"Rated a one? But, isn't Ray one of the Seven Wonders? If you're exposed, won't you attack or trigger an instant death in your special field or something?"
"I'm not sure what you're expecting, but I'm just me! I'm just a wonder, explaining things in every classroom in this school."
"N-no, indeed... indeed?"
So, just because it's one of the Seven Wonders doesn't mean it'll attack like Tiki. There must be some that are just weird occurrences.
"So, what's with the difficulty rating?"
"Well, each of the Seven Wonders has its own difficulty level. If you tackle the easier ones first, it gets more manageable. Here at school, you have me, the explanation guy Ray, at one. A wandering dog with a human face is rated two. Tiki is three, Hannah in the restroom is four, the bouncing ball in the gym is five, the music room's monster is six, and the locked room is seven."
The locked room is the highest difficulty, huh?
"Wait, the ball is rated higher than the restroom?"
"Yeah. Hannah can move freely once you take care of her, and the ball will attack, too."
"I see. So, does Hannah in the restroom get weakened even if we don't defeat her?"
"Hannah is right there, and anyway, it's a weakened AI."
"Huh? What do you mean she's right there… Hey Henry, don't look away."
Suddenly, Yuki grips my shoulder tightly.
"N-no, it's not like that! I thought it didn't need explaining, you know, I'm a YouTuber and I've already streamed it, and… eek!? Stop with the violence! I'll fly, I promise!"
"Wait, why are you flying? And besides, I don't even hear any coins."
"Because I usually keep my money in the item box. Even if I rummage through my pockets, the only thing I find is a salt shaker."
"Wow, Henry, you're seriously ahead of us."
"Oh, hold on, Yoshi, I just checked the board, and it looks like Henry's got a video up. The tips are insane!"
"No way! Awesome! I've finally got some living expenses!"
"Good for you, Henry. Honestly, at least you won't starve."
"Right? I was just hoping for maybe a thousand yen, but when I checked, I ended up with more than enough to cover my utilities. Did this guy just throw stacks of bills?"
"Seriously, what? Hannah must be the real deal."
"So, that means Henry has tamed both Tiki and Hannah, huh?"
"Uh, yeah, something like that."
As he scratched his head awkwardly, he admitted, "It's not something I need to hide, so I can talk about it, but nobody else can see them."
"Ugh, thinking about two ghosts being here is making me feel sick," one replied.
"If you can't see them, then what's the problem?" came the retort.
"Lark's fear of ghosts is pretty serious," another interjected.
"But a ghost hunt in the academy at night? That sounds kind of exciting."
"What's this, Yuki? Are you actually considering going for the psychic skill?"
"I'm not sure yet, but it does seem a bit intriguing."
"Well, do what you want, but hey, are you really okay, Lark?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine, um..."
Oh no, this isn't good.
I messed up. I knew Lark hated ghosts, and I shouldn't have brought it up. But since this is just a game, there's no need to be that averse...
Maybe she struggles to separate reality from fiction? I can't judge, though; I have my own issues. After all, Hannah is a real person.
"Henry, snap out of it! I'm not in the real world!"
"Nope, not listening. It's like you're completely shut down. You're not changing your mind about this."
"Ah, it looks like I should probably hold off on getting the psychic skill until Lark gets used to it."
"What, Yoshi, were you planning to get it too?"
"I just want to see Hannah once. But there's no rush, I'll get to it when I feel like it."
"Well, I guess I won't take any either. It wouldn't be right to force Lark to come along if he doesn't want to."
Should I keep my distance then? It's a shame to set aside this connection we've built, but it seems unavoidable this time.
"Lark looks unwell; maybe we should take him to the nurse's office?"
"Oh, good point. Well, I'll help him."
"I'll lend a hand too."
Yoshi and Yuki helped Lark leave.
So, I'm alone now.
"Hmmm, since both Tiki and Hannah are being controlled, maybe I should be too?"
"Ray, calm down. I'm not gathering any urban legends here."
That was close—I almost had classmates coming to get controlled too.
Well, it seems I won't be able to hang out with Yuki and the others after all; I guess that's what I get for my choices.
I suppose I'll head back to the school at night with Hannah and the others.
Wait, if I don't need to meet up with Yuki, maybe I could check out some clubs instead.
What do you think, Hannah?
"Sounds good! Want to check out some activities?"
"Are there any strange clubs we can find? That sounds fun!"
Is Tiki looking forward to Anywhere?
"Oh? Hey Henry, are you bored?"
Just as I considered skipping class, that thought hit me.
I was startled when a voice called out from the classroom. Turning around, I saw the NPC, Akari Saito, approaching me.
"Hey! We were thinking of hanging out after school today. Would you like to join us, Henry?"
"After school, huh? Sure, I don't mind."
"Yay! I'll be waiting in the classroom!"
So they would wait for me after school. I wondered how long they'd stick around if I didn't show up. Probably until a teacher found them and kicked them out. Even if my rapport with them dropped, I'd rather not leave them waiting, so I decided to play with them after school. It would probably be some childish fun since they're elementary students.
'Is it alright if I join too?'
"If you join, Tiki, it might get too chaotic, so I'll have to say no."
