Confidence stems from strength.
These past few days, Kitahara Makoto had never given up on any fitness-related daily tasks, and his permanent attributes were improving every day.
Although he had no measuring tools, Kitahara Makoto estimated that his current physical fitness had already surpassed human limits and was evolving towards something non-human.
A cliff of just over ten meters was completely easy for him to handle.
Exhaling lightly, Kitahara Makoto stepped on a protruding rock on the cliff face and quickly climbed upwards. His muscles rippled, fully displaying a masculine aesthetic unique to him.
"Kitahara-kun, be careful!"
The four girls stood below, holding their breath, looking up nervously, and then... they regretted it.
"Oh..."
Chihaya Anon gasped, raising her hand to cover her flushed face:
"I need to wash my eyes!"
Nagasaki Soyo's face was also flushed. She guiltily averted her gaze and coughed lightly:
"Boys' body structures are completely different from girls'... Tomori, don't look anymore."
Togawa Sakiko bit her lower lip lightly with her pearly teeth, glancing upwards from the corner of her eye, and said helplessly:
"When Kitahara-kun comes down, Anon, you should return his shorts to him first."
Chihaya Anon: "...I understand."
Using only one towel was indeed too difficult; the shorts were definitely necessary to return.
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto had already easily climbed to the top of the cliff, and the entire shape of the island immediately came into view.
The towering cliffs tightly surrounded the entire island, forming an irregular ring. In the very center of the island was a giant tree that, by estimation, would require at least dozens of people to embrace.
Kitahara Makoto was not a botanist and didn't know what kind of tree this was, or if it even existed in reality.
Squinting his eyes, he could see many fruits on the tree, which looked somewhat like peaches from a distance.
Standing at the top of the cliff, Kitahara Makoto could even smell a faint fragrance in the air. Every cell in his body seemed to be silently screaming, expressing a strong desire for the fruits on the tree.
"Hoo..."
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly, with no impulse in his heart, only strong vigilance.
It is well known that
the more beautiful and attractive things are in nature, the more dangerous they often are, like pretty red umbrellas and white stems that, if eaten, will send you to the grave.
Kitahara Makoto didn't believe there would be any beautiful, harmless things in the Otherworld.
"The island is a bit strange... Let me go down and investigate the situation first."
Kitahara Makoto turned around and looked down at the girls below the cliff:
"I'll be back in three minutes at most."
Togawa Sakiko looked up with her pretty face: "Kitahara-kun, please be careful."
Nagasaki Soyo: "Don't be impulsive."
Chihaya Anon: "And don't show off; boys are most prone to showing off."
"Don't worry." Kitahara Makoto's tone was firm. "Before you all join my harem, I'll definitely be super careful."
The girls: "..."
He retracted his gaze.
Kitahara Makoto quickly climbed down the cliff and entered the interior of the island. The fragrance in the air grew stronger.
Good news.
The unknown giant tree did not cover the entire island; there was at least a hundred-meter safe buffer zone around it.
Bad news.
This buffer zone only had some withered grass, not even a single leaf.
Kitahara Makoto searched carefully along the edge of the cliff. Not long after, his eyes suddenly lit up:
"Found it."
An inconspicuous cave came into view.
Kitahara Makoto cautiously entered the cave. The space inside was not large, but it was perfectly adequate for sheltering from the wind and snow. After a thorough inspection, he found no snakes, insects, rats, or ants.
In fact, not only snakes, insects, rats, and ants, but he hadn't even seen a single bird on the entire island.
"That tree is indeed very dangerous..."
Kitahara Makoto squinted his eyes, carefully looking at the giant tree in the middle of the island:
"I'll figure out what's going on when the answer book's question count refreshes."
He withdrew his gaze and began his return journey.
It didn't take long for him to climb back over the cliff and return to the girls' side.
"Kitahara-kun, why did you take so long?"
"You didn't encounter any danger, did you?"
"We called you so many times, but you didn't respond at all."
...
The girls all came forward with concern.
"I don't know if I encountered any danger," Kitahara Makoto said, spreading his arms. "Or would you like to check my body for me?"
"Pfft~"
"Pervert!"
"Your towel's going to fall off again!"
Togawa Sakiko covered her chest with one hand and her lower abdomen with the other, sighing helplessly:
"Since you can say something like that, it seems you didn't encounter any danger."
Kitahara Makoto held his towel securely and briefly explained the situation on the island.
At the same time.
The wind and snow continued to intensify, and the waves on the sea became even more turbulent, almost reaching their feet.
"We must get there as soon as possible." Kitahara Makoto's expression grew serious. "The wind and snow are getting heavier; if this continues, you'll definitely catch a cold and fever... Togawa-chan, you go first."
Nagasaki Soyo said with concern, "The cliff is so steep, Sakiko definitely can't climb it, right?"
Kitahara Makoto said in a deep voice, "I can carry Togawa-chan over."
"Eh?" Chihaya Anon's eyes widened. She said incredulously, "That steep cliff, Kitahara-kun actually wants to carry someone up it... A human can't possibly do something like that!"
"Just trust me." Kitahara Makoto's tone was confident. "I'm an exorcist; it's normal for my body to be a bit stronger than ordinary humans, right?"
Chihaya Anon: "...It's clearly a tiny bit stronger!"
"Togawa-chan, come on up."
Kitahara Makoto quickly half-crouched.
"Wait a moment." Togawa Sakiko's face was slightly red. "Anon, return the shorts to Kitahara-kun first."
"Ah, just a moment..."
Chihaya Anon's face flushed as she quickly hid in a corner and took off the shorts.
"Then I'll put them on first."
Kitahara Makoto didn't stand on ceremony. He put on the shorts and half-crouched again:
"Togawa-chan, come on up."
"...Okay."
Togawa Sakiko took a deep breath. She wasn't being coy or hesitant, nor was she afraid or trying to decline. She just said softly, with a flushed face, "Um... can I wear the bathrobe first?"
Although the bathrobe wasn't dry, wearing it for two or three minutes should be fine.
No problem.
There was nothing for it.
The only thing that could be used was the bathrobe; if she didn't wear it, she would have to be skin-to-skin with Kitahara Makoto.
If there were only two people on the island, she could grit her teeth and bear it, but Soyo and Tomori were both watching... she couldn't do it!
She really couldn't do it!
Seeing Togawa's face flush, Kitahara Makoto knew the reason and nodded gently, saying, "No problem, one bathrobe doesn't weigh much."
"Phew..."
Togawa Sakiko quietly breathed a sigh of relief, quickly picked up a bathrobe and put it on, then climbed onto Kitahara Makoto's back, extending her arms to tightly embrace his neck.
"Togawa, close your eyes."
Kitahara Makoto reminded her gently.
"Mm."
"All you have to do next are two things... hold me tight, and then trust me."
"..."