--- Am I dead?
Alger's heart was still pounding, the sense of death still lingering weakly. He found himself floating in a void.
The woman's words in the coffee shop came to his mind.
"Has the game... already started?" he muttered to himself. "What is the purpose of this game...?"
The means by which this game presented itself were somewhat bizarre, and there were many questions. It had managed to pull him into the game completely unaware, to the point where he thought it was reality.
Logically, he should have already failed, but why... did it seem like he could still reload?
In front of him, two scenes appeared: one of him standing on the street in the afternoon, and the other of the dimly lit room at night.
[Save point 1: Afternoon street / Save point 2: Evening room]
"This game has save points?" Alger was puzzled, but after a moment's thought, he chose to reload from save point 2.
...
Alger opened his eyes.
His vision was still somewhat blurry, but he could vaguely see the hem of Emily's skirt in front of him.
She was smiling at him, her eyes filled with expectation, holding out tempting snacks in her hand.
"Interface?" he took the snack and immediately muttered softly, and unexpectedly, the area in front of him lit up.
A deep blue screen appeared before him.
But before he could examine it closely, he heard a system prompt:
[Prompt: You are currently in the World Game - Personal Prequel Level. This level progresses very quickly, only requiring the achievement of fixed objectives to reach the conclusion! Join all players in officially entering the World Game!]
[Current fixed objective: Survive]
[You have triggered the clue mechanism. Explore the level with the clues to reach different conclusions!]
[Current reachable world conclusions:
HE (happy end) line - Winged Harmony
TE (true end) line - Awakening from a Dream
NE (normal end) line - Her "Collection"]
...It really was a game.
"Have some snacks," Emily said casually beside him, looking perfectly normal.
But as Alger looked at her, he distinctly saw words appearing in his field of vision:
[*Obtained Clue Three - Strange Bulge]
[(Strange Bulge): I noticed the bulging hem of the girl's skirt in front of me... What could be hidden there? I'm curious, but I probably don't have the courage to reach out and see.]
[Progress: 10%]
[The clue has been recorded in the clue column and can be viewed at any time.]
Alger had noticed earlier that Emily's skirt looked odd, but he wasn't the type to stare at girls' skirts, so he hadn't expected there to be a problem here after the "clue mechanism" was activated.
The scent in the room still lingered as Alger set down the snack and picked up his phone. "I'll go to the bathroom."
He needed to go somewhere else first, at least to avoid Emily's gaze.
He had noticed before that the scent in the room was too heavy...
He got up, his legs feeling weak, but his hand still firmly grasped his phone as he walked straight toward the room with a lock on the door.
As he passed the dining table, he saw two sets of teaware on it, both seemingly used.
He hadn't observed closely yet when he suddenly smelled a strange odor, pungent, and it went straight into his nose.
[*Obtained Clue Two - Formaldehyde]
[(Formaldehyde): Why would there be the smell of formaldehyde in a girl's house... Does she also like to use formaldehyde as a seasoning?]
[Definition: A 35%-45% aqueous solution of formaldehyde, colorless and transparent, corrosive, widely used, also used for corpse preservation.]
[Progress: 20%]
"...Wait, Alger," came the soft voice of the girl behind him.
Alger immediately held his breath and turned around.
What met his eyes was not the bottle of death-like mist.
The girl's fingers tapped lightly on his face, like dragonflies skimming the water.
Alger didn't dare linger, he turned around and entered the bathroom, quickly locking the door behind him.
He intended to try summoning other functions again, but he felt increasingly weak...
Alger's eyes grew heavy, and then his breathing became more and more rapid...
...
[You have died...]
Alger instantly chose Save File 2.
...
"...Have some snacks."
The dreamy voice echoed in his ears. The girl leaned in, her bright eyes like water, her appearance particularly enchanting in the night.
Alger looked at her, and the girl also looked at him gently, as if looking at a bright treasure.
The next moment, he wielded his knife directly, suppressing the trembling in his hand, and instantly stabbed it into the girl's chest.
[-HP-170! (Critical hit! Fatal wound!)]
These numbers jumped before his eyes.
[You have chosen to attack the key NPC - Emily]
[Entering the violent clearance route - Massacre Line: "Perhaps I will understand that if I cannot eliminate all the crises around me, I will eliminate the one causing the crisis."]
[Perfect clearance progress: 50%]
In Emily's eyes, there was still confusion, then, as blood flowed out, a smile formed on her lips.
"Alger, I like you the most..." she murmured, her voice like a whisper in a dream.
Splurt!
Alger stabbed again, directly slashing her throat.
[-HP-200! (Finishing blow!)]
Emily fell to the ground, blood splattering all around, like a room filled with red flowers.
Clang!
[You have killed Emily (Human Species), Exp+20]
Alger released the knife weakly, falling to the ground, her blood staining his body.
He raised his phone somewhat dazedly, then suddenly heard the sound of water dripping behind him.
There's someone else!
He tried to turn around quickly.
Thud!
A crisp sound.
In the bloodlight, another figure holding a hammer was reflected.
The headless body of the youth swayed for a moment, then fell into the pool of blood.
[You have died...]
