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"To prevent them from running off, it's necessary to leave people to guard them."
Amamiya Natsuki looked at the time on his phone, then said:
"Senpai, Marin, Juju, Sayu, and also Shoko and Haruno, you all stay behind."
There was only one goal for this mountain ascent: to eliminate the target. A decapitation strike emphasizes swiftness, and the participants should be elite, not numerous.
Kitagawa Marin puffed out her pink cheeks slightly, looked up, and said:
"Natsuki, I want to go with you too."
Amamiya Natsuki said softly:
"Your mission is more important. Juju and Shoko need someone to look after them; you stay and protect them."
Kitagawa Marin's eyes lit up, and she raised her hand in a salute, saying:
"Mission accomplished."
Amamiya Natsuki let out a soft breath and walked over to the two Yukinoshita sisters, whispering:
"Haruno, if there's an emergency, you make the decision."
Although this Haruno was a newbie participating in a dungeon for the first time, she was remarkably rational and mature. If a sudden situation truly arose, such as a hostage falling seriously ill and needing medical attention, or a stranger suddenly knocking on the door, Marin and the others might not be able to make the calmest and most rational judgments, but Haruno was much more reassuring.
"Eh..." Yukinoshita Haruno clasped her hands behind her back, her bright eyes curving into crescent moons. As she had more contact and understood Amamiya Natsuki's personality, her mischievous nature began to subtly reveal itself. "I'm just a newbie, not as amazing as Natsuki-kun, so people might not necessarily listen to what I say."
"It's alright," Amamiya Natsuki said. "Haruno is the oldest, so everyone will listen to what she says."
Yukinoshita Haruno: "..."
So annoying!
She was only twenty, alright? How was that old!
Yukinoshita Haruno's eyes darted around and she said:
"Speaking of which, when Natsuki-kun came to help last time, Yukino hasn't repaid you yet, has she?"
Amamiya Natsuki glanced at Yukino beside him, then said:
"Indeed, not yet."
Leg photos don't count.
The leg photos he got through his own ability, of course, didn't count as repayment.
"That won't do; the Yukinoshita family motto has always been to repay kindness," Yukinoshita Haruno extended a finger and lowered her voice. "Natsuki-kun, take good care of Yukino, and when you return, Big Sister will give you a reward."
"Big Sister?"
Yukinoshita Yukino naturally heard their conversation, and her delicate brows couldn't help but furrow slightly.
She and Amamiya Natsuki were not dating; the previous kiss was out of necessity, similar to artificial respiration, so she didn't care how many people Amamiya Natsuki dated—players often walked on the edge of life and death, under immense pressure, and many would even frequent pleasure districts all day to vent their stress and fear.
In comparison, Amamiya Natsuki was already the "self-restrained" type among players.
In short, others didn't matter, but if Big Sister also got involved... it was just super important.
"No choice, since Yukino won't repay the kindness, I'll have to do it," Yukinoshita Haruno extended a finger. "As an older sister, it's normal to sacrifice myself for my younger sister, right?"
Yukinoshita Yukino crossed her arms over her chest: "What does Big Sister want to do?"
"Hmm..." Haruno tilted her head in thought, then smiled. "Like sending Natsuki-kun Yukino's childhood photos as a gift?"
Amamiya Natsuki said decisively:
"It's a deal."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "..."
Arrangements concluded.
Everyone began to move quickly.
Leaving the hiding place, they came to the street, briefly identified their direction, and headed straight for Mount Gyokou, where the festival was being held.
No words were exchanged along the way.
The group soon arrived at the foot of the mountain.
The economic backbone of this small island was tourism, and they were quite dedicated to it. From the foot of the mountain, white lanterns hung on both sides of the entire mountain path, and there were many bamboo-shaped candles on the stone steps along the way. Looking up, the entire mountain path was brightly lit and exceptionally beautiful.
Amamiya Natsuki stopped, took out a witch potion, and said:
"To be safe, everyone drink a bottle of potion first. Visibility at night is very important."
Although the mountain path was brightly lit, the mountain forests on both sides were pitch black. Shadow creatures had night vision and could launch attacks from the dark at any time, so visibility was extremely important.
"Drink the potion, huh..."
Hearing this, several girls hesitated.
The members of this decapitation strike included Amamiya Natsuki, Kaguya, Yukino, Hayasaka Ai, and two Chikas.
Except for Fujiwara Chika, who was very lucky, Kaguya, Yukino, and Hayasaka had all encountered side effects.
"The President makes a good point."
Fujiwara Chika was the first to respond, taking out a witch potion, twisting open the cap, and chugging it down.
After drinking it, seeing that no one else had moved, she couldn't help but ask curiously:
"Eh, Kaguya-chan, why aren't you drinking?"
