In a crossover anime, the only way to become stronger is by marrying a wife.

However, the door was suddenly flung open with a bang, startling Kaguya Shinomiya and abruptly ending her train of thought.

"Oh! By the way, don't tell my family about this yet~"

"I'm going on a date with my boyfriend."

Fujiwara Chika's smile remained radiant.

Then, the door was slammed shut again.

"..."

Kaguya Shinomiya stared at the closed door, unsure of what to say.

……

……

As usual, Tsukikawa Shu went out to buy groceries, cook, eat, read for a while, and then lay down to sleep at the usual time.

Group gatherings and parties were only occasional; more often, it was just Goto Ichiri, Hiratsuka Shizuka, Fujiwara Chika, and Yuigahama Yui taking turns coming over.

No matter how strong she is, Jill still needs a vacation.

With more people signing contracts in the future, I wonder if I'll have any chance to take a break.

Of course, the main focus is on Hiratsuka Shizuka and Fujiwara Chika, while Goto Ichiri and Yuigahama Yui are still in normal condition.

That night, Tsukikawa Shu was still lying in bed, about to fall asleep, when she suddenly received a system notification.

[Special Notice from the Underworld]

[Detailed instructions and rules for this instance have been released.]

Tsukikawa Shuu got up.

The secret realm is finally showing some promise.

After entering the secret realm last time, almost all players tasted its benefits. Obtaining resources, experience, and various weapons and items in the secret realm is much simpler and more abundant than in the ordinary world.

This is an additional secret realm that is not counted towards the number of days in the Inner World and is independent of the Inner World, but the rewards are still the same as those for a regular secret realm.

[Rules: Players from five starting villages form a group. Each starting village can select the most suitable person to lead the team into the new village.]

Team size should not exceed ten people.

After this dungeon runs concludes, all players in the starting village, including those who did not participate, will receive system rewards.

Players participating in the dungeon battles will receive additional generous rewards based on their team's output and contributions.

However, if the players and teams selected from the starting village fail to defeat the final boss of the secret realm, all players will be punished by the system, losing 90% of their current experience points and 90% of their refined ore, and a natural disaster will also befall the underworld.

Only players selected by the starting village can enter the secret realm. After successfully completing the challenge, participating players will be teleported back to their original world.

The moment the information was released, the entire forum erupted in an uproar.

"Everyone gets a reward as long as the secret realm is defeated? Is there really such a good thing?!"

"We have to win, okay? Why don't you all lay out your ranks and see who's going to go?"

"Who is the strongest player?"

Most players were excited, especially those struggling lower-level players.

They lacked resources, were not high enough level, and didn't even have weapons. They had been barely surviving, suppressed by the monsters and constantly on the verge of death.

If the system could give them even a small reward at this time, it would be like sending charcoal in snowy weather. They would not only be able to survive, but also achieve further development.

But some people are worried.

"Deducting 90% of experience points, isn't that trying to kill everyone?!"

"And then there are natural disasters...isn't this just adding insult to injury?"

"When we were at a lower level, there were low-level monsters to farm, which allowed us to level up slowly. But if we go back to a lower level now, there won't be enough low-level monsters for us to level up!"

"That's right, our level has plummeted. At this point, we can only challenge high-level monsters, but that's practically suicide!"

After the initial excitement subsided, everyone calmed down and realized that this was a gamble concerning their very survival.

Once the secret realm is conquered, all players will be able to advance to the next level.

If they lose, then the entire newbie village will basically be wiped out.

The rewards may seem substantial, but no one knows exactly how difficult this secret realm is.

Chapter 157

This instance will employ a "balancing" approach for all participants.

All players in the starting village can choose the most suitable person to enter, but the system will implement balancing measures.

Subsequently, a voting section for each player's starting village/town appeared on their system page, allowing players to search for player names and vote.

This is a decision about everyone, including ourselves.

Nobody jokes.

Although the rewards seem very generous and tempting to the participants, almost everyone is also aware of their own limitations. They shouldn't dream of things they can't have. Winning the town in their starting village and getting the rewards is enough.

Upon reading the system instructions, everyone on the forum began a heated discussion.

In order to achieve the best results, everyone voted for the person they thought was the strongest.

When the voting period ended, Tsukikawa Shu naturally became the target of the vote in Tsukirō Town and was quickly elected.

The voting period was short. After all the newbie villages had selected their representatives, the players who were able to participate in the secret realm received system notifications.

[Secret Realm Opening Time: 120:00:00]

To balance the strength of all players participating in the dungeon, there will be restrictions on all participants this time.

……

……

Meanwhile, Ichika Nijika had finished packing her things, washing the dishes, and brushing her teeth, and was getting ready to go to bed.

Ever since she accidentally revealed her true feelings to Goto Ichiri, Ichichi Nijika has been too afraid to meet or speak to him.

A day passed, and now she gradually calmed down and finally mustered up the courage to contact Goto Ichiri again.

Ichi Nijika lay in bed, looking at her phone.

She opened Goto Ichiri's Line chat.

"I'm really sorry about yesterday. I said some inappropriate things." Ichiji Nijika sent a message to Goto Ichiri.

After a while, Goto Ichiri replied.

Goto Ichiri: "No, no, no, I'm not blaming you at all. In fact, I want to thank you."

Ichiri Goto: "I've never had a close friend since I was a child. You were the one who took the initiative to talk to me and become my friend."

After a pause, Goto Ichiri continued to reply.

Goto Ichiri: "I'm very happy that Nijika is willing to stay with me."

After a while, it seemed that Goto Ichiri had searched for a long time in her meager collection of emojis before sending over a very common smiley face emoji.

Seeing Goto Ichiri's reply, Ichichi Nikka finally felt relieved.

“Pochi-chan…” Ijichi Nijika smiled slightly and placed her phone against her heart.

She almost thought that she and Goto Ichiri wouldn't even be able to remain friends.

Goto Ichiri has always been so approachable, although sometimes she can be quite depressing, lacking the youth and energy that a high school student should have, or sometimes she can do all sorts of weird things and incomprehensible things.

But she also cherishes these hard-won relationships.

This applies to both Tsukikawa Hiiragi and Ijichi Nijika.

However, Ichi Nijika still harbors resentment about what happened to Tsukikawa Shuu.

"What gives this guy the audacity to be so arrogant?"

She muttered, "What methods did you use to trick her into your hands?"

"I've chatted with Tsukikawa Shuu."

Ichi Niji Natsumi sent a message, "Do you really want to be with that guy?"

A moment later, Goto Ichiri also replied.

Goto Ichiri: "Hmm."

Ichiri Goto: "I've thought about it too, because we do have some special reasons."

“I don’t know what reason could make people accept this kind of thing,” Nijika Ichi replied.

After a long while, Goto Ichiri seemed to be carefully choosing his words before replying.

Goto Ichiri: "Actually, there is a very special reason."

Goto Ichiri: "Are you aware of the rumors circulating about the afterlife lately?"

"The Other World?"