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Once the decision was made, Rosen brought Yuki Suou back home with him—leaving Suou Yanqing alone in the night breeze, utterly dazed.
It took him a long while before he could calm down again. But strangely, he also felt a faint spark of hope.
Rosen, meanwhile, wasn't the type to care what others thought.
Back at the house, he explained Yuki's situation to Miko Yotsuya and Hana Yurikawa .
"Alright! Then let's go help out!" Hana declared, full of fire, clenching her tiny fists with gusto.
"Sanhuko Shrine, huh… it's probably dedicated to a god. And if it's a god, they're bound to be strong. We'll need to prepare thoroughly," Miko said, touching her chin in thought.
Since this was a direct request from Rosen, she knew she had to give it her all—and make sure it was done beautifully.
"Okay, Hana, Yuki—let's hold a strategy meeting first."
"..."
Rosen just listened from the side.
The girls called it a "strategy meeting," but really it was just a quick rundown of everyone's abilities, then assigning roles like characters in a game.
Simple and a little rough, but the effort made Rosen quietly pleased.
"Alright, Lord Rosen, we're ready to head out!"
"Yeah! Let's defeat the evil spirit!"
Miko and Hana spoke in unison.
"Not yet. Let's level you up first. After all, you two have already been fighting lesser spirits on your own."
Rosen looked between them.
"Okay. Let's do it," Miko said, exchanging a determined nod with Hana.
The gains wouldn't be huge right away, but even a small boost was better than nothing. And they'd taken Rosen's words to heart—fighting only weak spirits would slow their growth. If they wanted to level up quickly, they needed strong opponents. Only then could they be of real help to their god.
"Miko first," Rosen said.
[Contractor: Miko Yotsuya]
[Rank: Novice Divine Envoy]
Strength: I58 → H142
Endurance: I42 → H112
Dexterity: I62 → H105
Agility: I20 → I78
Divine Power: H175 → G289
Skills:
Avenging Maiden: Greatly boosts physical stats and damage against undead. After awakening, can designate any target as an "object of vengeance."
Spirit Sight: Distinguishes the living from the dead. Enhanced vision, night vision, and dynamic focus. Occasionally glimpses up to three seconds into the future.
Brave Heart: Remains calm at all times. In this state, thought processing and reaction speed are heightened.
[Contractor: Hana Yurikawa ]
[Rank: Novice Divine Envoy]
Strength: I0 → I55
Endurance: I0 → I58
Dexterity: I0 → I24
Agility: I0 → I22
Divine Power: I0 → G275
Skills:
Life Energy MAX: Forms a protective barrier of life energy around the body, blocking all attacks. Deals extra damage to undead and resists their powers. Can discharge stored energy outward for large-scale damage. Naturally draws undead toward the user.
Big Eater: Restoring life energy is boosted by eating. The tastier the food, the faster the recovery. Digestion speed increases, stomach capacity expands, and weight gain is unlikely.
Rosen was impressed with their growth.
Miko's stats were climbing faster than before, while Hana's were outright astonishing—her strength and endurance doubled Miko's gains, and her divine power had skyrocketed straight to G-rank, nearly hitting F in one go.
Even in a dungeon-crawling world, that kind of growth could rival Sword Princess Ais or the original hero Bell himself.
He guessed Hana's unique constitution was the reason.
Since she naturally attracted undead, her life energy was constantly being consumed—and she refueled it nonstop by eating. That endless cycle meant she was essentially training twenty-four hours a day.
With growth like this, Rosen figured Hana might hit S-rank divine power within just a month or two—the pinnacle of any adventurer.
"Wow, Hana, you level up so fast!" Miko gasped.
"Eh? It's not that amazing, really. Hehe." Hana scratched her head shyly, though she was clearly pleased.
Yuki, watching their glowing new stats, couldn't help showing a face full of envy.
"I want to level up fast too..."
"Don't worry. It'll be your turn next," Rosen said with a grin.
And after this battle, he was certain all three of them would see massive gains.
"By the way, should we invite Mai, too?" Miko suggested.
"Good idea," Rosen nodded.
Opportunities like the Sanhuko Shrine "dungeon" weren't easy to come by. If Mai Sakurajima missed it, she'd regret it later.
So Rosen contacted her and explained the situation. After a short pause to think, Mai agreed to join the raid as well.
Since if she slacked off this time, her stats would end up dragging the team down.
As soon as she thought that, Rosen appeared by the girl's side.
"Let's go. Opportunities like this don't come often."
After explaining things to her mother, Mai Sakurajima followed Rosen back to his place for the time being.
Once Yuki Suou got the address of the Sanfox Valley Shrine, the group of five headed into the mountain, where a dense forest sprawled like an endless sea of green.
Because the location was only vaguely described, Rosen could only teleport them to somewhere in the general area.
"This place is creepy..."
Even though it was broad daylight, the thick canopy above blocked out nearly all sunlight.
Normal shadows might feel cool at best, but here, the air was clammy, heavy, and unwelcoming.
Then it hit them.
All four girls were seized by a bone-deep sense of danger.
The moment they arrived, the undead lurking in the mountains sensed living presences. And now, they were closing in from every direction.
"..."
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