After handing the Instance Exemption Card to Juju, Natsuki didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, he pulled Juju into the park next to the community. Amidst Juju's tsundere scolding, he thoroughly enjoyed a war of words before leisurely departing.
Next stop.
The Strange Tales Management Bureau Headquarters.
"Natsuki-kun, you're here?"
Mitsui, dressed in a professional suit, hurried over, beads of sweat even glistening on her fair, doll-like nose.
"I'm sorry, I've been too busy lately. A new Strange Tale has appeared in Tokyo…"
Natsuki waved his hand, saying calmly, "According to the Strange Tales Management Bureau's analysis, the difficulty of the instance is actually linked to the number of times players have cleared it. You've only cleared an instance once, so going into it with us is too dangerous… Where are the people who need skills to be pasted?"
Mitsui exhaled lightly, raising a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, "Natsuki-kun, please follow me."
"…", Natsuki came to the Strange Tales Management Bureau this time for two reasons: first, to help with pasting skills, and second, to pick up the 'Skill Enhancement Stone' they had agreed upon earlier.
"Natsuki-kun, here you go."
Mitsui handed over a Skill Enhancement Stone.
"Thank you."
Natsuki thanked her softly.
This item was quite rare; ordinary players couldn't even buy it. Since they were entering the instance tomorrow, Mitsui bringing it out today clearly meant she had put in a lot of effort.
"Natsuki-kun, you don't need to thank me," Mitsui gently shook her head, her pretty face slightly flushed, and extended her delicate hand, saying, "I don't know when Natsuki-kun will come out of the instance… I also want to paste a skill."
"No problem," Natsuki held Mitsui's right hand, "Evil Spirit Exorcism?"
Mitsui lightly assented, "I'll leave it to Natsuki."
"…",After finishing the business and exchanging a few more words with Mitsui, Natsuki took the enhancement stone and bid farewell.
Next up was Marin's house.
No words were exchanged along the way.
Natsuki soon arrived outside Marin's house and reached out to press the doorbell.
"Eh, Natsuki?"
Seeing Natsuki outside the door, Marin's eyes suddenly lit up, and a bright, beautiful smile bloomed on her pretty face, "Why did you suddenly come over?"
Natsuki smiled and said, "Of course, it's because I missed Marin."
"Hmph hmph~" Marin snorted softly with satisfaction, "Come in, come in, it's boiling hot outside."
"…"
As Natsuki entered the genkan, he heard a familiar crisp cry:
"Master~"
He turned his head and saw a black-haired girl with half of her pretty face peeking out from the bathroom. Who else could it be but Sayu?
Among the girls, Marin and Sayu actually had the best relationship.
When they went to Hokkaido to help Sayu resolve her regrets, Natsuki and Marin accompanied her. Later, the two girls became comrades-in-arms, having been through a lot together. Plus, Marin lived alone, so Sayu, although she rented an apartment outside, spent most of her time living with Marin during this period.
"Here."
Natsuki took a sip of his drink, then pulled out a Skill Enhancement Stone and handed it to Marin.
"Eh, what is it?"
Marin asked curiously.
Natsuki said:
"It's a skill strengthening stone I just got."
"Eh eh eh?!"
Marin's eyes suddenly lit up: "I'm going to get stronger!"
These skill strengthening stones were extremely rare. Most people couldn't buy them, and even if someone was willing to sell, the price was terrifyingly high. Marin's rank in the Strange Tales Management Bureau was that of a regular player, so it would be very difficult for her to buy one herself.
Naturally, she was overjoyed to receive a skill strengthening stone now.
"Hehe~"
Marin leaped up, directly onto Natsuki's body, then wrapped her arms tightly around Natsuki's neck, her voice soft and sweet, with a lovely smile, she said:
"I like Natsuki the most!"
Natsuki gently supported her, letting Marin kiss him left and right, then said:
"First, strengthen the skill."
"I'll go wash my hands first, to ensure good luck."
Marin jumped down and ran into the bathroom with a thud-thud-thud, her golden hair flinging out a brilliant golden waterfall in the sunlight.
Sayu stood obediently to the side, her eyes full of envy. She previously only had one skill, which was 'Divination'. Later, she was very lucky and opened another skill from a Blind Box, but unfortunately, it was a useless skill that was basically of no use.
