Ugh… Well… This is disappointing.
Are they scared of us? Why isn't anyone coming?! I'm Daniel, the adventurer with all types of magic! Am I not interesting enough for you?! Wow, wow. You're more demanding than I thought.
Though it's more likely they're afraid of me. I'm a rare existence in this world; it's obvious they'd be scared and keep their distance.
Sorry, Sara, my presence is scaring adventurers away.
"🎶 Ta… Ta… Tatatata…. Nanana… Nenanana… Sapan… Cheese… Bean… Rice… Death to NTR. 🎶"
Ugh… Why isn't anyone coming?
Singing nonsense relaxes me and helps me not stress out… Ugh, this is disappointing.
Listen, adventurers, I know you probably think I'm a monster, but I'm pretty nice. Don't be afraid of me, please. I can even bake you some cookies.
"🎶 After being born, people live in fear. How will I survive in this world without opportunities? Unemployment, poverty, corruption, and violence. World peace will never be achieved. The Third World War ruined what little good was left of our country. The United States disappeared, and Japan conquered us. Russia and Japan now own Mexico, and our lives changed. Education improved, but poverty increased… 🎶"
Ugh, why did I start singing something so depressing? I'm really bored.
"Huh? You sing nicely, but… What are Mexico, Japan, and Russia?"
Oh, right, those countries don't exist in this world. I need to tweak the story a bit to avoid suspicion.
"They're… They're… Hmm… How do I explain it…? They're small villages. There was a village called 'United States.' An AI… I mean, an artificial intelligence… I-I mean… An evil monster took over the United States."
In reality, a mad scientist created a powerful artificial intelligence that took over the United States.
"That monster attacked Russia and Japan, killing hundreds of thousands of people."
"So many?!"
"I was exaggerating… It only killed 40 people, maybe more; I don't remember the exact number."
I think it was millions… The exact figure was never given. From what I heard and researched, about 87% of the population died, though some say 94% of humanity actually disappeared. But honestly, I personally think it was more, like 97%, because most countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia became ghost countries. The AI controlled the bombs those countries had and detonated them, and in the process, it also detonated the nuclear bombs they had before they could use them against it.
The explosions and nuclear radiation ended up killing most humans on those continents. The American continent was spared only because the AI was in the United States.
"The monster replaced the leader of the United States with a… monster."
The president of the United States and many important politicians were replaced by robots.
"And the leader declared war on Japan and Russia… Why? The monster wanted to learn more about human behavior during a real war… Hundreds of people died in that war."
Millions of humans died in the war… Including my great-grandparents. My paternal grandparents were orphans and fell in love in an orphanage.
My grandma told me that story and said not everything is always bad; there will always be good things in life, it's just a matter of having hope.
"Mexico was an ally of the United States."
In fact, Mexico wasn't on any side at first, but the president was also replaced by a robot and forced Mexicans to participate in the war, and Mexico became an ally of the United States.
"Japan, along with Russia, created a powerful nu… A very powerful magical bomb."
A nuclear bomb… The most powerful one ever.
"They dropped it on the United States… And the United States disappeared forever."
Literally, the entire country vanished, killing all the humans in that country, including the innocent… And almost half of Mexico.
They managed to eliminate that artificial intelligence, but at a great cost. The environmental damage nearly finished off the humans, but fortunately, Japan and Russia managed to clean the air before more humans died.
Northern Mexico and southern Canada were also affected. Mexico had already lost half its territory when the United States took it, and now half of Mexico was no longer habitable.
Mexico surrendered quickly to avoid another bomb, and Russia and Japan conquered us. They basically stole our territories since their countries were heavily affected by the nuclear bombs detonated in other countries. Only they were able to prevent their own bombs from exploding, but that only gave them time to plan their attack on the United States, not that their countries remained habitable for long.
When the war ended, survivors from other continents traveled to America while their countries were being cleaned, though it would take many years and resources, both natural and economic.
There were huge changes in the country… A large number of foreigners started living in Mexico.
Russia and Japan cleaned up the nuclear waste and began improving the country. Obviously, none of that was free. All the minerals, oil, raw materials—everything went to Russia and Japan, and Mexico got the scraps, despite knowing we were forced to participate in the war.
