"Ding-dong—" The doorbell rang.
The person who rang the bell was a sweet and lovely-looking girl wearing a butter-yellow floral dress and a white, fluffy beret. The girl's skin was fair, her face a perfect score in terms of pure cuteness, and her long, golden-yellow hair was tied into a side ponytail, radiating a lively yet distinctly gentle and virtuous aura.
At this moment, however, she seemed a little flustered. After ringing the bell, she kept her head down, looking at her dress... her small, fair hands unconsciously clenched.
The words her older sister had said half an hour ago, upon seeing her outfit, couldn't help but surface in her mind: "Today's Nijika... why so girly-girly..." The girl's heart pounded... This was indeed a style she rarely tried. Would it look a little strange?
"Creeak..." The door opened.
"Good morning," Fumiya Jin said from inside the doorway, greeting her openly. "You're here early. Looks like there was no traffic."
"Morn—" Nijika looked at Fumiya Jin and was about to raise her hand in greeting when she saw his appearance and was suddenly taken aback. "Eh? Fumiya-san... you seem... even more handsome today? You have this... dazzling feeling..."
Fumiya Jin was slightly startled but quickly realized it was the effect of his new ability. Of course, he couldn't tell her that.
So he gave a casual reply: "Perhaps it's because I'm meeting an important guest that I'm looking more radiant... Aren't you looking very cute today as well, Miss Ijichi?"
"Eh?"
Nijika immediately recalled how she had spent so long choosing her clothes this morning... Could it be that Fumiya-san also dressed up on purpose? Although there was no trace of makeup, could this be the legendary 'no-makeup' makeup look? How impressive! And... to meet me, he actually prepared so earnestly?
Nijika's cheeks suddenly grew a little warm. She turned her head away and muttered under her breath, "I just randomly picked some clothes, that's all. I didn't dress up on purpose..."
"What?" Fumiya Jin didn't hear her clearly.
"It's nothing!" Nijika shook her head.
Seeing that Nijika wouldn't say, Fumiya Jin didn't press the matter and invited her inside.
Arriving in the living room, Fumiya Jin poured the girl a cup of hot tea, but Nijika sniffed the air, a hint of confusion on her face. "Why does it smell like... instant noodles?"
"Because I had instant noodles for breakfast," Fumiya Jin said frankly.
Nijika's eyes widened. "How can you eat that for breakfast? That's so unhealthy... Boiling a couple of eggs would be better, wouldn't it?"
Fumiya Jin gave a wry smile.
He actually knew how to cook, and his standards for quality of life weren't this low. It was just that for the past week, he had focused all his energy on finding a way to survive, leaving no time to waste on food. So he had simply bought several boxes of instant noodles and made a bowl for every meal.
Right now, besides drinks, there were basically no ingredients in the fridge. He'd forgotten to buy some when he got back last night, and since he couldn't be bothered to go out this morning, he had just made a bowl of instant noodles.
"It's fine, we can go out to eat for lunch," Fumiya Jin said with a wave of his hand.
"That's not the issue..." Nijika puffed out her cheeks. After a moment of thought, an idea struck her. "How about this? I'll make lunch. I'm reasonably confident in my cooking skills, for what it's worth."
Fumiya Jin was slightly taken aback. He wasn't opposed to the idea.
"But I don't have any ingredients at home."
"None at all?" Nijika asked. "Um... do you mind if I look in your fridge?"
"I don't mind."
Nijika got up, walked into the kitchen, and opened the fridge, only for her vision to go dark.
Returning to the living room, she shot Fumiya Jin a glare. "Fumiya-san, how much do you neglect your own body... Mr. Intestine and Mr. Stomach will cry, you know!"
Fumiya Jin found it hard to argue... It felt like he was being nagged by his mother.
"There should be a convenience store nearby, right?" Nijika asked.
"Yeah, it's less than a ten-minute walk," Fumiya Jin replied.
"Then let's go buy some ingredients later and I'll cook. I... didn't really do much in the game, and you took such good care of me. Now that we're back in reality, I'd like to... do something for you." The girl scratched her head, her voice softening.
Fumiya Jin smiled. "Alright, we'll do as you say. But it's still early. Before we go to the supermarket, let's exchange some information first."
"Uh... okay!"
...
The two of them shared the rewards they had received in the instance dungeon.
On Fumiya Jin's side, he told the girl about all his rewards, glossing over the specific details of how he obtained 'Unrestrained Edge'.
Nijika, in turn, told him about all the rewards she had received. She had received a B-rank evaluation. Besides being able to choose a class, she had also obtained a corresponding skill and weapon.
The class she chose was: Explosive Drummer—a control-type class that uses percussive sounds to shock the mind and even the body.
