"...Do you want to die once?"
Looking at Yukino, whose eyes showed a hint of murderous intent, Natsuki quickly realized something.
The Yukino before him was Yukino in her subconscious form, with her own thoughts and consciousness, not just an outer shell, an doll that would do whatever she was told.
No wonder the skill description mentioned that the invader's actions might cause rejection from the target, and if the rejection was too strong, the dream might directly collapse... But how outrageous would something have to be to cause a dream to collapse?
Natsuki didn't know, so he was quite curious.
"Yukino, come here." Natsuki's gaze shifted, then he said, "My shoulder is sore, come help me with a massage."
"...Mmm."
After two seconds of delay, Yukino gently agreed, then came to the bedside and began to help with the massage.
Very good.
It seemed that a massage would not cause Yukino's rejection or resistance.
Natsuki lay on the pillow, comfortably enjoying Yukino's massage for a while.
It had to be said, even though it was a dream, the sensation was exactly like reality, quite comfortable.
"I'm hungry, I want something to eat."
Natsuki sat up, gesturing with his eyes towards the bedside table.
He had already recognized it now; the layout and decor of the hotel before him had a strong exotic style, clearly the hotel where he stayed when challenging the Swallow Cave fixed-point parachute jump in Mexico.
However... why would Yukino dream of this hotel?
"Here you go..."
In reality, if Natsuki asked Yukino to feed him, Yukino would definitely ignore him. But now, in her subconscious state, she had no resistance at all and obediently brought over the grapes from the bedside table.
Natsuki then instructed:
"Yukino, feed me with your mouth."
"You..."
After a two-second delay, Yukino slightly furrowed her delicate brows.
Natsuki spoke nonsense with a straight face:
"My arm hurts so much; I strained it when parachuting in the Swallow Cave before, I can't even lift it... Believe me, look."
It was a very clumsy act, but in her subconscious state, Yukino had no ability to judge right from wrong. She silently opened her lips, gently bit a grape with her pearly teeth, and then leaned closer.
Natsuki opened his mouth and took it.
The sweet juice of the grape quickly filled his mouth, exactly like in reality.
Very good, he had discovered a benefit of dreams. Chika would definitely love it; she could eat whatever she wanted without worrying about gaining weight anymore.
"Are you willing to feed me with your mouth?"
Natsuki swallowed the grape in his mouth, looked at the girl who offered another grape without being asked, and directly taken advantage of her.
A moment later.
Looking at the black-haired, long-haired girl with slightly parted lips, hazy eyes, and panting, Natsuki couldn't help but lick his lips, wanting more.
"Then… what about something even more outrageous?"
If he said try, he would try.
Nothing was illegal in a dream.
Moreover, if Yukino truly wasn't willing, the dream would directly collapse, so there was no need to worry about going against her will.
Natsuki took a small box of yogurt, and when he opened it, his hand trembled, pretending to accidentally spill it on himself.
"You… didn't you say your arm couldn't be lifted?"
Yukino tilted her head and questioned, her tone innocent and cute.
Natsuki said seriously:
"After eating the grapes fed by Yukino, I feel like I'm capable again."
Yukino's eyes were pure: "…Really?"
Looking at the girl whose eyes were exceptionally pure, like a clear lake on a snowy mountain, Natsuki lightly coughed twice and continued:
"Never mind that… the yogurt spilled on me, help me wipe it off."
Stop taking advantage of Yukino?
How could that be!
He wasn't those few timid, hesitant cowards who dared to touch but not eat!
If Yukino nodded in agreement, he'd dare to put her and Haruno together tomorrow!
"You… lie still."
Looking at the yogurt accidentally spilled on Natsuki, Yukino slightly frowned. As a germaphobe, she naturally couldn't refuse.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Natsuki lay back down, waiting for Yukino's service.
Yukino took a box of tissues, pursed her lips, first wiped the yogurt clean from Natsuki's chest, then her gaze moved downwards, and a slight hesitation appeared on her pretty face.
"Is this truly the limit?"
Natsuki pondered in his heart.
If he forced her, Yukino's dream would probably collapse.
But if he just pleaded with Yukino, it shouldn't be a problem…
Natsuki cleared his throat, preparing to say that he had an incurable disease, but the next second, Yukino didn't stop at all, but continued to wipe downwards.
"Hiss~"
Natsuki lightly took a breath, and couldn't help but look at the black-haired, long-haired girl in shock.
He hadn't even said a single word to play for sympathy, and she just started wiping?
The last time he asked Yukino for help was during the Strange Tale of survival on a deserted island, where he and Yukino explored the island. They encountered a hailstorm along the way and had to hide in a tree hollow, and then he asked Yukino for help once.
Since then, there had never been a second time, and every time it was mentioned, she would be filled with murderous intent.
