ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZIzuku looked at the ghost, repeatedly saying "Z" out loud, pretending to sleep.
"Uh, excuse me, sir? I just need to get past you here," he said, tiptoeing around the figure—unfortunately waking it up.
The pressure of battle set in as Izuku tried apologizing to the ghost. He bowed repeatedly in remorse, but this only seemed to worsen the ghost's mood.
"I'm not deserving of your apologies. I'm sorry," it cried, unintentionally flicking acidic tears at Izuku.
Izuku dodged, pulling up his panel and seeing the options:
Napstablook is in tears.
CheckFlirtThreatenCheer
He sweatdropped at the options—particularly confused by the "Flirt" one. Hoping to calm the ghost, he selected "Cheer" and tried to figure out what that actually meant.
Seeing Napstablook's eyes welling up with more tears, the only thing Izuku could think of was offering a soft, gentle smile.
The corner of Napstablook's mouth twitched upward for a second.
But still, the tears fell.
Dodging the ghost's constant movement began to tire Izuku. A stray tear grazed his forearm with a sharp hiss, evaporating into vapor and leaving a red splotch.
-1 HP
Surprised it didn't hurt more, Izuku took a second to act again—and gave a brighter smile.
"Heh," Napstablook chuckled weakly. Fewer tears fell, making it easier to dodge.
Seeing his reaction improve, Izuku gave it everything he had—smiling as brightly as he could. It wasn't quite an All Might smile, but it was close.
Napstablook looked far happier now, though still a bit nervous. He floated in place, then turned to Izuku.
"Um, hey… would you mind giving me your opinion on something I've been working on?"
Izuku nodded eagerly. "Sure!"
Napstablook began to cry again, but this time the tears swirled into shape—forming a dapper hat, a ghostly tuxedo, and a floating monocle.
"I call this… Max Dapperblook. Do you like it?"
Izuku's eyes lit up. "That's amazing! You made that yourself?!" he asked excitedly. "You look incredible—and you can make that whenever you want?!"
Napstablook blushed. "Oh wow…"
The pressure in the air lifted.
"I usually come to the Ruins because no one's around… but you're someone nice." Napstablook gave Izuku a small, genuine smile. "Thank you, stranger."
Izuku nodded warmly as the ghost hovered there for a minute. But things quickly grew awkward.
Looking around uncomfortably, Napstablook realized he was still blocking the way.
"Oh, I'm sorry—I was in your way," he said, floating aside. "Sorry for being a bother."
Izuku watched him drift away, then inspected his arm. The red skin tingled—sensitive to the touch.
He grabbed an alcohol pad, disinfected the burn, and wrapped it with a bandage from his bag before moving on.
Past what looked like the main hallway, he entered a room filled with spider webs and a sign in the corner:
Spider Bake Sale!Buy from spiders, for spiders, of spiders.5G — Spider Donut12G — Spider Cider
Izuku, weirded out, instinctively patted his pockets—despite knowing he had no money. To his surprise, his hand brushed against a pouch strapped to his bag.
Opening it, he found 45G inside.
"…Where did I even get this?" he muttered, shaking his head.
Confused but curious, he stepped near the web and placed 5G on the ground.
A giant spider crawled out with a donut between its legs.
The moment Izuku laid eyes on the massive arachnid, his newfound arachnophobia kicked in. With a horrified yelp, he bolted from the room—leaving behind the spider, the donut, and any sense of dignity.
Dashing past some wandering Froggits, Izuku collided with something solid, sending them both sprawling across the floor.
Feeling that all-too-familiar pressure settle in again, Izuku scrambled upright, ready to apologize—until he saw a large, glaring eyeball staring back at him.
You stumbled into Loox.
"Why are you picking on me?!" Loox shouted, spawning rings of energy around Izuku.
"I'm so sorry!" he blurted. "I didn't see you there!"
Loox paused, calming a bit. "So… you weren't picking on me?"
"No, no—I wasn't! I wasn't looking where I was going. I'm really sorry!" Izuku bowed repeatedly.
Loox stared at him, contemplative—then gave a small nod and walked off.
Dusting himself off, Izuku looked around. Cracked floors and ceiling vents suggested this was a two-story room.
Sighing in acceptance, he braced himself for the inevitable fall.
Looking around, he spotted a tattered cloth on the floor.
Faded RibbonDEF +3
He tied it around his arm for added protection.
Faded Ribbon Equipped.
Climbing back through the vent, he pressed on. The next two rooms were uneventful. In the third, he encountered Napstablook again, who gave him a hint about a puzzle.
Finally, in the last room he fell into, he found the switch—and a strange lump in the floor.
As he stepped over the mound, a carrot-shaped creature burst from the ground.
Vegitoid ambushed you!
Izuku recoiled at its jack-o-lantern-like face, shivering slightly. His stomach growled loudly—reminding him he hadn't eaten since arriving.
Noticing this, Vegitoid grinned wide. "Make sure you eat your greens!" it cackled.
Vegetables bounced into the room. Some were normal, but others glowed bright green.
Testing a theory, Izuku timed his movements and caught one of the glowing greens.
The moment it touched his hand, it dissolved into light and was absorbed into his body.
HP fully restored.
"Part of a balanced meal," Vegitoid declared proudly before burrowing back into the ground.
Izuku flipped the switch and heard a familiar click in the walls.
Grinning, he dusted himself off and continued forward.
A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated this story for a while. The good news, I've passed my exams and now I have some more time to write. The bad news, it's pretty hard to find the motivation to actually sit down and write. Even then, I still want to create something for others and myself to enjoy. If you can comment on my chapters, any advice, encouragement, critiques, or questions will help me stay engaged in creating this story.
P.S. If I'm taking over a week between chapters, feel free to yell at me in the comments. And Even if I need a fire under my ass to write and would appreciate anything not too harsh.