Yukinoshita Yukino nodded, finally acknowledging Kushida Kikyo's words. "A sufficiently sturdy Stone Weapon is indeed far superior to our bare hands."
Kushida Kikyo's smiling mask nearly slipped. In her heart, she cursed the contrarian Yukinoshita Yukino a hundred times:
Stinky bitch! Bitch, bitch, bitch!
Natsuyu watched Yukinoshita Yukino act as the natural counter to Kushida Kikyo and offered a silent prayer for the latter.
In this life, you really can't escape cold, aloof girls with long black hair.
Sakuraba Ema spoke in a small voice, "Should we protect Natsuyu while he unlocks his abilities and explore the surroundings next?"
"Although I'm not hungry yet, the feeling of an empty stomach is very unpleasant. We should find food and a water source as early as possible."
Speaking of food, Ema swallowed her saliva for some unknown reason, letting out a faint "gulp" sound.
Kiana flexed her arm to show off her strength and shouted with boundless energy, "Just leave the tasks to this lady!"
Natsuyu looked around.
After his integration efforts, besides Ema and Kiana who had already voiced their stance;
Yukinoshita Yukino and Kushida Kikyo—two problematic girls in various senses—also turned their beautiful eyes toward Natsuyu, waiting for his orders.
Natsuyu had earned their trust through his performance and had become the default core figure of the team, making these problematic girls with distinct personalities willing to follow his lead.
It wasn't in vain that I spent so much effort uniting you all!
Relieved, Natsuyu looked at the four girls and spoke after a moment of thought:
"We don't know the level of danger in the surrounding area, so caution is our top priority in everything."
"Currently, Kiana and Yukinoshita are best suited for exploration. I'll have to trouble the two of you to scout locations a bit further away."
"If you encounter any living creatures, no matter the species or how harmless they look, do not make contact. The same goes for plants. I don't want any of you to get hurt."
Natsuyu remembered that on his System Panel, the Charm attribute was followed by the trait Hostile to All Living Beings.
He was very confident in his Charm.
As a child walking down the street, he could attract older sisters to feed him;
As an adult entering a coffee shop, if there were many female customers, the sound of chatting would cease, falling silent for a few seconds because of his arrival.
The optimal average Charm for an adult was 1.0, and Natsuyu's was as high as 1.3. He believed Kushida Kikyo and the others' Charm attributes were also in this range, likely not differing by more than 0.1.
If Natsuyu was Hostile to All Living Beings, their mini-maps would likely be filled with hostile red dots too, without even a single neutral yellow dot. They had to be careful of any living being.
As for being careful of plants.
Natsuyu glanced at the Gothic Girl's Corpse hanging from the Gorgeous Door; no further words were needed as he continued to issue instructions:
"Ema, Kikyo, the two of you explore the immediate vicinity."
"If you find anything suspected to be food, mark the location. At the same time, gather information on the terrain, especially water sources. We need to find drinking water."
"As for me, by the time you finish exploring, I should be able to craft a batch of equipment for everyone."
"Once we have the equipment, we will go as a group to obtain food and water, minimizing the risks."
This was the most stable plan.
Natsuyu's coordination gained the approval of the girls.
Kiana held up a high V-sign with her fingers and puffed out her exceptionally rounded snowy peaks. "Leave it to this lady with confidence! I'll find water and food!"
Sakuraba Ema also displayed an active drive contrary to her fragile temperament. "I'll explore the left side. Natsuyu, you have to work hard too."
Kushida Kikyo habitually pressed her hands together in front of her chest with a cute smile. "Since it's Natsuyu's request, I'll work hard to do it. If Ema takes the left, I'll explore the right."
Kiana put one hand on her hip while raising the other high, shouting with vigor:
"Good! Let's go, I'll go to the right too. Yukinoshita, I'll leave the further areas on the left to you."
"Everyone, move out! Move~ out~!"
