Yami returned to the family residence, just as he was about to seek out Goddess Hephaestus for a heart-to-heart play. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, halting him in his tracks.
"Ding! The 'Fate World' has been successfully cleared. A new world is being drawn... The simulated world is being selected…"
"Ding! Congratulations, host! The world has been drawn and confirmed as the 'One Punch Man' world."
"The host can now draw an initial talent and prepare for traversal!"
The metallic voice of the system quickly faded.
Yami stopped in his tracks, a faint light flickering in his eyes.
"Has the selection for this world been completed?"
"Although it took longer than expected, I finally found a new simulated world!"
"However, 'One Punch Man'? Isn't that a bit too abstract?"
Yami's initial joy quickly gave way to concern.
The main issue was that this simulated world didn't excite him as much as he had imagined.
Sure, the combat system was impressive in some ways, but it wasn't what he needed.
If anything, it was the limiter in Saitama's body that intrigued him, but the abilities of the other characters were of little interest.
"But how does one progress in this world?"
"It seems like there's no real plot. All the enemies are defeated by Saitama in a single punch."
"Could the condition for the highest rating be defeating Saitama?"
The thought of facing the man who could split a planet with one punch made Yami's expression shift dramatically.
Fighting such a monster seemed impossible!
Even Boros, the leader of the space pirates and a god-level threat, couldn't stand against Saitama. Yami felt no confidence at all.
Despite his current strength, he felt like a mere gimmick in the face of Saitama.
"What a mess…"
"But since I've already been drawn into this world, there's no turning back. No matter how difficult, I have to move forward!"
"Come what may, I'll find a way. If I need to defeat Saitama, who says it has to be through combat? There are other ways to achieve victory."
"After all, isn't that what some S-rank heroes do?"
With this thought, hope rekindled in Yami's heart.
He took a deep breath and shook off his earlier unease.
He had planned to spend the night with Goddess Hephaestus, but now it seemed that plans had changed.
"I suppose I'll have to give it a try first."
With that, Yami paused and sat down on the bed.
"System, start the traversal simulation!"
"Ding! Command received. Initiating traversal simulation."
"Due to the unique nature of this world, the simulation cannot proceed as usual. Only a real-time traversal simulation is possible. Everything that happens during the simulation will become reality."
"Additionally, no new talents can be obtained in this simulation, and talent refresh is disabled."
"Ah… this…"
Yami's earlier joy vanished.
No new talents? Isn't this a death sentence?
The power in the world of One Punch Man wasn't something that could be easily acquired, and now without new talents, it felt like there was no hope.
This thankless simulated world was just too frustrating.
"I'd really like to reject this simulated world, but unfortunately, I can't."
"But it's not as bad as it seems. The system's changes were somewhat expected."
"Actually, I'm lucky it didn't happen in the first simulated world. It's a small blessing in disguise."
Forcing a smile, Yami tried to console himself.
What was once an endless game now felt like a single coin's worth of play. The drastic shift was truly disheartening.
But with his strength, it wasn't entirely hopeless.
"If it comes to it, I'll just bring her along…"
"Maybe I'll even bring Hestia too. With the help of two goddesses, I should be able to handle most crises."
"I just wonder who's stronger—divine beings or Saitama?"
Yami, who had never witnessed the might of a god, was both skeptical and curious.
Perhaps, during this real-time traversal, he'd discover the answer.
"Let's do this!"
With newfound determination, Yami stood up and quickly left the bedroom.
The simulated world wasn't going anywhere, so he needed to prepare thoroughly.
He was determined to achieve the highest rating possible. The rewards would be beyond imagination.
Based on his experiences in previous real-time simulations, there would undoubtedly be unexpected gains.
Perhaps, he might even gain power akin to Saitama's.
Yami could hardly imagine the boost he'd get if he could lift the limiter in his own body.
So, he was resolute in reaching the highest rating.
As Yami's plans began to take shape, far away from Orario, under the cold moonlight that blanketed the earth in a translucent white veil, a figure was struggling in a distant valley.
Her water-blue hair and once fair, beautiful face were now covered in dirt, giving her the appearance of an angel cast down from the heavens.
Despite her disheveled state, her holy aura remained unmistakable.
"How did it come to this?"
"It's all my fault. If I hadn't been reckless, the children wouldn't have died. It's all my fault."
The blue-haired figure murmured, trying to stand.
But she was too weak. All she could do was crawl along the ground, falling repeatedly with each attempt to rise.
Her once-holy figure became increasingly stained with filth.