Ryuji naturally didn't feel there was anything wrong with his line of thinking!
Orcs, dark-skinned elves and white essence...
Just hearing those three terms together was enough to tell what kind of world it was.
Black Beast! (T/N: Basically Kuroinu, in China the Kuroinu game is called Black Beast, if you are looking for it search for 'Kuroinu Redux' and you will find it.)
Still, just to make sure the will of the "7 Days to Die" world wasn't going to scam him again, Ryuji asked directly:
"Wait. When you said 'dark-skinned elves,' did you mean those two words are linked? Or did you intentionally say them together when they're actually separate—'elves' and 'dark-skinned'?"
Because if it was the latter, he had a bad feeling the will might throw him into the Pokémon world.
Beastmen existed there.
Dark-skinned characters existed there too and most of them were quite... lewd.
And elves? Well, those appeared just about everywhere.
As for the "white essence" part... well, many worlds had that too. Ryuji thought back to that Gardevoir he'd encountered before, something was definitely off about her. She was clearly a tsundere, and her willingness to do that with him didn't seem to stem from him being nice to her, but rather from a simple fascination with controlling humans...
So, Ryuji really suspected that if he didn't ask for clarification, the Will of 7 Days to Die World would toss him straight into the Pokémon world without warning.
"That's impossible, Lord Ryuji. You know I would never lie to you." The World Will of 7 Days to Die spoke in its usual calm, emotionless voice.
"After all, you are currently the most successful Chosen One I have for retrieving World Fragments."
Ryuji couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. Did it have any idea just how ridiculous these missions were?
This time, he had only succeeded by sheer luck. If he had handled this World Fragment the same way he did the first one, he'd probably still be searching for the damn thing!
Moreover, the difficulty was absolutely insane.
He'd nearly died twice already. If he wasn't able to leave at any moment and had the ability to find new worlds, he'd have to be insane to keep hunting for these fragments!
"So... What's the situation this time?"
"I don't know. All I can sense is what I've told you. However, if the world's keyword includes 'white essence,' then matters related to that aspect is extremely important there. So, Lord Ryuji, you don't need to worry about a lack of women willing to assist you!"
Ryuji still felt extremely annoyed. He thought about it carefully:
H-anime adaptations didn't focus much on actual combat scenes. To be precise, they primarily devoted their descriptions to the more... critical battles.
So, they weren't very good at highlighting the real combat power of those worlds. Although I am aware of the original story's power levels and their weaknesses, if I go to that world, I will undoubtedly have to confront the Black Dog Mercenary Group!
Ryuji didn't consider himself a good person, but those bastards in the Black Dog Mercenary Group were downright monsters!
If the Servant Nation was a place where everyone was genuinely willing, Ryuji wouldn't mind spending some time there. But the problem was, most of the women were not willing. Even if they were later... persuaded into submission by some kind of drug, it didn't change the fact that those men were rapists.
And the goddess there was pretty strange too...
It was, after all, a world with actual gods. If he went, Ryuji wasn't sure if his own strength would be enough to change that world, or what kind of bizarre power the World Fragment might develop there.
"It still feels very fishy. Hey, tell me, how reliable are these tags for me? And do you know what form your scattered power has taken in that world?"
The tone of the 7 Days to Die World Will carried a hint of helplessness.
"...How should I put this? It feels really strange to say, but since I can't lie to you, I'll be honest."
After a brief pause, it continued:
"The keywords indicate that these things definitely exist in that world and play a key role. As for whether it's the specific world you're thinking of, I cannot guarantee that. But I can assure you, this world definitely has dark-skinned elves!"
Ryuji nodded upon hearing this. He knew it couldn't be as good as he'd imagined!
"So, in other words, it's still not necessarily the world I think it is."
He wasn't too concerned that the World's Will knew he had some knowledge of storylines. His actions might hide things from others, but the World Will of 7 Days to Die definitely saw through it. After all, much of the information he possessed had no clear source. As long as the World Will wasn't stupid, it could probably guess.
But it didn't matter if it guessed correctly. Since it was already broken.
"Correct. Strictly speaking, the story you know will inevitably have significant differences from the actual world."
Hearing this, Ryuji stretched lazily.
"That really lowers my expectations. How long before the mission expires?"
He yawned, stood up, and picked up the equipment rewarded by the World Will.
"24 hours. The power level of that world is quite high, containing individuals capable of manipulating world rules. If you don't enter soon, my World Fragment will likely be exploited by them."
"Tch… got it."
Feeling was a little annoyed, Ryuji cut off the connection with the 7 Days to Die World Will and examined the gloves or rather, gauntlets in his hands.
The ability of these gauntlets was very simple: they consumed his stamina to create steel wires.
These wires could be launched from the gauntlets and, even without any anchor points, fix themselves firmly in mid-air. They would only be pulled down if the force applied exceeded the user's maximum physical output.
