"Can't hear, absolutely can't hear." Natsuki covered his ears, "Unless Shoko speaks into my ear."
"…"
Komi quickly stepped back half a pace, shaking her head in a hurry.
Liar!
Her voice wasn't low at all right now; he could definitely hear it.
If she really leaned in to speak, she would definitely be taken advantage of, right?
Left with no choice.
Komi could only bite her lip, her pretty face flushed crimson, and cautiously walk ahead.
Natsuki leisurely followed behind Shoko, walking back while enjoying the scenery, feeling relaxed.
A grass skirt paired with stockings, plus the girl's graceful swaying figure, indeed looked very beautiful.
The journey was silent.
The grass skirt successfully lasted until the end, and when the two returned to the cave, there were no quality issues whatsoever.
"I'm back."
Natsuki called out from outside the cave.
"Natsuki-kun~"
Tsubame responded, quickly emerging from the cave to greet him.
Juju, Haruno, and passerby girl followed behind them.
"Eh? Shoko-chan?"
"It's a grass skirt?"
"A grass skirt is one thing, but why are there stockings?"
"I have to say, they look very cute together."
"…"
The girls' gazes fell on Komi.
Although Komi had awakened and could speak in a low voice to others, she hadn't reached the point where she could openly let people stare at her.
Facing the gazes of Tsubame and the others, her pretty face quickly flushed red, and she instinctively covered her body, hiding behind Natsuki.
"The clothes are gone; I don't know where the hurricane blew them," Natsuki said, handing over the grass skirts he held, speaking earnestly, "Anyway, we can challenge the anomaly boss very soon. You can make do with the grass skirts for now. Shoko has already tested them on the way, and the grass skirts are of very good quality, so don't worry about them breaking."
"Thank you, Shoko-chan," Haruno smiled and thanked her, saying with a grin, "Although the grass skirts are very pretty, the bride Shoko is even cuter."
Natsuki nodded in agreement:
"I agree."
"Don't take advantage of Shoko-chan anymore," Tsubame shot him a glare, and said softly, "Why don't everyone take the grass skirts back into the cave, change, and then come out?"
"That's right, let's go change first," Haruno smiled, "Although I've bought many clothes, this is the first time I'm wearing a grass skirt."
"…"
The girls took the grass skirts, preparing to return to the cave.
Natsuki looked down at Juju, asking:
"Shoko also prepared a grass skirt for you. Do you want to wear it?"
Juju crossed her arms over her chest and snorted upon hearing this:
"My clothes are fine, so of course, I don't need to wear something like that."
"What a shame," Natsuki sighed, "Shoko worked so hard to make two elementary school student-style grass skirts."
Juju immediately became angry out of embarrassment:
"Shine!"
"…"
A moment later.
The girls finished changing and walked out of the cave together.
There was no need to mention the elementary school student and the passerby girl; Tsubame and Haruno indeed made one's eyes light up. It must be said that the strange combination of grass skirts and stockings was quite alluring.
"Natsuki-kun, how do they look on me?"
Haruno asked with a smile.
Natsuki gave a thumbs up: "Good."
Haruno's eyes shifted, her hands behind her back, and she stood on her tiptoes, whispering into his ear:
"Then between me, Tsubame, and Shoko, who looks better?"
Natsuki looked at Haruno and said in a low voice:
"Haruno, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
Haruno giggled:
"I want to hear a lie."
Natsuki said:
"The lie is… I'm sorry, I have face blindness and can't tell."
"Hmmph~" Haruno's lips curled up slightly, "Then what about the truth?"
"The truth is long; I can't finish it in a short while," Natsuki said meaningfully, "When we rest tonight, Haruno-nee, come out with me, and I'll tell Haruno slowly."
"Pah~"
Haruno's pretty face flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but secretly spit.
He's just a high school student, yet he's much more playful than a university student. As expected, scoundrels have no age limit!
"Okay, ducky," Haruno extended a slender finger and, when no one was looking, quietly drew circles on Natsuki's chest, "Natsuki-kun, tell me slowly tonight, okay?"
