"Well, during the time I was lying in bed..."
After dressing neatly, Ayane put on her red glasses again, combed her hair neatly, and donned the school uniform of Abydos as she left with Shiroko.
But then, the buildings that appeared on the Abydos playground in front of her made her feel a little dazed.
"Did you build these buildings, Shiroko?"
Shiroko shook her head and gestured toward Kuroto Dan beside her. "No, it was Mr. Kuroto-san who found a way to build them. At that time, many two-legged cats came to build them."
Ayane couldn't imagine the scene. "Eh? Cats? Eh... um?"
"Let me introduce them." Kuroto Dan stood aside and briefly explained the functions of the buildings to Ayane. "These buildings were constructed not long ago, using amazing game technology~"
Momo who was far away at the Millennium Science School: Are you thinking about me?
"This is the prison. The Helmet Gang that was defeated earlier is imprisoned here."
Ayane was shocked. "Ah, huh?"
"This is a greenhouse. If you want to grow crops in the desert, you can only use this. Don't worry about the water problem. With four grids, you can create infinite water."
Ayane was shocked again. "Infinite? Huh?!"
"We built these two buildings for emergency use first, and an additional warehouse. The materials obtained from dismantling the tanks, as well as the weapons and ammunition we've collected, will all be stored there."
Kuroto Dan pointed at the three buildings in front of him. These buildings were built using the power of the "Neko King" gashat and have some game features—features that defy common sense.
"My advice is, don't try to understand. The more you understand, the less you'll be able to. So, the less you understand, the more you'll understand."
Shiroko reached out and patted Ayane's shoulders twice, comforting her. It was clear that Shiroko was in a good mood after saving Ayane's life. She had temporarily put aside her usual gloom and was able to joke with Ayane.
"I don't know or understand this world anymore..."
Ayane turned to Kuroto Dan, who was standing beside her, and bowed deeply again to express her gratitude. "Mr. Kuroto Dan, I have no way to repay your kindness..."
Kuroto Dan waved his hand. "Then I'll reserve you as my employee in advance and you'll work like a slave for me."
"Huh?"
"What, are you surprised?"
Kuroto Dan looked at both of them. "The world of adults is actually much simpler than that of children. The bigger the matter, the simpler it is—as long as it aligns with interests. I came to Abydos for 10 million credit points. I saved you in the process, so you can come work for me to pay off my debts and work like a slave for me. Don't think you can fool me with the 'giving yourself to me' method!"
Upon hearing this, Ayane's expression became much more relieved. Facing the gradually setting sun and the distant desert, Ayane smiled with gratitude.
"Ah... What a cold-blooded adult."
Ayane said this with a smile on her face. The deeper meaning in Kuroto Dan's words might be the life-saving lifeline for Ayane, Shirako, and Abydos. After adjusting her expression slightly, Ayane bowed again to Kuroto Dan.
"Mr. Kuroto Dan, are you going to look for Serika, who was kidnapped by the Helmet Gang, and the missing Hoshino-san? If possible, please let us help you."
"Rather, this is our job," Shirako added, also bowing slightly. She was grateful to the adult who had come to support Abydos from the bottom of her heart. "Next, please let us shamelessly borrow your power."
"Hahaha! Sure, sure~"
Kuroto Dan crossed his arms, his face full of confidence. "Let the enemy see my terrifying divine talent!"
Ten minutes later, in the meeting room of the Abydos School Foreclosure Taskforce, the newly joined member Kuroto Dan took the best chair as a matter of course. He stretched out his hand to project the images extracted from the memories of the gangsters into the air.
"This is the image extracted from the memory of the Helmet Gang. This is outpost of the Kaiser Corporation that handed over Kuromi Serika."
Kuroto Dan unfolded the map he had analyzed, and Ayane standing by showed an admiring look after watching it.
"Mr. Kuroto Dan, you've done everything I could. If it were me, I would probably only be able to track it to this extent."
"The main reason is that there are no more images in the memories of the gangsters. Tsk, what a worthless waste." Kuroto Dan snorted. "This Kaiser Corporation has always controlled the information the Helmet Gang can know. This outpost must be a secret protected by the Kaiser Corporation. If you just ask these gangsters, the information will end there. To get more information, you must go directly to the enemy's home turf."
"But we... are only this few people now." Ayane was a little worried. "I can only provide remote support. The only person who can fight head-on is Shirako..."
"I'm also a combatant, okay?" Kuroto Dan raised his hand. "If you don't believe me, ask her."
"Yes, Mr. Kuroto Dan's combat power is still quite strong." Shirako nodded and said, "The previous battle against the Helmet Gang was all thanks to Mr. Kuroto Dan alone."
Shirako continued, "Kuroto-san alone defeated dozens of Helmet Gang thugs, as well as more than a dozen tanks and armored vehicles. When all five of us were there, this was the result we could achieve."
"Is that so?" Ayane was stunned for a moment. "If that's the case, then... we can really look forward to it, right?"
While Kuroto Dan, Ayane, and Shirako were discussing the next tactics, the four figures of Problem Solver 68 followed the street which was buried by wind and sand, and arrived at the door of Abydos High School.
"Is this the place? The one the employer mentioned..."
Holding a sniper rifle and wearing a coat as a windbreaker, President Rikuhachima Aru frowned, revealing a fierce expression that looked a bit villainous—but that was simply due to poor eyesight and her squinting because she didn't want to wear glasses.
"Yes, the employer said to attack here."
With black and white hair tied into a ponytail and a silenced pistol in hand, Kayoko, the brain of Problem Solver 68, confirmed the target and spoke helplessly, "But, attacking other schools directly, isn't this a bit too much?"
"Ahaha~ Isn't this the evil deed that Aru always talks about?"
Compared to her petite figure, the weapon in Mutsuki's hand was a powerful heavy machine gun. The little devil with a single side ponytail smiled and leaned over. "Attacking other schools is a big evil deed that can be justified no matter where it's placed! For this operation, I prepared a lot of bombs!"
"Ah, wow... Would someone like me do something as big as attacking a school..."
The short-haired girl holding a shotgun muttered to herself, nervously glancing at the school in front of her. "Blow it all up, blow it all up, blow it all up..."
"That... Haruka, there's no need to blow it all up..." Kayoko spoke, covering her forehead in exhaustion. "As long as we ensure that all the living forces of Abydos are captured, and considering the information given by the employer, we may only need to deal with one person."
"And the reward is generous! This way we can move to a new office!" Aru laughed. "Ah~hahaha! As long as we finish this, we can earn a lot of money! Fame and fortune!"