Bab 71: The Bottomless Pit of Pay-to-Win
After leaving the bar, Shin was about to head home. Tonight, he planned to check out the status of the third mission world, as well as the situation in the JoJo world.
And then there was the Dragon Ball world, which he both loved and hated. He wondered if there was any way to save time on traveling in that world—it was pure torment.
On his way to the Shimokitazawa subway station, he noticed a strange figure at the street corner.
It appeared to be an odd person wearing a pink tracksuit, carrying a guitar case that seemed even larger than her. Judging by her staggering steps, she looked utterly exhausted.
"Weird character."
Shin didn't pay much attention and continued into the subway station.
…
"Welcome back."
When he arrived home, Sayu Ogiwara, dressed in pajamas, came to greet him.
"Want a bath? I'll get the hot water running."
"Mm, thanks."
Shin nodded, slipping on his slippers as he entered, taking a moment to survey the room.
It was clear the place was much cleaner than when he had left that morning; Sayu had evidently given it a thorough cleaning.
The sight of her running to greet him just now was somewhat reminiscent of a newlywed wife, though he wasn't sure if Sayu herself was aware of it.
But given what had happened last night, it felt like a natural progression.
After a short while, Sayu came out of the bathroom, smiling at him.
"The bath is ready; go on in."
"Mm."
Shin grabbed some fresh clothes and headed toward the bathroom, asking along the way, "Are you okay on money? Need me to give you some more?"
Having just brought Kiryu's organization under control today, he could easily get funds from him if needed.
And, assuming things went as planned, Kiryu would likely continue expanding his influence, making things a lot more convenient for Shin in the future.
"No need, I still have some left."
Sayu quickly waved her hands, blushing as she smiled.
At this point, she hadn't been away from home long and hadn't yet encountered the harsher side of society. Meeting Shin and receiving his care made her genuinely happy.
…
After his bath, Shin turned on his computer as usual and logged into the game, while Sayu sat on the bed, playing on her phone.
Initially, he had planned for her to use the second bedroom, but after some hesitation, Sayu opted to sleep in the same bed as him.
Since she had no objections, Shin naturally didn't mind either; this bedroom was clearly going to become a shared one.
Luckily, his bed was large enough to fit them both comfortably.
Angel of Healing: "Oh? You're back? How was your date with the girl?"
The moment Shin logged into the game, a private message popped up from a familiar username, making him wonder if this guy really watched his log-in time that closely.
Zuke: "Meh, nothing special. How's your part-time job?"
Although he'd spent the day with Yukino Yukinoshita, most of the afternoon had been dedicated to kendo training, so they hadn't had much chance to talk.
Of course, he would love to spend more time with a cute girl, and Yukino was undoubtedly a beautiful young lady, though he felt her chest was somewhat lacking. But her face? No complaints there.
That said, Shin wasn't the type to abandon his plans just to pursue a girl, nor was he keen on actively seeking out Yukino's sharp tongue.
Angel of Healing: "The café barely has any customers. I just sit there on my phone most of the time."
Zuke: "Surprised the manager hasn't fired you yet. I'd love to see just how lenient your boss is."
He knew that Angel of Healing had picked up a part-time job over the weekend, but hearing about this level of slacking made him feel a bit sorry for the unknown manager.
Zuke: "So what's the plan for the team today? Are we raiding?"
Angel of Healing: "Of course! The devs released a new event, and the weekly mission is to beat a specific high-difficulty dungeon. I wouldn't want to tackle it without you!"
In their online gaming team, Shin was one of the few who didn't rely on pay-to-win and instead excelled through skill, so Angel of Healing definitely wanted him around for the raid.
However, those days of not spending might be over. With money no longer an issue, he could consider indulging in some pay-to-win tactics.
Suppressing his spending urge for so long, he felt excited just thinking about it.
With visions of future in-game purchases, Shin and his online friends had a relaxing night of gaming, unwinding completely.
Thanks to his combat experience boosting his reflexes, Shin's in-game skills had advanced several levels. No detail escaped his notice.
If only his ability to sense "Ki" worked on electronic components, he could've taken his gameplay even further.
"Too bad—if I could enter JoJo's Part 4, I'd love to get my hands on the Stand 'Red Hot Chili Pepper' that can manipulate electricity."
As he thought about it, he couldn't help but recall a minor villain from JoJo's Part 4, Akira Otoishi, whose Stand "Red Hot Chili Pepper" could control electricity.
In the manga's 90s setting, it might not have seemed particularly powerful, but in a world full of electronic devices, it would be a formidable weapon.
Red Hot Chili Pepper could even integrate itself into a TV screen, demonstrating precision control over electricity—a lethal ability in today's world, almost like a physical hacker.
"Shame, though. The JoJo world is already completed, so I'm not sure what it'll become next… I guess I'll find out when I go to sleep."
Several hours later, Shin turned off his game.
"Going to bed?"
Sitting on the bed with her phone, Sayu immediately looked over at him.
"Yeah, it's about time."
He shut down his computer and walked over to the bed, noticing Sayu's intent gaze.
"What? Got something you want to do?"
"…"
Sayu didn't respond; she just pouted, seeing the teasing grin at the corner of his mouth.
"You know exactly what I want to do."
It was clear that, after her first experience with him, this teenage girl had started to enjoy their closeness.
With a soft chuckle, Shin pulled her into his arms and rolled onto the bed.
It seemed like his entry into the mission world would be delayed a bit tonight…
To be continued...
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