The Nightmare Game Chapter 4

Was that Lily?

I rushed toward her cabin. Inside, sounds of struggle and violent impacts.

I kicked the door open.

Lily was pinned to the floor by a zombified version of her curly-haired friend.

The woman who'd survived yesterday had turned!

I kicked the zombie off Lily.

In the hallway outside, chaos had erupted. The two male players who'd hidden with us had also transformed into zombies and were brawling with Nick.

So they had died yesterday. They'd been infected with the zombie virus, which took until nightfall to manifest.

Nick and I worked together to take them down and pulled Lily to safety.

The AI chimed: "Mutated entities defeated. Congratulations! Earned 70 Dread Points. Current total: 210."

Nick had also gained points, though a different amount than mine.

"The Dread Points must transfer from players when they turn," I theorized.

Nick nodded. "Players can't attack each other directly, but if they become monsters, defeating them transfers their points."

Lily threw herself into my arms, sobbing. "What am I going to do? I only have 20 points left. I can't survive this..."

I awkwardly extracted myself from her embrace. "If we encounter more zombies, I'll help you defeat them. You'll earn points that way."

Lily's tears stopped. She smiled through her sniffles.

Nick muttered: "Man, you're quite the chick magnet."

"This isn't the time for jokes," I said seriously.

The four of us relocated.

I led the way, cleaver in hand. Sophia, Lily, and Nick followed behind.

Distant sounds of zombie moans and combat echoed through the ship.

I'd hoped to find a few zombies for Lily and Nick to boost their points when the unmistakable buzz of a chainsaw cut through the air.

Nick went pale. "Oh no. It's the Chainsaw Maniac!"

The buzzing grew louder, closer.

The Chainsaw Maniac moved with supernatural speed, grinning maniacally as he charged straight for us.

I positioned myself in front of the group. "Run!"

Nick grabbed Lily and fled. But Sophia stayed put. "I won't abandon you!"

Those were the same words I'd said to her yesterday. "Just stay safe!" I shouted.

I raised my cleaver and blocked the descending chainsaw.

BUZZZZZ—

Chainsaw met blade, sparks flying.

The Maniac snarled and pressed harder. I pushed back with everything I had.

CLANG!

The cleaver snapped in half!

I threw away the broken weapon and leaped backward.

No choice but hand-to-hand combat now.

I clenched my fists, ready to go down fighting.

The Maniac raised his chainsaw for a killing blow when suddenly a blue magic circle materialized beneath my feet.

Jets of water erupted from the circle, slamming into the Maniac and knocking him down.

Sophia's hands formed mystical signs, her hair floating around her, her entire body glowing with blue light.

She could use water magic! A true mermaid princess indeed!

"Sophia! Can you create a water tornado and slam him into the ceiling?"

Sophia changed her hand signs. The water streams coalesced into a massive tornado that lifted the Maniac high, then violently smashed him down.

Without his chainsaw, he was helpless.

I pinned him and delivered a brutal beating.

The AI: "A-rank entity defeated. Congratulations! Earned 100 Dread Points. Current total: 410."

I grabbed his chainsaw—an A-rank weapon—and added it to my inventory.

I hurried over to Sophia. "Thank you. I'd have been eliminated without you."

Sophia blushed. "I'm just glad I could help."

After reuniting with Nick and Lily, we went on the offensive, actively hunting zombies for points.

With the chainsaw, cutting through zombies was like slicing butter.

Nick and Lily racked up points with my assistance.

My Dread Points easily broke 3,000.

When the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds, we could finally breathe.

The PA system: "Current survivors: 16."

Four more players had been eliminated overnight.

Nick whispered to me: "How many points do you have now?"

I didn't want to reveal my full hand. "Just a bit more than when I started."

He pressed: "Has to be over two thousand, right?"

I deflected: "Everyone's exhausted. Let's get some rest."

As we headed to our cabins, Lily spoke up hesitantly: "Could I... room with Sophia?"

Yesterday she'd despised Sophia. Now this?

Nick jumped in: "Sure! I'll bunk with Ethan. You girls can share."

I checked with Sophia. "What do you think?"

Probably not wanting to make things difficult for me, Sophia agreed. "Okay."

I breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Another night alone with Sophia might have tested my self-control to the breaking point.

Nick and I returned to the previous cabin. After a shower, I collapsed into bed.

While sleeping, I felt something restricting my breathing.

Sleep paralysis?

I tried to roll over but couldn't move.

I forced my eyes open. Nick straddled my chest, his face twisted with malice, a thick rope in his hands.

My mouth was taped shut. "Mmph..."

Nick had betrayed me!

I cursed myself for misjudging him.

Nick tied me up securely, then called toward the door: "Got him! Get in here!"

Three male players burst into the room.

They carried me to the deck and bound me to a post.

When I managed to work the tape off my mouth, I snarled: "Nick! Are you insane? Players can't kill each other!"

Nick sneered: "Obviously I know that. That's why we're leaving you here. After dark, the zombies will bite you. Then we can finish you off without penalty."

They wanted my high Dread Point total.

I laughed scornfully. "You think you have what it takes to survive the later scenarios with these tactics?"

While stalling, I accessed my inventory and retrieved my throwing stars.

Nick bristled: "Who do you think you are? You just got lucky!"

"And you're the kind of person who doesn't even get lucky," I shot back.

"Keep talking," Nick said coldly. "You're still at our mercy."

A shout rang out: "What are you doing!"

Lily and Sophia had arrived.

Nick gloated: "Perfect timing! Let your pretty friends watch you suffer!"

He ordered his accomplices to grab Lily and Sophia. I roared: "Leave them alone! What kind of man attacks women!"

Nick dragged Sophia in front of him. "Sophia, you should be with me instead. Ethan's all talk. You and him—"

Before he could finish, Sophia slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't you dare talk about him that way!"

She tried to run to me, but Nick grabbed her hair and yanked her back brutally.

"Let her go!" I shouted.

I frantically sawed at my ropes with the throwing star.

Sophia attempted to form magical hand signs when suddenly the ship pitched violently. She fell hard.

Thunder boomed. Wind howled. Storm clouds gathered above the ship at impossible speed.

I'd just managed to cut through the rope binding my hands when a monstrous wave rose up.

The wave towered thirty feet high, crashing down like a giant hand slapping the ship.

Still bound at the ankles, I was swept overboard by the rushing water.

SPLASH!

The roar of water filled my ears.

I'd fallen into the ocean!

I thrashed upward, but my legs couldn't kick.

No—I'm drowning...

I released a stream of bubbles.

Through the murky water, a graceful figure swam toward me.

Sophia had transformed back into her mermaid form and was racing to my rescue.

She untied the ropes around my ankles.

My legs were free, but I had no strength left to surface.

Just as I was losing consciousness, Sophia cupped my face and pressed her lips to mine, sharing her breath.

She pushed something into my mouth—a pearl. When I closed my lips around it, energy flooded back through me.

The AI: "Congratulations! S-rank item acquired: Breath Pearl."

With the pearl, I could breathe underwater indefinitely.

Sophia formed hand signs again.

The seawater shaped itself into a fountain.

Sophia and I rose on the water column, slowly ascending above the surface.

Nick's face went white with terror. "Sophia's the boss monster!"

[PAYMENT GATE #2 - Major revelation and revenge scene]