"Mysterious game, huh... I know."
The old store manager looked at the information on the slip of paper, took out his dry tobacco and lit it, exhaling a smoke ring as he said:
"The amusement park has been struggling to make ends meet recently, so they're holding a mysterious game to attract customers."
What are connections?
This is it.
If it were an ordinary player, to know the truth of the mysterious game, they would need to carefully explore the Haunted Town, little by little searching for clues, and finally find the truth of the game.
But Natsuki had extensive connections in the Haunted Town. With just a single sentence, he successfully skipped all the tedious steps and went directly to the final stage.
"Amusement park?"
Natsuki's eyes lit up, and he smiled, "Thank you, store manager. The manager of the amusement park and I are good friends. I'll revisit the old place once I'm done with what I'm busy with."
Back then, when a the passerby player was trapped in the amusement park, Natsuki gathered all the players in the Haunted Town to rescue him. They charged through the amusement park, and he had a deep relationship with the amusement park's employees and manager. He even received many balloon gifts from the amusement park manager—these things could forcibly increase favorability. Later, with the momotaro rice ball, the clown balloons were forgotten, and a few balloons are still left in a corner of his [Backpack].
Having obtained the information he wanted, Natsuki was in a great mood. He exchanged a few more polite words with the old store manager, then turned to Miss Minos and said gently, "I've just arrived today and still have many things to deal with. When I'm free, I'll come to the restaurant to make a special dish for Minos. Miss Minos, please don't rush."
Miss Minos glared fiercely:
"Even dogs won't eat the food you make!"
"Don't speak too soon..." Natsuki waved his hand, "Well then, I'll be going first."
The most urgent task was to first meet up with Chika and Kaguya, then find Mitsui and Momo, and take on the responsibility of protecting them. Other matters would be temporarily put on hold.
Walking out of the restaurant, Natsuki took Yandere Kaguya and followed the guidance of the red thread, continuing to meet up with Chika.
Before long, the two arrived in front of a dilapidated building.
"This is the place."
Natsuki was about to enter when he suddenly saw the door pushed open. A pink-haired girl with a very dark bow tied in front of her forehead jogged out, happily shouting, "Natsuki, I'm out!... Eh, you found Kaguya-chan first?"
"Not yet," Natsuki explained, "This is Kaguya."
"I see." Chika suddenly understood. She curiously went to Yandere Kaguya's side and tilted her head, saying, "She really is exactly like Kaguya-chan from Junior high. Her eyes are super cold, and she constantly exudes an aura that pushes people a thousand miles away... Mmm."
As Chika spoke, she suddenly extended her arms and hugged Yandere Kaguya's arm.
"Fujiwara, what are you doing?"
Yandere Kaguya slightly furrowed her delicate brows and looked over.
"I really miss the cold Kaguya-chan," Chika was not afraid at all. She hugged Yandere Kaguya's arm and rubbed her face against it vigorously. "Before meeting the President, Kaguya-chan was always cold. Although she's cute now, the cold Kaguya-chan is also super cute, and it's the most familiar appearance to me."
Yandere Kaguya said coldly, "Let go of me."
"No," Chika hummed and rubbed herself against her, "I need to recharge my Kaguya-chan energy."
"..."
Facing the unrestrained Cancer of the Earth, even Yandere Kaguya's ice-cold face showed a hint of helplessness.
It had been said before.
The people Yandere Kaguya cared about most were naturally Natsuki, Kaguya, and Mrs. Shimizu. After them, it was Chika and Hayasaka. One was a playmate from childhood, and the other was a close friend from school. Even Yandere Kaguya couldn't easily abandon these feelings.
If it were anyone else who dared to rub against her like this, Yandere Kaguya would have already drawn her sword.
Natsuki asked curiously, "Chika, what's your main quest?"
