After easily coaxing his 'daughter', Natsuki looked at Tsubame and asked softly:
"Senpai, how is Aoi's mother doing?"
Tsubame pursed her lips upon hearing this and gently shook her head:
"She's still under observation and treatment in the hospital. She can communicate normally now, but the after-effects are still very severe. She's sensitive to light and sound, has nightmares every night, and can't get proper rest at all."
"Progress is a good thing." Natsuki said softly, "Healing can't be rushed; it requires patience and a slow approach."
Tsubame softly hummed in agreement, raising a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and whispered:
"Aoi has completely recovered now and no longer has the cognitive confusion she had before. She wanted to stay with her mother earlier, but her mother needs care herself now, so I brought Aoi back. I take Aoi to the hospital every one or two days… And then there's the matter of school."
At this point, Tsubame counted on her fingers and said:
"In this situation, it's definitely impossible to let Aoi go back to her hometown for school alone. Although there are distant relatives, I can't feel completely at ease, so she'll still go to school in Tokyo. We need to handle transfer procedures, buy a school bag, and various school supplies…"
Natsuki looked at Tsubame speaking softly, smiling silently.
"Junior, what are you smiling about?"
Tsubame's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but ask.
Natsuki smiled:
"I'm happy."
"Eh?"
Tsubame tilted her head slightly.
Natsuki said:
"Senpai is gentle and kind, and would make an excellent wife and mother. You'll definitely be a good mother in the future."
Tsubame's pretty face quickly turned crimson. She turned to look out the window. The afternoon sun fell on Tsubame's profile, bright and incomparably beautiful:
"Junior, don't say strange things."
Natsuki seized the opportunity to hold Tsubame's soft hand and shamelessly said:
"You and I are officially a married couple, so talking about children is perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"
Tsubame's pretty face grew even redder, and she couldn't help but glare at him, quietly refuting:
"We're not a married couple at all."
"Why aren't we?" Natsuki said righteously, "In the cursed nightmare, you called me 'Daddy' every day, and that's a term of endearment only between a married couple."
In Japan, once a couple has children, many people refer to each other as 'Mommy' and 'Daddy', with no other meaning.
Tsubame's pretty face was flushed crimson:
"That was a special circumstance, alright?"
"I don't care." Natsuki took half a step forward and shamelessly put his arm around Tsubame's soft, slender waist, "In any case, Senpai, you must take responsibility for me. You can't abandon me."
"W-wait a moment…" Tsubame's eyelashes immediately trembled nervously. She clearly knew what Natsuki wanted to do. She put her hands on Natsuki's chest and whispered, "Aoi is still here."
Natsuki whispered:
"Aoi is watching cartoons; she's not paying attention to us. Besides, it's just a kiss. It's fine if she sees."
"…"
At this moment, the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from the second floor.
"Hey, you! Let Tsubame go quickly!"
The voice arrived before the person.
Natsuki turned to look and saw Momo from another world quickly descending from the second floor.
Tsubame's pretty face became even hotter. She quickly broke free from Natsuki's embrace. Aoi was one thing; she could barely be ignored, but kissing in front of her good friend was indeed too embarrassing.
"Momo-senpai, good afternoon."
Natsuki greeted her as if nothing had happened.
"Hmph." Momo folded her arms across her chest and snorted, "What are you doing here?"
Natsuki took Tsubame's right hand and said righteously:
"You and I are in a relationship, so it's normal for me to come over and visit, isn't it?"
Momo's eyes were filled with disdain, and she spat out two words through her lips:
"…Scum!"
Tsubame coughed twice and quickly stood between the two, explaining:
"I was the one who messaged Junior to come over and help Momo alleviate the strange erosion."
Upon hearing about helping to alleviate the strange erosion, Momo's pretty face flushed slightly, clearly recalling the treatment process in the other world. She glared at Natsuki in annoyance, then softly snorted:
"I'm fine now. I don't need his help to alleviate the symptoms."
