The Nightmare Game Chapter 9

Another familiar face.

I quickly lowered my weapon and raised my hands, backing away slowly.

"I'm sorry! Are you hurt?"

Hailey touched her face, then her expression shifted to one of fury, her beautiful eyes wide, her cheeks flushed.

"You... you dare..."

I smiled apologetically. "It was an accident, I swear. I didn't mean to..."

I couldn't resist adding: "Actually, you look much better without that helmet. It really didn't suit you."

"Silence!" Hailey lunged at me to slap me, but tripped on a protruding stone.

She pitched forward. I caught her instinctively.

"Careful!"

Hailey practically fell into my arms.

She immediately shoved me away, flustered. "Get off me! Don't touch me!"

I continued trying to placate her. "I'm truly sorry, Your Majesty. I never meant to harm you. Now that I've escaped, why don't you head back..."

Hailey eyed me suspiciously from head to toe.

"You're letting me go?"

"Yes. I was too presumptuous."

I asked helpfully: "Do you have any way to contact your people? I mean, how can they find you..."

As I spoke, rustling sounds came from nearby.

I positioned myself protectively in front of Hailey.

Two players emerged from the brush.

They held particle rifles and called out: "Ethan Hayes! That alien behind you—we'll take her off your hands."

"Not bad. You caught a live one."

I forced a smile. "She's not an alien. Just a regular NPC."

The square-faced player laughed coldly. "You think we're idiots? The scanner says she's alien!"

The lanky player added: "You just want all the credit for yourself."

Three sentences in, everyone's intentions were crystal clear.

I immediately raised my pulse cannon.

"Remember what happened to Nick? Want to get disqualified too?"

The square-faced player laughed. "Rules say players can't attack each other. Nothing about stealing someone's catch!"

While I was distracted, the lanky one threw a nano-net at me.

I blasted the net to pieces with my pulse cannon.

But in that half-second, square-face had circled behind and grabbed Hailey.

He leered: "Well, well. A sexy bombshell alien. Today's my lucky day!"

As he reached for her, I delivered a flying kick.

Square-face flew backward. I was penalized 20 Dread Points.

I aimed the cannon at his forehead, my voice ice-cold. "Stay away from her."

Square-face tried to act tough. "You wouldn't dare. If you kill me, you'll be punished too..."

Hailey snatched my pulse cannon and snarled: "He might not dare, but I do!"

She fired a shot past their heads. The rock behind them exploded into dust.

Both men scrambled away in terror, activating their jetpacks and fleeing.

Hailey tossed the cannon back to me.

I couldn't help but smile. "Didn't know you could shoot."

"I just learned." Hailey swept her curled hair back seductively.

I collected myself and asked again: "Can you get back on your own? Or contact your guards to pick you up?"

It was already dark. I didn't dare stay out in the alien wilderness after nightfall.

Hailey glanced at me. "Whatever. I rarely get out. I'll go back tomorrow."

I smiled weakly. "I'll escort you back in the morning. Just... please tell your guards not to attack me."

I found a cave for temporary shelter and activated a heating orb for warmth.

Hailey wrapped herself in her cloak. I offered her compressed rations.

Hailey sniffed them and took small bites.

I asked about the Hive. Hailey was guarded, barely responding.

From her sparse comments, I learned the aliens reproduced asexually and there was only one Queen.

When the Queen died, she'd split into a new Queen.

I didn't just interrogate her. I was honest about my situation:

"My name's Ethan Hayes. I'm a mercenary sent to gather intelligence about your people. But I think my employers have ulterior motives. I don't want to help them do terrible things."

The Hive were the native inhabitants of Caesar Prime. Humans slaughtering them for profit was no different from colonial genocide.

I refused to be part of that.

Hailey said haughtily: "Years ago, a human military force came here. They injured me. This time, I won't let any of you leave alive!"

"Your Majesty, please spare me. I just need to survive three days here. I promise I won't harm your subjects again."

Hailey looked skeptical but finally turned away with a huff.

We spent the night in the cave. At first light, Hailey urgently pressed me to leave.

I held Hailey and used my jetpack to fly toward her castle.

As an alien who looked human, Hailey couldn't fly on her own.

After flying for some distance, we heard explosions ahead. Several enormous trees crashed down.

I immediately landed, approaching the blast site with extreme caution.

The forest was filled with smoke. Screams echoed faintly.

I used the vegetation as cover and crawled forward to investigate.

A group of aliens was viciously devouring two humans who were still screaming in agony—

It was the square-faced and lanky players from yesterday!

Watching humans being eaten alive made me gag. Unfortunately, I was docked another 10 Dread Points.

Hailey looked confused. "What's happening? My subjects don't eat living things!"

"What do you mean, don't eat living things?"

"We don't consume anything that moves. We only eat pollen and nectar."

I remembered the appearance of her castle and had an epiphany. "So you're... bees?"

The PA system: "Current survivors: 6."

The two players had become alien food.

After eating, the aliens twitched their antennae as if searching for something.

Before I could react, Hailey jumped out and shouted at the aliens: "What are you doing? I didn't order you to eat humans!"

When the alien guards saw Hailey, they raised their scythes and charged at her.

Hailey was shocked. I immediately used my energy blade to block them.

Since I'd promised not to harm her subjects, I held back.

But these aliens were trying to kill us both. When I cut off their weapons, they flew at us with their mandibles.

Hailey commanded them to stop. They ignored her, even roaring at her.

Hailey was furious. "Are you insane? Don't you recognize me?"

"Is it because you're not wearing your helmet?" I asked.

"No! They identify by scent!"

The aliens launched an even fiercer assault.

I had no choice. I pulled Hailey behind me. "Sorry! I have to break my promise!"

I drew my particle rifle and opened fire.

As aliens fell, my Dread Points rose to 1,000.

Hailey didn't blame me. Her expression was grave. "Something's wrong at the castle. Get me there quickly!"