Natsuki originally thought Yukino was quite resistant to such things and was unwilling to help again. Now it seemed that Yukino was not that resistant… Or perhaps, Yukino's favorability was actually higher than he imagined, which was why she silently helped.
Of course, this situation was limited to dreams. In reality, even if she agreed in her heart, she wouldn't agree verbally; she would only mock with sharp words.
Natsuki looked up at the ceiling, his heart stirring.
Since she was willing to help, would Yukino agree to something even more outrageous?
Although it was highly unlikely, what if?
"Cough, Yukino…"
Natsuki lightly coughed twice, preparing to get up, still wanting to try.
If he didn't take the initiative, he couldn't just wait for Yukino to take the initiative, could he?
Bang.
A hand pushed against his chest, pushing him back onto the bed.
"What's wrong?"
Natsuki looked at Yukino in confusion.
What did it mean to actively push him down?
Yukino's pretty face was flushed, like the brilliant sunset clouds of a summer evening, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, clearly still blushing and shy in her subconscious state, and her voice trembled slightly as she said:
"You… don't move… close your eyes…"
Natsuki: "…"
What exactly was going on with this dream?
In reality, she ignored him, but in a dream, she was already taking the initiative to the point of pushing others down!
The night passed without a word.
The next day.
As the slight sounds of waking up echoed in the dormitory, Yukino's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"Hoo…"
Yukino lightly exhaled, feeling the sweat and dampness on her body, her pretty face couldn't help but flush slightly.
"I had a dream again…"
Yukino quietly bit her lip and raised her hand to cover her eyes.
The memory disk copied from Haruno was still in the game backpack. Yukino had never taken it out to use, but not using it normally didn't mean she wouldn't dream about it.
In fact, this was not the first time she had dreamed about it.
If it were anyone else, being trapped in the memory disk and experiencing it seven times over and over again, the impression would likewise be unforgettable.
It was just that last night's dream seemed to be not simple…
Yukino pursed her lips, recalling last night's dream.
Generally speaking, after a person wakes up, everything in the dream will dissipate quickly like a reflection in a mirror or a wisp of smoke. However, several minutes had passed, yet everything in the dream was still exceptionally clear, completely different from the blurred fragments of the past.
Asking her to help with a massage, help with feeding, deliberately spilling yogurt on himself… it wasn't exactly strange, but it just felt a little off.
And then there were those things that happened after she wiped the yogurt clean…
Yukino bit her lip, wanting to dispel the images in her mind, but she couldn't do it at all. She could only helplessly let out a light sigh and sat up with a flushed face.
Couldn't forget.
Completely couldn't forget.
She had to find something to do. As long as she didn't think about it, she should be able to slowly forget it after a while.
"Hoo~ Time to get up." Chika's clear voice rang out from the lower bunk, "Everyone can get up now, wash up, and then we'll have breakfast."
With Chika's call, the girls all got up.
This was a dangerous dungeon. Lying in bed, of course, was impossible.
"Speaking of which, I dreamed of everyone last night too." Chika said in a clear voice while putting on her clothes, "In the dream, I was at a hotel eating a buffet, and I saw Mitsui-san, wearing a black tight-fitting suit. She looked heroic, but her face was a bit pale, and she told me something was chasing her."
Mitsui-san's voice immediately followed, tinged with a hint of surprise:
"I did dream yesterday that I was wearing a tight suit and got caught in an anomaly gate, running around. In my panic, I accidentally stumbled into a hotel lobby and met Chika-chan who was eating, and two Kaguyas-san who I couldn't tell apart at all."
Another voice rang out:
"Me, me, me, I dreamed it too."
The female player echoed:
"It's exactly the same as my dream… Could it be that everyone had the same dream?"
The girls exchanged stories, each recounting the content of their dreams. Except for Hayasaka, who was on night watch and didn't dream, everyone else met each other in their dreams.
"What's going on?"
Sitting on the upper bunk in the dormitory, Yukino, who was silently listening to the girls' conversation, couldn't help but slowly widen her beautiful eyes.
Everyone had the same dream?
This kind of thing was almost impossible.
If two people dreaming at the same time was a coincidence, then so many people dreaming the same dream definitely wasn't a coincidence.
Her intuition told Yukino that there was likely some kind of special power at play behind it.
"Speaking of which, I don't seem to have met Yukino-chan in the dream last night." Chika asked curiously, "What did Yukino-chan dream about last night?"
Yukino's breathing paused slightly, and she shook her head, denying:
"I… can't remember clearly."
Even Yukinoshita, who never lied, had to go against her true feelings at this moment.
Whatever happened in the dream, no second person could ever know!
"Wait—"
Yukino suddenly widened her beautiful eyes.