Natsuki: "…"
Looking at Haruno, who not only didn't shy away but instead smiled and leaned closer, Natsuki suddenly thought of a word.
Hooking up…
If Yukino saw their current posture, she would definitely blow a fuse!
Speak of the devil.
Chika's bright voice suddenly came from a distance:
"We're back!"
Natsuki looked over, and soon saw Kaguya, Chika, Yukino, and Hayasaka, four girls returning from hunting together. Each girl was carrying a string of crab legs, indicating a bountiful harvest.
What is the happy life of Don't Starve survival?
Enjoying Haruno's massage in the cave, while admiring grass skirts with stockings, and having others go out hunting. You don't have to do anything and can enjoy the fruits of their labor.
This is happiness.
"It's Chika-chan!"
"Everyone is finally back!"
The two groups meeting was naturally very happy.
"Eh, eh, eh, Tsubame, what are you wearing?"
Chika's eyes widened as she asked curiously.
"Cough, cough…" Tsubame coughed twice, covering her chest, her pretty face slightly red as she explained, "After we finished collecting firewood earlier, we were bathing by the sea when a hurricane suddenly struck, and all our clothes were blown away. We had no choice but to ask Shoko-chan to make some grass skirts."
"I see," Chika suddenly understood, then turned to Komi, her eyes sparkling as she asked, "Shoko-chan, do you have any spare grass skirts?"
"Eh?"
Komi was startled.
Chika raised her right hand, her voice clear as she said:
"I want to wear one too!"
As expected of Chika, when faced with something new, she was never stuck in her ways or disliked it, but was brave enough to try and experience it.
Natsuki looked at Chika, praising her:
"I'll give you a pair of stockings for free. You can have either black or white stockings."
Chika: "I want black stockings, not white ones!"
Natsuki then looked at Kaguya and Yukino, asking:
"Do you two want to try them on? Shoko made several spare grass skirts earlier."
Kaguya crossed her arms over her chest and said:
"I'll just wear my clothes; the President can experience it himself."
Yukino was expressionless and said coldly:
"No need."
Hayasaka covered her chest with her hands and said:
"I am somewhat interested, provided the President doesn't peek."
Natsuki said seriously:
"Don't worry, I'll watch openly."
"Pah~"
"…"
After reuniting, everyone talked about what happened after they separated.
As expected, the recent hurricane disaster swept across the entire island. Kaguya and the others also suffered from the hurricane's attack on their way back.
While Natsuki and the others could hide in the cave, Kaguya and her group were in the wilderness with nowhere to hide, eventually having to retreat into the shadows, barely managing to endure until the hurricane ended.
"It's a good thing none of us are ordinary people," Chika complained, "With hail, hurricanes, and all sorts of monsters and Bosses, ordinary people wouldn't have been able to last until now."
"Earlier, Juju mentioned that in the Don't Starve game, there are many other natural disaster modes, such as winter… Boo hoo!"
Before she could finish speaking, Natsuki quickly reached out and covered secretary Chika's delicate lips.
"That's enough; don't say anything more."
Kaguya turned her gaze: "Chika, don't be a jinx."
Hayasaka clasped her hands together: "Chika, I beg you, please don't set any more flags."
Chika: "…"
What happened next goes without saying.
Although many of the wooden items stored in the cave were soaked by the rain, and the distilled fresh water couldn't be brought back into the cave, having been spilled out by the hurricane, as long as everyone was safe, everything could start anew.
Evening arrived in the blink of an eye.
The girls finally finished their busy work, restored the cave to its original state, and then sat around the bonfire.
At the same time.
A Sin Mushroom spawned again. Natsuki and the girls briefly discussed and decided to give the Sin Mushroom to Juju.
With only Juju and Haruno left, there was no need to consider the order.
"You gave it to me?"
Juju touched the mushroom on her head, her tone somewhat surprised: "I thought you'd keep me for last."
Natsuki said softly:
"If there's danger, I'll definitely save Juju first. The order of planting the mushroom is just based on the priority of abilities."
"Tch," Juju's little face flushed slightly, she crossed her arms over her chest, and said with her mouth, "You should use that line to trick Shoko; I won't fall for it."
