This time, something about the waiter was different.
His steps faltered for a brief three seconds before continuing. The grin plastered on his face looked strained, no longer the polished mask of professional etiquette. His gaze, which had always been calm and polite, now flinched when it met Lucas's.
The waiter approached slowly until he stood right in front of Lucas and Marco.
"Dear guest…" he began, but Lucas cut in with an even, commanding voice:
"Are you afraid of me?"
> [One of the best players is frightened by player Lucas. Mental value -1, mental value -1, mental value -1...]
The waiter's face twitched. His smile trembled at the edges, struggling to remain intact. Yet, he dutifully forced out his next words.
"Please go back to your room quickly…"
But his voice cracked halfway through.
He never finished.
Because in that instant, Lucas raised the kitchen knife again.
Boom—
A third body collapsed in the hallway.
Three corpses now lay in a line.
> [One player out of a hundred was extremely frightened by player Lucas. Mental value -2, mental value -2, mental value -2...]
Lucas turned his head slightly, remembering something, and gave a courteous nod to the best player present—the one who always analyzed things calmly.
"Apologies. The blood might splash. You may want to stand a little farther away."
He said it with genuine politeness. And yet, the tone sent chills down everyone's spine.
The calm player swallowed hard and nodded quickly, backing away without a word. His face twitched as if trying to hold in a scream.
He wasn't trying to show weakness—it was survival.
There was clearly a hidden mechanism in play. The waiters didn't just appear randomly. Every time someone stayed too long outside their room, a waiter would show up again. Lucas was now experimenting—pressing that very system.
Sure enough...
Clatter… clatter… clatter…
Familiar footsteps once again echoed from the far end of the corridor.
This time, however, the walk was sluggish. The waiter's steps were hesitant—as if every stride was a battle. But still, as if compelled, he arrived before Lucas.
Lucas didn't wait.
"What are the dangers of changing rooms?" he asked flatly.
The waiter's mouth opened but no sound came. He stammered:
"Respected… respected…"
Boom—
The fourth corpse fell.
The hallway was starting to look like a battlefield.
No one moved. No one spoke.
The silence was broken only by the blood steadily soaking into the crimson carpet.
Then...
Another waiter came.
But this time, the polished mask had completely fallen away.
He looked terrified.
Before Lucas could even speak, the waiter blurted out:
"If three new players—all good people—move in together, new ghosts will spawn!"
Marco flinched. So that's what it meant!
They had been discussing how three players could switch rooms to improve safety. But now it was clear—
That would trigger a deadly trap.
"So careful thinking saved us…" Lucas said softly, eyes narrowing.
The waiter began trembling. Was that what you call caution?! From his point of view, it was psychological torture!
Lucas tilted his head. "Take me to the captain."
The waiter instantly shook his head like a wind-up toy. Hard refusal. Total panic.
And then… he saw Lucas raise the kitchen knife again.
...
Clatter—
This time, the waiter didn't wait to die.
He dropped to his knees.
"PLEASE, BROTHER! I'LL TAKE YOU! I'LL TAKE YOU THERE RIGHT NOW!" he cried, sobbing uncontrollably.
> [It is unbelievable—one player out of a hundred has witnessed an NPC kneel in fear before a player. Mental value -3, mental value -3, mental value -3...]
Even Marco looked stunned, his eyes wide. The mental pressure in the hallway was thick enough to choke on.
Lucas smiled calmly and finally returned the bloodstained kitchen knife to his pocket.
> [Royal Blue State Waiter: No danger.]
The game system had updated his status.
Lucas no longer saw the waiter as a threat.
"The enemy is the ghosts. This waiter is just a guide now," Lucas thought. He'd gotten what he needed—and conserving energy was crucial.
Killing the waiter four times had cost him ten stamina points.
Lucas turned toward the trembling waiter, who still knelt on the floor. With a warm voice, he added:
"Don't be scared. I even helped put your head back on earlier."
The waiter broke into louder sobs.
> [System Prompt: Player Lucas obtains Devil's Tears x3]
[Item: Devil's Tears]
[Type: Consumable]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Attack Power: Unknown]
[Attribute: None]
[Note: There are no cowardly evil spirits in the world. If there are, then they must have encountered something more terrifying than death. One tear can control a creature for three days.]
> [39,011 new people are watching player Lucas's live broadcast. 20,001 new followers. 15,391 new rewards sent. Reward points: 15,391.]
[Player Lucas's total viewer count now exceeds 150,000. He holds 13% of the central live broadcast audience, ranking first in popularity.]
The analytical player backed away further. He wasn't just afraid—he was thinking.
From Lucas's behavior, it was clear: this wasn't a simple side quest. He had triggered a true hidden mission.
And that meant danger—and glory.
But also death.
"Better to not get involved," he whispered to himself as he returned to his room.
...
Lucas walked with the waiter in silence. Seven floors up. The waiter didn't say a word the entire way—his posture hunched, humbled, scared into servitude.
At last, they arrived outside a large, reinforced door.
"This is it," the waiter said softly, pointing to the door.
Lucas's eyes settled on it, expression unreadable.
> [Royal Blue State Captain's Lounge: Advanced Danger.]
A new level of threat.
A new layer of the nightmare.
-___________________________________
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