Nikke, something’s seriously wrong with this evacuation point! Chapter 66 66: The Magic of Happiness Is Coming to an End

Before he knew it, the thirty-day cooldown had already arrived.

This also ant that Ana's ti in the Zero Zone had co to an end.

It wasn't that Charon didn't want to keep her here, she simply couldn't generate a dog tag. That ant Charon couldn't bring her along for daily "Zero Zone runs" or full-on assaults. No one knew what would happen to her if she died.

The enemy NPCs were ruthless. Charon might be able to dodge them himself, but he couldn't guarantee Ana would survive their gunfire.

Unless he locked her in the hideout forever and cut her off from everyone else, but… Charon couldn't do that.

She wasn't a canary in a cage.

She still had her own life, and she had once told him excitedly that she wanted to beco a "Victory Goddess."

As an ordinary human, she might die quickly, but if she beca a NIKKE, her future could beco limitless… or the opposite.

Charon would not interfere with Ana's choice. He would only respect her dream.

In this past month, he had already co to treat her like a younger sister. Every ti he returned from a run, there would be increasingly precise and well-balanced als waiting for him, solving the "what do I eat today?" problem of the universe.

But after this… perhaps–

By now, his balance had exceeded ten million Zero Zone coins. It was ti to exchange for that item.

And then, send Ana back.

Unlike Nayuta, this ti he would hold her small hand tightly and personally deliver her into the care of soone trustworthy.

As for Nayuta… well, maybe there would be a chance to et again in the future. Probably.

He didn't even know what era that NIKKE ca from. Heh.

"Mr. Charon, dinner's ready~"

While he stood hesitating in front of the vending machine, Ana's gentle voice ca from behind him.

A month still wasn't enough for her to start calling him "Onii–chan," huh.

Sigh… I really am useless.

Charon sighed and pressed the purchase button.

A silver coin engraved with strange patterns appeared in his hand.

No grand spectacle, no bonus animation, no celebratory gift for spending millions–the one-billion-value coin simply appeared in his palm.

"River Styx Coin." From now on, this beca his greatest trump card.

One million per life. Insanely valuable.

Even though it could only save one person at a ti, it was enough.

The silver coin was bound to him completely. Unless he activated the River Styx vision, it would always return to his hand no matter where it was thrown. When not in use, it could be stored in his backpack as an accessory item.

With it, even if sothing happened to Ana, he could… no–first of all, he didn't want anything to happen to her at all.

He just hoped that after becoming a NIKKE, she would still rember him.

What if she forgot him?

Damn… that would hurt a bit.

"Mr. Charon, do you have sothing on your mind?" Ana tilted her head. Sitting on the chair, her little feet in crystal shoes swayed gently, very cute.

Charon silently looked at the al in front of him. It was a carefully prepared at set designed to perfectly match his Zero Zone energy needs.

"Ana, you'll definitely beco a famous chef soday," Charon said with a smile.

"Famous… doesn't really matter," Ana muttered.

To cook for Charon, she had started from zero. Because of her small stature, she even needed a stool to reach the counter, and she still had to follow recipes carefully. But she was no longer as clumsy as before.

Now she might still lack experience, but eventually she would beco the kind of chef Charon called her.

But Ana never intended to make a living from it.

"Let's talk, Ana," Charon finally said with difficulty. "About sending you back."

Ana froze.

The light in her eyes vanished almost instantly, and she slowly lowered her head.

Life here had been too happy–so happy that she had forgotten she didn't belong here.

"Ana, I–"

"I, I just rembered I still have books to tidy up. Please wait a mont."

Before he could finish, Ana jumped down from the chair and ran toward the library.

Charon only watched her small figure disappear from view, his expression complicated, while he took a bite of at.

It should have been delicious–but now it tasted like wax.

He didn't follow her. She clearly needed ti alone.

...

No one knew how long had passed. In the hideout, ti didn't matter–sleep when you wanted, wake when you wanted.

Eventually, Ana returned, carrying a stack of books.

All of them were fairy tales.

On the table, she arranged them one by one:

"The Wizard of Oz," "Rapunzel," "Snow White," "Little Red Riding Hood."

These were the inspirations behind existing fairy-tale-type NIKKEs.

And there were many more fairy tales beyond those.

"Even though I know it's impossible… I still want to beco a fairy-tale-type NIKKE."

She skipped all pleasantries and went straight to the point.

Her eyes were slightly red, she had clearly been crying, but Charon pretended not to notice.

"Which fairy tale do you think I resemble the most?"

This was… what kind of situation is this?

But under her gaze, he couldn't bring himself to discourage her.

"…Actually, the most suitable ones for you are 'Snow White,' or 'The Princess and the Pea,' or 'Alice in Wonderland.'"

He listed three in a row, even including Snow White, which was already "taken."

This wasn't random. It was his genuine conclusion after observing her for so long. Especially Alice in Wonderland–it matched her current situation perfectly.

Wasn't the hideout itself… just like that rabbit hole?

"No," Ana said softly.

She pushed a beautifully bound book toward him.

On the cover, a girl in crystal shoes danced with a prince.

"Cinderella."

"This… is ."

Ana gave a faint smile. From sowhere in the wind, an unfamiliar lody seed to drift in:

Twelve chis shatter the illusion.

Silver shoes lose their light.

The pumpkin rots, the mice flee.

Midnight wind freezes longing.

Please don't let go, don't walk away.

At the end where magic fades–

I am just a barefoot child, standing alone in the ashes.