Around noon, Lin Luo sat on a sofa in the hotel room, watching the girl across from him as she combed her hair with complete indifference. His expression was deeply conflicted. Zero Point Novel.

They had left Wujin City about a week ago, arriving at this city yesterday and checking into a large hotel that evening. It wasn't just any single room - a suite with three bedrooms and one living area. Five people sharing the space together didn't feel overly cramped or awkward despite their numbers.

As for the name of the city... Sanngan? Sannan? Or maybe "Sandwich City"? Pfft... For non-cute things, Lin Luo's memory was notoriously terrible. Even though they'd been here two days now, he still hadn't memorized this city's name.

But it didn't really matter - for them, this place was just a temporary stopover anyway. The city name wasn't some magical hot spring of cute girls, so that information could go rot in the deep recesses of his mind.

The journey had been exhausting, so everyone slept until 10 am before waking up. After quick morning routines and lunch, Index, Rin and Maiya - those three little super-powered toddlers who'd just completed their transformations - excitedly ran out to play... Actually, mainly because there was an arcade next door the hotel which made Index hyper-excited. Though Rin and Maiya weren't really gamers themselves, they still went with her.

Now only Lin Luo and Tokiwagakure remained in the hotel room...

There seemed to be something about to happen soon.

"You planning on staying here for how many days?" Tokiwagakure asked as she sat by the bed, toweling water off her hair while sipping milk from a bottle.

Her long golden hair was damp and straight, occasionally dripping with droplets. Wrapped in only a towel, nearly all of her arms, collarbones and thighs were exposed, her porcelain skin radiating an undeniably intoxicating glow... Observing this scene before him, Lin Luo felt immense pressure but also extreme excitement.

"Depends on circumstances," he replied, deliberately avoiding staring at the girl. This wasn't because she was unattractive - quite the opposite. For a guy like Lin Luo who considered himself a "magician", the Queen's seductive aura was absolutely lethal, with her attractiveness rating around 50,000 points.

Especially those Grade D curves under her towel that swayed slightly with each movement of hers... Even through fabric, her nearly perfect figure was clearly visible. Lin Luo worried - if this state continued any longer, would his alternate self finally break free?

"Mmmhmm..." Tokiwagakure gave a noncommittal response before tilting back to take another sip from the half-full milk bottle. At that moment she lifted something particularly prominent.

The Queen was giving out serious visual treats.

Lin Luo swallowed hard, struggling against physical urges as he said, "Hey, before we discuss anything else, can you please put some clothes on first? This kind of conversation is really inconvenient."

"What's inconvenient?" She feigned ignorance, tossing the empty milk bottle away with a sideways look. "Are you implying... that seeing me like this excites you?"

Were you being deliberate about this?

Lin Luo sighed dramatically and muttered, "Come on, I'm just an average guy. It would be strange if I didn't feel anything watching such a beautiful young woman sit before me in such... revealing attire."

"Oh? Didn't expect you to admit that so openly..." Tokiwagakure seemed momentarily surprised, then her lips curved into a sinister smile as she rose and began walking toward him.

It's not like there was any shame in being honest - why was he suddenly nervous? Just as Lin Luo thought this, he abruptly noticed Tokiwagakure approaching. The closer she got, the more his heart raced. "Y-You... what exactly are you going to do?"

"Something fun of course..." She had now reached him and leaned down, one hand braced against the sofa back while her other cupped his chin teasingly. "Aren't you curious?"

"Huah." The Queen exhaled on him - sweet scent flooding through.

Lin Luo's entire body tensed instantly.

What the hell was going on?

He felt like he was being teased by the Queen, whose personality shifts were completely unpredictable. Even during her most seductive phases in the Index universe, she hadn't been this bold before. It left Lin Luo completely at a loss for what to do next.

"Well... although I agree something interesting sounds nice, maybe it's a bit too soon?"

"Not too soon at all," Tokiwagakure purred with a mischievous grin as she continued advancing until they were less than twenty centimeters apart. Her breath was hot and close against his face. "After all, you've already boarded the pirate ship - where do you think I'd be going?"

Her natural fragrance filled Lin Luo's nostrils like fresh orchids in bloom. His heart suddenly fluttered wildly.

