Miss Sadako was too thin-skinned. She refused to entertain the guests and just hid in front of the TV without saying a word.
"Fujiwara, you can get up now."
Shinomiya Kaguya suddenly said.
"Huh?"
Fujiwara Chika blinked in surprise, then realized she was still sitting in Amamiya Natsuki's arms. She quickly stood up. "Kaguya-chan, could it be that you were—"
"Eating what?"
Kaguya tilted her head and gave a dark, echoing tone.
"Nothing."
Fujiwara quickly covered her chest with both hands and shook her head.
Kaguya's eyes shifted to Amamiya Natsuki. Her expression was calm and steady.
"Amamiya-san, what happened to Miss Sadako just now?"
"She's my roommate here in the ward," Natsuki explained briefly, then added, "Our relationship is pretty good now."
"What's good about it?!" Fujiwara shouted. "You scared Miss Sadako so badly she hid behind the TV!"
"Then I'll call Miss Sadako out so you can make friends?"
"Thank you, but no."
...
"Let's get down to business." Kaguya pressed a finger gently between her brows. "Amamiya-san, what are you planning next?"
Natsuki answered quickly, "Naturally, I'm going to complete as many tasks as possible and earn more rewards."
The main task was to survive 24 hours. As long as he held the middle-parted comb, Miss Sadako—with her severe social anxiety—wouldn't dare to come out and scare anyone.
In other words, they could just hide in the ward, wait out the clock, finish the main task, and exit the game.
The problem? That only earned the basic reward: ten game coins, enough to buy just one daily blind box.
Passive escape was never Natsuki Amamiya's style.
Especially since his eyes could see various prompts. Of course, the goal was to complete more tasks and get better rewards.
Kaguya nodded slightly, clearly thinking along the same lines.
"Either don't do it, or do your best. We'll work together later."
…
The darkness lifted quietly.
The corridor lights flickered back on.
Amamiya Natsuki cracked the door open, peered out carefully, and whispered, "It's safe to come out now."
"I'm coming out too." Fujiwara Chika peeked out and clenched her right fist. "We entered the game together. We'll leave together."
Hey, don't set flags so recklessly—that's dangerous!
Rikka Takanashi naturally followed. She wasn't about to stay alone in the ward with Miss Sadako lurking.
The four of them stepped into the corridor.
Though the lights were on, an eerie feeling lingered.
From surrounding wards, unlucky players emerged—many injured, some crying.
"Everyone seems to be having a hard time," Fujiwara said, clasping her hands. "I wish I could help everyone."
"I can't help you," Kaguya's voice was cold and sharp. "Helping strangers without reason only makes people suspicious of your motives."
Fujiwara whispered to Natsuki, "We could combine our skills and catch the lawless criminal Zhang San."
"The problem is we can only handle one lawless criminal at a time," Natsuki replied. "If we help one person, another will ask for help. What do we do then?"
…
Fujiwara fell silent.
Helping others within your means is kindness. Trying to save everyone beyond your ability is foolish.
Several players headed straight to the nurse's station. If you wanted to learn the hospital's secrets, nurses were the best starting point.
As they took a few steps, a conflict erupted nearby.
A male player shoved a girl to the ground, snatched something from her, and walked away.
"Are you okay?"
Fujiwara rushed forward and helped the girl up, angry. "How could he steal from someone else?"
What's stealing anyway? No laws in the game. They can just pick you up and carry you off!
"Fine…"
The girl bit her lip but brightened suddenly when she saw Natsuki. "Big, big boss?!"
"Um?"
Natsuki raised his eyebrows, vaguely recognizing her but unable to place her.
"We met before at Ghost Academy, inside the exam room," she said excitedly. "I was sitting in the corner by the window. Didn't expect to see some big guys here. I'm finally saved."
You think too much. We're just newbies who joined recently, not big shots.
"Sorry…"
Natsuki wanted to refuse, but there was no invigilator around to bribe.
"I know the rules." The girl quickly pulled out two items and showed their stats.
"This is all I have!"
[Props: A Handful of Green Leeks]
[Hybridized by Void Technology Company, these chives are natural and pollution-free. They don't need sunlight, soil, air, or water—they absorb free energy from the void to grow endlessly. Once cut, a new crop quickly grows again.]
[Note: Can be used to practice a hundred ways to cut leeks.]
Natsuki twitched the corner of his mouth.
Very good.
This is why blind boxes are so random.
Question: What's the use of a handful of leeks?
Do you have to cut them every day just to make leek boxes?
[Props: Speech Bow]
[How to use: Wear this bow on your chest to enhance your speaking ability, making you more charming and engaging.]
[Note: No explanation needed, right?]
"I've only played the game three times and don't have many coins," the girl bowed deeply. "Please accept these."
Game coins were crucial, but Natsuki and Kaguya already knew coins couldn't be traded or gifted. Only props could be exchanged, and they could be snatched by others at any time.
Since they were newcomers, chances of meeting a real high-level boss were slim. Most newbies carried shabby items, and what you got from blind boxes was pure luck.
"Natsuki-kun."
Fujiwara came over expectantly.
Kaguya whispered, "Helping others for free is one thing, but an equal exchange of benefits is acceptable."
Natsuki hesitated, then agreed. "I'll take them. Come to my room later—the ward is safe."
Items might seem useless, but could have miraculous uses, like the cat ear hairpin in Ghost Academy.
"Thank you for the trouble."
The girl bowed quickly, surprised.
"What did that man steal from you just now?" Natsuki asked.
They found out it was food.
Though they entered as souls or consciousness, they still felt hunger.
"Eh?" Fujiwara covered her stomach, surprised. "I'm actually a bit hungry, and I had breakfast this morning. Can't I just go to the cafeteria?"
"There's no cafeteria," the girl hugged her knees. "The whole hospital has only four floors. You can't go anywhere else."
Natsuki and Kaguya wanted to verify this.
At the corridor's end, black fog blocked the way—no entry or exit.
Darkness descended again, and everyone returned obediently to their wards.
After all that, hunger pressed hard.
"Looks like there's another problem to solve," Natsuki said, pressing his brows. "Food crisis."
The issue: no cafeteria, no clue where to get food.
At that moment, Rikka, who had been silent, raised her hand.
"Well," she said, "the vengeful spirit who shared my ward before might be able to make food."
Curious, Natsuki asked, "What kind of vengeful spirit was your roommate?"
Rikka Takanashi raised her hands, making horns on her head: "A cow."