Chapter 128: Odd Changes, Evens Remain Unchanged

"It seems the ghost captain isn't in a rush to catch us," Amamiya said, glancing back at the dark, ominous corridor before letting out a soft sigh. "The plan remains the same. We continue searching for the remaining two keys."

"But where could the keys be?" Umi still felt lost. "I have no clue."

Amamiya responded, "We found the mysterious parchment in the captain's room, and that unlucky girl found a key in her room... What if it wasn't just coincidence?"

A realization struck Hayasaka, as if a flash of lightning had cut through the fog in her mind. She blurted out, "I get it."

"If it's not coincidence, then the game did it on purpose. The rooms where players 'land' aren't random—they hold special significance."

Seeing that Umi still seemed confused, Hayasaka explained further, "Basically, the remaining keys are probably in the rooms where other players started."

Umi put her hand on her waist as it dawned on her, "Ah, I see."

"Exactly," Amamiya nodded. "So, if we find the other hidden players, we should be able to get the keys."

"Wait," Umi realized something. "That means we not only have to play hide-and-seek with the ghost captain but also with the other players." She couldn't help but complain.

Amamiya nodded, "That's right."

"But hold on a minute," Umi quickly added, "there are so many rooms on this ghost ship. Even if we search one by one, it'll take forever, right?"

"And what if we run into the ghost captain again while we're searching?"

Hayasaka pressed her pink lips together, frowning in thought. Without the threat of the ghost captain, they could methodically search every room, and eventually, they'd find the hidden players.

But right now, that wasn't an option.

The ghost captain might grow bored of this game of cat and mouse, and next time they encountered him, he might not hesitate to rush in and end the game.

So... what could they do?

The spy maid glanced up at Amamiya, seeking a solution.

"It's quite simple," Amamiya smiled. "We'll exchange secret codes."

"Huh?"

"We can use codes that only we players know—codes that the monsters wouldn't recognize. For example..." Amamiya stepped up to a door, knocked lightly, and said, "Symbols look at quadrants?"

"Wait, what's that?" Umi's eyes widened in surprise. "I've never heard of that code."

"It's just an example," Amamiya said calmly. "Any code would work, like 'There are two trees in front of my house—one is a jujube tree, and the other is also a jujube tree.'"

"That code is even stranger!" Umi exclaimed.

"…"

Once they agreed on their secret communication method, the trio moved quickly into action.

"I'll knock and give the signal. You two keep watch," Umi volunteered, moving to the next door. She knocked lightly and said the code, "I'll always love Sai Asuka-chan."

"…"

After a few moments of silence with no response from inside, Amamiya whispered, "Next room."

"Got it."

The three moved swiftly to the next room.

"I'll always like Kaido the Beast."

"..."

"Small gambling brings happiness; big gambling brings harm."

"..."

"There is only one truth."

"..."

"Ran and Haibara—I want them both."

"..."

"Don't drink and drive."

Suddenly, a weak voice responded from within the room: "...Don't drink and drive?"

Amamiya and Hayasaka exchanged glances.

They'd found someone.

"Open the door, fellow player. We're all on the same side," Umi's eyes brightened, and she quickly lowered her voice. "I need a big favor from you."

The voice behind the door sounded hesitant. "...Are you really players?"

Umi raised her chin slightly, whispering, "Did you catch today's news?"

"I did."

"Then listen carefully. At around 8 a.m. this morning, there was an earthquake in the Fukuoka area, magnitude 6.0... Isn't that right?"

"…"

There was a brief silence from behind the door before the player cautiously cracked it open. 

Of course, the monsters wouldn't be privy to the daily news from Japan, so there was no question about the player's identity.

Through the small opening, Amamiya could see a petite girl standing behind the door, her face pale with clear worry in her eyes.

"Hello." Umi flashed a bright, sunny smile and waved enthusiastically. "I'm Umi. Nice to meet you, and thanks for your help!"

"Ah… h-hello," the girl stammered, visibly confused by the cheerful greeting. On a ghost ship filled with danger and lurking monsters, Umi's bright smile felt wildly out of place, as though they weren't in a horror game at all.

Umi lowered her voice. "Could we come in and talk?"

"Please, come in," the petite girl quickly responded, snapping out of her daze as she opened the door fully.

Once inside, Amamiya wasted no time and pulled out the coral key. "Have you seen a key like this in your room?"

The little girl jumped slightly, surprised. "Huh, a key?"

Umi's eyes lit up. "So you 'have' seen one?"

"I have." The girl nodded nervously, crossing her arms. "I found a box under the bed, and inside was something that looked exactly like that."

"Where's the key now?"

"I left it on the bed."

"…"

Amamiya walked over to the bed and found a small, worn wooden box. Opening it, he discovered another round coral key inside.

"Got it," he announced, turning to face the girl. "We need this key. May we take it?"

"Of course," the petite girl replied easily. "But, um... what is it for?"

Amamiya, keeping a straight face, said, "If you gather all seven keys, you can summon a dragon."

"Huh?" The girl, who was small enough to pass as a middle schooler, stared at him wide-eyed in disbelief.

Fraud alert! Summon a dragon? Don't think I haven't seen 'Dragon Ball'!

Umi laughed and explained, "It's actually for unlocking the treasure room. We found a piece of parchment earlier that showed the way..."

She then quietly shared everything that had happened since the three of them entered the game, including their encounter with the Ghost Captain and his terrifying abilities. Umi didn't hold back any details.

"We're all unlucky souls trapped by this game," she said, "so we have to stick together."

The petite girl's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow, that's incredible..."

While she had hidden herself in the room like an ostrich, hoping to somehow survive until the game ended, these other players had already explored much of the ghost ship. The realization made her feel a bit embarrassed.

Comparing herself to them only made her feel more inadequate.