"They're all beautiful girls, so they definitely meet the criteria... Huh? This girl looks familiar... Isn't that... Yuigahama Yui?"
After observing the screen for a moment, Su Mu froze slightly when he caught sight of one of the girls' faces, and the words escaped his lips instinctively.
He looked at the girl on the screen again. Although she was so gaunt her features were starting to lose their shape, and her face was deathly pale from hunger and fear, her signature pink bob and gentle eyes still matched the kind, friendly girl from his memories.
"Hmm... It looks like this isn't the world of One-Punch Man, but a crossover anime world~"
March 7th rested her chin on her hand in thought. She didn't try to force a persona; she simply stated her conclusion based on the atmosphere.
"I never said this was the One-Punch Man world." Su Mu withdrew his gaze and shook his head slightly, analyzing the situation calmly. "After all, in the lore of One-Punch Man, there are no such things as Goblins... However, if this is a crossover world, then the F-rank Mysterious Being and D-rank Monster ratings that appeared when I killed those creatures make more sense."
He nodded and turned his attention back to the monitor showing the ground floor of the apartment.
Outside the entrance, the sky had turned pitch black. A biting wind, thick with dust and sand, howled past, whipping the two women's clothes violently.
"Mom... we can't get in..." Yuigahama Yui spoke weakly, her voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz and laced with a sob she couldn't hide. "There isn't even a door, but... but we're being blocked... Are we going to die here?"
"Don't think like that."
Yuigahama Misaki took a deep breath to suppress the despair rising in her heart, her voice as steady as she could make it. She reached out and gently stroked Yui's long hair, her fingertips cool to the touch, while her eyes remained fixed on the apartment entrance, not daring to look away for even a second.
"You saw it on the way here—the goblins nearby have all been cleared out. We only made it this far because of that. That light in the sky earlier was clearly the mark of a Hero in action. There must be a Hero living in here."
Speaking of this, Misaki looked up toward the towering heights of the apartment building.
But the night was too deep, and the apartment was too grand. Her vision was blocked by the heavy darkness, making it impossible to see the upper floors clearly. Only at the very top did a faint, tiny light flicker, like a star in the dark.
To Misaki, that tiny glimmer had become her final lifeline.
She gritted her teeth, ignored the stinging pain in her knees from wounds sustained during their flight, and knelt directly in front of the entrance. Her ragged skirt was covered in mud and dust, but she didn't care. She raised her clasped hands high above her head.
"Please... I beg you, milords, please take us in!" Her voice cracked with suppressed tears, but she pushed it as loud as she could, terrified that those inside wouldn't hear her. "We won't stay for free! We can wash clothes, cook, clean... we'll do any chore! As long as you give us a bite to eat and a place to shelter from the wind and rain, we... we're willing to do anything!"
Thud!
Before she had even finished speaking, Misaki slammed her forehead against the cold, hard ground with all her might. The dull impact rang out clearly in the silent night, leaving a faint smear of blood on the pavement.
"Mom!"
Yui's pupils shrank. She froze for several seconds before snapping back to reality, tears flooding her eyes instantly. She dropped to her knees and grabbed Misaki's shoulders, her small frame trembling from fear and heartache. "Mom! Please don't do this! Please... please take us in..."
She knew her proud, gentle mother was discarding all her dignity just for her sake.
Her father had tragically died in a monster attack, and their home had been reduced to ashes. With man-eating monsters everywhere, the mother and daughter had nowhere left to go. If they were turned away here, they would truly die in despair.
In the face of death, pride and dignity became worthless. To survive, nothing was too great a sacrifice.
If one were alone, perhaps they could accept fate calmly. But when there is someone to care for, a daughter to protect, one must fight for that last sliver of hope even if it isn't for one's own sake. The bond between mother and daughter was both a sweet burden and the toughest armor. It filled the heart with fear, yet granted the courage to face absolute despair.
Yui took a deep breath and wiped her tears. Just as she was preparing to kowtow alongside her mother, a warm female voice drifted out from inside the apartment, shattering the heavy silence.
"That's enough, you two. Follow me in."
Himeko's figure slowly appeared at the entrance of the ground-floor corridor. She was still wearing her elegant white dress, a gentle smile on her face. Her voice was soft yet carried a strength that seemed to dispel the surrounding chill.
Having said that, she turned and walked toward the elevator with composed steps.
Sitting on the sofa on the top floor, Su Mu watched this clearly through his administrator interface.
The ability to move freely within the apartment was restricted to administrators; everyone else had to use the elevator to reach different floors. Furthermore, the elevator had a special setting—it couldn't go directly to the top floor. Only when an administrator was inside would the button for the top floor appear on the panel. This was why he had sent Himeko down to fetch them.
It was late, and judging by their appearance, Misaki and Yui were starving and exhausted. Even if he gave them a room, they probably wouldn't have the energy to cook for themselves. It was better to bring them to the top floor first for food and rest before handling the specifics of their residency.
However, he would have to consider the matter of rent. After all, meeting the criteria only gave them the right to move in; it didn't mean it was free.
Of course, given the special requirements, the rent would be much cheaper than a standard apartment. To Su Mu, encountering these beautiful girls was a form of "spiritual compensation" in itself. In a world where food and water were no longer an issue, this mental sustenance was far more valuable than gold.
"Th-thank you..."
Misaki slowly raised her head. Seeing Himeko's elegant silhouette, she was stunned for a moment before snapping out of it and struggling to stand. But she was too weak; as soon as she tried to push herself up, her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed again.
"Mom, let me help you."
Yui stepped forward, using all her strength to support Misaki's arm and steady her. Her small hands were icy cold, but they held a firm, undeniable strength as she supported her mother.
Misaki gave her daughter a grateful look, her eyes filled with guilt and heartache. She then led Yui, carefully following Himeko into the corridor and stepping into the elevator.
The moment she stepped inside, the nerves Misaki had kept taut for so long finally began to slacken. Her rigid back slumped slightly as exhaustion finally overtook her.
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