Crucially, this 'maximum output' was calculated without any energy or technique enhancements. The cost of creating the wires was also significant. Ryuji sensed that creating just 100 meters of wire consumed about a tenth of his stamina. On the plus side, once created, the wires would remain stored within the gauntlets until destroyed.
The downside was that their base strength was only that of ordinary steel wire. While they could be reinforced by any type of energy, the degree of reinforcement the wires could handle wasn't very high. Furthermore, if the wires were disconnected from his gauntlets and moved more than a kilometer away from him, they would disintegrate. To be honest there were too many limitations.
However, the previous series of abilities were more than worth the trouble, and what's more. Besides, these gauntlets had other functions too.
However, this ability, along with the ones that followed, made Ryuji want to complain, as they fit the nature of this world all too perfectly.
•Instant Outfit Change: Consumes stamina to instantly change any piece of clothing you are wearing. Cannot change weapons or equipment, unless said weapon is an accessory part of the outfit. If attempting to change into something like a Gundam, the effect would be to have it impact/crash onto whatever you are standing on, without causing overlapping or strange embedding issues.
Ryuji could use this to pre-store several sets of equipment with different effects or even embed equipment directly onto his clothes. And the gauntlets had several other functions.
•Rapid Traction: Can use the wires like a grappling hook gun for swift movement. Movement speed depends on stamina consumed.
•Tranquilizer Shot: Once every 24 hours, can consume stamina to generate one tranquilizer dart. Each dart is potent enough to put an elephant to sleep for three minutes.
•Tracker Shot: Once every 24 hours, can consume stamina to fire a tracker and display a tracking map before the user's eyes.
•Magic Cloak: Can materialize a magic cloak out of thin air. It is bulletproof, can transform into a paraglider for aerial gliding, and can withstand large-caliber rifle bullets. If destroyed, it can be regenerated by consuming stamina after a 24-hour cooldown.
•Inflatable Soccer Ball: Once every 24 hours, can launch an instantly inflating soccer ball. The ball possesses all the properties of a standard soccer ball. (Ryuji had no idea why this existed.)
•Solar-Powered Skateboard: Once every 24 hours, can consume stamina to summon a fully charged solar-powered skateboard. Its maximum speed can reach 250 km/h, and it can operate for six hours on a full charge before disappearing once the battery is depleted. It can recharge on its own.
•Moon's Blessing: Your skin will not become rough due to living conditions and will remain soft and radiant.
•Jupiter's Blessing: Plants you grow won't die easily.
•Venus's Blessing: Once every 24 hours, you can consume stamina to produce ten gold coins that can function as normal, widely accepted currency in any world. Additionally, you will find more opportunities in business dealings.
•Mercury's Blessing: Once every 24 hours, you can consume stamina to generate one ton of pure spring water and can walk on water by consuming stamina.
•Mars's Blessing: Once every 24 hours, you can consume stamina to generate a flame that burns for two hours and cannot be extinguished by water. You can add fuel to extend its burning duration.
•Uranus's Blessing: Reduces falling damage when falling from the sky.
•Neptune's Blessing: You can breathe underwater by consuming stamina.
•Pluto's Blessing: Occasionally provides premonitions of danger.
•Saturn's Blessing: You will not suffocate when buried in the round, and your stamina recovery rate is doubled.
•Drowned Girl Spring: Once every 24 hours, you can summon a single dose of water from the Drowned Girl Spring, whose effects last for 24 hours.
Yes, there were that many abilities.
Not only that, this gauntlet just like his pocket watch, was soul-bound and could transform into any shape, though it could only cover up to the elbow. Its defensive and offensive capabilities could not surpass that of steel.
Ryuji experimented a bit; it could even transform into a spiked gauntlet; the fingers could morph into sharp blades or even take the shape of a key.
But...
"This isn't very useful for me. This thing is more suited for phantom-thief types, or detectives," Ryuji sighed.
While he knew how to fight using wires and had many ideas for utilizing such gauntlet when he first saw them, honestly, they clashed severely with his combat style.
The most significant boosts for him were actually the later series of blessings named after the solar system's planets. If given to an archer, or a detective or phantom thief type, combined with his pocket watch, they would absolutely become a legendary rogue or detective.
But in his hands...
To be frank, neither of these two pieces of equipment were types he preferred. They couldn't serve as his main gear, only as supports.
In terms of personality and style, these two items were incompatible with him.
His approach was standard "overwhelming force beats clever tricks," and his personality favored that style. So, giving these things to him was somewhat wasteful. Honestly, he'd rather have a self-repairing greatsword or a firearm with unlimited ammunition.
"But it's equipment nonetheless."
Equipping it casually onto his left hand, he transformed it to look like a sports glove. He then planned to pack up, say goodbye to Misato, and then leave this world for the time being.
