Huh? Elation Points... increased?
Hearing the voice in her ear, Sparkle froze for a moment. She turned back in disbelief to glance at Stelle. High-dimensional beings like this kind of thing?
Please, you're high-dimensional beings! Shouldn't you want to see "fooling the world"-level Elation?
Your idea of Elation is a bit too vulgar, isn't it?!
"Ah? This position isn't good... oh oh oh, sorry sorry sorry, I shouldn't have been so reckless."
Hearing Sparkle's words, Stelle immediately stepped aside, scratching her hair in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."
—"[Elation Points -4]."
Sparkle's face stiffened. Her fists clenched.
The "Elation System" introduction just now had made it very clear: Elation Points concerned her fate. The higher the value, the better the fate. Conversely, the lower the value, the worse the fate.
Her starting Elation Points were 25, and she was already this unlucky. If it dropped further... the consequences would be unimaginable.
She had to raise the Elation Points first, even if... even if it meant sacrificing something!
Sparkle lightly bit her silver teeth, suppressing her instincts, and looked pitifully at Stelle: "L-Little... little gray hair, I-I won't blame you anymore. Help me, okay?"
Stelle: "Huh? But didn't you just say you didn't want it?"
Sparkle: "Just now... I apologize, okay? I know you mean well. We're both girls; we shouldn't think those weird thoughts. Please."
"You're right. Hold steady—here I come."
Stelle grabbed Sparkle's small waist with both hands: "Bear with it. I'll try to be as gentle as possible."
Sparkle: ...What utterly terrible lines!
—["Elation Points +5"]
Sparkle: ...Not that utterly terrible.
"Three, two, one... heave-ho!"
Stelle exerted force suddenly—no luck.
"Again! Three, two, one... heave-ho!"
Still no.
"Three, two, one... heave-ho!"
"..."
Nearby, March 7th and Firefly stood shoulder-to-shoulder unusually, both with gloomy faces as they looked at the two not far away.
Really, so irritating.
They seemed to have underestimated this girl called Sparkle from the start. Thinking back now, whether it was the "room you can't leave without XX" in The Reverie hotel or right now, it seemed Stelle had all her advantages taken by this girl.
Though they knew Stelle was saving someone, why did they feel so unwilling to save her?
Dan Heng silently stood at the very back, watching the four. His intuition told him that no matter what happened next, he should pretend not to know.
After several pulls with no effect, Stelle wiped the sweat from her forehead and said: "No good. Going hard directly won't pull it out."
"Sparkle, wait a sec. I'll get a tool."
Stelle reached into her pocket and pulled out a glass bottle: "O-live Es-sence Oil!"
Sparkle's face changed. She retorted: "Where did you conjure this from?"
"And why carry olive oil on you?!"
Stelle hummed lightly: "You wouldn't know this, but the company's four-dimensional pocket tech—Asta gave it to me last time. It can hold a ton of items out of thin air."
"As for the olive oil... March made me bring it. She said she could give me a spa during sunbathing, though after coming to Penacony, we found out it was totally unnecessary."
Glug—
Thick olive oil dripped onto her. Sparkle bit her silver teeth, enduring the strange sensation, and angrily said: "Hey, little gray hair, did you get something wrong..."
"My head is stuck... why are you dripping it on my body?"
"Hey, you don't get it, do you? Ever heard of 'reverse thinking'?"
Stelle said while rubbing oil on Sparkle: "We tried pulling your head out just now—it was hard. So why not do the opposite—let your body slip right through!"
Sparkle: "Ha? You're not joking, right?!"
Stelle shrugged helplessly: "What else can we do? Unless you want me to smear this sticky stuff all over your face, hair, and neck?"
Sparkle was speechless because she realized Stelle might actually be right!
—["Elation Points +3"]
Sparkle's inner thoughts: 666, even the high-dimensional beings approve?
Soon, Sparkle realized something else. Her little face flushed red: "Hey! Let me do it myself. Don't touch weird places like my chest!"
Hearing that, Stelle laughed: "No need."
Sparkle: "...? What did you say?"
"I said, no need." Stelle chuckled and gestured with her hand: "Your frame is small to begin with, and your development... uh, isn't exactly great. Just turn sideways—the gap between the bars is no problem for you."
"It's just the waist and thighs that might be a bit tricky. Easy, easy."
Whoosh!
An arrow named "poor development" stabbed hard into Sparkle's head.
"And I have principles. How could I lay hands on a minor, hahaha."
Whoosh!
Another arrow named "minor" delivered a finishing blow.
"...Minor?!" Sparkle's voice trembled. "You... why would you think that? Where do I look like a minor?"
Stelle froze, then asked seriously: "You're an adult? Why do I feel like you're that high school brat type?"
Sparkle: "You...!!"
Stelle went "hey": "Same difference, same difference. Director Sparkle, get ready—I'm sending you out!"
"Huh? Wait, I'm not ready yet..."
With that, Stelle steadied Sparkle's waist and pushed hard forward—
This move actually worked!
Originally, only Sparkle's head was stuck. Now, successfully, half her body was stuck.
"Again!"
Duang!
Stelle pushed forward hard once more. This time, Sparkle's upper body was completely out—only her two fair, long legs remained inside.
"Phew... I'm exhausted. Let me rest a bit."
"Rest, my Aha?! Keep going for this lady!" Sparkle shouted angrily.
Two minutes later.
Sparkle clutched her waist, staring resentfully at Stelle. This little gray hair had no sense of gentleness when acting—pure brute force. Luckily, she got out in the end, otherwise...
Hmph. For the sake of the little gray hair helping her, Lord Sparkle wouldn't hold it against her.
"Stelle!"
March 7th waved at Stelle: "Himeko and Uncle Yang just sent a message. There's new progress on the share inheritance. They want us to meet them at Golden Hour."
"Oh oh! Coming!"
Stelle glanced at Sparkle: "Director Sparkle, if there's nothing else, I'll head out. Stay in touch if anything comes up."
With that, she turned and left with the others, disappearing from Sparkle's sight.
"..."
Sparkle shook her head helplessly. The little gray hair was gone—fine. It wasn't that she was ungrateful, but there was something more important to research now:
After all that tussle with the little gray hair, her Elation Points had increased by 7. Let's see what changes come after the increase...
"[Elation Points -7. Current Elation Points: 25.]"
Sparkle: ???