Under the afternoon sunlight, dappled shadows scattered on the ground.
Alger, dressed like an ordinary college student, stood beneath the trees lining the street, his phone screen glowing.
[Emily: Alger, don't forget about the gathering tonight.]
Whoosh!
A passing car splashed water all over him.
He felt like he had been holding his breath all this time, and only now did the air from the outside world flow into his lungs, cooling his chest.
Alger reached for his waist, feeling the familiar icy touch of the knife tucked there.
The previous two deaths were both due to poisoning, none as gruesome as the third.
The moment of death, with his head exploding, was so vivid that he still felt a chill in his heart now.
Moving quickly, he hailed a taxi and headed back home. Along the way, he asked several classmates who were supposed to attend the gathering, only to find out that there was no such event.
"Alger, are you overworking yourself lately?" his friend Bo Long said.
Previously, he didn't know much about the gathering as he wasn't very close to his high school classmates. Little did he know that the class flower had only invited him.
His memory lingered in that living room, where the atmosphere seemed to flicker with dark flames.
The pale skin, the flushed cheeks, and that deadly spray...
"The game... has already begun," Alger muttered to himself. "A global competitive game? Is Emily a system character, with only me as a player? Or is this an introductory level?"
If it weren't for him uttering "panel" at that moment, he might not have realized that he was already inside the game.
After this level ends, will the game officially begin?
So, is this a qualifying round?
"Panel."
Calling out the panel again, he appeared more familiar with it this time.
The deep blue panel appeared before his:
[Personal Profile]
Name: Alger
ID: BE3030
Level: Tier One (Initial Level)
Honors: Vacant
Achievements: Vacant
Occupation: Not Obtained
Skills: Vacant
Health Points (HP): 500 (Reference data only, not a fixed value)
Mana: 100 + 10 * 4 (Recovery rate: 5/minute) (Mana required for casting spell-type skills)
Stamina: 5 (Affects HP, endurance, carrying capacity)
Strength: 4 (Affects physical strength, attack damage)
Agility: 5 (Affects running speed, dodging speed, attack speed)
Spirit: 9 (Affects attention, mana value, spell intensity, resistance to mental spells)
Charisma: A (Affects NPC favorability, social interactions)
Luck: E (Affects event triggering difficulty, decryption difficulty)
(Numerical attributes are inherent attributes. The average value for all humans is 5 and can be improved through postnatal point purchases or training.)
(Letter attributes are inherent attributes and cannot be improved through purchases, requiring opportunities.)
Points: 0 (Can be used to purchase items after completing the novice level.)
Combat Power Score: 50 (This is only a reference value calculated based on data and current performance and is not related to real combat situations. After the first world ends, the global rankings will be open, and combat power will be rated based on final evaluations and data.)
Ding dong The phone chimed.
It had rung several times before, but Alger had ignored it until now, when the screen lit up and caught his attention.
[Emily: Why aren't you replying to me?]
[Emily: ... Are you not coming? I prepared your favorite tea and snacks for you.]
[Emily: ... Why aren't you coming? Did I do something wrong?]
[Emily: ...]
...
[Emily: Open the door, I'm here.]
...
Ring ring ring~ The doorbell played a playful tune.
Alger's gaze momentarily shifted towards the door—
On the screen, a girl in a floral dress with black hair cascading down her shoulders, one hand behind her back, revealing the corner of a spray bottle.
"Open the door, Alger," her voice sounded somewhat chilly.
"Bang! Bang!"
Alger immediately got up, closed and locked all the windows around him, then made sure there was no one else in the house before opening the door.
Outside the door stood the girl with black hair, exceptionally beautiful.
"You made me wait for so long," Emily said, half playfully.
"Come in," Alger confirmed that he didn't see anyone else besides her.
Then, he led her to the sofa, poured her a cup of tea, and served a stack of snacks.
Emily's facial muscles seemed stiff, evidently not expecting that her pre-preparation would overlap completely with Alger's.
"They're not what I like," Emily pouted. "Even though I prepared Alger's favorite..."
"Not eating?" Alger asked.
"Eat, eat, eat. Alger prepared them for me..." She hid the spray bottle under her skirt and, with her hands free, ate several pieces of biscuits.
While Emily was eating, Alger accurately noticed the bulge under her skirt.
[Clue Link!]
He suddenly heard a prompt from the system.
[Obtained Inference I: Emily seems to have something hidden under her skirt. What does she want to do? — Although not entirely clear, I swear by my Charisma A that she is at least not trying to seduce me.]
...This system prompt was quite blunt.
Alger ignored it; he had seen this clue in the previous playthrough.
Now, he simply watched the girl in front of him quietly as she ate the snacks he provided.
In the past, Emily would have felt extremely happy, but now, when her unblinking gaze fell on him, he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine.
She choked a bit, put down the snacks, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Alger... why are you staring at me like that..."
"Nothing." Alger swiftly drew out the dagger from his waist, then suddenly pressed down on Emily with his other hand.
"Alger...!" Emily panicked, trying to reach for the spray, only to realize that she was gradually losing strength.
"Where's the other person in your house?"
"What? Alger, let me go..." Emily forced a smile. "There's no one else in my house..."
