Chapter 2: Kaguya, Could You Be a Little More Dignified?
[I have a dream… to break through the dimensional wall!]
The words floating above the giant snake's head left Natsuki stunned.
A game prompt?
As he focused his gaze, more text materialized above the serpent.
[Name: Greedy Snake]
[Level: LV2]
[Status: Happy, Evolving]
[Note: A greedy snake that doesn't dream of breaking dimensions isn't a good greedy snake.]
"…So it's a Greedy Snake!"
Natsuki's eyes sharpened as the earlier sense of strangeness suddenly made sense.
No wonder this bizarre snake's tail and body were the same thickness, completely defying biological evolution—because it wasn't a real flesh-and-blood creature at all!
"…Amanomiya, what did you just say?"
The icy voice of the girl beside him snapped him back to reality.
"I said it's a Greedy Snake…" Natsuki turned to the composed girl, surprised. "You can't see the words above its head?"
"Hmm?" Kaguya narrowed her eyes at the distant serpent, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "I don't see anything… Has Amanomiya started babbling from fear?"
Natsuki was certain he wasn't hallucinating.
Not only was there text above the Greedy Snake, but now, words had also appeared above the ice-cold girl's head.
[So scary so scary so scary (>_<)]
[I hate snake-like creatures the most! It's so huge—what if it swallows me whole?!]
[Status: Trembling in Fear]
Natsuki: "…"
Damn it, I've been fooled.
The prettier the girl, the better the liar.
I was just admiring your unshakable calm, your ability to remain composed even if Mount Tai collapsed before you—but it was all an act?! Inside, you're already trembling in fear?!
[Note: This player's morale is low. Attributes such as execution, reaction speed, and courage are all reduced. Can be restored by boosting morale.]
"Never mind." Natsuki shook his head, suppressing the urge to retort, then said, "This snake isn't a real creature—it's the snake from the video game Snake... Look closely. No actual snake moves in straight lines without any body undulation."
"Indeed." Kaguya nodded lightly, her tone composed. "Due to their anatomy, snakes typically move in an S-shaped pattern... Its current movement defies the biological laws of serpents."
After a pause, Kaguya asked:
"What is Snake?"
"You've never played it?" Natsuki looked at her in surprise.
"No."
How could you not have even played Snake? Are you some primitive time traveler?
Seemingly sensing the rudeness in Natsuki's gaze, Kaguya replied coldly, "Games are merely cheap entertainment for ordinary people, designed to expend the idle energy of the masses. The Shinomiya family has no need for such frivolities."
"Games are the ninth art! Even if you haven't played them, you shouldn't belittle them. Apologize to gamers worldwide right now!" Natsuki couldn't help but retort before pressing his fingers to his temples and taking a deep breath. "Snake is an electronic game from the last century. The gameplay is simple—control the snake to keep eating, and its body grows longer."
"That Snake's body has already started growing," Natsuki said seriously. "If we just hide for half an hour, it might end up filling the entire room."
Kaguya silently observed the snake, her expression still unreadable. "...Do you have a plan?"
"I do." Natsuki nodded. "In Snake, if the snake's head touches its own body, it 'eats' itself, and the game ends."
"To clear the game, we need to make that Snake's head collide with its body."
Kaguya was quick to understand. "That Snake seems to be chasing food... So, we lure it with bait?"
Natsuki nodded. "That's the only way."
As they spoke, the snake leisurely slithered closer.
With the distance closing, it was clear that the snake had grown several times larger, now surpassing the size of an anaconda.
"Run!" Natsuki decisively commanded. "To that corner."
Unsurprisingly, the basketball-sized transparent orbs on the ground were the snake's food. To execute the bait plan, they needed to choose an empty area devoid of "food" to keep the snake relentlessly pursuing them.
It was evident that as the snake grew, its speed had also increased, making it harder to shake off as before.
The two quickly reached the empty corner where nearby orbs had already been consumed.
"Ugh..."
A muffled groan escaped.
Kaguya, who had likely been preparing for bed, was wearing a nightgown and a pair of dog-shaped slippers.
Slippers were hardly ideal for running. In her haste, her foot slipped, and she nearly fell.
Seeing the half-human-sized serpent closing in behind her, the ice-cold beauty's face paled rapidly. No one could remain composed in such a situation.
Natsuki reacted swiftly, pushing her aside while stepping back himself. The snake passed right between them.
With no nearby orbs left, the snake clearly had no intention of letting them go. After slithering a short distance away, it made a sharp 90-degree turn and headed straight for Natsuki.
Hey, hey—you picked the wrong target, didn't you?
A fragrant girl would surely be more delicious, wouldn't she?
Just as Natsuki was about to run away, he suddenly noticed the snake's body had formed a semi-enclosed shape. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stop and threw the leash over the snake's body to Kaguya:
"Grab the rope. Pull me over later."
"Okay..."
Kaguya quickly understood what Natsuki intended to do. Biting her lower lip, she bent down and tightly grasped the leash.
The two waited nervously.
In just seven or eight seconds, the snake came charging back, targeting Natsuki.
"Pull me over."
Natsuki shouted quickly.
A tugging force came from the other end of the leash, though it was noticeably weak.
Without hesitation, Natsuki resorted to the motivational method he'd just witnessed: "Shinomiya-san, can't you show some backbone?"
"Didn't you eat anything?"
"..."
The force on the leash suddenly intensified.
Using the momentum, Natsuki climbed over the snake's body and swiftly flipped to the other side.
"Thanks."
Natsuki let out a long sigh of relief.
The motivational tactic had worked—instantly rousing the ice-cold girl into action.
Thud.
The snake couldn't turn in time and crashed into its own body, instantly petrifying.
[Game Cleared.]
A cold voice echoed in both their minds.
The next moment.
Natsuki's vision blurred abruptly, and when he regained clarity, he found himself standing on the street outside his home, with an Akita dog sitting obediently in front of him.
"Back already?"
Rubbing his temples, Natsuki struggled to distinguish reality from illusion.
A line of text suddenly appeared in his vision.
[Reward Obtained: The Truth of the World]
[You have received 10 Game Coins]
[Game Store Unlocked]
"There's even a store?"
Natsuki's interest surged, and he was about to check it when barking suddenly reached his ears.
"Woof, woof."
The well-behaved Akita dog abruptly started barking at something ahead.
Following the sound, Natsuki saw a weary-looking salaryman with a briefcase passing by.
That wasn't the important part.
The important part was... What the hell was that twisted black mist coiled around the salaryman?!