Chapter 20: A New derivative world
In the following days, besides scouring the Paradise for items needed for the next world, Roland spent his time in the Training Ground honing the thirteen sword forms of Frost Breathing.
After Roland completed the skill integration of Unfettered Style and Frost Breathing, it seemed that new insights into swordsmanship were born. His Blade Technique Specialization level increased twice, reaching LV.12.
He pinched his nose and poured the Blood Worm Turbid Wine down his throat, converting as many of his resources as possible into personal strength.
Under his near-obsessive efforts to improve, Roland's personal information underwent a world-shaking transformation.
Contractor No. 14219. (To protect the Hunter, this is a fake number; the Hunter cannot be locked onto by any means.)
Name: Roland · [Hunter]
Level: LV.3 · Tier 1
Health: 100%. (This attribute cannot be fully digitized; it changes according to the degree of injury.)
Mana: 100. (Intelligence × 10, current mana recovery speed is 5 points per hour.)
Strength: 27 (+4 · 12-layer Breathing Technique bonus)
Agility: 27 (+4 · 12-layer Breathing Technique bonus)
Stamina: 27 (Basic Passive · Cloud Bat +5) (+4 · 12-layer Breathing Technique bonus)
Intelligence: 10
Charisma: 10
Luck: 10
..."Hmm... for the next two world progressions, the attribute point gains can be put into Intelligence and Charisma to shore up my weaknesses."
Looking at his personal information panel, Roland stroked his chin and thought to himself.
Ten days passed in a flash, and soon it was time to enter the next derivative world.
"New dungeon, new dungeon!"
Roland leapt out of his Exclusive Room and rushed excitedly toward the trading market.
Everything that needed preparation had been prepared during this time, whether it was recovery items for healing injuries or consumables for various crisis situations; he had made targeted stockpiles.
This trip was simply to fill any remaining gaps and take a stroll, to see if he could find any bargains in the ten or so minutes before entering the derivative world.
"Friend! Are your paradise coins enough? Why not check out the Ram Chamber of Commerce's low-interest loans? The Ram Chamber of Commerce is a large platform with guaranteed credit! Hey, hey, hey, don't walk away!"
"Still troubled because your attribute points are too low to beat enemies? Come try the muscle enhancers produced by 'Kowloon Technology.' One injection will instantly give you a beast-like physique!"
"Big Brother Wuji~~ I'm still missing a piece of blue-quality armor for the next world, won't you buy it for me?"
"Take a look! Come and see! Instant meal kits on sale cheap! Produced with the full participation of Divine Chef Little Fugui and Chuuka Ichiban Liu Angxing, the taste is delicious, you must try it!"
Roland stopped in front of the meal kit stall and picked up a pre-packaged meal kit.
He saw Liu Man-Hsing, alias Little Chinese Chef's anime image and the image of the dish inside the meal kit printed on it, with the ingredients and cooking process thoughtfully noted.
"Macaroni with minced garlic, bird's eye chili, and extra spicy bean paste, mixed with minced meat, cabbage, cream, and broth to make... dumplings?!"
Making such a pre-prepared dish and putting it up for sale—the stall owner and Liu Man-Hsing, alias Little Chinese Chef should both be chopped into mincemeat!
Roland was silent for a while, but in the end, he took a pack of these dumplings, a pack of matcha chocolate crispy pork, and two bags of yogurt hot and sour soup.
He usually wasn't interested in weird things, but when something was this weird, he had to buy some to see what was going on.
"Boss, check me out!"
"Sure thing, that'll be 50 paradise coins. I'll throw in a free serving of fruit fried rice! The meal kits are heat-and-eat, very convenient! They taste pretty good too!"
"Alright..."
After that, Roland ate as he browsed, but unfortunately, he couldn't find any more interesting stalls and only bought some tactical consumables.
[Time is up. The derivative world tokyo ghoul is opening. This world has anomalies such as plot deviation and camp power imbalance. Space coordinates are relatively stable. Consuming 0.13 ounces of Time-Space Power.]
[Based on the consumed Time-Space Power, the Contractor's minimum comprehensive evaluation for this world must reach Grade B.]
"Is it time?"
Roland stuffed the last dumpling into his mouth, his eyes completely devoid of the fear and worry shown by the other Contractors around him.
There was only excitement in his eyes!
He didn't care about plot deviations or power imbalances; his heart held only two simple thoughts: How many good things can I farm in this dungeon? Can I have a satisfying fight?
After a brief moment of daze, his consciousness recovered. Opening his eyes again, Roland found himself inside an abandoned church.
Looking around, he was the only person in the empty chapel.
Dust covered the surrounding pews, and the stench of decay permeated every inch of the air.
The only light source inside the entire church was the faint glow casting down from the cracked stained-glass windows, hitting exactly where he stood.
"Did they isolate me from the other Contractors? Interesting."
Roland crossed his arms and observed his surroundings, waiting for the isolation shield set by the Paradise to disappear.
A moment later, information about this derivative world appeared before his eyes.
[Entering World: tokyo ghoul]
World Difficulty: LV.10 · Purgatory
World Source: 0% (Increases as the Hunter explores or interacts with current world characters. At the end of the world, it is calculated against task difficulty to form the final rating.)
World Brief: When the princess wears the crown and turns into a dragon, when rc cells begin to twist flesh and blood, when the rebels bow their heads in submission... humanity has already fallen into the darkest despair.
Ghoul: A sub-human species that feeds on human flesh. When fighting or feeding, their eyes turn into red Kakugan. Their physical strength is much greater than humans, and they possess a predatory organ called Kagune.
Kagune: A predatory organ protruding from the skin, composed of rc cells. Its form is variable and can be used in combat as a powerful weapon for offense and defense.
Divided into four types: Ukaku, Koukaku, Rinkaku, and Ukaku.
Main Mission 1 · The Brave Slays the Dragon: Kill the 'Dragon-form Ghoul' Rize Kamishiro.
Main Mission 2 · The Dragon's Fangs: Annihilate the New Aogiri Tree organization.
Hunting Mission: Clean up Violator Contractor No. 16670. When the Hunter enters within a one-kilometer range of Contractor No. 16670, the tracking function will automatically activate.
Warning: Do not mention anything about 'Paradise' in this world. If warnings are ignored, forced execution will occur!
Hint: In the current derivative world, the Hunter has been automatically assigned to the [Human Camp]. Actions that ensure human survival will yield additional World Source.
Hint: After all main missions are completed, you can choose to return to Reincarnation Paradise (the Hunter must complete the hunting mission).
Hint: Detected that the Hunter has not mastered the language of this world. 100 paradise coins have been consumed to automatically master the language.
The world begins!
..."The one who turned into a dragon wasn't Kaneki, but Rize Kamishiro? And what on earth is this New Aogiri Tree organization? It seems the plot deviation in this world is exceptionally large!"
Roland lowered his head and pondered for a moment, trying to deduce more information from the fragments provided by the Paradise.
Judging solely from the currently known information, it was likely that the mutation this world suffered had a deep connection with Rize Kamishiro.
Thinking further, Furuta Nimura, who led the 'Dragon' event in the original plot, should also be a key figure... "Forget it, I won't overthink it!
Anyway, as part of the [Human Camp], I can't go wrong by killing any Ghouls I encounter! With the plot deviated to this extent, this world is probably not far from a reboot. It shouldn't matter if I cause a bit of a scene!"
Roland looked up and met the crimson gaze hanging from the ceiling, chuckling softly:
"What do you guys think?"