Chapter 109: Ran's Assessment
Watching the group chat still buzzing with questions about why he was suddenly so flush with ghost coins, a flicker of helplessness crossed Xie Lin's eyes. He decided against a lengthy explanation, instead silently taking a screenshot of his private chat history with Haruto and posting it for all to see.
The log was brief.
The first half was a perfectly normal exchange. Xie Lin had sent the requested mail, along with a few reminders about the Ghost Postmen's notorious behavior.
Haruto had simply replied with an "OK."
Then, a full day later, just moments ago, a new message had appeared from Haruto. It was accompanied by a screenshot of his own, clearly showing the Ghost Postman attempting to jack up the price at the last second, trying to squeeze him for more.
Seeing this, a wave of shared resentment washed over the players in the group. Their anger was instantly kindled.
"These damn Ghost Postmen! Not only do they deliver items that don't match the description, but they always find some excuse to demand extra tips!"
"Exactly! The first time I sent ghost mail, I didn't know the rules. The bastard found an excuse to rip off one of my arms on the spot!"
"Whoa, bro. So you became Yang Guo?"
"Sigh… who among us hasn't suffered? I was a bit luckier. I had some cash on me and had to throw in a ghost artifact just to get through it."
"When is someone finally going to deal with these guys?"
For a moment, the chat was a torrent of grievances, every player denouncing the vile practices of the Ghost Postmen.
But anger was one thing; action was another. Most only dared to vent their frustrations within the safety of the group. For an ordinary player, even the weakest Ghost Postman was an entity far beyond their ability to provoke.
A portion of the players, however, remained silent. They despised the postmen as much as anyone, but they had already sensed something was amiss.
A player who hadn't spoken until now suddenly typed: "Why don't you finish reading the chat log first?"
The furious denunciations paused. The players scrolled down.
The next part of the log was simple: Xie Lin's reply, followed by a red envelope he had sent. But one detail made them all fall silent.
The red envelope was still marked as 'unclaimed.'
Their minds instantly connected this to Haruto's inexplicably acquired ghost coins, and an absurd possibility began to form.
A player named 'Username: Shrimp Head is Not Dull' typed cautiously, "So… big shot, you didn't actually… rob that Ghost Postman, did you?"
The group went quiet, every eye fixed on the screen, waiting for Haruto's response.
"Not exactly," Haruto's message popped up. "He offered it up voluntarily. He tried to threaten me at first, but after my shrine maiden whacked him a couple of times with her gohei, he immediately saw the light. Not only did he hand over the ghost coins, but he also offered up some cigarettes and alcohol as an apology."
Below the message, he attached a picture.
Even though they had all seen the video of Haruto's power and suspected as much—forget one Ghost Postman, five or six of them probably wouldn't have stood a chance—seeing it confirmed firsthand still sent a jolt of shock through them.
To face down a Ghost Postman and beat him into submission… was this really something a player could do?
"Big shot, you're incredible! That shrine maiden is incredible, too!"
"So satisfying! Way too satisfying! You've gotten revenge for all of us who've been scammed! Let's see them try that crap again!"
"Big shot, do you need a cheerleader? The kind that just stands on the sidelines and shouts 'Awesome!' all day?"
The atmosphere in the group chat did a complete one-eighty, shifting from shared anger to fervent admiration for Haruto.
The Ghost Postmen were notoriously troublesome figures in many instances, not to mention they held a monopoly on the crucial channels for transferring information and materials between players. For the longest time, players had been forced to swallow their anger and comply.
Haruto's actions were nothing short of vengeance on their behalf, a clear message to the supernatural inhabitants of these worlds that players weren't to be trifled with.
From the jumbled discussion that followed, Haruto pieced together the use for the cigarettes and alcohol. Aside from not being usable for direct purchases in system shops, they functioned almost identically to ghost coins.
"Big shot, are you back at your base now? Any plans to leave the instance soon?"
"Thanks for the invite," Haruto replied, taking a leisurely sip of tea. "Currently in the Sunflower Field enjoying the afternoon. Not setting up shop for now."
"The Sunflower Field? What a beautiful name. Is that your home, Haruto-gege?"
The one asking was Wu Wenwen.