Unlocked White-Tier Class Skill: Psychic Shockwave—This skill can be activated when a percussive sound is made, consuming extra stamina and mental energy to emit a soul-shaking force. It causes targets who hear the sound to experience stiffness, paralysis, and disordered thoughts. The effect's intensity depends on the force and volume of the strike, and targets with weaker mental resistance are more strongly affected. It does not affect those considered allies by the user.
Reward Weapon: Newly Acquired Drumsticks.
Weapon Description: Drumsticks a drummer has just received. They are treasured so much that if they are out of sight for even a few seconds, the drummer will desperately search for them. Over time, the drumsticks seem to have undergone some changes—no matter how damaged they become, they will return to a brand-new state as soon as they are held again. Furthermore, they can be recalled regardless of distance.
It's also worth noting that Nijika's player level had also risen to Lv. 1. However, unlike Fumiya Jin who was at Lv. 1 with 80% experience, Nijika had just reached Lv. 1 with only 10% experience. This was likely related to the difference in their scores.
"A control-type class? Interesting," Fumiya Jin remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, it's because I'm a drummer," Nijika explained. "Besides, I don't think I'm very good at combat. I thought it might be more useful if I could provide you with some support, so I chose this."
"Good thinking, very team-oriented," Fumiya Jin praised her. "But since it's a control skill, we'll have to test its effects properly... How about this? Treat me as an enemy right now and try activating the skill."
Fumiya Jin got up and stood in an open space to the side.
"Okay, I'll try."
Nijika also stood up and came to stand a meter away from him, summoning her drumsticks.
She looked at Fumiya Jin. She tried to imagine him as a loathsome enemy. But the more she looked... Her cheeks began to feel a little warm.
Damn it. This guy, how is he... How is he so good-looking...
She had to avert her gaze and mentally force herself to designate Fumiya Jin as an enemy. Then, she tried lightly tapping the two drumsticks together—just like how a drummer taps before a performance.
"Clack—"
Fumiya Jin felt a slight numbing sensation through his body. It was a strange feeling, like an electric current had shot through him. However, the control effect probably only lasted for an instant... because the tap was too light.
"Harder. Try to use the skill to its full potential," Fumiya Jin said to Nijika.
"Huh? But what if you... get hurt?" Nijika was a little worried.
"Don't worry. Since it's described as a control effect, it shouldn't cause any serious damage. I'm not that fragile," Fumiya Jin reassured her. "Trust me."
"Uh... okay..." Nijika bit her lip. "I'm going to start using more force now. If you can't take it, just tell me to stop..."
"???"
Fumiya Jin thought that while her meaning was correct, the way she phrased it felt a little... questionable.
"Clack!"
The girl had already begun tapping. This time the numbness was a bit stronger.
"Continue."
"Clack!!"
His whole body twitched slightly.
"Again."
"Clack!!!"
The electric current no longer seemed to just pass through him; instead, it lingered inside for a moment, prolonging the tingling sensation. This time, it took Fumiya Jin about half a second before he could speak again.
"Go all out. Don't hold back."
"CLACK!!!!!" The girl used all her strength, smashing the two drumsticks together fiercely.
"Hss—"
A sore, numbing sensation spread throughout his entire body. It was as if an electric current was surging back and forth across his skin. Fumiya Jin felt like he had temporarily lost control of his body. It took nearly a second for him to regain control, and his body still felt somewhat numb and stiff, which would definitely affect his movement.
Fumiya Jin's eyes lit up instantly—Hot damn, that's a hard CC! Little Nijika has a bright future ahead of her!
"Are you okay, Fumiya-san?" Nijika watched him nervously, looking as if she was about to rush over and support him at any moment.
"I'm fine," Fumiya Jin said, his voice a bit stiff. "Tap again, with maximum force and at the highest frequency you can manage. Try to see how many consecutive hits you can land. This is important."
"Are you sure? You won't..."
"I won't. Trust me."
"Okay..."
Nijika took a deep breath, composing herself and gathering her strength.
And then...
Begin!
"CLACK!!!!!"
"CLACK!!!!!"
"CLACK!!!!!"
"Clink~"
Just as she managed the fourth strike, the drumstick in her right hand flew from her grasp.
The girl's face turned pale. Her body went limp, and she became unsteady on her feet.
"Thump... thump..." She staggered back and forth a few steps before finally losing her balance and falling forward...
Fortunately, the few steps she managed to take while staggering bought Fumiya Jin enough time to break free from the control effect.
But the paralyzing effect still lingered, and Fumiya Jin's movements weren't exactly nimble. He could only force his arms out to catch the falling girl.
But it was a sudden emergency, and his arms were still very stiff. He managed to catch her, but the placement of his hands... was rather left to chance.
One hand ended up behind the girl's bottom, which was a good position to exert force.
The other hand landed just in front of her armpit...
[Trait "Unity of Knowledge and Action" triggered.]
[Unrestrained Edge +1]
_____
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