Chapter 2

"This is all your fault, Heidi Wallace!" Aleena suddenly screamed.

As she turned to leave, all the male players stepped aside to make way for her.

I had no idea what made her so angry, but I noticed the guys were all giving me grateful looks.

One by one, the guys turned Aleena down. I was going to stop her, but she refused me without a second thought.

Feeling confused, the young man in white approached me. He handed me a protective charm and then pulled out his phone.

"My name's D. Give me your number. I'll add you to the group chat," he said.

When I didn't move, he added, "There are plenty of hidden hints in the game. We share them in the group chat. I'm a veteran player, so it's my job to help the newbies."

Seeing his serious expression, I gave him my number and joined the group chat. Just then, my phone delivered a final warning.

"System notice: Players who haven't formed teams yet, please do so within the time limit."

Those who already had teams began heading off in different directions.

Their tasks seemed simple enough—cleaning the amusement rides and such.

But what was I supposed to do?

D told me that the system always intentionally set conditions to force players into deadly situations.

But it also left behind hidden opportunities in these seemingly impossible scenarios. The protective charm he gave me was a tool to find those chances.

As the charm shimmered, I began to see a broken-down roller coaster and a rusty pirate ship.

Through the mist, I spotted a baby doll with her back to me.

Wearing a pink dress and sporting twin tails, she was staring blankly at the cotton candy stand.

Just as the cotton candy vendor turned away, the baby doll reached into the display case and stole a stick of cotton candy.

I walked over and tapped her hand, causing the candy to fall to the ground.

"You can't steal. If you want it, ask your parents to buy it for you."

The charm in my hand gave off a bright glow. I thought maybe this girl was my opportunity.

But I was wrong. The next second, the baby doll turned around, revealing hollow, blood-soaked eyes.

"I don't have parents. Do you want to be my mommy?" she mumbled. Her blood and tears poured down her face, soaking her dress.

The next second, her head fell off and landed in her own hands.

Suddenly, dark storm clouds gathered in the sky, looking ominous.

At the same time, the comments flooded the live chat.

"Haha! So dumb! Of all people, she had to pick a fight with Aria, the Headless Girl, one of the Four Bosses."

"This idiot just broke two of the boss' taboos in one go. She's as good as dead now."

"She didn't let Aria have her candy and mentioned her parents. Haha! Even God can't save her!"

I couldn't see the audience's mockery, but I could tell things were about to get real bad. I watched as the baby doll morphed into a terrifying, monstrous version of herself.

I froze up again. My legs went stiff as my mind raced. "Has no one told this doll her neck's spurting blood like a fountain of pee?"

The baby doll tilted her head in a creepy way, as if she had understood my words. Blood began to flow faster and faster from her eyes.

Her expression grew more grotesque, and tiny hands began reaching out from her mouth one by one.

I was so scared that I dropped to the ground, sitting on my butt. Then, my thoughts got even stranger. "Isn't she going to puke with so many hands scratching at her throat?"

The doll's huge eyes held a flicker of confusion. At the next moment, the storm clouds burst, and rain began to pour down in heavy drops.

Just as those tiny hands were about to grip my neck, I couldn't help but think again, "It's just candy! I'll buy it for you. I'll buy you three. One for your left hand, one for your right, and one for you to stomp on!"