Giving Interstellar Players a Horror Ghost Game Shock - Chapter 14
“Pfft—”
Ye Yuxi spit out her milk.
She had always enjoyed the nightly ritual of sipping a warm glass of milk before bed, scrolling through videos for relaxation. It was her little moment of peace.
Of course, as she happily downed her milk, she never expected to one day be caught off guard by a streamer’s baffling antics, causing her to spray milk everywhere. Now her desk and carpet bore a large, unsightly stain that demanded immediate attention.
Cough, cough…
“What in the world has this Liver Bro been through? It’s just the lowest-level chase sequence! Does he really need to lose his mind over something so basic?”
Ye Yuxi truly couldn’t understand how things had escalated to this point. After all, this guy was an officially certified game streamer with over a billion fans—on par with a top-tier creator from her previous life on Earth, someone who had surely played countless games. How could he possibly struggle this much?
The current demo, a quick test version Ye Yuxi had rushed out to gauge feedback, featured a simplified chase sequence.
She had even prepared herself for criticism, thinking that if most players found the demo’s chase scene too easy and lacking challenge, she would ramp up the difficulty in the full version. Her goal was to create an exhilarating, unprecedented gaming experience for players.
Although she recognized her shortcomings as a game developer and had resolved to approach feedback with utmost humility, reality seemed to suggest that no difficulty increase was necessary—players were already folding under the pressure.
Unable to hold back, Ye Yuxi furiously typed a comment in the chat:
[Honestly, this chase isn’t that hard. If you react fast enough and memorize the route, you can just sprint through it. Even if you’re a little slower, you can use the cover of the restroom to hide and make a break for it. Is it really that difficult?]
Her words were factual. As a seasoned gamer in her previous life, she had once memorized the route so thoroughly that she could loop the chase monster over and over just for fun. No malice—just entertainment.
But the people of this star-spanning civilization, unfamiliar with such games, had no idea. Liver Bro, still trembling in the restroom, happened to see her comment and instantly broke down.
“Easy for you to say, you jerk! Do you even know how terrifying this game is? After so many back-to-back scares, who has the mental strength to think straight, let alone run?”
[Exactly! That person is just talking big.]
[But Liver Bro, from what you’re saying… are your legs giving out right now?]
“…”
Liver Bro was speechless.
As he glanced away from the chat, he suddenly noticed a detail that nearly scared his soul out of his body—the restroom door had a gap in it! Through the crack, he could vaguely see outside.
A seasoned player on Earth would immediately recognize this as a design choice, allowing the player to monitor the situation outside. But poor, unsuspecting Liver Bro didn’t know that. He almost screamed on the spot.
“What the hell? Why is this toilet so shoddy? What if the female ghost sees me through the gap? I’m done for!”
Ye Yuxi was utterly exasperated.
Her design logic was simple: slow runners needed an alternative strategy. As long as the player didn’t actively do something suicidal—like opening the door right in front of the ghost—they wouldn’t be discovered.
[The gap in the door is for players to observe outside. Maybe the streamer should use it to track the ghost’s movements?]
With encouragement from the chat, Liver Bro mustered his courage and cautiously peered through the gap.
The blue-dressed doll was still standing in front of the restroom door. Her painted, beautiful yet lifeless eyes scanned the surroundings, as though searching for her prey.
After a few tense seconds, it seemed she didn’t find him. She turned and left down another path.
[Fish General, now’s your chance—run for it!]
Faced with the chat’s impatient urging, Liver Bro plopped back into his original squat, resuming his “head-in-hands” position.
“Nope! I’m not moving! I don’t care who tries to convince me; today, no one’s getting me to take a single step out of this toilet!”
The fans cracked up.
[Seriously? Fish General has actually been scared witless?]
[Are we here to watch you cower in a toilet? If you don’t come out, what are we supposed to watch?]
Seeing the chat turning hostile, Liver Bro begrudgingly offered an explanation.
“Based on my vast gaming experience, that ghost is 100% going to double back for a sneak attack. Just you wait and see.”
Sure enough, after about ten seconds, the doll retraced her steps and wandered back to the restroom entrance, glancing around again.
“See? Once she leaves again, I’ll wait another ten seconds to make sure she doesn’t return, and then I’ll clear this level like a pro!”
Swallowing hard, Liver Bro began regaining some semblance of composure after spending enough time apart from the ghost’s terrifying face. His gaming confidence was gradually returning.
But this cursed game didn’t play by the rules. Instead of fully retreating, the doll veered off onto another path.
Just as Liver Bro breathed a sigh of relief, about ten seconds later, he watched in horror as the ghost abruptly turned around and headed straight back toward the restroom.
[Wait, what’s going on? Is there something in the toilet attracting the ghost? Why does it feel like she’s just looping endlessly around here?!]
Liver Bro felt like his head was going to explode.
“Stop talking! What could possibly be in here attracting her—besides me, obviously!”
“Who designs the first chase scene in a demo to be this hard? Dog Ye, you’ve really outdone yourself! Aren’t you afraid the difficulty will scare off all your players?”
The so-called “Dog Ye” herself watched the stream with a twitching mouth.
Blame me? How was I supposed to know you guys are so easily frightened?
Also, is this chase really that hard? Don’t hold back your true abilities! Otherwise, I’ll be left with a permanently low opinion of interstellar gamers!
Meanwhile, Liver Bro stayed huddled in the toilet, sneezing repeatedly, his nerves on edge as he worried the doll might somehow sense his presence.
The audience, too, stared alongside him, watching in suspense as the ghost passed back and forth every ten seconds, patrolling the same route.
Liver Bro, like a seasoned prey, refused to budge an inch, steadfastly squatting in his sanctuary.
After about five minutes of this standstill, a viewer’s comment floated across the chat.
[I think I’ve lost it. I’ve been staring at a streamer squatting in a toilet for this long…]
Apparently, the game’s system also found the situation absurd. With a cheerful “ding,” it popped up a notification for Liver Bro.
“Ding—Congratulations, player CodLiver, on achieving the title: King of the Toilet! Keep up the great work!”
“The system kindly reminds you: Prolonged toilet-sitting is bad for your health. The outside world is far more beautiful.”
When Liver Bro saw the new achievement, six ellipses filled the chat, followed by an explosion of laughter.
[Pfft, hahaha! Liver Bro, are you trying to make me laugh myself to death so you can inherit my credits?!]
[King of the Toilet… I-I can’t handle this! It’s the first time I’ve seen such an achievement… hahaha!]
Liver Bro’s face instantly darkened.
“The outside world is better, huh? Fine. I’ll head out right now—”
At that exact moment, the doll appeared at the door, peeking in.
“—Oh, sorry to bother you.”
Liver Bro immediately retreated back inside, utterly defeated.
His sheepish behavior sent the chat into a frenzy of joyous chaos.
Just then, a highlighted comment suddenly popped up.
[Stop watching the King of the Toilet—Campus Nightmare’s first clear player has been found!]