A night without words.
The next day.
Kaguya's breakfast time.
"Hayasaka, you look very sleepy?"
Shinomiya Kaguya asked while drinking milk.
"Cough..." Hayasaka Ai's pretty face flushed slightly upon hearing this, her gaze flickering for a moment, then she said nonchalantly, "Last night, a mosquito was flying around in the room, so I didn't rest well... I apologize, Kaguya."
To be precise, she didn't rest at all; she was tormented by the President all night.
Players' physical qualities far exceed those of ordinary people; they truly can go for a day... In short, they are tireless, like human livestock.
"Mosquitoes are indeed very annoying," Shinomiya Kaguya nodded slightly, "Did you kill the mosquito?"
Hayasaka Ai stood quietly by, saying calmly:
"I don't know. I couldn't swat it all night, and it was gone when I woke up this morning. It must have flown away."
This was a lie.
The truth was that Amamiya Natsuki still wanted to torment her even after dawn, and in the end, Hayasaka gritted her teeth and kicked him away.
Shinomiya Kaguya did not ask further, putting down her cup and saying:
"I need to go out and stay for a while, Hayasaka. Help me pack my clothes and luggage."
After experiencing a different life, she realized that life in the villa was quite monotonous and boring, like a bird kept in a cage, without any freedom. It was time to return to her true 'home'!
Hayasaka Ai bowed slightly, saying softly:
"Understood, Kaguya-sama."
...
At the same time.
Amamiya Natsuki, who had been driven away by Hayasaka, quietly left the villa estate through the Shadow Cloak, then climbed over the wall at a blind spot in the surveillance, officially beginning his journey home.
"I'm hungry. I'll go eat something first..."
Amamiya Natsuki pondered for a moment, then found a familiar breakfast shop and sat down. After ordering, he took out his phone while waiting.
The official's speed of action was incredibly fast; in just one night, all players in the mutual aid group had been contacted, even Miko, who was muddling through among them, was no exception.
While on the train, Amamiya Natsuki received a message from Miko, saying that someone claiming to be from a certain Management Bureau had contacted her, wanting to discuss things in person, and had sent professional-looking ID photos and work permits. Then... Miko suspected the other party was a scammer.
As is well known, Japan is the birthplace of telecommunications fraud, and to this day, various scams still exist online.
Miko strongly suspected that because she had recently worked hard to save some money, the scammers had learned about it through special channels and wanted to trick her.
Early in the morning, Miko sent a message:
"Even though I've already blocked and deleted them, they keep adding me. Those scammers seem so persistent."
Amamiya Natsuki replied with praise:
"Your vigilance is very high, commendable. However..."
Miko: "However what?"
Amamiya Natsuki: "They are not scammers."
Miko: "Eh eh eh?"
Amamiya Natsuki: "Many things happened yesterday; it's hard to explain in a few words. I'm out eating breakfast. Come to my place later, and I'll tell you in detail."
Miko hesitated: "...You promise not to lay a hand on me."
Amamiya Natsuki: "One hundred percent guaranteed."
Miko: "..."
Seeing Amamiya Natsuki agree so readily, Miko became suspicious instead: "Are you okay?"
I'm fine.
It's just the sage's time.
After a simple breakfast at the fast food restaurant, Amamiya Natsuki asked Miko if she had eaten. Upon learning that Miko hadn't had breakfast, he conveniently bought a portion for Miko and Kyosuke, then walked home.
The journey was uneventful.
As soon as he reached home, he saw a black-haired girl standing at the door, eagerly looking out. It was his childhood friend, the lazy Miko.
"Good morning," Amamiya Natsuki walked up to Miko and handed her the two breakfasts, "Your and Kyosuke's breakfast."
"Kyosuke hasn't woken up yet. I'll put one breakfast back first..."
Miko didn't stand on ceremony, took one breakfast back home, and a short while later, she ran out and followed Amamiya Natsuki home.
"I'm back," Amamiya Natsuki petted the wagging dog that came up to him, then looked at Miko and said, "You sit first. I'll send a message to the others, and we can talk together later."
"Mm."
