Natsuki heard a cold, robotic voice in his head: "System upgrade in progress..."
He paused, momentarily distracted from the intense game he was playing with the old man.
"An upgrade? Now?" Natsuki thought, his attention split between the game and this unexpected development. Questions raced through his mind:
"Why's it upgrading out of nowhere?"
"Who triggered this?"
"What's gonna change?"
This wasn't something to take lightly - it could affect his safety. He figured it'd be a slow process, maybe taking a week or more.
Boy, was he wrong.
In just a few minutes, the progress bar hit 100%, faster than he could blink. A sleek new interface popped up.
"Huh, looks way better," Natsuki mused. The old interface had been pretty bare-bones, like some half-finished project. Now it was smooth, polished - actually nice to look at.
He noticed a notification and opened it:
"Upgrade complete! What's new:
Prettier interfaceGame reminders 30 minutes in advanceFree exploration mode unlockedAdd friends using unique IDs (not during games)First major dungeon coming soonRemember to game responsibly!"
"Whoa, that's a lot," Natsuki thought, rubbing his nose. "A big dungeon, huh? Maybe I'm one of the first players..."
Another notification popped up: "10-day mission starts soon. Get ready."
Natsuki set down his controller, his expression turning serious.
Miko glanced over, noticing the change. "Everything okay?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
.....
Natsuki sat up, shivering as he took in his surroundings. Snowflakes danced around him, coating the ground in a thick white blanket. He was in some kind of clearing, surrounded by towering pine trees. Their branches sagged under the weight of the snow.
"Where am I?" he muttered, his breath visible in the frigid air.
As his eyes adjusted, he spotted a large structure in the distance. It was a massive wooden villa, its dark silhouette stark against the snowy landscape. Smoke curled from one of its chimneys, hinting at warmth within.
Natsuki's phone buzzed in his pocket. He fumbled to pull it out with numb fingers, seeing a message from Chika:
"Natsuki! Are you okay? Where are you?"
He quickly typed back: "I'm fine. In some snowy forest. There's a big villa nearby. You?"
While waiting for a response, Natsuki stood up, brushing snow from his clothes. He was grateful to find himself dressed appropriately for the weather in a thick coat and boots.
"Smart move, game," he thought. "At least you're not trying to kill me with hypothermia right off the bat."
His phone buzzed again. This time it was Kaguya:
"I'm inside the villa. It's freezing out there, Natsuki. Get inside quickly before you freeze."
Natsuki frowned. Was this a trap? Or genuine concern from Kaguya? In this game, it was hard to tell friend from foe.
Another message, from an unknown number:
[Welcome to Snowstorm Villa. Your objective: Survive the night. Beware the Yuki-onna."]
"Yuki-onna?" Natsuki whispered. The snow woman of Japanese legend? This didn't bode well.
With a deep breath, he started trudging through the snow towards the villa. Whatever dangers awaited inside, they had to be better than freezing to death out here.
As he approached the looming structure, Natsuki couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. He glanced over his shoulder, but saw only swirling snow and dark trees.
"It's just the game getting in my head," he told himself. But his hand trembled slightly as he reached for the villa's front door.
Natsuki looked around, taking in the snowy landscape. "We're in some kind of mountain range," he muttered. "And it's freezing out here."
He noticed Kaguya and Chika lying nearby, along with several other players all neatly arranged in the snow.
Chika stirred, her eyes lighting up as she saw the falling snow. "Wow, it's really coming down!"
"Hold your excitement," Natsuki sighed. "You're in a skirt and shirt. This weather's dangerous."
"Oh, right," Chika said, her smile fading a bit. She turned to Kaguya. "Let's wake her up."
As Chika poked Kaguya's cheek, she couldn't help but grin. "Her skin's so soft! I've always wanted to do this. Wanna try, Natsuki?"
Before he could answer, Kaguya's eyes snapped open, sharp and alert.
"Oh, you're awake!" Chika said cheerfully. "Operation successful!"
Kaguya sat up, ignoring Chika's antics. She scanned their surroundings. "We're... in the mountains?"
"Looks like it," Natsuki nodded. "Seems everyone's together this time."
As they talked, the other players began to stir.
"It's freezing!" "Snow? Seriously?" "Damn, I was just in Okinawa. Should've packed a coat." "Hey, there's an old castle up there on the peak."
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out: "Natsuki!"
Natsuki turned to see a small figure in dinosaur pajamas running towards them. It was Rikka, the girl with an eyepatch he'd met in the last game.
"Rikka-chan!" Chika exclaimed, her face lighting up.
Natsuki remembered how Chika had encouraged everyone in their player support group to stick together if they ended up in the same game. Looks like they might have a chance to do just that.
Finally meeting in person brought a sense of triumphant joy, though Amamiya Natsuki quickly realized that aside from Rikka Takanashi, the other faces were unfamiliar. Natsuki nodded slightly at Rikka in greeting, while silently assessing the rest of the group.
There were only ten players in this game—three men and seven women. No one seemed panicked or confused, indicating they weren't newbies at this.
Just as Natsuki thought about how calm everyone was, a surprised cry pierced the air.
The corner of Natsuki's mouth twitched slightly. Of course, just when I thought everything was quiet...
Turning around, Natsuki saw Rikka's signature "Aho hair" happily swaying as she dashed toward a girl with long, straight black hair who was standing quietly in the corner.
"Yukino! It's me, it's me!" Rikka exclaimed with excitement.
The black-haired girl responded with a cool, distant tone, "...You sound familiar."
Natsuki glanced curiously at the girl. She was tall and strikingly beautiful, with an air of icy detachment that felt oddly familiar.
Where have I seen this before...?
Natsuki's gaze shifted toward Kaguya, who stood nearby. The resemblance was uncanny—the same cold demeanor, the same flat chest. Could it be... do I know another girl from the European Planet in real life?
"What's wrong?" Kaguya noticed Natsuki's subtle gaze and tilted her head, the red ribbon in her hair swaying gently.
Natsuki couldn't help but think that with that long black hair and ribbon, Kaguya's presence had taken on a subtly different vibe. It was as if her attributes had shifted slightly, making her seem even more mysterious.