Zongman: Collecting starts with Shiori

Soon, Shikimori Feng came out of the kitchen with two plates of steaming food and placed them on the dining table. He smiled and invited Yoshino.

"Come and try my cooking. I hope you won't be disappointed."

Shion nodded slightly, and the two of them sat around the dining table.

"Okay, then, I'm going to start."

Shikimori was afraid that Yoshino would feel restrained, so he started eating first as if ignoring her, and Yoshino followed Shikimori's example and fiddled with the soup for a bit, then picked up the spoon and started eating mouthful after mouthful.

“Bang!!!”

Shion suddenly opened her eyes wide and kicked the table.

Shikimori Kaede raised his head curiously, and laughed at Yoshino's shyness after the excitement.

"Is it tasty?"

"Mmmmmmm..."

Shion kept nodding her head and making vague sounds.

"Then eat more. If it's not enough, there's more. I made a lot."

Seeing Shi Shoufeng lower her head and continue eating after she finished speaking, it was obvious that she was also very hungry. She was no longer restrained, but tried her best to open her little mouth and kept stuffing food into her mouth.

Shikimori Feng felt relieved as he watched Yoshino enjoying her meal out of the corner of his eye.

While eating, he quietly studied the progress of the card device's task.

Although it is not very fast, today's progress has already shortened the distance to one-fifth. Isn't this a cause for celebration?

As long as Yoshino opens her mouth, the subsequent progress...won't that be a piece of cake?

After finishing his meal, Shikimori Feng put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked at Shion who was about to choke.

He handed a glass of water to Yoshino with a smile, and waited until she calmed down before speaking.

"Yoshino, can I know something about your situation?"

"?"

Shion tilted her head in confusion, but she nodded without hesitation, making an expression that said, "You can ask."

Chapter 83 Yoshino's Thoughts

Seeing the happy light flashing in Yoshino's clear eyes, Shikimori Feng's anxiety relaxed and a relieved smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"I noticed that you have appeared in this world quietly and silently twice. Have you mastered the method to appear in this world? Or is there another reason?" Shikimori Kaede's words were filled with curiosity and exploration, and he looked at Yoshino without blinking.

"Well..."

When Shion heard that, the smile on her childish face gradually faded, and her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was trying to recall those vague fragments of memory.

Her little hands unconsciously twisted the corners of her clothes, her eyes drifted into the distance, immersed in deep thoughts.

After a long time, she slowly opened her mouth. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito, but it fell clearly into Shi Shoufeng's ears.

"The first time... it was Yoshina. She suddenly suggested that we come here to explore. As soon as she finished speaking, we seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, and in the blink of an eye we were standing on the land of this alien world... As for the second time, it was because I suddenly found that Yoshina was missing, and I was very anxious... Just when that anxiety reached its peak, I appeared here again..."

When Shi Shoufeng heard this, ripples appeared in his heart.

These seemingly unrelated events, when examined carefully, seem to be connected by an invisible thread, which is thought-provoking.

Could it be that all of this is based on the will and emotional fluctuations of the elves themselves?

When strong emotions surge in Yoshino's heart, especially when she has a pure and urgent desire, she can cross the boundary and reach this world on her own without causing spacequakes.

On the contrary, if there is no specific emotional drive, her appearance is more like being randomly arranged by some unknown force, full of uncertainty and contingency...

Such a guess made Shi Shoufeng feel surprised and a little inexplicably excited.

If that was the case, then it would be much easier for him to find the elves. He wouldn't have to search around like a headless fly.

"I understand... Also, what kind of existence is Yoshina to Yoshino?"

"Yoshina is... my ideal... self. Not as weak as me..., not as indecisive as me... Strong and handsome..."

This time, Shikimori Feng completely understood that it was a way of existence that was almost like a dual personality - when one longed to become a certain image but was unable to do so, another self was nurtured deep in one's heart in order to achieve the expected perfection.

For the elf Yoshino, this inner struggle and desire is presented to the world as a physical hand puppet "Yoshino", which is like another window to her soul, revealing her deepest hopes and dreams.

Although Shikimori Feng understood all of this intellectually, when he thought back to the sharp-tongued and slightly frivolous puppet, and compared it to the gentle, timid, and lovable Yoshino in front of him, he couldn't help but feel an indescribable emotion in his heart.

"Is this really the ideal self in Yoshino's heart? However, to me, the innocence and shyness of Yoshino right now are far more moving than any ideal image."

His words were full of sincerity, without any hypocrisy or flattery.

However, Yoshino's reaction was beyond his expectations.

Her little face instantly turned red, just like the first blooming cherry blossoms in the morning light, so beautiful and charming.

She curled herself up into a ball, covering her face tightly with the hood of her cloak, and was so shy that it seemed like she would burst like a balloon at any time.

This sudden shyness caught Shiki Shoufeng off guard.

"Yoshino, are you okay?"

Shiono's body trembled slightly, then she slowly loosened her hands that were tightly holding the cloak and raised her head little by little.

Her cheeks were still rosy, but her eyes were clear.

"This is the first time... the first time I heard something like this... I, I'm really happy..."

First time?

Shikimori recalled how Yoshino was flustered when facing humans, and how she seemed particularly lonely due to her lack of experience in communicating with others.

He recalled the AST's unreasonable attack on Yoshino, but she never fought back, which made Shikimori feel mixed emotions.

This feeling had nothing to do with his original intention of using the elves to gain progress. It was purely a deep sympathy for such kind elves who were treated unfairly.

So, he plucked up his courage and gently stroked Yoshino's soft hair.

Shion's body trembled violently, like a frightened deer, but she did not escape after all. Instead, she stayed there quietly, accepting this tenderness.

Shiki Shoufeng slowly squatted down until their eyes were level, and his voice was so gentle that it seemed to melt the ice and snow.