Natsuki's expression became serious as he said:
"Then I'll have to prove it to Juju."
"Huh?" Juju looked up, her eyes suspicious, "How will you prove it?"
"There's a saying, if you like someone, you should say it out loud, not hide it," Natsuki took a deep breath and shouted loudly, "Like…"
"Ahhh! Stupid Natsuki!" Juju's little face quickly turned red, and she hurriedly jumped up, covering Natsuki's mouth with her hand, "Don't shout like that, ah, ah, ah!"
Natsuki hugged Juju and said in a low voice:
"Do you believe me now?"
To be a scoundrel, the first thing is to be shameless enough.
Juju gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely:
"…You're shameless!"
"It seems Juju still doesn't believe me," Natsuki sighed, "Then I'll continue…"
Thump!
Juju headbutted Natsuki in the chest, yelling in embarrassment and anger, "Stop it, you idiot!"
… …
The night passed without a word.
The next day.
Natsuki helped Juju awaken in the morning, and then planted a mushroom on Haruno in the evening. With that, everyone successfully regained their memories.
"Now, there's only one last thing left," Natsuki said gravely, "and that is to defeat the anomaly."
Chika suggested, "I remember the President has a skill called Super Long Delayed Reaction. Can it be put to use?"
Super Long Delayed Reaction, a skill obtained after defeating the anomaly last time, as the name suggests, is similar to a berserker mode. During its active period, it grants immunity to pain and mental effects, but it doesn't prevent injury; instead, it delays the damage, which then bursts forth all at once after the skill ends.
"Delayed Reaction, huh…" Natsuki subtly glanced at Hayasaka, then said nonchalantly, "Delayed Reaction should work, but I've used it too few times normally and I'm not proficient enough. It's hard to control the extent of it. If too much mental damage accumulates, I might just pass out from the shock… If there's really no other way, then we'll consider using it."
Hayasaka's pretty face involuntarily flushed, and she glared at Natsuki in annoyance.
She had actually used the Delayed Reaction skill more often. She had even tried using Delayed Reaction and Time Stop together before, which resulted in her mind going blank and her actually fainting.
Kaguya said softly, "What about the President's Possession Skill? We can have one group in the open and another in the shadows. Once someone is mentally polluted and does things like attacking teammates or self-harm, we can activate the Possession Skill to prevent further trouble."
Upon hearing about the Possession Skill, Juju and Shoko's expressions immediately became subtle.
Juju was fine; she was a true adult now.
Komi, however, was not. She recalled the time she accidentally possessed Marin, and she nervously lowered her gaze to her toes, even her neck involuntarily turning crimson.
Natsuki nodded gently, "That can be tried."
"Also," Yukino said softly, her right arm crossed over her chest, "the anomaly is hiding in the sea and won't come out. Moving in the sea is extremely inconvenient, so it's best to find a way to lure it to the shore."
Hayasaka raised her hand and said, "I have an item that, when worn, can forcibly taunt other creatures. It should be effective."
"Eh?" Chika looked over curiously, "What item?"
"It's this."
Hayasaka took out a pendant.
The pendant was a right hand with only the middle finger raised, the other four fingers curled into a tight fist. It was a rather standard taunting gesture.
Natsuki mused, "I have an immature idea, but I don't know if it's feasible."
Kaguya looked up at him, saying softly, "What method?"
"Do you remember the Mosquito Queen we saw in the swamp?" Natsuki looked at Kaguya, recalling the previous hint, and mused, "The title effect of Love Warrior might work on it."
Even if the Yaarctopus was successfully taunted to the shore, it wouldn't be instantly killed in a short time. After all, that thing was thick-skinned and tough, and couldn't be dealt with quickly.
At such a time, cannon fodder to draw damage was very necessary.
Kaguya pursed her lips: "We'll know if it works by testing it out."
… …
No sooner said than done.
After the discussion, Natsuki and Kaguya quickly got up and headed to the Mosquito Swamp.
The two still used the same infiltration method as last time. Kaguya transformed into a leg attachment, and Natsuki entered the shadows. Together, they entered the depths of the swamp.
Since they had previous successful experience, this time it didn't take much effort, and they quickly found the Mosquito Queen.
