《Not Another Isekai RPG Story Alternate》


 Chapter 1: Welcome to the Beginners City - Ch 1 Prologue + Ch 1-1

    Not Another Isekai RPG Story - Alternate


    Ch 1 Prologue


    What is the difference between a game and reality? If you ask me, I dunno for sure. I think we need to have fun in both.


    It''s also nice to pile up achievements as much we could in the two worlds. Some games are really hard; so did peculiar things in life.


    In my opinion, there are things which reality and games are similar; I''m not as insightful as to list them all.


    I know there is one thing that fundamentally differentiates it.


    In games, you could only play according to its rules and the scope itself is limited. When it''s a regular FPS game, you shoot things. On platformers, you jump across the map. If it''s an RPG game you level up, build your party member, follow the story until the end. There are indeed exploits but then, the degree of freedom you''d have in the game was limited.


    In real life, there are also a strict set of rules in society, but whatever you want to accomplish, there is no set path to go follow if you could give the extra mile. Though yes, it was generally filled with things that are unfun.


    Games have less freedom but it''s fun. If you want to bring up the best of both worlds, you just need to fuse them together and you''ll get the wonderful world ruled by game elements.


    When I got the chance to go there, I thought it''d be a fleshed-out world with actual living people.


    On a glance, it seems exactly that way, but it had so much of disparity.


    ...but for me who played a lot of RPGs though, this was totally natural.


    To be honest, this gave me an enormous advantage.


    Well then, this was a story where I ended up in another world, out of blue.


    Chapter 1: Welcome to Beginner''s City


    Chapter 1-1


    "Hello! Welcome to beginner''s city."


    "......"


    I pushed up my glasses as I sighed. It was quite a story how I ended up here.


    I got transported into this world for a reason I couldn''t remember. First, I was shown the same old boring prologue used in so many RPG games that I decided to skip it.


    I ended up in a clearing with two slime monsters. Strangely enough, instead of charging right away, they seemed to stand still in the same place when I didn''t move a single bit. In my eyes, there''s also info about my current health and mana.


    Only when I walked up to them and punched their skin (which dealt zero damage, orz) and went back to my approximate previous position¡ªthey finally attacked. It was a tackle so fast I couldn''t seem to avoid, which didn''t hurt at all but my health nearly reached zero.


    I felt wholly hopeless¡ªeven if no pain was present, what would happen if I died before there''s even any tutorial present? Speak of the devil, a brilliant flash of light came before me. With a beautiful trajectory, it cleaved both of these slimes at the same time--resulting in the slimes blurring and disappearing into bubbles of translucent light.


    [You have attained 2 EXP and 5 Gold]


    [Congratulations for clearing first quest: Slime Encounter. Your level had been raised to 1!]


    How? I didn''t even do anything. That was pretty unreliable for a quest notifier.


    ...was it probably due to my negligence in reading the introductory part? The basic of basics might also be there too.


    Well, let bygones be.


    Before I could question it further, a female adventurer appeared in front of me. She had a short crimson hair reaching to her shoulder and green eyes, with a voluptuous figure, particularly her chest. She wore full plate armor, just without the helmet. Noticing my gaze, she finished wiping her two-handed sword and sheathed it back.


    "Are you hurt, mister?"


    "I''m not that old!"


    Now that I looked at her, she was around my cousin''s age who attended high school. Come to think of it, a lot of adventurers in a fantasy setting like this were young.


    ".....umm...mister? It''s kinda weird that you were able to reply....you got a gaping hole in your chest."


    "Huh? Ah...what!"


    I regretted ever looking down. A gory scene could be seen. Seeing as I was weak to these things, it took a lot just to prevent myself from fainting. As I was about to fall down, she dashed quickly and held my body with those slender-looking arms.


    "...you lost a lot of blood, you need rest. Yes, I will perform first aid."


    The green light came from her free hand, and I could see that my wound was closing¡ªas it was never there. My mind was still dizzy though.


    She supported me all the way until we came to a clearing, with a sturdy tent and unlit bonfire. The sky became dark even if I didn''t walk that much. It''s kind of fortunate we didn''t run across monsters the whole way.


    "Thank you very much. I really had no idea what I was doing. If you didn''t save me I''ll definitely die."


    "Don''t mention it, that''s my duty as a Paladin. I''m also glad that I''m able to save one more soul."


    It was night time. We sat atop the lush green grass just beside the firepit. The chill night was bearable with this heating. The paladin offered me a bowl of meat soup and the bread she took from the tent.


    It''s quite delicious. How should I put it? The texture was crunchy and the soup had its mix of sweet and saltiness just about right. About the bread though, it seems we got to wait for a while until it got soft enough to chew. Eating the soup with the additional crunchiness of bread, seem to further accentuate the dish.


    So that''s why the paladin didn''t eat right away.


    Seeing as I finished rather quickly, I watched her ate. Contrary to my expectations, there was nothing refined about it; not even any delicate movements. It was more like a famished ordinary guy enjoying the food. It reminded me of myself.


    Noticing my glance, she blushed heavily; putting her bowl down right away.


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    "I-it''s not what you think! I was just...hungry, that''s all."


    "I really didn''t mind that, that way of eating was pretty cute actually. If you''re all refined and perfect I''m not sure if I could get along with you."


    "...umm...I''m not cute but...thanks."


    After we ate, both of us made self-introduction. The paladin''s name was Fiona. She worked at the Holy Order on Beginner''s City. When I asked what the Holy Order was, it''s basically the military force of the Holy Empire Dei Magnus, the nation we''re in currently.


    The main reason why she was glad to help me actually was, due to her ability to get commision fee from rescuing people. She pointed out to her bracelet¡ªit was a magic tool able to spot nearby people in danger and tally her achievements for the pay.


    As she was born a commoner, moreover, from a poor family¡ªshe worked really hard to provide for her family, especially with the large number of siblings she had.


    ...oi...oi, things got rather heavy all of sudden.


    When it came to me, I didn''t have a lot of things to say. I only introduced my name¡ªit''s Takeshi by the way.


    I also told her the truth: I came from another world, although I didn''t remember how and somehow ended up in this clearing¡ªgot ambushed by slimes on top of that.


    "Another world? Can you tell me what it was like?"


    "Uh...it''s nothing that special you see. Let''s just say, there are no monsters and the technology in here is a lot more advanced."


    I began to describe something like a fridge, television, and smartphones.


    "You mean something like this?"


    She took out a metallic slab with a bright display on it. It was a magic tool which enabled communication across the members of Holy Order.


    "I''m not sure about your world being technologically advanced but we got all of the stuff you described. Though, I think it''s nice if there are no monsters."


    As the last question, she asked ''if there are no monsters, how''s life over there?''


    I simply said:


    "I really didn''t know, in the first place I don''t feel I''m living my own life."


    My world, Earth, was a place like that. You got to follow your parents, go to school, graduate, get a job and raise a family. Since it was quite easy and straightforward, most people went that way. I got as far as getting a job, and it all stopped before I had to attend another marriage interview.


    Things such as trying to live your dream, wanting to make a difference in the world¡ªit''s all so difficult. It wasn''t even worth it to be successful, especially with my firm belief that living an easy life was the best. It''s not as if I regret my lackluster life, if I could turn back the time, I would still live similarly.


    Fiona gave me a complicated expression, it''s as something heavy weighed in her mind when she heard of my past life. She let out a long sigh before staring at the starry skies.


    "Between easy and hard, how do you describe your own life, Takeshi?"


    "Well, it''s not that complicated. I just have to concern myself with going to work and maintaining my house¡ªbut yeah, I felt I was slowly dying inside."


    "You know, I had that dream once. A peaceful life without anything significant happening, but I really had no choice since I could fight and there''s now better paying job out there. Adventurer''s guild had no stable income, more so the Mercenary Guild, but the Holy Order gave you regular stipends just by being the member.


    I often complained about my duty at first, but I know. All the effort I had put in, made my days really worth it. Oh...no...what am I saying...? I just blurted out my feelings out of blue."


    "On the contrary, I think it''s pretty amazing."


    "Ahahaha..."


    I saw her face now looked like a tomato.


    As the night advanced further, Fiona put out the fire and moved towards her tent. She patted the ground beside her while glancing shyly at me.


    "My tent has more room...would you like to..?"


    With her armor off and only wearing clothes made out of leather, her feminine figure was further accentuated. I gulped, but seeing as it''s just for one day, I complied.


    Just as I was about to come in..


    "W-w-wait! On a side note, I will just sleep outside!"


    "I really don''t mind though. Well, it''s not like I would take advantage of you just because


    you''re a cutie."


    "...yes, you didn''t seem to be that type of person....I''m sorry, I just...am not used with men in situations like this."


    "You chatted and ate with me just fine, ain''t it?"


    "This and that are different! W-we''re talking ''bout sleeping together....you see..."


    "....gah."


    Her flustered expression was so cute. Even me, who were desensitized with women for such a long time couldn''t avoid the critical hit. Though, at this point in time, I strangely enough really want to take advantage of this situation! A lot of women in my past life were unapproachable, but this girl was likable. Even if it''s just sleeping next to her, as I thought, it was a jackpot.


    "Fiona. You don''t have to sleep outside, I think it''s warmer if we both got in the tent...."


    Wow, I managed to say such shameless thing with a straight face. Wait, I couldn''t see my face at all since there''s no mirror right?


    "I guess it''s better to sleep outside."


    In the end, she took a sleeping bag. A part of the reason was, she got tonight to watch for monsters and she was confident in her alertness. Donning her plate armor and two-handed sword by her side, she looked really comfortable while dozing off.


    As for me, I could live with this. I didn''t become a virgin for twenty-five years for nothing. If I could enjoy the warmth of a good woman, it''s nice. Though if I couldn''t, it''s fine.


    Taking off my glasses and put them in the tent''s corner, I drifted into sleep ''cuz I felt so drowsy.


    My first night in another world passed uneventfully like that.

 Ch 1-2

    Ch 1-2


    Waking up from a night of pleasant sleep, me and Fiona continued towards the Beginner City. I helped her pack the tent and stuff--Fiona donned that heavy-ass backpack as she walked the roads.


    Along the way, we encountered various monsters: in addition to the green slimes earlier, we met wolves, goblins and the occasional orcs. Fiona easily wiped them all out.


    [Gained 10 XP and 10 Gold!]


    [You have reached level 5!


    Fiona has reached level 20!]


    The message popped up after we slew the last orc before the town''s entrance popped into view.


    To be honest, the battles were pretty short. I controlled all the battles, making Fiona attack and myself guard all the time since I didn''t have to move around much. At a certain point, I learned a trick, like me hiding between the trees every battle so I couldn''t get attacked even a bit.


    It seems I could also strike the monsters endlessly as long I didn''t go back to my previous spot, but since my damage was negligible--it''s just a waste of energy.


    Maybe the god of this world made me so weak because I had broken abilities? Well, whatever.


    As we walked, I confirmed a few things I had. First, I could access the menu which showcased me and Fiona''s status. There''s also the item tab, containing all the drops of monsters so far.


    I checked my status:


    [Takeshi]


    Class: None


    Level 5


    Hp: 30/30


    Mp: 15/15


    Str: 5


    Vit: 5


    Agi: 5


    Dex: 5


    Int: 5


    Spi: 5


    Luk: 5


    Equipment :


    Weapon : None


    Armor : Another World Clothes (Def + 0)


    Accessory : Glasses (Accuracy +)


    ...


    Talk about plain. I think my stats were just about the same as Villager A. Let''s check my skills:


    [Skills]


    ....None


    As for Fiona, she was like


    [Fiona]


    Level 20


    Hp: 489/520


    Mp: 98/150


    Str: 35


    Vit: 30


    Agi: 25


    Dex: 40


    Int: 30


    Spi: 99


    Luk: 1 (lol)


    [Skills]


    Divine Favor [Mp: 5]: Heals all allies according to INT and SPI


    Guardian [Mp: 15]: For 1 turn, take all the damage your allies will receive, using SPI as for defense instead of VIT.


    Holy Sword [Mp: 10]: Deals extreme damage against undead and demons, 1.5x Atk dmg to everything else.


    Ressurection [Mp : 25] : Revive one ally with 50% HP.


    ...well that was pretty op, that luck though.


    ..


    I really need to get a class sometime.


    You might wonder why did we kept going like this instead of staying put and grinding my levels, but well¡ªI was just following behind Fiona. It''d be awkward to impose on her a lot further when she just want to return and claim her mission reward.


    Especially since she seems pretty tired from lugging that backpack. It''s the best I could do since I couldn''t even help her carry that much.


    "Ah...we''re finally here."


    "Huh?"


    "The beginner''s city. I think you had pretty good stamina for a non-combatant, Takeshi. We walked for hours, you know?"


    Was it actually hours of walking? I remember we just walked on a straight line and encountered several monsters without a stop though. As the result, for me who didn''t exercise that much, it wasn''t that tiring.


    Maybe there''s that auto-skip function since this was basically an implicit tutorial?


    "By the way, I want to clarify something, Fiona."


    "Go ahead."


    "What happens when a monster was defeated?"


    "Come on, we just defeated one moment ago¡ªthey simply turn to corpse....ah."


    "When we fought, the monsters simply disappeared after death."


    "Yeah, when I tried to wrap my head around, I couldn''t seem to grasp the oddity before you point it out...but why did the monster disappear in your case?"


    "That''s what I would like to know."


    I couldn''t simply tell her, it''s because the world became just like a game in my shoes.


    She kept on pondering, until she let out a sigh, giving up on the subject.


    "What do adventurers usually do after defeating the monsters, in this case?"


    "They dismantled it for the useful materials and most importantly, their magic stones. For the exception of slime monsters who turn to a glob thus can''t be extracted from most of the time, the adventurers had their backpacks filled just by carrying monster materials to be sold at the guild.


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    The Holy Order also dealt with it the same way, but it''s not like I have any room to store the materials...hehe."


    I see, this matched up with the Isekai novels I''ve read.


    Still, why was she alone then? Normally you''d move in groups or so.


    Anyway, her life''s none of my business, even though the snippets of things I heard made my heart wrench¡ªit''s not like I could help.


    "I happen to collect a lot of these drops each time we defeated the monsters. I don''t know, it felt like¡ªit just collected things by itself."


    Fiona''s expression completely fell.


    "Seriously? I can''t believe it, not only do the corpses which would attract other monsters disappear, you automatically dismantled the dead ones? I find it hard to believe...."


    "Well, let me just..."


    I accessed the menu and took out the slime core as if I took things from a bag in thin air. Come to think of it, in RPG games, the monster drops were based on luck, but this time, whenever a monster died, their materials were all harvested.


    Could this be... some kind of cheat ability?


    "....it''s true...that''s a slime core. Even seasoned adventurers would find it lucky to harvest one."


    "In addition of that, whenever we defeated the monster, I got an amount of gold."


    Fiona, who was already so flabbergasted, her mouth looked like it would fell deeper than Niagara Falls, looking as if she''s about to cry.


    "...sniff...how much gold was it...?"


    "The last orc we defeated yielded 10 gold."


    Since I had enough of her disbelief, I took five gold coins from the menu.


    "Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah! That''s so unfair, I hate you...I really hate you!"


    If you want to blame someone, please blame God for giving you 1 luck stat. That to be said, my luck stat wasn''t especially that much higher than hers.


    ...for the moment, anyway.


    What''s this feeling? Seeing her crying face...I felt a tinge of joy.


    Maybe deep down inside, I was a sadist.


    Later on, I learned that one gold coin was enough to feed a single person for a month, provided they lived modestly of course. It was also only accounting for food expenses, not including the other tidbits.


    ..and monsters did not drop money at all when killed. My case is an exception.


    "Really...Takeshi...you, if anyone else knew about this...adventurers all over the world would kill to have you on their party as a Support. An ability that allows you to see their health and mana, to automatically dismantle monsters and bottomless pit of inventory. Not to mention, even defeating few made you able to get rich..."


    If this was an RPG game, the abilities I had would be a lot more than this. Would Fiona squirm epileptic seizures when she discovered, what I currently had, was probably not everything?


    "Give me that five gold you have and I will pretend this conversation never existed."


    "Sure thing."


    I had around forty-five gold left in me anyway after I ''bribed'' her.


    "Mother...father...I have sinned, I just conned someone...but with this, you can live for many years without me having to do anything...nyohohoho...."


    Man, she finally broke, literally. I guess she just had things hard in life.


    She might have a loose lip when talking about her life, but seeing her as being a loner, my secret''s pretty much clear. Besides, I don''t really like to hide my powers all the time either. Best disclose it to someone trustworthy.


    Even if I felt sorry for her, I''m not giving my money for free. I just hope she''d get a better life with that dosh.


    Anyway, we finally arrived at the town entrance. Fiona went up ahead since she wanted to finish up the business with Holy Order as soon as possible.


    While it''s my turn to enter, there''s a single town guard who kept on repeating.


    "Hello, welcome to beginner''s city!"


    Over and over again...

 Ch 1-3

    Ch 1-3


    "[Ask]."


    In my desperation, I muttered a keyword to the guard.


    It''s much easier if I didn''t think of him as an actual person.


    "What would you like to know about the Beginner''s City?"


    There goes by the long explanations when I asked him to explain basically everything. Did he actually have no one to talk to the entire time?


    I might just be overthinking stuff again.


    Based on the information I got, this place was called the Beginner''s City due to its success on nurturing rookie adventurers. The enemies in here were relatively weak, thus made it a good stepping stone for most adventurers. It was said, that the legendary Hero himself once started out as an adventurer in here.


    The city had its own Shopping District containing weapon, armor, and items shops etc; the Adventurer Guild was also nearby along with various Inns. The Residential District was divided for nobles and commoners. The Feudal Lord in charge was a noble by the name of Sir Theodore Gustav. His residence and office were at the border between commoner and noble district and he welcomed the visit of people in need regardless of social status.


    Seems to be a decent person.


    Other than that, there''s the Temple District where the Church and Holy Order HQ were present and the Docks District, where the Commerce Guild lies. There used to be the Mercenary Guild in that district but due to the prolonged peace between the nations, it was disbanded.


    As for the current affairs, the relationship between Adventurer''s Guild and Holy Order weren''t that amiable, but it wasn''t as bad. They thought of each other as rivals, to say the least.


    About the nation, the guard said: this nation belonged to the Holy Empire Dei Magnus, a religious nation headed by the Pope. The religion of Dei Magnus was about the worship of the Creator and His Son, who sacrificed his life for the salvation of humanity. The Son was said to be the Legendary Hero who defeated the Demon King at the cost of his own life and through his sacrifice, no matter what evil tried to erase the hero''s lineage, the heritage shall never be stopped.


    When the ''Holy Nation'' thing came out, I reckon this was a nation of prudes so I refrain on asking any further. Well, the city itself wasn''t that church-looking¡ªbut I could still restrain myself.


    When push comes to shove, the power of my right hand shall follow!


    Well, I''ve exhausted the list of questions I brought up with the ask menu.


    "Hello! Welcome to---"


    "Any ideas on what a newcomer like me should do?"


    "If you are tired, sir, you can go to the Inn and rest. After that, the main deal was to register at the Adventurer''s Guild, you see! They have lots of jobs with decent payments, but most importantly, it''s where you could choose your class and they also help you choose based on your strengths."


    "Got it, thank you very much."


    "Hello! Welcome to--"


    Gah, so annoying....what''s the deal with this guard?


    Just when I was about to walk inside the city, the guard stopped me in my tracks.


    "New to the city? First of all, you need an ID to enter all cities, sir. The cost to make one ID is a silver coin!"


    [Yes] [No]


    I didn''t know the value of one silver coin, but it should be lower than gold, I think. I choose [Yes].


    [Acquired ID Card!]


    "Thanks for your cooperation, please enjoy your stay at Beginner''s City!"


    I looked at my menu again and saw around 44,9 gold. So this also had the feature to instantly trade spare changes. One gold coin was equal to a ten of these silver coins huh.


    Just as I thought, the [ID Card] was on the [Key Items] section. There were a few categories: Consumables, Equipment, Material and Key Items. Consumables refer to stuff like health potions, antidote, herb, and stuff. Equipment referring to things you equip, things I already got at hand without any spares were grayed out. Unlike in real life, the equips had no durability, meaning you didn''t even need to maintain yours.


    Materials refer to the list of monster drops and misc. Ingredients, as for Key Items, well, it''s for important stuff.


    When I asked the guard again, the ID was the base form for civilians, it was either upgraded into [Adventurer''s Card] or [Holy Order Membership]. Since I needed to get my class straight away, I should go to the Adventurer''s Guild first.


    ..


    As for the city''s scenery, how should I put it--I wasn''t that good at describing things. The concrete roads were well maintained and its pretty spacious as well. There were buildings made out of bricks, cement, steel¡ªgenerally modern materials, yet still retained a medieval look. There were gaslights all over the place, must be a magic tool. A lot of people doing their own stuff and there''s also a lot of food stands and shops.


    I tried to talk to as many random people I felt like talking to.


    "Life in this city was so peaceful, I sometimes forgot there are monsters around until I go out!"


    "Sir Kevin of Holy Order is so cool! His speech on becoming the town''s shield was so dreamy....oh lord...I''m such a sinful woman."


    "Mister, please give me candy, Mommy said never receive candy from strangers so it''s fine if I''m the one asking it. Oh, you don''t have any? Okay then."


    I was curious what she''d do if I gave her candy, later on, maybe I should''ve brought some later.


    That to be said, I ended up talking to a number of people who kept repeating the same thing. It was without me using [Ask] query. If I did so, I would spend days just to listen to so many trivial things. I gave up midway since there are so many people around. At the very least, they kept walking back and forth in the same place though.


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    As for the information I learned, I knew most of them already from the guard, so I''d just move on the moment I thought it''s boring enough.


    There''s also the Paladin people, the Holy Order members who patrolled the town. They generally gave the same information as the guards. After asking two members, who gave the exact same response, just with different voices¡ªI''m out.s


    I also tried to examine every box and pot I could find outside before entering some of the houses and did the same thing.


    [Received small potion!]


    [Received herb!]


    [Received aurora pickle!]


    {Received.....]


    I gave up, this city was just too large.


    I guess I couldn''t treat this world similar to an RPG game, there''s just something I had to leave away.


    Well, it''s good that people didn''t seem to react at all when I was poking on their trash bins.


    "[Go to]"


    I tried muttering another query word. I really had no idea but this kinda stuff seemed like my second nature, this was probably one of my so-called ''cheat skills''.


    The top-down map of this city filled my sight and there were lists of places that I could visit.


    [Inn]


    [Item Shop]


    [Weapon / Armor Shop]


    [Adventurer''s Guild]


    [Feudal Lord''s Mansion]


    [Church]


    So the Holy Order Headquarters couldn''t be visited at the moment huh.


    I choose [Inn] since the day''s gotten pretty dark from all the exploration earlier. The sunset was pretty beautiful, with red clouds obscuring the sun.


    In a blink of an eye, I immediately found myself in a building with an interior made out of solid wood. Curtains draped all over the window, with warm light from the magic lamps; creating a comfy atmosphere to wine and dine all day. Various adventures could be seen sitting at their table, either with food, drinks at hand or simply chatting with their party; some even stood in the corner; It was quite lively.


    I approached the counter, in which manned by a middle-aged guy with a thick beard; his clothing was pretty rough and he had well-toned muscles. He was probably an ex-adventurer.


    "Welcome to Monkey Island Cymbals. One night is a silver, including breakfast and dinner. For lunch, you had to pay extra."


    I paid in full for a few nights, which amounted to about three silvers. I received the key and ordered my dinner portion early; eating in front of the innkeeper cuz I also want to gather info from him. Since this might take long I would just eat while listening.


    When I queried with him, it seemed this Inn was the popular pick amongst the adventurers. For rich merchants and nobles, they mainly stayed at the hotel near the Temple District. For those associated with the Holy Order, they could even stay at the church.


    There were a lot of Inns in the city, but this man guaranteed me, this Inn would be the undisputed best either in cheap prices and service. Well, I couldn''t argue with it, since when it came to [Inn] I was transported here.


    Conversation, like always, went one way. It''s good since my actions weren''t questioned at all.


    The food was pretty luxurious. It was a vegetable salad with steak, plus fruit juice and pudding. The salad had a dressing of sweet n'' sour thousand island sauce and the steak was served in hot plate, with a bit of spicy chili, sweet sauce and a side of french fries plus sliced veggies. The fruit juice seems to be from pineapple, it had a vibrant taste accompanying its yellow color.


    As for the pudding, it had a really thick, tough but creamy texture. It was more like a gelatinous mochi cake than a pudding if you ask me. When I asked the innkeeper, he said it was made from the slime skin. A slime farmer resided in the town''s outskirts. He accepted orders from the whole country, even the Pope loves the dessert.


    Finishing my conversation with the innkeeper, I received the key and moved to my room. It''s the most spacious room on the second floor, at the end of the right corridor.


    Entering the room, I took the sandals I worn all the way from my old world. The cool wooden floor felt nice on my feet.


    This place was pretty dark due to it the blinds covering it; well it''s around evening after all. I flipped the switch near the door. I glanced at the luminous glow from the ceiling, which gave a good illumination to read comfortably. The other switch was a dimmer light, which made me want to sleep somehow.


    A spacious double bed in the room, with a bath and toilet, wardrobe, desk and lots of space to put and sort your equipment. There''s also a mirror, in which when I gazed at myself, I was still wearing the same clothes from my old world.


    Well, I guess that''s a part of my cheat-skill on why Fiona didn''t even question my attire.


    After choosing my class at the Adventurer''s Guild, I need to buy some weapons and armor. I might as well try to register there and party up with someone strong, telling them I was a pretty good Support.


    I want to learn more about this world so I would explore more and uncover additional things I hadn''t known before. I might have enough money to laze around for a while but it''s boring if I did nothing.


    Especially since this world was akin to games. If I didn''t take action, things might as well never change at all.


    In the meantime, I took a shit in the toilet plus some bath.


    No change of clothes yet so I''ll try to prioritize it.


    The facilities were about the same high-tech as my previous world.


    It''s nice the toilet had a flush function. In the meantime, I also relieved myself with my right hand; my rod pointing straight at the toilet hole. The sensation of cumming for the first time in the other world was divine.


    Feeling refreshed, well--it''s time to gather my thoughts for a bit.

 Ch 1-4

    Ch 1-4


    "Takeshi, you didn''t feel fine? Go home now."


    I worked in my uncle''s company. Although we''re relatives, he treated me the same as other employees. Even if the work were sometimes tedious, there''s a lot of room for a breather. The employees were well-cared for and they generally care about the company.


    Especially since uncle often had those after-work parties pretty often, like every Saturday, since tomorrow''s a day off. The alcohol was pretty good; people sang together in Karaoke and talking about actually fun things like movies and books instead of petty politics. Although I seldom come due to my aversion to people in general.


    At first, I felt I got the special treatment since I didn''t go through the employee examination and interview, but so did the ones who got a personal recommendation. My uncle said, one''s personal background was more important rather than their current capabilities¡ªnot saying their capabilities weren''t important.


    If you didn''t know who exactly you''re working with, how would you place your trust in them? Although talents and expertise could be trained, if you didn''t know your subordinates well, you''d never be able to bring out their full potential.


    Although life and work were pretty boring and sometimes I felt I didn''t belong here, being at my uncle''s company made it bearable.


    Even if, for now, I had to say goodbye to my old world, it''s not like I actually missed it. This might be contradictory, seeing myself reminiscing about my past life, but it''s just about the good things.


    I didn''t feel like talking about the bad ones, but basically, I was okay even if I were to stay in this world forever. Let good things be a memory, but I would sometimes remember the unpleasant ones so I wouldn''t think about getting back.


    It may be a good thing, that I didn''t remember the bad memories. Even if I got the chance to, I don''t want to reminisce about it.


    So, seeing as I didn''t want to go back, what would my aim be? I guess, it''s about enjoying my life to the fullest and getting stronger, based upon the talents I had. To the point, I could relax without any worries to my own safety.


    First things first, I wrote down my capabilities that weren''t listed with skills.


    Inventory: Infinite inventory spaces that didn''t weigh at all, neatly sorted according to categories.


    Status: displaying status, health, and mana of myself and allies.


    Battle mode: able to freely control myself on the battlefield. Since I was really weak, it''s useless unless I had a strong party member to carry me. The useful thing was, that it made the enemy and my party attack turn by turn so I could offset my lack of reflex. Making it more of a planned battle.


    Skip(?): Ability to shorten long-distance travels so I wouldn''t get tired even during them. Trigger still unknown.


    Item Drop: turning monsters into gold when defeated, also making their corpses disappear and procuring drops without having to dismantle them.


    If it''s not mentioned, you''ll never know what''s amiss (?): Self-explanatory.


    Ask (?): Able to query whatever I want to the people. I was still afraid if I were to ask about sensitive things, like mentioning to anyone about my true power while I couldn''t even protect myself.


    Go to: Transport to any point in town towards important places.


    ....


    That was all, I guess? I just listed random short names to describe the skill in its entirety, but I didn''t have good naming sense.


    If this was a game, there would be more features ain''t it? Like the most important one.


    [Save Game] obviously!


    With that in hand, I''ll get my final failsafe!


    Just as the thought crossed my mind, a hard-cover notebook materialized on my lap; a divine aura seems to overflow from it.


    [This is a diary, it will record your previous adventures at Inns and Save Points. You can return at the recorded point every time you''re defeated. Keep in mind, when you load this point, the said record will be deleted.


    You currently have one slot.]


    The system voice was that of a little girl--cute. It was a monotone speech but there''s a strange charm which made me all comfortable.


    Oh yeah, I just heard this voice now. Previously it''s all just a bunch of text, I wonder if anything was upgraded during my lapse of thoughts earlier?


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    My inner devil was working at full throttle; it''s basically infinite tries whenever you screwed up since after you load from this point, you could just keep filling it again. Except when you''re screwed up and forgot filling the diary.


    Ah...there''s still the Church. Usually, when you''re defeated in battle, you''d end up at the last ones you visit, with or without penalty.


    Let''s visit that next after I got things ready.


    Wait a second.


    How about [Load Game]?


    It would suck if I had to wait until I screw up.


    [Ability locked. Please notify Administrator or progress through your adventure to unlock this feature.]


    Administrator, huh? Was it some kind of deity in this fantasy setting? That aside, this voice was just so fluffy and adorable.


    Maybe I could get her to call me daddy.


    [Please do not think of such creepy things, mister.]


    Ah, she replied. Well, it''s nice that I got someone to talk to when I was lonely but, let''s save my records for now.


    I tapped the diary and said [Save]--the diary finally opened up. Before that, I couldn''t even make it budge no matter how hard I tried. Even if I was weak I didn''t think even a strong person would be able to pry it.


    Currently, the diary had only one blank page which couldn''t be turned over; a certain part with the shape of a hand glowed beside the page. I instinctively placed my right hand to the said part, and the previous blank were rewritten as:


    [Monkey Island Cymbals, Hero''s Room


    Day 2, 6:09 PM]


    There was a color picture of me sitting on top of the bed, placing my hands on the diary.


    [Tutorial Finished, the Clock feature was added.


    Time flows similarly to Earth. 60 second is one minute, 60 minutes is 1 hour. Every day consisting of 24 hours. Every week 7 days, every month 30 days. There were 12 months per year¡ª360 days in total.


    Please check the [Go to] function to see how much time would be spent in the meantime during fast travel.]


    Finally, I could know what time it was exactly.


    Hey, you didn''t tell me if the time moves like usual and regardless of what I do, the plot would still advance?


    Anyway, I tried asking the System but she simply replied with: ''just make the best use of your time, can''t you actually understand simple things?''


    Now I got even more confused.


    As much as I didn''t like it, since this world was similar to a game...maybe it was better this way.


    Even I prefer to just relax and take my time, it''s also fine¡ªsince I was basically just a bystander in this other world. I had no noble goals; I can do whatever I want.


    ...but first, I gotta experiment with the System.


    "[Quit Game]"


    [Invalid command.]


    "[Exit Game]"


    [Invalid command.]


    "[Alt+F4]"


    "[Ctrl+Alt+Del]"


    [Inva---]


    Ah goddamnit.


    "I love you, System-chan!"


    [Shut up, you''re annoying.]


    Oh...


    "Your next line is, ''did you just make me spout a J*Jo reference?''"


    [I refuse. One of the favorite things I, System likes to do is saying no to those who think they''re hot shit.]


    Wow, even the feel of her monotonous lines were perfect for her deadpan loli character. Of course, after she said ''I refuse'' I blurted out ''what?'' with a big exclamation before she continued on. It was really fun that way.


    Well, I guess to neutralize the flow of time, all I had to do was just.


    "[Za Waru--]"


    [I had enough of you, I''m leaving, please don''t bother me and get a friend.]


    Ah, she finally left. I tried muttering commands over and over but there''s no reply this time. If she continued on I was planning to tease her with cheat-related jokes or probably even try putting a Ko**mi code.


    Speaking of which, let''s just go down. I''d feel like gathering more info.


    When I came downstairs, a message appeared.


    [Event Mode: NPCs temporarily activate full-human characteristics and may interact with you at will.]


    Uh oh, I got a bad feeling about this. I generally didn''t like interacting with people though.


    Fiona and System were different since they seem more like anime girls.


    That aside, what I really want to do was ending the game and continuing from where I left off since I couldn''t load from here. Oh well, maybe if I unlocked the [Load Game] feature, there''d be many more ways I could take advantage of this world''s mechanics.

 Ch 1-5

    Ch 1-5


    The moment I went downstairs; I was greeted with a lively atmosphere. Adventurers all sat together, their eyes glued to a certain corner. A widescreen akin enough for a small-scale theater stood by, projecting from a circular object running on glowing crystals.


