A Nearsighted Girl’s Journey Through a Horror Game

After I got pulled into the horror game, my nearsightedness made everything blurry. I ended up treating the creepy girl in the blood-stained dress like my own daughter, the final boss like my husband, and the old creepy ghosts like my loving parents. The first time I met the boss, I grabbed his abs and said, “Nice body. Shame you’re kind of short.” He actually laughed in anger, picked up the severed head in his hand, put it back on his neck, and ground out, “I’m six-foot-one. Still think I’m short now?” Chapter 1 【Welcome to the “Happy Home” scenario.】 【Survive for seven days to clear the game.】 【Initial players: 30 | Current survivors: 30】 【We wish all players an enjoyable experience~】 After dying in a car crash, a flash of white light brought me to a tall building. A strange mechanical voice echoed in my ears. Because I’m extremely nearsighted, everything beyond three meters is a blur. I couldn’t make out the building’s details or the faces of the people around me, just vague human shapes. Somewhere nearby, a timid girl started crying. “W-Where are we? I want to go home.” A guy with yellow-dyed hair shouted impatiently, “What the hell is this? Let me out!” Then a man and a woman stepped forward, looking calmer than the rest. They introduced themselves as veteran players—Elaine and Jethro—and kindly explained what was going on. We were inside an infinite horror game. Everyone here was already dead. If we could survive every scenario and collect the legendary 9,999 points, we’d be revived. The moment I heard “revive,” I jumped in. “So how many points do we get for finishing one round?” Elaine sighed softly. “It depends on your Fear Value. If your score hits ninety-nine, you only earn one point. If it reaches one hundred… you die.” As the name suggests, the Fear Value measures how scared you get. Experienced players usually manage to keep it under sixty. Newbies like us, though, usually don’t get that lucky. I rubbed my chin and asked, “Then what if someone clears it with zero Fear Value? Would that mean a hundred points?” The moment those words left my mouth, my entire feed was broadcast to a live audience. The chat instantly lit up with mocking comments: 【This rookie’s full of herself! “Happy Home” might only be an S-rank scenario, but it’s so twisted no one’s ever beaten it!】 【Didn’t the top player from the Number One Guild die here? He made it to Day Six before getting wiped out.】 【They’re screwed. Only two veterans this time—Elaine and Jethro—and even together they’re not half as good as that guy. Total party wipe incoming.】 Before long, it was time to choose rooms. Elaine explained that while no one had ever cleared this scenario, past players had figured out a few things. The building had thirty floors, one apartment per floor, and only one player could stay in each. “Happy Home,” she continued, was actually a role-playing horror scenario. Each apartment housed strange entities that would act as your family or loved ones. So, seven days of living together with them? There was no way your Fear Value wouldn’t spike. Before she could finish, Jethro grabbed her hand and quickly chose the first and second floors. Seeing that, the rest of the players caught on fast. Everyone scrambled to claim the lowest floors. Chapter 2 Because I couldn’t see clearly, I couldn’t outrun anyone, so I had to wait until everyone else picked their rooms. In the end, only the thirtieth floor was left for me. Since I was practically blind, the live chat went off again: 【She’s so dead. Everyone knows the higher the floor, the stronger the boss.】 【Especially the thirtieth floor—it’s all top-level bosses. They call it the House of Death.】 When I reached the thirtieth floor, I looked around. Honestly, it didn’t seem that different from a normal apartment. The only differences were the stronger smell of blood, the red walls, the cold air, and the dim lights. Besides, it was a huge apartment, and supposedly, the “family” I’d always dreamed of having was waiting inside. You have to understand, in real life I’m not only severely nearsighted, but also an orphan and broke on top of that! I walked straight to the door, raised my hand, banged on it hard, and yelled, “Open up! Baby, I’m home! If you don’t open the door, I’m gonna starve to death out here!” The live chat exploded. 