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ArabicChat Group Crossover: My System Simulates Infinite Anime Worlds — Chapter 33
Chapter 33: A Massive Windfall
Nagumo finally understood. It wasn’t that Kaguya Shinomiya was merely expressionless—she was still reeling, her senses scrambled by the overwhelming stench of the sock he’d used to gag her.
After retching for what felt like an eternity, Kaguya finally regained a sliver of composure. She lifted her head, her face pale and her eyes watery, her gaze falling upon the masked figure standing before her.
Before a single word could escape her lips, Nagumo rubbed his thumb and forefinger together in a universal gesture. “Your storage device,” he stated, his voice flat. “I saved your life. It’s only fair I receive a little compensation for my efforts.”
Kaguya blinked, processing his demand. A soft “oh” escaped her. With practiced grace, she reached behind her neck, unfastening a delicate chain. She slowly drew the necklace out from beneath the collar of her dress and extended it to him without a word.
Her expression was a maelstrom of conflicting emotions as she stared at the black-robed man, his face hidden behind the impassive visage of an Ultraman mask. Kaguya knew the calculus of power. When faced with an entity of this magnitude, there were only two viable options: secure their allegiance or pay whatever price was necessary to ensure they remained a neutral, if not benevolent, force.
Nagumo’s hand shot out, plucking the necklace from her grasp. He paid no mind to the lingering warmth of her skin or the faint, sweet fragrance that clung to the metal.
His focus was singular. He immediately explored the storage space within the pendant, and his eyes widened slightly behind the mask. The contents were… substantial.
‘As expected of the heiress to the Shinomiya family,’ he thought with a flicker of appreciation. A quick mental tally revealed a staggering hoard: a full three thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones, thirty High-grade Spirit Stones, and nestled at the very bottom, a single, brilliant Top-grade Spirit Stone.
His mind raced, calculating the value. The Mid-grade Spirit Stones were worth a significant number of simulation runs. The thirty High-grade stones added another substantial amount. And the single Top-grade stone… that was a jackpot, equivalent to a hundred more attempts on its own.
With a mental command, he swept every last Spirit Stone into his own system inventory, leaving the other contents untouched. He then casually tossed the now much lighter necklace back to her.
Kaguya caught it out of reflex, her fingers closing around the familiar chain. She tucked it into her pocket without a second glance, her gaze still fixed on him.
“I’ve taken the Spirit Stones,” Nagumo said, his tone final. “The rest of your things are untouched. Someone will be here to rescue you soon. I’m leaving.”
He turned to go.
“Wait!” Kaguya called out, her voice sharp. “You took my payment! Shouldn’t that include escorting me out of this place?”
A dry chuckle escaped from behind the mask. “No,” he replied without turning. “That was the fee for saving your life. Escort services are extra.”
With no further ceremony, Nagumo yanked open the heavy door to the secret chamber and stepped out. The sounds of a one-sided battle immediately flooded the room—dull thuds of bodies hitting walls and the occasional grunt of pain, quickly silenced.
Kaguya was left momentarily speechless, a deep sense of confusion washing over her. The man was an enigma. He was clearly avaricious, yet he’d refused an obvious opportunity to earn more. Her mind, always calculating, had already run the probabilities. He should have accepted her implicit offer, which would have opened the door for her to hire him as a long-term bodyguard. His refusal was a variable she hadn’t accounted for, a move that fell completely outside her predictive models.
The sounds outside died down as quickly as they had started. A moment later, Nagumo was gone, leaving the Beast God Cult’s stronghold behind him.
Back in the familiar quiet of his apartment, Nagumo finally allowed himself to relax. He had cleared the “dungeon,” so to speak. He immediately summoned the system interface. With a thought, he transferred Kaguya’s Spirit Stones, along with all the other resources he’d plundered from the cult’s treasury, directly into the Simulator’s reserves.
The number on his screen began to climb at a dizzying rate. When it finally settled, his simulation count had soared past two hundred. A feeling of absolute power surged through him. With this many chances, he felt invincible.
A low, triumphant laugh escaped him. “Two hundred and ten attempts… Hah! As my strength grows, so does the speed at which I can make money.” He leaned back, a wide grin spreading across his face. “To think, clearing out a single black market den could net me this much. This is awesome.”
But his elation was short-lived. Just as the thrill of his newfound wealth peaked, a synthesized voice echoed in his mind.
[System upgrade beginning…]
The familiar interface vanished, replaced by a single, stark progress bar.
Nagumo’s triumphant grin froze, then collapsed. His face fell.
