Chapter 3
The players couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
They shot each other a look and immediately dug out some food from their bags.
Bill didn't make things difficult for them. He took the food and left.
Whether they ate the pasta or not was up to them.
When Bill returned to the security office, the system declared that two more players were killed.
"Bill, where'd you go?" I asked, blinking.
I quickly hid the stuff behind my back.
Bill shot me a look but didn't say anything.
He said, "I'm gonna cook. Go play for a while."
I let out a sigh of relief.
I held the piece of cardboard, carefully doodling on it, then folded it.
Bill was always feeling hot.
I wanted to make him a fan before I had to leave.
The people watching were moved.
[Aww, Milly and Bill are so heartwarming together. They're always thinking about each other and doing things for one another.]
[Milly is such a well-behaved kid. She never cries or causes trouble. Even when she's hungry, she keeps quiet. Makes one wonder what she's gone through in the past.]
Before long, the kitchen was filled with the delicious smell of food.
Bill handed me a plate piled high with ravioli, bread, and two steaming plates of pasta.
"You must be hungry. Eat as much as you want," Bill said.
Chat remarked: [Grandpas always think their grandkids are hungry.]
I'd never seen such a big breakfast spread before.
At home, I just ate my brother's leftovers. It was just a few pieces of bread, some bones, and wilted, rotten veggie leaves.
No one ever cared whether I was hungry or not.
My heart felt warm and achy, like it was steeped in hot water.
I couldn't help tearing up.
I clung to Bill's leg. "Thank you, Bill. I hope you live to be a hundred."
Bill paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile. "You silly kid, I'm already—"
I quickly pulled out the paper fan I'd secretly made for him from my pocket, interrupting him.
"Bill, when I left, no one's gonna be here to fan you, so you can use this, okay?" I said.
Bill was stunned for a moment.
His eyes, usually so cloudy, suddenly shimmered with tears.
His old hand shook as he accepted the fan.
"No, kid, it's me who should thank you," Bill said, his voice gentle. "Before you came along, I'd nearly forgotten what I was like before. Now, I remember it all."
As Bill fed me, he started sharing stories from back when he was alive.
He used to work as a security guard at a college. When a heatwave hit, the school wouldn't put in AC and didn't even pay him on time.
He couldn't even afford a fan for himself.
But he still took in nine stray cats.
He spent his last bit of money buying a fan for the cats, while he sweated it out himself.
In the end, Bill was baked alive by the heat in his cramped dorm room.
After he finished, the game's voice glitched weirdly for a second, then declared, "Congratulations! You've completed the mission: Bill's cause of death. Reward: 2,000 points. You can now exchange them for items."
The chat was blowing up.
[Holy crap, I've never heard this story before.]
[Even the S-tier players from the top guilds couldn't figure out how Bill died.]
[Damn, this ghost's fate is so tragic. I really feel for him.]
[Milly's the strongest! Many guild leaders are showing up now. Are they all here to snatch her up?]
I didn't know any of that stuff.
I simply hugged Bill and gave him a big smooch on the cheek.
I flashed him a bright smile. "Milly's gonna work hard and grow up to become someone amazing and protect you, Bill."
Chat was moved.
[Aww, my heart's gone all soft. Good baby Milly.]
[Milly's dimples are so adorable. I want to poke them.]
Bill turned his head away and wiped his tears.
He handed me a fan.
"You'll be staying in another room tonight. This will keep you safe," he said.
The game announced, "You've obtained a ghost tool: Bill's fan. Any ghost below S-rank will avoid you."
Bill saw me out of the security office, and I kept glancing back at him with every step.
"Bill, I'll come back to see you," I called out.
I held onto the sandwiches Bill had made for me, saving them for the rest of the adventure.
He gave me a kind smile and waved. "Take care, kiddo. Watch your step."
The people watching the stream were moved.
[Man, Bill is exactly like my grandpa.]
[Now I really miss my grandpa. Sobs.]
[Is this turning into a wholesome family show or what? Meanwhile, another top player just got wiped out.]
[Milly is a boss now.]
I made my way over and knocked on the door of Room 101.
A chilling gust of wind blew through.
The place was covered in puddles, cold and clammy.
There was a stunning woman in a sultry red slip.
Her hair was soaked, water dripping steadily onto the floor.
The moment she laid eyes on me, her face contorted into something twisted and freaky.
Her eyes turned crimson, and blood started streaming down, streaking all over her face.
Chat got nervous.
[That's Liana Shavers. She'll choke players and dunk their heads in the water tank.]
[A top player just died here.]
[Boss Milly can handle anything.]
[Lol, you guys crack me up. What can a kid do?]