Chapter 2

Sam, beside me, was already drenched in sweat.

"You're so confident. Can you really guarantee our escape?"

*Inside, I was thinking: I have no special moves, my life is about to be over.*

But my mouth boasted:

"There's nothing I can't do. Just wait and scream for me!"

Sam's eyes lit up, instantly filled with confidence.

He picked up a nearby mop and hurled it at the green-skinned specter.

"You clueless freak! My sister's about to show you what's what!"

The green specter was utterly enraged, swelling to twice its size, its body squeezing through the hallway and up the stairs.

Slimy liquid flowed down the staircase.

To avoid being corroded, I exerted myself, running higher.

We reached the crucial meeting room on the eighteenth floor.

I grabbed a fire extinguisher from the corner and smashed the glass.

The green specter pursued us to the doorway but dared not enter rashly.

Just as I'd suspected, company rules were strict.

Every employee had their designated work area.

Lower-tier specters were forbidden from entering higher-tier domains.

The crucial meeting room was beyond its activity range.

I dodged a bullet but faced an even greater threat.

A rustling sound began behind me, and my hairs immediately stood on end.

"Listen, I hear something."

Sam's face brightened:

"Sister Alice, I get it! You want me to cheer for you!"

I raised my index finger to my lips.

"Shhh—

There's something in here."

Sam's face instantly went pale. He hid behind me, glancing nervously around.

A long sigh echoed.

"Is this the caliber of interns we're getting this year?"

"You don't look like you have any real talent."

"I'll test you. See if you're qualified to stay here."

A dull heartbeat sounded.

I felt my heart clench. I turned, and Sam next to me was also clutching his chest.

"Put these on, there's something wrong with the sound."

I quickly pulled out a handful of earplugs and shoved them into his hand.

He put them on, and the pain on his face lessened slightly.

He gripped my sleeve tightly, whispering cautiously.

"Sister Alice, why do you carry so many earplugs around?"

I smiled awkwardly.

I'm hyper-sensitive.

I have a heightened perception for emotions and sounds.

I can easily sense malice in others and hear their two-faced whispers once they turn their backs.

Only with earplugs, away from crowds, can my world be quiet.

In this meeting room, I felt an intense wave of malice.

I wanted to leave, but I found that the shattered glass had already repaired itself.

No matter how violently I tried, I couldn't break it from the inside.

The sigh sounded again: "Only those who pass the interview can leave."

"You're so undisciplined. It seems you need a lesson to learn some manners."

Suddenly, two figures appeared in the seats.

Their eyeballs bulged, connected by only two fragile nerves.

Just one glance, and I felt like I would faint.

I pinched my arm hard to stay conscious.

Accompanied by the dull heartbeat, the HR specters simultaneously looked up.

"You have two superiors in front of you, but only one glass of water. What do you do?"

*Inside, I was thinking: Split it in half for the superiors to share? No, if it's not enough, it's my fault.*

But my mouth roared:

"You old geezers actually expect to share? This is all mine!"

A system notification sounded:

"Player detected to have triggered 'The Diplomacy Test' storyline. Diplomacy failed. Prepare for your demise."

The room began to shake. The two HR specters simultaneously stood up.

They moved closer, squeezing together, merging into a single, double-headed werewolf.

"You truly are mediocre, with not a single clever thought in your heads."

"Water is blood, blood is water. To drink water is to drink blood."

"One of you must kill the other, offer their blood to us, and you'll pass the interview."

"The last uniformed man who interviewed here was far cleverer than you."

My timid nature flared.

*Inside, I was thinking: Oh no, I'm going to die today for sure.*

But my mouth shot back:

"You ancient fossil, you talk to me like that? How many lives do you have left?"