How To Survive A Cute Ghost Yandere
Chapter 14: That World

Chapter 14: Chapter 14: That World

"So the support class is really busy these days?"

"Yeah, I heard they left the academy a few days ago and won’t be back until next Monday."

"Ah... That explains why Erness hasn’t shown up at all."

"Hm? What’s wrong? Missing your girlfriend already?"

Leiden smirked beside him, shooting Eiros a sharp look laced with envy.

"Damn, I’m so jealous... I hope I get a girlfriend soon too."

Of course, Eiros ignored Leiden’s whining entirely.

Three days had passed since Eiros stopped by the library and talked with Estiel. Since then, Eiros and his classmates in the Other class had been buried under one busy day after another.

That was because, with the First-Semester Exams drawing closer, Professor Liam had started throwing in extra lessons, cutting into their afternoon and evening breaks so that class wouldn’t wrap up until well after sunset.

During that stretch, not much had actually changed. Only Renee had managed to fully understand her Stigmata before finally transferring over to the combat class.

Today, at last, Eiros and his classmates finally had a normal class schedule. Even that was only because of an emergency faculty meeting, leaving Professor Liam with no choice but to let them go early.

Eiros still remembered the man cursing under his breath, kicking a pebble across the ground.

"So, heading to the library again?"

Hearing that, Eiros nodded.

"Yeah. I need to study more."

His real destination was the topmost floor, where he could get his hands on ancient books written in the same era as the history itself.

He also planned to strengthen his connection with Estiel, who held considerable authority at this academy as one of its keepers.

"Hmm... Guess I’ll head to the cafeteria then. We split up here, buddy."

"You don’t feel like reading anymore?"

"Tch, keep me far away from those damn books."

Leiden clapped his hands over his ears, his face darkening. Then he took off running, leaving Eiros behind.

Watching that, Eiros laughed, amused, before finally heading off to the academy library. Just as Estiel had told him, he entered the tower, made his way to the magic-powered lift, and stepped inside.

’...Floor 46? Just how tall is this tower?’

Eiros gave a nervous smile.

He pressed the button to go up. And just like that, with no engine noise or the slightest hint of discomfort, the lift shot upward at a steady, smooth pace.

Then, just like the lift he’d ridden before, the walls behind him gradually turned transparent, revealing the full sprawl of the academy’s castle-like architecture.

Eiros could immediately feel the difference. The academy felt far quieter than it had in previous days, which said a lot about just how seriously the students were taking the upcoming exams.

Even Eiros himself couldn’t afford to overlook it.

Once he arrived, Eiros stepped out of the lift and found himself in a corridor leading toward a single room. A few guards stood watch, but Eiros passed through easily enough after showing the card Estiel had given him.

The door to the room swung open, revealing a spacious space with a transparent ceiling that opened straight onto a pale blue, cloud-streaked sky.

His gaze swept the room, taking in just how cluttered it was. Packed full of old, dusty, torn-up books, alongside piles of documents and objects Eiros couldn’t even begin to identify.

Then, right in the middle of that mess, sat Estiel, staring down at a document, tossing it aside, then picking up another to read with a flat, indifferent expression.

"..."

Had Eiros walked into the wrong room?

He wanted to double-check he was on the right floor. But Estiel had already noticed him first, the boy-bodied man breaking into a bright, beaming smile.

"Ah! You finally made it."

"...Yes, greetings, Tower Keeper."

Guess he hadn’t been wrong after all.

Eiros gave a small bow as he greeted Estiel.

"Ah, come on, drop the formalities. Relax a little."

He pushed himself up slightly, tossing aside whatever was in his hands without a hint of concern. Estiel walked over to a table holding a set of cups and a teapot.

"You’re fine with green tea, right?"

"That’s fine."

"Good. Come on over."

Eiros let out a long sigh.

’How exactly am I supposed to get over there?’

Looking at that chaotic mess of books gave him a whole new perspective on Estiel.

Reluctantly, Eiros picked his way through the piles of books and scattered odds and ends, careful not to step on anything, given that every single item was almost certainly a piece of history.

The room smelled of dust and old paper, showing absolutely none of the dignity one might expect from someone of Estiel’s status.

Once he reached the chair and sat down, Eiros finally felt himself relax a little.

"So, what brings you here?"

Estiel, seated across from him, looked genuinely excited. He laced his fingers together, using them to prop up his own chin, that same familiar smile spreading across his face once more.

Eiros stayed quiet for a moment, gauging Estiel’s expression, then glanced past him, where, visible only in his own mind, a pale blue transparent screen appeared.

[NEW QUEST]

Objective: Learn of the existence of a different ’World.’