Chika's voice was clear as she said, "It's the Dream Realizer. The main quest is to help at least three native residents realize their dreams. That house behind me is my spawn point. There's a middle-aged, The useless old uncle vengeful spirit inside, and his dream is for me to find him a bride..."
"Hmm?"
Natsuki's eyes narrowed, and he stepped towards the house.
"Eh?" Chika asked, confused, "President, what are you doing?"
Natsuki said expressionlessly, "Someone wants to steal my wife, so of course, I'm going to send it to nirvana."
"Eh, eh, eh?" Chika quickly hugged Natsuki's arm, "President, calm down, let me finish."
Natsuki: "Sorry, I can't calm down."
Chika shouted, "That middle-aged uncle vengeful spirit only likes two-dimensional wives, not three-dimensional people. His dream is to find a two-dimensional bride to marry."
Natsuki stopped and said, "I thought he wanted to steal you as his bride. I almost killed him just now."
"President is too impulsive, you didn't even hear me clearly." Chika's pretty face flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but complain, "Besides, how could I possibly agree to be someone else's bride?"
Natsuki held Chika's delicate hand and said earnestly, "So, it seems I should propose now to dispel others' covetous desires, right?"
Thump.
Chika clenched her pink fist and, blushing, hit Natsuki, huffing, "President is super thick-skinned. You're still just a high school student, that kind of thing is too early... Oh, right, when I was looking at the main quest, I saw that the name of the current instance is 'Haunted Town,' and it feels so familiar!"
Natsuki said, "You can remove 'feels,' because it really is familiar."
"Eh?" Chika widened her beautiful eyes, "Could it be that instance we cleared a long time ago?"
"Correct answer." Natsuki snapped his fingers. "I just saw Kuchisake-onna on the way, the one we dealt with before. Then I also went to a restaurant, and the fish tank you once swam in is still in its old spot."
"Mmm..."
Chika looked up at the sky, her pink cheeks slightly puffed out:
"President successfully reminded me of a very bad memory."
Natsuki asked curiously, "So, what does it feel like to turn into a fish and swim around in a fish tank?"
"It was cold and slimy, just very uncomfortable…" Chika hugged Yandere Kaguya's arm, quickly shook her head, and drove away the unpleasant memories in her mind. Then she said, "President, President, if it's really the 'Haunted Town' we cleared before, that 'Mom' who wanted us to be her family must still be there, right?"
Natsuki nodded:
"She should still be there."
Chika blinked her eyes and said expectantly:
"She was so persistent in assimilating us into her family, there must be some special reason. If we help her fulfill her wish, maybe we can complete the main quest… Should we go and see her?"
Natsuki pondered for two seconds, then smiled:
"As the saying goes, 'returning home wealthy without showing it is like wearing brocade at night.' Now that we've finally returned from a long journey, of course, we should make 'Mom' happy."
Chika looked up, eyes full of anticipation:
"So, should we find everyone first, or visit 'Mom' first?"
Natsuki decided:
"I don't know where everyone else is, but 'Mom's house is not far ahead, so of course, we'll go home first."
"Mmm-hmm~" Chika lifted her chin, revealing a long, slender, snowy white swan neck. "Then we'll go home first."
"…"
The discussion concluded.
The three embarked on their 'way home.'
Natsuki had an excellent memory. Although it had been a long time since he returned, he still clearly remembered the 'way home.'
There was no talking along the way.
They didn't encounter anything foolish on the way. In less than ten minutes, the three successfully arrived in front of an ordinary detached house.
"Finally, we're back."
Natsuki sighed, raised his right hand, and began to knock on the door.
Knocking on the door is polite. Even parents entering their children's rooms should knock beforehand as a signal.
Thump thump thump.
The knocking sound rang out rhythmically.
Before long, the door opened with a 'click,' and a gentle face peered out, her voice soft:
"May I help you?"
Natsuki smiled:
"Mom, don't you remember us?"
