Crackle, crackle.
The fire ignited the branches, emitting sharp popping sounds.
“Are you okay?” Xia Jia climbed up from beside Kuroneko and reached out a hand.
“Can you get up?”
“I-I’m fine…”
Kuroneko covered her ears; the roar of the explosion had left her eardrums throbbing.
On top of being startled out of her wits by the Minotaur—it felt like playing a horror game and getting suddenly ganked by a camper—there was something even more significant happening…
This guy actually pushed me down just now!
As a lonely girl with absolutely no friends, someone who even had to invent a non-existent friend just to have someone to call, Kuroneko’s experiences today felt like a fantasy.
First, she went on an outing with a male who had seen her bare, then they encountered monsters, and in the end, she was saved by a hero…
This kind of treatment has already completely exceeded the level of just being ‘friends’!
“Hmph, it’s all because this game is way too realistic!”
“What?”
Xia Jia scratched his head and gave a bitter, knowing smile: “Like I said, it’s a real world, right?
But I didn’t expect you to summon the courage to save me in the end.
That was truly amazing.”
Just please don’t throw grenades right at the start next time; I thought I was going to die.
Xia Jia didn’t dare say the second half of that sentence.
Kuroneko rolled her eyes and said with feigned smugness: “Hmph, hmph.
It’s just a game, after all.
Minotaurs are nothing but small fry—they aren’t even the kind of monsters that appear on a quest sheet!”
Goblins and Minotaurs were common enough in games, so she could handle them.
If it were something like a Great Old One, Kuroneko definitely wouldn’t have the courage to fight.
So…
be grateful for the game’s special filter, classmate Kuroneko.
“Yes, yes.” Xia Jia looked at the “Tomato Cat” Gokou Ruri.
He took a towel and a canteen from his adventurer’s backpack and handed them to her: “Here, wipe your face.
It’s covered in blood; it must feel uncomfortable being all sticky.”
Kuroneko didn’t take the towel.
Her gaze fell on Xia Jia’s arm, and she asked worriedly: “Your arm, is it alright?”
Xia Jia’s palm was flushed bright red with a large blood blister, and the armor at his wrist was dented and pressing into his skin.
His entire arm looked swollen, clearly due to internal bleeding.
Xia Jia was stunned for a second, then looked down: “It’s no surprise.
To be hit head-on by a monster like that, and then to keep punching it for half an hour…
getting away with only this much injury counts as lucky.”
“Does it hurt?”
“It’s alright…”
As the adrenaline wore off, Xia Jia felt waves of pain drilling into him, and he felt a sense of fatigue setting in.
It must be due to the ‘Durability’ stat.
Even though the injury is severe, it’s not hindering my movement at all.
Handing the cloth to Kuroneko, Xia Jia returned to the battlefield to collect his loot.
The Minotaur had dropped a white horn, a palm-sized Magic Stone, and a stone axe.
Beyond that, there were over 20 shards of Goblin Magic Stones.
They were all very small, so it seemed they wouldn’t fetch much of a price.
But these were the proof of completing the quest and had to be turned into the Guild.
“Minotaurs are elite monsters that are considered difficult to deal with even for Level 2s,” Xia Jia explained while packing up the spoils and handing them to Kuroneko.
“Keep these.
Afterward, we’ll head to the Guild to turn in the quest, and while we’re at it, we can sell the drops to get our pay.”
“It’s a bit strange, though.
How could a monster like a Minotaur appear here?”
“Whatever, doesn’t matter…”
Xia Jia paused, then narrowed his eyes again, showing a gentle smile: “So, how did your first battle feel?”
Kuroneko was startled, then realized she still had a job to do!
She thought about it seriously and said:
“Overall, it was quite thrilling.
I was scared at the beginning, but once I recognized this as a game, I was able to adapt quickly.
Players like that Thunderbolt Hammer user, for instance—she probably wouldn’t have been scared at all.”
Kuroneko mimicked Tousaka’s tone: “Puny Minotaur death!
Eat my Thunderbolt Whirlwind death!”
“And then she’d just rush straight in…”
The corner of Xia Jia’s mouth twitched: “Wow, that was a truly uncanny impression.”
Kuroneko’s expression grew gloomy as she continued: “The level of gore is way too realistic.
If the monsters hadn’t turned into ash at the end, I think I would have actually thrown up.”