Why?
Of course, because of the side effects!
Shinomiya Kaguya gently bit her lip, recalling the side effects she had experienced.
The first time she was a guinea pig, she directly grew cat ears and a cat tail, for which she took her first ever leave of absence.
The second time was in a dungeon; after drinking the potion, her chest suddenly grew larger, aching and throbbing, and she could only ask the President... Stop, stop!
She absolutely couldn't recall what happened next!
"Hoo..."
Shinomiya Kaguya secretly exhaled, letting her rapidly heating brain cool down, then drank the potion.
Night vision was extremely important, and the situation was urgent. Safety was paramount, so even if there were side effects, she couldn't not drink it.
Besides, her luck today might be good, and even if she drank the potion, there wouldn't be any side effects. One shouldn't refrain from eating for fear of choking!
After drinking the potion, Shinomiya Kaguya began to nervously check her body.
"Don't panic," Amamiya Natsuki whispered reassuringly. "It's okay even if you grow a tail; I can help."
Shinomiya Kaguya's pretty face tightened: "I don't want your help!"
"Stare—"
A gaze looked directly over.
Amamiya Natsuki looked at Shadow Chika and asked:
"What's wrong?"
Shadow Chika raised her face and said:
"What does the potion taste like?"
Amamiya Natsuki: "..."
He thought she had something important to say, but it turns out her foodie nature had kicked in, and she wanted to taste the potion!
"The taste isn't actually good," Amamiya Natsuki said truthfully. "It has a strange taste similar to traditional medicine... Do you want to try it?"
Shadow Chika nodded, "I want to taste it."
It's already been said that it has a strange taste, yet she still wants to try it. Is this the persistence of a foodie?
"Here you go."
Amamiya Natsuki took out a new potion and handed it over.
"No, don't drink it. This potion must be very precious." Shadow Chika shook her head, her expression calm, "If the President kisses me, I'll be able to taste what it's like."
Amamiya Natsuki: "…"
I didn't realize you were so skilled!
With Kaguya and Chika by his side, a kiss was naturally impossible. Amamiya Natsuki pretended not to hear, put away the potion, and said:
"Has anyone experienced side effects?"
Hayasaka Ai made a peace sign, still using her voice-changing technique to fool Kaguya, her voice clear: "Luckily, there are no side effects. It feels like having night vision now, everything looks super clear."
Yukinoshita Yukino clasped her right arm across her chest and said softly, "My body is completely normal. It seems there are no side effects."
"That's good." Amamiya Natsuki finally looked at Miss, "What about Kaguya?"
"Today…" Shinomiya Kaguya pursed her pink lips. She had already checked her body several times, but she still found it hard to believe, "It seems like nothing happened?"
Amamiya Natsuki sighed, "What a pity."
Shinomiya Kaguya couldn't help but glare at him, "Idiot President, what are you pitying?!"
Amamiya Natsuki's expression turned serious, "You misheard. What I just said was that you're lucky today."
"Hmph."
Shinomiya Kaguya let out a soft hum, the corners of her rosy lips slightly turned up, feeling very pleased.
She was quite happy that she hadn't experienced any side effects after drinking the potion for once.
Amamiya Natsuki waved his hand, "Prepare to go up the mountain."
The group rested and began their ascent.
It was a little past eight o'clock. The shadow creatures' attacks hadn't started yet. The mountain path was brightly lit, and tourists were everywhere, making it exceptionally lively.
"It's so lively, it feels like a real summer festival!" Fujiwara Chika walked at the very front, eagerly saying, "After we clear the dungeon, let's all attend the summer festival together?"
Hayasaka Ai agreed, "We definitely need to relax properly. What do you say, Yukino-chan?"
Yukinoshita Yukino said softly, "I agree."
Amamiya Natsuki walked at the back, listening to the girls chat, when he suddenly noticed that Miss in front was walking slower and slower, her steps becoming more hesitant.
"What's wrong?"
Amamiya Natsuki came to Kaguya's side and asked softly.
"I…"
Shinomiya Kaguya parted her pink lips, but before she could speak, her pretty face inexplicably flushed scarlet, and her burgundy eyes were filled with grievance, "I seem to have encountered a side effect again."
As expected of Miss Lucky E, I thought you were lucky today, but you still couldn't escape it after all!
"What's the side effect?"
Amamiya Natsuki asked curiously while examining Kaguya from head to toe.
Her ears were normal; they hadn't turned into cat ears.
Her backside was also normal; no cat tail had grown out.
As for her chest… it remained unremarkable, with only faint outlines beneath her shirt.
So, what exactly was the side effect?
Shinomiya Kaguya's pretty face was flushed, and she whispered, "My clothes…"
"What about your clothes?"
