~Adrian's POV~
The beeping sound of the scanner was the only thing keeping me awake. It went beep, beep, beep every time I passed another item over it. The man in front of me barely looked up. He was too busy tapping on his phone like his life depended on it.
"That'll be nine thousand, sir," I said, forcing a polite smile.
He slid his card into the machine, still glued to his screen. I heard him mutter under his breath, voice low but excited.
"Whoa... so this is real? Why didn't I get picked?"
My eyes twitched. Of course. He was talking about the game. It was all anyone talked about now. I handed him his receipt, the bag of groceries, and the card.
"Have a nice day," I said flatly.
He didn't even hear me. The doorbell jingled as he left, and the noise echoed around the small store until it went quiet again.
I sighed and dropped onto the plastic chair behind the counter. The chair squeaked under my weight, threatening to break just like my patience.
I unlocked my phone but I got distracted by the familiar blue screen that flashed in front of me... my status page from the game. I scanned it and the only thing my eyes landed on was.
[Level: 20]
[Skills: None]
I leaned back and sighed. "Still empty, huh?"
It had been hell grinding up to level twenty without a single skill. Everyone else was showing off magic or weapons while I was out there stabbing slimes like an idiot. Still, it wasn't all bad. I'd gotten tougher. Faster. Maybe even smarter.
I grinned to myself, but it faded fast when my eyes drifted to the date on my phone.
Thursday.
Which meant tomorrow was Friday.
Which meant...
"Tomorrow, I die."
The words came out before I could stop them. I chuckled quietly, but the sound was hollow. My hand trembled just a little. Every time I remembered the way that glowing message had appeared... "You will die every Friday" ...I felt something cold crawl down my spine.
I rubbed my face. "How the hell am I gonna die tomorrow?"
I couldn't think of anything. Would I get stabbed or poisoned? Or maybe something dark. I can't imagine it.
I wanted to lock myself in my apartment and never move. But that wasn't possible. I had a shift tomorrow... a damn event at one of my part-time jobs. The boss said all employees from nearby branches had to help serve customers for the new store opening. The pay was double, so of course, I said yes.
Now I regretted it.
"Guess dying at work will be my first death," I muttered, resting my chin on my hand.
I scrolled through my phone again and saw a trending video. The title said:
"Real Footage from the Nightmare Carnival!!"
I wanted to ignore it so badly as I scrolled through the comment section but...
Curiosity won. I hit play.
The screen filled with chaos... people fighting with monsters on an open field, sparks flying, spells bursting, blood spraying. The scenery looked unreal: a fantasy world with castles, magic circles, and monsters. Someone in the video was fighting a giant wolf. Another showed a person picking up glowing blue stones.
It was the same world from the book and he's trying to show it to everyone. It's the same damn world that shouldn't even exist.
People were making real-life money by uploading clips of themselves fighting monsters or exploring the game. They said phones could be taken into that world... which was insane... and that the government already confirmed it.
"Of course they did," I muttered. "They're probably gonna start taxing monster drops next."
The bell above the door jingled again.
I quickly shoved my phone into my pocket and sat up straight. The last thing I wanted was my boss catching me slacking again.
And speak of the devil... There he was.
Mr Bello waddled in like a toad in a cheap suit. His stomach pushed against his shirt buttons, and sweat glistened on his forehead even though the AC was on. His small eyes landed on me, and he frowned.
"Why are you sitting?" he barked. "Get up and welcome the customers!"
I glanced around the empty store.
"Sir, there's no one—"
"Did I ask for your opinion?"
I clenched my jaw. "No, sir."
"Then move your ass."
I stood up, forcing a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. I wanted to punch a hole into this man's face but I couldn't. He hardly came to the store except for his special business.
That's when the door opened again.
A woman walked in, her heels clicking on the floor. She had bright orange hair, heavy makeup, and long lashes that could probably swat a fly. She pulled off her sunglasses and scanned the store before smiling.
"Where's the boss?" she asked. Her voice was sweet. Too sweet.
I knew it. It's definitely for his special business.
Bello's eyes lit up when he saw her. He stepped forward, puffing out his chest like a peacock. "Right here, beautiful!"
She giggled and hugged him. I almost gagged.
He looked like a potato in human form, and she was clearly doing this for money or something else. Even the perfume she wore smelled expensive... way above anything he could afford.
Bello noticed me staring. He coughed loudly and glared.