It was fine in the other world; after all, the world had already been destroyed, so she could accept stripping down and lying down to let him draw on her body. But in front of Tsubame, she absolutely couldn't make a fool of herself.
Natsuki smiled:
"I've noticed a very good quality about Momo-senpai."
"Eh, what is it?"
Tsubame looked over curiously.
Natsuki said:
"Her body is very soft, but her mouth is very hard."
"Bastard!"
Momo clenched her fists in anger, wanting to hit him.
"Don't cause trouble, both of you." Tsubame helplessly separated the two, crossing her arms over her chest, and adopting the air of a head of the household, "I'm in charge now, Momo. Let Junior help you alleviate your condition… Haven't you noticed that Aoi doesn't even dare to talk to you now?"
Momo softly hummed, acknowledging with silence.
"Very good." Tsubame then turned her head to Natsuki, "Junior, don't deliberately take advantage of Momo. Can you do that?"
Natsuki argued:
"I'm not taking advantage of Momo-senpai…"
"Hmm?"
Tsubame crossed her arms, her delicate eyebrows slightly raised.
"Yes, I guarantee it." Natsuki saluted, "You can rest assured, Commander."
"See, isn't that better?" Tsubame put away her head-of-the-household demeanor and said softly, "Regarding the Strange Tale you encountered yesterday, Junior, do you want to ask Momo's opinion?"
Natsuki nodded and repeated the information about the Strange Tale.
"I think I've heard of it." Momo furrowed her delicate brows and shook her head, "When the apocalypse broke out, the whole city was in chaos. I hid alone in the clubroom and barely managed to survive. Finally, when the food ran out, I had no choice but to leave the clubroom… By then, there weren't many survivors left. When I traded with others, I heard that some people would suddenly die of old age for no reason, but I don't know the specific details."
Natsuki mused:
"I'll ask Miko when I have time."
"Eh?" Momo quickly reacted, her eyes widening in shock, "You can still contact that Miko?"
Natsuki said:
"I've acquired a new skill and want to try it out, but I'm not sure if I can connect."
"Junior has acquired a new skill again?" Tsubame curiously pursed her lips, "Speaking of which, when I opened my daily Blind Box two days ago, I also got a skill, but unfortunately, it's not very useful."
The probability of getting a skill from a Blind Box is very low, but as time goes on, some people always get lucky and obtain a skill, though its practicality is hard to say.
"This is it. The specific usage method is still under development…"
Natsuki said as he displayed the [Dream Link].
"Hmm…" Tsubame blinked and whispered, "The skill description is a bit abstract."
Natsuki explained:
"This ability allows me to invade others' dreams and control them to a certain extent. Simply put, I can do whatever I want."
"Do… do whatever I want…"
Tsubame's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her pretty face quickly flushed, not knowing what she was thinking.
Natsuki lowered his voice and said, "Would Senpai like to experience it?"
Tsubame glared at him shyly and angrily:
"I don't want to!"
Natsuki raised his hand and said, "You can relax your body and restore your spirit in the dream, for example, enjoying all kinds of delicacies from all over the world, seeing the scenery of the whole world, and so on. And you don't have to worry about gaining weight anymore."
"No matter how much you eat, you won't gain weight…"
It must be said that Tsubame was a little moved. Gaining weight is a girl's eternal nemesis.
Natsuki continued:
"I haven't eaten all kinds of delicacies with others in a dream yet."
"Wait a minute." Tsubame asked in a puzzled tone, "You don't gain weight from eating in a dream. Chika-chan must love that, right? Has Junior not let Chika-chan eat yet?"
Natsuki: "…"
He really hadn't.
Two days ago, at the Strange Tales Management Bureau hotel, Marin, Sayu, Juju, and Chika, everyone first played King's game, and then it turned into a Tetris game. After the next day, the calm secretary Chika no longer wanted to see anyone.
The chat ended.
Next was to relieve Momo of the erosion of the strange power. Since Tsubame was observing the whole process, Natsuki was naturally honest and well-behaved.
