Mikael gave her a look that conveyed many unspoken thoughts, but simply said, “Sure. Steak and potatoes?”

Still embarrassed by her oversight, Kiara replied shyly, “I’ve never tried it, but it looks delicious.”

With her confirmation, Mikael set two plates and cutlery on the table, then purchased the steak and potatoes. The food teleported directly onto the plates—if he’d forgotten the plates, it would have appeared right on the table, as he didn’t have an inventory.

They began their meal, enjoying a leisurely conversation as they ate. After about 40 minutes, they’d finished, feeling a little closer from the pleasant exchange. Sharing a meal like this, after all, can strengthen a bond, whether it’s a friendship or something more.

“Well, I think it’s time for me to head out,” Mikael said, rising from his chair.

Kiara also stood, then wordlessly stepped forward, wrapping him in a tight hug and resting her head on his chest. They held the embrace for a few moments before she lifted her head, looking up into his eyes.

Mikael returned her gaze, taking in her deep blue eyes like two stunning sapphires. As they slowly leaned in toward each other, he suddenly thought of something that made him turn his head slightly. Her lips met his cheek instead, leaving a soft kiss.

Kiara froze, her voice trembling. “Why?”

Mikael sighed, sensing her genuine worry about being rejected. “I’m not rejecting you,” he said gently. “I just want to talk with you first before we make any decisions about… us.”

Her voice was barely a whisper, fragile and laced with fear, as she asked, “You’re not rejecting me?”

He nearly sighed again at her vulnerability but instead took a steadying breath and began to speak.

“Recently, I’ve been reflecting on my life before all this with the Records, and on how I want to live from now on. I realized I don’t want a life where I can’t trust anyone, like before. I also realized that maybe one day, I’d like to find real love.”

Kiara listened intently, her heart delicate from his earlier hesitation, and feeling like his words held the power to either shatter her or make her the happiest woman alive.

He continued, “I enjoy our interactions more than I expected, and I’ve been surprised by how quickly you’ve become someone I could at least consider… a friend and even maybe more.”

"But here's the thing: if we get into a relationship, I want to be honest with you. I want to have a harem, so if you want to be with me, you need to know that."

Kiara’s expression turned heartbroken as she listened to his words.

Mikael managed only a wry smile as he continued, “I know it sounds selfish and greedy, but I never claimed to be otherwise. It’s honestly what I want. I didn’t make this decision lightly; I thought it through. With the System, there’s even a chance I could one day become immortal, and I don’t want to limit myself to only one relation. It may sound selfish, but it’s what I feel.”

He fell silent, letting Kiara process his words.

Kiara was lost in thought, but soon a determined look appeared on her face. “It doesn’t please me—not at all—but if it makes you happy, I can accept it.”

After saying this, she stepped closer, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

Mikael felt the softness of her lips for a brief moment before she pulled back, looking him directly in the eyes.

They both stood in silence, though their minds were anything but quiet.

Mikael thought, ‘Wow, I didn’t think it would work. I honestly thought she wouldn’t take it well, especially since she’s been acting like a yandere practically since I met her. But even with the low chance she’d accept, I couldn’t start a potential long-term relationship on a lie!’

Meanwhile, behind Kiara’s innocent gaze, darker thoughts brewed. ‘Those girls… I won’t let them get close to my Mikael. I’ll do whatever it takes—they’ll try to steal him, but he’s only mine!’

When Mikael came out of his thoughts, he said awkwardly, “Well, I really do need to go this time. I can get you something to keep you entertained while I’m away, if you’d like.”

Kiara softly replied with a small “Yeah,” though she was still lost in her darker thoughts.

Unaware of her inner thoughts, Mikael asked in his mind, “System, is it possible to get an internet connection in the dojo?”

[Since you’re already paying for internet in your apartment, you can use the same connection in the dojo for free.]

‘For free? This capitalist system that is always trying to get all of my LP is giving a thing for free??’ he thought in disbelief. “Sure System, do it.”

Mikael then bought a white desk, which appeared before him, snapping Kiara out of her thoughts. “What’s that?”

“You’ll see. Just a little idea I had to keep you entertained when I’m not here.”

He placed the desk in the empty corner of the room, then bought a black gaming chair, a gaming PC tower, a 144Hz monitor, a silent mechanical keyboard, a gaming mouse, a pair of headphones, and a wide desk mouse pad.

After these purchases, he was 120 LP lighter. He set up all the equipment under Kiara’s intrigued gaze and connected everything neatly on the desk.

Mikael turned around and said, "I know it's an abrupt change of subject, but do you know how to use a computer?"

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Yeah, I do. Why?"

Mikael sat down on the chair, opening the PC as he explained, "I'm going to set it up so you can use it when I'm not around. It'll give you something fun to do. And I wasn’t sure if you knew how to use it. If not, I’d have needed to teach you."

Hearing his words, Kiara felt disappointed. ‘Why was I so dumb? I should’ve said I didn’t know. Then we’d have spent more time together, with him teaching me, and I could’ve used that time to charm him, so he wouldn’t even think of approaching other girls!’ She thought, staring at Mikael.

He felt her intense gaze but decided to ignore it, focusing on the computer setup. After a short while, he finished configuring it and said, "It’s all set up. There’s no password, so you’re good to go. You also have access to my Steam account and the internet."

