A twisted, black humanoid shape, vaguely resembling a female form.
A hazy body like mist.
And eye sockets dripping with blood, with grotesque claws dangling down to the ground...
"...What the hell is that thing?!"
Looking at the monster attached to the man, Natsuki felt his sanity plummeting.
The Snake Game had been scary, but still acceptable. This thing in front of him was enough to make anyone's SAN points nosedive.
"Wait—"
As Natsuki stared, text slowly materialized above the twisted creature's head.
[Low-Level Vengeful Spirit]
[Status: Chaotic, Distorted]
[Warning: Please do not let it know you can see it]
"It appeared again." Natsuki covered one eye, falling into thought. "Back in that bizarre game, Kaguya apparently couldn't see the text hints... Is this something only I can see?"
He was certain of one thing.
He had never seen anything like a vengeful spirit before.
"So... this is what it means to 'see the world's true nature'?"
Vengeful spirits actually existed—ordinary people just couldn't see them. And now, having cleared the game, he had successfully unlocked the ability to see them?
What a scam!
This wasn't a reward at all—it was a punishment!
At the same time.
As if sensing Natsuki's gaze, the vengeful spirit clinging to the middle-aged salaryman's limbs suddenly detached from its host. Its form twisted as it approached him, step by step.
"Should I turn and run now?"
A drop of cold sweat rolled down Natsuki's forehead as he suppressed the urge to flee.
No.
He couldn't give himself away.
Running would definitely expose him. He had a feeling something terrible would happen if he did...
Between his instinct to flee and the strange warning, Natsuki chose to trust the latter.
"Woof woof."
The Akita tucked its tail and fled to a safe distance, only daring to bark from afar.
Traitor! What happened to dogs being the most loyal? You just abandoned your master and ran!
As these thoughts crossed his mind, the female vengeful spirit had already arrived before him.
"...Can you see me?"
A twisted, hollow voice that made his hair stand on end reached his ears.
Natsuki silently tensed his facial muscles, making sure not to let any unusual expression show. Pretending not to see the twisted spirit before him, he quickly crouched down to continue tying his shoelaces.
"My laces came undone again."
The twisted spirit bent down as well, tilting its head to look at him. Its empty, dark eye sockets stared straight at him.
"Can you... see me?"
Natsuki kept his gaze straight ahead, continuing to tie his laces.
Not only could he see it—he could see it crystal clear, in perfect detail.
But only an idiot would admit that right now!
"Can you... see me?"
The twisted spirit kept asking.
Natsuki's expression remained unchanged as he continued working on his shoelaces.
"Damn, I accidentally tied them into a knot."
Go ahead and keep asking if you've got the patience. These laces aren't getting tied today!
"Can't see... can't see..."
Having confirmed that Natsuki couldn't see it, the twisted spirit turned around and left in disappointment.
"Phew..."
Using his peripheral vision to secretly observe, Natsuki finally let out a breath of relief once he was sure the twisted spirit had gone far away.
It finally left. What the hell was that thing?
A short while later.
Walking his dog past a convenience store, Natsuki suddenly stopped in his tracks. Seeing the three twisted vengeful spirits inside, he silently turned around and walked away.
"Walk's over. We're going home."
There were far more vengeful spirits than he had imagined.
But aside from himself, no one else seemed to be able to see them...
A thought occurred to Natsuki, and he recalled his teammate from earlier—Kaguya Shinomiya.
Having also received the "victory reward," could Lady Kaguya see the twisted vengeful spirits too?
Meanwhile.
The Shinomiya family mansion.
A certain Kaguya was hiding under her blankets, eyes brimming with tears, trembling in fear.
(Ahhhhh! What was that thing? Why is there something so terrifying near Hayasaka?!)
Back at home.
The house was cold and empty, not a soul in sight.
Natsuki finished his bath and returned to his room. He silently opened the Game Shop and let out another long sigh.
This shop... was so barren it could bring tears to one's eyes.
He had discovered the Game Shop's existence while tying his shoes earlier and had been quite excited. But after entering, he learned the true meaning of disappointment.
The Game Shop was incredibly bare-bones. There was no gacha system, no top-up system, and only a single item for sale—
[Name: Daily Mystery Box]
[Price: 10 Game Coins]
[Attributes: After opening the mystery box, you will randomly receive a gift from one of four categories: Items, Abilities, Attributes, or Vengeful Spirits. Top-tier reward: Divine Authority]
[Please discover the mystery box probabilities on your own. After midnight each day, the gift inside the mystery box will automatically refresh. You may also pay 10 Game Coins to manually refresh, with no limit on the number of times]
So why was "Vengeful Spirits" mixed in there?
Was that really supposed to be a gift?
If you accidentally pulled a vengeful spirit from the mystery box, you'd have nowhere to cry!
"So... should I pull a mystery box or not?"
Natsuki's fingers were getting itchy.
No one could resist the allure of mystery boxes, especially with a top-tier reward like Divine Authority.
Everyone knew the odds of winning had to be astronomically low, but what if?
What if he hit the jackpot on his first try and obtained Divine Authority?
There had to be lucky people in this world. Why couldn't he be one of them?
Natsuki was still wavering over whether to pull when a line of text slowly appeared in his vision.
[Hint: The screams of a vengeful spirit echo within the mystery box...]
"..."
Natsuki silently suppressed the urge to pull.
But... his ability to see hints could actually reveal what was inside the Game Shop's mystery boxes?
A wave of drowsiness washed over him. He closed his eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next day.
Natsuki woke to the sound of his alarm.
Today was Monday—another school day.
He got up and dressed, walked to the window, and pushed it open. Outside, the sun shone brightly, pale pink cherry blossoms bloomed in full splendor, and spring was in its glory.
After washing up, Natsuki walked to the refrigerator and reached for the door, intending to grab a carton of milk.
The next moment.
A vengeful spirit's head silently stared back at him—mouth full of sharp fangs, with something like misty drool continuously dripping down.
Slam!
Natsuki expressionlessly shut the door.
Never mind the milk!
He took a deep breath and silently opened the Game Shop, looking at the single mystery box inside.
"The mystery box should have refreshed. Let's see what's inside..."
As he stared at the box, a line of text slowly materialized above it.
[Hint: Within the mystery box lies a power that makes evil spirits cower]
Natsuki's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he exchanged his points for the mystery box.
The next moment.
He felt a slight weight in his hand. A mystery box had appeared in his palm.
When he opened it, a soft chime sounded in his ears.
[You have opened the Daily Lucky Mystery Box]
[You have obtained Basic Aura: Evil Dispersion]
[Description: Passive ability, no consumption required. Within five meters, evil spirits are repelled]
"That's a bit underwhelming..." Natsuki silently critiqued, then turned and yanked open the refrigerator door. "How dare you hide in my fridge to scare me? Die!"
After breakfast.
Natsuki grabbed his school bag and headed out.
The moment he stepped outside, he happened to see a girl with long, straight black hair emerging from the neighboring house. Faint dark circles marked her face as she covered her mouth with one hand, stifling a weary yawn.
"Miko, good morning."