[Library Student Regulations]
Entry/Exit: Students must use their ID cards to enter or exit the library. Those without cards are prohibited.
Noise Control: Maintain silence. Do not disturb others.
Fire Safety: Flammable items (lighters, cigarettes, etc.) are banned. Surrender such items at the front desk upon entry.
Book Usage: Books may only be read within the library unless borrowed in advance. Unauthorized removal will result in severe penalties and a permanent ban.
Restricted Books:
"Valuable Books" cannot be borrowed.
"Archival Books" require special permission.
Loan Periods: 3, 5, or 7 days. Late returns:
3 violations: Borrowing privileges revoked.
7+ days overdue: Fines apply regardless of return status. Permanent ban.
Borrower Responsibility: Do not share borrowed books. Any damage/loss is the borrower's fault.
The moment Takakai stepped into the library, his eyes landed on the new set of rules posted on the wall.
Instinctively, he glanced at Yotsuya Miko—only to remember the dungeon's cognitive block. Even if she could see a hidden rule set, he wouldn't be able to understand her explanation.
This dungeon's info-blocking is brutal for teamwork.
To counter it, he needed a mental link with Miko—something only the [Key of All Things] could provide. The black wristwatch's power transcended dungeon rules, ensuring unimpeded communication.
But there was a catch.
The link could only be forged in the Crimson City—after death.
During Fujika Middle School, his bond with Miko hadn't been strong enough. At Shirasawa Elementary, he'd prioritized retaining memories over establishing new links.
Now, though?
Fujiwara Chika: Link guaranteed.
Yotsuya Miko: Already a half-guest of the Crimson City. No issues.
Hayasaka Ai: Their relationship had been… opportunistic, but a link should still form.
If he died in this dungeon—when he died—he'd need to establish links with all three, consuming 4 of his 10 resurrection slots in one go.
A reckless move in earlier dungeons.
But now?
His watch's recovery rate had accelerated to one slot per nine days.
As he approached Maki's table, he checked the watch.
The sole needle pointed to [1].
After clearing Shirasawa Elementary, absorbing the fragmented anomalies and residual obsessions had replenished it to [2]. The influx of low-grade obsessions—though nearly mindless—had further boosted its regeneration. By the second day back in the real world, it had ticked to [1].
One more day, and it would reset to [0].
This dungeon's anomalies are all hidden. A long haul.
But with the watch's auto-recovery, he could afford to grind—repeating deaths, erasing memories, and brute-forcing solutions.
Last resort, though.
For now, he'd make the most of his first life.
{Takakai: Status?}
Sitting beside Maki, he activated the mental link.
{Shijou Maki: No breakthroughs. We've barely scratched the surface. You three sweep the shelves for anything odd.}
Maki nodded subtly, then tore pages from her notebook, handing them to Takakai, Miko, and Ai along with pens.
"Stay cautious," she scribbled before returning to her stack.
Takakai motioned for the others to follow, and the trio moved into the shelves.
They stuck together—no solo excursions.
The library's flooring muffled footsteps to near silence.
Under the sterile white lights, the towering shelves loomed like monoliths.
Dorm room faces… the Occult Club flyer… bathroom voices…
Every area so far had shown some anomaly.
What about here?
Rustle—
He flipped through a book.
Just as Maki described—gibberish. Misprinted pages, disjointed paragraphs, abrupt cuts.
Cookbooks. Horror novels. Academic texts. Even genres he couldn't identify.
Twenty minutes later, he'd found nothing usable.
First time hitting a complete dead end.
Beside him, Ai methodically scanned another shelf. Same result.
Maybe books aren't the answer.
As Kaguya's attendant, Ai was no stranger to convoluted problems. (Her mistress's recent romantic incompetence had forced her to get creative.)
Now, she treated this stalemate as another puzzle.
Morning investigations yielded zero leads. Only Gotou Hitori's solo incident hinted at danger.
Hitori's case suggested "standing out"—whether through solitude or supernatural actions—triggered hostility.
Japan's "atmosphere" (雰囲気) and the school's core obsessions—Asamoto Eriko and Morihara Yukiharu—both victims of bullying.
Conclusion: To uncover the dungeon's secrets, they needed to locate the invisible "atmosphere."
But how?
Click.
As she reshelved a blank book, her eyes caught movement—or rather, the lack of it.
Through the gaps, she spotted feet on the other side.
Unmoving.
Abnormal.
The mimic-students mimicked living behavior flawlessly. None would stand frozen for twenty minutes.
Her trained eyes noted the exact positioning:
Left foot: 1.07 cm from tile pattern.
Right foot: 4.23 cm apart, 57.4° angle.
Zero deviation.
Not a student.
She tapped Takakai and Miko, signaling a discovery.
Guided by Ai, they edged toward the shelf's end—Takakai ready to summon [Rescue Team Members] at a moment's notice.
Ai lunged around the corner—
Empty.
Gone?
Frustrated, she returned to the original spot.
The gap now showed nothing.
Meanwhile, Takakai's brow furrowed.
His [Rescue Team Badge] had just relayed a notification:
Team Member "Old Guo"—deployed to scout the main building—had been eliminated.