Reiji sat cross-legged on the ground. His eyes were closed as he resonated with his Mana System and tried to visualize the magic circle in the book as the system had instructed.

A few seconds later, a faint aura erupted from his body.

’Is this the foreign energy?’ Reiji thought to himself.

It did feel like it, so he guided the energy into his Mana System through his Mana Stream.

With his proficiency in controlling mana, he guided the energy through his Mana Stream.

As Reiji let the foreign energy flow through his body, he was shocked to discover that his understanding of the skill was developing.

But just as it was approaching his Mana Heart, Reiji stopped it immediately and purged it from his body.

Reiji collapsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat.

Just now, while he was grasping the knowledge contained within the skill, something had gone wrong.

He discovered that the skill had a massive hole.

Rather, the hole had appeared because of him.

He discovered that it was a joint skill.

And the reason the hole appeared was because he hadn’t learned the separate skills required for it.

But if he had already learned or possessed those skills, the hole wouldn’t have appeared.

And if the foreign energy had crossed his Mana Heart without him possessing the required skills, he would have become crippled or suffered a severe backlash and died.

What was worse was that he was currently wearing the Mana Suppressing Weights.

Meaning his death would have been one of the slowest and most painful deaths imaginable.

Reiji wiped the sweat from his face as he stared at the book on the floor before picking it up.

"So where are the separate skills?" Reiji muttered to himself, flipping through the pages, but he found nothing.

He took out some other books from his inventory and checked if they contained the separate skills, but none of them did.

Reiji returned all the books to his inventory and sat there, dejected. He didn’t know why, but he felt that if he acquired the joint skill, it would be a huge boon to him. Sadly, he needed to find and learn the separate skills first.

Reiji stood up, looked around, and decided to hop into the tub himself. He went upstairs only to find Vel fast asleep on his bed.

Reiji didn’t bother the creature and went into the bathroom.

***

Ding!

[Daily Quest Completed!]

[Congratulations Host! You have gained +6 Intelligence, +5 Perception, +5 Stamina.]

Reiji continued eating popcorn as he watched TV. He didn’t feel like removing the weights because he was already growing used to them. Besides, he felt too lazy to do so.

’Why is today so boring?’ Reiji thought quietly to himself. ’Was it because I didn’t learn the skill?’

Reiji shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

’Nah, I don’t think so...’

A few minutes later, he could hear the steady breathing of Vel beside him. He turned his gaze toward the sleeping creature.

"All he does these days is sleep and eat," Reiji muttered.

He stood up, cleaned the popcorn that had fallen on the chair and floor, turned off the lights, and went upstairs.

He plopped onto the bed but couldn’t sleep. He grabbed his phone and stared blankly at the screen.

"Why hasn’t she called yet?" Reiji thought, frustrated. It’s been two days now, and Hina still hadn’t called him.

"Did they find out that I’m alive and start scolding her?" Reiji rubbed his chin but discarded the thought, as he knew his mother would have immediately called him if they had really discovered it.

"So why...?" Reiji groaned.

He couldn’t call her to ask what happened, and that made him all the more worried. He turned his gaze toward the window.

"I think a late-night walk would do the trick..."

Reiji stood up from the bed, removed the weights, and changed into casual clothes. He also grabbed his jacket and baseball cap.

He opened the window and jumped out.

Reiji walked down the street, feeling conflicted emotions. This was the first time he was walking down the street without running. Deep down, he knew it was dangerous because a powerful Awakener might come and take him away, yet he still walked down the street.

It wasn’t too late, so there were a few passersby. Some would always turn back to look at him with strange expressions.

Feeling their gazes, Reiji let his lips curl up slightly.

He continued down the street until he reached a bus stop. Everything was the same as it had been in his previous world. The only difference was that there were no men.

Neon lights, roaring cars, and the sound of music from bars blended into one peaceful night.

His hair danced with the night wind as Reiji looked up at the sky. Though the stars weren’t bright, they still brought a warm feeling to his heart.

’Crepes!’ Reiji suddenly screamed in his head as he spotted a restaurant ahead selling crepes. ’They must be that good to still be open at this time.’

Reiji walked over to the crepe shop. He was practically drooling.

Reiji had always been addicted to crepes, and so had the original owner of the body. They couldn’t walk past a crepe shop without buying some.

Reiji entered the shop. He coughed lightly and pinched his voice, making it come out light and high-pitched like a girl’s.

"I want five crepes, please."

Reiji felt really awkward. A mix of emotions swirled inside him. He didn’t know how to describe it, but it just felt weird. As a straight man, this was second only to wearing a skirt in public.

The shop owner stared at him.

She had seen many women who dressed like men or had masculine builds before and since the disappearance of all the men, but this was the first time she had seen someone who looked exactly like a guy yet was clearly trying to act feminine. She almost thought he was a guy.

Still, she just smiled and handed him the five crepes.

"You have a big appetite for a girl," the owner said.

Reiji chuckled slightly and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. He quickly scanned the QR code and paid using Hina’s account.

"Thank you. Come again," the shop owner said.

Reiji stared at the crepes in his hand, his eyes sparkling like a little child who had just received a Christmas gift. But he knew he would devour them all within seconds.

He stored four in his inventory and started eating one as he strolled toward the park ahead.

As he approached the park, he saw a little girl on a swing. Reiji couldn’t help but frown.

"What is this little girl doing in the park at this time of night?"