My roommate sets me up. She deliberately forces me into a death-trap survival game. As I shut my eyes and wait for death to take me, I realize that the game's bosses can read my mind.

"Look at the blood spurting from this baby doll's neck. It's like a fountain of pee."

The baby doll is baffled. It's about to launch its ultimate move, but it falters.

"Man, look at how this guy is still sweeping the streets when he's so old. Does he not have a pension?"

The old man is about to swallow me whole, but he suddenly gets a heart attack. An ambulance takes him away.

"Oh, so this is the amusement park's owner. Oh, dear god, he's handsome, albeit a little skinny. I can send him flying with a kick!"

The handsome owner's expression darkens. He instantly takes off his shirt to reveal his washboard abs. "Do you still think I'm skinny?"

"Help! Where am I? I want to go home!"

I heard a woman screaming. As I crawled up from the ground, the system announcement sounded from the speakers.

"Welcome, honored players. Congratulations on being selected to join the Death Game. This instance, named 'Deserted Island Amusement Park,' is rated nine stars in difficulty. Players, do your best to stay alive."

As the sound of the announcement faded, the phones of the more than 20 people present lit up simultaneously, mine included.

The screen turned black, with the words "Deserted Island Amusement Park" glaring in white.

Looking around, I found that the ground beneath me was scorched, and the smell of fish filled the air. In the distance, I could vaguely see a roller coaster and a Ferris wheel creaking and swaying in the wind.

Was this... a death game?

Before I could say anything, a girl in a school uniform next to me burst into tears.

"Nine out of ten stars in difficulty? Just our luck! We get hit with this insane level right after starting the game!"

Standing next to her, a fearless fitness trainer threw a punch at the wall.

The wall cracked open, and a few chunks of plaster fell off before the man was sucked in.

"What happened? Where did he go?"

Panic spread among the crowd. But in the distance, where the mist should have been, a swing had appeared out of nowhere.

A few people rushed over to check, then screamed and ran back. "Oh shit! The guy turned into a swing!"

I was too scared to speak, only watching as the swing seat clearly displayed the man's face.

The crowd fell into silence. Teetering on the edge of panic, they slowly split into two groups.

One group was the veteran players, while I found myself in the new player group. We were all panicking like rats in a sinking ship.

Amid the chaos, I spotted my roommate, Aleena Bullock, now standing with the experienced players.

It was Memorial Day today. Aleena and I had gone up the mountain to pay respects to our ancestors.

On the way back, the bus overturned, and we fell down the mountain.

The next thing I knew, I woke up here.

Before I could voice my doubts, a young man in white stepped into the new player group.

"Alright, everyone, calm down! This game is tough, but I believe that as long as we work together, we can make it out of here. We veteran players will guide you. You just need to follow our lead."

Everyone instantly seemed to have found their anchor. But in the places I couldn't see, a stream of comments flooded the live chat.

"OMG! Look who it is! Delicious is here! My white-clad Prince Charming!"

"With Delicious here, even a nine-star difficulty level should be a breeze!"

"He's so nice. He always helps new players. They're set with him in the team!"

I couldn't see the comments. I was just squeezed into the crowd, listening as the young man in white explained the game.

From his words, I learned that some people who died unexpectedly were brought into this Death Game. If they managed to clear the level, they could extend their lives in the real world. In other words, this was a second chance at life, granted by God.

Suddenly, the system's announcement echoed again. "Please select your skill and pair up with a partner."

The moment the announcement ended, a flurry of golden cards flashed through my mind. I waved my hand mentally.

A gray card landed on my head. It read, "Mind-reading."

The comments flooded the live chat again.

"Did you see that? The young lady got the lowest-level skill."

"I bet ten bags of chips she'll be the first to die today."

I couldn't see the comments, but I noticed that when people saw my skill card, they all stepped back and avoided my gaze.

I quickly counted. There were 21 players in total, meaning one person would be left without a partner.

Just then, the system initiated a 30-minute countdown to form teams.

Naturally, everyone started pairing with someone they knew.

When I tried to find Aleena, she was being rejected by the young man in white. The moment our eyes met, she looked away. Then she lifted her dress and hooked her arm around a muscular man.

Judging by his build, he was much more muscular than the fitness trainer.

Aleena wasn't stupid. In a dangerous game like this, finding a reliable partner was definitely important.

"Sorry, Heidi. I already have a partner. You should find someone else," she squeaked, her tone utterly fake.

As she spoke, the muscular man noticed me. He suddenly shook off Aleena and walked toward me with a lecherous grin.

I took a step back in fear, unable to say a word.

I had a habit. Whenever I got nervous, I would freeze up, my mouth tightening, while my mind raced at lightning speed.

