"Eh, Schrödinger's Cat, and Pandora's Box… What are those things?"
Nijika looked over curiously.
"It's this…"
Kitahara Makoto pasted the Kessoku Band poster on the wall, took out the Kessoku Band stored within it, and briefly explained its origin.
Nijika listened quietly, surprised:
"It can't really be the legendary Pandora's Box, can it? Will opening it bring endless calamities?"
"Well, don't worry." Ryo-senpai crossed her arms over her chest, her tone calm, "This is the Otherworld, so even if there are calamities, it doesn't matter."
Nijika: "…"
Thinking carefully, there was nothing wrong with that statement.
It wasn't like they were opening the Kessoku Band in the real world, so it didn't matter if they released calamities, right?
"And…" Yamada Ryo's eyes shifted, and she looked at Kitahara Makoto with interest, "What is Schrödinger's Cat?"
Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't hide it: "It's a new ability I acquired not long ago…"
They had already communicated deeply so many times; it was perfectly fine to say they were the closest people in the world, so there was no need to hide anything.
"Although I don't quite understand it, it sounds very powerful." Yamada Ryo tilted her head and looked over, "Can it be used to throw erasers during exams?"
Nijika couldn't help but retort: "Such a powerful ability, don't just think about cheating on exams!"
Yamada Ryo raised her delicate chin, her pretty face showing no trace of shame, and said self-righteously: "In this world where scores determine life, cheating is shameful, but useful."
Nijika: "…"
After a brief chat.
Nijika quickly asked a question to the answer book.
Rustle, rustle.
The answer book flipped pages rapidly, and soon, text quietly appeared.
[No problem]
"Very good, now we can open the Kessoku Band."
Kitahara Makoto nodded in satisfaction.
The four great beasts of physics were indeed worthy of their reputation; they could indeed be used to open the Pandora's Box.
However, to be safe, Kitahara Makoto still chose to climb over the cliffs and come alone to the outskirts of Eden Island, to avoid any accidents affecting Ryo and Nijika. After all, it was the legendary Pandora's Box, so he naturally had to be extremely careful.
Thump.
Kitahara Makoto landed steadily on the ground, exhaled lightly, and placed his hand on the lid of the Pandora's Box.
"Now it's… Kessoku Band opening time."
The moment he opened the Pandora's Box, Kitahara Makoto felt a slight hum in his mind, his vision suddenly elevated, and he seemed to fall into an endless sea of quantum, with the Pandora's Box floating before him.
However, at this moment, the tightly closed Pandora's Box was already open, and clusters of starlight of varying sizes floated around the Kessoku Band, at least several dozens of them.
Not only that, inside the Pandora's Box, there seemed to be even more light clusters floating within.
"The starlight is the reward…"
Kitahara Makoto had an epiphany.
If he touched one of the starlight clusters, it would be considered making a choice, and the Kessoku Band would reveal the corresponding reward.
If he didn't make a choice, time in the quantum sea would not flow, allowing him to slowly examine the attributes of all reward light clusters.
No matter how much time passed in the quantum sea, it would only be an instant in real world.
"The remaining starlight clusters in the Kessoku Band can only be ejected as selectable rewards by injecting more idealistic energy…"
Kitahara Makoto's gaze fell on a cluster of starlight beside him, and the corresponding information quickly appeared in his mind.
[Name: Source of Plague (Small)]
[Type: Consumable]
[Quality: Common]
[Function: You can spread the Source of Plague, and targets within a small range will randomly break out with one of five epidemics: typhoid, miasma, consumption, leprosy, or scrofula]
"Hiss~"
Kitahara Makoto took a light breath.
Good heavens, it was a royal flush right off the bat.
These were clearly the five most terrifying epidemics in ancient times. If it were in ancient times, he could even become the legendary Death!
"No, no."
Kitahara Makoto averted his gaze and looked at another reward light cluster.
He was opening the Kessoku Band for rewards, not to destroy the world.
Unfortunately, after looking at several reward light clusters in a row, they all contained things related to diseases and plagues. The Pandora's Box truly lived up to its name.
