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"What do you mean 'myself'?"
Amamiya Natsuki raised an eyebrow and asked.
The elementary school student ghost's expression was blank: "It was just myself…I dragged myself into the sea."
"Eh?" Sayu's eyes widened, and she guessed, "Could it be twins? Do you have a twin sister?"
The ghost elementary school student shook her head: "No."
"Natsuki-kun, let me ask."
Seeing the ghost elementary school student's emotions start to become unstable again, Yukinoshita Haruno stepped forward, her full-level socialite tag shining brightly.
A moment later.
The three finally understood who the 'myself' in the elementary school student ghost's words referred to; it wasn't a twin sister, but someone who looked exactly like her.
When this elementary school student was swimming at the sea, someone who looked exactly like her suddenly surfaced from the sea and dragged her into the sea, creating the illusion of an accidental drowning.
The elementary school student's mind was not mature, and this was all the information she could provide. After the questioning, Amamiya Natsuki made way for her to go downstairs to see her parents, but unfortunately, the elementary school student's parents were ordinary people and could not see her no matter what.
"Natsuki-sama, how is the dungeon quest?"
Sayu looked up and asked.
"It's not completed." Amamiya Natsuki shook his head and said, "The quest requires not only finding the truth but also catching the mastermind behind it."
Now that the mastermind was known but not yet caught, the quest was naturally not considered complete.
"No twins, but someone who looks exactly the same…" Yukinoshita Haruno crossed her right arm over her chest and mused, "Could it be a transformation ability similar to Hanamori's?"
Clearly, it was not.
Because a prompt had already appeared before Amamiya Natsuki's eyes:
[After careful questioning, you discovered the true culprit hidden beneath the accidental drowning: the Shadow Duplicate]
Since it was a duplicate, looking exactly the same was, of course, normal.
Amamiya Natsuki didn't say much for now, stepping to the window and saying in a low voice, "Let's go down first."
From a mere second-floor height, Amamiya Natsuki needed no tools; with a single push, he easily leaped from the window.
"You two jump down," Amamiya Natsuki said, looking up.
"I'm jumping."
Sayu didn't hesitate, leaping from the window, trusting Amamiya Natsuki one hundred percent.
Catching Sayu, Amamiya Natsuki then looked at Haruno and said in a low voice, "Haruno, jump down."
"…"
Yukinoshita Haruno pursed her pink lips, a hint of hesitation flashing across her face. For an ordinary person to jump from the second floor, she would naturally be nervous and hesitant, but this Haruno had excellent psychological fortitude. After taking a deep breath, she calmly jumped from the window.
Thump.
Amamiya Natsuki steadily caught her, then placed Haruno on the ground.
"Hoo…" Yukinoshita Haruno sighed in relief, feeling her heart pound faster in her chest, and a blush of excitement involuntarily spread across her pretty face, "It feels very thrilling."
Amamiya Natsuki said indifferently, "It's definitely going to be much more thrilling than this."
"…"
The three didn't linger and quickly left. As they passed the front yard, they saw the elementary school student ghost crying incessantly around her parents, wanting to embrace them, but unable to touch them no matter what.
Amamiya Natsuki's expression was calm; he had no intention of helping.
Although he could use the Witch Potion to allow the elementary school student's parents to briefly see the ghost, it would be meaningless.
Click.
A flash of light suddenly appeared, as if someone was taking a picture with an old camera.
Amamiya Natsuki raised an eyebrow and looked around; everything was calm, and no abnormalities were found.
"Let's go, continue the investigation."
Since it was a serial murder case, there must have been more than one victim. The next goal was to find other people who had died 'accidentally', screen them, and ultimately find the mastermind.
The entire Island had only a few hundred permanent residents, similar to an alternative large family. For matters like weddings, funerals, and marriages, finding the local Island elderly women was definitely the right choice.
It was still Sayu and Haruno responsible for gathering information, with Amamiya Natsuki on alert behind them.
A moment later.
The two girls returned together.
"Natsuki-sama, we've found out." Sayu spoke first, "The last accidental drowning happened three years ago."
Yukinoshita Haruno clasped her hands behind her back and said softly, "In these three years, the Island residents have experienced normal births, aging, illnesses, and deaths, but there hasn't been a single murder case, nor have there been any cases of tourists accidentally disappearing."
