manynovel Page 42
Page 42
"But what do you and this female classmate have in common that would lead to you being attacked?" Yoshiki Nukumizu asked, somewhat puzzled.
“First of all, her primary target should have been her, not me. Even the attack I just suffered was because I was taking her home.” Koshimura shook his head. “Secondly, her name is Toyokawa Shoko, and according to her own account, there seem to have been several similar attacks before.”
“Toyokawa Shoko…” Yoshiki Nukumizu repeated the name softly, “But we’ve never noticed this person before?”
“That’s the problem.” Koshimura Sawa closed his eyes.
“...Understood.” Yoshiki Wenshui nodded. “We will closely monitor her situation and conduct appropriate monitoring and assessments.”
“Monitoring and assessment are one aspect.” Yuecun Ze opened his eyes, interrupting her, leaning forward slightly, his tone tinged with urgency, “What I want to say is... can you think of a way to ensure her personal safety?”
"Also... it's best not to get involved with the Metropolitan Police Department," he added after a moment's thought.
Kazuhiko Wenshui and Yoshiki Wenshui exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of understanding in each other's eyes.
"Jiashu, with our current permissions and available resources..."
“With the Bureau of Investigation’s authority, especially regarding high-risk individuals who are potentially connected to the [Black Gu],” Wen Shui Jiashu immediately interjected, his tone certain, “we have the right to temporarily conscript or hire registered, reputable members of adventurers’ associations to perform non-combat observation, surveillance, and emergency protection missions. All you need to do is submit an application in the system, specifying the nature of the mission, the risk level, and a brief description of the person being protected, and it will be processed quickly.”
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, bringing up several interfaces.
"Okay, done."
No, so fast?
Sigh, permissions.
“Actually, I also have some preliminary guesses about this matter,” Koshimura Sawa spoke again. “So, could you allow me to temporarily participate in your investigation?”
"Well, while I appreciate your kind intentions," Wen Shuiheyan smiled helplessly, "this is no child's play... Forgive my bluntness, but a Level 1 professional in this kind of situation probably can't offer much substantial help—"
“Level 2,” Koshimura Sawa calmly interrupted him.
"what?"
"Level 2 Spellblade Sorcerer, with a proven track record in the Adventurers' Guild."
"Huh?" Wen Shui Kazuhiko was clearly taken aback, seemingly not quite understanding yet. Wen Shui Yoshiki, on the other hand, acted swiftly, immediately bringing up the Adventurers' Guild's internal query interface and entering Koshimura Sawa's relevant information.
The webpage seemed to freeze for a moment before finally refreshing.
The three of them instantly crowded in front of the screen.
Assist in managing the runaway Void, participate in clearing the Challenge Level 3 monster [Phase Spider], and assist in killing [Disorderly Ones] and [Night Eaters]...
A smaller line followed: [Note: The report was submitted and confirmed by Sumimi member Mikami Hatsuka.]
Ms. Chu Hua, you actually wrote my name on it...
She really made me cry to death.
As Koshimura was still looking down, he suddenly felt something hug his thigh.
"Brother, please take me with you!" Wen Shuihe looked up at him, tears streaming down his face. "You have no idea what kind of life I've had in the Bureau of Investigation. It's not a place fit for a human being!"
They got down to the ground so quickly.
"No, wait a minute—" Koshimura Sawa tried to pry his hand away.
[A. "From now on, we'll address each other differently. You'll call me brother, and I'll call you brother-in-law."]
B. "You still look quite charming..."
[C. "If it's not an organization I like, I'll refuse outright."]
"It's not an organization I like, so I'll refuse outright." Koshimura Sawa stood up instantly.
"No, brother!" Wen Shui and Yan dragged him along. "If it weren't for the fact that this place has a permanent position, social security, a monthly salary of 50 yuan, and it's recorded in my personnel file, I would have quit long ago!"
