SSS-Rank Horror? I Just Wanted a Vacation

The cold, robotic voice filled my ears.

"Welcome, players, to the SSS-level horror instance: Office Tower Urban Legends."

A shudder ran through my entire body.

I had just hit 'submit' on my vacation form.

In the next instant, the world dissolved.

My ordinary office building vanished.

I was pulled into a nightmare.

One second, I was leaving work.

The next, I stood in a different reality.

A dark, oppressive office tower loomed before me.

It felt like a living thing, breathing malice.

Perfect timing, wasn't it?

I scanned the area.

A group of veteran players stood nearby.

They wore intimidating tactical gear.

Their eyes were sharp, calculating.

They assessed each other like wolves.

The air was thick with tension.

Beneath their confidence, I smelled fear.

I felt completely out of place.

My cute, stylish outfit was a stark contrast.

I looked like I was going to a cafe, not a death game.

The official start hadn't even been announced.

Yet the live stream chat was already exploding.

"Office Tower again? That damn instance appears every year before New Year's. No one has ever cleared it… They all die as trapped office workers."

"True. Newbies get slaughtered instantly. Look at that girl over there. Is she seriously touching up her lip gloss?"

Their scorn was a physical weight.

All nine players seemed to reach a silent agreement.

They avoided me, the girl who cared about her looks.

They sprinted for the marked 'safe' stairwell.

Not a single glance back.

The heavy door slammed shut behind them.

The sound echoed down the empty hall.

How considerate.

My options were gone.

I turned toward the only other path: the elevator.

Its rusted metal doors stood slightly ajar.

They creaked ominously as I approached.

Every horror story warns about elevators.

They are death traps.

Claustrophobic metal coffins.

I had no choice.

I stepped inside.

The doors slid closed with a final clunk.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

The elevator jerked into motion.

A wave of dizziness hit me.

The world spun.

Then, a strange tingling on my cheek.

I looked up.

My breath caught.

Thick, inky black hair was spreading across the walls.

It slithered, coiled, filled every crack.

It felt alive, choking the air.

"There she is! The Bloody Lady in the elevator!" a chat message flashed.

"This girl is dead. No one takes the elevator. Everyone knows the Bloody Lady hunts there. She's vicious!"

And then, she manifested.

The temperature plummeted.

Her body twisted, bent at impossible angles.

Like a broken doll.

Her face was a horror.

Hollow. Empty.

Two dark voids where eyes should be.

She lunged.

Her torn, bloody face was inches from mine.

A whisper, cold as the grave, brushed my ear.

"Have you seen… my skin?"