Xia Miao listened to the screams around her, her mind still in a daze.

["Your task is simple—find the most dazzling man in this world and win him over. Remember, the one who leaves an unforgettable impression at first sight is your target."]

She vaguely recalled being curled up in her room playing video games when this mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her head. The next moment, her eyes closed and opened, and she found herself in this unfamiliar place.

The night was deep, the moon hung high, and the towering school building stood with cold, rigid lines. The swaying shadows of trees intertwined with the structure, making it resemble a beast ready to devour the innocent at any moment.

The vast campus was pitch-black at night, not a single light on. Strange noises echoed from the distance now and then, as if a horror movie were being filmed.

Xia Miao stood still for a while until a gust of cold wind snapped her back to reality.

Looking down at herself, she realized she was now wearing a school uniform—a black blazer, a red pleated skirt, knee-high socks, and leather shoes. It was identical to the uniform she wore at the elite high school she attended in her youth.

But she had already graduated. Why was she suddenly in an unknown high school again?

Xia Miao’s sharp mind quickly arrived at an answer—she had traveled through time!

Just then, a man stumbled out of the school building in panic. He was middle-aged, with a scruffy beard, yet he wore a male student’s uniform, making him look utterly ridiculous.

The man seemed to be fleeing from something, terrified out of his wits. When he saw Xia Miao standing there dumbfounded, he shouted, "Why aren’t you running? The Slaughterer is coming!"

A lightbulb went off in Xia Miao’s head—she had been transported into a role-playing survival game!

She quickly moved, following behind the man while stealing glances at him. His face was forgettable, clearly not the kind to leave a lasting impression. Definitely not her target.

Xia Miao asked, "What’s this 'Slaughterer' you’re talking about?"

The man looked surprised but didn’t have time to question her further. He ran until he could no longer move, dragging Xia Miao behind a bush to hide. Gasping for breath, it took him a while to recover.

Once he had calmed down, he took a proper look at Xia Miao, and his eyes flickered with amazement.

Had there been such a beautiful girl in the school during the day? Had he just not noticed?

Assuming she was just a frightened girl whose mind had gone blank, he explained, "The Slaughterer is today’s Butcher."

Xia Miao tilted her head. "Butcher? Like, the meat seller?"

The man choked, unsure if she was feigning ignorance. "The Butcher is the killer—the monster hunting us. Today’s Butcher is the Slaughterer, an especially cruel one!"

"His face is wrapped in bandages. If he catches a survivor alone, he’ll peel them back to reveal a mouth split open to his ears. Then he’ll ask if he’s handsome. Whether you say yes or no, he’ll slit your throat with his knife."

"Other Butchers might spare you if you strike a deal, but the Slaughterer? He won’t give you a single chance to escape!"

If fifty survivors were trapped in this night, other Butchers might leave seven or eight alive. But with the Slaughterer? The survival rate was zero.

No wonder the man was so terrified.

Xia Miao pointed. "Is that the Slaughterer you mentioned?"

Not far away, a bloodied man lay on the ground, desperately crawling backward as he screamed, "Don’t kill me… don’t kill me… I can make a contract! I’ll lure more prey for you!"

A shadowy figure stood over him, idly picking at his ear as if bored. "Same old, same old. How tedious."

He stomped on the man’s chest. From behind, all that was visible was his silhouette bending down—then came the man’s shrieks, blood splattering across the ground.

The Slaughterer rummaged through the man’s body before finally pulling out a heart. Then, abruptly, he turned around.

The middle-aged man beside Xia Miao let out a muffled scream. Consumed by fear, he shoved her forward without hesitation and bolted in the opposite direction.

Xia Miao stumbled, barely regaining her balance when she felt something cold press against her neck.

A bloodstained hand held a bloodstained knife, its tip grazing her throat. The slightest movement would send blood gushing from her fragile skin.

"You’re alone now."

Xia Miao had to tilt her head all the way back to meet the gaze of the towering young man before her.

He was lean but tall, dressed simply in blood-splattered sneakers. Under his hood, black hair framed a face wrapped in white bandages, revealing only a pair of pitch-black eyes.

His gaze darkened with murderous intent. Deciding her heart might taste better, he casually tossed aside the one he’d just dug out and freed a hand to peel back a strip of his bandages.

"Hey, am I handsome?"

Xia Miao had never faced anything like this before. She stood frozen, speechless.

