After clearing the last dungeon of the horror game, everyone let out a breath.
It meant we'd never have to claw our way out of death again. We could go back to normal lives.
The pillar of light for completing the level had barely appeared when my boyfriend and my best friend rushed for the rewards in perfect step.
My boyfriend said, "Lea, I'm grabbing the treasure chest this time for sure. Don't worry, all the rewards are yours."
My best friend wasn't about to be outdone. "No way. My best friend is mine to spoil."
They said that every single time.
But when it came to actually splitting the rewards, my best friend said, "Give all the weapons to Arthur Simmons. They're only useful in his hands."
My boyfriend said, "Give the defense and healing gear to Elena Delgado. She protects you better when she's geared up."
The two of them exchanged a smile, and my best friend pinched my cheek and asked, "Lea, the two strongest players on the whole server, protecting you together. Aren't you the lucky one?"
I watched their backs as they walked off together, in too much pain to say a word.
The boss's final hit had landed on my back a moment ago, and my HP had dropped to just 1 in an instant. If I didn't get it back above 10, I'd die soon even after leaving the game.
But every healing item was in my best friend's bag.
I remembered the last item I still had on me.
Time-rewind item: when used, the party of the item holder returns to the game's starting stage.
The cost: every player's talent points reduced by 50%.
In a horror game, losing 50% of your talent points was no different from waiting to die. No one would ever make that choice.
No one except someone already standing with one foot in hell.
……
Loading……
Game start.
Dungeon: the inescapable island.
Beginner level.
Game objective: survive on the island for seven days.
Players: 3.
When we met again, the looks on Arthur and Elena's faces were foul enough to can.
I didn't bother with them. I moved first, heading to the NPC to take the quest and trade for clues.
Arthur blocked my way. "Leona Pruitt, don't even think about running."
"I'm asking you. Have you lost your mind?"
"Do you have any idea what you just did?"
I looked him over.
Game rewards could be exchanged for real-world currency, and by the look of it, the two of them had gotten their overnight fortune.
Both of them were dressed in that old-money style. Only I was still stuck at the beginning, in a white T-shirt and black track pants. That was what I'd worn the first time I entered the game, the year we'd just graduated.
Elena tugged at Arthur's sleeve. "Calm down. Lea probably made a mistake."
Arthur only got more worked up. "God, how do you make a mistake with this?"
"Leona, do you get that you're going to get us all killed?"
I was quiet for a moment, then couldn't hold back a soft laugh.
"Heh."
I pulled the item out of my pocket.
How frightening. An item this powerful, and it wasn't even single-use.
The one who gave it to me was the boss that had nearly wiped our whole team.
Before it vanished, it had sent me a private message.
"You'll have use for this item."
"Looking forward to seeing you again."
Back then I'd wondered who would ever be sick enough to use a thing like this.
No one wants to start over in a horror game, and no one can bear the cost of losing 50% of their talent points.
But it had called it exactly.
I used it.
Arthur reached out to snatch it. "Why do you still have this thing!"
"Destroy it, right now!"
I watched calmly as he hurled it into the sea. It flew straight back into my hand.
He was losing his mind.
Only then did I tell him, "It's no use. It's already bound to me."
Arthur clawed at his hair in frustration. "Why? Why the hell?"
"We were already out!"
Between the end of the last game and this restart, two months had passed.
Still hadn't noticed I was gone?
Then, really, none of this was on me.
