Miss Sadako was too shy after all. She remained silent and hid in front of the TV, refusing to entertain the guests.
"Chika, you can get up now," Kaguya suddenly said.
"Huh?"
Chika blinked in surprise, then realized she was still sitting in Amamiya's lap. Embarrassed, she quickly stood up. "Kaguya-chan, could it be that you're jealous..."
"Jealous of what?"
Kaguya tilted her head slightly, her voice soft but carrying an undertone of warning.
"Uh... nothing," Chika quickly said, holding her chest defensively and shaking her head.
Turning her attention to Amamiya, Kaguya's expression remained calm and composed. "Natsuki-san, what exactly happened with Miss Sadako just now?"
"She's my roommate in this ward," Amamiya explained briefly, then added with a faint smile, "We've developed a pretty good relationship."
"What's so good about it?!" Chika exclaimed. "Miss Sadako was so terrified by you that she hid behind the TV!"
"Should I call her out again so you two can bond?" Amamiya teased.
"No thanks, I pass!" Chika responded immediately.
Kaguya massaged her temples and brought the conversation back to the main issue. "Let's focus on the important matters. Natsuki-san, what's the plan now?"
"We need to complete as many tasks as possible to earn more rewards," Amamiya replied promptly.
The main objective was simple: survive for 24 hours. As long as they had the middle-parted comb in their possession, Miss Sadako, who suffered from severe social anxiety, wouldn't dare scare them. This meant they could theoretically hide in the ward and wait out the rest of the time, but this would only yield the most basic reward of ten game coins—a paltry sum, barely enough for one daily blind box.
Passive survival had never been Amamiya's style. Especially since his special ability allowed him to see various prompts, his goal was clear: complete as many missions as possible and rack up the rewards.
Kaguya nodded in agreement. "If we're doing this, we need to give it our all. We'll stick together."
The eerie atmosphere in the ward receded as the lights outside flickered back on. The corridor was illuminated once more.
Amamiya cautiously opened the door a crack, scanning for any danger. "It's safe to go out now," he whispered.
"I'm coming with you!" Chika declared, stepping forward with her fist clenched. "We entered this game together, so we'll leave together."
Please, don't go jinxing us with that kind of line! Amamiya thought to himself.
Naturally, Rikka followed close behind them. She didn't want to stay alone in the ward, worried Miss Sadako might suddenly feel more sociable.
The four of them entered the corridor, where despite the return of the lights, an unsettling atmosphere still lingered.
From the surrounding wards, other players began to emerge. Some looked battered and bruised, with several openly crying. It was clear that no one had had an easy time.
"It seems everyone is struggling," Chika said sympathetically, clasping her hands together. "I wish there was some way we could help."
"Helping strangers for no reason will only make them suspicious of your intentions," Kaguya said coldly.
"But Amemiya and I could work together to stop a rogue spirit, right?" Chika tried to argue.
Amamiya sighed. "We can only handle one vengeful spirit at a time. If we help one person, then someone else asks for help—what do we do then?"
Chika fell silent, realizing the flaw in her thinking.
Helping others within your ability was one thing. But trying to save everyone was a foolish endeavor.
The group continued toward the nurse's station. If there were any secrets to uncover in the hospital, the nurses would be the key.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the corridor ahead. A male player shoved a girl to the ground and snatched something from her before storming off.
"Are you okay?" Chika rushed to the girl's side, helping her up. "How could he steal from someone like that?"
Stealing wasn't the worst of it. There were no laws in this game. People could do far worse than just take your belongings...
"I'm fine," the girl muttered, biting her lip. Her eyes suddenly lit up as they fell on Amamiya. "Wait... are you—are you the big boss?!"
"Eh?" Amamiya raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the recognition. The girl did seem familiar, but he couldn't immediately place her.
"We met before, in the Ghost Academy, during the exam. I sat by the window," she explained excitedly. "I can't believe I ran into you here! I'm saved!"
You're definitely mistaken. We're not big players at all, Amamiya thought.
The girl seemed desperate and quickly pulled out two items to offer him. "This is all I have!"
The first item was:
[Item: A Bundle of Leeks]
'Bred by Void Technology Co., these leeks are entirely self-sustaining and never need sunlight, water, or soil. They absorb energy from the void and regrow endlessly after being cut.'
[Note: Perfect for practicing a hundred ways to chop leeks!]
Amamiya felt a muscle twitch at the corner of his mouth.
What good are these leeks? Am I supposed to make dumplings every day?
He checked the second item.
[Item: Voice Amplifying Bow]
'When worn on the chest, this bow amplifies your speech, making it more compelling and charismatic.'
[Note: Do I really need to explain this?]
"I've only played the game three times, so I don't have many coins," the girl said apologetically, bowing deeply. "But these are the best things I've gotten so far."
Props from the blind box weren't tied to game coins, which couldn't be traded. Amamiya and Kaguya had already confirmed this. Anything from a blind box, however, could be exchanged—or even stolen.
Unfortunately, as new players themselves, Amamiya and his group couldn't expect much of value from someone in the same position.
"Amamiya-kun..." Chika whispered eagerly, looking forward to what he would say next.
Kaguya whispered, "Rather than helping others for free, a fair exchange of benefits is more acceptable."
After a brief hesitation, Amamiya nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll take your items. You can come to my room later; the ward is safe."
Though the items seemed insignificant at first glance, Amemiya knew that in critical situations, even the most trivial objects could prove useful—just like the cat ear hair accessories in the Ghost Academy.
"Thank you so much!" The girl's face lit up with relief, and she quickly bowed in gratitude.
"What did that guy steal from you earlier?" Amemiya asked, curious about the theft.
The answer surprised him—what had been stolen was food.
Even though players entered the game in a state of consciousness, they still felt hunger as if their bodies were real.
"Huh?" Chika placed a hand on her stomach, surprised. "I'm actually feeling a bit hungry too. And I just had breakfast before we started the game... Isn't there a cafeteria we can go to?"
"There's no cafeteria," the girl replied, hugging her knees. "The hospital only has four floors, and there's nowhere else to go."
Naturally, Amamiya and Kaguya wanted to verify this for themselves. When they reached the end of the corridor, they found it blocked by an impenetrable black fog, making it impossible to proceed further.
As darkness fell again, they all retreated back to the ward. After everything that had happened, they were now fully aware of how real and intense their hunger had become.
"It seems we have a new issue to deal with..." Amamiya muttered, rubbing his temples. "A food crisis."
The problem, however, was clear: there was no cafeteria, and they had no idea where to even begin looking for food.
Just then, Rikka, who had been quiet until now, raised her hand. "Um, the vengeful spirit that was in my ward earlier... it might be able to make food."
Amamiya looked at her with curiosity. "What kind of vengeful spirit was your roommate?"
Rikka raised both hands to mimic horns on her head. "A cow."