"Fog has rolled in outside?"
"Ryo-senpai, don't scare people."
"Everyone get up quickly and look out the window."
"..."
Seeing the message sent by Ryo, the girls who had not yet fallen asleep got up one after another, heading to their windows to check the situation.
Tomori: "I don't see any fog."
Kita: "I don't see it either. Ryo-senpai isn't playing a prank, is she?"
Soyo: "I can see the fog spreading downstairs."
Nijika took a deep breath, snapped a photo with a click, and uploaded it to the chat room:
"I see it too... Ryo wasn't lying. The fog likely just appeared and hasn't permeated all of Tokyo yet."
It was already ten-thirty at night, and the streets outside the residential area had grown deserted, with only the cold streetlamps casting a dim glow.
At this very moment, the white fog surged out like a ghost from parts unknown, beginning to swallow everything silently; the streetlights dimmed rapidly, while the Japan lights quietly warped into grotesque, kaleidoscopic hues.
The chat room fell completely silent.
Everyone knew clearly that the fog suddenly appearing outside was by no means an ordinary natural phenomenon, but most likely the herald of an approaching apocalypse.
In the end, Nijika broke the silence, reminding everyone seriously:
"Everyone get up to check your doors and windows, remind your families, and make sure not to let the fog enter your homes."
"Understood."
The girls responded one after another, then got busy with their respective tasks.
As they busied themselves, messages popped up from time to time:
Kita: "The fog outside... It really is related to Shimizu-san, isn't it?"
Anon: "Twitter is full of news about the fog right now—not just Tokyo, fog has appeared all across the country."
Ryo: "Before, it was all minor skirmishes, but now there's a sudden massive outbreak... The fog very likely won't disperse tomorrow."
Kita: "Ryo-senpai, don't jinx it."
Tomori: "If only Makoto-kun were by our side."
Nijika: "Kitahara-san will definitely return. What we need to do is take good care of ourselves, and wait for Kitahara-san to lead everyone home!"
"..."
Meanwhile.
Deep within Otherworld.
"Kitahara-kun's eyes have turned red again?"
Looking at Kitahara whose eyes were stained red once more, Sakiko was already well accustomed to the sight, lifting her gaze toward the blonde girl beside them:
"Uika, how is the situation outside?"
Uika Misumi said softly:
"We successfully left the desert world and arrived at a snow-covered city..."
"We'll talk about that later." Mutsumi stepped forward, hugging Kitahara's arm tightly, her eyes sparkling brightly. "Sakiko, let's make Makoto-kun happy first, okay?"
Sakiko: "..."
You're clearly a silent little cucumber, so don't be so obsessively hooked on that kind of thing!
"Exploring the new world can wait for later." Sakiko's pretty face flushed faintly red, bypassing Mutsumi's topic. "Uika, thank you for your hard work. Hurry up, take a bath, change clothes, and drink plenty of water to rehydrate."
"Okay..."
Uika Misumi gave a soft affirmative response, naturally knowing that Sakiko, Mutsumi, and Kitahara taking a bath together would definitely take a very long time, so she left quickly with a flushed face.
"There's something I'd like to ask of you two..."
Sakiko turned around, looking toward Taki and Hitori with a blushing face.
"What do you want to say, Sakiko?"
Taki crossed her arms over her chest, looking over in confusion.
"Well..."
Sakiko parted her soft lips, her cheeks faintly reddening, her right hand resting over her lower abdomen as she said with bashful embarrassment:
"I... my body feels a bit unwell."
"Eh?"
Taki and Hitori lowered their gazes; both being girls just like Sakiko, they quickly understood what Sakiko meant by 'feeling unwell.'
Thump-thump, thump-thump—
Taki's mind turned even faster; while Hitori was still dazed and confused, Taki had already caught on, and her heart rate suddenly skyrocketed.
(Why would Sakiko endure the embarrassment to mention feeling unwell?)
(The reason is simple: quickly restoring Kitahara-san's sanity requires personal sacrifice...)
(But with Sakiko feeling unwell now, she definitely can't help out, and Mutsumi alone might end up completely broken.)
(So that means what needs help is actually...)
Having seen through Sakiko's intention, Taki's heartbeat accelerated wildly, and her small face flushed crimson in an instant.
"I am currently unwell and cannot help with the bath, so I can only ask one of you," Sakiko said in a low voice, her face slightly red. "Mutsumi alone definitely won't be able to hold out."
Mutsumi clenched her delicate fists:
"I can hold out."
"No, you can't."
Sakiko shook her head gently.
