Chapter 99: I lack a sensitivity to horror

Ravager.

From the title alone, it’s clear this is no ordinary game.

Ravager is a first-person survival horror game released for PC.

Before the era of virtual reality games, it was quite famous in the PC horror game genre.

The storyline is rather unconventional for a horror game: a person who forced their parents with dementia into a psychiatric hospital regrets their actions and revisits the place to see them.

Arriving late in the evening due to unforeseen delays, the protagonist finds the hospital eerily devoid of life.

Once a journalist, for reasons unclear, they decide to enter the hospital armed with nothing but a camcorder—not a weapon, but a camcorder.

“Does this make sense for a horror game?” Friede tilted their head, puzzled by the somewhat ridiculous premise.

“It’s supposed to be a horror game, right?”

“Yeah.”

With Forming munching on snacks beside them, affirming cheerfully, Friede continued playing.

The protagonist approaches the hospital only to find the front doors locked.

They scale a side wall to gain entry through a narrow path.

In the intro video, the protagonist, determined, enters the hospital.

Normally, you’d think they’d turn around and flee, but given the involvement of their parents, it’s understandable they press on.

Still, you could feel the protagonist’s sense of despair as they willingly stepped into what felt like the jaws of hell.

***

As the game began in earnest, Friede took their time familiarizing themself with the controls.

Not having prior knowledge of the game, they meticulously explored even the smallest details.

Their actions were the epitome of a pure beginner.

After reading through the control instructions, Friede shared their thoughts.

“Surprisingly, there’s a push mechanic. Does it do damage?”

“Not really. It just stuns them briefly so you can escape. You’ll need to rely on stealth and running.”

“You seem to know a lot.”

“I skimmed a guide earlier. Oh, and turn off the lights.”

With the lights off, the now-darkened room perfectly complemented the game’s grim atmosphere.

The protagonist enters the hospital building. This marked the true beginning of the game.

***

[Oh, watching someone as a newbie is such a rare treat!]

[I’m loving this @@]

[What snacks is Forming eating? I want some too.]

[This is making me so hungry.]

[Haha, how many tries will it take to clear the first section?]

[This game has so many traps right from the start—expect at least ten tries.]

[Do you even know Friede’s skills? They don’t need a guide.]

The chat was lively.

It’s a common thing—viewers who delight in watching a pro streamer struggle with an unfamiliar game.

They were ready to watch Friede’s every move with the intensity of a hawk, half guiding and half teasing.

Friede began scouring empty rooms, collecting items for their journey.

Some items were mere junk, but Friede diligently pocketed everything, like a true collector.

It was a typical beginner’s approach: gather everything due to a lack of information.

Without knowledge of the game’s mechanics or guides, Friede’s playstyle wasn’t the daring, skillful performance the audience hoped for.

***

Despite exploring thoroughly, all paths were blocked.

The doors weren’t locked but barricaded with countless objects and furniture, ruling out the option of finding a key.

Friede surmised, ‘There’s usually a hidden side path or vent in these types of games.’

Their guess was correct.

“Here it is.”

They crawled through a vent, experiencing the game’s famous dynamic controls.

The confined, dizzying space of the vent was vividly portrayed on screen.

“Ugh, I hate this,” Forming groaned.

[Ugh, I feel like I’m about to throw up.]

[This is so gross.]

[What? You all can’t handle this?]

[It gets worse later on. Good luck!]

“Does it make you dizzy?”

“Not dizzy, just unpleasant. It’s so damp and creepy.”

“Fair enough.”

Friede quickly navigated the vent, emerging in the central lobby.

Though the lights were on, the emptiness of the enormous building felt unnervingly eerie, creating a perfect sense of dread.

[Haha, something’s coming soon.]

[What’s coming, you weeb?]

[Shut up if you don’t know.]

Judging by the chat, something was about to happen.

‘In a psychiatric horror setting, maybe deranged patients turn into monsters?’

As Friede rummaged around, looking for a way into the patient ward, they casually opened the next door.

And then…

CRASH!

***

The sight of a severed head dropping into view filled the screen.

A loud metallic sound echoed as the head dangled right in front of the player.

The chat exploded.

[What the hell, that scared me!]