Simply put, the Island was peaceful and serene, with at most some petty theft incidents, but no murder cases.
Amamiya Natsuki, however, recalled the 'duplicate' that appeared in the previous prompt, just like the relationship between Kaguya and Yandere Kaguya. If one of them intended to replace the other, even parents would find it difficult to discover the truth, right?
Sayu gently furrowed her delicate brows and whispered, "The last accidental drowning was three years ago, which exceeds the time limit of Divination, so we can't use Divination."
"Then we won't use Divination." Amamiya Natsuki's mind churned, and he already had an idea, "Who among you wants to experience a transformation skill?"
Sayu was startled: "Is it Hanamori-chan's transformation skill?"
Amamiya Natsuki nodded and said, "That's right, it's the transformation ability."
Yukinoshita Haruno blinked and tilted her head, saying, "Natsuki-kun wants us to transform into Sakurako's appearance?"
Even if everyone on the Island believed the elementary school student's drowning was an accident, there was definitely one person who knew the truth—the killer.
Once the elementary school student 'revived' on the Island, the true culprit who killed the elementary school student would inevitably be unable to resist their curiosity and come to investigate.
"I see." Sayu pursed her pink lips, also understanding, "But Hanamori-chan's transformation skill can only copy information and transform after touching the target, right? Sakurako is already in the jar, so is it still useful?"
"It doesn't need to be exactly the same." Amamiya Natsuki said softly, "Body shape, hairstyle, plus makeup, six or seven tenths similarity is enough."
"Shall I transform?" Yukinoshita Haruno raised her right hand, excitedly saying, "I haven't experienced the feeling of a skill yet, I'm super curious."
Before signing the invitation letter, Yukinoshita Haruno had always been an ordinary person and couldn't use any skills. She had always been full of curiosity, so now that she had the opportunity to experience a skill, she was naturally eager.
As for the shame of transforming into a child…she was already a female college student, who would care about such a small matter.
Seeing this, Sayu naturally wouldn't contend, and softly said, "Then let Haruno transform. We'll first find an elementary school student with a similar physique to Sakurako."
Amamiya Natsuki raised his hand and said, "Chika just sent a message; they've found the target they need to protect, and it's an elementary school student."
"…"
Opening the location message sent by Fujiwara Chika, Amamiya Natsuki quickly said, "It's very close, it will only take about ten minutes to walk there."
"Hmm…" Yukinoshita Haruno gracefully extended her right hand, a sweet smile on her face, "Ten minutes can't be wasted either, Natsuki, why don't you paste the skill to me first?"
This Haruno and Yukinoshita were biological sisters, and both were the type with super pale skin, appearing distinctly luminous in the sunlight.
Amamiya Natsuki nodded, held Haruno's right hand, and began to paste the skill.
Sayu blinked, secretly looking at Haruno, observing whether Haruno would blush when holding a boy's hand, but was greatly disappointed.
Haruno didn't even blush or show any shyness in her gaze.
So amazing.
Do you become this amazing after becoming a college student?
The journey was silent.
Amamiya Natsuki and the other two successfully found Chika and the others by the sea.
"President, we're here!" Fujiwara Chika waved happily.
Beside Chika, there were also Marin, Senpai, Juju, and Shoko. The five girls had similar tasks, all involving protecting someone, and some of their targets even overlapped, so they moved together.
Amamiya Natsuki stepped towards the girls and whispered, "Have all the targets been found?"
"Found them." Kitagawa Marin put her right hand on her hip and whispered, "Nah, it's those three elementary school students playing by the sea."
Juju crossed her arms over her chest and couldn't help but complain, "It feels so strange to be bodyguards in a dungeon."
Amamiya Natsuki looked subtly at Senpai and said seriously, "Compared to bodyguards, I think you're more like stalkers."
"Pfft~"
Senpai's pretty face flushed, and she lightly spat, giving him a glare. She clearly remembered that night when she followed and eavesdropped on the drunk man in the park.
"President, this dungeon mission feels too simple." Fujiwara Chika whispered, "There are people coming and going on the beach; it's impossible for someone to attack an elementary school student in broad daylight, right?"
Amamiya Natsuki looked at Chika and said, "How long do we need to protect them for this dungeon mission?"
