"The passenger seats are full, human. You may leave."
The Pumpkinhead's head swiveled, and the flames in his eyes had darkened to a deep purple.
Amamiya remained silent, continuing to stare at the figure before him.
A prompt appeared in front of him:
[You have chosen to confront the gangsters: driving without a license, endangering others and yourself. Sir, please cooperate with our investigation.]
[You're gone.]
[Team wiped out.]
"Tsk~"
Amamiya let out a subtle sigh of relief.
"We've run into a tough one. It seems this Pumpkinhead is immune to the combination technique of 'Sweeping Black and Eliminating Evil.'"
Unlike the other monsters lurking in the mall, something about this Pumpkinhead seemed different since a player had cleared the level. Every time Amamiya encountered him driving the train, the system prompts would change.
After a brief analysis, Amamiya concluded that the change in these prompts wasn't triggered by someone completing the level, but rather by the circulation of a peculiar currency.
The currency wasn't made of gold or jade. When exposed to the barrier of the mall, it would dissipate into purple smoke, which always seemed to coalesce around the Pumpkinhead ghost.
The once fiery red glow in the pumpkin ghost's eye sockets had gradually shifted to a deep purple.
Now, the clue in front of Amamiya became unmistakable:
[Upon close observation, you discover a super rare card on the Pumpkinhead ghost. This card is a monster card that humans cannot touch. So, you decide...]
"Of course I'll take it!"
Amamiya made his choice swiftly.
The hint described it as a super rare card. He knew that missing this opportunity would mean losing his chance to acquire it. Regardless of whether he could actually claim it, he had to try.
"Goodbye, Mr. Pumpkin."
With that, Amamiya waved casually, withdrew his gaze, and headed towards the lobby on the first floor with Kaguya and the others.
It was late into the night.
The moon had set.
The cold, deserted mall fell eerily quiet, with only the faint music of the sightseeing train echoing down the corridors, its soft melody adding an unsettling touch to the stillness.
On the train, Pumpkinhead glanced at the packed "passengers" behind him and muttered in a quiet, almost wistful tone:
"Dawn is almost here. I had a lot of fun tonight. I guess it's time to take them back and wait for the next time... huh?"
Pumpkinhead turned his gaze forward.
In the empty corridor ahead, a lone white lamb had appeared out of nowhere, staring up at the train.
"What's a lamb doing in the mall?"
For a moment, the Pumpkinhead ghost couldn't understand. "Could it be a pet abandoned by humans during the day?"
It wasn't unheard of for sheep to be kept as pets.
In some places, even Bengal monitor lizards were wed as brides.
But something about this lamb unsettled Pumpkinhead. There was something off in its gaze—it almost looked... human?
The train continued to crawl forward, now nearing the lamb. Suddenly, in a swift motion, the lamb sprang into the air, landing gracefully on the train. It tilted its head, bit into the purple lantern in Pumpkinhead's hand, then leaped down from the third floor.
The sequence of movements was smooth and seamless, executed without the slightest hesitation.
According to the train's rules: once you board the train, you cannot disembark.
However, with the train already full and no available seats left, the rule became invalid.
Pumpkinhead stared at his now empty right hand, stunned for just a second before purple flames erupted across his body. The monsters behind him, once defiant, began to tremble in terror.
"Give it back to me!!!"
Bang!
The lamb plummeted towards the ground from the third floor of the mall... or at least, it should have.
If a cat had jumped from that height, it might have landed unharmed. But a sheep? The fall would likely have been fatal.
The reason the lamb leaped without hesitation was that Shimizu had been waiting below, ready to catch it.
Bang.
Without missing a beat, Shimizu caught Amamiya, now in lamb form, and without uttering a word, turned and bolted.
By this point, Pumpkinhead had transformed into a towering, raging evil spirit. He roared, his massive hands stretching out to grab the pair—but he was a moment too late.
Shimizu, clutching the lamb tightly, slipped through the invisible wall that marked the boundary.
The next moment, all the players who had cleared the 'Midnight Mall Monster Party' received a sudden game prompt.
[Red alert!]
[The core item of the 'Midnight Mall Monster Party' instance has been stolen. The instance is undergoing repairs... Repair failed.]
[This instance will be permanently closed. It cannot be accessed again.]
[We apologize for the inconvenience and will issue compensation.]
"What in the world?"
Players who had used nozamA service to clear the level were left baffled.
"Did the game crash?"
"What do they mean by 'core item stolen'?"
"..."
Meanwhile, Kaguya and her group, who had exited the instance just moments earlier, pieced the situation together almost instantly.
"It must be him," Kaguya mused.
"Did he succeed?" asked Umi.
"Looks like he should have been teleported out by now, right?"
"..."
——
Bang.
Back in the real world, Shimizu materialized in the living room, still holding the lamb.
A moment later, a soft white glow enveloped the lamb, and Amamiya appeared in its place.
That's right—Chika's sheep transformation technique had worn off.
"Amamiya, are you okay?" Umi, who had finished the game earlier and was waiting at home, rushed forward, her concern evident.
"Not really... I feel dizzy, my heart's racing, and I can barely breathe…"
Amamiya, steadying himself with the sofa, suddenly felt a chill and realized something.
"Huh?"
Umi glanced down, blinked twice in confusion, then her face turned crimson. She quickly covered her hands over her eyes.
"Hurry and put some clothes on!"
It was far too late for that. Also, if you're going to cover your eyes, at least don't peek through your fingers!
Amamiya turned sideways. "Pass me my clothes first."
"Here." Umi tossed a folded set of clothes over. As she did, she muttered indignantly, "You can't keep your clothes on when you transform. Isn't that basically streaking? The sheep transformation technique is awful!"
"Well, if you're already a sheep, wouldn't it be weirder to wear clothes?" Amamiya replied. "Didn't you say you wanted to know what it'd be like to be a cute little sheep?"
"No way! I definitely don't want that anymore!" Umi shook her head vigorously.
Even if I'm a sheep, just the idea of being naked is too embarrassing!
Though usually unfazed, the gyaru girl wasn't immune to embarrassment. Despite all her experience with mature games, the reality of it was far different from watching from the sidelines.
As they exchanged banter, she cautiously peeked through her fingers, but quickly frowned as she took note of something on Amamiya's back.
"How did you hurt your back?"
"I'm sorry," Shimizu said apologetically, clasping her hands together. "Amamiya-kun jumped down from the third floor. I was worried I might not catch him, so I used a bit too much force."
Umi bit her lip and walked over to examine the bruises on Amamiya's back more closely.
Amamiya waved her off. "I haven't even put my clothes on yet."
"Just put on your shorts," Umi quipped, placing her hands on her hips. "…I already saw everything anyway."
She reached out, her fingers brushing gently over the bruises. "Does it hurt?"
"A little, but it was worth it," Amamiya said, opening his palm to reveal a card with intricate purple edges hovering just above it.