"The environment outside is a bit harsh; the entire desert is full of giant scorpions..."
Kitahara put on his clothes, then relayed the intelligence he had gathered in detail.
"Huh? A scorching heat of fifty-three degrees?"
"The monsters are giant scorpions hiding beneath the sand, and as long as one is killed, the giant scorpions of the entire desert will rush out?"
"So disgusting!"
"..."
Hearing Kitahara's recounting, the girls hugged their arms one after another, feeling goosebumps rising all over.
Creatures such as girls are naturally averse to bugs, especially venomous things like scorpions; seeing them caused direct physiological discomfort.
Of course, Tomori was an exception.
"It's actually not as dangerous as you imagine," Kitahara threw his head back and drank a bottle of water, exhaling a breath of satisfaction. "Those scorpions usually hide underground and won't crawl out for no reason. As long as we avoid conflict, nothing will happen."
"I have the ability to perceive emotions, so I can clearly sense surrounding malice and anticipate the enemy's moves."
Reassuring the girls' emotions, Kitahara turned to look toward Hitori beside him:
"Hitori, let's go take a bath first."
"Mhm, mhm."
Hitori nodded hastily; her clothes were soaked through with sweat, and not taking a bath felt exceedingly uncomfortable.
"Makoto-kun, I'll help wipe your back."
Mutsumi raised her right hand, looking over with anticipation.
"You just rest properly," Kitahara extended his right hand and pinched the blockhead classmate's small face. "You're shivering and tottering just walking, so don't think about other things."
"..."
After finishing a simple wash, Kitahara soaked in the onsen for a while longer, and only after his mind had completely relaxed did he put on his clothes to discuss the upcoming action plan with the girls.
"After so much time has passed, those giant scorpions should have all gone back into hiding," Kitahara drank his beverage while looking at the girls before him. "I'll go outside in a bit to check the situation, and then strive to clear the desert world in one continuous go."
"Kitahara-kun, don't push yourself; we can clearly take it slow step by step," Sakiko knitted her delicate brows, proposing a very steady countermeasure. "Could you deploy your domain and advance forward carefully bit by bit? If you feel unwell or encounter monsters, how about retreating immediately back to the Onsen Dimension?"
"A fine idea, but it won't work," Kitahara clasped his fingers together, his voice low. "We verified it just now: the desert world is still a non-Euclidean space. If you linger in one spot for too long, your position will shift, so clearing it in one go remains the way."
"What about that scale?" Taki crossed her arms over her chest. "Can't you use the scale to make yourself immune to high temperatures?"
"I already asked, and it's indeed possible," Kitahara nodded. "The problem is that the price required is far too high, making the gains not worth the losses."
Curious, Taki asked:
"What price?"
Kitahara naturally told the truth:
"Aside from paying an enormous sum of money, it will randomly inflict damage on a certain bodily function."
"Bodily function damage?"
Mutsumi blinked her eyes, her gaze drifting down from Kitahara's chest.
"Could it be..."
Before she could finish, a hand darted over swiftly, quickly clapping over Mutsumi's mouth.
"Mutsumi, don't say strange things!"
Sakiko's face blushed slightly as she called out in a low voice.
If Mutsumi were allowed to continue speaking, she would definitely utter utterly outrageous and scandalous words!
"Since we must venture out, we should at least make thorough preparations beforehand," Sakiko shifted the topic. "First, we must apply buffs to Kitahara-kun."
"Um... It's super hot outside," Hitori raised her small hand, stammering softly. "Outside, you need to wear sun-protective clothing and apply sunscreen."
"Sunscreen can be arranged."
Kitahara extended his right hand and activated the [Scale of God]; a tub of sunscreen materialized in his palm out of thin air.
"Next is sharing abilities, and then applying buffs to Kitahara-kun..."
Sakiko's gaze shifted, looking toward Mutsumi beside her.
Without needing her to speak, Mutsumi had already stepped up onto her tiptoes decisively:
"Makoto-kun, I want to go before Taki."
Taki: "..."
Nobody was fighting you for it, alright!
Kitahara shared the buff of [Army-Breaking Songstress] with the girls in sequence; naturally, Uika Misumi did not take part in it.
Ability sharing was complete.
The girls soon began playing, stacking buffs onto Kitahara.
"Great, the buffs stacked successfully."
Kitahara clenched his right fist tightly, nodding in satisfaction.
