Free Web NovelChapter 309: Chapter 309: Asuna
Chapter 309: Asuna
The Main Tank Player holding the sword and shield dropped to one knee.
With great effort, he raised his head. First, he looked at Asagiri standing there. Then his gaze shifted to the Warlock female Player, who was suffering from severe mental backlash and looked like she was about to faint.
He let out a heavy sigh.
"Yes, it’s over. We lost."
The core of the battle plan these twelve Players had discussed was actually built around the Warlock female Player’s two abilities: Vision Deprivation and Binding Spell.
In particular, the key point was restraining Asagiri’s movements.
Asagiri’s physical ability and close combat skill were simply too strong. Aside from the Sword and Shield Main Tank, none of the other Players could stand against him directly.
The Sword and Shield Main Tank’s defense was indeed powerful. Even Asagiri would not be able to defeat him in a short time. However, Asagiri was not a mindless NPC who only knew how to attack whatever was in front of him. He was a Player who could think.
If he could not defeat the Main Tank quickly, then he could simply ignore him and deal with the other Players first.
The Main Tank’s speed was far inferior to Asagiri’s. He could not keep up with Asagiri’s movements at all, let alone forcibly restrict him.
Unless Asagiri’s movements were sealed and all the Players present were given a chance to launch a coordinated attack, everything else was meaningless.
"You two..."
Asagiri glanced at the Sword and Shield Main Tank, then looked at the Warlock female Player leaning against the wall, swaying unsteadily as she kept rubbing her temples.
"You’ve already cleared a third stage Dungeon, right?"
"Yes."
"Mm. As expected."
Based on the other party’s answer, Asagiri confirmed his conjecture.
Although a Player could only sign up for a third stage Dungeon once, clearing it through normal means would significantly improve a Player’s strength.
For example, if a Player who had originally been only at the Excellent level obtained a clearance rating of A or higher in a third stage Dungeon, their strength would at least rise to the level of a top tier second stage Player.
And this so called top tier second stage level was Asagiri’s own judgment.
The evaluation standard was simple.
Any Player capable of causing him trouble already possessed the strength of a top tier second stage Player, which was equivalent to an Excellent third stage Player.
"Alright, since the challenge match is over..."
Asagiri looked at the twelve Players he had crushed and smiled.
"Anyone who doesn’t want to join can leave now."
After he finished speaking, not a single Player chose to leave.
After all, to Players, money and power in the real world were secondary.
How to become stronger, and how to survive one Dungeon after another, that was what mattered most.
And it was clear that Asagiri was the strongest Player they had ever seen. The Player faction he was building would undoubtedly become the strongest faction in the real world.
"Since you’ve all decided to join, open your Player panels one by one and hand over your phones."
"Eh? Show you our Player panel information? But..."
Before any Player could voice an objection, Miwa Ashikaga interrupted in a flat tone.
"This is not only to ensure that we can arrange temporary squads in the most reasonable way when emergencies occur in the future, but also so I can formulate the most suitable development path based on each of your abilities."
"Take the five Players among you, for example. Although you are melee class Players, you have completely neglected mental strength and only focused on stacking visible combat stats."
"This has caused your mental strength to become too low, creating a glaring weakness that makes you completely unable to resist mental type attacks. Therefore, as a unified faction, we must understand each person’s specific capabilities."
Hearing Miwa Ashikaga explain it this way, the Players had no more objections.
After all, when it came down to it, this faction had that powerful black clothed Player on its side.
As long as the recruitment standards were not too outrageous, plenty of Players would want to join.
Besides, this requirement was reasonable and fair to begin with.
Over the next fifteen minutes, all the Players present, including the four members of the White Suit Team, opened their personal panels in the Eye Icon APP and handed their phones to Miwa Ashikaga one by one.
Asagiri sat to the side and used Crazy Mita’s exclusive ability, Cyber Hunt, to ensure that no one used any special ability to modify or disguise their personal information panel.
That evening, at Asagiri’s home.
Asuna, who had been curled up on the sofa eating ice cream while looking at her phone, heard the sound of the door opening and immediately sprang up.
She ran to the entrance with light steps. When she saw Asagiri come in, she stood on tiptoe, gave him a big hug, and said gently,
"You worked hard. Welcome home."
Asagiri glanced at Asuna.
She was wearing a loose black T shirt, leaving her long, shapely legs exposed.
Her smooth, fair feet stepped on the wooden floor, and her flaxen hair draped casually over her shoulders. She gave off the lazy, adorable aura of a girlfriend waiting at home.
"What are you looking at?"
Seeing Asuna’s face flush, Asagiri chose to speak his mind directly.
"I’m getting turned on."
Hearing this, the blush on Asuna’s face deepened. She sighed helplessly and raised a hand to her forehead.
"Do you have some kind of special passive skill that makes you think improper thoughts whenever you’re alone with me?"
Asagiri said righteously,
"To be alone in a room with such a cute girlfriend and not get turned on would require the willpower of a god among men."
"Where on earth do you come up with all these twisted arguments..."
Asuna shook her head helplessly, then took Asagiri’s hand and brought him back to the living room sofa.
She picked up the tub of ice cream on the table, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to Asagiri’s lips.
"How was today? Regarding Ashikaga-sensei..."
"No problems. She’ll be responsible for the specific matters."
Asagiri accepted Asuna’s feeding, then said casually,
"We’re only acting in a role similar to spokespeople. The specific operations of the faction, distribution, intelligence gathering, and other matters are all handled personally by Miwa Ashikaga."
Hearing this, Asuna let out a breath of relief.
After all, as a high school girl in the prime of her youth, she did not want to spend all her precious relaxation time managing a Player faction.
But immediately after, worry appeared on her face.
"Without us, can Ashikaga-sensei really handle everything alone?"
"Don’t underestimate Miwa Ashikaga."
Asagiri shook his head, lay down on the sofa, rested his head on Asuna’s lap, and smiled.
"Guess what method Miwa Ashikaga used to record the personal panel information of those Players today?"
"Hmm..."
Asuna gently stroked Asagiri’s hair, wearing an adorable expression of deep thought.
"A computer? No, that doesn’t seem very secure. A computer disconnected from the external network? Handwritten?"
"I won’t tell you."
"Eh?"
Seeing Asagiri deliberately keep her in suspense, Asuna became a little annoyed.
She grabbed his shoulders and shook him slightly, pleading like a little girl,
"No keeping me in suspense. Tell me already."
"Oh? Miss Yuuki, that’s not the attitude one should have when asking for a favor."
"Then what do you want..."
Halfway through speaking, Asuna suddenly realized what he meant.
Her pretty face flushed red, and she said in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz,
"Considering you worked hard all day today, and since you’ve been doing quite well recently, I promise you tonight... tonight... Gulp... gulp... Oh my, you know what I mean. I can’t say it out loud. It’s too embarrassing."
"That’s more like it."
Asagiri lay lazily on Asuna’s fair, soft lap and smiled.
"Miwa Ashikaga didn’t use any method to record them. She simply looked at them once and firmly memorized all the Players’ personal profiles."
"Ah? This..."
Seeing Asuna’s shocked expression, Asagiri said casually,
"What’s so surprising? I can do it too. It’s not especially difficult content to memorize. Can’t you do it?"
Asuna: "...Besides you and Ashikaga-sensei, is there anyone else who can achieve photographic memory?"
Asuna had meant it as a rhetorical question, but to her surprise, Asagiri actually listed three more names.
"Iwanaga Kotoko, Kaguya Shinomiya, and Shijo Maki from your class. They can all do that."
Asuna first sighed, then suddenly remembered something and asked curiously,
"By the way, that Yamanouchi student in the same class as Megumi, do you think she’ll contact us?"
"Besides us, she has no other choice."
"That’s true."
Asuna nodded, agreeing with Asagiri’s assessment.
Yamanouchi Sakura, who could not perform strenuous exercise, was a burden to almost every Player squad in a dangerous Dungeon.
Only the strongest squad, consisting of the four strongest Players at the current stage, Asagiri, Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Kato Megumi, could bring her along and still achieve a high level clearance.
"Alright."
Asuna helped Asagiri sit up, then rested her own head on Asagiri’s lap and yawned lazily.
"It’s time for you to fulfill your boyfriend duties and let me enjoy a lap pillow too. I’m exhausted today."
Asagiri asked curiously,
"Didn’t you come home and lie down right after school today?"
"What lying down? What are you talking about?"
Asuna adjusted her position on his lap with a serious expression. Then she raised her hand, stroked Asagiri’s cheek, and spoke in a tone that clearly said, Hurry up and praise me.
"I did a full deep clean of the house from top to bottom today. I also washed and hung up all your dirty clothes. How about that? Pretty impressive, right?"
"Very impressive."
Asagiri reached out and pinched Asuna’s fair, tender cheek.
Seeing how smug and cute she looked after being praised, he smiled.
"But there was no need to do it all yourself. You could’ve called Megumi and Kotoko to help."
"Have you forgotten? Megumi went to monitor that student, Yamanouchi Sakura. As for Kotoko..."
Whenever Iwanaga Kotoko was mentioned, and whenever Asuna thought of that bratty young lady, helplessness inevitably appeared on her face.
"Forget cleaning. She can’t even tell the difference between a broom and a mop. The cloth used to wipe tables and the cloth used to wipe tableware are clearly different, but in her eyes, they’re exactly the same. Asking her to help clean is purely asking for trouble."
As Asuna spoke, her voice gradually became quieter and more blurred.
Asagiri looked down and noticed that she was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open.
He reached out, stroked Asuna’s long flaxen hair, and said softly,
"If you’re sleepy, rest for a while."
Asuna fought against her drowsiness and murmured vaguely,
"No, I can’t sleep yet... You haven’t eaten yet..."
"I already ate outside. Go to sleep."
"Then... I’ll take a short nap... Wake me up in half an hour, okay..."
"Rest assured."
Seeing Asuna close her eyes and drift into a dream with steady breathing, Asagiri sat on the sofa without moving.
The tall Human Asura appeared silently.
First, it went to the master bedroom and brought back a thin blanket, handing it to Asagiri. Then it tiptoed over and turned off the living room lights.
"Good night..."
After Human Asura disappeared, Asagiri gently covered Asuna with the blanket.
Looking at the girl’s cute sleeping face as she lay sweetly dreaming on his lap, he whispered,
"You worked hard, Asuna."
Several hours later, Asuna slowly opened her eyes.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The soft sound of the living room clock made her feel inexplicably calm and comfortable.
"Mmm..."
Asuna sat up, yawned long and softly, then rubbed her eyes.
Her body was awake, but her consciousness was still hazy. She muttered to herself,
"What time is it..."
"It’s almost eight. Get ready for school."
"Eh?"
Hearing Asagiri’s voice, Asuna finally realized what had happened.
Looking at Asagiri, who was sitting on the sofa with a smile, she remembered what had happened before she fell asleep last night and froze.
"You didn’t... stay awake all night, did you?"
Asagiri stood up, opened the refrigerator in the living room, took out a can of chilled Coca-Cola, cracked it open, and took a refreshing drink before smiling.
"A mere all nighter is nothing worth mentioning."
"Was it because you didn’t want to disturb my sleep..."
Asuna pursed her lips. Her bright eyes filled with deep emotion, but she also looked embarrassed and guilty.
"This is too unfair to you..."
"It’s not unfair. I feel great."
Asagiri interrupted Asuna’s apology and said bluntly,
"I spent the entire night admiring my cute girlfriend’s sleeping face. It felt so good I almost ascended. I will keep gazing at you forever."
Hearing this, Asuna imagined herself sleeping while Asagiri admired her for an entire night.
Her pretty face instantly flushed red, and she shouted angrily,
"You... Are you some kind of giant pervert!? Seriously... That’s so embarrassing. Hurry up and wash up. It’s time for school!"
"I’m going right now, but..."
Asagiri pointed at his pants.
Asuna looked in the direction he indicated and saw a damp patch.
Her face turned even redder, and Asagiri could tell at a glance that she had misunderstood.
He chuckled and teased,
"What are you thinking? This is just the drool you got on my pants while sleeping with your mouth open. Truly unexpected. The great Flash, Miss Violet, actually has such a cute, silly sleeping face."
"You... you..."
Asuna was so embarrassed that even her fair ears turned red.
She grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him, shouting in a mix of shame and anger,
"Seriously!"
The next afternoon, inside a classroom at Toyogasaki Private Academy.
"Yamanouchi."
Hearing Kato Megumi’s voice, Yamanouchi Sakura, who was packing her things to leave school, looked up and smiled.
"Megumi, do you need something from me?"
Kato Megumi nodded slightly, tucked her long black hair behind her ear, and offered a gentle smile.
"Yes."
"Then let’s walk together today."
Yamanouchi Sakura was not stupid.
When she had been frightened by the yokai that suddenly appeared that day, both Kato Megumi and Utsunomiya Asagiri had been present. The very next day, Utsunomiya had come to the hospital to visit her.
Logically speaking, a school with such a unique status as Private Shuchiin Academy should not have many students interacting with students from other schools. However, Kato Megumi, a student of Toyosaki Private Academy, was clearly on intimate terms with Utsunomiya from Shuchiin Academy.
If one thought carefully, it was not hard to guess that since Utsunomiya was a Player, then Kato Megumi, who was in the same class as her, was most likely also a Player.
After Yamanouchi Sakura and Kato Megumi walked out of Toyosaki Private Academy’s gate together, Yamanouchi Sakura saw Utsunomiya, whom she had met yesterday, along with a cute girl wearing the same Private Shuchiin Academy uniform, with exquisite long flaxen hair, and a...
"Eh? An elementary school student?"
Seeing the astonishment on Yamanouchi Sakura’s face, Iwanaga Kotoko, who was dressed in an expensive dress, wearing a beret, and leaning on a cane, rolled her eyes and looked at Kato Megumi.
"I say, is she missing a screw? How does she see me as an elementary school student?"
Before Kato Megumi could reply, Asagiri shook his head.
"On the contrary, I feel this proves Yamanouchi has extraordinary insight."
"Yes, yes."
Asuna nodded in firm agreement, looking at Iwanaga Kotoko beside her while covering her mouth with a chuckle.
"Judging purely from your appearance, you really don’t look like a high school student."
"Hmph."
Iwanaga Kotoko pursed her lips and said proudly,
"That is because my appearance is too beautiful, so beautiful that it could be called supreme art. It makes people lose their accurate judgment of my age. Sigh, this is truly troublesome."
"You really do have a small body but a massive amount of narcissism." frёewebnoѵēl.com
"Tch, is being tall a big deal?"
Seeing Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko bickering, Yamanouchi Sakura was stunned for a moment. Then she immediately looked at Asagiri, who was standing there, and greeted him with a natural, bright smile.
"Utsunomiya-san, long time no see."
Asagiri nodded.
"Yeah, long time no see."
Hearing this, Yamanouchi Sakura sighed and drew out her tone.
"Eh? Shouldn’t you be retorting with, ’We literally just met yesterday,’ at a time like this? Brushing it off so lightly makes me feel awkward. I was already prepared for the retort."
Asagiri shook his head with an inscrutable expression.
"I knew you wanted me to retort, so I didn’t. This is equivalent to making you retort yourself, which actually creates a better effect. You are only on the first floor, while I am on the Third Floor. You should learn."
Yamanouchi Sakura’s eyes lit up, as if she had received profound teaching. She nodded repeatedly.
"I see. Such profound social skills!"
Listening to the conversation between Yamanouchi Sakura and Asagiri, and seeing their smiling expressions, Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko exchanged a glance.
Both of them had the same thought.
To put it nicely, Yamanouchi Sakura had strong social skills, was very outgoing, and had a lively personality.
To put it less nicely...
It really seemed like she was so carefree that she was missing a screw.
...
Half an hour later, inside the training ground Miwa Ashikaga had specially built for Asagiri and the others.
"Oh..."
Yamanouchi Sakura looked at the surrounding metal walls, the floor that seemed to be paved with some kind of metal material, and the treadmills, punching bags, electronic massagers, and various pieces of equipment placed around the room. She could not help exclaiming.
"It’s like something out of a sci-fi movie..."
As she spoke, Yamanouchi Sakura ran over to a device that looked like a black bathtub and asked Asagiri curiously,
"What is this?"
"A liquid nitrogen therapy device. It lets us relax quickly, accelerates physical recovery, and helps avoid chronic injuries caused by high intensity training."
"So amazing!"
Yamanouchi Sakura looked excited.
For some reason, seeing her this happy made Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Kato Megumi feel their own moods brighten too.
Perhaps this was what people called an aura. Yamanouchi Sakura’s optimistic personality could make the people around her feel happy as well.
However, Asagiri went straight to the point next.
"Yamanouchi, I reviewed your medical records. You have a pancreatic disease. Although it progresses slowly, there is no treatment for it. It is a terminal illness with no chance of survival. Your life expectancy..."
"One year."
Yamanouchi Sakura interrupted Asagiri.
After a brief pause, another bright and lively smile bloomed on her face.
"The doctor said that if I keep myself happy, I might live a little longer. But even in the best case, it would probably be about thirteen or fourteen months."
Hearing this, Asuna’s expression dimmed.
Looking at Yamanouchi Sakura, who still maintained a lively smile even while discussing the heavy topic of a terminal illness, Asuna, who was gentle and sensitive by nature, felt her heart ache.
She could not help speaking up.
"But doesn’t the system restore injuries after every clearance..."
"Yeah, it restores injuries. It also gives items that can restore injuries, but..."
Yamanouchi Sakura pursed her lips and smiled, as if she did not mind.
"I’m not injured. I have a terminal illness with no hope of a cure."
.....
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