【Is she trying to die? Every other player either knocks politely or just waits outside until the ghost’s in a good mood.】 【I’m done watching this brainless idiot. Switching to Elaine’s stream.】 【No, keep watching! I wanna see how she dies.】 But they just didn’t get how my brain worked. If this was a role-playing scenario, and the goal was to live as family, then the key was to act natural. Who on earth comes home and politely knocks, saying, “Excuse me, is anyone home? Could you please open the door?” After a moment, the door creaked open. A chill swept over me, and I let out a relaxed sigh. Wow! Free air-conditioning. Perfect for summer. When I looked down, I saw a small red figure. Even with my blurry vision, I could make out two swaying pigtails. It looked like a little girl in a red dress. She grinned eerily and suddenly lunged at me, her icy hands clamping around my neck. I instinctively pulled her into my arms. Feeling the damp fabric of her dress, I scolded, “You can’t wear wet clothes, sweetheart! Take it off, I’ll find you something dry.” Then I caught a whiff of something metallic and frowned. “Wait… are you bleeding? Where’s the first aid kit? I’ll patch you up.” The live chat was losing its mind, frustrated beyond belief. 【Lady, open your damn eyes! That’s one of the bosses from the House of Death! That “wet red dress” isn’t wet!! It’s soaked in the blood of her victims!】 【And that smell of blood? It’s not because she’s hurt. It’s because her dress is covered in pieces of the players she’s killed.】 【Just wait till the other one gets home. She’s a goner for sure.】 Unfortunately, I couldn’t see any of that. Still holding the little girl in my arms, I walked into the apartment and gently took off her red dress. From her pretty pink princess room, I found a clean white one and helped her put it on. The small, icy hands gripping my neck slowly loosened. Sensing her confusion, I picked up a warm towel, leaned closer, and carefully wiped the blood off her face. Only then did I see her clearly. A sweet little girl, maybe six or seven, with big eyes and soft cheeks. Smiling, I pointed at my cheek. “Family’s supposed to help each other out, right? But shouldn’t you give me a kiss to say thanks?” The little girl fidgeted with the hem of her white dress, hesitated for a moment, then shyly leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on my face with a soft smack before darting back. Chapter 3 Her voice was soft and sweet as she whispered, “Thank you, Mommy.” Huh? Mommy? I… became a mom just like that? Holy crap, this is insane. You have to understand, in real life, I’ve heard way too many horror stories about women dying during childbirth. I’ve always dreamed of having a family, sure… But giving birth? That’s my biggest fear. After coaxing the little girl to take a nap, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my ear: 【Initial players: 30 | Current survivors: 20】 What? Ten people were already dead? Just from choosing rooms? I grabbed my phone, held it right up to my face, and barely managed to make out the text on the screen. It was the player chat group, where everyone was frantically sharing what they’d learned, mainly how people had died. Apparently, the hot-tempered blond guy and three others fought over the third floor. The blond guy barely won and moved in. But the moment he knocked on the door, a creature with a human body and a dog’s head stepped out. Its jaws split open, revealing rows of bloody teeth, and it swallowed him whole. A few seconds later, it chewed noisily and spat out a few white bones still clinging to bits of flesh. Through the half-open door, the other players saw piles of bones inside. They guessed those must’ve been the remains of past victims. After witnessing that, everyone’s adrenaline spiked. By now, aside from Elaine and Jethro, every new player’s Fear Value had already hit 50 and it was only the first day. One middle-aged man died the instant he stepped into the tenth floor; his Fear Value shot straight to 100. Others were dropping in all kinds of ways, scared to death, ripped apart, or just losing it from sheer terror. Of course, none of that had anything to do with me. While my little girl slept, I grabbed a mop from the bathroom and got to work. I scrubbed the place from top to bottom. The blood-red floor tiles? I managed to scrub them until they were almost white. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. The dried red stains on the walls wouldn’t come off, so I picked up a scraper and started chipping away at them instead. By the time I finished, it was already afternoon. My back was killing me, so I collapsed onto the couch beside the little girl and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke again, a chill had crept through the air. The room was dark. Standing in front of me was a shadowy figure, its outline barely visible. Even though I couldn’t see his face clearly, the moment he spoke, that deep, magnetic voice made my heart skip a beat. He laughed in a low, sexy voice, “Heh, interesting. You actually survived this long in Lily’s hands.” Then Lily’s cold voice piped up, “You better not touch her. This mommy looks fun. I want to keep her to play with.” The man didn’t answer. He waved one big hand and sent Lily flying off the sofa. She slammed into the balcony glass with a crash, and there was the sickening sound of bones breaking. He sneered, “Who gave you permission to speak to me like that? You really think you’re my daughter?” I couldn’t take it. I scrambled up off the couch, muttering, “Who let you talk to a kid like that? What kind of father are you?” I meant to slap him across the face, but my hand slipped and landed on his abs instead. Damn, that felt good! I couldn’t help touching them a couple more times. Seeing him on the verge of a furious explosion, black energy crawling off him, I quickly tried to make amends… Chapter 4 “Lily’s my little sweetheart, and you’re my big one. We’re one happy family now.” I gave him my best smile. “Actually, um, honey, you’ve got a great body, but… why do you look kinda short? Don’t worry though. Now that I’m here, I’ll cook for you both every day. Soon, you and our daughter will be tall and strong!” The live chat went absolutely wild. 【What the hell is she saying? How does she dare talk like that to the Headless Boss?】 【Finally! The infamous Headless Boss. He’s supposed to be the strongest one in the Happy Home scenario. The top player last time died fighting him.】 【Wait… why does the Boss look like he’s blushing? No way, did she just fluster him?】 【You’re down bad, man.】 Everyone in the stream was waiting for him to snap my neck like he’d done to every other player before. But instead, he calmly lifted the severed head he’d been holding and placed it back onto his neck. Then he leaned in, his cold, dangerous aura fading a little, his voice suddenly carrying a hint of… wounded pride. “Short? I’m six-foot-one. Why don’t you take a closer look?” Even ghosts, it seems, care about their height. “Nina,” he said suddenly, my name rolling off his tongue in a deep, velvety tone that made my heart race. I grabbed his tie and yanked him down until he was practically on top of me, murmuring dramatically, “Can’t see. Come closer.” His handsome face came into sharp focus, and I couldn’t help grinning inside. Thank God this game only tracks Fear Value, not heart rate. Otherwise, I’d be dead already. When he stayed silent, I panicked, thinking I’d made him mad. My eyes sparkled as I rushed to flatter him. “Wow! You’re six-one, I’m five-five—that’s the perfect height difference! We’re meant to be!” The man in the tailored suit turned bright red and was just about to respond when Lily, freshly reassembled, charged in. She kicked him so hard he flew into the ceiling and got stuck there. Then she turned to me with her big, teary eyes, pressed her face against mine, and whispered softly, “Mommy… Lily hungry. Food.” Seriously, who could resist that? I immediately dug through the fridge, squinted, and happily set about cooking for the little girl…and my husband. I’m not bragging about my cooking, but those two practically licked the bowls clean. When I went to shower, I heard them in the next room, talking quietly. “Lily, maybe we should keep her. She cooks pretty well.” “But Dad, when those two get back tomorrow and find out we won’t eat their food, they’ll freak out.” “Call that food? If they complain, I’ll kill them.” “Okay, I’ll keep watch.” After my shower I took the master bedroom like it was mine. I poked my head out from under the covers and watched the dark shape sitting motionless on the sofa. I softened my voice and started showing off my homemaking. “Babe, why don’t you finish showering your body in the bathroom and I’ll wash your hair in the kitchen? It’ll be faster that way.” Chat exploded: 【What kind of suggestion is that?】 