Upon hearing the address 'Mom,' the gentle lady's clear black-and-white pupils suddenly turned completely black, a true pupil earthquake, looking quite eerie.
Natsuki showed no fear. He shifted half a step, reached out, and pulled Chika from behind him, saying casually:
"It's not just me; your daughter has also returned to visit you."
"Mom, we're home."
Chika called softly.
As a player, calling a strange Strange Tale 'Mom' was not embarrassing; at least, Chika didn't care.
When she played games with Natsuki, Dad also often called her that.
The gentle lady's gaze shifted to Chika, her face showing a mix of surprise and bewilderment. The blackness in her eyes slowly receded, returning to clear black-and-white pupils, and her voice was complex:
"You… returned?"
Clearly.
The gentle lady still remembered Natsuki and Chika.
Perhaps they had briefly been a family, or perhaps Natsuki's past actions had left a deep psychological shadow on the lady—
The lady's ability was very special, involving memory modification. Simply put, the longer one spent with her, the more blurred their memories would become, and they would unconsciously consider themselves part of her family.
At that time, Natsuki and the others were rookies just starting out. Chika was the first to fall victim, forgetting everything in reality and seeing herself as part of the family. In the end, Natsuki, by saying, 'I made a mistake that every brother in the world would make towards his sister,' successfully caused the Strange Tale lady's heart to collapse, allowing them to escape.
So Natsuki and Chika decided that returning home wealthy was fine, but entering the house was out of the question.
"Mom, this is a souvenir for you."
Chika spoke while handing over the gift box in her hand.
When returning home wealthy, one certainly couldn't be stingy.
The Strange Tale lady subconsciously reached out and took it, a complex expression on her face:
"You…"
"After we left, a lot happened. Today, we finally managed to return and wanted to visit 'Mom'…"
Chika's voice was clear as she began to recount past events.
The Strange Tale lady, amidst the repeated calls of 'Mom,' gradually became lost, her eyes quickly softening.
Natsuki felt a faint flicker of light in his peripheral vision. He focused his mind, clicked to check, and found that the progress of the side quest [Friends All Over the World] had increased by one notch. Undoubtedly, Chika had already raised the Strange Tale lady's favorability to 'Friendly' or above.
"That's enough."
Natsuki extended a finger and gently poked Chika's waist.
Chika secretly blinked, then quickly changed the subject, stating her true purpose:
"Mom, what is your wish?"
"We've grown stronger now."
"Since we're back, we want to help Mom fulfill her wish."
"…"
The Strange Tale lady was silent for a moment, then, not refusing their kind offer, softly spoke her wish.
The wish was simple: to find her family.
The more a person lacks something, the more they desire it. The reason the Strange Tale lady wanted 'family' was because her child had suddenly disappeared and could no longer be found.
The intense shock of suddenly losing her child caused the Strange Tale lady to undergo a mutation, thereby gaining the ability to distort and modify memories.
Natsuki pondered:
"Where did your child get lost?"
The Strange Tale lady stared ahead, her eyes hollow:
"My child… got lost at school. I searched countless times, but no matter what, I couldn't find her."
"Eh, school?"
Chika's eyes widened at the words, and she turned to look at Natsuki.
Their eyes met.
A guess formed in both their minds.
This was a dungeon town, not the real world, so there wouldn't be human traffickers. Therefore, the Strange Tale lady's child was most likely still within the school.
The child was still at school but couldn't be found no matter what, which strongly suggested they might have encountered one of the school's Seven Wonders Strange Tales…
Natsuki whispered:
"If I remember correctly, there's only one school in the town, right?"
The Strange Tale lady's eyes were hollow as she gently nodded.
Chika hesitated for two seconds and did not voice her guess. She merely clenched her small fists and said earnestly:
"Mom, we will do our best to find our little sister!"
Having gone through so many trials, Chika had also matured greatly and knew what could be said and what could not.
Constant despair is not painful; true pain is giving someone hope, only for that hope to be followed by despair again.
