The club staff also suspected Fern of pulling off an elaborate prank with a magic trick.

Chapter 6 – Tutorial (Survivor) - 6

Vesper halts his movement and gazes out the window, a wry smile crossing his lips. He's relieved he hadn't turned on any lights. Continuing his search, he maneuvers through the room as quietly as possible, scouring for crystal balls, both small and large.

A minute later, his diligence pays off. Another blue crystal ball rests between the toy cabinet and a closet. He reaches out and retrieves it.

Once again, Vesper disregards any quota and consumes the crystal.

<You have consumed a rare 1st-grade rune stone.>

<You 1 10 may choose one effect from the following options: 1. Temporarily increase strength attribute by for minutes. 2. Permanently 0.5 points. 3. Obtain 1st-grade holy stake.>

"A holy stake?" Vesper hesitates this time. The allure of a weapon is undeniable. After careful consideration, he opts for the third choice.

A wooden stake materializes on the ground. Vesper picks it up, running his fingers over the sharp edge, pondering its potential effectiveness against ghosts and monsters.

Silently, he exits the room, gently closing the door behind him. Stealthily making his way to the master bedroom, he slips inside and quietly shuts the door.

The room's layout remains unchanged, except for the rune crystal's placement. Vesper swiftly locates a green ball on the bed and another in front of the closet. He places the one from the floor onto the bed before lifting the bedsheet's hem to check underneath.

For the first time, Vesper discovers two white tennis-sized balls. He collects them and consumes one.

[You have consumed a common 1st-grade rune stone.]

[Your dexterity is permanently increased by 0.01 points.]

'I see. White for common, green for uncommon, and blue for rare. Not so different from MMO games.'

Vesper muses, his gamer instincts discerning the hidden rules of this tutorial. He gazes at the green crystals on the bed, placing the remaining tennis-sized orb beside them. Selecting one of the green balls, he consumes it to confirm its quality.

[You have consumed an uncommon 1st-grade rune stone.]

[You may choose one effect from the following options: 1. Temporarily increase vitality attribute by 1 for 5 minutes. 2. Permanently increase vitality attribute by 0.2 points.]

Opting for the second option, Vesper enhances his status points.

'That confirms it, but if I remember correctly, the rune from the monster is somewhat different.'

Vesper recalls, vividly recalling the slightly altered reward options. The runes found in the house only offer stats or items, while the one from the dead monster had a skill.

Contemplating the incentive, Vesper looks at the holy stake in his hand, his lips trembling as he recalls the spider woman's heinous visage and her detached jaws.

'Next time… Next time.' 

He thinks, resolving to face that challenge later.

To maintain a balance between consumption and the stage's grade, Vesper decides to reserve the use of rare runes. The rest will be offered to the altar. But for now, he needs clothes.

Deliberately, he selects a t-shirt, jeans, and a leather jacket from the closet, donning them for basic defense against scratches and light attacks. He tucks the tennis-sized ball into his jacket pocket before carrying the remaining rune ball out of the room.

Before departing, Vesper cautiously cracks open the door to peek outside, relieved to be taking a cautious approach.

In the midst of the house, a semi-invisible old man shuffles, dragging a hatchet along the floor without making a sound. The old man ghost heads towards the kitchen and fades into a corner. 

Vesper narrows his eyes, pondering whether the ghost is actively hunting or if it's merely a paranormal presence. Opting for caution, he remains hidden in the room.

Slowly rising, Vesper glances at the light switch. Recalling a trick from ghost-hunting games, he lightly touches the switch to verify if the hunting phase is active.

It doesn't budge. 

'It's hunting.'

Once again, Vesper feels a surge of relief and pride in his gaming experience. Retreating to the room, he searches for any overlooked runes, counting from one to one hundred as he does so.

His efforts are not in vain. Vesper discovers three tennis-sized balls in the drawers, one of which holds a peculiar gold key. The key, adorned with gemstones and a foot long, seems more suited to a museum than a one-story house. Recognizing its value, Vesper decides to take it with him.

It has been a minute since Vesper last saw the ghost. He rechecks the light switch and gently moves it. The switch responds, prompting Vesper to immediately flip off the light before the entity outside notices him. Fortunately, the bulb wasn't lit, avoiding alerting any patrolling entities.

With all the loot stashed in his pockets and arms, Vesper sneaks out of the room, proceeding cautiously to the exit. Upon reaching the front door, he opens it quietly and creeps out of the house. Making his way to the altar in the yard, instead of placing items into the bowl, he ducks behind the pedestal and peeks out from the edge of the cover.

BOOM-BOOM

The spider lady continues to crawl aimlessly on the rooftop. Turning towards the altar, she growls.

Vesper holds his breath, remaining still, his right arm clenched tightly around the holy stake.

"Kurururururu," the lady emits a strange sound before turning around and walking away. Judging from her direction, she might be heading toward the backyard.

Vesper exhales a sigh of relief, then proceeds to empty everything he has into the bowl, including the key.

As the items vanish from the bowl, the sky displays his score and the remaining time.

Time: 23:58

Quota: 31/100

Each tennis-sized sphere is worth five points, while the green basketball is valued at 11.

However, the key remains inside the bowl. The altar doesn't accept it. 

'I guess I can't offer just any random object,' Vesper remarks to himself.

Taking the key, he checks his surroundings once more before moving towards the storage chest. Upon opening it, he locates the two blue runes collected from the previous round and stores the mysterious key inside.

Thankful for having stored these balls previously, Vesper clenches his fist in satisfaction.

'Yes!'

He selects the two blue runes and places one in the bowl to assess its value. Once again, the item fades away into nothingness.

Quota: 54/100

'Wow, 23 points,' Vesper is surprised. 

Vesper smiles bitterly as he reminisces about the achievement of the previous round. He could have attained 101 points and secured the coveted S rank.