Since everyone in the room entered the same dream, what about Garbage-kun next door?
Did he have the same dream as everyone else?
Could the Garbage-kun in the dream be…
The more Yukino thought about it, the more suspicious she became, and her pretty face couldn't help but slowly turn red.
Generally speaking, what happens in a dream has no logic whatsoever. Many people must have had similar experiences—
Dreaming of a profound truth, as if it were the truth of the world, the mystery of the universe, feeling excited in their hearts, forcing themselves to open their eyes despite their sleepiness, recording the 'truth of the world' on their phone, only to wake up the next day and find that the content recorded on the phone was 'I am a flying spaghetti monster'.
In short, dreams have no coherence, nor do they have logic.
Yukino carefully recalled yesterday's dream. The dream was coherent from beginning to end, with no jumps in between, and there was no missing logic…
"Yukino-chan, go to the bathroom to wash up."
Chika's call came from the lower bunk.
"Coming."
Yukino took a deep breath, suppressing her suspicion in her heart, then turned over and sat on the edge of the bed, lightly leaping to the ground.
But the moment her feet landed, her legs went soft, and she almost couldn't stand steady.
D-damn it!
It was only a dream… how could it…
"Eh?" Chika looked over curiously, "Yukino-chan, why are your clothes wet?"
Yukino subconsciously turned her body to the side and said as if nothing had happened:
"I had a nightmare last night, but I can't remember the content."
"I understand." Chika nodded upon hearing this, "Sometimes when you wake up from a nightmare, you do break out in a cold sweat… But I've never seen anyone sweat as much as Yukino-chan."
"…"
Fully dressed.
The girls left the dormitory together and headed to the bathroom at the end of the hallway to wash up.
After quickly washing herself, while the other girls were still washing up, Yukino quietly left the bathroom and came to Natsuki's dormitory door, raising her hand to knock.
Knock knock knock.
Footsteps quickly sounded from behind the door.
Natsuki opened the door, looked at the black-haired girl outside, and said with surprise, "Yukinoshita, you're back so soon after washing up?"
Yukino bit her lip, said nothing, stepped into the dormitory, and then closed the door behind her.
Bang.
"What did you do last night?"
Yukino crossed her right arm over her chest, gritted her silver teeth, and asked directly.
"What do you mean?" Natsuki pretended to be confused, "I don't understand…"
Yukino tightened her pretty face and said, "Liars will forever be [beep] in the future."
As a girl, you shouldn't always have that kind of word on your lips!
It concerned the dignity of a male animal, so even if he knew it had no effect, Natsuki was still unwilling to make a venomous oath. What if?
What if it came true?
Natsuki raised both hands and confessed, "Alright, I admit it…"
"It really was you!"
Before he could finish speaking, Yukino had already clenched her small fist, and a whip kick came flying over.
Bang!
Natsuki quickly caught Yukino's whip kick and asked, "Why is Yukino so angry?"
"…"
Yukino bit her lip, said nothing, withdrew her right leg, and was about to turn and leave.
Oh no!
She was clearly genuinely angry!
Natsuki thought for a moment and guessed the reason for Yukino's anger.
It was fine if it was consensual in reality, but the subconscious body in a dream had no self-control or conscious awareness. Taking advantage of someone in such a state was no different from drugging them… probably.
"Wait." Natsuki quickly grabbed Yukino, "Listen to my explanation!"
When a girl is angry, it's best to explain the misunderstanding immediately and never delay until the next day.
"…Let go!"
Yukino gritted her silver teeth, determined to leave.
Are you kidding? Of course, he wouldn't let go!
Natsuki pulled Yukino into his arms, but she was truly difficult to hold.
Once a girl gets angry, she's like a New Year's pig, impossible to hold down, absolutely impossible to hold down.
"When I was pasting skills to that the passerby player player Sakurai yesterday, I discovered she had a new skill I hadn't seen before, called [Dream Link]. So I copied it out of curiosity and tried it last night."
Natsuki forcibly held Yukino and sat her down by the bed, quickly explaining, "You're still the dominant one in the dream, not me. I just entered your dream."
Yukino gritted her silver teeth and said, "So you just do whatever you want in other people's dreams?"
Even if it's a dream, it's no excuse for you to do whatever you want and cross someone's bottom line!
"I really didn't." Natsuki continued to explain, "Doing whatever you want would cause the dream owner's rejection, leading to the entire dream collapsing directly… In other words, I didn't go against your will last night. If you were unwilling subconsciously, the dream would have ended long ago. Only with your consent and permission did the subsequent events occur."
"I can guarantee that what I just said is completely true. If there's a single lie, I'll forever be [beep] in the future." Natsuki raised his right hand and said seriously, "And I can transfer the Dream Link skill to you at any time, so Yukino can verify the truth."