    Moving images with sounds came to display. It seems to be a news flash.


    A handsome male knight with platinum armor came to view. He was tall and muscular, with a buzz cut blond hair; his face clean shaven and his blue eyes seem to reflect whoever stared at it. He looked to be around my age.


    A text was shown below.


    [Kevin Orleans, Knight-Captain of Beginners'' City Holy Order. Thoughts about Joint Labyrinth Subjugation with the Adventurers'' Guild. Commissioned by Sir Theodore Gustav.]


    It was filmed in front of a spacious mansion. Verdant grasses and exotic fruit trees could be seen filling the horizon, in addition of few passersby who even stopped in just to get themselves appear on the recording. There weren''t a lot of buildings nearby.


    I wasn''t sure where the shooting location was since I didn''t manage to walk around much¡ªit already tired myself out just by checking for items earlier.


    Since there didn''t seem to be any video-editing done, there was a bit of wait before the interview finally commence. It all began when a small staff was given to Kevin, in which his baritone voice resounded through the entire Inn.


    "Test."


    A white-robed girl with pink hair stepped in from the crowd and stood beside Kevin, which immediately drew scorn from female onlookers off-screen. The girl gave a really gentle smile before her lips muttered, in a cold-sounding voice.


    "[Silence.]"


    ...and there were no more oppositions, only muffled screams which completely died down as the girl curved her lips. Even if I just saw it on screen, a tremendous chill ran down my spine.


    She''s indeed bad news.


    "Who''s the girl?" I asked the Innkeeper as I sat nearby him from the very beginning.


    "The Vice Knight-Captain, Olivia Orleans. She was Lord Kevin''s little sister; it''s said they''re not blood-related but I''m not sure about the details."


    Eh...seriously? Just how cliched you want their setting to be, God? Or should I say...Administrator?


    Well, let''s just hope the details were interesting enough.


    "So, Onii-ch...Knight-Captain, what do you think about this successful labyrinth subjugation?"


    Ah, she almost blurted out ''Onii-chan''. It had quite a dreamy tone as if she was trying to seduce Kevin right in the open.


    What the hell is this? The age of Or*imo and Onii-sama were already long due!


    "I''m just doing my duty."


    The chill reply without any emphasis or emotion; plain simple and short. Heh, I started to get a good impression of this guy. Meanwhile...


    "Kyaaaaaaah!"


    "So cool!"


    "Lord Kevin! Lord Kevin!"


    "His modesty is just so amazing!"


    "I want to be ignored by Lord Kevin too!"


    ...hey, did I just hear one guy amongst the voice of hysteric fangirls? Thinking they broke the silence spell from intense enthusiasm; what a frightening crowd.


    "...ahahaha...ehehehe...so...darl...um...ahem, Knight-Captain. Do you have anything else to add?"


    "Can I go home now?"


    Kevin said the short line to Olivia whilst keeping the same stoic expression. Amidst the intense screams and clamor around the perimeter, he was still able to keep his composure.


    Meanwhile, that same guy who screamed amidst the crowd of fangirls started clapping his hands without any restraint, causing lots of sights to be drawn at a particular direction. A tall, muscular bald guy wearing a thick lipstick and a wrestling outfit.


    The gallant knight himself maintained his stoicness even while the crowd of fangirls (and one dude) started scattering away and the authorities arrested him on the spot. That was quite the good work for the offender to only be given the briefest of moments. Good work for not letting such things distract you too much, Mr. Cameraman!


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Kevin..he was formidable. If it were me I''d be crumbling from a nervous breakdown--he had nerves of steel--wait, for a second there I noticed a certain tone from Kevin which I was familiar with. Whenever I conversed with my mother and she brought up marriage interview--


    "Well then, the news flash is now over. Thank you for your attention, bye!"


    That''s it? Really? That''s how news should be, unimportant and pointless so you didn''t have to regret watching.


    ....yeah it seemed like Kevin was fed up with these things. Was being in the Holy Order that unpleasant? I saw it first thing when Fiona had a complete turn from her pious, unrelenting kindness to something pitiful, on a display of gold coins.


    Oh well, seeing as I couldn''t visit their headquarters soon, it meant there''s something amiss. In a lot of Isekai novels, too, the religious orders were usually treated like villains. There''s even a web novel where the main characters were fighting against the church themselves.


    ...


    The screen flickered and the once silent Inn was now clamored with various talks.


    "What does that Kevin guy think he is? Was this even acceptable? They didn''t even disclose the details of the subjugation!"


    A rowdy dwarf with thick long beard rang their complaint.


    "Shut your mouth, Horace! You just didn''t understand Lord Kevin''s greatness. This is why rowdy, uncivilized males are..."


    A girl wearing a priest clothing admonished him.


    "I was just in for Olivia-tan''s cuteness!"


    The somewhat husky girlish voice belonged to a slender young beastkin man in rogue clothing, with human features plus cat ears and tail. Seemed to be a party of four, the last guy just stood silent¡ªhe was a masked guy with two katana in his back.


    Come to think of it, I did saw quite a good number of beastkins out there and they were treated as well as the Humans. But since I already read a lot of Isekai novels and even wrote a few stories, they didn''t seem that novel anymore. Beside from the ears and tail, they''re pretty much human anyway.


    Might not be bad to take a hint of their appearance since I had a feeling I might come across these folks. The dwarf name''s Horace, right? He seems to be the leader of the group. Their composition was, how did I put it.


    The dwarf wielded something akin to a firearm in gunpowder ages, no, its style was reminiscent to the ones used by pirates and swashbucklers. The priest girl would be their healer and buffer, I think¡ªshe held a long metal rod instead of the usual priestly staff though. Even though the girl looked kind of frail and brittle, she gave the imagery of Sun W*kong for a brief moment there.


    The rogue was self-explanatory¡ªdunno ''bout the katana guy, might be a magic swordsman¡ªbut where''s the tank? In every party, there''s gotta at least be someone to take all the blows and draw aggro from enemies? Well, they might just be away, hopefully. Or if that''s not the case, I would forget about ever partying with them as Support.


    ...not like I was fully confident they''d accept me anyway. In any case, my background itself was shady enough.


    Meanwhile, I asked the Innkeeper again.


    I nearly forgot to do something important.


    "Is the Adventurer Guild still open during this hour?"


    The subjugation had nothing to do with me. I don''t want to risk triggering a Quest just because I asked unnecessary things.


    "Yep, it''s open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There''s a lot of employees with rotating shifts so...hey, where are you going young lad?"


    "I had some urgent appointment, old man. See ya."


    "Don''t you need a guide--"


    Of course, I didn''t need them, all I had to do was using [Go to].


    ...and thus I arrived at the Adventurer''s Guild. Time to get my first class.


    Although I was half discouraged since the current me was so weak.


    Oh well, at least I gotta keep my hopes up.

 Ch 1-6

    Ch 1-6


    [You have ended Event Mode prematurely so I will explain what you''ve missed.


    The flow of events would introduce you to a guide, which would accompany you to various places in the city at the cost of one silver coin per day, but since you had that convenient [Go to] function, it''s of no use huh.]


    System (loli) explained.


    It''s just as she said¡ªI already got better stuff.


    So yeah, sitting at the comfy sofa near the guild entrance. I took a few deep breaths while observing my surroundings, before approaching the guild counter. This place was a pretty bright. with all those magic lamps.


    There were rows of steel chairs in which people waited for their number on a large display, similar to a bank. Various receptionists behind the counter were advising one party each, who sat together on the provided chairs. Some had to stand up, or be provided with additional seating.


    There''s an entrance just beside the rightmost counter which seems to be connected to the staff area, in which people organizing paperwork were seen. No glasses or rails to obscure the adventurers which somehow worried me. Well, seeing as no one dared to cause a ruckus, it was fine.


    There were also stairs leading to the second floor, but I should finish my business here first.


    On the other side of the lobby, there''s a place that seems really guarded. The counters were barred in metal and walled, except for the latch where you could put your hands on. A transaction took place where people sat in a better-looking seat, took their card, depositing money or withdrawing their cash and valuable items such as magic crystals in bags or even small safes.


    Different from the one for adventurers, the booths didn''t even have any outside entrance. The staff members seem to enter from somewhere inside; well it''s their trade secret.


    There''s also the same waiting area in the wide first floor, the ''Vault'' and "Adventurer''s Corner'' were divided by a large signboard in which various requests could be seen. I had nothing in interest here since I wasn''t an Adventurer yet.


    In midst of my observation, in the Adventurer''s Corner, I found one unoccupied counter; its seat open for taking. The line didn''t seem to be moving at any moment. The people present were mostly doing idle animations. I almost forgot this world followed game logic more than real life itself--if not for the number display not moving despite me staring for few minutes, I would''ve forgotten. Without hesitation, I sat in front of the counter.


    A black-haired receptionist with glasses and guild uniform greeted me. She''s around her early twenties, I presume.


    "Welcome to the Adventurer''s Guild, how can I help you?"


    Whoa, I really could bypass all the waiting and just butt straight in. It felt like I got a patrician''s privilege.


    "How can I get my own class?"


    "The class assessment is on the second floor. First, you have to register your identity--your ID please."


    There was no complicated form or anything. She just took my ID card, went to the room in the back for a few minutes before returning.


    "It''s done. Now yourself, along with guild staff and your party members that you authorize can see your stats. Please proceed to the second floor and give it towards the receptionist on the second floor. They will guide you regarding the assessment."


    ...speaking of which, wasn''t the ability to see my own stats were a bit redundant? I could just open the menu and...ah, well I see. It seems like they couldn''t see their own stats and had to rely on the ID card to get an idea on their growth.


    Before I went to the second floor, I asked one more question.


    "What conditions should I meet to register at the guild?"


    While I''m not looking forward to being a fighter, at least my abilities will net me the most money by killing monsters and harvesting the coin drops.


    The receptionist wore a disappointed expression, probably seeing as my initial stats were poor.


    "...that can wait until you finish the assessment, sir."


    "Oh, okay then."


    I bade her farewell, even though she wouldn''t reply anyway and went to the second floor.


    Much different than the first which layout resembled a bank, the second floor was divided into a four-way intersection, with one wide hall in the center; there''s only a medium-sized booth akin to the one for tolls, giving the room an even more spacious presence. No seating for the guests at all.


    The floors were covered in red carpet, the left and right direction had wide corridors I couldn''t see the end of it.


    The ones right behind the booth led to a set of stair on the third floor. Two guards with full plate armor were standing side by side.


    Since the only receptionist was an old man with white hair, with the impression of a veteran butler by his attire¡ªI talked to him anyway.


    "Welcome, what business do you have?"


    "I wish to enter class assessment, but can you first tell me what does the second floor do?"


    The old man straightened his monocle before coughing a bit, explaining with a clear, gentleman-like voice.


    "You see there are a lot of rooms here, sir? During the day, a lot of people came here for assessing their class. Not just that, the advancement, consulting and planning were also done in these respective rooms. I was merely referring to those from the left corridor. For those on the right, there were meeting rooms lent to adventurer parties.


    Well, if you don''t have any more questions¡ªcan we begin the assessment?"


    "I''m curious about the joint labyrinth subjugation with the Holy Order that''s on the news."


    No reason really, I just felt this person would be more informed. Since, well, he''s from the guild itself.


    Even if some Quest popped up, I could just reject it if I felt I wasn''t strong enough. But if I could party with strong Adventurers, then it''d be my pleasure.


    "I do not watch the said news. As for the details, I''m sorry but it''s the guild''s internal matter. What I wish to say to civilians in general is: it was successful so let our peaceful lives continue. Since you watched it, how did it went?"


    I see.


    Well, glad it was successful though. Even if I didn''t care much about others, it''s better to hear of good news than the bad ones.


    In any case, I was grateful¡ªso it''s no harm, to tell the truth.


    "There''s someone named Kevin who just said one line that he did his job, the end."


    "..."


    The old man sighed before shifting the topic immediately.


    "Well then, let us begin. Place your hands on this crystal ball. Also, your ID please."


    There were things I want to retort, but well¡ªI agree with him; I also want to get this over with. I don''t want to be stuck with an old man for a prolonged time.


    "Wait for a second, didn''t we actually have to do it in one of the rooms?"


    "It''s a bother to walk. I wish to have my coffee while watching magical Iris soon."


    I guess it''s more convenient this way; I had no qualms.


    The old man glanced without interest at my ID card, even as I placed my hands atop the crystal ball, his expression did not flinch a bit.


    "A normal person stats on level 1 is ten on average. I do not know how you could survive with such low stats but with this evaluation, I could only offer one class [Adventurer]. It''s the only one not limited by stats nor innate talent. How about it?"


    "What happens if I don''t pick a class?"


    "Your growth will be stunted. There''s no advantage to not taking a class since you could change yours at any time without penalties.


    By defeating monsters and other things, you will get experience to level up yourself and your current class. The classes all had bonuses that would accommodate your growth, and most importantly, after leveling enough you''ll be able to progress to the intermediate class or pick ones better suited to your aptitude.


    Even the [Adventurer] class had both intermediate and advanced one, although it''s rare for many to achieve it¡ªso how about it?"


    "Let me think for a bit."


    "Make it quick, there''s only an hour left before Magical Iris start."


    I guess this old geezer also felt the same, huh? Well, better not keep him waiting.


    With that in mind, the System displayed a panel describing the class:


    [Adventurer]


    No change in the basic stat.


    An increased base growth rate of all stat.


    Skills: enemy detection, trap detection, mapping, carry weight increase, camping expertise. Able to use all low-level skills learned. Item usage effect plus, etc.


    Description: jack of all trades, master of survival related skills. A class that anyone can choose from the very beginning, but only a few were gifted enough to master. Whether you''d be a laughingstock or an esteemed being, are determined by your personal ability.


    ...


    Hey, I like this class. It didn''t sound that bad, a bit on the cool side actually.


    "Alright, I''ll choose [Adventurer]."


    Even though I prefer getting a unique skill, this was alright.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Took you long enough." the old man snorted.


    What''s your deal you, damn grampa! I made a pretty fast decision and your only interest was your friggin'' anime.


    Heh, it''s not like I''d come here often anyway. Just bear with it, Takeshi.


    With a wave of a hand and a sigh devoid of interest, light poured from the crystal ball to my entire body.


    [Takeshi is now an Adventurer!]


    [Learned sub-class, Godslayer]


    What the hell?


    Did my eyes fool me somewhat?


    [Godslayer]


    [??????]


    [??????]


    Description: reach the first Transcendence to uncover the basic information. Low-level passive skills were activated. Its name and effects will be revealed after the first trigger.


    ...


    Transcendence? No clues about it. Even when I asked the System by muttering in my mind, the only answer was¡ªthe information about Transcendence was Administrator-locked and I had to progress through my adventure.


    Man, I couldn''t help but be curious to the point, I probably couldn''t sleep during the night.


    Hmm...let me see my stats after getting a class.


    [Takeshi]


    Level


    : 5


    (Adventurer lv 1, Godslayer lv 0)


    Hp: 100/100


    Mp: 45/45


    Str: 10


    Vit : 10


    Dex : 10


    Agi : 10


    Int : 10


    Spi : 10


    Luk : 10


    ...


    Yes, my stats actually were comparable to an average person, I was level 5 though. Doesn''t matter right now, I''ll definitely get stronger! Hmm...since there''s no change in the basic stat from getting the [Adventurer] class does that mean I got all these from simply being an Lv 0 [Godslayer]? Since the title sounded powerful there''s a good chance it might be.


    ...


    [Skills]


    Flee ¨C instantly escape from battle with high probability, will not work on bosses.


    ....


    Heh.


    I felt depressed upon looking at the first skill I learned, though that aside¡ªit seemed bloody useful. Though, the moment that high probability actually missed, I might consider myself screwed.


    No escape from bosses either, huh? Well, that sucks but these tough enemies were generally those you came prepared anyway¡ªexcept for those sudden ones. In that case, where I got defeated, I still had my save game anyway.


    Let''s just hope the [Load Game] didn''t bug on me. I''d better pay the Church a visit soon as well.


    Meanwhile, that old man stood in place like an ice statue. It seemed since I didn''t say anything, there was no reaction. I tried waving my head on top of his face without making a contact.


    Good! No response, after I enjoy taunting him without a noise he...disappeared in thin air; I didn''t even have a chance to ask him about this sub-class of mine.


    I guess NPCs got teleported to their destination after a current time had passed.


    Thinking about it, since the System didn''t even give me any hints¡ªit may be unwise to divulge the information to just anyone.


    The thing I was most curious about now¡ªGodslayer. It sounded much too powerful for merely being a subclass.


    "[Help: Classes, Sub-Classes]."


    [Classes.


    You can select one class at a time and change it to however you want. After mastering the certain combination of class and fulfilling the criteria for advancement, you can select the Intermediate and Advanced class.


    A good number of the classes are combat ones, but there are also ones with non-combat roles.


    The non-combat classes are irrelevant to the player, so the information''s omitted.]


    ...hey, I still want to know.


    [Omitted...]


    Sigh.


    [Sub-Classes


    You can get one sub-class each time you acquired a beginner, intermediate and advanced class. Different from main classes, sub-classes didn''t mainly level up through battle but by devoting yourself to daily life task pertaining to it. Sub-Classes were mostly there to improve the quality of life.


    With an exception of ones like [Exorcist] who leveled up by banishing demons. As for [Godslayer] it was kinda obvious, don''t you think so?]


    ...wow that loli''s voice turned cheeky at the last line.


    For goodness sake, did I really had to slay a god just to level up this sub-class?


    [Sub-Classes (continued)


    Unlike main class in which you could change however you will, the same with sub-classes.


    In the occasion where you automatically acquired a unique class or sub-class, congratulations! You are the Chosen One in which you had to carry on ''til the end. Now go and defeat the Demon King because it''s too much pain for others to do so.]


    ...ah, seriously.


    Well, couldn''t complain anyway since the ones I ended up with seems cool, even the [Adventurer].


    When I tried to inquire about [Godslayer] in many different ways:


    [Insufficient privilege, contact Administrator for permission.]


    [Invalid...]


    [Unable to get information.]


    Gaaah...


    After that, I registered myself in the guild since the main conditions end up to be: acquiring a class and my stats having an average of at least 10.


    Confirming my ability to read and write in this world''s language, in addition to performing simple calculations, I was admitted as an F-rank adventurer. Why did I sign up anyway? Actually, I''m not a fan of going through dangerous Quests¡ªI''m more about making money by partying with someone and have them do the damage while grinding mobs.


    Though first, I want to get my monster drops appraised and based on the stories I read; it was a privilege for guild members.


    The receptionist guided me towards a big warehouse building beside the guild. It was still lively with various people dismantling monsters inside. When I showed the caretaker a sample of my various drops, a tall muscular orc fellow replied in a hoarse voice.


    "For the slime core, it''s around thirty silver since it''s rare material. The wolf pelt amount to three silver with its perfect quality. The orc hides four silver and the meats one silver each. Normally the price we paid was only half of what you received since the average qualities ain''t so good. So, how ''bout it, mister adventurer?"


    "Well, I''m not planning to sell it right away, I''m just curious about the market price."


    I don''t give him my name right away, although it''s probably of no use since I already registered. When he wants to ask for my identity, they got my data.


    "You had acquaintance with traveling merchants? In this case, it''s fine, but I want around five silver as an appraisal fee. I know it might sound unreasonable, but it took a lot of effort to appraise them all."


    Err...you simply glanced at the materials I dropped from the storage space though? You didn''t even realize I had some superpowers and mutter ''ZOMG Space Magic !101one!'' like that?


    I think I was a bit careless there, but then, lugging the mass of materials were too much of a pain. Since I didn''t get busted, it''s fine really.


    "Alright, here you go."


    I nonchalantly handed five silver from my inventory (placing my hands on my pocket as a camouflage) to the orc fellow. Using the inventory to convert the numerical value to gold coins instantly.


    Well, he didn''t seem to be that affected when seeing the hide of his kin. Maybe because to themselves, they''re like the humans and the mere orcs were monkeys?


    "...that to be said, that''s an amazing item bag to preserve the materials as it were new. Not to mention, the quality of dismantling¡ªit''s perfect! Fella, who is the Support in your party? Do not tell me it''s the legendary adventurer--"


    Ah, so he''s not completely unaware of it...


    ...but it''s good since I didn''t get suspected of having a god-level item bag. Was the denizens of this world somehow gullible, or it''s just my privilege as a player?


    In any case, I hate thinking too much.


    "To be honest, that fellow was pretty shy, so he didn''t mention his name even once. Well then, if I got another news of him I when I got back I''ll drop by."


    "Take care on your adventures."


    The hmm...the selling price was pretty crap. I wasn''t in a dire need of money but I


    just sold a few extra materials via the purchase menu, in case I over purchased. Probably would keep the materials for things such as quests, or maybe some crafting if I unlocked it in the future. With the current mechanics, it probably wasn''t necessary though.


    What I did was just talking to him as usual but I brought up the query like [Sell Menu] and it all popped out.


    I didn''t sell it right away since I want to compare the prices. If it''s all the same, then I didn''t lose anything. But, I don''t want to regret losing money over an impulsive decision.


    ...just because the selling price was pretty damn good. Although¡ªit definitely can be higher.


    Anyway, let''s try the equipment stores next.


    ...


    I''d just visit the weapon/armor shop for the time being.


    "[Go to.]"


    Weapon and Armor Shop ¨C travel duration 15 minutes.


    By the way, it also took around 15 minutes to get to the guild. I spent quite some time in here though, so it''s already looking around night time by the time I arrived.

 Ch 1-7

    Ch 1-7


    The weapons and armor shop had quite the regular interior: a lot of racks containing equipment, but those were just samples. If you want to try the good weapons, you got to pay a fee of few coppers to test (one time only) in which you would be guided to the next room with a lot of training dummies. For the armors, there''s a fitting room like in clothing stores, on the different side of the test area.


    Strangely enough, even from just the samples, I could clearly see the stats and also the price. Most of them worth tens of silver and the good one''s several gold coins. It''s not like I could get the best gear from the get-go; a lot of those good weapons had a class, stat, and level limitations.


    Like this one handy toolkit for example:


    [Bowie Knife]


    Price : 3 gold


    Atk +18


    Agi +3


    Dex +5


    [Thief Class Only]


    I tried welding them but as soon I tried using the weapon, it dropped down the floor with a loud clank. If it''s the event mode, I would embarrass myself to death¡ªbut outside of it, no one gave a single care


    I thought it''d be different if I bought it, yet it still had such limitations.


    Apparently, higher leveled equipment required certain classes to use. Someone with just [Adventurer] like me didn''t have that much options.


    Plus, I couldn''t use the weapon I hadn''t bought, even if I already met the requirements. It''s a bummer.


    No stealing by putting the weapons straight to my inventory either. The only ones I could put were monster drops and the things I own.


    I tried comparing it with buying straight from the menu when I approached the shopkeeper. The ones in the menu shop were really expensive¡ªthe regular armors priced 100 gold and even the weapons were 150 gold on average. Most of them were usable to me though. Firstly, what I wanted to make sure of, was the price of monster materials in comparison to the one from dismantling orc guy.


    Slime Core ¨C 15 g


    Wolf pelt ¨C 2 g


    Orc hide ¨C 3 g


    Wolf meat ¨C 1 g


    ...


    Hey, the price was pretty good.


    With this, I conclude: the selling prices were still the same.


    What I had in my mind was:


    Buy monster materials directly with low price from the guild, with all the gold coins I had; from the cheapest ones available. Or many other places where I could just buy in bulk.


    Sell them at the shops via the menu.


    ???


    Profit!


    Even though it might work, this method might cause a ruckus if it triggered an event. I''d save it for some other time when I was strapped for cash.


    In any case, I wasn''t strapped for money. I''d just sell when the materials were abundant.


    Let''s just buy the equipment currently fitting me. Spending a few of those gold coins, I managed to gear up.


    [Takeshi]


    Weapon : Adventurer''s Knife (Atk +5, Dex +2, Agi +1)


    Armor: Adventurer''s Clothes (Def +5)


    Accessory: Glasses (Accuracy +)


    Accessory 2: Comfortable Shoes (feels good on the feet)


    ...


    I learned something ridiculous from this system.


    When I first tried fitting the armor and weapon I brought; it changed my equipped items list, just as expected. Yet, when I unequip the armor through the menu, I still had it on me.


    Which meant: I could wear light clothing, whilst enjoying the high defense of heavy armor if I just equip it through the menu.


    The same with my glasses. I just have to unequip it the same way and substitute for another accessory. Like, when I wore my glasses, the attributes were the other shit.


    Actually, my sight''s a normal 20/20; I wore glasses to protect my eyes from dust. As time went by, it got really comfortable, I couldn''t seem to get by without wearing it.


    The crazier thing happened with weapons. If I first wield the dagger and substitute for a greatsword through the menu. I''d be able to wield a dagger with the two-hander''s power. Hmm...what about barehanded?


    Alright, let me tweak the heaviest-duty equip by abusing the current system. I''ll wear my usual comfy clothes and sub it with the heaviest I could wear.


    [Takeshi]


    Weapon: Bronze War Hammer (Atk +12, Agi -3, Dex -2)


    Armor: Bronze Hauberk (Def + 10)


    Accessory: Glasses, Comfortable Shoes


    I ended up spending more gold coins from buying the equips, but that''s okay.


    I went towards the training dummy with the current setting. Striking my palm at full power, the target swayed all the way as if it were hit by a big impact.


    Though, the exploit only works if I didn''t manage to pick any other weapon, in which the current equipment would change to the said weapon I held in hand.


    When I tried going through the battle mode and switching equipment, it didn''t work either, the war hammer materialized in my hand¡ªit''s damn heavy to swing around.


    How did I enter battle mode? I could just manually trigger it against those training dummies, but for anyone else or any other object, it didn''t work. Probably a feature.


    When I went to the battle mode with the exploit, however, probably due to the error in the weapon mismatching¡ªI end up barehanded¡ªmy fists had a war hammer''s flavor.


    I need to brandish the dagger and equip the war hammer while I had my weapon out, plus entering the battle like this in order to use the dagger which hits like war-hammer.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    I didn''t plan to start a fight with random peoples either; thank goodness it had a battle mode confirmation rather than immediately ''pop'' and fight.


    Here''s how the switch exploits work.


    There''s the state of me unsheathing the weapons and sheathing it. Normally, you would think when I brandished a sword, it would be my current equipped weapon. When I sheathed it, I would just go back to being barehanded.


    It''s not the case for me. I would still have it on (at the status) as if the blade were brandished the entire time.


    When I entered the battle normally, I would still brandish the blade. But when the exploit was on, it would only identify which one I was currently armed on as the ''weapon model'', my bare hands included.


    ...


    In battle mode, the weapon switch exploit wouldn''t work. It would always switch to the designated weapon. In the case of armors, it would also switch to the one you pick.


    The same exploit would work with your armor, outside of battles; in case you felt lazy about changing your armor. Like, if it wasn''t comfortable but the stats were good. Plus, you prefer your own clothes even though the stats were crap and got stuck in a dilemma.


    A convenience for a player like me, indeed.


    This meant I could just go fighting naked whilst using the stat of OP armors. I found the idea to be rather incredible--soloing the Demon King in my underpants¡ªwait, that sound rather lewd. I hope the said person was a cute girl.


    Though, in this case, I''d rather wear a comfortable clothing first before changing to heavy armors via the menu. I was no exhibitionist, believe me.


    Speaking of which, don''t think I hadn''t tried my hands on practicing the old one-two punch technique and kicks I learned my old martial arts class back. Yes, apparently the System thinks of punch and kick as the same thing.


    I thought the World''s System would be intuitive enough but...apparently I didn''t get any feedbacks even after I did that for a while...


    While it kinda sucked, let''s just let bygones be. There are a lot of ways to get stronger and I''m more of a gamer than a martial artist. Gotta play by your own strength.


    Since my other necessities couldn''t be found at the equipment shop, I went and brought a lot of things from the Item Shop.


    Namely survival kits like a tent, potions antidote etc¡ªit was really cheap (while not using menu) considering the number of gold coins I had. Lastly, I brought comfortable clothes and subbed the stat with the heavy armor I got.


    Normally looking at me you would see me like this:


    [Takeshi]


    Weapons: none


    Armor: Comfortable clothes [Def + 0]


    Accessory: Glasses, Comfortable shoes.


    The actual stats were:


    [Takeshi]


    Weapons : Bronze War Hammer [Atk +12 Agi -3 Dex -2]


    Armor: Bronze Hauberk [Def+10]


    Accessory: same as above.


    ...


    Well, at the very least, with this kind of clothing I wouldn''t look out of place. This world was kind of a disjoint though. People wearing medieval themed clothing and armors even though this world weren''t all that different technologically from Earth. Maybe it''s just culture¡ªI don''t know.


    The clothing I brought were quite expensive though; around ten gold for the entire set? A breezy brown striped cardigan with white undershirt; three-quartered pants made of tough hide and lots of pockets. It also had quite a large belt, in which people on Earth saw me right now, it looked like I was cosplaying a Scottish villager.


    The shopkeeper at the item store; a woman that''s around the same age as my mom was rather perplexed as I showed her my appearance when I talked to her directly. Yes when they showed human reactions, it meant I entered [Event Mode] which could trigger for reasons, like speaking to important NPCs¡ªit''s the same in games. She said, the clothes were made from the north for dwarven travelers but when it entered my inventory, it was tailored to perfectly fit me.


    The same went for the armor and weapons I purchased. The woman didn''t ask me about such discrepancy though. She''s like Fiona who didn''t question how the monsters poofed just like that if I didn''t mention them myself.


    Apparently, I got my hands on convenient abilities. Not to say I actually became OP though, but at the very least¡ªI got the feeling my life''s going to be a lot better than I expected.


    For the clothes, I didn''t care ''bout the price, at the very least¡ªthese things felt so damn comfy¡ªit''s justified either way. If I was out of money, I could always try the moneymaking exploit later; I didn''t feel like doing it right now.


    At the least, I''d just sell the few extra materials and it almost broke even my purchase.


    It''s kind of a waste to loot the bins earlier¡ªmany of them were found on the Item shop.


    So [Aurora Pickle] could cure drunken status, huh? Not sure if I''d get drunk from the Chekov Gun. I''m not a fictional character anyway.


    Going my merry way, I went back to the inn, this time via walking instead of using [Go to].


    At first, I thought this was going to be a good day.


    ...until I went back to my inn room and all the colors in my surroundings became grey.


    With exception of three black shadowy figures in front of me, whose eyes emitted a sinister crimson.


    "Eliminate target."

 Ch 1-8

    Ch 1-8


    The colors of crimson dyed my sight as three of them ejected lasers outta their hands. Right before the beam vaporized me, an invisible force stopped it on its tracks, followed by the System message.


    [Godslayer activated!]


    As the text box appeared in my mind, the lasers were gone.


    [Retribution nullified, entering normal battle.]


    If the Godslayer was active at this point¡ªI might be confronting a god-like entity. The thrill of killing a god as a mere mortal was indeed juicy, but before the fight, I wasn''t sure if I could accomplish it.


    The three black figures stood still as I entered battle mode. They looked menacing and strong; I probably didn''t stand a chance at first glance, but don''t think I''d give up my precious life for this.


    Even if they''re only half my height, they radiated such powerful presence, I froze for a moment here.


    Wait, there were some stats I could analyze right away.


    [Death Eater]


    Level 99


    HP: ???/???


    MP : ???/???


    All stats: 255


    Skills :


    All attacks will always bring instant death.


    ...


    ...should I just use the escape skill? Nah, it''s a trap. They definitely want me to escape.


    Wait...I noticed something new in the interface called [Turn Order]. How was it not present earlier? Or maybe I wasn''t paying that much attention¡ªor the features weren''t all unlocked since that was still on Tutorial phase.


    In that case¡ªshouldn''t the System explain?


    No, I don''t like being spoon-fed either.


    Three black shadows had the icons like the ghosts at P*cman. Located at the leftmost corner, marked by numbers [1, 2, 3] and so forth. While lagging far back, was a chibi-fied illustration of my face; a black-haired man with glasses. The number was 4; often synonymous with death.


    Talk about a bad omen, but it''s not necessarily my own.


    When I queried with the System, she explained--since the battle wait mode was set to [Wait] as default, instead of [Active], they just stood still. If this was set to [Active], I might be dead right away.


    Continuing the things she felt explaining: the turn order was determined by each respective AGI. The one with the highest AGI would always get to act first, no matter if it''s the enemy or ally.


    With this mechanic, you couldn''t queue-cast all the skill on your party members unless you''re all faster than all the monsters.


    Of course, the first thing I asked after that was about those enemies. Why was I attacked right away? What was retribution? What was Godslayer really?


    This time, however, the loli System just said ''good luck''.


    In their case, since their stats were all the same, the order was supposed to be random.


    Fleeing was indeed, a trap.


    Since my AGI was so low, I would be defeated by their attack before I could even proceed with my escape skill; I normally couldn''t even get to my turn at all.


    As of currently, my menu wasn''t even present.


    ...but in this case, it should be their own turn. Why would they just stand there like an idiot at the beginning of the battle? Hmm...probably a game convenience? Like a preparation time to plan ahead since I''m a player?


    Let''s just let them pass their turn first. The dialog boxes for my Actions hadn''t shown up since my turn wasn''t there yet. You might think the [Wait] mode was useless but to me, who prefer to take my time during crucial fights¡ªit''s still a godsend.


    It''s kinda ironic I''m a [Godslayer] though.


    I remember the Actions which would end my turn. First thing was [Attack] in which I got to move towards the enemy and making physical contact, including a harmless finger-poking. The damage was roughly the same no matter how hard I punched, swung the weapon or even poked it with my fingers. Only numerical values matter.