"Adrian! Go buy lunch for me and my guest."
He pulled out his wallet, slapped a few notes on the counter.
"Get yourself something too. Thirty minutes. Not more than that."
"Huh?" The girl leaned against him and smiled. "Thirty minutes? Or do you mean, an hour?"
He laughed nervously.
"Make it an hour. And lock the door when you leave."
I rolled my eyes and muttered under my breath, "Yeah, I'll lock it alright."
I grabbed the cash, shoved it in my pocket, and walked out.
.
.
The small restaurant down the street smelled like burnt oil and cheap coffee... which was exactly what I ordered. A cup of coffee for me, and I saved half of the money. No way I was wasting it all on that woman.
I found a seat near the window and opened my phone again. The internet was going insane.
Governments were gathering players with special skills, offering rewards and protection. Apparently, even though skills couldn't be used freely in real life, players could store physical items from the game... potions, stones, even weapons... in their inventory and take them out here.
That meant game loot could now be sold for real-world cash.
People were already trading online. Potions that healed wounds in seconds were selling for millions. Mana stones, rare monster parts... all being bought by rich idiots and collectors.
I chuckled quietly.
"People really would sell their souls for pixels."
When I checked the time, nearly an hour had passed. I sighed and stood up, ordering a plate of fried rice and chicken to take back for the "guest." She didn't deserve it, but I wasn't about to argue with the boss's ghost.
But when I got to the store...
The whole place was surrounded by flashing red and blue lights. Police cars lined the street. People crowded behind the tape.
"What the fuck..."
I pushed forward, but a cop stopped me with a hand on my chest.
"Sorry, sir. You can't enter. This is a crime scene."
"Crime scene?!" My heart raced. "What the hell happened?"
"Do you work here?" The cop asked and I showed him my shirt.
He glanced at his notepad. "It was a murder."
My eyes widened.
"What? No, that can't be right. My boss... he... he's an asshole, yeah, but he wouldn't hurt anyone."
The cop looked at me, his face unreadable.
"You're right. He didn't. He's the victim."
I froze. "No... Way!"
"He was killed about forty minutes ago. Throat slit. A very short death. The suspect is female. Orange hair. Full makeup. Has a small mole near her lip. Have you met her?" He asked, showing the footage.
My stomach dropped. "That's her. I met her about an hour ago with the boss,"
He nodded grimly.
"Yeah. She's been on our radar since yesterday. This is her fourth victim in two days."
"Jesus..." I whispered.
The crowd buzzed around us... reporters snapping pictures, neighbours whispering. My mind felt blank.
Bello might have been a jerk, but he was still my boss. I worked there for two years. This store was one of the few things keeping me fed.
And now it was... gone.
I rubbed my face and sighed.
"So... what happens to the store now?"
"Closed until the investigation's over," the cop said.
I nodded slowly, then forced a weak smile.
"Can I at least take my bag? It's just behind the counter."
He hesitated, then motioned for another officer to check. After a minute, he came back and nodded. "Yeah, you can go in. Don't touch anything else or approach his office."
"Of course not," I said quickly.
I slipped under the tape and stepped inside.
The smell hit me first... metallic and sharp. Blood. It made my stomach twist.
The lights flickered weakly. The counter looked almost normal, except for a faint red smear near the floor. Maybe her footstep. I tried not to look too closely.
My bag sat right where I left it. I grabbed it, slinging it over my shoulder. Then my gaze dropped to the cash drawer.
It was slightly open, which meant she wasn't after the money. What else was she after? Just killing the boss?
My heartbeat slowed as I looked outside again to see if I was being watched.
Inside, a thick roll of bills sat untouched. Probably from today and yesterday's sales.
I looked toward the door one more time, the cops were still outside, talking to reporters.
"Well..." I muttered quietly, "he's not gonna need it anymore."
I grabbed three bundles of cash and stuffed them into my bag. Enough to cover two weeks of bills, rent, and maybe a little food. That's after paying all of my debts.
As I zipped the bag, I whispered under my breath, "Rest in peace, boss. And thanks for the bonus."
Then I walked out, keeping my face calm, just another shocked worker leaving the scene.
The night air hit me cold as I pulled on my cap to block the city lights that looked too bright and fake.
Tomorrow was Friday. My first death was waiting somewhere out there.
And somehow, I had a feeling... Everything was going to be different from tomorrow.