[Current Viewers: 1,200 -> 2,500]
[Fear Points: 150]
The Morgue was cold, but the air felt heavy with the stench of raw meat and chemicals.
Ryan stood alone in the corridor.
Opposite him were two hulking monstrosities—7-foot tall creatures stitched together from mismatched body parts. Their skin was green and purple, held together by thick black staples.
Behind them, the Phantom Doctor (Dr. Smiles) stood calmly, wiping his scalpel with a bloody rag.
[System Warning: Enemies Detected.]
[1. Corpse Construct A (Level 3 Tank)]
[2. Corpse Construct B (Level 3 Tank)]
[3. The Phantom Doctor (Level ? Boss)]
Ryan gripped his Rusty Crowbar.
"Two tanks and a boss," Ryan muttered. "And I'm a healer with a crowbar. This matchmaking sucks."
Dr. Smiles tilted his faceless head.
"Fresh parts," his voice echoed, sounding like bubbling sludge. "You have... healthy kidneys. I will take them."
Ryan scoffed. "Sorry, Doc. My kidneys are already ruined by energy drinks. You don't want them."
"Kill him," the Doctor commanded.
THUD! THUD!
The two Corpse Constructs charged. They were slow, but they were heavy. When they ran, the floor tiles cracked under their weight.
Ryan didn't retreat. He checked his Agility stats. [Agility: 8].
He was faster.
"Come on, Ugly!"
Construct A swung a massive, rotten fist at Ryan's head.
Ryan slid underneath the punch like a soccer player celebrating a goal.
Whoosh!
The fist missed him by an inch.
As Ryan slid past, he swung his crowbar upward, aiming for the monster's knee.
CRACK!
The crowbar smashed into the stitched joint.
But instead of breaking the leg, the crowbar bounced off with a metallic clang.
[System: Enemy Defense is too high! Physical Damage negated.]
"They are armored?" Ryan cursed, rolling away as Construct B tried to stomp on him.
The stomp shattered the concrete floor where Ryan's head had been a second ago. Debris flew everywhere.
[Livestream Chat]
User_ProGamer: "You can't hurt them with a crowbar, Ryan! They are meat shields! You need magic damage!"
User_Slayer69: "Run, you idiot! You can't kill tanks without a weapon upgrade!"
User_RichKid: "Buy the gun! Buy the gun in the shop!"
Ryan glanced at the chat while dodging another punch.
"I know I need the gun!" Ryan shouted at the phone. "But I'm broke! I need 350 more points!"
He looked at the glass tanks lining the walls.
Inside the tanks were floating body parts in green formaldehyde.
A crazy idea formed in his head.
Formaldehyde is highly flammable. And it's acidic to spiritual bodies.
Ryan sprinted towards the wall.
"Hey! Big guys!" Ryan yelled. "Free drinks on the house!"
He smashed his crowbar against the biggest glass tank.
SHATTER!
Gallons of green, chemical liquid exploded outward, washing over Construct A.
"ROAAAR!"
The monster screamed. The liquid sizzled against its dead skin, melting the stitches holding it together. Smoke rose from its body.
[System: Enemy Defense lowered by 50% due to Chemical Burn.]
"Now!"
Ryan jumped off the wall, using the momentum to swing his crowbar down onto the monster's melting head.
SPLORT!
This time, the crowbar didn't bounce. It sank deep into the monster's skull.
Ryan wrenched it out and struck again. And again.
The massive creature wobbled, then collapsed like a tower of blocks.
[Ding! Defeated Corpse Construct (Level 3).]
[Fear Points: +400]
Ryan landed on the floor, panting.
Current Points: 150 + 400 = 550 Points.
He looked at the System Shop interface.
[Basic Exorcism Pistol] - Price: 500 Points.
Ryan didn't hesitate.
"System! BUY!"
[Ding! Purchase Successful.]
[Item: 'Desert Eagle - Spirit Edition' acquired.]
In a flash of golden light, a heavy, silver handgun appeared in Ryan's hand. The barrel was engraved with glowing runes. It hummed with power.
Ryan spun around.
Construct B was charging at him. Its massive fist was raised to crush him.
Ryan didn't dodge this time.
He stood his ground. He raised the gun.
He smiled.
"Parry this, you filthy casual."
BANG!
A bullet made of pure blue light shot out of the barrel. The recoil was massive, nearly dislocating Ryan's shoulder.
The bullet hit Construct B right in the chest.
It didn't just make a hole. It blew a crater in the monster's torso. The spirit energy exploded, tearing the creature apart instantly.
BOOM!
Construct B turned into ash before it even hit the ground.
[Ding! Defeated Corpse Construct (Level 3).]
[Fear Points: +400]
Ryan blew the smoke from the barrel of his gun. He looked like an action movie star.
User_Slayer69: "OOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!"
User_GunNut: "Is that a Desert Eagle?! Spirit Mods?! Take my money! [Gift: Helicopter x1]"
User_CatLover: "He looks so cool! Marry me, Ryan!"
Ryan holstered the gun (tucked it into his belt) and turned to look at the end of the hallway.
Dr. Smiles was still standing there. He hadn't moved.
He was clapping slowly. His hands made a wet, squishing sound.
Clap... Clap... Clap...
"Impressive," the Doctor gurgled. "Very impressive. You broke my toys."
"You're next," Ryan said, aiming the gun at the Doctor. "Hands in the air. Or... whatever you have."
The Doctor chuckled. A low, vibrating sound.
"You think I was waiting because I was scared? No... I was waiting for the timer."
Ryan frowned. "Timer?"
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
A machine behind the double doors at the end of the Morgue started beeping rapidly.
"The surgery is complete," Dr. Smiles announced, spreading his arms wide. "The Perfect Vessel is awake."
CRASH!
The double doors exploded off their hinges. They flew across the room and smashed into the wall next to Ryan.
Something stepped out of the surgery room.
It wasn't a zombie. It wasn't a monster.
It was a man.
He was tall, handsome, and completely naked. His skin was like marble—perfect, flawless white.
But his eyes...
His eyes were pure black, with swirling red galaxies inside them.
And on his forehead, the number '7' was burned into the skin.
The man looked at Ryan. Then he looked at Dr. Smiles.
With a flicker of movement—too fast for Ryan to see—the man appeared in front of Dr. Smiles.
He grabbed the Doctor's head with one hand.
"You took too long," the man said. His voice was smooth, like velvet.
SQUELCH.
He crushed Dr. Smiles' head like a grape.
The Level ? Boss... died just like that. Killed by his own creation.
Ryan lowered his gun. His hands were trembling.
The System was screaming in his head.
[SYSTEM ALERT: CRITICAL DANGER!]
[Entity Detected: Avatar of Lord No. 7 (The Collector).]
[Power Level: Unmeasurable.]
[Quest Update: SURVIVE.]
The man turned his black eyes towards Ryan. He sniffed the air.
"You..." the man smiled, and the temperature in the room dropped to absolute zero. "You smell like my Mother's Tear."
Ryan took a step back.
"Uh... hi?" Ryan said, his voice cracking. "I think you have the wrong person. I'm just the pizza delivery guy."
The man took a step forward.
"Give it back."