"How did I end up here?"
Leonard frowned and looked around.
A small room, bare and empty. He was sitting on a single bed, beside a nightstand and a barred cross-shaped window.
Outside the window, everything was shrouded in mist—hazy and chaotic—with a faint glimmer of light.
The wooden door was closed. The room was so quiet, even a pin drop could be heard.
Leonard had clearly been on duty at the funeral home, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself here. It happened so suddenly.
Could it be... something supernatural?
As if to confirm his suspicion.
[Welcome to the Dormitory Survival Game!]
[Here, you will face life-and-death challenges. If you die, it will be a real, permanent death.]
[Each player is bound to a dormitory room. This is your residence and your refuge.]
[This round of the game lasts for four days, known as the Fright Nights.]
[If you survive until the end, you and your dorm will advance to the next round.]
[Each round has different rules. This one features a day-and-night cycle. Daytime is relatively safe, and you're encouraged to go out, explore, and grow stronger.]
[At night, the danger increases sharply. It's much safer to stay inside your dorm.]
[Mastering the rhythm of day and night is key to surviving the Fright Nights.]
[Please explore and discover more on your own. In this fast-paced age, there's no room for long tutorials.]
[Good luck and enjoy the game!]
A semi-transparent panel appeared in front of Leonard, emitting a futuristic glow.
His eyes widened.
No way... is this real?
Conflicted and unsure, Leonard kept investigating.
He closed the initial interface, and several new ones popped up:
[Stats] [Dorm] [Chat] [Friends] [Map] [Misc]
He first opened the Stats menu, and Leonard's personal information appeared:
Leonard:
Level: 1
Status: Healthy
Mind: 11
Strength: 9
Agility: 9
Constitution: 9
Sanity: 100/100
Stamina: 100/100
Health: 100/100
Satiety: 65/100
Equipment: None
Skills: None
Note: Mind, Strength, Agility, and Constitution—standard value for a healthy adult male is 10.
—
"I work out regularly, and still my stats don't reach the standard. That's pretty strict,"
Leonard muttered inwardly.
Next, he opened the [Dorm] tab:
Room Number: 815
Level: 1
Area: 10 square meters
Door Durability: 30/30
Wall Durability: 100/100
Facilities: Door, single bed, nightstand, protective window, ceiling light.
No wonder it's called the Dormitory Survival Game.this dorm actually has its own stats.
It can even be upgraded!
He wondered what the dorm would look like after an upgrade.
Bigger? Stronger?
Leonard continued checking the other functions one by one.
The Friends tab was empty.
The Map function currently only displayed his own dorm, with no access to other areas.
The Miscellaneous tab contained a few small utilities, even including a camera feature.
He opened the chat channel.
There was a public channel labeled No. 77.
Clicking on it prompted him to set a virtual name.
Just like a real game.
Leonard thought for a moment, then typed in the name he used in games before.
Zero.
After entering the public channel, he saw some people chatting.It seemed they were all in the same situation as him.
[What the heck is going on?]
[Who am I, where am I, and who are you all?]
[Who changed my clothes?! Take responsibility! That child in my belly is yours now!]
[Boohoo... I'm scared.]
[One punch for every crybaby. Get lost.]
[Heh, what is this? A scam group? Don't think I don't know—aside from me, you're all liars! Keep acting!]
[I tried opening the door. It works! There's a hallway outside!]
[If we can leave, why not just go home already?]
Leonard scrolled through the chat—everyone seemed to be in a similar situation.
He stood up, walked to the door, turned the handle, and gently pushed.
It really was unlocked.
He opened it slightly and peeked outside.
A long corridor stretched ahead, dimly lit by faint ceiling lights.
Across the hall, another door was open, and a woman with long hair poked her head out—she was quite attractive.
They locked eyes for a moment.
Startled, she quickly withdrew and slammed her door shut.
After a quick look around, Leonard closed his door and went back inside.
He wanted to read more of the chat.
Suddenly, a new message popped up.
[You've been added to the No. 77 Newbie Game Admin Group. You are now a probationary administrator, codename: Cherry Tomato.]
A new chat interface appeared!
On the left was the conversation, on the right were usernames.
At the top was the group owner, a Level 1 administrator, codename: Durian.
Next were five Level 2 admins.
Then ten Level 3 admins.
And finally, twenty probationary admins.Leonard was one of them.
All the codenames were fruits,pineapple, banana, dragon fruit... a complete fruit salad.
Leonard's level was too low, so his chat box was locked—he couldn't speak, only read.
The admins were actively chatting.
[These players are so slow. Still not moving.]
[They're new. It's normal.]
[They don't have much time. In one real-world hour, night will fall.]
[If they don't start gathering resources now, they'll be relying on luck once it's dark.]
[I can't wait to activate the zombies.]
[Hold on. Take it slow. Our goal is to create a fun game, not mindless slaughter.]
[All you interns,remember this. Always.]
The chat was buzzing with activity.
Leonard was dumbfounded.
What was this?
Not only had he entered the game as a player, but also as an admin!
And from the admin chat, he got some key intel.
In one hour, night would fall.
There were zombies in this game.
Once night came, they would attack.
These clues began to outline the game's structure.
The admin group also emphasized gathering resources and growing stronger before nightfall.
Leonard closed his eyes and took a deep breath, digesting everything.
This was definitely a supernatural event.
Thinking about it rationally wouldn't help.
His old life had been dull and lifeless anyway.He was long tired of it.
Now, he had a fresh start.
Might as well use this chance to live all over again.
Like a bundle of dry wood catching fire, his fighting spirit ignited.
Let's go!
Just like the admin chat suggested, go out early, gather resources, and level up!
Leonard opened his eyes, no longer confused, and walked to the door.
There was a key in the lock, an easy-to-miss detail.
He pulled it out, opened the door, stepped out, then locked it behind him.
This dorm must be important. Even if it was bare inside, it still needed protection.
The hallway was dimly lit. The ceiling lights flickered and occasionally went out.
Each dorm had a number. Leonard's was 815.
That probably meant Room 15 on the 8th floor.
He looked around, the corridor was empty. He was the first one out exploring.
The admin chat had mentioned "gathering resources."
It seemed he'd have to search the place thoroughly.
He headed for the door opposite,Room 840.
Judging by the numbers, each floor had a lot of rooms.
Knock, knock, knock...
Leonard gently knocked. The sound echoed through the quiet hallway.