Thanks to his Administrator privileges, which allowed the affection levels of the tenants within the apartment to rise slowly over time, the trio's progress was significant.
Misaki's affection level had already reached 48 points, leaving her just one step away from the 50-point threshold required to become a recruitable employee.
Yui's affection had climbed to 45 points. Although her initial value had been the lowest, her growth rate was the most explosive—perhaps because she and Su Mu were close in age and found it easier to resonate with one another, or perhaps March 7th's earlier meddling had catalyzed their relationship. Regardless of the reason, it was a welcome development.
Anna's affection level sat at 39 points. After yesterday's mass cremation ceremony for the villagers, her affection had surged by 10 points. Later, while Su Mu accompanied her on a hunt, it had quietly ticked up a few more. It seemed Misaki had shared some private words with her, helping her finally lower her guard completely.
"Everything is heading in the right direction."
Su Mu nodded with satisfaction. He closed the three status panels and opened his own attribute screen instead.
The display showed that his current gold coin count had reached 2.68 million, more than enough to cover the apartment's daily expenses for a long time.
He wasn't in a hurry to spend them in the Apartment Shop; instead, his gaze fell upon his Level 8 [Avatar] talent. As he had noted before, using gold to level up a talent was far more cost-effective than buying items from the shop.
As he looked at the talent level column, a sudden, powerful throb resonated in his chest—as if something were urging him to increase the level immediately.
Without hesitation, he chose to spend the gold to upgrade the talent.
[Gold -17,000. Avatar Lv.8 → Avatar Lv.10. Number of available avatars +2]
[Talent has reached Lv.10. One Talent Strengthening opportunity gained. Use now?]
[Yes] [No]
"So that's why my heart was racing," Su Mu whispered thoughtfully. "It seems the Avatar talent isn't just about increasing numbers; Level 10 triggers a qualitative change."
He tapped [Yes] without a second thought.
[Strengthening in progress... Success! Exclusive Strengthening Trait obtained: Small but Deadly]
[Small but Deadly: Exclusive trait for the [Avatar] talent. Your avatars can shrink their physical size by 1–10 times. Agility attributes increase by 10%–100% based on the reduction scale.]
"Eh? Size reduction?"
A playful glint flashed in Su Mu's eyes as a bold idea instantly took shape in his mind.
"Hey, hey, hey!!!" March 7th was the first to catch his drift, her hair practically standing on end. "Being a pleasure tool wasn't enough, and now you want to turn me into the size of a cup? Absolutely not!"
"Hehe, this ability sounds rather intriguing." Himeko's smile deepened as her eyes landed on March 7th, her tone laced with anticipation. "With a smaller size, one would have a massive advantage in both stealth and surprise attacks."
Fu Hua nodded slightly, the competitive spirit of a martial artist flickering in her eyes. "Fighting with a reduced physique would require much higher control over footwork and force. It's a challenge worth looking forward to," she mused.
"Wait, wait, wait! Why are you all so calm about this?!" Hu Tao jumped up in a panic, hands on her hips. "I'm already petite enough! If I shrink any further... there are so many places I won't be able to get into! I definitely won't fit!"
"Whether you'll fit or not... we'll only know once we try."
The smirk on Su Mu's face widened. Once the idea had taken root, he could no longer suppress it.
He tilted his chin toward the four of them, his tone carrying an irresistible authority. "Transform!"
As the command left his lips, four faint glows filled the apartment. The bodies of March 7th, Himeko, Fu Hua, and Hu Tao all began to contract simultaneously.
They didn't revert to being children; instead, their entire frames scaled down proportionally, as if a shrinking curse had been cast upon them.
Hu Tao only shrank by half. After all, she was already the smallest; any further, and she might truly find it difficult to move.
March 7th shrank by a factor of three. She was now roughly one-third the size of a normal human, her pink bob looking even fluffier than before, making her look like an exquisite porcelain doll.
Himeko shrank fivefold. Her posture remained elegant and upright; even in a smaller form, she radiated a mature and intellectual aura.
The most startling was Fu Hua. She had actively chosen to push the limit, shrinking down to a mere dozen centimeters. She looked exactly like a meticulously crafted scale figure, though she was still enveloped in a faint martial aura. If one didn't look closely, she could easily be mistaken for a high-end desktop ornament.
"Hehehe~"
A triumphant grin spread across Su Mu's face. He reached out and scooped up the shrunken Hu Tao in one go.
In his arms, Hu Tao felt incredibly tiny. Her skirt fluttered slightly as her face flushed with panic.
"Ugh... wait... hold on... slow... slow down..."
Hu Tao instinctively grabbed Su Mu's finger, her voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz. Her cheeks were bright red, and her tone was filled with utter helplessness.
Watching this from the side, March 7th couldn't help but shudder. she took two quick steps back and spoke hurriedly, "Uh, that... I think I'll go explain the situation to Misaki and the others! I'll tell them it's still late at night out there, so we'll set off at dawn!"
The main body is getting more and more perverted. Being an avatar is just too hard.
"Mm... go on then," Su Mu responded lazily, his eyes fixed on Hu Tao. "Just remember to come back early."
He wasn't worried about March 7th hiding. After all, the avatars and the main body shared the same origin. Even if she found it a bit terrifying, the curiosity in her bones would eventually drive her back to see exactly what was going on.
The night deepened. Playful banter and soft whispers intertwined within the apartment, while the forests of Buena Village remained silent and still.
The night flowed by quietly as Su Mu and his avatars enjoyed exploring the new capabilities of his talent.
The next morning, after a simple breakfast, March 7th immediately left the apartment.
The fatigue from a night of madness had long been washed away by the apartment's miraculous recovery features, leaving her feeling light and energetic.
It was strange, really. Yesterday, she had been so worn down by the monotony of the journey that she couldn't muster any spirit, but today, she wanted to bolt forward as fast as possible. After all, if she stayed in the apartment, there was no telling when the main body would grab her as a test subject to try "going in and out" at various shrinking scales...
The main body was a total pervert, that was for sure. He was completely showing his true colors now!
Before setting off, she made a point to swing by the inner rooms of the apartment to greet Misaki and the others. She softly urged them to stay put and wait patiently. Once she found a stable place to settle down, she promised to take them out to see all the sights this other world had to offer.
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