Koshimura immediately sat back down: "Do you provide meals here? Do you offer paid leave?"
I'm sorry, but as someone from Shadong, I can't refuse a government-affiliated position!
Wen Shui Jia Shu: "..."
The Bureau of Disorders' pills.
"Um... I'd like to say that too, but the current situation is rather unusual, and it might not be appropriate to make any last-minute personnel changes." Wen Shuiheyan paused for a moment before continuing.
"However, there's no problem having you join the temporarily formed special investigation team as an unofficial member." Yoshiki Nukumi smiled and pulled Kazuhiko Nukumi, who was still on the ground, up. "At least a million yen after-tax bonus—"
"I'll join."
As soon as Koshimura finished speaking, he saw Yoshiki Onami suppressing a laugh as he pulled the contract out of the filing cabinet, and he immediately regretted it.
Chapter Forty-Four: Disappearance
In the early morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the not-quite-closed curtains, casting a pale, eerie band of light into the room.
A hand peeked out from the edge of the blanket, fumbled on the bedside table, and pressed several buttons before finally turning off the ringing alarm clock.
Koshimura grabbed his phone from beside his pillow and held it up to his eyes.
The screen lit up, and the blinding white light made him squint instinctively.
7: 30.
Haha! I finally got up on time; at least I won't be late today!
Half an hour later, Yuecun Ze looked at the empty school gate and fell into deep thought.
A gentle breeze stirred the dry leaves by the roadside, and a sprightly old man jogging in the morning passed him by with brisk steps.
Oh right, it seems like today is the weekend.
Time flew by so fast that he barely remembered anything.
Koshimura Sawa thought about it carefully.
On Monday, I battled the Red Dragon with Chihaya Aine; on Tuesday, I encountered the out-of-control Void; on Wednesday, I was almost subjected to a righteous act by Riki-san; on Thursday, I was attacked by the Night Eaters along with Professor Daisho; and on Friday, I bumped into a Swiss civil engineer running away with a bucket...
Byd, these days are so exciting!
If he had known he would be risking his life every day like this, he would have preferred to go straight to Warhammer. As a pure-blooded human, if he had been lucky enough to spawn at a good location and met an Emperor or a Figurine King, he might have been able to live a few peaceful days.
Chapter 1: My Soul Transmigrates to Another World, I Am a Noble Lord
Chapter Two: The Emperor? How Many Divisions Does He Have?
[Chapter 3: What is the Emperor's Weapon?]
However, the most likely explanation is that it simply turned into a chaotic egg because it had too many things it shouldn't have in its brain...
In this light, D&D is still better; at least the beautiful girl isn't a gene stealer in disguise or a follower of some purple vendor.
Yuecun Ze looked up at the sky.
Alas, my life has been like walking on thin ice. Do you think I can ever reach the other side?
But... it seems like nothing else will happen today, right?
He sighed resignedly, turned to leave, but then heard a sound coming from his coat pocket.
"The lingering heartbeats enveloped this night."
Just as Yuecun Ze reached into his pocket, an old man jogging in front of him suddenly turned around, his sharp gaze instantly locking onto him.
What, what did you do?
Oh no, this old man looks like a purebred Showa-era man. Is he going to punish me, a Heisei-era otaku corrupted by anime and manga?
Before he could speak, the old man suddenly unzipped his sports jacket, revealing three large characters.
Not attending school.
How to defend against a zero-frame start?
It seems that the old man was quite a figure in his youth.
Watching the old man wave goodbye as he walked away, Yuecun Ze took out his phone and answered the call.
"Mosimoxi?"
"Ze...Zeze..." Chihaya Aine's sobs came from the other end of the phone, "Xiao Deng...Xiao Deng...she's gone...Waaah...I can't find her anywhere..."
A chill instantly ran through my entire body.
The second boot, which had been hovering in mid-air, finally slammed hard onto the floor.
------
"Aine, what's going on?"
