I Play the Horror World as a Simulation Game

As Qin Nuo turned the corner of the corridor, he saw a group of young men and women standing there, each holding their own lunch.

Moldy bread and biscuits, rotten fruit, sour fish soup—just the sight of it was enough to kill anyone's appetite instantly.

Their faces were marked with unwillingness and anger, but more than anything, fear and helplessness.

In front of them, a large vending machine was clattering noisily, with a ghostly face as fierce as a door god in the middle.

From its gaping mouth came a triumphant, eerie laugh.

"Don't act so pitiful. Which of those trainee servers before you didn't have to deal with me?"

"You guys are lucky. At least the stuff you got is edible."

"There was this one brat before, thought he could challenge me just because he had some skills."

"He came at me with a broken chainsaw, thinking he could take me down. I slapped him right into the wall, and he couldn't even be pried out!"

The new players turned pale with fright, the girls trembling, not daring to say a word.

A taller boy's face darkened as he said, "Let's go!"

Seeing the young men and women intimidated, the vending machine ghost regained its arrogant demeanor, almost erasing the shadow of that unpleasant memory.

"Oh, can you tell me what that person who was sent to be made into a dish looked like?"

Suddenly, an untimely voice rang out.

"What did he look like? I forgot!" The vending machine ghost was reluctant to recall that face.

"Did he look like me?"

The voice spoke again, and then a smiling face appeared in the vending machine ghost's line of sight.

The moment it saw Qin Nuo's face, the vending machine ghost froze, then almost reflexively, its entire body shot up, instantly retreating to the corner.

"Holy crap! How are you still here? Weren't you dead?"

Even though the vending machine ghost's fierce face remained still, it was filled with terror, looking comical as its massive body trembled violently.

Like a rat seeing a cat, its soul seemed about to flee in fright!

The young men and women were even more incredulous.

Wasn't that face perfectly normal? Why was it so scared?

Qin Nuo's expression was somewhat strange. Why did these guys think he was dead?

"Maybe to your disappointment, I'm alive and well. I just happened to pass by the Nether Springs Restaurant, so I came in to take a look and visit an old friend."

"It's been a while, hasn't it? I can tell you've missed me, spreading rumors that I'm dead?"

Qin Nuo, hands in his pockets, bent down and said with a smile.

The vending machine ghost desperately shrank into the corner, wishing for a crack to crawl into and escape.

The vending machine ghost forced a smile, "Just a little joke, don't mind it."

"Twisting my head off and sending it to the kitchen?"

"No... not you, don't misunderstand." The vending machine ghost broke out in a cold sweat.

"What about the hammer and chainsaw, what do they look like?" Qin Nuo suddenly asked.

The vending machine ghost's mind went blank, stammering.

"Do they look like this?" Qin Nuo suddenly pulled out a blood-stained chainsaw.

The engine roared, the sound echoing through the space.

This sound seemed to strike directly at the vending machine ghost's soul.

The shadow it had barely erased resurfaced clearly.

Driven by instinctive fear, the vending machine ghost could no longer hold on and began to beg for mercy, "Please, brother, spare me. I was just bragging, courting death. I won't dare again!"

"What are you talking about? This chainsaw hasn't been used in a while. I just took it out to start it up. Look how scared you are. Am I that kind of person?" Qin Nuo shook his head, feigning ignorance.

Back then, you were sulking and, without a word, came at me with a chainsaw to vent!

How do you have the face to say that?

These were the vending machine ghost's inner thoughts, though outwardly it maintained a pleading, ingratiating posture.

"What's with these juniors of mine?"

Qin Nuo glanced at the newbie players, who were already dumbfounded.

"Just a joke, you all come over, throw away the food in your hands. Is that stuff even fit for humans? Come, I'll redistribute it for you!"

"Eat well, drink well!"

The young men and women exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, then walked over.

One of the players couldn't help but ask, "Are you a player here too?"

"I used to be. Now, well, I'm barely a regular player." Qin Nuo touched his nose and said.

Hearing he was also a player, they relaxed a lot. One of the female players, with a pleading look, asked, "Can you teach us the tricks to clear the instance?"

Qin Nuo thought for a moment, then his tone changed, "My personal secret is, don't court death, don't show off, live quietly and steadily until the end."

The vending machine ghost opened its mouth but ultimately didn't dare to speak.

"Let's leave it at that, old friend. See you next time."

With limited time, Qin Nuo didn't linger. He took a free bottle of water from the vending machine ghost, waved goodbye, and turned to leave.

Leaving the young men and women pondering Qin Nuo's words.

...

As Qin Nuo stepped out of the corridor, a small figure blocked the entrance.

It was Pinocchio.

Its head rotated 360 degrees, looking at Qin Nuo, "You just returned to the restaurant and already made a move on a chef."

"The food was terrible, just giving some proper guidance."

"I'm a manager too, I have to think about the restaurant. My dissatisfaction is a small matter, but if a big shot comes one day and gets the same treatment, the restaurant's reputation will suffer."

Pinocchio was silent, seemingly agreeing with the logic, and didn't pursue the matter further.

"You returned to the restaurant for more than just a meal."

Pinocchio's sharp mind quickly grasped Qin Nuo's general purpose, "What do you want?"

"I want to buy ingredients." Qin Nuo was straightforward.

"The restaurant has plenty of ingredients, go to the kitchen and pick for yourself," Pinocchio said.

Qin Nuo smiled, "Special ingredients."

Pinocchio's wooden face, though expressionless, paused, indicating some surprise.

"You want that thing to make..." Before finishing the sentence, Pinocchio understood from the ghost aura emanating from Qin Nuo.

Then it said, "The restaurant has a few, but they're not cheap."

"What's the cheapest?"

"4000 ghost currency, ingredient number 2."

Qin Nuo's mouth twitched. Although he was mentally prepared, the price still surprised him. And that was the cheapest!

"Buy it! It's enough!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost immediately chimed in.

Qin Nuo checked his assets, converted ghost bills to ghost currency, and it seemed just enough.

If he bought it, he'd be utterly broke, completely cleaned out!

Previously, he didn't care much about ghost currency, saving when he could. Now it proved that without it, everything was difficult.

Without money, you really can't move an inch anywhere!

Qin Nuo nodded, "Deal."

Pinocchio said nothing, turned, and walked in a direction, with Qin Nuo following behind.

Then, Pinocchio went up the stairs to the second floor.

Is it on the second floor?

Qin Nuo was curious. He had never fulfilled his wish to visit the restaurant's second floor, and now he could finally see what it looked like.