I turn thriller games into Education Simulation!

"Yesterday, in the latest round of the chilling game, the player known as 'Gin' completed 10 D-level tasks and 2 C-level tasks, performing beyond expectations to finish the game and earned three 'horror-class' ghost entities. Promptly recognized by the nation, he was recruited as an official Spirit Master."

"As the global horror game phenomenon marks its second anniversary, this player from Country C becomes the 13th person to finish the game and be directly employed by the government as a first-class Spirit Master..."

Inside the stuffy school bus, Richard, with his eyes closed, listened to the radio news with a hint of impatience, "Can we turn that off?"

No one paid him any attention.

The bus was buzzing with his classmates' chatter, nearly all of it focused on the news story.

"I'm so jealous of those guys. How did they complete those tasks in such a terrifying setting? If it were me, I'd be shaking too hard to even stand."

"They're psychos with ironclad wills, motivated only by the rewards, sacrificing life for money. We can't even compare to them."

"It'll be our turn soon, right? Once we turn 18, we have to enter the horror game at least once. Just thinking about it is terrifying."

"What's there to be scared of? Last year, a newbie turned 18, tackled three F-class characters, snagged some rewards, and afterwards, tycoons tripped over themselves to buy them. Heard he made a billion and is set for life!"

"Let's make an effort; maybe we won't have worries in our next life either," said a student, his voice bubbling with excitement.

"Idiot, with that attitude, don't plan on returning alive!"

"That horror game round, over fifty students entered, but just over twenty returned alive, and more than ten developed heart conditions from the shock."

"The only one who got a reward just hit the jackpot with the easiest task."

"For first-timers,"

"Just focus on making it back alive-that's the best you can hope for," said a boy with a center-parted hairstyle leaning against the window, his voice cold and detached.

His words sent a chill through many of the students.

The counselor hurried to reassure them: "Don't be scared. Last year, the death rate was indeed high, but now, with government intervention, the difficulty of the horror game has been reduced."

"Especially for first-timers, there's a protection mechanism in place. Once you meet that condition, even if you die in the game, you'll safely return to the real world."

This information put the students somewhat at ease.

That did seem the case.

Last month, two batches of newbies made their first entry into the game, and most of them returned alive.

And a few even completed their tasks!

But still,

There were casualties.

"Richard, after this trip, let's find some time to sign up," said a studious-looking guy with glasses.

Simon could very well be Richard's only close buddy, a classmate with a minimal presence.

Signing up online for the horror game.

It's different from being sent in there against your will.

In the former case, under government supervision, you get a protective mechanism. Hit that, and even if you get killed by a ghost in the game, you come back to life in reality.

It's more like a disqualification.

For the latter, the word 'forced' says it all.

Those sent in under duress get no state protection, and whether you're a newbie or a veteran, everyone's treated equally.

To put it simply,

A bronze-level player could find themselves in a champions' match!

"No rush, I'll sign up with you once I sort some things out," Richard yawned.

"Are you talking about the thing with your parents? Any leads?" Simon asked.

Richard nodded.

A year ago, his parents vanished without a trace.

Richard suspected they were forced into the horror game.

But the police found no evidence of their participation in any such game.

Throughout the year, as Richard sought the truth, his studies took a back seat.

Had it not been for his older sister's insistence, he would have dropped out of school by now.

A year without a single lead had left Richard cold.

Even if his parents had entered the horror game, not appearing for a year likely meant...

Worried Richard might unravel if he kept investigating, Simon had enlisted them on a tour, hoping a change of scenery would help.

Distracted, Richard failed to notice the strange look on Simon's face after he spoke...

CRASH!

Just then, the school bus veered from the path, nearly crashing into the roadside barrier, but the driver managed to steer it back just in time.

Everyone was startled, and a couple of students were thrown to the floor.

"Driver, what happened?" students cried out in alarm.

Clutching his chest, the driver offered a weak smile, "Just a sudden pain in the heart."

No sooner had he spoken than he coughed up blood and collapsed onto the steering wheel.

Before anyone could react, the bus deviated from the path again, smashed through the concrete barrier, and plunged from the elevated highway into the river below...

On the bridge, onlookers were stunned.

"Hello, 110, there's been an accident on Jinzhou Bridge. A bus has fallen into the river!"

People crowded the bridge and riverside, frantically making calls.

There were dozens of lives at stake inside that bus!

Rescue teams arrived quickly, diving into the river to save people and retrieve the vehicle.

The bus was hauled out of the water by a crane but, mysteriously, not a single person was found inside.

While boats scoured the river for ages and nets were cast for hours, only the bodies of the driver and counselor were recovered.

The 45 students on the bus had all vanished without a trace!

Elsewhere...

In another world...

The stench of blood and decay filled their noses as Richard and his classmates groggily woke to find themselves in a confined room.

"Welcome all players to your first foray into the horror game. Let me give you a brief rundown of the rules."

"Matching the theme of the game, you will be transported to the respective places. Based on your assigned roles, you are to cater to the guests' needs."

Hint: The customer is always right-don't you dare give them attitude, or they might take something from you-like an eye, a tongue, or of course, your very life.~"

"The game lasts for seven days. Getting along with the customers during this time is crucial. Complete your tasks and, above all else, strive to survive."

"After the game, rewards will be granted based on the tasks completed and your performance during service."

"The theme for this horror game is-Hell's Restaurant."

The mysterious voice resounding through the room sent a shiver down the spine of every student.

In an instant, the magnitude of the situation hit them all.

Richard's face went blank.

They had been forcibly entered into the horror game...

"Alright then, good luck to everyone."

With a chilling voice, before anyone could react, the scene before them blurred.

And then, Richard found himself in a grand hall adorned with huge diamond chandeliers, staircases lined with red carpets, and exquisite European decorations, all signaling that this was a high-class restaurant.

Not only was it grand, but Richard found himself in a corner, with the rest of his classmates presumably scattered in other corners of this restaurant.

"Hint: The restaurant will open in fifteen minutes. Please go to the storage room to find a suitable uniform for yourself."

(Remember to dress neatly when working. If customers see sloppy waiters, it will impact the restaurant's reputation.)

"Warning: Without absolute mental fortitude and enough strength, do not venture beyond the second floor of the restaurant."

"The customers there are difficult to serve; if you fail, they may dine on food outside the restaurant."

"Hint: While the restaurant aims to treat customers as gods, there may be some unreasonable or reputation-damaging customers. Players can give them a suitable lesson."

A lesson.

Are we certain we aren't courting disaster here?

Apart from ghosts, what other chilling entities might the patrons be? Upholding the restaurant's reputation at the cost of one's life seemed hardly worthwhile.

In this scenario, Richard's calm demeanor wasn't solely due to his resilience under pressure but a result of the psychological coaching he had received for such terrifying games.

Although the other classmates might be fearful, they should be able to compose themselves and complete their tasks.

Fear equals a death sentence.

By diligently completing their tasks, they could survive.

"I feel so immersed; I'm already a waiter!" muttered Richard as he rushed towards the deepest storage room.

The path was eerily empty yet immaculately clean, as if it had just been tidied.

Upon reaching the storage room, a wave of oppressive heat hit him.

Inside, a jumble of items greeted him. Opening a panel, he found a messy tangle of hair, a bloody mess with a piece of scalp still clinging to it.

Suppressing his disgust, Richard retrieved a waiter's uniform from within.

It was a standard restaurant suit.

The only downside was the repugnant stench emanating from it, with large bloodstains adorning it.

"Wearing this for a day might make me vomit acid," Richard quipped to himself.

But there was no choice; the restaurant's reputation was paramount.

"Open the information panel."

Dressing in the suit, enduring its sticky feel, Richard spoke aloud.

Every player entering the game had their own information panel, detailing their physical attributes and tasks.

Player: Richard.

Strength: 20.

Speed: 30.

Ghost Power: 0.

Props with ghost power: None.

Skills: Devil's Eye, Angel's Kiss, Analysis Eye.

Level: 1/10.

"Huh?"

Setting ghost power and props aside, why did he have skills and a level? Richard was perplexed; in his prior counseling sessions, nobody seemed to have these on their panels.

"Has the information panel been upgraded?"

Clicking on Devil's Eye, he could see a detailed explanation.

Devil's Eye: By absorbing the negative emotions of others, like anger, one can receive random rewards, with the magnitude correlating to the intensity of those emotions. (Newbie gift pack provided)

Angel's Kiss: By absorbing positive emotions of others, such as goodwill, one can receive random rewards, with the magnitude corresponding to the strength of those positive emotions. (Newbie gift pack provided)

Analysis Eye: By focusing his gaze, one can discern deceitful intentions, decipher the uses of Props with ghost power. (Newbie gift pack provided)

"So, because of me, affecting a ghost's emotions can yield random rewards?"

Richard suddenly realized that this might be his unique advantage.

It felt a bit like an easy mode cheat in this spooky game.

Richard didn't dwell on it too much and turned to leave the stuffy storage room.

There were five minutes left.

Back in the corridor of the main hall, Richard spotted someone.

It was a classmate, the English class representative Samantha.

Richard was about to greet her, but upon seeing him, she quickly turned her face away, looking nervous, pushing a food cart ahead, now clad in restaurant attire.

"What's going on here?" Richard wondered.

As Samantha turned the corner, Richard suddenly noticed a faint shadow closely trailing her.

"So she's dealing with spirits this quickly?"

Despite his suspicions, Richard had no time to worry about others and hurried back to the entrance of Restaurant No. 3.

Upon returning to the hall, two others were waiting.

"Alexa, Rachel?"

Upon seeing Richard, the male and female also seemed surprised.

"It looks like we've all been assigned to Restaurant No. 3."

"Are the other classmates also waitstaff?" Richard inquired.

This was Restaurant No. 3, among the nine in total, indicating the vast size of the establishment.

They were only responsible for the ground floor dining area.

"Not just waitstaff. The restaurant is divided into waiters, greeters, cashiers, cleaners, and chefs, these five basic positions have been assigned to our entire class."

"The three of us are waitstaff, responsible for taking orders and serving dishes," Rachel explained to Richard, clutching her shoulders anxiously while scanning her surroundings.

Alexa glanced at Richard but remained silent, discreetly keeping her distance from him.

She felt this clueless greenhorn might get them into trouble sooner or later, so it was better to avoid any close ties and prevent being drawn into danger.

"Will Rachel's naive kindness ever pay off? If you explain things to her, she'll surely turn to you when trouble strikes."

"Regretting it later won't help," Alexa thought to herself, without voicing it.

Silence not only is golden but also keeps one away from trouble.

Ding ding!!

The bell above the door chimed, and the three immediately snapped to attention.

It was time,

Hell's Restaurant was officially open!

The glass door swung open automatically, allowing a bone-chilling wind from the black night outside to envelop them.

Richard and his companions shivered from head to toe.

Outside, figures loomed in the darkness.

Eerie sounds echoed in their ears, sending shivers down their spines.

It felt as if something was perched on their shoulders, murmuring and weeping in their ears.

"The restaurant seems quite popular; it's packed outside right as we open," remarked Richard, gazing at the ominous entities, his grin tinged with unease.

Richard's words, perhaps an attempt to lighten the mood, went unnoticed by the tense Alexa and Rachel.

The guests outside the door entered.

Blurry and indistinct figures took their seats at the dining table.

It didn't seem so intimidating after all.

Alexa and Rachel both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Out of the way, little mouse."

A dull voice came from behind, sending shivers down their spines.

Rachel turned around and nearly fainted at the sight.

A person seemed to have been cut into pieces and sewn back together, with two heads stitched on their neck, one face peeled bare, flesh and blood blurred.

One head with half its brain exposed, the blood vessels visible.

The three quickly stepped aside, their hearts about to leap out of their chests.

"Mice," that's what they called humans, likening them to despised beings who are shunned by everyone and brutally slaughtered.

Behind them, even more terrifying ghosts entered, some with their bellies hollowed out and intestines hanging out, others with faces devoid of features, just mouths...

"You have been assigned to serve table 4, meet the customer's needs, achieve a standard rating, complete three food deliveries to fulfill the F-grade task!"

In the game, tasks are categorized into five levels: A, B, C, D, F.

After completing a task, it's rated as terrible, unsatisfactory, standard, satisfactory, or very satisfying.

Reaching satisfactory or very satisfying ratings earns random rewards, while terrible or unsatisfactory ratings lead to punishment.

Seeing Alexa and Rachel distracted, Richard knew they had also received tasks.

"I've been assigned to table 10," Alexa said.

"I've been assigned to table 6," Rachel added.

Richard rubbed his nose. "Table 4 for me, good luck to everyone."

Approaching the corner table, there was only one guest wrapped in bandages, dark blood oozing through.

On the table, there was a bouquet of roses.

Opposite the empty seat was a teacup, as if waiting for a guest.

"May I take your order?" Richard approached politely.

Despite the foul-smelling restaurant uniform, a life-saving garb representing an employee's status in the restaurant, ghosts generally refrained from harming those who wore it.

The bandaged ghost remained silent, pushing the menu forward with its selections marked.

"Steamed human brain."

"Very well, please wait a moment," Richard nodded slightly and left with the menu.

Rachel at the neighboring table was shocked by Richard's service demeanor.

Her guest resembled a ghost with a chest split open, ribs protruding like a gaping maw, revealing pulsating organs inside, leaving her ghostly pale.

As directed, Richard made his way to the kitchen.

It was more akin to a slaughterhouse than a kitchen.

Bloody bodies were thrown onto chopping boards, the sound of butchery sending shivers down the spine.

Approaching a chef, Richard handed over the menu. "The guest at table 4 requests a serving of steamed human brain."

The chef, a ghost with twisted features like twisted dough, eyed the menu and then Richard, emitting a menacing tone, "No human brain here, take yours!!"

Richard remained composed.

Seeing Richard unaffected, the chef, taken aback, snatched the menu with a hint of malice in his gaze.

Although Richard appeared calm, his heart raced.

In this frightening world, where some ghosts harbored a bitter animosity towards human temporary workers, the rules of the restaurant prohibited them from harming humans, resorting to intimidation for amusement.

This reaction displeased the chef ghost.

Richard made a mental note: do his job honestly and there would be no danger.

The dish was quickly prepared.

"Done."

A black pot was placed on the counter, which Richard picked up and left to avoid further confrontation with the chef ghost.

However, midway, for safety, Richard opened the pot, braving the nausea to check.

"Ding, trigger skill 'Eye of Analysis.'"

"'Eye of Analysis': Sadly, he didn't make it until his girlfriend returned; the thugs cut him into pieces before agony consumed him."

"The human skin, the source of utmost hatred, invoking memories of excruciating pain."

"Why add human skin to it? For a better taste or for another purpose?"

Reading the analysis, Richard's face darkened.

Indeed, the chef had maliciously added human skin to implicate him!

What should he do?

If he served it, the bandaged ghost would surely tear itself to pieces upon seeing the human skin!

If he refused, he was no match for the chef ghost!

After a moment of silence, Richard decisively closed the pot and returned.

"Is there anything else in the dish?"

In the kitchen, Richard placed the pot back.

The chef raised his head, a ghastly and terrifying sight. "Insolent little mouse, doubting my cooking, fed up?"

"I may be humble, but when the guest sees the dish and complains, I have been given the last chance to inform you, if you fail to satisfy them, you'll be consumed!" Richard continued.

The chef's expression twisted in fury. "How dare you?"

"Those are the words of the esteemed Bandage Lord!," Richard left these words and departed.

The chef trembled in a frenzy but dared not attack. Unsure whether those were Richard's words or instructions from the Bandage Lord.

"Quite thrilling, I just scolded a ghost." On the way back, Richard's heart still pounded.

That final remark, an impulsive release of frustration, seemed risky in hindsight.

What if it bounced back and devoured him?

"The Eye of Demon triggered: You have successfully provoked the chef ghost, acquire 3 Red Dragon items as a reward!"

"So this is how the Eye of Demon is used."

Richard's eyes lit up, curious about these Red Dragon items, sounding impressive.

"Extracting Red Dragon items."

Something warm and heavy fell into his hands.

Looking down, he nearly retched at the disgust.

Damn! It was a sanitary towel, bloodstained, incredibly disgusting!