wouldn't shut up. [Ahhh! Chase is so handsome! Hero saving the beauty!] [Bella is so delicate. They are perfect together.] [Ugh, that NPC is even uglier without the axe. Get away from Bella!] I sat up, annoyed. Do these people have eyes?! I jammed the red comb into the hole in my head where the axe used to be and checked the mirror. I am adorable! The Owner told me I am the cutest girl in the world. Thinking of The Owner, I rested my chin in my hands, smiling. 4 Nobody in the dungeon—NPC or player—has ever seen The Owner. Some say he’s a God. Who else could create this nightmare dimension? Some say he’s a higher-dimensional alien. Usually, he appears as a ball of light. But I’ve seen him. The real him. I’m going to work for him forever. With my axe broken, more memories unlocked. The Owner is beautiful. But his hands are cold. The first time I scared a player into tears, he patted my head and said, "Good job, Sweetie." Right. "Sweetie." He gave me that name. When we first met, I had an axe stuck in my skull. I charged at him, screaming. He just bent down and picked me up. "Do you want to come with me?" I snarled and struggled. My own father wet his pants looking at me, but this man gently brushed the hair out of my face like the axe wasn't even there. "You're very cute. Do you have a name?" "I have a name!" I roared. He tilted his head. "No name? Let me give you one." "How about Sweetie?" He ignored my protests, smiling. "Sweetie it is." He led me into the Dungeon World. Years ago, there weren't many dungeons. Most players died fast. The Owner had free time. He’d braid my hair. He’d draw whiskers on my face like a cat. He’d look at me with that teasing smile and say, "I think you look pretty like this." I sighed softly. I missed him. I was so bummed out I stopped reading the chat. The next night, my shift started. The players were smarter now. They figured out the rules. Dungeons aren't instant-death traps. There are patterns. I circled around but couldn't find an opening to attack without breaking the rules. The chat mocked me. [LOL, look at Ugly go.] [She swapped the axe for a comb. Fashion icon.] [She’s so mad. Bella and the crew figured out the mechanics.] [Look at her spinning in circles.] [First-person NPC cam is kinda funny, ngl.] I ignored them. When my hour was up, I clocked out. Dungeons aren't impossible, but they are highly lethal.
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