    The thing was, I got to return to my previous, approximate location before it finally ended.


    The second thing was [Defend], by standing in place and raising my fists to block the attack. I didn''t need to put up my guard the entire time, the moment a Shield icon was beside my status, it''s okay to relax my guard.


    Defending was useless in this case.


    The third one was [Skills]. According to System, you could simply imagine the move you''d like to execute and unleash your hidden powers, but in my case, nothing particularly happened, so...


    The fourth thing was [Escape Attempt] by walking towards the edge of the battlefield. If the confirmation said [Success] you would be taken outside the battle, but if it failed...


    Well, it was too risky either way. Fleeing was not an option, but it''s not I got any means to fight them head-on.


    Hmm...I think I got an idea.


    There were three enemies up front, labeled [Death Eater A, B, and C] from left to right. Even their turn order was [A, B, C] from first to last.


    I moved towards the back of [Death Eater B] and set the wait mode to [Active]. Later on, I noticed, the [Wait] was actually set to default at the beginning of the battle, and there''s a feature to [Start Battle] if your enemy actually got the first turn, aside from changing it to [Active].


    "Damn it."


    I let out a swear since my previous plan failed. Instead of being baited towards my current position and attacking [Death Eater B], [Death Eater A] stupidly moved towards my starting position at the other side and struck thin air. Compared to the slimes that moved so fast when I first arrived, their speed was akin to an adult walking a bit fast than usual.


    I began to call bullshit that the first slime fight was a plot device.


    Anyway, the other two also behaved the same way.


    Their attacks consist of raising their arm and chopped at a pretty slow speed.


    I kinda made them skip animations by toggling the menu option since their walking speed was so slow. Soon enough, it was my own turn.


    Hmm...I think I got a general idea. By using my plan, at least I could get rid of two. For getting rid of the third one, it all depends on whether my hunch was correct.


    I changed the mode from [Active] to [Wait] before returning to my previous spot.


    This time, I moved towards the side of where I previously stood. I kinda learned from previous battles, that unless I moved two steps (it''s actually one step but I use two steps to be safe) from my previous location, the enemy would still lock-on to me and keep attacking¡ªuntil I either dodged in the nick of time or got hit.


    That was a reckless experiment, but since I didn''t feel any pain anyway, and Fiona would resurrect me if I died¡ªI took the risk.


    Of course, I wouldn''t allow myself to get hit easily. It''s a cakewalk to dodge the attacks, especially when I set the battle animation to the slowest.


    I''m not an idiot RPG character who just stand in place waiting for enemies to hit me. Even if I just stood in place, if the enemy attacks didn''t touch me, it''d be labeled as a miss.


    Going back to the present--it''s kind of a risky plan; the main idea was to block the first one''s movement before they left one step of my starting location. To prevent this, I opened my inventory and smeared wolf blood¡ªmy intuition was correct to only sell a bottle of it.


    I measured it around the distance between my two feet as I took one step. I also marked the place I''d be standing, two steps diagonally from my previous one.


    Just right after I finished my marking, and stood back up, the shadows also moved¡ªwhich rendered me shocked. Did my actions were treated as [Item Usage]?


    Thanks to the two-steps diagonal mark I left earlier, I could quickly move towards the optimal location before the enemy caught onto me, thank goodness they weren''t that fast despite their AGI. I guess I underestimated their slowness earlier since I was just watching from a safe place.


    ...or maybe it''s because I still left the animation to the slowest setting?


    Oh yeah, it was.


    Did my laziness just save me again?


    Cold sweat started trickling like mad as the particular shadow figure got closer until it was only two steps apart.


    Regardless of no particular threat happening, I still couldn''t help but feel uneasy.


    Even if, that chop which hit thin air looked harmless from distance, watching it up close made me felt akin to staring at death itself. Indescribable chills ran across my back as the chop landed on air. The feeling was even stranger when the figure retracted its hands and the atmosphere went back to normal--


    "Now!"


    As soon the figure finished its attack and turned back, I moved to block its pathway before it managed to take a step, right at the end point of single step I marked. I stood sideways as to watch from both directions--the figure stopped just one step by my side. Instead of rushing over and walked through, It made a static walking motion like being obstructed by an invisible wall.


    It was successful.


    Why did that happen though? What caused the invisible wall to form?


    Remember the same invisible wall which blocked their lasers earlier? I kinda made a gamble, it would work the same way.


    My hunch was right. Well, it probably wouldn''t work if I just play it brain dead and got foolishly murdered.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The second figure proceeds towards where the first went. This time, those chills reached excruciating level. I got a nervous breakdown; unable to think of anything for a moment there. Since the figure approached from the other side, following the same game rules¡ªwould the invisible walls still work?


    That peculiar figure also stopped one step from me, producing the same static walking animation.


    "Ah, I''m sorry."


    ...why did I apologize? It wasn''t even a human being...


    I moved back toward my previous ''waiting'' position marked by the wolf blood. Both figures moved two steps, which made me shudder in fear of an imminent failure but...


    "Guaaaaah!"


    A robotic muffled scream erupted from the first figure as it was struck by the second; it slumped down the floor lifelessly for few seconds, turning into particles of black light. After murdering its comrades without any visible expressions, the figure simply went back to its previous post.


    I noticed something. Why did the enemy manage to attack each other? It''s because the same enemy that was killed, stood at the place where I was supposed to be. I noticed earlier: the length of its steps were smaller than my own.


    ...and as the correction was based on my own steps, the enemy''s treated like it was me, the target. From the mechanics, the figure practically hadn''t left the spot I was supposed to be.


    ...to think that this success was due to my nervous breakdown. If I was still conscious, I might move away due to fear, completely averting my chance of success that one time. Though, even if I failed, it''s not like everything would be lost¡ªI could still try again as long that attack didn''t actually reach me,


    A major part of my success was probably due to the error correction of several inches, due to the length of my steps that weren''t regular. Making the distance occupied a bit longer than what it seems. It''s also the reason why I could still execute the attack motion on regular battles and completing my turn despite not returning to the exact position every time.


    On the contrary, these enemies seem to always move at a fixed set of distance per step. Coupled with the error correction, and the fact that, even if they moved two steps and the total distance was slightly longer than my one step, the ''false positive'' action would still proceed.


    ...and that was why, when I made my waiting position, I marked the length as two steps!


    Measuring it was easier than making it around one three quarter and if it was between one to one-half step, I would still run onto the risk of being locked-on. After all, I didn''t know the full extent of the error correction, but at least it didn''t proc when I went two steps from my starting position.


    No, not during this battle of course.


    All the encounters I had with Fiona also consist of those research attempts. I just felt like experimenting with the mechanics first time ''round and I want to make it count, starting from the simplest things first.


    Since I couldn''t do anything much but to follow Fiona towards the city, I''d make the battles count. Thankfully there''s a good amount of them to experiment.


    If you''re kind of felt that amount was too few for me to learn so much, nah¡ªyou didn''t have any idea how long I dragged each fight just to learn things. If Fiona wasn''t being such an unresponsive bloke, I would just go around farming monsters until I got bored as hell.


    A lot of the monsters didn''t actually net much gold, just that last orc who''s a rare encounter.


    After beating the orc, the feature to skip the journey was given to me. It''s like this world was leading me implicitly to do this.


    While I was still lost in thought¡ªthe third figure went and did the same thing without me noticing and my turn finally came again. That''s why those now two figures stood still like an idiot.


    Alright, I got this, time to prove my hunch.


    To stay on the safe side, I stood in the same waiting place and set the battle wait to [Active]; calming myself down as the second figure walked onto the designated position and struck thin air. I didn''t know what happen if I acted now and wasted a turn. It''s best if I could just end it in one fell swoop. My gut feeling told me something''s bad gonna happen if I left the last survivor for the next turn.


    Strange how when it''s just the second time, I felt a lot less pressure. Even if the chop was still frightening, I got used to it, somehow.


    I blocked the second figure''s path at the exact time it turned around. Holding deep breaths, I waited for the third figure to stop. I retreated two steps to my usual waiting position, but this time, instead of simply staring at another death scene, I anticipated the most important chance I had to take.


    "Agagagaga...."


    "I got this!"


    This was a gamble of two circumstances. Both must succeed if I were to win with such a method.


    Right after the second figure was struck and its killer turned back, I quickly grabbed the dead figure''s flesh before it finally slumped to the ground and disappear.


    [Equipped ''Death Eater Corpse''!]


    "Sweet!"


    I finally cleared the first condition: able to grab the corpse without any repercussions and obtain it as equipment.


    It was impossible when it was alive since it''s labeled as the enemy, now that it''s dead¡ªwasn''t it basically an inanimate object? Yet, not all props could be recognized as a weapon.


    Only if that particular object was able to seriously wound or even murder a normal adult human in a single hit, it could be considered as one. Of course, one''s own skills actually matter. If you could kill someone with a spoon or fork, it would be recognized as one.


    The System said to me while we were browsing weapons: always be wary of someone who used harmless objects to fight.


    They''re more often than not, top-ranked warriors who used it to lower the opponent''s guard or to the more aware, intimidate them.


    She also told me a legend about King Agamemnon, one of the most powerful warriors of legends.


    He slew a dragon using a spoon.


    I was like, seriously?


    The System (loli) explained again: that spoon was made out of Damascus metal though, one of the purest holy metals that capable of bypassing the scales'' damage resistance and amplify the destructive forces.


    It was also the king''s favorite spoon which gave the food a celestial feeling, making every meal reminiscent of Ambrosia, the food of the gods. His ancestor was a god, that''s how he became so powerful. His other favorite weapon was the fork, but since he embraced the way of peace and harmony, he only used it to eat since he deemed it too violent in battle.


    All that aside, did I just got lost in thought whilst wielding a corpse? I could barely feel anything but air in my hands. It was just so light as if I wasn''t carrying anything.


    [Death Eater''s Corpse:


    Description not available]


    ...huh, not even the slightest bit of clue.


    Guess all that''s left was just trying it out. I didn''t want to ask System about everything. Even if she said, it wouldn''t work out, I would still try it anyway.


    I held the corpse delicately. The thing with an image, but no weight nor presence.


    Maybe as a safety net so I wasn''t continuously attacked, when I checked the options, the battle was automatically set to [Wait] again after it became my turn.


    As I approached the sole survivor of the trio, I lifted the corpse''s hand from behind and made a chopping motion towards the enemy.


    This time, instead of simply striking down with a chop, the corpse''s hand generated darkness, and in its trail, a black void was formed across the figure''s body. Starting from a thin diagonal line, until it expands with an exploding noise until the last figure''s body was sucked in.


    "...gaaah...curse you...Godslayer!"


    It managed to resist for a bit, reaching out his hands to chop me, but I was too far away from its reach.


    "...our...goddess...won''t...a¡ª"


    The outstretched hand was sliced by the void, which closed at an incredibly fast rate, after expanding to some extent.


    ...what was that cutoff? Was there something I wasn''t supposed to hear?


    Meanwhile, both the severed hand and the corpse I held start dissipating to thin air.


    "Oh no you don''t, [Unequip]!"


    [Death Eater''s Corpse became


    ''Incomplete Death Eater''s Corpse''


    The corpse of a Death Eater that lost the majority of its prowess. Unless recharged by an enormous amount of death energy, it would dissipate naturally over time.'']


    I was too late¡ªthis was outside my expectations. If I knew this beforehand I would unequip the corpse as soon as I struck the enemy.


    My reflex was really so damn crap...


    Should I use [Load Game]...well, it was...locked...


    To my surprise, the tune of battle victory played out.


    [Received 0 EXP and 0 Gold!]


    "Oh for goodness sake I really worked hard on this and you---"


    [Godslayer is now Lv. 1!]


    .....ah.


    Well, so what. As the battle was finally over, my exhaustion finally kicked in.


    I took a bath, changed to my old clothes and slept.


    That was a hell of an encounter, I just hope I wouldn''t get nightmares from this.


    Chapter 1 ¨C Welcome to Beginner''s Town ¨C End.

 Chapter 2: The Birth of Godslayer - Ch 2 Prologue + Ch 2-1

    Chapter 2: The Birth of Godslayer


    Prologue


    In the end, what is a Godslayer?


    Those who slew gods? For what purpose gods should be killed?


    What force was able to grant me that power? An existence transcending the gods themselves?


    In any case, I don''t care for now. Let me just do my own thing and get stronger my own way.


    ===


    Ch 2-1


    My head hurts, as I dreamed about doing stressful work back in the office.


    When I realize I was now in another world, I immediately queried with the System.


    [Retribution: description locked]


    [Goddess: description locked]


    I let out a sigh as the terms that piqued my curiosity was inaccessible. The System also gave no response to it whatsoever.


    Although, when I looked at my status, it showed no change at all, despite it going up a level. I might be getting my hopes up for nothing.


    Last night was really tiring; although some parts of my victory were due to luck, there are no telling things would go well next time.


    You might think whether I was too reckless by sleeping right after killing those three baddies¡ªbut then, in that case, I wouldn''t spend the entire night sleeping soundly. Even if they ambushed me while I was asleep, the Godslayer would activate and its new abilities would level the playing field with my foes.


    While it sound like I was relying on my abilities, I believe a good man will make good use of his tools instead of something naive like relying on ''themselves''. In any case, I was tired¡ªmy brain need to recharge in order to think clearly.


    Well, no use in worrying ''bout it for now. There''s a lot of questions I want answers from, but for now, I just wanted to enjoy my stay.


    After a good night''s sleep, I changed my clothes to the ones I previously bought from the Item Shop. It''s really convenient how the clothes actually went all brand new, like when it already got all washed and dried via top grade laundry. All of it just from putting the clothes in the inventory and taking it out.


    Ah, I''m so lazy to change it.


    If I knew this would happen, I''d also buy the training dummy and change my clothes quickly via battle mode. Especially while fighting it, I could enter and exit the battle at any point. It may not be important but the dummy also has infinite health and won''t attack at all¡ªit''s defenses were also relatively low.


    As soon I wrapped myself in the new attire, I went downstairs for breakfast.


    It was corn soup with mushrooms and garlic, white rice and a couple of sliced potatoes with pork, dipped in teriyaki sauce. There''s also a glass of milk and a glass pitcher filled with lukewarm water.


    The dessert consists of a fruit salad or quite a large bowl of pudding, dripping with creamy milk. You could also add a topping of deluxe ice cream (they said it''s rum raisin, royal chocolate topping¡ªthis already sound like diabetes.) by adding three coppers on the pudding.


    How the fuck did those expensive sounding menu was so cheap? The portion''s also large as well. Maybe in this world, such ingredients were cheap since it has no buff bonuses.


    There''s also a dessert which the Pops recommended for free. It seemed the dish wasn''t that popular but the Pops himself love it. He got the recipe when traveling to the far east.


    Well, it''s Durian gelatin eaten side-by-side. If I have to say, I quite like it and I wasn''t troubled by the smell when Pops took it out for sampling the taste. If I were to say, the aroma was nice.


    For the main course, I couldn''t comment much since I wasn''t a food critic but I really appreciate being sent to another world with quite advanced technology. The food here suits my palate, especially the rice.


    Moving back to the food. I enjoy the crunchy corn soup a lot. The soft, chewy mushrooms and the nice texture of garlic taste complemented it pretty well. For the rice, it didn''t even have any rocks and it had the right amount of saltiness; the texture was neither too soft or rough and most of all, very delicious when chewed. I think I forgot to complement it with the actual course since it''s just melted in my mouth when it''s served piping hot.


    As for the potato, it had a sweet taste due to the sauce. Its features were quite thick despite the size being quite small and cubic. I could chew and bite it few times before the goodness all went down my throat. Unexpectedly, I couldn''t say much about the pork since it was too crunchy and juicy when I expect it to be rather hard so I could enjoy nibbling and slicing it with my teeth whilst enjoying the sauce''s flavor¡ªit''s still good enough.


    I told the innkeeper ''bout my feedback but he simply smiled. I thought for a second there I''d trigger a side quest, but no.


    For the dessert, I didn''t eat it right away. I asked my fruit salad with durian gelatin to be stored in the fridge. I also brought one pudding for snack.


    After I finish my business at the Adventurer''s Guild, I would return to the inn and enjoy my snack. I would probably order the lunch for a take-out.


    Before that, the crisis from last night made me visit the church first.


    I passed through a park with a pleasant view when I was looking around during the time I first arrive; I figure it would be a good place to relax.


    I want to enjoy this Inn''s steak meal in the park whilst eying the cute ladies and also the beautiful nature along with the breezy wind. Drinking cup of tea alone amidst the crowds of people also gave that exhilarating feel.


    The visit to the Church didn''t take that long, it''s just few blocks from the Adventurer''s Guild¡ªtalk about convenience.


    Inside was...just like your usual Fantasy-styled church. Rows and rows of long seats with pious Adventurers and Holy Order members praying. A listless priest stood behind the altar, overseeing the situation. While the Nuns went forward asking for donations to everyone.


    Even though the basic idea was just going to the priest and pray for my safe travel, couldn''t I just do it on my own? Even though I didn''t really believe in god¡ªmaybe I''d start being religious if the buffs were good.


    I kneeled down the soft mat and placed my hands together, mimicking the people beside me. Upon closing my eyes and wishing for my own safe travel to the God of the First Hero, or God of Heroes¡ªa message resound in my mind.


    [You have prayed to God of Heroes! The god acknowledge your existence as a Hero due to your ''Godslayer'' status and has given you a blessing.]


    Wow! Now that''s groovy.


    [My child, not all gods are just. You have taken a call to punish the ones that have overstepped their boundaries and cause harm for mere mortals. This is a special calling for those who have the potential to go beyond the gods. Whether the path you wish to take upon reaching your goals, it''s yours to walk and I have no right to force you.


    I believe in a world where gods rule with justice and impartiality. That people from different walks of life can attain their own greatness without hurting others.


    I long for the time, the Evil God may be defeated and we can finally live in peace, free from all forms of strive.


    Well then, Godslayer. I''m looking forward to see the kind of justice you will pursue. But I know, your true nature is not evil¡ªand thus, I placed my trust in you.]


    [You have gained passive skill [God of Heroes'' Blessing!]]


    [You have attained one of the prerequistes to unlock the [Hero] class!]


    [A Hero isn''t born, but made. It''s not given, but earned. You''re not a Chosen One, but the One Who Made His own Choice!]


    ...well, it sure was moving, but when I checked the description of the passive...


    [God of Heroes blesses you!]


    No buffs at all? Don''t give me that crap.


    Well, there might be hidden buff that I didn''t realize yet. Though, this kinda sounds like a Plot Armor somehow.


    Soon enough, the donation bag was in front of me. Seeing as the God himself had humbled himself to speak to a mere mortal, it''s the best I have to give him some face.


    Hmm...ten gold coins should be enough? I don''t know the standard rate but...


    The moment I handed the nun all of those, trying to silently obscure the value, her eyes'' brightened up even more than Fiona''s.


    "Thank you for your patro--"


    "Sssh! Be quiet! People are praying, for goodness sake. Isn''t this supposed to be a pious place?"


    "Ahh...forgive me, milord. It''s just...so rare for people to be making--"


    "Don''t mind it too much, and stop blabbering your mouth or I''ll take my coins back."


    "...yes."


    It was followed by a chuckle and the people over here started to give me a warm look.


    Now it got rather awkward.


    The moment I left the church, another update to the passive was up.


    [Increase critical hit chance by a small amount.]


    Crit chance? While it was variable at best, it''s better than nothing.


    This ten gold coin''s totally a steal. I could feel myself getting stronger.


    About the [Hero] class...it sounds like a pain. In RPG games, it''s the single most overpowered class out there, for the main character. In my case, I''m not even a MC material, just your ordinary guy. I don''t think my life here counts as a story either.


    ...but then, it''s not like if I''m a Hero, I should help everyone in need. After all, I''m just one person, and the most important responsibility of a Hero was¡ªto remind everyone¡ªto help themselves. If you couldn''t survive, it''s your fault, not mine.


    I''m just here for the stats.


    Checking my status while walking on a briskly pace, there''s no change to my status at all.


    Guess I''d gotta earn it my own way then.


    Next, I need to visit the Adventurer''s Guild first to get some Quest and maybe reliable party members while I was at it. I need to rank up and become stronger¡ªthough I dunno how it would matter when I fought those overpowered monsters last night--maybe in terms of smarts?


    Of course, before that, I went back to my Inn Room and saved my game. It seems you could only save your progress at destined points and for the [Load Game] dunno, I couldn''t even access it.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Pondering about these, I decided to take a walk instead of using [Go to]. A leisurely walk accompanied by the fresh morning air was always a good thing.


    ...


    Exiting the Inn ''Monkey Island Cymbals'', gentle sunlight greeted me and its warmth relaxed my tense muscles. Pacing my shoes against the concrete roads; staring at rows of brick buildings towering everywhere in my sight¡ªI also found various stalls that sold many items: food, equipment, to shady-looking things.


    While I stood there absentminded, kids could be seen running around. An elderly couple watched this young'' uns in front of a retirement home. There''s also a lot of adventurers discussing stuff with their party members¡ªmost of these guys were heading towards a wide building made mainly of steel, that could be seen from far off.


    A group of silver-armored knights patrolled the perimeter, just like yesterday. Now I began to take note of their equipment...some was a full-plate like Fiona and some others on the lighter side. Their weapons range from greatsword, sword and shield, halberd and spear¡ªthere''s also those who used guns and crossbows, in addition to the usual bow.


    Enjoying the view as I walked around, the same Adventurer''s Guild I went in yesterday came into view. Taking on carefree walk while enjoying the sun, the building was in front of my eyes before I knew it.


    Upon entering, it was bustling with activity as usual. Just like yesterday, but the counter seats were all filled currently, with the exception of the ones I sat in.


    As soon as I entered, I was greeted by a familiar voice.


    "Takeshi!"


    It was Fiona, gathering with the party of adventurers I''ve seen last night at the Inn. She didn''t have her silver paladin outfit and instead wore a bronze armor and a different greatsword that looked quite second-hand.


    There''s also the dwarf named Horace holstering a pump-action shotgun, the hooded cleric who idolized Kevin and the silent masked guy with double blades.


    Huh? Where''s that slender rogue guy?


    Noticing my confused look as I observed the party, Fiona added:


    "If you''re looking for Felix...then..."


    "...he''s still out washing dishes." Horace nod whilst speaking indifferently.


    "¡ªwhile we just ate without paying!" shouted the cleric girl, not a tinge of reservation could be heard.


    "What?"


    Not I sympathized with him or anything; the development''s just too sudden...


    The masked katana simply snorted. Beneath his mask¡ªhis crimson eyes looked rather violent but I could tell he''d be smirking inside.


    "Serves him right for buying that Magical Iris figure with the remainder of our funds. We didn''t even have enough to eat for a week because of him!" the cleric harrumphed.


    "Maybe we should also cut down his funding for anime and manga so he would stop embezzling. Your alcohol too, Horace." Fiona added.


    "I don''t drink alcohol! Why''s there a prejudice that dwarves are always a drunkard?"


    "Oh right, I mean your rickety trinkets." the cleric made another snarky remark.


    "These model guns are a man''s romance! A pretty-boy lover like you couldn''t possibly understand!"


    "If only you''d talk much less I might start to consider you a bit charming."


    ...no comment for this.


    The banter continued for a while and I couldn''t even follow what they''re saying at all.


    ...finally, it settled down somehow.


    "By the way, Takeshi. You seem to be familiar already with my party---"


    "Of course it was, we''re a famous C-Rank adventurer party! Even he should know my name, Horace the Dwarven Sniper!"


    For a sniper, you carried the wrong gun, at least make it a rifle!


    He''s a dwarf around three quarters my height but had the bulging muscular physique, curly brown hair about shoulder-length and long beard which reached out to his thick leather tunic. He carried a wooden shield in his back along with bullets strapped on the front. On his belt was a gunpowder pouch and another pack meant for...stuff, maybe a handy-toolbox.


    "Aye, you noticed my toolkit lad, you have good eyes. Are you perhaps that civilian our new lassy just saved?"


    "Yes, mister Horace. I''m Takeshi and Fiona had saved my life, I''m indebted to her."


    "You already paid me with five gold coins anyway, so it''s all good! Rather, I''d say I owe you my life. With that bit of an extra, I finally repaid my debt, freedom at last!"


    So I guess she joined the Holy Order and put up a false front cuz of something that occurred in her family.


    So I guess they kinda raised the money to bail their comrade out; what a beautiful display of friendship, I guess.


    "....gold coins, seriously? I thought we only got a several of those as a group, after clearing the subjugation¡ªand you easily net those from saving a rich traveler. Oi, Fiona, you would face ''Retribution'' if you con someone while still in Holy Order. Hehe..."


    Her cleric friend raised her hood, revealing beautiful her pale skin, golden eyes, and silver hair. I say her appearance and personality kind of ruin each other though. She carried a metal staff in which imbued with strong presence¡ªman that weapon looked painful to get hit at. I was even more surprised seeing a frail-looking girl like her lugging that heavy rod with ease.


    ...I didn''t mean anything perverted by the last line, seriously.


    "...ah you''re right, Liese. By the way, Takeshi...it''s water under the bridge, okay? You just nonchalantly handed these coins to me."


    "Nah, I am just a sheltered traveler who didn''t know the value of money much. If gold coins were really worth the service of a C-Rank party in a difficult subjugation¡ªthen I felt a bit cheated, honestly."


    I just felt like teasing Fiona since she seems to be really cute with a troubled expression.


    "Ehhh....but...but...!"


    She twiddled both fingers with a face that''s about to cry.


    Another critical hit to my heart. Nice, I barely managed to hold in my smug face.


    Whoa, she really did bring up my sadistic nature.


    "Though it''s alright, when you''re with me you wouldn''t face those so-called ''Retribution''."


    That''s right, I recall it''s one of the skills from ''Godslayer''.


    "I..if that''s the case then, I would listen to whatever you desired¡ªbut please be reasonable okay?"


    "Sire¡ªyou should be kind to ladies."


    "Don''t bully poor Fiona too much. She went through a lot of stuff in the Holy Order."


    "Oi, don''t misunderstand stuff. I just wanna say, since I''m weak and you''re a really capable fighter, I...wish to employ your services."


    "....the way you word it kinda sound....lewd..." Liese let out a bit of frown but her face was kinda smug.


    Ain''t you a cleric? Why are you the one to bring up such things! Also, I did say that I was weak and I need services of strong people, didn''t I?


    Ah, I was a bit flustered I didn''t manage to get my wording right. Rather, in a situation with peer pressure like this, I always lost my cool.


    "That''s right, Liese! When I first accompanied him, he even outright asked me to sleep with him. What a dangerous man, I felt my chastity was in danger."


    ...hey that''s really rude. It''s not like I was looking forward to it at all.


    I lied, actually.


    It depends on her age, if she''s above 18, I''m game.


    "Who cares if your cherry got popped anyway. You''re a bit past marriageable age anyway, and he''s a rich and capable man, ain''t he?"


    Yey.


    "Liese!"


    No, I didn''t want to marry anyone. Being in a relationship were such a bother, not that I ever had one or planning for such. What about those sexual urges though?


    I''d take it any time if it didn''t come along with burdensome responsibility.


    If there was something like a Succubus Shop somewhere like in Kono Soba, it''d be a nice alternative.


    "Ohhh...I like your style big brother."


    ...this dwarf.


    "You are supposed to be defending me here!"


    "....sire, I think you are what people call a wolf in sheep''s clothing."


    He sniggered again. Contrary to his stern appearance he might be liking these scandalous gossips more than I thought.


    How about you all shut up, you guys were just making it worse. Ain''t we in the Adventurer''s Guild with lots of people around? Why did they go and cause a ruckus?


    ...wait, why was there no one giving a damn? Hmm...I saw an adventurer party filled with all males talking some disturbing things like renting a corpse to play around with¡ªno one batted an eye.


    Now I see why.


    "That aside, sire, since the lass Fiona is our party member, if you wish to employ her services, it''ll do you good with more people, aye?"


    "Because the experience was distributed equally and it''s the same amount depending on the monster? Like, you get the same amount if you''re in a party of eight or playing solo?"


    "Indeed. That''s why when we adventure, we always go bring in as much capable hands as we could." Fiona added.


    "..."


    The katana guy, who stood back and distanced himself all the time finally went back. He started explaining stuff with a sign language.


    "This fine lad is Jung, he cannot speak but he could explain things much better than any of us with his gestures." Horace cleared his voice before introducing the Masked Katana, in which the said guy gave him a thumbs up.


    Still, that gesture¡ªhe seemed to be a really energetic and aggressive person.


    Well, if I couldn''t understand the sign language explanation, I''d just ask for the party members as an interpreter.


    ...though in the end, it''s unnecessary.


    ...since right on my vision, there were subtitles.


    Just about time, I''d like to see how this group works out. If it''s suitable with how I roll¡ªI''d be glad to. I might have social anxiety for normies, but these guys were anything but normal. They''re just like the Isekai novel characters I got accustomed to.


    The most important factor, these guys look they''d be a blast to hang out with.

 Alternate Route 1

    Alternate Route 1


    Despite my good hopes, we end up parting ways.


    Our views differed on how things supposed to work.


    I had a bottom line: never interrupt my own pace, no matter what it takes. I had always been that kind of person and I wouldn''t change for their sake.


    You guys do whatever you want, while I''d do the same. Whenever we had something coming up, we''d plan accordingly to meet up. Nobody should be forced to sacrifice their precious time from a collective standpoint.


    The moment they actually agreed in unison, to put the group''s well being above all else¡ªI knew it wasn''t a place to belong.


    "You may not understand it¡ªsince you''re rich." the way Fiona said it tugged on my heart-strings, especially since I teased her before.


    "...we won''t be as shameless to use up your cash for our needs, but it''d be great if you could lend a hand," Horace added.


    Their main term was to help on making money. They''d be handing the materials they got from Adventuring and let me handle everything.


    While it wasn''t a hard job...and it''s nice to have some company¡ªdidn''t it feel like they''re taking advantage of me too much?


    Most of all, I don''t plan on being dragged into their pace. It''d be a hassle to break free, once I joined in.


    "There''s no go if I only need you guys to accompany me doing Quests¡ªand I''d pay extra?"


    "I don''t think we''re on the term to trust each other yet..." Liese added.


    Considering their ragged state from doing Quests--presumably--they must''ve been desperate since I was a walking money machine.


    "Then our discussion ends here."


    It was followed by a bit of sigh and I could hear them speaking some hurtful words.


    "He''d get back eventually. When I adventured with him¡ªhe''s pretty weak. His stamina and abilities were decent though."


    Nah.


    I don''t think I''d join them. The way they treat one of their team-mates like that, even as a joke¡ªit''s not funny.


    The moment I stepped outta the Adventurer''s Guild, there''s a bad aftertaste in my mouth. Well, not like it''s the first time ''round, if you count my old life. I got used to it somehow.


    [Acquired Passive ¨C Lone Wolf!


    Boost stats (minor) for the duration of the battle. Active while fighting alone.]


    That makes two.


    This passive made me refrain about hiring an adventurer to carry me while leveling.


    With the glistening rays of morning sun cheering me up, my mind focused back on the ways to get stronger.


    First of all, I felt like going to a store where they sold fun gadgets.


    Stopping a full-plate Paladin along the way, I asked for a Toy Store and he marked it on my map right away. Along with it, I also asked about leaving the city. Apparently, I need a Permit. It''s just the regulation for my own safety since I possess an ID, so when I went missing, the Holy Order members can investigate my trail and rescue me when things went South.


    One of the common ways: applying via the Adventurers'' Guild, when you''re doing Quests. I''d get to them later on.


    Not that I plan to rely on their help, but it''s nice to know.


    The toy store was a bit far off to the shops catering adventurers; using [Go to] I made a fast trip.


    Spent few gold coins to buy few heavy-fire BB-guns with loads of toy ammo. It''s a pity they hadn''t got any smartphone but they sold gaming consoles. There''s a phone but their only feature were calls and text messaging.


    Not that I ever needed those, since I plan on going solo.


    You might be asking¡ªwhy don''t buy actual guns?


    Remember when I described how things were treated as a weapon?


    When you could seriously injure or even kill a normal adult, the thing you held, is a weapon.


    This toy gun, however, only fired off harmless toy bullets. Holding this in the battlefield wouldn''t change the current ones equipped. I also tried and it didn''t register in my equipment slot.


    The old geezer at the Weapons / Armor store laughed at me when I held the toy gun, but whatever.


    Let the results speak for themselves.


    The toy gun has infinite reload capability.


    As long I put it inside the inventory and pulled it out again¡ªit would refill its ammunition. There''s a fuckton you could fire all the way due to its large chamber.


    Plus, unlike actual guns, this one had no significant recoil.


    While I didn''t manage to inspect Horace''s guns in detail--since the geezer was familiar with him, he told me: Horace''s gun was custom made and you could only fire six times before reloading. It had no rapid fire capabilities though.


    When I tested my toy gun against the training dummy, there''s a load of damage numbers popping, with bold ones appearing frequently.


    The streams of critical hits came flooding in.


    The amount I could fire until the gun chambers emptied out was five hundred. There''s the hit counter on the menu, whose display could be toggled.


    A good number of them were critical.


    While other adventurers could only get one hit per attack, mine would go on five hundred times.


    The glitchy toy gun manages to reduce a great chunk of the training dummy''s health, which was already enormous as it was. Obliterating approximately 48k HP from the total damage.


    [Gained passive ''Demolition Man'' from accumulating so much damage in one attack!]


    [The passive will increase Critical Damage by a small amount.]


    Since I equipped the Bronze War Hammer in the slot--it sure packed a punch despite being a low-leveled gear.


