Head: No way!
Hands: Nope!
Feet: Master, walk around more. I can make you faster than a rabbit, you know.
…
Heart: What's the point of walking fast? If I'm not doing well, do you even get the chance to walk?
Liver: Exactly!
Ryou listened to his feet and heart bickering and his expression tightened.
He scratched his head. "Then… does that mean my face can too…?"
Face: Sure, but I'm already ridiculously handsome. I can't Darken any further.
Ears: Bullshit. You just can't Darken at all!
Nose: Yeah, yeah.
Ryou's expression turned weird as he listened to them.
He looked away.
He really hadn't expected that every single part of him could "Darken."
Still, he didn't dwell on it. He pushed the thought aside, planning to go out and buy some food. That way he could stay for lunch.
Besides, even if he didn't need to eat…
Keqing did.
[Ding! Mouth entering Darkened Mode!]
[Ding! Darkened Mode active. Each portion of food you eat increases all attributes by 1%!]
Ryou just stared at the reward, stunned.
Mouth: Master, I want to eat! Buy more!
Ryou: You got it!
One dish gave him +1%.
If he ate a hundred dishes…
Wouldn't that be +100%?
The thought had him grinning, because it was all attributes. A full 100% meant his current state would double.
With that in mind, Ryou headed out to buy food.
When he came back, he was carrying several bags.
He went straight to Keqing's office.
Keqing was handling work when she suddenly noticed Ryou walking in with a mountain of food. The tempting aroma made her freeze for a beat.
She looked at him on reflex. "What are you doing? Why did you buy so much? Can you even finish it?"
"No problem at all. Keqing-chan, you're not feeling well. You should eat more and get something in you. I'll take care of the rest."
Ryou set everything down in front of the table in her office.
A moment later, the tabletop was packed full. Even Keqing was left staring.
"Y-You… isn't this a waste of Mora?" She was genuinely moved, but wasn't it too much?
There were at least twenty-something dishes. Some portions were smaller, sure, but this still wasn't cheap.
"Don't worry. I can finish it." Ryou patted his chest, reassuring her.
Twenty-four dishes meant +24% to all attributes.
He was more than happy to eat them all.
And chances to raise his stats didn't come easily, so of course he was going to take it seriously.
"You… go ahead and eat. I still have official work to handle!" Keqing fell silent for a moment, then frowned and shook her head.
"Keqing-chan, you're not feeling well. Let me handle it for you. Trust me."
Ryou stood, pulled her up, and drew her into his arms.
He lowered his voice. "You're my wife now. And besides… anyway, rest properly today. I'll handle what's left."
"...You?"
Keqing was shaken by it, but she still shook her head.
This wasn't busywork. It was engineering and construction scheduling—messy, technical stuff. Outside of specialists, hardly anyone could handle it.
"Ryou, I know you mean well, but this… you can't help me with this. Let go of me. I'll do it myself. I appreciate it, but… there are things you really can't take off my hands," Keqing said.
Ryou was about to respond.
[Ding! Brain entering Darkened Mode!]
[Ding! Darkened Mode active. When handling engineering and construction matters, brainpower increases by 500% for 30 minutes!]
Ryou's eyes lit up.
Brain: Hah. When something serious comes up, you need me. What can you all even do?
Hands: …
Face: …
Kidneys: …
For a moment, every function fell silent.
Because this kind of brainwork really wasn't something they could do.
All they could do now was watch from the sidelines.
[End of chapter]
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