Chapter 179: Echidna's Personally Squeezed Tea, It Tastes Wonderful!
This world, for Ren, was extremely boring.
It was a world that lacked everything. The air was thick with the smell of coal, iron, and fear. The technology, save for the impressive Kōtetsujō (Armored Train), was primitive and backward.
He had no interest in staying in the crude, soot-stained buildings of Aragane Station. He simply used a small fraction of the power of faith he'd accumulated to perfectly replicate a house based on his own home, placing it in a quiet, secluded area of the station.
He was far too lazy to live in other people's rooms.
With a thought, he called out Echidna.
She materialized before him, a graceful smile on her face. "Master, do you have any instructions?"
Her silver-white hair seemed to glow in the dim room. After scanning the new surroundings, her curious gaze landed on Mumei, Yomogawa Ayame, and Horobi, who were sitting nervously on the sofa. Echidna's gaze lingered on Mumei and Horobi for a moment, her eyes glinting with analytical curiosity. Kabaneri... interesting.
She chuckled, her voice light and suggestive. "Does Master wish for me to serve you now? And... perhaps with these new ladies as well?"
"Serve...?"
Except for Mumei, who tilted her head in confusion, Yomogawa Ayame and Horobi were people truly living in this era; they clearly understood the debased meaning of such "service" when offered by a woman to a powerful lord.
Yomogawa Ayame immediately lowered her head, her face flushing a deep, flustered red.
A strange, complex look flashed in Horobi's eyes.
Ren sighed inwardly, hearing her thoughts. "You really are good at role-playing, Echidna."
Echidna blinked, replying in his mind with a teasing lilt, "Not even a fraction as good as your beloved Pandora, I'm sure."
Pandora… that's true, Ren conceded. If he didn't actively control Pandora's thoughts, he would never be able to distinguish if her adoration was sincere or just a perfect, flawless act.
Ren didn't waste words. He tapped the new table beside him. "I'm a bit thirsty."
This was a hint, and Echidna, the Witch of Greed, instantly understood. A sly smile played on her lips as she casually took out a cup of steaming tea, her infamous "dona tea."
[Inorin's Note: "Dona Tea" is a reference from Re:Zero. It is tea made from Echidna's own bodily fluids.]
She even spoke sweetly, offering it to him. "Master, if you like it, you can drink it freshly made."
"..."
Freshly made "dona tea"... Ren knew full well that "tea" was her own bodily fluid. That, too, was a blatant hint.
Ren looked her over, her smile full of curious invitation, and felt a little tempted.
But he didn't do anything on the spot. Instead, he took the cup, took a light sip of the "tea," and praised, "It tastes very good. I will... 'taste' the freshly made one tonight."
"You must be very curious, right?" Ren noted, seeing her eager expression. "Seeing how eager you are, I can satisfy your curiosity."
Echidna's eyes brightened; everything she did was for this!
The moment she appeared, she realized this was yet another completely different world. And among the three people in front of her, two—Mumei and Horobi—were strange, fascinating beings. Neither fully human, nor fully non-human, a unique fusion.
Curiosity! Curiosity! Still more curiosity!
Her unquenchable thirst for knowledge was gushing forth, a desire so intense it was almost orgasmic.
"Go," Ren said, waving a hand. "You can explore this world freely, just don't harm humans. That's all."
"Thank you, my Master!"
Having received Ren's approval, Echidna excitedly leaned in, planted a quick, wet kiss on Ren's lips, and then rushed out of the room, eager to begin her research.
Touching his lips, Ren gave a wry smile. That witch really would do anything for new knowledge.
He then looked at Mumei and the other two girls, who looked thoroughly bewildered by the exchange.
Having nothing else to do, he used a shielded, private communication method to thoroughly explain the existence and various functions of the Doomsday Chat Group to Mumei, who had just joined.
Horobi and Yomogawa Ayame only saw the two of them sitting, with Ren occasionally speaking, but mostly... Mumei just sat there, opening her mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out.
