章 129: Chapter 129: Purgatory Difficulty?
"Let's move out, Umi," Amamiya said as he tucked the key away and prepared to leave.
With the second key secured, the next step was to head off in search of the third without delay.
"Take care!" Umi waved goodbye to the petite girl. "Remember, anyone who knocks without giving the secret code is a liar. Be cautious."
After all, Ghost Captain could pass through walls as easily as walking down a hallway. He didn't need to knock if he wanted in!
"Wait!" The petite girl mustered up her courage, taking half a step forward. She clenched her right fist against her chest and, lifting her head, said firmly, "I want to come with you."
"Huh?" Umi glanced at Amamiya, leaving the decision to him.
Amamiya raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the girl. "Are you sure? It's not necessarily safer out there than hiding in this room. In fact, it's probably more dangerous."
"I'm sure. I want to go with you," she replied seriously, her voice resolute.
What scares people the most? It's the unknown—and the feeling of despair.
Hiding alone in a gloomy, suffocating room, terrified that a monster could burst through at any moment, felt like waiting for death. Every second dragged on in a nightmarish haze of anxiety.
Having glimpsed a chance at survival with Amamiya and his companions, the thought of going back to that crushing isolation was unbearable.
Amamiya gave a small nod. "Alright, you can come with us."
"Thank you!" the petite girl exhaled in relief, bowing quickly. She then handed over a small black orb.
"I heard about the rules from others... this is my protection fee!"
"Eh, protection fee?" Umi blinked in surprise. "There's no such rule."
"If I tag along, I might cause trouble for everyone," the girl insisted, shaking her head as she pressed the item into Amamiya's hand. "This is all I have."
Amamiya hesitated briefly before accepting it. "I'll hold onto this for now. We'll figure out the rest after the game."
---
[Item: Smoke Bomb]
- Type: Consumable
- Usage: Throw
- Description: According to anime law, "no harm can come to those surrounded by smoke." When inside a smoke bomb's radius, your chances of dodging and avoiding damage dramatically increase.
---
"…"
"The corridor is clear," came Hayasaka's soft whisper from the shadows. Dressed in black, she blended into the darkness as she leaned against the wall. "You can come out now."
The group quietly exited the cabin and continued their search for the next player.
"Wait, something's up," Amamiya suddenly stopped and signaled for the group to halt.
The girls quickly held their breath and froze.
"It's the unlucky player the ghost captain caught first," Amamiya whispered, his eyes narrowing. "She's coming down from the deck."
The petite girl carefully peeked around the corner and saw a player ghost with a dark blue body, patrolling the hallway in search of other players.
The sight made her shiver. 'If I'd been caught by the ghost captain first, would I have ended up like this? Trapped on this ship forever?'
She imagined herself in that same haunting position, and a wave of dread washed over her.
'It's now or never,' she thought to herself. 'Time to take a chance—turn this bicycle into a motorcycle!'
"Hanamori-san," Amamiya whispered, turning to the spy maid beside him. "Throw a bone, let's test something."
"Huh?" Umi blinked, confused.
'Throw a bone?' she thought. 'Do they crave bones now that they've turned into ghost crew members, like dogs?'
However, Hayasaka immediately understood his intention. She asked quietly, "You mean... sound?"
"Exactly."
Amamiya nodded slightly.
'In any situation, knowing your enemy is crucial for victory.'
Even Detective Conan needs to gather clues at the crime scene to solve a mystery. It shows just how important intelligence is in these situations.
"I got it." Hayasaka nodded back, pulled a pale bone from her pocket, and after a moment's thought, used her 'Advanced Throwing Technique' to lightly toss the bone forward.
'Thud.'
The bone hit the ground with a dull sound.
The ghost player patrolling the hallway immediately turned around and hurried toward the sound.
"So, even after becoming a ghost crew member, they can still hear sounds," Amamiya observed. "Their speed is about the same as a regular person's, no faster."
With that quick analysis done, the group continued on while the player's ghost busily searched for the source of the noise.
"Let's knock and spread some warmth," Umi said, moving along the hallway, adding random phrases like, "I'll always be a fan of Monkey D Luffy," and "Miku is the best."
Just as they reached another door and prepared to knock, a loud crash from within startled them—furniture clattering to the floor.
"Found it!" Umi exclaimed in surprise. "We're so lucky! It's right inside!"
"No," Amamiya frowned, correcting him, "It's coming from the room below us."
At that moment, they heard a terrified cry for mercy from beneath their feet.
The sounds of struggle mixed with desperate pleas, then gradually grew fainter, until finally there was nothing but silence.
"..." The group fell quiet, realizing that their plans had changed.
The last remaining player who had hidden was caught by the ghost captain first, becoming the second unfortunate soul eliminated from the game.
After waiting a moment, Amamiya whispered, "Let's go down and take a look."
The four of them descended to the next level. In the dim, eerie corridor, they saw the ghost of a male player wandering aimlessly.
Using the same method as before to divert the ghost's attention, Amamiya led the group into the room. Inside, a boy lay lifeless on the floor, his expression one of pain and despair.
"Sorry, I was a step too late," Amamiya murmured, gently closing the boy's eyes before sighing.
Empathy is a part of being human. It's impossible not to feel anything.
"Let's find the key," he instructed.
"Right, let's search together," Umi added.
A few moments later, Umi frowned. "I've searched the whole room, but there's no key."
The petite girl, speaking softly, suggested, "Maybe the reasoning was wrong? Maybe the key isn't here?"
Amamiya's expression hardened. "There's another possibility."
Hayasaka lifted her gaze and said solemnly, "The key was taken already."
Umi's eyes widened. "Taken...? By the ghost captain?"
"We can't rule it out," Amamiya responded. "It's not something only players can interact with; it's an item from the ship itself, so it's entirely possible the ghost captain took it."
But if that was true, recovering the key from the ghost captain would increase the difficulty to a nearly impossible level.
"Stay calm," Amamiya said coolly. "There's no use panicking. The priority now is confirming whether the key is on the ghost captain."
Without further hesitation, they set off in search of the ghost captain. Soon, they caught sight of him.
"Got him," Hayasaka whispered. "He just entered the sixth room up ahead."
Amamiya turned to the others. "Who has the best eyesight?"
The ghost ship was poorly lit, making it dangerous to get too close. But from too far away, they couldn't clearly see whether the ghost captain had the key. It required sharp vision.
"I can't," Umi admitted. "It's too dark for me to see clearly."
The petite girl apologized, "Sorry, I'm a bit nearsighted."
"I'll do it," Hayasaka said calmly. As a spy, her eyesight and observational skills were top-tier.
'Who else but me?' she thought confidently.
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