From the very moment Natalie entered the game, she had been the center of attention.
A stunningly beautiful player.
The #1 newcomer this month.
Two titles crowned her name, and they weren't just for show. Every movement, every word, every flash of that confident smile captivated both players and viewers.
And most importantly—there was no doubt about Natalie's strength. She earned every bit of her spotlight.
---
[Player: Natalie]
[Life: 100] (When life reaches zero, player dies. Always pay attention to your life.)
[Stamina: 91] (For a slim girl, your physical strength exceeds 99% of your peers.)
[Strength: 60] (Even men with more muscle may not be your match.)
[Luck: 99] (They must've been talking about you when they said "Chosen One.")
[Intelligence: 75] (Slightly smarter than average. Not bad.)
[Willpower: 86] (You've survived dungeon after dungeon, and still haven't lost your mind. That's power.)
[Skill: Embrace of the Nine-tailed Fox]
[Overall Player Rating: D – Ranked #1 Among Newcomers]
---
It was that 99 Luck stat that made her legendary.
Even in the brutal copies of Terror Cruise, her luck turned disasters into minor inconveniences. She'd acquired her exclusive skill, Embrace of the Nine-tailed Fox, by triggering a hidden mission with less than 0.01% success chance.
That was Natalie for you—blessed, beautiful, and deadly.
Upon entering Terror Cruise, she was silently placed in the ghost camp.
Ivy? Just another unfortunate victim caught in the illusion effect of her ability.
Her mission was simple: survive three nights and kill every "human" inside.
She was confident. She was elite. She was on track to enter the top 100 player rankings.
Marco? Just an analyst. Lucas? A psycho with a kitchen knife.
They were her prey.
---
So when Lucas covered her mouth with his palm and leaned in close—
Natalie was stunned.
This wasn't part of the plan.
Her eyes flew open, struggling wildly beneath his grip. A soft whimper escaped her throat.
And in that moment, she realized something chilling.
In her vision, Lucas wasn't just a threat. He was death itself.
Her gaze filled with disbelief.
"How is this happening?"
She struggled, trying to break free. But Lucas's hand remained firm—one palm holding her mouth, the other guiding the cold edge of the blade.
The chill spread down her throat and into her chest.
One second before she lost consciousness, one thought remained in Natalie's mind—
"But... I'm the chosen one..."
---
[Natalie: Status – Deceased]
Her body lay motionless on the bed. Her breathing had stopped.
Lucas's knife had slid through her neck as smoothly as slicing tofu.
He pulled back slowly, wiping his blade with the sheet before tucking it away.
He exhaled, patting his chest.
"That was... close."
"If I'd been even a little slower, she might have screamed or fought back. And with that level of charm? Could've fooled the others easily."
He stared at her lifeless form.
"Yeah... she was definitely the ghost."
He flicked the knife once more, admiring the weight.
"Tsk.
Never trust beautiful women."
---
Suddenly, a strange notification flickered in front of his eyes.
His personal stat panel had changed.
The Luck stat, which had been sitting at a flat 0, ticked upward…
[Luck: 1]
Lucas blinked.
"Huh? Wasn't expecting that."
Eliminating players had a small chance of improving his attributes, but it was rare.
Then he scowled.
"One point? That's it?
So much hype, and that girl barely gave me a tick of luck..."
---
[Player Lucas has eliminated player Natalie and has been promoted to #1 on the Newcomer Leaderboard.]
[Player Lucas's comprehensive score is undergoing recalculation...]
[Computation failed. Player Lucas's rating has been forwarded to the Jury. All interpretation rights belong to the system.]
[Viewership: 20,456 new watchers]
[Followers gained: 17,230]
[Tips received: 6,415 points]
[Player Lucas's popularity is climbing the trending charts at breakneck speed.]
[He is now approaching the Central Broadcast Position.]
---
In front of Lucas's live broadcast window, silence reigned.
No one typed. No one spoke.
Thousands of spectators stared, mouths agape, minds racing to catch up with what they had just witnessed.
Then—
Natalie's fanbase arrived.
And chaos erupted.
"WHAT?! You killed her?!"
"OMG, he actually just killed the top-ranked newbie!"
"This guy's terrifying. I never want to match with him again!"
"His sanity level hasn't changed once. Not even after killing two people."
"Yo, the system can't even calculate his rating anymore. That's INSANE."
"Lucas isn't a player—he's a walking nightmare."
---
[System Notice: Player Lucas's stream was mass-reported. However, due to the overwhelming number of rewards received, the report threshold is not met. The live broadcast will continue.]
[Viewership surged by +30,098. Total: 50,554.
Player Lucas, please continue your performance.]
---
Meanwhile, in Room 201…
Marco stirred from his slumber.
His eyes opened to darkness. Something felt... wrong.
A dragging sound echoed softly across the floor.
Marco sat up and saw Lucas pulling a bundle wrapped in blood-soaked sheets across the room.
A long red trail stained the polished wood floor.
"Did I wake you?" Lucas asked, smiling gently.
Marco blinked at him, dumbfounded.
It was 4:30 a.m.
He looked at the bed Natalie had occupied.
Empty.
His gaze dropped to the bundle Lucas was dragging.
Marco nearly choked on air.
"What… what are you doing?!"
Lucas looked over his shoulder casually.
"Oh, I killed the girl. She was probably the ghost.
Didn't want the body rotting in here, so I'm tossing it in the toilet."
Marco: "…"
He wanted to scream.
But his survival instinct held his tongue.
Instead, he carefully composed himself, drawing a breath.
"Wh-What if you killed the wrong person?" he asked nervously.
Lucas gave a small, sheepish laugh.
"Then I'll head over to Room 202 and kill the guy there too.
Don't worry about it."
Marco's pupils shrank.
Who the hell is worried about YOU?!
---
To be continued.
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