Failure: You Will Be Locked in an Empty Room Together With That Ghost.

That was the quest he’d received two days earlier. A quest that had left Eiros racking his brain, trying to figure out exactly which world the system meant. It was tricky, given how many secrets remained beyond his reach, and the fact that this "different world" phrasing made Eiros realize this world might actually hold knowledge about some other world entirely—or maybe even that multiple worlds had actually been in contact with each other all along.

After burning through his measly ten-minute break two days ago in the library with nothing to show for it, he’d finally given up and decided to dig into the matter through Estiel instead.

Only, was this actually safe?

Was this topic even remotely normal to bring up?

Would Estiel let something slip?

He didn’t know, but what other choice did he have?

He had no idea how much time he had left on this quest, but one thing was certain—Eiros had absolutely no intention of ending up locked in a room with Erness.

After taking a deep breath, Eiros decided to start with something simple.

"I actually have a few questions. Would you be willing to answer them?"

"Ah, I told you, drop the formal act. And whether I answer depends entirely on what you’re asking."

Eiros nodded.

To gradually steer the conversation toward the real question, he needed to start off in a way that made sense.

"I wanted to ask about this world. About the Blood Moon, the Abyss, and the Sea of Demons."

"And what about them?"

"According to historical records, legends always say Abyss creatures emerge from Abyss holes—also sometimes called gates. Why call them gates? If we walked through one, where exactly would we end up?"

He wetted his lips briefly, letting the question settle in the air.

"The Blood Moon descends from the sky—it’s not that the moon itself changes color. Instead, the Blood Moon takes the real moon’s place, dropping down from the sky without any warning at all. Where does it actually come from?"

"The sea monsters from the Sea of Demons keep getting exterminated. So why does their number just keep growing? Why has that sea become so forbidden? What’s actually happening down there, and what’s really producing all those monsters?"

The answer, really, was simple enough. It was because the Abyss gates genuinely connected to another world, and the same held true for the Sea of Demons and the descent of the Blood Moon.

All of it originated from a different world entirely. But that much understanding clearly wasn’t enough to satisfy the system’s completion criteria, which left Eiros wondering—what else was he missing here?

After a moment of silence, Eiros studied Estiel’s expression, still relaxed, still smiling without a hint of concern.

Eiros already knew about the existence of the Spirit World, the place where ghosts like Erness were supposed to live.

There was also the Sky Realm, home to celestial beings like dragons. All of that had already been laid out in the webtoon, except for the Sky Realm, which he’d only picked up through spoilers.

So then, what exactly was the System trying to get him to understand here?

"Are you asking about the possibility of other worlds existing?"

Estiel finally spoke up, the topic clearly catching his interest.

"And why do you want to know about that?"

Eiros smiled awkwardly.

"I have a feeling I might make some real progress if I understood this one thing."

Taking a long breath, Eiros added:

"Either way, I no longer doubt the existence of other worlds, given those gates. But my question is actually reaching for something a bit further than that."

Of course, Eiros himself had no real idea just how far his own words were reaching here. He was simply acting as though he already knew more than he did, and, as it turned out, that worked out well enough.

The smile on Estiel’s face widened, his interlaced fingers tightening together.

Eiros felt his heart pound before Estiel finally let out a short breath, letting his whole body relax.

"...I know, don’t say another word. If you’re asking about the existence of ’that’ world, then yes, rest assured, it does exist. But like I said, it’s better if we don’t dig any further into this. That’s one piece of knowledge humans are better off not knowing."

He took a breath and adjusted his glasses.

"’They’ don’t get involved in the affairs of the human world these days. Which is exactly why you should forget everything about today and keep it to yourself. Peace is a hard thing to come by, and it’s worth protecting."

Hearing all that, Eiros couldn’t make sense of any of it. Of course he couldn’t. But at the very least, he now understood there was some other world out there—something significant enough to make even someone at Estiel’s level, a tower keeper, hesitant to even discuss it.

’What could that be?’

Eiros felt his curiosity flare.

But that warning had landed hard enough that he managed to hold himself back. His own safety mattered more than anything else. Still, at the same time, he couldn’t help but worry.

Would just this much actually be enough to satisfy the system?

[You have become aware of the existence of ’That World’]

[Quest Complete.]

"....?"

That question got answered fast enough.

Today might just go down as the day Eiros drowned in confusion. So many things left him puzzled, packed with questions, all of them dangling there unanswered, leaving him thoroughly frustrated.

But...

That frustration lasted only a moment as he caught sight of the reward for completing the quest.

[X1 Stigmata Card]

His eyes lit up brightly, filled with understanding.

***