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Dan instinctively dove to the side of the fireplace.
BOOM——!!!
A violent explosion blasted a huge hole in the wall.
CLANG!
A flash of steel—someone blocked the incoming dagger.
Long, silky black hair, wearing a traditional Japanese kimono—A girl who looked like the perfect embodiment of the so-called Yamato Nadeshiko stood in front of Dan, glaring coldly at the man with blood-red hair across the room.
"How dare you attack someone I'm protecting right in front of me? You've got some nerve."
Lyra let out a soft grunt as she landed next to Dan and quickly helped him up, looking worried.
"You okay? I tried to control the amount of explosives I used."
"Cough cough... Relax, I'm not dead yet."
Dan coughed as he pushed himself off the ground, rubbing his sore arm, glancing at the now-dead fire in the fireplace.
Did... she just protect me? Or was that my imagination?
"Didn't I tell you guys to go get help...? I don't remember the Sly Rats being this reckless."
Dan looked anxiously at Kaguya, who now stood toe-to-toe with Vito.
Damn... This guy, Faceless Vito, might be a psycho who loves torturing people, but his strength is no joke.
In theory, Kaguya's level 3 should give her a chance against level 4 Vito. But this was the base of Evilus—backup would arrive any second, and they'd be swarmed. It wasn't looking good.
Lyra sighed in frustration, clearly annoyed with herself.
"I don't know... When I heard you were in danger, my body just moved before I could think..."
Dan shot her a side glance.
That's your excuse?
"Don't look at me like that. I don't know why either."
She twitched her ears, then stiffened as she heard footsteps echoing from the hallway. Taking a deep breath, she made a decision.
"We still need help. But this time... it's your turn to go."
Dan's eyes widened. He pointed to himself. "Huh?! You want me, someone who isn't even an adventurer, to go get help?!"
He seriously started wondering if this really was the famously smart little person from the Sly Rats.
But Lyra was deadly calm now. She ignored Dan's sarcasm and laid out the facts with a clear head.
"Can you still run? I've got to stay here and keep these grunts off that woman. She's already struggling just to hold off that bastard."
"We won't last long. If you can't bring reinforcements fast, you might as well plan our funerals."
"You've heard of our Familia, right? You should know where our base is."
Vito overheard Lyra and burst into laughter.
"Seriously?! You guys really are that bunch of delusional idiots, huh? Always scheming and dreaming big with your flashy ideals!"
"You actually expect him to escape past a circle of adventurers? That's hilarious! Hahahaha!"
"Even a bunch of fresh level 1s would be too much for a nobody like him to get past! That's just the truth of this world!"
Lyra ignored the mockery, staring silently at Dan.
"You... you'll figure it out, right?"
She knew how ridiculous it sounded. But she couldn't shake this voice in her head, urging her to trust him.
Dan's face twisted. He wanted to be cool and accept it without hesitation, but... come on, this was basically suicide.
"I..."
Ding~
Just then, that sweet system chime rang out at the perfect moment!
[A-Rank Wish has been issued.]
[Objective: Escape the Evilus's base and bring reinforcements for Lyra and Kaguya.]
[Failure: If more than 15 minutes pass, Lyra and Kaguya will die.]
[Reward: One ability from either Lyra or Kaguya, plus corresponding Wish Points.]
Dan skimmed through the message and nearly blacked out. He quickly shouted in his mind:
"Wait—where's my newbie package?!"
[Your starter pack will be based on the grade of your first mission.]
"Damn it... I'm in a crisis here! Just give me something! Like a loan or whatever!"
The system paused.
[Would you like to borrow 1,000 Wish Points to redeem one Wish Ticket?]
"Yes! Anything's fine as long as it helps—use it now!"
Dan took a deep breath, then looked into Lyra's trusting eyes and nodded firmly.
"I don't know why you believe in me... but leave it to me."
Lyra smiled slightly and yanked him by the collar, hurling him through the hole in the wall.
"Don't be late. I haven't had dinner yet~"
"Trying to run?!"Vito slammed a foot down and lunged to intercept, but Lyra's boomerang forced him to back off.
"Back off! You're fighting us!"
Vito snarled, then put on his usual twisted smirk.
