Chapter 161 : Jogo, a Useful Experience-Grinding Machine
How should he put it? Jiang Lai's current mood was exactly like when he first saw Jogo's declaration in the original work: "Gojo Satoru, I shall be the one to defeat you!"
The main issue was that his habit of feeling secondhand embarrassment for others was acting up again!
However, Jiang Lai had good psychological resilience. He quickly adjusted his expression and didn't waste words explaining. After all, enemy intelligence confusion was beneficial to them.
Jiang Lai continued using the [Electronic Spirits] technique, providing remote assistance through his phone.
Because the wolf dog Matsuda had his own consciousness, Jiang Lai didn't need to control him in real time.
What Jiang Lai was currently doing was adding auxiliary potions to the demon-horned wolf dog on the game page in [Electronic Spirits] mode, replenishing blue and health bars, and collecting experience points.
Speaking of experience points... Jiang Lai still remembered the game setting that reaching level 60 would allow evolution.
As mentioned before, this game's main feature was evolution uncertainty and diversity.
He wondered what his Detective Conan friends' spirit shikigami would become if they evolved.
Thinking of this, he glanced at the level above the wolf dog Matsuda's head.
Participating in battles would make spirit shikigami level up faster, and the higher the level of combat they participated in, the richer the experience gained.
Previously, Little Sheep Jiang Lai had always hidden his strength and hadn't really grinded experience points.
Now, fighting against the special grade cursed spirit Jogo made the level bar above wolf dog Matsuda's head rise rapidly. Obviously, Jogo, being a special grade cursed spirit, belonged to the enemy category in high-level combat.
In a flash of lightning, a light bulb went off in Jiang Lai's mind: wasn't this the perfect time for grinding experience?
Jiang Lai had originally planned to withdraw after rescuing Nanami Kento, then switch to his main body later to explore, negotiate, or fight.
However, now he slightly changed his mind, planning to maneuver around with Matsuda Jinpei for a while, grinding experience points before retreating. Such a good opportunity couldn't be wasted.
Jogo, a useful experience-grinding machine (not really)!
……
Nanami Kento's consciousness gradually returned.
His subconscious was still stuck on flames, blood, the youth, and the volcano-head cursed spirit. The process of breaking away from dream fragments was like slowly floating up from the bottom of water, finally emerging from the heavy lake water after brief suffocating darkness.
Nanami Kento instinctively took deep breaths, his eyes suddenly opening wide!
"You're awake, Nanami-senpai?"
A gentle voice came from beside him. After a few seconds, Nanami Kento focused his attention and recognized it as Okkotsu Yuta's voice.
At the same time, the surrounding scenery also entered his vision.
This seemed to be inside a small hospital or sanatorium. Outside the window grew an unknown tree, its tender leaves pressed against the glass, with warm light filtering through and falling on the thin blanket covering him.
Okkotsu Yuta sat in a chair beside the bed, his sword bag leaning against the bedside table. His expression showed concern.
"......" Nanami Kento was silent for half a second, then spoke: "What time is it now?"
His head still ached somewhat, with various chaotic images crowded inside, making it difficult to ask those questions in an orderly manner.
So Nanami Kento decided to confirm the time first.
"It's currently 7:42 in the morning." Okkotsu Yuta looked at his phone clock. "From yesterday to this morning, you were unconscious for about half a day."
"I'm sorry. Although I can also use output-type reverse cursed technique, I'm not as skilled as Ieiri-san. I couldn't completely heal your wounds that were invaded by cursed energy." Okkotsu Yuta raised his eyes, his expression showing some embarrassment. "I'm afraid Nanami-senpai will need to rest here for a while."
"...It's fine, and thank you." Nanami Kento nodded in reply.
Okkotsu Yuta's words made Nanami Kento certain that yesterday's events weren't dreams caused by excessive stress. In fact, after waking up, he could feel his dominant hand still aching slightly.
If everything that happened yesterday was real, then...
Nanami Kento immediately asked: "Where's Watanabe?"
"Mirai? He went out to buy breakfast. There's a very nice shop nearby." Okkotsu Yuta lifted his phone to indicate. "I just told him you woke up. He said he'd bring your breakfast too."
It seemed the other party was fine. Although Nanami Kento still remembered the youth's heroic figure from yesterday, he couldn't help but feel tense for a moment. Now hearing Okkotsu Yuta's answer, he knew the little youth was safe.
After confirming Little Sheep was secure, the chaotic thoughts in Nanami Kento's mind finally gradually calmed down. Once emotions settled, reason gradually became prominent.
"......" Nanami Kento paused and asked: "Were you the one who found me yesterday?"
"It was Watanabe who brought you. To be precise, it was Mirai's spirit shikigami, a white unicorn. That unicorn brought you to me." Okkotsu Yuta paused.
So Okkotsu Yuta hadn't participated in the scene at that time, and Watanabe had single-handedly dealt with that special grade cursed spirit?
Nanami Kento's thinking stalled again for a moment.