Although Mutsumi had a strong appetite for it, her combat capability was only at an ordinary person's level; if Kitahara were clear-headed, one person would naturally be fine, but right now he was under the effects of Red Eye Syndrome and bound to lose self-control—Mutsumi alone simply wouldn't cut it.
"Hold on..." Taki held back her shame, "Aside from that sort of thing, letting him calm down all by himself should work too, right?"
"Indeed that's fine," Sakiko crossed her arms over her chest. "However, Kitahara-kun in the Red Eye state suffers immense agony. Can Taki truly stand by with folded arms and let Kitahara-kun endure the torment all alone?"
"..."
Taki fell completely silent.
Standing by and watching Kitahara suffer in agony alone was something she definitely couldn't do.
Yet agreeing to help... was far too awful no matter how she thought about it!
She definitely didn't want her first time to be shared with someone else!
"Ah..."
A soft, bashful gasp suddenly sounded from a girl.
The three turned their heads toward Hitori, who had let out the cry, only to see her flusteredly staring down at her toes while dense white steam billowed from the top of her head—she had clearly finally understood what everyone was talking about.
Seeing this scene, Taki sighed silently.
Evidently.
Hitori couldn't be counted on at all; even if she were forced into the bathroom to help, she would probably pass out from pure embarrassment, wouldn't she?
"So... I'm the only one who can step up?"
Taki's face burned hot, her heart racing as an inexplicable sense of duty washed over her.
Before that, however, she still planned to put up a little struggle.
"What if... what if I help using other methods?"
"That's completely fine, of course." Sakiko understood Taki's meaning perfectly, but didn't pour cold water on her, merely saying softly, "Taki can use whatever method she likes."
Kitahara was usually very restrained, but with lowered sanity under Red Eye Syndrome, once provoked, he would find it hard to curb his impulses; whether Taki could escape unscathed depended entirely on her own performance.
"Understood..." Taki gritted her teeth, her heart pounding frantically against her chest. "I'll help, alright!"
"I-I-I-I-I..."
Hitori stammered, wanting to speak, but the words stuck in her throat and simply wouldn't come out.
(Sorry, sorry, sorry... My mouth is broken! I can't say anything at all!)
While they spoke, Uika Misumi pushed the door open and stepped out wrapped in a bathrobe, her face thoroughly flushed:
"I'm done washing."
"Makoto-kun, let's go bathe."
Mutsumi held Kitahara's arm, walking toward the bathroom.
Her small face crimson, Taki quietly clenched her fists, enduring her shame as she stepped forward to follow.
A promise made had to be kept!
Besides, as long as she didn't want to, even under Red Eye Syndrome... Kitahara definitely wouldn't force himself on her, right?
Although she had never experienced it, Taki was confident that as long as she tearfully said no, even if Kitahara's condition was dreadful right now, he would surely stop in time.
Thud.
The bathroom door was closed gently.
The ahoge atop Hitori's head trembled nervously as she stared toward the bathroom, her face filled with inner turmoil.
(Clearly, I was first...)
(Whether it was Mutsumi, or Taki, or kissing and hugging—I was first in all of it...)
(B-But... it's so scary, so scary, so scary; my body won't move at all.)
"Hitori?"
Sakiko called out in a gentle voice.
"Ah..."
Startled, Hitori hastily lifted her gaze toward Sakiko.
"Once Kitahara-kun recovers shortly, he'll definitely be hungry," Sakiko said gently, offering Hitori a graceful way out. "Shall we go prepare the food first?"
"Mhm, mhm."
Hitori breathed a heavy sigh of relief instantly, hurriedly nodding in agreement.
Meanwhile.
Inside the bathroom.
"Taki, come over and help take off his clothes."
Having helped Kitahara sit down on the low stool, Mutsumi turned around and said.
"Okay..."
Taking a deep breath, Taki stepped forward while fighting back her shame.
(Endure it!)
(Don't panic!)
(It's just helping take off clothes; it's not like we haven't soaked in the bath together before!)
Rustling sounds quietly stirred.
Under the cooperation of the two girls, the sun-protective clothing on Kitahara was swiftly removed.
"Taki, there's still the last piece left."
Mutsumi spoke up to remind her.
"Huh?"
Her face burning crimson, Taki shot a swift glance before hurriedly darting her eyes away:
"Mutsumi can just take it off herself, can't she?"
Mutsumi said softly:
"I wanted to create an opportunity for Taki."
"I don't want that kind of opportunity at all!"
"Taki shouldn't force herself to say things she doesn't mean..."
"I'm not going against my heart at all!"
"..."
With the clothes fully removed, it was naturally time to wash up.
Taki had placed her hopes on the shower bringing pleasure, but unfortunately, it had zero effect on curing the symptoms of Red Eye Syndrome.