Natsuki looked at Sayu and beckoned:
"Come here."
Sayu immediately broke into a bright smile, took small steps forward, and looked up with her pretty face, saying:
"Master~ I'm here."
Natsuki took out an Exemption Card and handed it to Sayu, instructing:
"This is for you. If you encounter unavoidable danger, remember to use it immediately."
"Eh?"
Sayu blinked, took the exemption card, and after seeing the item's properties, her beautiful eyes widened instantly:
"This… this precious item, are you really giving it to me?"
Natsuki said without changing his expression:
"What is it? Sayu is the truly precious one."
"Wahhh~"
Sayu clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest, her pretty face flushing with two delicate blushes, and she happily exclaimed:
"Thank you, Master."
Natsuki waved his hand and said:
"Verbal thanks are not necessary…"
Who knew that as soon as his voice fell, Sayu's figure suddenly lowered.
Hey, hey, what are you doing?
Natsuki looked down at Sayu, whose pretty face was flushed, kneeling in front of him, and couldn't help but want to complain:
"Given our current relationship, there's no need for polite thanks, and I'm not asking you to express your gratitude with actual actions!"
"Waa… Master, what did you say?"
Sayu slightly raised her pretty face, looking up, a mischievous, triumphant smile on her pretty face, but her voice, for some reason, became a little muffled.
"Sayu… didn't hear clearly."
Natsuki took a deep breath, reached out and ruffled Sayu's beautiful hair, keeping his eyes down, maintaining his composure:
"It's nothing, you continue."
"…"
Click.
The bathroom door was pulled open.
Followed by Marin's shout:
"I just washed my hands… you two should restrain yourselves a bit!"
Giving Sayu an exemption card naturally meant Marin couldn't be left out.
The two girls lived together, and if one was given something and the other wasn't, even if they were good friends, the other would definitely feel jealous and wronged.
So Natsuki took out another exemption card and gave it to Marin, then told her the same thing about not telling anyone else.
"Do Chika and the others have it?"
Marin put away the exemption card and asked curiously.
Natsuki shook his head and said:
"I didn't give it to Chika and the others."
The exemption card was mainly for saving lives, so it was naturally distributed according to strength. Chika, Kaguya, Hayasaka, and Yukino, etc… were comparatively more reassuring.
"Humph humph~"
Marin let out two proud (triumphant) hums. Although she knew the reason, she was still very happy, so she accepted Sayu's invitation to give a reward together.
Half an hour later.
After finishing matters, Natsuki said goodbye and left, then headed to Shoko's house.
No words were exchanged on the way.
Arriving downstairs at Shoko's house, Natsuki looked up and saw the light on in Shoko's room. The curtains were drawn, and behind them, a figure was gently swaying, clearly indicating that the the timid girl was in the room.
"Shoko, come to the window."
Natsuki took out his phone and sent a message to the the timid girl.
"Eh?"
The swaying figure quickly approached the window. Before long, a corner of the curtain was gently pulled open, and a pretty, unadorned face peered out.
"Na-Natsuki-kun?!"
Seeing Natsuki downstairs, Komi's eyes suddenly widened.
Natsuki waved his hand and whispered:
"Step back a little."
Komi unconsciously took two steps back upon hearing this.
Natsuki easily leaped, directly to the second-floor window, but he didn't get a firm grip, and his body involuntarily fell backward.
"Ah…"
The the timid girl let out a soft cry and quickly stepped forward, grabbing Natsuki's arm.
However, there was no dragging sensation in her hand. Instead, with hardly any effort, Natsuki was directly 'dragged' into the room by her.
"Shoko actively pulled me in, so I can't be considered trespassing."
Natsuki smiled.
Seeing the smile on Natsuki's face, the the timid girl knew he had deliberately scared her, but her naturally timid personality prevented her from uttering any words of reproach.
Instead, Natsuki's gaze fell uninhibitedly on the the timid girl.
It was still summer, and the weather was hot. Shoko had just showered and was only wearing a dolphin-themed pajama. A white towel was wrapped around her head, and her body exuded the fresh scent of shampoo and shower gel.