Even crazier, the headless boss actually agreed to my plan. Chapter 5 In the end, we split up to do our own thing. I was in the kitchen washing his hair, humming a tune as I washed. The live chat was horrified by the scene. 【Seriously, they’re made for each other. Only a complete lunatic would act this calm while washing a ghost’s head.】 They didn’t understand that, for someone as nearsighted as me, it just felt like washing a large, fuzzy, black watermelon. Then the “watermelon” spoke. “You seem to be in a good mood.” “Of course,” I said honestly. “I think I’m getting along really well with you and your daughter. I’m sure I’ll clear this scenario with no problem.” The watermelon grinned, his sharp, handsome features twisting in a strange smile. “You will, Nina.” I gazed back at him gently, though to be fair, I couldn’t actually see him clearly. “By the way, I never asked your name.” The “watermelon,” or rather the headless boss, suddenly lifted off my hands. His head flew across the room and attached seamlessly to the body that had just stepped out of the shower, turning back into that tall, handsome six-foot-one man again. He seemed to remember something unpleasant, his voice rough and low. “I don’t really have one. But… if you must call me something, call me John Doe.” With that, he turned and left, muttering that he’d sleep in the guest room. What a stingy husband. Couldn’t he at least let me fall asleep on his abs? Scratching my head, I couldn’t think of a name right away, so I went back to bed to keep brainstorming. Just as I was thinking, a pair of dark eyes appeared under my blanket, a pale little face glowing faintly in the dark. For a second, it looked straight out of ‘The Grudge.’ Luckily, my poor eyesight softened the scare, it just looked like a blurry white blob. “Mommy, ignore that headless old monster. Tonight, Lily wants to sleep with Mommy.” So it was Lily. I had no idea when she’d crawled into my bed. I pinched her soft cheeks and pulled her into my arms, speaking gently. “You shouldn’t call your dad a monster, sweetheart. That might hurt his feelings.” Lily blinked at me, confused. She opened her mouth, revealing a row of bloody gums with no teeth. “Heehee… But I’m a little monster too. They call me a little slut and a brat.” I sighed and tried to steer her thinking back on track. “Who said that? That’s not right. If Mommy ever meets them, I’ll scold them and hit them for you. But, Lily, you can’t say things like that about yourself, okay? It would make Mommy sad.” I kept mumbling to her softly, not even sure when I drifted off. What I didn’t know was that after I fell asleep, Lily lay quietly beside me, watching my face. Her dress turned red, then white, then red again. Finally, she whispered, “Mommy would be sad. I can’t make Mommy sad.” The live chat went wild: 【Holy crap, I’ve never seen the Blood Dress Girl’s aura fluctuate like that! Her dress actually stayed white at the end!】 【Unbelievable. This new player just changed her entire attribute set. She’s got some serious skills.】 The next morning, I woke to the sound of that eerie mechanical voice again: 【Initial players: 30 | Current survivors: 15】 Half-asleep, I grabbed my phone and saw the player chat blowing up. Another five people had died overnight. Three of them were killed by the entities. Chapter 6 No one knew what those two had gone through, but their Fear Values shot straight to 100 and that was the end of them. Just then, I got a private message from Elaine. 【Nina, are you okay? I was dealing with the entity on the second floor all night and didn’t have time to warn you. You need to focus on bonding with your “family” during the first three days. I watched the top player’s previous livestream, and this is everything I know. Consider it compensation for not telling you the room rules earlier, that’s how you ended up on the 30th floor.】 Elaine also shared tips in the group chat, patiently answering questions from the other new players. Jethro popped in once in a while just to complain. 【Why are you helping them? You’re too soft. Helping these newbies won’t do us any good.】 Elaine replied calmly: 【We’re all stuck here together. There’s no need to be selfish.】 Because of that, every surviving player felt deeply grateful toward her. These two veteran players were… interesting, to say the least. I smiled slightly, pressed my face close to the screen, and typed back. 