Chapter 1

To pay off my student loans, I started doing spicy streams online. I never thought I'd actually blow up.

Every night, my audience floods the chat, fawning over my face and my body.

I love the attention, and I work hard to give them what they want.

Until I was dropped into a horror game.

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a rotting corpse.

And for some reason, my livestream was still running.

When the game’s Boss told us all to pick a weapon to die by.

The other players all chose to die of old age, or peacefully in their sleep like a baby.

I turned my phone to face the boss. "My fans think you're hot," I stammered. "They want me to be killed by... well, by the weapon between your legs. They said 'deeply.' Is that... an option?"

The other players whispered among themselves.

“This woman must have a death wish.”

“Just watch. The Boss is about to tear her to shreds.”

But no one expected the Boss to blush.

...

"Shit, where the hell are we—"

A man’s angry curse cut through the silence.

I’m a streamer. Tonight, during my broadcast, everything suddenly went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in the grand hall of a Victorian manor. The crystal chandelier cast an eerie green glow, and the eyes in the oil paintings on the walls seemed to follow our every move.

Even weirder, my livestream was still active.

【Did the streamer change sets? The new background looks so real!】

【Is this some kind of cosplay? Gothic?】

【Harper baby, where are you?】

The comments flooded my screen. I blinked, making sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

A cold draft blew through the hall. Shivering, I pulled my thin dress closed, covering myself up. The stream of comments was the only thing giving me a sense of security.

My eyes welled up as I looked at my phone. “I don’t know what’s happening… I guess tonight’s stream is a limited edition. I’m a little scared, babies. You have to stay with me, okay? Don’t leave.”

The chat flew by:

【Don't be scared, Harper baby!】

【I'll keep watching!】

"Who are you talking to?" The man who had just cursed, Mike, was frowning at me.

Beside him stood a burly truck driver named Bob, a real estate agent in a power suit named Linda, a skinny IT guy named Kevin, and a couple, Jake and Emma.

The seven of us had appeared here out of nowhere.

【System Alert: Welcome to the SSS-Rank Instance, "Last Wish"】

A cold, mechanical voice echoed through the air.

"What the hell?" Mike scoffed. "Is this some kind of third-rate reality show?"

【Viewer Count: 50,847】

【Gift Revenue: $2,341】

My stream data was still updating in real time.

Suddenly, the temperature plummeted.

A pale figure drifted down from the top of the staircase. He wore an impeccably tailored black tuxedo, a crimson bow tie fastened at his collar. His skin was so pale it was almost translucent, but his lips were as red as fresh blood.

But his eyes were what truly stood out—as deep and dark as a bottomless abyss.

"Welcome to my manor."

His voice was low and elegant, with a hint of a British accent.

【Holy shit! This cosplay is insane!】

【Is he an actor? He's gorgeous!】

【Our girl Harper is in for a treat.】

"I am the master of this house," he said, his expression cold. "You are all going to die. But you get to choose the weapon. I will grant your wish."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Nice acting, pal, but that little trick won't work on me."

A smile touched the Boss’s lips. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but as cold as a tomb.

"Only the correct wish will allow you to live," he added softly. "So, how would you like to die?"

Mike burst out laughing. "Hahaha, you think you can scare me with a cheap parlor trick?"

He strode toward the Boss, reaching out to grab his collar.

"I'm gonna expose you for the—"

Mike’s hand passed right through the Boss’s body.

Like it was air.

"What—" Mike’s eyes widened.

Then, he started to scream.

His arm began to melt from where he’d touched him, as if eaten by acid. Flesh and blood dissolved, bone crumbled to dust, and in seconds, his entire arm had become a puddle of black liquid.

"No, no, no—this can't be—" Mike scrambled back in terror, but the corrosion was spreading. Before our eyes, his body dissolved piece by piece, until nothing was left but a stinking black puddle.

【System Alert: Player Mike has died.】

The Boss stared blankly at the black puddle on the floor, as if he’d just squashed an ant.

My chat exploded.

【Wait, that wasn't fake!】

【The special effects are too real!】

【STREAMER, GET OUT OF THERE!】

At the same time, I noticed a different kind of comment, strangely excited ones:

【There's the first idiot!】

【I love watching the morons who provoke the Boss die horribly. LOL.】

【These challengers look pretty mediocre. Looks like no one’s passing the Boss’s test this time either.】

"Now," the Boss said, his pale eyes sweeping over the rest of us. His voice was terrifyingly calm. "Your wishes?"

The remaining players were pale with fear, huddled together and trembling.

But me? I was staring at the numbers on my screen.

【Viewer Count: 127,539】

It was the highest I’d ever had.

The Boss’s gaze finally landed on me, those deep eyes feeling like they could see straight into my soul.

"Your wish?"