Seeing the notification, Asuna Yuuki raised her head, looked at Asagiri Utsunomiya, and said in a calm tone, "It's really not easy to gain your trust, isn't it, Fususeki-san... No, Utsunomiya-san, right?"
"Isn't this the vigilance that so-called Players should have?"
Asagiri Utsunomiya first replied with a relaxed tone, then pocketed his phone and put the chainsaw on the ground, then took off the black coat, removed the books and debris that were originally tied with tape as protection, and finally took off the sunglasses and black mask he had been wearing.
After Asagiri Utsunomiya took off his sunglasses and black mask, Asuna Yuuki saw his true appearance and her eyes couldn't help but tremble.
His face was not specially groomed, even a little messy, but it didn't give an impression of being sloppy. The slightly curly black hair, a subtle smile on his face with impeccable features, and dark-gray-almost-black eyes that made people lost in them. Indeed, Asagiri Utsunomiya could be called a handsome guy.
Moreover, Asagiri Utsunomiya didn't have that overly feminine air like some male idols. Coupled with his slender yet strong figure of just over 1.8 meters, to put it simply, he was a very attractive guy.
"So this is what you look like..."
Asuna Yuuki was not the kind of fangirl who overreacted when she saw a very handsome guy. She made such an exclamation only because of Asagiri Utsunomiya's words, actions and appearance. For some reason, there was always a sense of contrast.
"How about it, handsome, right?"
"Yeah, it's really handsome."
"Hey, you're welcome, Asuna Yuuki-san. You're pretty too."
Whether it was Asagiri Utsunomiya or Asuna Yuuki, when talking about this topic, neither of them showed the awkwardness and shyness of ordinary high school students.
The reason was very simple: In this situation, Asuna Yuuki had no time to think about those things. Besides, she didn't have any special thoughts about Asagiri Utsunomiya. He was indeed very handsome, and she was just telling the truth.
Next, Asuna Yuuki conducted some verification.
The piece of equipment that was rewarded for clearing the dungeon—the rapier—seemed ordinary and nothing special, but as long as she thought about it, the rapier would disappear or appear instantly, which was very convenient.
Just when Asuna Yuuki was trying to make the rapier reappear again, Asagiri Utsunomiya suddenly walked in front of her and then did something surprising that was beyond her expectations and made her face blush.
Asagiri Utsunomiya didn't hesitate, directly holding Asuna Yuuki's hands. And it wasn't just an ordinary way of holding hands, but an intimate way of holding hands with their fingers interlocked.
"You... what are you doing?"
No matter how capable Asuna Yuuki was, she was just a girl who had just entered high school. When Asagiri Utsunomiya suddenly grabbed her hands so intimately, she was still very panicked, and even her heartbeat speeded up a lot.
In contrast, Asagiri Utsunomiya's expression and tone remained as calm and composed as ever. He said, "Why are you blushing? Act normal and stop being so love-struck. Now try again and see if you can equip that rapier."
Upon hearing his words, Asuna Yuuki immediately realized that Asagiri Utsunomiya wanted to use this method to verify whether Players could still directly summon their own equipment when they were restrained in some way.
"Humph! I... I just didn't react. It's not like I'm in love or something." Asuna Yuuki first retorted like this, then tried to summon the rapier, but nothing happened. She said, "I can't summon it."
Asagiri Utsunomiya nodded and said, "Yeah. I saw it."
Asuna Yuuki pursed her lips and responded softly with a complex expression, "It seems that with physical limitations, equipment can't be summoned."
Her complex expression was not because she and Asagiri Utsunomiya were holding hands in an intimate way with their fingers interlocked, but because Asuna Yuuki found that since entering the dungeon, she had been led forward by the other party.
Whether it was escaping from the ward, analyzing the true purpose of the caregiver, or obtaining information through experiments after receiving the rewards, Asagiri Utsunomiya's actions were always so efficient.
If it were an ordinary girl, she would probably be very happy if someone led her like this and she could pass the dungeon without any effort, but it was different for Asuna Yuuki.
Having received an elite education since childhood, her self-esteem did not allow her to be a useless burden, doing nothing useful and just staying by Asagiri Utsunomiya's side to pass the dungeon together.
Of course, Asuna Yuuki was also very clear that if she acted impulsively driven by her self-esteem, she would not only fail to provide help, but would also become a troublesome teammate. She just made up her mind to adapt to the rhythm of the dungeon as soon as possible and strive to at least show her value as a teammate next time.
After letting go of Asagiri Utsunomiya's hands, Asuna Yuuki suddenly said with a frown, "Wait a minute, that's not right... The reward is a rapier... but while it's not easy to buy, it's not that hard either. Since you can bring a chainsaw and a drill, why not just bring a weapon from the real world next time I enter a dungeon? While it's convenient to have it readily available, as a reward for clearing a level with an A+ rating... isn't it a bit too mediocre?"
"Congratulations, you found the highlight." After saying this, Asagiri Utsunomiya did not explain directly, but used questions to guide her thinking: "Since I can bring weapons like a chainsaw and a drill into a dungeon, then even more dramatically, if I had a gun, could I also bring it into the dungeon? If I can bring my own weapons, then what's the point of the so-called equipment rewards in the dungeon?"
Upon hearing his questions, Yuuki Asuna murmured thoughtfully, "Yeah, what's the point of this? Is bringing your own weapons... just a privilege for newcomers entering the dungeon for the first time? Then, will I be unable to bring weapons with me in future dungeons? No, it's more than that. I understand. Since this dungeon is for newcomers, being able to bring your own weapons is a clue to how to pass it!"
Asagiri Utsunomiya asked with great interest, "Oh? What do you mean?"
Asuna Yuuki's thoughts suddenly opened up and excitement appeared on her pretty face. She answered, "Because the caregiver won't attack the players at all, there's no need to fight as long as you escape within the allotted time. However, if you fail to escape within the allotted time, something strange will happen inside the asylum, and you'll never be able to leave. The key lies in when the Players can decipher the caregiver's true intentions and muster up the courage to open the door of the ward. Whether you carry a fruit knife, a power drill, or even nothing at all, it has no bearing on whether you can complete the level."