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"One hundred ninety-eight…"
"One hundred ninety-nine…"
"Two hundred."
After finishing two hundred push-ups in one go, Blake was drenched in sweat, but the satisfaction on his face was obvious.
"Finally got enough EXP."
"Deep Blue, add points!"
"…"
As his accumulated experience vanished at high speed, his character level rose once again. A surge of heat suddenly spread through his body, rushing into every limb and organ. It felt like soaking in a hot spring. The soreness and exhaustion in his muscles faded almost instantly.
[Congratulations, your character level has increased.]
[Your stamina has permanently increased…]
[Your endurance has permanently increased…]
[Your charm has permanently increased…]
"I got stronger." Blake clenched his fist tightly, clearly feeling the overflowing vitality inside his body. "And I didn't even go bald."
The stat boost from leveling up wasn't dramatic enough to require adjustment time. Blake drank half a bottle of water in one breath, then headed to the bath.
After a quick shower, he stopped in front of the mirror and noticed his physique had improved again. His muscles were more defined than before, eight abs standing out clearly, his body practically built on the golden ratio.
"Too bad the next level needs even more EXP…"
Blake sighed regretfully and left the bathroom.
"Guess I'll go soak in the hot spring for a while."
After leveling up, he felt even more energized than before. Sleep was nowhere in sight, so he decided to head out for a late-night soak.
It was almost one in the morning. The hallways were silent, the entire inn already asleep. Only the soft echo of his footsteps remained.
At the end of the corridor, Blake kept his eyes on his phone as he casually walked inside.
Past the changing room was the outdoor hot spring bath.
To preserve the atmosphere, the small courtyard wasn't lit with electric lights. Instead, stone lanterns provided illumination. They were a common sight in Japan, about knee-high, carved from stone with hollow centers where candles burned inside. Their dim glow created a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere.
After setting down his phone and removing his clothes, Blake followed the pebble path toward the steaming hot spring pool. As expected at this hour, the place was completely empty.
"Haa…"
He slipped into the hot spring and leaned back with a satisfied sigh, closing his eyes.
Having the quiet night all to himself had its own special charm.
But before long, the crisp clacking of wooden sandals against stone suddenly broke the silence.
"Someone else is coming to soak this late?"
Blake was a little surprised, but didn't think much of it.
This wasn't a private bath. Other guests using it was perfectly normal.
The footsteps soon reached the poolside, followed by the soft sound of water as the newcomer entered the bath.
Blake opened his eyes and looked over. Between the mist and dim lighting, he could only vaguely make out that the person sitting across from him wasn't very tall. Their appearance was impossible to see clearly.
Time quietly slipped by in silence.
The stranger didn't speak, and Blake had no intention of chatting with random people either.
A while later, he figured he'd soaked enough and got out, preparing to head back to his room.
As he stopped beside one of the stone lanterns and reached for his towel—
The next second, a panicked scream suddenly rang out.
"AAAAAH!"
Blake jumped in shock.
What the hell?
This was the men's bath, right? Why was there a girl screaming here?
And why did the voice sound so familiar…
"Miss Ruri?"
He couldn't help calling out.
"…"
The scream abruptly stopped.
Goko Ruri covered her face with both hands, then cautiously peeked through her fingers.
"M...Mr. Blake?"
The moment her eyes landed on him, she jerked her gaze away as though burned by fire. Her heart nearly leapt into her throat, her mind flooded with the terrifying image she had just seen.
"When Mr. Blake's dressed, he looks totally normal, but who knew he'd be that terrifying… It was like… like…"
Suddenly, she remembered a giant beast she'd once seen on TV in the Amazon rainforest, finally finding the perfect comparison.
"An anaconda…"
Terrifying.
Absolutely terrifying.
That thing belonged in a manga, not real life!
Blake quickly covered himself with the towel and asked helplessly,
"Why are you in the men's hot spring, Miss Ruri?"
"Huh?" Ruri blinked in confusion and looked over. "But this is the women's bath."
"The women's bath?"
Blake frowned slightly.
Did he somehow enter the wrong side?
No, impossible.
He clearly remembered the men's bath being at the end of the hallway.
"D-Does that mean I'm the one who got lost?"
Ruri shrank deeper into the hot spring, only her head visible above the water as she spoke hesitantly.
There was only one reason she'd snuck out to the baths in the middle of the night…
She couldn't sleep in an unfamiliar bed.
A lot of people had that problem, and Ruri was one of them.
She'd thought that after everything that happened today, she'd be exhausted enough to fall asleep instantly. Unfortunately, reality had crushed those hopes completely.
She tried counting sheep, counting stars, and every sleep trick she could think of. She tossed and turned over and over, but her mind stayed annoyingly awake.
After struggling until deep into the night without even the slightest drowsiness, Ruri finally snapped.
Can't sleep?
Then obviously the answer is to go have fun instead!
Grinding her teeth, she quietly slipped out of the room and snuck off to the hot spring.
But she distinctly remembered the wooden sign outside saying "Women's Bath." So why was Mr. Blake inside?
"Sorry. Maybe I'm the one who made a mistake." Blake broke the awkward silence. "I'll head out first."
No matter who entered the wrong bath, someone needed to leave immediately before things got even more awkward.
But just as he took two steps, footsteps suddenly echoed from the entrance.
Blake's expression changed slightly.
If someone saw him now, he'd definitely get labeled a perverted creep.
No way.
He absolutely could not get caught!
Just as he was frantically trying to think of an escape plan, an elderly woman's voice sounded through the dim night. It seemed to belong to the innkeeper grandma who had shown them to their rooms earlier.
"I wonder which naughty child swapped the men's and women's bath signs…"
Hearing that, Blake finally let out a sigh of relief.
Good news.
He hadn't entered the wrong bath after all. This really was the men's side. No social death crisis tonight.
"R-Really… was I the one who got the wrong bath?"
Ruri's eyes widened in panic as she hurriedly called out for help.
"Mr. Blake, don't leave me behind!"
"....."