Miko nodded gently and sat on the sofa to eat her breakfast.
Amamiya Natsuki walked into the bathroom, simply washed his face, and after returning, brought out his laptop. While it was booting up, he sent messages to everyone.
Tsubame, Juju, Shoko, Chika, Marin, Sayu... Although Kaguya knows, she must also be included; she cannot be left out.
Hayasaka's disguised identity, Little Sister-chan, also cannot be absent.
And Hirano in Chiba Prefecture.
Since Hirano was included, it's necessary to inform Haruno as well...
In fact, everyone had already been contacted by the officials, and some had already sent messages inquiring about the situation.
Amamiya Natsuki sent messages one by one: "Many things happened last night. I'm starting a video conference. Everyone, please join. If anyone is inconvenienced, you can ask me privately later."
After the messages were sent, some people replied shortly after, and then more and more people joined the video conference.
"Natsuki-kun, good morning."
The first to join was Tsubame, who was clearly already awake. She was probably sitting in front of the French window, with bright eyes and white teeth, and a sweet smile. When she saw Amamiya Natsuki in the video, she smiled and waved in greeting.
Amamiya Natsuki nodded and said:
"Tsubame-senpai, good morning. It's rare to see you up so early, truly rare."
"What do you mean early? It's already past eight o'clock!" Tsubame's eyes fluttered, and she lightly chided, "I woke up at seven to read and study. I was just using my computer to review courses, and after receiving Natsuki-kun's message, I joined."
Miko: "..."
Looking at the half-eaten breakfast in her hand, Miko silently moved to the corner of the sofa.
Waking up at eight in the morning, only simply washing her face and brushing her teeth, her hair not even properly combed, and since the summer vacation began, she hadn't read a single book. Then looking at the dazzling Tsubame in the video... She couldn't compare, absolutely couldn't compare.
Amamiya Natsuki glanced at Miko, who had hidden in the corner, and silently extended his right hand, grabbing Miko's delicate foot.
"Eh eh eh?"
Miko was startled and choked on the food in her mouth, coughing. She quickly tried to pull her foot back, but her current strength was completely useless against Amamiya Natsuki.
Tsubame asked curiously:
"I think I heard a cough?"
"It's Miko," Amamiya Natsuki said nonchalantly while pinching Miko's delicate foot, "Miko is eating breakfast next to me."
"Let... let go..."
Miko's pretty face was crimson, one hand covering her skirt, glaring at him in embarrassment.
"No," Amamiya Natsuki whispered, "You don't want Tsubame to find out what we're doing, do you?"
Miko: "..."
Her inferiority complex was gone.
Now there was only endless shame.
"President, I'm here!"
The next person to join the video conference was Fujiwara Chika.
The girl's voice was exceptionally clear, and her smile was as bright as the sunlight outside the window.
"Chika-chan, good morning," Tsubame said with a smile.
Fujiwara Chika happily waved:
"Tsubame-senpai, ohayo~"
Chika in the video was still wearing pajamas, and her hair was a bit messy, but it didn't at all affect her lively cuteness. Just looking at her made one feel happy.
"See that?" Amamiya Natsuki messaged Miko, "Chika is still in her pajamas, at least you're dressed neatly."
Miko gritted her teeth: "Thank you for your comfort!"
Time passed little by little, and more and more girls joined the video conference.
Juju, Shoko, Sayu, needless to say.
Yukinoshita and Haruno also joined.
After some time apart, Yukinoshita Yukino didn't seem to have changed much, except that the dark circles under her eyes were a bit darker, and she looked a bit thinner, quietly not speaking.
Haruno, on the other hand, had her social skills maxed out, her smile like a spring breeze, greeting everyone one by one.
There were still some people who hadn't joined the video conference, so Amamiya Natsuki, bored, sent a message to Yukinoshita:
"Did you notice that Haruno-nee doesn't have dark circles?"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "And then?"
Amamiya Natsuki: "It's all thanks to me. Haruno almost daily asks me to copy skills, and even wanted to stay at my place. Of course, I sternly refused. So far, besides holding hands, I haven't had any other contact with Haruno-nee."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Natsuki-kun, although you're a scumbag, you deserve praise for 'keeping your word' on this matter."