He paused, then added cautiously, "Besides, last night I only wanted you to wipe the yogurt. I didn't intend to do anything else. You were the one who pushed me down…"
"…Shut up!"
Yukino bit her silver teeth in embarrassment and suddenly remembered the future diary she had read yesterday.
The future diary said that she would actively push Garbage-kun down. At the time, she had scoffed, thinking it impossible… She never expected it to become reality.
"Not angry anymore, are you?"
Natsuki asked cautiously.
Yukino sneered, "If Garbage-kun goes to hell and repents to Satan, then I'll forgive you."
Natsuki retorted, "I'll go repent to Satan a hundred years from now."
"…"
It was good that she was willing to talk. The worst case scenario was when she didn't say a word. Yukino was willing to talk now, which meant her anger had at least subsided by more than half.
"Let go of me." Yukino said expressionlessly, "I'm going back."
She was still angry, of course, but it had indeed subsided by more than half.
Dignity and respect were her ultimate bottom lines. If she were merely treated as a puppet to be manipulated at will, she would absolutely and resolutely leave without hesitation.
"Yes, I am terribly sorry."
Natsuki obediently released the girl in his arms.
Yukino quickly got up, turned her head, glared at Natsuki in embarrassment, and then left quickly without hesitation.
Arriving in the hallway.
After hesitating for a while, Yukino couldn't help but take out her future diary.
The diary was slightly warm, clearly indicating new content had appeared.
Yukino opened the diary and looked down.
Lines of text quietly appeared:
[Your favorability towards Natsuki has increased]
"What's with this favorability? Why does it keep increasing every time?" Yukino bit her silver teeth, "He did such an outrageous thing, it should decrease, right?"
[One night, Natsuki used Dream Link on you again…]
Yukino clenched her small fist: "He actually dares to do it again!"
[One night, you stayed overnight at Hino's apartment, and Natsuki performed Dream Link on both you and Hino…]
Yukino's eyes gleamed with murderous intent:
"He actually made me and my sister together… Unforgivable!"
[Three months later, you got pregnant…]
Slam!
Yukino slammed the future diary shut, her pretty face flushed crimson, and took several deep breaths before calming down.
Steady.
Don't panic.
"…In any case, I will absolutely not let the future in the diary become reality!"
After washing up.
The girls gathered in the dormitory, secretly ate breakfast there, and then went out together to begin their park dog-toting life for the day.
The day passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye, it was quitting time again.
Natsuki handed over his commission for the day, walked out of the studio, and met up with the girls in a corner.
Once all the sin coins had been turned in, the massive Evil Spirit boss, carrying a bag, walked towards the warehouse.
Natsuki and the others followed far behind, observing in secret.
"That big guy went in…" Chika whispered, "He should discover the money was stolen very soon, right?"
The female player was a bit worried, "Will he find the sin coins hidden in the wall?"
"If he finds them, he finds them." Natsuki said casually, "We can just do it again if we have to."
Among the girls, the second player was the most worried. Her strategy for clearing the dungeon was to lie low until the end, prioritizing stability. The plan to sneak into the warehouse, steal the sin coins, and attract the park supervisor was simply too crazy and not at all stable.
Unfortunately, she was already on the pirate ship, and getting off now was impossible.
A moment later.
Boom!
The wooden door of the warehouse shattered with a loud bang.
Amidst flying splinters, the tall Evil Spirit boss crashed out, his eyes already blood-red. He grabbed an Evil Spirit thug passing by the door and said viciously, "Who stole the sin coins from the warehouse?!"
"What was stolen?"
The Evil Spirit thug, naturally, knew nothing and looked utterly bewildered.
Pfft—
The Evil Spirit boss clenched his fist and punched, directly smashing the head of the unlucky thug.
The headless Evil Spirit thug's body swayed, then crashed to the ground.
Still not appeased after killing one subordinate, the Evil Spirit boss reached out and grabbed another Evil Spirit thug, viciously asking who had stolen from the warehouse.
"I, I don't know…"
The second unlucky thug naturally couldn't answer and quickly had his head smashed again.
"Ah…"
Two of the girls let out soft gasps of fear and quickly turned their heads away, not daring to look further.
Even Mitsui, who had prepared herself mentally, saw this scene, and the muscles around her eyes trembled slightly, but she forced herself not to look away.
Blood and terror were the true face of the dungeon; the past three days of peace were merely an illusion.
Kaguya pursed her lips and mused, "He must suspect those Evil Spirit guards of embezzlement, right?"
"It must be." Natsuki nodded and turned to secretary Chika, "Any of these Evil Spirit thugs deserves to be shot ten times over, so don't feel any guilt."
"I don't sympathize with just anyone." Chika glared at him, "President, don't underestimate me!"
"…"