In fact, it wasn't just insects that had proven capable of evolving.
The group had already confirmed it with a mutated dog that had tried to ambush them.
Its skin was covered in tar-like black splotches, and from its mouth dripped a viscous liquid while its eyes gleamed with a sickly crimson glow.
Yuu, hands in his pockets, spoke with a grin.
"Well, looks like we're having fried mutant dog for dinner tonight… ah, forget it, that sounds gross."
"Ugh! Don't make me imagine something that disgusting…" Saya looked at him with annoyance.
Saeko, Rei, and Jin-ah dealt with it with some effort, and then continued their training.
Later, they came across mosquitoes as big as a human head, sucking their victims' blood until they were left like withered dolls.
They saw it with their own eyes when a person collapsed that way.
Unfortunately, they couldn't save them. After all, they'd already been bitten by a zombie before.
"Izumi-kun… gods like you can do something about this, right? Please wipe these insects off the face of this world!"
"Ah, Saya. Why so cruel? Don't you think they're cute?"
"No way!"
×××
"Time to eat."
At noon, Yuu pulled several obentos out of nowhere and handed them out to everyone. Even Saya and Shizuka got theirs.
"Uwaaah! It looks delicious!" Jin-ah clasped her hands together with a bright smile.
"Thank you for the food, Yuu-sama." Saeko slightly bowed her head.
"I… well, it's decent, I guess." Saya took a bite, and though she tried to sound indifferent, her cheeks instantly turned red, betraying how much she liked it.
"Mmmh~" Shizuka clapped excitedly before diving into her box with a lazy smile.
The atmosphere became more relaxed, and the girls ate happily.
Once they were done eating, they continued training until the sun began to sink on the horizon.
"Alright, time to head back."
×××
A moment later, thanks to Yuu's teleportation, they all appeared in front of the house.
Saya staggered a little, putting a hand to her forehead.
"Ugh… so dizzy…"
Her face went pale, and she looked about to collapse.
Before she could fall, Yuu reached out and held her by the waist.
"Easy. I wouldn't let you crash onto the floor, y'know?"
"Y-you idiot! You didn't have to hold me like that…!"
Red spread from her neck up to her ears, and even though she acted like a tsundere, she still muttered.
"Thanks."
At that moment, Kohta came out to greet them.
"Welcome back! You've returned!"
Yuu glanced at him for a moment before asking.
"Already been bitten?"
"…Izumi-san, why does that sound like you want me to get bitten? But luckily, I'm unharmed! I killed every zombie that came close."
Kohta puffed his chest a little while adjusting his glasses.
"Good job."
Yuu gave him a thumbs up.
The girls, on the other hand, were exhausted. They went straight upstairs. But before that, Yuu created a few towels, soaps, and shampoos and handed them to Jin-ah to distribute.
One after another, they took turns bathing, and soon the second floor was filled with the pleasant scent of soap.
×××
When they were all done, Yuu went upstairs too. He found the door locked from the inside, but his body passed through it like a ghost.
On the other side, in the hallway, he came face-to-face with Saya just as she was about to enter her room.
She was wearing nothing but a pink towel around her bare body, her long damp hair still dripping, leaving a faint fresh scent of shampoo in the air.
"Hiiiii!"
At first she was startled, thinking it was a ghost. But when she saw who it was, red instantly flared up from her neck to her cheeks.
"W-what are you doing up here?! This floor's for girls only!"
Saya pointed at him with a trembling finger, her little fang peeking over her lip as she glared accusingly.
"Oh? Then I guess I got turned around. Although, I really like this view. A freshly bathed Saya… hehe~"
"P-pervert!" Saya stomped the floor, hugging the towel tighter around herself.
Her face was crimson.
"Relax. I just came to… Ah, wait. Seeing you like this, anyone would think you were waiting for me."
"Haah?! W-who would ever be waiting for you?!"
Yuu chuckled softly at her over-the-top reaction.
"Your red face is pretty cute."
Saya huffed, turning her head away.
"Seriously… you're unbearable…"
"Anyway, I only came to see Saeko, Rei, and Jin-ah. I wanna check how much they improved after a day of training. So, bye."
Yuu said it with a calm smile before walking down the hall.
"..."
Still red as a tomato with her towel wrapped around her, Saya pressed her lips together, then let out a long sigh, trying to calm the pounding in her chest.
'What a relief…'
But at the same time, she felt a sting of dissatisfaction.
Because Yuu had teased her like a pervert. And she even called him one. But in reality, he hadn't looked at her anywhere past her face.
'So… he's not attracted to me? My figure's not appealing to him?'
"What the hell am I thinking?!"
Saya shook her head hard.
'I'm losing it. That's gotta be it. I'm crazy!'
She quickly slipped into her room and slammed the door shut. But a few seconds later, she cracked it open, peeked out, and looked in the direction Yuu had gone.
"Hmph… has he forgotten what he promised me before?"
With her cheeks still flushed, she hid again.
×××
For the Status update, Yuu's direct involvement was necessary.
After all, he was the one who had granted the girls their Blessings.
Well, he could've modified that part, making the Status update constantly, something like a level system.
However, he firmly believed that being directly involved would make the relationship between Aeon and Pathstrider much closer.
So once again, he found himself in a room with three beauties in front of him.
Fresh out of the shower, their damp hair hanging over their shoulders, skin flushed in visible spots like their thighs, nape, and arms.
The atmosphere in the room was dangerously charged.
"Alright. Strip."
Yuu said it with total seriousness.
"Eh… Yuu-ssi, you really like that phrase, don't you?"
Jin-ah couldn't help laughing as she sat on the bed.
"Yes! That's true!"
Rei laughed with her, looking at Yuu with a loving gaze.
"When he asked me to be his follower, he just said, 'strip.' I almost died of embarrassment! I thought he'd gone nuts."
Well, when he first showed up in front of her, he had acted like a crazy, shameless man. He'd even proposed marriage.
"I don't mind if Yuu-sama asks me to strip."
With those words, Saeko dropped the towel covering her body and stood completely naked.
"…!"
"S-Saeko-senpai?!"
Jin-ah and Rei instantly blushed, nearly choking on their own saliva. This woman… didn't she have any shame?!
Even so, with no other choice, both of them removed their towels too. The difference was that, when exposed under Yuu's gaze, they couldn't handle it and quickly turned over, lying face down on the bed.
Meanwhile, Saeko walked calmly toward Yuu.
With every step, her wet hair dripped over her white skin. Yuu's eyes followed the path of a single drop that slid across her milk-white breasts, curved over her pink nipples, and fell to the floor.
Saeko lifted her face to look him straight in the eyes.
A seductive smile spread across her lips.
She took Yuu's hand, gently pulling him toward the bed.
"I ask that you start with me, Yuu-sama."
She went ahead still holding his hand, and whether intentional or not, swayed her hips in a dangerously tempting way.
Yuu's gaze was inevitably drawn there.
A perfectly round, wet, soft-looking ass.
It was firm, yet still bounced each time she stepped or lifted her foot.
'Ah, praise be to physics.'
Meanwhile, Saeko smiled knowingly at the weight of Yuu's gaze on her ass.
×××
You can read 15 advanced chapters on my Pa treon.