With every question about game rules, Horror Game's system seemed obligingly responsive.
"What exactly determines scoring?" Luo Shu, once dubbed the "Grade Demon" of Jiao University's medical school, asked this time. After all, he was in pursuit of nothing less than perfection.
The system answered:
[Scoring is comprehensive, assessing the completion time, task fulfillment, skillfulness, and even factors like audience engagement and excitement.]
[We suggest players avoid obsessing over high scores, as any failure beyond the introductory guide means… death.]
The word "death" floated lightly, as though drifting from one ear and out the other.
Luo Shu simply scratched his chin thoughtfully, looking the very picture of a student deep in thought.
"Oh… so with an audience, there's an entertainment factor too? I just need to perform stylishly?" Luo Shu mused. "And… I lost points last time for not clearing quickly enough, right?"
The system, clearly exasperated, interjected: [The emphasis here is death. Suggesting you don't obsess over—]
Waving his hand dismissively, Luo Shu replied, "Got it, got it. Don't repeat yourself—I'm aware: failure equals death."
The system fell silent.
Luo Shu then spent some time considering efficient ways to achieve top scores. Securing a high grade was thrilling—such a challenge was far more captivating to him than the fear of death. If he was going to be in the game, he might as well enjoy it.
Suddenly, the system chimed again:
[In the previous game, player's SAN value drop rate < 30%, which grants an extra lottery draw.]
[Your SAN value drop rate was 0%.]
[You have received 1x Lottery Ticket.]
Luo Shu paused, surprised.
"SAN value… a major stat, huh? Interesting they reward stable sanity."
He hadn't yet realized how peculiar it was for his SAN to increase, if strong mental health could keep the number steady—or even make it rise under duress. With that thought, he casually activated his lottery ticket.
[Lottery Ticket (All-Category): Available for any suitable-grade item, weapon, or special tool.]
[Would you like to use it now?]
Excited, Luo Shu rubbed his hands together, "No more chit-chat; let's get that prize!"
A flash of colors bloomed before him, revealing an animated gift box swelling, as though something wanted to burst out. With a pop, streamers and fireworks erupted, and out emerged a gleaming machete.
[Congratulations! Fifth Prize!]
Luo Shu muttered, "Fifth? Could it get any lower?"
[Prize: Machete]
"Guess not," he sighed.
Suddenly, the animation flickered, glitching as if the game were an old TV with bad reception. The image of the machete warped.
[Prize: Machete] (Data deleted/modified)
The machete vanished, replaced by a delicate scalpel.
[Prize: Causality Scalpel]
The animation ended, and a real scalpel appeared, hovering weightlessly before him. Luo Shu stared, completely stunned.
Had the original prize been altered by some unknown force? His mind jumped to the anomaly he had encountered upon first entering the game: "Source Code Anomaly."
Curious and slightly thrilled, Luo Shu inspected the scalpel's information:
[Name: Causality Scalpel]
[Type: Weapon]
[Quality: Ordinary]
[Damage: Weak]
[Attribute: Causality]
[Effect: When within the target area, allows precise removal of zombie brain stems with a 100% success rate, neutralizing movement.]
[Usage Requirement: Medicine Domain E; possession of at least one "hand" in any meaningful sense.]
[Note: When zombies crack open brains, disappointment awaits.]
Luo Shu tested the weight of the scalpel before storing it. His inventory was a pocket dimension with limited space but allowed him to travel lightly.
"This scalpel should be perfect against zombies. If I could find a world filled with them, I'd be in for an easy score."
With that, Luo Shu stretched, moving toward a white door on the right. He opened it to find another stark white room, likely his assigned living quarters.
The room was furnished in minimalistic style, simply divided into two spaces: a bathroom and a bedroom. Inside, the bedroom had just a bed and a desk with no computer, designed to meet only the barest of needs. Everything was immaculately white, nearly sterile in appearance.
Straight ahead, there was a double door. Luo Shu walked over, hoping to find a bustling town or some lively gathering spot—a haven within the game.
"Welcome to Sword Art Online!" He muttered with excitement as he pushed the doors open.
But then… he froze.
Outside lay an endless expanse of cosmic stars. His door seemed like a small, incongruent speck of light in the boundless universe. And there, suspended in the void, was a single line of text:
[Horror Game is currently in beta testing; public areas are not yet accessible. We appreciate your patience...]
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