"This is difficult..."
The three top candidates he'd selected all rejected him, and even the second-tier ones didn't respond. He was already mentally exhausted, and it was clear the magic maintaining the "hole" was about to run out. Seeing that several people hadn't replied due to time zone differences, Shaka was still torn, though only about one thing: people like Ran Mouri and Kuroko had their own lives and couldn't dedicate much time to "games."
Of everyone, he'd held the most hope for Yuki. This genius girl, who'd later be known as the Absolute Sword in ALO, definitely had plenty of time right now. Only...
"That child hasn't been online for a month. Is her health deteriorating again?" Shaka asked with concern. If it were her, maybe he could help her too.
Just as he was about to collapse from exhaustion,eyelids drooping, on the verge of fainting, his phone pinged with a message.
[Thunder Hammer User: "Master! I... I, your most loyal Servant, Sanae Dekomori, request to go into battle!"]
Aren't you the Servant of the Evil King's True Eye? Betraying the revolution already?
He complained internally, but his fingers moved quickly:
[Shaka: "Roar! This is a precious ticket to the Impenetrable Boundary only the strong can possess it."]
[Thunder Hammer User: "I beg you, junior! Can you feel it? The power of our bond!"]
Along with the message came a photo of her with a bright forehead and waving twin ponytails. Wow, do people actually use themselves as memes...?
Dekomori was Shaka's senior, one year older, currently a third-year junior high student. A true senior. Only...
"Is it really a good idea to give the first spot to such an idiot?" Shaka hesitated.
Sensing the portal growing increasingly unstable, he typed quickly: "It's late. I'll ask the 'company' for details tomorrow and let you know."
[Thunder Hammer User: "GJ! Please, Gate Master God!"]
She followed with a tongue-out and thumbs-up emoji. Typical they only respect me when they need something.
Shaka looked at the last message, muttered the complaint, then loosened his grip. The phone slipped and smacked him in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Night.
Shaka was pulled up by Cecil.
"You're either sleeping or on your way to sleep. Do you really think you can beat me like this? You might as well just admit defeat."
The girl accused him arrogantly of being lazy.
"How could that be? I've been working hard to recruit members. But how's it going for you?" Shaka yawned.
"Hmph. I'm just doing preliminary work too." Cecil crossed her arms and boasted. "I'm not like some people who make others pass a test to join the familia." "I don't want trash like you tarnishing Lady Astraea's name."
Yes, yes.
Shaka got up, grabbed his phone, and pushed open the door. Like Cecil, he was an Astraea fan, just in a different way.
"Oh, right."
At the door, he turned around. "There's something I need your help with."
Upon hearing this, Cecil's hair stood on end, and a smile crept onto her face involuntarily.
"What? Have you finally decided to admit defeat and beg Big Sister Cecil for help?"
You're not that old... Shaka gave her a disdainful look.
"Hello!"
Sensing his gaze, Cecil clutched her chest. Shaka quickly said:
"I just want to buy some materials,do you have any here?"
He still had 30,000 Falies left. He'd been saving frugally lately, plus he had to pay rent to the blue-haired loli,his savings were running thin.
"What do you want?"
"Mithril, and iron ore..."
"Mithril isn't cheap," Cecil said casually.
"I only have 30,000 Falies left—I'll buy as much as I can."
Upon hearing this, Cecil turned and went to the warehouse, returning with a piece of mithril ore the size of two palms.
"this..."
It was larger than expected. Shaka glanced at the blushing girl.
"Don't get me wrong, As your partner, I'm just giving you the normal internal price."
Thirty thousand Falies couldn't even buy a piece of mithril the size of three fingers. Arrogance is outdated, girl! He knew Cecil was having another soft moment.
Shaka could only smile helplessly. "Thanks."
"Huh? Anyway, you're penniless you'll have to beg me in the end. If you beg now, maybe I'll let you stay at the shop tonight." Cecil patted her flat chest temptingly.
"It's alright,I can sleep with Lady Astraea!"
Upon hearing this, Cecil's eyes widened. "There's that kind of trick too...?"
"No, absolutely not! That's too offensive! Take it back! At worst, I'll let you stay tonight, just tonight!"
In the eyes of Astraea's admirers, the goddess was flawless. The last person to mention bathing with her had been a certain red-haired leader.
Having won the verbal spar, Shaka strolled toward Astraea's shrine with a smile until he heard urgent voices behind him.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"Find Astraea..."
"Stop!"
"Don't be nervous I just have something to ask her."
"What is it?" Cecil caught up, looking puzzled.
"Hmm... just a little blood."
"Hiss!!!!" Cecil froze, her face filled with shock. First blood? First blood? First blood?
Has it already come to this? When? No it can't be! I was the one who started this!
By the time Cecil recovered from her shock, Shaka was gone. When she reached the shrine, she heard voices from inside:
"Don't be nervous, I'll be very gentle."
"Then be gentle..."
"It's okay, it's just a little blood."
"Ouch, that hurts."
The words were so misleading that Cecil's CPU short-circuited, her mind flooded with inappropriate images. Smoke billowed from her head as she pushed open the door and blurted out:
"No! This is utterly blasphemous!"
When she looked inside, she saw a bewildered Shaka and the goddess looking at her with gentle eyes. Shaka was holding a bottle, and Astraea was calmly rubbing healing potion onto her hand.
"You have something to do too?" Shaka put away the vial of divine blood and pulled up his sleeve. "I'm done. It's your turn."
Cecil blinked and looked at Astraea, who gently patted the large bed. Does that mean... come to bed too?
I'm sorry, goddess, my thoughts are no longer pure.
Cecil stumbled. "Lady Astraea, you're talking about updating Falna, right? Updating Falna! Not... not the kind of thing I was just thinking about, right?"
A puff of white smoke rose from her head, and she fainted immediately.
"What's wrong with her?" the goddess asked.
"Probably too excited." Shaka nodded, pulled Cecil onto the bed, then turned and left.
Drop power stone for bonus chapter