Alice came to and found herself in a car with a girl and two guys. Her head was throbbing, causing her to frown.

“Elle, you okay?” the blonde girl asked, placing her hand on Alice’s shoulder in comfort.

Hmm? Elle? What the f**k did I sign up to?

[Ding! Connected – Welcome to the Tutorial Mission – Final Girl]

[Bzzt! Please Host refrain from cursing, we are still in PG-13 settings – meow!]

Little Meow reappeared in front of her, flicking its tail. Alice noticed that the car had stopped moving, and the girl next to her seemed frozen.

[I have take/n the opportunity to pause the mission so as to introduce the task to you. Aren’t I just the best?]

Alice blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. "Little Meow, what is going on? Why am I in a car, and who are these people?"

[Host, you are currently in the body of Elle, a shy and quiet girl who is part of this group. Your task is to help Linda, the blonde girl next to you, to improve her IQ and survival skills without breaking character.]

“I have so many questions. Which fictional universe am I in? Mystery? Thriller?”

(Quite close! But this mission takes place in a horror setting and your actions have to still entertain the target demographics and follow the basic plot line. Failure to do so will result in a mission failure and soul forfeit. Remember, no cursing – PG-13, meow!]

“People can change and evolve in various situation. Don’t tell me you expect me to still retain a shy and quiet persona with life and death on the line. Are you joking?” Alice’s gaze pierced Little Meow.

[Host is allowed a 5% deviation fr...]

“Make it 10%”, Alice raised her eyebrow, her headache fully gone and attention focused to the current situation.

[Fine, just for you Host. That will be 10% character deviation is allowed. So as long as the basic plot outline is followed – meow!]

Alice took a deep breath, trying to process the information. "Alright, Little Meow, anything else I need to know?”

[Yes, I do not have enough energy to fully accompany you during missions as of now. Instead, my backend app will run to update you on your progress].

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“As of now?”

[Yes, I fully expect that once you start earning Karma points, I will be able to accumulate enough energy – meow!]

Alice taking a deep breath with the new information, “Fine. How do I know about the people in these missions? It doesn’t help if I am plopped right in the middle just like in…”

[The basic plotline and your character profile will synchronize once the mission is resumes. AS for the other characters, what’s the fun in giving you all the answers? I can resume once you give me the go-ahead] Little Meow interrupted its fur already being transparent.

“I get it. Just unpause the mission. I'll handle it."

[All the best host – meow!]

[Unpausing mission in 3, 2, 1...]

"Elle, are you okay back there?" Trevor glanced at her through the rearview mirror, his tone light.

Alice nodded, offering a small smile that felt awkward on her face. "Yeah, just a bit tired."

Linda turned around, her blue eyes sparkling. “Don’t worry, Elle. We’ll be there soon. This trip will be good for all of us.”

Dave grinned. “Yeah, Elle. You need to relax more. This place is supposed to be awesome.”

Alice suppressed a sigh. Elle's rich parents had funded the entire trip, making her presence essential. She wished she could just be herself, but she had to blend in, for now.

The car rumbled along the narrow country road, surrounded by a thick forest that seemed to stretch endlessly on either side. The dense canopy of trees created a natural tunnel, casting dappled shadows on the winding path ahead. Alice, now Elle, sat in the back seat, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. She glanced around at her companions, each lost in their own thoughts but clearly comfortable in each other's presence.

Trevor, the driver, was humming a tune, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel. Beside him in the passenger seat sat Linda, her long blonde hair cascading down her shoulders as she flipped through a magazine. Next to Elle, Dave lounged lazily, his arm stretched out along the back of her seat as he scrolled through his phone.

"Man, those exams were brutal," Trevor said, breaking the silence. "How did everyone do?"

Linda rolled her eyes. "Don't even get me started. My Ethics professor is so creepy, it made it hard to concentrate. He kept trying to baby talk Lizzie’s service dog."

Dave laughed. "That's nothing. Coach made us do extra drills because he thought we were slacking. My legs are still sore."

Elle nodded, trying to fit in. "I thought the math exam was tough. I'm not sure I got all the answers right."

Trevor glanced at her. "You'll be fine, Elle. You always do great."

Elle noticed that the road narrowed even more, the trees pressing in closer. Occasionally, they would pass a clearing or a small, abandoned structure, but for the most part, the forest was an unbroken expanse of green. About three miles back, they had passed a rundown gas station, the last sign of civilization before entering the wilderness.

The conversation shifted to lighter topics as they continued their journey. Linda turned to Elle, trying to make small talk. "So, Elle, have you watched that new show everyone's talking about?"

Elle hesitated. "Uh, not really. I've been too busy studying."

Linda smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, me too. I heard it's good, though."

The conversation felt stilted, the two girls struggling to find common ground. Dave, sensing the awkwardness, jumped in. "Trevor, did you catch the football game last night?"

Trevor's face lit up. "Of course! Can you believe that last-minute goal? It was insane!"

Dave laughed. "I know, right? I thought they were done for."

Linda looked at Elle, a hint of relief in her eyes. "Boys and their sports."

Elle smiled. "Yeah, they're pretty passionate about it."

As the car continued to wind through the forest, the group settled into a comfortable rhythm of conversation and silence. Trevor kept up a steady stream of jokes, trying to keep the mood light.

"Remember that time we all tried to study together for finals?" Trevor said with a chuckle. "And ended up just watching movies?"

Linda laughed. "Yeah, we didn't get much studying done, did we?"

Dave grinned. "We never do. But we always manage to scrape by somehow."

Elle listened, absorbing the dynamics of the group. She needed to understand them better if she was going to help Linda. The banter was light and friendly, but underneath it, she could sense the unspoken tensions and attractions.