"Whether Yoshino believes it or not, you are the most gentle girl I have ever met. Facing those ASTs who attacked you, you never fought back. This kindness is the most precious treasure in the world."

"Really...really?"

There was an uncertain gleam in Yoshino's eyes, and she was obviously incredulous about such praise.

Shiki Shoufeng's eyes were unusually firm.

"Although I don't think my words are convincing, I'm serious. Yoshino is the cutest."

There was a slight tremor in Yoshino's voice, revealing her inner fragility.

"But... I'm weak and timid, and I always fail to do things well. When I feel pain, fear, and am at a loss, my thoughts become confused, and then I make mistakes and even hurt innocent people... I'm afraid of pain and all terrible things. Despite this fear, I still hurt others inadvertently... So, Yoshina is my hero... When I'm scared and at a loss, she tells me that everything will be fine... Therefore..."

Shikimori Feng always thought that he was well prepared. He treated the elves kindly just to use their power to pass this so-called game.

His purpose was always clear, but at the moment when Yoshino revealed her true feelings, an unprecedented feeling of heartache surged in his heart.

Because she was afraid of bringing pain to the world, she chose to silently endure the malice of the outside world. This twisted emotion deeply touched Shiki Shoufeng.

The flood of emotions instantly broke through the dam of reason, and he suddenly hugged Shion into his arms, completely ignoring Shion's personality. He only wanted to give her the most direct comfort.

Shion opened her eyes wide in surprise, not understanding why Shikimori Kaede would do this, but she did not resist. Instead, she snuggled in his arms and found a sense of security.

Shikimori Kaede made the warmest vow.

"It's okay... It's okay from now on. Yoshino is so kind and cute, no one will hurt you anymore."

Inspired by the atmosphere, he lowered his head slightly and kissed Yoshino's lips lightly.

Shion did not resist. Although she did not understand the deep meaning of kissing, she could feel the warmth and intimacy between them, and even a little joy.

Feeling Yoshino's acceptance, Shikimori Kaede couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart.

This world is scarier than I imagined... Each girl has a distinct personality...

"Beep... The mission has been completed 30/50. Please continue to work hard, host."

Chapter 84 What is this? Honey trap?

As the saying goes, the beginning is always the hardest, which seems to be an unchanging rule followed by all things in the world.

As long as they could pry open the heart of the shy Yoshino, even just a tiny crack, the mission would progress like young buds blown by the spring breeze, soaring rapidly.

Just as Shimokage's heart was burning with fighting spirit, ready to take advantage of this rare opportunity to break the ice and penetrate into Yoshino's inner world in one go to conquer her completely, the originally silent cell phone in his pocket suddenly made a harsh and unusually agitated ringtone, like a midnight shock, instantly shattering this hard-earned harmony and progress.

"!!!"

The sudden sound was like a bolt from the blue. Yoshino, who had just relaxed her guard a little under Shikimori's gentle attack and had a glimmer of trust in her eyes, trembled all over as if she had been electrocuted. Before Shikimori could react and lend a helping hand, she turned into a breeze and disappeared without a trace.

“…”

Faced with this sudden change, Shi Shoufeng's face was full of helplessness and anger.

He angrily took out the "culprit" from his trouser pocket, and scanned the strange caller number displayed on the screen with sharp eyes. The anger in his heart caused by the thwarted plan was like being poured with oil, burning more and more vigorously, almost bursting through his chest.

"You better not be a salesman!"

Shiki Shoufeng clenched his teeth, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, his tone full of warning and displeasure.

".........."

Obviously, the person on the other end of the phone did not expect that Shi Shoufeng's first words after answering the phone would be so full of gunpowder. After a short silence, the other party finally slowly opened his lips.

"Master, it's me."

The word "Master" caused Shi Shoufeng's mind to short-circuit instantly, as if the current was suddenly blocked, and the whole world stopped at that moment. That extremely familiar voice, coupled with this unexpected and subtle address...

"Tobiichi Origami? How did you get my number? I never told you."

Shiki Morifeng's questioning was mixed with confusion and vigilance, as if he was trying to piece together all these illogical clues.

"It's not difficult. Master, you live in this city. As long as I use real information, it will be easy for me to find your contact information."

Origami's explanation sounded natural and familiar, as if demonstrating her information-gathering abilities.

"However, Master, I am contacting you this time for something."

"What's up?"

"The elf's hand puppet is now with me."

At this moment, time seemed to freeze, and Shi Shoufeng's brain seemed to be frozen by a sudden cold current, making it difficult to digest this information quickly.

"What... is in your hand?"

"Hand puppet."

Damn it, he heard it right! Shi Shoufeng's heart sank, as if he had a premonition that something bad was about to happen.

"What do you want that for? Are you telling me so I can help you with your trash disposal?"

Origami's answer was direct and frank, completely shattering Shikimori's attempt to evade.

"Master, there is no need to hide it. I was there at the time, and this hand puppet was brought back by my teammates from the battlefield. I know that it is the key factor in whether the elf will get out of control."

Origami's blunt words forced Shikishoufeng to put away his previous anger and instead ask in an almost cold and calm tone.

"So, you're telling me this to make an open enemy of me?"

"Do not."

Origami's negation is concise and powerful.

"I'm telling you this because I want to give the puppet to you, the master."

"Leave it to me?"

Shikimori Feng became more and more confused. Origami's intention was like a lighthouse in the fog, flickering and unpredictable.

Would she be so kind?

After all, her hatred for elves was known to everyone. If Yoshino were to lose control even a little, wouldn't that be the perfect reason for her to eradicate the elves?

"Then bring it to me when you return to school tomorrow."

There was a hint of helplessness in Shiki Shoufeng's tone.