Natsuyu watched as the three girls moved out with great motivation to execute their exploration tasks. He then looked at Yukinoshita Yukino, who remained in place, looking up at the sky.
"Do you have something you want to say to me privately?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I have nothing to say to you, nor do I have any shameful secrets."
"Then what's the problem?"
Yukinoshita Yukino grabbed her arm with her left hand and put on a perfect smile. "Your plan is very good. I could only do as well as you at most."
Natsuyu glanced sideways at the shameless Flat-no. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Yukinoshita Yukino sighed. "Have you still not noticed the loophole in your plan? This is the wilderness. You only calculated strength and safety issues, but ignored the most fatal point."
"The movement patterns of modern people are limited to a few specific places. Going to an unfamiliar location requires navigation assistance or asking for directions."
"There is no map here, no one to ask for directions, and no landmarks around. What if someone gets lost?"
Natsuyu nodded in agreement. "You're right."
Yukinoshita Yukino smiled. "Then, let me move with someone else. I can protect one of them."
"I refuse."
The smile froze on Yukinoshita Yukino's face, replaced by an expression of bewilderment. "Why?"
Natsuyu said, "Kikyo and Ema are only exploring the immediate vicinity. The area is very open with excellent visibility; it's impossible for them to get lost."
"Kiana was able to travel the world alone when she was very young. Her sense of direction must be very strong; even if she goes far, she won't get lost."
"The only one to worry about is you—Yukinoshita, you aren't worried about getting lost yourself, are you? Is that why you went in such a big circle?"
Natsuyu realized the truth, wearing an expression of speechlessness yet finding it funny:
"You can be more straightforward. It was my lack of consideration not to account for your directional challenges."
"Just move with me for a bit. I only need to gather resources. You can explore around me as the center; as long as you don't leave my sight, you won't get lost."
Meeting Natsuyu's gaze—the kind one uses for a problem child—Yukinoshita Yukino clenched her fists, maintained her smile, and said calmly:
"I am not directionally challenged. How could I possibly get lost?"
"Then I won't accompany you."
Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't keep the smile up. She brushed her hair back, her gaze wandering as she forced a save for her dignity:
"...But since you have the heart, considering safety, leaving you here alone might not be safe. It is most correct for us to move together."
"Ha."
One really does laugh when speechless.
Natsuyu rolled his eyes and spoke with the patience used for coaxing a little girl, "Yes, yes, yes."
Yukinoshita Yukino secretly gritted her teeth. "Don't laugh."
How tsundere and cute.
Natsuyu looked at Yukinoshita Yukino.
Her black hair was as smooth as a waterfall, her delicate skin was translucent and crystalline, and her large, bright eyes were tinged with a bit of bashful anger. She pressed her thin, cherry-colored lips tight; that exquisite face was simply cute enough to be a foul.
Moreover, her limbs were long and well-proportioned, her slender waist and various parts forming a perfect body curve—all of which manifested the fact that Yukinoshita Yukino was a beautiful girl.
The only regrettable part was that the airport on the plains was far too "wealthy," not even comparing to a fraction of Kikyo or Kiana.
But she was still very cute.
Natsuyu said with a smile, "I just think it's hard on you to go in such a big circle. Next time, just state the problem directly. We are comrades and friends; it's only right to complement each other. I'll be counting on your care in a moment."
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at the politely bowing Natsuyu and pursed her lips imperceptibly. Her left hand gripping her arm tightened as she maintained an elegant and confident smile, also bowing slightly:
"Please look after me."
Yukinoshita Yukino straightened her waist. "Let's head out."
Natsuyu raised his palm. "No, please wait a moment."
Yukinoshita Yukino was puzzled. "Do you have something else to do?"
"I want to examine the corpse."
The mysterious Gothic Girl's Corpse still hung before the Flower Vines-entwined Doorway, forming a cruel and beautiful, yet shrill image.
Waiting for Natsuyu to explore.