'How rude!?'
"Hannah, sorry, but about the club activities..."
'Oh, I'm in no rush. Later in the day works fine for me. Plus, I want to see how the kids play.'
With some time to spare before school ended, I decided to sell some items at the shop. I could also level up and gather more information. Talking to NPCs would surely yield some insights.
I headed to the store, sold the spirit fragments, and bought salt. Those spirit fragments sure sold for a good price. Thanks to the massive amount Hannah had gathered, even selling half of them would give me more than enough money.
I might as well buy something. How about some ohagi?
"Yes, yes! I want a parfait!"
But you'll end up spilling it everywhere.
Well, it's within my budget, so I'll go ahead and get it.
Alright, Hannah and Tiki.
What else do I need? Oh, look! I've found something interesting.
I've scored some fried tofu!
I bet if I take this to the shrine, something exciting will happen. Plus, I should grab a few to win over Tamamo.
"For now, this looks good."
It's strange; I've already run out of money again.
"I'm not the kind to hold onto my cash, am I?"
Oh well, I'll step outside and hunt for something. With more items and cash, my days should feel a bit richer.
My place is pretty bare; maybe I should buy some furniture? Though that might be a bit too pricey.
"Are you going anywhere today?"
"Well, since I already visited the shopping district... maybe I'll check out a shrine."
"The shrine... might still be risky."
"Places with spiritual and sacred attributes can be dangerous; you might end up passing on. You're fine because you have a strong resistance."
"Oh, right. In that case, you two should go together. I'll be filming a commercial while you're gone."
Wait, I'll be alone with Tiki?
I would have preferred to be with Hannah.
But she seems keen to work and apparently plans to return by evening, so I'll swallow my disappointment and send them off.
"Ugh, take care, Hannah!"
"Don't forget the souvenirs!"
"There are no souvenirs, you know."
With a light-hearted reply, Hannah logged out, disappearing with an effect that resembled ascension.
"Alright, let's get going!"
Wait, why am I suddenly solid?!
"Oh, I know! Henry, I'll give you a shoulder ride."
"Huh?"
"Come on, put your feet on my shoulders, and lean your head against me. Hehehe."
Wow, this is quite the sight!
Tiki stood up with me on her shoulders and, surprisingly cheerful, dashed toward the landing.
Little did I know, this unexpected scene of a man riding Tiki would soon become the eighth wonder whispered about on the bulletin board.
After running down the hallway and reaching the landing, we changed our shoes and picked a destination.
We chose the mountain stage for our exploration toward the shrine. But first, Tiki got a scolding from Tamamo, which made her sulk before we could head into the mountains... Wow, there are a lot of ghosts here!
"The mountain stage is known for having many suicidal spirits, which tend to be strong and usually don't listen. It's such a hassle. Oh, hello there!"
Tiki greeted an elderly couple who were out hiking.
The couple smiled back cheerfully and chatted a bit, joking if we were a couple before they left with smiles.
…What's scary, you ask? Tiki doesn't have a lower body, yet she's treated just like any other girl in conversation. Are those two blind?
We walk along a mountain path, not a paved road but a gravel one, making each step a bit of a struggle. That said, the incline isn't too steep, so Tiki and I take our time exploring.
"Uh, if I remember right, the shrine path splits off at the midway point, right? And once we go up to the midway level, the enemy levels spike dramatically, correct?"
"Well, it's only natural that the deeper you go, the more dangerous it is. Oh, hello there!"
There are quite a few floating spirits around, but whenever Tiki greets them, they nod in response. Though we can't have a proper conversation, there's something oddly comforting about feeling familiar with them. I suppose if Tiki weren't here, we'd have to fight them.
Oh, look—a spirit that doesn't understand conversation. Here comes the salt! Yakuza kick!!
"Whoa, this kid shows no mercy against weak enemies. That's quite ruthless!"
"Stop that, Tiki! If you say things like that, you'll get an absurd title…" Gah!? My titles just increased!?
New titles:
- "Not Afraid of Ghosts": Defeated a spirit without any effective attack skills against the spirit type.
- "Giant Tamer": Tamed beings that are twenty levels or more above you. Increases the likelihood of taming stronger entities.
- "Ruthless Boy": A title given for mistreating weaker opponents. Respected by other ruthless individuals.
"Ugh, this is too much.
Hey, Tiki, what are you going to do about this!?
'Well, it's not my fault! Look, look, another ghost is coming! Oh, wait, that's not a ghost.'
A plump snake suddenly slithered onto the gravel path.
Um, do I just take it down?
'So, what is this thing?'
'Maybe it's Terra?'
A UMA has appeared!?
'Let it go, huh!!'
Wait, Tiki!?
She noticed Terra trying to escape in a panic and chased it off.
In no time, they vanished from my sight.
And that snake was rolling up the mountain trail. It could give Tiki a run for her money. Impressive!
And now I've lost Tiki, too.
I reached a spot where there were stairs right next to the path leading up the mountainside.
The shrine must be at the top of these stairs.
There are quite a few steps.
Plus, ghosts keep popping up along the way.
I don't need any creepy old man ghosts hanging around. Just disappear!