The long, dim corridor, though empty, still echoed faintly with sorrowful wails, sending chills down one's spine.
A figure in a security uniform wandered stiffly in the darkness, the flashlight in his hand shattered but still casting a bloody glow.
In his other hand, he dragged a player's corpse, twisted grotesquely into a horrifying pretzel shape, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.
As the security guard moved away, the blood was gradually absorbed by the floor, which soon returned to its old, decayed state…
As if no one had ever been there...
The eerie silence persisted for an unknown duration until it was broken by a series of brazen footsteps.
Emmett strolled down the corridor with a nonchalant expression, as if he were taking a leisurely post-dinner walk, completely unafraid of anything suddenly jumping out from a corner.
Of course, if it weren't for the constant notifications echoing in his mind, he wouldn't dare to be so cocky.
[The security guard has left this floor. It is currently safe. The chance of a ghost attack is zero. Feel free to explore.]
"Question, what's the survival rate of the players left in the classroom?"
[Estimated over half will perish. The remaining ones, under the pressure of death, might find a slim chance of survival.]
[The players' escape will inevitably cause a commotion. It is advised that the host quickly leaves this area to avoid being caught in the chaos.]
Hearing this, Emmett paused slightly, decisively abandoning the idea of further exploration. He turned and tiptoed towards the stairs.
Although dangerous places often held great opportunities, in the Eerie Realm, the risks far outweighed the rewards.
There had been skilled players who, in pursuit of a cursed item, met their demise in the game, dragging down all the other players with them.
In a game with over a hundred participants, not a single one survived, and the difficulty of the game nearly doubled, wiping out wave after wave of new players.
That area had now become one of the biggest no-go zones…
Even though Emmett had the notifications to lower the risk in this game, there was no guarantee that other players wouldn't make the game harder. It's better to play it safe!
As he approached the stairs, another timely notification echoed in his mind:
[The Chaotic Staircase—there is a chance it will teleport the player to a random location in the school, with a high probability of encountering ghosts. There is also a certain chance of stepping into the realm of the deceased.]
"The realm of the deceased? What does that mean?"
[Simply put, if the host accidentally steps on it, you'll soon be surrounded by ghosts.]
"..."
Emmett's eyelid twitched violently, and he suddenly had the urge to jump out of a window instead of taking the stairs.
But all the windows in the building were sealed shut, and he couldn't open them, nor did he dare to break them.
After all, there was already a precedent of someone being twisted into a pretzel by the security guard...
"Looks like I have to take the stairs after all," Emmett sighed, staring pensively at the staircase in front of him.
Meanwhile, the viewers in the livestream were puzzled by Emmett's sudden stop.
"Why did the newbie boss stop?"
"Is there something wrong with the stairs?"
"There must be! This damn game's difficulty is way too high for a first-timer!"
"Maybe the stairs will just disappear under his feet?"
"Sounds likely!"
…
"Completely random?" Emmett confirmed one last time, feeling a bad premonition rising in his heart.
[Completely random, and you can't jump to avoid it.]
"With my luck, I shouldn't be unlucky enough to hit the jackpot, right…?" Emmett muttered, cautiously stepping down one stair.
The next second, he vanished into thin air!
"What the heck, where did he go?"
"Did he just die?"
"The stream didn't show a death notification."
"What's going on?"
"Wait, another stream just started! Master Emmett's now in a solo view."
"Of course, the boss isn't that easy to kill."
"Let's go!"
As the viewers flooded into the newly opened stream, they saw Emmett standing in a bathroom stall, looking bewildered at the scratch-marked door.
[You have been teleported to the first-floor bathroom. There is a ghost next door. It will offer you something, and you must accept it, or it will go berserk. There is a chance to receive a cursed item. You cannot leave the stall for three minutes.]
Did I just hit the jackpot?!
Emmett was in disbelief. He had only taken one step and got teleported!
At least let me get halfway down the stairs first, or it makes me look super unlucky!!
As Emmett's face twitched, the viewers in the stream felt a mix of sympathy and amusement.
"What kind of luck is this? He got teleported to the bathroom right away."
"It's over. I've never seen a safe bathroom in any stream. There's nowhere to run."
"I just saw a hand flash through the gap in the stall! The ghost is right next door!"
"Damn, all the death conditions are met, aren't they?"
…
Just as they feared, a pale hand slowly emerged from beneath the partition, clutching a few clean tissues.
Though it looked pretty ordinary, the notification that popped up made Emmett's heart skip a beat—
[Proof of the Living—The holder continuously emits the scent of living blood, attracting all ghosts within a thirteen-meter radius.]
A few seconds after the notification, Emmett clearly heard eerie footsteps echoing in the hallway outside the restroom.
"Just my rotten luck..."
Emmett clutched his head in frustration. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he shouted towards the adjacent stall—
"Give me some more!"
However, the only response was an unsettling silence, as if nothing existed there.
Obviously, the ghost next door just wanted to watch him get swarmed by other attracted ghosts!
Emmett's face darkened. He decisively pulled out a test paper from his pocket and threatened menacingly—
"Believe it or not, I'll make you write this entire test! If you can't finish it, I will let the exam supervisor take you out!"
"..."
Still silence. But a few seconds later, a blood-stained tissue pack was tossed over, along with a few clean tissues.
[Blood-stained tissues: Tear off a piece and stick it anywhere for a temporary ghost-repelling effect.]
The footsteps in the hallway grew chaotic, as if the school had come alive with activity.
But Emmett wasn't done yet. As he quickly stuck the blood-stained tissues on the door, he shoved a part of the test paper under the partition—
"Got anything else? Hand it over! One pack of tissues isn't gonna cut it!"
Next door: "???"