The boy’s expression shifted. He flung his knife aside, and it pierced the thigh of a man who’d been hiding in the bushes, now attempting to flee.

This man had stayed hidden the whole time, not daring to move until Xia Miao became the Slaughterer’s distraction. But he’d only taken one step before the dagger pinned him down. He collapsed with a thud.

Compared to this fleeing coward, Xia Miao—standing dumbly in place—seemed like an utter fool. So the terrifying bandaged boy chose to deal with the man first.

He stomped on the wound, eliciting a scream like a slaughtered pig.

Seemingly amused, the boy bared his lips again—pale, stretched to his ears like a gaping abyss, lined with jagged teeth sharp enough to crush even the toughest prey.

"Hey, am I handsome?"

The man trembled violently, too afraid to speak.

The boy pressed harder, blood gushing from the wound.

"Say it. Am I handsome?"

The man shrieked, "Yes! Yes, you are!"

A flash of steel answered him—the man’s eyes were gouged out in an instant.

"Liar."

The boy giggled, yanking the knife free before kicking the half-dead man back into the bushes. Then, grinning, he turned to Xia Miao.

"Now, it’s your turn." His voice trembled with excitement. "Am I handsome?"

Given his deranged demeanor, saying "no" would undoubtedly end badly.

If you said he was handsome, the gruesome state of that man earlier was the best warning.

Xia Miao recalled the words of that damn system.

[The man you can’t forget at first sight is your target to conquer.]

The boy’s appearance was bizarre, his mouth even stranger, and the blood dripping from his hands made him seem like a harbinger of doom.

But that one glance—she’d remember it for the rest of her life.

Suddenly, a spark of brilliance flashed in Xia Miao’s eyes, shimmering as if filled with starlight.

The boy froze. He’d never seen someone on the verge of death look so exhilarated—like a cat spotting a mouse!

"Listen up! Starting today, you’ll work hard to please me. I don’t just want to be impressed at first glance—I want you to make me fall for you for life!"

The boy blinked in confusion. "Huh? Why the hell should I?"

"Because I’ve fallen for you at first sight, obviously!"

His grip on the bandages loosened, the wrappings sealing his mouth shut again. His dead-fish eyes stared blankly. "What are you talking about?"

Xia Miao stomped her foot in frustration. "Don’t make a lady repeat embarrassing things! Can’t you understand? I’m in love with you!"

His expression turned vacant. "Love… at first sight?"

Xia Miao frowned, crossing her arms. Though petite, her haughty glare made her seem towering. "What’s that supposed to mean? I remembered you the moment I saw you! You should be honored I even like you!"

The knife in his hand trembled. "You—you’re insane! How could you possibly like me?!"

"Seriously? You don’t realize how attractive you are?"

"Att… attractive?"

"Of course! Your fingers are gorgeous—so strong and elegant when holding a knife, with such refined bone structure. And your shoulders are broad, your waist narrow. When you swung that blade earlier and bent down, your waistline was perfect. Oh, and your legs! So long and graceful, sprinting over here in seconds—your stamina must be incredible. And your skin… that pale, cool tone—is it natural?"

His ears burned. "I… I guess it’s natural?"

Xia Miao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smirking imperiously. "In this world, you’re the first man I’ve ever remembered at first sight."

As the esteemed young lady of the Xia family, she’d been adored by thousands since childhood. If others were mere stars, she was the one and only moon.

Some ridiculous system telling her to chase after a man?

Pathetic.

In this world, people fought to win her favor—not the other way around. She’d never debase herself by begging for someone’s affection!

The murderous wraith was still dazed.

The fiery girl kept staring up at him, her long, wavy hair cascading like dark moonlight, the crystal hairpin glinting under the night sky. Her delicate features, porcelain skin, and the way her uniform accentuated her slender frame—especially those shapely calves in knee-high socks—were flawless.

Her eyes sparkled with a brainless, overconfident glow, as if she’d already claimed him as her possession, ready to unwrap him like a gift.

Behind the bandages, his face burned crimson. He instinctively covered it with bloodstained hands, only smearing more red onto the wrappings. Hunched over, he looked nothing like the terrifying killer he was supposed to be.

Xia Miao planted her hands on her hips. "Mark my words—from today onward, you’ll strive for one goal: to marry me and have babies!"

"B-B-Babies?!"

The night air shattered with a sound like a shrieking teakettle.