"It… should count as one?" Haruto instinctively glanced at Kazami Yuuka, who was tending to her flowers not far away. Since she had acknowledged him as her younger brother, then this place could be considered half his home.
Seeing the confusion in the group, with some even asking for photos of the place, Haruto explained a little more.
"This is the home of one of my older sisters. @Wu Wenwen @Your Grandpa Hao Ran Is Here @Xie Lin, that parasol you saw in the video last time? She's the one who gave it to me."
Your Grandpa Hao Ran Is Here: "Big shot, you mean you can't beat her either?"
Reading this, Haruto couldn't help but look up at Kazami Yuuka again.
As if sensing his gaze, her crimson eyes swept over, a faint, unreadable light within them. The moment their eyes met, Haruto felt an inexplicable shudder run down his spine. His strange reaction seemed to pique Yuuka's interest, her gaze growing more focused. After a moment's thought, she silently stood up and began walking quietly toward him from behind.
Completely unaware, Haruto's expression darkened as he typed furiously.
The Most Handsome Realm Demon: "That Magic Cannon you saw me use to blast the False God? That was a gift from her, and it was just a casual strike. You tell me what I'm supposed to fight her with. My head?"
The Most Handsome Realm Demon: "As for taking a photo? I wouldn't dare."
Wu Wenwen: "Is… is this older sister of yours that fierce?"
The Most Handsome Realm Demon: "Fierce doesn't even begin to cover it. She's inhumanly brutal. You all think Kaguya is impressive, right? Flamboyant personality, powerful as hell? When she meets this one, she still has to turn tail and run. The way my sister strikes is the definition of ruthless. You have no idea, in our neighborhood…"
Haruto's fingers clacked away at the keyboard, completely oblivious to the figure that had come to a stop directly behind him, a pair of crimson eyes narrowing with every word he typed.
'What's that smell?'
As he typed, a pleasant floral fragrance drifted to his nose. He sniffed again, the scent feeling distinctly familiar.
He looked up from his screen. "Sister Yuuka, did you spray some new…"
His words died in his throat.
The seat where she had been was now empty. Meanwhile, a pair of slender, jade-like hands rested gently on his shoulders.
Gulp.
Haruto swallowed with great difficulty. He slowly, stiffly, turned his head, his gaze meeting those crimson eyes once more.
A stunningly beautiful face was inches from his own, her hands still on his shoulders. Yet, he felt not an ounce of pleasure, only a cold sweat breaking out on his back. He forced a smile that was more of a grimace.
"S-Sister Yuuka, when did you get here?"
"Right around the part where you started slandering me," Kazami Yuuka's voice was light, laced with a chilling amusement. Her fingers tightened ever so slightly on his shoulder. "What was that? Am I really that scary?"
"How could that be!"
Haruto slammed his hands on the table and shot to his feet, deftly slipping out from under her grasp. He wore an expression of deep indignation.
"Sister Yuuka! How can you doubt my feelings for you? My devotion is witnessed by the heavens and the earth, illuminated by the sun and the moon! Nothing could be more sincere!"
The corner of Kazami Yuuka's mouth twitched uncontrollably. She pressed on, "Then what you just said…"
Before she could finish, Haruto forcefully interrupted. He gently took her right hand, cradling it between both of his. His dark eyes, now filled with a burning sincerity, locked onto hers.
"That was merely my possessiveness for you acting up, Sister Yuuka. Only by making them afraid can I ensure that you belong to me, and me alone."
Kazami Yuuka's eyelids twitched even more violently. She was torn between a flicker of pleasure and the overwhelming urge to reward him with a full-power Magic Cannon. The shameless figure before her was beginning to overlap perfectly with that of a certain other boundary youkai who had far too much time on her hands.
Meanwhile, in the Yakumo Residence…
Yakumo Ran was secretly observing the entire scene through a gap. She held a bowl of freshly fried tofu, her golden eyes growing wider and wider. When she saw her dear Haruto-sama affectionately holding Lady Yuuka's hand, she even forgot to chew. The piece of tofu in her mouth plopped right back into the bowl.
She stared, dumbfounded, for a long moment before finally managing to utter a single, heartfelt word.
"Awesome."
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