"Tap, tap, tap…"
The unusual sound echoed through the dark corridor, causing Miura Yumiko, who still wanted to go out and find Yuigahama Yui, to hesitate.
"Gulp, maybe… maybe it's nothing. Yu should be back soon."
She swallowed hard and thought so to herself, then Miura Yumiko quietly closed the door again. The moment the door to the room closed, the strange sounds also disappeared, as if this thin door had completely blocked them.
"How strange."
Murmuring to herself, Miura Yumiko, still a little scared, found Yui's contact and wanted to call her so she could keep her company for a while. The call connected, and just as Miura Yumiko was about to speak, a voice came from the phone that didn't sound human, eerie and hoarse:
"I-i've entered…"
"I-i-i've entered…"
The phone kept repeating the sentence. Holding the phone, Miura Yumiko was overwhelmed with fear.
"Y-you lunatic!"
Miura Yumiko gritted her teeth and, as if possessed, shouted into the phone, then quickly hung up.
"Really! People make such stupid jokes late at night!"
Miura Yumiko muttered, surprisingly interpreting everything happening as a joke. Of course, this was only her self-comfort, because it was the only way she could avoid being completely terrified.
"I… I'm entering…"
But just as Miura Yumiko thought that disconnecting would solve everything, the voice echoed again in her ears, instantly paling her face. She looked toward the interior of the room, only to see a figure crouching in the corner, appearing at some unknown moment.
The figure was strange, deathly pale, smooth like soap. And that person… had only one leg and, on top of that, had no head!
"Iii! Ghost!"
The moment she saw the figure, Miura Yumiko could no longer maintain composure. She screamed, then jolted and ran with long strides toward the door. She opened it abruptly, wanting to escape, but something unexpected awaited her: in front of the door stood a one-member, headless monster!
This monster was exactly the one she had just seen in the reflection of the phone!
Seeing the monster, as wide as a person and completely blocking the passage, Miura Yumiko stepped back two steps in horror. Her foot slipped, and she fell heavily onto the tatami.
"Gugjehehe~"
The monster's crimson eyes reflected the girl's disheveled appearance as it let out a strange laugh.
As the laughter echoed, the monster twisted its body, fully opened the door, and entered the room.
"N-no, you, what kind of monster are you?!"
Watching the monster approach her, Miura Yumiko was filled with fear, her words becoming incoherent.
The monster looked at Miura Yumiko, and its large mouth on the stomach split open, revealing dense, sharp teeth, grinning at the girl. That smile was extremely terrifying! If looked at closely, clumps of blood and flesh could be seen stuck to the fangs!
"Hihihi~"
The monster just laughed and stretched out its hand to grab Miura Yumiko.
Seeing this, Miura Yumiko quickly retreated. Suddenly her hand touched something an ashtray from the hotel room. Although unused, it was always there.
Grabbing the ashtray, Miura Yumiko, not knowing where she found the courage, swung it hard. The ashtray flew straight toward the monster's eye.
But the monster seemed invulnerable; the ashtray passed right through its body and fell onto the tatami behind it.
Seeing that, Miura Yumiko completely despaired. This monster, which even physical attacks could not touch, filled her with hopelessness.
However, no matter how much Miura Yumiko despaired, no one could come to save her. The entire room was under the influence of the monster; sounds, calls for help, even escape were impossible.
…
"Uf~ Bathing in the hot spring is really pleasant, but when I think… Hm! Nino, that girl just starts and then backs out, how irresponsible!"
In the hotel hot spring, Nakano Yu emerged, dressed and with wet hair, letting out a long sigh.
His face still bore a slightly dissatisfied expression. After all, how could bathing be completely without a masseuse? Simply not right!
Of course, Nakano Yu was only thinking such things, purely joking.
"There should be a hairdryer in the room, right?"
Nakano Yu thought to himself while drying his hair with a towel.
He looked at the time and saw that it was already past midnight, the start of the next day. Nakano Yu did not linger and headed toward his room.
As he walked, Nakano Yu suddenly noticed an unusual scent. It resembled a flower, very strange. He knew that this scent hadn't been in the hotel before, otherwise he definitely would not have missed it.
"What's going on?"
Frowning, Nakano Yu was thinking when suddenly a system appeared, which had been silent most of the day:
"Ding! Daily quest updated: Monster of Joy — Yama-no-Ke!"
"Quest description: A bizarre being from the mountains, with a smooth body, one leg, and no head. When moving, it always emits strange sounds. Yama-no-Ke has no gender, but likes to possess women, strongly affecting their desire toward their beloved person! It also amplifies female affection, but after one night, the possessed person will experience unbearable heat and explode!"
"Quest objective: Yama-no-Ke"
"Quest reward: Roulette chance +1"
"Ding! Quest location: Room 224, second floor of Ushi-no-Bo."
After carefully reading the quest description, Nakano Yu already wanted to complain about how perverted this objective was, but when he saw the quest location, his entire demeanor changed.
Room 224? Isn't that his room?!
At that thought, Nakano Yu's expression changed. He didn't care whether anyone in the hotel was awake; his body flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of his room door.
At that moment, the room was silent, not a sound could be heard.
Nakano Yu didn't pay attention to anything else and directly entered the room.
As soon as he entered, he saw Miura Yumiko lying on the tatami, her yukata scattered, her skin exposed, and her body burning with heat as she writhed on the floor.
"Uh ah~"
At that moment, Miura Yumiko's face was sickly red, and she kept making strange sounds.
Fortunately, the hotel's sound insulation was excellent; otherwise, she would have already attracted attention from other rooms.
Seeing that, Nakano Yu entered the room and locked the door.
Miura Yumiko at that moment clearly noticed Nakano Yu; her emerald eyes, filled with hearts, stared motionlessly at the young man.
Supporting herself with her hands, Miura Yumiko sat up, and her yukata slipped. Nearby, the tall mountains and untouched white snow reflected the light.
Looking at that scene, Nakano Yu had no intention of looking away. The young man only felt that today's quest objective was very strange, extremely strange.
"Yu! I love you~"
Just as Nakano Yu was thinking whether his blessing could expel Yama-no-Ke from Miura Yumiko's body, she suddenly rushed forward and hugged Nakano Yu.
Because it was summer, Nakano Yu was wearing only a thin short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts. At that moment, the young man clearly felt Miura Yumiko's warmth.
Lowering her head slightly revealed the sacred Marian groove, how deep and magnificent it was!