The war left us poorer than we already were.
I admit that after the Japanese and Russians conquered us, the country began to improve… Well, more than 50 years had passed since the war, and it wasn't our fault; an artificial intelligence planned the whole war. That was discovered a year before the United States' disappearance thanks to a recording the AI sent to the president of Russia.
Millions of Mexicans were victims of the war, and Japan and Russia helped us move forward.
There were many changes… First, Mexicans adopted Japanese and Russian customs since more than 89% of Mexicans had died, and Japan and Russia sent citizens from their countries so Mexico could continue existing.
Basically, we became Japanese and Russian through mixing. Mexicans marrying Japanese and Russians, Russians with Japanese, blah, blah, blah. Mexico became a strange mix of traditions and customs from three different countries.
My grandparents were orphaned and adopted by Japanese.
As I'm 100% Mexican, despite having only one last name, everyone calls me by my first name and not my last name.
So many customs and traditions… So many deaths… All because of an artificial intelligence… Ugh… Technology can be a blessing, but also a curse.
Hmm… Now that I remember, Cris and his sister, whose name I don't even want to mention, have Russian blood running through their veins. No wonder they're blonde. Well, since I never cared about appearances, I never paid much attention to that.
And I think Diana, a classmate, is 100% Japanese. That girl was pretty kind and smart; I always wanted to be her friend… Well, no point dwelling on the past.
Back to waiting… Ugh, I'll buy more food while I wait.
•
•
I finished my fifth plate of food in a row and rubbed my stomach. Despite eating so much, I haven't gained any weight; it doesn't even look like I ate seven plates of food. Could it be some extra ability my body has? Well, I'm not complaining; I like it a lot.
I'd eat more to take advantage of this new ability, but I could be wrong and end up gaining weight. I have nothing against overweight people, but I need to stay slim to move faster and without issues. If I gain weight, my body will weigh me down, and I'll tire out faster. I'd rather avoid that.
"Will you order more?" Sara asked, with a judgmental look.
S-sorry, I know it seems gluttonous of me to eat so much, but it's not my fault. It's been a long time since I ate this much, and I need to take advantage.
"N-no, I'm satisfied."
I'm too embarrassed to order more.
I'll finish my orange juice and keep waiting.
"Fufu. Hey, Daniel! What a pleasant surprise."
"Hey. Good morning, Sandro," I said politely, though I don't really like seeing him.
Sandro hates me, so Sandro equals trouble for me.
After waiting almost an hour for someone to approach us, the first one to come is someone who hates me and will probably try to annoy me.
Sandro sits at our table… Did he come to bother me again?
"I heard you're looking for teammates. I'll give you the privilege of joining my team."
Don't act like you're so important. Don't call it a privilege.
"Thanks for the offer, but no. Goodbye."
"Sure? Look over there."
He points with his index finger at some girls, his girlfriends. The girls are very beautiful, but I'm not interested… Is that supposed to convince me? Pathetic.
Besides, what kind of man offers his own girlfriends? Disgusting. Why are they with him?
"Those are my teammates; if you join my team, I'll share all those beauties with you. We'll have some fun later; I'll let you join in if you join my team."
… Seriously, you're the second man I hate the most. The first is the idiot who stole my girlfriend.
Sonia, why did you cheat on me with him? I don't get it. Damn it.
"They're pretty, but I can't stand being near you. Goodbye."
"Come on, come on. You're going to pass up this unique opportunity? Kimber knows how to move really well, and Yesein's mouth will make you see stars."
… Huh? One of his girlfriends is making a gesture with her hand and mouth, like she's sucking… How awkward.
The others wink at me, and one of them shows me her bare butt, pulling down her skirt.
… I don't understand this world. Are people really this sexually liberated? They barely know me; they shouldn't be offering their bodies!
"No. And stay away from me; you disgust me. You should respect your girlfriends more, idiot."
"Whatever, more for me. Bye."
Sandro gets up and leaves… That was easy.
Sandro doesn't seem strong… But I can't judge someone by their appearance; that's a big mistake. Novels and anime have taught me never to judge someone by their looks; it's a huge error.
