The twisted black figure vaguely resembled a woman.
Its body was hazy, like drifting mist.
Empty eye sockets oozed blood, and long, clawed hands hung limply to the ground...
"…What the hell is that?!"
Staring at the grotesque monster clinging to the office worker, Amamiya Natsuki felt his stomach churn.
The snake was scary, sure—but at least it made some kind of sense.
This? This was a direct assault on his sanity.
"Wait—"
As Natsuki stared, a line of text slowly appeared above the twisted monster's head:
[Low-Level Ghost]
[Status: Chaotic, Distorted]
[Reminder: Please do not let it know you can see it]
"It's happening again..." Natsuki covered one eye, deep in thought. "Back in that weird game, Shinomiya Kaguya didn't seem to see any of the system prompts. Could it be that… I'm the only one who can see these things?"
One thing was certain.
He had never seen anything like this before in his life.
"So… this is what they meant by 'seeing the truth of the world'?"
Vengeful spirits really existed—but normal people just couldn't see them. And now, thanks to clearing that creepy game, he'd unlocked the ability to perceive them.
What kind of cursed reward is this?!
This wasn't a blessing—it was a nightmare!
And then—
As if it had felt Natsuki's gaze, the ghost clinging to the office worker slowly detached itself and turned.
It twisted its deformed body and began walking toward him.
"Should I run?"
A bead of cold sweat slid down Natsuki's temple, but he resisted the urge to bolt.
No. He couldn't.
Running now would expose him. And he had a strong feeling that being "exposed" to this thing would be… very bad.
Instinct clashed with the ominous warning in the system prompt—but in the end, Natsuki chose to believe the system.
"Woof! Woof!"
His loyal Akita took one look at the ghost and fled with its tail between its legs, barking wildly as it disappeared into the distance.
You traitor! Weren't dogs supposed to be man's best friend?!
As Natsuki cursed internally, the ghost arrived right in front of him.
"…Can you see me?"
A hollow, distorted voice rasped through the air, sending shivers down his spine.
Natsuki clenched his facial muscles, keeping his expression neutral. Without looking at the ghost, he squatted down and began to tie his shoelaces again.
"My shoelaces came undone again," he muttered.
The ghost bent over, tilting its head unnaturally as it stared at him with those empty, bottomless sockets.
"Can you see… see me?"
Natsuki focused on his shoelaces.
Not only can I see you, I can see you perfectly clearly. But only an idiot would admit it right now!
"Can you see…?"
The ghost continued to whisper.
Natsuki kept tying.
"Damn it, I tied it into a knot…"
If you've got all day to hover over me, then I've got all day to mess with my laces!
"…Can't see… can't see…"
After a long pause, the ghost finally turned and drifted away in disappointment.
"Phew…"
Watching from the corner of his eye, Natsuki waited until the ghost had completely left before exhaling in relief.
What the hell even was that?!
A while later.
Walking his dog past a convenience store, Natsuki stopped abruptly.
Inside the store were three twisted ghosts, quietly lurking among the shelves.
He turned around and left without a word.
"That's enough walking for today. We're going home."
The number of vengeful spirits was far greater than he'd imagined.
But oddly enough, no one else seemed to notice them—except for him.
Which raised a question:
Could Kaguya Shinomiya—his "teammate" from that game—also see them?
She did receive the same reward…
Meanwhile.
The Shinomiya estate.
Kaguya Shinomiya huddled beneath her blankets, trembling, tears brimming in her eyes.
(Aaaaahhh! What was that thing?! Why was there something that terrifying next to Hayasaka?!!)
Back at Natsuki's home.
After returning and taking a bath, Natsuki sat down in his room and opened the game store interface again, sighing in dismay.
This store is... so pitiful it makes me want to cry.
He'd discovered the shop during his shoelace-tying act earlier. At the time, he was actually looking forward to browsing through it.
But reality was harsh.
The game store was completely bare—no gacha mechanics, no recharge options—just one single item:
[Item Name: Daily Blind Box]
[Price: 10 Game Coins]
[Description: Upon opening, you will receive a random item. May contain props, abilities, attributes, or vengeful spirits. Top-tier reward: Divine Authority.]
[Note: Probability details are undisclosed. Blind boxes reset at midnight. You may also refresh manually for 10 coins, with no limit.]
...Why are vengeful spirits even an option?!
How is that a "gift"?!
If he pulled a vengeful spirit from this thing, he'd have nowhere to cry!
"So… should I pull it or not?"
Natsuki felt the temptation rising.
No one could resist a blind box—not when there was a chance, however small, of receiving godlike power.
Sure, the odds were terrible—but what if?
What if he got lucky and pulled Divine Authority in one shot?
Someone out there had to win the jackpot. Why not him?
He was still hesitating when a line of text suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Tip: The screams of vengeful spirits echo within the blind box…]
"…Yeah, no thanks."
Natsuki promptly gave up on buying it.
Still…
His ability to see text hints—did it let him preview what was inside blind boxes too?
Exhausted, Natsuki closed the store interface and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning.
Natsuki awoke to the sound of his alarm clock.
It was Monday—time for school again.
He got up, dressed, and walked over to his window. Opening it, he was greeted by golden sunlight and cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Spring was here.
After washing up, Natsuki made his way to the fridge, planning to grab a carton of milk.
He opened the door—
—and came face-to-face with a ghost's head, nestled in the fridge, drooling mist from its jagged, fang-filled mouth.
Bang!
He slammed the door shut.
"…I'm not thirsty anymore."
Taking a deep breath, Natsuki reopened the game store and checked the blind box.
"It should've refreshed by now. Let's see what's inside…"
As he focused on the screen, a line of text emerged above the box:
[Tip: This blind box contains power that evil spirits fear.]
Natsuki's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he spent his points and purchased the blind box.
A second later, he felt a slight weight in his palm—a small, shimmering cube had appeared.
He opened it.
A soft chime rang in his ears.
[You opened the Daily Lucky Blind Box.]
[You obtained a basic aura: Evil Spirits Retreat.]
[Description: Passive ability. No cost. Repels vengeful spirits within a 5-meter radius.]
"…A bit short-ranged, and kind of weak," Natsuki muttered, but still turned back to the fridge. "You think hiding in my fridge is funny? Begone!"
After a quiet breakfast, Natsuki slung his bag over his shoulder and headed to school.
Just as he stepped outside, the front door of the house next door opened.
A sleepy-looking girl with long, straight black hair emerged, covering her mouth as she yawned.
Dark circles sat faintly beneath her eyes.
"Good morning, Miko."