Chapter 10: Ivywood Girls’ Academy (10)

"Hello, is this seat taken?" Yulia approached Rowan with her tray.

Rowan looked up at her and shook his head, so Yulia sat down beside him.

She waited for Rowan to ask her something—at least why she chose to sit there—but he kept his head down, eating without sparing her an extra glance.

Yulia cleared her throat. "Aren't you going to ask why I'm sitting here?"

Rowan glanced at her. "Oh, should I? Fine, why are you sitting here?"

Yulia: "…I wanted to ask you something."

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to ask?"

"Do you have an identity?"

Rowan didn't answer right away. Instead, he smiled. "What do you think?"

Yulia frowned but then switched topics. "Are you part of an organization outside?"

"Organization?" The word piqued Rowan's interest, and he turned to face Yulia, waiting for her to explain.

Yulia nodded. "Wherever humans exist, there will always be those who form associations and organizations. Even in the gods' horror game, it's no exception… Um, may I ask, do you currently have a divine sponsor?"

Rowan stared at her, blinking as if to say, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Yulia explained, "There's a live broadcast system where every god can become your sponsor. If we perform well, they might gift us items or even grant us blessings and abilities."

"Oh?" Rowan picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks. "So we're just zoo animals, then?"

Though the analogy was unsettling, it was accurate.

"And what does that have to do with organizations?" Rowan brought the topic back.

Yulia replied, "N-no… nothing. Actually, I wanted to tell you that organizations exist to help us survive in this horror game. We share clues and intelligence about different instances, though some key clues can't be shared due to game restrictions. But a portion of information can still be exchanged. I have clues about this instance—do you want to know them?"

A faint smirk played at Rowan's lips. He bit down on the raw meat, its juices bursting with a bloody tang, momentarily merging with the red in his eyes.

He stood up suddenly, laughing as he leaned toward her. "Interesting. Tell me."

Yulia let out a quiet breath. When she heard Rowan laugh, she had thought he was going to refuse. After all, this person seemed… off.

If it weren't for the message from the god she served, she wouldn't have approached Rowan in the first place.

"Rowan, you know that organizational clues aren't given out freely. If you agree to join us after leaving this game, then I'll share the information with you."

"Heh, sure."

Even though Rowan had agreed, Yulia felt like he wasn't sincere. She took out a small purple stone. "This is our organization's token. Once you leave this game, they will sense your presence."

Hunting Falcon Organization Contact Stone.

Rowan smiled as he accepted it.

To him, this stone was nothing more than a tracking device.

And if he broke his word? What would happen then?

Funny—he didn't mind deceiving a liar. So without hesitation, he accepted the invitation.

Because, after all, it wasn't real acceptance. He was just curious to see what would happen next.

The moment he took the stone, an alert popped up, confirming that his location could now be sensed. For now, he couldn't get rid of it.

"Here, this is the clue." Yulia handed him a single leaf.

Rowan's eyebrows arched as he examined it.

Catching the brief flicker of doubt in his eyes, Yulia assured him, "Don't worry, clues can't be faked. In this horror game, every clue looks like this. If you don't believe me, you can check with the system."

Just as she said, the system recognized the leaf as a 'Clue of Ivywood Girls' Academy'.

If there's a 'one,' there must be a two, a three…

Rowan didn't say much. After storing the leaf away, he left.

Watching his figure disappear, Yulia bit her thumb in thought.

—

Rowan entered a secluded alleyway to examine the message on the leaf.

"Clue of Ivywood Girls' Academy: Everyone is a child, though only a few remember."

It was only a short sentence, yet in that moment, Rowan understood everything.

Yulia likely had access to multiple clues, but she wouldn't share the most valuable ones with him.

Something like this—vague and cryptic—would cost her nothing to hand over.

No one brings up those two questions without reason.

Rather than her recruitment attempt, Rowan was more inclined to believe she was probing for information.

Divine sponsorship.

In a horror game where everyone was a villain, would the gods favor players who managed to stay pure?

Or would they prefer the ones who embodied true, unrelenting evil?

—

The academy's clock tolled. Six o'clock had arrived. The warm sunset dimmed, casting twilight across the hills.

Night was approaching.

As the bell rang out, a loud thud echoed across the campus.

Another student had jumped.

From the fifth floor, a body plummeted straight down. A splash of blackened blood burst upon impact, forming a crater of gore. Severed limbs scattered, bones shattered. The student's twisted face stared up with empty, hollow eyes.

Aside from the gasps and screams from a few players, none of the other students reacted.

Rowan looked at the corpse, then casually walked toward it.

"What the hell is he doing?! Is he insane?" A player standing on the corridor pointed at Rowan in disbelief.

Evening self-study was about to begin. Some players had just returned from the cafeteria and immediately noticed Rowan's actions, while others, still in the classrooms, rushed out upon hearing the commotion.

Rowan crouched beside the corpse and reached out his hand. The moment his fingers touched the cold, lifeless skin, the watching players nearly lost their minds.

He's actually touching it?!

Feeling the icy texture against his fingertips, Rowan straightened up and looked toward the crowd. A playful smirk tugged at his lips.

Softly, he murmured, "She was already dead before she jumped."

At that instant, a chilling wind swept through the campus, making the air unnervingly cold.

Silence fell.

It was so quiet that if a needle dropped, it would echo through the stillness.

Suddenly, a scream erupted.

"Holy sh**t! A monster—AAAHHHH!"