Chapter 1

“Welcome, players, to the City of Ruins.”

The cold mechanical voice echoed over the square.

“Here, you will face the most terrifying monsters and the most thrilling storylines.”

“Please follow the rules of the City of Ruins. Any violation will result in immediate execution.”

The voice cut off.

A dark fog covered the square, and hundreds of people stood there with pale, terrified faces.

“I want to go home!”

Someone in the crowd panicked and started screaming, trying to run.

A second later, a series of horrific screams tore through the air.

A red mist spread through the fog.

When what was left of the person dropped in front of me, my mind went completely blank. I was so scared I almost wet myself.

In the middle of the chaos, I looked down at the ID tag hanging around my neck.

Husband of the Horror Corporation’s Female CEO.

Hint: The boss works day and night. Tonight, she’ll be waiting for her sweet, capable husband to take care of her.

What the hell?

I was the husband of some corporate queen?

And she expected me to serve her?

Was I her husband or her housekeeper?

“Mr. Parker, please follow me. Ms. Sanders will be back soon. You need to return home first and prepare her foot soak.”

A bespectacled man in a suit appeared in front of me and gave the order in a flat, commanding tone.

I was still completely lost.

I didn’t even know where he had come from.

Everyone here seemed to have been assigned a different role. Their faces were either blank with shock or twisted with fear.

Before I could react, the secretary’s expression suddenly darkened.

That was when it hit me.

In the City of Ruins, breaking the rules meant death.

“Okay! I’ll go right now!”

I answered in a rush, not daring to slow down for even a second.

After all, I needed my lower half intact.

How else was I supposed to keep my girlfriends satisfied?

I followed the secretary to a mansion and took a deep breath.

The place had a grand European-style design, but now the entire estate was wrapped in a terrifying black aura.

I forced down my fear and followed close behind him.

The secretary led me into a bedroom that had to be at least two thousand square feet.

“These are the ingredients Ms. Sanders requires for her foot soak. Prepare them immediately.”

A long list unrolled in front of me, and cold sweat broke out across my palms.

Damn.

It was just a foot soak.

Why did it need more than two hundred ingredients?

Was she serious?

This CEO really knew how to enjoy herself.

After the secretary left, I started searching through the room.

Thankfully, all the ingredients had already been prepared. All I had to do was wash them, sort them, and mix them in the right order.

By the time I finished, I collapsed onto the massive bed and gasped for breath.

I still had no idea who this Ms. Sanders really was.

If she needed this much preparation just to soak her feet, what kind of nightmare was I in for now that I was supposed to be her husband?

While I was thinking, a scream outside shattered my thoughts.

I rushed out and saw a body lying in the living room.

It was the middle-aged man who had been standing near me earlier.

The other players were white with fear. No one dared to make a sound.

I vaguely remembered his assigned role.

He was the butler.

In the CEO’s household, the butler seemed to be the lowest-ranking role. He must have touched something he wasn’t supposed to touch.

One mistake, and he was dead.

A miserable ending.

I checked the time.

Ten o’clock at night.

The female CEO would be back soon.

I had no choice but to hurry and finish preparing the foot soak.

I had never prepared something this carefully for anyone in my life.

The only person whose feet I had ever washed was my mother.

Every time I did it for her, she would be so happy.

But this time, I was afraid I would never get the chance again.

I didn’t even know if I could make it back.

Mom, if there’s a next life, I hope I can still be your son.