Not a detective

Page 23

"They debuted exactly one year ago..."

"Spider, you're the one who kidnapped them and threatened them to start the live stream, right?"

Earth Spider Spring: Chapter Thirty-Nine - The Most Awesome Driver

You're right about one thing, but wrong about another.

Spider Woman's neurotic movements suddenly stopped. She mechanically twisted her neck and stared straight at Asakawa Riku: "...There's no way to force a live broadcast."

"Yes, I've been struggling with this point too. After all, being forced to do a live stream will inevitably cause panic to show. Regardless of the effect, at the very least, the audience should be able to feel details like not being able to laugh or having a trembling voice. Moreover, the streamer will try various methods to call for help from the outside world. It's impossible to get through it peacefully."

Asakawa Riku nodded, but he had watched the live stream recordings of those people last night, and they were all normal content with nothing strange about them.

Have all these people been brainwashed by Spider Woman? Have they been mind-controlled?

No…it’s not like that, it’s more like—

"I have another ability, you know?"

I don't know when it started, but I made eye contact with those eyes.

Asakawa Riku looked into the Spider Woman's eyes and suddenly realized that he couldn't look away.

It was as if time had stopped.

“I know…” He finally figured out the core of the puzzle and suddenly laughed.

The next second, his smile froze, his eyes rolled back, and he suddenly lost consciousness.

"I can exchange people's consciousness, or rather, their souls, whatever you want to call me. I can enter other people's bodies, just like this."

The Spider Woman's voice still echoed in the room, but it quickly faded away: "With your strong body, that's wonderful, I don't have to be afraid anymore..."

Soon, Asakawa Riku's voice followed up with the second half of the sentence:

"...Thank you so much. You are simply a perfect body. Having you makes me feel so at ease."

He laughed sharply; at this moment, Asakawa Riku had switched to the Spider Woman's consciousness.

Asakawa Riku himself, who was swapped, was revived in the Spider Woman's body.

"Oh, I see." The hoarse, grating voice was now spoken by Asakawa Riku.

The fact that the exchange could go to such an extent surprised him to be honest.

He didn't panic. Instead, he stood still, silently adapting to the new height and body shape. He was also curious about how to move his other two hands and two feet.

A normal person, when placed in such an ugly and twisted body, would usually break down and scream, but this guy's reaction was frighteningly calm, which surprised the Spider Woman instead.

"Don't you... have any normal human feelings?"

"I'm just an ordinary student. Wouldn't it be curious if I suddenly grew two more hands?"

Asakawa Riku smiled and began waving his four hands.

For some reason, although both used hoarse and harsh voices, the way he spoke felt completely different.

His four feet swung nimbly on the ground, and his four fists twitched in the air with the speed of shadows. He actually started boxing on his own.

It seems to be adapting to the new machine at an astonishing speed.

"So what! My body has no strength at all, but yours is different. If I hit you with one punch, you'll pass out!"

The Spider Woman screamed in Asakawa Riku's body.

What she said was actually true. Asakawa Riku himself could also feel that although this body had four arms and four legs, it was extremely weak, and even moving and throwing punches were difficult.

What a waste! If he had such innate talent, he might have been able to advance even further in martial arts.

With that, the Spider Woman charged forward.

"Uh!"

However, the next second, she took a step and fell uncontrollably to the ground.

The sound was very heavy, as if I had been crushed by a large iron ball, but there was nothing above my head; I was simply pulled to the ground by the strong gravity.

It even felt like the floor had been dented.

"What……"

She struggled to utter a sound, only to be shocked to find that she couldn't even lift her little finger: "What's going on!"

This is clearly such a powerful body, impervious to blades, incredibly fast, and capable of shattering a concrete wall with a single punch.

But when it came to her own body, she became so weak...

"It's not weakness, it seems you still haven't figured it out."

Asakawa Riku walked over step by step on all fours.

The Spider Woman lay on the ground, unable to lift her head, and could only see the shadow approaching.

"I see a computer in your room. Do you understand how computers work?"

"Transistors, logic gates, flip-flops... it's okay if you don't understand them, because I don't either, but most people can use computers, right?"

