Nearly three hours later, Rei Ao had cleared all the undead from several streets, leveling up to 20!
He could feel a massive surge in his power at this moment. It felt as though, with a single thought, he could freeze and shatter an entire street.
If he hadn't retained some humanity and avoided senseless killing, he might have already started causing large-scale destruction without restraint.
"But now, the rate of improvement has significantly slowed down."
The higher his level, the harder it was to advance, which was something Rei Ao had expected.
"There's still an hour and a half left."
"Heh, time to return and collect my trade reward."
Three hours had passed, and none of them had died. The second trade had been successfully completed.
When Rei Ao returned, he saw three people on the couch wrapped up tightly, shivering.
He couldn't help but smile.
Although the ice crystals had protected them, they had also caused the temperature to drop significantly around them.
With a thought, there was a noticeable commotion outside. The ice crystals shifted outward, crushing the surrounding houses.
Now the temperature in the area should improve a bit.
Without paying further attention to the others, Rei Ao walked toward the only closed bedroom door.
Takagi Saya and the other two only caught a glimpse of a pale figure lying on the bed.
The door closed, leaving them unable to see anything.
The silence in the room was unnerving, and the air felt awkward.
Under the covers, the temperature was rising.
"Uh... we should get some sleep and recover our strength," Takagi Saya suggested.
She closed her eyes, ready to sleep.
Miyamoto Rei and Shizuka Marikawa exchanged glances before turning their attention away as well.
Rei Ao let out a deep breath.
[Ding! Trade completed!]
It was, in every sense, a one-time usage right.
Rei Ao had followed the trade terms exactly.
Just as he was about to get up and return to his original world, Saeko suddenly spoke up unexpectedly:
"Rei Ao-kun, there's still time, right..."
Rei Ao's eyes gleamed with surprise.
"The trade has already been completed."
"Well then, as you wish."
The next morning, Rei Ao felt refreshed as he headed to school.
He was very satisfied with the boost in his power. The undead in that world had indeed been excellent sources of experience.
However, after the notification of the trade's completion, the chat group had gone strangely silent.
Rei Ao was still savoring the memories.
Without a doubt, his upgraded physical abilities were now far beyond those of an ordinary person.
Saeko might be an ordinary human, but her years of kendo training had made her body quite strong.
Thankfully, the trade had been with Saeko Busujima. If it had been someone like Takagi Saya, he might have had to hold back more.
As he walked, Rei Ao reflected on the countless times he had traveled this route to school.
The familiar streets.
The familiar traffic lights.
The familiar uphill path.
Everything was as normal as could be.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew past.
Cherry blossoms on the hillside were swept away, floating down.
Sensing something, Rei Ao casually extended his right hand, catching a white beret that had been blown toward him.
"This feels so familiar!"
At the top of the hill stood a girl with a bob haircut, dressed in a red top and white skirt.
She held one hand down to keep her skirt in place and the other up to keep the wind from blowing her hair too wildly.
It was a beautiful scene.
Rei Ao smiled and softly called out, "Kato."
Yes, they knew each other. They were friends.
The girl was Kato Megumi, his classmate.
People in their class always seemed to unconsciously ignore or forget her name's existence.
Rei Ao had been no different.
But he had a unique way of remembering her name.
He would intentionally not write her full name, just a part of it, on his books or desk. As long as he saw the incomplete name, he'd be reminded of Kato Megumi.
Initially, he addressed her as "Kato." As their relationship grew closer, he eventually began calling her "Megumi."
But now, looking at her, he could see her more clearly than ever before, and his memory of her had become exceptionally vivid.
It was as if the fog obscuring her existence had lifted, likely due to his newly gained ability.
Looking closely, Megumi was even cuter and more beautiful than he remembered.