[Dimensional Scissors.
Type: Item (Unique).
Description: There is no place without an entrance or exit as long as you have these scissors, you only need to know what lies beyond the door.
Effect: Opens portals to any place you know simply by thinking about it. Ignores any kind of barrier or distance regardless of level.
Note: These scissors do not open any kind of path or break through barriers, they simply ignore them completely.
Item with unlimited uses, but not indestructible.]
[You know, this is insane.] Even the system was impressed by the effect the scissors had gained during his journey.
"Are they really that amazing?"
[I think you're underestimating the importance of "any place." That means you can teleport between different planes, like traveling from here to Gaia or even to Earth without depending on the Gaia System at all. You can even go to dead universes thanks to this. Best of all, not only can you go yourself, you can also open a portal for other people to travel through.]
"...When you put it that way, they really do seem incredible."
Kaito thought about the possibilities.
From going to already destroyed universes to kill the creatures he had seen before in Deviluke, to leaving Gaia altogether and going to Earth, allowing him to ignore the rules of only two system abilities or the 5% stat limit. Not just for himself, but also for all of his subordinates and acquaintances.
He could even, if he wanted to, travel to other active simulations he had not yet visited, relying only on his memories of them.
[Although that would definitely be provoking the tiger. I don't recommend doing that until you're at least strong enough to destroy a solar system.]
"You're right." Kaito agreed. "Besides, if I don't go there while the mission is active, I won't get any rewards, so there wouldn't be much point."
"But speaking of planes, these will be useful for this mission."
Kaito muttered as he reread the description of the current mission.
[World of Infinite Resources
Description: A world made of cubes where resources are infinite. A place where one tree can give life to many more, where planting one potato gives you more potatoes, where two blocks of water can become an infinite water source, and where resources take no more than a few days to grow back and replenish.
In this infinite world where you can create anything, you must discover for yourself what to do, then do it faster than everyone else.
Mission: This world contains a hidden mission. You will be given time to explore the world and discover what it is and how to complete it.
After that, you may activate a timer. You must complete the mission in the shortest possible time. You may reset the timer and try again as many times as necessary before claiming the reward.
Whoever achieves the lowest time will receive the best reward.]
"That's pretty easy, huh? Basically they want me to do a Minecraft speedrun."
In Minecraft, you have to carry out a series of progressive actions that consist of gathering materials that allow you to obtain others, which in turn let you reach new places with new materials. The process repeats until you finally reach the End dimension and kill the dragon, completing the game.
And a speedrun is basically completing that entire process in the shortest possible time. However, as long as you kill the Ender Dragon at the end and the credits appear, it counts as beating the game, so speedrunners naturally look for ways to skip as many steps as possible.
"Then start the timer." Kaito started it immediately since he already knew how to beat Minecraft.
[Starting timer in 3...2...1.]
[Current time: 00:00:00.001]
The moment the timer started, Kaito moved. He used the scissors already in his hand and quickly opened a portal.
He stepped through it instantly, appearing in the End, a dimension with black skies filled with tall, slender creatures capable of teleporting.
There was no continuous land here, only giant islands made of a whitish material. At the center of the largest one stood ten obsidian pillars surrounding a structure resembling an empty fountain.
Flying around that structure was a massive dark purple black dragon that seemed to be made of obsidian as well, using the crystals atop each pillar to regenerate its health.
Kaito appeared directly in the sky and dropped with all his strength, striking the dragon in the neck with a kick.
[Current time: 00:00:00.002]
Before it could regenerate, the dragon had already lost all of its health, rendering the crystals it used to heal completely useless as it disappeared into rays of light and green experience orbs.
The moment it died, the fountain-like structure below activated, transforming the empty space within into a portal that Kaito immediately stepped through.
[Run completed.]
[Current time: 0.00243 seconds.]
[Would you like to repeat the run or claim the reward for your current ranking position?
Warning: Your ranking position will not be revealed until after you claim your reward.]
"Eight and a half seconds, huh?" Kaito muttered, looking at how long it had taken from his own perspective. "What a shame. If the portals opened faster it could've been even less."
"Are you blaming me?" a voice inside him complained.
"Heekapoo? You haven't spoken in a while." Kaito said in surprise.
"I was going through all your memories. You've got some really interesting things in here. But I'll continue later, what you're doing now interests me more."
"I see."
After talking with Heekapoo and deciding not to repeat the run, Kaito looked at the system notification.
