Chapter 1

After transmigrating into a horror game, I was bound to a courage-boosting system.

When I met specters, *my mind screamed:*

*Please spare my life!*

But my mouth blurted:

"Is that all you've got? Is that truly the extent of your power?"

Along the way, the double-headed werewolf quickly tucked away its fangs when it saw me.

The long-haired vampire hid its hair when it met my gaze.

Even the big boss was so intimidated by me that it lost all self-confidence.

Seeing how friendly this terrifying world had become, I genuinely wanted to stay.

But they all united and pleaded:

"Sister Alice, please just go!"

"Welcome, player, to the instance: Infinite Company.

Current players: 15.

Instance objective: Secure an executive position within the company.

Time limit: 3 days.

New player detected. Issuing your newbie gift package now. Please make good use of your benefits~"

An eerie AI female voice echoed through the grand hall.

A group of players gathered at the front desk, whispering amongst themselves.

A man in a black uniform stepped forward, his face serious:

"Who's new? Report to me!"

"Me," a guy in his early twenties replied.

"What benefit did you get?"

"A meal voucher."

The uniformed man nodded.

"Food item, useful. Hand it over, I'll keep it safe."

The guy hesitated, then, seeing three other members in similar uniforms behind the man, handed over the voucher.

"I'd like to join your team. I hope to get your protection."

The man sneered at him, then looked at the others:

"I'm Blake, the captain of the Red Wolf Guild. We're pros at clearing instances. If you want to join, you'll need to offer something in exchange, and we'll provide protection of equivalent value."

Outside the game, bullet comments scrolled rapidly.

"The Red Wolf Guild? They're a scam team, who'd dare join them?"

"Only newbies would be so unlucky. His meal voucher is as good as gone."

"Not necessarily. Look at the players tackling this instance – mostly low-tier. Being with a professional team is still better than going solo."

"Surely there's more than one newbie? Without enough benefits or cheats, it'll be tough to pass."

The man spoke again: "Only one newbie?"

"If you don't step forward, I'll search each of you."

I stood by a plant, meeting the man's gaze.

I offered a timid, awkward smile: "I... I'm a newbie too."

"What benefits do you have? Hand them over."

I quickly waved my hands: "No items."

The man narrowed his eyes, walking towards me.

I cowered behind the plant, and with a nervous *thump*, I knocked over a flower vase.

The AI female voice resonated in the hall:

"Player detected to be extremely timid. Binding the Courage-Boosting System. You will now become extremely bold. Effect duration: 3 days within this instance."

The man paused, listening to the system broadcast.

"A courage-boosting system? Seriously? That's the most useless item I've ever heard of!"

Players in the hall burst into laughter.

I've always been a meek, timid person, and I watched them mock me.

*Inside, I was thinking: I'm so sorry, I'll leave right away.*

But my mouth shot back:

"This company is my home, and I'm in my home. Who are you to tell me what to do? Talk trash again, and I'll slap you so hard your teeth will rattle!"

The man raised his hand, intending to hit me, but was instantly swept aside by a tentacle.

The six-eyed specter at the front desk looked our way.

It flipped through documents at lightning speed, its expression grim.

"New hires, line up to complete your onboarding process. Choose your position carefully; it affects your promotion ranking."

The man snorted, using his team's advantage to be the first to choose a position.

I was pushed to the very end, receiving an intern's badge.

The badge read:

"Your identity is a low-tier employee, the lowest-ranking staff member in the company. Status level: one star."

As the man walked past me, he deliberately bumped my shoulder.

"I'm the manager's nephew, starting at three stars. Becoming an executive will be a breeze for me. You, on the other hand, will probably be eliminated on day one."

Fearing close contact, I instinctively reacted with an over-the-shoulder throw, sending the uniformed man crashing to the ground.

Hearing the sound of bones crunching, I looked at him, terrified.

*Inside, I was thinking: I'm so sorry, I truly deserve to die for touching you.*

But my mouth snarled:

"You've got a death wish, pal! Don't you dare put your hands on me again. Did you just sign your own death warrant?"

The man's expression was utterly shocked.

His teammates helped him up, and he grumbled as he entered the elevator.

I couldn't squeeze in, so I walked up the stairs alone.

Sweat pouring, I finally climbed to the seventeenth floor.

Just as I was about to press the doorbell, a piercing scream echoed from above.

The AI female voice sounded.

"Current players: 10."

"Players, you must progressively advance to Employee, Manager, and General Manager positions. Manager and above are considered company executives. Becoming an executive will earn you rewards from the capitalists."

"Assessment begins at 8 PM tonight. Failure to promote will result in elimination from the game."

"From now on, our slogan is: 'No food, no sleep, just grind to make that dough!'"

As soon as the AI voice finished, my mind instinctively recited:

*No food, no sleep, just grind to make that dough!*

But my mouth immediately blurted:

"Hard work? Who needs it? Sleeping in is where the real profit is!"

The surrounding temperature dropped several degrees, and I felt countless eyes fixed on me.

The moment I stepped into the hall, those eyes all vanished.

"Hey, newbie!"

A familiar face appeared in the hall – it was Sam, the guy whose meal voucher had been confiscated earlier that morning.

I walked over and sat next to him.

Afraid to make eye contact with the strange entities, I immediately lowered my head, pretending to look through the resumes on the desk.

Sam pulled his chair closer to me.

"You're timid, but you just did one thing right."

"The Red Wolf Guild said the most crucial thing in this instance is to completely immerse yourself in the environment. Here, every action must align with our assigned roles."

I nodded, secretly glancing around.

In the brightly lit hall, there were at least a hundred specters.

They were covered in tentacles and eyes.

I could feel my heart rate skyrocketing. To distract myself, I flipped open a resume on the desk.

*Inside, I was thinking: Wow, all these Master's and PhDs are impressive!*

But my mouth snapped:

"Amateurs. They're still miles behind me."

All hundred specters instantly looked up, their tentacles pointing at me.

I quickly stood up.

*Inside, I was thinking: Oh no, I really shouldn't have been so arrogant. Forgive me!*

But my mouth blurted:

"Even a hundred of you combined couldn't touch half my pinky finger!"

My timid nature, which had honed my instincts, kicked in. Before they could attack, I grabbed Sam and sprinted out of the office hall.

The moment we crossed the threshold, a sickening sound of flesh and bone being cleaved filled the air behind us.

All hundred specters were decapitated in an instant, black ichor splattering across the grand hall.

A grotesque green-skinned specter squelched out of a trash can, its body writhing.

It began to pick up the severed heads from the floor, one by one, and shove them into its own squirming mass.

"Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, ninety-nine..."

"Ninety-nine... where's the hundred?!"

It slithered through the hall repeatedly, searching for the last two heads.

Sam, eyes wide with terror, tugged at my sleeve:

"Are the remaining heads... us two?"

I was already terrified, my scalp tingling.

*Inside, I was thinking: Please, don't say such terrifying things.*

But my mouth shot back:

"That thing? I tell it what to do, not the other way around!"

The green specter suddenly twisted its head and looked at me.

"Arrogant human! I will harvest you!"

Green slime oozed from its body, corroding everything around it.

I'm naturally timid; even a casual stare from someone makes my heart pound.

Now, a monstrous entity was rushing towards me, and I felt like I was about to burst.

A system notification sounded: "Player detected to have triggered 'The Reaper's Harvest.' Please prepare for your final purification."

*Inside, I was thinking: It's chasing too fast, I can't shake it off, I'm going to die for sure!*

But my mouth smirked:

"My charm is truly irresistible; even specters can't help but fall for me."