I Mistook the Horror Game Boss for My Bestie - Chapter 2

They tossed me far away from the group.

Within seconds, a sinister wind swept through the woods.

Countless eyes lit up, glowing red in the dark.

Black fog spilled between the trees. A man emerged slowly, the lower half of his face wrapped in layers of bandages.

Behind him, countless pitch-black tentacles writhed and lashed. Everywhere he passed, they pulverized the trees in his path.

The live chat erupted in alarm.

[Oh my god. Cheng Yu’s team really won’t stop until they get themselves killed. They actually lured out this scenario’s Boss!]

[Are they insane? I thought they came here to earn points, not offer up their lives!]

[Their team is ranked in the top ten, so I thought they might set a new completion record. Looks like the only record they’re setting is fastest team wipe.]

At the sight of the Boss, the composure on Cheng Yu and his teammates’ faces finally cracked.

Cheng Yu screamed himself hoarse. “Run!”

But the Boss was too fast. He would reach them in no time.

It was already too late to run.

They exchanged a look, then used an item to fling me straight at the Boss, buying themselves time to escape.

The live chat began mourning my terrible luck.

I didn’t resist. I threw myself right into the Boss’s arms and burst into aggrieved tears.

“Babe, they’re all bullying me.”

The tentacle about to coil around my waist froze.

The Boss’s pale fingers paused against my neck.

The live chat lost its mind.

[What the hell? Did the newbie go insane from fear?]

[Does she have a death wish?]

[Girl, look at who you’re talking to! That’s the Boss!]

[I guarantee those tentacles are going to rip her in half next second.]

The flood of comments came to an abrupt halt.

The Boss had lifted his eyes toward the five people fleeing for their lives.

His tentacles shot forward and punched straight through their thighs.

[Huh???]

[Holy crap, am I seeing things?]

[This is… a once-in-a-lifetime event.]

I nuzzled vigorously against the Boss’s chest.

Soft. Springy.

“I knew you loved me best, Babe!”

“Hehehe. This body even comes with the whole masked-man look. You know that’s exactly my type.”

The Boss went rigid.

Cheng Yu’s team was an elite squad with plenty of experience handling danger. Otherwise, they could never have survived in this deadly horror game for so long.

The instant the Boss faltered, they gritted their teeth, tore the tentacles out of their thighs, and bolted despite the pain.

But the Boss reacted even faster.

Before Cheng Yu and the others had taken half a step, long, sinewy tentacles bound them tight, then began contracting inch by inch.

Just as the coils were about to bite into their flesh, a pained look crossed Fatty’s face.

In the nick of time, he activated an item.

Golden light exploded across the forest.

It was so bright that my eyes stung. By the time my vision cleared, Cheng Yu and the others had vanished.

The tentacles left behind were still curled as if holding them captive.

The live chat boiled over.

[That was an SSS-rank lifesaving item!]

[I knew Cheng Yu’s team wouldn’t enter a hell-difficulty scenario without some way to save themselves.]

[Didn’t this squad become elite by farming points in 2S-rank scenarios? How did they get a 3S-rank lifesaving item?]

[Exactly. You can’t even buy a divine-tier item like that from the points shop. It has to come from a 3S-rank scenario.]

[Speaking of which, don’t you remember that elite player who teamed up with them and then disappeared…?]

With Cheng Yu’s team gone, the Boss withdrew his tentacles.

Aside from the red eyes hidden in the shadows, no one else was around.

Wind rustled through the leaves, lending the forest an eerie, chilling air.

But beside the Boss, I felt perfectly safe. I even read the live chat with relish, enjoying all the gossip.

I was right in the middle of the juicy part when everyone abruptly dropped the subject and started screaming in unison.

[Are newbies this gutsy now? The Boss is standing right beside her, and she’s still busy eating popcorn.]

[The Boss: Hello? Still here.]

[Oh my god, is something wrong with her brain?]

[Did fear scramble her mind? She actually called the Boss “Babe”!]

[Idiot! Stop reading the chat! The Boss has a tentacle on your leg!]

I instinctively slapped downward and muttered, “Babe, don’t interrupt my gossip.”

Apparently displeased at being ignored, the Boss didn’t loosen his tentacle. Instead, it wound even tighter around me.

Its cold, slick surface pressed against my palm.

What a novel experience.

Since there was no more gossip to enjoy, I turned my attention to the Boss clinging to me.

He had striking eyes, a high nose bridge, and slightly tousled hair. The bandages covering the lower half of his face added an air of mystery.