I leaned back in my chair and sighed. The leather creaked softly under me, echoing faintly in the vast silence of my personal office on the 9th floor of Nazarick. It was enormous—large enough to comfortably hold fifty people, yet I was the only one seated at the heavy obsidian desk in its center. The air was still and pristine, faintly perfumed by the faint scent of mana crystals embedded in the walls.
Across from me, standing with the calm grace of a seasoned servant, was Yuri Alpha. Her posture was perfect—straight, composed, and not a single wrinkle on her immaculate maid uniform. She stood silently at my side, waiting for any command, any glance that might indicate her master's will.
But I wasn't paying attention to her. My eyes were focused on something only I could see—the shimmering blue holographic interface floating in front of me.
[MULTIVERSE SYSTEM: ACTIVE]
Rows of icons hovered before me like constellations of light. My attention rested on one particular section—[World Selection].
I tapped it mentally, and the screen expanded into a mesmerizing carousel of choices, each world presented as a glowing sphere pulsing with its own unique aura.
[Dragon Ball]—"A realm of gods, mortals, and boundless power. Battles transcend dimensions."
[One Piece]—"A vast oceanic world of dreams, chaos, and freedom. Power is will."
[Naruto]—"A world shaped by shinobi, chakra, and the never-ending struggle for peace."
["Bleach]—"Where death is merely another battlefield, and souls wield blades of destiny."
[Attack on Titan]—"A cage of despair and defiance where humanity fights to breathe."
[One Punch Man]—"A parody of strength, where limits are meaningless."
And many, many more.
My fingers hovered above the desk, but my gaze was fixed somewhere far beyond it.
"…So many worlds," I muttered under my breath.
Yuri, ever attentive, turned her head slightly. "Did you say something, Alastor-sama?"
I waved my hand dismissively. "No. Just thinking aloud."
She bowed her head. "Understood."
I returned to the interface.
Every world glowed invitingly—a doorway to a new reality. But there was a problem. A rather significant one.
At the corner of the screen, a small counter blinked:
[Quest Coins: 1000]
And beside every world's name was a price.
Dragon Ball – 10,000 Quest Coins
One Punch Man – 900 Quest Coins
Bleach – 8,000 Quest Coins
Naruto – 8,500 Quest Coins
One Piece – 12,000 Quest Coins
Attack on Titan – 2,500 Quest Coins
I frowned. "Tch. So much for options."
The interface flickered softly as if mocking me.
Apparently, traveling between worlds required Quest Coins—a currency that could only be obtained by completing missions or objectives assigned by the system. I had none active at the moment. The only reason I even had these thousand coins was because of the so-called "beginner bonus."
A measly token for someone like me—the Supreme Being of Nazarick.
Still, I wasn't arrogant enough to disregard the limitations. Even if I were far above the average mortal or god, I couldn't ignore system rules. Not when I was still trying to understand this new ability.
"Hmm… Dragon Ball, huh?" I murmured, scrolling back to the top. The sphere pulsed gold, radiating infinite energy. "If I went there, I could fight beings who destroy universes by accident. But…" I tilted my head. "...10,000 coins. Not yet. And I don't have the coins."
I flicked to the next one.
"One Punch Man…huh. Saitama's strength is clearly unfair, but other than him, there is not much who can defeat me."
"Naruto?" I mused. "Don't have the coin."
"Bleach…" My eyes lingered on the description. "No coin"
"One Piece?" I hesitated. The sea, adventure, the endless chase for freedom. "Also no coin."
I sighed again, leaning back.
Every choice had pros and cons. But none seemed… right. Not yet.
My mind wandered.
Was the cost based on danger? Or the world's scale? Maybe it's the population or the power potential it held? There wasn't enough data to be sure, but…
"If my theory's correct," I murmured, "the larger and more complex the world, the more energy the system requires to send me there."
That would explain why smaller, grounded worlds—like "One Punch Man"—were cheaper.
Still, I couldn't decide.
Every world had something worth experiencing—but also something worth avoiding.
Dragon Ball would push me to my limits, but its destructive scale bordered on absurd.
Bleach offered intrigue and layered lore, but also constant power escalation and conceptual threats.
Naruto was relatively tame but politically convoluted.
And One Piece… while tempting, demanded too much investment.
The problem is I have no coin, so I need to look for a low-level world.
I rubbed my temple, feeling a faint throb of frustration.
The flickering holograms reflected in my eyes—an endless collection of possibilities, each one whispering, "Choose me."
But for all their allure, I couldn't make up my mind.
"...Damn it." I muttered under my breath, closing the interface with a mental command. The blue light vanished, leaving me staring at my own reflection on the glossy surface of the desk.
For a long while, I simply sat there in silence, tapping my fingers against the desk's edge. Yuri remained motionless beside me, her posture perfect, her gaze quietly fixed downward.
Finally, I rose from my chair.
The soft rustle of fabric and the faint clack of my boots against the marble floor filled the room. Yuri immediately straightened, her amethyst eyes following me with practiced attentiveness.
"Alastor-sama?" she asked softly.
"I'll be going out for a while."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Should I accompany you?"
I shook my head. "No. I'll go alone."
She hesitated, clearly torn between obedience and concern. "If that is your wish… shall I prepare an escort or notify Albedo-sama—"
"No need," I interrupted. "It's just a walk."
"…Understood." She bowed deeply. "Please, take care, Alastor-sama."
~~~
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