Dragging his exhausted and heavy body out of the gym, the sky outside had already darkened. The streetlights were just beginning to flicker on, casting a pale reflection upon his face.
A sensation as if a lifetime had passed welled up in his heart. Amamiya Rin turned his head to glance at the gym behind him, and an inexplicable, intense sense of attachment arose within him.
"Something is wrong! I am not a masochist!"
Amamiya Rin shook his head vigorously, silently reciting the Diamond Sutra in his heart to stabilize his mind.
If nothing unexpected had happened, this gym likely possessed some form of Mental Pollution. It could influence the fitness enthusiast's state of mind without them even noticing...
"Incorrect, incorrect, incorrect... My condition is incorrect!"
Amamiya Rin leaned against the wall, supporting his forehead with his hand, a look of uncertainty flashing through his eyes.
Maintaining absolute sobriety during the workout, increasing enthusiasm for fitness, and losing fear of anomalies—were these the only three types of Mental Pollution?
"It seems there is more. What else is there? What else?!"
Amamiya Rin's palm gradually tightened its grip.
More than that, a distinct intuition told him that his mental state had been subjected to even more influences without his awareness.
After racking his brains for a long time, Amamiya Rin still didn't realize exactly how many problems he had developed; he only had a vague feeling that something was wrong with him.
However, whatever the issue was, the harm shouldn't be too significant.
After all, even the author avatar, Junji Ito, had experienced this pressure training. He wouldn't go so far as to pit himself against a lethal trap, would he?
Moreover, he was currently using Kawakami Tomie's body. Even if there was harm, it wouldn't affect his true self.
Gently patting his chest to soothe his unsettled mind, Amamiya Rin headed to a nearby Yoshinoya and ordered two super-sized beef bowl sets.
However, just as he was preparing to eat, back at Toto General Hospital, the door to his hospital ward was knocked upon.
The Nurse pushed a food cart over and peered into the ward through the glass on the door. Amamiya Rin's body lay flat on the hospital bed, eyes closed, showing no reaction.
"Is he asleep?" the Nurse muttered to herself, pushing the door open directly.
"Mr. Amamiya, Mr. Amamiya, it's time to eat. It's not good to skip meals, you know."
Pushing the cart to the side, the Nurse raised her voice and called out to Amamiya Rin.
Hearing the Nurse's call, Amamiya Rin gradually exited the state of contemplation. His consciousness floated up from the [Tomie Network] and returned to his own body.
"I apologize. My spirit hasn't been very good these past few days, so I went to sleep rather early."
Amamiya Rin opened his eyes and sat up straight.
At the same time, a shrill torrent of abuse transmitted from the [Tomie Network].
(Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! You bastard! You actually used my body to go to that kind of hellhole! That was basically torture! Do you know how much pain I'm in all over?)
Kawakami Tomie's piercing voice nearly punctured Amamiya Rin's eardrums.
(More importantly! Fitness training like some stinking man? Is your brain broken? My body is perfect! How could you paint legs on a snake—ruining perfection with unnecessary additions? Making me become a muscle woman?)
(Most importantly! What time is it now? 6:00! It's 6:00 PM! We agreed to switch at 3:00 PM every day! You don't keep your word! You controlled me for three extra hours!)
For Kawakami Tomie, pain was secondary. Her body was primary, but freedom was the most important thing of all.
She was supposed to gain her freedom at three in the afternoon, yet she had been dragged along for a full three hours. How could she not be furious?
(Sorry, sorry, sorry. I was in the middle of fitness training, after all; I couldn't exactly give up halfway, right? Besides, don't look down on muscle women. Muscle women were actually one of my fetishes in the past... although, because of the White Skeleton Visualization, it's hard to arouse that interest anymore. However, by exercising the body and gaining a strong physique, you all will have the power to resist perpetrators. You won't need to worry about being tortured, massacred, or dismembered, creating a bunch of unauthorized knock-offs. Isn't that a good thing?)
Amamiya Rin responded leisurely. Compared to when he was utilizing Kawakami Tomie's body, his attitude now appeared much more composed.
"Your spirit isn't very good? No wonder. I noticed it as soon as I came in. Your, um, your..."
The Nurse set up the overbed table, her gaze sweeping across Amamiya Rin's face. She spoke with sudden realization, "Your complexion isn't very good. That must be the reason. Remember to sleep early and wake up early, and don't let your imagination run wild. A patient like you should focus on normal recuperation; it's not good to prescribe sleep aids."
"My complexion isn't very good?"
Amamiya Rin froze for a moment and rubbed his brow.
Although he had said his spirit wasn't good, that was just a casual excuse. He had just slept yesterday.
In order to extend his lifespan and not waste time in the Dream World, he intended not to sleep today or tomorrow. He planned to wait two days to learn more knowledge and skills before entering the dream again.
This couldn't be helped. The time span of the dream was getting larger and larger. The last time was ten years; this time it had become fifteen years. Next time, he feared it would become twenty or even thirty years.
(What do you mean by that?)
(Hah? You want to make us do fitness training too?)
Thoughts full of resistance transmitted from the [Tomie Network]. Amamiya Rin's expression remained unchanged.
(I have already explained the stakes. We finally have a way to increase strength; do you really not accept it? You must realize, this suggestion benefits you, not me.)
(Stupid idea. Why do you think we need strength to fight? Such crude matters are not what a Kawakami Tomie should be doing.)
The thoughts of the Tomies were arrogant in exactly the same way.
(Can't you change a little bit? Don't cling so stubbornly to your character settings.)
Amamiya Rin retorted internally, but he didn't force the issue. His current essential need for Kawakami Tomie was not the enhancement of strength, but the absorption of knowledge. The person who needed strength was himself.
(However... if we can enhance our own strength, maybe we can suppress Amamiya Rin.)
Yet, just as Amamiya Rin's thought of not forcing them passed, a thought from a Kawakami Tomie also flashed rapidly through the [Tomie Network].
But it was only a flash.
The [Tomie Network] became quiet in an extremely short time, like a calm stream where fish occasionally leap and splash ripples, but mostly characterized by deliberate restraint.
Amamiya Rin lowered his eyebrows slightly, his heart as still as water. The corners of his mouth hooked up in a minuscule arc, revealing a hint of helplessness.
(Hey! Ignore those small matters. What about me?)
At this moment, the thoughts of Tomie No. 25 surged over. She questioned him aggressively.
(Three hours! How are you going to compensate me?)
(Compensation? That is truly a strange question. I didn't ask you to pay me back for the sleeping time, so why should I compensate you?)
Amamiya Rin asked Kawakami Tomie in return, adopting an attitude that took this for granted.
(You! You guy!)
(However, if you can help me bring some sandpaper and cotton cloth, and a few more cans of black coffee, the next time it's your turn, your control time will be a whole afternoon and an evening.)
Not waiting for Kawakami Tomie to finish cursing, Amamiya Rin's will intercepted her voice.
(Wait for it!)
Leaving a rough voice behind in the [Tomie Network], inside the Yoshinoya, Kawakami Tomie revealed a ferocious expression. She shoveled the beef bowl into her mouth in great mouthfuls, as if she were eating Amamiya Rin's flesh and blood.
____
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