Talent Stone - Listener
Description: My ear hair is talking to me.
Effect: After use, gain the Talent - Listener.
Conditions for Use: Be prepared.
Talent - Listener
Description: ẻ̸͎w̸͖̍s̶͇̀é̸̱t̶͎̂r̷̹̚d̶̪͝w̸͇͑ǎ̴͎q̸͈̊ě̴͜g̴̮̊ř̶̯ (Gibberish)!
Effect: You can gain attribute growth by listening to the whispers of certain mysterious existences, and you can also obtain some powerful, distorted, unique Abilities.
Conditions for Use: Your hearing should be like that of an elderly, hard-of-hearing grandmother, because the Listener is only responsible for listening. What you hear and when you hear it are not things you can decide.
After reading the Paradise's introduction, Kisaragi Rin was sure this Talent Stone had captivated him.
He had the Workshop's protection and the Evil Gaze of the Abyss to directly contact Tail-Devourer and listen to its teachings, making it a treasure Talent for Kisaragi Rin.
However, the conditions for use were truly bizarre.
"I'm very satisfied with the reward, but Mr. Nakano Maruo, are you trying to kill me?"
Kisaragi Rin complained.
"It's good that you're satisfied. After the matter is concluded, I will prepare another reward."
Just as Kisaragi Rin said, the exchange of benefits indeed made Nakano Maruo feel more at ease.
In fact, while waiting for Kisaragi Rin, Nakano Maruo had already investigated this school.
Kisaragi Rin couldn't detect it, but that didn't mean his classmates, with whom he usually interacted, couldn't observe.
Through the traces on these people's Souls, Nakano Maruo could only say he was slightly relieved. There were too many ways for Kisaragi Rin to conceal himself, and Nakano Maruo was afraid that Kisaragi Rin might be a bloodthirsty serial killer in secret.
Hmm... Uncle Ba might be a good person in private, but he's also a handsome uncle on the surface.
The moment he saw Kisaragi Rin, Nakano Maruo probed him in every aspect.
Unable to enter his mind?
Unable to touch his Soul?
Unable to guide his destiny?
For such a Player who was his natural enemy, Nakano Maruo even felt like killing him on the spot.
However, the white letter Kisaragi Rin casually mentioned told him that he was not to be trifled with.
"Today's matters end here. I predict that Paradise's invitation will arrive soon, so tonight we will use a black letter to actively make them Players.
Before that, I will take them back and prepare them for the Trial Mission."
Nakano Maruo said seriously.
The so-called preparation, of course, was the already decided plan to make these Nakano Quintuplets into one person.
Nakano Nino and Miku still wanted to talk to Kisaragi Rin, but Nakano Maruo was already eager to leave. At this moment, Kisaragi Rin asked a question.
"So, is that guy dead?"
He was naturally referring to Reina's ex-husband.
"I don't know. I haven't found him again; I can only confirm that he's not in the Main World. He might have died in Paradise's game, or perhaps..."
His final words trailed off, and the figures of Nakano Maruo and the five sisters had already faded away.
Kisaragi Rin sat quietly for a while. Spider Mother suddenly appeared, poking her head out, precisely finding the Black Tea and tea set that Yukinoshita Yukino had put away, and with exquisite skill, served a cup of Black Tea to Kisaragi Rin.
"Master, please enjoy."
Kisaragi Rin took it, glanced at her, and placed Little Spider on his lap, spanking her bottom.
"No, don't punish Spider Mother~"
Spider Mother cried out theatrically, looking entirely excited and enjoying herself.
"..."
Kisaragi Rin sighed, rubbing Spider Mother's soft skin, and used the Talent Stone, making the Talent [Listener] appear on his Player Panel.
"I hope I don't encounter too strange an initial trial. If, even with my help, these Nakano Quintuplets can't get an S-rank evaluation, it would be too embarrassing for me to face Nakano Maruo after accepting the reward."
Kisaragi Rin's trial back then was to survive seven days in a zombie dungeon. He figured the Nakano Quintuplets' Trial Mission wouldn't be too difficult, but whether they could get an S-rank, besides their strength, still depended somewhat on luck.
Seeing her Master preoccupied, Spider Mother, who was lying on Kisaragi Rin's lap, smiled and turned around, her waist as soft as dough performing an astonishing double bend.
"Master, would you like to be served?"
Kisaragi Rin rubbed Spider Mother's hair, keeping a stern face as he replied... In the end, Spider Mother drank the cup of Black Tea she had prepared herself, while Kisaragi Rin used spatial transfer to arrive at Deer God Shrine.
Since there were many tourists in the large area in front of Deer God Shrine, Kisaragi Rin arrived at the back mountain, which was not open to tourists. This place had been transformed into a special temple by Medea's magic.
As soon as the spatial transfer was complete, Tohsaka Rin, dressed in sportswear, flew towards Kisaragi Rin.
Hmm... 'Flew' here, of course, doesn't mean she had learned to fly, but rather because Esdeath's long boots were still suspended in mid-air opposite her.
Kisaragi Rin casually caught Tohsaka Rin and used Transparent World to check her injuries: several broken ribs, some signs of internal organ damage, and her magic circuit, which had only recently restarted after leaving the Fate World, was wailing under the strain.
"Your special training intensity is a bit too high."
Kisaragi Rin said. Tohsaka Rin's face was pale, and she began to resist while being held by Kisaragi Rin. Then Kisaragi Rin loosened his grip, letting her fall to the ground.
Cough, cough, cough.
"You bastard, you..."
Tohsaka Rin took a deep breath, finally gritting her teeth and waving her hand as if it were nothing.
"Anyway, Lily can instantly repair my body, and it won't leave any hidden injuries."
"That's right, Master, I'm right here."
Lily, sitting with Sakura, waved energetically at Kisaragi Rin.
In Tohsaka Rin and Sakura's special training, she, as the healer, was crucial. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to endure Esdeath's combat training for a moment.
Hmm... Kisaragi Rin mused that strategy and the like weren't things that could be mastered quickly. Tohsaka Rin and Sakura were both intelligent, and their adaptability was sufficient to handle most troubles. Only close-quarters combat training was the part they urgently needed to supplement.
Then a somewhat idle Esdeath came over.
Kanroji Mitsuri and the others were preparing for the opening of the dessert shop, so Esdeath, grabbing Lily, began preparing special training for Tohsaka Rin and Sakura.
Now, the two of them genuinely felt what it was like to have iodine applied to a whip, disinfecting as they were beaten. They had been fighting for over four hours, from start to finish.
Sakura sat down because her mental state really couldn't take it anymore. Only Tohsaka Rin was still gritting her teeth, enduring Esdeath's brutal beating.
"Again!"
Tohsaka Rin believed that one day she would be able to trample Esdeath underfoot.
As for why her target for trampling had changed from Kisaragi Rin to Esdeath, it was simply because Esdeath's personality was too vile. Beating and humiliating people at the same time made Tohsaka Rin want to become a Player immediately.
"That's enough for today."
Esdeath refused Tohsaka Rin as she now wanted to cuddle with her Master more.
Her attire today was rather neutral. She walked over to Kisaragi Rin and began to replenish her Master Energy.
Seeing this, Tohsaka Rin turned her head and returned to Sakura's side. Lily pulled out [All Flaws Must Be Healed] to help her repair her bodily injuries.
"Really..."
Watching Esdeath, who had just violently beaten her, suddenly turn into a little girl in front of Kisaragi Rin, such a contrasting scene left Tohsaka Rin speechless. She hugged her knees, as her training pants were already quite torn, revealing her fair leg flesh.