Fujiwara Chika: "Twenty-four hours."
Amamiya Natsuki asked again, "What will you do when it gets dark later and the elementary school students go home?"
"Eh?"
Fujiwara Chika was startled, quickly realizing the difficulty of the mission.
elementary school students couldn't stay on the beach forever. After dark, they would definitely go home to eat and rest, greatly increasing the danger. But players were just ordinary tourists, so how would they protect them then?
"I have a suggestion." Amamiya Natsuki said softly, "Since we need to protect them, the best way is naturally not to let them out of our sight, so... why not kidnap them?"
"Eh, eh, eh?"
The girls looked over in shock.
Fujiwara Chika couldn't help but say, "President, what are you talking about? Kidnapping is illegal, isn't it?"
Amamiya Natsuki said without panic, "This is a dungeon; there are no laws."
Senpai reminded him softly, "Natsuki-kun, there's a police officer on the Island. I saw him on the street earlier, and he was even armed."
Amamiya Natsuki said calmly, "Then kidnap the police officer too."
Koyasu Tsubame: "..."
What to do if you encounter the police?
Kidnap them too.
This is no longer a kidnapper, but a notorious bandit!
"Our mission is only to protect those elementary school students. We won't demand a ransom, nor will we kill them. Once twenty-four hours are up, we'll let them go home." Amamiya Natsuki lowered his voice and said, "Conversely, if those elementary school students leave our sight, they will most likely encounter danger. By kidnapping them, we are actually protecting them."
Kitagawa Marin blinked, nodding instinctively:
"It... makes some sense."
Juju asked worriedly, "Those elementary school students all have parents. If their children don't come home at night, their parents and family will definitely call the police to look for them, right?"
Facing this question, Amamiya Natsuki just smiled.
Seeing the smile on Amamiya Natsuki's lips, Koyasu Tsubame felt a flash of inspiration in her mind and blurted out, "Then kidnap the parents of those elementary school students too!"
"..."
The girls all looked at Senpai, their eyes wide with shock.
Only Amamiya Natsuki showed appreciation, giving a thumbs up and saying, "Very good, the position of the Big Boss will be Senpai's."
Koyasu Tsubame's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but shout, "Who wants to be the Big Boss!"
The dungeon was a closed space, with no external military support. According to Amamiya Natsuki's idea, kidnapping all these families was the safest 'protection method'.
However, even players couldn't instantly transform into ruthless bandits. Chika and Marin hesitated for a while, finding it difficult to make a choice.
"Let's watch them from a distance for now... We'll talk about it tonight."
The rest of the matter was simple.
Yukinoshita Haruno chose an elementary school student of suitable age and build, casually bought an ice cream, and walked forward with a smile. With her master-level social skills, she successfully copied the other party's information.
Then she bought the swimsuit the elementary school student wore before drowning, and then came to the beach where elementary school student Sakurako had her accident.
This stretch of beach was secluded, with hardly any tourists, but the scenery was good. Blue sky, white clouds, clear Sea, and sandy beach; it could be said that the scenery was far superior to previous dungeons.
"I'm transforming."
Yukinoshita Haruno exhaled lightly, attempting to use the skill.
The next moment.
Haruno only felt something indescribable enveloping her. Her vision suddenly lowered, followed by a chill on her body.
"Eh?"
Yukinoshita Haruno looked down to see herself completely bare. At her feet were her clothes scattered on the ground—to extend the transformation time, Haruno used the initial stage of transformation, so she couldn't bring her clothes with her when she changed.
"So this is what transformation feels like." Looking at her small hands and feet, Yukinoshita Haruno couldn't help but smile, "How amazing."
"Haruno-nee, hurry up." Sayu walked forward, holding a hair tie, "Let's tie up your hair first."
"Okay." Yukinoshita Haruno, without any shyness, said gracefully, "I'll put on my swimsuit first, and I'll leave my hair to Sayu-chan, okay?"
"..."
Amamiya Natsuki did not approach but stood at a distance, keeping watch. However, his eyesight was excellent, and he clearly saw a black lace bra among the 'equipment' Haruno dropped.
As expected of a college student, her underwear style was far superior to that of a shy high school girl.
A moment later.
Yukinoshita Haruno put on her swimsuit, tied her hair into twin pigtails, and picked up shells barefoot on the beach.