He’d been planning to ride the wave of good fortune, to use this surge of confidence for a perfect simulation run. But now… He stared at the slowly filling progress bar, a pit forming in his stomach. A terrible premonition crept over him.
With a heavy sigh, he pushed the disappointment down. There was no use stewing over it. He adjusted his mindset, turning his frustration into focus. He began pulling materials from his storage—rare inks, special paper, powdered minerals—and started the careful process of drawing talismans.
No matter what, making money was always the top priority.
…
Meanwhile, within a One-Star Secret Realm hidden somewhere in the city, time itself was being consumed.
Kurumi Tokisaki, clad in her crimson and black Astral Dress, stood at the center of her domain. The colossal clock face of Zafkiel, the City of Devouring Time, loomed behind her. With a flick of her will, the shadows writhed, engulfing a large pack of monstrous Blood Wolves and One-Horned Rabbits.
She closed her eyes, savoring the influx of “Time” she had harvested from the beasts. When she opened them again, a dangerous, predatory smile played on her lips.
This excursion was proving to be quite fruitful. If she could continue harvesting at this rate, her long-held ambition might finally be within reach. But then, her thoughts drifted to Zhang Mengmeng’s harrowing descriptions of Mio Takamiya’s power. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind. This… this amount of Time was still not enough. Not nearly enough. If she simply followed the original plan, she knew with chilling certainty that she would be walking right into her enemy’s hands.
A cheerful voice broke her reverie. Zhang Mengmeng came skipping over, her eyes wide and expectant, looking for all the world like an eager puppy. “So? How was it? How was it?”
Kurumi’s dangerous smile softened into a gentle one. Her eyes curved into crescents as she tilted her head. “Not bad,” she said softly.
Zhang Mengmeng puffed out her small chest, planting her hands on her hips with pride. “See? I told you my idea was a good one!”
Her moment of triumph was cut short by a sharp smack to the back of her head.
“And why are you slacking off?” a stern voice demanded. “Get back to your training.”
Yelping, Zhang Mengmeng clutched her head and spun around. “Shizuka-chan! Don’t hit me on the head! What if it makes me dumber?” she whined.
Hiratsuka Shizuka stood there, arms crossed, her expression a mask of stern indifference.
“It’s Teacher Hiratsuka to you,” Shizuka corrected her flatly. “You’re the one who begged me to teach you martial arts, so you don’t get to quit halfway. Besides,” she added, her gaze sweeping over Mengmeng’s slight frame, “I’m not sure you could even win a fight against my regular students back home. When you return to your original world, how do you plan to face the monsters and spirits there? You need to understand, our world was fortunate. The spiritual qi recovery began during a golden age of martial arts for us. We dealt with the first wave of invaders with relative ease. Do you honestly believe your era is prepared to do the same?”
Zhang Mengmeng’s cheerful expression faltered. Shizuka’s words hit their mark. She was right. Mengmeng was weak. Her world was a modern, mundane society. It wasn’t like this one, which had the incredible fortune of having figures like the True Martial Great Emperor, Zhang Sanfeng, alive when the spiritual qi returned. He alone had been a bulwark, suppressing the invading otherworldly races so completely they could barely breathe. And he wasn’t the only one. There were countless martial arts heroes, Daoist masters, and Buddhist monks from that legendary era. Of course, some so-called masters were just charlatans, but back then, even the con artists had to have some genuine skill to survive.
Kurumi glided between them, a placating smile on her face. “Now, now, Shizuka. Don’t be so hard on little Mengmeng. If you keep this up, to use your world’s terminology, you might shatter her Dao Heart.”
“My Dao Heart is perfectly fine!” Zhang Mengmeng shot back, hands on her hips and eyes blazing defiantly.
Shizuka’s palm landed on Mengmeng’s head again, this time with a firm, non-negotiable pressure. “If it’s not shattered, then you can continue training. Even if your goal is to spread martial arts to your world, you first need the strength to protect yourself and what you possess. Remember the old saying: an ordinary man is innocent, but his possession of a treasure is his crime.”
Hearing this, Zhang Mengmeng’s shoulders slumped in a sigh. “I know, I know. It’s just a shame I don’t have any talent for Qi cultivation. Otherwise, I could have become a proper Qi Refiner.”
Suddenly, a shrill, piercing ringtone cut through the air—a sound that came from Shizuka’s pocket. Her expression instantly shifted, becoming exceptionally solemn. That wasn’t her normal ringtone; it was the emergency signal.
She looked at Zhang Mengmeng, her gaze grave. “Training is over. We have to go back now. I have urgent business to attend to. I’ll bring you back to the secret realm another time.”