"Yesterday, in the latest round of the Horror Game, the player 'Gin' completed 10 D-level tasks and 2 C-level tasks, performing exceptionally well and finishing the game. He obtained three 'Horror Level' ghost creatures and was immediately recruited by the state to become a Ghost Controller."

"Since the Global Horror Game descended, it has been two years. This is the 13th Ghost Controller in Dragon Country to be directly recruited by the state after completing the game..."

Inside the stuffy school bus, Qin Nuo sat with his eyes closed, listening to the news broadcast on the radio, feeling a bit impatient. "Can you turn it off?"

No one paid him any attention.

The students in the bus were chatting and laughing, their conversations mostly revolving around this piece of news.

"I really envy those people. How do they complete tasks in such terrifying environments? If it were me, just standing up with weak knees would be a problem."

"They must have incredibly strong minds, risking their lives for the rewards. How can we compare?"

"We're almost there, right? Once we turn eighteen, we all have to enter the Horror Game at least once. Just thinking about it scares me."

"What's there to be afraid of? Last year, a newbie who just turned eighteen completed three F-level tasks and got rewards. After coming out, wealthy people were scrambling to buy his rewards. I heard he sold them for a hundred million, and now he doesn't have to worry for the rest of his life!"

"If we work hard, maybe we won't have to worry in our next life either," one student said excitedly.

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

"In that Horror Game, over fifty students went in, and only about twenty came back alive. Plus, more than ten were scared into having heart attacks."

"The only one who got a reward was just incredibly lucky and drew the simplest task."

"For those going in for the first time,"

"Don't think about anything else. Just coming back alive is the best!" said a boy with a middle parting, leaning against the window coldly.

His words frightened quite a few students.

The counselor quickly reassured them, "Don't be afraid, everyone. The mortality rate in the Horror Game was indeed quite high a year ago, but now, with national involvement, the difficulty of the Horror Game has decreased.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Especially for first-time players, there is a protection mechanism. As long as you reach that mechanism, even if you die in the game, you can safely return to the real world."

These words reassured everyone a bit.

Indeed.

Last month, two groups of newbies entered the game for the first time, and most of them came back alive.

Moreover, a few even completed tasks!

However, some still died.

"Qin Nuo, after this trip, let's find a time to sign up,"

"Otherwise, if we're forced into the Horror Game, it'll be too late," said a bespectacled, scholarly-looking boy.

Tang Ming, one could say, was the only close friend of Qin Nuo, who had a very low presence in the class.

Signing up online for the Horror Game and being forced into it are different.

The former allows for a protection mechanism under national intervention. As long as you reach the mechanism, if you're killed by a ghost in the game, you'll return to reality alive.

It's equivalent to just being eliminated.

The latter, being forced, says it all.

Players forced into the game have no national protection mechanism, and whether you're a newbie or a veteran, you're treated the same.

Simply put, as a Bronze Player, you might get matched into a Challenger Tier Match!

"Why panic? I'll sign up with you once I finish my business," Qin Nuo yawned.

"You mean looking for your parents? Any leads?" Tang Ming asked.

Qin Nuo nodded.

A year ago, his parents mysteriously disappeared.

Qin Nuo suspected his parents were forced into the Horror Game.

But after police investigation, no traces of his parents entering the Horror Game were found.

This year, Qin Nuo had neglected his studies to investigate his parents' whereabouts.

If not for his sister's insistence, Qin Nuo would have dropped out long ago.

A year without any clues left Qin Nuo disheartened.

Even if his parents entered the Horror Game, not coming out for a year meant they were likely...

Tang Ming worried that Qin Nuo's continued investigation would lead to problems, so he signed him up for a tour group to take a break.

Qin Nuo, lost in thought,

Didn't notice Tang Ming's strange expression after speaking...

Screech!!

At that moment, the school bus suddenly veered off course, nearly crashing into the roadside barrier, but fortunately, the driver corrected the steering in time.

Everyone was startled, and two students were thrown to the floor.

"Driver, what's going on?"

The students were terrified.

The driver clutched his heart, forcing a smile. "It's nothing, just felt a sudden pain in my heart."

Just as he finished speaking, the driver suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the steering wheel.

Before anyone could react, the coach bus veered off course again, broke through the concrete barrier, and plunged off the overpass into the river below...

On the overpass, everyone was stunned.

"Hello, is this 110? There's been an accident on Jinzhou Bridge, a coach bus fell into the river!"

Many people gathered at the bridgehead and riverbank, constantly making phone calls.

There were dozens of lives on that bus!

Rescue teams quickly arrived, diving into the river to save people and retrieve the bus.

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

Rescue boats searched the river for a long time, eventually recovering the bodies of the driver and the counselor.

All 45 students on the bus had vanished!

***

At that moment.

In another world.

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

Qin Nuo and his classmates groggily awoke to find themselves in a sealed room.

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

"Based on the game's theme, you'll be transported to the corresponding location. According to your roles, you'll provide services to the guests."

Note: The customer is always right. Do not show a bad attitude to the guests, or they might take something from you, like your eyeballs, tongue, or even your life~

"The game lasts for seven days. During this time, it's crucial to coexist peacefully with the guests. While completing tasks, please also strive to survive."

"After the game ends, rewards will be evaluated based on completed tasks and performance during the role."

"This Horror Game's theme is—Nether Springs Restaurant."

A mysterious voice echoed in the room.

It rattled the nerves of all the students.

In an instant, everyone was stunned.

Qin Nuo's expression froze as well.

They had been forced into the Horror Game...