Inside the room, the Sealing Box functioned perfectly. The internal temperature quickly dropped to a comfortable level, and with the high-powered air conditioner finally effective, the air turned cool and comfortable.
Kawashima Toya sat in a corner, leaning back with a sigh of relief.
This is how summer is supposed to feel.
Across the room, Jashin-chan and the others had regained their energy, beginning to bicker and play as if the nightmare outside didn't exist.
The night passed in peaceful, air-conditioned bliss.
The following morning, Toya reached for the handle and pulled the door open.
Immediately, a wave of heat as oppressive as a desert furnace slammed into his face.
"With a temperature like this, I'm staying inside."
He pulled back and shut the door without a second thought.
The heat outside wouldn't physically char a person, but the sensation was like hellfire roasting the soul.
Unless one possessed a high level of supernatural resistance, the influence of the Great Old One Cthugha was unavoidable.
"Oh? You're back already?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha looked up from her spot, her gaze trailing him with a teasing glint.
"I take it you haven't checked the news yet?"
"The news?" Toya asked, settling back in. "Did I miss a disaster while I was asleep?"
He had spent the night resting and was completely out of the loop.
"Not exactly a disaster, but a mystery," Utaha said, her tone turning serious.
"The global temperature is rising steadily, but it's behaving strangely.
It only affects humans—it has no impact on animals, plants, or inanimate objects."
That damn Cthugha, Toya thought.
A global heatwave is bad enough, but specifically targeting humanity is a headache.
If the Will of the Root hadn't practically gifted him the Sealing Box, he'd be suffering right along with everyone else.
.....
In the main hall, Nyaruko was lounging on a beach chair, lazily licking a popsicle.
She looked perfectly relaxed, as if she were on a vacation rather than in the middle of a supernatural crisis.
"Darling, I have a way to keep you cool if you want."
"Your 'way'?"
Toya gave her a flat, skeptical look.
"I'm worried that if I accept, I'll end up turning into some eldritch monstrosity."
"How mean!"
Nyaruko puffed out her cheeks in a pout, huffing with mock indignation.
"Have I ever lied to you? I'm always thinking about my Darling's well-being."
"Let's hear it then."
Toya reconsidered; as Nyaruko said, she hadn't actually sabotaged him yet.
In fact, she had provided quite a bit of high-level gear.
Nyaruko's smile returned, brighter than ever, as she pointed toward the second floor.
"You haven't tried on the clothes Nyarlathotep made for you, have you?
If you wear them, you'll be completely immune to Cthugha's scorching presence."
"I knew it."
Toya rejected the idea immediately.
The clothes were undoubtedly functional, but the thought of their true nature made him uneasy.
He decided he would rather stay cooped up in his room until the avatar officially descended.
Nyaruko didn't seem disappointed; she just watched him with a knowing grin.
"You'll put them on eventually, Darling."
"It's inevitable. No matter how much you refuse, time will eventually force your hand."
Toya narrowed his eyes, running through the facts he knew about the Great Old One.
Cthugha... the Living Flame. One of the elemental symbols of fire.
She is surrounded by thousands of light orbs, each radiating incredible heat.
She is the most terrifying source of heat in existence—a sun brought down to earth.
If her descent alone is causing this, the temperature won't drop once she arrives.
Unless I defeat her avatar, the world stays like this.
As the realization set in, Toya felt a wave of frustration.
To defeat her, do I really have to wear that gear?
He refused to believe it was the only solution and turned to the system shop.
He spent a long time scrolling, searching for anything that could shield him from a Great Old One.
Eventually, he stopped, staring at a specific listing in silence.
[Item: Blood of the Primordial Mother, Tiamat]
[Rank: A++]
[Description: A single drop of blood from the Primordial Mother. It grants immunity to the calamities brought by the descent of any deity.]
[Establishes a spiritual connection, granting the title: Child of Tiamat.]
[Price: 300,000 Origin Points]
If I ever get the chance, I'm definitely going to farm some points from Tiamat.
Toya made a mental note that if he ever ended up in a Babylonia singularity, he'd join her side.
"Wait, does this mean we can't go outside at all?" Jashin-chan asked, sounding annoyed.
"If I can't go out, how am I supposed to show off my majesty?
I'm going out anyway!"
Toya watched her march toward the door with a smirk, silently counting down.
Three... two... one...
Immediately, Jashin-chan collapsed onto the floor, looking like a piece of sun-dried snake jerky.
"I told you not to push it," Toya teased.
He grabbed the demon by her tail and dragged her back into the cooled section of the room.
Medusa hurried over to fuss over the "dried" snake.
"Don't leave the room," Toya told the group.
"Wait until this is resolved before you even think about stepping out.
The moment you leave this shield, the heat will overwhelm you."
Cthugha's heat was tuned to the absolute limit of human endurance.
Even those with high tolerance would only last a few minutes before collapsing.
"Brother, want to play a game?" Kasugano Sora asked, holding up a controller.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Since we're stuck, you have to play with me."
"Sure." Toya nodded, sitting down beside her and picking up the second controller.
Everyone in the room settled into their own activities to pass the time.
If they were going to be trapped, they might as well make the best of it.
"Nyaruko, aren't you coming in?" Toya called out, noticing her lingering by the door.
"We need more players. Get over here."
"I'll pass," Nyaruko replied, shaking her head.
"If I go in there, things will get complicated."
She was an avatar of an Outer God; entering a space shielded by the Will of the Root was a risk.
If she lost her connection to her true self, things would become difficult.