    In RPG games I play, the gun weapons'' total damage was based on the accumulated burst fire, only registered as one hit--unless it''s an Overdrive skill which lets you fire several times at max.


    With the exploit, each bullet was counted as a hit, with strikes powerful as war hammer swinging at full metal. Best of all, you could just stand in one place and bring death to your enemies without moving!


    Works wonders due to those ninnies'' hobby of standing still.


    ...even if they''re moving, they''d just go in a linear path towards you. Plenty of windows to shoot.


    Plus, the bullet physics and the hitbox were ridiculously large. Probably since the attack was treated the same as it was swung by a War Hammer.


    As long as I pointed at the enemy''s general direction, it''s a hit.


    The rest was about finding something that buffs the accuracy to counter the enemies'' innate evasion...oh wait, I forgot my glasses. I wore them the entire time, I forgot it''s a piece of equipment.


    It''d be hell as well if I dealt zero damage due to their tyrannical defense. An ability to ignore defense while attacking would be great.


    ...


    The main reason why I picked the toy gun¡ªit''s due to less hassle on grinding.


    It''s tiring to go back and forth to where the enemies stood just to deal damage. With this, I could quickly deal punishment.


    One of the issues was AGI. If the enemy turn came first...it''d be a pain waiting for them to move back-forth. Except if I could kill them by shooting from my position, even if it''s not my turn.


    Well, there''s [Counter] abilities which let you deal damage on enemy''s turn, maybe it''d count as that?


    Still, I had one qualm...


    When I got stronger, there''d be a time when the toy gun was treated as a weapon. In that case, I''d be screwed if I didn''t have powerful stuff on the equip slot before the battle, oh wait...


    Even if I screwed up¡ªhopefully, at that time¡ªjust my raw stats alone were enough to overwhelm all enemies.


    There also the crit chance and recently, crit damage bonus. Not to mention, the other passives that may come in the future.


    I''d feel like testing my theory on normal enemies, especially if I could annihilate them all in just a round of firing.


    Since I need a permit to leave the city, I went back to the Adventurer''s Guild.


    The afternoon''s sun hung high above me and I could feel droplets of sweat pouring down. While the others also sweated like hell¡ªthey seem fine.


    The guild felt a bit pungent from all the sweaty Adventurers, but there seems to be a magic tool lessening it, like an exhaust fan. I wasn''t bothered that much, actually.


    Didn''t see any sign of Fiona''s party. Seeing they''d given up so fast, it raised my opinion of them.


    Taking the Quest to slay horned rabbits, immediately the System also gave out its rewards. The amount from the Bulletin papers was blurred out though.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Currently, only request up to E-rank were available. As I rank up, there''d be more Quests available. There''s also a rank-up examination when I was about to become C-rank. It seems, in backwater cities like this, C-rank were considered Elite adventurers?


    Certainly, Fiona was strong enough, from her stats and skills...dunno about the others though.


    ...well, I don''t plan on being with them anyway.


    That aside, it was convenient I don''t have to directly apply with the receptionist, while others had to wait in line.


    [Side Quest]


    Slay 15 Horned Rabbits ¨C Grade E.


    Reward: 100 Gold Coins


    Time limit : 3 days.


    ...


    Pretty generous stuff. Plus, I got to keep all the drops.


    Normally, in Isekai stories, you''d want to raise your guild rank for more benefits. As for me? Nah, It''d just mean more hassle I have to deal with. From what I''ve read on the bulletin, there''s nothing like Job quota to fulfill per a set amount of time.


    Probably since I was a Player, all the irrelevant information wasn''t unavailable, like the one with non-combat classes.


    Still, this world was so limiting. What''s the matter if I want to pick the non-combat ones, like crafting? Blacksmithing¡ªwait, scratch that.


    Those jobs were a pain. A lazy person like me wasn''t cut out for labor-heavy stuff...


    Eh, the System was spot on this time.


    Before the hunt, I went for lunch at the Monkey island Cymbals.


    A bit on the light side, consisting of Caesar salad, chicken soup, rice, and fruit juice. I also packed the snack and lots of mineral water for the grind.


    ...


    [Critical hit!]


    [Critical hit!]


    [Critical...]


    [Acquired rabbit''s meat!]


    [Acquired rabbit''s fur!]


    [Acquired rabbit''s...huh?]


    [You have gained... XP!]


    [You have gained ... Job Point!]


    [You have gained... Gold!]


    [You are now level 10!]


    [Adventurer is now level 3!]


    "Err..."


    When I think of myself getting stronger, I didn''t mean this strong.


    How the fuck am I supposed to feel when the enemies got rekt--from just a few bullets?


    This almost gave me the illusion that this gun was the real overpowered weapon here and not my own abilities on figuring it out.


    Before that, let''s check my status again.


    [Takeshi]


    Level : 5->10


    Race: Human


    (Adventurer lv 3, Godslayer lv 1)


    Hp: 100/100 -> 250/250


    Mp: 45/45 -> 160/160


    Str: 10->25


    Vit : 10->20


    Dex : 10->30


    Agi : 10->15


    Int : 10->40


    Spi : 10->25


    Luk : 10->50


    [Gear]


    Bronze War Hammer


    Bronze Hauberk


    Glasses


    Comfortable Shoes


    [Skills]


    Flee -> Escape battle with a higher probability


    Tent (NEW) -> Use mana to create a temporary tent.


    Passive


    Item Usage Plus (NEW) -> Increase item''s effect (small)


    God of Heroes Blessing (NEW) -> Increase Crit Chance (small) + other stuff.


    Lone Wolf (NEW) -> Boost stats (small) while going to battle alone.


    Demolition Man (NEW) --> Increase Crit Damage (small)


    ...


    I was wondering if it has anything to do with the blessing or my Godslayer sub-class. Although my stats were definitely much higher, I don''t feel like my body''s all different-somehow.


    Maybe I should run a lot more to increase my AGI...I really hate how it''s the lowest of all.


    Nevertheless, it mattered less since I could just gun down every monster regardless of the turn. I don''t have to wait for their attack animation to end, yay.


    It may seem unfair but survival comes first. This isn''t a game anymore.


    Gathering the monsters didn''t take long since all I had to do was to engage [Battle] over and over until the quota was satisfied. Just by mentally triggering the command or using the menu would work¡ªas long it''s outside the city. Each battle was quite short due to this glitchy gun anyway.


    The moment the 15th Horned Rabbit vanished into the ground, the message box popped up.


    [Quest Completed]


    [Progress to the next Adventurer rank ..%]


    As the System told me I no longer need to clarify with the guild, I won''t go the extra mile.


    I''d feel like checking out some other things.


    Outside of the battle mode, I felt my running speed was the same, despite the rise of AGI.


    With the high increase of INT, I didn''t feel I was any smarter.


    If my theory was correct...then regardless how much I level up, my body would just stay the same.


    In other words, unless I triggered the [Battle Mode]--all those stats would be useless. No matter how high the numbers are, I would still be that weak-ass guy if I confronted someone physically.


    ...now that''s troubling.


    Seeing as I was stuck with your average person from Earth limitations¡ªwhat can I do? The moment someone could bypass my [Battle Mode], I''m basically dead meat.


    Though...I was fully conscious and fine, even if there''s a gaping hole in my chest. No such pain at all.


    Wait...it''s probably since the injuries were from [Battle Mode]. When I tried punching my palm a bit, the pain''s still there.


    ...ugh, it gave me the chills.


    I don''t feel like stirring up trouble with others just to test the triggers of that mode.


    ...or maybe, my stat would show its splendor after a good night''s rest? Since mine went up significantly, some significant changes should show up¡ªif that''s actually the case.


    When my stats were below 10, I didn''t feel any weaker though? Hmm...


    Either way, I''d better go to the Adventurer''s guild and change my class¡ªhopefully there''s something with a better growth rate.


    Plus, even if my body would still be weak--I could keep abusing the toy gun forever.


    Exercise? Training?


    Ain''t got enough time for that.


    For what I feared, those bad guys might be gunning for me anytime soon. Better get ready to retaliate ASAP.


    ...and they sure took some sweet, sweet time.


    Maybe at first, they think I was a threat due to my [Godslayer], but as they deem me an easy target, they sent their goons; those ''expendable'' Death Eaters to test the waters.


    I was attacked as soon I was completely alone, the moment I attained that sub-class. When I first created a [Save Game] in my own room, it was all good¡ªprobably since I hadn''t gotten my class yet.


    Was there a conspiracy somewhere? They might be forming plans to get rid of me.


    The only thing I could infer from their first attack¡ªthey may not attack when I''m with someone else. That includes all the NPC who actually had nothing to do with me, even while I was walking down the street.


    I had moments when I was alone, like when I went outside the gatekeeper''s field of view, for a walk in the forest. Not that far from the city, though.


    Yet, they hadn''t made their moves.


    The reason probably was¡ªthey''re still figuring out how my [Godslayer] ability works and the way to counter it.


    ...and before that happened, I had all the time I want.


    Seeing as they couldn''t bug me relentlessly to figure it out, means the loss of even mere goons would be a heavy blow.


    ...or, more plausibly, there''s an even greater threat going on.


    Whether it''d be another Godslayer, or...maybe I was just thinking ''bout it too much.


    They''re simply a part of the game, as a part of the ''main plot''. I had that notion going upon hearing the message from God of Heroes.


    Still, if I need exploits to win the battle...wait...


    Did that mean I could win the battle through normal means? I still wouldn''t risk it either way.


    With that in mind, I''d trust that God''s words for now. I''m not a fan of getting assaulted whenever the ''plot'' deems it convenient. So I''d max out my skills and stats, and beat whoever behind all this¡ªEvil God or whatever.


    All for living in peace and quiet¡ªdoing whatever I want.


    ...but it''s pretty dilemmatic. If I defeated the Evil God, I don''t wanna go back to my old life. It fucking sucks having to go to work almost every day and working long hours.


    Anyways...


    For my next step, I''d think of ways to unlock the [Hero] class due to its growth.


    Or if there''s no clue, I''d ask God of Heroes again via Church¡ªor like...can I just pray right here and now?


    [Unable to contact God of Heroes at this location.]


    Oh well.


    ...maybe I should just hit the library as well since the System itself isn''t much of a help.

 Alternate Route 2

    Alternate Route 2


    So I was thinking.


    Why are games so fun?


    ...and why stories are so hard to get into, in comparison?


    When I think about it, the answer is simple enough. You don''t get to do anything in a story. You just simply read and read and just follow along whatever the Author''s whims may be.


    No matter how you voice your thoughts, it''s all the Author''s choice, for which direction the story''s going to go.


    You might think, the story''s actually going based on the audience''s wishes, but in the end¡ªthe final say always go for the Author.


    Even if it was a published title in Shoun*n J*mp.


    It''s the Author''s decision to follow the majority of the readers. Or it might just be the pressure of the Editorial department or so...but in the end, it''s all up to the Author.


    That''s how Bers*rk could go on at Miu*a-sensei''s pace for so long. You could go riding a boat for nearly a decade, from what I''ve remembered.


    The best part? On how a party member commented that their boat ride was shorter than expected!


    ...and yeah, a lot of people love Bers*rk, including me. Although its story wouldn''t be ending anytime soon. I sometimes thought whether the Author would die first and whoever''s left behind in the team would just make their own conclusion. The similar thing with Dor*emon and Cr*yon Sh*nchan. Both were my favorite stories to read when I was young.


    Even now, I still want Dor*emon to visit me and lend me his overpowered items. Even with just one item, it''s enough. I''m able to learn from my mistakes, unlike N*bita who kept on getting screwed over.


    Back then, my way of thinking wasn''t that much different from others. I was even all excited during every Sunday morning where the episode of Dr*gon B*ll was airing, even if the fights were drawn over many episodes. There''s also N*ruto, Bl*ach and On* Pi*ce, the holy trinity.


    My interest in them fades away with time.


    As I grew up, I had terrible shit happening to me over the time...and when a tragedy struck, that''s when I began to lose faith in God. I don''t feel like saying anything ''bout it.


    I lost something important I could never get back.


    In return, I gained something new.


    The desire to question everything I once knew. It gave me new hope and dream, instead of just living for the wish others put upon me.


    My journey wasn''t smooth sailing in the least. As for the details, I doubt any of you would care.


    It''s just, as I grew older, the less shit I can tolerate. It went as far as the stories go.


    I began to see everything in a more critical manner, even if I myself wasn''t even an Author at all. My demands for a story become more and more specific.


    I don''t like when the main character was a pathetic pussy who got pushed around by everyone. He doesn''t deserve to be the main character if he didn''t have his own goal and unable to make his own decisions.


    I don''t like if he''s weak and he doesn''t even have any desire to improve himself and become stronger in his own way. I wouldn''t want to project myself into that kind of main character.


    I love strong main characters. I don''t care if they never lose. The only way they lost, was when their story stopped being awesome.


    Even if they''re weak, I love it when they are smart and could use their weakness as strength to defeat those with higher power levels. Although, if they''re forever weak and pathetic, I had my own qualms. I want them to get awesome at some point.


    On the contrary, hard-working characters¡ªI found them boring. It''s just the same repeating the same line of work until you get it¡ªwhat''s so interesting about that? Plus, I couldn''t even relate to how they could spend hundreds of hours continuously training. Do you think it''d actually make me feel sympathetic?


    When smart characters really got to think about stuff that would work for them and how someone lazy like me could even learn from them.


    I, for example, wouldn''t want to be the one who works hundreds of hours continuously.


    As for the world and etc. I don''t give a damn. I just want the main character I could root on. To me, they''re the most important part of the story. To me, a good story can be carried by the main character alone.


    Still, for me, the main reason I couldn''t get into a lot of stories. It''s hard for me to get interested in anything. I particularly couldn''t care about their tragic backstories. When I couldn''t even relate to the characters at all, I don''t see any point in reading.


    Plus, when they made the description of their world and stuff, they''re even more boring than your average History class.


    Why should I care about the world? Why don''t you write it in the way that makes me care about it?


    A lot of the stories were just painful to read instead of making me comfortable. It just, they''re simply explaining the words¡ªpretty plain and boring, they''re unable to make the words itself ignite the special feeling which transcends the reality itself. At most part, I''m not sure what the paragraph they wrote meant.


    ...and when I found the story I like and the point it was getting good; it got replaced by shitty harem romance. Worst of all, it''s not even Yuri.


    At some nice gender-bender Yuri story, the main character ends up going for a guy. I felt like murdering the Author and sending them death threats. Seriously, fuck you, Author. Fuck you.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    But I don''t make my opinions vocal because I know, writing stories aren''t easy.


    There''s a lot of labor involved and it didn''t take long to make me quit.


    I don''t care if no one reads my work.


    The main reason why I stopped¡ªit''s simply too much work. I couldn''t care about the details of the world, the characters, and whatnot.


    I just want to pretend it''s a game where anything goes and the only one that matter is the main character himself. It''s my avatar in the story world¡ªeverything else could just come and go in a whim.


    The same goes with life itself.


    People may come and go. The only one that will always be there, is myself.


    Different than life, not everything goes. That''s why life sucks. But seeing it in a different light, that means a lot of things are predictable. Like, you wouldn''t see a giant nipple falling out of the sky every day.


    While it may not seem like enough reason to quit¡ªI just got bored and don''t want any extra work¡ªthat''s all.


    Speaking of which.


    I would rephrase my words earlier.


    I think games are equally shit, especially if they''re a pay to win gacha game.


    I failed a class due to playing games, but I don''t regret it at all.


    ...but when I started my first gacha game, it''s one of the worst decisions I ever did in my life. I end up spending a few bucks and too much time, where those bucks I could spend to upgrade my PC and buy better games.


    For the time, those pointless grinding could be replaced by playing a single player game¡ªwhen I was feeling mighty damn pissed off¡ªjust whip out the Cheat software and go.


    Consequently, quitting the game, was one of the best decision in my life.


    You know the game is shit when it kept teasing you to spend $10k just for the hope of pulling anime titties.


    ...and that''s not the worst of it!


    Deep down, you know¡ªeven if it was priced one million dollars, people were still going to spend on them!


    I don''t need anime titties to make me alive. I could just imagine myself as a yuri girl with big tits and romance a cute loli waifu. Like, seriously.


    I''m not even interested in the characters, despite their art design.


    The game at that point was really punishing to small-time spenders. It used to be good and even free to play members had a chance of dominating high-level PvP if they had a peculiar setup. Things people deem as meta build, or things specifically made to counter the meta.


    The resource allocation was extremely slow. It took me a whole year just to build my team. Most of my progression came from a PvE mode, in which you would clear missions based upon a certain condition.


    The moment they revamped it, so the conditions were extremely annoying and grindy¡ªit was a fucking asspull.


    They really want to force people to spend and punish those who couldn''t--what damn greedy bastards. Fine, you want me out, then I said my thanks. I no longer have to play your shitty game again.


    ...


    Apparently, that wasn''t the last of it.


    I played another mobile game. It was more F2P friendly.


    ...but, it was damn grindy as fuck.


    It took too much of my time just to keep up, so I stopped.


    Actually, I just ragequitted when I failed the unique weapon upgrade so many times in a row. You used the same weapon to up their stars and making them more powerful.


    ...and the drop rate from gacha was only 1%.


    Even when you could get the hero itself for free, they''re mostly reliant on their weapons.


    ...and how upgrading them would be slow af if you don''t rely on luck.


    But then, I realize I was so damn lucky.


    After streams of shitty results, I end up quitting the game.


    I had my share of luck and shit days, but the luckiest I felt was¡ªwhen it made me stop playing.


    Anyway.


    Those games make me hate my life.


    By the time of this writing, you probably were familiar with the games I mentioned, since they''re still going strong on the G*ggle Play Store. If you want to hate your life, you can try those as well.


    ...or you might be playing them already.


    A year after I stopped, there''s another gacha game, but it''s a rhythm game.


    Even though I was sometimes salty from my shit luck, I was okay.


    Your own skill matters more than the cards you get.


    After all, the game doesn''t force me to be competitive. Like, if my team suck it''d be rekt so bad and couldn''t have a good time.


    Nah, in there you couldn''t even chat, only spam emotes which were generally all cheery and happy. No verbal abuses.


    It doesn''t force me to grind and auto farm all day to keep up. It doesn''t limit how many times I can practice a song to get better.


    I can just play at my own pace, whether I want to try hard or chill¡ªit''s all up to me.


    The story''s pretty good as well, and there''s also Yuri!


    ...and I think, that''s what makes it a good game.


    I don''t know what might happen next in my mundane life. Maybe one day, I''d get transported to another world with RPG mechanics? I just hope, I wouldn''t be run over by a truck¡ªthat''d be cliche af.


    Well, I guess it''s time to stop writing for now.


    I still have a lot of anime, manga, web novels, and games I can''t wait to finally drop.

 Alternate Route 3

    Alternate Route 3


    The guards didn''t peculiarly offer me any chats upon my arrival. They just stood in place doing idle animations, as I walked past.


    Compared to when I was with Fiona''s group, it felt like I was talking to an actual people. I felt a tinge of loneliness creeping in, but soon, I shook that aside.


    More importantly, beside my battle mode, I''m just some weakling from Earth. I might practice martial arts a bit, but only the bare basics--I wasn''t confident in a straight up fight.


    I came to this realization when I was walking along the way, I tried striking my palm against the tree. My strikes were just as strong as in my old life.


    There was a strange thing about the tree. No matter how much I tried to break a weak-looking branch, it wouldn''t budge.


    Was it because trees were treated as an environment object, like in battle mode? If I remember correctly, in the games, environments were immortal. Even if the meteor storm hits the field, it would still be intact.


    In any case, I couldn''t test it with monsters, since they always popped up in battle mode¡ªnever on the field like this.


    When I accomplished a certain amount of random encounters or initiated these on my own¡ªthe monsters won''t appear again. To grind further, I need to initiate it myself.


    Strolling inside the city; the townspeople ignored me like always. I saw no sign of Fiona''s party anywhere.


    It''d be awkward if I were to meet them, but if by a slim chance we met each other, I''d like to apologize.


    Now that my muddled mind was cleared up--I was really reckless during last night.


    If they really want to kill me, they should''ve done so when I was dead tired, right after I finished my first fight. Even if my [Godslayer] activated again, my mind would be all drowsy to strategize.


    ...but then, I wasn''t sure about the full extent of its abilities, for example...


    "Ugh!"


    I felt a heavy impact on me. My body seems to be hitting a metal surface and I nearly fell over.


    That hurts...huh?


    "Watch the hell you are going, retard!"


    It was one of the rowdy adventurers with flimsy gear. Their gruff appearance and pungent smell made me frown...


    "This weak chump---what are we gonna do ''bout him, boss?"


    They were three in total, one boss and two minions¡ªlooking more like bandits than actual adventurers.


    Looking at the other people around, there was no commotion to be had. People simply act as if they didn''t exist.


    "Shut the fuck up, you damn thugs." the boss'' words spat saliva all over his minions, "Hey, kid. I''m in bad mood here and you''re damn lucky the Holy Order were busy patrolin''. Next time I meet you, I will¡ªguuh!"


    Concentrating the weight on my left foot and using my hips as a pivot, I struck out with my palm.


    It didn''t feel like striking barehanded. My palm was like a war hammer, creating a loud crashing noise upon impact, shattering the thug''s armor, followed by him getting thrown over many steps, coughing many mouthfuls of blood.


    Nothing personal. I just felt like testing my theories.


    "Boss!"


    It made my lips curl up and I pushed up my glasses by reflex. I might look like a villain right now, but it''s kinda uncharacteristic for a glasses-wearing character to overwhelm someone via physical strength.


    ...should I learn magic?


    Nah, I hate studying.


    Now that I think about it, why didn''t I just strike the training dummy with my own fist, during the weapon exploit test?


    Sometimes I thought, I''m quite an idiot; I was lazy as well. No wonder why I sucked at my job and I was relegated to do the easiest, repetitive tasks.


    ...and even I complained about it.


    Maybe because the trees were treated as an environment object, there was no correction value?


    ...but since the thug earlier was hostile, the value was adjusted as if I was in battle mode?


    Why didn''t the battle mode trigger? Because I''m inside the city? Or was it...


    Huh...


    I felt uncomfortable glares from the minions. Before they struck me by surprise, I muttered:


    "[Battle]."


    As I thought, it didn''t make sense if I could trigger the battle with a training dummy, but not with an actual enemy.


    ...


    I end up fighting the three bandits again. Their stats seem to be even lower than me? Even in terms of AGI...I end up going first.


    Via the item menu, I equipped the toy gun. It''s marked as a [Key Item], but strangely enough, I could still take it out in battle. Due to it not being recognized as a weapon, my current equipped armament was still the War Hammer.


    It made me wonder, why I didn''t get the [Hammer] skill despite ''supposedly'' hitting the training dummy 500 times? No shooting skill acquired either.


    The skills I got so far outside my own class¡ªit''s from a major event that alter the story. Such as: getting the blessing from gods and rejecting the offer from the [Main Party]. I guess, since they''re a part of the ''supposed'' storyline woven to me, they felt more alive than the other NPCs.


    The other thing was an achievement of dealing damage. The skill acquisition was based on factual observations, on things, I actually did and mastered in real life.


    In my past life, I felt I was human trash¡ªthat doesn''t explain why do I get so many privileges.


    ...but well, everything may be clear, once I learned more and more things about this world and about myself. Why was I sent here and what was my mission.


    Just defeating the Evil God and living my life of peace and quiet doesn''t feel right somehow.


    ...


    Due to my actions being a part of [Item Usage] my turn was done.


    I didn''t let them a moment as I sprayed the bullets at their own turn.


    ...it took only one shot each for them to turn all blurry and disappear.


    [Gained 0 EXP and Gold!]


    When it finally showed up like this, my expectations soared.


    [Godslayer is now Lv. 2!]


    Now that''s interesting.


    What''s more of an eye-catcher was their last words of defeat.


    "Goddess...we failed you...this man is too strong..."


    Goddess?


    If I remember correctly¡ªthe God of Heroes didn''t specify what gender that so-called Evil God is.


    ...ah goddamn it.


    I was so drunk in my own power trip, I forgot to charge the [Death Eater Corpse] during the battle.


    Ugh...guess it couldn''t be helped. Maybe it wasn''t actually that important.


    I hurried towards the church to question him. Considering I could be attacked any time, this matter was of utmost importance.


    I need to regain my peace and quiet before I could finally enjoy my life in another world. The rest could wait later.


    ...and that god''s the most reliable person, seeing this loli System hadn''t answered my queries at all; I felt completely betrayed.


    ...


    Luckily, the church was open. Come to think of it, only an hour and a half passed since I left the Monkey Island Cymbals for the Quest.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Sitting down at that same long-row seat; my knees rested on the cushion beneath. Putting my hands together, I tried restraining my eagerness.


    No matter what, he''s a god¡ªeven if I''m not religious, I have to rely on him to an extent.


    [O, Godslayer¡ªtell me, what is it, that you seek?]


    "The forces made a move on me again. As of this extent, I''m scared. I don''t know what would happen when I let my guard down." I spoke in my mind.


    First of all, the nature of his blessing was meant to protect myself using my own strength. It was apparent in his philosophy.


    ''A Hero isn''t born, but made.''


    ''It is not given, but earned.''


    ''Not a Chosen One, but the one who made his own choice.''


    In the end, I was unable to conceal my eagerness with my earlier words. God of Heroes chuckled majestically.


    [Calmness is a virtue, Young One. Your worries are unfounded¡ªat both occurrences, didn''t you won by overwhelming advantage?]


    "While that''s true, they''re the one who started it. No matter what, I can''t just underestimate them..."


    [You have a valid point. The discord between me and the Evil God started as such. Everything was peaceful and I was enjoying my rule. Out of blue, he attacked the nation I built and nourished with love...the rest, it''s not hard to figure out. I don''t know what bone he had against me.]


    "He? I thought the Evil God was a woman? It was said twice, the moment they died¡ªthey refer to ''him'' as the Goddess."


    [Does the gender matter at all? To us gods, we can appear in any gender we wish, depending on the beholder.]


    Ugh...this god...


    I felt I was forgetting a crucial matter.


    "More importantly, how do I know if I can trust you?"


    [Before you make baseless assumptions, do you think I have any motive for doing so?]


    "Huh?"


    Come to think of it, my paranoia made me act insolently to the one who''s supposedly my benefactor.


    Thankfully, he didn''t pay any mind to my transgressions; I breathe a sigh of relief.


    [I am on the side of good. I live for the happiness of my own nation. Even if you become strong enough to kill me for what reason it be, I don''t care. Everything has its own end and I''m not afraid of what''s going to come.


    As for the Evil God, he had all the reason to fear you, for he clung to life so much and so afraid having his power wrestled apart. He lived selfishly, committing countless villainy which persists until the present. Who would you think is afraid of impending doom?]


    It makes a lot of sense. I guess even gods were afraid of Karma.


    "Nonetheless, isn''t it strange you did not mention any Heroes? Do you expect me to accomplish it all alone?"


    [Young One, to think, you have taken this call without knowing anything.]


    "You''re just going to leave me in the dark?"


    [Cough! It will take a long time to explain. I am afraid I don''t have all the luxury to do so. Hitting the library in this city would give you everything you need to know.


    Even as gods, we have a lot of limitations. That''s why we have to rely on Heroes to defeat the Evil God minions¡ªthe Demon King. They were busy fighting the Demon Kings as we speak.


    The side who defeat the other will gain power¡ªalas, we seem to always be equally matched¡ªwe


    were currently stuck in a deadlock where neither side could prevail.


    A Godslayer is the one with the ability to kill us directly. Their appearance is like a curtain''s call to our world...you''re the one who would end this pitifully long torment...that''s all I can tell...]


    The world ending? I don''t want that! I don''t want to go back to my shitty old life!


    Before God of Heroes'' voice faded away, I almost cried my voice out.


    "Wait! I can''t defend myself from the Evil God at all times!"


    In desperation, it''s the most important thing that popped into my mind. Later on, I felt, how blessed I was.


    [No need to worry, Young One. Do you know the reason why the Evil God attacked you sparingly, and it''s relatively easy to defeat?]


    "I don''t know...I''m unable to make sense of it."


    [To tell you the truth. I''m not sure about the Evil God''s intentions all this time. For now, rest easy¡ªI will grant you protection. As long you''re within the city, you can be sure that the incident will never happen again.


    Feel free to take your time and learn more about this world. We gods perceive time differently than humans.


    Just don''t die, before you achieved your goal.


    For my condition, may I ask for one last favor?]


    It''s a great offer. Even if it may not be one hundred percent a guarantee, since I didn''t fully trust him¡ªit''s still better than nothing. Even if I abide by self-reliance, I couldn''t do everything by myself.


    "I''d be glad to comply if it''s within my abilities."


    [Good. For the longest time, I never actually able to communicate with Evil God directly. Even his actions to bring destruction and the motives of his Demon Kings weren''t making sense in the slightest.


    When you''re finally ready to confront him, please, hear his side of the story. I want to know the truth...before it all ended...]


    "No, wait! I don''t want this world to end! I..."


    His voice finally trailed away without even responding to my words.


    "Ugh..."


    My legs were all numb and my forehead''s all sweaty.


    How long had I been kneeling down? Just how much of a trance had I been earlier?


    If his words rang true, then the city had become my Sanctuary. It''s kinda ironic I was attacked here twice though.


    Still, why did I automatically assume, when this world ended, I''d be back to my old life?


    Does it have anything to do with my old memories?


    The moment I thought about that, a figment of my past unraveled itself.


    ''Why are games so fun? Why are stories hard to get in comparison?''


    ''I just want the main character I can root on.''


    ''I like the games that let me play at my own pace...''


    ...it''s like, I was experiencing all those moments in the past, like a dream going on fast-forward.


    "Sir? You have been praying for quite a long time...is something the matter?"


    The same nun from before, who held a donation bag, roused me from all the happy memories...


    It''s...so painful.


    I''m not sure if, in this world, I could play such games and enjoy such stories again.


    Do I really want to be in this world forever?


    "The confession''s room right there, sir. We''re about to close since it''s already evening, but due to your generous charity...we''ll do our best to ease your worries."


    Ah...


    Another memory sprang in my mind, about how much of ungrateful, selfish bastard I had been.


    ...it riddled me with so much guilt.


    "Very well."


    Maybe knowing this world and what happened to it was important.


    ...but I felt, knowing myself took priority. To finally forgive my past mistakes, make amends and strive to become a better person, for my own sake.

 Alternate Route 4

    Alternate Route 4


    It was a dark room with carpeted floors. Violet magic light hung upon the ceiling, painting it with solace. The soft, one-legged chair with mild brown color stood before a wall; its windows covered in a veil.


    Before it, were two sets of candles emitting a relaxing aroma. In the midst of all, was the picture of a young man holding a sword against his face; his eyes all closed. The moment I noticed his black hair and eyes, all the majestic feeling dispersed.


    Probably noticing my footsteps, the aged voice of a man echoed from the other side.


    "In the name of the god, I welcome thee. My lost children, how may I help?"


    Due to my need to relax and gather my thoughts, I sat on the round chair and closed my eyes. Breathing deeply and exhaling in a quiet manner, before finally speaking.


    "I thought I was supposed to confess my Sins here."


    There was a bit of a pause before the old priest replied, his deep and heavy voice seem to rouse something deep within.


    "Have you ever committed a crime?"


    It made me ponder for quite some time before arriving at my answer.


    "I''m not sure...but as far as I knew, I never had broken a law. Or at least, not significant enough to warrant getting caught."


    "It is an honest answer. Yet you seem unfamiliar with our religion. It doesn''t matter as we accept those with a different belief, but first of all¡ªhow do you define a Sin?"


    As it''s hardly even practiced religion, I barely even remembered it.


    "Well...I think, our god had listed a lot of things...and we should abide by it. If we didn''t, then we have sinned."


    The priest immediately raised his voice.


    "Why list so many rules, if a believer couldn''t even remember? A rule was there to be held in regard, not broken. I apologize¡ªbut it doesn''t make sense with our religion."


    He seems a bit too preachy¡ªbut that''s what to be expected from a priest.


    "I don''t mind. That''s why I honestly didn''t care that much."


    I truly viewed it with apathy even now.


    "Religion is made for the good of people. Our faith should stem from appreciation, not coercion. If the religion coerces people against their will and rob them of humanity, it is for the best, if we do not follow¡ªfor it is sinful."


    The more I listened to the priest, the more I thought¡ªreligion isn''t always a bad thing.


    ...but it''s always the terrible ones that surface, with their terrible followers, making more and more people lose faith in humanity.


    "...so, what is Sin, actually?"


    "To our religion, it is something that hindered us from doing our best and kept us from realizing how precious life is. But Sin is a part of human nature¡ªyou may never part with it. No matter how little, that darkness will remain.


    I do not know how it was practiced by your religion, but is it alright to proceed with our ways?"


    "If I''m still hung up, I won''t even come here."


    "Before that, have you ever thought whether our belief put too much liberty on thought? To the extent, you might commit a crime and get away with it?"


    I nod.


    "For that question, let say, you leave a candy to a kid and say ''don''t eat them!''. What would you think the kid would do?"


    "It depends if he''s obedient he won''t...but most likely he would, or he just doesn''t like candy."


    "Yes. The children would most likely eat them. When you told the others not to do it, they will instead do such."


    I never said that or implied any of sort.


    ...that''s one of the reasons I don''t like religious sorts¡ªnot that his words are wrong.


    I decided to just let it all go. My distastes and my grievances...all of it.


    "...it''s kind of ironic, that the main rule of my...no...that religion consists of ''don''t'' messages. Such as no adultery, killing, stealing, coveting and such."


