"Ruri, is there anyone else around?"
Izumi Sora asked in a low voice.
"Let me check..." Gokou Ruri carefully looked around, whispering in his ear. "No one."
"Good, I'm ending the Time Stop."
He could only stop time for one minute a day, so naturally, he had to use it sparingly.
As his words fell.
The entire world 'came alive' once again, and various sounds reached their ears.
The rustling of the wind blowing through the trees, the chirping of birds on the branches, and the babbling of flowing water in the distance made Gokou Ruri feel incredibly familiar.
"The world during a Time Stop is too silent, it causes physical discomfort." Gokou Ruri muttered in a small voice. "As expected, the normal world is more comfortable."
"As long as it's useful."
Izumi Sora entered 'standby mode' again:
"Following our previous plan, Ruri first confirm if the lost Golden Retriever has been found. Once the Time Stop ends, we will move immediately."
"Okay..."
Gokou Ruri quickly agreed and took out her phone from her bag.
"First, open the map and confirm our current location..."
Gokou Ruri murmured to herself. Looking at the location on her phone, her tone was amazed:
"The location is Akita City, Hokkaido. We actually arrived in the blink of an eye... amazing."
Izumi Sora: "Thank you for the praise, Lord Ruri."
Gokou Ruri's small face flushed slightly. She crossed her arms over her chest, denying it tsunderely:
"I wasn't praising you. I was clearly praising the teleportation ability for being amazing."
"It'll be much more convenient to travel in the future." Izumi Sora said softly. "Are there any places Ruri wants to visit?"
"No."
Gokou Ruri averted her small face, saying one thing but meaning another.
Izumi Sora pondered for two seconds: "How about going to the pyramids in Egypt to watch the sunrise?"
"Eh?"
Hearing this, Gokou Ruri's eyes lit up, quietly moved by the idea.
The world is so big; even an introverted chunibyo girl naturally wants to see it all.
Watching the sunrise at the pyramids should be very interesting, right?
"We can talk about that later." Gokou Ruri quickly shook her head, then took a deep breath. "Let's do the commission first... I'm making the call."
"..."
A moment later.
Gokou Ruri put down her phone, her small face full of excitement:
"I just asked, that lost Golden Retriever hasn't been found yet."
"Good news." Izumi Sora continued to stand by. "Now we just wait for the side effect to end."
Buzz buzz.
The phone in Izumi Sora's pocket suddenly vibrated.
"Lord Ruri, please take out my phone for me."
Hearing this, Gokou Ruri naturally wouldn't refuse. She reached in, fumbled around, and quickly took the phone out of Izumi Sora's pocket:
"It's a message from Elf, saying she wants to go out and play together... What should I say?"
Izumi Sora was composed: "Just say I'm on a date with Ruri."
"Ptooey~"
Gokou Ruri's small face flushed red. She couldn't help but spit lightly, shyly denying:
"We clearly came out together to do a commission, it's totally not a date!"
Izumi Sora couldn't move right now, so the task of replying to the message naturally fell to Kuroneko.
"Phew..."
After carefully replying to the message and fooling Elf, Gokou Ruri couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but then suddenly felt somewhat guilty.
Wait.
I secretly came out with Sora to do a commission, and now I'm deceiving Elf... This is clearly something a thieving cat would do, right?
At this thought, Gokou Ruri's small face turned entirely red, and she couldn't resist glaring at Izumi Sora in embarrassment and anger.
It's all Pervert Sora's fault!
Ten minutes later.
The 'involuntary' side effect quietly ended.
"We can move."
While stretching his body, Izumi Sora and Kuroneko stepped out of their hiding spot and began looking for stray cats and dogs nearby.
Japan introduced an animal protection act a few years ago, mandating that all pets be implanted with microchips to record basic information. However, the problem of abandonment still exists, coupled with the natural reproduction of strays, there are actually quite a few stray cats and dogs.
Izumi Sora and Kuroneko didn't have to look for long before they spotted a stray cat.
"Lord Ruri, leaving it to you."
Izumi Sora stopped and looked at the girl with long straight black hair beside him:
"Hurry up and use your 'meow meow meow' tactic."
"Cover your ears, no eavesdropping!"
Gokou Ruri's small face flushed slightly. She gave Izumi Sora an elbow strike, and then approached with a red face.
The stray ginger cat at the base of the tree was originally very wary, but as Gokou Ruri walked closer meowing, the stray ginger cat quickly relaxed. The human and cat communicated in meows.
Before long, Gokou Ruri turned her head to look:
"Sora, give me a can."
"Okay."