Mumei's expression changed rapidly.
Sometimes confused. Sometimes shocked. Sometimes horrified. Sometimes, a flicker of despair.
After a long while, they finally heard a sound.
Ren finally said, "That's roughly it."
"..."
Mumei fell into a deep, silent contemplation.
Knowing that she was just a pawn, that her "Brother" was a lie and her entire life's purpose was a manipulation, Mumei believed her existence was meaningless. She had thoughts of seeking death, of just letting the Kabane take her.
But after Ren's explanation, she understood the meaning of the Doomsday Chat Group. A group connecting countless worlds, all facing their end.
Perhaps her, chosen by this group, also had a new meaning to her existence.
Ren leisurely drank the rest of his... "tea."
Dealing with a young girl whose mind was not yet mature, and whose entire worldview had just been shattered, was easy for him.
In just a few words, he guided Mumei's thoughts in a new direction, giving her a new potential purpose beyond simple revenge or despair.
Mumei began to feel that her existence could have meaning again.
Her desire to die, which had been gnawing at her, gradually faded away in her thoughts.
Saving a misguided girl, Ren thought. It's another day of helping others.
...
In the evening, as the smoky sky began to darken.
Seitenshi, Mikasa, and Vivi were very surprised to see the suddenly appearing, clean, and modern Japanese house when they returned from their mission.
After hearing Ren's simple introduction, their surprise lessened.
If he could even stop time, what was creating a house? What else was there to be surprised about?
The three seemed to have had good gains.
Time across the entire world was moving extremely slowly, like a snail, giving them all the time in the world.
Even Mikasa, an ordinary (though peak) human capable of killing Titans, had enough time to leisurely and safely dispatch hundreds of Kabane, her blades flashing.
Not to mention Seitenshi, who, with her angelic body, was a whirlwind of purifying light, or Vivi, who possessed Wood Release, which was devastating against the Kabane hordes.
"Grumble!"
A sudden, loud sound drew everyone's attention.
Mikasa's usually calm, expressionless face was suddenly tinged with a slight, embarrassed flush.
"Hungry?" Ren realized, smiling.
"Mm." Mikasa nodded lightly, her stomach betraying her.
"Lord Ren, do you need me to prepare food?" Yomogawa Ayame asked, rising to her feet.
"No need."
Ren waved his hand, and in an instant, the table was filled with various steaming, delicious foods.
"!!!"
Mikasa's eyes lit up, shining brighter than when she was fighting!
Yomogawa Ayame, Mumei, and Horobi also couldn't take their eyes off the dishes; those were exquisite foods they had never even seen before, emitting aromas that made their mouths water.
Ren smiled slightly. "Eat."
"Okay!"
With a crisp response, Mikasa had already started eating, completely unceremonious.
Her eating habits were far from ladylike. She was, at her core, also a foodie very similar to Akame.
...
Saiki Kusuo had not returned.
Ren wasn't worried about him at all. Saiki Kusuo, with his limiter removed, would definitely not starve or freeze to death.
He also had the superpower to restore his body to how it was a day before, effectively granting him perfect stamina.
He was probably so active—likely having already cleared out several stations' worth of Kabane—because he learned that points might allow him to fully master his superpowers.
After all, those uncontrollable superpowers had been his biggest obstacle to living a normal, ordinary life since childhood.
Ren had no problem creating rooms for people to stay in. He replicated his home's layout one-to-one.
He and Seitenshi would sleep in the master bedroom.
Mikasa and Vivi shared a secondary bedroom.
Yomogawa Ayame, Mumei, and Horobi shared another one.
Later that night, in Ren's room.
Echidna suddenly appeared, her form walking through the wall, which startled Ren for a moment.
Echidna's excited, greedy expression from before she left had now transformed into a serene, satisfied look of knowing everything.
She had, in just a few hours, thoroughly researched this world's culture, its primitive technology, the Armored Train, the Kabane, the Kabaneri, and more.