Just when Kitahara Makoto thought that everything inside the Kessoku Band was ominous, something good finally caught his eye.
[Name: Hypnosis Pocket Watch]
[Type: Accessory]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Function: Gently shaking this pocket watch in front of the target will produce a strong hypnotic effect, quickly putting the person to sleep, and upon waking, they will forget what happened during the hypnosis]
[Note: I know what you're thinking, young man, you should be careful]
"Good stuff." Kitahara Makoto's eyes lit up, "This pocket watch can be given to Mutsumi."
Don't misunderstand.
Kitahara Makoto didn't want to hypnotize Mutsumi and then take advantage to do unspeakable things; with Mutsumi's willingness to give, there was no need for such underhanded methods.
He mainly valued the watch's hypnotic sleep effect, which was a godsend for insomniacs.
Of course, Kitahara Makoto was not in a hurry to make a choice.
Since he knew that the Kessoku Band could produce legitimate rewards, he naturally wanted to browse through all the remaining reward light clusters.
"Wait…" Kitahara Makoto fell into contemplation, "Is a pocket watch that can hypnotize people really a legitimate item?"
"…"
In the quantum sea, time had no meaning.
After an unknown period, Kitahara Makoto finally finished viewing all the reward light clusters.
Among the hundreds of rewards, ninety percent were ominous things like diseases and plagues, leaving only the last ten percent of rewards that were acceptable. Unfortunately, there were no abilities, only various tools and items.
"…It's you."
Kitahara Makoto reached out and grabbed one of the floating starlight clusters.
As he made his choice, the boundless quantum sea instantly collapsed.
Kitahara Makoto felt his consciousness rapidly pulled back, and after a slight daze, he blinked and found himself back on the rocks by the sea.
Clack.
The Pandora's Box snapped shut, and to open it again, it would be necessary to accumulate and infuse enough idealistic energy.
At the same time.
A palm-sized goblet, appearing as if tiny starlight flowed within it, appeared in Kitahara Makoto's hand.
Although the Hypnosis Pocket Watch was good, the cup in front of Kitahara Makoto made him even more excited.
[Name: star moon cup]
[Type: Drinking Vessel]
[Quality: Legendary]
[Function: Placing this goblet outdoors at night will automatically absorb the essence of the star moon flower and convert it into a drink. Drinking star moon flower can treat and alleviate most diseases, and long-term consumption can even evolve the life level. Please note that after drinking star moon flower, certain side effects may occur. These side effects vary from person to person and will disappear on their own over time.]
[Note: Enjoy life to the fullest, don't let the golden goblet sit empty under the moon]
This thing was a precious item of legendary quality, clearly super rare. If Kitahara Makoto didn't have the ability [Schrödinger's Cat], he might not even get the cup even if he opened the Pandora's Box a hundred times.
One effect was to treat most diseases, and the other effect could even evolve the life level, both far better than the pocket watch's hypnotic attribute.
As for the final side effects… of course, he chose to accept them.
There was never anything that was perfect in the world; since he wanted the benefits, it was reasonable to pay a certain price.
"It's a pity that [Schrödinger's Cat] cannot specify the ability roulette draw…"
Kitahara Makoto put away the Pandora's Box and the goblet, turned regretfully, and began to climb the cliff.
[Schrödinger's Cat] came from the System. Kitahara Makoto had tried it before; when drawing abilities through the System, [Schrödinger's Cat] could not be activated at all, giving him no chance to freely choose rewards.
A moment later.
"Kitahara-kun, are you alright?" Nijika looked over with concern, "Are you hurt?"
"I am." Kitahara Makoto covered his chest with his hand, a pained expression on his face, "I want Nijika to help check my body."
"Pfft~"
Nijika's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but glare:
"Let Ryo check your body."
"Well, compared to a physical examination, I'm more curious about what came out of the Kessoku Band?"
Yamada Ryo asked curiously, her hands crossed over her chest.
"It's a very magical cup…"
Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't hide it, and simply took out the star moon cup and handed it to the two girls to play with.
Unfortunately, there was no star moon flower in the Otherworld, so the cup was completely useless.
