Chapter 5: The Hand in the Dead of Night, the Artifact Red Dragon!

The vending machine that suddenly came to life had Alexa paralyzed on the ground, her fierce demeanor gone in an instant, too shocked to even utter a word.

Actually, when you think about it, in a horror world, anything could be a ghost. A vending machine that provides human food—how could that be normal?

The vending machine grinned menacingly but didn't pounce on them.

Summoning his courage, Richard spoke up, "We are restaurant staff. We earned this money. Why treat us differently?"

"Just having food is good enough. In the past, even mice that came here begged for food. How much more a stinking rat?"

"Get lost!"

Rachel whispered, "Should we talk to that Pinocchio?"

"He won't care. Let's go," Richard didn't argue. The vending machine ghost was right; in a world of horror, humans were the most insignificant, and survival was paramount.

Of course,

Before having power.

When he had the power, Richard would make that machine double whatever food belonged to him!

"Next time bring more money. If you have less, you can only eat dead rats!"

This statement was clear. This ghost intended to snatch the money they had earned for the next few days.

Although Richard's group was angry, they couldn't battle the ghost, so they could only leave.

Following directions, they arrived at the so-called dormitory, a gloomy dark building.

In the lobby, a faceless ghost sat at the front desk, with only a mouth on its face, sporting a creepy smile.

"We are restaurant staff."

The faceless ghost handed over a key, its faint voice echoing in their ears, "Don't go out at midnight. If you open the door and something happens, I won't be responsible."

Richard took the key and nodded.

The dormitory had been abandoned for a long time, showing signs of decay everywhere—a long corridor, deserted with darkness at the end.

The whole building seemed to have more than a hundred rooms.

Other students should also be here. Richard wondered which room Simon was in.

Their room was on the fourth floor, Room 404. Opening the old door, a musty smell hit their noses.

The room only had one bed, which made the only girl, Rachel, embarrassed.

"Three people can squeeze on one bed. Of course, if you feel uncomfortable with a man and woman sharing, you can sleep on the floor," Richard said to Rachel.

Rachel was stunned. Did he say it backwards?

Ignoring the confusion, Alexa lay down on the bed directly.

Richard did the same. In a world of horror where survival was uncertain, manners didn't matter.

The floor was damp, prone to disease and unknown bugs. Sleeping on it might not kill them outright, but it could affect their work the next day.

Rachel glanced at the floor and reluctantly nodded. Instead of lying down immediately, she went to the bathroom to wipe herself first.

Alexa pulled out a compressed biscuit and started eating to curb her hunger.

Richard took out some beef jerky and began chewing.

Watching the large piece of jerky, Alexa suddenly felt her biscuit in her throat turn tasteless.

"Tear me off a piece. I'll return the favor tomorrow," Alexa ordered.

"I don't have enough to eat." Richard replied, keeping a large piece and stuffing it in his pocket.

"It's a life-and-death situation. Can't we help each other out?" Alexa asked.

"If it were me, would you offer? I wouldn't be foolish enough to give life-saving food away!" Richard retorted.

Alexa was furious, "Don't underestimate me."

"With one hand less, don't show off. Watch that you don't lose the other hand too!"

Seeing Richard's smirk, Alexa's face twitched slightly.

In that moment, Alexa realized that this guy, who had been like a block of wood in class for two semesters, might not be easy to bully after all.

Suppressing her anger, she turned around and went to sleep.

In the bathroom, Rachel couldn't stand the itchy and sour smell on her body.

The bathroom's environment was equally terrible, so she quickly wiped herself and came out.

On the bed, Richard and Alexa were already snoring deeply.

After eating the so-called pickled fish to fill her stomach, Rachel wrapped herself in a blanket, lay down next to Richard at the edge of the bed.

Late at night, a chilly wind blew.

Richard, half asleep, seemed to hear some noises. Then it felt like a hand was placed on his leg.

Slowly, the hand began to move higher, becoming more daring.

Suddenly, Richard sat up, causing the bed to creak.

Alexa was awakened by the commotion, seeing Richard sitting up, she groaned, "Are you sleepwalking?"

Rachel, still groggy, rubbed her eyes, "What's happening?"

Richard looked at her just-awoken state, "What were you doing just now?"

"Nothing, just sleeping," Rachel replied.

Richard looked at Rachel's two hands, then suddenly believed her because one hand was still under the blanket touching him!

"F*ck! Do you have this kind of fetish? Instead of touching Rachel, you touch me? Get lost!"

Alexa suddenly grabbed a hand from under the blanket, glaring at Richard fiercely.

Richard looked at her, then extended his own two hands.

Rachel looked at Richard's hands, then at the colorless hand Alexa held, her eyes trembling as she covered her mouth.

Alexa's face drained of color, holding the hand, unsure of what to do.

He gently lifted a corner of the blanket, only to see a skull split open at the top, with a knife wedged in the skull.

"Damn!!" Alexa quickly threw the severed hand out as the head rolled out, laughing at them.

How could there be ghosts in the room?

Suddenly, Richard recalled the faceless ghost's words, "Did you open the door?"

Rachel raised her hand, whispering, "I... after finishing the fish soup, I threw the garbage near the door and opened the door slightly."

"Idiot woman, were you kicked in the head by a donkey?" Alexa scolded loudly.

With tears in her eyes, Rachel kept apologizing, cowering in the corner.

"Hehe, didn't you invite me in? It seems like you're not very welcoming..."

"Then let's just eat you all up."

The head ghost extended a long, eerie tongue, wrapping itself around Alexa's feet, the latter despairingly screaming.

Suddenly, Richard spoke, "I have something tastier for you, interested?"

"What is it?"

Richard pulled out the Red Dragon from his inventory and threw it at the ghost's face.

The blood-stained sanitary towel seemed like a precious artifact, causing the ghost to roll its eyes and melt into a thick pool of flesh and blood instantly.

Alexa and Rachel were dumbfounded.

That was a sanitary towel?

This guy actually carried a blood-stained sanitary towel with him?

Ignoring the two's horrified gazes, Richard laid back down, saying, "Let's continue sleeping."

"A sanitary towel with such an effect. Rachel, do you have another one?" Alexa asked excitedly.

"What kind of joke is this? It's not from me!" Rachel, feeling embarrassed and angry, snubbed.

"If you have one, keep one for me!"

"Get lost, disgusting, pervert!"