"Don't look at me like that, of course it's related. Because someone invented the operating system, we are able to use this kind of complex hardware."

"We don't need to understand complex computer knowledge to use computers because the operating system simplifies the process and provides an easy-to-understand way of using them."

"The human body is also a complex machine, but the brain helps us process many things by default, such as breathing, heartbeat, swallowing, and blinking. These are all done in your default operation without needing to think about them. There are also punches, kicks, dodges, and movements, these primitive ways of fighting, everyone knows them."

"But if we want to go further and unleash more of the body's potential, we need a more advanced [operating system] that delves deeper into the workings of the human body."

"I realized this a long time ago. The saying 'Practicing martial arts without practicing internal energy is all for naught' probably means this. Don't understand Chinese? It doesn't matter. 'Internal energy' is not the internal energy in martial arts novels, nor is it the true qi in cultivation novels. In my understanding, it is more like a 'human operating system'."

"I have completely transformed my body, including the proportions of my muscles, the way my bones and joints are fixed, the distribution of my nerves, and the structures that protect my internal organs and vital organs. I have complete control over every part of my body, from head to toe, even the degree of pain, and the rhythm of my breathing and heartbeat..."

"This is true training."

Asakawa Riku spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the room, as if it were his own voice again.

The Spider Woman lay on the ground, forced to listen, her heart pounding with fear.

...What is this guy talking about? Is he even crazier than me?

These are already incomprehensible words.

"Just like only the best pilot can fly the best Gundam, your weak and powerless spirit entering my body will only be completely crushed by the heavy constraints, making it difficult to breathe, gradually suffocating, unable to even crawl, let alone walk... Being given everything but being unable to do anything, must be very uncomfortable, right?"

Asakawa Riku seemed to be talking only to himself, completely ignoring the only audience member.

He raised all four hands, clenched his fists, and punched down!

Spring of the Earth Spider: Chapter Forty - Trampling on This Precious Feeling

A terrifying fist came crashing down, startling the Spider Woman, who instinctively activated her power.

Their bodies switched back.

……very good.

The thought flashed through Asakawa Riku's mind.

Actually, it would be quite troublesome if the Spider Woman stayed in his body. It was because of those words that he felt afraid.

A weak, feeble fist came flying, lightly touching Asakawa Riku's face, causing no pain or itch whatsoever.

And then that hand was thrust in front of me.

He sprang to his feet, leaping like a rabbit kicking an eagle, and wrapped his arms around the other man's arm, pulling hard!

The sound of bones and muscles snapping filled the air as he ripped the hand off!

"what……!"

The Spider Woman screamed uncontrollably.

Blood spurted out, and the arm was completely severed. What kind of force was that...?

Spider Woman experienced immense pain, to the point that she had to suppress her adrenaline, or she would have fainted on the spot.

She stared blankly at her missing right arm, staggered backward, and activated her ability to teleport herself to a distance.

Curled up in the corner.

“This is the first one.” Asakawa Riku tossed his blood-stained arm aside, completely unconcerned about the smell on him.

The prerequisite for activating the exchange capability is to snap your fingers.

I don't think I can do that with my feet. It doesn't matter. Even if I could use my feet, I'd just break her spider legs one by one.

In fact, that one instant was enough for Asakawa Riku to pierce the opponent's heart or shatter their skull.

But we can't kill her yet.

This wasn't driven by a cruel, sadistic desire, nor was it about inflicting pain on the other person. Asakawa Riku wasn't that perverted; he simply felt that there were still many questions that hadn't been answered.

Now, it's time for "reasoning".

"I see. You have the ability to [swap bodies]. Now, the last missing piece of the puzzle is complete."

He approached the Spider Woman step by step.

The Spider Woman's lips were still trembling, as if she hadn't recovered from the fear of losing her hand. She didn't speak, but simply fled in haste.

Wherever he went, the Spider Woman would teleport away. Asakawa Riku remained calm and composed, and the game of tag continued.

"You kidnapped these students, but you didn't force them to do live streams. Instead, you swapped their bodies and used them to do the live streams. No wonder the voices are different."