Sandro is powerful; I'll never let my guard down with him.
"Is he really strong?" I asked Sara, just to be sure.
"He doesn't seem like it, but yes."
Ugh… God, why do you give so much power to people like him? Though I guess it's random, and you have nothing to do with it. Or maybe the environment makes them that way? Maybe power corrupts them.
… Will I ever become like him? Will I let myself be corrupted by having so much power? Will I become someone who sleeps with any girl? I'm scared that could happen. I won't change… I don't want to change.
"Oh, darling!"
W-what?
Sandro is kissing two of his girlfriends while grabbing their butts… Ahhhhhhhh! How awkward! I'd better leave! I can't stand being here any longer!
I stand up from the table, ready to leave, but a girl's presence stops me.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"Hello?"
A girl who seems younger than us sits at our table without asking permission. Kind of rude, but I can let it slide.
The girl is blonde with long hair, blue eyes, and short; I'd guess she's 140 or 145 centimeters tall. She's wearing a green dress with an apple image on it. She looks like a 12-year-old girl, but knowing how weird this world is, I can't judge people by their appearance. Maybe she's an old lady over 100 years old or a young prodigy girl.
"What can we do for you, miss?"
"Hi, my name is Alex, and I just saw you're looking for teammates. I'd like to join your team, please!"
Ugh… I have a feeling she'll be the loli of the team. It's pretty common in fantasy stories, but in real life, it's super awkward.
I definitely need to make it clear that the team's rules are unbreakable, though I still don't know if she has what it takes to join.
I won't put a little girl's life at risk.
"Are you an adventurer? How old are you?" Sara asked.
"I'm 16, just turned. Here's my card."
She looks much younger. Is she lying?
Alex hands her card to Sara, and she reads it.
"Wow…"
Huh? Sara seems pretty surprised. What did she see on the card?
"You have three types of magic. That's pretty impressive, considering your small appearance."
"Thanks…! Hey, I'm not small; I'm still developing!" she said after realizing Sara called her small.
She pouts… She's a girl with a childish personality. How cute, but also kind of awkward.
"Even though you're older than me, you look like a little girl; you have no breasts."
Alex gets a bit angry, but she looks super cute when she's mad… It's pretty adorable to see, I must admit.
"Yes, I'm flat, but I'm very powerful!"
While Sara talks to Alex, doubts about the types of magic pop into my mind.
I know I have all types of magic, but I don't know them. How many are there?
"I don't understand this types of magic thing; can you explain?" I said to Sara, seeking answers to my doubts.
"Y-you don't know the types of magic?" Alex said, confused by my words.
Yeah, I know, I sound like an idiot, but I'm new to this magic and adventurer stuff. I'm basically still in the tutorial of this video game called "new life."
"I-I don't know anything about magic; I'm clueless on the subject," I said nervously, since I'm embarrassed that they might think I'm an idiot.
Even Sara looks at me in disbelief, surprised by what I said.
"T-there are 10 types of magic: Light, darkness, water, fire, earth, wind, summoning, fairy, demon, and angel," Sara said.
"Fairy, demon, and angel?"
Fairies exist? Demons and angels exist for obvious reasons, but fairies exist? Awesome!
Though I'm worried they might think I'm a demon for having that type of magic. Why didn't anyone make a fuss about me having demonic magic?
Cristal interrogated me during the trip, but she never asked if I was a demon. Are there people with demonic magic? But I also have angel-type magic. Why didn't anyone make a fuss about that?
"Fairy, demon, and angel… Wow, wow."
"They're the most powerful types of magic, which you have. If you learn to control your magic perfectly, you'll be the most powerful adventurer in the world."
More powerful… I need to be… I need to learn to control my magic better. I shouldn't try; I must do it. The future of this world is in my hands.
"Wow, wow… By the way, Sara, why didn't anyone call me a demon or angel for having those types of magic?"
"Fear, mostly. Would you call someone like you a demon?"
I see. Wow, wow. She's right. Fear… They probably didn't dare call me a demon out of fear of insulting me, and they didn't call me an angel either, afraid I might actually be a demon and find it offensive.
Fear, huh? That's why so many people keep their distance from me.
I'm too strange a being for them; I understand.