The Strange Tale lady's child being trapped in the school Seven Wonders was just a guess. The specific truth was still unclear, so it was better to keep it hidden for now.
Having successfully unlocked the Strange Tale lady's wish list, Natsuki and Chika carefully asked about the child's various characteristics, then bid farewell and left.
"Natsuki."
Yandere Kaguya silently emerged from the shadows of the wall, her voice cold:
"Yuuko has found the target."
Natsuki looked down at Yuuko and asked:
"Who did she find?"
Canine sense of smell is over a thousand times that of humans. Yuuko naturally inherited canine abilities. Moreover, as an anomaly, her tracking abilities were even more astonishing.
Before entering the dungeon, Natsuki had Yuuko memorize everyone's scent.
"Who do you think I am?" Yuuko lay on the ground, looking up. "Of course, I found everyone."
"Eh?" Chika asked curiously, "Does 'everyone' mean Kaguya-chan, Mitsui, and Momo-senpai?"
Yuuko proudly lifted her chin:
"Naturally."
Natsuki extended his right hand and rubbed the Human-Faced Dog's head, praising her:
"Well done."
"Bastard! Take your hand off me!" Yuuko shouted in annoyance, "Don't touch my head!"
Chika said from the side:
"But Yuuko's tail is wagging happily."
Yuuko: "…"
Natsuki, as the boss, was not at all 'black-hearted.' With a wave of his hand, he gave Yuuko a 'two million yen' salary allowance, satisfying the Human-Faced Dog, who then got up and began to lead the way.
"Follow me."
A moment later.
Led by Yuuko, the group arrived in front of a gloomy, dilapidated villa.
"Mitsui is inside." Yuuko sniffed her nose. "The scent is very clear; there's definitely no mistake."
"Let's go in and see."
Natsuki pushed the door open and led the way into the villa.
Boom.
The villa's main door slammed shut behind the three of them.
"Tsk~" Natsuki turned to look at the door. "It seems there's something very terrifying inside the villa."
Yandere Kaguya stood with her arms crossed, her expression calm and unconcerned.
Chika, on the other hand, pulled out a megaphone from her game backpack, took a deep breath, and directly shouted:
"Mitsui, we're here to find you! Give us your location."
Under the effect of the megaphone, rolling sound waves spread throughout the dilapidated villa, making people's eardrums buzz.
"And now for lighting…"
Natsuki took out a fist-sized spherical object, quickly rubbed it for a while, then tossed it into the air. The sphere floated steadily in the air, and soft white light instantly spilled out, illuminating the entire hall of the villa, sweeping away the gloomy and eerie atmosphere.
This item was a rather rare luminous pearl. It absorbed light during the day and could emit light at night, providing illumination. Natsuki had only recently acquired it because its side effects were obvious—
While providing illumination, it would also increase the aggro of monsters and vengeful spirits, making the user the primary target of attack. At the same time, in a gloomy and eerie environment, suddenly exposing oneself to light was a very dangerous act, but that was for ordinary players.
Natsuki was not afraid at all; he even hoped that whatever was hiding in the villa would appear and attack him quickly.
As the light appeared, the entire dilapidated villa seemed to quiet down for a moment.
"Why is no one responding…" Chika looked left and right, wondering, "We're making such a big noise; Mitsui must have heard us, right?"
Natsuki said:
"There are two possibilities: either Mitsui is in a critical situation and dares not make a sound, or she is in a different dimension and didn't hear the commotion just now…"
At the same time.
From a puddle on the ground, a hand quietly reached out.
"Someone."
Yandere Kaguya suddenly turned her head to look.
The next moment.
A soaking wet figure splashed onto the ground with a 'thud', and just as she dizzily lifted her head, she saw Natsuki and two others surrounding her.
Villa spirit: "…"
What exactly happened?
She had only just extended one hand, her head hadn't even emerged, so how was she pulled out?