Twenty minutes later.
"It's over."
Natsuki exhaled lightly, stood up, and stretched his muscles and bones.
"Momo looks very distressed…" Tsubame frowned slightly, holding a towel to wipe the sweat from Momo's forehead. "Junior, how long can the effect of relieving the Strange Tale erosion last?"
Natsuki said:
"The effect can last for about a week."
"The time feels a bit short." Tsubame said softly, "It would be best if it could last longer."
"It's already very good." Momo's voice was slightly hoarse. "In that world, there is only one outcome for those who merge with the strange power, and that is to inevitably turn into a monster… I am already very satisfied with my current state."
Natsuki picked up a bottle of drink, tilted his head to drink some water, and then said:
"Momo-senpai, please hold on for a while longer. At that time, we might be able to solve the strangeness once and for all."
"Eh, how do you say that?"
Tsubame quickly looked over with anticipation.
Even Momo, who was lying on the bed, covered in sweat, couldn't help but cast an expectant gaze.
Natsuki said:
"I can't completely cure the erosion of the strange power, but the game definitely can."
Tsubame's eyes lit up, and she quickly said:
"Are those people from the Strange Tales Management Bureau willing to let Momo enter the game?"
"Where there's a will, there's a way." Natsuki said casually, "Momo-senpai is the first visitor from another world, and she has successfully integrated the strange power, which means she has opened up a brand new path for others. Even if we don't say anything, after a while, someone will definitely actively offer an invitation to Momo-senpai to enter the game."
Tsubame pursed her lips and said:
"I don't quite understand…"
Natsuki explained:
"It's very simple. After entering the game and becoming a player, you can obtain transcendent power. Not only do ordinary people want to become transcendent, but rich people want to have transcendent power even more. However, the death rate in the novice stage is too high. Basically, nothing is allowed to be brought in, and Mitsui's situation cannot be replicated by everyone… But what if ordinary people master this power in advance and then enter the game?"
Tsubame finally understood and said:
"I see. If you can master a certain special power in advance, the chances of passing the novice stage will greatly increase."
"What the heck." Momo also understood. "Isn't this just using me as a guinea pig?"
Natsuki glanced over and said:
"Am I providing Momo-senpai with a free opportunity to enter the game, and Momo-senpai would refuse?"
"…"
Momo stopped talking.
Leaving aside curiosity, just the possibility of permanently solving the Strange Tale erosion in her body made her unable to refuse.
The treatment ended.
Natsuki played some parent-child games with his daughter, and then said goodbye and left.
There was no need to rush to ask Parallel World Miko for information. Firstly, if the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up, and tracking Strange Tale should be left to the Strange Tales Management Bureau. Secondly, whether he can see Parallel World Miko in his dream, and whether the other Miko knows the Strange Tale information, are all still unknown.
"I'm back."
Natsuki didn't go home, but went directly to the Shinomiya family villa.
"President, welcome back." Kaguya stood at the entrance of the villa, looking forward to his return.
Natsuki asked:
"Did anything happen this afternoon?"
Kaguya shook her head gently and said:
"President, don't worry, everyone is normal."
"That's good." Natsuki said, taking out a coin, flicking it, and throwing it up. "Today, we'll continue with the sting operation. If that Strange Tale never comes for revenge, it's highly probable it won't appear."
To obtain Lucky Goddess's Favor, one must first charge the coin. Unconsciously, Natsuki had already developed the habit of tossing coins at any time. As for all kinds of bad luck… he got used to it after a few times.
"Charging completed."
Natsuki narrowed his eyes, carefully looked at the prompt on the coin, and then looked at Hayasaka and Kaguya:
"Who wants to toss the coin?"
Although Hayasaka had already left the Shinomiya family, she was still wearing a maid outfit at this moment. The habit formed over more than ten years could not be changed in a short time. At this moment, she took half a step back and said:
"I've already opened my daily Blind Box, let Kaguya do it."
"Then I'll do it."
