Leave a comment

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Hahh… I feel alive again… mm…”

Hijiri leaned back in a massage chair, her voice relaxed as her body jiggled with the vibrations. Kou glanced away, wondering if it could really feel that good.

“I just can’t bring myself to like those… They shake you around too much, and it hurts a bit.”
“But my shoulders are so stiff~ And this feels like heaven~”

That comment finally made Kou connect the dots, realizing why Hijiri looked so relieved. While Kou hadn’t experienced it herself, she could imagine how hard it might be to manage once you reached a certain… size.

“Well, I guess it’s not like you need it anyway.”
“What are you trying to say, Subaru?”

Kou shot a glare at Subaru, who quickly waved her off, pretending he hadn’t said anything.

Kou and the twins were currently relaxing in the lounge adjacent to the hot springs. They had left the party once the adults began getting moderately drunk, changing out of their formal dresses and jewelry before taking a bath to ease their fatigue. Now, they were enjoying some quiet downtime after their soak.

The lounge was designed with relaxation in mind, equipped with six massage chairs meant for families to unwind together. This time, however, the chairs were being used by the members of Lua Cheia.

“Hinagiku, where are your mom and the others?”

Kou, unable to get comfortable in the chair, had hers set to the lowest vibration setting. Sitting next to her, Hinagiku was experimenting with the same setting, clearly enjoying herself.

“They’re in the other room, using the chairs there. They wanted some peace and quiet too.”
“Being an adult sounds exhausting…”

Everyone nodded in agreement, understanding that the adults likely needed their own space to unwind. They all reclined in their chairs, some content to listen to the quiet hum, while others browsed online or read ebooks.

Some time passed in peaceful silence.

“Woah…”

Subaru, who had been reading up on new dungeon updates, suddenly let out a startled exclamation. His reaction instantly drew everyone’s attention.

“What’s wrong, Subaru? Your face just went pale.”
“Are you okay? Do you need some medicine?”

Kou and Hijiri looked at him with concern, but his tone grew serious as he replied.

“Things just got a little… ugly.”
““What do you mean?””

Kou and Hijiri asked in unison, confused. Subaru didn’t respond immediately but showed them the screen of his device. The video he played featured a very familiar figure, one well-loved by many players.

“Me?”
“Is that… Crim?”

Kou and Hijiri stared at the screen, puzzled. Subaru nodded grimly.

The figure in the video was an exact replica of Crim, wearing a swimsuit, her exposed skin marked with fiery purple patterns. But it wasn’t just the image that was strange—the voices of the players in the video added to the chaos.

“There she is! She went that way!”
“Catch her! We might get banned for harassment if we try groping the real one, but this is just an enemy! The system won’t—gah!”
“You idiot! Don’t get distracted before we catch her! And it’s not like there’s anything worth groping anyway. If anything, I’d rather pat—ugh!”

What is this madness?

Kou shuddered as a cold sweat ran down her back, goosebumps rising across her skin.

She had a pretty good idea of where that other Crim had come from. It had to be the Doppelganger she’d heard about recently. She even remembered joking that it would be awful if they encountered a copy of Sorleon.

Instead, it was her—Crim—whose appearance and stats had been copied to create a terrifying monster sowing death and destruction wherever it went.

That was a significant issue in itself, but the voices she heard from the players suggested there was an even bigger problem.

“Ah, here, I think this might explain it,” Subaru said.
“Wh-What in the world?!”

Subaru had been digging deeper into the situation, and when he found something, Kou snatched the screen away to take a closer look. It was an excerpt from an anonymous message board.

0831: Nameless Explorer
So about the Ditzy Lord’s Doppelganger that’s been terrorizing the first floor… She’s an enemy, right? So even if we accidentally squish something, we won’t get banned for bad behavior, right?

0832: Nameless Explorer

>>831
YOU’RE RIGHT!!

0833: Nameless Explorer

>>831
You’re a genius

0834: Nameless Explorer

>>831
Are you dumb? She doesn’t have enough volume to squish, but it’s good that way
Also we can’t rule out the possibility that she’ll drop her swimsuit as loot if we get her

“THOOSEEE B̲A̲S̲T̲A̲A̲A̲R̲D̲S̲S̲S̲!!”
“Kou?!”
“Unbelievable… Why are men like this?!”
“Hey, calm down, Kou!”

Kou raged in short bursts, her voice filled with fury, while Hijiri and Kasumi tried their best to calm her down. Her breathing ragged, Kou turned back to the video and…

The players were falling one after another, but for some inexplicable reason, morale remained high. They were actually working together to capture the Doppelganger Crim, their enthusiasm making Kou feel even worse.

Even the Doppelganger Crim looked on the verge of tears, running around desperately, creating a surreal and almost pitiful scene.

Eventually, Kou’s face went blank, and she slowly turned away from the screen.

“So hey, Hinagiku, Miyuki… Is there anything else you’d like to check out at the resort?!”
“Wait, Kou, you can’t just run away from this!”

Kou had decided to pretend she hadn’t seen anything, but the others weren’t about to let her off that easily.

“No! I shall not listen to thee! Keep me out of it!!”
“Umm, Kou? You’re starting to sound like your in-game avatar…”
“I guess it really got to her… though I can’t blame her.”

Kou threw a small tantrum, trying to avoid the issue entirely, while the other girls exchanged sympathetic glances. Then Subaru spoke up again, this time offering some hope.

“Well, apparently the Doppelganger has gone into hiding, and no one can find her anymore. So when we get back…”
“Yeah, we’ll free her. No matter what. I won’t let anyone else get near her.”

Just imagining a stranger touching something—or someone—that looked exactly like her sent shivers down Kou’s spine, as if it were happening to her.

Determined, she resolved to put an end to it. Once they were back home, their first priority would be defeating the Doppelganger and putting the matter to rest.

Support Us

Unlock Early Access ------- Select Project ------- Project Gender Bender Project Necro ∴ Support your favorite series and unlock chapters before the public release.