[I have a dream... to break through the dimensional wall!]
Seeing the words floating above the giant snake's head, Natsuki was astonished.
A game hint?
As he continued to stare intently, more text materialized above the serpent.
[Name: Snake Game]
[Level: LV2]
[Status: In a pleasant mood, evolving]
[Note: A Snake Game that doesn't want to break through the dimensional wall isn't a good Snake Game]
"...So it's the Snake Game!"
Natsuki's gaze sharpened. The strangeness and wrongness he'd felt before suddenly made sense.
No wonder this bizarre snake's tail was the same thickness as its body, completely defying the standards of biological evolution—because it wasn't a real flesh-and-blood creature at all!
"...Amamiya-kun, what did you just say?"
The ice sculpture girl's cool voice reached his ears.
"I said it's the Snake Game..." Natsuki turned to look at her composed expression and asked in surprise, "You can't see the text above that snake's head?"
"Hm?" Kaguya focused her gaze on the Snake Game at the other end of the room, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "I don't see anything... Amamiya-kun, are you so frightened you've started talking nonsense?"
Natsuki was certain he wasn't talking nonsense.
Now, not only above the Snake Game, but above the ice sculpture girl's head as well, a line of text had quietly appeared.
[So scary so scary so scary (>_<)]
[I hate snakes more than anything. It's so huge—I'd get swallowed whole in one bite!]
[Status: Trembling in fear]
Natsuki: "..."
Damn it, he'd been deceived.
As expected, the prettier the girl, the better she was at fooling people.
Just moments ago he'd been secretly admiring her composure, her ability to remain unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before her. But it was all a facade? Inside, she'd been trembling with fear this whole time!
[Note: This player's morale is low. Execution ability, reaction speed, agility, and courage are all decreased. You can help restore her condition by boosting her morale]
[Recommended method: "...Shinomiya-san, can you show a little backbone?"]
"It's nothing." Natsuki shook his head, suppressing his urge to make a retort. Then he continued, "That snake isn't a real creature—it's the Snake Game from video games... Look carefully. No real snake moves in straight lines like that, with its body completely rigid."
"Indeed." Kaguya nodded lightly, her tone composed. "Due to their body structure, snakes typically move in an S-shaped pattern... The way this one moves certainly doesn't conform to the biological principles of serpents."
After a pause, she asked another question.
"What is the Snake Game?"
"You've never played it?" Natsuki looked at her in astonishment.
"No."
She'd never even played the Snake Game? Was she some kind of primitive person who'd traveled through time?!
Perhaps sensing Natsuki's rude gaze, Kaguya's voice turned cold. "Games are merely a cheap form of entertainment for ordinary people, designed to burn off the excess energy commoners have nowhere else to release. Members of the Shinomiya family have no need to play them."
"Games are the ninth art form! Even if you haven't played them, you shouldn't look down on them! Hurry up and apologize to gamers around the world!" Natsuki couldn't help but retort. Then he pressed his fingers to his brow and took a deep breath. "The Snake Game is a video game from the last century. The gameplay is simple—you control a snake that keeps eating things, and the snake's body grows larger and larger."
His expression turned serious. "That snake's body has already started growing. If we just try to hide for thirty minutes, by the end the snake will probably fill the entire room."
Kaguya silently gazed at the Snake Game, her face still betraying no emotion. "...Do you have a plan?"
"I do." Natsuki nodded. "In the Snake Game, the snake can't touch its own body. Otherwise, it eats itself and the game ends."
"To clear this game, we need to find a way to make that snake's head collide with its body."
Kaguya was quite intelligent. "That snake seems to be chasing after food... So, we lure it with bait?"
Natsuki nodded. "That's our only option."
As they spoke, the Snake Game leisurely glided toward them from across the room.
As the distance closed, they could clearly see that the snake's body had grown noticeably larger—several times bigger than before, already exceeding the maximum size of any real anaconda.
"Run!"
Natsuki made an instant decision. "Head for that corner."
If his guess was correct, the transparent orbs of light scattered across the floor were the snake's food. To execute their bait plan, they needed to choose an empty area with no "food," forcing the snake to pursue them relentlessly.
He noticed that as the snake grew larger, its speed had also increased noticeably. It wouldn't be as easy to shake off as before.
The two quickly ran to an empty corner where all the nearby orbs had already been consumed.
"Mm..."
A stifled groan escaped.
Kaguya had apparently been about to go to bed—she was wearing a dress-style nightgown, and on her feet were a pair of puppy slippers.
Slippers were naturally unsuited for running. In her haste, her foot slipped, and she was about to tumble to the ground.
Seeing the giant snake behind her—now almost half as tall as a person—the ice sculpture girl's pretty face rapidly paled. No one could remain unfazed in such a moment.
Natsuki's reflexes were sharp. He shoved the ice sculpture girl aside while simultaneously stepping backward himself. The Snake Game passed right between them.
The nearby energy orbs had all been consumed. The snake clearly wasn't about to let them go. After gliding a short distance away, it made a sharp ninety-degree turn and came straight for Natsuki.
Hey, hey, you picked the wrong target, didn't you?
Wouldn't a sweet-smelling girl be more appetizing?!
Natsuki was about to run when he suddenly noticed the snake's body had formed a partial box shape. He took a deep breath, forced himself to stop, and tossed his leash over the snake's body to Kaguya.
"Grab the rope. Pull me over when the time comes."
"Okay..."
Kaguya quickly understood what he was trying to do. Biting her lower lip, she bent down and gripped the leash tightly.
The two waited tensely.
After only seven or eight seconds, the Snake Game came back around, heading straight for Natsuki.
"Pull me over!"
Natsuki shouted.
A tugging force came through the other end of the leash—though it was noticeably weak.
Natsuki made a snap decision and called out the encouragement method he'd seen earlier. "Shinomiya-san, can you show a little backbone?"
"Did you skip breakfast or something?"
"..."
The force on the leash suddenly intensified.
Using the momentum, Natsuki vaulted over the snake's body and quickly tumbled to the other side.
"Thanks."
He exhaled in relief.
The encouragement method really worked—it had instantly boosted the ice sculpture girl back to full capacity.
THUD.
The Snake Game couldn't turn in time. It crashed directly into its own body and instantly turned to stone.
[Game Cleared]
A cold voice echoed in both their minds.
The next moment.
Natsuki felt his vision suddenly blur. When he regained awareness, he was standing on the street outside his home. An Akita sat obediently before him.
"I'm back?"
He pressed his fingers to his brow, momentarily unable to distinguish reality from illusion.
A line of text suddenly appeared in his vision.
[You have received the reward: The World's True Nature]
[You have received 10 Game Coins]
[The Game Shop has been unlocked]
"There's even a shop?"
Natsuki's interest was piqued. He was about to open it when barking suddenly reached his ears.
"Woof woof."
The Akita, which had been sitting obediently, suddenly started barking frantically at something ahead.
Natsuki followed the sound. A corporate drone with an exhausted face, briefcase in hand, was passing by on his way home from work.
That wasn't important.
What was important... was the twisted black mist coiled around the salaryman's body!