Such a bloody and cruel scene not only frightened the passerby girls, but even the Evil Spirit guards trembled all over, retreating one after another.
"Hoo… hoo…"
The Evil Spirit boss's eyes were blood-red, his chest heaved, and a crazy, tyrannical black aura surrounded his body, clearly indicating he had entered an enraged, berserk state.
Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with Natsuki and the others.
The strictly guarded warehouse being robbed naturally led them to believe someone was embezzling, rather than suspecting the dog-toting staff—in the park, dog-toting staff were at the very bottom of the food chain; if they had any ability at all, they wouldn't be constantly beaten, cursed, and exploited.
So even if there was a large-scale search of the park, it wouldn't reach them for a while.
Natsuki and his group stood far away, continuing to secretly observe the impotently enraged Evil Spirit boss.
"Tsk…" Natsuki sighed softly, "I suddenly understand why criminal suspects return to the scene after committing a crime. It's quite thrilling and enjoyable."
Snap.
Chika raised her right hand and gently patted him, unable to resist muttering softly, "President, don't say such terrible things."
Hayasaka said with her arms crossed over her chest, "The President is indeed a pervert."
Kaguya cast an approving vote:
"That's right, the President is indeed a pervert."
Yukino stood nearby, her eyes filled with disdain.
"To say such dangerous things, I suggest Natsuki-kun register with the police station after leaving the dungeon."
...
Regarding Natsuki's perverted remarks, everyone except the two passerby girls, with whom they were not familiar, verbally attacked him.
"What will that Evil Spirit boss do next?"
Chika asked curiously.
"It's simple," Natsuki said casually. "If important treasure is lost, either retrieve it, or find a way to cover the deficit. If neither can be done, then it can only be reported to the superiors."
"Natsuki-kun is amazing." The female player clasped her hands over her chest, her face full of adoration. "The Evil Spirit boss is trying to retrieve the treasure now, right?"
At the warehouse entrance.
After killing two Evil Spirit guards in a row, the Evil Spirit boss's anger dissipated slightly, and then it summoned all the other Evil Spirit guards in front of it.
Because the distance was too far, it was impossible to hear what the Evil Spirit boss was saying, but a reasonable guess could be made—
"The sin coins in the warehouse are gone. Did any of you see the thief?"
"What?"
"Didn't see?"
"Since you didn't see, then you guys are the ones who stole it!"
"Before dark, no matter what, you must make up for the deficit!"
...
Amidst the angry roars, another unlucky guard's head was moved, and then the other Evil Spirit guards dispersed.
"Eh eh eh?" Chika widened her eyes. "Those evil spirits actually scattered... Could it really be exactly like the President's voice acting?"
Kaguya lightly pursed her lips and whispered, "It's very possible."
As a young lady born into a capitalist family, although she had never experienced a real workplace or society, through immersion, she clearly understood the inherent flaws of humanity.
Therefore, these evil spirits, transformed from humans, most likely possessed the same inherent flaws.
Natsuki picked up the conversation and calmly said, "It's like the Fukushima nuclear wastewater incident. Originally, it was only a Level 4 accident. If dealt with promptly, the crisis could have been quickly resolved. However, after the East Power leadership discovered it, they chose to conceal it and pass the buck, ultimately dragging it out into a Level 7 nuclear accident."
When encountering a problem, instead of solving it immediately, they conceal it, pass the buck, and use various methods to cover it up, until the festering wound can no longer be hidden and bursts open like a volcanic eruption... This is one of humanity's inherent flaws.
Hayasaka blinked and suddenly said, "It seems now that the Evil Spirit boss has shifted the blame to a few guards... Who do you think those guards will shift the blame to?"
"Eh?" Chika was stunned by the question. "Can they still shift the blame to others?"
Natsuki looked at Chika and said, "Far away, yet right in front of you."
"Eh eh eh?" Chika quickly reacted. "Are they going to shift the blame to us... No, it should be to all the stooges?"
