Ryu didn't care about the two high school girls' whispers. His mother in this life had once taught him a golden rule: Never try to understand a woman's heart—it's as completely unpredictable as Schrödinger's cat.
The minds of teenage girls were like summer thunderstorms, their arrival and departure unknown. By the time you realized what was happening, it was already too late.
'Even Ruri has her silly moments.'
Looking at his maid hanging out with Chika, Ryu sighed helplessly.
His attention soon returned to himself. An indescribable soreness swept through his body, but it receded just as quickly, like a tide, leaving only a few muscles twitching involuntarily.
He could clearly feel that sweat had soaked his shirt and undershirt, clinging unpleasantly to his skin, as if he had just gone for a swim in the ocean.
Half-lying on the bed, Ryu raised his left arm, rolling up the sleeve to his elbow in a few quick movements. A large, red, swollen abrasion was clearly visible there, as if he'd been scraped by a speeding vehicle.
The synergy between the NERvGear and [Demon Brain] was outstanding!
Everything his body felt was no different from having been in a truly intense battle. The only thing was that creatures like trolls don't exist in reality, so Ryu had no frame of reference.
The sweat, the heartbeat, the pain, and the experience gained from it all had been undeniably committed to memory by this body!
—But the next part was the most important.
Right before Ryu's eyes, the red, swollen area began to fade as if being erased. In less than half a minute, only a faint bluish-black bruise remained, not affecting his arm's movement in the slightest.
[Scene Transition Effects]!
The act of "logging out of the game" was also considered a switch between two scenes (virtual and real), thus triggering this talent.
This resulted in a marvelous chain reaction:
The strain of fighting for hours in the game would be fed back to his physical body by [Demon Brain], and then his stamina would be restored by [Scene Transition Effects], greatly reducing fatigue.
Correspondingly, the training effects, enhanced by [King of Kings of Grinding], would be fully retained.
—This was practically a real-life "infinite stamina dungeon grind"!
As an heir to capitalism, how could he pass up such a golden opportunity?
So he reluctantly sacrificed his class time, taking leave to slack off in the nurse's office—he hadn't even skipped class!
The teachers and his classmates were well aware he was "addicted to games," but Chika was probably the only one who dared to point it out directly.
"You're back again."
"Eek!"
"!"
The two girls, completely unaware of anyone behind them, were startled by the voice. The maid instantly put away her phone, smoothed out the wrinkles on her clothes, and turned around gracefully, her hands crossed, nodding to Ryu.
"Lord Ryu, you're awake. Would you like a cup of hot water?"
"Yes, thank you."
"No, it is my duty."
The maid turned, discreetly pushing her phone all the way into her pocket, and began preparing the water with a perfectly calm expression.
Fujiwara Chika glanced at her with admiration, but the cheerful girl clearly didn't think she'd done anything wrong. She walked over to Ryu with a grin and held out her hand. "It's my turn to play~"
"This is an internal test version. I have a confidentiality obligation. If you want to play, please preorder it and wait patiently for the launch day," Ryu refused in a cold tone.
"Aren't you the boss?"
Ryu's eyes narrowed. "If a general can't lead by example, how can he expect his soldiers to believe in him?"
"Mmm... that actually sounds pretty reasonable." Overwhelmed by his presence, Chika took half a step back.
"But I really want to play! Can't you just get one more test slot? I promise I won't tell anyone, I'll even sign an agreement!"
"This isn't a D&D-style tabletop magic world, you know. It's an isekai, but there are no magic classes. The mainstream weapons are cold steel like swords, spears, and bows. You have to fight monsters up close—it's pretty hardcore. I don't think it's for you."
"Hmph! Ryu-chan, you haven't been fooled by my appearance, have you?"
Chika flicked her long hair. "Did you think I was just a pure, cute, and delicate beauty, like I appear to be?"
"Pure and cute? Wow~" Ryu deadpanned. "Couldn't tell at all."
"I'm actually a hardcore gamer who loves high-difficulty titles!"
Chika was long used to her childhood friend's teasing and declared proudly, "I beat that game 'Only Dog' in just thirty hours!"
That's about average for a normal person, Ryu thought silently.
"Whatever. There are only a few days until launch anyway, so forget about the beta. How about I give you a top-of-the-line gaming helmet instead?"
"I knew you were the best, Ryu-chan~!" Having scored a freebie, Chika was instantly overjoyed.
Although her family was well-off, the Fujiwara family had a good reputation and raised their children strictly. As the second daughter, Chika didn't have much of an allowance, so saving up for a high-end NERvGear would actually be quite difficult.
"Then I'll count on you for an admin account, too!"
"Hey!" Ryu's gaze sharpened instantly. "You... are you trying to cheat?"
"Cheat? How can you call what a player does cheating? It's for enhancing the game experience!" Chika said with wide, innocent eyes. "It would be such a waste not to use such convenient connections, wouldn't it?"
"The moment you said that, you stopped being a hardcore gamer."
—To say something like that so brazenly... truly a politician's daughter~
In the car on the way back, Ryu noticed Ruri was sometimes staring into space and sometimes blushing, looking completely out of it. He asked with concern, "Did something happen?"
"...Huh? Lord Ryu?"
"You're a bit out of it today. Your face is so red... Did you catch a cold?"
Ryu didn't stand on ceremony; he reached out and touched the maid's forehead, comparing it to his own.
"You do seem a bit warm."
"...Too."
"Hm? What did you say?"
"Too close!"
Ruri dodged backward, her gaze shifting away. "I'm just a little tired."
"Have a doctor check on you when you get back."
Ryu returned to his seat, looking slightly apologetic. "Being my assistant is certainly not an easy job. I know I can be too willful at times... Thank you for your hard work."
"No, to be able to ease Lord Ryu's worries..."
The young woman's cheeks were cherry-red as she bashfully lowered her head like a water lily. "It is my mission (happiness)."
—
"master... Lord Ryu..."
The bright moon hung high. In a dim room where the moonlight could not pry, Ruri lay on her side on the bed, wearing only a thin nightgown.
The handkerchief, so carefully put away during the day, was now in her hand. Filled with guilt, she gently sniffed it, her eyes sometimes dazed, sometimes lost in thought, feeling an inexplicable melancholy.
The scent, Lord Ryu's scent... has mixed with my own...
"Nghh!!"
The sheet draped over her body took shape in that moment, outlining the curve of her curled-up legs, like a goddess statue carved from white jade.
"Lord Ryu..."
Unease, restlessness, shame, guilt—I have to stop, her reason told her!
But... she couldn't stop!
—
"Hm?"
His mind wandered for a moment. Ryu gazed blankly out the window, but his vision quickly refocused.
"Am I just too tired?"
Shaking his head to calm himself, Ryu turned his gaze to the digital clock on his desk.
A special date was marked, and a countdown had already begun.
"Akihiko Kayaba... I'm really looking forward to it. The launch day."
________________________________________
Get rewarded for helping with our community goals!
🎯 Reward for all: +1 bonus chapter at 50 Powerstones.
🚀 Tier Reward: Help us reach 20 members for +5 chapters on all stories!
👻 Join the crew by searching Ms. Medusa on (P). You know the spot! 😉