Kaguya did not decline, nodded gently, took the coin, and tossed it gently upwards.
To maximize the use of the Destiny Coin's luck buff, it is natural to charge and toss it as quickly as possible. Of course, after Kaguya tosses the coin now, she will naturally be responsible for charging it later.
Buzz.
The Destiny Coin kept flipping in mid-air, and after it fell, the Lucky Goddess's Favor buff was successfully activated.
Kaguya bought a daily Blind Box and then opened it. Unfortunately, today's Lucky Goddess's Favor was not enough, and she failed to open a skill. She only obtained a common-grade item, which was tasteless to eat and a pity to discard.
The expressions of the three were very calm regarding this result, without any disappointment.
The coin can be successfully charged every few days. If a skill could be drawn every time it was charged, then skills would have been a dime a dozen long ago.
"Items are also good, better than toilet paper…" Natsuki said, taking out the Witch's Crystal Ball again. "Let's try again to see if we can obtain the Witch's Legacy."
"Mmm."
Kaguya extended her right hand and casually pressed it on the Witch's Crystal Ball.
The Witch's Legacy is incredibly difficult to obtain. Even with the Lucky Goddess's Favor buff, so far, everyone has only obtained three legacy abilities: the recipe for the Night Potion, the method for making magic ropes, and the art of curse removal. Therefore, Kaguya had no expectations whatsoever.
However, the next second.
Hayasaka suddenly widened her eyes and exclaimed in surprise:
"The crystal ball is glowing!"
"Huh?"
Natsuki's spirits lifted, and he quickly looked at the Witch's Crystal Ball, indeed seeing a hazy light emanating from the crystal ball, and the countless clouds inside began to quietly rotate.
This situation has occurred a total of three times so far, each time successfully aligning with the crystal ball and obtaining the Witch's Legacy.
It is clear that Kaguya lost something here and gained something there today. Although she only opened a common-grade item, she successfully obtained the Witch's Legacy, which was a huge profit.
A moment later.
Kaguya opened her eyes, extended a slender doll-like finger, pressed it against her brow, gently rubbed it, and then exhaled softly.
"Kaguya, how is the situation?" Hayasaka asked expectantly, "What legacy did you obtain?"
Kaguya pursed her lips and said softly:
"It's a potion recipe."
"A potion?" Natsuki's eyes lit up and he said, "That's a real good thing."
The previous Night Potion recipe and the method for making magic ropes had already been handed over by Natsuki to the Strange Tales Management Bureau—he said it was a free handover, but in reality, he received many hidden benefits and treatments.
Among them, the most popular item was the Night Potion. Although it wasn't very useful in reality, it was extremely useful in dungeons.
This item had already been thoroughly studied by the Strange Tales Management Bureau's scientific researchers. Because it contained occult factors, it could not be mass-produced through industrial assembly lines. But don't forget, there's nothing else abundant on Earth except people.
As long as there is enough manpower, the Night Potion can be completely 'artificially mass-produced,' and even having several bottles per person is not a problem.
As the discomfort in her head subsided, Kaguya said softly:
"The potion is called the Mind Potion. Its effect lasts for one hour. Drinking it alone can grant mental resistance, and two people can also drink it simultaneously. During this time, both parties can communicate with each other through telepathy."
Hayasaka crossed her arms over her chest and said upon hearing this:
"Being able to communicate with each other through telepathy is even more useful than the Night Potion."
The reason is simple.
Since ancient times, information has been king.
The ability to communicate information without barriers at light speed is definitely one of the most practical abilities.
Kaguya shook her head gently and said:
"Potions for two people must be custom-made, requiring a drop of fresh blood from both parties, so they cannot be mass-produced."
"Even so, it's still very good. What's the recipe for the potion?" Natsuki said from the side, "Even if the effect is good, it still needs to be successfully made."
"The recipe shouldn't be difficult to gather…"
Kaguya pressed her brow and spoke the contents of the recipe.
Hayasaka immediately said:
"I'll go now and have people collect and prepare it."