"Congratulations. The removal surgery was a success—you're free to start a new life."
Amamiya completed the operation smoothly.
With the AngerMushroom removed, the eldest dwarf sat up groggily, his mind gradually clearing. A moment later, realization dawned, and he, along with the other dwarves, expressed their gratitude.
Amamiya waved a hand dismissively and got straight to business.
"Have you ever heard of the Seeds of Nightmares?"
The seven dwarves exchanged confused glances.
"Seeds of Nightmares?"
"What's that?"
"Never heard of it."
"…"
After some questioning, it became clear that the dwarves had no knowledge of the matter. They lived in the valley, working from dawn till dusk, only interacting with the outside world when absolutely necessary—to trade for essentials like salt, clothing, and iron tools.
In short, they were even less informed than Little Red Riding Hood.
"Tch. Still nothing."
Though he had expected this outcome, Amamiya couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.
It seemed that finding the NightmareSeed would be the hardest part of the mission.
After some idle chatter, the dwarves warmly invited them to stay and rest.
Amamiya hesitated briefly before nodding. "Then we'll take you up on that offer."
Trekking through the ice and snow while carrying the loli guide had been exhausting. A short break was definitely necessary.
While a few dwarves busied themselves preparing food, Amamiya turned to the girls and said,
"Let's rest for now. Once we've regained our strength, we'll go find Kaguya."
"Senpai, if it weren't for you arriving in time, we would've been in serious trouble," Hayasaka clasped her hands in front of her chest, tilting her head slightly as she gazed up at him, her eyes shimmering. "Senpai is so amazing!"
"…"
Amamiya stared at her, unimpressed.
Way too exaggerated.
The surprise on her face when they first met outside the window had been genuine—but this? This was clearly overacting.
He narrowed his eyes at Hayasaka. "Have you ever heard this saying?"
"Hmm? What saying?"
"'If you're going to say thank you, show some cleavage.'"
The sweet smile on Hayasaka's face stiffened slightly. Then, she muttered under her breath,
"Senpai, you're shameless, vulgar, and a pervert."
"Thanks for the compliment."
"…"
After exchanging a few more words, Amamiya got back on track.
"Tell me about your mission. What happened after you entered the dungeon?"
The spy maid nodded and began recounting her experience.
She had spawned just outside the valley—not alone, but alongside several other passerby players.
Surrounded by nothing but ice and snow, they had no clear direction. However, upon noticing smoke rising from the valley, they naturally decided to investigate. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side, and they were soon captured by a dwarf with a mushroom on his head.
Thinking fast, Hayasaka had disguised herself as a maid, securing temporary safety.
Had Amamiya not arrived when he did, she would have already begun executing her escape plan.
"The main mission is to survive for forty-eight hours," Hayasaka said, pursing her pink lips. "There's also a secondary mission—I need to destroy the Seeds of Nightmares."
Chika, standing beside her, nodded.
"Amamiya and I have the same mission, but Tsubame-senpai doesn't. She only needs to complete the survival objective."
Hayasaka pondered for a moment.
"Maybe it's because Tsubame-senpai is a newbie?"
"…"
Listening to their conversation, the passerby girl hesitated before whispering,
"Um... are you guys all together?"
"That's right." Chika placed a hand on her waist and lifted her chin proudly. "We used a dungeon invitation letter to enter together and adventure with Tsubame-senpai."
She then gave a detailed explanation about their mutual aid group and extended an invitation.
"In this dungeon, we support each other and clear the level together. Once the game ends, you can officially join the group. We have many powerful players and a ton of useful resources."
"Wow, that's amazing!"
The passerby girl's eyes widened in astonishment, a subtle sense of finally finding her people settling in.
Like Tsubame, she was a novice player who had only experienced two dungeons, barely surviving each time. She had once believed herself to be hopelessly unlucky, with a bleak future ahead.
But now—she was hearing that players in real life had actually formed an organization, one with hundreds of members. The revelation was nothing short of shocking.
I have to join!
I absolutely must join the mutual aid group!
Humans are meant to band together for warmth and safety. The strength of a collective far surpasses that of an individual. Only an idiot would choose to remain a lone wolf.
"Can I really join?" she asked nervously.
"Of course." Chika nodded. "The purpose of the MutualAidAssociation is to help each other. As long as you're willing, you can join anytime. Of course, there are some obligations... but we'll go over those once we clear this dungeon."