    "In this country, there are no strict rules barring so. Such as, absolutely no killing, and stealing. There are cases in which killing shall be permitted and stealing from others are necessary, such as the time of wars. Or during self-defense in which you encountered a killer, or as a result of a battle through a pre-determined means agreed with both parties.


    Enforcing a rule on others while still finding ways to circumvent it, was hypocrisy. The absolute rule is fair too all, without exceptions¡ªsuch as death.


    While the ones made by mortals riddled with flaws, perfection is a goal worth striving. So one day, people would be united within the law, living in fairness and justice¡ªwhile possessing their own liberty.


    Why do you need to even bar a human''s nature? Isn''t it more important to follow it on the more positive ways than forbidding it? While it might solve the problem on the surface, would it be able to purify the roots?"


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.When I think about it, the scriptures I read were ironic. They want to make humans good, but instead, they show the stories of betrayal, hatred, vengeance, and wars. Only through the grace of the god, they could surmount their troubles, instead of relying on themselves.


    Why not show love and compassion as its spotlight? How are we supposed to know how to care for others, if you just tell us to do so, without showing us how exactly? Like, what kind of calamity would befall those who disobey you?


    The tale of the humans'' disobedience, over and over. About the prophecies that were disregarded by others, because no one in the right mind would listen.


    If it was successful, why there are only a few believers as the central character, instead of many? If you really created the humans in your image, why can''t you accept the humans as they are, instead of trying to enslave them like mindless, obedient dolls? Can''t you even appreciate your own work?


    ...and the belief that whoever doesn''t follow your ways are evil and destined to perish, it''s just too much.


    "...would someone really become a good person this way?"


    I was thinking if this world was any different.


    "A good person and bad person are relative to the beholder, my children.


    The king who massacred millions of people of the enemy country might be a bad person, but...what if the world would be at peace in return?''


    What is peace?


    Is peaceful times without conflict the thing we need?


    ...and is the kind of peace that brought upon us, was truly something we desire?


    "I..."


    "Yes, this is a grey area indeed. But whether detrimental things to society had been committed, it is not our place to interfere, for there is Law. Even if we''re a religious state, Laws are separate from Religion. Alas, they do influence each other.


    To put it simply. Laws are the Hospitals--treating illness when they come. Religion is the one to keep those from being ill."


    There were a lot of things swirling in my mind right now. The more the priest talked, instead of feeling dizzy from my lack of understanding¡ªright now, I understood too much, my head felt it''s going to burst.


    "...but is Religion truly necessary? Can''t someone just live a fulfilling life just by following their own ideals?"


    "The fact you come here and prayed earnestly means Religion is necessary to some extent. Our own belief also states Religion is simply, a choice. You may choose guidance of your liking, or go in solitude.


    Because your life is yours to live, you should decide for yourself first, how to best live with it."


    Phew...


    It was quite a long talk.


    Standing up and stretching my body for a few moments, I heard the priest''s footsteps going further.


    "Wait...I still hadn''t disclosed my problems."


    "It is not my right to know of your personal matters. Don''t you have friends and family for that?"


    I muttered weakly.


    "They''re not here anymore..."


    "Then, believe in your own words and convictions." the priest added, "You''re the one who knows yourself best. Not even our god can proclaim, he knows someone better than themselves."


    "...what if I don''t have the experience to make my own decisions? What if I want to seek help for those who have them?"


    "My children."


    The silence in the room echoed for a good moment before the priest''s voice echoed throughout.


    "Each person live their own life, with their own experience. I recognized your loneliness. I acknowledged your solitude.


    Alas, I have not what you seek. For the answer, is already within you, all this time."


    "Within me? How do I know whether it was right or wrong?"


    "You may understand it when you can see beyond those conceptions. There may not be even right or wrong¡ªjust the choice you wish to make."


    I kept pondering about the priest''s words.


    His footsteps grew more and more distant, as silence permeated the room.


    All this time, I had been focusing on doing the ''right'' thing. To become the strongest I could be¡ªdoing things in a way that best benefit me.


    It is of utmost importance.


    ...but, is this what I pursued because I fear death, pain, and loss?


    What do I really want?


    I want to be happy and rich.


    I want to live to the fullest, every day filled with love.


    I want to be safe and secure, no matter what happens.


    While pursuing strength is important, I don''t want to lose sight of myself.


    Strength is just a means to the end.


    ...what I really want, is to pursue everything, in a way, that makes me feel alive.


    Am I alive right now?


    ...well, I don''t know.


    I''m itching for some fun.


    Leaving the church with brisk steps, I began to rethink about my future.


    Just when I thought nothing special would happen...


    [Godslayer is now Lv. 3!]

 Alternate Route 5

    Alternate Route 5


    [Godslayer is now Lv. 3!]


    By learning about the essence of that Religion and ''rebelled'' against it, I somehow gained more understanding about Godslayer.


    As a result, it leveled up. Just my own conjecture so far though.


    Night fell down the city and I was about to go back to the Inn, but my steps were heavy. Even if the God of Heroes granted me his protection, it didn''t make me feel at ease.


    Learning from my past mistakes, I went to a nearby park and began to ponder. I don''t want to bump into a random stranger and cause unnecessary troubles.


    ''I''d be glad to comply if it''s within my abilities.''


    it''s not like I had given a definite answer.


    If I don''t think I can do it, I don''t have to.


    Besides, it''s not beneficial if I just get on with it.


    I still have a lot of things I want to do. Wouldn''t it be fine to just do whatever I want and not rush defeating the final boss, if there''s a place I could feel safe in?


    Most importantly, I need a good amount of time to max out my levels and stats.


    Plus, I don''t like, how after the boss is defeated, everything would end.


    Why must it be this way? Why can''t the world remain if it''s peaceful?


    Is what the God of Heroes saying, really the truth?


    I glanced at my surroundings. People were going on their merry ways without much care. No signs of unrest at all.


    Thinking about it, made me even more curious. If I didn''t solve this right away, I''m afraid I wouldn''t be able to sleep the night.


    Ah, shit.


    I forget to ask about the [Hero] class.


    ...


    [Holy Empire Dei Magnus engages the Demon King Army. Saint Hero-sama valiantly commands the battle from the front lines.]


    [So far, in these years, both sides were locked in a stalemate, but we believe Justice shall prevail. The calamity known as the Demon King shall be no more.]


    The Magical Iris advertisement at the end kinda broke the tension.


    ...thinking about it, I''m not sure if I could even bear the prestige of the [Hero] class, even if I could change class to it. I''d better read about it and comprehend things fully before proceeding.


    All the Adventurer-looking people just went on their business like usual, not giving a damn about what happened out there.


    "Looking up the news about the war? One of yer folks in front lines?"


    An eyepatch-wearing adventurer shouted out; his body was riddled with scars.


    "I don''t have anyone."


    He patted the seat beside him. There didn''t seem to be anyone else.


    I sat across, maintaining a safe distance in case he tried anything funny.


    The Adventurer gave me a shark smile, "Listen here, lad. If I were you, I''d be going to other countries right now¡ªbefore they issue mass drafting. The Pope really want to resolve things once and for all, no matter how many innocents he had to sacrifice."


    The Pope?


    Was the King who brought world peace, supposed to be the previous Popes who won?


    In any case, I''m really bad with these obligatory army training. Thank goodness my country doesn''t have them.


    It''s not like I hadn''t expected this, due to God of Heroes'' info about the war¡ªbut I never imagine it to escalate so much.


    It sucks, I couldn''t stay in this city for a prolonged time. Maybe I could just negotiate the contract?


    While I was deep in thought, the Adventurer''s loud voice rang in my ears.


    "No offense there, kiddo. Ye just don''t look like ya love fights. But for us mercenaries, it''s money. Doing Quests just won''t do for our booze!"


    I didn''t see any booze on his table though, only barley tea and soup.


    "When''s the draft and how can I leave this country?"


    "The mass drafts will begin a week from now¡ªno secret a'' longer. As for buzzing off, it all depends on ye. I know many ratholes, but now¡ªthey''d all hightailed cuz shit''s ''bout ta go down."


    "I was wondering¡ªpeople in here didn''t seem afraid or restless at all, what''s the catch?"


    "That''s why I don''t understand the religious folks of this country. Feh, I''m just a simple outlander going fer thrills n'' cash. Most of the runways were also foreigners¡ªcome to think of it, ye don''t seem to be around here. Well¡ªwhatever business ya have, better rush it."


    A week, huh. Why it''s so damn short? Ugh, I''m not sure if it''s enough to finish shit.


    "Speaking of which, do you know of some good hunting grounds? I''d feel like training a bit."


    "I''m a hired blade, lad. My blade''s at home with killing people than silly critters. You''d better ask at that guild...unless ya want to spar with me? Harhar!"


    Damn, I hit a jackpot! Finally a chance to level up in one go. It sucks I couldn''t just try picking a different class, but I could just visit the guild anytime.


    But this chance didn''t come every day.


    "It''s indeed a good idea. Senior, please take care of me."


    "Hahaha! For someone so weak-looking, you sure have the biggest balls! Be aware though, one of us might die from this¡ªbut at least you won''t go to jail."


    Well, the God of Heroes kinda said it earlier. If you kill someone via consensual sparring, it''s not a crime.


    "Sure!"


    "Let''s shake hands and battle like warriors. I hope you can make my blood boil. All of these wars I''ve gotten in were lukewarm."


    The moment we walked together outside of the Inn, I overheard the talks of people.


    "That young man...he seriously challenged Old Death?"


    "He''s a veteran mercenary surviving a hundred battles...he even killed numerous people just from sparring."


    "He''s not a bad guy at heart, but he''s too ruthless when it comes to fighting. Someone stop that young man, he seriously has a death wish!"


    "No good. The moment someone agreed to Old Death''s challenge, there''s no getting out of it."


    "Sigh...well, Old Death never lost anyway¡ªit''s the same old deal. That''d teach the youngsters to know their place."


    Oh?


    Actually, I''m just curious about the correction effect when I fought the thugs earlier. Besides, I have been a weakling for most of my life. I want to view the world in a different way for once.


    Since this felt more like a game than reality, I don''t feel like taking things too seriously.


    A lot of people followed as Old Death led me towards the fighting area.


    It''s a large open field with stone-tiled floors.


    "Ready your weapon."


    Old Death brandished a rusty greataxe with a sinister skull carving. A deadly aura seems to be pouring out...


    I took the toy gun from my inventory. The moment its appearance greeted myriads of eyes around, the crowd broke to a clamor.


    "Kid, you serious? You looking down on me?"


    "Of course not. Senior is strong, I don''t have any other choice if I want to put a good fight."


    It''s true.


    This toy gun is currently the strongest weapon I had, even if it''s actually the work of weapon exploit.


    I couldn''t even laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the idea since it''s already proven and tested.


    I''m not fully confident whether I''d put up a good fight, but this kind of experience truly makes my heart race.


    "Well, let''s see if you had what it takes!"


    As Old Death finished his words, he immediately charged straight at me. Such a brutal acceleration¡ªit only took a moment before his ax aimed towards at my head!


    That charge was so reckless, he didn''t even consider his own defense. No guards put¡ªhe didn''t even wear any armor.


    At least I had my own armor piece equipped via the System.


    Instead of cleaving my torso, the fact he aimed for my head, proved his own confidence of killing me in one shot.


    Still, the trajectory''s a bit too predictable just from the movement of his shoulders.


    I stepped to the side using minimal movement; placing few shots onto the old mercenary, the moment his greataxe cleaved thin air. At least there are a few seconds of having to steady your body before striking again.


    I don''t want to kill him, so I set the toy gun into single shot mode instead of burst fire or full auto.


    "Guah!"


    What I totally didn''t expect¡ªeven a single bullet caused his body to greatly stagger and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. When the first bullet pierced his shoulder, I even heard cracking sounds.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    If it''s a normal bullet on a pistol, I don''t believe just a molten metal would disorient someone so much. But each of it had the full power strike of a war-hammer, which got even more devastating from its speed.


    The second and third shot going at his rib and leg blew him few meters away. He coughed huge mouthfuls of blood after rolling a good amount as his body slammed against the ground.


    ...just like that, the battle was finished. It''s fortunate Old Death was still breathing, but...


    What the fuck?


    [You are now Level 15!]


    I thought my agility was my lowest stat. It doesn''t make sense how I could read the enemy''s trajectory and dodge so easily.


    I still enjoy the huge jump in level nonetheless. The fact that Godslayer hadn''t leveled up means, the God of Heroes had kept his promise.


    Like I thought, job levels are harder to grind due to the small job experience per battle. I kind of heard, leveling Adventurer to an Intermediate class wasn''t easy either.


    "It''s simple, really." I heard a man''s voice coming from behind, "The opponent''s just charged at a straight line. As long you kept your calm, that charge is easy enough to avoid. The reason Old Death is successful is that he picks opponents that are likely to fear death or pain. Lots of hot-blooded idiot youngsters around sure helped his cause.


    I don''t think to survive one hundred battles and continuously winning the spars has anything to do with bravery. You can simply sit on the most secure spot and not moving, and pick the easiest opponents to show off."


    The fact he so casually analyzed the battle¡ªit didn''t feel like he''s just showing off his knowledge as well.


    I wonder why I was so fearless in face of impending doom? Probably since I faced opponents like the Death Eater before, it got imprinted to my own battle sense?


    "What about you, Captain? Do you think you can win against the marksman?"


    "I won''t even stand a chance against you guys. I suck at fighting. The only thing I''m good at is playing games and giving out orders."


    "You''re too humble, Cap''n."


    The moment I turned my face towards the source¡ªit''s the celebrity himself.


    Kevin Orleans. He stuck like a sore thumb with his shiny platinum armor, military buzz cut, and a portable gaming console. How he''s with the Holy Order members, followed by incessant screaming of fangirls (and one dude) truly made him a character.


    Different from the mercenary, he''s not someone I could challenge.


    ...one of them being, he didn''t seem to be the type to fight on his own volition. A lot of strong people have that tendency. That''s why, back in the days, I heard a saying.


    A humble person is usually a big deal...


    Before that...


    "Oh, Knight-Captain. Fancy seeing you here."


    "...ah. Are you here to join the military, by chance? Or do you want to provide us with armaments? We can only pay in credit with a fixed interest rate, though..."


    Overhearing a bit, most people seem to be interested in my gun, rather than my skills.


    Hey, I heard one prick who said my win was pure luck and it''s due to my overpowered gear.


    Speak of the devil. Kevin''s conversational skills are sure top-notch. I like how he''s straight to the point from the first line.


    Thanks for revealing a piece of critical information. Judging that your military funding is poor and the Pope''s striving to end it, soon the commoners would be implicated.


    "I''m more curious about the mass-drafting."


    "Oh, that." Kevin paused for a bit, "It''s only mandatory for able-bodied people and it''s just military training in case the city experienced sieges. They only would be handling logistic purposes such as distributing food, moving heavy equipment and maintaining the walls and towers. Only the cream of the crop would be sent to front lines.


    Plus, we do not involve foreigners in our own affair. We just hope, during a siege, people could stay at their home and not leave the city. If they don''t have housing, we of the Holy Order will provide it."


    Hmm...


    I won''t ask when exactly it''d be so I wouldn''t seem eager. The moment I show any more interest, he''d probably solicit me to death.


    Seems like a pain. I felt like going abroad if I could just laze around.


    "What about the other countries?"


    "I''m afraid they might be on a worse state against the Demon Army the moment it attacks since the toughest stronghold belongs to our nation. In any case, never trust Old Death. The only thing he did so far was fighting people to death and drinking for free."


    I don''t trust his words. First of all, Old Death didn''t drink any booze today. I didn''t see any notable features like a shaggy beard, bad breath, unkempt hair, slurry speeches, and wobbly steps.


    Even his eyes were completely focused and his words, albeit rough, still contain decent rationale.


    Well, Kevin had all the right to lie for public approval. In this case, celebrities weren''t all different from politicians. Even if he could just slack off in the news, when it comes to the actual sport¡ªhe''d probably got his penis cut off.


    "I''ll keep that in mind."


    "Mr. Gunman, if you feel like joining our training, you''re welcome at the Holy Order anytime. Here''s my token of recommendation."


    Training, huh...


    Even if I didn''t feel like joining, it''d be a nice thing to have.


    "Thanks."


    Having a figure of authority on your side, one would think twice before bullying you.


    [Received ''Kevin Orleans'' Token''!]


    Along the way, I decided to just have dinner at a family restaurant nearby. While the food wasn''t as good as Monkey Island''s Cymbals, it''s still a good change of pace.


    It doesn''t seem I could laze around after a week. If I stayed inside the city, I''m not sure if I could avoid the military training. Even if I''m a foreigner, didn''t seem like the Holy Order would let me idle around.


    If I went outside the country, the god''s protection would be no more.


    That''s when I fiddled around with my System options and opened up my Map without realizing it.


    [Slime Farm]


    Ah, the old man from Monkey Island Cymbals told me, there''s a slime farmer nearby and the Pope loves his pudding.


    ...what shocked me was...


    [Evil God''s Shrine]


    In the mountains near the farm.


    Did the God of Heroes add its location when I''m not aware of it?


    For now, I just want to enjoy my meal.


    I''ll prepare myself the best I could, by leveling up until I felt it''s enough.


    Maybe Level 99 will suffice?


    During this week, I shall do my best to settle everything¡ªbut I won''t force myself too hard either. That''d be counterproductive.


    I will work towards saving the world, and myself living a relaxed life, here.


    Not everywhere else.


    I''m already too tired¡ªand the library''s already closed since it''s nightfall. The guild was still open though.


    Since my brain were all muddled due to a shitload of things happening I went back to my Inn room.


    Going for the hot bath tonight, I scrubbed my body clean and brushed my teeth. There''s a lot of useful modern items in the Item Shop, hurray for hi-tech another world.


    Before I went to bed, I left something special out there.


    The Holy Order might be protecting me since I''m one of Kevin''s acquaintances and there''s also the one from the God of Heroes himself.


    At least, my life won''t be in any danger.


    ...but, for the rest, I wouldn''t be sure. Like, if there''s any [Steal] skill that directly accessed my inventory¡ªit''d be the end of me.


    You can never underestimate the depths of human greed.


    ...


    The next day, the toy gun I left out there was gone.


    No sweat, I still had a few more.


    Checking the unread alerts, however¡ªit made my lips curl up in a stupid manner.


    [Trickster obtained!]


    Description: with a small chance, inflict a random debuff to the enemy per attack.


    This skill may not bypass debuff immunity.


    ...


    Jackpot again.


    With the 500-hit toy gun, this will be extremely strong on solo-ing boss mobs.


    You never know, how much greed can drop your IQ.


    Thanks for the reward.


    As for what happened on the other side, I got a gist of it.


    ...but well, it''s none of my business.

 Alternate Route 6

    Alternate Route 6


    The moment I went downstairs, I saw Fiona and Liese with luggage on their feet.


    Seems like the rest already checked out in advance. From what I''ve heard, it''s implied that Fiona had become a Paladin to provide for her family¡ªbut for the details, it''s not my stance to pry.


    "Old man, thanks for everything¡ªgah!"


    Fiona totally''s about to kneel down in front of the counter, before Liese slugged her in.


    "Ugh..."


    "Stop the sappy business¡ªwe''re going."


    Fiona went out first while clutching her armor-covered chest, as Liese pushed her towards the door. Just as the staff-wielding nun about to go out, she turned her head and our eyes met.


    She just turned her face away and nonchalantly strolled through the entrance, dragging her luggage. It was a lot heavier than Fiona''s. Even though the nun looks like a frail girl...her amount of strength is no joke.


    "I''ll have the usual."


    I said to the Pops, dispelling the awkward atmosphere I got.


    I didn''t realize I was standing on the stairway the entire time.


    ...


    While I ate, some of the rowdy-looking adventurers went to my table and congratulated me for the earlier fight.


    I either nod and smiled at them. Even if it''s a nuisance, since the folks didn''t mean any harm¡ªI''d return with courtesy.


    The menu for today''s breakfast is white rice with sausages, stir-fried vegetables, and chicken soup. The side dishes are garlic bread with slices of fresh tomato. Pops also threw me durian gelatin and fruit smoothie juice, consisting of different colored nature treats, forming a vibrant display.


    I gave a few more evaluations of his dish, especially the desserts I ate while hunting yesterday. Brimming with a wide grin, Pops pitched in mixed vegetable juice with few pints of lemonade and mint extract.


    The dishes were top notch as usual. If I could nom such meals every day, I''d be more than happy to stay in this world forever.


    As I ate earlier, there were fewer adventurers than usual.


    I went to the counter, passing over the tray with all my finished dish. Pops were scrubbing one of his beer glasses¡ªhe brought the tray towards a window leading to the kitchen. The faint jazz-like tune could be seen humming from the nearby gramophone.


    "It''s gotten quiet."


    I crossed my hands atop the counter.


    Even though I already knew the details from various sources, I''m curious about the old man''s opinion.


    "Indeed."


    "Is it the upcoming draft?"


    "The only ones staying were either penniless or didn''t mind the military services, or whatever."


    "Will it be compulsory for everyone?"


    "Even the Nobles aren''t spared¡ªwell, they had their own roles."


    "Are you going to stay, Pops?"


    "Not like I had a choice. How ''bout you?"


    "I still had few businesses left, but I''ll stay." I let out a smug smile, the moment an idea flashed across my head, "Like honing my skills to the point, even the Holy Order couldn''t order me around. I love this city and I''m confident I can protect it my own way."


    It might be a cliche'' saying from all the cultivation novels I''ve read, but it aligned with my personal goals.


    "That''s the spirit, lad. Going to hunt monsters again?"


    You''re not going say my idea was preposterous?


    Maybe it''s a common sense that strongest adventurers had their own say in this matter. Kevin deliberately left things out¡ªcan''t blame him though. That''s just how Politics run.


    "Maybe later. I''m thinking of picking a stronger class."


    "Just one piece of advice, lad. There''s no such thing as the strongest class for everyone. You determine your goal and pick the ones most suitable. Don''t you worry since there''d be your party--"


    "I''m fighting alone."


    My response made Pops flinch a bit¡ªhis pupils were wide open.


    "I see. Being jack-of-all-trades may help. If your class is [Adventurer], it''d be wise to keep on going."


    "Did you fight alone, back in the days?"


    "Fortunately, no. I had been in a lot of parties, never stuck for long. I envy that lassie''s group--by the way¡ªyou seem familiar with them."


    Pops probably noticed my gaze the moment I went downstairs.


    "We''re just acquaintances. Well¡ªthey did try inviting me¡ªbut, you know why I''m here."


    "Not that I''m surprised. If I were you, I won''t join as well."


    "You''re already too old for this, Pops."


    "You cheeky booger," this old man flashed his white teeth, smirking, "You''d probably made the right decision, is what I''m saying."


    "I know."


    I couldn''t help but throw him another smug smile.


    "No room for humility, aren''t you?"


    "I just prefer working at my own pace."


    "Isn''t it safer to adventure in groups?"


    "Let me ask you a question, Pops. What if I just stayed in this city, as compared to being with the people who kept dragging him towards danger?"


    Pops furrowed his brows.


    "...so in the first place, your goal is personal safety? I can''t believe it."


    It''s normal if you doubted me. I did challenge Old Death last night, after all.


    "You can think whatever you want.", I took some silver coins from the inventory, pretending to rummage my pockets,  "Today''s fee.."


    "Much appreciated."


    Business as usual.


    If I didn''t feel like explaining myself, I won''t push it.


    ...


    In the end, I decided to keep the [Adventurer] class. Looking at the survival-related skills I''ve gotten currently¡ªit might benefit me in the long run.


    My stat growth was pretty decent; it''s even higher than Fiona''s, at my current level.


    As for the Library, the boring expositions could wait later.


    I went to the nearby park after buying a few treats at the street stalls, checking my Status.


    [Takeshi]


    Level : 10->15


    Race: Human


    (Adventurer lv 3, Godslayer lv 3)


    Hp: 250/250 -> 450/450


    Mp: 160/160 -> 300/300


    Str: 25->40


    Vit : 20->35


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.Dex : 30->45


    Agi : 15->25


    Int : 40->50


    Spi : 25->35


    Luk : 50->60


    [Gear]


    Bronze War Hammer


    Bronze Hauberk


    Glasses


    Comfortable Shoes


    [Skills]


    Flee


    Tent


    Passive


    Item Usage Plus > Increase item''s effect (small)


    God of Heroes Blessing -> Increase Crit Chance (small) + other stuff.


    Lone Wolf -> Boost stats (small) while going to battle alone.


    Demolition Man -> Increase Crit Damage (small)


    Trickster (NEW) -> Random debuff (small chance) per attack


    ...


    Pretty sweet. It might not be that high, but considering how strong Fiona was¡ªI might be at a decent level to be on my own. The glitchy gears made me even safer.


    I felt like checking out the new gears. The class limitations might be a bitch but at least I could bypass the stat limits right now.


    Just when I was about to strengthen myself...


    [It''s been a while.]


    I totally forgot ''bout the loli.


    "So, what you''ve been up to?" I muttered in my mind.


    [Nothing much. I don''t wanna be bothered every single time. You seem to be doing well, regardless.]


    ...so you''re just lazing around all this time when I needed you the most? This loli...


    Though, it''s not like she had promised me anything either. I took a few deep breaths to steady my words before continuing.


    "Well, yeah¡ªI''m fine. What brings you here?"


    There was a bit of an awkward pause¡ªand the loli seem to be stuttering cutely for a bit.


    [You...already have a lot of strong abilities. Isn''t it okay to let loose a bit?]


    "I''m pretty relaxed already. Well, compared to my past life¡ªit''s a long-awaited siesta.."


    [I see, then I''ll just say this one thing.]


    "Such as?"


    [Have fun. That''s what games are made for.]


    "Huh..."


    ...our conversation ended just like that.


    Even if this world is purely a game, I still want to live inside it.


    ...


    Checking the gears at the shop, I spend several gold coins buying the one with best stats. Magic weapons didn''t seem to be commonplace¡ªhmm...


    I at least need to get one in case there are enemies with immunity to physical attacks.


    The lineup became like this.


    [Gear]


    Steel Maul


    Steel Hauberk


    Glasses


    Steel Leggings.


    ...


    Due to the exploit, I could still don my usual clothes and enjoy the stats benefit.


    I also bought the training dummy from the shop. There''s something I wanna test.


    ...the fact this bugger cost about as much as steel equipment baffled me¡ªbut experiment comes first.


    Going back to my room, I took out the training dummy and initiated the [Battle Mode].


    The last time, the 500-hits from my toy gun already chipped away most of its health. I wonder what would happen when it was defeated?


    ...


    "Bummer."


    The moment this training dummy''s HP reached zero, it turned all blurry and disappeared.


    ...but unlike an actual enemy, there weren''t any message boxes.


    The battle ended just like that.


    No spoils; no bonus experience or gold.


    Not like I hadn''t expected it...apparently, I had been wee to optimistic, I threw skepticism across the windowsill.


    Which reminds me of one stupid hole I now realized...


    So, the God of Heroes said, my safety would be guaranteed if I''m still inside the city.


    If I couldn''t go out, my ways of leveling are limited.


    If I tried going, I''d risk getting jumped by the Evil God'' minions¡ªironically, I encountered the goons that triggered the [Godslayer] in the city, both times.


    Why would the God of Heroes let his enemy starting shit? Was it his way to test my mettle?


    Either way, it doesn''t matter. He never promised me anything beforehand.


    Whoever''s after me may not be the Evil God''s minions, but someone else¡ªwhich I dunno ''bout.


    For now, Evil God''s the biggest suspect.


    In any case, time for Library visit¡ªat last. I hope the expositions wouldn''t bore me to death.


    ...


    Asking the guards a bit, I finally arrived at a small manor near the district for nobles. In its vicinity, stood a majestic homestead, with guards patrolling its perimeter. It must be the Feudal Lord''s abode. Contrary to the Holy Order''s guards, they wore light armor and armed with rapiers. Some of them donned a musket with bayonets, just like infantrymen at Industrial age.


    I saw the Lord himself, Sir Theodore Gustav, exiting the gate at this opportune time. He must be the caucasian man with blond hair, monocle, and tuxedo suit.


    He was followed by a young butler with pointy ears and silver hair; his eyes a bit slanted.


    ...ah, that man might be even older, seeing as elves had long lifespans. Not sure if this world followed the lore.


    Both of them entered the platinum-colored carriage, drawn by white horses. Flanking it was the joint forces between the Holy Order and the personal guards.


    From behind the mansion''s entrance doors, stood a blond-haired loli with shorter pointed ears.


    When our eyes met, the loli scurried inside. She muttered something under her breath...


    "I saw...a cute loli..."


    I must''ve heard wrong.


    Probably due to the fact I didn''t trigger any [Event] the guards just left me be.


    Still, what''s with this sense of unease, when I approached the library?


    It all was answered the moment I stepped in.


    There''s nothing besides a large teleportation circle, with a sign labeled as [Point of No Return] in it.


    ...should I step in?


    I thought long and hard about it, my feet were tired from standing up¡ªuntil I remembered the [Save Game] feature.


    Overwriting my latest progress on the diary, I finally braced myself and stepped onto the circle.


    In front of me was a large room with countless labeled doors in front.


    ...and a voice ringing inside me.


    [Choose your path.]


    The most bizarre thing about it...


    That was my own voice.


    The moment I tried checking up the System to see what changes...


    "It''s gone..."

 Alternate Route Finale + Afterword

    Alternate Route Finale


    There were so many doors floating amidst the air. Only a few stayed on the ground and the rest was beneath my feet.


    [Choose Your Path.]


    My System was no more and at the same time, I lost the sensation of my physical body. I could drift, phase through and glide however I''d like; reaching the places a normal human couldn''t.


    Despite my System being non-functional for the most part, I still saw the door''s labels popping as a Text Box, when I focused on it. I could also peek through, experiencing a figment of what''s to be expected by taking the path.


    Countless scenarios ranging from perverted, heartwarming and glorious to those of depravity, depression and utter nihilism.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    While I was tempted to take the most perverted path, where I could satisfy my desires to the full extent¡ªa voice rang from the depths of my heart.


    No matter which doors I choose, it''s the same as leaving my destiny to someone else.


    At that point, my destiny will no longer be my own.


    While it might be possible, all of my decisions from the start, was the whim of someone else¡ªI want to bet on this possibility.


    ...


    Whatever results may be, it''s my own decision.


    Stepping onto the path I choose, I began to forget a lot of things and remembering as much.


    ...but one thing was clear.


    I''m still myself.


    ...and I want to experience the most fun I could.


    A new journey teeming with delight.


    Not Another Isekai RPG Story ¨C Alternate


    FIN

 Ch 2-2

    Ch 2-2


    [However, if you wish to employ our services continuously, it''s not within our policy. That''d be a different story if you''d like to become our party member. In return, tell us your skills.]


    That''s the subtitles I read from Jung''s hand gestures. That''s why instead of looking at him straight in the eye, I was just looking at the nothingness on the bottom center. Might seem loco but nobody seems to nitpick.


    His disjointed appearance between a samurai and ninja weren''t especially pleasing to look at either.


    "Hmm..."


    Well, it''s not like I was short on money but I guess they''re not that kind of people. If they''re good enough and especially trustworthy, I''d prefer to be adventuring with them.


    "....oh right, sire. If I remember correctly, that lass Fiona, she--"


    "Shh! You nerd dwarf, we agreed not to talk about this, alright!"


    Fiona herself made an absentminded expression as she put her fingers atop her lips and tilting her head. There was a bit of an awkward silence before she continued on.


    "Takeshi...well, you see...you might seem like a normal guy but you actually had pretty amazing qualities, ain''tcha?"


    "Ah."


    "Lassy finally popped out."


    "Err...why do you guys believe that?"


    [If it weren''t for the 5 gold you gave her, we also wouldn''t believe it. We thought you''re some rich nobleman from somewhere, but due to your lack of eloquence, this was the most sound reasoning we could come up.]


    "What if I''m just that good at acting?"


    [Didn''t seem to be that way for me. If that''s the case, for what reason you have to put up such pretense?]


    "Maybe I just don''t want to tell you."


    [No reason then.]


    "Listen to me..."


    [You overestimate yourself, brother glasses. I can read people well and your intentions are as clear as an open book¡ªnot that it''s a bad thing. Well, in any case, you appear to be quite trustworthy...and so, I approve of you.]


    "Ugh..."


    "Congratulations, Takeshi. Jung doesn''t easily approve of people joining our party." Fiona let out a silly smile.


    Hold up, so it''s not just me who saw the subtitles?


    I had a feeling, deep inside she''s placing me as her equal, but maybe I was just overthinking.


    Reading those subtitle-generating hand gestures, I wonder if I should break the fourth wall and point that to him¡ªmaybe when I knew him better. At least he was quite patient to know when I had finished reading and already understood the contents before moving on.


    It would make things awkward if he already knew it¡ªat least on my side.


    In any case, the beans had been spilled.


    Meanwhile, the dwarf coughed lightly and gave his nod to me while extending his thick and muscular gloved arms.


    Handing my guild card, the dwarf''s expression let out a sigh, wearing a not-amused face.


    "No can do, sire. Even if you'' had great abilities of a support, we have no room for those who couldn''t protect themselves."


    As a man, I too, still had a bit of shame to not hide behind someone''s back forever.


    "So, what can I do to prove you wrong?"


    "Well, your levels are still too low and we don''t want to risk getting our comrades killed from protecting you. At least try to raise your level to 15. Anyone interested can accompany him--"


    Fiona raised her hand awkwardly.


    "I will do my best, so Takeshi, go get strong fast!"


    ...we''re going to grind so that goes without saying.


    "I''ll help as well, uh...as thanks for looking after her." the cleric girl turned her face away and sighed few times.


    What? Was leveling to 15 that difficult?


