Swordsmith City
At 7:30 a.m., Shaka suddenly woke up on the large bed in his room.
In his dream, he had opened a tunnel through time, destabilizing the original world. Demon Kings, dragons, angels, and devils from countless other worlds poured into reality through the rift.
He clutched his head, still dizzy, breathing heavily.
"…Phew. What a strange dream."
Perhaps it was the frustration of failing to find a daycare.
Perhaps it was the disappointment of not meeting Gabriel.
Or perhaps it was the black cat's attitude toward him yesterday, stirring desires that had long been buried.
For a fleeting moment, Shaka thought
Maybe starting another ordinary yet happy life in some crossover anime world wouldn't be so bad.
But he quickly shook that thought away.
"The stars and the sea are what we pursue. A mere black cat cannot shake my resolve!"
After muttering "cement seals in his heart" several times, Shaka reached for his phone out of habit.
"Huh?"
The screen was completely black.
"Why is the battery dead? It still had half a charge last night…"
Shrugging, Shaka manipulated the spatial gate, moved it above the wireless charger, and placed his phone there.
The screen lit up.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The moment the device powered on, notifications exploded like a bomb.
"What the hell happened…?"
Shaka hurriedly opened the messenger app.
Beep—beep—beep—beep—
The group chat showed 99+ notifications, private messages flooded in nonstop, and group join requests stacked endlessly.
"…What?"
He opened a random private message.
Without exception, every single one was asking for game test slots.
The chat group had descended into complete chaos.
After skimming through the messages, Shaka felt a headache coming on.
"How did it suddenly become this popular? I never intended to turn this into a game…"
Digging deeper, he quickly found the cause.
"So… it's because the 'game' can replace sleep?"
Exit the game, and it feels like a brand-new day.
Eight extra hours of consciousness,every single day.
That was practically extending one's lifespan.
No wonder everyone was losing their minds.
As for the culprit
"…It's you. Dekomori."
Following a link posted in the chat, Shaka found himself on a gaming forum.
At the top of the page was a massive post titled:
"My Otherworld Exploration Diary"
Author: Dekomori
Calling it a game review was generous, it read more like a missionary sermon.
Netizens had already categorized it as a new game promotion.
The post began with an introduction to world settings, races, professions, then shifted focus to combat.
"…Looks like the black cat contributed a lot of information too."
Ultra-realistic combat.
Flawless AI.
World-building rivaling the most advanced otherworld simulators.
There was even manual explosive control.
It immediately attracted players who loved farming, development, and hardcore immersion.
"Isn't this basically a second life?"
"Combat difficulty completely surpasses Monster Hunter."
"Can you dodge attacks with rolling?"
"Sliding tackles are better."
"Try that and you'll die."
Of course, there were skeptics too.
"Not a single screenshot. Just empty bragging."
"How much did they pay you?"
"At least let the girl play an instrument if you're going to advertise."
"Tsk…"
Shaka muted the chat group and created a new folder for applicants.
Even if he couldn't recruit them now, they were still potential resources.
Maybe I'll find another wildcard… someone like Kaito Kid.
After thinking for a moment, Shaka decided:
"I can't recruit too many 'players.' The impact would be too large."
"I'll announce it as a closed beta test."
That meant setting up an official website, forum, and video accounts.
…What a pain.
"Couldn't I just ask Kobayashi and Doma to handle this? Aren't they programmers?"
He acted immediately, offering an outrageous price and politely requesting overtime.
Kobayashi:
"Your company can make something this amazing, but you don't even have an official website?"
Shaka:
"There isn't really a game. I was accidentally summoned to another world."
Kobayashi:
"New novel material? Marketing gimmick?"
Shaka:
"You'll understand once you find a dragon behind the mountain."
Kobayashi:
"Haha, very funny."
Shaka:
"Okay. Real talk. Our server is a potato. Three programmers died of exhaustion yesterday."
"Help me and I'll reserve you a ticket to another world."
Kobayashi:
"…That's tragic. Fine. If I can save a few colleagues, I'll help."
Shaka gave up arguing.
Let it be a game.
Once you notice something's wrong, you'll believe me naturally.
Under Astraea's guidance, Shaka began carefully screening candidates for the next test.
"Talent and money alone are too shallow."
"I want this to mean something."
Yet even after searching the group, no one truly met his standards.
"If only I could contact Yuuki… or Kaori Miyazono. Next April should be the start of the main story…"
Damn it. My April…
Then, a message popped up.
Kotoko Iwanaga.
Shaka's expression grew serious.
She was the only person remotely connected to the mysterious side.
Then her message appeared:
"I've discovered your secret."
"…?"
Shaka typed a question mark.
Kotoko Iwanaga:
"You don't have to explain. But you probably need talent, right? Mind if I recommend a few?"
Shaka:
"You're being unusually generous."
His guard went up.
Kotoko Iwanaga:
"I do have a favor. It's unrelated to the gods behind you."
"I'm asking as a fan of the author 'The Descendant.'"
…She knows.
Shaka's fingers moved quickly.
Shaka: "What is it?"
Kotoko Iwanaga:
"Advice first: don't let ordinary people learn too much about the mysterious."
She had confirmed his identity.
Even in Sakura City, gods pre-selected followers.
It was called Kizuna.
Shaka:
"I'll be honest. I was summoned to another world to slay a dragon."
Kotoko replied instantly.
Kotoko Iwanaga:
"You don't need to lie. Even if a goddess is keeping you, I wouldn't be surprised."
"Don't use light novel excuses on me."
Shaka sighed.
Kotoko Iwanaga:
"Here's a hint. Look into the recent Slit-Mouthed Woman incidents."
Shaka stopped typing.
He knew exactly what that meant.
Urban legends given form by belief.
A fictional mystery.
A monster born from imagination.
Opening the news confirmed it.
So that's why she contacted me…
Another message appeared.
Kotoko Iwanaga:
"I respect the gods deeply."
Shaka thought for a long moment.
Then typed:
Shaka:
"Alright. What's your plan?"
Kotoko explained.
Patients.
Full-dive immersion.
A win-win solution.
Terminally ill patients.
People who wanted one more chance to live.
Shaka remembered Sleeping knights, a guild formed by dying players.
"…I understand."
This wasn't exploitation.
It was hope.
A chance to experience a second life.
Perhaps even...
The Falna could ease their suffering.
"If nothing else, I'll earn enough Valis to buy them Panacea."
Shaka finally understood the meaning of his power.
To bring hope where there was none.
Wasn't that justice?
Shaka:
"I agree. Three slots are available."
"Create a separate group. I'll explain the procedures."
General Hospital
Kotoko Iwanaga smiled in relief.
"What a coincidence."
She knocked on Dr. Kurahashi's door.
After listening carefully, the doctor sighed.
"Normally, we wouldn't allow unknown equipment."
"But… if the patient agrees, we won't refuse."
Kotoko smiled faintly.
"Whether it's a needle or a weight, once we test it, we'll know."