"Suddenly, my clothes feel so strange on me…" Shinomiya Kaguya clutched her skirt, her pink lips moving slightly, "I really want to take them off…"
A side effect that makes you want to take off your clothes?
That's too strange!
Amamiya Natsuki thought carefully for a moment and quickly said:
"I remember now. When I was looking through player feedback before, I did see a message about a suspected aftereffect, and the content was exactly the same as yours. It seems it wasn't an illusion."
After a pause, Amamiya Natsuki continued:
"Side effects don't appear out of nowhere; they should be related to the potion you drank. The most abundant ingredient in the potion is cat tears, which is why there are aftereffects like cat ears and cat tails."
"As for your current aftereffect…" Amamiya Natsuki pondered for two seconds, then said, "It should be a naked mole-rat."
"Eh?"
"The raw materials for the potion included mole rat bones. This rodent species lives in underground burrows year-round and has no fur. That's probably why you're now resisting the clothes on your body."
Shinomiya Kaguya covered her skirt with both hands, feeling the discomfort on her body growing stronger and stronger, and she lowered her voice, "President, quickly think of a solution."
"There's no solution." Amamiya Natsuki shook his head, "If cat ears had grown, I could use the Unskilled Doctor's skill to treat you, but the side effect of wanting to take off clothes seems to be mental, so I really can't help."
Shinomiya Kaguya bit her lower lip and whispered, "President, give me the Pure White Bride Skin Card."
"It's too conspicuous here." Amamiya Natsuki lowered his voice, "There must be many shadows on the mountain, and the Pure White Bride also has the effect of increasing charm, which could easily expose our whereabouts."
After a pause, Amamiya Natsuki said seriously, "You can take off your clothes."
"Eh?!"
Shinomiya Kaguya's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
What is the President saying?
This is a mountain path with people coming and going, not her home. How could she possibly take off her clothes here?!
"Of course, not completely." Amamiya Natsuki lowered his voice, "Just taking off one piece will do."
Shinomiya Kaguya looked over suspiciously, "Just one piece?"
Amamiya Natsuki whispered:
"Wanting to take off clothes is fundamentally a psychological desire. First, take off one piece of clothing to alleviate the side effect. The shrine will be here soon, so we'll rush to the shrine, find a hiding place that won't attract attention, and then use the Pure White Bride Skin Card to eliminate the side effect."
Shinomiya Kaguya bit her lip with her pearly teeth, but ultimately shook her head and refused.
She couldn't do it.
She absolutely couldn't do it.
Even if it's just one piece, it's still super embarrassing, okay?!
Amamiya Natsuki whispered, "Then we'll continue upward. It would be best if you can hold on until the shrine."
Shinomiya Kaguya took a deep breath and clenched her fists: "…I can definitely hold on until the shrine!"
A moment later.
"No, I can't… I can't hold on anymore…"
Standing at a bend in the mountain path, the Sheltered Young Lady was panting, her face filled with despair.
Mental side effects are more troublesome than physical ones.
She had initially thought she could hold on until the shrine, but the urge to take off her clothes grew stronger and stronger. As time passed, it had now reached a point where she could barely move.
"Just a little longer." Amamiya Natsuki encouraged her, "We'll be there in five minutes."
"Five minutes… I definitely can't last that long." Shinomiya Kaguya took a deep breath, her pretty face flushed like fire, and she bit her silver teeth, "President, turn around and keep an eye on the movements down the mountain for me."
"Okay."
Amamiya Natsuki accepted the task, turned his back to Miss, and soon heard a faint rustling sound.
A moment later.
Miss's voice, a mixture of shame and urgency, came through: "President, you can turn around now."
Amamiya Natsuki turned around and looked at Kaguya, shaking his head inwardly.
Miss was probably doing this for the first time, and her face was thin-skinned, completely unlike Marin. Even though she was completely covered, her cheeks seemed to be on fire, and her psychological resilience needed improvement.
"How do you feel now?" Amamiya Natsuki asked curiously, "Are you feeling any more comfortable?"
"Not comfortable at all!" Shinomiya Kaguya's pretty face was flushed crimson, "But… the urge has subsided a bit."
"That's good." Amamiya Natsuki said, "Let's hurry to the shrine."
Shinomiya Kaguya bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth and commanded, "President, you walk in front!"
"It's actually better if I walk behind." Amamiya Natsuki said tactfully, "What if a sudden gust of wind blows, and by any chance…"
"There's no 'by any chance'!" Shinomiya Kaguya tightly clutched her skirt with both hands and shouted in embarrassment, "That kind of thing will absolutely not happen!"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones=1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr | 16 novels being updated, I can't read all comments