Hitori, Sakiko, Mutsumi, Taki—although only four girls helped stack buffs, his overall attributes were still boosted by an additional forty percent, making the enhancement effect considerably noticeable.
"Next is... status lock."
Kitahara's gaze narrowed slightly, decisively using the ability of [Status Master] to lock the enhancement buffs, allowing himself to stay bolstered for twenty-four straight hours.
"Next is the sunscreen," Mutsumi's eyes filled with expectation. "Makoto-kun, take off your shirt."
"..."
Kitahara complied and took off his shirt; his physique, fitting the golden ratio with perfection, was an outright heart-stealer for both men and women alike.
Uika Misumi felt as if her gaze were being pulled in by an inexplicable black hole; staring blankly for two seconds, she finally snapped back to her senses, hurriedly looking away with a flushed face.
Applying sunscreen didn't need to trouble anyone else; Mutsumi alone was more than enough to handle the task, so nobody else stepped forward to help.
Yet after finishing applying the sunscreen, Mutsumi actually crouched down again, reaching out both hands toward Kitahara.
"Hold on—"
Kitahara grabbed his shorts, looking down speechlessly:
"Mutsumi, what are you doing?"
Mutsumi tilted her pretty face up, her posture admittedly somewhat compromised:
"Both legs need sunscreen applied as well."
"I can do it myself," Kitahara took half a step back. "In broad daylight with everyone watching, don't pull off my pants."
"..."
Preparations were entirely complete.
"Await my good news."
Kitahara waved his hand, preparing to leave the Onsen Dimension and head for the desert world.
"Wait a moment," Taki's eyes suddenly lit up, hurriedly saying, "I recall that on that game disc, one of the Ice Mage's abilities is Frost Assault, which radiates cold air outward continuously with oneself as the center, freezing enemy movement speed and attack speed... Can't it be used as a humanoid air conditioner?"
"If Taki hadn't mentioned it, I almost forgot," Sakiko tapped her forehead lightly. "It sounds like something worth trying out."
Mutsumi straightened her posture: "I want to be Makoto-kun's frost body pillow."
"Wait until someone randomly draws the Ice Mage role first," Kitahara roasted them. "The probability isn't high, so don't harbor such high expectations."
"Um..." Hitori raised a small hand, reminding them softly, "Can we make a wish using the [Sticky Note]?"
Kitahara pondered for two seconds:
"Feels like it's worth a shot."
"..."
Riiip.
Kitahara tore off a sticky note, wrote down the wish, and turned around to say:
"Sakiko, take out the game disc."
The quantity of Wish Sticky Notes was limited; to avoid waste, Kitahara didn't hand one out to each of the girls, choosing instead to make the wish directly himself, wishing that a random girl would obtain the abilities of the Ice Mage.
"Okay."
Sakiko nodded gently, retrieving the game disc from her backpack.
"Uika, stand a bit further away," Sakiko said softly. "Careful not to get caught in it."
Uika Misumi bit her lower lip: "Sakiko, I want to help too."
"The game space is quite messy..." Taki tactfully cautioned from the side. "Uika better not go."
"No," Uika Misumi's gaze was firm. "I must protect Sakiko."
For Sakiko's sake, this blonde girl truly would climb a mountain of swords and plunge into a sea of flames!
Sakiko pursed her lips:
"Uika doesn't need to worry; the game space isn't actually dangerous."
Uika Misumi still insisted:
"If there's no danger, why won't Sakiko let me participate together?"
"..."
Sakiko sighed helplessly, lifting her gaze toward Kitahara.
"Don't look at me," Kitahara stayed entirely detached, hanging high above it all. "Decide amongst yourselves."
Mutsumi suddenly spoke up: "If I remember correctly, Makoto-kun's wish just now was to let a random girl obtain the Ice Mage's abilities; Misumi-san is naturally included in that, right?"
"..."
Having uncovered the blind spot, they naturally had no choice but to take Uika Misumi into the game space together.
"Eh, so miraculous..."
Finding herself suddenly standing in a lush green forest, Uika Misumi was naturally filled with marvel.
Taki had long become accustomed to it; just as she was about to pull Uika Misumi aside to caution her about the slimes' terrifying nature, her gaze landed on the uniform on Uika Misumi's body, and she let out a helpless sigh.
"Uika... Can she really not escape after all?"
"Misumi-san randomly rolled the Magician role."
Mutsumi's voice was tinged with disappointment.