This meant that in moments of danger, all I could do was curse in my head a thousand times while waiting for my inevitable doom with a smile.

What I didn't know was that my mind-reading skill was not the kind where I read others' thoughts. It was the kind where others could read mine.

Right then, everyone—the players, the boss, the viewers—could hear everything I was thinking.

As the muscular man approached me, my legs stiffened, but my brain was running wild, thinking, "I remember Aleena saying that big guys tend to have small manhood."

The man's face immediately turned dark as he glared venomously at Aleena. But my thoughts didn't stop.

"Aleena only went for this guy after the white-shirted guy rejected her. Haha! A backburner even in a game!"

The man's nostrils flared, but I kept going.

"Such a poor guy, being chosen by Aleena. She's cursed! My great-grandma always said that anyone who gets close to her is doomed!"

The man couldn't take it anymore, and the comments couldn't hold back either.

A flood of laughter scrolled across the live chat. That was when I realized everyone was watching me with gleeful expressions.

Aleena ran over, trying to pull the big guy away, but he slapped her hard. "Cursed woman, get away from me!"

Cursed woman? How did he know Aleena's nickname?

Could they know that her first boyfriend died in a car crash, her second jumped off a building, and her third twisted his ankle on a crosswalk, only to get hit by a car and fly 60 feet?

Someone in the crowd burst out laughing.

Only Aleena, fuming with rage, shot me a death glare before slapping me.

"This is all your fault, Heidi Wallace!" Aleena suddenly screamed.

As she turned to leave, all the male players stepped aside to make way for her.

I had no idea what made her so angry, but I noticed the guys were all giving me grateful looks.

One by one, the guys turned Aleena down. I was going to stop her, but she refused me without a second thought.

Feeling confused, the young man in white approached me. He handed me a protective charm and then pulled out his phone.

"My name's D. Give me your number. I'll add you to the group chat," he said.

When I didn't move, he added, "There are plenty of hidden hints in the game. We share them in the group chat. I'm a veteran player, so it's my job to help the newbies."

Seeing his serious expression, I gave him my number and joined the group chat. Just then, my phone delivered a final warning.

"System notice: Players who haven't formed teams yet, please do so within the time limit."

Those who already had teams began heading off in different directions.

Their tasks seemed simple enough—cleaning the amusement rides and such.

But what was I supposed to do?

D told me that the system always intentionally set conditions to force players into deadly situations.

But it also left behind hidden opportunities in these seemingly impossible scenarios. The protective charm he gave me was a tool to find those chances.

As the charm shimmered, I began to see a broken-down roller coaster and a rusty pirate ship.

Through the mist, I spotted a baby doll with her back to me.

Wearing a pink dress and sporting twin tails, she was staring blankly at the cotton candy stand.

Just as the cotton candy vendor turned away, the baby doll reached into the display case and stole a stick of cotton candy.

I walked over and tapped her hand, causing the candy to fall to the ground.

"You can't steal. If you want it, ask your parents to buy it for you."

The charm in my hand gave off a bright glow. I thought maybe this girl was my opportunity.

But I was wrong. The next second, the baby doll turned around, revealing hollow, blood-soaked eyes.

"I don't have parents. Do you want to be my mommy?" she mumbled. Her blood and tears poured down her face, soaking her dress.

The next second, her head fell off and landed in her own hands.

Suddenly, dark storm clouds gathered in the sky, looking ominous.

At the same time, the comments flooded the live chat.

"Haha! So dumb! Of all people, she had to pick a fight with Aria, the Headless Girl, one of the Four Bosses."

"This idiot just broke two of the boss' taboos in one go. She's as good as dead now."

"She didn't let Aria have her candy and mentioned her parents. Haha! Even God can't save her!"

I couldn't see the audience's mockery, but I could tell things were about to get real bad. I watched as the baby doll morphed into a terrifying, monstrous version of herself.

I froze up again. My legs went stiff as my mind raced. "Has no one told this doll her neck's spurting blood like a fountain of pee?"

The baby doll tilted her head in a creepy way, as if she had understood my words. Blood began to flow faster and faster from her eyes.

Her expression grew more grotesque, and tiny hands began reaching out from her mouth one by one.

I was so scared that I dropped to the ground, sitting on my butt. Then, my thoughts got even stranger. "Isn't she going to puke with so many hands scratching at her throat?"

The doll's huge eyes held a flicker of confusion. At the next moment, the storm clouds burst, and rain began to pour down in heavy drops.

Just as those tiny hands were about to grip my neck, I couldn't help but think again, "It's just candy! I'll buy it for you. I'll buy you three. One for your left hand, one for your right, and one for you to stomp on!"

The baby doll fell silent, and so did the live chat. Even the sky seemed to clear up.