Koshimura rushed into the police station and immediately saw Chihaya Aine huddled on a bench in the lobby, looking completely lost.
The smell of smoke and the scent of air freshener then slowly mixed together and entered my nostrils.
Upon hearing Koshimura's voice, Chihaya Aine abruptly raised her head.
Those gray eyes, which always held a smile, were now eerily empty, with traces of crying still visible around their sockets.
"Zeze...I—" Her lips trembled, her voice hoarse, like a drowning person grabbing onto the only piece of driftwood, desperately wanting to tell him everything, but because of repeated sobs, she could only utter broken syllables.
"No rush, take your time, okay? I've been here the whole time." Yuecun Ze came to her side.
"Hmm..." Chihaya Aine nodded, trying to organize her thoughts, "This morning... Akari's parents... suddenly called me... asking where she was..."
She sniffed hard: "I said I didn't know... I wasn't with her last night... and then... then they told me... Xiaodeng texted them last night saying... saying... she wanted to stay at my house for the night... so... so they didn't think anything of it..."
Chihaya Aine's speech gradually quickened, and her breathing became rapid.
"I...I suddenly got scared...because Xiaodeng didn't come to find me at all. I quickly called her several times...but...but she didn't answer...her phone was always off...I knew something must have happened to her...Waaah..."
Tears welled up again, and she wiped them haphazardly with the back of her hand, but she couldn't wipe them away.
"It's all my fault... Zeze...it's all my fault..." Chihaya Aine sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "The teacher clearly said...it's not safe lately...it's best to go in groups...If I hadn't gone to RiNG that day...if I hadn't been thinking about finding any new members...and had gone home with her instead...she wouldn't have..."
A sob of self-reproach once again drowned out her words. Chihaya Aine buried her face in her hands, her slightly thin back heaving with sobs.
Koshimura's heart sank to the bottom. He quickly walked up to Aine, half-squatted down so that his eyes were level with hers, and tried to keep his voice calm: "Aine, calm down... listen to me."
He reached out, hesitated for a moment, and finally gently put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm very worried and anxious because Gao Song is missing."
He paused, looking at Chihaya Aine's eyes peeking through her fingers, eyes filled with pain and self-blame, and his tone became more resolute: "...But this is absolutely not your fault. We are not prophets, no one could have predicted this would happen. Besides self-blame, the most important thing is to find the missing Takamatsu-san."
I'm sorry to spoil the mood, but Brother [Night Eater] should have been cremated by now, so we can't blame the dead.
"Hmm..." Under his comforting words, Chihaya Aine's crying subsided slightly, and she nodded through sobs.
Koshimura straightened up, his gaze sweeping across the empty police station lobby, where only the reception desk staff were still sitting and playing Candy Crush.
"Where are they? They've all disappeared, isn't there even anyone in charge?"
"Don't look at it."
A figure blocked the midday sun at the doorway, casting a long, thin shadow on the ground: "The police are also extremely busy."
Koshimura Sawa quickly reached out and caught the black guitar case he tossed to him: "Warm water?"
Wen Shuihe nodded, took out his phone, and quickly swiped his fingers across the screen, turning it towards Koshimura Sawa and Chihaya Aine, who had just stopped crying and was still teary-eyed.
The screen displayed several newly pushed news headlines, their bold, red titles strikingly alarming:
Breaking News! Multiple disappearances reported overnight in Tokyo!
Panic spreads! Metropolitan Police Department confirms: Nearly 60 teenagers have gone missing in various wards of Tokyo from last night to this morning...
[Fleeting? Police are conducting a full-scale search and appealing to anyone with information to come forward...]
After a quick glance at Koshimura, Onamizu Kazuhiko put his phone away and looked at him with a serious expression.
"It seems they can't wait any longer."
Chapter Forty-Five Errors
"What do you mean?" Yuecun Ze frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought.
"Mm." Wen Shuihe nodded.