Bang.
The soft fragrance hit Natsuki's arms. Slightly dizzy from switching worlds, he instinctively hugged the girl he was holding.
"Whoa, Kaguya?!" Chika's surprised voice rang out.
Rikka chimed in, "What a crazy transformation!"
Natsuki had vanished moments ago. While the girls were frantically searching, he suddenly reappeared, holding Kaguya without warning. It seemed like magic.
"Kaguya, are you alright?" Chika rushed forward, concern etched on her face. "We just turned this room upside down looking for you. How'd you pop up out of nowhere?"
"Chika..." Kaguya bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.
Being trapped by a mirror ghost for so long had left her shaken and terrified. Seeing Chika now made even the usually silly girl seem like a beacon of comfort.
"We can catch up later," Natsuki said decisively, placing the mirror on the table. "Let's get out of here first."
That mirror ghost was beyond creepy – not even close to being as cute as his own Sadako!
He pushed open the door and led them into the corridor.
The hallway had gone dark again, danger lurking in the shadows.
Natsuki guided the three girls, intending to return to Chika's room. But when they opened the door, a new vengeful spirit greeted them:
"Excuse me."
Acting quickly, Natsuki slammed the door shut and hustled everyone back to his ward.
Bang.
The door closed behind them.
In the dim, eerie light of the room, Natsuki finally relaxed upon seeing the old black-and-white TV in the corner. The Sadako from Himura Dairy suddenly didn't seem so scary anymore.
"Hey, Natsuki~" Chika leaned forward with a mischievous smile, hands behind her back. "How long are you planning to hold Kaguya's hand?"
"Huh?"
Natsuki looked down, realizing he was still grasping Kaguya's hand.
Wait a second...
He'd gotten it wrong. It was actually Kaguya who was holding his hand tightly.
He'd completely forgotten to let go. Seems like he'd been pretty scared too.
Kaguya quietly loosened her grip. Her expression had returned to its usual calm, but her ears were tinged with a faint blush. Changing the subject, she said:
"I was in a ward just now, but it was a ward inside the mirror..."
Like everyone else, Kaguya had appeared alone in a hospital room after entering the game. But she'd had incredibly bad luck.
The corridor outside was pitch black, making it impossible to leave. Kaguya had carefully examined the room, then stood alone in the center, considering how to complete the game safely.
By the time she realized the person in the mirror was smiling at her, it was too late. The mirror ghost had dragged her into its world. She watched helplessly as it gradually took on her appearance until they were identical. Even now, the memory sent chills down her spine.
"No wonder your eyes are all teary, Kaguya. You must have been terrified!" Chika gently patted Kaguya's head, her voice soft and comforting.
"I didn't cry," Kaguya insisted, unwilling to admit her fear.
"You're fibbing. I saw it with my own eyes," Chika insisted.
"Saw what exactly?" Kaguya asked with a sweet smile.
"I'm sorry! I take it back. Please forgive me." Chika dramatically dropped to her knees, then turned to Natsuki with curiosity. "Hey Natsuki, how did you actually recognize the real Kaguya?"
Hearing this, Kaguya gently pursed her lips and glanced at Natsuki. She was curious too.
While trapped in the mirror world, the ghost's imitation had been perfect - appearance, voice, memories, even personality. Even Ai or Chika, who knew her best, probably wouldn't have spotted the difference. So how had Natsuki managed it?
"The eyes," Natsuki said, pointing to his own. "The ghost was just mimicking, after all. It couldn't copy instincts that Kaguya herself isn't even aware of."
"What do you mean?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Natsuki turned to face her. "A few days ago, during our 'Opening Eyes to the Sun' mission, I noticed that when we looked at each other, your pupils would unconsciously dilate."
"In the mirror world, I looked into the other Kaguya's eyes. Even though she looked tearful and vulnerable, her pupils didn't change size at all."
"..."
Kaguya bit her lip, internally fuming. Tearful and vulnerable? As if she'd ever look like that!
"Oh, I get it!" Rikka, who'd been quiet until now, suddenly raised her hand.
Everyone turned to look at her.
The middle schooler's hair bobbed slightly as she whispered, "Well, I saw on TV that when a girl sees a boy she likes, her pupils get bigger."
"What?!" Chika's eyes went wide as she rushed over, starry-eyed. "Kaguya, do you like Natsuki?"
"...Impossible." Kaguya crossed her arms, her face tense as she flatly denied it. That heart-racing feeling was nothing more than the suspension bridge effect. Besides, there was no scientific proof that "liking" someone was even real.
"What do you think, Natsuki?" Chika clasped her hands in front of her chest, her gossip senses tingling.
Natsuki looked over Chika's shoulder. "First, calm down. Don't panic. Listen to me."
"Huh?"