Haha…
Xia Jia gave a dry laugh.
As I thought…
for a middle schooler who hasn’t even killed a shrimp, this level of violence was probably too much.
Fortunately, judging by Kuroneko’s state, she seemed to have adapted quickly.
Is it because she’s used to cooking and preparing ingredients?
Xia Jia carefully recorded the user feedback, hoping to improve in these areas later.
Perhaps he could find a way to change the “summoned objects'” level of cognitive realism…
The crucial issue, however, was the pain.
Was there a way to degrade the summoning magic so the players’ senses weren’t so vivid, or perhaps develop a potion that could completely block pain receptors?
In any case, this wasn’t something Xia Jia could pull off at this stage.
Pain was, in some ways, a human defense mechanism, and it was tied to the sense of touch, so it was a difficult problem…
Although Xia Jia recruited “players” in the Multi-Anime world under the guise of a game, he had no intention of keeping things hidden from others.
He used the game as a cover to guard against “mysterious” existences in other worlds.
For instance, the Evil God D, who was also recruiting heroes for her own amusement.
It wasn’t yet confirmed if she existed, but there was another who always seemed to manifest presence in subtle ways.
Haruhi Suzumiya. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Although Xia Jia hadn’t met her in person, according to the story of In/Spectre, Kotoko Iwanaga had encountered the “Steel Lady Nanase,” an immortal monster born from nothing but rumors.
Because so many people believed it existed, it truly manifested into a murderous ghost.
In other words, if the influence grew great enough, and she happened to hear about it and decided the world should have such things, they would then exist.
Just as she firmly believed in the existence of people from other worlds, future people, and aliens—and subsequently, those people appeared by her side.
Xia Jia couldn’t guarantee that if he exposed the existence of other worlds, it wouldn’t actually open a portal in Akihabara, or result in monsters invading reality.
Thus, he chose to run this as a game.
If no one dug deeper, perhaps he would just continue under this pretext.
He didn’t want to turn the surface-level stability of the daily world into a mess because of himself.
That didn’t fit with the crest of justice he carried on his back.
Though, my faith is in the “Great Old Ones,” so that doesn’t really matter.
Returning to the present…
A short while later, Kuroneko finished cleaning off the gore.
Xia Jia smiled lightly: “Let’s go.
We should head back.
We don’t have much time left for testing.”
Having used magic once during the battle, Xia Jia was already feeling drowsy—a precursor to mental exhaustion.
However, after walking a few steps, he noticed Kuroneko wasn’t following.
“What’s wrong?”
Kuroneko stammered.
“Oh, we don’t have money for a carriage, so…
shall we call it a day here?” Xia Jia slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering he was penniless and would have to run back.
He felt a bit crestfallen.
In truth, he had hoped Kuroneko would return with him; he wanted to share the first income he earned in this other world with someone.
“I’ll teach you how to log off…”
“Wait.” Kuroneko awkwardly interrupted him, stuttering: “I want to go back to the town first.
I participated in the battle too, so…
I want to claim my reward before I leave.”
“Then…”
Xia Jia looked at Kuroneko, who was still standing motionless, and slowly raised an eyebrow.
Could you hurry up and walk?
“I, I can’t walk anymore…” Kuroneko tugged at the corner of her hemp shirt, looking slightly awkward.
She had been terrified earlier, and then she had desperately swung that 20-pound stone axe around.
Now that the adrenaline had faded, her legs felt soft and lacked the strength to carry her.
It was a classic stress reaction after a tightly wound spring finally relaxed.
Xia Jia thought for a moment, then turned his back to Kuroneko and squatted down.
“W-what are you doing?!” Kuroneko gasped in surprise.
“Hop on.
I’ll carry you.”
“Nani?” Kuroneko pulled her hands back.
Xia Jia’s eyes curved into a gentle smile: “Ah, it’s my fault for not preparing enough money for the carriage, and it’s also my responsibility that you ran into a Minotaur.
So, as an apology, it’s only logical that I take you back.”
“Ugh.” Kuroneko fidgeted, her face blushing.
She carefully glanced at Xia Jia’s back before slowly climbing on.
Under the dappled shade of the trees, Kuroneko watched Xia Jia use his swollen arms to support her thighs, and she felt a small pang of guilt.
