Giving Interstellar Players a Horror Ghost Game Shock - Chapter 45
Unwittingly captivated by the novel task mechanics, Lu Xiaofeng was startled, almost convinced that a ghost had appeared. If he weren’t stuck as a passive observer, he would have bolted without hesitation.
Luckily, he quickly remembered that this new game was marked as a four-player multi-player. So those three shadows… could they represent his teammates?
As Lu Xiaofeng mulled over this, the environment shifted again.
Suddenly, his perspective changed to an overhead view, standing atop the tallest skyscraper, overlooking a city awash in neon lights and bustling nightlife.
A deep, gravelly narration began:
“In 2024, in the dark, forgotten corners of the world, countless supernatural occurrences are quietly brewing, on the verge of unleashing chaos. Thankfully, ghost hunters stand as the last line of defense, confronting these dangers and preventing them from creeping into human society.”
In a brightly lit residential neighborhood, a ghostly woman split in half let out a piercing shriek of frustration before dissipating into black smoke.
Lu Xiaofeng’s eyes widened in shock.
Ghosts can be killed?!
If ghosts were as tangible and defeatable as wild beasts—or even interstellar creatures—why would he have been so terrified of them in the first place?
If this game allowed players to take on the role of ghost hunters, perhaps he could finally overcome his fears!
Just as he envisioned himself wielding a peachwood sword to vanquish ghosts in a triumphant future, the narration shattered his dreams.
“Children, do you believe you’re the chosen ones?” The gruff voice chuckled darkly, twice. “No, you’re just the lucky ones who’ve caught a glimpse of another world and lived to tell the tale. You’re nothing but gamblers chasing after dangerous bounties—”
“Mercenaries.”
The moment the word landed, the perspective dropped dramatically. Countless uniform-looking RVs, each carrying a four-person team, sped toward haunted locations.
“Huh?!” Lu Xiaofeng’s face fell instantly.
Mercenaries? That didn’t sound heroic at all! Suddenly, he understood why Ji Yu constantly called the designer “Dog Ye”—because this designer really was a troll!
They’d been led to believe they were badass ghost hunters, only to have the rug pulled out from under them at the last second. Unbelievable!
Unbothered by the players’ feelings, the narrator continued:
“Even ghost hunters can’t predict every supernatural occurrence with certainty. That’s why you must step into haunted houses, using every tool at your disposal to detect the presence of ghosts and gather crucial information for the hunters.”
As these words played out, the “Mercenaries” on screen scattered salt on the ground or set up cameras in specific locations.
Everyone worked methodically, their actions geared toward completing the task and earning rewards.
“Rewards can be used to purchase items and are also tied to your level. Your level determines the range of bounties you can accept…”
On the RV’s electronic screen, a stream of tasks refreshed continuously. At the very top, five-star missions displayed astronomical reward amounts.
“Rookies, struggle to survive in this hell! If you don’t make it, we’ll ensure your insurance payouts are sent to your families. Hahaha…”
With a final unsettling laugh—half mocking, half pitying—the trailer came to an abrupt end.
Lu Xiaofeng sat frozen in the projection room, staring blankly ahead for a long time.
It wasn’t until Ji Yu, growing uneasy, began poking him repeatedly that he snapped out of his daze and leapt to his feet.
“What the hell?! Who’s being underestimated here? That voice acted like I wouldn’t survive—me?!”
“You just wait! I’m downloading it right now! I’ll prove to you that I can finish the mission!”
Ji Yu, who was still in the screening room, naturally overheard Lu Xiaofeng’s bold declaration through the mic he forgot to mute. He was overjoyed.
“Awesome, awesome! Brother Lu, I’ve been waiting for you to say that! When the game launches in a couple of days, you’ll join me, right? Don’t worry, I’ll use a virtual avatar for my livestream so your identity stays safe.”
Lu Xiaofeng: “…”
Could he take it back now?
Realizing his deep-seated aversion to the supernatural, Lu Xiaofeng gave in immediately for the sake of his sanity.
“How about this? My roommate’s really into games like this. How about I recommend him to join your livestream? I guarantee he’ll be a lot of fun…”
At nearly the same time, Liu Yuling was pondering the same dilemma.
Since her last stream had been a massive hit, her follower count had skyrocketed. As the first player to clear Campus Nightmare, she now carried a golden reputation.
Her follower count had since stabilized, putting her on the verge of top-tier streamer status.
Though she initially became a streamer just for fun, achieving this level of success filled her with undeniable pride.
Doudou, the platform’s operational team led by Ye Yuxi, initially invited Liu Yuling as a favor to promote Campus Nightmare. Now, seeing her huge number of fans, they genuinely sent her a long-term contract offer.
In other words, all of Ye Yuxi’s future games on the platform would have Liu Yuling as their designated promotional streamer.
Naturally, Liu Yuling accepted the offer without hesitation. She was utterly captivated by Ye Yuxi’s games and believed firmly that, hit or not, they would always be fun.
However, as this was a four character multiplayer game, even though the manual mentioned solo mode and random matchmaking, the charm of multiplayer was watching familiar faces act like fools together.
But deciding whom to invite was proving tricky.
Her first criterion was people who knew her streamer identity, but that alone ruled out most of her acquaintances.
For safety reasons, Liu Yuling had always kept her streamer persona a tight secret. Thinking carefully, it seemed that Ye Yuxi was the only one who knew.
Wait a second—why couldn’t she invite Ye Yuxi? After all, there were no rules against designers playing their own games!
Liu Yuling’s eyes lit up.
“You’re joking, right? I designed this game—I know every secret passage and hidden mechanic. Heck, I might even find the dev console. What’s there for me to play?”
When Liu Yuling proposed her idea to Ye Yuxi, the latter nearly spat out her drink, convinced Liu had been driven half-mad trying to assemble a team.
But since it was a rare request from her senior, Ye Yuxi gave it some thought.
“Well… it’s not impossible. Think of me as a filler. I’ll do my best not to interfere with your normal gameplay, but I won’t step in to help either.”
“Deal!”
October 25th, 11:00 PM, just an hour before the game’s official launch.
On Doudou’s homepage, a small live-streaming window popped up with the title:
Four-Person Squad, Ready to Depart!