"My name is Yamashita Kaoru," the passerby girl introduced herself. "My dungeon mission is also to survive for forty-eight hours."
Like Tsubame, she was a novice player. However, she had been lucky enough to acquire a skill from a blind box just two days ago.
"You have a skill?" Amamiya asked curiously.
Since she had already decided to align herself with them, Kaoru didn't hesitate to show off.
[Skill: Disguise]
[Description: By making physical contact, you can record a target's information and impersonate them. However, the disguise will break if you suffer damage or attack someone. The effect lasts up to ten minutes.]
[Note: The true master of deception—Psychic Neeko of all flowers!]
"The skill is so weak," Kaoru grumbled. "I don't even know what it's good for. I tried it once at home, pretending to be my mom... but I accidentally smacked into a wall, and the disguise broke instantly."
Hayasaka's smile faltered slightly.
Unbelievable...
She actually thinks it's useless? This is an insanely powerful skill!
I want it. I want it so badly!
Hayasaka couldn't help but glance at Amamiya.
"Senpai, can Kaoru-chan's skill be copied?"
Kaoru blinked in confusion.
"Copied? What do you mean?"
"It's one of Senpai's abilities," Hayasaka explained. "It's kind of like your chameleon ability."
As she spoke, Amamiya casually showed his skill panel.
Only the weak need to hide.
More people meant greater synergy for his abilities. Rather than pretending to be a harmless sheep, it was better to reveal the fangs of a tiger.
"Wow, so many skills!"
The passerby girl widened her eyes in disbelief.
He has so many skills! He must be a senior expert. I'll definitely stick with him!
"Most of them are just temporary copies," Amamiya said calmly as he examined the skill description for Touch of Fate. "...Physical contact is required to copy and paste skills."
The passerby girl tilted her head curiously. "How does that work?"
"A simple handshake will do," Amamiya replied.
Shaking hands and holding hands—just one word apart, yet worlds apart in meaning.
"I see. Amamiya-kun, please copy my skills."
Without hesitation, the girl extended her right hand. Judging by her age, she was likely a college student, and she showed no shyness in her actions.
As soon as their hands met, a system prompt appeared, confirming the option to copy her skills.
"No problem," Amamiya said.
He glanced at Hayasaka and nodded slightly.
Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
"Copy successful. I also pasted a skill for you," Amamiya added.
He had copied her camouflage ability and, as a bonus, granted her a skill that increased attack power against gangsters and evildoers.
"Senpai, come here for a moment."
Hayasaka waved him over discreetly, then leaned in and whispered, "Let's talk outside."
Without question, Amamiya followed her out of the wooden house.
As soon as they stepped outside, a frigid gust of wind hit them.
"So cold..."
Hayasaka shivered slightly, hugging her arms for warmth.
Amamiya took half a step forward, positioning himself to block the wind for her. "Why did you call me out?"
"Senpai, when are we going to look for the young lady?" she asked in a low voice.
"After we rest and eat," Amamiya answered. "The compass only gives a rough direction, so it'll take some time to find her."
"When we get close, leave the exact location to me," Hayasaka said, pulling out a delicate hairpin and fastening it to her hair. "This item I bought can lock onto a target. Once we're near the young lady, it will sparkle."
In truth, she had originally wanted to buy a teleportation item that would instantly take her to the "silly lady," but unfortunately, no one was selling one.
"That's useful," Amamiya admitted. "If I had that hairpin earlier, I wouldn't have run into the Red Dancing Shoes while searching for Chika."
Hayasaka smirked slightly and whispered, "So, Senpai, just find me first next time."
Amamiya sighed. "If Chika isn't around, I'd probably end up as a prisoner like you."
"That's true," Hayasaka nodded. Her eyes flickered with thought, and then, suddenly, she leaned in closer. A soft, sweet breath tickled his skin as she teased, "Since you worked so hard to save me, I should give you a reward. If you ask nicely, I might even consider kissing you."
Amamiya's gaze instinctively dropped to her soft, pink lips. His heartbeat quickened, and an unfamiliar urge surged within him.
But Hayasaka, still unaware, casually tapped her lips with a slender finger.
"So, Senpai, do you want a kis—eh? Eh? EH?!"
Before she could finish, Amamiya abruptly reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into his embrace.
His eyes burned as he stared down at her.
"Do you know what kind of mushroom is on my head?" he asked.