"Let's not go back for now. Real world is probably just past midnight. After the game disc cools down, we'll pick Eden Fruit again."
Kitahara Makoto stretched and stated his plan.
Nijika and Ryo naturally agreed.
The three of them took Hana back to the cave, preparing to pass the time.
"How about playing Old Maid?"
Yamada Ryo raised her hand to suggest.
"Okay."
Nijika nodded in agreement.
Yamada Ryo continued:
"The loser takes off a piece of clothing. Kitahara, quickly get the playing cards out."
Nijika covered her chest, her pretty face taut with shame:
"I'm sorry, I don't want to play at all right now!"
"…"
They had entered and exited the Otherworld several times, and now with the storage space, Kitahara Makoto had naturally brought many things over.
Board games, handheld consoles, comics, light novels, playing cards… in short, it was impossible to be bored.
Time quietly passed.
The game disc finally cooled down again.
Kitahara Makoto had Hana guard nearby, then he, Nijika, and Ryo entered the game space again.
As the three of them cooperated more and more skillfully, and with good luck, they once again defeated the Boss slime and obtained the ability [Unyielding Will].
The rest of the matter was self-explanatory. Kitahara Makoto followed suit and once again harvested five Eden Fruits.
This time, Kitahara Makoto and the two girls only shared one, leaving the remaining few for Hana.
Hana feasted, burying her head in eating, and when only one was left, she finally clutched her little belly and looked up, saying:
"I'm full."
Kitahara Makoto was surprised: "This is the first time I've heard Hana say she's full."
Nijika: "It's the first time I've heard it too."
Yamada Ryo: "Indeed, even non-humans have their limits."
"It's about time," Kitahara Makoto said, taking out the poster, summoning the Kessoku Band girls, and having Band Togawa put the remaining Eden Fruit into the poster. "Let's return to the real world."
"..."
After packing up the trash in the cave, Kitahara Makoto set up a simple alarm device at the cave entrance. Then, the three of them, holding hands and led by Togawa, passed through the spatial node and returned to the real world.
"We're back… Just in time."
Kitahara Makoto squinted slightly, turning to look out the window. He could see a hint of morning light outside.
"Let's go," Kitahara Makoto stood up and stretched his limbs. "Let's go out for breakfast first, then head to Nijika's house."
The three of them quickly tidied up, changed clothes, washed up, and then left the old house together.
After a simple breakfast at a 24-hour fast-food restaurant, they headed directly to the live house.
"Everyone, be quiet. Don't wake Seika-nee…"
Nijika took out the key, opened the door, and quietly walked into the house.
"Nijika?"
A familiar, indifferent voice sounded in the living room.
A woman in pajamas, with her arms crossed, sat on the sofa. It was Ijichi Seika.
"Eh?" Nijika was startled. "Seika-nee, you're up so early today?"
Ijichi Seika yawned, raising her hand to cover her mouth, saying, "I stayed in the living room all night."
"Why didn't Seika-nee sleep…?"
Mid-sentence, Nijika realized.
The reason Seika-nee didn't sleep was clearly because she was worried about her.
"Are you and Ryo-senpai injured?"
Ijichi Seika stepped closer.
"No," Nijika quickly shook her head. "The process went smoothly. We successfully obtained the important Eden Fruit."
Yamada Ryo, fearing nothing, lowered her voice and said, "Actually, Nijika bled…"
Before she could finish, Nijika flashed, appearing behind Ryo, and then covered Ryo's mouth.
(Don't say such things out loud!!!)
"What was Ryo-senpai just about to say?"
Ijichi Seika frowned and looked over.
"Nothing," Nijika smiled, quickly changing the subject. "Ryo-senpai said she was very tired last night and wanted to go home and rest early. That's all!"
Ijichi Seika's eyes were suspicious:
"I think I heard something about blood?"
Nijika said directly:
"Seika-nee is hallucinating!"
"..."
As they spoke, a wisp of green smoke floated out of the Buddha niche, transforming into Mrs. Ichiji: "Nijika, welcome back."