Amamiya Natsuki: "No need for praise. What I mean is, shouldn't Yukino keep her promise and come over once a week to renew Haruno's'subscription'?"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "..."
While speaking, the last person, Hayasaka, finally joined. Her maid outfit was gone, replaced by a blue sailor uniform, and she wore black-rimmed glasses to conceal her makeup. After joining, she put her hands together and apologized to everyone:
"Ah, sorry, sorry, I was just doing farm work outside and just ran back. Sorry to keep everyone waiting."
This was a lie.
The truth was that she had spent the time on makeup.
Seeing that everyone had finally arrived, Amamiya Natsuki temporarily let go of Miko, sat up straight, and lightly coughed twice, saying:
"Everyone, I presume you all received messages from the Strange Tales Management Bureau when you woke up this morning?"
Kitagawa Marin: "I received it."
Fujiwara Chika: "Is there really a Strange Tales Management Bureau?"
Juju: "It feels a bit like a scam..."
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"You guessed wrong. They are not scammers. The Strange Tales Management Bureau is an official organization established yesterday."
"Eh eh eh?"
Raising his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, Amamiya Natsuki then carefully recounted what happened last night.
Tsubame: "So that's it. It really is an official organization."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "What do those people want to do? Recruit us?"
Amamiya Natsuki explained:
"You can agree to be recruited, or you can choose to cooperate freely. There's no forced option."
Hayasaka Ai: "But for new players, most people would choose to join an official organization, right?"
Fujiwara Chika bit her lip, "Is it because of Moeha and me that everyone was exposed?"
Shinomiya Kaguya softly said, "It has nothing to do with Chika. Many players, when they are new, choose to call the police for help. In other words, the official side already knew of our existence, they just didn't take it seriously."
"Exactly." Amamiya Natsuki nodded. "Currently, it seems only players can fight against the anomalies invading from other worlds."
Amamiya Natsuki then recounted the anomalies information he had seen yesterday—the mysterious plane crash, the deserted cruise ship, and so on—and concluded, "According to official statistics, anomalous incidents are gradually increasing, and a strong official organization is indeed needed for overall coordination."
The senpai sighed, "It feels like this world is becoming more and more dangerous."
This statement reached a consensus.
If given the choice, no one would want anomalous incidents to break out in the world. People live in the world, and everyone has a few relatives and friends, so of course, they don't want their loved ones to encounter danger, but the changes in the world do not shift according to human will.
Shinomiya Kaguya softly said, "So, whether for others or ourselves, we all need to keep moving forward and not slack off."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded again and said, "There's one last thing: two anomalies in Tokyo. One is the Sunset Hotel, and the other is Kabukicho Street. I'll send you the details later. Please read them carefully before making a decision."
"…"
Having said everything that needed to be said, Amamiya Natsuki closed his laptop and looked at Miko, who was sitting next to him, hugging her knees with a bewildered expression.
"What are you thinking about?"
Amamiya Natsuki reached out his right hand and gently rubbed Miko's head.
"Nothing…" Miko bit her rosy lips and whispered, "I was just thinking, this world is becoming more and more dangerous, and the number of anomalies is increasing. What if Mom and Kyosuke get caught in an anomaly one day? What should I do?"
"This is a probability event. Don't mind that I just talked about so many anomalies; when viewed on a global scale, it's actually nothing." Amamiya Natsuki softly said, "The chances of Auntie and Kyosuke encountering an anomaly are actually very low. Even if they do, I will rescue Auntie and Kyosuke immediately."
Miko softly hummed, her mood improving slightly, "Thank you, Natsuki."
Amamiya Natsuki said earnestly, "Please show your chest when you thank me."
"Pfft~"
Miko's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes, covering her chest and saying, "Go away."
She had expected Amamiya Natsuki to tease her, but Miko was surprised to find that she could easily stand up, and Amamiya Natsuki had no intention of holding her.
"What… what's going on?"
Miko hesitated, slightly turned her head, and looked over in confusion.