Mikael then stood up and approached Kiara, pulling her into his arms.

Kiara was surprised by his sudden affectionate gesture but didn’t complain, happily returning the hug.

They stayed like that for a short while before he loosened his hold, prompting Kiara to reluctantly let him go. As he stepped back, Mikael said a soft “Bye,” which Kiara returned with a small wave.

After leaving the training room, Mikael entered the Hub, once again taken aback by the bustling atmosphere and the crowd compared to the usual silence he was accustomed to. However, he chose to ignore the surroundings. While setting up the computer earlier, he had been reflecting on his conversation with Kiara, and now, revisiting it, he felt a sense of uncertainty.

‘I find it extremely odd how Kiara reacted when I mentioned having a harem. Honestly, I wasn’t fully set on the idea until recently, after giving it some thought. As I told her, if I live eternally or at least a very long time, I don’t want to limit myself.’

‘I’m not about to look at every woman I see as a potential harem member, like some desperate guy. My main priority remains gaining strength. But if it happens and I’m genuinely interested in multiple women, I’ll always be honest with them. If they don’t want to be in a harem—which is completely understandable—I’ll respect that and stop pursuing them.’

‘But I digress. The strange part was Kiara’s reaction. It wasn’t that unusual for a woman in love, but for a yandere, it’s honestly surprising. I doubt she was entirely honest or at least kept some of her darker thoughts to herself.’

‘Sure, I’d be relieved if that weren’t the case, but instead of being naive and hoping for the best, I’ll keep an eye on her just in case.’

Now that this is taken care of, I should head to another world. I’m already low on LP, and if I want to keep progressing, visiting another world will be useful.’

‘But which one? Should I return to Aedris, or choose a world where I can quickly complete quests and gather LP?’ he pondered, before forming a plan.

“Records, show me a list of worlds where I could efficiently earn LP and, ideally, increase my stats as well.”

A list of worlds appeared, and Mikael carefully reviewed each one. The selection ranged from simple Tier 0 zombie worlds to Tier 4 futuristic worlds. After weighing his options, he made his choice:

[Z-Pathogen World

World Type: Unique

World Power Levels: High Tier 1

Description: A world almost identical to the Origin Earth—until five years ago. At that time, an unknown virus appeared, later named the Z21 Virus, which mutated any human or animal it infected.

The virus is highly contagious, transmitted through cuts or bites from infected organisms. Infected beings exhibit increased aggression and severe cognitive decline, reverting to primal instincts with a singular urge to kill anything alive.

Worse still, the Z21 Virus significantly boosts the physical abilities of its hosts. This deadly combination of power and mindlessness has brought humanity to the brink of extinction, with survivors regrouped in fortified Bastions, protected by walls and armed defenders.

On a brighter note, scientists researching the virus discovered ways to replicate its effects, creating five tiers of physical enhancers. Each tier provides a stronger enhancement than the last, although each can only be used once.]

Optional Quests:

[Leader

Description: Create or become the leader of an already existing Bastion.

Rewards: 5K LP]

[The Fall

Description: Find a way to destroy an Bastion will asuring that at least 50% of the humans living in this Bastion die.

Rewards: 7K LP]

[Cure

Description: Find a cure to the Z21 virus and assure you that the general population have acces to it.

Rewards: 9K LP]

[Infected

Description: Be infected by the Z21 and become one of its wearer

Rewards: 3K LP]

[Peak Body

Description: Use each tier of physical enhancers once and strengthen your body to the ‘limit’.

Reward: 4K LP]

“Hmm, System, I have the Immunity System. Does this mean I’m completely immune to the Z21 virus?”

[Yes, your Immunity System protects you from all types of pathogens, including this virus. However, please note that it does not protect against poison.]

‘Alright, good to confirm. I figured as much, but I wanted to be sure. If all it took was one hit from an infected to turn into a “zombie,” I wouldn’t consider going to this world, even if the rewards were five times higher.’

‘Speaking of rewards, let’s go over them. Out of all the quests, the only one I could realistically and efficiently complete is the Peak Body quest for 4K LP—unless...’

“System, if I got injured by an infected in the Z-Pathogen World, would I be considered ‘infected’ even with the Immunity System?”

[You are immune to all types of pathogens thanks to your Immunity System.]

‘Hmm, I might have an idea for completing the “Infected” quest, though it’s uncertain if it’ll work. So, in this world, I stand to gain between 4K and 7K LP—a solid reward, especially if I can act quickly. But the main reason I chose this world is for the physical enhancers, which could boost my stats.’

‘The environment should also be relatively safe. Since it’s a high Tier 1 world and the apocalypse began five years ago, most modern technology will likely be deactivated or non-functional. I’ll only need to be cautious around firearms, and with my 6th Sense skill and high agility, evading bullets should be manageable.’

‘Alright, it’s decided. I’ll go to this world.’ He made a quick detour to his apartment, where he showered, and took a short two-hour nap. Once awake, he grabbed his C-rank sword from the Aedris World and put on his dark clothing after all it’s better for being discret to have clothing of an darked color he also took his backpack

He then returned to the Hub. “Records, I’d like to enter the Z-Pathogen World,” he announced.

[Transfer will begin in 10... 8... 6... 5…]

[4]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[0]

As the countdown hit zero, Mikael vanished in a flash of light.