"Whether it is or not, we'll know once we return to the dormitory and wait a bit," Kaguya said softly. "As the stooges at the bottom of the food chain, we'll most likely have to take the blame."
"Wait a moment." Natsuki suddenly called a halt and pondered, "Perhaps we can take this opportunity to complete another side quest?"
...
After a brief discussion, the girls quickly agreed to Natsuki's bold idea of snatching chestnuts from the fire.
Take a gamble, turn a bicycle into a motorcycle.
The rewards for side quests were quite generous, so if there was a chance to get them, they certainly couldn't be missed.
Kaguya and the others, of course, had full trust, and Mitsui also trusted him completely. Only the two passerby girls hesitated, but with Natsuki's previous performance in boosting, they finally nodded in agreement.
"Then..." Natsuki looked at Hayasaka, extended his right hand, and said, "First, copy the skill."
Hayasaka pursed her lips and placed her soft hand into Natsuki's.
Chika exclaimed in surprise beside them, "I never thought the transformation skill was so good before, but it turns out to be super useful."
Hayasaka's lips curved slightly upward.
"...That's natural."
When she chose this skill, she never intended to take the combat route.
To truly fight monsters in the dungeon with real weapons?
Wake up, girl, Time has changed!
A moment later.
With the skill copied, Natsuki left the party alone and quietly approached the Evil Spirit boss, who was radiating killing intent, then directly activated the Time Stop skill.
Three seconds ended.
Natsuki, having obtained transformation information through physical touch, quietly retreated and returned to the girls' side.
"Done." Natsuki waved his hand and said, "Let's go to the cafeteria again."
...
The girls didn't hesitate and immediately rushed to the cafeteria. On the way to the cafeteria, Natsuki also copied the transformation skill to the others.
The cafeteria was full of stooges. The few Evil Spirit guards who had been blamed earlier had already arrived and, as Natsuki had expected, began their menacing debt collection. Any stooge who dared to resist was met with an unreasonable beating.
The cafeteria was in a mess, and six or seven stooges were already lying on the ground, wailing and rolling.
Fortunately, these Evil Spirit guards knew not to push too hard and didn't completely drain all the sin coins from the stooges. Therefore, although most of the stooges were very unhappy, they still obediently paid the money.
Weakness is the original sin.
Whether in reality or in the dungeon, this statement is an unchanging truth.
It's just that in reality, taking advantage of the weak is met with moral condemnation and legal sanctions, while in the dungeon, there is only primal instinct and violence.
"It's my turn to enter."
Natsuki took a deep breath, silently activated the transformation skill, and under the gaze of the girls, his body rapidly stretched and grew taller, finally transforming into an Evil Spirit boss two and a half meters tall with blood-red eyes.
"Tsk, the height difference is too great..."
Natsuki looked down, and even Yukino, the tallest among them, had become dwarves. All the girls could only reach his waist.
If Juju were here, she would probably only be able to reach Natsuki's knees.
"The President is so big." Chika looked up. "I can't even see his face."
"It's best not to look at that face," Hayasaka retorted. "You'll have nightmares at night."
Kaguya nodded slightly:
"...It's really scary."
Hey, hey, I'm an evil spirit now, so it's normal to look fierce and menacing, right?
If I looked like a pretty boy, how could I command other evil spirits!
"Wait for my news."
Natsuki nodded slightly, turned, and strode directly towards the cafeteria.
Rumble.
Amidst the booming footsteps, Natsuki strode to the cafeteria entrance. The top of the door, which he couldn't reach before, now required him to bend down to enter.
"Manager?"
Seeing Natsuki appear, the few Evil Spirit guards who were openly robbing immediately quieted down.
"You all come out."
Natsuki's voice was low, and after dropping a sentence, he turned and walked out of the cafeteria.
Although they didn't know why the 'Manager' wasn't carrying his usual weapon, the Evil Spirit guards dared not disobey and followed him out.
"Manager, why do you want us to come out?"
An Evil Spirit guard with eyes all over its face asked cautiously.
Natsuki extended his right hand and said coldly, "Give me all the sin coins."
An Evil Spirit guard whispered, "But there's still a lot missing..."
Natsuki narrowed his eyes:
"Hmm?!"
...
One look, one soft hum, and no Evil Spirit guards dared to speak again. They all took out the sin coins they had just extorted and handed them to Natsuki.
After the extortion ended, Natsuki immediately received a notification from the game:
[Side Quest: My Hands Are Stained with Sin, Completed]
[You have accumulated over one hundred sin coins through fraudulent, coercive, kidnapping, extortion, and other sinful means.]
This side quest was actually relatively simple. There was no time limit, and it could be completed anytime before the main quest ended. However, for ordinary players, it was still not an easy goal to achieve.
"Manager, shall we go back and continue raising funds?"
An Evil Spirit guard asked in a low voice.
"No need..."
Natsuki put the sin coins into his pocket and then decisively activated Time Stop.
Three seconds were enough for him to cover the heads of all the Evil Spirit guards with a black cloth bag.
"Manager, what are you doing?"
Suddenly losing their sight, the Evil Spirit guards immediately panicked and were about to remove the hoods from their heads.
"Stand still! Don't move!"
Natsuki growled, his voice fierce.
The lingering prestige of 'killing two unlucky guys in a row' was still present, and no Evil Spirit guards dared to resist. They all lowered their hands.
Natsuki's voice was low and fierce, speaking nonsense with a straight face:
"The warehouse was stolen, and you few are still the biggest suspects..."
Upon hearing this, the Evil Spirit guards all cried out their grievances.
"Manager, you've misunderstood!"
"We really didn't steal from the warehouse!"
"It must be someone else, it has nothing to do with us!"
...
"Shut up!"
Natsuki's voice was low as he continued to play the role of the Evil Spirit boss:
"Words alone are not enough, so I've thought of a lie detection method... You will put on hoods, stand still, and no matter what happens, do not move. If you can last for half an hour, I will believe your innocence."
A group of Evil Spirit guards patted their chests and guaranteed:
"Manager, don't worry!"
"Let alone half an hour, even standing for an entire day is no problem!"
"I really didn't steal from the warehouse!"
"..."
Natsuki ignored these Evil Spirit guards, turned his head, and gently waved towards the corner.
Not long after, several girls, none other than Kaguya and Yukino, quietly walked out from the dark corner.
The girls tiptoed, silently walking up to the Evil Spirit guards, each choosing one. After a simple touch, they copied and read the information, then used their transformation skill.
With a shake, they quickly transformed into the appearance of several Evil Spirit guards.
"President, we're going."
Chika waved her hand, whispering with her mouth.
Natsuki nodded slightly, staying put and watching Kaguya and Yukino walk into the cafeteria.
Leaving aside that the cafeteria was full of terrified stooges, even if someone did resist, Natsuki trusted Yukino and Kaguya's abilities.
In comparison, staying to watch over these Evil Spirit guards and prevent them from becoming suspicious was actually more important.
Time passed minute by minute.
Natsuki waited patiently without rushing. Fortunately, not long after, the Evil Spirit guards transformed from the girls walked out of the cafeteria.
Upon reaching an empty corner, the girls deactivated their transformation skill, returning to their original appearance. Immediately after, Natsuki's pinky finger trembled.
Chika transmitted a message via the red string:
"President, President, it's time to make a run for it!"
"..."
Natsuki nodded in response, glanced at the Evil Spirit guards still standing quietly in a row with black hoods on, and silently retreated, quietly leaving without a sound.
A moment later.
Natsuki reunited with the girls in the corner.
"How are things?" Natsuki asked.
Chika smiled brightly, made a peace sign, and said in a clear voice:
"Of course, it's done!"
"Natsuki-sama is amazing!" The female player clasped her hands to her chest, her face full of adoration. If it was a pretense before, now it was genuine adoration from the bottom of her heart. Her address had unconsciously changed to 'Natsuki-sama'. "We just completed another side quest!"
"Mm-hmm."
The passerby player, who rarely spoke, also had a flushed face and nodded excitedly.
As new players, their only goal after entering the dungeon was to cautiously survive until the dungeon ended, never planning for any side quests. No matter how generous the rewards, nothing was more important than life.
But if a side quest could be completed easily, they naturally couldn't refuse.
After committing a shocking heist, Natsuki and the others still didn't leave, but instead hid in the corner, secretly observing.
Half an hour passed in a blink of an eye.
The Evil Spirit boss, who had been waiting and waiting without any news, finally couldn't hold back and came looking for them himself.
Accompanied by rumbling footsteps, the Evil Spirit boss walked up to the Evil Spirit guards standing in a row, reached out and pulled off a guy's black hood, and said in a muffled voice:
"What are you... doing standing here?"
The Evil Spirit guard whose hood was pulled off had a bewildered expression and said cautiously:
"It was you, Manager, who told us to stand here."
Red light flickered in the Evil Spirit boss's eyes, and he said with killing intent:
"When did I say that?"
"Just a moment ago..."
"..."
"President, President." Chika's spirits lifted, and she whispered, "That Evil Spirit boss has finally appeared."
"I see it." Natsuki nodded lightly.
The female player lowered her voice, nervously saying:
"That Evil Spirit boss must know about our existence now, right?"
Natsuki said softly:
"That's exactly what we want it to know."
There were many employees in the park, besides the stooges, there were also many beautiful female dealers and chat service personnel. If the target was shifted to other low-level park employees, it might actually plug the hole.
But now, knowing that a mysterious and elusive force of black-hearted bandits had appeared in the park, the Evil Spirit boss would most likely no longer conceal it, because everyone in the park could be an 'internal spy', and it would be impossible to find them.
"Be vigilant." Kaguya crossed her arms and reminded softly, "Perhaps some evil spirits have the ability to see through identities."
Natsuki immediately said:
"Lord Kaguya is right, everyone must not get carried away."
Kaguya couldn't help but glare at him, her pretty face slightly red:
"President, quiet down."
"Yes, yes."
"..."
Upon discovering that a force of black-hearted bandits capable of disguising their identities at will had appeared in the park, the Evil Spirit boss had only two ways to respond.
The first method was to call for reinforcements.
Once reinforcements were called, it proved that there was no way to see through Natsuki and the others' disguised identities.
If it still chose to ignore it and continue to exploit the low-level stooges, then it was highly likely that it had some kind of ability to see through transformations, and vigilance would have to be raised.
"What if it calls everyone to the playground and then interrogates them one by one?" Chika tilted her head and asked.
"Although the stooges are the lowest level in the park, they are also evil spirits..." Yukino pursed her lips and said softly, "If pushed into a corner, they will definitely resist."
The Evil Spirit boss, having discovered the truth, flew into a rage, smashing another unlucky evil spirit's head, then took out an old brick-sized phone and started dialing a number.
"Eh?" Chika blinked and whispered, "Is that Evil Spirit boss going to call for outside help?"
Natsuki said in a low voice:
"That's right, it seems it hasn't found our ability."
"..."
After patiently waiting for half an hour, the park's gate, covered in bloody thorns, finally opened for the first time.
Natsuki stood in the shadows, narrowing his eyes as he looked over.
He saw four evil spirits carrying a huge palanquin, quietly walking in.
The previous Evil Spirit boss was already kneeling on the ground, and from his standard dogeza kneeling posture, it was clear he was a Fukushima nuclear waste person in his previous life.
The palanquin landed.
A pale hand lifted the curtain, and then a tall, giant woman in a cheongsam slowly walked out.
"Hmm?"
Natsuki's eyes widened slightly.
"I didn't expect it to be an acquaintance..."