Chapter 24

Walking into the safety staircase, the steps stretched endlessly upward and downward in a spiral. A faint stench lingered in the air, making Niino Li furrow his brow.

The lighting here, influenced by the sky outside, felt eerie, causing Niino Li to ask: "Where's this Ghost Spirit you mentioned?"

Minazawa Yuu silently pointed to a corner of the ceiling—

A gaunt Ghost Spirit, its head encased in a filthy plastic bag, emitted thick, churning black mist from its emaciated frame; its pale eyeballs occasionally bulged out of hollow sockets.

"It's you," Minazawa Yuu whispered, removing the Red Bracelet from her left wrist and holding it toward the Ghost Spirit.

The Red Bracelet seemed to contain some mysterious power, drawing the Ghost Spirit to inch closer involuntarily.

When the distance reached a critical point, the Ghost Spirit on the ceiling let out a piercing shriek, then dissolved into smoke, vanishing in the sunlight streaming through the window.

"What kind of bracelet is that? Why didn't you use it when we dealt with the Bug Grudge before?" Niino Li, having witnessed the bracelet's effect, grew curious.

Compared to having to injure himself every time to replace the "Unknown Entity" that even the system couldn't handle, he envied Minazawa Yuu's collection of items capable of dispelling Ghost Spirits.

The sensation of vital organs being destroyed, life slowly draining away—

Niino Li never wanted to experience it again.

"It's probably something infused with Spiritual Power. My elders knew I liked exploring, so they got it blessed at Kamiya Shrine for protection," Minazawa Yuu said, her beautiful eyes turning toward Niino Li.

"Doesn't this make you look more like a shrine maiden than when you were holding that spear?"

According to family, this bracelet's effect leans more toward Spiritual Protection and isn't suited to be a Spiritual Artifact for exorcising demons like the shrine's deity.

Thus, Minazawa Yuu only uses it on rare occasions.

"Meh. More like a general holding prayer beads," Niino Li replied, his expression unchanged from what Minazawa Yuu expected—calm, unflinching.

"You're going to have zero luck with women," Minazawa Yuu muttered, her cheeks slightly flushed as she slipped the Red Bracelet back onto her wrist.

"It doesn't matter."

"That's too much!" Seeing Niino Li still unrepentant, Minazawa Yuu shoved open the iron door of the safety staircase and stormed ahead in a huff.

When she first heard his name, she'd felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity—as if she'd seen him somewhere before.

So that night after dealing with the mantis and parting ways, she'd searched online for the person behind the name Niino Li and gathered related information.

But most of it appeared in reports about the High School Art Competition, with only partial text and descriptions of winning works, leading her to suspect he'd made it up—

His demeanor and speech didn't match the profile of a high school student in the article.

Only today did Minazawa Yuu finally confirm his identity.

Should she call it a damned coincidence?

"Excuse me, Minazawa-san, did you see any other Ghost Spirits on your way to the library?" Niino Li remembered the humanoid silhouette he'd seen earlier, quickened his steps, and caught up to ask.

This school was filled with oddities—

Animal Residual Hatred on Nohara's shoulder, Ghostly Presence before the flowerbed, the ceiling of the safety staircase in the library...

The number was several times what he'd seen in the residential district.

But since none triggered the system's quest, it meant those Ghost Spirits were weak—at most capable of scaring people and unsettling students' moods.

"Other Ghost Spirits? No. I only came because I heard someone in class say that late at night, the library stairs sometimes show the Spiral Staircase Phenomenon."

Minazawa Yuu shrugged, indicating she didn't know. Hearing no response behind her, she turned back to look at Niino Li, now silent.

"Did you find another Ghost Spirit?"

"Maybe..." Niino Li offered no further explanation, only smiled at Minazawa Yuu.

If he got tangled in urban legends on his first day, how could he ever maintain a calm, happy school life?

Whether Ghost Spirits or urban legends—so long as they didn't come after him, he didn't care.

Niino Li's current goals were clear and simple: blend into this school, then submit his manga to publishers.

His gaze drifted toward the increasing number of students on the second-floor corridor, each face relaxed and carefree, as if unaware of what trouble meant.

"I'm heading back. Bye," Minazawa Yuu turned, waving over her shoulder; her black short hair fluttered, then settled back on her shoulders, the Red Bracelet swaying gently against her pale, slender wrist.

Actually, it suited her well.

Back in Class 2-2, Niino Li still didn't initiate conversation with anyone, resuming his seat in silence.

"Niino-kun, Xiao Ze Shuangye asked you to go to the Art Club room after school," said a boy sitting by the classroom door. He slipped his phone into his pocket and walked over.

After school, go to the Art Club room?

Niino Li paused, then remembered what Izawa Ayane had mentioned about the upcoming match against Tokyo Double Ocean High School's Art Club.

He'd been so focused on deciding where to submit his manga that he'd forgotten entirely.

"Thanks, I got it," Niino Li offered a polite smile.

"O-oh, okay," the boy raised an eyebrow, stunned by his reaction.

This guy actually smiled and said thank you?

Watching the boy return to his seat and dramatically recount what he'd just witnessed, Niino Li sighed inwardly, lowering his head to resume reading.

Afternoon classes ended even sooner than expected.

Following the school map, Niino Li reached the Art Club's dedicated classroom.

As a major category in the arts—and having repeatedly achieved outstanding results in municipal and National High School Art League competitions—the Art Club naturally earned the right to its own dedicated room.

Niino Li tapped lightly on the door. Only after a gritted-teeth "Come in" came from inside did he push the door open.

The room was spacious. To the right, a corner was neatly stacked with easels, a table holding sculpted heads, and various art supplies. On the left, a few students sat scattered, practicing their skills.

The air carried a faint scent of Pencil Dust.

"Niino-kun, when did you become so punctual?"

A young, beautiful, mature woman crossed her arms and met Niino Li's gaze.

"Just bored now that school just started."

She didn't press further, instead pulling Niino Li out of the classroom into a room saturated with Artistic Atmosphere, gesturing for him to sit.

"Izawa Ayane probably told you already—do you have any concrete ideas for next Saturday's competition?" Xiao Ze Shuangye asked, one leg draped over the other.

"I plan to use seven paintings to express a single theme, each connected to the others yet stylistically distinct, so no one will suspect they all come from the same hand." Niino Li had anticipated this already.

"Not bad! Looks like we're really going all out this time." Xiao Ze Shuangye smiled, looking at Niino Li with satisfaction: "Then I leave this matter entirely in your hands."

"No problem, but I have one more personal question I'd like to ask Teacher Xiao Ze."