"Kitahara-kun has already been washed clean," Mutsumi's eyes shimmered with light. "Should we let Taki go first next?"
"No! I refuse!"
Taki shook her head flatly in refusal.
"Then I'll go first..."
Yielding once was already her limit; the blockhead classmate naturally chose to face the man head-on.
Listening to the rustling sounds behind her back, Taki's heart pounded wildly, her cheeks scalding hot; she desperately wanted to flee, yet her legs felt as if filled with lead, unable to budge an inch.
After who knows how long, Taki ultimately couldn't resist turning her head for a peek, only for her eyes to dart away instantly as if scorched by flames.
(Shameless!)
(This is utterly, completely shameless!)
(Whatever happened to being in intense agony right now?!)
(Pervert Kitahara's body is clearly brimming with energy, alright!)
After an indeterminate stretch of time, Mutsumi's intermittent cries for help finally rang out.
"Taki, it's your turn..."
Taki's heart leapt into her throat. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and walked over to Kitahara's side.
"...Don't you move, I'll do it myself!"
Clenching her delicate fist, Taki swung it in warning.
Kitahara's sanity had recovered considerably, though the crimson glow in his eyes had yet to fade; he could barely manage to speak, albeit in a slightly husky voice:
"Taki doesn't need to force herself..."
"Shut up!"
Taki gritted her teeth, holding back her shame as she began to help.
What Mutsumi can do, I can naturally do as well!
Besides, it's not like I haven't helped before!
It looks like Mutsumi was first... but when I swapped bodies with Soyo by accident back then, I had already beaten Mutsumi to the punch long ago!
Time ticked by quietly.
Just when Hitori's neck had grown sore from waiting, the door was finally pushed open, and Kitahara walked out with his status completely topped off.
"Kitahara-kun, how was your rest?"
Sakiko stood with her arms crossed; her tone sounded seemingly normal, yet as she spoke, her rosy cheeks were visibly puffed up.
Kitahara maintained an upright, righteous expression: "Next time, please make sure to let me endure it all on my own."
"Hmph," Sakiko shot him a soft glare. "Hurry up and eat something."
"I am indeed hungry."
Kitahara sat down beside the table.
"K-Kitahara-san, would you like some water?"
Hitori asked in a tiny, stammering voice.
"Yes, please," Kitahara thanked her gently. "Could you pour me a cup of water, Hitori?"
"Mhm, mhm."
While eating and drinking, Kitahara casually opened the System and saw that today's four daily quests were already completed.
Even deep within Otherworld, the System performed reliably as ever.
"Take a gamble, turn a bicycle into a motorcycle."
Kitahara decisively spun the lottery wheel.
Moments later, an ability orb quietly dropped down.
"Not bad luck."
Kitahara's eyes brightened as he crushed the ability orb.
[Ability: Sublimation]
[Category: Active]
[Description: You can designate one owned ability and elevate it through sublimation.]
[Remarks: Break through your limits!]
"This ability is rather interesting..."
Gulping down the rest of his water in one breath, an intrigued expression appeared on Kitahara's face; as common knowledge dictated, the simpler the ability's description, the more straightforward and overpowering its effect:
"Let's test it first to see how it works... But which ability should I sublimate?"
After pondering for several seconds, a sudden spark of inspiration flashed across Kitahara's mind.
"Sublimate... [Foresight]!"
The ability of Foresight had always been rather useless—impressive in concept, but strictly passive, with an obscure trigger mechanism and zero controllability.
Choosing to sublimate it now, Kitahara discovered with pleasant surprise that the ability had undergone substantial changes: for instance, it now possessed an active trigger, allowing him to foresee specific future fragments he wished to observe...
Yet after witnessing that future, Kitahara instead fell completely silent.
"Kitahara-san, why did you stop eating?"
Hitori inquired in a soft voice.
"I'm fine," Kitahara snapped back to reality, patting Hitori's head. "Eating right now."
"..."
The rest period concluded.
Kitahara and the girls embarked on their journey once again.
With the team composition fully fleshed out, the speed at which they conquered Otherworld quickened significantly.
Kitahara served as the vanguard while the girls stacked buffs, utilized the Book of Answers to gather intel, and supplied supplemental abilities via the game space... Over the next several tiers of Otherworld, Kitahara led the girls in breaking through them effortlessly.
Real world.
The following day.
After waking up, Nijika drew back the curtains immediately, yet what greeted her was not autumn sunlight, but an endless sea of white fog.
"Wait..."
An ominous premonition quietly crept into her heart, tightening Nijika's chest:
"Could it really be like Ryo predicted—that the fog truly won't disperse?"