Chương 95: Chapter 94
"I'm heading up. Don't move," Natsuki said.
"By the way, how much do you weigh?" Umi giggled. "A girl's weight is a secret, Natsuki. Don't ask such things."
"I'm just worried about my waist," he grumbled.
As Natsuki watched Umi progress from clumsy beginnings to cautious mastery of technique, he felt a twinge of... something. Was this what it felt like to cheat on yourself?
"I wish I could just lie down and get stronger," Umi sighed, hands on his hips. "I still don't have any special skills. I'm totally out of luck."
Natsuki stood up and put on his clothes. "How many mystery boxes have you opened so far?" he asked casually.
"Hmm..." Umi thought for a moment, then held up a finger. "Maybe six or seven game boxes?"
Natsuki bit back a retort. Of course you won't get anything good if you barely open any! Some games guarantee a rare item after 90 tries, with the average person getting one around 70. You're not unlucky, just... average.
"Oh, I still have a few coins left," Umi's eyes lit up. "Hey Natsuki, want to open a box together?"
"Sure," he nodded.
The game's shop still had two modes:
First, the daily surprise box. It only cost ten coins and was fair to everyone, but the contents were pure luck. Getting a box of tissues was common.
Second, the clearly priced items. These rotated daily and included various upgrades. You could permanently increase a basic stat by 10% - things like strength, endurance, speed, power... Natsuki briefly considered "kidney capacity" before realizing he had no use for it.
If you were lucky, you might find powerful items or skills. Natsuki had spotted a knockoff Kamen Rider belt recently, but it was way too expensive and had limited uses.
As for skills, he'd seen someone in the player help group mention finding a powerful technique from Yu Yu Hakusho...
"[Demon King's Hellfire]... Still can't afford it," Natsuki muttered.
The game was probably new, so there weren't any "overpowered" players yet - unless they were those damn Europeans.
Natsuki opened the game store and browsed today's rotation:
[Item: Stamina]
[Price: 40 coins]
[Effect: Permanently increase endurance by 10%]
[Note: The final layer of defense takes the hardest hit]
Natsuki's face remained impassive as he scrolled past. He could get stronger just by lying down. It was slower, but only cost one seed a day. The other items were equally unimpressive, and the mystery boxes were a bust.
Suddenly, Umi let out a soft gasp. "Look, I got something!"
Natsuki glanced over to see an orange cloak in Umi's hands.
"That looks pretty nice," he admitted.
Umi beamed, displaying its stats:
[Item: Hamster Cape]
[Origin: Classified]
[Effect: Greatly reduces your presence]
[Note: Reduced presence ≠ invisibility. Curb your enthusiasm.]
"What do you think, Natsuki?" Umi looked at him expectantly.
"It's good," he nodded. "You can put it away now."
With small talk over, they returned to the living room.
"It's only 9 AM, and it's beautiful outside," Umi said brightly, hands behind her back. "Why don't we go out together?"
Natsuki: "I want to play Elden Ring."
Miko: "I need to do laundry, read, then work at the convenience store this afternoon."
"How can you be like this?" Umi deflated instantly. "It's Golden Week! It only comes once a year. Isn't it a waste to play games at home?"
Natsuki plopped down in front of the TV. "Not at all."
"What about you, Miko?" Umi turned, seeking support.
"Um..." Miko tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm okay with anything, really."
Umi put her hand on her hip, suddenly serious. "You never know if tomorrow or an accident will come first. We should enjoy life while we can. Who knows, tomorrow could be the end of the world!"
Natsuki rolled his eyes. The first part was fine, but the apocalypse bit? Come on.
"That's a bit extreme!" Natsuki scoffed.
Umi snapped her fingers, turning to Miko. "Okay, how many planets are in the solar system?"
Caught off guard, Miko answered, "Nine planets?"
"Wrong!" Umi grinned, looking to Natsuki. "What do you say?"
Without looking up from his game, Natsuki replied, "Eight planets."
"Eh?" Umi stepped back, surprised. "You know?"
"Any middle schooler should know basic astronomy," Natsuki shrugged.
"Wait," Miko asked, confused. "Why eight?"
Natsuki explained, "Pluto got demoted to a dwarf planet over a decade ago."
Miko rubbed her forehead, feeling dizzy. "Eight planets... I don't remember learning that at all."
Umi frowned, thinking hard. "Okay, how tall is Mount Everest?"
Miko almost blurted out "8,848 meters!" but hesitated, remembering Pluto.
Natsuki answered, "Currently 8,844 meters."
Miko's jaw dropped. How did it suddenly shrink? She thought it grew every year!
Umi pressed on. "What's the currency in France?"
"Euro," Natsuki said. "Francs don't exist anymore."
"If I hear the truth in the morning, I can die content in the evening. What does that mean now?" Umi challenged.
Natsuki finally turned around, deadpan. "It means if I figure out how to leave your house in the morning, I can beat you to death by evening."
"Where's the nearest safe house?" Umi tried again.
"A true warrior rides a tiger across the river," Natsuki quipped.
Miko's head spun. Confucius definitely never said that, and neither did any of his descendants!
"That's amazing, you got them all right," Umi said, hand on her chest in mock shock.
"Hold on!" Miko protested. "That last one about the tiger isn't even close to what it means!"
She quickly excused herself. "I need to go do chores."
Since her father passed, Miko's mother worked constantly, leaving most housework to her. For all her laziness, Miko was surprisingly domestic.
As she left, Natsuki returned to his game. Umi plopped onto the sofa beside him, watching with interest.
"You don't have to force yourself if you don't like games," Natsuki said, glancing over.
"Oh, I'm not!" Umi's voice was bright as ever. "Comics, light novels, games - I love it all!"
"I've heard of Elden Ring, but it seems too hard. Dying over and over would drive me crazy."
"I prefer visual novels..." Umi's eyes lit up as she talked about her favorites.
"Wait," Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "What kind of games?"
"Visual novels," Umi repeated cheerfully, without a hint of shame. "I played one recently with this super cute character named Shizuku."
She scooted closer, holding out her phone. "Look!"
Natsuki saw a short-haired girl in a gothic-style dress. He had to admit, she was cute, but...
"Why does she look familiar?"
"Oh, Shizuku was super popular a while back," Umi explained. "She's from 'St. Wetgirl's Academy: A Lady's Shameful Club Life'. There are two parts out, and Shizuku's the fan-favorite from the second one."
"What's with that ridiculous name?" Natsuki asked. "Is it... adult-only?"
"Just a bit," Umi said casually.
Natsuki frowned. Should a sixteen-year-old be playing those games?
"A truly great game shouldn't have age restrictions," Umi argued.
No, they definitely should, Natsuki thought. Impulsive teens might waste away playing those all day!
"But the story is super exciting," Umi continued. "I highly recommend it!"
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
SlothMonarch
SlothMonarch If you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to throw some stones at it.
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