Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

Chiba was carrying a bag.

"Yesterday I tried making cookies following Otsuka's management method. They were chocolate flavored and I used Hokkaido cake flour and Morinaga cocoa powder that I bought at AEON."

She was so serious, as if she were selling a product, that she practically wanted to recite the birth dates and times of the cookie ingredients.

But what surprised Higashiyama Shin the most was that Chiba actually tried cooking?

She never showed any potential to be a kitchen killer, otherwise Higashiyama Shin wouldn't have asked her to help him in the kitchen.

Chiba rarely makes mistakes when he helps out, and he can usually execute tasks meticulously, although it takes a little longer.

He took a closer look at Chiba's fingers; they were still long and smooth, and there was no bandage on them, so it seemed he hadn't been burned.

Given her personality, it would probably take her half a day to make a batch of cookies like this.

This is excluding the possibility of failure.

However, in Chiba's calculations that distinguish quality by weight and by second, there shouldn't be any major mishaps; at most, it will just be slightly lacking in essence.

Without any hesitation, Higashiyama Shin took a piece and tasted it.

Sure enough, it was very ordinary.

It's not that it's bad, but it's definitely not delicious either.

"Different ovens have different temperatures, so you need to experiment gradually. These cookies were a little overbaked, the chocolate tasted a bit bitter, and I probably added too little sugar."

Shin Higashiyama offered an honest critique, smiling as he looked at her.

"But I happen to not like things that are too sweet, so this suits my taste perfectly."

Chiba's slightly tense and aloof expression seemed to relax, as if she had quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I also think it's a bit bitter. Maybe it would taste better with strawberry jam." Chiba even brought a bottle of strawberry jam.

Higashiyama Shin shook his head and took another piece to eat.

He'd rather eat it plain than dip it in overly sweet strawberry jam.

After brushing his teeth, Dongshan came out and saw his brother eating something delicious by himself. He came over and held out his hand: "Brother, are these cookies? Why do they look so bad this time—"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a chill run through his body, as if he were being stared at by some cold gaze, and he involuntarily shivered.

His outstretched hand froze in mid-air. He carefully looked up and met Chiba's seemingly emotionless gaze, confirming the source of that deathly stare.

"Ahem, don't just look at the appearance. When it comes to food, taste is more important." Shin Higashiyama offered him a way out.

"Ah, yes, that's right. If you look closely, these cookies are quite cute." Higashiyama withdrew his hand and carefully sat down.

It's obvious he won't be eating a single cookie. But for him, that's a good thing.

Brother, you've worked hard.

For a time, the brothers were deeply in love.

After eating three pieces, Higashiyama Shin felt a little choked up, but casually put the bag away: "Take the rest to school to eat."

Chiba nodded and sat down to eat his breakfast.

The three set off as usual, and in the lobby, Otsuka reminded them to be careful—she must have seen the news and learned about what happened at Komagome Academy.

The news controversy, after three days of brewing, has not only failed to subside but has shown signs of escalating.

I wouldn't say all of Japan, but at least in Tokyo, people who follow the news are aware of this.

The increased attention also meant more traffic, leading more media outlets to flock to interview the victims' families, school officials, and police officers.

This incident has severely damaged the college's reputation, but the school cannot suspend classes indefinitely, as this would only make hesitant parents feel that the school is unsafe.

Therefore, during the three-day holiday, the school implemented an epic security upgrade, including security gates, high-tech scanners, and 24/7 patrol robots, providing parents with peace of mind.

In addition to the stationed police officers, a group of tall, well-built foreign security personnel were specially recruited, who were fully armed and only lacked real guns.

It's like African mercenaries were brought in as school security guards, and I wonder how much the school board spent on this.

But the effect was remarkable, which reassured many parents who brought their children to school.

If something goes wrong here, it can only mean that it has been invaded by armed forces. Unless a fortress is built, no matter who comes, it won't work.

“Brother, look, that guy’s arm is as thick as my waist.” Dongshan Du exaggeratedly gestured the arm circumference of one of the security guards.

He wasn't the only one who was curious; some younger students carefully maintained a safe distance, huddled together, and pointed at the international security team.

The older students mostly pretended to be indifferent, and then returned to the classroom before eagerly peering out the window.

Although Higashiyama and Chiba were seated by the window, neither of them was interested in that; instead, they were preparing for today's quiz.

This test was actually scheduled for last Friday, but it was postponed to today.

These quizzes don't have much content and can usually be completed in twenty minutes.

Mr. Ikeda appeared as usual, his injured hand wrapped in a bandage. It seemed that the incident that day had not had much impact on his work.

That's normal, because what happened that night really had nothing to do with him, and the police should be able to find out easily.

I wonder where the police investigation is going now, and what choice the section chief will make after learning that the murderer is a ghost story.

In cases like this, even a deep bow of apology is necessary to appease a group of suspects to at least somewhat cover up the situation; otherwise, reports of police inaction will flood the media.

Shaking his head, Shinichi Higashiyama felt it was more appropriate to spend more time thinking about the game.

As long as the Metropolitan Police Department doesn't suspect him, that's enough.

In this respect, Ueda Yasushi can be of great help.