“Baka…”
She whispered, burying her head into Xia Jia’s shoulder.
The smell of sweat and dried blood wasn’t exactly pleasant, but unexpectedly, it was mixed with a scent of reassurance.
It’s just a game, after all…
Kuroneko hypnotized herself in her mind.
But still…
if we’ve gone this far, we should count as friends, right?
As for whether he can become a ‘descendant of darkness’ and sign a contract with me…
that depends on whether he can pass the devil’s trial.
A short while later, Xia Jia carried Kuroneko out of the forest and onto the main road.
Seeing Kuroneko wasn’t saying a word…
“Hmm, this part is fine now.”
“Hmm?” Kuroneko was confused.
“Time is tight.
My magic power is nearly exhausted, and the magic connecting to the ‘Invisible Boundary Line’ is about to be interrupted!” Xia Jia explained.
“So, we need to accelerate.”
“Eh?”
Before Kuroneko could recover from the suggestive atmosphere, she felt her body lurch backward, and the scenery around them began to blur as they moved at incredible speed.
“Wh-what are you doing, aaaaaaah!!!”
“Extra experience!
Hold on tight, the Human Transport Ship—’Xia Jia’ is about to accelerate!!!”
“What even is that!!!
Baka!
I’m going to fall off!”
“Hahaha!”
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught “Equilibrium”?
l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I’m a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 165)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh!
— Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter220)
“Is this chat group even serious?” (Chapter125)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal!
(This matter is completely finished.) You are reading on novelping.com, the official source.
Can Playing Games Save the World?
65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I’m Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 220
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 185
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 248
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 230
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 125
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 145
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 115
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 110
My Harem Is Indescribable 100
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 105
“I’m just a Valkyrie passing through.” 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 80
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 85
What Should I Do After Switchi – Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 78
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon?
55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 80
Checking In in Demon Slayer 85
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 100
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 85
My Best Friend Into a Slime?
80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 90
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero?
75
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 85
Why did they assign me to Uma 75
MYGO Beauties 70
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 75
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 80
Honkai’s Otherworld?
Wait—Who Are You People?!
100
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 60
The Uma Musume Who Became 60
I’m Definitely Not the King of 80
After Maxing Out Every Class 80
Naruto: I’m Konoha’s Local Men 44
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 57
I, the Elden Sword Saint 50
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 43
No One Knows Pokémon Better 50
I, Sakazuki, Won’t Go Down Tha 45
From Trilobites to Titans 45
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 55
DanMachi:
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught “Equilibrium”?
l (Chapter 80) Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178) Zenless Zone Zero: I’m a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 165)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 ) TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110) Yu-Gi-Oh!
— Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter220) “Is this chat group even serious?” (Chapter125) I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal!
(This matter is completely finished.) Can Playing Games Save the World?
65 Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77 From Junkman to Wasteland 66 Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31 I’m Grinding Proficiency Like 46 From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 220 Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42 Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65 Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 185 From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20 The Way the Umamusume Look at 68 Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 248 Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65 Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76 Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66 My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65 Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 230 Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154 I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40 The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 125 Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67 Uma Musume: From Beginner 145 Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85 Uma Musume: I Want All 120 I Can Copy Unique Skills 115 Summoning an Evil God, but the 75 Supernatural Multiverse 110 My Harem Is Indescribable 100 Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 105 “I’m just a Valkyrie passing through.” 67 Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105 Still playing traditional Honk 80 The Most Filial Son Under Heav 85 What Should I Do After Switchi – Volume2/3 Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 78 Hell-Difficulty Dungeon?
55 Transmigrated as Sukuna 80 Checking In in Demon Slayer 85 The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 100 I Refuse to Become a Heroic 85 My Best Friend Into a Slime?
80 A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 90 What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero?
75 Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 85 Why did they assign me to Uma 75 MYGO Beauties 70 DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 75 The Gacha Merchant Who Started 80 Honkai’s Otherworld?
Wait—Who Are You People?!
100 Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 60 The Uma Musume Who Became 60 I’m Definitely Not the King of 80 After Maxing Out Every Class 80 Naruto: I’m Konoha’s Local Men 44 Honkai: World Modulation Mode 57 I, the Elden Sword Saint 50 Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 43 No One Knows Pokémon Better 50 I, Sakazuki, Won’t Go Down Tha 45 From Trilobites to Titans 45 Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 55 DanMachi: