Romancing the Horror

After Ximena fell asleep, her entire body turned ice cold. There was no breath, no movement at all. Curled up beside her, I immediately started regretting my decision to share a coffin.

Then, suddenly, I heard faint rustling outside the door.

"Tonight's mission is to get Ximena's red heels. Be careful."

"I heard those heels are a level-five item. Once we get them, we can walk through this dungeon like we own it."

"Stay sharp. There's also supposed to be a hidden boss. The real win condition is fulfilling Ximena's wish."

It was Silvia and the other two players. They quietly pried open the latch and slipped inside. I quickly shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Soon, I felt someone pushing against the coffin lid.

"Give me a hand. There's a male corpse in the coffin next to it."

A male corpse? I did not see one earlier. Where did that come from?

One of them muttered, "Nothing useful here. Let's check the other coffin."

The lid of my coffin, the one I shared with Ximena, was opened.

"Look, that annoying guy is in here too."

"Sharing a coffin with the ghost bride… Guess he's tired of living."

Silvia let out an icy laugh. "He's smarter than James. The fact that he's still alive proves it. Didn't he get that level-four soul nail?"

I heard someone suggest, "Why don't we take the soul nail and kill him too?"

My heart jumped. I almost opened my eyes, but then they burst out laughing.

"Silvia, there's no doubt about it now. He's definitely a newbie. He doesn't even know players can't kill each other."

Someone said, "Get up. Stop pretending to sleep."

They were trying to bait me. I kept my eyes tightly shut and did not move.

"Forget him. Look at the ghost bride's shoes. Aren't those what we're here for?"

"Wait… Doesn't she look different? She actually looks kind of pretty now."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's take the shoes and run. We can pin it on this idiot later."

I felt them shift Ximena slightly.

"Why won't these shoes come off?"

"Run!"

Panic suddenly broke out among them.

Then, I heard Ximena's voice. "So, it was you who stole my shoes? Die. Die. Die!"

I opened my eyes just a crack.

Ximena was floating in midair. Her long hair had wrapped around the players, binding them in place. That wig… She was using it like a weapon.

The short-haired female player shouted, "Silvia, this hair is a level-four cursed item too!"

I suddenly felt like I had lost out big time. Everything the system gave me was actually top-tier gear.

Silvia did not hesitate. She pulled out a black dagger and cut through the hair binding her.

I clearly remembered that at the beginning, Silvia had claimed her item was just a level-three spiked club. She had been lying from the start!

After breaking free, she rushed to help the short-haired girl.

The red-haired player was completely panicking, shouting nonstop, "Help me! Hurry!"

By the time Silvia and the other girl tried to reach him, it was too late. Ximena's hair turned into sharp blades and pierced through his entire body. He was riddled with holes in an instant.

That wig was terrifying!

This petite ghost bride was absolutely vicious, chasing Silvia and the short-haired girl all over the room.

Meanwhile, I stayed in the coffin, watching the chaos unfold.

Suddenly, Silvia stopped and turned to stare straight at Ximena. Ximena's speed began to slow.

Hypnotic Eyes.

I did not expect Silvia's skill to actually work on Ximena.

Her blade was about to stab into Ximena's head. I reacted instantly, jumping out of the coffin and shoving Silvia hard.

"Ximena, don't look into her eyes!"

No way I was letting my target get taken out that early.

My interruption snapped Ximena out of it, and her speed returned to normal.

With nowhere left to run, Silvia was forced into a corner. Just as Ximena's claws were about to tear into her face, Silvia grabbed the short-haired girl beside her and shoved her forward.

The girl's throat was crushed instantly. She stared at Silvia in disbelief as she died.

"Y-You…"

Silvia's expression did not change. "Hmph. I saved your life earlier. Now, you can return the favor."

Ximena was about to continue attacking, but I suddenly felt something behind me.

A hoarse, eerie male voice sounded from the darkness. "Ximena… You're being disobedient again."