Quickly stepping out of the room, Ryuji began preparing his supplies.
"Gold bars, a replacement greatsword, and some emergency medical supplies."
Ryuji swiftly gathered the necessities: gold bars, a signal-jamming device made from special ore, first-aid kits, and dry rations. For water, since he had the gauntlet's blessing, he only carried one bottle.
The greatsword was something he had prepared back when he was with the Vespania royal family. It was a modern-craft steel greatsword. Although Ryuji felt it wasn't as good as weapons from the Dungeon world, it was far superior to the greatswords from the Demon Slayer world. Forged from titanium and other metals, its sturdiness and sharpness were unquestionable. Moreover, it was inlaid with numerous gems, making it resemble a work of art more than a weapon for killing.
Although these tasks didn't take much time, but by the time Ryuji finished packing, an hour had already slipped away.
"Just about done."
He stretched lazily and headed to the kitchen to start cooking. Even though he was determined to take a break after this mission and visit the worlds of his former teammates, there was no doubt he had to have a farewell meal with Misato.
Just as he expected, after he finished his preparations, Misato slowly emerged from her room and sat on the sofa, watching Ryuji with a complicated expression.
Her feelings towards Ryuji were complex. From initial wariness and transactional interaction, to later finding him reliable, and then the emotional turmoil of the past few days.
To be fair, if Ryuji didn't fool around so much, and if their mission hadn't progressed so smoothly, Misato felt she might have been willing to have a child or two with him.
But unfortunately, there were no 'what ifs'.
"It really looks like you completed this mission by sleeping with women," Misato sighed, sitting opposite Ryuji and shaking her head slightly as she met his eyes.
"Yeah. Your mission should be completed too, right?"
"Mm. Just without any rewards."
Misato's face was somewhat gloomy. Since Ryuji had completed all the objectives, she only felt the ability to return home, without any other feelings.
"But because I still contributed somewhat, I can refuse future missions now. And it said my luck will be a bit better when I return to my world." Stretching, Misato explained her situation.
She had been very unhappy about being suddenly dragged into doing missions. After all, she was living her life just fine in her own world; why should she fight life-and-death battles for some other world?
Fortunately, after this was over, she wouldn't have to work for the World Will anymore. Plus, it said that her luck would improve somewhat back in her own world.
"Mm."
Ryuji nodded, pointing to the lobster and noodles behind him.
"Let's eat first."
The two ate and chatted, even opening a bottle of red wine. After a few glasses, a slight blush appeared on Misato's cheeks.
"In the end, I was completely useless, wasn't I? Even without me, you could have completed the mission, right? And we didn't even manage what we talked about before..."
Misato began muttering incessantly, talking about the experiences she shared with Ryuji, her complaints and dissatisfaction with him, and his shameless behavior towards younger girls. Finally, she slumped over the table, seemingly drunk.
Ryuji didn't say anything, just draped a jacket over her shoulders and walked back to his room.
He, Ryuji, wasn't the kind of man to take advantage of a woman in this state.
Unless she's a bad women.
And besides... Misato herself probably didn't know if she wanted to sleep with him or not.
However, just as he suspected, the moment he left, Misato let out a sigh of relief. Part of her scorned Ryuji for lacking nerve but thinking about his gentlemanly act also left her feeling strangely lost.
She didn't know why she had pretended to be drunk, why she had done it, and had even prepared herself to resist if Ryuji made a move.
But Ryuji hadn't laid a hand on her. Instead, he put a jacket over her. That confirmed it for her.
She had truly, through this bizarre experience, unconsciously come to rely on this man and developed feelings for him.
So, she stood up, draped in Ryuji's jacket, quickly walked over to where Ryuji was packing his things, and yelled out.
"Ryuji!"
"Hm?"
"You're a bastard!"
As she spoke, Misato threw herself into Ryuji's arms, pressed her lips against his, starting a French kiss.
Their tongues met. But just as Ryuji reached to grope Misato's butt, she spoke again.
"Sorry… I'm a bad woman too. Don't you dare forget me."
The instant she finished speaking, Misato's figure vanished.
Ryuji's hand met empty air. He couldn't help but be startled for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"This woman..."
The one you can't have is always the best.
Misato clearly knew that very well.
Feeling somewhat disappointed, Ryuji opened his Companions list, intending to find a woman to have a heart-to-heart talk with before going into the mission world. After all, he was somewhat sexually frustrated. Finding a woman to chat with and replenish his spirit before heading to the mission world would help him focus much better.
But when he opened his harem list, he found that Misato, who had only shared a kiss with him, had inexplicably appeared on it, even with a slight, smug smile on her face.
Ryuji instinctively wanted to cross over right then and give her a 'surprise,' but after a moment's thought, he decided against it.
"The EVA world is just too dangerous. So, forget it."
It could wait for later.
After all, there was a new world to explore right now!
~~~~~~~~~~
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