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Everyone in Gensokyo knows that Alice Margatroid is socially anxious. She's a recluse who hates conflict and spends her days making dolls.
Her natural enemy is Marisa.
Marisa is a walking sun. She doesn't just illuminate Alice's dark corners; she burns them down with the fire of a thousand suns.
"Please!" Marisa wailed, hugging Alice's waist. "I'll do anything! Just nine sets of clothes! As long as you help me, I'll agree to any condition!"
Too close! Too close!
Alice's brain overloaded. Steam practically erupted from her ears. Her face turned crimson, and her eyes rolled back.
Thump.
She fainted.
The dolls in the room, which relied on her magic to move, instantly collapsed like marionettes with cut strings.
"Eh? Alice? Wake up!"
Marisa panicked. She shook the unconscious doll maker, but there was no response.
"Crap."
Marisa scooped Alice up in a princess carry, kicked open the window, and flew toward Eientei at Mach speed.
Once the house fell silent, a small, white-haired Fumo doll on the shelf tilted its head. Its long ahoge twitched. It spread six crystal wings and flew out the window, chasing after the witch.
Stardew Valley Mines.
"Boss, the map is cleared. Shall we descend?"
Leo ate a cave carrot and mined the last vein of Iron Ore.
Efficiency had skyrocketed with the Copper Pickaxe. Regular rocks shattered in one hit. Iron nodes took two. In a single day, they had reached Floor 40.
With Nitori's scanner, no ore could hide. It was like using X-Ray hacks.
"I'll give these gems to you," Leo said, dumping a handful of Rubies, Jade, and Amethyst into Nitori's hands. "Consider it a tip."
"Thank you, Boss! Kappa Heavy Industries appreciates your patronage!" Nitori beamed. These gems contained magic power—perfect for R&D.
Leo walked out of the mine, stretching in the sunlight.
He saw Chen standing on the central island of the Mountain Lake, waving at him.
"Meow! Leo! Are you done?"
Chen was standing on his fishing cooler, holding a bamboo rod. She was staring intensely at a Largemouth Bass swimming near the surface.
"Yeah. I have enough Iron for the next upgrade," Leo said, crossing the bridge. "Are you fishing?"
He found it strange. Chen was holding the rod like a weapon, not casting it.
"I found a fish! Take this!"
Chen's eyes narrowed.
SWISH.
She swung the bamboo rod like a baseball bat.
WHACK.
The rod hit the water with explosive force. A stunned bass floated to the surface.
Splash.
Leo wiped lake water from his face.
He watched in silence as Chen used the rod to hook the unconscious fish and drag it onto the shore.
"..."
This wasn't fishing. This was assault. It was like skipping the tutorial, grabbing a sniper rifle, and using it as a club to beat the enemy to death while screaming "Banzai!"
"Chen," Leo asked gently. "Who taught you how to fish?"
"Lord Ran taught me!" Chen beamed, puffing out her chest. "I wanted to use dynamite, but Lord Ran said blasting fish is wrong. So she gave me this stick."
She had clubbed over ten fish today. A kitty could support the family too!
"Sigh. Tomorrow, come with me," Leo scratched her chin. "I'll teach you how to actually use a fishing rod. Your method lacks soul."
The Farm.
Ran was sunbathing on the grass. Seeing them return, she transformed into her human form and caught the leaping Chen.
On the roof of the shed, Aya waved lazily. She was still exiled, still bored.
"Here, Lord Leo," Ran said, avoiding eye contact. "The Tail Wallet you wanted. Please... do not use it for anything strange."
She handed him the golden, fluffy pouch. Her nine tails twitched nervously. The sensation of someone handling her fur—even detached fur—was weirdly intimate.
"Is everything okay with Yukari?" Leo asked, taking the wallet.
He opened his phone menu.
Equipment Slot: Backpack Skin.
In this world, you could equip skins. Hats, shirts, and apparently... backpacks.
He equipped the [Tail Wallet].
POOF.
The backpack on Leo's back vanished.
In its place, a large, golden fox tail materialized at the base of his spine. It was fluffy, majestic, and completely seamless.
Leo twitched a muscle in his lower back.
Swish.
The tail moved.
"Huh?" Leo blinked.
"HUH?!"
Ran's jaw dropped. Her composure shattered.
THUD.
Aya fell off the roof in shock.
"HE GREW A TAIL?!"