Giving Interstellar Players a Horror Ghost Game Shock - Chapter 11
Upon logging into the game, CodLiver—let’s just call him Liver Bro from now on—deftly switched to the control console while staring at the eerie environment.
“Alright, folks, Liver Bro won’t be enabling first-person perspective this time. Just in case there are any gross corpses later—some fans have told me they’re not too fond of that.”
In the interstellar era, technological advancements had greatly enhanced live-streaming capabilities. Fans could even immerse themselves directly into the streamer’s perspective, experiencing everything the streamer did firsthand—though only with free content, as premium content wasn’t included to prevent freeloading.
The moment Liver Bro said this, the fans in his chat room erupted in protest.
[“Are you kidding me?! Watching Fish General’s stream is my dinner entertainment, and now you’re denying us shared perspectives?”]
[“Come on, it’s just a few gross corpses! What’s the big deal? If those scaredy-cats don’t like it, they can just not choose the immersive view. Problem solved!”]
Faced with such resistance, Liver Bro had no choice but to re-enable the first-person perspective option.
“Fine, but if you’re easily scared, don’t pick the immersive view. If you get so terrified that you wet yourself, don’t come crying to me—I don’t do emotional support gigs.”
“Alright, let’s get started! Watch pro-gamer Liver Bro absolutely crush this game!”
Brimming with enthusiasm, Liver Bro clicked “Start Game.” His view instantly shifted, and what had been a somewhat virtual scene before suddenly became startlingly lifelike.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing under a streetlamp in the middle of a dark, empty campus.
Just as he was about to inspect his surroundings, an ethereal giggle echoed in his ears.
“Hehehehe…”
“What the hell?!” Liver Bro shuddered, goosebumps crawling up his skin at the sound of the laughter.
He quickly scanned the area, noting that while it was supposed to be a school, there wasn’t a single soul in sight.
“This doesn’t make sense! Back in my college days, I’d still see couples holding hands at midnight!”
Even though the game had only just begun, Liver Bro was already feeling a bit uneasy.
If a zombie or murderer had jumped out to chase him, at least he’d have a clear objective. But this kind of disembodied sound with no visible source? He wasn’t used to that—it was downright unsettling.
The laughter soon faded, replaced by a similarly ethereal female voice:
“Seniors, this time we have to make the event a success and scare those freshmen out of their wits!”
Shortly after, a male voice chimed in:
“Alright, let’s rehearse properly tonight. Go live at exactly 11:55 PM!”
“What the…? Who are these people? Why are they talking? Did the developer forget to add character models?”
Liver Bro had recovered his composure and, true to form, couldn’t resist some snark.
Soon, a prompt appeared on the screen:
Check your Neural Net messages.
As an experienced gamer, Liver Bro didn’t follow the instructions immediately. Instead, he began exploring his surroundings.
He was standing on a wide campus road flanked by two buildings, with ample space to maneuver.
Beside the streetlamp was a signpost. According to the directions, continuing straight down the main road would lead to a scenic lake and May Bridge. The building on the left was labeled the “Comprehensive Building,” while the one on the right was the “Art Building.”
“These building models are so detailed. Can I go inside?” Liver Bro tried pushing a door, only to be met with a glaring red ❌.
“This area is currently inaccessible.”
“What?! Are they trying to stop players from memorizing routes and breezing through the upcoming chase scenes? That’s so lame.”
[“Hahaha, Fish General got owned again!”]
[“Maybe the developer just hasn’t finished designing the interiors yet.”]
[“Stop wasting time, Fish General! Follow the game’s prompts already—we can’t wait to see what kind of enemy the main quest throws at you!”]
“Alright, alright, I’m on it.”
Seeing no loopholes to exploit, Liver Bro grudgingly clicked open the virtual screen. A group message popped up, urging him to head to May Bridge for a rehearsal, sent by the in-game junior classmates.
“So, that earlier dialogue must have been referring to this. What exactly are they rehearsing for?”
As he pondered, he found a digital project proposal in the neural interface.
“May Bridge Freshman Courage Test Event Plan”
Event Details:
Volunteer welcoming team (five members total) will perform a summoning ritual on the infamous May Bridge, known for its chilling legends, at midnight on September 13th. The event will be live-streamed for all new students. Freshmen who are interested may also attend in person.
Purpose:
To deeply explore campus cultural traditions, showcase the university’s charm, foster camaraderie among students, and introduce freshmen to May University’s profound heritage.
“Huh? What kind of bizarre event is this?” Liver Bro scratched his head, baffled after reading through the details.
“So this courage test thing is some kind of unique freshman welcoming tradition, huh? But heading to a spooky bridge in the dead of night—do they really think any freshmen will watch this?”
“Although, now that I think about it, does this resemble those zombie escape room team-building events we used to do in school?”
Curious, he searched for more information in the neural interface and found a full itinerary for the courage test in the memo section.
Courage Test Procedure:
The summoning ritual will follow the most widespread version of the legend. Red threads are to be hung on nearby trees, and bells will be attached to them. The team members will stand at the cardinal points—east, south, west, and north—forming a formation. A circle of white candles will be placed in the center and lit one minute before the ritual begins.
One member, designated as the medium, must step into the circle with the left foot first, then the right, close their eyes, and turn counterclockwise once in place. Afterward, they step out of the circle in the same manner and walk straight ahead without looking back.
From this moment until the end of the game, do not look back.
May Bridge’s steps all consist of 12 stairs. Legend has it that when the medium ascends the first flight of steps, they will encounter an elusive 13th step. At this point, the spirit of someone who once drowned in the lake will appear at the ritual site. The signs include extinguished candles and incessantly ringing bells.
From here, different versions of the ritual diverge. This team will follow the most common version: no matter what happens, the medium must not look back. Running a lap around the bridge will dispel the vengeful spirit.”
Liver Bro stared at the details, growing more puzzled by the minute.
“Anyone know what kind of ghost or monster this ‘vengeful spirit’ is supposed to be? Is it a new creature invented for this game?”
The chat buzzed with responses:
[“No idea. I just searched the galaxy web, but nothing came up.”]
[“Probably a new creation for this game. Honestly, I don’t have high hopes for modern designers’ creativity. It’s probably just another zombie-like creature.”]
[“Still, this freshman courage test event sounds super fun. We should suggest our school hold one, too! With the right spooky vibes, thrill-seeking freshmen would totally love it.”]
Liver Bro’s curiosity was fully piqued.
“You know, this game’s designer might actually have some skills. I can’t wait to see what kind of new monster they’ve cooked up!”
“Alright, time to play this summoning game! Let’s hope this so-called vengeful spirit knows what’s good for it and shows itself pronto!”
TL: Hi readers!🌟 Did you enjoy the story so far? If you liked it, please drop a reaction or comment below! Your feedback will help me decide whether to continue translating it. If you’re excited to see more, please consider supporting it so I can keep going. Your support truly means the world to me and motivates me to keep translating. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖📖