Asuna sighed, rubbing her forehead, and said with a helpless expression,
"Your attitude is too confident, I don't even know where to start complaining..."
Next, Asagiri and Asuna also informed Kotoko about the reward information they received after clearing the dungeon.
"Red Epic Quality!?"
When Kotoko heard the quality of 'The Reverse Hourglass' and the effect this item could have, she couldn't help but show a look of shock.
"Reversing time by one minute? And it automatically activates if the holder dies? And you can retain memories from before the time rewind? This is too..."
"That's enough."
Asagiri waved his hand, interrupting Kotoko's words, and said with a smile,
"You don't need to be shocked again with similar words about something Asuna has already been shocked by."
"You're right..."
Kotoko nodded, took another small sip from her black tea cup, and then the smile on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a serious expression. She slowly began,
"After clearing this dungeon, if we want to enter another dungeon, counting the seven-day cooldown and the three-day early registration time, the earliest we can go is ten days from now. Do you have any thoughts on our next actions?"
"Our next actions..."
Seeing that both Asuna and Kotoko were looking at him, clearly seeking the opinion of their Leader, Asagiri put on a thoughtful expression. After a while, he slowly spoke.
"Exercise regularly, pay attention to your diet, and get enough rest."
Asuna: "...Is that some kind of public service announcement for children? ...Is that all? Nothing else?"
"Well, what else do you want?"
Asagiri spread his hands, saying nonchalantly,
"Although we can use our powers in reality, and you can awaken exclusive sword skills and activate exclusive talents in real-world combat, like increasing your speed by killing enemies, the problem is, who do we fight? Other Players? Or do we all just turn into righteous Kamen Riders and start fighting the evil in this world? That's not very realistic, is it?"
"No... perhaps not necessarily."
Hearing Asagiri's words, Kotoko suddenly seemed to think of something. She suddenly raised her fair index finger, and a smile appeared on her adorable face.
"Actually, many of the requests the yokai convey to me involve force, such as clearing cursed objects from a certain place or eliminating a terrifying Banshee that cannot communicate. If you are willing to help me handle these kinds of requests, then you can familiarize yourselves with your own power through combat in the real world, gain growth, and most importantly, you can earn my gratitude!"
"The last part is irrelevant."
Asuna first replied irritably, then said thoughtfully,
"However, helping you deal with strange incidents... is indeed a good proposal. After all, the power and skills gained after clearing the dungeon need to be familiarized through combat. I don't want to become a Player who is only strong in stats but has no combat sense at all. Utsunomiya-do..."
Just as Asuna was about to call Asagiri by her usual address, she suddenly remembered Kotoko's intimate address for Asagiri just now. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks, and a hint of unwillingness flickered in her eyes. She said, pretending to be calm,
"Asagiri, the decision is yours. I'll listen to you."
Asagiri chuckled and teased, "You'll listen to me? Then can you wear a bunny girl outfit for me to see?"
Asuna was both shy and angry, and she said angrily,
"You... what nonsense are you talking about? We're talking about serious matters!"
"I am talking about serious matters."
The frivolous smile on Asagiri's face disappeared, instantly switching to a serious expression. He looked directly into Asuna's eyes and slowly said,
"Even my ideas aren't always right. If you always agree with my opinions and always follow my line of thinking, then our small team is very likely to fall into the disadvantage of a thought trap one day in the future. Therefore, I hope that as my teammate, you can think independently and give what you believe to be the correct answer."
Hearing this, Asuna couldn't help but be stunned.
It was only at this moment that she realized that ever since she became a "Player" and met Asagiri in the hospital room, she had indeed been relying on him, even...
Overly reliant.
Asagiri was well aware of this.
Asuna had many strengths, such as the courage to remain calm and think in dangerous situations, a mind far superior to ordinary high school students, and excellent execution ability brought about by her firm determination and will. However, she had one major weakness.
That was what she wasn't very good at... or rather, she simply couldn't think independently at all.
This was unavoidable. After all, for a young lady from an elite family like hers, every step she took from childhood was arranged by her parents. Whether it was elementary and junior high school, or coming to Tokyo alone and transferring to Shuchiin Academy, she had never considered whether this was the path she wanted to take herself.
"In that case..."
Asuna pursed her lips, saying with slight hesitation,
"My suggestion is, if we can ensure that our Player identities are not exposed, then I vote yes."
"Okay, I agree too."
Asagiri nodded with satisfaction, saying casually,
"After all, there are only just over twenty days left until the game difficulty increases."
"Huh? Game difficulty increases? What does that mean?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Facing the bewildered Asuna and Kotoko, Asagiri explained calmly,
"This so-called game increases in difficulty every month, because every Player must clear a dungeon within at least thirty days. In other words, even if there are Players who slack off and don't actively sign up for dungeons, after the one-month deadline, they will either die in the dungeon or successfully clear it. So every month, the number of Players decreases, the overall strength increases and the difficulty of the dungeon increases."
"This..."
Asuna's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she murmured to herself,
"What is the ultimate goal of this so-called game? Is it to clear it? Or... will this game only completely end after all Players are dead?"
"It's highly unlikely to be that kind of malicious game."
Asagiri shook his head, revealing a slight smile.
"If this so-called game was truly aimed at causing all Players to die, or at appreciating the despair of Players struggling to survive in dungeons, then it shouldn't have arranged dungeons like the Hotel, which have no difficulty in completing the clear objective."
"Rather than malicious torment, this game..."
"...is more like using dangerous dungeons to prompt Players to grow mentally and in power. As for what it's for, it's impossible to judge at the moment."
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