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Chapter 39
It wasn't until Ryusei saw the door to his own home on the third floor that he finally exhaled in relief.
That was close.
Sayuri-san was too scary. He needed to mentally seat her at the same table as Yukino Mifuyu for now and avoid further contact with her.
Thinking this, Ryusei walked to the neighboring door and knocked.
A gentle voice came from within: "Coming."
The door opened, and Ryusei was about to greet her with a smile, but upon seeing Hachishaku-san inside, the smile on his face involuntarily stiffened.
Through the ring's [Malice Insight], he clearly saw a deeply unsettling pink aura emanating from Hachishaku-san.
Its intensity and terrifying nature were no less than Sayuri's.
No way... is there another master here?
"Ryusei-kun?"
Upon seeing Ryusei, Hachishaku-san's face immediately lit up with a happy smile.
"You're back?"
Ryusei snapped back to reality, once again trying hard to suppress his surprise, and said with a smile, "Yes, and I borrowed The Lily of the Valley for you."
"Thank you, Ryusei-kun!"
Hachishaku-san took the book from his hand and looked at Ryusei with a hint of worry.
"Ryusei-kun, you look a bit pale. Are you feeling unwell?"
Ryusei shook his head and said, "I'm fine. I just got a bit dizzy from being in the sun earlier."
In truth, he had been startled by the two of them, coupled with the mental fatigue from continuously using the [Inventory] earlier.
Hachishaku-san bent down, her voice filled with concern, "Do you want me to get you some medicine?"
This immense pressure… Ryusei averted his gaze: "No need, I'll be fine after a shower when I get back."
After saying goodbye to Hachishaku-san, Ryusei returned home.
Hachishaku-san watched the closed door next door, sniffed, and asked with a hint of confusion, "Why does Ryusei-kun smell so strange?"
Downstairs, Sayuri also sniffed, a slight frown on her face.
"Did Ryusei-kun fall into a trash can? He smelled so odd just now…"
Ryusei returned home, placed the borrowed book How to Win Friends and Influence People on the table, and went into the bathroom to shower.
Although he hadn't stayed in the junkyard for long, he still carried a faint smell. Next time, he needed to prepare two sets of clothes in advance, or else other passengers would dislike him even on the bus.
After his shower, Ryusei went into the bedroom, lay on the bed to rest for a while, and calmed his emotions.
It was understandable that Hachishaku-san's "Lustful" aura was a bit stronger. After all, in anime lore, Hachishaku-sama was a "desire-based" urban legend monster.
But why was Sayuri's aura as strong as Hachishaku-sama's?
Could it be… Sayuri isn't human either?
Ryusei abruptly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling.
Sayuri, Yukino Mifuyu, Hachishaku-sama… A strange thought couldn't help but surface in his mind.
Could it be that this old apartment building has no normal people besides me?
Ryusei touched the ring on his hand and sat up from the bed. But then again, he was currently in the dark, and they were in the light. Moreover, while Sayuri and Hachishaku's "Lust" was intense, they didn't seem to bear any ill will towards him. Otherwise, he would have been thoroughly devoured by Sayuri in the villa two days ago.
Ryusei raised a hand and touched his face again, muttering to himself, "It seems being ordinary-looking has its advantages too."
He was home; time to check out the equipment.
Ryusei opened his [Inventory] and took out the [Boots of Light Footsteps] and the [Sturdy Cloth Armor].
The soles of the boots were unusually soft and thick, made of some unknown material, seemingly capable of absorbing sound. The cloth armor was woven from linen, with a somewhat rugged and simple style.
Ryusei put them on and looked at himself in the mirror.
Thief boots, warrior armor, and ordinary pants—it looked a bit strange. However, his [Attribute Panel] indeed showed an increase of 1 Strength, becoming 5 Strength. Although Ryusei's muscles didn't immediately become stronger, he could distinctly feel a new surge of power within him.
No, this is my perspective.