Amamiya Natsuki, meanwhile, took a few steps closer, raised his phone, and took pictures, managing to capture a small portion of her face. Coupled with the same hairstyle and swimsuit, even Sakurako's parents would find it difficult to determine the truth for a while.
Click.
Click, click, click.
He took several photos in a row.
Amamiya Natsuki opened the chat app and clicked send: "Your sister is quite cute."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "..."
Taking photos was not just for fun, but to prepare for rumors.
After taking the photos, Amamiya Natsuki and Sayu quickly took action. They found an elderly aboriginal woman on the Island, and as tourists, unintentionally revealed the photos of the elementary school student they took by the sea.
"Isn't that Tanaka's little Sakurako?"
"That's right, it's Sakurako."
"Sakurako has already drowned. The photo must be Sakurako's ghost."
"..."
No matter the country, middle-aged women are the main propagators of rumors. Within half a day, the rumor that someone saw Sakurako's ghost by the sea would spread throughout the entire Island.
"Let the rumor fly for a while."
Once the rumors had spread, Amamiya Natsuki took Sayu and found elementary school student Haruno, then together they went to the abandoned Hospital.
Shinomiya Kaguya, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Hayasaka's dungeon mission was to investigate the hidden secrets of the Island. The dungeon had only just begun, so there were naturally no results yet.
Amamiya Natsuki came this time mainly because his temporary skills had run out and he was preparing to copy the transformation skill again, and also to have Haruno appear in others' sight, increasing the credibility of the rumors.
"Yukino, I've come to see you."
The elementary school student put her hands on her hips and proudly raised her chin.
Yukinoshita Yukino: "..."
Looking at the 1.2-meter tall, dark-skinned elementary school student with twin pigtails in front of her, Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her forehead, her lips trembling.
Everyone exchanged information every ten minutes, so Yukinoshita Yukino naturally knew that the dark-skinned elementary school student in front of her was her older sister, Haruno.
But... why are you smiling so happily?
You should feel ashamed for turning into an elementary school student!
"Yukino, hurry up and squat down." Yukinoshita Haruno put her hands on her hips and looked up, "My neck hurts from looking up to talk to you."
"If you know your neck will hurt, then don't stand so close." Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't help but complain.
"How... how mean..." Yukinoshita Haruno covered her eyes with her hands, like an elementary school student being taken advantage of, "Yukino is bullying her older sister."
Yukinoshita Yukino gritted her teeth, a black line appearing on her forehead: "Sister, that's enough."
As she spoke, elementary school student Haruno's body suddenly flickered with a faint light, followed by a slight itching sensation, and she couldn't help but say nervously, "What's happening?"
Shinomiya Kaguya reminded her, "The transformation time is about to end."
The next second.
The elementary school student disappeared, and college student Haruno appeared out of thin air.
Amamiya Natsuki instinctively looked over, feeling quite dizzy.
So white.
Today's sun was indeed very white, so bright it made one unable to open their eyes.
So why was there such a big difference between biological sisters?
"Hmm..."
Yukinoshita Haruno's pretty face flushed, and she instinctively covered her body.
"Haruno-nee, your clothes." Sayu quickly handed her the clothes from the side.
Shinomiya Kaguya's eyebrows furrowed, and she quickly said, "President, turn around."
"..."
Amamiya Natsuki took the opportunity to walk in front of Spy Maid and reached out, saying, "Ai-chan, let me kiss you."
"What?"
"You don't want your identity to be discovered by the Young Lady, do you?"
"Tsk." Hayasaka Ai tilted her head and smiled, "I'll let you kiss me now, do you dare to?"
Amamiya Natsuki: "…"
"Heh, men." Hayasaka Ai's eyes showed disdain, "As expected, they're only good with their mouths."
Amamiya Natsuki was expressionless: "I'll deal with you once I clear the dungeon."
"Heh, men."
"…"
Skill replication complete.
Estimating that the rumors had fermented enough, Amamiya Natsuki didn't stay to help explore the abandoned Hospital. He bid farewell to Sayu and Haruno and left, returning to the sea where the elementary school student accidentally drowned.
Next… waiting for the rabbit, the official start.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters|Every 100 powerstones=1 extra chapter|Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr | There's 16 novels being updated, I can't read your comments