Chika froze, noticing that Kaguya and Rikka were also staring behind her.
The naive girl suddenly felt nervous. She slowly turned around, coming face-to-face with a Sadako figure in a blood-stained white dress, long black hair covering her face.
"Eeeeek!" Chika's scream was ear-piercing.
She launched herself into Natsuki's arms, pressing her hands against his face so hard he could barely breathe.
"I told you not to panic," Natsuki grumbled, trying to pry off the octopus-like Chika. "She's just my roommate, the shy Sadako. She's actually pretty chill."
Natsuki hadn't noticed Sadako when they first entered the ward. She must have quietly crawled out of the TV while they were talking.
The corridor lights flickered on, chasing away the darkness.
Natsuki cracked open the door, peering out cautiously. "Coast is clear," he whispered. "We can head out now."
"I'm coming too," Chika declared, peeking out nervously. She clenched her fist with determination. "We came into this game together, so we'll leave together."
Natsuki winced internally. Don't go raising death flags like that!
Rikka quickly followed suit. No way was she staying alone in a room with Sadako. Who knew when the ghost might decide to play hostess?
The four stepped out into the hallway. Despite the lights being on, an eerie chill still hung in the air.
"So, what's next on the agenda?" Kaguya asked, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to the creepy atmosphere.
Natsuki didn't hesitate. "We complete as many tasks as possible and rack up those rewards."
The main objective was to survive for 24 hours. With that comb in hand, socially anxious Sadako wouldn't dare show her face. They could just hole up in the ward, wait it out, and call it a day.
But that would only net them the bare minimum - ten game coins. Barely enough for one measly loot box.
Passive survival had never been Natsuki's style. Especially not when his eyes could pick up on all sorts of useful prompts. No, the goal was clear: crush those side quests and maximize their rewards.
Kaguya nodded, her thoughts aligning with his. "If we're doing this, we're going all in. I'm with you."
"Let's stick together," Chika added, her voice wavering slightly. "Safety in numbers, right?"
Rikka just nodded, wide-eyed and silent.
As they ventured deeper into the hospital's twisted corridors, Natsuki couldn't shake a nagging thought. Sure, Sadako had seemed harmless enough, but what other horrors might be lurking in the shadows? He gripped the comb tighter, hoping it would be enough to keep them safe.
...
[Current Power Stones: 269]
For every 15 Power Stones, 1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded on the same day.
[Target: 284]
...
As they walked through the hospital corridors, Chika Fujiwara and her companions couldn't help but notice the state of the other players emerging from nearby wards. Many looked worse for wear, with some nursing injuries and others in tears.
"Oh no, everyone seems to be struggling," Chika said, her voice filled with concern. "I wish there was something we could do to help them."
Kaguya's response was cold and pragmatic. "We can't help everyone, Fujiwara. Offering assistance to strangers without reason might make us look suspicious."
Chika lowered her voice, "But Natsuki and I could use our skills together to catch that troublemaker, Zhang San."
Natsuki sighed. "The problem is, we can only deal with one vengeful spirit at a time. If we help one person, others will come asking for help too. What then?"
Chika fell silent, realizing the complexity of their situation. It's one thing to lend a hand when you can, but trying to save everyone is foolish and impossible.
As they approached the nurse's station, hoping to gather information about the hospital, a commotion broke out in the corridor. A male player shoved a girl to the ground, snatching something from her before running off.
"Are you alright?" Chika rushed to help the fallen girl, her face flushed with anger. "How could he just steal from you like that?"
The girl bit her lip, her eyes landing on Natsuki. Suddenly, they lit up with recognition. "Oh my gosh, it's you! The big shot!"
Natsuki raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of familiarity but unable to place her.
"We met at the Ghost Academy, remember? In the exam room? I was sitting by the window," the girl explained excitedly. "I can't believe I ran into you guys. I'm saved!"
Natsuki wanted to explain that they were just newcomers themselves, not the experienced players she thought they were. But before he could, the girl quickly produced two items.
"I know the rules," she said, displaying their properties. "This is all I have!"
The items were a handful of ever-growing leeks and a "Speech Bow" that enhanced the wearer's speaking abilities.
"I've only played three times, so I don't have many game coins," the girl explained, bowing deeply. "Please, take these. They're all I got from the blind box."
Natsuki explained, "Game coins are crucial, but we've already found out they can't be traded or given away. The items from blind boxes are fair game, though - they can even be stolen."
He reminded himself that as newcomers, the chances of meeting a high-level player were slim. Most newbies had pretty basic items, and blind box contents were purely luck-based.
Chika looked at Natsuki expectantly. Kaguya whispered, "A fair exchange is better than helping for free."
After a moment's hesitation, Natsuki agreed. "Alright, I'll take the items. Come to my room later - the ward's safe."