If it were through the eyes of an outsider… Ryusei picked up his phone and took a photo of himself in the mirror.
In the photo, he was only wearing a pair of pants.
Ryusei was silent for a moment, then deleted the photo.
This isn't right! What kind of "Partner of Justice" is this! This is a hentai!
Am I supposed to wear a set of "System Equipment" over my normal clothes?
That would look normal from other people's perspective, but from my own perspective and feeling, it would be very uncomfortable because he could feel these pieces of equipment, which meant they had weight to him.
Is there a way to integrate "System Equipment" with normal clothes?
Ryusei pondered, opening the [Forging Panel]. He tried throwing his T-shirt and the [Sturdy Cloth Armor] into the furnace together.
The next moment, the furnace actually burst into flames.
Ryusei's heart stirred. It works?
A few seconds later, a T-shirt dropped out of the furnace. A new recipe appeared:
[Special Recipe (Enchantment): Any Item (Same Type) + Real Item (Same Type) = Enchanted Item]
Enchantment?
Ryusei checked the T-shirt's item properties.
[Cotton Top (Enchanted - Sturdy Cloth Armor)]
Quality: Normal
Type: Top, Cloth Armor
Effect: Strength +1.
The two pieces of clothing had truly merged into one.
Ryusei followed suit, taking his running shoes and the [Boots of Light Footsteps] to [Forge] them, obtaining a pair of [Sports Shoes (Enchanted - Boots of Light Footsteps)].
He put them on and did push-ups in the room, adapting to the +1 Strength.
When it was almost 12 o'clock, Ryusei went to the kitchen to cook. While eating, he noticed that his appetite had increased. He had cooked the same amount as last night, but after eating, he still felt hungry.
This should be the effect of the increased Strength. 5 Strength is the standard for an adult, and his appetite should also be that of an adult.
Ryusei couldn't help but ponder. If he truly only stacked one attribute, like Strength, wouldn't he become a glutton? Perhaps he needed to find a better way to provide energy… He wondered if the [Shop] and [Advertisements] sold something like "Senzu Beans."
Ryusei cleared the dishes and washed them in the kitchen.
The sun was scorching outside at noon. Ryusei didn't want to go out, so he returned to his bedroom, did some [Eye Protection Exercises], and took a nap to fully recover the Mental Energy he had overspent in the morning.
He woke up around 3 PM.
Ryusei washed up and looked at himself in the mirror, feeling refreshed. He felt like going back to pick up trash again. Mainly because the feeling of gambling for equipment was truly exhilarating!
Furthermore, this world was a bit dangerous, and he had to work hard to improve his strength. As for resurrection, he didn't know yet if this ability would be effective a second time. Even if he could truly resurrect repeatedly by watching videos, if his own strength wasn't enough, or if he could only resurrect in the same spot, he would just be killed by enemies again and again, which would be meaningless.
Ryusei hesitated for half a second, then went out.
Half an hour later, Ryusei arrived at the [Beika Town Waste Recycling and Processing Center] again. The usual spot, he climbed over the wall.
Ryusei continued to pick up trash. This time he was more cautious; when he felt mentally fatigued, he immediately stopped picking up trash and climbed back over the wall to leave.
On the way back, Ryusei walked and opened the [Shatter Panel], throwing all the collected trash into it.
[Fragment of Colorless Crystal x1732].
Continue with [Forging].
[Colorless Crystal Block x173].
He still had 32 [Colorless Crystal Blocks] left from the morning. Combined, it was just enough to gamble for two pieces of equipment.
Ryusei thought for a moment and stopped. He would go back, take a shower, and then gamble. He had to believe in a bit of metaphysics. Maybe it could change his fate.
Back home.
Ryusei showered and changed.
Then, he opened the [Forging Panel] and put 200 [Colorless Crystal Blocks] into it.
The white furnace blazed with vigorous flames.
A few seconds later, a necklace and a pair of gloves dropped out of the furnace.