Chapter 5 — Men Remain Boys Until Death
After finishing another day of training, Akagi Shinji decided he would soak in a hot spring right after dinner.
Don't let the outward appearance of the members of the Evil God Cult fool you—these people were all vicious, merciless killers, treating life as nothing.
But when it came to indulgence, these executioners and lunatics never held back on themselves.
Behind the massive base was a large outdoor hot spring.
However, Shinji didn't like soaking with these people, so he took a detour to a smaller, more secluded hot spring pool.
Yet, when he arrived, he was somewhat surprised by who he saw.
"Idiot Hidan?"
"Bastard Shinji!?"
Talk about enemies meeting on a narrow path…
Shinji clicked his tongue twice, glancing at Hidan, who looked like he'd seen a ghost in the pool. Despite feeling a little disgusted inside, he didn't immediately turn and leave.
If he left now, Hidan would naturally interpret it as "running away out of fear," which would only feed his inflated ego.
That was not in line with basic PUA principles.
Shinji had to first make Hidan doubt himself, let his imagination run wild, and only then try giving him a little "sweet reward."
After repeating this cycle a few times, he would probably see results.
So, following the principle of "since I'm here, why not," Shinji ignored Hidan entirely, quickly stripped, and entered the water at the farthest spot from him.
He exhaled deeply, letting the comfort of the warm water wash over him.
Hidan, watching Shinji submerge and slowly close his eyes, seemed to relax as well.
At first, he had thought Shinji had come specifically to cause trouble, having personally experienced Shinji's "terrifying" side.
But now, it seemed it was just a misunderstanding—he had been overthinking it.
"This guy really just came to soak in the hot spring?"
"Damn it!"
"Running into him here too…"
Hidan grumbled internally, especially annoyed that after traveling to such a remote spot, he still ran into that damn Shinji.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. The more he tried to back off, the more wronged he felt.
Fight again?
No need. They fought every day; one more or one less made no difference.
Even if he somehow won, it would be hard to chase Shinji out.
More importantly, his plan of "relaxing in the hot spring" would be completely ruined!
So, what other way could he assert his dominance?
Hidan thought for a moment, then had an idea.
If I can last longer than that bastard, then maybe it proves that Hidan is still the stronger one?!
His eyes lit up. Without notifying Shinji, he set up this absurd challenge for himself.
Whoever can't hold out first is the loser!
He grinned, fully relaxing his tense body, a smug sense of self-victory written all over him.
Shinji, sensing something off, opened his eyes, utterly baffled.
"This guy… why is he staring at me like that?"
Shinji frowned slightly. "Could he have actually become gay?"
A shiver ran down his spine, goosebumps rising.
"Ugh, what's the point of arguing with an idiot. Forget it, I'm leaving."
Just as Shinji was about to leave, fed up with Hidan's "intense" gaze, the bizarre system suddenly triggered another mission!
He froze for a few seconds before checking the details.
[Bonded Character Hidan has issued a challenge to you!]
Mission: [Hot Spring War God]
Objective: Outlast Hidan in the hot spring.
Reward: Cursed Treasure Map x1, Cursed Soul Points x500, Bond Points +20
P.S.: I've reserved this fish pond for you… uh, I mean! Only one can be the "Standing God" in this hot spring. Since ancient times, the narrow path decides the brave. So draw your sword, young man!
Do you accept?
…Damn it!
Although he had experienced something similar before, Shinji still had a whole bunch of complaints bottled up.
"Draw your sword"?
What is this, fencing?
And that idiot Hidan, what the hell is he thinking?
Treating this place like a public bath? Or a sauna?
For the sake of some absurd male pride, he won't leave even if it cooks him alive, insisting on a duel to determine supremacy!
Childish, much?
[Do you accept?]
[Accept!]
Shinji didn't hesitate—he accepted the mission, perfectly exemplifying the "can't resist the reward" principle.
Complaints aside, missions must be completed. After all, there's no such thing as too small a reward!
"Ah Hidan, you really are a good kid, huh!" Shinji muttered to himself.
This wasn't the first time he had "milked" Hidan for something. Besides him, the broken system hadn't triggered missions for anyone else.
Annoying, right?
Even though he knew it wasn't wise to repeatedly take advantage of one person, he had no choice—Hidan had to be made to feel the pain of the world first.
Shinji took a deep breath and closed his eyes again.
He was ready. This hot spring—he would soak until the end of time, and no one could convince him otherwise!
Hidan, secretly determined, was thinking the same way—he wanted to outlast Shinji.
Thus, the two of them unwittingly engaged in a battle of willpower.
Time ticked slowly…
Until the next morning, when Takihata, the cult leader, arrived at the training room, he was puzzled to find neither Hidan nor Shinji there.
"Hidan and Shinji? Why haven't they arrived yet?" Takihata asked expressionlessly.
Someone beside him hesitated awkwardly: "They… are soaking in the hot spring."
"What? Soaking in the hot spring this early in the morning? Go get them immediately!"
"It's not like that, Leader. Actually… they've been in there since last night. I already sent people to fetch them, but judging by the situation, it seems they're locked in a standoff. Neither of them will leave first."
"Preposterous! Simply preposterous!"
Takihata, clearly irritated, turned and headed outside to see what these two troublemakers were up to.
When he reached the hot spring, he found that quite a few cult members had already gathered.
Apparently, they had all heard that these two had soaked in the hot spring all night and refused to come out, and came specifically to watch the spectacle.
"What are you two doing? Why aren't you in the training room?"
Takihata pushed through the crowd, peering inside.
Honestly, anyone without a strong mind or thick skin would have cracked under such scrutiny.
But clearly, Shinji and Hidan weren't the type to care about others' eyes on them.
One was focused on the mission reward, the other just refused to lose.
So even with the cult leader personally addressing them, neither budged.
After all, with [Immortality] on their side, they could just keep enduring!