Chapter 1: The game has begun.
Morofushi Sora'aki sat cross-legged, finished installing the sniper rifle beside him, and then adjusted the scope to a suitable angle.
He squinted one eye, making sure he could clearly see the abandoned rooftop through the sniper scope, then took a step back, glanced at the time, and realized he still had several hours of free time.
What is he going to do with this time? Morofushi Sora'aki was a little confused for a moment.
After thinking for a while, Morofushi Sora'aki took out his phone, deleted the picture and text analysis of disassembling and assembling a sniper rifle that he had just searched for, pulled up his hood to block the sunlight, and slowly yawned.
After all, he was still asleep before coming to this world. Although he automatically changed bodies when he appeared in this world, his physical condition was restored to full health, just like in a game.
His current body is that of an ordinary person with brown hair and brown eyes. He determined this appearance using the camera function on his phone.
This is the kind of face he wouldn't even bother to customize in a game; he'd basically forget about it when he passed by it—though he wouldn't forget it anyway.
The reason why he could change bodies and identities while sleeping was because he had been bound to a system a year ago.
The system calls itself the "Plot Maintenance System", and its task is simple: while he's sleeping, pull him to another world to "maintain the plot".
There are many more profound truths, such as the connection between his world and these other worlds, the fact that if these other worlds collapse, his world will also collapse, and the fragility of his world.
Morofushi Sora'aki didn't care about any of this, since rumors about the end of the world were everywhere. If the end of the world really came, it would just be that all the human accounts (or life accounts) in the world would be deleted.
The thought of an account being permanently banned in a game might make people hesitate, but if the servers are shut down, there's nothing that can be done, right?
Morofushi Sora'aki was very open-minded about this, so why did he agree? Simply because he found it very interesting.
Whether it's a system that suddenly appears in his mind or traveling to other worlds, he's quite interested in them all.
After binding with the system, he doesn't always end up in another world when he sleeps; so far, he's played it less than ten times.
The first world is a beginner's guide; you only need to give directions when someone asks for them.
The second world is about the same difficulty, but instead of asking for directions, you have to fight a curly-haired kid who looks less than 10 years old.
Morofushi Sora'aki held a grudge because he hadn't learned any fighting techniques and didn't know how to fight, so he got beaten up at the beginning. Although he passively learned some techniques after being punched several times, he was still very unhappy.
However, he still completed his mission, because the mission did not require him to win or lose; it simply required that he had participated in the fight.
After he finished hitting him, he heard other kids say that Curly was the child of a murderer, but he had already left by then, so he didn't know what was going on.
The reason for fighting with Curly was to stall Curly so that he could meet someone who would appear here later.
Morofushi Sora'aki didn't quite understand. What did such a trivial matter have to do with maintaining the world? Did these two people really have such a big difference in the future if they didn't meet today?
With this in mind, after returning to his own world, Morofushi Sora'aki rubbed his eyes and got out of bed to ask his older brother, who was practically an encyclopedia, for an explanation called the "butterfly effect".
So if that curly-haired guy hadn't met the other person, it might have really caused some terrible consequences.
The missions gradually increased in difficulty, but Morofushi Sora'aki noticed that he never spent more than a day on a mission in another world. However, this time was increasing as he continued.
For example, he only stayed for ten minutes when he first asked for directions, but he stayed for half an hour when they got into a fight the second time, and this time he needs to stay for five hours.
Perhaps when he grows up a bit more, he might need to stay in another world for a year or two.
Morofushi Sora'aki didn't mind this. The more difficult the game, the more valuable the strategy guide is, right?
This mission was neither particularly difficult nor easy for Morofushi Sora'aki.
According to the system's task, someone will appear on the abandoned rooftop at night, and Morofushi Sora'aki needs to ensure that the person dies on the spot.
The system task also had a small note saying that it was best not to be present at the scene or to do anything himself.
Morofushi Sora'aki still didn't understand this, but simply took it as a limitation of the game.
Since close-range attacks weren't working, they'd have to use ranged attacks. Morofushi Sora'aki retrieved a sniper rifle from the character's safe house (warehouse), found the best spot, searched for instructions on his phone, and installed it himself.
He might have a knack for installing this kind of firearm; he could learn it in just one glance.
Next, all that's left is to wait for that person to appear. After all, Morofushi Sora'aki doesn't know who the mission target is, so there's no way to prepare in advance.
Night fell quickly, and just as Morofushi Sora'aki was getting drowsy, there was finally some movement on the abandoned rooftop that the scope was aimed at.
Since this building is the only suitable one for surveillance and observation, and according to the system, the target is fleeing, they shouldn't realize that someone is lying in ambush here beforehand.
It was Morofushi Sora'aki's first time using a gun, and his eager excitement filled his mind. Then, in the next second, cold water was poured over his head.
Because the person he was aiming at through his scope had a face that was all too familiar to Morofushi Sora'aki.
Aside from having a bit more stubble and looking more mature, he looks exactly like his second older brother who is still in college... no, that person is Morofushi Hiromitsu.
He's just not his brother.
Morofushi Sora'aki's index finger remained on the trigger, not letting go. He was well aware of the difference between his world and others, so even if the other person had a familiar face, it was still not the real person, and Morofushi Sora'aki would never mistake his brother.
Through the scope, Morofushi Sora'aki saw another man appear, a man with long hair wearing a knitted hat.
Morofushi Sora'aki saw the argument between them, and his sniper rifle slowly shifted, aiming at the two figures that were almost overlapping.
This world is just a game to him; even if someone has the same face, they are not the person he knows.
Therefore, firing a shot at this moment was something he didn't need to hesitate about.
Morofushi Sora'aki's eyes narrowed slightly, ignoring the inexplicable dullness in his heart, and his finger slowly tightened on the trigger.
And then the next second...
[Bang!]
Gunshots rang out, and blood splattered.