It could be said that she truly understood everything.
Having understood everything about this world, there was naturally nothing left to be curious about.
...Until her gaze fell upon Ren.
A new, potent thirst for knowledge emerged, a predatory curiosity spilling from her eyes.
Ren slightly raised his eyebrows. "I can't pretend not to see that thirst for knowledge of yours."
Next, he was going to do as he said before.
He would personally make a cup of "dona tea" to drink.
...
"What is this for?"
In the adjacent room, Mumei pointed curiously at the wall, which was emitting strange, rhythmic sounds.
Yomogawa Ayame lowered her head, her face bright red, utterly silent.
Horobi didn't know how to explain the muffled gasps and wet, slapping sounds to the innocent Mumei. She only said, "Rest. They might be... training."
"Mm." The innocent Mumei believed it.
...
The next day, according to normal time.
The re-energized Mumei, her mind set on her new purpose, also actively joined the mission to slaughter Kabane.
Only Ren, Yomogawa Ayame, and Horobi remained in the house.
Ren was chatting alone in his room.
[March 7th: "The demonic cultivators are all gone, hasn't your Doom Companion mission ended yet?"]
[Ren: "Mm, I did a small experiment about time. I'll stay a bit longer."]
[Ren: "Saiki Kusuo, is everything alright on your end?"]
[Saiki Kusuo: "No problems."]
[Ren: "That's good then."]
[Kiana: "Esdeath! Let's fight again!"]
[Esdeath: "Do you want revenge? Then come."]
[Kiana: "Hmph, this time I won't lose."]
[Aqua: "Ooh! Real-life combat!"]
[Silver Wolf: "How can we watch if no one starts the live stream? First-person perspective completely lacks the fun of real-life combat."]
[Ren: "Indeed, it would be great if the Chat Group's Apocalypse Battlefield could automatically enable live streaming."]
[Aqua: "The Chat Group doesn't even have a channel for suggestions, how could it listen?"]
[Ding! Detecting the wishes of most group members, Apocalypse Battlefield's automatic live streaming function has been enabled!]
[Aqua: "???"]
[Ren: "Oh-ho. Didn't it just listen?"]
[Exusiai: "Ah, could this be Ren-kun's administrator privilege again?"]
[Ren: "Who knows."]
Upon closer thought, his administrator role indeed had privileges.
For example, the item levels he drew from the roulette were mostly high.
For example, only he could freely view the Chat Group function descriptions.
For example, he himself was always present in every Doom Companion mission.
Perhaps, making suggestions was also a hidden privilege of the administrator.
[Ding! Apocalypse Battlefield live stream has begun!]
[Ren has entered the live stream room!]
...
As before, it was an endless grassland battlefield.
"You have indeed grown stronger."
Esdeath grinned, her blue eyes alight with battle-lust, looking at Kiana as if she saw delicious prey.
"Of course."
Kiana stood proudly with her hands on her hips, and the golden Sword of Damocles appeared in the sky, a visible manifestation of her King authority.
Esdeath, just like last time, attacked first, shooting out hundreds of razor-sharp ice lances.
But this time, the ice lances failed to pierce Kiana.
Kiana spread her arms and ascended into mid-air, a smug grin on her face.
The incoming ice lances were swallowed by dark, void-like cracks that appeared one by one in the air before her.
With a smirk, Kiana said excitedly, "This time, I won't be caught without a fight!"
Clap!
She snapped her right fingers with a crisp sound.
Hundreds of dark spatial cracks opened in the air behind Esdeath.
Immediately after, the ice lances previously swallowed by the spatial cracks shot out, attacking Esdeath from above and behind—in reverse.
Being attacked by her own attacks.
Esdeath remained calm, her battle sense elite. She instead revealed an even more excited fighting spirit.
"Let's have a serious battle!"
A hundred-meter-tall ice mountain rose from the ground, blocking the surprise attack. Esdeath was getting serious.
[Inorin Note:
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I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]