"Mom, we didn't encounter any danger, so don't worry," Nijika sighed in relief and quickly said, "I'll offer you tribute later, and your existence time will lengthen."
At the same time, Kitahara Makoto, who had been quietly standing by, bowed to Mrs. Ichiji with a respectful attitude:
"Mom, we're back."
If it weren't for Mrs. Ichiji's words, Nijika would definitely not have let go of worldly restraints so easily and allowed him to push her down.
So Kitahara Makoto's gratitude towards Mrs. Ichiji was sincere.
Thump!
Nijika secretly gave Kitahara Makoto an elbow, her pretty face flushed:
"I told you not to shout nonsense!"
Kitahara Makoto covered his chest, stepping back, and chose to complain:
"Nijika is committing domestic violence against me."
Nijika: "..."
Shameless!
To even complain to mom, how utterly shameless!
Watching Kitahara Makoto and Nijika's small interaction, Ijichi Seika tightened her pretty face, stepped over to Ryo's side, and lowered her voice:
"This kid is bullying Nijika right in front of you. Aren't you jealous, Ryo-senpai?"
"I don't know," Ryo-senpai raised her hand to cover her chest. "But it does feel a bit stuffy here."
Ijichi Seika's eyes lit up, and she quickly fanned the flames:
"Chest tightness means you're jealous and uncomfortable. Possessiveness is human nature. Three people dating together is too unreliable. You're barely maintaining a fragile balance now, and it might explode at any moment, or you might even come to blows… So, shouldn't you end your abnormal relationship of three people after all?"
Yamada Ryo blinked, a subtle expression flashing across her pretty face, and she whispered:
"Sorry, Nijika and I can't leave Kitahara Makoto anymore."
Ijichi Seika frowned slightly and said:
"What's most important for a man is capability, not looks. There are plenty of handsome men in the world."
Yamada Ryo gently shook her head:
"Well, it has nothing to do with Kitahara Makoto's looks."
Ijichi Seika asked, puzzled:
"Then why does Ryo-senpai say she can't leave him?"
Yamada Ryo raised her right hand, made a gesture for her to lean in, and whispered:
"It's because Kitahara Makoto is super amazing in that regard."
"Eh…?"
Ijichi Seika didn't react for a moment.
"You know, that regard," Yamada Ryo said, her face not flushing, her heart not pounding, deriving amusement from Ijichi Seika. "If it were just one person, they'd turn into those ahegao heroines from manga."
Ijichi Seika: "...!!!"
After understanding what "super amazing" meant, Ijichi Seika quickly straightened up, anxiously moving away from Ryo.
(Could it be that Ryo-senpai and Nijika have already…)
(After all, they're high schoolers, doing that kind of thing is normal. Many middle schoolers have already tasted the forbidden fruit.)
(But… Is it fake?)
The temperature on Ijichi Seika's face rapidly rose, her gaze wandering, and she couldn't help but look at Kitahara Makoto, then her eyes involuntarily slid downwards.
(He's just a high schooler, is he really as amazing as Ryo-senpai says?)
(Ahegao and stuff, that's clearly just an exaggeration in manga!)
For Ijichi Seika, who was almost thirty but still hadn't had her first kiss, those words just now had a huge impact on her. Images from some bad movies she had secretly watched involuntarily flashed in her mind, and her heart raced, her mouth dry.
"Hmm?"
Noticing Ijichi Seika's gaze, Kitahara Makoto looked over curiously and said in surprise:
"Seika-nee, why is your face red?"
"Less nonsense!" Ijichi Seika quickly raised her hand to cover her burning cheeks, turning away. "Don't ask about things you shouldn't!"
"..."
The rest goes without saying.
Kitahara Makoto pasted the Kessoku Band poster on the wall, then took out the Eden Fruits.
Looking at the Kessoku Band girls who walked out of the painting, Ijichi Seika's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.
Then the fragrance of the Eden Fruit wafted into her nostrils, making Ijichi Seika involuntarily swallow her saliva.
"Seika-nee, don't rush," Nijika looked over and said softly, "This Eden Fruit will be offered to Mom first. I already saved a portion for Seika-nee."