Since she was alone in the room, the pajama buttons naturally didn't need to be fully fastened. Natsuki's gaze swept over her and he saw a expanse of soft, snowy white.
"Mmm…"
Noticing Natsuki's undisguised burning gaze, the the timid girl's pretty face quickly flushed, and she nervously raised her arms to cover her chest.
"Don't be nervous." Natsuki said seriously, "I came here for a proper reason, not to take advantage of you."
Unfortunately, the the timid girl had long since seen his true colors. She covered her body, her pretty face flushed, and showed no signs of letting down her guard.
"I really do have proper business…" Natsuki took out an Exemption Card and handed it to Shoko, saying seriously, "Here, this is for you."
"Eh? What is it?"
The the timid girl blinked, asking softly and doubtfully.
Natsuki said:
"You'll know once you take it."
Seeing that Natsuki had no intention of being physical, the the timid girl, with a flushed pretty face, carefully took the exemption card. Soon, her beautiful eyes widened, and she whispered:
"Th-that… Natsuki-kun, why are you giving me a Dungeon Exemption Card?"
"Why?" Natsuki said self-righteously, "Is there a problem with me worrying about my girlfriend's safety?"
Upon hearing this answer, the the timid girl's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she shyly turned her pretty face away.
Natsuki said softly:
"Keep the exemption card. If you encounter irresistible danger, remember to use it in time… Also, don't tell anyone else. The number of exemption cards is limited, so it's impossible for everyone to have one. I gave it to you first; no one else has it."
"Eh?" The the timid girl bit her lip lightly upon hearing this, a worried expression on her face, and she whispered, "Then what about the others?"
This was Komi's personality.
Kind.
Super kind.
Upon hearing that only she had it and no one else did, her first thought wasn't happiness, but worry for the safety of others.
Her second character weakness was shyness.
Among all the girls, if you were to say who was the shyest, it would definitely be Shoko.
If Marin had pulled Shoko into playing Tetris that night, Shoko would have been too shy to look anyone in the eye for at least a month.
Natsuki reached out his right hand and gently rubbed the the timid girl's head, saying gently:
"Don't worry. Giving you the exemption card is just a precaution. It's highly unlikely you'll need it. Keep it carefully and don't tell anyone else."
"Oh…"
The the timid girl finally agreed, carefully putting the Exemption Card into her game backpack.
Looking at the submissive the the timid girl, who had 'I'm easy to take advantage of, come and take advantage of me' written all over her face, Natsuki couldn't help but feel his desire stirred, and he commanded:
"Come here and let me kiss you."
"Th-that…" The the timid girl nervously took half a step back, summoning her courage to whisper, "Natsuki-kun just said he wouldn't take advantage of me…"
"The me from a minute ago and the me from a minute later are not the same me." Natsuki said shamelessly, "Either come here and let me kiss you, or I won't leave today and will stay in your room to rest. You choose."
"…"
Komi had no choice but to blush, half nervous, half shy, she leaned forward, her hands clasped into fists against her chest, nervously closing her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, awaiting her fate of being taken advantage of.
Looking at the girl's doll-like, flawless face under the lamplight, Natsuki suddenly said, "I've changed my mind."
"Hmm?"
Komi's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she opened one eye in confusion.
Natsuki said in a low voice, "Shoko just took two steps back. I feel so wronged, incredibly wronged… So, she must kiss me twice before I leave."
Hearing this, the the timid girl knew that Natsuki was deliberately playing with her and couldn't help but accuse him, "...Taking advantage of, taking advantage of people!"
Natsuki shamelessly said, "Just tell me if you agree or not."
"…"
Even though Komi knew Natsuki was being a hooligan, she couldn't make him leave. Her pretty face flushed crimson, and she nervously tiptoed closer, offering a proactive kiss.
Thump, thump, thump.
A knock on the door sounded just then.
"Shoko, I think I hear someone talking inside?"
Komi's Mom's voice came from outside the door.
"N-no…" Komi was startled. She didn't even have time to wipe the silver thread from the corner of her lips and stammered, "Mom heard wrong! I'm the only one in the room!"
While the the timid girl was speaking, Natsuki seized the opportunity to take advantage of Shoko.