Even now, when comparing past memories with yesterday's image, he still experienced some mental crashes.
In his memory, Watanabe was a genius youth who would sleep in, rush homework before school, had clever mischievous ideas but was essentially good-natured, radiating the youth and vitality children his age should have, his poor health not limiting his liveliness.
But yesterday, the brown-haired youth had completely changed from his naive demeanor. At the critical moment, he gripped Nanami's cleaver and swung a powerful cursed blade, summoning incredibly powerful spirit shikigami! His usually smiling face was rarely focused, those dark eyes incredibly calm, his gaze like a substantial sword.
Recalling yesterday's battlefield, Nanami Kento seemed to still faintly feel that aura.
Even though his consciousness had been hazy from excessive blood loss at the time, he was still shocked by the brown-haired youth standing in the storm's center amid the thunder and flame roars.
...Was this the child he had taken in and cared for?
Nanami Kento had some doubts.
He seemed different from before.
But perhaps it was because he had never truly understood him.
Past memories combined with yesterday's battlefield was the real him.
After brief fluctuations, Nanami Kento's thoughts finally calmed down.
Regardless, Watanabe's actions yesterday were to save him. He knew the youth's soul wasn't bad, and having that was enough. The other party was still the same person, just with more powerful abilities.
This was a good thing. He would be happy for the little youth.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Okkotsu Yuta called out "Please come in," and after the door opened, the brown-haired youth walked in carrying things.
"Nanami-san!" the brown-haired youth called out first, his voice full of joy. "You're awake, that's wonderful!"
"I'm fine." Nanami Kento replied.
Little Sheep Jiang Lai stepped forward, carrying three servings of Japanese egg rice bowls and miso soup he'd just bought: "I bought breakfast, we can eat while it's hot."
Eating on the hospital bed wasn't convenient. Since Nanami Kento's condition after waking allowed him to get out of bed, they shared breakfast together at the round table configured in this private room.
Little Sheep Jiang Lai kept waiting for Nanami Kento to question him. He knew yesterday's scene must have been extremely shocking, and logically Nanami would ask him about it.
However, what surprised him somewhat was that Nanami Kento never brought up this matter throughout.
He only briefly mentioned his mission here: handling cursed spirit attacks on people near Mount Fuji scenic area. Then he asked a few questions about Little Sheep Jiang Lai's training situation.
After breakfast was finished and cleaned up, Okkotsu Yuta went downstairs to handle follow-up care procedures, leaving only Little Sheep Jiang Lai and Nanami Kento in the room.
This time, Jiang Lai proactively said: "Doesn't Nanami-san have anything he wants to ask me?" He smiled. "Or has Nanami-san already learned about it from Brother Okkotsu?"
"I only asked Okkotsu who found me yesterday." Nanami Kento said. "Thank you for your hard work, Watanabe. Yesterday, it was thanks to you."
His voice still carried an adult's steadiness, but was mixed with genuine emotion.
Little Sheep Jiang Lai was slightly stunned, blinking as he said: "Ah... it's rare to hear Nanami-san praise me like this, I'm a bit embarrassed."
Then he shifted the conversation: "I thought Nanami-san would ask me why I'm so strong."
"Everyone has their own secrets. You're already a youth with independent thoughts, you don't need to tell me, your guardian, everything." Nanami Kento's tone was calm, his words sincere. "I don't need to know why about this. I'm happy for you that you can possess such powerful abilities."
Little Sheep Jiang Lai was somewhat surprised, his dark eyes gazing at the adult before him.
Nanami Kento said: "You and Okkotsu should have your own business to handle, so go do it. Don't worry about me. I'll rest here according to medical orders, then return."
Having been tempered by years in society, Nanami Kento had keen observational skills. After learning of Little Sheep Jiang Lai's abilities, he guessed much more.
The so-called special training, the gesture of visiting Tengen before leaving, the reason for coincidentally appearing around Mount Fuji... combining various factors gave Nanami Kento vague perceptions.
Although he didn't know specifically what the two were going to do, he understood it must be something that needed to be kept secret and was of great importance.
Nanami Kento's gaze fell over, meeting Little Sheep Jiang Lai's eyes. Those mature eyes contained tolerance and encouragement. He rarely curved his lips slightly, his usually serious face softening somewhat as he said:
"My reading material is usually economics-related, I rarely read light novels, but I've heard of stories about youths saving the world. You are also the protagonists of such stories."
"I always think about shouldering the responsibility of an adult to protect you. But looking at it now, I, the adult, was protected by you instead."
As Nanami Kento spoke, when his voice softened, it carried some low, magnetic quality.
"......" Little Sheep Jiang Lai lifted his head slightly, his eyes like pure gems: "Nanami-san also protected me. You gave me a home where I could live peacefully."
The youth's voice rang in Nanami Kento's ears, stirring ripples in his heart.
Nanami Kento had previously cared for the youth with a sense of responsibility, but now looking back, he discovered that life was actually the interweaving of two people, never one-sided giving and taking.
"You also gave me a home." Nanami Kento finally said.