But why haven't I met the guild master, country commanders, or something like that? Why don't they investigate me or talk to me directly?
Cristal treated me with respect after confirming my power… Do I scare them that much?
Fear… They don't want to bother me out of fear of my power… Wow, wow.
Yes, this world needs my help. If someone like me is terrifying to them, I can't imagine how they'd react to meeting demons far more powerful than the Black Demon.
"Daniel is amazing!" Alex said, catching me off guard.
I stayed silent for quite a while, thinking about my current situation.
Sorry for that, Alex, but I couldn't help it. I've been having very strange days lately.
Huh? Alex got on her knees on the floor. T-that makes me feel bad; I don't want her to do that.
"Please, let me join your team!"
"W-wow, wow…"
W-well… I don't know how to judge adventurers. I'd like to reject her, but judging her by her appearance would be wrong of me. I'll leave that decision to Sara, the smart one on my team.
"Sara, you decide, please. I don't know how to judge people."
"Hmm… She has three types of magic; that's incredible to find, plus she's available. We should let her join."
"Is it that rare?"
"Quite."
It seems like little, but I guess it's not normal for adventurers to have more than two types of magic.
Wow, wow. The humans in this world are really that weak.
Every minute that passes confirms I definitely need to leave the team in a year and continue my journey alone.
"Alright, welcome."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I won't disappoint you!" Alex said, smiling and full of excitement.
I need to make one very important thing clear.
"But there's one rule that can never, ever, ever be broken."
"And what is it? I promise I'll never break it! You have my word!"
"Team members cannot date other team members. That means you and I will never be boyfriend and girlfriend or anything like that. Much less can we kiss or have sex. Do you agree?"
"W-what?"
Her excitement and happiness vanished from her face. Sorry for crushing your hopes of getting something with me, but it'll never happen.
"Why?"
"My reasons are personal. Do you accept or not? It's your choice."
"W-well… Ugh… Can it never be broken?"
"Never, no exceptions."
Alex looked at Sara, and she nodded.
"He's not joking; it seems he really doesn't want a girlfriend."
"Ugh…"
Alex sighed disappointedly and nodded slowly.
"A-alright, with all the pain in my heart, I agree to join and will respect the rules."
"Thank you so much for understanding."
I broke a girl's heart. Nothing new in my life.
Kind of cruel, but necessary. I won't give false hopes to a girl.
She's very adorable… Please, don't fall for me; it'd be too awkward. I'd rather you just see me as a good friend.
I don't want women around me who only go after my body; I want real friends.
By the way, what type of magic does Sara have? If she's pretty popular and powerful, I'm sure she also has three types of magic, maybe more.
"Sara, what type of magic do you have?"
"I also have three types of magic: Water, fire, and earth."
Great, she also has three types of magic. She'll be very useful… Though I was hoping she'd have more.
Water, fire, and earth… Pretty common, but considering those elements are everywhere, it's quite useful.
"And you, Alex?"
"I have wind, fire, and earth magic."
Almost the same as Sara, except for the wind magic. They'll be pretty compatible.
"Which are the most common types of magic?"
"Water, fire, and earth are the most common," Sara said.
"One last question. Do fairies exist?"
"Huh? Of course they exist; some live with royalty."
Awesome… Are they small or big?
I hope they're small; they're way more adorable.
With royalty… Is Cristal a fairy, and that's why she can fly? I highly doubt it; she didn't have wings. I wonder when I'll meet a fairy; I want to learn fairy spells. Can I turn into a small fairy? That'd help me infiltrate the Demon King's castle or something like that.
"Amazing… I can't wait to see one," I said excitedly, imagining the possibilities fairy magic could bring.
And while I was lost in my thoughts, Alex slammed the table with her hands, snapping me back to reality.
Alex stood up excitedly from the table and raised both arms.
"Let's go on an adventure!"
"An adventure?"
It's too early for that. Plus, we need to find more teammates. I want male teammates!
"Maybe later; for now, we need to find… Huh?"
Alex looks straight into my eyes with those very cute and adorable eyes. A psychological attack? Damn it, it's too powerful. I let my guard down with her!