The moment the sun rose, a middle-aged man in a student uniform appeared in the dormitory lobby.

Realizing he had survived, he dropped to his knees, overwhelmed with joy. He had been certain he was doomed—after all, his luck was terrible, and the Hunter they’d faced was the infamous Slasher. Yet, against all odds, he’d made it out alive!

The other survivors quickly gathered around, eager for details.

“So? Which Hunter did you face last night?”

“Was it the Headless Woman, the Conjoined Twins, or the Old Gardener?”

“Are you the only one who survived?”

The middle-aged man took a long moment to collect himself before answering, “We faced the Slasher.”

Everyone froze.

“That can’t be right. If you really faced the Slasher, how are you still alive?”

Of course, the man couldn’t admit he’d pushed someone else into the Slasher’s path to save himself. Instead, he wiped his tears, stood up, and put on a smug expression. “Simple—I’m just that good. Even the Slasher was no match for me. I led him around like a dog.”

Just then, the group noticed another person entering the lobby. Their eyes locked onto the newcomer, murmurs breaking out.

“A newbie?”

“Never seen her before.”

“She’s pretty striking. No way I’d forget a face like that.”

The middle-aged man turned to look—and his eyes widened in shock.

Xia Miao spotted him too. Without hesitation, she strode forward and delivered a sharp kick between his legs. The man gasped, doubling over in agony as he clutched his crotch. The other male survivors winced at the sickening sound, their own discomfort palpable.

“Consider that payback for shoving me into the Slasher’s path,” Xia Miao declared, looking down at the writhing man with undisguised arrogance. Without another word, she flipped her hair and headed upstairs, ignoring the stunned onlookers.

In her pocket, she now carried a key with the number 404—likely her dorm room on the fourth floor.

The others watched the groaning man with barely concealed scorn. In this place, everyone did whatever it took to survive, and that wasn’t shameful. What was shameful was how he’d bragged about outsmarting the Slasher, only to be humiliated moments later.

“Led the Slasher around like a dog, huh?”

“More like he ran like a dog and sacrificed someone else to save his own skin.”

“And claiming it was the Slasher? Everyone knows the Slasher never leaves survivors. If they made it through last night, he’s obviously lying.”

The man had no way to prove his story. But what baffled him even more was—how had Xia Miao survived?

He’d pushed her straight into the Slasher’s grasp. How was she still alive?!

Meanwhile, in the Hunters’ dormitory…

The Old Gardener, wearing a straw hat, carefully trimmed the lush greenery outside with oversized shears. Under his meticulous care, the plants thrived, their vibrant vitality a soothing sight.

But hidden among the foliage, the Headless Woman in a white dress crouched, digging through the soil with her hands. One by one, she unearthed rotting heads, feeling each before tossing them aside in disappointment.

The Old Gardener chuckled warmly. “Your head isn’t here. Maybe try looking somewhere else?”

Nearby, an angry voice erupted.

“That woman! Her ‘feelings’ for me were obviously a lie!”

The Old Gardener glanced over.

The Bandaged Boy squatted by the water’s edge, his dead-fish eyes burning with rage as he ranted. “She was trying to—what’s it called—that scheme—”

A hairless, desiccated figure beside him chimed in, its chest split open to reveal a smaller, identical creature nestled inside—only half-formed, a grotesque sight.

“The honey trap,” the conjoined twin’s older half supplied.

The younger half echoed, “Honey trap.”

“Right, the honey trap!” The Bandaged Boy, not the brightest, smacked his fist into his palm.

“That woman came up with such a vile trick to mess with my head! She’s even more cunning than we are! Damn it, I’ll kill her! I’ll cut off her hair—black as satin! Gouge out her eyes—shining like black gems! Rip apart her lips—redder than roses! And peel off her skin—white as snow! Let’s see her try deceiving anyone after that!”

The conjoined twins exchanged a glance. No wonder their colleagues called the boy an idiot behind his back.

The Bandaged Boy stood, pacing in circles as he gnawed on his thumbnail, his pale eyes gleaming with what he believed was brilliance. “Good thing I’m smart. I didn’t fall for it.”

The older twin deadpanned, “If you didn’t fall for it, why didn’t you kill her last night?”

The younger twin parroted, “Yeah, why didn’t you?”

