Chapter Fourteen: Skill Upgrade

The red light that had enveloped the four gradually faded, and each of them underwent some changes.

Shiki’s hair now cascaded down her back, and it seemed her bust and hips had developed as well. At the very least, her chest had reached a C cup, or so Hao Ren nodded to himself in approval.

Saeko Busujima’s hair had transformed so that the inner side was now a deep blood-red, creating a striking contrast with her usual purple—half and half. Hao Ren, ever the gentleman, wondered if the transformation extended to her other hair as well.

Shizuka Marikawa’s skin had become radiant and almost translucent, emitting a faint white glow. “Ah, she has the aura of a saint now,” Hao Ren thought, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

Saya Takagi’s pupils shifted from red to gold, with intricate, mysterious patterns flickering in their depths. “Are you awakening a mystic eye as well, young lady?” Hao Ren mused, genuinely astonished.

The four women glanced at each other, then simultaneously cried out in surprise and rushed to the mirror. Hao Ren, with the gaze of a gentleman, observed their actions. “Shizuka, your towel is about to fall off…”

They stared in disbelief at their reflections, and then, as if on cue, all lunged at Hao Ren to ensure this wasn’t a hallucination.

“Ouch!” Enduring four simultaneous critical hits, Hao Ren clutched his wounded waist, kneeling on the floor with tears in his eyes.

“If you can feel pain, then it must be real,” Saya muttered, still scrutinizing her reflection.

“It’s incredible!” Saeko exclaimed, running her fingers through her long hair.

“I’m so fair now!” Shizuka beamed with delight.

Shiki slipped off to the corner, gave her now fuller chest a satisfied pat, and clenched her fist in silent triumph.

Suddenly, Hao Ren noticed something in his hand—a notebook titled “Ishii’s Study Notes.”

So, up there it must be a fierce firefight right now… Sorry, Rei Miyamoto. Hao Ren only spared a second for repentance before turning his attention to the notebook.

Item: “Ishii’s Study Notes.” Use to raise any innate skill by three levels—only works on skills at level 1.

The description was simple, but the effect was astounding.

Hao Ren’s eyes lit up green with excitement—no wonder the penalty had been so severe for such a powerful item.

Without hesitation, he used the item to raise “Summon Link” to level 4 (details elsewhere), unlocking the shared damage feature.

After linking with the other three, Hao Ren felt power surge through his body, his attributes greatly increased.

Attributes:
Strength: 25 (13+12)
Agility: 26 (11+15)
Constitution: 30 (14+16)
Intelligence: 27 (9+18)

Spirit: 36 (13+23)
Charm: 11 (already maxed out for this being)

Seeing his charm stat maxed out, Hao Ren thought, “Damn it, am I doomed to remain a lowly, poor loser forever?”

His sense of loss overwhelmed his excitement, and he struck a classic dejected pose.

“Though I hate to dampen your spirits, I must remind you,” Hao Ren said, sharing his misery. “This state lasts only ten minutes. Next time, it’ll take an hour before you can transform like this again.” (The women’s attributes are detailed elsewhere.)

Of the four, Shiki’s reaction was the strongest—her face shifted instantly from joy to disappointment. She clearly found it hard to accept.

Ten minutes passed quickly, and as the excitement wore off, the four women returned to normal.

“From now on, we’re yours, summoner,” Saeko declared, hugging Hao Ren’s arm.

“Hey! No fair!” Saya shouted, quickly grabbing his other arm.

“Oh, how sneaky! I want in too!” Shizuka cried, rushing from the front to trap Hao Ren’s head between her ample assets.

Shiki said nothing, but quietly came up behind Hao Ren and tugged at the hem of his shirt.

At that moment, Hao Ren felt that even if he were to die right then and there, he would have no regrets.

In reality, Hao Ren had already lost consciousness from being squeezed so tightly—whether from lack of oxygen or sheer happiness, it was impossible to say.

Regaining his senses, Hao Ren found himself lying on the living room sofa, while the four women sat nearby, faces flushed with embarrassment.

What had happened? Even Shiki, rarely seen blushing, had turned red!

Unbelievable. Hao Ren’s gaze shifted to the spiral staircase in the center of the living room, and the women grew even more flustered as they followed his line of sight. So that was it.

“Did something happen?” Hao Ren asked, feigning ignorance in order to tease them.

“Um, well, nothing really. Just… don’t go upstairs. It seems Komuro and the others are discussing something,” Saya stammered.

“We’re all partners here. What could they be discussing that can’t be said in front of us?” Hao Ren pretended to rise, intending to go upstairs.

“Don’t go up. They’re talking about private matters. You know Komuro and Miyamoto are a couple,” Saeko, usually calm and composed, blocked his path, uncharacteristically flustered.

“But aren’t Hirano and Ishii up there too?” Hao Ren replied with a wicked grin.

“Well, Koji, wouldn’t you rather stay here and keep us company?” Shizuka purred, deploying her best coquettish act.

“Mm, you’re right.” Smitten, Hao Ren abandoned his plans to go upstairs.

——————

With a gunshot, a youth who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen fired a double-barreled shotgun amid a horde of corpses, pushing back those that drew too near.

A short, panicked cry rang out. In his haste to reload, he dropped a shell and quickly bent to retrieve it. But just as he finished loading and raised his weapon, his fate was sealed.

The young man’s screams faded as the dead tore into him, and moments later, his battered body stood up again—transformed into one of the walking dead.

Hao Ren set down his binoculars in silence.

“Damn it! This is too much!” Takashi Komuro, standing behind Hao Ren, watched the scene with anger.

It had to be said, the effects of the item weren’t absolute. The four who had been set up by Hao Ren were theoretically supposed to be out for five hours, but in reality, they regained consciousness after about half an hour. Komuro and Miyamoto emerged flushed and glowing, while Hirano and Ishii looked stricken with terror and regret—things clearly hadn’t gone as Hao Ren had expected.

In Hao Ren’s mental script: Komuro, Hirano, Ishii, and Miyamoto would allocate resources sensibly and discuss things harmoniously.

Reality: The group split into two pairs. Komuro and Miyamoto had a successful discussion; Hirano and Ishii did as well.

…I’m a villain…

So that’s how Ishii lost his virginity—tragic for him, and truly tragic for Hirano as well. Who knows how they decided who would take which role?

No, I can’t dwell on this. Any further and I’ll be sick.

“Komuro!” Hao Ren called to Takashi, who was about to turn and head downstairs.

“What is it?” Takashi replied, sounding impatient.

“What do you plan to do?” Hao Ren asked, unable to fathom Komuro’s thoughts.

“Obviously, I’m going to shoot them and save everyone…” Perhaps losing his virginity had given him a more assertive air.

“Have you forgotten? They’re drawn by gunshots.” Saeko, now clad in a sailor uniform on Hao Ren’s strong recommendation, turned and walked back inside.

So, Rika Minami, are you a uniform enthusiast? Your wardrobe is fully stocked with every professional outfit imaginable—are you hoping to have your girlfriend Shizuka try them on for you, or do you plan to wear them for her?

“Achoo!” In the airport, Rika Minami clutched her knees as if shot, muttering to herself about catching a summer cold.

“And when the living see our lights and shadows, they’ll swarm here as well,” Saeko added as she slowly extinguished the lights. “We’re not saviors. We don’t have the power to rescue everyone.”

“Komuro, look carefully. Get used to it.” Hao Ren handed the binoculars to Takashi. “This world can’t be survived on hot-blooded impulse alone.”

Takashi took the binoculars, lost in thought.