Izumi Sora opened his backpack and took out the canned food he had prepared in advance.
The stray ginger cat happily ate the canned food. After licking its paws, it quickly began to call its friends, bringing several other stray cats.
After eating, these stray cats quickly scattered and began searching for the lost Golden Retriever.
Izumi Sora and Kuroneko weren't idle either. They found another stray dog and used the same method, successfully mobilizing an army of cats and dogs.
"Now we just wait for news."
Izumi Sora and Kuroneko sat on a bench by the stream, resting while waiting.
"If we're lucky, we can go back by noon." Izumi Sora looked around. "As expected of a campsite, the environment is very nice. We can even play for a bit in the afternoon."
"Sora, stop talking." Gokou Ruri looked up, tensing her small face. "You're clearly raising a flag."
"I am not, am I?"
"You clearly are."
"..."
After chatting for a moment, the weather gradually turned gloomy.
"It looks like it's going to rain..."
Izumi Sora felt a slight movement in his heart and took out his phone to check the weather:
"There's severe convective weather coming up, it says it's going to rain. Should we go buy an umbrella?"
Gokou Ruri looked around: "This is a campsite, I'm not sure where the convenience store is..."
"Let's look around first." Izumi Sora stood up. "I'm thirsty anyway, we can buy some drinks on the way."
"Okay."
Gokou Ruri also got up, obediently following behind Izumi Sora.
Coming to unfamiliar Hokkaido alone, she only felt safe sticking close to Izumi Sora. If she were alone, she would have panicked long ago.
However, before they found the convenience store, a stray dog ran over first.
"Woof woof woof."
This stray dog was an Akita. It ran up to Gokou Ruri, wagging its tail and spinning in circles.
"It found the Golden Retriever." Gokou Ruri's eyes suddenly lit up, her voice excited. "Sora, let's hurry over."
"Let's go."
Izumi Sora decisively agreed.
Compared to a massive sum of one million yen, an umbrella was completely not worth mentioning.
The two acted immediately, following behind the stray Akita, moving swiftly.
Running all the way, Gokou Ruri's stamina was super terrible, and she quickly began panting heavily.
After leaving the artificially developed camping area, Izumi Sora and Kuroneko entered a jungle area. With intertwined tree roots beneath their feet and not even a path, moving became increasingly difficult.
"Hah... haah..."
Gokou Ruri was breathing rapidly, her forehead dripping with sweat. Her stamina was so poor, it was probably worse than an elementary schooler's.
Misfortunes never come singly.
Accompanied by a low rumble of thunder, the gloomy sky grew even darker. Izumi Sora soon felt a drop of cold liquid fall on his face.
"It's raining?"
Izumi Sora looked up at the sky and quickly felt more raindrops falling on his face.
"We must speed up." Izumi Sora took two steps to Kuroneko's side, reached out, and directly scooped Kuroneko into his arm. "Even though it's summer, getting caught in the rain could still cause a cold. We have to be fast."
Gokou Ruri's small face flushed slightly. She naturally wouldn't refuse, just feeling somewhat apologetic:
"I'm causing trouble for Sora..."
Izumi Sora didn't take it to heart, continuing to run behind the stray Akita:
"If it weren't for Lord Ruri, I would have missed out on five hundred thousand yen."
The mountain forest was rugged, and some bumps were inevitable. Filled with trepidation, Gokou Ruri quickly reached out her arms and nervously hugged Izumi Sora's neck.
The rain grew heavier, and with nowhere to hide in the mountain forest, their clothes were quickly soaked.
But since things had come to this, going back to buy rain gear was definitely too late. They could only brave the rain and continue charging forward. Fortunately, through communication, the target wasn't far away.
A few minutes later.
The two braved the heavy rain and arrived at a small valley. They quickly saw a chubby Golden Retriever lying under a large tree, looking pitiful and completely miserable.
"That's the one." Gokou Ruri's eyes lit up, her voice excited. "It's exactly the same as the Golden Retriever in the photo, and it has a collar on its neck. It's definitely not a stray."
Izumi Sora exhaled softly, running forward while holding Kuroneko:
"Ask for the dog's name and owner."
"Okay."
The two arrived in front of the large Golden Retriever. Gokou Ruri quickly asked with 'woof woof woof'.
The Golden Retriever excitedly got up and began 'woofing' in response.
"Identity confirmed without error." Gokou Ruri completely relaxed. "It's the one."
Izumi Sora was just about to set the girl in his arms down when his movement suddenly paused.
A familiar prompt appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations, your intimacy duration with the Witch of Beasts has reached the required level. You have successfully copied the ability 'Beast Taming'.]
