Medicine can’t cure pretended sickness; Alcohol can’t buy you peace.

Ever since I finally had the courage to express love to a girl who I had been in a long—time crush and failed, I've been hooked on all sorts of mobile games. I'm crazy about playing mobile games. Whether it is in class, in the bedroom, in the dining hall, walking or eating, I play games all the time.

Even my roommates thought that I had lost my mind in games. Actually, they didn't know that I was just escaping, and I didn't want to face the setbacks of my feelings. Only when I was absorbed in the games, can I forget about the sad feelings.

However, sometimes I was frightened for imaginary fears. What if there was no phone in the world? Can a man like me still live?

However, when I raised my head and found that the university students around me were the same, playing their phones, I was relieved.

After playing so many kinds of games, I also found some patterns. None of the games that claimed to be "free" were truly free. When you realized that the paying players were faster than you, had higher levels and better equipment than you, killing you like killing a lamb, can you still enjoy it?

Is there a literal "free game" in this world?

However, I really found a completely free game. But I really regret playing it because it's a game that requires life to play.

On Friday night, I was alone in the flat. After all, it was a weekend. The roommates who had girlfriends all went dating. The rest went to the Internet cafes all night, and only I stayed in the room.

Due to the sudden termination of my favorite mobile game, I was checking the game mall hoping to find a new game to replace it.

"Do you want to experience the real forever free game? Do you want to live a thrilling life? Do you want to use your life to play the game? Join the Death Game! You will experience the scary test. Become the Death or become a dead person. Your attitude Is the attitude of Death. "

I secretly sneered. Again, the gimmick of "free games". I don’t believe this bullshit.

But wait... Death game? It sounds quite interesting! Is this a horror game? I'm a little curious. Anyway, when it was time for a fee, I would delete the game and get rid of it. There is nothing it could do.

The game client was not too big. After finishing the download and installation, on my phone screen, there was a classic image of a grim reaper in a black cloak and a huge sickle.

"Become the Death or become a dead person after experiencing the test of countless terrors" Those words in the propaganda made me a little nervous.

Suddenly, I had a strong feeling that once I started running this game, everything would be different and my life would change completely ...

"Aha, what are you even thinking? It's just a normal mobile game." I was amused by my own delusion. I shook my head and pointed my finger at the app.

The game started, the program started to run, and the screen darkened. A wisp of red blood slowly ran down the top of the phone, along with a growing progress bar.

"Wow, this progress bar is well designed." I was aroused by the game and couldn't help but touch the blood.

It was ... sticky. I retracted my hand like an electric shock and looked at my finger. There was nothing unusual.

What just happened? That feeling was so real that it could never be an illusion. I put my finger to the tip of my nose and took a deep breath. It still seemed like I could smell a faint smell of blood.

When I looked at the screen again, the progress bar was already 100% full. The blood disappeared, and the screen turned into a dark blue starry sky map. The view slowly shifted down, and there was a long black grass. There was a lonely grave in the grass. Alongside it, there was a sign saying Final Resting Place. A hint jumped out: Do you want to start the game?

"Yeah, that's interesting." I clicked "Yes" without any hesitation.

What came into my eyes was totally a image of Chinese ancient countryside…So does it mean that this Game is Made—in—China??? What the… But I was glad that it offered an English version.. What’s more, I had learned something about the Chinese culture, and I thought this would help me work it out.

The left side of the interface popped up with three options: People, Missions, and Mall. At the same time, the letter logo in the upper right corner flashed.

I reached out to open the letter and a dialog popped up: Congratulations on joining the Death Game and becoming the official player. You've earned the title of "Scapegoat". Please complete the novice mission within the time limit. More mission information can be found in the mission panel.

What the heck? What's going on with the title of "dead ghost"? I really don't like it!

With a hint of anger, I opened the mission panel.

Novice quest: Escape the haunted flat.

Mode: Single player mode.

Time limit: None.

Completion reward: 10 days of life.

Quest difficulty: Normal.

Game tips:

1.The ghost will appear in ten minutes after the game starts.