"It seems the other person didn't come." Alger looked at the display screen at the door, which showed no one.
"Alger, there's something I haven't told you..." Emily, recovering her senses, looked at her beloved Alger, feeling her heart pounding like a little deer, completely ignoring the dagger so close to her, her cheeks gradually flushing—
"I like..."
Slash!
A deep blood mark exploded on the girl's throat.
[—HP-200! (Fatal Injury!)]
[You have killed Emily (Human Species), Exp+20]
"If you want to be with a corpse forcibly, then turn yourself into a corpse first." Alger wiped the blade on her face.
Emily's eyes gradually lost their luster.
At the same time, Alger heard a new system prompt:
[You choose to kill the key NPC, Emily. There is a slight change in the world line]
[——You have entered the TE route · Awakening Like a Dream.]
[You have discovered an item (the deceased Emily), do you want to start investigating? (Clues obtained from investigation are related to spirit and intelligence.)]
"Investigate."
[*You have obtained a crucial clue (Emily's love diary).]
A blood-red diary appears in his hand as Alger flips it open.
The front page is adorned with blood-red words, penned with force on yellowed paper, resembling deep bloodstains.
[Alger, do you like me?]
[I like you, I cannot express how much I like you.]
[I like you... I want to be with you forever. Anna told me that as long as I can keep you completely, by cutting off your limbs, slashing your throat, turning you into my possession... we can truly be together forever.]
The densely packed words exude the infatuation of youth, each line dripping with saccharine affection.
But as he gazes upon the corpse of the girl, he can't help but feel absurd.
Continuing to read, Emily's handwriting becomes increasingly erratic, with faintly dried blood congealed on top, emanating a sense of hysteria and madness:
[Perhaps it's the heat of passion, burning away reason, or maybe my tongue has been led astray by threads, I cannot speak the words of love for you.]
[Every time I see your silent gaze, I feel the overwhelming sense of loss and falling... like a pair of large hands, pulling at my limbs, grabbing my hair, pressing down on my head, exerting force downwards.]
[I look into those unchanging eyes, as if controlled by an invisible force, turned into a puppet with no resistance.]
[And the thread that holds me, is my own greed and love.]
[——Unable to break free, unable to escape.]
[This thread, burning brightly, gripping my skin, embedded in my flesh, like a branding iron, burning away all of my self, perhaps only death can free me from this sweet agony.]
[So, after writing this passage.]
[I have decided, to invite you one last time.]
[As long as you agree, I won't have to turn you into my possession, we can be together peacefully.]
[But if... you refuse...]
[...]
He flips to the last page.
For a moment, the enlarged letters, dripping with blood, startle him.
[——Then, become my "beloved" completely.]
"Knock knock knock!"
Just then, a knocking sound comes from outside the door. Standing outside is a slender woman.
"Emily, Emily, are you in there?" The woman knocks anxiously.
Alger knows that this is probably the woman who lived with Emily, the one who killed him with a hammer in the previous loop. She should be the "Anna" mentioned in Emily's diary.
He uses the handle of the dagger to push the deadly mist from beneath Emily's skirt, then picks it up and walks to the door.
"——Emily, Emily? Can you answer?" The woman doesn't get a response and starts to get anxious, her hand gradually reaching behind her——
"Boom!" The door suddenly swings open.
With the mist in hand, the young man covers his nose as he steps out, pressing down with his fingertip!
The woman, caught off guard, staggers and collapses.
Alger stands in place, watching her die, his breath slightly hurried.
[Ding]
With a crisp chime, different from the other ring tones, echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations on completing the perfect clearance! (The beginner's level has a very short progression. The subsequent formal levels will have expanded progress.)]
[Beginner's Level · TE · Awakening Like a Dream · Successfully Completed]
[TE · Awakening Like a Dream: She likes me, I know. But love is never just about "being together." After killing her and her sister, I understood this—I had no choice but to avoid becoming her "possession."]
[The ending has been recorded and will be calculated for points after the world ends]
[Evaluation Grade: SS (Highest in the beginner's level—killed two people without being injured)]
[Received Evaluation Points: 120]
[Received Additional Combat Points: 10]
[Received Additional Easter Egg Points: 10]
[(Easter Egg: Tit for Tat): Do you still like the decapitated treat I prepared for you?]
[(Easter Egg: Iron Straight Man): Faced with a beauty like Emily, showed not even a hint of interest.]
[Total Points Earned: 140]
[Hint: HE (Flying Together) Achievement Method—Agree to Emily's pursuit without arousing suspicion, and successfully obtain her true affection.]
[NE (Her "Possession") Achievement Method—Regardless of agreeing or refusing, arouse suspicion from Emily, but not killed, instead becoming her "possession."]
[The subsequent formal worlds are about to open: clue deduction type worlds, multiplayer competition type worlds, intelligence decryption type worlds, peaceful deduction type worlds, violent acquisition type worlds. Hundreds of worldlines and various HE, TE, NE, BE style endings await further exploration by players!]
[(The yandere girl who is fervently in love with you, there might be a chance to meet her again in future world replicas!)]
In the next moment, the scenery changed dramatically.
...