Inside the convenience store.
Once Cedric left the store, Tanaka Yuma closed the cash register and stretched his exhausted body.
In the midst of his stretch, Yuma could hear the voice of his senior from nearby display shelves, “Yuma, if you’re done with serving the customer, can you help me to restock the shelf? Although the night shift isn’t as busy as the day shift, we still need to do a lot of things.”
“Yes!” Yuma replied and walked toward the display shelf to check which product needed a restock. But before he could even take the first step, he caught a strange sight from the corner of his eyes.
Turning his head outside the store, Yuma saw Cedric standing in front of the convenience store as clouds of smoke suddenly exploded from him.
Just when he panicked, both Cedric and the smoke disappeared from his view. What’s left is only a faint mist that enveloped the front of the convenience store.
“Wha.. what’s going on?!” Yuma slightly retreated in shock. Behind him, the sound of something shattering can be heard.
He turned his head and saw his senior had accidentally dropped a soda bottle while opening his mouth agape. “Did that guy just disappear in front of us?”
Yuma nodded and replied, “Yeah. Furthermore, it’s impossible for him to get out of our sight within the time it took for the smoke to subside even if he ran.”
Yuma heard his senior said in a trembling voice. “So.. is that a ghost?”
Both of them stared at each other for a long time before gathering enough bravery to exit the store and check the surrounding area.
While his senior guarded the store’s entrance, Yuma walked into the empty street to check the surrounding area while holding a bag of salt he took from one of the shelves.
Behind him, his senior shouted in a trembling voice. “Go, Yuma! I believe in you! I’ll guard the store and await your return.”
Although he felt a bit speechless, Yuma still silently checked the surrounding street. Seeing no trace of human nor ghost, he returned to the store and saw his senior busy cleaning the shattered soda bottle.
Once he entered, his senior pointed the bag of salt on Yuma’s hand and said, “give me the salt. Also, help me retrieve a small plate from the staff room.”
Yuma nodded and looked around the staff room before finding the small plate his senior mentioned.
Holding the plate, he exited the staff room and saw his senior tearing the bag of salt before pouring them on the plate at his hand.
While pouring the salt, Yuma’s senior suddenly paused and brought the bag of salt into a scanner nearby the cash register.
“I’ll pay for this one.” After scanning the bag of salt, he took some money and placed it in the register.
Then, he continued to pour some salt into the plate on Yuma’s hand and said, “Place it in a hidden spot nearby the entrance.”
Yuma nodded and prepared to place it next to the entrance. When suddenly, the surrounding mists turn thicker and a vague silhouette appears within it.
From the direction of that vague silhouette, a voice that sounded like several men and woman of varying age talking at once can be heard. “Ooo… destined hero from another world. Please defeat the demon king and save my world from its demise.”
Upon that voice, before Yuma could proceed with what the person said, his body has moved on its own. He grabbed the salt in his hand and throw it toward the figure’s face.
“Arrhhh!!!” Soon, an inhumane shriek can be heard from the smoke as the figure can be seen madly rubbing their eyes.
While listening to the figure’s shriek, Yuma finally processed what the figure has said. “Wait, did they just call us destined hero from another world? Furthermore, I definitely heard the mention of demon king!”
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Yuma’s face turned excited while pointing at the figure. “Is it a person from another world? Furthermore, it’s definitely a world with magic, because they could appear and disappear easily! Has my time to shine arrived?”
His senior ignored the excited Yuma and exhaustedly asked the mysterious figure, “Who are you?”
Hearing his question, the figure walked forward and showed themself. “I am the creator of the Crystal Cube world. A world where energy called mana existed and people could gain supernatural power. I need your help to defeat the demon king that will be born in my world.”
Yuma first observed the figure and became a little shocked and slightly calmed down.
The clothes they wore consisted of a robe, a crown, a scepter, and a sword that hung on their waist. No matter how Yuma sees it, it looks like a clothes only someone in a cosplay event could wear with confidence. Not only that, the words that come out of his mouth are something only someone with an acute case of eighth grader syndrome could say.
Yuma fell silent while subconsciously touching the salt in his hand. ‘So, it’s either they are indeed the creator of whatever world as they said, or this person is just a super acute chuunibyou with many magic props.’
