Chapter1 Bus plunges into river

"Yesterday, in the latest round of the Thriller Game, the player 'Gin' completed 10 D-level missions and 2 C-level missions, exceeding expectations and finishing the game. As a result, he obtained three 'Terror-level' ghost items and was immediately recruited by the country, becoming one of the Ghost Tamers."

 "It's been two years since the global Thriller Game descended, and this is the 13th first-level Ghost Tamer in the Dragon Country to be directly recruited by the state after completing the game..."

In the stifling hot school bus, Nick closed his eyes and listened impatiently to the news on the radio: "Can you turn it off?"

 No one responded to him.

The classmates in the bus were chatting and laughing, with the topic mostly centered around this news.

 "I really envy these people. How did they complete the missions in such a terrifying environment? If it were me, I'd have trouble even standing up without my legs trembling."

 "They're all psychologically strong to the point of being abnormal. They go for the rewards, caring more about money than their lives. How can we compare to them?"

"Our turn is coming soon, right? Everyone has to enter the Thriller Game once they turn eighteen. I'm scared just thinking about it."

"What's there to be afraid of? Last year, a newbie who just turned eighteen went in and completed three F-level missions. After getting the rewards, wealthy people were fighting to buy them from him. I heard he sold them for a hundred million and doesn't have to worry about the rest of his life!"

 "If we work hard, maybe we won't have to worry about the rest of our lives too." A classmate said excitedly.

"Idiot, if you think like that, don't expect to come back alive!"

 "In that round of the Thriller Game, over fifty students went in, but only twenty came back alive. And more than ten of them were scared into having heart attacks."

"The only one who got rewards was just extremely lucky and drew the easiest missions."

"For first-time players,"

"Don't think about anything else. Just coming back alive is the best!" A boy with a center parting leaned against the window and said coldly.

 This scared quite a few students. The counselor hurried to comfort them: "Don't be afraid. The death rate in the Thriller Game was indeed higher a year ago, but now, with the country's involvement, the difficulty of the game has been reduced."

"Especially for first-time players, there's a protection mechanism. As long as it's triggered, even if you die in the game, you'll still safely return to the real world."

This made everyone feel a bit better.

It's true.

 Last month, two groups of newbies who first entered the game basically came back alive.

And a few of them even completed missions! However, there were still deaths.

 "Nick, after this trip, let's register for the game,"

 "Otherwise, if we're forced to enter the Thriller Game, we'll be in trouble." A bespectacled and well-mannered boy spoke up.

Edwin was Nick's only close friend, who was otherwise almost invisible in the class.

Registering online to participate in the Thriller Game is different from being forcefully sent into it.

 For the former, with the country's intervention, a protection mechanism is in place. As long as it's triggered, even if you're killed by a ghost in the game, you'll still be alive when you return to reality.

It's equivalent to just being eliminated.

 For the latter, the word 'mandatory' says it all.

Players who are forcefully sent in not only don't have the country's protection mechanism, but are also treated the same, whether they're newbies or experienced players.

Simply put, a bronze-level player like you could be matched with a diamond-level game!

 "What's there to rush? I'll register with you after I finish my errands," Nick yawned.

"You mean finding your parents? Any leads?" Edwin asked.

Nick nodded.

A year ago, his parents disappeared mysteriously.

Nick suspected they were forcefully sent into the Thriller Game.

However, after the police investigated, they didn't find any traces of his parents entering the game.

Nick had neglected his studies for a year while trying to find his parents.

 If it weren't for his older sister's insistence, he would have dropped out of school.

A year had passed without any clues, and Nick's heart was half-broken.

Even if his parents had entered the Thriller Game, not coming out for a year probably meant...

Edwin was worried that Nick would go crazy if he kept investigating, so he helped him sign up for a tour group to take his mind off things.

Nick's mind was wandering, and he didn't notice the strange expression on Edwin's face after he finished speaking...

 Crash!!

At that moment, the school bus suddenly veered off the road and almost hit the fence by the side.

Fortunately, the driver managed to turn the wheel in time. Everyone was scared, and two classmates fell to the ground.

 "What's going on, driver?" The classmates were frightened.

The driver clutched his heart and forced a smile: "It's nothing. My heart suddenly hurt for some reason."

As soon as he finished speaking, the driver suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed on the steering wheel.

Before anyone could react, the bus veered off the road again, broke through the concrete fence, and plunged into the river from the viaduct...

 Everyone on the viaduct watched in shock.

"Hello, 911? There's been a car accident on The Rolling Bridge. A bus fell into the river!"

 Many people gathered at the bridgehead and the shoreline, making phone calls nonstop.

 There were dozens of lives in that bus!

The rescue and search team arrived quickly and rushed into the river to save people and retrieve the bus.

The bus was soon lifted out of the water by a crane, but strangely, it was empty inside.

The search and rescue boats circled the river for a long time, retrieving the bodies of the driver and the counselor.

The 45 students in the bus all disappeared without a trace! At the same time. In another world.

 The air was filled with a foul smell of blood and decay.

 Nick and his classmates woke up groggily to find themselves in a closed room.

"Welcome, players, to your first entry into the Thriller Game. Let me briefly introduce the rules to you."

"Based on the game's theme, you will be transported to corresponding locations and provide services to customers according to your professions."

Hint: The customer is always right. Don't give them a dirty look, or they will take something from you, like an eyeball, a tongue, or even your life!

 "The game lasts for seven days. Getting along well with customers during this time is very important. Complete the missions and try to stay alive."

 "After the game, rewards will be given based on the missions completed and your performance during your tenure."

"The theme of this Thriller Game is—Strange Tales Restaurant."

A mysterious voice said.

Stimulating the nerves of all the students.

 In an instant, everyone was stunned.

Nick's expression also froze.

They had been forcefully sent into the Thriller Game...