The girl's face lit up with relief as she bowed gratefully.
Natsuki then asked what the man had stolen from her earlier. It turned out to be food.
"Wait, what?" Chika said, suddenly aware of her own hunger. "I only had breakfast this morning... Isn't there a cafeteria?"
The girl shook her head. "There's no cafeteria. The hospital only has four floors, and we can't go anywhere else."
When they tried to verify this, they found the corridor ends blocked by an impenetrable black fog.
As darkness fell again, they returned to the ward, all feeling surprisingly hungry.
"Looks like we have another problem to solve," Natsuki said, rubbing his temples. "A food crisis."
Rikka, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "Well, the vengeful spirit in my ward might be able to make food."
Curious, Natsuki asked, "What kind of ghost is your roommate?"
Rikka made a horn gesture on her head. "A cow."
"A cow?" the others echoed, puzzled.
As they discussed how a cow ghost might create food, Chika excitedly raised her hand. "I've got it! It must be milk-"
"That's enough," Natsuki cut her off. "You can't drink that stuff without sterilizing it first."
"Why not?" Chika argued. "Fresh-squeezed juice is fine to drink. When I was little, I saw ranchers drinking fresh milk straight from the cow."
"Juice and raw milk are completely different things!" Natsuki exclaimed.
Chika, undeterred, continued, "I read this manga once about four beautiful girls stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash..."
"What, like a girl version of Robinson Crusoe?" someone chimed in.
"If a boy showed up, it'd be a typical dating sim plot," someone joked.
Chika continued her story, "One of the girls fell asleep on a raft and drifted away. When her friend found her, she was nearly unconscious from dehydration. To save her, the other girl took off her..."
Suddenly, Chika stopped, her face turning bright red.
"Took off what?" Natsuki asked, his expression neutral. "Go on."
"I can't say it!" Chika shook her head vigorously. "It's forbidden knowledge!"
Rikka's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Wow, that's amazing!"
Natsuki sighed, "Spoiling stories, saying you can eat anything, and leaving sentences unfinished are all really annoying habits."
"Fine, I'll tell you!" Chika puffed up her cheeks, took a deep breath, and said with determination, "What she took off was..."
"That's enough," Kaguya interrupted, rubbing her temples. "Let's change the subject."
The group then discussed other matters, like how passing the first game always rewards you with "the ability to see the real world."
"I don't want that reward at all," one girl said. "I don't want to see those evil spirits."
The others quickly agreed, even Kaguya nodding slightly. Their discussion turned into a sharing of grievances.
Asuka Kujo, another newcomer, spoke up with tears in her eyes. "I've tried everything - salt in the corners, crosses, rosaries, amulets, holy water, peach wood swords, praying at shrines... nothing works. I used to be on the volleyball team, but now I can't even go to practice because I see scary spirits around my teammates all the time."
"Oh, Asuka-chan," Chika said sympathetically, "Keep trying those blind boxes. Maybe you'll get lucky and get a spirit-repelling ability like Natsuki's."
Asuka looked even more dejected. "But I don't have any game coins, and the blind boxes are full of useless stuff."
"You know," Natsuki mused, "I almost feel like the vengeful spirits in the game are easier to deal with than the evil spirits in reality."
He explained, "The real-world spirits can't communicate and just seem to hate the living. But take Sadako, for example - she's terrifying, sure, but at least we can talk to her."
"After combing her hair, you even wanted to give Sadako maternity leave..." someone remarked, shaking their head.
Kaguya nodded thoughtfully. "There must be some connection between the game and reality that we haven't figured out yet."
As the darkness faded and light returned, Natsuki tapped the TV. "Sadako, we're heading out for a bit. You stay here, okay?"
Sadako, who had been eavesdropping from the edge of the well, felt her black hair tremble and quickly retreated.
Natsuki sighed. How could someone so thin-skinned survive in society? Remembering Sadako's backstory as a former Himura Dairy employee, he thought, "No wonder you were probably bullied a lot."
The group left the ward and entered the corridor. Rikka stopped at a door and whispered, "This is it."
"Don't worry," Chika said confidently, clenching her fist. "Natsuki and I can use our combined skills. We won't lose!"
"Please don't jinx us," Natsuki muttered as he grasped the door handle.
As he pushed the door open, he immediately understood why Rikka had called the vengeful spirit a cow. The spirit had a humanoid form, but with horns on its head, a swinging cow tail, and a large bell tied to its chest. Its... chest was certainly cow-like in proportion.
However, its eyes were blood-red, and its mouth was full of serrated shark-like teeth. Natsuki thought wryly that if this spirit went to a dentist in Rijima, it probably couldn't afford treatment even if it pawned its underwear.
...
[Current Power Stones: 285]
For every 15 Power Stones, 1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded on the same day.
[Target: 300]
...
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