"Fine then. Let those trash mobs do their job and bring me his head."
"Oh, I can't wait to see the despair on your faces... but first, let's play a little."
Lyra pulled out more explosives and took a deep breath.
"Sorry, Kaguya."
Kaguya scoffed.
"Don't flatter yourself. I just want to save that idiot too."
Lyra thought Kaguya was being tsundere. Little did she know... she was just being honest.
The two girls who usually fought over everything were finally on the same page—They both had the same gut feeling.
He must survive! Even if it costs our lives!
Tap tap tap—
"There he is!"
"Don't rush it. He won't get far!"
"Haha! Trying to escape from us adventurers? You're not the first, you know. Want to know what happened to your predecessors?"
A man with a longsword blocked Dan's path, licking his lips like a predator playing with his food.
Two more adventurers leapt down from the second floor, cutting off the alley behind him.
Dan stood up slowly, stretched out his stiff limbs, and muttered:
"I don't care. And I don't want to hear it."
The sword-wielding man froze, stunned.
What the hell?! Shouldn't this guy be crying and begging for his life right now?
[D-Rank Wish Ticket Activated!]
[Multiverse Wish has been broadcast. A suitable helper will be summoned to possess you and resolve the situation.]
Dan frowned slightly.
"Can't I specify who to summon?"
[This ticket can only reach D-rank individuals. Whether they respond is unknown. A price may be required later.]
[Would you like to attempt a targeted wish?]
"No, forget it."
The system couldn't force a summon? That was weird, but... oddly reassuring.
These weren't simulations—they were real worlds, with real people.
Dan looked at the sneering adventurer closing in.
"Alright then... Let's see who answers my call."
A vibrant shooting star—visible only to him—shot through the void of worlds and fell into someone's hand.
[Welcome to the Land Blessed by the Gods—]
Dan's eyes lit up.
What?! I hit the jackpot?!
A world with gods? Fate? Little Garden? Saint Seiya?!
[A brutal battlefield where countless warriors fight for survival—]
Yes! That sounds amazing!
Bring it on! Let's go! I'm gonna go back there and beat that bastard Vito into the ground!
Dan grinned, filled with growing confidence.
To the enemy, that grin looked like pure mockery.
"You damn insect! Even if I have to spare your life for Lady Valetta's sake, I can still cut off your limbs!"
The furious adventurer swung down his blade.
Thanks to the gods' blessing, even a level 1 adventurer's speed was way too fast for someone like Dan to dodge.
But—
Only Dan could see what came next.
The shooting star flew past countless powerful figures—And landed in the hands of a chestnut-haired girl.
Her eyes snapped open—sharp and focused.
In that instant, Dan's eyes flashed with fire, and he moved faster than the man could see, ducking under the swing.
"W-What?!"
Before the stunned man could react, Dan rushed in and slammed a punch into his gut.
"Urgh... GAHH...!!!"
The man collapsed, screaming and doubled over.
But Dan wasn't smiling. His expression grew tense.
Something's wrong.
Too weak.
No—compared to how I was, sure. This is night and day.
But for a world with gods and elite warriors? That punch should've obliterated a level 1 like him.
The strength in his body was real, but the attack had been stiff—purely stats, no technique.
It felt like... whoever answered the wish didn't know how to fight at all?
Wait, wasn't that world supposed to be a battlefield full of elite fighters?!
Dan's eyes twitched.
What the hell... who did I summon?!
System, get out here!
A girl's nervous voice echoed in his mind.
"M-Master... you really punched someone...? Is that... is that okay to do?"
Dan, even panicking, couldn't help but calm down a bit at the near-crying voice.
"Okay, look. You understand the situation now, right? Got any plans?"
Maybe she had a hidden side or a secret combat mode?
"U-Um... I'm no good at fighting... I just felt you needed help, so... I came..."
Dan froze.
Then quickly switched gears.
No, if she was the one summoned, then she must have a way to help. The system wouldn't lie about that.
"Alright, then. What are you good at?"
"M-Me...? I guess... I'm kind of good at running..."
A bolt of lightning struck Dan's brain.
He got it. He held back a sigh, and asked one last question.
"What's your name?"
"....."