Chat Group Crossover: My System Simulates Infinite Anime Worlds — Chapter 81

Chapter 81: No Longer Edible

There was one matter of singular importance.

Mimon Ryoko needed to make a trade with the man in the black robe. Since he had emerged from the Violent Bear territory, he must have acquired some Vitality Fruits. He hadn’t presented them on the day they met, which could only mean one thing.

He must have acquired a great many, especially since he was the one who had slain the current leader of the Violent Bears.

Mimon Ryoko was preparing them for Golden Darkness. After all the child had endured across the universe, her genetic structure had become slightly unstable.

As for this particular monitor, Nagumo had discovered her long ago. He’d noticed her on the very first day she began her surveillance. Relying on his formidable power, he had simply read her thoughts.

He also discovered that the woman was exceptionally wealthy. She was, after all, a physician of cosmic renown., she had arrived on Earth many years ago to conduct her research. A significant portion of the planet’s current technology had been introduced by her, brought from the far reaches of the universe.

When faced with aliens or people from other worlds who were friendly to humanity, especially those who had made tangible contributions, China’s official stance was exceptionally welcoming.

This was partly because Earth’s location was just too remote. Although some extraterrestrials had arrived in ancient times—even going so far as to establish secret realms to preserve extinct species like dinosaurs—those mysteries had long since been uncovered.

That particular place had already been designated an ancient ecological reserve. With the recovery of spiritual energy in the world, some minor mutations had occurred within its population. Perhaps because they had existed in that isolated preserve for too long, the creatures’ intelligence had not developed much.

But they were incredibly delicious. Unlike demonic or fierce beasts, their meat required no complex processing before it could be put on the cutting board. It was said that you could simply slice off a piece, pan-fry it, and the result was exquisite. That entire area was, in essence, an excellent plantation of high-quality meat.

It was a great pity, then, that it had become a nature reserve. Those dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures could no longer be eaten. Rumor had it that the taste of dinosaur meat was not unlike chicken, but with a faint, fresh aroma reminiscent of fish.

The entire galaxy had been a battlefield for centuries, and coupled with Earth’s remote position, no one had noticed the changes happening on the planet for five hundred years. It was only recently that a new wave of aliens had begun to arrive.

It was just that these newcomers were often captured the moment they set foot on the planet. Fortunately, they were mostly just interstellar wanderers who had lost their jobs. They posed no danger; so long as they were given employment, they were overjoyed and expressed their willingness to work until they dropped.

In fact, the employees who dressed up as ghosts in many of the current haunted houses were almost all aliens, and they played their roles with professional dedication. Even in some of the sci-fi movies or magical girl TV dramas on the market, the cast and crew were often composed entirely of extraterrestrials.

In truth, a portion of these aliens were physically indistinguishable from humans. Others had subtle differences—an extra pair of ears, a tail, or even the phenomenon of being hermaphroditic.

Of course, alongside the friendly aliens, there were also some unfriendly ones. Those had all been summarily crushed into oblivion. The thought of retaliation never even crossed their minds.

Nagumo had also discovered that the cultivators of his own country were quite formidable. After one of them had punched a planet into dust, the other side never dared to cause trouble again.

Upon arriving at the mall, Cecilia finally opened her eyes, a lingering fear in them as she looked back at the road they had just traveled.

Nagumo reached out and, with a casual flick of his wrist, put the small e-bike into his storage bag. The proliferation of such magical items had unfortunately caused some people who stole e-bike batteries to lose their jobs, but it had made travel incredibly convenient.

Nowadays, shared flying sword facilities could be found at the entrance of every residential community, mall, and park. For the low price of one low-grade spirit stone, you could rent a shared flying sword for two hours.

Although Nagumo and Cecilia had arrived fairly early, the mall was already bustling on a Saturday. Aside from the merchants setting up shop, the walkways were filled with strolling couples.

Nagumo’s eyes swept the crowd and he even spotted Hayama Hayato, who was walking arm-in-arm with a male classmate as they browsed the stores.

Without a second thought, Nagumo reached down and took Cecilia’s small hand.

The sudden warmth that enveloped her fingertips made Cecilia freeze. A moment later, her heart began to pound, a frantic, thumping rhythm against her ribs. A faint heat bloomed on her cheeks.

In her mind, a single thought eclipsed everything else.

‘Nagumo is holding my hand.’

It was the first time she realized just how warm his hands were. In the few days she had spent with him, she could clearly feel how he had been taking care of her. He would get up early every morning to cook for her. When she returned home from school in the evening, a hot meal would already be waiting. After dinner, there were always cakes and desserts.

Those meals were made from the meat of demonic or fierce beasts; every time she finished eating, she could feel her own strength increasing. It was a nourishing, invigorating feeling. How should she put it? This was youth.

Nagumo clearly felt the shift in her emotions; after all, she wore every feeling on her face. He simply continued walking forward, his expression calm.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice even. “Don’t misunderstand. I was just afraid you might get lost.”

Cecilia nodded gently, lowering her head. She didn’t speak, looking for all the world like a newlywed bride trailing shyly behind her husband.

They first went to a clothing store to buy a few outfits for Cecilia’s daily wear. When the Law Enforcement department had sent her over, they had prepared luggage filled with clothes for her.

However, Cecilia couldn’t possibly wear any of them out. How could one even begin to describe the clothes those Law Enforcers had bought? There were black and white maid outfits, all in a Victorian style. In fact, there were many types of maid outfits, covering basically every style imaginable. She had no idea who had stuffed them into her luggage.

And why did Nagumo know this so clearly?

It was because he had been the one to move that luggage for her earlier. Just in case, he had used his divine sense to scan its contents. As a result, he had seen what he should have seen, and also what he definitely shouldn’t have.

Cecilia was a saintess from another world. Although some very bold outfits existed in her world, her personal style was still relatively conservative.

As Nagumo and Cecilia were leaving the store, a few boys were waiting impatiently in front of the fitting rooms. When they saw Nagumo, their expressions were a mixture of envy, jealousy, and outright hatred.

Their eyes seemed to scream, “You guys are shopping too.”

“Why? Why on earth are you guys so fast?!”

Immediately after, the two arrived at a heavily guarded fortress, which also served as the entrance to a secret realm.

After passing through the gates, they found themselves in a small town. Stalls were set up on all sides, their owners hawking their wares. Everyone was bragging more impressively than the next, making the scene feel no different from an antique market full of swindlers.

Cecilia looked left and right, her eyes wide with wonder. Everything was dazzling. Since coming to this world, her life had been confined to school and Nagumo’s home. This was the first time she had seen anything like it.