Sakiko, however, maintained an unperturbed expression: "Looks like we can only entrust this to Uika."
"Eh? I'm a Magician?" Uika Misumi looked curiously at the wand in her hand, completely unaware of what she was about to face, her voice clear and crisp, "I'll definitely protect Sakiko!"
"..."
A moment later.
Facing the acid missile barrages of the boss slime, Uika Misumi—who had been shielded in the center by everyone the entire way—ultimately failed to escape the ordeal and suffered forced armor-stripping.
"M-My clothes... melted?!"
Uika Misumi's pretty face flushed crimson. Frantically covering her chest, she dared not move an inch.
Fortunately, Kitahara and the others coordinated with tacit understanding and rich experience; even with Uika Misumi's damage output being absolute zero, they still successfully defeated the boss slime and advanced to the second stage.
After arduously clearing the second stage, Kitahara and the girls returned together to the real world.
"It's too late for regrets now..."
Taki opened her eyes, looking toward her friend beside her with complicated eyes.
"Uika, did you obtain the Ice Mage's ability?"
Sakiko asked softly.
"Mgh..." Uika Misumi pursed her lips, her eyes quickly brightening up, "I inherited the Ice Mage's ability. I can use Frost Assault now."
"That's great then." Sakiko exhaled softly. "From here on, we'll be counting on Uika to move together with Kitahara-kun."
"...Okay."
Taking a deep breath, Uika Misumi answered earnestly.
"I will definitely take good care of Kitahara-san."
Kitahara: "..."
Just who is taking care of whom?
Don't mix up our roles here!
"The preparations are more or less complete." Kitahara said solemnly, "Next is the final plan arrangement... Non-Euclidean space is far too chaotic; we cannot rest in the Onsen Dimension for too long, remaining at most for several minutes."
"During this window, we'll be relying on everyone for water, food, and sunscreen preparations."
The girls naturally nodded in agreement one after another:
"Leave it to us."
"..."
Light distorted faintly.
The figures of Kitahara and Uika Misumi appeared out of thin air on the highway.
"Confirmation complete, the surroundings are safe."
Kitahara's gaze swept swiftly across the perimeter; only after confirming that he sensed no concealed malice did he dismiss his Silent Domain.
Just as hypothesized, the desert world had quieted down, the giant scorpions vanishing without a trace.
"This is the desert world?"
Uika Misumi widened her eyes, surveying her surroundings inquisitively:
"It gives off a sort of post-apocalyptic wasteland vibe."
Kitahara was astonished: "Misumi-san even knows about post-apocalyptic wastelands?"
"I'm not a caveman; I surf the web quite often when I'm free, alright?"
Hearing this, Uika Misumi retorted subconsciously.
Kitahara raised both hands: "My utmost apologies."
"Ahem, no need for apologies..." Uika Misumi coughed twice, seeking his opinion, "Um, should I use Frost Assault right now?"
"Right now is best," Kitahara nodded gently. "Otherwise Misumi-san won't be able to bear it very soon."
"..."
Uika Misumi did not object.
As the billowing heatwaves surged forward, within just a few breaths, she felt as if she were about to break.
Crack, crack.
As the ability was deployed, taking Uika Misumi as the epicenter, a faint chill swiftly dispersed the scalding air around the two of them.
After all, it was an extremely weakened version of the ability; freezing all creation was naturally out of the question, so it could only serve as an air conditioner.
"Very good, not affected in the slightest."
Kitahara briefly limbered up his limbs. Since he and Uika Misumi were currently in an allied party, he suffered no movement speed penalties, yet could relish the refreshing bliss of the 'air conditioner.'
"Misumi-san," Kitahara looked toward the blonde girl, speaking softly, "Walking on foot is too slow for two people. I've decided to use the method of movement from the pool world... You should know what it is, right?"
"Sakiko already told me," Uika Misumi's pretty face blushed rapidly as she looked away in bashfulness, "...This is a survival world right now, and getting out is what matters most, so please go ahead."
Seeing that Uika Misumi was prepared, Kitahara didn't stand on ceremony either, extending his right arm straightforwardly:
"Coming up, then?"
Uika Misumi's face flushed crimson as she lowered her head toward her toes:
"I'll be troubling Kitahara-san..."
Applying slight force with his hands, Kitahara tossed Uika Misumi directly onto his shoulder, charging headlong forward:
"Sit tight and hold on, taking off now."