"Mmm—!"
The the timid girl's dark hair trembled violently, and she almost cried out.
"Calm down." Natsuki leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Shoko, you don't want Auntie to find out, do you?"
Auntie was right outside the door. Given the the timid girl's personality, no matter how outrageous things got, she would only endure them silently, tears welling up in her eyes.
Komi's Mom continued from outside the door, "Shoko, do you want some watermelon? I'll bring it up for you?"
"N-no…" The the timid girl's voice trembled slightly, "I, I don't want to eat anything. Mom, you eat it yourself."
Komi's Mom's tone was a little worried, "You haven't been eating regularly lately, and you look thinner… Did you argue with Natsuki?"
"N-no arguments…"
Komi bit her lip, feeling wronged.
They had never argued; she was always the one being taken advantage of.
A moment later.
After taking advantage of Shoko until her eyes welled up with tears, Natsuki finally let go and jumped out of the window to leave.
He had two exemption cards left. He would keep one for emergencies and could give the other to someone… The recipient would, of course, be Tsubame.
After all, in terms of strength, Tsubame's abilities were also ordinary, and she more urgently needed a life-saving method.
Natsuki walked to the train station, boarded a train, and headed straight for Tsubame's house.
The journey was uneventful.
"Eh, Junior?"
Seeing Natsuki at the door, Tsubame asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly here?"
"I came to give something to Tsubame-senpai…"
Natsuki spoke while handing over a copy of the exemption card, then repeated his usual line: "Tsubame-senpai, keep this well. Only use it in an urgent, unavoidable crisis. Also, don't tell anyone about me giving you this exemption card. Not everyone can have one, so I had to secretly give it to Tsubame."
Tsubame blinked at his words, reached out to take the exemption card, and carefully put it away. Her heart was half filled with tenderness and half with a small hint of annoyance:
"No wonder Junior didn't take it out at noon… You've said that many times today, haven't you, Junior?"
Natsuki avoided the main point, saying, "No matter how many times I say it, Tsubame-senpai's safety is more important than my life."
"Hmph~"
Tsubame let out a soft hum, unable to resist chiding him, "It must be really tiring for Junior to run around like this."
Natsuki showed no trace of shame on his face, saying calmly, "For my favorite Tsubame-senpai, it's not tiring at all."
Tsubame's pretty face flushed slightly, and she raised a hand to her forehead, finally unable to hold back: "…Shameless!"
"Being thick-skinned is one of the essential skills to master in life." Natsuki reached out and held Tsubame's soft hand, without a hint of shame on his face, arguing confidently, "If I weren't thick-skinned, could I hug Tsubame-senpai whenever I want, or kiss Tsubame-senpai whenever I want, like I do now?"
"Junior, go away." Tsubame couldn't help but glare at him, pulling her right hand away with a slight tug, "It's already dark. You should go home quickly and get a good rest tonight. We still have to challenge the dungeon tomorrow."
"I'm not going back." Natsuki said shamelessly, "Unless Tsubame kisses me, I won't leave today."
"You…"
"I am thick-skinned." Natsuki continued his shamelessness, lowering his voice, "Soon, Aoi might come looking for her mother. Tsubame-senpai, you wouldn't want your daughter to see us being intimate, would you?"
"…Shameless!"
Tsubame had no choice, and she was worried about Aoi coming to find them and catching them. So, with a flushed face, she tiptoed closer.
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
The girls gathered together once again.
Natsuki looked around and asked, "Is everyone ready?"
"Ready!"
"President, let's start the dungeon."
"Barbara, charge!"
"…"
Natsuki nodded slightly and started the dungeon.
The next second.
A dizzying sensation suddenly struck him…
When Natsuki regained consciousness, he saw several dilapidated residential buildings in front of him, and next to him was a rundown guard post.
"Tsk~"
Natsuki carefully looked around and found himself standing alone at the entrance of the guard post. Behind him was the community's rising barrier, and in front of him were dilapidated, old, and decaying residential buildings, as if they had endured decades of wind and rain.
At the entrance of the guard post, he was all alone; the girls were nowhere to be seen.
Natsuki was not in a hurry. After a brief observation of the surroundings, he retracted his gaze, then opened the game task panel to check the dungeon tasks.