Staring at her beautiful features and those majestic Grade D curves before him, a sudden wave of heat surged through his body. Lin Luo felt dry-mouthed as his lower region naturally responded to the situation with intense reaction.

"Ugh..." Facing Tokiwagakure's open flirtation, he could feel himself on the verge of losing control. Although his fifteen-year-old body wasn't yet at the point of insatiable hunger, the capacity for penetration was still there... but reason remained standing firm in defense.

While Tokiwagakure seemed quite liberal and nonchalant about romantic matters now that she had changed personalities, Lin Luo knew this openness was just another aspect of her revised character. She wasn't inherently promiscuous - he doubted she would ever be this forward without some hidden motive behind it.

"Um... I still think having sex right now is a bit premature," Lin Luo said while struggling against his physical impulses. "Compared to physical pleasures, I actually prefer soul connection."

"Soul?" Tokiw0gakure sneered with a mocking smile. "I'd say you're just not capable of it."

Not capable? No man could admit he was incapable.

"Are you joking? Of course I'm capable," Lin Luo suddenly became enraged and jumped up... only to realize too late that she was still less than twenty centimeters in front of him.

Their heads collided with a resounding *thud* - the Queen took a small step back while Lin Luo was shoved right back onto the couch.

"Ah!"

Both cried out simultaneously from the pain.

"Damn it, what are you doing? That hurts!" The girl winced and rubbed her forehead as she glared angrily.

"Who put yourself so close to me?" Lin Luo instinctively reached for his throbbing head but first encountered a piece of cloth before being yanked upward by momentum...

*riiiip*

The entire towel wrapped around Tokiwagakure's body came loose, revealing her completely naked form in full display.

"...Ah," Lin Luo froze solid with wide eyes.

"Er..." Tokiwagakure had also been stunned for a moment but quickly snapped to realization. Overcome by both embarrassment and anger, she instinctively raised her hand to strike back at him.

With Tokiwagakure's current 5-point fighting capability rating, dodging or blocking would have been trivial for Lin Luo. But having just accidentally ripped off her towel first made him feel guilty. If he didn't let her vent a bit now, things might not be easily settled later... So as she struck out at him with that intention...

Whether it was because of embarrassment making her lose balance or some other reason, the moment her hand came down, she slipped on her foot and fell forward headfirst into him.

"Careful!" Lin Luo instinctively reached to catch her - his hands landing directly onto softness. As he leaned in, their mouths collided instantly.

"A... *mmph*!"

Her startled scream cut off abruptly.

On the couch, boy and girl now lay pressed together in the most intimate position possible.

Tokiwagakure seemed completely drained of energy as she collapsed fully atop Lin Luo's body. To prevent her from sliding down, Lin Luo instinctively wrapped his legs around her thighs while his hands rested firmly on her chest.

Mouth to mouth, they stared at each other in utter shock for a full ten seconds before Lin Luo began to react slightly. As he caught the scent of her breath, something primal made him instinctively extend his tongue...

Sweet... with notes of milk.

"Waah!"

Tokiwagakure suddenly jolted awake from that lick and immediately scrambled away from him. She grabbed up the fallen towel quickly, wrapping it around herself while covering her chest in a tearful glare at Lin Luo.

"Er..." Watching this near-tears girl, Lin Luo felt completely lost for words.

"You... licked me?" Her eyes shimmered with star-like tears as she asked with obvious.

"T-That..." Lin Luo could feel his face burning. Being directly confronted about such an embarrassing act was thoroughly humiliating. "I think it was just a mistake."

"Were the licking part also a mistake?!" Hugging her towel tightly, the girl on the floor now radiated pure melancholy.

"This..." Lin Luo had no response. While technically the world might be at fault for this situation, the fact that he actually did lick remained an unavoidable truth. At that moment, if possible he'd have preferred to find a crack in the ground and disappear through it.

"Asshole!"

"I'll go out for a walk now," Lin Luo said hurriedly under Tokiwagakure's disgust-filled gaze before escaping from the room like it was on fire.

After Lin Luo left, Tokiwagakure finally stood up. Her expression shifted completely as she smiled smugly to herself, "Mmm... though I had to give out some visual treats, the return was quite satisfying after all. Let's keep this pace going and slowly conquer you... Hmph, being conquered by me? After all, I'm the Queen of Tokiwagakure High..."

The Queen smiled smugly. The Queen smiled smugly.