    ...and why did you girls even bother volunteering if it''s a pain in the ass? Ah, I just couldn''t fathom it.


    Meanwhile, there''s the quest window popping out. When I checked the window for a bit, time seems to be stopping for the others.


    [Main Quest 2


    Raise your Level up to 15!


    Reward: officially joins the party.]


    It''s kind of weird. Why didn''t the first quest had its own window though? Probably because I skipped the opening. My memories from that time were also fuzzy though. I wonder what kind of stuff made me forget somehow?


    It''s right after I closed the window via some hand swipe (sometimes a thought''s also fine), the time resumed again.


    ...


    In the end, Fiona and Liese tagged along for the quest.


    We went back to the Monkey Island Cymbals and sat together to discuss things.


    The party decided to go into the nearby [Cave of Trials] to level me up. Fiona and Liese came with me to assess my abilities in general, since they''re the only ones free enough. The others got some other things to do.


    Since I wasn''t an official member of the party, I got to submit a request into the guild. The subject was [Powerlevel Quest] and the duration was around three to five days. The reward would be around two gold coins, in which I gladly took from my inventory.


    Horace said, this quest issuing was just a formality, but it''s necessary to produce a [Permit]. Otherwise, people couldn''t freely travel between places, whether in groups or solo. Other places to get a permit was in the Commerce Guild in the [Docks District] but I wasn''t especially a merchant.


    That''s also why the cost was also low since I would be joining the party after the quest. Not exactly cheap for the others though.


    So what if one wanted to travel but not a merchant or adventurer? Liese told me there were merchants who offer travel services with adventurer escort, in collaboration with both Commerce and Adventurer''s guild. Nobles also got a special privilege to travel without permits. Though in place, they gotta flash their family emblem.


    People without a permit, and want to enter the city. They end up for questioning by the Holy Order members, before getting their own permit issued. Liese told me, Fiona wasn''t explaining how the organization works correctly.


    Holy Order was not the Adventurer''s Guild for Paladins, Clerics or Priests. Otherwise, why there''d be those classes run and about even among the Adventurers?


    The thing that signifies the Holy Order were their trademark silver armor and their orderly way of acting.


    They''re the military police force of this Holy Empire.


    The reason why such things were left unclear to Fiona was:


    "She wasn''t a good student during her time at Paladin school. Often dozing off and sometimes droll---"


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "...Liese, you bully!"


    Hmm...how did the explanation became so different? If I, who was just an outsider could roughly guess it, why did Fiona who''s been there, supposedly for a long time, failed to give a clear explanation?


    "Why did you say it''s like an Adventurer Guild in the first place?" I asked Fiona.


    "...it''s an organization where a select few class the Holy Order want could join. There you can take on their own Quests and stuff...there''s also stipends, although it''s not that much. Different from the guild, we have specialized training, the dorms and also free food...I didn''t like how it got stricter in recent years though."


    "I see--how about why you didn''t dismantle the monsters when we just slew it?"


    "Because you already did your part, hehe."


    "Oh right."


    I totally forgot about it, even if it''s just yesterday.


    It was followed by chuckles resounding from these guys.


    Well, so far it''s not like they spilled the beans by disclosing in detail what I was capable of doing. Just that I have nice skills.


    "How''s it like¡ªadventuring, I mean--when you''re not with me?"


    "I won''t tell, haha."


    To be said, Fiona still managed to become a full-fledged Paladin because of her battle and support talents, even if her head wasn''t the brightest.


    "In other words, our lass Fiona is a gori---"


    "Shut up, you gun-freak!" shouted Liese.


    Hey, why''re you the one who got angry?


    Nevertheless, I heard the sound of something breaking.


    I didn''t want to narrate this.


    Later on, I heard, the reason why I could be accepted to this town, was due to me going in with a member of Holy Order. I saw her talking to this guard for a bit before going inside the gates in a hurry.


    If I were to go alone, I don''t feel like getting interrogated either.


    You may have a good question: why must waste time going to new places just to power level? Can''t you just use your JRPG logic and spam battles in the city''s outskirts?


    Well, Liese and Fiona hadn''t joined my party yet. I don''t think, with me being this weak, I could handle grinding on my own until I was level 15.


    If the leveling''s with Horace and Jung, however, I will just find another way than going to the trip with only men present.


    ...


    Horace, Jung, and Felix would be doing some small quests and odd-jobs to regain back the money.


    Even as for now, Felix was probably still doing dishes; they didn''t say where they did eat and run. Most likely not here lest they got scoffed off by the Pops; I didn''t see that here.


    They also prepared themselves for the [Colloseum Event]--some kind of fighting event.


    It''s mostly for the money prize and chance to gain rare items. The event would be held exactly seven days from now. I wouldn''t take part in that tournament kinda thing since I was too weak. It might be nice to see battles that didn''t consist of just moving in JRPG style.


    The left the Inn first, leaving me with two cute girls.


    As for Liese and Fiona, they''re not really interested in joining¡ªone of the reasons was, they didn''t want to meet up with the Holy Order members, in which a lot of them will be participating. Now I understand why they opt to go with me.


    After a short meeting, the party members went to prepare things for the trip. I myself was free to explore on my own. We stood up together and just as when we''re about to part ways, Fiona lent me another one of those communication tool slabs, somewhat like a smartphone.


    "Don''t break it! Cost me a good fortune just to buy."


    "I can just buy another one."


    "Uuuu!"


    "Now let''s see, what if you have a porn folder¡ªmath folder, new folder, no¡ªnothing like that?"


    As I teasingly scrolled down the all normal folders, I swear I unconsciously pushed up my glasses a bit.


    Wow, there''s a lewd Yuri manga.


    "Why do you assume me to be a pervert in the first place?" Fiona yelled on top of her lungs; her face flushed red.


    Heh, touche.


    Before she got any further, however, Liese wedged herself between me and Fiona and embraced her. As Fiona was taller and more well-built, it''s like a little sister wanting the big sister''s love.


    The next moment¡ªLiese patted Fiona''s head, followed by rubbing her cheeks together with the ex-paladin while she stood in Tiptoe.


    "Good girl, good girl..."


    It immediately followed with turning her head and giving me a playful gaze; her eyes closed like those anime characters.


    "Please do not tease her too much like this, okay? She''s mine."


    Oh? That''s interesting.


    "I support you guys."


    "You''re really are a strange person." Liese sighed a few more times before leaving with Fiona, "Let''s go on our date."


    "H-hey! Liese! We''re not like that, in the first place..."


    "Cute."


    "Y-you''re much cuter..."


    "Your boobs are also very soft."


    "C-come on, Liese, get going, you don''t want the perverted glasses brother to enjoy it."


    "Finally you made sense for the first time."


    "Enough! Please go, I beg of you... lets go...uuuu..."


    ...and they left before Fiona broke to tears; thanks for the treat anyway.


    NTR isn''t my thing either, especially between such cute and young girls. That''s a blasphemy which definitely will get me cursed by the Yuri goddess for all eternity, even if it''s in a different world.


    I had no intention on tailing them on their date either.


    Even if I wanted to, I couldn''t.


    When I opened the Inn doors after they just went out, they immediately disappeared out of nowhere.


    When, if this world was a reality, they''d just be a bit further along the roads, at the pace they''re walking.


    The world sure was mysterious.


    "Ah."


    I forgot to ask them about the Library.


    I took out the smartphone and tried finding their call number.


    [Contacts: Empty]


    ...err...what the hell?


    Okay I understand, you pair of girlfriends don''t want me to interrupt your lovey-dovey time. You''ll just call me whenever you want instead. Otherwise, I might go bug you right while you girls are having sex.


    Thanks for the stash of Yuri manga and stuff though, however...there''s more important issue at hand.


    I''ll just relax in the park and eat the snack I brought while gathering my thoughts once more, for the time being.

 Ch 2-3

    Ch 2-3


    "Hail, citizen¡ªor mayhaps a traveler? How may I be of help?"


    On my way to Central Park, I stopped one of the patrolling paladins fully covered with silver-armor from head to toe. The guard spoke in a husky androgynous voice and their build seems pretty feminine too.


    "I am handsome."


    I had a mind to do some other experiment.


    I expect, if this was a game-like world, it wouldn''t compute my inquiry at all. Not that I''m actually good-looking, I''m just average at best. So average and plain, my only redeeming quality is my glasses.


    What I got was, as expected, the kind of answer when in games, like when you typed a wrong query:


    "Excuse me?"


    The guard tilted their head at me and placed their hands against their ear as if they''re hearing me wrong.


    "What I mean to say is, that I''m handsome."


    "Err...fellow traveler. I am very sorry to say but, even if I find other men sexually attractive, I do not see you that way. Well then, I am busy and I have a lot of work to do. If you will let me be on my way..."


    The silver-armored paladin walked out in the same manner as before.


    Now that''s kind of unexpected, which further excited me to perform yet another test.


    I stopped the paladin again and talked to them.


    "What is it? I have no time to play around with your games, traveler."


    "The truth is, I am pretty lonely and have a bit of money. Although I am not sure in this city of holy soldiers, I am able to find someplace to purify my desires. In this case, can the servant of God give me aid?"


    "I''m afraid we have no male prostitutes or futanari over here, but if you are okay with the limited preference, I shall mark the [Purification House] on your map."


    Now that I checked my menu, there''s a new place in the Docks District called [Purification House].


    "What is the rate and what girls do you recommend?"


    "I''m sorry but I only like men."


    "Sorry if the question is offensive but, is being homosexual okay in here? How about if you''re a member of Holy Order?"


    "Anything is okay if it''s consensual whether you''re doing it with men, women or futanari. Plus both you and your partner have to be at the age of consent which is eighteen. If you''re caught raping someone, whether it''s men or women, or doing the act with a minor, you will be expelled from Holy Order permanently and be sentenced to a prison. Of course, when you''re not a member, it''s still a crime.


    For those who were found out to have sex when they''re still a minor, they will be sent to a camp for re-education, that''s all."


    "That''s pretty informative."


    "If you excuse me, then."


    "Wait, I''m just kind of wondering¡ªsorry, but I kinda bring up this since you look pretty...hot. Can I see what''s beneath your helmet?"


    "You would be disappointed when you found out what''s beneath it."


    "I''m fine with it."


    "Do not curse me for this."


    When they lifted their helmet, I think I saw something so turn-off, for a second my genitals seem unable to stand erect again.


    Only when I fantasized about Liese and Fiona pressing their genitals against each other, my penis came back to life.


    Praise the Yuri Goddess.


    ...


    Interesting.


    With this, I just realized about how many possibilities I can make with my actions.


    Now that I think about it, I never tried talking to the same NPC two times in a row or inquiring about weird, illogical things. That''s why this world felt more like a game.


    It''s kinda ironic, when I approach this with the mindset of a gamer, what I got was a realistic response.


    Looking at the scenery of the people walking fro and about, not giving a single damn about my perverted talks with the guard. It''s like, if the conversation didn''t involve others at all, everyone besides the one I''m talking to will act like there''s nothing happening.


    Now I understand why, during the day before, I could just walk in and take their stuff without anyone complaining at all. Otherwise, whenever I see the Holy Order member, I''d be arrested from the spot for theft. It''s not like I was being all secretive when I took stuff away.


    While it might net me a jail service if I talked to the owner while taking their stuff.


    ...but that would be completely illogical to a gamer. When you''re in a game and want to steal from someone, you make sure they didn''t notice.


    I also thought about how my clothes were all good and dandy, but nobody seems to point it out, except if I mention to them right away. Like, when I refer to me as ''handsome'' earlier, the guard point out that I am, indeed, NOT handsome.


    Maybe if I asked him about my clothes, he would give his opinion about it and will definitely remember about it the next time I meet him.


    I will drop the gender-neutral pronoun since that face''s definitely a ''he''. Ah, I didn''t want to remember it again. I want to apologize to him for freaking out when he revealed his face though¡ªI really shouldn''t judge people by their looks.


    Wait a minute, maybe he did wear that ugly mask just to scare me off? Could be. The next time I met him, I will make him take out that mask! I want a Trap waifu so badly now. In any case, I tell you, I''m not gay! I''m not homosexual at all, got it! I''m at least bisexual¡ªoh wait¡ªI mean¡ªstraight of course. It was only considered bi if the balls touch.


    What about Fiona though? Maybe she''s more like an Important NPC, some kind of Essential NPC who actually advanced the main plot. So, whatever I do with her and party members around will greatly impact this game''s story progression a lot more than when I talked to ordinary NPCs like the guard.


    You can say that she and others weren''t an important NPC, but this world is basically a game and I''m it''s player¡ªalthough I''m not sure if I''m the only one.


    In any case, the main plot''s going to advance soon or another as the time went by.


    With that in mind, could I actually do my best and achieve the best ending for me?


    I really don''t want to do it like the regular Isekai protagonist, if I got to do it, I''ll only want it my way.


    On the second thought, to hell with those overpowered monsters, I''ll still live the way I want to be. Otherwise, why would I have the [Godslayer] ability to fight back in the first place? Just let them come, you think I''ll be afraid?


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Even if I can''t beat them, I can always try to think of a strategic retreat. I don''t believe there''s anyone here as shameless as me, so far.


    In my previous life, I had enough just following the rules of others all the time. Now, I want to survive and become stronger the way I''d like. This was the chance given to me, even if it''s through a sheer chance of luck, it doesn''t matter.


    I truly wish to make this count.


    The kind of life which made me truly feel alive.


    Even if this world is fake, it''s still more real than what my old world could ever be.


    ...


    Ah damn it, when I was in bad mood from reminiscing about my past life, I passed Central Park without knowing.


    Just to be safe, I went to the nearby Item Shop and brought a backpack to camouflage my items¡ªalthough no one''s going to notice anyway, not even Fiona when I took the items right before her nose. Well, there''s no harm in being careful.


    I also have a habit to carry backpacks around when I''m going out. So it''d make me feel more comfortable.


    Also, going at the nearby Weapon and Armor shop, I''d be buying the training dummy for quick clothing swap and other things I''d like to test on.


    The shopkeeper kinda looks puzzled when I want the dummy.


    "I just want to hone my skills better."


    "It would be hard enough to carry around and pointless to buy unless you have your own house."


    The shopkeeper was a rugged and muscular middle-aged man who wielded a hammer and wore overalls. Just your typical blacksmith. He also spoke in a strong tone, although his words were polite.


    "What if I told you I''m also a collector of training dummies?"


    Lame excuse, I know. I just couldn''t think of anything clever to say.


    "Pardon me, but you having that hobby just threw me out of the loop."


    "In any case, I want it¡ªI will care for it and make the best use of it. If you want, I can just pay extra."


    "Ahaha, young man, it''s just, this is the first time I saw someone with the same hobby."


    "Err...what?"


    "I happen to also enjoy collecting training dummies and making them, that one you want is just a common one I made. You can have it for free if you want."


    [Straw Training Dummy Received!]


    ...just like that?


    "Young man¡ªyou are a traveler, right? When you happen to collect more training dummies around the world, can you show it to me when you get back?"


    [Side Quest ¨C Gotta Catch ''em Training Dummies!]


    Description:


    The shopkeeper at Beginner''s City wants you to collect all the different training dummies you can get hands on.


    Reward: depends on the type and the number of training dummies you brought back, the next time you met him.


    Completion: this quest will always be active as long the Shopkeeper is still alive.


    You will fail the quest if the shopkeeper dies without you showing him at least one unique dummy.


    Otherwise, it''d be treated as complete, the quest can also be completed after you showing him one unique dummy and killing him afterward.


    Failure penalty: probably nothing, since you''re a heartless piece of a bastard.]


    Err...what the hell with this quest? Did the game world go loco all of sudden?


    In any case, this was too much for me; I''m not the type to remember such details.


    "I''m sorry but I''m afraid I cannot do that. In the first place, during my journey, I will always go forward and I''m not sure whether I''ll return here or not."


    [You have rejected the Quest!]


    The shopkeeper went really down this time.


    "In exchange, I have a tale from my home country. About a certain cat robot¡ªI mean golem. Robots is what my country use to call them."


    "...ah, cat golems...unfortunately I''m not into golems at all."


    "It''s about a cat golem who appears from inside your desk, which has the chance to connect to another dimension. The cat golem will help those unfortunate, with his magic bag who can access the wonderful kinds of magical tools from a separate storage--"


    "Y-you don''t mean, the legendary cat of good luck, Maneki-Neko? That black hair, did you come from the Far East?"


    It''s also a game thing when the NPCs mention your character''s own trait on the certain plot points.


    "Something like that yeah, but I believe my home country was a bit further from here, so I''m not sure if the legends match."


    "...there is no other country than our glorious Sunlight Empire! Hahaha, my fellow countryman. You should be proud of our country. After all, in the Far East, we''re the absolute superpower, the--"


    "[Go to]."


    I teleported to the Item Shop again.


    ...


    [You have ended the Event Mode prematurely. As such, the Side-Quest ''Continuing Dori Eman''s Legacy'' won''t be generated.]


    [The affinity with Shopkeeper went down from forcibly interrupting the event. You no longer will get the reduced price from buying weapons and any further story events involving the Shopkeeper will be locked out.]


    Eh, fine by me.


    I don''t think I would get along with that kind of people in the first place. Just to make it clear, I don''t hate the nation. I just don''t get along with nationalists in general. I wouldn''t bother in politics at all. I never even voted once in my whole life.


    Just in case, I entered the Weapons and Armor shop again.


    "Glory be the Sunlight Empire!"


    "Yes, fellow countrymen, the Sunl--"


    "[Go to.]"


    ...and I entered it again.


    "Glory be--"


    "Now wait a minute there, young man¡ªare you trying to solicit me into learning your magic tricks here?"


    "Oh? [Go to.]"


    Sorry, old man, but I''m the kind of person who prefers running from my own troubles.


    In any case, I have about enough to buy at the weapons and armor shop for now.


    As Central Park''s just about a short walk, where all of the stores circled around it, let''s just relax and forget about all the foolery I''m committing.


    [Due to skipping the Event Mode this time, the hidden class ''Parlor Trick Magician'' will be locked out.]


    Oh fuck.


    ...well okay, it''s not like I''m interested in such things anyway, and I''m not a tsundere.

 Ch 2-4

    Ch 2-4


    To describe Central Park, like in a lot of Fantasy stories, it was landmarked by a large fountain; a marble statue of the said legendary hero in its center. Kinda surreal how water seems to bleed from his orifices.


    Anyway, I checked and no coins underwater. If this was a wishing well, I might throw one just to check.


    Should I just throw a coin? Wait a sec...


    There''s a lot of people around. With the stalls circling around the park; lots of seatings in its vicinity. Not to mention, all of the convenient stores were also nearby.


    There I saw the same little girl who asked me for a candy. She seemed to be carrying around a list and was about to walk into the Item Shop before she turned and ran towards me.


    "Ah, mister lolicon. Do you have candy with you?" this loli let a slight smile, but at the same time, she shamelessly put both her palms forward, as if it''s natural to give her stuff.


    "My name''s not lolicon and no I don''t have candy. I do have some durian gelatin with me though, wanna share half-half?"


    "Un." the loli nodded again, tiptoeing closer while lowering her head¡ªdid she want me to pat her head?


    "I''m just making sure but, you want me to pat you? Does that break any rules? I won''t get arrested?"


    I couldn''t help but be paranoid considering lolis were like the incriminating object of a crime scene. Even with only a trace of your fingertips somewhere, it would be a hard evidence.


    Though in return, what I got was few taps from the shoulder. Should be okay if she''s the one touching me, right? Her expression softened as she looked at me with traces of pity.


    "It''s okay. I already kissed older girls before when I asked for candy. For the guys, I let them pat my head."


    So she prefers girls?


    Now that''s interesting. Although I don''t want to be treated like a creepy pervert in front of her so I just feigned nonchalance.


    "In the...cheek?" I almost blurt out the ''lips'' thing.


    The loli put up a smug expression. She''s not cute at all, I repeat¡ªnot cute at all.


    "Do you really want to know, mister? You look like a virgin so you probably wouldn''t know..."


    What are you trying to imply?


    I just exhaled for a bit and let myself cool down before replying.


    "Well it''s okay, I had given up on it."


    "Please don''t give up. You can still stay a virgin until 96 years old..."


    "Hey that''s extremely rude...wait a minute, this snarky way of talking...aren''t you that..."


    I couldn''t really put my finger with her voice since all lolis sound similar to me. Did she also just stood there pretending to be a loli NPC, back then? I just talked to many people when I first arrived¡ªtotally didn''t notice her distinct features since I was busy moving around and not actually looking up close.


    The loli placed her finger against her lips, making a child-like gesture that seems rather off.


    "Shhh! Be quiet, Takeshi. Sometimes I felt like having fun down there you know?"


    ...


    The loli was similar to what I imagined when I first saw her voice. Jet-black hair reaching her waist, with pale skin and delicate features like glass. Although, her expression didn''t seem to shift much and her tone of voice was lacking in emotional capacity and child-like antics. Still didn''t change her ethereal charm, as she jumped straight out from a fairy tale, or Yuri manga¡ªnow that I had a closer look.


    Although the deadpan trait made her words seem more intense that way, to the point it was a bit creepy, not that it''s a bad thing since she''s a Yuri loli.


    She wore a similar cloth to the kids I saw walking this morning. A leather jacket with a loose shirt inside and baggy pants made out of animal skin. It''s kinda surprising there are not many girls in this town wearing skirts¡ªnot even the adults. She carried a backpack; various kinds of smells could be seen wafting outta it. On her hands, she held a list with tick marks on it and a pen on the other.


    The seating in this park consists of a wooden table sandwiched by two, long, wooden chairs. The table was made out of glossy wood and the entire park was clean. No sign of homeless people either.


    Sitting beside each other, we might look like brother and sister due to our black hair. Although, the people with the same hair color weren''t that few.


    "What''s your intention of coming here? You wouldn''t go so far just to ask for food."


    I took the durian gelatin from my inventory through the backpack. It''s glossy light-green texture, its elegant cylindrical shape in full view, along with the signature smell¡ªall served eco-friendly in a paper plate. I divided the gelatin with a fork, nudging one part to her side. I kinda took the larger part though.


    "Hitting two birds with one stone, that''s all," she replied shortly, without turning her face.


    She took her fork from her own bag, all wrapped in tissue; she ended up nomming the entire larger part with one chomp. When she chewed on the gelatin, her cheeks swelled a bit, which made her look like a cute little animal and her expression brightened up, although it was so adorable how it stayed deadpan most of time.


    "The smell didn''t bother you? Most people in my old world couldn''t stand it."


    This loli just showed me her palm without turning her face and it took her a good amount of munching before she began to talk:


    "I don''t mind¡ªthis is pretty dope."


    Without any reservations, this Yuri loli also forked the other part...


    "Hey, that''s my portion."


    "You can just order another one. You''re going back there, right?"


    "Ehh...how can you be this shameless? You just eat my food and you''re going back without giving me anything in return?"


    Right, when I believe there''s no one more shameless--this loli beat me at my own game.


    "Well, a lolicon''s happiness is enjoying their loli...having fun¡ªthat''s what I''d like to say, but I''m not that young. Let''s just go on with this..."


    Hold on, did she just revealed she''s a loli baba? I wonder what''s her true identity.


    With a flick of her finger, a Quest window popped up; just like before, the time froze in place.


    [Hidden Quest ¨C Advertise the Gelatin ¨C Completed!]


    [You have successfully advertised the unpopular menu which was actually the Pops'' pride and joy!


    You have increased the Affinity with the Pops. As the owner of a popular establishment, his wide variety of connections may greatly help you.]


    She was able to keep moving regardless of the time stop. Which meant, she was not an NPC. Could she be a player¡ªprobably not...


    "Hey, what do you mean about two birds in one stone? Why do you ignore all my questions earlier instead of telling me the important things?"


    The loli simply said this to me:


    "It''s not convenient to know too much from the get-go, besides, what you''re asking is not as important to experience the world with your own judgment.


    Most of all, I''m just lazy. If I kept answering your questions, there wouldn''t be any end of it."


    I know that feel a bit.


    "If that''s the case, why do you also lock the help feature when I wanted to know some important things, like the God--"


    She immediately turned her back quickly and raised her palm again.


    "Whoa there, champ. Hold off¡ªhow should I put it?" she began using her other hand to rub her hair for a while, "Alright, give me time to think. If you''re still being obstinate, I''ll abandon you for real."


    Since she took that long, I confirmed the menu and brought some chicken skewer. Its meat was drenched in aromatic BBQ sauce and judging from its crisp and thickness, it''s a beef maybe?


    "Want one?"


    I brought three skewers and I handed her one, while I immediately chewed the other two at the same time.


    "I''m not a glut...oh thanks."


    Not going to comment on my eating manner? Okay then?


    This loli, however, exited her stupor and simply tilted her head before letting out her monotone voice.


    "That''s not cute. No matter what you eat, you''re not cute."


    "Well I''m a guy, what do you expect?"


    Her next words, however, baffled me.


    "Hey, Takeshi. Do you want to try being a girl for once? If so, I might offer you some favorable tips. A legal loli character suits you pretty well, I''d say."


    "No thanks."


    I gave her an immediate reply.


    Honestly, I prefer those with big breasts. At least I could fondle myself to satisfy my needs.


    "Why? It''s not wrong if you want to be a cute girl. What''s holding you back? I prefer giving hints to fluffy girls rather than some plain guy like you."


    Even if you''re a Yuri girl, this treatment''s kinda too much.


    "Nah, I don''t feel it''d be comfortable. If I''m a girl there''s a risk I''d just be fucked by some random guy at some point. It''s not like I can have kids if me and my partner are girls..."


    "...while it''s true both girls can''t have babies naturally, there''s a way to do so. If you want the best of both worlds, you can also try becoming a futanari. Even if you''re a girl there''s also a way to turn it on and off."


    Just how much bias this world have toward girls?


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "I prefer being the plain old me, no thanks¡ªand how the hell does that anything have to do with my current adventure?"


    "It''s all up to you to think of its importance. I''m not responsible to help if your circumstances don''t interest me. Well, just notify me if you changed your mind. It would just be a quick process--no pain and you can keep your small penis if you like. It''ll look better as a girl."


    The last sentence was really...how should I put it? Not only she was shameless, but she''s also the most perverted person I''ve ever met.


    She faded into thin air, before leaving me with this message.


    [Remember, this is just a game. No fun reading a guide all the time. You gotta explore it yourself and have fun.]


    Even if the idea didn''t seem that bad, experiencing what it''s like to be the other sex¡ªit made me seem like I was just going with this loli''s whims and I really don''t like it.


    I''m not a tsundere, really.


    ...


    Since it''s near lunchtime when I checked the menu clock, I went straight back to the Inn.


    It was true what the loli said, the Pops gave me a warm gaze when our eyes met¡ªand it''s not in a homoerotic way.


    Plus, there''s a lot of Adventurers eating the said gelatin¡ªit''s almost surreal.


    "Ah, you''re finally back. I don''t know what you did, but to think people had opened their eyes to the glory that is Durian. I recently made a variant that doesn''t smell, try it."


    The gelatin had a thick and creamy texture, with sour and sweet taste. He also added a topping of vanilla ice cream to it. I gave the Pops two thumbs up.


    As thanks for advertising his masterpiece Durian Gelatin, the lunch is on the house. I didn''t really do anything though¡ªit''s all the loli''s doing¡ªbut since the Pops offered me free lunch, who am I to refuse? Hahaha.


    The main course itself was fried rice with sliced vegetables like cucumber, carrot and a side of tomatoes. The meat seems to be pork fillet and french crinkle-cut fries and a few fried onions mixed in. I dipped soy sauce across the meal and mixed it all together with spoon and fork before inhaling the scent slowly, savoring its tantalizing scent.


    The Pops also threw me a bowl of white noodle with various mouth-watering smell assaulting my nostrils. It had crunchy vegetables and soft-chewy looking tube thing¡ªwas it Chikuwa? Soft meatballs, green vegetables, a bit of garlic flavor but mostly enervating fresh. It''s the appetizer I think.


    The Pops also top up a fruit juice and the pudding with royal chocolate topping and rum raisin.


    Like I wouldn''t be full with the delicacies, he brought me a basket filled with various bread. He recommended me to just eat it right before I normally would savor the dessert. There''s a long one like french bread, slices of pizza, chocolate, and cheese, the one with beef floss and there''s also a large round bread whose size were many times my palm.


    For the dessert, there''s also an additional menu that''s not available for take-out like White Chocolate Waffle, Torte Cake, Muffins and most importantly¡ªPancakes!


    Ugh...


    Hopefully, Diabetes can be cured via healing magic. I wasn''t that kind of person who gets fat from eating too much though, so that''s probably my only redeeming feature.


    Time to dig in.


    I just realize the meals in this establishment were kinda heavy.


    When I asked the pops about it, he was like:


    "Filling your belly with the most satisfying meal is the best after a hard day''s adventure. I used to be an Adventurer like you before I put the retirement paper to the Guild."


    Come to think of it, this relaxed atmosphere didn''t seem fitting for the people who''re about to go on Adventures, but the ones returning.


    Right, when I was about to review the food in detail¡ªstarting from the noodles, Fiona and Liese''s just returned with lots of shopping bags.


    Where are their weapons and armor? Oh, probably took them for maintenance along the way.


    Horace and Jung also had their weapons as they went off ahead before¡ªprobably for some training. Was the Colosseum Event a group battle?


    More importantly...


    "That was quick for a date."


    Ah, I let my Yuri fantasies run wild again.


    The clothes they looked completely different though. Those shirts and clothes¡ªI thought I was going back to Earth when I saw their casual attire. So they sold those stuff too? I didn''t see them when I visited the Item Shop¡ªmaybe they brought it someplace else?


    Probably since I spaced out for a bit, Liese let out a playful frown at me.


    "Oi! It''s merely a euphemism though.", she nudged her elbows at Fiona while making sure our eyes didn''t meet. "Well, it''s just girls'' friendship thing. Right, Fiona?"


    Although she probably didn''t realize her elbow fondled against Fiona''s milk jugs.


    "Hehehe...Liese''s pretty good at choosing bargain products...I wuv her...hehehe...."


    Fiona''s move made it even more obvious as she just embraced Liese in the Inn lobby, but the other Adventurers didn''t seem to care, again.


    "C-come on, don''t be so clingy in the public, people might misunderstand."


    "Go get a room."


    I replied in a monotone voice, I think the pervert loli''s a bad influence.


    Ah, I''m starting to get jealous. Do I really have to ask that lewd loli to turn me into a girl, so I can sandwich myself between the two?


    "...but we''re already in the same room¡ªah." Fiona covered her mouth with both hands.


    "That''s why people misunderstand us! It''s normal for female adventurers to share a room!"


    "..and...how many of them would rock the bed at night?" I couldn''t help but grin as I try muttering them nonchalantly.


    "In our case at least few¡ªhey, that was really sneaky, Takeshi¡ªyou damn virgin!" Liese was about to lash out at me before she finally notices, when she glanced at my table, "Wow, that''s loads of food¡ªyou''d be treating us honey pie''s, rite?"


    Liese made the smug expression while cracking her fists like a delinquent about to ask someone for lunch money.


    "So jealous, I want some grub too...I haven''t eaten much since this morning...uuu.."


    As for Fiona, she looked like an abandoned kitten who hadn''t had any, yet from the breadcrumbs at her mouth¡ªI thought she''s the real glutton here.


    Maybe at that time when we ate dinner by the camp, she didn''t eat much because of her lack of money, she rationed her meals? I don''t know really.


    Just when I was about to have a dilemma whether or not to treat them, the Pops said to me.


    "it''s on the house, I''m glad Takeshi had some lovely friends."


    I''m not going to describe in detail about how the food taste again, at this point you might be sick of it.


    All I could tell, since there''s so much food portion at my side, Fiona and Liese just ordered the main course and the noodle. For the rest, we divided the portions evenly.


    I just realized they''re such good person, when they just ate their own respective portion, unlike that loli.


    Well, I made my portion bit smaller, otherwise, I''d be full as hell. Before that, I already ate the skewers and durian gelatin, you know.


    It all thanks to Fiona and her own good-nature--she could gobble up all the leftovers so Pops wouldn''t get angry.


    ...


    The thing they brought before was the food supplies and stuff when we''re about to endlessly grind until I was level 15¡ªor until 5 days passed. Where did they get the money to buy stuff though¡ªwell, none of my business?


    They had a bit of difficulty lugging all those to the second floor, while I just waited downwards and chugging some good ol'' beer, also on the house.


    Do we really need that much food though? I had a feeling it''d be some wasted expense, but hell¡ªit''s not my own money they spend so who cares.


    For the preparations, we just talked with the Pops and he would arrange for us a carriage with a trustworthy driver. Right after Liese and Fiona''s equipment maintenance was over, the driver could depart at any moment.


    "If you have anything you want to do, best settle it now. Even if the driver is patient, he won''t wait that long." Pops laughed heartily as he said so.


    "...hotel?"


    Fiona started whispering in a soft voice to Liese but I could clearly hear it.


    "Perv." Liese let out a meaningful smile before they went back to the second floor.


    It took a good amount of sip and yet another mug of that sweet ol'' beer when hurried footsteps from the second floor resounded.


    Did they go with the bags commonly used by office ladies? I really don''t know what kind of fashion sense they''re aiming at here, but sometimes I kinda forgot this is really another world.


    The stupid couple locked arms and merrily hummed a tune as they exited the Inn.


    "Their luggage is still here, let''s just leave the youngsters be." the Pops made a different gaze of warmth as if sending her daughters into marriage.


    "Well, I''m still young, you know. I''m also a healthy young man, so I was wondering if you can tell me a bit, concerning the...Purification House."