Asakawa Riku continued, "But I really admire you. You changed seven identities and were able to portray seven different personalities so vividly. Even your long-time viewers and fans didn't notice. You don't have a split personality, do you? Isn't that amazing acting? And you do live streams with seven different personas, and each account is incredibly popular, attracting countless fans. That means your real personality is quite interesting. Maybe if you did your own live streams, everyone online would like you."

"You... what do you know!" This finally made the Spider Woman unable to hold back her words: "Without a pretty face and a pleasant voice, who would look at someone like me!"

"So your ugliness isn't in your appearance or voice, but in your heart."

Asakawa Riku shook his head: "Do you know Takagi Ichiro? You should know him. He's a big spender who's lavished money on [Orizuki Beads], right? You even wrote him a handwritten letter. What is he to you? You probably can't imagine his relationship with Ezaki Yumiko, the young lady who's one of the hostages, because they don't share the same surname."

He pointed to a corner of the wall; he had recognized Mr. Takagi's daughter from the moment he entered the room.

"What did you say……"

"They're father and daughter. You probably can't imagine why he's always here. His name and profile picture are those of a serious middle-aged man, yet he's so obsessed with Vtubers. You might even be laughing at him in your heart, thinking that someone would actually be stupid enough to buy such an expensive and useless ring." Asakawa Riku sneered.

The Spider Woman's eyes widened, seemingly forgetting the pain in her hand: "...You mean..."

"Mr. Takagi lost his beloved daughter a year ago and has been living a life of despair ever since. He was on the verge of a mental breakdown. But six months ago, he suddenly found a reason to live. This was not because of the new romance his wife thought he had, but because he accidentally saw a live stream by [Zhizuki Tama] online... and he recognized his daughter's voice."

Asakawa Riku sighed: "He probably found it hard to believe at the time. Maybe it was just someone else with a similar voice? But without seeing the face, there's no way to confirm it. And since Vtuber is a profession where you can't show your face, he could only frantically follow the weekly live streams, trying to find out his daughter's identity from the slightest clues."

"He felt it was strange. It was definitely his daughter's voice, but her personality seemed completely different. Perhaps she was quiet and reserved at home, but became lively and cheerful online. Mr. Takagi felt guilty. Could it be that his daughter was feeling oppressed by the atmosphere at home and ran away to choose a new career and a new life?"

"He hesitated and struggled for half a year without telling anyone. But in the end, he couldn't help but want to see his daughter and ask her what she really thought."

"So Mr. Takagi took action. He knew his traditional wife would think he was crazy, and the police wouldn't accept such an absurd conjecture without evidence, so he had to find evidence. At that moment, he saw the merchandise sold by Orisaku Tamatsu, namely the engagement ring that symbolizes being with Orisaku Tamatsu for life."

"I initially thought he was after the ring. But I was wrong. The ring itself was irrelevant; what mattered was what came with it—"

"That letter, that love letter."

"Mr. Takagi saw the handwritten letter and bought it at a high price. He wants to compare the handwriting in the letter with the handwriting in his daughter's previous handwriting. If it is the same handwriting, then the letter can be used as evidence, and he may ask the police for help."

"But he was probably disappointed, because after that, he never hid the ring and love letters again, and he didn't care even if his wife found them."

Asakawa Riku paused here, looking at the spider woman in the corner: "Because the handwriting comparison failed, he thought he had made a mistake, and maybe his wife was right, that he really was mentally deranged. However, he never imagined that the handwriting was wrong because the handwritten letter was not written by her daughter, but by your filthy spider legs."

The hatred in his eyes finally showed without any attempt to hide it:

"That's why I said that you are the truly ugly one for trampling on this precious relationship."

The Spring of the Earth Spider: Chapter Forty-One - An Angel Descends Upon Hell

"No...you're not allowed to call me ugly!!"

The Spider Woman let out a sharp, piercing scream.

Asakawa Riku's path was suddenly replaced with upward-protruding dagger spikes—a spider's trap.

But he didn't even glance at her, walking past as if it were nothing, which only intensified the Spider Woman's terror...

This guy, this guy is the monster! No, he's Death, he's Death here to judge!