[You can now communicate with cats and dogs.]
[Continue to increase your intimacy with the Witch of Beasts, and you will unlock communication with more species.]
"I actually copied Ruri's ability..."
Izumi Sora remained expressionless, quickly half-crouching to examine the Golden Retriever:
"Its leg seems to be stuck in the tree roots."
The old tree roots on the ground were intertwined, happening to form a natural trap. The Golden Retriever's hind leg had stepped into it and it couldn't pull it out itself, which was why it had mysteriously disappeared.
Izumi Sora grasped the Golden Retriever's hind leg and tried pulling upwards, but unfortunately couldn't pull it out. Instead, it made the Golden Retriever whimper and cry out in pain continuously.
"Pulling by force won't work, I have to smash the root."
Izumi Sora looked around, quickly found a rock, and casually lifted it.
"Woof woof woof."
Seeing the rock in Izumi Sora's hand, the Golden Retriever instantly shook its dog head in a panic. Its dog face was full of terror as it barked continuously.
"Master, please don't smash my leg..."
Kuroneko's voice sounded nearby.
Izumi Sora looked over, feigning shock:
"What did Ruri just call me?"
"I definitely wasn't calling you Master!" Gokou Ruri's pretty face flushed red, hurriedly explaining. "I was just helping to translate!"
Izumi Sora's expression remained normal:
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear clearly just now. Lord Ruri, please translate it one more time."
Thump.
Gokou Ruri clenched her pink fist, punching Izumi Sora, her voice shameful and angry:
"Hurry up and rescue the Golden Retriever, then let's leave."
Izumi Sora exhaled softly, raising the rock to smash the tree root.
Before long, a tree root was smashed. Izumi Sora grabbed it and snapped it, successfully breaking the trap and pulling the Golden Retriever's hind leg out.
"Awoo..."
Who knew that this Golden Retriever suddenly tucked its tail between its legs, a terrified whimper coming from its mouth.
"Eh, what's wrong?"
Gokou Ruri's expression was bewildered.
Finally escaping, it should be ecstatic, right? Why is it suddenly tucking its tail... it looks like it's terrified?
Not only that, the other stray Akita also whimpered in terror, tucked its tail, and bolted, even abandoning the promised meat canned food reward.
"Sora..."
Sensing something was wrong, Gokou Ruri nervously looked at Izumi Sora.
Izumi Sora slowly stood up, his expression grave. He scooped Kuroneko into his arms:
"We've encountered a brown bear."
"Ehhhhh?!"
Gokou Ruri hurriedly turned her head, her small face rapidly turning pale.
She saw a massive brown bear standing under a tree dozens of meters away. No wonder the two dogs tucked their tails and shivered, almost peeing themselves.
The bears in Hokkaido are all brown bears. When standing, they can be over three meters tall and weigh up to four hundred kilograms. They are one of nature's most terrifying predators.
Encountering a brown bear, playing dead is useless because brown bears are scavengers. You can't climb a tree faster than them, and you can't outrun them. If you don't have a weapon, the best solution is to pray the brown bear isn't hungry.
But clearly, Izumi Sora and Kuroneko's luck was not good.
The brown bear didn't turn and leave. Instead, it let out a low growl and walked towards them step by step.
"Sora, let's hurry up and teleport away!"
Gokou Ruri's small face was pale, her voice tense.
Izumi Sora actually wanted to arm-wrestle the brown bear. His physical fitness had already broken through human limits, and he didn't feel the slightest fear facing the brown bear. But doing so would definitely terrify Kuroneko, so he could only suppress the urge and ask softly:
"Where should we teleport to?"
"We can't go to the campsite, who knows if that bear will chase us..." Gokou Ruri hesitated for two seconds, her pearly white teeth quickly biting her lower lip as she made a choice. "We're going back to Tokyo, teleport to my room!"
In Kuroneko's mind, home was the safest place.
Now that their clothes were soaked by the rain, going back meant they could take a shower and change clothes.
As for the walking one million yen...
Gokou Ruri looked down at the shivering Golden Retriever at their feet:
"Sora, can you take it and teleport away together?"
Having finally found this Golden Retriever, they absolutely couldn't leave it behind.
"No problem."
Izumi Sora nodded gently. With his other hand, he grabbed the scruff of the Golden Retriever's neck and easily lifted it.
"Ruri, hurry up and kiss me." Izumi Sora was full of righteousness.
"Eh?"
Izumi Sora stated with a straight face:
"I'm not sure if anyone is in your room, and you don't want to be discovered by Hinata or Tamaki, right?"