    "Oh..." Pops'' eyes turned really sharp all of sudden, "I see you''re a man of culture as well."

 Ch 2-5

    Ch 2-5


    "I see you''re a man of culture as well."


    I sat in front of the Pops, as his storyteller-like baritone voice echoed throughout the Inn.


    The beer I chugged had a sweet cola-like flavor; the smell of fermented grape went along with it.


    "What can you tell me?"


    There were few chugs left for the beer and I didn''t want to ask for a refill. Drinking two glass already made me sleepy; the heat from drinking alcohol kicked in after the first one.


    Unlike the spirits in my old world, causing sores on my stomach and stinging pain on my fingers, this one brought about warmth to my entire body.


    "You''re quite the lightweight aren''t you? Newcomers usually misunderstand that place as ordinary whorehouse but it''s not. You best come here while sober, young man."


    "...and why is that?"


    "It''s not only about the needs on your lower half but most importantly, the one right here." the Pops pointed out to his muscular chest.


    I get what he''s talking about...


    "I don''t think you have any boobs."


    Wait, I totally didn''t mean to say that.


    "You''re drunk, young man. Better get going later, the house would not go anywhere." the Pops shrugged his shoulders, "If you''re heading on to Cave of Trials, there should be a brothel tent. Their services and women may not be as good, but you can get better deals. It''s a pity if you got your favorite girl, you must prepare a good sum to ''buy'' her, lest she would go far far away."


    He closed his eyes while turning his face away. He already wiped off that wine glass for a good while now¡ªwho''re you fooling?


    I might be feeling a bit sleepy, but my mind''s still clear.


    "Forgive me if I''m rude--why do you know so much about these things?"


    The fact that nobody outside ever gives a damn about my conversation, also made this world seem pretty off. If this was more realistic, the other Adventurers would laugh and chime in their own two cents.


    Although, it''s good it made things quiet, with the murmurs of talking only consisting of unrecognizable gibberish.


    While I was pondering about, waiting for him to continue, Pops jolted me awake with his remark.


    "I am a lonely adventurer. You see¡ªI''ve never been a permanent member of any party. No luck with women either; I''m far too serious on adventurin'' to marry me some good ol'' missy. "


    I got where he came from. I was the same way, although I wasn''t serious about my career at all.


    "What''s so good about adventuring? They''re dangerous and you may lose your life¡ªoops..."


    "That''s a healthy way of thinking to have. I guess, I was just in for the thrill...and many other reasons," Pops paused for a bit, his face looking up to the ceiling before giving me a straight gaze¡ªit was quite sharp it made me flinch.


    "In your case, why do you want to Adventure, young man? I apologize if I may seem rude but¡ªyou didn''t seem to be that strong."


    I simply told him that I want to join the party so it would be easier for me to survive and make money.


    "It''s kind of hard if you''re already this weak at your age, but I trust you know what you''re doing and how to do it. Are five days really enough for that?"


    "I know what to do of course. I don''t want to keep myself waiting for long¡ªI might be back before you started to miss me."


    "Hahaha...go to your room, boy. You''re way too drunk for this. Remember I won''t talk to you anymore before you sobered up."


    The conversation was supposed to end since when I talked to him again, he kept repeating the same lines no matter what.


    I guess this was still a game world.


    Now that I remember it, didn''t I pick up something along the way, when I first arrived?


    I checked my inventory via the System. There was one herb object¡ªI forgot where I got them. I just randomly strolled around and pick all the stuff I could get my hands on.


    [Aurora Pickle]


    Cures drunken stupor. Awful to taste but it''s effective.


    ...


    Let''s just use it directly via the System.


    The moment I used it on myself, there''s a faint light enveloping me and my sleepiness and the heated feeling were all gone. Like all that drunken stupor wasn''t present in the first place. It''s similar to having a lucid dream about getting drunk and finally waking up.


    "Okay Pops, concerning the House--will it be on the house?"


    ...


    Many hours back.


    Not far from the Monkey Island Cymbals was a certain restaurant serving exotic cuisines. For celebrating Fiona''s acquittal from the Holy Order, the party ordered a good amount of dish.


    The Rogue of the party, who earned the most through his dismantling skills, was also the treasurer. The reason being, nobody gave that much damn about keeping the money; not even the treasurer himself¡ªalthough he''s the best at keeping books and remembering their expenses, except his own.


    They just want to spend whenever there''s something of desire. With their success as a popular C-rank party, a leeway to spend were always present. Nevertheless, it left them with little-to-no jink at the end of the day.


    That was before a crucial party member entered the fray¡ªFiona.


    Actually, the treasurer, Felix, wasn''t the one at fault for said embezzlement. He earned most of them through his services and normally, he had the right to spend as much money as he wants.


    It''d be a lot easier to explain to Takeshi the incorrect truth and they weren''t exactly the one to care about painstaking details.


    In any case, Felix set aside just enough money the party members need, to ''acquire'' Fiona right by the break of dawn. The Holy Order HQ would be crowded if they went late; it''d be an awkward parting.


    ''What kind of reason was that?''


    Felix was quite flabbergasted and didn''t see the reason why he should partake in monkey business.


    He had something better to do, such as acquiring the newly released doujin of Iris x Paula pairing, as well the limited edition figure of magical Iris. The figure also came with the extra thick book concerning the Demon King''s lesson about economics.


    Although the Demon King in here was portrayed as a charming middle-aged woman with a voluptuous body and tantalizing milk jugs, it wasn''t Felix''s strike zone.


    Felix didn''t really care about that thick book, but the attack power was pretty awesome when he appraised it. The book also includes tons of lewd illustrations, for example, the Demon King doing some ''questionable'' teasing on her own daughter, which caused Felix''s heart to race a bit.


    The book depicting the Iris in the book as of Legal age, because Demons aged differently. Yet, it''s probably just a ploy to legalize softcore lolicon. Felix himself once wanted to be a loli catgirl, but puberty only hit halfway right.


    He also checked all the awesome stuff, such as the Yuri harem light novel, his favorite cute girls doing cute things manga and also the newest publication of the Yuri Elf series.


    ''Come to think of it, I did meet an actual Yuri Elf but the one she confessed was me. Did she think I''m a girl? Well, I was kinda short and thin for a beastkin my age. Maybe she''s actually a bi?''


    Felix was 20 years old this year, by the way.


    Flipping through various samples, he also spent a good moment of time chatting with his fellow otaku. In total, some good few hours had passed.


    Since the Anime shop opened quite early and it wasn''t as crowded, Felix was free to read as many samples of his perverted books and let his large penis got pretty hard and wet, while he''s at it. Although his twitching ears and tails were even more apparent. Don''t forget, he''s a cat beastkin.


    Not knowing, deep down, there''s a cute girl who''s rubbing herself to his excited faces, along with ear and tail motions. Got it all recorded secretly¡ªsuch incriminating crime.


    The victim himself had his guard completely down due it being his beloved anime shop.


    ''Got a new weapon, my delicious Yuri and loli! Yes! My hobby is expensive, so I have to work hard on my adventures.''


    If Felix heard about how much easier for Takeshi to earn money, he might cry tears of blood right now.


    Though, who cares about that four-eyes?


    This wayward androgynous rouge was trotting around the city while humming anime songs; getting curious glances from both the girls and boys, mostly girls.


    He wants to go back to his room on Monkey Island Cymbals, go change to a rather slutty girlish outfit and whack off.


    While he was just on the way, his smartphone rang.


    Like most beastkins, he also had human ears. They had two sets of ears so their hearing was sharper.


    Doesn''t mean they''re better listeners, to say the least.


    "Moshi mosh--"


    He answered in a daze while still in otaku mode, paying no heed to the other party.


    "Where the hell are you? Go on to the XX restaurant¡ªpronto. We''re in a pinch here!"


    Liese was shouting on top of her lungs; Felix distanced his phone apart from his ears, afraid his eardrums would rupture.


    The passerby also heard the yells, which caused his face to become even more flushed.


    "His girlfriend?" a young man spoke.


    "Do you mean, HER girlfriend?" at this word, Felix encountered his kind¡ªit was a Yuri fangirl beside the young man.


    There''s also various whispers and comments which made this trap beastkin lower his face and paced forward quickly. It made his act even more apparent, however.


    "R-roger that!" he gave a quick reply before immediately ending the call and put it on silent mode.


    ...before he would die from embarrassment from the girls and boys teasing him on the street, he swiftly sprinted towards the restaurant. A lot of passersby stared at him with adoration, about how cute he was; not caring about his actual gender.


    He wasn''t the party''s rogue for nothing; not long after the call, he entered the said place with bated breath. With his experience as a rogue, or more due to the fact, there were no other customers, he quickly skipped over to where his companions sat together.


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    His gaze immediately landed on a new face; a lousy-equipped paladin girl with oversized boobs. Felix already felt distaste upon seeing this girl¡ªas her features didn''t meet his fetish.


    ''Her face''s really cute though, she almost seems child-like.''


    Right as Felix''s gaze shifted a bit, he felt a sharp glare coming from Liese.


    ''I see...so they''re already couples. I will root for them.''


    Most of the plates were also in the boob paladin''s side, but before Felix could form this conclusion...


    Before Liese''s words cut him off again.


    "Well, just in time¡ªFelix, please help us there...we''re kinda strapped for cash."


    Liese and the others, including the paladin girl frantically rose from their seat at a synchronized motion.


    "Hey, wait¡ªwhat do you--"


    Maybe it was just his intuition but, their sprint, which took only a blink before they vanished outside the restaurant¡ªwas something beyond his expectations.


    ''Did people move this fast when avoiding responsibilities?''


    Normally, others would curse their party members for being such a shameless bastard.


    Sacrificing him like this¡ªto him¡ªit''s alright.


    ''I''ve been through much worse.''


    During his first party assignment, he was sent out front to become a bait, so he''d get raped by the MALE goblins. Without him knowing beforehand, and while the goblins did their fun, the Party leader would sneak in and shove morning stars inside their butt.


    The plan failed since the ones attracted were female goblins and they ended up shoving morning stars into the party leader''s butt¡ªhe died with a gaping anal cavity.


    The second time, when he became a bait for the tentacle monster, and he''s in some all-male party. He ended up becoming the sole survivor since apparently, the tentacle monster only targets MALES¡ªand he didn''t seem to be counted in.


    For the other members, they did survive, with hemorrhoids.


    The third time, he joined an all-girls party, and it took an extremely hard effort to protect his chastity from being violated.


    ...but it''s more because the party leader wanted to forcibly install a vagina to make him at least a futanari. Don''t ask how it works, it''s probably Isekai-level magic tech.


    As for how it ends up, you don''t wanna know.


    He was so traumatized by this last event, he didn''t want to party for a while¡ªalas, his passion for Anime forced him to stand up again.


    He wouldn''t lose hope, as long he had Anime on his side.


    His hopes finally bore fruit. At least, his current party didn''t have interest in him sexually.


    Horace only loves his trinkets. Jung didn''t seem to have any interest in perverted things. Liese only likes GENUINE girls.


    As for Fiona? Felix let out a sigh of relief since the paladin seems pretty lovey-dovey with Liese, even if he only had a short time to analyze.


    ''Being a Yuri lover has its merit.'' he puffed his small chest proudly.


    "...hey."


    Right when he was lost in thought for a long time, in this somewhat empty restaurant, an ominous voice called to him from behind.


    ...


    After getting a good amount of information from the Pops, I spent a bit of time reading stuff in the Library. Since this was a game, I reckon the library gave out summaries of useful information just from me touching the bookshelf.


    For some reason, I couldn''t take off the books from the shelf though.


    When I searched via the internet, the number of terms I could search, along with the results, was limited. No text box, only choice boxes. The sites contain only short descriptions; not a lot of information listed in.


    At least there''s still the images.


    In the app stores too, the downloadable apps were few in number.


    Maybe I could unlock more when I went further into the story. Though my guess¡ªhow? Would more features unlock as the day passes?


    I couldn''t just lollygag forever in here.


    Even though the loli was like ''Que sera sera'', she also told me to make ''best use of my time''.


    Which was it? Kinda confusing really.


    I only spent some good half an hour or so from touching the books in this small library. The exterior was large, but the interior was so small. It kinda broke the immersion in this world a bit.


    Couldn''t be helped I guess, after all, this world was game-like. Every good thing came together with shortcomings.


    It took about one and half hour to teleport straight to the [Purification House]. Normally you''d like to hire a carriage here, but since it only opens in the evening and the time''s about enough...


    "{Go to]."


    ...


    ''Is this really the place?''


    That''s what I thought when I first set foot. The ceilings were high and majestic, with ornate, religiously-styled decorations everywhere in sight. Although, the interior was akin to a hotel, with few counters manned by a beautiful receptionist wearing white dresses.


    The color scheme of this place was mostly white, with hues and textures complementing it.


    People in here, men and women, were dressed well. There''s also a really cute beastkin girl in gothic lolita outfit, with cat ears and tail, plus brown hair in twintails. She also had heterochromia eyes; green and blue. The mix of colors made staring at her so relaxing.


    She immediately turned her face away while making a cat-like purr¡ªso cute.


    Her chest was kinda flat but her slender yet firm body and long legs made up for it. When my eyes gazed at her stockings, she reflexively pulled her skirt to cover something.


    Hmm...what was she doing? Her black frilly dress kinda stood out from people in here who donned formal wears mostly.


    Even if she wore the usual dress, she''d stand out with such adorable mannerisms, not to mention, she''s such a looker.


    When I tried talking to her, she immediately brushed me away.


    "I''m not interested in guys! Go away!"


    "Are you looking out for another girl?"


    "...I''m actually a guy."


    "Err...what?"


    "Don''t make me repeat myself--I. AM. A. GUY!"


    Hold up.


    I was about to rub my forehead a bit, due to this sudden development.


    "Your woman will be there shortly, Felicia. Thanks for your cooperation¡ªI''ll handle this man."


    It was a gentle and flirtatious voice of a girl, with a somewhat deep tone. It came from a silver-haired woman with a curvy figure-eight body, wearing a glamorous dress.


    With a wave of her hand, the beastkin goth loli walked away while sighing in relief.


    "Well then, Takeshi. I know what you came here for. Shall we get a room?"


    Wait a second there.


    "Who are you talking about? Did you perhaps got the wrong person?"


    Immediately cold sweat started pouring since my [Godslayer] ability didn''t activate at all.


    "Isn''t that your name? Or at least, the name we all know. No need to lie, I already know what''s on your mind¡ªand how you want to lewd me so bad."


    Well, she indeed has a perverted body, but...I could only stay silent and act like a beta male since actually, I wasn''t used to this kind of stimulation.


    "You''re a man, right? Do not be reserved." she immediately wrapped her body on my arm, her large chest rubbing against it, along with the soft textures of her dress. Her amorous voice made me drift away into a dreamland, "You can be as wild as you like...you''re pent up, right?"


    I felt something pop from my pants and the vivid imagery of me stripping her naked, leading me to do all sorts of naughty things.


    It''s really convenient no one seems to give a damn at all, although it didn''t give me much of advantage either.


    ''Help...System...''


    I couldn''t believe I stooped down to this level.


    [Do you want your first time to be a lesbian or futanari sex? Not that I mind.]


    ''No...''


    Although I lied, if I''m a girl, maybe I could be more confident since I read a lot of Yuri, still...


    [Then stop wasting my time and just enjoy it. I already have my tissues ready, after all, even though the regular men-women show isn''t my fetish.]


    ''Why can''t you just leave me alone?''


    [I''m doing my job here. If I let my eyes off for a bit, who knows how much she''ll go overboard with. Be grateful I''m here.]


    ''Ugh...''


    So in the end, I have to rely on the powers of a ''higher being'' to survive, eh...


    I felt so pathetic when I locked arms with such a pretty girl and acting like this. My heartbeat quick started even more, when she led me towards the elevator, punching on the penthouse suite button.


    There''s only two of us in the elevator, and the sense of chill and anxiety welled up within me.


    I never felt like this before. Why did such a beauty immediately go in for me? I wasn''t anything special.


    "Takeshi."


    I was just a worthless, plain guy undeserving of love at all. When a goddess went for me, there''s gotta be some ulterior motive.


    "I know you''re hurt, but please bear with me."


    The girl immediately wrapped her hands around my back, her chest pressing against mine. I could clearly feel her heartbeat, the warmth of her skin and the soft, jiggling texture; it''s beating like crazy; even more intense than my own.


    "Why?"


    "Why not?"


    With my body against the wall, she pushed her palm against it, before leaning to me closer, and...pressed her lips on mine.


    My mind went blank for a second there.


    At the same moment, the elevator opened wide, revealing a paradise only experienced personally by those in uppermost social caste.


    When she led me in, there was no other soul present. Just a timid, plain-looking man, and a voluptuous beauty about to strip her clothes at any moment.


    "You don''t need to ask for a reason. You don''t need to think about anything. Just entrust everything to me and let''s experience the most pleasure we can."


    I could only gulp.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be gentle...just be yourself." she immediately followed.


    That was the moment, my pride as a man had shattered.


    That''s also when I started to experience a new kind of pleasure in its place.

 Ch 2-6

    Ch 2-6


    The penthouse suite.


    With the only exit via the elevator, this room took up an entire floor. Different from the white colors of the lobby, this one was dyed in relaxing light-brown curtains.


    Magic lamps brightly illuminate the entire room. A buffet table with luxurious cuisines lined up and two food elevators for new and already eaten ones.


    A large sofa made of animal skin, in front was a coffee table with few magazines stacked. The large Plasma TV was turned off.


    The room was mostly enveloped in curtains. When I uncovered a part of it, I could see the entire dock''s district from over here. Modern, fueled-powered ships all anchored, people exiting the ship and unloading cargo. Looking above, the sun was about to set below the horizon, dyeing the entire scenery in a tint of tangerine.


    The floors were covered in carpets; we walked barefoot, in comfort of our soles rubbing against it.


    All of the things described was a part of the living space. There was another room in which this woman dragged me into.


    A dimly lit space with a king-sized bed and the scent of flowers which made all muscles in my body to relax. There''s also the entrance to the bath.


    "Y-you wanna do it here? What if others snooped in midway?"


    It''d be really awkward.


    "No worries, my dearie." the lewd silver-haired woman played around with her hair and blew me a kiss, before approaching closer and placed her hands on my waist, whispering gently to my ear, "Only two of us will be here."


    She was different from the usual NPCs so far; having a similar air to that lewd loli.


    "Well...how should I put it¡ªthis was kinda too early, don''t you think? We barely knew each other, after all¡ªugh..."


    Before I could finish my words, she already pushed me atop the king-sized bed. The pillow was really soft.


    "This is why you''re always a virgin. When a girl wants to make love, it doesn''t mean they always want to marry or make babies with you."


    "How do you know I''m a virgin? I may have accidentally fucked something years before."


    "You gave that kind of scent."


    With her crawling on the bed towards me, her cleavage was in full view; my eyes couldn''t help wandering around. Her position still crawling upright, but she slowly lowered her weight until her large breasts were pressed against my torso.


    Her head rested against my shoulders, she stared at me close, face flushing red and she blew a breezy air on my face a few times.


    I could feel the texture of her hair and clothes sliding atop my flesh, along with her body warmth slowly assimilating. It was hot; burning up all over. Especially on my crotch, when she slowly ground her knees against it.


    Like a girl, I let out a moan. From the heat, I also found my glasses getting all foggy, I no longer could describe what kind of face she''s putting.


    "You''re so cute, Takeshi. Much more than you give credit for. There...there, are you getting excited? Want me to relieve you soon? You just have to ask."


    She was barefoot and the pleasure given by her soft, slender legs truly made me want to let it all out.


    "I don''t want you to come yet. Please be a good boy and hold it in. Big sister will reward you, she''ll even swallow it all."


    What''s this sense of gentleness? From the first time I came to this world, no girls were genuinely this gentle. Was there an ulterior motive to this?


    While I was feeling all comfy from her fondling, I felt her quick tug. My lower clothing were all stripped away, revealing my average sized rod that''s twitching. It''s head all shiny from all the dripping precum.


    The cool wind from the air conditioner made my penis even harder.


    "No need to think about all the sad things, just feel my fingers more. It''s wrapping around your cock now."


    With one hand around my shaft, she stroked my shaft at a steady pace and rubbing the tip of my penis; its foreskin already cut long ago.


    "Ahh...it''s throbbing so hard and wet. Wanna cum all over me?"


    It was too unbelievable for me to utter a single word. I''m not like the main character in a hentai manga, where he could just retort every time his partner teased him.


    Her face''s so close and making it hard to look directly at her, even more, when she rubbed my cock without any signs of disgust¡ªshe''s even enjoying it so much.


    With her other hand on my cheeks, she brought her face closer to me again. This time, she assaulted my tongue with hers, while her hot lips pecked me like it''s on addiction.


    "Mhh...lick...lick."


    With her saliva pouring into me and her amorous scent enveloping me for a prolonged time, I felt my body tightening up even more.


    Picking up her stroking pace, my penis felt wetter and it seems like it''s about to burst.


    "Ugh!"


    I felt a jolt of pain when she gripped hard on my twitching rod. My white milk managed to spurt a little, in which she dipped her fingers into it and licked it with such a hungry expression. Her free hand soon were drenched in her own saliva.


    Her lust-filled look immediately made the gush of cum erupting, but again, she gripped it hard, making the throbbing even more intense and unbearable.


    "Not yet, cutie."


    She let go of my cock and stepped out the bed. In her standing position, she crossed her hands in front of her chest, right at her underboob. Her gesture made the shape of such curves apparent, with her white dress, also with racy white corset she''s wearing underneath.


    "You can cum all over me." she made a naughty smile and pressing her chest together, yet before I could touch my penis, she continued: "If you wait longer, the reward''s gonna be so good...once you enjoy a man''s pleasure, you''ll grow addicted to it."


    Undoing the single hook on her shoulders, the dress came down all at once, revealing the white lingerie.


    Her panties were really soaked, the wetness formed a clear outline of her bulging vagina.


    She urged me to go closer to the edge of the bed until my toes rested on the floor.


    Lowering the corset part covering her breasts, the twin peaks came in full view; her cherry pink mountaintops were covered with her slender fingers. She pinched her nipples and began to knead and fondle her own while moaning lewdly; her eyes closed.


    I tried my best to endure but I felt more and more of that precum dripping out, along with a numbing sensation on my crotch.


    "Good boy..."


    She knelt down the bed edge and rested her elbows, licking her lips as she brought my penis between her large breasts and licked my tip. With me nearing my edge, she began pumping my cock using her boobs. She swallowed my rod deeper, with the walls of her warm throat hitting against mine; her tongue practically molesting me.


    With her mouth tightening and the motions of her titfuck at its most intense, it made me to unconsciously put strength on my hands, rested against the bed.


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    "Haa!"


    Arching my body a bit, I released all my pent up cum into her mouth. There was continuous spurting which caused streams of euphoria to explode over and over, making me all dizzy. Yet, it''s simply because she continued to keep sucking and swallowing all my hot milk, she kept going until I finally panted for a good minute; the strength of my hands and legs giving away.


    Noticing I already had enough, her fellatio and titfuck slowed down gradually, letting me bask in the softness of her breasts and her mouth''s warmth. A long trail of precum formed as her lips parted against my shaft, which dripped down to her boobs. She also opened her mouth, showing all those creamy milk inside her throat; her lips curved upwards.


    My dick hurts from ejaculating too much, even if it got erect again from such erotic display. It''s a pity couldn''t even pay so much attention to the erotic faces she''s making, even though she''s so pretty.


    With her being this horny, she most likely goes straight to penetration. I wonder if she wanted my rod inside her?


    Her panties were now completely soaked. Making small puddles on the floor. She turned her face away, not able to look straight at me, upon noticing this.


    "I see you already come enough. It''s so delicious. For that one--can you wait until next time?"


    "Why?"


    Disappointment filled my head, looking at her, with that erotic lingerie and boobs all open, and she''s also enjoying my penis so much¡ªwhy would she just pull off like that?


    "You''re already spent up. It has nothing to do with you being a virgin at all. It''s just..if I get too horny, I''ll lose control. You don''t want to know what happens next."


    Now that''s kinda scary.


    The most important thing was her own pleasure. Wasn''t she pent up?


    "At least I can use my fingers."


    "My next client is a futanari. I can hold it off until that time. Don''t underestimate how intense I can get after I have my first orgasm."


    "Wait, there''s actually one of them?"


    Recently I heard them getting mentioned a few times. To think they really exist¡ªbut I wasn''t really sure until I saw it with my own eyes.


    Her next words shut my mind from the gutter.


    "More than you imagine. Most of them can hide their penis really well though, but that''s besides what I invited you here for."


    ...


    The woman urged me to take a shower. A good riddance for filth and muddled thoughts. There''s also the one in the guest room; she''d be taking that one.


    It was the other room, located in the corner. I hadn''t checked it out yet, but she said, it had a balcony with a nice view.


    "How about we have a bath together?"


    "Same reason as earlier."


    I sighed a few times before I finally stepped in, closed the door and began undressing.


    What was the purpose behind the Purification House, in the first place? This didn''t seem like a whorehouse at all.


    I started out by doing the usual things in the bath, such as jerking off for a while until my last deposit of lewdness went out. It''s a lot less pleasant without her hands, and especially her boobs.


    I relaxed in the water tub. The bath had warm wall-colors and dimly lit lamps, with wall paintings accentuating the overall atmosphere. The heat of the water seeped through my skin, letting me relax my entire muscles and especially my own psyche, that''s been riddled with anxiety.


    It seems I could sleep here if I want to.


    Though I guess, there''s a lot of things bothering my mind lately.


    I changed to my old clothes back in Earth after drying my body.


    The woman also changed to a casual t-shirt and short pants. I forgot again that this is another world.


    I went to the side of the sofa, she''s sitting on and just stood up, but she patted the sofa and I sat right beside her.


    She was watching the TV and there''s Magical Iris currently airing. The plasma television showed the scene of a blond little girl wielding a bat-head staff, battling various bad guys in the opening. The song was a more hard rock than the usual pop music. Judging by the loli voice, the VA for the girl itself sang it?


    The contrast was pretty interesting.


    "Do you like Anime?"


    While my attention fixated on the screen, the woman''s sudden voice threw me out the loop.


    "Kinda, yeah. Is it the Magical Iris everyone''s been talking about?"


    "As far as I know."


    Ah, the scene was brought up. The main character was the blond loli from the opening earlier, Iris. She went home with a loli elf in witch getup, which she called Paula, hand-in-hand. They''re also kinda clingy with one another, it''s like your usual cute girls doing cute things.


    "Do you like Yuri?"


    Maybe she just realized how intently I stared at the current scene...


    "It''s bad manners to ask them questions when they want to enjoy the show."


    The woman simply grinned, her expression changed into a really mischievous one.


    "It''s an important question. It might be..." she stopped for a bit, "...crucial, to whether you can go out of this alive or not."


    With the flick of her finger, I was assailed by an overwhelming pull force towards the TV screen.


    This woman! I should''ve known that a beautiful woman coming at me with sexual favors couldn''t be a good thing.


    I still couldn''t regret it, but maybe it would feel better if we''re both girls, or I''m a futanari. I don''t want the transformation to be permanent though.


    The next thing I knew. The scenery''s all changed to the scene I last watched earlier.


    The two lolis were right in front of me.


    "Dark Lord''s minions!" Paula yelled first, clinging tightly to Iris, whose face went all flustered.


    "H-h-how dare you to interrupt my precious date! You shall pay with certain death!"


    I braced for the notification.


    Yet, this time. The [Godslayer] didn''t activate again. When I tried to contact the System, it didn''t even respond¡ªjust like usual.


    Cold sweat started pouring down like crazy. To think my greatest predicament, was caused by a pair of Yuri lolis.


    She brandished her staff and began charging an energy beam that looks just like Kam*ham*ha.


    Before everything''s too late, I cleared my head and shouted with all my might:


    "Iris is a Yuri girl! She wants to marry Paula and get her pregnant!"


    It caused both lolis to flush so hard and Paula''s embrace to feel obviously lewd. While Iris'' concentration broke and...


    I don''t care about anything else besides the subtle skinship.


    Hiding in a secluded place, there''s a notification box popping out.


    [Secret Mission


    Survive


    Reward: you survived.]


    Seriously, how lazy can you be?


    This loli...I bet you''re behind this.


    Sigh...let''s just use my phone and find the channel for Magical Iris.

 Ch 2-7

    Ch 2-7


    Right after I caught a glimpse of Paula touching her lover, Iris, in a lewd way--I hightailed from the place.


    It was a neighborhood similar to Earth, the same blue skies, narrow pathways, concrete jungle, and tall, triangular roofs. The sky was blue with ever so nostalgic polluted air.


    ...although people in here didn''t give a single damn when I ran with tail between my legs. I took all the twists and turns before stopping on a random alley and steadied my breathing.


    A dark alleyway, created by the gaps between two housing blocks. Its tall brick walls obscuring the shadow cast by the glistening sun.


    Damn, I just notice, not only I''m weak, my physical condition was terrible. I didn''t run for long yet I felt my lungs were about to burst and my ribs hurt; I coughed and retched few times, spitting out the phlegm right at the Inventory I just opened.


    [Phlegm Collected!]


    [Phlegm Collected!]


    [Phlegm...]


    There was no time to experiment, as I felt impending danger--I had to push myself running so much in one go.


    I didn''t feel completely safe yet¡ªwhat kind of place would be appropriate?


    ''Gulp..''''


    With peculiar footsteps approaching this alley, I didn''t think much about stepping into the dark hollow in front of me.


    ...


    [Takeshi Obtained!]


    Of course, I kinda gambled a bit this time. It turns out, my hunch was right again.


    Was it because I''m the main character and this was a plot convenience? Nah, I don''t think so. Some plain and boring guy like me wouldn''t make an interesting story. Ah, I almost lost my virginity too.


    It gave me a bit of buffer to think. The Isekai stories always mentioned that you cannot put living objects inside your storage space, including yourself.


    Why is that? I just took it as a fact, without even trying to question it critically.


    It doesn''t really make sense.


    Not that it matters. Why must I question every single thing in the story? I just want to read fun things, turn off my brain and enjoy self-inserting myself into a lesbian loli that''s trying to make a Yuri harem.


    Well probably just the story''s logic, limiting what could happen to make it easier to write. To tell you the truth, I don''t remember much about the Isekai stories I read.


    The only important thing, well, it worked on my part.


    Plus, this world was governed by video game logic, mostly. While playing games, you might sometimes encounter objects that simply were considered ''living''. You can collect living chicken as a Key Item for a Quest.


    On a certain adventure game, you could even collect a talking tomato in your inventory and you could even talk to him via the Inventory too. He would hurl abuses to you non-stop, until you finally threw him into a swamp, for the story''s progression.


    Now I was itching to check my own flavor text. It was on the [Key Item] set so I couldn''t discard it.


    [Takeshi]


    [No description available.]


    Well okay, just as expected.


    This place was really dark, I couldn''t even see my own body. The menus were clearly visible, thankfully.


    Still, why did I run away from those lolis earlier? Or like, it''s like I never did anything bad, right? Interrupting their date just me simply being there¡ªthat loli pretty much had attempted murder for illogical reasons!


    Even if the beam didn''t kill and only ''defeats'' me, since magical girl anime were mainly aimed at kids, it''s still didn''t justify her actions. Maybe I wasn''t any better due to my ''slander'', but hey¡ªcan you compare a bit of word to me almost dying there?


    You got a problem because I''m just your plain guy?


    It''s okay, it''s not like I have that much self-worth in me either.


    Either way, the magical girl wasn''t the one I should mess with, considering how weak I was. It was their anime and they''re the main characters. No matter what I do or how strong I was, the only thing that awaits me is defeat.


    Even if I tried to act like I''m innocent, I have no background information about this anime. Judging by how Paula immediately point me out as the Dark Lord''s minion, that plan won''t do any good.


    If this world followed the anime logic, it''s better to stay away from the main story as much as possible, until this ''anime'' ends. That''s my plan for survival.


    Although, it''d be hell if getting my ass kicked would be this episode''s plot.


    First of all, this room was so dark. Couldn''t I just flick my finger and get the light switch on?


    With a clicking noise sounding outta nowhere, the room was lit up. I stood in a carpeted room, containing racks and racks, most of them empty. Their amount stretched towards infinity. I couldn''t even see the ends of this room.


    The closest ones to me were the filled cabinets. Organized like, Consumables, Materials, and Equipment.


    Before me was a wooden table with [Key Items] labeled and a wooden chair which I sat upon. As I didn''t bring the important objects on my pockets, I saw my phone and my Inn room key atop the table. There''s also my Guild card. When I touched it, there''s the information flowing through my mind.


    My status and level were still the same.


    Speaking of phone, I tried searching for the TV channels for Magical Iris show.


    "Haa...."


    I exhaled a few times as the internet wasn''t even accessible. Maybe it''s because I was inside a separate space from this world?


    If that''s the case, let''s try teleporting...


    "[Go to...]"


    Instead of the usual menu, I was left with disappointment.


    [Cannot fast travel from this point.]


    It''s either because I''m inside the storage space, or this world didn''t allow such things.


    If that woman was able to alter reality just like this, finding who she really was, might give me the chance of figuring why I was sent here.


    As for that loli, she probably wouldn''t speak to me unless the time''s convenient.


    Hey, System?


    See? She hardly ever respond after the first day we met.


    I guess, it''s better to rely on myself. If only I ignored the woman at that time and just go to the receptionist.


    She''s so beautiful though--I want to be a girl as pretty as her and become her girlfriend.


    Ah, this complex again. Even after I enjoyed the pleasure of a man, I still wondered what it''s like to finally become cute and pretty.