I-I can't say no to those eyes. Maybe a quick mission would be enough to cheer her up and satisfy her. Besides, I need money to build my own orphanage and village. I found out that this world is full of orphans due to constant bandit attacks, monsters, and mainly because people die trying to make it as adventurers. This world is very dangerous; I can't let those poor kids beg on the streets. I want to give them a home, and I also want to create safe jobs for people.
That's a secondary mission. My main mission will be to get stronger to fight the Demon King or whatever final boss this world has. I'll only dedicate time to my secondary mission when I have some free time, but for now, I need money to fulfill that mission.
Building the orphanage is easy; the expensive part will be getting them food, clothes, toys, and teachers to educate them. I need to secure those resources so they have enough.
"Wow, wow… Well, I guess we could go out and do a quick mission."
"Really?! Yippee! Thank you so much! I want to see you in action, leader!"
"Just Daniel, Alex; no one here is the leader… Well, if we must have a leader, I propose it be Sara."
"I decline; I'm not cut out to be a leader. Aren't we looking for more teammates?" Sara said.
"We'll do that later. Come on, let's see if there's an interesting mission."
We got up and headed to the mission board… I want to do an easy mission since we still need to find teammates.
Hmm… Oh, interesting… Who am I kidding? I can't read.
"Sara, is there anything interesting?"
"Let's see… I think I found one, but it's rank A. There's a job to explore a cave; they say everyone who's entered has disappeared."
"Sounds dangerous."
Too dangerous, honestly. It's a hard no.
"Wow. The reward is 20,000 gold coins. 40,000 if we find the missing people alive."
Oh… That's a lot of money for just exploring; it doesn't specify we have to fight.
Hmm… It sounds like a dangerous mission, but I'm sure it's some demon or animal. I'm confident, but I don't know why.
I know being too confident is bad, but I trust my abilities. If it's a demon, I'll use the spell that boosts my reflexes and strength and escape with the girls from the place.
I repeat, this could be the dumbest thing I've ever done, but I trust my abilities. Plus, Sara and Alex have three types of magic; they're powerful. I need to trust.
"What do you think, Sara, Alex?"
Before making a decision, I'll discuss it with them. I won't put them in danger just because of my own choice.
"It's rank A, but I think together we could complete that mission without too many problems, as long as we stick together and don't split up," Sara said.
"A mission with a big reward is always dangerous, but considering you defeated a rank S monster, a rank A monster won't be a match for you, Daniel!" Alex said.
The demon was rank S? And that demon was one of the weakest… Yeah, this world is doomed. If I fail, goodbye world.
"What ranks are you?"
"Rank B; I haven't applied for rank A due to lack of time," Sara said.
"I'm rank D; I'm just starting to gain more experience," Alex said.
"And I don't know what rank I am… F?"
"You're rank A immediately for defeating the Black Demon," Sara said.
Oh… T-that was faster than I imagined.
"And what rank is Sandro?"
"Rank S."
"Wow, wow."
I see… Well, I must admit I'm surprised at how powerful Sandro is, at least compared to others.
"We'll take that mission."
If there's a monster I think I can't defeat, I'll escape. I won't put them in danger.
Neither Sara nor Alex seem nervous or scared. I don't know if that's good or bad.
Alright, Daniel, remember, the weak demon you defeated was rank S. A rank A monster is much weaker. I know you can do it. Just don't be scared and think carefully about your moves.
I took a deep breath… Alright… Be confident… Let's go.
"Onward."
I hope I'm not making a mistake by being so confident.
Daniel, don't be nervous; you're powerful, just focus on dodging and attacking with your powerful sword; it's simple. Don't get nervous… Ugh… Alright… Onward.
•
•
And while Daniel and his teammates prepared for the mission, a certain God was watching him through a magical mirror, devouring a bag of chips.
"Fufu. You took the mission, huh? I want to see if you're capable of killing a dog, the animal you love most."
The smile of a small child.
A very dangerous and important child.
The most important being in the universe.
He's watching Daniel through a magical mirror, with a wide smile on his face.
"Reikme. Daniel. Kei… I'm not satisfied with them… Daniel, I hope you don't disappoint me. I've been waiting for this for a long time."
The supreme God, the God of Gods.