【I’m fine, but thanks for checking on me.】 The Headless Boss was in front of me, holding his own head in one hand and Lily still in her white dress in the other, using them like dumbbells. When he noticed me clutching my phone, he frowned slightly, as if realizing something. “Don’t get too close to—” Before he could finish, he suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed. Lily’s little face scrunched up in worry as she hurried to hold him, and I rushed over too, catching his body before it hit the floor. The game’s rules clearly prevented NPCs from revealing any direct information about how to clear the scenario. Then came the sound of footsteps outside the door—‘thump, thump, thump’—each one heavy enough to rattle my eardrums. Lily leapt into my arms, trying to shove the fallen boss aside with her tiny body. “Mommy, don’t be scared. Grandpa and Grandma are back.” The boss, clearly unwilling to lose his spot, didn’t move an inch. After a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed my hand and blushed as he muttered, “Don’t be afraid.” What a shy and awkward boss. Don’t be afraid? Please, I couldn’t even see clearly. As far as I was concerned, everyone was just a regular person. Honestly, I was even excited. New NPCs meant new storylines, new chances to survive. Maybe they were just a nice, healthy old couple. As the key turned in the lock, the livestream chat lit up again, arguing furiously: 【We’re finally gonna meet the Grandpa and Grandma! Let’s see if they can handle this crazy Nina.】 【What’s wrong with you people? If she clears the game, it’ll help future players too!】 The lock clicked, and the door creaked open. Two figures entered. Elderly, slightly hunched, each carrying a large burlap sack slung over their backs. When the old woman saw the Headless Boss lying on the floor, she screamed and rushed forward, shoving me aside. Her voice shrieked with rage. “You wicked, heartless woman! How dare you hurt my son? I’ll make you pay with your life!” Black mist swirled around me like a curse. When she came closer, I finally got a good look at her. The old woman was so thin she was practically a skeleton, her clothes barely hanging off her bones. Her scalp was bare, not a single hair left. Her features looked melted together, her mouth the only thing still moving. The skin on her exposed arms was completely charred, black like burnt wood. If it weren’t for her voice, I wouldn’t even have realized she was a woman. Chapter 7 I quickly grabbed the charcoal woman’s burnt hand and tugged it gently, concern in my voice. “Ma’am, your skin’s so dry. I made a cucumber mask earlier, want to try it?” She froze mid-rant, then stammered, “Ah… o-okay.” Of course, what woman doesn’t want to look better? When I actually brought out a bowl of sliced cucumber and started applying the mask, the old man wasn’t pleased. “You wicked hag,” he snarled. “Weren’t you supposed to scare off the new daughter-in-law?” I stared at the Headless Boss and shrugged. “So you had a previous wife, huh?” His face fell. Black smoke curled from him as he nonchalantly unscrewed the charcoal woman’s skull and tossed it aside. He gave me a crooked, half-guilty smile. “No, she never came in. Lily killed them.” The charcoal woman awkwardly screwed her head back on, patted the cucumber on her face, and fixed the old man with a deathly glare. “You blabby old fool. Go cook.” He shut up right away, dragging the burlap sack and the spill of intestines on his belly toward the kitchen. Wherever he walked, the floor turned blood red again. Lily picked herself up and politely tried to decline. “Grandma, sorry. I think Grandpa’s cooking is… bad. Maybe he shouldn’t—” Before she finished, the old man yanked at his belly, flung out a length of intestine like a lasso, and wrapped Lily up in an instant. He cackled. “Oh my dear granddaughter, come help Grandpa cook.” I looked at the mess of guts on the floor and went back to my room to hunt for crochet tools. “Ugh… Why doesn’t Dad sew up this sweater himself?” By the time the old man finished cooking, I’d found my crochet hook. I dutifully set the table for him, then grabbed him by the arm. “Here, let me mend this for you. It’s annoying dragging yarn around, and the colors are fading. I just mopped yesterday, you know?” The four weirdos exchanged glances. The livestream chat suddenly lit up with a new realization: 【Turns out she’s not brave—she’s blind.】 