2. The ghost's joints can't be bent. The ghost always stays just as when he was dead.

3.Don’t be seen by Her.

I opened my mouth in surprise. What was this f...?

What the hell is this Death Game? Why do I have to accept such a baffling "mission"?

At this moment, three red words suddenly appeared on the screen: The Game Started!

Then, the screen turned dark and I waited patiently. A few seconds later, the screen suddenly returned to the home page.

"What's going on? Did something go wrong? What a broken game!"

I tried again a few times, but in the end, I couldn't enter the game anymore. I was so angry that I wanted to delete this rip—off.

At this moment, a cold wind blew into my body. I could not help but shudder.

What happened? It's May now and the weather was already getting hot. How could there be such a cold breeze! I looked up at the window and found it closed properly.

Something was wrong! Why was it so quiet around? There was no sound at all. It was as if I was the only one in the world.

Even though I was alone in the bedroom, it was a weekend! It could not have been so quiet at this time.

Usually, at this time, the sound of singing in the room next door, chatting and laughing loudly, and even opening the door, and the sound of the loudspeaker was already tuned in through the door. How could it be so quiet?

It was weird, too weird. I jumped out of the bed, opened the door, and looked at the corridors.

There was no one in the long corridor, and all the room doors were closed tightly. There was nothing but a dim light in the corridor.

I swallowed my saliva and walked to the middle of the corridor.

Where did everyone go? There was no one in my sight.

I quickly walked to the next room, 501, and slapped the door: "John! John! Are you there? Lucas! Are you guys there? open the door!"

No response! I held onto the doorknob and tried to open it, but of course it couldn’t work!

Later I felt something strange in my palm. I looked down and noticed that my palm was covered with rust and dust. When I looked back to the doorknob, I found it was rusty and rotten. It seemed like no one had touched it for decades.

A drop of cold sweat had slipped from my forehead. What had happened in front of me was beyond my imagination. I could not explain it with my usual experience.

I took out my phone with my trembling hand and wanted to call my buddies in the same room. There was no signal!

I slowly walked down the corridor and saw that all the doors on both sides were the same as the Room 501, and all the door handles were rusty. I felt that I was not in the flat, and I would prefer to call it haunted flat.

Uncontrollable fear rose from my heart: I’m done! Is this the magic of ghost? I dared not go back to my room. I rushed to the stairs like crazy. I only have one idea in my min now, that is, to quickly leave this damn building.

The fifth floor ... The fourth floor ... The third floor ... The second floor ...

When I rushed to the first floor, I suddenly stopped, because I found another thing that frightened me.

On the first floor, there were still stairs going down!

The sweat kept dripping. Encountering with this series of strange events, I almost lost my ability to think.

There were stairs going down on the first floor, isn't it to the underground? What's next? Could it be the stairs to the hell?

I didn't dare to think too much, nor did I have any intention to explore the world below so I rush to the door at the end of the corridor.

But what greeted me was deeper despair. When I rushed to the front door, I realized that the door was just a realistic painting. It was painted on a wall, and there was no door at all!!

"Ah!" I shouted and kicked the wall, then slumped on the floor.

What was going on? Ever since I had played the Death Game….. Right!! The Death Game!!!

I panted hard. My heart was beating vigorously, my mind was fainting and my eyes was darkening.

No, I felt like I can't take it anymore. I might have scared myself to death before I saw a ghost.

I forced myself to calm down. After a long rest, I was back to life.

There was still no change around. It seemed like I was already trapped here. Being here meant losing time and getting weaker. At present, it seemed that there was only one way to go to the underground!

I stood up and slowly walked to the stairs. I looked at the stairs leading to the ground floor and hesitated.

Do I really need go on? Is there a stranger thing waiting for me? Maybe "She" is waiting in the shadows, waiting for my coming to the trap.

I struggled fiercely in my heart, and as I gritted my teeth, I took the first step down.

In the empty corridor, only my footsteps echoed. I didn’t know if the stairs lead to hell, but I didn’t have a way back.

I'm not an adventurous person, but when there's nowhere to go, I would never choose to sit still.

Turning around the corner, I saw a number on the wall to the right: —1.