"..."
Gokou Ruri's small face was burning hot. She could only endure her shyness and kiss Izumi Sora's cheek again.
If we really are caught, Hinata and Tamaki are so young, they definitely don't know how to keep a secret. Although they say children's words carry no harm and others won't believe what they say, it's better safe than sorry. So... if there's real danger, we still need Time Stop.
Feeling the soft and cool sensation on his cheek, Izumi Sora took a step, ripples echoing.
The next second.
The figures of the two people and one dog suddenly disappeared. The brown bear that was trotting over jumped in fright, turned around in a panic, and ran, quickly disappearing into the jungle.
"We're back..."
Familiar room coming into view, Gokou Ruri instantly breathed a sigh of relief, her mind at ease:
"Hinata and Tamaki happen to not be here."
Gokou Ruri twisted her body, jumping from Izumi Sora's embrace onto the floor, quickly leaving two muddy footprints. Her pink cheeks suddenly puffed out:
"...Take a shower! Hurry up and take a shower!"
The Golden Retriever looked around, realizing it had arrived in a completely unfamiliar room, showing a dumbfounded, comical expression. But it quickly relaxed and began to shake off the water.
"Ahhhh! Don't shake around, muddy water is splashing everywhere!"
Looking at the water stains all over the floor, the super hygiene-conscious Gokou Ruri felt terrible.
"Sora, hurry up and pick it up."
Gokou Ruri pointed a finger, issuing the command.
"Yes."
Having teleported back from Hokkaido, Izumi Sora once again experienced the 'involuntary' side effect. Hearing this, he meticulously picked up the Golden Retriever.
This Golden Retriever had just witnessed Izumi Sora's ability, and now it was completely docile, entirely not daring to move.
"I'll go outside to scout first, see if Mom and Hinata and the others are home..." As Gokou Ruri spoke, she quickly took off her shoes, turning her head to issue the command. "Sora just stay in the room. Without my command, you're not allowed to move around."
A minute later.
Gokou Ruri quickly slipped back in:
"We're lucky, Hinata and the others should have gone to the convenience store with Mom. No one is home right now, perfectly timed for a shower... follow me to the bathroom."
"Received."
"Sora, take your shoes off first, the floor won't be easy to clean later."
"..."
Izumi Sora, holding the Golden Retriever, followed behind Kuroneko and quickly arrived at the bathroom.
"Sora, put the Golden Retriever down."
Gokou Ruri issued the command, then put her left hand on her hip, pointing to the corner with her right hand:
"Edamame, sit there. Without my command, you're not allowed to get up, otherwise I won't take you home."
"Woof woof."
The Golden Retriever hurriedly sat down obediently.
"Achoo—"
Gokou Ruri sneezed, her voice slightly hoarse:
"Sora, you shower first."
"You go shower first." Izumi Sora looked over, his voice steady. "Your voice is getting hoarse, hurry up and shower, or you'll definitely catch a cold."
Gokou Ruri gently bit her lower lip, ultimately agreeing:
"Then I'll shower first... you and Edamame wait for me outside."
Splash, splash.
The warm water poured down. Gokou Ruri let out a long sigh of relief, comfortably narrowing her eyes.
But with Izumi Sora and the Golden Retriever still outside, and having to worry about her mother and sisters who could return at any moment, Kuroneko couldn't take her time showering. She could only wash up quickly and cleanly.
But as she showered, Gokou Ruri suddenly noticed her body feeling heavy, and her head was somewhat dizzy.
"Did I catch a cold?"
Gokou Ruri murmured in her heart:
"I'll go take some cold medicine when I get out..."
Quickly finishing her shower, Gokou Ruri pulled open the partition door. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt dizzy and couldn't help but stumble into Izumi Sora's embrace.
"I-I'm a bit dizzy, might have caught a cold..."
Gokou Ruri hurriedly explained, her voice slightly hoarse.
"Woof woof."
The obedient Golden Retriever sitting in the corner suddenly looked up and barked.
Hearing the dog bark, the previously motionless Izumi Sora began to bend down, his face leaning towards Kuroneko.
The distance between them rapidly closed, soon leaving only a hair's breadth.
"W-What are you doing?"
Gokou Ruri instantly panicked.
Izumi Sora's tone was innocent: "Earlier when we found the Golden Retriever, I suddenly became able to understand dog language."
"Eh?"
"The Golden Retriever just issued a command to me..."
Gokou Ruri opened her eyes in a panic:
"What that Golden Retriever said... seems to be 'hurry up and kiss, don't waste it'?!"