【No, she does know where she’s going. I bet she’s severely nearsighted.】 【I’ll call her Nina the Miracle. She just opened a totally new way to clear this scenario.】 【Quiet—actually, she might be genuinely clever.】 No sooner had that scrolled by than I grabbed the old man’s intestines and started sewing. Keeping some distance, out of respect for the whole in-law thing, I still couldn’t tell exactly what I was handling, only that it was wet. I muttered, “Why’s this yarn still damp? Dad, did you drop the vegetables in the sink?” He looked flustered and replied, flatly, “Ah… probably.” Once I finished stitching up the old man’s belly, everyone sat down at the table in what could only be described as an awkward kind of harmony. When no one moved, I took the initiative and picked up a piece of what looked like ‘chicken feet’. As I brought it to my mouth, all four of them stared at me, their gazes dark and twisted. “My good daughter-in-law,” the old man croaked, grinning. “Your father brought that up fresh from downstairs today. The meat’s from someone who died just last night.” Chapter 8 “Downstairs?” I repeated, frowning. “What else could be down there besides dead players?” I immediately dropped my utensils, covered my stomach dramatically, and gagged. Then I leaned weakly against the Headless Boss. “Ugh, I can’t eat meat. Must’ve been too much passion last night… I think I’m pregnant.” Lily looked absolutely thrilled, like she was watching the best show of her life. The old man with the intestines and the charcoal-skinned old lady both gasped in delight, shouting for their son to take me to the room to rest. The Headless Boss’s face turned crimson. He scooped me up awkwardly and hissed in my ear, “Y-you’re talking nonsense! We didn’t even…” Too pure. He couldn’t even say ‘have sex.’ I slumped against his chest, my hand brushing across his abs as I murmured, “It’s fine. If you want, we can fix that right now.” The chat erupted. 【Nina, you shameless woman!】 【Do I really get to watch this for free?】 【Honestly though, they’re perfect together! He’s dark and brooding but innocent at heart, and she’s soft on the outside but wild inside. I’m officially shipping them!】 In the end, I didn’t actually get to “have sex” with the Headless Boss. The moment we entered the room, his face was still red, but his voice turned serious. “Nina, I’m sorry about your feelings. We haven’t known each other long, but I admit… I do feel something for you.” He paused, looking guilty. “But Lily is my daughter. Even if this is just a game, I can’t make that kind of decision without her approval. As her father, it’s my responsibility.” My eyes fell to his neck, the jagged scar where his head had been severed. When I looked closer, I realized it wasn’t a single wound. It was dozens, maybe hundreds of cuts, as if someone had hacked at him again and again with a dull blade before finally slicing it through. He’d been wearing a tie the past few days, hiding it. I tugged the tie loose and pressed my lips to the scar before I could stop myself. “Don’t,” he stammered, trying to pull away. “It’s ugly.” I shook my head, tears slipping down as I kissed him again. “No. Not at all.” My voice trembled. “Does it still hurt?” For a moment, he just stared at me, then chuckled softly, like ice melting in spring. “It used to,” he said. “But not anymore.” My fake pregnancy had successfully fooled the intestine grandpa and the charcoal-skinned grandma. For the next two days, I took over all the cooking myself, using only the groceries the Headless Boss had stocked in the fridge. I made sure not to touch anything from the old weirdos’ burlap sacks, their “ingredients” didn’t exactly look… human-friendly. To keep up appearances, by the second night, I started sleeping in the same bed as the Headless Boss. In the middle of the night, just as I was figuring out how to seduce him, a small, pouty face suddenly popped out from under the covers. “Mommy,” Lily whined, her voice full of hurt, “you don’t love Lily anymore. What’s so special about Daddy? I smell better than he does!” As she spoke, her tone turned sharp, and she glared daggers at the man beside me. Her once-white dress began to stain crimson again, and the gash on the Headless Boss’s neck started to widen. It was clear a fight was about to break out and I was caught right in the middle.