Chapter 73: Unlocked Achievement
[Host, wake up.]
In the middle of his nightmare, Takumi was dreaming he'd been dragged down to hell. Two demons skewered him with pitchforks and tossed him onto a grill over bubbling lava. Just as the flames started licking at his skin, the magma vanished—and suddenly he found himself standing in a grand hall.
Wait… isn't this the lottery space from before?
"Why am I here?"
[You have fulfilled the unlock conditions for the achievement "Great Teacher, Great Student." You have earned the recognition of three martial arts masters, granting you the chance to receive an achievement reward.]
"Achievement reward?"
Takumi's heart leaped with both shock and delight. As someone who'd grinded through countless games, he knew exactly what an achievement reward meant. He'd always assumed the only prizes came from maxing out a girl's affection and claiming her magic power, yet after surviving eight hellish days in the training space, there was actually something extra waiting for him.
[Conquering women to MAX affection grants standard lottery draws. Achievement rewards are separate, with complex and randomly triggered conditions, and the prizes vary greatly. "Great Teacher, Great Student" allows you to randomly obtain one sub-skill from a master who has recognized you as a disciple.]
"Sub-skill?"
[In addition to their primary martial art specialty, other talents they possess—for example, Kōsaka Shigure's ability to turn anything into a weapon, Sakaki's absurd alcohol tolerance, Ma Kensei's proficiency in acupuncture and healing, and so on.]
"I get it. So how do I receive it? Do I choose, is it another lottery, or do I get everything?"
[Random acquisition of one ability, same as a lottery draw. Begin the selection?]
"Start it."
A pure white jade lottery wheel materialized in the space—completely different from the bronze one last time. Various abilities were inscribed across its surface. Takumi quickly spotted the three who had acknowledged him as a disciple: Kōetsuji Akisame, Sakaki, and Kōsaka Shigure. Their side talents were all listed.
Akisame had the most entries—sculpture, painting, bone-setting, and more. Sakaki's list was hilariously short: just "alcohol tolerance."
"I refused Shigure, yet she still acknowledged me? What the hell is going on… Whatever. As long as I don't pull Sakaki's drinking skill or Akisame-sensei's random Russian fluency, anything else is fine. Let's go!"
[As you wish.]
The wheel spun rapidly, then gradually slowed. It finally landed on "Sculpture."
"Uh… not the medical skills or Shigure's weapon-polishing ability I was hoping for, but… this works too, I guess."
The ability turned into a beam of light that sank straight into Takumi's body.
For the first time, he felt the sensation of reinforcing a "life skill." It was completely different from before. A gentle polishing swept through his mind, shaving away impatience, restlessness, and other impurities, leaving behind an unusually calm and clear state. At the same time, his hands felt noticeably more dexterous and sensitive—sculpting relied heavily on fine motor control after all, unlike pure knowledge-based skills.
When his consciousness returned to his body, the crushing exhaustion and mental fatigue from a full day of torture had vanished entirely. In their place was refreshing vitality—the kind of perfect rest even the deepest sleep couldn't provide. He glanced at the clock.
Only an hour had passed.
The hunger he'd ignored earlier roared back with a vengeance.
Grrrrrrumble!
His stomach launched a full-scale protest. Takumi shot upright like a spring and was about to dash toward Ryōzanpaku's kitchen to scavenge something—anything—when a knock sounded at the door.
A soft girl's voice came through.
"Kouichi."
"Miu-senpai? Come in."
A moment later, Fuurinji Miu pushed the door open, carrying a tray laden with food. She stepped inside, knelt gracefully in front of him, and set the tray down.
"You didn't come to eat. I was going to call you, but the masters said to let you rest for at least an hour first."
"Thank you, Miu! You're a lifesaver—I literally just woke up starving."
It really was like someone handing him a pillow the moment he fell asleep. Overcome with gratitude, Takumi grabbed the chopsticks and attacked the meal like a starving wolf. The portions were enormous—clearly prepared with the knowledge that he'd been training like a madman. Three people's worth of rice disappeared in record time. He polished off both bowls until they sparkled, then pressed his palms together.
"Thanks for the meal. I'm full!"
"Pfft—"
Miu couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Look at you—your face is covered in rice grains. Here, let me wipe it."
She handed him a handkerchief and gently dabbed away the stray grains and bits of grease. The faint, sweet scent of her drifted over him. Watching her careful, tender movements, Takumi's chest tightened with genuine emotion. Without thinking, he caught her hand.
"Miu… you're really amazing."
Miu flinched at the sudden contact. She tugged lightly, but his grip was surprisingly firm.
"You… seriously…"
Remembering the brutal training he'd just endured, she swallowed whatever scolding she'd been about to deliver. Takumi simply gazed at her, feeling the incredible softness of her hand—like boneless silk.
Miu was, after all, only a first-year high-school girl. She couldn't withstand that intense stare for long. Flustered, she flexed her wrist with precise control and slipped free like a slippery eel.
"I-I'll go clean up the dishes. Rest well, okay?"
Takumi felt a faint pang of disappointment as her warmth left his palm.
"Right… thanks, Miu-senpai."
"No need to thank me. Actually, I came to collect something."
Miu suddenly flashed a mischievous smile. In her other hand appeared two photographs.
Takumi's eyes widened in horror. He frantically patted down his clothes—nothing. The pictures were gone.
He leaped to his feet, ready to chase after her, but Miu had already shut the door. A second later, her clear, bell-like laughter echoed from far down the hallway.
"Goddamn it! I let my guard down completely! This has to be a honey trap! In the original story she was just a clumsy, high-level martial artist airhead in front of Kenichi—why is her personality doing a total 180 with me?! Did I walk onto the wrong damn set?!"
Takumi collapsed to his knees and pounded the floor in despair.
Up on the ceiling beam, Kōsaka Shigure—who had silently watched the entire exchange—finally spoke in her usual deadpan tone.
"Idiot."
In the darkness, a faint firefly glow flickers. Somehow I always manage to find hope in it. Once I start chasing that light, the meaning of survival returns to me even when trapped in shadow. Even after summer ends, that light will become my strength…
Down in the Ryōzanpaku main hall, Miu was humming her favorite song "Hotaru no Hikari" while sweeping the floor.
From the corner, Sakaki tilted his head.
"Miu looks awfully happy today. Did something good happen?"
"Yeah, she was way too defenseless earlier. Normally that angle would've been perfect for a shot, but I completely lost my motivation…" Ma Kensei sighed, camera dangling uselessly in his hand.
"On the other hand, what's with Kouichi looking like both his parents just died?"
"Hah, seriously? Maybe he found out Akisame is making new equipment today?"
"Treasure… stolen… by witch…"
Shigure, hanging upside-down from the ceiling, muttered in fragmented phrases, leaving Sakaki and Ma even more confused.
"Alright, break time's over, Kouichi. Come take a look at my brand-new human-powered treadmill generator!"
"Human-powered… treadmill generator? What even is that?"
"My greatest invention yet! Electricity bills have gotten ridiculous lately, so I decided to build a generator. And guess who gets the honor of powering it?"
Akisame beamed cheerfully, completely ignoring Takumi's exhausted expression as he dragged the boy outside for the next round of "training."
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