"So what exactly is 'Cancer of the Earth'?" Fujiwara Chika puffed up her cheeks and blurted out, "It's way too much to give a girl such a title!"
"It's really excessive."
Amamiya Natsuki glanced at the evaluation title the game had given her.
The Evil of This World?
I'm an honest, law-abiding player—and a newcomer playing the game for only the second time. How could I possibly be the evil of the world?
Something shady must be going on!
"Hey, wait," Fujiwara Chika suddenly leaned forward, eyes wide, staring at Shinomiya Kaguya. "That 'weak and helpless Kaguya-hime' must be Kaguya-chan, right?"
"Not me."
Shinomiya Kaguya's face was blank.
Chika pressed on eagerly, "Kaguya-chan is so powerful, why would the game call her weak and helpless?"
(…How should I know!)
Kaguya bit her lower lip, telling herself to ignore it, but it was useless.
As expected, she cared a lot.
I, Kaguya Shinomiya, a genius lady, how am I called a loser?
It's unfair!
Though unwilling to admit it, Kaguya kept her composure and said calmly, "You should be more worried about the wanted status."
Amamiya Natsuki had already glanced at the game log without her reminder.
[Your actions have caused public outrage. You have been jointly reported by many resentful students and are now wanted.]
[You cannot leave the game world while wanted.]
[Your location will refresh every ten minutes.]
[Wanted duration: 30 minutes]
Natsuki frowned.
I haven't done anything harmful, so why am I wanted by the entire school?
Those resentful ghosts reporting me—don't they feel guilty?
They became vengeful spirits but still complain to the school? Their mental quality is terrible!
"Hey, can't we go back?"
Fujiwara Chika also finished reading and got nervous. "Class is about to start. Teacher Kirisu is super scary. It'd be awful to be late."
"What you should worry about is survival, not being late or standing in the corner as punishment," Amamiya Natsuki grumbled.
At that moment, the cold, hoarse voice came through the campus radio again:
"The current location of the three players is the east corridor on the second floor of the teaching building."
With those words, the lifeless Ghost Academy suddenly stirred.
Behind them, the doors and windows of the death exam classroom rattled. Banging sounds and roars echoed, as if resentful students who failed the exam were trying to break free.
"Run!"
Amamiya Natsuki made a snap decision and hissed low.
Since we can't leave, find somewhere to hide for ten minutes.
No matter what, Natsuki would not wait idly for death.
The two girls followed instinctively.
"Amamiya-san, where are we going?" Fujiwara Chika asked anxiously.
Natsuki's mind was unusually clear.
"You can't stay in open places like corridors or the playground. Find a secluded spot and hide for ten minutes."
"How about the rooftop?" Shinomiya Kaguya suggested calmly.
"I agree!" Fujiwara's eyes sparkled. "Students aren't allowed on the rooftop. No one would expect us to hide there."
They hurried down the corridor toward the stairs—but suddenly, Amamiya Natsuki's eyes caught a pair of blood-red high-heeled shoes coming down from above. Only legs were visible, clad in a blue-and-white cheongsam.
Honestly, the legs were attractive—but empty legs were terrifying.
Da da da.
Each step felt like the sound of stepping on his heart—terrifying and heavy.
[Danger! Danger! Danger!]
[This path is blocked. Stay away from Leg Fairy immediately!]
The warning flashed vividly, and Natsuki was sure the word "Danger" hovered above their heads in huge letters.
He took a deep breath, stopped suddenly, grabbed Shinomiya and Fujiwara by the arms, and whispered, "Stop here."
Behind them came messy footsteps—resentful students who failed the exam were chasing.
With a wolf ahead and a tiger behind, Natsuki stayed calm and pulled the girls into the nearest bathroom at the corridor's corner.
"Hide in the stalls. Don't speak."
He slipped into a cubicle first.
Shinomiya and Fujiwara exchanged glances and hid together in another.
Outside, heavy footsteps neared the window.
Suddenly, a terrified apology rang out, and the sound of pursuit vanished like the wind.
Da da da.
The sharp clicking of high heels echoed, then faded away.
Now Natsuki had a moment to observe the bathroom.
"When I came in, I noticed something missing on the wall… This must be the women's restroom."
No matter.
To survive, they'd break into the women's restroom without hesitation—bathhouse or not.
The bathroom was surprisingly clean and smelled fresh. The lights were dim and flickering, giving a gloomy atmosphere.
Random scribbles and strange symbols covered the stall doors—names, graffiti, and cryptic marks. Nothing seemed particularly special.
As Natsuki pondered his next move, Fujiwara's voice suddenly came from the neighboring stall:
"Ah, thank you."
Then Shinomiya's serious voice called, "…Amamiya-san?"
"I'm here," Natsuki replied.
"Eh? Why are you in the left stall?"
"I was in the left one. What about you?"
Shinomiya said, "Someone just handed me two candies from the right stall—one red, one blue."
Natsuki smirked slightly.
"Did Fujiwara-san eat them?"
"Of course not!" Fujiwara answered quickly. "This is a bathroom. How could I eat candy here?"
Bathroom candy?
Apparently, quite a few people hide here to eat.
Natsuki asked, "Then why did you say thank you just now?"
"I took them," Fujiwara whispered. "I thought they were from you, so I took them subconsciously."
Even if it was candy from me, you should've politely refused. Even kids know not to accept candy from strangers—especially in a bathroom.
I thought this restroom was 'safe,' but it seems not.
"You two come out first. We'll talk."
"Okay."
Seconds later, Fujiwara suddenly panicked.
"The stall door won't open!"
Natsuki pushed the door—it opened easily.
Stepping out, he looked around.
Shinomiya and Fujiwara were in the second to last stall; the unknown candy-giver was in the last one.
So the locked door must be linked to taking candy.
"Put out your hand. Let me see the candy."
A pale, translucent hand stretched out from the second-to-last stall. The skin was snow-white, as if soaked in milk—fragrant and sweet, like Cancer of the Earth. In the palm were two candies of different colors.
At the same time, a hand also extended from the last stall, but the skin was pale and bloodless…