The boy glared. “I was playing along! Letting her think I fell for it, when really, I didn’t! The moment she lets her guard down—slice! I’ll slit her throat. The despair on her face will make her heart taste even sweeter!”

The twins drew out a long, unimpressed “Ohhh.”

The more the boy thought about his “master plan,” the more excited he became. Gripping his knife, he sprinted off, completely disregarding the rule that Hunters and survivors weren’t supposed to interact during the day.

The twins spoke in unison: “Is he an idiot?”

Xia Miao hadn’t expected the role-playing here to be so immersive. By day, she had to attend classes according to a schedule—and to her annoyance, Lin Gaoshan was in the same class. Only now did she learn his name.

Lin Gaoshan looked far older than his peers, but the NPC students didn’t bat an eye at having a classmate who could pass for their uncle.

His eyes kept darting toward Xia Miao, still puzzling over how she’d survived an encounter with the Slasher.

When lunchtime finally arrived, the students rushed to the cafeteria. Xia Miao followed the crowd, but as she stepped out of the building, she froze. Beneath her, a pair of dead-fish eyes stared up from the sewer grate.

A shadowy figure lurked in the damp darkness, his gaze fixed on her.

Slowly, his eyes narrowed into a predatory slit.

“Hey. I’ve seen through your tricks. You think you can fool me—”

Before he could finish, a shrill scream cut him off.

“YOU PERVERT! YOU’RE PEEPING ON ME!!”

Xia Miao clutched her skirt and scrambled backward several steps in a flurry of movement.

He stood there dumbfounded. "No, I don’t have a peeping habit."

But her emotions were too frazzled to listen. "The first person I ever liked turns out to be a creep—I don’t want to date you anymore!"

She turned and fled, taking her shattered teenage heart with her.

The boy lurking in the shadows wore a look of utter bewilderment.

How strange.

Had he just been dumped?

Wait… something about this didn’t add up!

"That woman said she wanted to date me, even marry me and have babies together."

"But today, she suddenly decided she won’t date me anymore."

"How dare she just decide that on her own?"

"Don’t you think there’s something wrong with her?!"

The bandaged boy stood by the water’s edge, muttering angrily, nearly jumping in agitation. His dead fish eyes burned with fury and resentment, looking as if he wanted to hunt down a few unlucky souls to gut.

The conjoined twins exchanged glances before speaking in unison, "So you’re mad because she said she doesn’t like you anymore?"

"Impossible!" The bandaged boy bristled like a cat, his pupils shrinking, the whites of his eyes more pronounced, giving him an eerie, inhuman air. "Who cares about her stupid feelings?!"

He stiffened his neck and said stiffly, "I just think… she must be on guard against me now. I won’t get to take her life when she’s most relaxed, and that means I’ll miss out on the most delicious meal. What a waste."

The elder twin suggested, "If it’s such a waste, just make her happy again."

The younger twin echoed, "Yeah, just cheer her up."

The bandaged boy’s eyes lit up. "Cheer her up? How?"

"If you want to make a girl happy, there’s one surefire way," the old gardener chimed in, appearing out of nowhere. He plucked a red rose and chuckled. "Give her flowers. If it’s something unique, she’ll be delighted in no time."

The boy had an epiphany, his eyes gleaming with newfound wisdom. Noticing his colleagues’ dubious looks, he scoffed, "Hmph! I don’t care about making her happy or winning her back. I just want the perfect meal, that’s all."

With that, he stuffed his hands in his pockets, tilted his head up, and sauntered off, his carefree demeanor making him look utterly detached—cool and indifferent.

Once he was out of sight, the younger twin muttered, "Isn’t this a bit cruel?"

The elder twin shrugged. "What’s the big deal? It’s not like a human would ever genuinely like a monster. When that idiot realizes he’s been fooling himself, he’ll—"

"—hide somewhere and cry!" the younger twin finished.

The twins exchanged glances and burst into sinister, cackling laughter, thoroughly enjoying the impending drama.

The old gardener snipped another flower, humming cheerfully. "This’ll be fun to watch."

As night fell, another group was dragged into the slaughterhouse.

Every night, random people were pulled into the massacre. Rumor had it that only those who survived five rounds of the game would earn a chance to escape the Crimson Moon Academy and break free from this terrifying role-playing nightmare.

Tonight’s participants prayed desperately that the butcher wouldn’t be the infamous Slasher. The good news? The butcher was the Headless Woman. The bad news? A survivor claimed to have spotted the Slasher’s shadow.

