The twisted black figure vaguely resembled a woman.
It had a mist-like, blurry body, blood oozing from empty eye sockets, and claws so long they nearly dragged on the ground...
"What the hell is that?!"
Amamiya stared at the horrifying figure clinging to the man's body, feeling deeply disturbed.
The snake from before had been terrifying, but it was something he could manage. This, however, made his sanity feel like it was slipping away.
"Wait—"
As he focused on the creature, a line of words slowly appeared above its distorted form.
[Low-level ghost]
[Status: Chaos, distortion]
[Reminder: Don't let it know you can see it]
"It's happening again," Amamiya muttered, covering one eye as if in deep thought. "In that weird game earlier, Shinomiya Kaguya couldn't see any of the text. Is this something only I can see?"
He was certain. He had never seen such a thing before, not in real life.
"So... this is what it means to 'see the truth of the world'?"
Vengeful spirits were real, but it seemed ordinary people couldn't perceive them. Now, after clearing that strange game, it appeared that he had gained the ability to see them.
What a terrible deal.
This wasn't a reward—it was a curse!
Meanwhile, as if sensing Amamiya's gaze, the ghostly figure, still gripping the middle-aged office worker, detached itself and started to move towards him, its body twisting with each step.
"You're kidding me... do I run now?"
A cold sweat trickled down Amamiya's temple as he fought the urge to bolt.
No.
If he ran now, the ghost would surely notice. Something terrible would happen...
Caught between the instinct to flee and the eerie warning in his mind, he forced himself to stay put and follow the latter.
"Woof, woof!"
The Akita dog, however, had no such hesitation. It yelped in fear and took off running, tail tucked between its legs.
"Damn it! Aren't dogs supposed to be loyal?" Amamiya cursed under his breath. "You abandoned me just like that?"
Meanwhile, the female ghost had already reached him.
"...Can you see me?"
The distorted, hollow voice was a cold whisper that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Amamiya tensed, his facial muscles tightening to hide any expression. He couldn't risk giving anything away. Instead, he squatted down, pretending to tie his shoelaces.
"Ugh, my shoelaces are undone again."
The twisted ghost bent down, staring at him with hollow, dark eyes. Her face hovered just inches from his, but Amamiya didn't flinch. He kept his head down, focusing on the knots in his laces.
"...Can you see me?" the ghost asked again.
Amamiya remained silent, not daring to make eye contact.
He could see it all too clearly, every horrifying detail. But at this moment, only a fool would admit that out loud.
"Can you see me?"
The ghost persisted, its voice growing faintly agitated.
Amamiya kept his calm, cursing under his breath, "Great, I've tied it into a knot."
This spirit clearly had time to waste, but so did Amamiya. He wasn't in a hurry to finish tying his shoes anytime soon.
"He can't see me... he can't see me..." the ghost finally muttered, as if convincing itself. After a moment, it sighed, turned around, and walked away, its disappointment palpable.
"Phew..."
Amamiya let out a breath of relief, peeking out of the corner of his eye to make sure the ghost was gone before standing up. Whatever that thing had been, he was glad it left.
Some time later, while walking his dog, Amamiya passed by a convenience store and caught sight of three more twisted spirits floating inside. He paused for a moment, then silently turned on his heel.
"Forget it, we're going home."
The number of vengeful spirits wandering around was far higher than he'd ever imagined. And yet, no one else seemed to notice them—just him.
As he thought about it more, a new question popped into his mind: could Kaguya Shinomiya, who also received the 'clearance reward,' see these ghosts as well?
---
Meanwhile, at the Shinomiya family mansion...
Kaguya lay trembling under her blanket, tears pooling in her eyes.
(What was that thing? Why was something so terrifying clinging to Hayasaka?!)
---
After arriving home and bathing, Amamiya retreated to his room. Opening the game store once more, he let out a disappointed sigh.
The store was pitifully empty.
Back when he was tying his shoelaces, he had discovered the existence of the game store. At first, he had high hopes for it, but upon entering, he understood the true meaning of disappointment.
There was no in-game currency system, no way to buy power-ups. In fact, there was only one item for sale—
[Item: Daily Blind Box]
[Price: 10 game coins]
[Attributes: Upon opening, you receive a random reward, which could be an item, ability, attribute, or even a vengeful spirit. The grand prize is the authority of the gods.]
[Note: The odds of each prize are unknown. The blind box contents reset at midnight, or you can spend 10 coins to refresh them. There's no limit to how many times you can refresh.]
Damn, even ghosts??
Could that even be considered a prize?
If he opened the box and ended up summoning a vengeful spirit, where would he even begin to deal with that?
"Should I try opening a blind box?"
Amamiya felt his hands itch at the thought.
No one could resist the allure of a blind box. And the grand prize—god authority—was certainly enticing.
He knew the odds were probably slim, but... what if? What if he hit the jackpot and gained godlike abilities with a single draw?
There were lucky people in the world. Why couldn't he be one of them?
Just as he was about to make a decision, a line of text appeared before his eyes.
[Hint: The screams of vengeful spirits echo from inside the blind box...]
"..."
Amamiya quickly abandoned the idea.
It seemed that his ability to read these strange hints could even reveal what was inside the blind box. Feeling relieved, he closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.
---
The next morning, Amamiya awoke to the sound of his alarm.
It was Monday—another school day.
He got up, dressed, and opened his window to let the sunlight stream in. The cherry blossoms outside were in full bloom, and the vibrant pink petals fluttered gently in the spring breeze.
After washing up, he headed to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to grab some milk.
But as soon as the door swung open, he was met with a face. A vengeful spirit stared back at him, mouth agape and dripping with a misty, saliva-like substance.
Bang!
Amamiya slammed the refrigerator door shut.
Suddenly, he wasn't thirsty anymore.
Taking a deep breath, he reopened the game store, eying the single blind box on offer.
"Let's refresh it and see what's inside this time…"
As he focused, a new line of text appeared above the blind box.
[Hint: The blind box contains power that evil spirits fear.]
Seeing it, his eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he exchanged his points and opened the box.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the ability: Basic Aura - Evil Spirits Dissipate]
[Effect: Passive ability. Within five meters, evil spirits are repelled.]
"Well... that's a bit short-ranged," he mused, but a hint of satisfaction lingered in his voice. "Still... it'll do."
Turning back to the refrigerator, he yanked open the door with newfound confidence.
"You thought hiding in there would scare me? Think again!"
---
After having breakfast, Amamiya slung his school bag over his shoulder and headed out. As he stepped outside, he spotted a familiar figure.
A girl with long, straight black hair was leaving the house next door. She had faint dark circles under her eyes and was covering her mouth with her hand as she let out a tired yawn.
"Good morning, Miko."