For some reason, this creature was somewhat similar to the Mosquito Queen from One-Punch Man, half-human and half-mosquito, looking quite peculiar. However, it was clear that it was indeed a female mosquito.
"Now!"
Natsuki emerged from the shadows, appearing out of thin air in the swamp.
The air was briefly silent.
Then, countless mosquitoes suddenly flapped their wings, a booming buzzing sound erupted, and they prepared to swarm Natsuki and drain him dry.
The moment the Mosquito Queen looked over, Natsuki decisively used the title skill Love Warrior, while also raising his guard. As soon as the skill failed, he would immediately retreat into the shadows and escape the swamp.
The Mosquito Queen in mid-air trembled, and two pink hearts immediately appeared in her eyes. Then she let out a shriek, and the mosquitoes that were Pounce Natsuki suddenly stopped, then scattered.
"It worked…"
Natsuki couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It seemed that as long as there was love, even monsters were no problem, provided they were of different genders.
However, the next second.
The Mosquito Queen flapped her wings and suddenly lunged directly at Natsuki. From her appearance, she clearly wasn't trying to embrace him, but rather…
Natsuki dodged, and then a prompt appeared before his eyes.
The Mosquito Queen has fallen in love with you…
You find that the Mosquito Queen is unable to communicate, and her love for you is especially simple… which is to drain you dry.
You're kidding me!
Was this a murderous love?!
Natsuki's expression changed, and he dared not let the Mosquito Queen get any closer. He turned and ran out of the swamp.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
The Mosquito Queen excitedly chased after Natsuki, refusing to stop until she had drained him dry.
When Natsuki escaped to the edge of the swamp, the Mosquito Queen's movements clearly hesitated, but after a short while, she went mad again under the intensification of love, and suddenly flew out of the swamp.
The remaining mosquito army followed behind the Mosquito Queen, like a dark cloud, densely packed, covering the sky and sweeping away.
"Plans change."
Natsuki's mind raced, and he decisively removed the leg attachment, releasing Kaguya from her transformation.
Bang.
Kaguya appeared out of thin air.
The situation was urgent, and there was no time to speak. The two simply met each other's gaze, Kaguya nodded gently, then disappeared into the shadows, vanishing into thin air.
Natsuki changed direction and ran wildly, continuing to lead the mosquito army on a walk.
Although there was no verbal communication, Natsuki firmly believed that Kaguya knew what to do.
After an unknown amount of time.
Natsuki suddenly felt his pinky finger trembling continuously, and his spirits immediately lifted:
"Here it comes!"
Chika wouldn't give him a signal for no reason, so this signal could only mean one thing…
Natsuki suddenly turned, bringing the sky-darkening mosquito army, and ran towards the sea.
The various dangers along the way need no elaboration. After Natsuki arrived at the sea, he saw an Yaarctopus, enormous in size, like a small mountain, crawling onto the beach.
Not far away, there was also a Hayasaka, who was continuously using her taunting ability.
"Well done."
Natsuki took a deep breath and rushed towards the Yaarctopus.
This octopus anomaly clearly noticed Natsuki. Enemies meeting, their eyes turned red with fury. The Yaarctopus abandoned Hayasaka, its massive single eye looking at Natsuki, and unleashed mental pollution.
Natsuki's steps halted, his movements frozen.
The Yaarctopus seized the opportunity, swung a massive tentacle, and smashed it down without hesitation.
Boom!
Yellow sand splattered everywhere.
The Mosquito Queen had been hesitating to come forward, but upon seeing her beloved prey smacked into the sand, its fate unknown, she immediately grew furious. Screaming, she lunged directly at the Yaarctopus, with the countless mosquitoes following suit.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Under the mental pollution of the octopus anomaly, some mosquitoes immediately turned on each other and began to self-destruct.
However, the octopus monster's mental pollution required eye contact and was a single-target skill, while the number of mosquitoes was simply too great, so it was still subjected to countless attacks for a while.
"Pfft!"
Natsuki emerged from the side, spat out the sand in his mouth, took out his axe, and began to sneak attack amidst the chaos.