Chapter Sixty-Two: A Day in the Life of Muramasa (Part One)

"Welcome to the House of Dread!" This time, the voice was cold and merciless, like a ruthless executioner pronouncing a death sentence, sending a chill down one’s spine.

Loading complete. You are now entering Nightmare Mode in single-player survival.

This mode provides a brief script overview, with a chance to encounter side quests and special endings.

Upon clearing the script, a perfect-grade special item will be awarded at random.

The script introduction will now play. Once it is complete, the game will begin immediately.

Dear player, as this is your first entry into Nightmare Difficulty, you will be introduced to the features of a nightmare-grade script:

1. Nightmare scripts differ entirely from normal scripts; pain is perceived at one hundred percent realism. Any injury you suffer will feel as it does in reality.
2. In Nightmare scripts, all equipment, items, and skills you possess are disabled, as is your inventory. Only items obtained within the Nightmare script may be used.
3. Your health status will not be displayed numerically; it will manifest directly through your body.

We welcome you to experience the Nightmare script.

The scene opens within a Japanese-style house, simple yet tinged with disorder, with a few children's toys scattered across the floor. A family portrait hangs on the wall; a man stands gazing at it. In the photograph, a couple embraces their daughter, their faces serene and content.

The cutscene is unexpectedly brief, offering no explanation—just a quick glimpse inside the house. Before Luo Hanya knows it, she realizes she has become the man staring at the family portrait.

Main quest triggered: At the invitation of Hirata, go to the Hirata residence on time to join the trip he has organized.

The main quest is unusually concise, providing almost no useful information. Luo Hanya knits her brows and glances at the clock on the wall, discovering that it is now 7:00 a.m.

"Hmm, I’m to join this trip on time, but there are plenty of questions. First, who am I in this script? There’s no personal information given; it seems I’ll need to find out for myself.

Second, since I’ve woken up in this house, there must be clues here. All I know is that this is a household of three, and I am the man of the house.

Third, who is Hirata? How am I supposed to reach the Hirata residence with the information at hand? For now, I can't do anything."

Luo Hanya listed the pressing issues in her mind. This seemed to be the true challenge of Nightmare scripts: all clues must be gathered firsthand.

"Hmm? What’s this?" Luo Hanya pondered for a moment, about to search the house for useful information. She slipped a hand into her pocket and found something inside.

She drew out a piece of paper with a few lines written on it.

"Muramasa, I know life hasn't been easy since Shizuka passed away, but your pride as a man keeps you from seeking help from old friends like us. Why not join us for a few days in the countryside? I believe this trip will help you relax and ease the burdens of life, if only a little.

If you’d like to come with us, please be at my house at 8 a.m. on July 21st. I’ve invited some old friends, and I look forward to seeing you."

In the bottom right corner, it was signed "Yuichi Hirata" and dated July 15th.

"So my name is Muramasa, and I’m to arrive at the Hirata residence by eight o’clock, which means I have an hour. The letter also mentions a Shizuka—she’s probably the lady of the house." Luo Hanya narrowed her eyes and murmured, "This room is simple, with almost no decorations. The floor’s a bit dirty, and children’s toys are scattered about."

"The house isn’t tidy; the toys haven’t been put away. There are two possibilities: either the lady of the house did not care for cleanliness, or there is no lady of the house. Judging from what I know of Japan, it’s likely the latter. In other words, I’m a single father with a young daughter."

"Sweetheart," Luo Hanya called out in a dramatic imitation of a father from a TV drama, but no reply came.

She glanced at the calendar: today was Saturday.

"Maybe she’s out playing," Luo Hanya muttered, not paying much mind.

"The main issue now is: where is the Hirata residence?"

"If the system put me here at seven, then the Hirata house must be within an hour’s travel. All things considered, the system should give me enough time to find it." Luo Hanya had considered other possibilities—like not following the main quest. Players on the forums had often described how not following the main quest could unlock hidden storylines. But this was a Nightmare script; who knew what would happen if one strayed from the main path? It was likely to lead to immediate erasure.

She searched the house from top to bottom. The bedroom had nothing, nor did the living room. In the study—

A map! Luo Hanya stared in surprise. Three circles were marked, seemingly denoting Muramasa’s important destinations. The circles were spread across different corners of the map, their meaning unclear.

"Now I just need to locate Muramasa’s house on the map," she muttered. "So Nightmare scripts aren’t impossibly hard after all."

Luo Hanya stepped out, holding the map, and surveyed the street to orient herself.

It was a summer morning, but the street was eerily deserted. Not even a commuter was in sight. Muramasa’s home was either in a remote area, or this script had special settings.

"For now, let’s assume things are normal," Luo Hanya sighed inwardly, searching the suburbs on the map for recognizable landmarks.

"This is the place!" Her finger stopped, a satisfied smile curling her lips. "With the map scale at 1:1000, among these spots, the most likely candidate for the Hirata residence is…"

"Here!" She pointed to a circle about ten centimeters from Muramasa’s home. "Ten kilometers—that would take about an hour, so it must be here."

"This district is Rokubomme; I’ll need a taxi to cover ten kilometers." As she reached into her pocket, she wasn’t surprised to find it empty.

"Don’t tell me…" Luo Hanya’s face darkened as she rifled through drawers in the house, only to find two one-hundred-yen coins.

Her lips twitched, and her chest heaved with frustration. "Am I supposed to skip out on a cab fare?" She held her head in her hands in utter despair.

Why was she so averse to this? It was because of a bitter experience in her past—a time she’d forgotten her wallet and, not wanting a black mark on her credit, had simply made a run for it when she reached her destination. The cab driver chased her for blocks, and the ordeal had left her traumatized.

"Let’s hope game drivers aren’t that persistent," Luo Hanya exhaled, trying to comfort herself. Then, with a resolute expression, as if ready to meet her fate like Jing Ke at the River Yi, she stepped outside.

After a while, she found a crossroad and waited for a taxi.

Minute by minute, anxiety mounting, sweat beading on her brow, she watched the time slip away. Just as she was about to lose hope, a taxi finally approached.

For some reason, Luo Hanya found the taxi unsettling. It seemed to flicker and warp as it moved, as if it weren’t driving on the ground. But when she rubbed her eyes, it was still driving normally.

Time was running out, so she flagged it down. As soon as the car stopped, she swung open the door and climbed in. "Sir, I’m in a hurry—Rokubomme, please!"

"You’ve come, young man? No need to be so anxious." An aged voice came from the driver’s seat. The driver was an elderly man with short gray hair, dressed in a black coat and trousers, his face covered with a black mask, his eyes hidden behind dark brown glasses. He wore black leather gloves, his entire body shrouded in black, hiding every feature.

Seeing such a strangely dressed old man in the heat of summer sent a chill through Luo Hanya. Hearing his voice only deepened the cold, making her teeth chatter as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.