It was summer, and even at night, the temperature was high. Without air conditioning, he woke up halfway through his sleep because of the heat. Without opening his eyes, he groggily climbed out of bed to get a glass of water from the kitchen.
His feet touched the rough floor, but no matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find his slippers. Struggling to open his sleepy eyes, he looked down and saw a dusty floor.
When did the floor get so dirty…
This faint, vague thought drifted through his still-sleepy mind and disappeared before he could catch hold of it. Xin Meng, still groggy, sat on the edge of the bed, yawning incessantly. The room was dark, quiet, and stuffy, and he almost fell asleep again, nodding off until the dryness and thirst in his mouth forced him to shake his head and clear his mind.
Finally, when he fully opened his eyes to find his shoes, his peripheral vision casually swept around, and he suddenly widened his eyes.
A small room, old furniture, and a dirty environment.
So unfamiliar.
Where is this place?!
Xin Meng was 100% sure this wasn’t his home. Not only was the furniture arrangement different, but even the room size was different! What was even more terrifying was that he finally realized the reason the room was so dark was not just because it was still dark outside but also because…
He stiffly turned his neck, bit by bit, to look to his left—
The window was blocked by wooden boards.
Long wooden boards, seemingly torn from some furniture, with splinters where they were broken, were haphazardly nailed across the window frame, leaving only tiny gaps. The surface was dotted with large rusty nails, bent and twisted, looking like struggling fingers or ugly, frightening centipedes. Despite the hurried and chaotic look, many nails were hammered in deeply, making the boards appear very secure. It would be hard to break through without tools.
The curtain was torn, with only a small piece hanging loosely. The floor was littered with fragments of the curtain, stained with dark brown spots. The table nearby was covered with messy footprints.
The room was not only unfamiliar and old but also filled with a bloody smell. Dozens of bad thoughts surged into Xin Meng’s mind, with one quickly taking over—could it be that he was kidnapped?
His heart raced, and he ignored finding his shoes, jumping out of bed barefoot and running to the door. He passed through another unfamiliar living room and reached the main door, only to find, to his horror, that it was blocked by a mess of furniture!
What is going on here?
He stood before the piled-up furniture, hesitating for a moment, not daring to touch anything recklessly. Instead, he turned sharply and pushed open the doors of the other two bedrooms. However, no matter which one he entered, there was no trace of another person. In this large three-bedroom apartment, he was the only one. All the windows were sealed like the first room, leaving gaps too small to even fit a hand through.
Strange, too strange.
There was no one else in this house, yet all the exits were sealed from the inside, as if… as if he had done it all himself…
Sweat began to bead on Xin Meng’s forehead. He stood alone in the dark, dirty, unfamiliar living room, a chill running up his spine, causing him to clench his hanging hands.
Forcing himself to calm down, he looked around the living room again, vaguely seeing signs of chaos. The wardrobe and TV cabinet were pushed to the door, other items were scattered everywhere, the TV screen was shattered, and the sofa and chairs were overturned. A painting that had hung on the wall was now on the floor, with messy footprints on it. The floor was covered with broken vases and household debris, and a floor lamp had been violently disassembled.
Right, the light! How could he forget to turn on the light?
Waking up in the dark, his eyes had adjusted to the environment, and Xin Meng had momentarily forgotten to turn on the light. Now, wanting a clearer view of his surroundings, he carefully avoided the debris on the floor, felt his way to the wall switch next to the main door, and turned it on. The crystal chandelier above flickered twice and lit up.
The living room’s disarray was instantly exposed under the harsh light, and Xin Meng squinted against the glare. After a moment, he lowered his hand and took in the sight of the living room. His hair stood on end.
The dirty floor was covered with countless bloody footprints!
Not only that, but there were also bloody handprints on the old, dirty furniture and patches of sticky liquid, oozing a sinister dark red. Xin Meng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his heart chilling as he stood rigid, suddenly remembering something. He quickly looked down at his feet and indeed found them covered in a blood-like substance. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now the sticky, slippery feeling became all the more evident. Filled with both fear and nausea, his stomach churned, and he reflexively took two steps back. When he glanced back, he was so terrified he almost fell.
On the white wall in front of him were four large, wet, red characters—
DO NOT TURN ON THE LIGHT!
The giant bloody characters were shocking, with streaks of blood dripping down like blood tears, accompanied by four larger, blood-dripping exclamation marks. Just one look was enough to make anyone’s heart race!