"Repeat it? Of course not." He smiled in amusement. "You won't tell me my ranking? As if I couldn't guess it."
[You chose to finish the mission. Displaying ranking position.]
[Number 1: Lucifer - 0.00243 seconds.]
[Based on your ranking position, your performance, your time, and your attempts, your mission has been evaluated.]
[Congratulations! You completed the mission: World of Infinite Resources with an SS rating.
Rewards:
• World of Infinite Resources Medal with Tier 2 Authority.
• 10,000 Synchronization Points.]
[You completed a delayed mission. You may choose to leave the Tower of Worlds or proceed to the waiting area for the next mission.]
Seeing his rating, Kaito was surprised for a moment. Apparently, simply doing the normal objective wasn't enough for an SSS. Then again, when he thought about it, Kaito had no idea what else he could have done.
For a moment he thought about the Wither, another untouchable monster from the game, but quickly dismissed the idea. The purpose of killing the Wither is basically to obtain an item that lets you mine faster. In other words, it's a support item.
While thinking of possibilities, one came to mind.
Herobrine. A mob that is merely a legend in the game and doesn't actually exist. The closest thing to confirming its existence is a message from the company behind the game. Among the patch notes for one update was a line.
Herobrine has been removed from the game.
Nothing more than a joke from the developers, but perhaps in this world he was real.
Kaito only considered that possibility for a second among many others, but he possessed multiple mental abilities that enhanced his instincts, and those instincts told him that was the answer.
However, Kaito had no idea how to find Herobrine. Maybe if Lala were here she could somehow hack the world since it was technically a game. But alone, he had no way.
With a regretful sigh, Kaito chose the second option, heading to the waiting room for the next world, and once there he examined his rewards.
"Just one medal? I hope it's worth it." He said, somewhat disappointed.
[World of Infinite Resources Medal
Type: Medal.
Authority Tier: 2
Description: Along the long road of a Lord, you will conquer countless territories. Eventually resources will become a problem, at least...for everyone else. Gain access to a world of infinite resources at your disposal.
Effect: Place the medal inside an empty Space Tower and open a special dungeon based on the World of Infinite Resources, which you may access at any time.
Note: This medal possesses a unique hidden effect that makes it special. However, this unique hidden effect may be monopolized by someone with a Tier 1 medal.]
'Amazing, this is literally infinite resources at my disposal. Even though I still don't know what an empty Space Tower is, I'll get one somehow later.' After nodding in satisfaction at the reward, Kaito looked at the note and made a rather risky guess.
'This medal. It'll be used later to resurrect this world and place it under my control?'
[...] The system remained silent for a second before replying.
[You know how this works, I can't answer that. But if I could, and if you were right, I'd like to complain by saying something like...
Could you stop guessing everything?]
"Thanks for the confirmation." Kaito smiled. "Well, ever since I learned about the plans of the administrators behind the Gaia System, I've treated most things related to it as if they were part of a larger plot.
Guessing something at random seems difficult, but based on fragments of the story, this medal is basically incredible foreshadowing, so it's easy to understand its purpose with the information I already have.
Those with a Tier 2 medal will probably have to fight each other to obtain that world, but if someone with a Tier 1 medal appears, they'll get it without much trouble."
[I see, you're right. Although it really isn't their fault. Think about it, the administrators are only one level below the creators, the people from your previous world. If you were one of them, and you were, would you give someone who already has the power to manage every universe even more power? Of course not.
So the administrators can't create anything truly original. Everything they make is based on information from countless worlds, which is why it can seem so...cliché.]
"So we're basically inside one giant fanfic then?" Kaito realized.
[A fanfic. I feel like that's actually a pretty good description for some reason.]
"So are you done talking to the invisible screen? Let's head to the next world already." Heekapoo complained from inside him.
"You can't see it?"
"I can, but I assure you nobody else here can." Heekapoo said.
Kaito looked around and noticed several people staring at him as if he were crazy. Whether it was Heekapoo or the system, they couldn't see either of them, so it made sense that he looked insane talking to himself.
Of course, everyone had their own system, so they understood what was happening, but that didn't change the fact that speaking to it out loud, no matter how quietly, instead of in his mind, was still strange.
"Alright then, next mission." Kaito decided to ignore them and moved on to the next mission.
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+15 chapters in advance on Patreon.
p-atreon.com/IAMME26
(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)