"Awake?"
"Your kidneys are really strong, no wonder you're a recent graduate!"
A gentle, pleasant female voice sounded in his ear. Benjamin slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on the bed, his hands bound to his sides with leather straps.
The cramped bedroom had a dimly lit ceiling, no windows, and faded posters plastered on the walls.
A slender woman in a pink nurse's uniform and a mask stood before Benjamin 's bed.
Handcuffs, a nurse's uniform—what was going on?
A flood of memories rushed to Benjamin 's mind. It turned out he had transmigrated to Deep Blue Star twenty years ago.
His soul was incomplete; two souls within one body had been recuperating in this body for 20 years until his predecessor's death. Only then had he broken free of the mystery of his birth and merged with the memories of the other, recently vanished soul.
"Really, look!"
At this moment, the woman picked up a plate covered with a transparent dome.
"This smooth, lustrous sheen, this rich elasticity, this delicate pinkish-red—truly two top-quality kidneys!"
The nurse proudly displayed them, expressing her delight.
Benjamin 's heart sank. What was going on? Damn it, he thought it was just some thrilling game, but it turned out to be this intense.
His gaze fell downwards. He was lying on a blood-stained operating table, two rough stitches on his waist, each with an ice pack.
Coldness, weakness, nausea, pain—all these sensations flooded Benjamin 's brain...
Anyone who's ever had their kidneys removed knows what this feeling is like.
In his memory, his predecessor had graduated and stayed home for a year, then snagged a high-paying job online. The company wanted it kept secret, and he wanted to surprise his mother, so he secretly went for the interview...
"Qianqian, hurry up and get the hearts. The client is asking for more money and is pressing for delivery. Don't waste time."
A bespectacled, refined-looking man came to the door and urged him on. The woman nodded, then injected Benjamin with a drug.
'I just woke up! In my past life, I was alone until I was 30 with no savings. In this life, I can be a lazy copycat in writing, financially free! I haven't even enjoyed life yet...'
A surge of intense resentment, anger, and unwillingness welled up in Benjamin 's heart.
This time, he was really going to die.
Benjamin 's eyelids began to grow heavy, his vision dimmed, and intense pain urged his brain to give way.
Suddenly, a cold, mechanical voice echoed deep within Benjamin 's mind:
[You have been chosen by the Lighthouse. Do you accept the mark?]
"Yes!"
Benjamin grasped at a straw.
After confirming, words, like bloodstains etched into his eyeballs, appeared in Benjamin 's vision.
[Identity information locked, Lighthouse number: SL914]
[Anchored world this time: Hellraiser]
[Teleportation countdown: 5 seconds.]
[4 seconds!]
[3 seconds!] […]
A flash of light, and Benjamin felt himself pass through a barrier, appearing high in the clouds.
A transparent protective shield surrounded him, with layers of white clouds beneath his feet, and below were city buildings the size of ants.
'I'm alive!'
What is this? An infinite world, the God's Space, or Nightmare Paradise?
Benjamin quickly touched his waist, then froze.
The stitched wound was still there, but it was no longer bleeding or painful, and his movements were unaffected, as if he hadn't been injured at all. However, the raised wound couldn't be faked.
He was supposed to heal his injuries upon entering the God's Space, so why was the wound still there?
The moment he saw his surroundings, Benjamin quickly covered his face with his hands.
Because besides him, there were two other people within the protective shield, maintaining a safe distance and remaining wary of each other.
The key point is that they both concealed their faces.
"Looks like it'll just be the three of us this time!"
A woman with a baseball cap, a black mask, and a single ponytail scrutinized Benjamin with a critical gaze.
Another obese man, wearing a boar monster mask, had small, lewd eyes:
" Unexpectedly, there are also people who choose to lie flat in this world. "
The obese man kept chewing something like betel nut, making his speech somewhat slurred.
"Hey buddy, what happened to you? You're all covered in blood, only wearing shorts. Did someone's husband corner you?"
Benjamin mentally assessing his situation, spoke up when the fat man said,
"Excuse me, where is this place?"
"Newbie? That's a bit pitiful. Let me explain."
The woman in the baseball cap stared at Benjamin with an undisguised look of utter disbelief,
"You've been chosen by the Lighthouse to become its Tower Keeper!"
"Every month, you'll be forced to travel through various unknown, terrifying, and bizarre worlds."
"These terrifying worlds will contain one or more main storylines."
"You can try to explore the storylines and complete missions, but the protagonist is surrounded by areas teeming with monsters. Opportunities far outweigh dangers. It all depends on whether you dare to take the risk!"
The woman in the baseball cap was about to continue when the fat man interrupted her.
"Stop! The newbie explanation rewards should be shared equally; give me a piece of the pie."
Seeing the woman fall silent, the fat man continued, going along with her words:
"As long as you complete the survival mission, you can return to the Lighthouse or reality."
"No matter how long you stay in the horror world, it's only a fleeting moment outside, but the time ratio between Lighthouse Square and reality is one to one."
"Your injury is only temporarily mitigated by the newbie protection mechanism. It will still flare up after you return from the storyline, so you must find a way to heal it in this world, otherwise you will definitely die after it ends."
"Also, if you listen to this woman and try to explore the main storyline, you might die without even knowing how, since newbies don't have any special abilities."
"Exploring the main storyline has a 99% chance of encountering monsters!"
"Sigh, you're doomed this time in the story world!"
The fat man sighed insincerely, his acting a bit over the top.
"If we don't fight, we're doomed. Don't forget, it's Lights Out in four months."
The woman in the baseball cap retorted, then said,
"I received the newbie tutorial, 100 survival points."
"I also got 100 points, exactly half for each of us. These survival points are a steal, hey, great!" the fat man said cheerfully.
What? What's the Lights Out that means it's doomed?
Benjamin was somewhat puzzled.
But right now, his most pressing needs were to heal his injuries and gain strength—strength beyond that of an ordinary person—so he could escape his predicament upon returning.
"A mission has arrived!" the woman suddenly said.
Benjamin felt a passage of text surface deep within his mind.
Location: * Hellraiser *
[Survival Mission: Survive for one month] (Reward: 500 Survival Points)
[Story Mission 1: Activate the Lemarchand's Box] (Reward: 5000 Survival Points)
[Story Mission 2: Enter Hell] (Reward: 5000 Survival Points)
[Story Mission 3: Kill the Cenobites] (Reward: 10000 Survival Points)
[Number of Entrants: 3]
(Hint 1: Completing story missions increases exploration progress and story rating)
(Hint 2: First mission for new players; initial story identity is upgraded.)
[Descent Countdown: 10 minutes (Enter Now)]
Benjamin was previously confused and somewhat doubtful.
Now, seeing the mission posted by the Lighthouse, he was certain.
This was the world of the horror movies he had watched in his previous life!
A series of movies he greatly enjoyed in his previous life. But liking them didn't mean he wanted to experience Pinhead 's iron hook!