Unfortunately, after a week, he had only seen the spirits of Tetsuro Muto and Yoshi Ueda. He had searched other places with his eyes wide open, but he could not find any other signs of spirits.

From this perspective, it seems that this world must have gone through something that not only led to the loss of magical arts, but also caused almost all the demons and monsters to disappear.

But was it all thanks to the game system that he was able to cultivate the abilities of a Star Master and absorb spiritual energy for his own use?

Or is it that the traditions of others have been corrupted, while his is the purest and unaffected?

Higashiyama Shin's thoughts began to wander.

Chapter 73: Cat Ear Switch

"This isn't about finding anomalies, it's about finding a living father!"

Uesugi Hitomi let out a sigh.

How many gameplay elements did this lousy game just shuffle together?!

It combines mystery, horror, parkour, and stealth with real historical events.

She couldn't fill this bottomless pit even with a hundred lives.

At a certain station, I thought that one light would go out every time a train came by, but the first train turned on one light, the second train turned on two lights, and the third train turned on four lights!

She wouldn't even get to the fourth trip; she'd have to pay for five more.

But perhaps through the experience of dying, she gradually grasped some indescribable thought processes and techniques.

Although I was a day behind other players, I finally made it to Nippori Station.

She suspected there was an unorthodox way to pass the level and decided to try it.

Yes, the fact that many people died doesn't mean she was afraid.

Inequality seconds.

There are so many theories online about the location of Nippori Station on the Yamanote Line. Given that this game likes to reuse real-world history, she felt that this station must have some significance.

If certain conditions are met, you can successfully complete the game through the unorthodox methods.

And she seems to have figured out the key point.

The train slowly arrived at the station, and the doors opened.

Uesugi took a deep breath of the cold air, left the camera on the train seat, and rushed towards the brightly lit passage at the end of the train without looking back.

She had just tried going there with her camera, but the little boy warned her that she couldn't go there.

Then it becomes increasingly difficult to move forward, and eventually, it slowly sinks into darkness.

She knew that the proper way to pass the level was to listen to the little boy and complete the abnormal cycle of filming.

However, the AI's extensive analysis of the significance of Nippori Station on the Yamanote Line, combined with the game's consistent style of blending reality with its narrative, also contributes to this.

This suggests that there must be another way to pass through this site.

That's right! Absolutely! The advantage is on my side, the dragon is in the bag, will we win? We will! Once we win this game, I won't take any more risks...

At this moment, she was imbued with the spirit of countless sages!

Boom!

She felt as if she had stumbled into some other space.

Did it work?!

Before she could even smile, she gradually felt her body slipping out of control. A dark circle appeared around her vision, and she felt her back hunching over. She also noticed a briefcase had appeared in her hand without her realizing it.

Strange... why are my hands black?

The surrounding scenery changed, and on the platform stood countless hunched, jet-black figures just like her.

They all stood there blankly, as if they had lost their souls.

"So that's how the pitch-black humanoid figures came to be..."

Uesugi became uncontrollably sleepy, his eyelids slowly drooped, and he was completely enveloped in darkness.

This was the least painful death she ever suffered.

Like being trapped in a baby's sleep, unable to break free.

"Is it not working? Ugh, another one wasted—wait, what's this?!"

Uesugi rubbed his forehead, slowly sat up, and after uttering a couple of complaints, he noticed that the frame in front of him was different.

You have successfully completed the ending - The Fallen Will.

[Ending Assessment: A regrettable ending; you failed to reach the finish line.]

[First-time completion score: C]

[Final Reward: Ability - Cat Ear Switch (Activating the Cat Ear Switch grants cat abilities such as Lightness, Jumping, Alertness, and Light Sleep)]

[Potential: D, Growth Requirements: Keenness, Fearlessness, Elegance, Growth Abilities: Skill, Cat Form Switching, Nine Lives]

(The ending reward is only available for the first completion of each game, and the first player to complete the game with a perfect ending will receive an additional reward.)

[Entry Reward: Item - Red Paper Doll Amulet (Can mitigate one instance of normal physical damage)]

[You have successfully completed the game once and become a full player. New features are now available.]

[Player Lobby: A platform for registered players to communicate and trade with each other without revealing their identities]

(Note: Tips for clearing the game obtained through communication between players do not count towards the official completion.)

[Points Redemption: After the game ends, a certain number of points will be awarded based on the player's performance (not entirely based on ranking). Players can redeem points for items provided by "Unknown".]

A series of messages popped up in Uesugi's eyes, and she read them carefully for a long time before slowly digesting them.

The rewards from this game were far more terrifying than she had initially imagined.

Judging from the ranking rewards, she initially thought the game was a losing proposition.

But after seeing how this official player was treated, that feeling vanished instantly.

"Aaaaaah!"

Uesugi suddenly pounded his chest, feeling a heartache so intense he could hardly breathe.

She regrets it now, she regrets it terribly.

That was too hasty!

I regret it!

What a terrible AI! It actually guided her to make this decision! You really can't trust stupid AIs!

Without a doubt, the higher the ending score on the first playthrough, the richer the rewards will be.

And she, a renowned horror game expert and relatively unknown game streamer, only received a C-grade ending!