Amamiya Natsuki leaned back on the sofa and said, "I promised before that I wouldn't lay a hand on you, and of course, I'm a man of my word."
There was an even more important reason Amamiya Natsuki didn't mention: he was currently in 'sage mode,' and his mind and body were exceptionally calm.
"Hmph."
Miko lightly snorted, stepped out, and quickly left.
Amamiya Natsuki took a quick shower and started to rest, but he hadn't slept for long when he received a message from Mitsui.
This unlucky girl, who was caught in the Door of Despair, transformed into an important liaison for the Strange Tales Management Bureau.
"Natsuki-kun, this is the reward list we're offering. Please take a look."
Amamiya Natsuki opened the list and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Specified Skill Cards, Skin Cards, Skill Imprint Scrolls, Psychic Weapons… Some items were ordinary, but that didn't prevent there from being genuinely good things among them.
It must be said that the official side's efficiency was quite high. In less than twenty-four hours, they had collected a large number of items and tools, indirectly proving that beyond the Player Mutual Aid Group, there were many other players.
Next was the time to discuss the compensation.
The official side had not paid much attention to players before, until Amamiya Natsuki broke through the Door of Despair a few days ago, finally realizing the importance of players. Before this, the official side had not cooperated with players. In other words, Amamiya Natsuki was the first player to cooperate with the official side.
Therefore, to set an example and show other players the wealth of the Strange Tales Management Bureau, the final agreed-upon rewards were exceptionally generous.
Two Skin Cards.
One Skill Enhancement Stone.
And special items, along with a bonus of over ten million Yen, and so on.
Amamiya Natsuki was not interested in the specified Skill Cards acquired by the official side; a very ordinary stamina skill that reduced stamina consumption by 30% when running. So, he discussed with Mitsui and requested that all specified cards be Skill Imprint Scrolls.
Mitsui reminded him, "Natsuki-kun, according to other players, Skill Imprint Scrolls are not guaranteed to successfully imprint skills; the failure rate is actually quite high."
"I know that." Amamiya Natsuki said calmly, "That's what I want."
Mitsui quickly said, "Okay, I will continue to acquire Skill Imprint Scrolls. Natsuki-kun, please rest assured."
"…"
The conversation ended.
Mitsui clenched her fist and gently exhaled.
She hadn't acquired a Random Dungeon Ticket yet and hadn't become a player, but she had learned detailed information about Skill Imprint Scrolls from other players. Now that Amamiya Natsuki had specifically requested the scrolls, she naturally had a guess.
He must have the ability to increase the success rate of imprinting scrolls, which is why he was so confident.
"No matter what, I must become a player. If I have Skill Imprint Scrolls, I can quickly get through the beginner's weak period, greatly increasing my survival rate in dungeons… So, can I ask Natsuki for help?"
Mitsui pursed her rosy lips and then remembered the information she had seen after joining the Mutual Aid Group. Aside from various dungeon guides, the top two skills on the in-group player ability ranking, voted by players, were Copy and Paste and Time Stop. Amamiya Natsuki had openly revealed his abilities without any concealment, and it had been verified by multiple people, with no falsehoods.
Playing the pig to eat the tiger has its own joy.
Openly displaying one's abilities also brings the joy of having everyone respond to your call.
Expert!
The true expert!
According to all currently recorded player information, Amamiya Natsuki was undoubtedly the strongest player.
Mitsui once again made up her mind that no matter the cost, she had to maintain a good relationship with Amamiya Natsuki.
"It's a pity I wasted so much time. If I had known this, I should have found Natsuki the first moment I returned to reality, and then offered myself to him…"
At the same time.
The official side's actions had not stopped.
After the Strange Tales Management Bureau was established, it quickly provided dedicated services to every player and opened recruitment channels. The welfare benefits for becoming an official staff member aside, it also launched a special bounty board. On it were anomalies that were currently confirmed or suspected to exist in Japan. The reward for defeating each anomalies was exceptionally generous and enticing.
It could be seen that, besides the two anomalies in Tokyo, quite a few anomalies had appeared in other places as well.
For ordinary people, today was still an uneventful day.
But for players, life suddenly became turbulent…