Chapter 88: Cream Cake What’s in Yu Shou’s room?
Chaomu regretted it.
How foolish of her! How could she confidently email customer service to complain about the parkour levels being too easy and suggesting they make them more fun, even though she hadn't even finished them yet? Is it too late to withdraw her email now? No one told her it would be this difficult later on!
While the parkour levels' design elements are rather retro, the difficulty isn't actually that bad. The "simple" spike traps and crossbow bolts at the front are like appetizers, designed to fool the player's senses and make them lose their guard. The moment the player lets their guard down, the dangerous trap hidden within reveals its fangs.
"So we're actually running in an illusion right now?" She grabbed the Akita's ear and double-jumped onto the platform. Quickly sliding to the left before hitting the rock, she dodged repeatedly between the obstacles that suddenly appeared. Damn it, what game designer would place an obstacle less than a step in front of the platform they were jumping onto? If she hadn't reacted quickly, she would have crashed into it!
"The corridor suddenly connects to a strange cliff. It must be the work of an illusionist." Yusi Lang was quite familiar with this kind of situation. He answered her while jumping over the suddenly arched ground spikes.
Yamamoto Wang was obviously enjoying it: "Although it's an illusion, it feels much more open running in the wilderness than in the corridor."
Oh, it turned out to be an illusion. She thought it was some brilliant idea planned by someone else... But adding the illusion scene here, isn't it also Reborn teacher's brilliant idea?
After a brief moment of distraction, Chaomu was nearly ripped from her Akita's back by a swirling dart. She backflipped to avoid the dart, which shone with a strange green light and could easily inflict a debuff, and instinctively grumbled, "Even though we're running in the 'wilderness' and there aren't any other humans around, the attacking props are still the same. A bit old-fashioned. I thought the traps and obstacles here would be some kind of atmospheric natural disaster..."
Before she finished her words, there was a faint whistling sound from behind. The trajectories of the darts and crossbows in the air began to drift. A dart that the player had predicted would miss circled around and hit her head.
Chaomu's health bar suddenly dropped to one-fifth.
She ignored the concerned voice of Yusilang beside her, "Are you okay? There's blood gushing out of your head." She looked back with the big dart on her head, and her pupils trembled in an instant: at the end of the sky, an overwhelming sandstorm swept in, getting closer and closer.
"...Is this a voice-controlled game?" She clung to the Akita's back, her tail hair blown up in the wind. "Can this thing just be made to go out just by saying it?! Then why didn't it go out even though I said I wanted to?"
"I don't know what you mean by shipment... but speaking of voice control," Gokudera Wolf's fur was blown into a mess, and his voice was fragmented in the wind, "Have you never realized that Mr. Reborn should be observing our movements -"
Chaomu: “…………”
So the difficulty increased sharply because of her complaints... Teacher R is such a vengeful person.
"Let's put that aside... This environment is incredibly well-designed, and the sandstorm is incredibly realistic." She calmly corrected herself, pretending she'd never complained about the game's design. Her eyes were nearly blinded by the flying sand. "I'm not entirely sure how this illusion works. If it's just an illusion, does that mean we can still fight and survive?"
No matter how she thought about it, she felt like a dog's paw couldn't outrun a sandstorm. Teacher R, whose temper had been pierced, probably wasn't going to let her go... or maybe try to admit her mistake? She had already been pierced by another dart in the head, both symmetrical, like a pair of ears, and blood was spurting out.
"Ahaha, Miss Mu is really cute." Yamamoto Wang spat out a mouthful of sand, his tone still quite cheerful, "If you die in the illusion, of course you will really die."
That's bad.
Chaomu casually pulled out the dart from his head and ground his back teeth.
Although she could reload the game if she died, it would be difficult for her to avoid repeating the work of Yusi again - she didn't want to work again!
The storm behind him was getting closer and closer. Yamamoto Wang, who was carrying the little raccoon on his back, was one body length behind Yusi Lang. He could feel the wind sweeping him in with the tip of his tail.
The Akita's expression grew more serious, and just as he was about to accelerate further, he felt a sudden weight lift. The raccoon, who had been using him as a mount, flipped off the dog and transformed back into the short-haired girl in the hoodie.
"Idiot! What are you doing down here?!" The Wolf of the Prison Temple was stunned for a moment when he saw her coming down, and then his tail lashed out anxiously, "The storm is about to catch up, and you... ah?!"
The tall, thin girl picked up the Akita with her left hand and the Silver Wolf with her right. She tucked the two large dogs under her arms, one on each side, and broke into a sprint. "This way of running will be more efficient. Your legs are still a bit short for running...Hold on tight, I'm speeding up."
Unfortunately, she hasn't passed her driver's license test yet, and she hasn't gotten her Raccoon scooter yet, so now she can only run on foot...which is a bit too exciting.
The muddy wind rustled her hood, and gravel and sand left bloodstains on her exposed skin. Her golden pupils flickered like two erratic yet unextinguished will-o'-the-wisps in the dim sunlight, gleaming with pure, almost animalistic excitement.
The roar of death scraped across the back of her neck. Chaomu's shoes stomped on the protruding rock spikes, her knuckles tightly gripping the dog's ribs as she rose from the ground. The joy of breaking through death and gravity made her feel her adrenaline rushing all the way, and her body's functions seemed to have exceeded their usual limits, crossing the wide chasm before her.
Boom, boom, boom.
My heartbeat was like an anxious drumbeat, nearly jumping out of my chest. This feeling was a bit like going racing with Hagiwara before, but the joy of controlling the steering wheel and the accelerator by myself was incomparable to sitting in the back seat.
The young girl ran across the wasteland like a wild horse. The silver wolf's tail lashed wildly in her arms. She wanted to struggle but dared not to. "Wait, Chaomu! How can you possibly outrun a sandstorm with two people...!"
"I don't know if I can outrun you, but it's definitely faster than the two of you running on your own." Chaomu narrowly avoided the ground spikes in front of him with a sudden brake, turned around and continued, "If I let go now, you and Yamamoto-kun will be blown away like tumbleweeds."
The feeling of being tossed up and down was not pleasant at all. The prison wolf's claws were digging in the air in vain: "Who wants to be a tumbleweed, you guy? Left! There's quicksand on the left! Get out of the way!"
"It's too late... Watch me take a leap of faith!"
The girl, having been warned, didn't even slow down, using the momentum of her sprint to launch herself into the air. Yamamoto's tail spun wildly like a propeller in excitement, making a whining sound in the strong wind.
Then again, this parkour game is actually pretty fun.
Rushing through the wilderness, climbing up the cliff, and returning to the corridor to be cut by rotating gears, the player's whole body is covered in sweat, and he looks wet like a water ghost just pulled out of the water.
The two dogs who were left to run on their own after running through the sandstorm were also extremely tired. Mukusi Wolf, who was originally reserved, now collapsed in the corner with his back to her and sticking out his tongue; Yamamoto Wang looked a little better, but not much better, and was drinking water voraciously.
While drinking water, Yamamoto Wang did not forget to praise her: "As expected of Miss Mu, this is a perfect cross-country activity. Have you ever considered playing baseball in the future?"
Thanks for the invitation, the player also feels that he is terrifyingly strong.
Congratulations to the player for successfully completing the trial - Passing the Death Corridor (Difficulty: Sanzu River Swimming Level)
[You have obtained the achievement: Escape from Death | Raccoon Coin +200]
After swimming in the Sanzu River, you can return to the human world. The two brothers you meet will likely have a lot in common with you.
Chaomu leaned against the wall, panting heavily, her vision blurring. She tapped the screen to confirm that the strange difficulty display hadn't appeared when she first triggered the mission—Reborn must have raised the difficulty after hearing her complaints.
This trip has exhausted her energy bar... It's so painful.
But she was somewhat relieved that, although the trial was difficult, the rewards seemed quite good. At the end of the corridor stood a gleaming golden trash can. She stumbled over to it, rummaged through it, and opened the lid with great anticipation.
There was a lizard lying in the golden trash can.
Chaomu: “…………?”
She paused for a moment as she leaned against the edge of the trash can, looking bewilderedly at the familiar-looking lizard inside. "This looks like the one Reborn-sensei used to carry around... Are you giving this to me... Eh?"
The lizard twisted and deformed under her gaze, expanding and shrinking, and finally spit out two white gloves - they did not look like soft silk, but more like the rough gloves used by workers.
[Congratulations to the player for winning the special reward item: Raccoon's White Gloves]
[Raccoon's White Gloves (SSR): A gift from Len, given to Reborn's new student. Equipped with this, it increases the item rewards from trash cans by 20%, significantly improving your housework efficiency! It also makes it easy to clean up after a kill, making it a practical must-have for home and travel!]
[Note: This item can be used in many ways. In addition to its basic functions, there are many more special uses waiting for your exploration.]
It's an SSR item! Teacher R is so generous!
Chaomu took the pair of gloves with some surprise - although they didn't look good at all, like the kind often worn by auto mechanics, and seemed to get dirty easily, the special effect of increasing the reward for touching the trash can was quite useful to her.
But is that all it has, and the agility bonus? Nothing else?
Her eyes were fixed on the lizard in the trash can. The lizard seemed to shudder under her gaze and quickly disappeared from her sight, probably running to find its owner.
What a pity, this isn't a gift.
But despite her regret, Chaomu didn't dwell on it for too long. After all, the gloves were a pleasant surprise to her, and Reborn would probably teach her other skills after the trial was over. This was just a small side quest reward.
With her energy bar running low, she was constantly feeling hungry, and all her exploration and quests had fallen to the wayside. She casually tucked her gloves into her arms and turned to look at the two large dogs still lying there. "Want to grab something to recharge? Yamamoto-kun, Gokudera-kun?"
"Ha... I won't go." Yusilang still hadn't recovered from his shock, his green eyes were a little staring, "I'll go back and rest first..."
He had been working overtime before, and after being suddenly attacked by Chaomu and turned into a puppy in the middle of the night, he hadn't slept the whole night. Now he really couldn't bear it anymore. After apologizing, he lifted his paws and moved back to his bedroom like a ghost.
Yamamoto had recovered by then. He wagged his tail and rubbed against her legs, his amber eyes sparkling. "Okay, Wang, let's go to the kitchen together?"
Reborn's trial lasted too long, and by the time they escaped, it was already midnight. Going to the kitchen at this time felt like a place to eat secretly. Chaomu rubbed his chin, transformed back into a raccoon, and sat on the Akita's back again, and together they sneaked into the kitchen.
"Let me see... the chef on duty is also secretly eating a midnight snack."
The Akita dog served as a mat under the counter, and the little raccoon stood on tiptoe, revealing half of its head to observe the surroundings, then quickly stretched out its claws and took away the plates one by one.
"Grilled ox tongue, macaroni with meat sauce... This ice cream and cake look good too..."
She also found a large tray and stacked the small plates one by one on it for easy transportation. When she was done, she patted the Akita's head and signaled that she was ready to run away.
"It seems like there's something..."
The chef on duty's belatedly realized confused voice was left behind, the Akita dog ran away with its tail swishing, the raccoon carried a tray on his back, and the hot barbecue exuded an enticing aroma.
The place to divide the loot was Yamamoto's bedroom. The Akita dog tiptoed to open the door handle and invited his new friend to come in first. Chaomu walked in with the tray, and her first reaction was to check where the trash can was - oh, it seemed there was no need to panic, after all, Yamamoto had promised her that he would let her touch the trash can in his room later.
The Rain Guardian's bedroom was decorated very differently from the Arashi's bedroom I'd visited yesterday, with a more Japanese-style decor. There was a tatami mat on the floor, and a bamboo sword on a low table.
Her stamina bar had turned a dangerous red, and she felt a bit dizzy. For a moment, she ignored everything else and ate voraciously alongside the large dog. The Vongola chef's late-night snack was of excellent quality, filling her stomach while also satisfying her cravings to a great extent. The raccoon quickly ate until her belly was full, and she squinted her golden eyes as she leaned comfortably against the Akita.
"Miss Mu ate too fast, her face is covered with cream."
There was already some light outside the window. Yamamoto, who was also full, made a small whimpering sound from his throat. He sniffed the scent of the gray fur ball, opened his amber puppy eyes, and instinctively used the tip of his nose to nudge her ears.
He was much larger than the raccoon, and when he coiled up, he could almost hold her in his arms. The complex scent of her body made him eager to try, and seeing her eyes half-open and misty, he stared at her intently.
It's so small, but when it transforms into a human, it has such explosive power. This is the first time he has seen such a special...
The large dog's moist nose rubbed against the fur behind her ears, and its breath was hot, which made Chao Mu shrank back uncomfortably, her ears trembling.
"It's a little itchy... Is Yamamoto-kun addicted to dog sculptures?" She scratched the big dog's chin and blinked sleepily. Although her energy and physical strength were fully restored, she felt a little dazed, perhaps because she had been so tense during parkour for so long.
"After all, being an animal is fun. It's something I haven't experienced in a long time...it's an interesting new game."
The Akita's woof was deliberately subdued, sounding soft, like honey soaking into the earlobe. He seemed intrigued by the cream on the raccoon's fur, nudging the side of her face with the tip of his nose. Seeing she didn't object, he tentatively licked it.
It was indeed sweet, with a hint of blood mixed in with the sweetness...which made it even more...
"……Um?"
The feeling of the cream being swept away by a wet tongue instantly sobered Chaomu. She covered her face with her paws and leaned back, slapping her tail on the tatami. "Are you planning to wash my face, Yamamoto-kun? This kind of service is a bit too thoughtful, a bit surprising."
After all, neither Moroboshi Mimi nor Gokudera Wolf seemed to be quite willing to have their fur licked. Now that she had met Yamamoto Wang, who had no human baggage at all, she was still a little uncomfortable with it.
The Akita dog tilted its head and slapped its tail happily on the floor. "Because Miss Mu now looks like a sticky rice dumpling covered in icing sugar—ah, isn't this metaphor too cliché?"
As he spoke, he leaned closer. His amber eyes shone like honey in the dim light, revealing a natural and straightforward joy. "I like Miss Mu very much. I feel like we should get along well... and for puppies, licking their fur is a common way to express affection, so I'm having a little trouble controlling myself."
...Although it seems natural for puppies to like licking people, Chaomu himself has also been dominated by animal instincts.
The large dog's action of pouncing on him was quite gentle, not aggressive at all, and it gave people the feeling that he just wanted to kiss and cuddle. The little raccoon was thrown to the ground by him and rolled around in the cushion, falling into a brief contemplation.
But she still felt something was odd... Was it her illusion?
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The author has something to say: Natural black is great, because whatever he does naturally makes people feel like he didn’t do it on purpose... Natural black smells good.
Next chapter: Licking fur (wiping mouth)
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