"Two butchers in one game? Impossible!"

"No, I really saw him!"

The escapees huddled behind a tree, whispering frantically.

"You must’ve been hallucinating from fear. There’s never been two butchers in one game before."

"If there really are two, do we even stand a chance?"

"Maybe… I was mistaken?"

The one who’d claimed to see the Slasher began doubting himself. Thinking back, he’d only caught a fleeting glimpse while running—just a flash of the Slasher, and… was that a bouquet of white flowers in his hands? No way.

He must’ve imagined it.

"Hey, have any of you seen a woman?"

A voice suddenly cut through the silence, materializing right among the hiding group. The speaker was searching for someone, describing her in unsettling detail.

"Her hair is long and black, like dead water weeds. Her skin’s pale as chalk, her eyes big and dark like rotting grapes, lips red like she’s eaten children. And she’s short—shorter than the old gardener’s green onions."

Under his hood, the boy’s bandaged face revealed nothing but hollow, lifeless eyes. He crouched lazily, clutching the white flowers, and repeated, "Well? Seen her?"

The escapees froze.

His dead fish eyes narrowed, irritation seeping through. "Are you deaf?"

"AHHH—IT’S THE SLASHER!!!"

The group scrambled up, tripping over each other in their panic. One unfortunate soul crashed straight into the Headless Woman, his scream cut short as she yanked his head off and fitted it onto her own neck.

She twisted it into place, the mismatched body wobbling unsteadily before stumbling forward—bashing into trees multiple times before finally adjusting.

Then, arms outstretched, she staggered after the fleeing survivors. A loud thud followed—she’d tripped over her own feet and face-planted.

Sniffling, the man’s head let out a woman’s whimper. "This is so hard… Work is so hard… I don’t wanna work… Why do I have to work even after death? Waaah…"

Despite her sobs, she bravely wiped her tears, stifled her cries, and shuffled forward on unsteady feet to resume her hunt.

Behind a stone bench in the pavilion, Xia Miao tossed aside the branches she’d used for cover and peeked out. After some observation, she’d figured out the key to survival: stay hidden until dawn, and she’d clear this round.

In other words—just don’t get caught.

Crouched low, she inched forward… only to turn and find her vision filled with white.

The lanky boy had appeared before her without a sound. He squatted lazily, thrusting the bouquet toward her while stubbornly looking away, his entire posture screaming I don’t want to be here.

"Here. Stop being mad."

Xia Miao stayed silent.

Annoyed, he whipped his head around to glare, his eerie eyes brimming with irritation. "Listen, I’ve had enough. The only reason I’m bothering to coax you is because you’re delicious. Don’t push it—don’t get all… spoiled… or whatever!"

He was trying to say "spoiled brat," a phrase he’d picked up from the old gardener, but his vocabulary was too limited to recall it properly.

To his outrage, Xia Miao acted as if she hadn’t seen him, shifting directions to continue crawling away.

His eyes bulged. He scrambled after her, popping up on her right. "Hey! Don’t ignore me!"

Xia Miao looked the other way.

He leaned in again from the left, "Damn it, if you keep ignoring me, I swear I'll gouge out your eyes!"

Xia Miao turned her head to the other side once more.

She had been so warm toward him before, even fantasizing about marriage and children, yet now she acted as if he were invisible. This woman was undoubtedly the most cunning person he'd ever met!

His pupils constricted sharply beneath the bandages, his lips pressed into a tight line beneath them, seething at the feeling of being stuck in a one-sided argument.

Grabbing her arm, he pinned her against the tree trunk. His tall frame loomed over her as he bent down, his presence suffocating—as if he might pull out a knife at any second and slash her to pieces, staining the air with the scent of blood.

Yet, in the next moment, his furious warning came: "Don’t you dare play mute—talk to me!"

Furious beyond reason, he was already reaching for his blade when suddenly Xia Miao shoved his head away with force. His skull slammed into the wall with a loud thud, pain flaring instantly.

"Don’t you know you should apologize to a girl you like?!"

His brain struggled to process the words. Once they registered, his eyes widened. "What nonsense are you spouting? What 'like'... what 'girl'...?"

He wanted to mock her for being delusional, but then he saw Xia Miao’s flushed cheeks, her dark, glistening eyes fixed solely on him.

For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt the temperature around them rise.