    My looks were pathetic and plain. I couldn''t even lie to myself by cross-dressing. My conservative family would ground me to death if they ever found out I possess a girl''s clothing.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Sometimes I just wonder, why couldn''t I just appreciate myself as I am? Why can''t I be proud of living as a man? The only thing I''m grateful about is about having a penis. Although I felt more comfortable if I have a penis as a girl.


    Maybe, the true reason for me not wanting to be a girl just yet and romance other girls--it has to do with my past trauma. I was, always afraid of showing my true self to the public. Even if this world had a different common sense, this didn''t feel right.


    There''s something inside me who told me, this wasn''t the way to go. Even in my dreams, I''m a man most of the time.


    Plus, if that lewd loli wants to, with her powers, she could just turn me into a cute girl of her preferences. No need to give me an option in the first place, right?


    Or she probably couldn''t.


    Due to my inherent role as a Player, most likely.


    Ah, I really want to try it¡ªI want to finally experience Yuri on my own. I already got away from my painful reality. In this other world, couldn''t I just let go of my old values and just be what I want the most?


    ...but, will turning into a cute girl and Yuri other girls truly solve my problem of self-worth?


    I''m not smart; I don''t have any notable talents; I love playing games but I''m not even good at it. My looks are terribly plain. I am a social trainwreck against normies and I especially hate their normie questions.


    "Hey, you''re already 25! When are you going to marry, you loser? Oh, it''s understandable, you couldn''t even find a girlfriend. You might be ugly, but your personality is basically a piece of shit."


    "You already worked for many years and all you can do is freeload on your Uncle. Lucky you for getting an easy job, eh? You really have no shame to keep working in this place."


    It''s not like I worked at my own volition. If I could choose, I''d rather pursue my own passion, even if it means mooching off my parents.


    Who cares about starting a family? It''s not like anyone would love me. Even if I married, it''s all about the girl, not the man.


    I don''t want to work myself to death for the family who wouldn''t care for me in the end. A worthless person like me didn''t deserve--


    [Takeshi, stop.]


    It''s the loli''s voice again. Her tone sounds like she''s seriously upset.


    Huh? What are you...


    [You didn''t seriously think you would be sent here just to think about your shitty life, right?]


    Well, I don''t really have many chances to do so, I''m busy with things since I came here.


    [...and it''s many times better than sitting here being all depressed.]


    Even I would want to vent every once in a while, okay? What''s wrong about it?


    [Did that actually make you a better person? You want me to give you a pat and telling you it''s alright?]


    Screw being a conformist to society! If I didn''t vent away, wouldn''t I be stressed out to death? If you don''t like it, you don''t have to listen! Why do you care so much about me?


    [I never once said I cared about you. It is simply my job and my responsibility to look after you, at least to a minimum amount. A person who never takes his job and life seriously would not understand.]


    Like you''re the one to talk. Who''s the lazy person who didn''t even respond to my questions when I need them? Isn''t that the pot calling kettle black?


    [Do you actually prefer someone who''ll spoon-fed and nag your every single moment of your adventure, then?]


    Huh?


    [Every one of my kind has their own policy. I''d like to just let you do whatever they want after I decide they already well-off. I also put my benefit first because face it¡ªwho doesn''t? What do you know of all the things I worked out there? Just because I didn''t inform you, doesn''t mean I didn''t do any jack.


    I said our way of thinking do match¡ªbut who knows you didn''t even feel any ounce of gratitude with all the things I have done so far.]


    Hey, I''m sorry alright? I really don''t know what kind of things you did for me because my memories weren''t clear...


    [If you don''t like this adventure, you can just ask me. You will be returned to the shitty life you kept thinking of so much. I will restore your lost memories, but remember¡ªthey are removed for a good reason.]


    I don''t want to get back. I want to stay here as long as I could. Is it possible to stay here forever?


    [As much as I hate you for being a prick--it all depends on you. This adventure is yours. I can''t say what will happen thereafter, but know, if you don''t do your best you''re going to regret everything once it ends.]


    But I really don''t know which one is the best way. I am not that smart or resourceful¡ªplease enlighten.


    [I already said to you before. This is just a game.]


    Even though there''s the danger of death I was feeling just earlier?


    [Being able to put your life on the line for something, is what makes it truly worth it. A game is a game because of its rules if you don''t like it¡ªyou can simply just ask me to leave.


    ...but enough talking. You continue, or leave?


    This is your last chance to turn back. If you continue, you must follow this until the end, even if the way you clear it¡ªall yours to decide.]


    No way I''m going to return to that life.


    No matter what, I will continue.


    [Prove it with your actions. Prove to me my efforts have a meaning.]


    ...


    Maybe I was being an insensitive bastard earlier. I never thought she genuinely cared about me.


    It''s been so long.


    Well, I should just take this a bit seriously.


    Changing to the Scottish villager cosplay and taking off my glasses, I stepped outside my storage space.


    I didn''t forget to turn the lights off.


    Trail of tears started to drip ceaselessly, followed by the silent wails from the depths of my throat.


    ...but I''m not sad at all.


    So it''s actually possible to do so, out of happiness.


    ...and along the way, I realized something.


    Survive? What meaning is there, in merely struggling just to survive?


    While surviving is important, I want to feel alive. I want to do things that make me feel meaningful!


    ...at the opportune time, a notification pops up.


    "...so it''s finally begun."


    I couldn''t help but laugh dryly at this.


    Why do you always have to be so vague when it counts again, you loli?

 Ch 2-8

    Ch 2-8


    Outside the alley was a coffee shop. Before finding ways to return, I want to just bask in this nostalgic urban scenery. The sight of elves and orcs wearing business suits felt rather surreal, but I''m getting used to it.


    This place took gold coins for cash; a good thing since I didn''t bring my wallet from Earth.


    The notification came when I was about to sip my black coffee.


    [Secret Quest - The exploits of a Mob Character.


    Reach the best ending through your own efforts.


    Reward: something precious.]


    What a drag.


    I didn''t even know jack about this anime besides it looking like the usual magical girl story and how everyone talks about it. I wasn''t even a fan of the genre; most of my exposure came from the doujins I read online. Yeah, those genres usually had a lot of Yuri doujins.


    Why should I care about getting the best ending when the story wouldn''t be about me in the first place? Otherwise, why wouldn''t the mission refer to me as a mob character?


    Despite my resolve to feel ''alive'', didn''t mean I''d risk my own. If anything, I''d say lazing around all day like a NEET fit this definition, especially when you no longer have financial problems...


    The few sips of bitter coffee settled down my mind, injecting caffeine to my bloodstreams. My thought picked up the pace gradually with each sip.


    There was a flurry of footsteps, along with the muffled screaming of a girl; none of my concern.


    Wow, this coffee''s really good. It cost a few coppers to buy; worth it.


    Seeing as my presence didn''t give much into the actual story, it may be for the best. Regardless of my player role, the main event proceeds somewhere far, far away.


    In the library was the story of the Hero and the Demon Lord, bearer of the unique classes. Drawn to another, for the desire to kill the other party like a natural call. Only one able to kill the other. A vicious cycle of Chosen Ones.


    If I was really the main character, I might be the Hero; not a simple adventurer. There were no prophecies from the Gods or meeting the King at first chance. I was free to do what I want, aside from that one entity or faction which deemed me a ''Cheater''.


    What Cheater? They never told me what the rules consist. Or was it a part of my lost memory? No matter how hard I recall, I just couldn''t remember.


    Not to mention, the loli''s intervention, but well--to be honest, I didn''t mind her.


    While I was enjoying my coffee and gathering my thoughts...


    "Paula...Paula!"


    The blond loli speed past the shop. The building had the windowed walls so it''s clear who was outside.


    Well, it had nothing to do with me.


    Nah, it''s not like I was filled with a grudge for them labeling me as a villain and trying to kill me outright.


    That aside, I was too caught up in my emotions while back, I didn''t realize the notifications. This time, I viewed them from the latest obtained.


    [Your Tears]


    Type: Material


    It''s delicious


    [Phlegm]


    Type: Consumables


    Yuck.


    [Durian Gelatin] x 0


    Type: Consumables


    It...smells...good.


    Recover ...% of HP


    ...


    The flavor text was kinda lazy.


    Generally, food items just recover an amount of HP, MP or both by percentage instead of a fixed number.


    There''s also the usual curative items etc. I stocked up during my first Item Shop visit. The RPG gamer mindset in me truly manifested, on my desire to hoard every single useful tidbit. For the weapons, however, I skimped since I couldn''t really fight. Mostly just brought it for testing the Weapon Switch Exploit.


    Never really bothered to check whether eating the food directly would restore the HP/MP, but I didn''t buy it for such reason. I want to eat delicious food, piping hot brand new, all the time, instead of the usual jerky and hard bread¡ªoh wrong world.


    Given this world''s hi-tech goods, even the preserved meals were delicious. They still couldn''t preserve the amount of heat as good as my inventory though. Making it as if freshly cooked.


    Inventory...huh.


    Walking up to the counter, I traded via the menu.


    Goddamnit, so expensive. Five gold coins for that same coffee?


    This time, I gave a few more coppers and when it''s ready, I sent it to my inventory.


    [Black Coffee obtained!]


    Didn''t care about how I stole the cup and the tray. If it''s possible through the System; it''s rightfully mine...


    Maybe I should revisit the weapon store. Instead of using mental commands to take the weapon, I should just open the inventory space and toss everything? Thereafter, selling it to the same shopkeeper--nobody would lose anything. Selling via the menu, the shopkeeper themselves didn''t seem to pay a single cent.


    On a second thought--don''t wanna risk the heist¡ªat least not yet.


    [Black Coffee]


    Type: Consumables


    More bitter than Hell itself.


    Recover ...% MP.


    ...


    This was highway robbery. For the exact same effect, who would be so stupid to buy it via the menu?


    On the other hand...


    [Phlegm ¨C 1 gold]


    [Your Tears ¨C 15 gold]


    I was completely lost for words. I could just collect my shit, my piss and spit in my Inventory and sell it for big money?


    I could even cum straight into the inventory and profit!


    Or like, from the material I own, just cut thousands of pieces. Throw it one by one. Get rich quick!


    If I pooped straight to the inventory¡ªwhere would it be stored? Wouldn''t the smell contaminate the other stuff, like food for example?


    Seriously, all those tremors from before kinda bugged me, while I was delightfully basking in thought. It gave me the chills since I was the only one here. The shopkeeper himself already went outside, while I was pondering.


    A lot of people stood on the street, gazing towards one direction. This might be bad.


    "[Go to]."


    [Invalid teleport location.]


    "[Move]!"


    [Invalid teleport location.]


    "Get me out of here goddamnit!"


    No response at all.


    Sigh, do I have to risk my life going to where the heat took place?


    Wasn''t there a much better option to go out? Like, there''d be a point marked as a door, like a dungeon exit.


    "[Map]."


    [Invalid location.]


    If I stayed put, I might be caught within the crossfire.


    Stepping outside, I took out the training dummy from my inventory and went inside the [Battle Mode] with it.


    [Wooden Training Dummy]


    Type: Material


    Best BDSM partner for pussies.


    ...


    That flavor text.


    Wait a minute, why did I just tried to battle the dummy in the first place? With the street, all cleared of people, only me and this straw buddy...did I just thought about sleeping there the whole day, waiting for it to end?


    [Unable to enter Battle Mode.]


    Ah, figures. Since this world was an Anime after all.


    What if I went inside my inventory space, imagining a room filled with doors--one leading towards whence I came?


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Obviously, not Earth.


    ...


    Turns out, the Inventory space was same as usual¡ªno exit in sight, aside from the one I opened from the void.


    Maybe I could just try the [Skip] function while traversing the endless corridors. I might stumble across the exit somewhere.


    The corridors span endlessly to my left and right, or north and south if looking from another angle.


    Guess I''ll take the right, ''cuz it''s the ''right'' way.


    Since it might take a long time; let''s try using the skip function...


    The estimated time was¡ªundetectable? Traveling with Fiona earlier, on the way to Beginner''s City¡ªusing Skip--I didn''t get tired at all.


    It''d made me curious to death if I couldn''t try this out. At least there didn''t seem to be any risk of death.


    [Unable to execute the command.]


    Ah goddamnit! To think I have to stick with the last resort. As much as I didn''t like risking my life, it''s still worth it, if I could have my freedom and escape from this predicament.


    I went outside the inventory space, again. As I landed two foot on the sidewalk, the magical girl, Iris, was blown all the way, forming clouds of dust in her trail. Her outfit was torn at many places, revealing her white skin and her striped panties.


    Before I could even voice a doubt and turn my head away, the loli''s voice echoed.


    [Iris is 18 at least. You can look, but no touch. She''s my waifu.]


    With the parting of the dust cloud, came upon a silhouette of a tall young man wearing a long-sleeved tuxedo, with mantle extending below his knee. He had a short black hair combed neatly and quite the handsome face, but most important of all¡ªhe wore a pair of round glasses glistening sharply against the sun.


    It was more than apparent, from the group of people following behind. They were all glasses-wearing human males, of young adult age. Physiques ranging from tall to short, skinny to plump. One of the plump minions held Paula, with ropes coiling her body. Her expression was strangely calm and composed despite all the disgusting gestures those minions gave her.


    [Paula is way older than you, Takeshi¡ªso it''s okay. She''s also my waifu]


    ''''Do you want to make me a lolicon? I bet if they''re a cute girl, they''d be your waifu.''


    [I have my own fetish.]


    ''So you''re a lolicon, despite being a loli.''


    [To be honest, my preferences are pretty wide. Does that turn you on? I can turn you to a loli if you want...hehehe.]


    ''No thanks.''


    That aside...


    The ringleader approached Iris with a triumphant look, ignoring all the bystanders.


    He raised his hand to the side, revealing the length of his mantle and pushed his glass up, before reciting his villainous speech. How the light flickered against his glasses as he pushed it up gave him a cool entrance.


    "Kukuku...you cannot beat me, Iris. The power of darkness residing in my hand has brought upon justice, and my verdict is your defeat! Now, there no longer be any obstacles for my goal¡ªWorld Domination! This corrupt, sinful world shall be purged by Yours Truly!"


    It was followed by the cheers of his minions.


    "All hail the Dark Lord!"


    "Punish the Demon!"


    "Defeat her! Send her crying to her parents!"


    Iris'' body twitched when someone mentioned her parents.


    The Dark Lord raised his feet as soon he''s beside Iris, but before it managed to land, Iris rolled outta the way and stood up with great struggle. Her sight was pathetic, with all bruises around her body. Even the bystanders looked at her with sympathetic gazes.


    "I don''t really...care even if you destroy the world...what I couldn''t forget, is that you hurt my Paula."


    "Then, why do you oppose us in the first place? You should know first and foremost, we will achieve our goals¡ªall means necessary."


    "Honestly, I couldn''t care less...about your goals or what not. I am just trying to make my ends met...my bills..."


    Iris took her utmost concentration just to stand up. She gritted her teeth and clenched her knuckles. Her anger and pride probably were the only one keeping her from passing out.


    "A little kid like you?" The Dark Lord flashed a grin, "Interesting. But why must work so hard--can''t your parents do that? Look at my minions¡ªnone of them look as miserable as you, no matter how many times you beat them up. Look at you, even at your first encounter¡ªthose bags in your eyes are damn ugly. You work so hard, yet you still lost¡ªmy brothers, what do we call this person?"


    It was followed by streams of words that even sent chills down my spine.


    "Loser!"


    "You poor bloke."


    "You damn loner!"


    "What a waste of youth."


    The actually weren''t as harsh but the context they''re saying it, made it understandable why blood began to pour from Iris'' hands and mouth.


    Why was Magical Iris like this? Wasn''t this supposed to be a happy-go-lucky anime?


    "You."


    It was a cold, icy voice which made me almost jump out.


    Even the Dark Lord flinched a bit, but he soon gained his composure, becoming even more flippant.


    "Oh? Call me Your Highness Dark Lord, slave."


    "Insult and demean me all you want...but for disrespecting my parents...all of you shall pay."


    What the hell?


    ''This is bad...this is really bad.''


    I felt an intense surge of energy enveloping her. The wind quickened its pace and the sky turned grim.


    I didn''t want to keep watching like those idiot bystanders and get myself killed!


    Inventory!


    [The feature is inaccessible at this moment.]


    I couldn''t even escape inside my storage space.


    Curse you, damn loli! Did you want me to get killed at this rate? Just what had I done wrong to you? Did I ever insult your parents or ancestors?


    Yes. It applies to both of them. Why are the lolis I met so despicable?


    No.


    On the second thought, if I was going to die from this¡ªit''s my own fault. All the feature and convenience I had weren''t my own power. The loli implied it obvious enough from when she visited me earlier. She could grant things and take it away as they please.


    Even my low stats weren''t even included since it''s all provided by the System.


    The only thing I had was using my limited amount of wits to save my own skin!


    ...but what could I do about this situation?


    Even if it''s a story, a simple bystander cannot change anything¡ªor that''s how it was supposed to be. If someone could turn things around, it''s Paula.


    Why? Why wouldn''t she say anything? There I notice the gross guy waving something which looked like a pendulum. Not even the power of friendship trope could work at this rate!


    Why must me, who had to take action?


    Fine! I didn''t want my fate to rest on others! If you want me to be the main character, I''d be the main character¡ªif I could survive with my freedom intact


    Alright!


    I took a deep breath and yelled on top of my voice.


    "How brazen! As an ally of justice, you''re going to kill us all for your own selfish desires? Do your parents ever taught you any conscience?"


    Ah, crap.


    Why must it be these words that came out?

 Ch 2-9

    Ch 2-9


    "How brazen! As an ally of justice, you''re going to kill us all for your own selfish desires? Do your parents ever taught you any conscience?"


    All eyes turn on me. A lot of them nod their heads while the rest gave a disproving look.


    "He''s right! Aren''t we the people you want to protect?"


    "Wake up, Magical Iris! Fight the bad guy, we know you will win eventually, just like always."


    "Even though they never hurt us directly or anything, we always enjoy a good show."


    "Wow, she finally has gone berserk. I wonder how amazing her power-up will be?"


    These people are the worst¡ªbut I''m not any better.


    Seeing as even my actions didn''t change anything significant, I guess, I was through and through a mob character. If I didn''t step up, someone else would.


    I''m ashamed of myself, for saying such things without knowing her circumstances.


    I just felt at that time, what I said was right. She was strong; she had all the powers and I was afraid to be killed from collateral damage. Seeing as I was weak, by hiding within the majority of powerless people, I thought I could ''represent'' their will to repress those with power.


    She was a strong Ally of Justice; it''s only natural to tell her off. There''s no need to be considerate of her own feelings¡ªshe had power.


    After all, those with talent always had the responsibility of making the world a better place, we have the privilege to complain about many things, even if we didn''t even have anything to pay for it. Simply because we didn''t have any talent, and we want to make ourselves feel better!


    Yet, what guarantee she would comply? Since everyone told her to? She could kill us easily if she so desired. Unless there was something preventing her from doing so. The same reason why those people able to act brazenly.


    Speaking about parents, weren''t I even worse off? I had the gall to criticize her, even though I didn''t even respect the one who brought me to this world. As time went by, we got fewer things in common, to the extent I felt detached.


    I knew next to nothing about her and Paula. Her family circumstances, even less so. The loli also refused to give me hints¡ªwhat''s her goal?


    What consist of weakness¡ªand what of strength? Could I really call myself weak with the convenient System? Not to mention the [Godslayer] ability.


    Could Iris be considered strong, ''cuz she can fight head-on? Regardless of how her friend couldn''t even give moral support when she was down; her job as an Ally of Justice that''s really tough; people didn''t even give a damn about what she did.


    Like, it''s only natural; just as expected.


    With the rain of ''encouragement'' and ''support'' from the mobs, the grim sky with its tumultuous wind finally settled.


    Iris stood there in a firm position. Despite her injuries, her eyes still shone brightly. However, I felt something scarier beneath her ''fake'' exterior. It''s as if she stopped becoming human entirely.


    The minion who did despicable things to Paula end up crumbling from Iris'' gaze; passing out with foam coming outta his mouth. When the other minions tried to seize Paula, the same result ensues.


    "Oh? Interesting." the Dark Lord was strangely calm, "If this girl is important to you, how about letting her suffer a bit more?"


    "If you dare to lay a hand...I''ll give you the taste of Hell."


    "Such bold words coming from a bed-wetter."


    The other bystanders simply act as if they weren''t a part of this. I want to run away, but if I ran just like that, I would stand out¡ªno.


    I had enough of running away.


    Nevertheless, I wasn''t confident of stepping up without my glasses on. It gave me a sense of clarity and composure unlike any other.


    [Go for it, champ.]


    With the loli''s words, There''s a faint light enveloping my sight. The next moment, the usual weight on my ear and nose were present, just like an old friend.


    Stepping outta the crowd with my glasses on, the entire atmosphere changed. Not only the bystanders began to look at me in a different manner, even Iris and the Dark Lord actually reacted.


    No one cared who I was before I put on the glasses.


    "You! It''s all your fault! If not for your intervention..."


    [Retribution Nullified!]


    Even if her gaze was a lot more intense towards me, it didn''t matter much.


    Realizing her abilities not working, all the light in her eyes dimmed down. Yet, nobody dared to touch Paula either. All of the minions stood there silent, not daring to even mutter a sound.


    The ringleader, however, went at his own pace; all of the arrogance he showed earlier no longer present.


    "My fellow kin, what''s your aim? Haven''t seen you before, but we seem to have the same air."


    When I heard him talking down to others, it gave me unease. Yet this time, maybe I could understand him just a bit.


    "I''m just curious--why go for World Domination?"


    "Why do you ask? Isn''t making everyone else grovel on your feet and following your rules not the best thing to ever exist?"


    He said it as if a matter-of-fact.


    "Do you even read Machiavelli?"


    I only read like, the Prince and forgotten most of it. From reading a light novel based upon Machiavellian ideas: ruling a Kingdom alone was already a massive pain in the ass. Talk about ruling the World--do you want your ass torn apart?


    "I have yet heard of such person, what kind of book he wrote?"


    Just as expected of him, completely ignorant¡ªlet''s see how his place would be slapped upon knowing.


    "He wrote about an idea that''s a precursor for Modern Politics. About how to rule a Kingdom or so."


    His calm, confident smile made me took a slap in the face.


    "Oh? Hahaha! Such things are of no concern to me. My kin, you still have long ways to go. I know you have power, lots of power. Even I could put you on an equal standing. You really need to distance yourself from how a weakling thinks."


    Really? Just how confident was he?


    "This power is not something I earn. Aside from that, I''m a weakling."


    "Does it matter? Can''t you just simply call it¡ªyour talent¡ªyour blessing or so? Instead of cowering due to circumstances that may not happen, shouldn''t you just find a way to make it rightfully yours? I am disappointed in you."


    Well, he had a point this time, but...


    "In the first place, I''m not trying to impress you."


    "...that''s how it should be. Only weaklings scheme and try to impress others. Now, I ask of you, my kin. You may think I am ignorant by not knowing the how-to''s, but I tell you¡ªit''s nothing important at all."


    "Because you possess the power?"


    Not that I understood what it meant.


    "That''s right. The power makes me able to rule the entire world under my palm. Talented people will naturally gather around the strong¡ªthat is a fact. While once in a while, there''d be a weakling who didn''t even know their own place. I had lots of fun crushing those ants."


    He gave a glance towards the magical girl whom, like stopped by some unknown force, patiently stood as we talked.


    "Now, where was I again? Yes. My power, although already culminated to its pinnacle, was only enough to rule the mortals. If the gods descend their judgment upon me, I''d be powerless to resist. Your powers, however, had something that could even destroy those beings and make you an absolute ruler."


    Hence, it was called¡ªGodslayer, huh.


    Now I understood why I was attacked earlier. Yet, why must do so at the opportune moment once and just stopped? Couldn''t they just attack relentlessly until I gave up?


    Yet it was only the first one, it''s too early to infer something.


    I noticed a single discrepancy.


    "How could you be so confident of conquering the world, if you''re still cowering at the sight of gods?"


    I felt as if I was shooting myself in the foot there.


    ...but the Dark Lord''s expression remained smug.


    "Hahahahaha! You are truly underestimating the gods¡ªbut I guess, you have that right.


    Still, allow me to explain: why would a god care about a mere ant they could crush and would have no threat to them at all? Besides, I am just on my first step. No need to rush everything. The one who would fight against the gods is you after all."


    "Even if I possess something which threatened the gods, why they attack one by one instead of swarming me relentlessly until I couldn''t even fight back?"


    "Good question. I do have two answers¡ªsimply because my knowledge about the gods are merely speculations. First, because to them, you might not be much different than an ant. But this ant could murder them as well.


    Yet, in this vast universe, how hard is it, to find one peculiar ant within a whole continent?


    The second thing was¡ªwhoever granted you the power, possess that much Authority for the gods to be at your mercy. They could only attack when the figure allowed them. If that''s the case, the gods may not be your real enemy, but--"


    [Okay, that''s enough.]


    With a sound of remote clicking, I found myself in the same Penthouse Suite.


    Why did this loli have to intervene when it''s getting interesting?


    Meanwhile, I noticed an amazing sight. The silver-haired women slept in bed fully nude, the blanket wrapped around her body gave a nice contour. She seems to be extremely satisfied with something.


    On the edge of the bed, this loli was sipping her tea.


    She wore a white camisole with a boxer of the same color. When I glanced between her legs, with obviously no perverted thoughts¡ªthere''s nothing there.


    "Don''t tell me the futanari client is..."


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "That''s none of your business."


    Her completely deadpan reply made this rather awkward. Hey, you could be angry a bit, you know?


    "Err, that aside. What was that earlier! It was getting interesting too."


    "I will get to them later, for now, here''s your reward."


    [Secret Mission ¨C Survive ¨C Completed!]


    [You have survived.]


    [Learned the Skill ¨C Survivor!]


    [Survivor


    Will make you survive when normally you''ll die.]


    I really don''t like this. Is this a foreshadowing for something ominous which might happen?


    [Main Quest ¨C Exploits of a Mob Character ¨C Completed!]


    [Received Iris!]


    [Received Paula!]


    [Received The Dark Lord!]


    When I checked the Items, it only gave me the display of a figurine. It was a Key Item by the way.


    [Iris]


    Type: Key Item


    Magical girl, Ally of Justice and the beacon for Yuri shippers.


    [Paula]


    Type: Key Item


    The magical girl''s familiar and every Iris fan''s self-insert


    [The Dark Lord]


    Type: Key Item


    His dark power compels you.


    ...


    "What''s the precious thing about this? And how this could be called


    a completed quest?"


    "I''m giving you the figurine of my waifus, plus one chuuni¡ªand you still think this isn''t precious¡ªhow shameless can you be? Fine, let me show you the continuation."


    Who''s the shameless one here? When I thought about something precious, figurines definitely ain''t the first thing that came to my mind!


    Before I managed to retort, she''s already at the door¡ªwhich I followed after.


    We end up watching the TV; our distances on the sofa were quite apart.


    Iris was fighting against the Dark Lord; both spouted lots of cliche'' lines.


    The way they talked was the exact same as when I was present. Nevertheless, I couldn''t get into the show. Iris'' injuries were still present and Paula finally came to be; cheering her lover from the sidelines.


    Iris fired countless beams from her staff, while the Dark Lord countered by making a wall of clocks while sitting atop his throne. Come to think of it, when she was injured earlier, her staff weren''t present.


    It eventually came with a contest of power between Iris and the Dark Lord''s beams


    As expected, the Dark Lord''s beam eventually lost the contest. With the ''plot armor'' of the people''s continued cheers, or more exactly, Paula, who the Dark Lord had been ignoring all this time, Iris beam finally connected its critical hit. A deafening explosion rumbled across the area, leaving the clock formation in shambles, and his cloth in tatters.


    With his glasses broken he looked extremely ugly since apparently, he didn''t have any eyes! He ended up suffering an even more severe injury than what inflicted to Iris earlier.


    He managed to steel himself to move; a rope extended itself from the heavens, in which the Dark Lord resolutely leaped, vanishing into the clouds above. It was followed by the cheers from the audience. Which our hero paid no heed at all.


    In the end, was this the power of gods he''s afraid earlier? To think it''d fired off so soon.


    Iris approached Paula, who stood on the side of asphalt with no one present; the Dark Lord''s minions were history.


    "Paula."


    "Iris."


    "It was so hard on my own. It might be dangerous, but this time, I want to fight with you."


    "...but Iris, I am not a magical girl¡ªI don''t have any powers."


    With Paula''s forlorn stature captured by the scene, Iris made a meaningful smile before she took out the ring from her pocket.


    Before putting the ring on Paula''s right hand, Iris tried her best to suppress her anxiety.


    "Who said you''ve gotta be a magical girl? From hereforth, you shall be my familiar. Will you accept me, Paula?"


    Without hesitation, the elf loli guided Iris'' hands. With the ring in place, she let out tears while smiling so brightly; embracing Iris and letting out the pent-up feelings she had.


    "Of course, I will. I don''t want to be apart again."


    "Let''s be together forever."


    Iris brought her lips closer, with arms locked together. Their grip tightened with each kiss. The sensual play continued on until Paula''s on the verge of passing out.


    The magical mana transfer also caused the entire area to become a verdant grass plain, with the bystanders turning into flowers one-by-one. Rather than getting shocked, those idiots actually still had the time to admire those flowers!


    Eventually, no single soul was present aside from the two.


    "Let''s go...home." Paula''s word trailed away as she went back unconscious in Iris'' arms. The flowery scent guides her to sleep; it was a soft and puffy voice which might make you feel like a criminal just by listening.


    "You''re really a lightweight." Iris giggled a little before carrying her lover on piggyback.


    It was followed by a mellow pop song, with a rather melancholic tone. The ending credits rolled.


    Even if the show wasn''t that engaging, the ending scene was rather heartwarming¡ªthe ED song''s also excellent. Yet, it''s right during the post-ed scene.


    Iris sat alone in her room. It''s a ransacked place with barely any visible light. Yet, she was smiling. She wrote on a crumpled diary, each page were always filled...the page she''s on, was the last.


    ''Dad, Mom. Thanks for bringing me to this world. Living may be painful, but I am hanging on. I used to think, when am I going to follow both of you? Ever since both of you left for a better place, nobody ever loves me. Nobody ever cared every single thing I do.''


    ''You guys taught me how to protect the people from evil, but I''m sorry, I couldn''t do that anymore. The guys at the Security Bureau are such a piece of fucking shit, I felt like killing them the next time we met. I will quit my job and doing the thing I love the most, writing perverted stories between girls.''


    What?


    ''I began to hate myself so much when all I did so far only amount to seeing my precious one get hurt. I should not blame others in the first place. After all, I decide not to rely on anyone else but myself.''


    ''I no longer want to live as an Ally of Justice, for those who didn''t appreciate my efforts in the slightest. From now on, I just want to protect the one I love. Yet, I don''t want to shield her from danger all the time. I believe that''s not what she desired.''


    ''For once, I agreed with the one who hurt my precious. The most important thing is Strength. I want for us to be stronger together. I dream of one point, we can stand back-to-back on the battlefield, able to trust our respective lives to the other.''


    ''In the first place, being an Ally of Justice may not be a good thing. All I did was just making those powerless people complacent. Instead of actually facing the struggles of life and becoming stronger along the way¡ªI felt ashamed of myself.''


    ''I couldn''t care less about the world, ever since you left. I know, how unfair this damned place could be. Not everyone can gain power and become strong. And even the weak have no saving grace on how privileged they were.''


    ''For that, I am sorry for being unfilial and disregarding all your teachings.


    ...but it''s not my fault. No matter how hard I cried for you, you will never come back and give me the support I need. For once, I just want to fight for my happiness.''


    ''Dad, Mom. Be well on the other side, because now I''m doing fine. She''s with me and we''ll brave through everything thrown at us.''


    ''With love, Iris.''


    Using her magic, she completely burned the diary to ashes and cried her eyes out so painfully.


    ...with the trail of tears all over her face, she finally stood up after a good while.


    "Goodbye."


    Stepping outta the door, Paula was right there.


    ...both of them left, with the building completely engulfed in flames.


    The next scene, however, showcased a field of flowers; one black figure standing in the midst.


    "There''s one less flower."


    The moment he turned towards the screen, it didn''t even take me a moment before I picked up the remote and turned it off.


    As a result, a severed hand laid there on the floor, cut off from the television screen.


    [Received 0 EXP and 0 Gold!]


    If I wasn''t going to receive anything, why even bother showing this in the first place?


    The loli just twiddled her fingers while failing on her attempt to whistle.


    [Godslayer is now Lv. 2!]


    Was this really over, just like that?


    Before I could even ask her any more question, the loli tapped my shoulder.


    "Do you finally get it right now?" she made an annoying smile.


    "On the contrary, I only got even more confused."


    "Anyway, good job."


    ...and I was forcefully teleported in my Inn Room...


    Oi, you damn loli, stop running from your responsibility.


    In any case, I still didn''t understand what a Purification House really was. The old man''s explanation was a bit too roundabout.


    ...but one thing was clear.


    Maybe I really should use my head a little less and exercise a bit more.


    Although, I guess the loli didn''t leave me empty-handed.


    [Death God''s hand Obtained!]


    [Death God''s hand has fused with Lesser Death Eater Corpse!]


    [Death Eater Corpse obtained!]


    Type: Godslaying Weapon


    Only equipable when [Godslayer] is active. Has overwhelming attack power that could scare even gods. Unlike its lesser version, this weapon didn''t need Death Energy to sustain.


    Can further evolve after absorbing enough Death Energy.


    ...


    I couldn''t help but laugh dryly.


    Stop with this ominous foreshadowing already.


    Chapter 2 ¨C The Birth of Godslayer - END