[Ugh, my baby finally fell asleep!]

[Gross.]

[This is the Ravager you all asked for. Suck it up.]

[Finally, the mood is kicking in!]

“I was startled.”

“Oh.”

Despite their words, Friede remained calm, and Forming continued munching on their snacks nonchalantly.

It was clear these two weren’t your average players.

It seems like it’s designed to evoke tension and fear…

“Unnie, you’re too calm.”

“You don’t seem that startled either.”

“No, I mean, show some reaction! It’s not about how you feel—it’s about the reaction!”

Forming pointed her finger dramatically, but Friede just tilted her head in confusion.

‘Why should she?’

Although many viewers might dismiss it as nonsense, Friede believed in staying sincere in her actions.

Perhaps that’s why the current scene of a dangling head wasn’t evoking any real horror.

Compared to the horrors and monstrosities she’d witnessed in this world, this was almost cute.

“It’s not that shocking, is it? If you saw what I’ve seen, you’d faint, Forming.”

[Forming was just as awkward.]

[That textbook delivery, LOL.]

[Haha, seriously though, they’re both so calm. Most streamers get freaked out at this part.]

[Friede and Forming are… the warrior sisters after all.]

[The developers must be sobbing…]

[Sensei, what kind of past have you had to find this so normal?]

‘What kind of past?’ Friede chuckled inwardly.

She was a warrior, after all.

As she continued running down the dark hallway, the faint light spilling out of a nearby room illuminated her path.

The groans of agony echoing around added to the unsettling atmosphere.

Being the first part of the story, the gameplay was relatively straightforward.

No monsters had appeared yet, making it a simple, linear progression.

“This must be the patient ward, right? Is this as far as we go?”

“Yeah. After this…”

Before Forming could finish, something unexpected happened.

***

BANG!

A monstrous figure appeared with a deafening crash.

It was roughly human-sized, but its grotesque form—an amalgamation of an elderly couple fused together like a chimera—was horrifying.

Through the cutscene, Friede realized this abomination was the protagonist’s parents.

As the game resumed, Friede quickly backed away, focusing intently on the unfolding events.

Though the monster’s slow, shuffling approach was creepy, it didn’t seem overly threatening.

It wasn’t too difficult to deal with, but this was a survival horror game.

That meant no proper weapons—just a camcorder and a wooden stick.

And from what she’d heard, the damage from these tools was laughable at best.

Escape and stealth were the only viable options.

However, Friede had a plan.

She led the boss to a broken railing on the second floor and waited for it to approach.

‘Here it comes.’

As the boss closed in, Friede moved swiftly.

Manipulating the controls, she directed the protagonist to strike with the wooden stick.

CRACK!

It was a bizarre sight—attacking a monstrous parent with a stick while holding a camcorder.

Yet, the blow worked.

The boss staggered and groaned in pain, briefly immobilized.

Friede seized the opportunity to push the monster towards the broken railing.

ROAR!

The boss howled as it was shoved to the edge and tumbled to the first floor below.

In this game, fall damage was fatal.

The monster wouldn’t survive that height.

Satisfied, Friede prepared to move on to the next stage.

But before she could, Forming’s urgent voice interrupted her.

“Wait, no, stop!”

“Huh?”

The familiar words “Game Over” flashed on the screen, accompanied by a blood-red hue.

“What? Why?”

Forming let out an exasperated sigh.

“You weren’t supposed to kill it.”

“What?”

“If you just stalled for time, an event would’ve triggered to move you to the next stage. Killing it wasn’t part of the plan. Actually, I’m surprised it even let you kill it.”

Friede, genuinely confused, responded with a pure, innocent expression.

“Wasn’t this part about giving peace to your monstrous parents?”

“No. This is a survival horror game.”

[This is… horror?]

[Well, it’s horror for the parents, at least.]

[Friede’s skills are unmatched… even when it’s tragic.]

[Parents are people too! Cherish them!]

[Their mental state is now zero…]

[No mercy for the parents, huh?]

“You’re so bad at horror, Unnie.”

Forming teased, and Friede turned her head away, avoiding eye contact.

She fiddled with her headset buttons, her rabbit-ear accessories twitching cutely.

Boing, boing.