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Unconsciously, it was evening.
A whole day had passed, and seven or eight passerby players had gathered one after another.
Excluding those players who disliked grouping up and firmly remained solo wolves, or those unlucky ones still trapped in some kaidan domain, most of the other passerby players were here.
Among them, some players had already obtained the kaidan videotape, but that didn't prevent them from choosing to act together. This was the perilous Haunted Town, and as long as they hadn't truly left the instance, they weren't safe, so they naturally sought to group up.
Other players who hadn't completed the main quest, though anxious, didn't rush and waited obediently near the restaurant.
Amamiya Natsuki was still working; he would have to wait until the restaurant closed before they could return to school together and provide escort services.
"Natsuki, Marin wants you to come out for a moment."
Juju walked up and quietly informed him.
"Wait a moment."
Amamiya Natsuki, without raising his head, skillfully finished making the Dark Cuisine in front of him. After receiving a five-star review from the kaidan customer, he greeted the manager and walked out of the restaurant.
"Natsuki, over here, over here."
The Succubus Girl Kitagawa waved to him from a distance.
The restaurant had now become a famous restaurant, with kaidan customers coming and going from time to time. To avoid conflicts and dangers, Marin and the others did not enter the restaurant but chose to rest in a dilapidated park nearby.
"He's here."
Amamiya Natsuki stepped over to Marin's side.
Without needing to be asked, Kitagawa Marin poured out the reason she had suddenly called him out.
"Just now, a passerby player appeared, surnamed Kobayashi. She said she had a companion who was captured by a kaidan, and she asked us to help rescue her companion..."
"I see."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded slightly.
The Haunted Town is so big, it's normal that there would still be players trapped by kaidan.
The two talked as they walked, arriving at a dilapidated park nearby.
"Natsuki."
"Natsuki-kun."
A group of players came forward to greet Amamiya Natsuki, their attitudes enthusiastic and very polite; some even used honorifics.
When facing a powerful figure, of course, you cling tightly to them; there's no shame in it.
"Natsuki-sama, please help rescue Ryoko!"
An unfamiliar female player ran up in a few steps, bowing ninety degrees to Amamiya Natsuki in supplication.
"Please stand up first," Amamiya Natsuki said calmly. "Explain the situation in detail."
This female player didn't look very old, likely also a high school student. Her eyes were misty, and as she wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes, she bit her lip and narrated:
"Ryoko and I are classmates; we were together for the novice mission..."
Hearing this, Amamiya Natsuki instinctively looked towards the Sheltered Ojou-sama.
Shinomiya Kaguya also looked up.
Their eyes met.
Everything was understood without words.
Shinomiya Kaguya recalled the novice mission that night: she had finished showering, changed into pajamas, and was about to go to bed and rest, but who knew, in the time it took to drink a sip of water, she was chosen by the game and participated in the novice mission with Amamiya Natsuki... It hadn't been long, yet it felt like a very long time ago.
Passerby player Kobayashi continued:
"Ryoko and I had already obtained one kaidan videotape, but we were still missing one. Ryoko took me to find another kaidan..."
Amamiya Natsuki listened intently, quickly sorting out the whole story.
The passerby player Kobayashi in front of him and another girl were teammates. In reality, they were classmates and had cleared the game dungeon together, so their bond was quite deep.
And then... they had a mishap.
As the saying goes, 'He who often walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet.'
Being cautious everywhere doesn't guarantee safety. When they encountered a terrifying kaidan, their two-person team almost got wiped out. At the last moment, the player named Ryoko sacrificed herself to let Kobayashi escape.
This passerby player had obviously heard about the 'rules' from others, and a pile of items and props appeared in her hand as compensation.
Amamiya Natsuki glanced at them, finding that most were common sundries, with only one pink bracelet being slightly noticeable.
Upon closer inspection, it was actually a weapon.
[Name: Love Strike]
[Type: Weapon]
[Attribute: This is a training prop used by a certain Magical Girl. Once fully charged, it can transform into a handgun for use. The bullets fired will randomly come with effects such as petrification, dizziness, heart-pounding, change of heart, or sage time.]
[Please note: If you don't want to become a master of human body outlines, you might need to master basic shooting skills.]
[Remark: As is well known, Magical Girl weapons never kill, so please do not expect the weapon to have lethal power.]
Seeing Amamiya Natsuki remain silent, the passerby player thought he didn't want to take the risk, so she bit her lip and continued:
"...As long as Ryoko can be saved, I don't care what I have to do!"
For each other, they chose to sacrifice themselves; truly deep sisterly affection!
It was clear that "anything" here meant "anything" in the literal sense, even becoming a body pillow would not be refused.
It must be said, this passerby player was quite cute and had a good figure. The temptation of using her body as compensation far exceeded that of useless items...
"Miss, I feel that my integrity has been insulted."
Amamiya Natsuki said with a serious expression.
"Eh?"
The passerby player looked up in surprise, her pretty face filled with bewilderment.
"Stare--"
Kaguya, Marin, and Chika, who were nearby, all looked over with subtle gazes, clearly waiting for him to continue.
"Taking advantage of someone in such a situation would make one lose the right to be human, wouldn't it?"
Amamiya Natsuki said sternly:
"So, please retract what you just said. I'm not the kind of person you think I am."
In a private setting, he might have hesitated, but now, in front of Kaguya and the others, how could he agree to her self-selling act!
"I-I'm sorry."
The passerby player Kobayashi was stunned for two seconds, a blush involuntarily rising on her face, and she quickly bowed in apology.
"I told you, Natsuki-kun wouldn't stand by and do nothing."
Fujiwara Chika stepped forward, gently patting the passerby player's back, and said softly, "We are all unfortunate people chosen by the game; we should help each other. Don't worry, with so many of us, we will definitely rescue your companion."
"Exactly, leave the rest to us."
Kitagawa Marin said, casting a satisfied look at Amamiya Natsuki.
"I'll go back to the izakaya and tell the manager first," Amamiya Natsuki mused, "I'll be out right away, and then we'll go save your friend."
After a brief thought, Amamiya Natsuki decided to help.
It wasn't that he felt he couldn't back down in front of so many people and was forced to agree, but rather, it was confidence.
When he was alone, he dared to go into the restroom and talk to the Vengeful Spirit Loli. Now that he was surrounded by players, his courage could naturally be greater.
For example, letting the kaidan in the town know what true dark forces look like.
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