Xin Meng didn’t consider himself a coward, but even the bravest person couldn’t withstand such a scare. He was genuinely frightened now, quickly stepping back from the wall. But then, what should he do next? His mind was a blank. He hoped all this was some elaborate prank by his friends, though it seemed unlikely… Who would go to such lengths to play a joke on him?
Standing aimlessly in the living room for a while, his eyes stung from the pervasive blood. His feet felt increasingly uncomfortable, and he desperately wanted to wash them. He decided to head to the bathroom to clean up first, then return to the bedroom to find some shoes. Any shoes would do; the feeling underfoot was driving him crazy.
As for the message on the wall, he was still skeptical and didn’t plan to follow it immediately.
Who knew who had written it or what their intentions were?
Humans naturally seek light for safety, and Xin Meng was no exception.
In the bathroom, he washed his feet thoroughly at the sink, finally feeling some relief. He carefully tiptoed around the bloody footprints on the floor, returning to the bedroom and finding his shoes under the bed. Just as he sighed in relief, he noticed a white card on the table. Curious, he picked it up and saw beautiful cursive handwriting with the first line reading—
Dear Mr. Xin Meng.
Xin Meng’s heart skipped a beat, thinking it was a note from the kidnappers. He hurriedly read on.
Congratulations on being selected as the 9317623858th player of this system.
This system is called: Infinite Horror Game System.
Once in the game, you will participate in various types and contents of horror games. Meet the clearance conditions to enter the next game; failure will result in elimination. Clearing all games will give you a chance to return to the real world.
Each game involves a team of six players, with each player receiving one piece of mission-related information.
Your five teammates are randomly placed throughout the game area; find them, and the black armband is the player’s mark.
There is a chance for resurrection; as long as one teammate survives and clears the game, the other five will revive in the next level.
Special Tips:
First, collecting all information is crucial for clearance.
Second, resurrection has a limit. Accumulate three deaths, and you will be permanently erased.
Third, this is not a joke.
Best of luck.
Xin Meng stood holding the card, dumbfounded. What on earth is this? Am I still dreaming?
He was about to slap himself awake when he suddenly heard a noise.
Thud… Thud… Thud…
It was a heavy, slow sound, like something was hitting the ground hard, coming from outside… from the hallway…
The sound was intermittent, with a special rhythm. Xin Meng stopped his movement, still clutching the card, and listened intently. The sound grew louder and more urgent…
No, something was coming this way!
His hair stood on end as a sense of danger washed over him. He took two steps back, his calf hitting the bed just as a loud bang echoed. Something had slammed into the front door!
He rushed out of the bedroom to see the piled-up furniture trembling with the impact. The broken handle of the cabinet clattered to the floor, making a small but clear noise. The thing outside seemed to be enraged by the sound, slamming into the door with increasing frenzy!
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The force was growing stronger, and the wall around the doorframe began to crumble, raising a cloud of dust. Close enough now, Xin Meng could hear heavy, animal-like breathing and growling from outside the door!
What on earth is out there?!
His scalp tingled, heart pounding as if it would burst from his chest. His mind went blank, knowing only one thing instinctively: he couldn’t let that thing in!
His eyes darted around the living room, and he swiftly ran to move more furniture to block the door. But it wasn’t enough; the force outside was too strong, and it seemed another creature had joined in. The pounding doubled! The doorframe shook violently, and chunks of plaster fell away. If this continued, the door would soon give way!
The terror was suffocating, his limbs freezing cold, and a chill ran through his bones. But at the moment he could still move, Xin Meng clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain calm, and quickly ran to the master bedroom. Looking back, he saw the door and window boarded up, only the bathroom door remained unsealed. He stepped in and shut the door, finding himself in the narrow space with the sink and shower.
He looked at the small window, wide enough for him to fit through. Gathering all his courage, he stood on the toilet, reached up, and began pulling at the window frame. The wood was rough, splinters digging into his hands, but he couldn’t stop. The pounding outside was growing more frantic, and he knew he had no time to waste. With a final desperate pull, the frame came loose, and Xin Meng squeezed through, tumbling out onto the fire escape.
He didn’t dare look back as he scrambled down the steps, his heart racing as he hit the ground. The alley was dark and empty, but he didn’t care. He needed to get away, far away. He ran, not stopping until he was several blocks away, panting and drenched in sweat.
His mind was a whirl, trying to process everything that had happened. Was this really a game? And if so, who were the other players? He had to find them, find the clues, and get out of this nightmare.
He took a deep breath, looking around. The city was unfamiliar, but the danger was real. He had to survive, find the others, and uncover the mystery of this horror game.
He had to keep moving.