"..."
Uika Misumi nervously wrapped her arms around Kitahara's neck; she had initially worried she might be jolted off, but put her worries to rest before long.
(Kitahara-san is so steady; it's not bumpy at all...)
(Though the posture is a bit compromised.)
(Stop overthinking!)
(Just treat it like the cavalry battle at the school festival; there's completely no need to mind it...)
Kitahara naturally had no idea what was going through the mind of the girl on his shoulder; he was speeding ahead while observing the environment.
After waking up in the Onsen Dimension, Kitahara found that his daily quests had refreshed, presenting the perfect opportunity to fulfill today's long-distance running quest.
He used to worry about being spotted while jogging in the park, but this was the deserted Otherworld, and beneath his feet lay an endless highway; Kitahara could finally unleash his speed without restraint, tearing forward at full throttle.
"T-Too fast..."
The wind howled past her ears, blowing the girl's blonde hair straight back; Uika Misumi hugged Kitahara's neck tightly, her heart racing in sheer panic.
While sprinting, monsters sprang out from time to time—most frequently giant desert scorpions, alongside grotesque aberrations distorted out of streetlamps.
Unfortunately, these monsters were far too slow, left with nothing to swallow but Kitahara's exhaust trail.
Silence accompanied their journey.
After running for an unknown stretch of time, Kitahara suddenly felt the chill beside him quietly dissipate as billowing heatwaves washed back in.
"I'm sorry, the ability has entered cooldown..."
Uika Misumi's face was filled with apology.
"Just the right time to head back to the Onsen Dimension for a rest."
Halting his stride, Kitahara took one look at the drenched blonde girl and decisively brought Uika Misumi back to the Onsen Dimension.
"Kitahara-san, you're back?"
"Hurry and take a sip of water to rehydrate."
"Makoto-kun, have some chocolate."
The girls swarmed around, dabbing away Kitahara's sweat and feeding him water.
Once the rest concluded, Uika Misumi's ability had yet to cool down, so Kitahara left the Onsen Dimension alone to face Road Survival head-on.
"Phew..."
Inhaling deeply as the searing heatwave surged into his lungs, Kitahara kept his gaze steady and sprinted once more; before long, sweat poured off him like rain, his body temperature spiking to alarming levels.
Thankfully, the Evolution Badge activated quietly, prompting his body to evolve rapidly and adapt to the scorching, high-temperature environment...
Time slipped away silently.
Kitahara shuttled back and forth between the Onsen Dimension and the highway; while excruciating at first, with his physical form continuously adapting and evolving—alongside occasional assistance from the Air Conditioner Girl—he gritted his teeth and persevered through it all in one breath.
By the end, Kitahara had developed complete immunity to high-temperature environments, and the blistering desert no longer posed the slightest threat to him.
As Kitahara satisfied the stage-clear conditions, the monotonous desert scenery warped abruptly, transforming in an instant into a world of ice and snow, countless skyscrapers locked in frost—a deeply striking panorama of an apocalyptic winter.
"We're finally out..."
Uika Misumi widened her eyes, gazing in awe at the frozen apocalypse before her; within mere moments, however, a bone-chilling frost washed over her.
"S-So cold... Kitahara-san, let's hurry back to the Onsen Dimension to rest."
"..."
Kitahara remained silent, only snapping out of it after a pause to escort Uika Misumi back to the Onsen Dimension.
The affixes of Infinite Adaptation and Infinite Evolution were superb, yet they still had to abide by the conservation of energy; though Kitahara could shrug off the scorching heat, his sanity had been drained excessively, bringing on symptoms of Red Eye Syndrome once more.
Meanwhile.
In the real world.
"Ah, I felt it!" Clad in a pure-white bridal gown, Anon sat up abruptly, her eyes twinkling brightly as she hastily pulled out her phone to message the girls, "Kitahara-san just surged forward another huge step, congratulations!"
Night had fallen deep, yet none of the girls were asleep, and replies quickly trickled in below.
Kita: "I hope Kitahara-san can make it back soon; if he doesn't, the teacher will be coming for a home visit."
Soyo: "I wonder how Mutsumi and Sakiko are doing."
Tomori: "With Makoto-kun there, there definitely won't be any danger."
"..."
While the girls were chatting, a message suddenly popped up.
Ryo: "Look out the window."
"Eh?"
"Fog has rolled in outside."