Hayasaka blinked, momentarily stunned.
Something felt off.
Something was definitely off.
During their previous discussion, Chika and Tsubame had both mentioned the types of mushrooms on their heads—but neither had said a word about what kind of mushroom Amamiya had.
Why didn't Chika and Senpai mention it?
Placing her hands on Amamiya's chest, she asked hesitantly, "Is... the mushroom on your head special?"
Amamiya whispered,
"I don't know if it's special or not, but you'll find out soon enough."
"Let me touch it—uhm!"
Hayasaka had just reached out halfway when, in a flash, Amamiya struck.
Her eyes widened in shock.
I was kissed?!
I was just teasing him—I didn't actually want him to kiss me!
The spy maid was the classic case of high attack, low defense. She enjoyed teasing others in all sorts of ways, but the moment she was the one being played with, she panicked. Especially now—the warmth of his lips sent her mind into disarray. Heart pounding, she hurriedly pushed against Amamiya's chest.
"W-Wait! Hold on a second!"
Her cheeks flushed red, and her breath came slightly quicker.
"Senpai, you actually forced a kiss? That's too much!"
Amamiya replied matter-of-factly,
"Didn't you say a kiss could be my reward?"
Hayasaka clenched her teeth. "I clearly said you had to beg me first before I'd consider letting you kiss me!"
"Then... I'm asking now?"
"Too late!"
"..."
"Senpai, let me go."
Hayasaka leaned back, trying to free herself. Something about the look in Amamiya's eyes felt dangerous.
"It's freezing out here. Let's just go back inside."
But Amamiya shook his head. "Not yet."
"What else do you want?" She eyed him warily.
Amamiya lowered his gaze slightly. "Weren't you curious about the mushroom on my head? Go ahead—touch it."
Despite her lingering caution, curiosity won out. Hayasaka reached up and carefully touched the mushroom.
Her expression froze.
Then her eyes widened in shock.
"No wonder Chika and Senpai had such weird expressions and refused to say anything... It's actually Slaanesh—"
Before she could finish, Amamiya seized the opportunity and launched another sneak attack.
"Mmph—!"
Hayasaka's entire body tensed.
She had plenty of theoretical experience and was an expert at high-speed racing on Akina Mountain, but this... This was her first time actually experiencing it.
A strange tingling sensation rushed through her, making her soul tremble. Her mind went blank, and for a brief moment, she even felt the urge to wrap her arms around Amamiya's neck.
Then—
Creak.
The sound of the door opening jolted her back to reality.
In a panic, Hayasaka shoved Amamiya away and took a quick step back, trying to compose herself.
"Dinner's ready," Tsubame's voice called from the doorway.
Hayasaka instinctively glanced toward the door.
The light was dim—hopefully, she hadn't seen anything...
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she suddenly felt Amamiya take her hand.
"You're not seriously trying again, are you?!"
Her face stiffened as she reflexively lifted her leg to kick him.
"Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have a Slaanesh mushroom on your head!"
Amamiya dodged effortlessly. "Relax. Your hands are freezing—I was just going to warm them up."
"...My hands?"
Hayasaka blinked, then quickly realized. Her blush deepened.
So it wasn't an illusion just now... She really had grabbed his neck.
Amamiya's voice snapped her out of her daze.
"That said... I wouldn't mind doing it again."
Hayasaka covered her lips with her fingers, her smile turning dangerously sweet.
"Senpai," she said softly. "How about I help you pull that mushroom off your head?"
"If you do that, someone's going to die."
"Oh? Well, after what you just did to me, your life's already counting down."
"..."
The two returned to the cabin, one after the other.
Being a trained spy, Hayasaka was a master of controlling her expressions. Aside from the lingering blush on her cheeks, she showed no signs of what had just transpired. With a bright, natural smile, she seamlessly joined the conversation with Chika.
The seven dwarfs had brought out dinner. Given their limited resources, the food was simple—rye bread, pickled venison, and a thick, unnamed soup. But considering the freezing weather, a hot meal was more than welcome.
Especially for Chika, who had a GluttonousMushroom on her head. She was eating enthusiastically, unable to stop.
Amamiya bit into the rye bread. The texture was coarse, but he wasn't picky. While eating, he casually chatted with the dwarfs, continuing to gather information.
Then—
Knock, knock, knock.
A sudden knock at the door shattered the moment, instantly drawing everyone's attention.