[Dungeon "Happy Community" loading…]
[Loading successful]
[Player's current identity: New Security guard]
[Main Quest: Maintain community security, build harmonious neighborly relations, and gain positive reviews from over half of the residents]
[Quest Duration: Seven days]
[Side Quests: Unlocked, please trigger them yourself]
[Note: Happy Community, Happy Home; community happiness depends on everyone]
"It's actually called Happy Community…" Natsuki narrowed his eyes, unable to help but complain, "Isn't that an old-fashioned community name from the last century?"
The main quest of the dungeon seemed simple: survive for seven days and gain positive reviews from over half of the residents within those seven days. However, old players knew that in this type of survival dungeon, the longer the duration, the more dangerous it became.
Surviving for seven days alone in a gloomy and strange dungeon, while also facing various evil spirits and monsters, demanded a considerable amount of mental pressure and physical exertion.
Natsuki closed the game panel, then gently wiggled his pinky finger to sense Chika's direction.
Soon after, Chika transmitted a signal by trembling her finger through the red string.
Two-three-three…
The code was confirmed.
Chika indicated that she was safe and currently not in danger.
Since that was the case, Natsuki calmed down and temporarily decided not to activate the 'Fated Person' ability to instantly move to Chika's side—a good steel should be used on the blade's edge. The Fated Person ability could only be used once, so it should, of course, be used at a critical moment.
"Tsk~ What should I do now?"
Natsuki was contemplating his next move when he suddenly heard a phone ringing. The sound was hoarse and piercing, especially eerie in the night.
His gaze shifted, and Natsuki looked into the guard post, where an old-fashioned landline phone was ringing incessantly.
"A landline phone… That's a relic of a bygone era."
Natsuki sighed as he pushed open the door and entered the guard post.
He remembered only seeing landline phones when he was a child at his grandparents' house in the countryside; he hadn't seen one since, and like the old universal chargers, they had become relics of a bygone era.
Upon entering the guard post, a musty, decaying smell assailed Natsuki's nostrils, causing him to frown slightly. He waited a moment before stepping inside.
Above him hung a small light bulb, covered in cobwebs and no brighter than three watts, casting a dim yellow light. Inside the post, there was only a wooden table, a broken wooden stool, a security guard uniform, and a dilapidated desktop phone. Other than these, there was nothing else.
Natsuki carefully inspected the landline phone and suddenly narrowed his eyes. He reached out and pulled the phone cord from behind the landline, only to discover that the cord had already been bitten through in the middle by some unknown creature.
"Tsk~"
Natsuki dropped the bitten cord and then picked up the old-fashioned phone that was still ringing incessantly.
"Moshi moshi, this is the Ride-Hailing for Trouble Hotline. How may I help you?"
"…"
After a brief silence, a gentle, pleasant female voice with a slight huskiness sounded from the other end of the phone:
"Hello, is this the security guard of Happy Community?"
Natsuki nodded and said, "That would be me."
The woman's voice on the other end of the phone said gently, "Hello, I'm Mrs. Kato, living in Building 3, Apartment 203 of Happy Community. My water pipe is blocked. Could you please come and help unclog it?"
In the middle of the night, asking a stranger to come to her house to help unclog a water pipe… you're asking for trouble!
Natsuki was about to agree or refuse when the game suddenly popped up a quest notification:
[You have triggered a side quest—]
[Side Quest: Late-Night Plumber. Mrs. Kato, living in Building 3 of Happy Community, has her home flooded due to an unknown reason and urgently needs someone to come and clear it.]
[Quest Objective: Fulfill Mrs. Kato's request and complete the unclogging work.]
[Quest Reward: Unknown]
[Note: Quest rewards will be issued upon dungeon completion.]
He triggered a side quest so easily… Could he still refuse?
"Of course not!"
No one would ever complain about too many rewards.
Besides, as a security guard, I must do my best to provide quality service to every resident in the community."
Natsuki immediately said with a serious expression, "Please wait a moment, Madam, I'll go help clear it right away."
"Then I'll trouble the security guard, sir." Mrs. Kato's voice on the other end of the phone was gentle, "Please come as soon as possible, the water is about to overflow."
"…"