Then, the live chat exploded with screams.

"My god! Didn't Aria unleash her ULTI?"

"This idiot actually has some brains. Did she know others could read her mind and think that on purpose?"

"At first, I thought she was frozen with fear but turns out she's a clever fool!"

I didn't know how excited the viewers were in the chat. All I felt was a small hand grab mine.

"Mommy, I want candy!"

The baby doll's head had returned to normal. The terrifying monster from moments ago had turned into a cute little girl.

My mind went blank. In a daze, I reached for my money, only to find the vendor had disappeared.

I grabbed a skewer and started up the cotton candy machine.

I knew how to make cotton candy because I had a younger sister, Bella Wallace. Well, I was supposed to have a sister.

My grandmother, Libby Bates, wanted a grandson, but our family was too poor to raise so many kids. So, Bella had to die. She was only three when that happened.

Later, my mother, Giselle Tillman, got pregnant. It gave me a reason to live.

That reason was to take care of my younger brother, Noel Wallace.

As I spun the cotton candy, I cried like a child. When I handed the candy to the baby doll, she smiled at me.

Bella had been around the same age when she passed. She was so adorable, and she loved sweets.

"Girl, do you have a name?"

"I'm Aria!" She licked the cotton candy and then turned to me with a smile. "Thank you, Mommy!"

"Just call me Heidi," I replied. "I can be your sister, not your mom."

Aria's face suddenly darkened, and blood began seeping from her eyes again. "I only need Mommy, not a sis—"

Before she could say more, I pulled her into an embrace.

I wasn't sure if it was because I had imagined her as Bella at that moment, but I didn't feel scared at all.

I gently wiped her face with a tissue. "Don't do that, okay? You won't be pretty if you get your face dirty."

Aria froze. This time, what flowed from her eyes was tears.

"Oh, she's so cute! I wish she were my sister," I thought to myself, but Aria suddenly stared at me in confusion.

Finally, she murmured, "She's different. She's different from all my previous Mommies. Why?"

I didn't know what she meant, but I held her hand tightly to comfort her.

"Heidi, do you really want to be my sister? You're not just using me, right?" Aria asked.

Suddenly, she tightened her grip on my hand. That was when I noticed the stitching on her body.

She was like a collection of broken pieces put together. Before I could answer, Aria's expression turned to fear.

The wind began to howl from all directions, and a dark figure leaped from the top of the Ferris wheel.

"He's here, Heidi!"

Terrified, Aria turned and ran, but I was held in place by the dark figure.

The figure, wearing a sharp suit and a mask, had red pupils that pierced through the holes in the mask, staring right at me.

"You managed to win Aria's favor? I really underestimated you."

Rationally, I knew I was facing the final boss, but all I could think was, "Masked guys are always so hot! His voice is so sexy!

"He's just a little too thin, though. No wonder he could jump from so high without breaking a sweat. I can send him flying with a kick!"

The final boss' expression grew darker and darker, until it was as black as coal. The sky turned blood-red to match his mood.

This was it. I was terrified again and froze in his arms.

My body pressed against his firm abs. There were eight perfect blocks. Not a single one was missing!

"Clothes make him look slim, but he's got muscles beneath. Although I should be reserved, I guess it's okay to think about it.

"I want to touch him so bad. Will he get mad? No, wait, am I about to die? Well, I guess if I'm going out, it's a pretty good way to go. I'm dying in a hot guy's arms, after all."

My mind exploded with wild thoughts as my body remained stiff.

The live chat went crazy.

"Does this idiot even know people can read her mind? What is she thinking?"

"I think she's doing it on purpose. Didn't you see the final boss blushing?"

"Oh my God! I think I'm shipping them. Don't die, idiot. I want to keep shipping this!"

I didn't know how crazy the live chat was getting. All I saw was the final boss' face shift through a range of emotions.

Finally, a flush of crimson colored his face. After a long pause, he asked, "Why are you the only one who doesn't have to pick a role?"

That was when it hit me. Out of the 21 players, I was the only one left single.

Feeling a little down, I pulled out my phone and noticed that the countdown screen had changed.

A new task appeared on my phone.

"Congratulations, you've unlocked a special quest: Journey of Wishes. Raise the affection level of all four bosses to 100%. Complete the task, and you'll receive a one-time SSS-ranked skill."

Raise their affection levels, and I could receive a skill?

But how was I supposed to do that?

I looked at the final boss' face, which was hidden behind the mask, and suddenly asked, "What kind of woman do you like?"

He looked completely bewildered by my question. Normally, players would freeze up in fear upon seeing him, like they were face to face with death itself.

But I seemed completely unafraid, and it actually startled him. It was then that he realized he was still holding me around the waist.