***
Meanwhile, seeing Yuma still holding the plate full of salt and prepared to throw it at him once again, Cedric quickly shouted. “Stop! I am not a ghost! I am a god, damn it.”
Thankfully, hearing Cedric’s shout, Yuma woke up from his daze and asked, “Are you going to send us to another world?”
“Actually, I am just going to send you into my world.” Cedric pointed at Yuma
On the side, Yuma’s senior heard their conversation and cut in. “Do you want me to believe such nonsense?”
He then spoke to Yuma in a grave voice. “Are you a little kid? Why would you hear the speech of an insane guy like that?”
‘See who is talking? You are so old yet still believe in ghosts. Why shouldn’t I believe in the existence of an otherworldly god?’ Yuma thought while ignoring his senior who looked like he wanted to beat some sense to him.
He curiously asked Cedric. “Although I believe your word, I still want to ask a question. Why couldn’t you defeat the demon king yourself?”
“I would if I could. Being the creator doesn’t mean I could easily meddle on the world’s problems.” Cedric said while raising his arms and created an earth like planet on his palm with the help of [Magician’s Smoke Bomb].
Then, he clenched his palm and the earth-like planet immediately shattered. “The world is simply too fragile for someone at my level. If I use my true power to affect it, it will immediately shatter into smithereens.”
Seeing the feat Cedric has just done, both Yuma and his senior fell silent.
Soon, Yuma’s eyes began to glow in excitement.
After Cedric finished explaining, he heard a question from Yuma’s senior, ”Why wouldn’t you send me to another world too?”
As Cedric is still in a good mood from finding a suitable hero, he gladly answered. “Sending a hero to my world is extremely costly. Unless pushed to a corner like just now, I wouldn’t even try to do it.”
Cedric thought of something and asked with a smile, while pointing at Yuma.“Are you interested? For that guy’s sake, I can send you too if you want.”
Yuma’s senior smiled and shook his head, “There is no need. I am just asking to fulfil my curiosity. I am already happy enough in this world.”
“Well, let’s end our question and answer session here.” Cedric nodded and clapped. With the sound of his clap, he retrieved the illusion around the teleportation circle he had drawn.
Once he shows that teleportation circle, Cedric’s eyes begin to turn cautious. He doesn’t want a random person to suddenly appear and step on the teleportation circle he has prepared for Yuma.
Motioning to Yuma, he said, “Please step on the teleportation circle.”
Hearing his word, Yuma happily ran toward the teleportation circle before disappearing amidst a flash of light.
[You’ve spent 100 GP to transfer one person from Earth.]
Seeing that notification, Cedric knew the teleportation had succeeded and Yuma should have arrived in the Crystal Cube world.
While rubbing his eyes that have turned bloodshot and couldn’t stop leaking tears because of the salt thrown by Yuma, Cedric begins to contemplate, ‘Maybe I should stop trying to be mysterious.’
Right after he thought so, Cedric shook his head. After being confined alone in the Divine Space, the only fun activity he could do to destress is to show off in front of others.
Feeling he has digressed from the main topic, Cedric gathered his scattered thoughts and said to the System. “I want to go back to Crystal Cube world”
[Are you sure? There are still 5 days remaining on your Visa’s duration.]
“Yes!”
[Checking for violation on the terms of service.]
[Detected several violations.]
[Your supernatural power has been seen by four people and a CCTV camera.]
[You’ve caused mayhem in a small neighborhood by starting a mysterious consecutive disappearance case.]
[It has been detected that three of the people have been transferred to another world. Recalculating the fine required.]
[Calculation complete.]
[Please pay a 14 GP fine to begin the return process.]
Reading the System’s spam message, Cedric is prepared to pay a sky high fine. But, when he heard the amount, he still complained. ‘Damn it, what a bloody loss. The fine is actually equal to 28 years of my GP income!’
Although he felt unwilling, Cedric still replied. “I will pay the 14 GP fine.”
Then Cedric bowed toward Yuma’s senior and said, “I shall take my leave first.”
[Payment completed, beginning transfer.]
The instant that notification appears, Cedric feels himself enveloped by a bright light.
By the time he opened his eyes, he had returned to the house he created in Divine Space.