19 The buff guy. Wait, who actually is this guy?

(A/N: 100k views. Holy crap. It actually happened.

Fellow reading addicts, I am grateful that you stuck with my crappy update schedule. Enjoy the chapter.)

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Mother Nature is a bitch!

First, my Stick Tent V2, now this‽

Why are you targeting me‽

WRRYYYYYYY!!!

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It burns! I'd rather be run-over by a truck than deal with this kind of torture!

I can't even open my eyes since it stings!

I'm getting cooked alive!

It hur—Hmm?

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It's not hot.

'...it doesn't hurt anymore.'

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...It's weird.

I couldn't feel any semblance of the burning heat. However, a prickle remained in my skin. It wasn't painful in the slightest. Just annoying, like an itch that won't go away.

In spite of that, I reached for it and scratched, feeling my muscular and otherwise healthy flesh.

But it shouldn't be.

'Where have my wounds gone? The warm streams of trickling blood?'

'Even the aches from working day and night to make my Stick Tent have gone away, not to mention all the running and rolling I just did.'

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'Am I healed?'

'Did I manage to escape?'

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'I'm dead, aren't I? I must be.'

It's the only explanation I can think of; I didn't need to open my eyes to figure out that much.

I fell into that ravine and got cooked alive. No wonder I can't feel anything.

Ah... what a waste of a perfectly good life. Such a shame that I died so young.

But now, I'm curious. After all, life after death is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. No one alive knows what resides in the afterlife.

Is God real? Gods, maybe?

Is there something else to do after death?

Do I go to Heaven or Hell, Valhalla or Hel, Soul Society, a light at the end of a tunnel...

'...I'm probably in Heaven. It wouldn't make much sense for a place like Hell to smell this amazing...'

Thankfully, each breath no longer set my lungs aflame.

Sweet and soothing, an otherworldly scent carried the essence of tranquility, filling my very being.

A feeling of relaxation hit me like a truck, and I welcomed it with open arms.

Quite literally, accepted it with open arms.

"Dude, are you alright?"

"!"

My shut eyes went wide after hearing the sudden voice.

I flinched, blinded by the bright sky all around me. Not above me—all around me.

Regaining my bearings took a few moments, but what I saw next made me gasp.

I was above the clouds, standing on hard yet non-existent air.

Looking down, the green expanse below me perfectly encapsulated the vibrancy of meadows in spring.

Clouds casting shadows moved with the calming wind, advancing to a faraway place. Just a bit short, some mountains stood tall, although they looked tiny from where I stood.

I recognized where I was: The mountains of Oshimai.

Where I died.

"Enjoying the view? Better do it now before it gets ruined."

When I followed the sound, I saw a man dressed in comfortable clothing. A kitsune mask covered his entire face, only showing his (insert Alvin Zhou color) eyes.

He was standing on thin air, like I was, but noticeably more at ease.

Resting on his hand was a tub overflowing with some kind of dessert.

It must be delicious.

'Wait, don't get distracted. Who is this person and what is he talking about?'

Then I came to a realization.

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"Are y-you a Deity?" I asked the stranger.

Shit. I didn't mean to stutter, but this is a Deity we're talking about!

Who else would I meet after death? Yeah, yeah, many other entities that I can think of, but they're all basically gods when compared to a mortal like me.

"Huh? Me, a Deity?"

The man with the kitsune mask scratched his head, displaying his confusion.

"I'm definitely not one."

"So you're not a Deity... may I ask who you are—where we are?" I spoke with an extreme amount of care.

Whoever this masked dude is, offending him wouldn't be good. I'm already dead, and I do not want to know what comes after dying a second time, or if it is even possible.

"Well, I'm just a tourist enjoying the local delicacies. And, obviously, we're on Earth." Saying the word "delicacies", he made the dessert in hand wobble.

A tourist, huh... that's a vague answer. But Earth?

"No, I mean, is this Heaven? Purgatory? Hell? Your Domain? Something similar?"

"Huh?"

What do you mean by "huh?"

Where has my pure, untarnished soul been sent to?!

"Oh! You think you're dead. You were supposed to die, but I saved you just in time." The man casually pointed out.

It seems that there has been a misunderstanding. Apparently, I'm still alive.

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"I'M STILL ALIVE?!"

You're telling me that I'm butt-naked in the sky with another person somehow while in this human body of mine?! Not as a ghost?!

"This is real?! You're real?! Holy shit, I'm standing on air!"

I raised my foot and stomped, and there was a definite hardness beneath me.

Yet I could see nothing there.

"I'm standing on air!" I repeated in disbelief.

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This could only mean one thing.

'I found a mystic hermit in the woods! My Master!' Technically, my Master found and saved me, but no one cares about the specifics.

'What I do care about is making my Master accept me as his student! We're standing in midair for crying out loud! I want to learn it and more!'

Whether it be magic or esper-related powers, I want—I NEED to learn it.

My brain began working in excess, hastily calculating all the factors necessary to make my request to become his student successful. For my request to succeed, I must put in the effort.

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Displacement. Wind speed. Vectors. Atmospheric Pressure. Solar Location and Declination. Gravitational pull...

'Master is quite close, making moves #14 to #36 unusable. The gravity is weaker by around 3% due to the increased altitude, which should help with the execution of moves #6 to #9, but a wind speed of 21 km/h is a problem...'

No, I am not crazy. These are not the ramblings of a madman but factors which may or may not affect my request to become my Master's student.

In a battle, one must become aware of their surroundings and make use of it to gain the upper hand.

Using such logic, I became aware of the environmental conditions in the sky.

'I've decided! You're the one!'

After much deliberation, I made my move.

With my hand acting as a pivot, I kicked my legs to generate circular momentum, successfully shifting my entire body weight to my hands.

My lower body rotated to incredible speeds above the non-existent ground, supported by each of my interchanging hands. With the support of the blowing wind, I spun at an inhuman rate.

I present to you: The Flare!

'Yes, I am break-dancing, but it's not that simple.'

I braced my free arm and smoothly dropped to the ground on my side, shifting my body weight to my back. The impact wasn't as hard as usual, thanks to the lowered gravity.

While doing this, I never ceased spinning like a Beyblade.

The Windmill!

'This is a necessary process, no matter how ridiculous.'

Then I stopped in my tracks, heaving agonizingly deep breaths while lying on my back.

But I couldn't stop. Not now when I have a chance at becoming closer to my goals.

'I will persevere!'

Finally, I performed a kip-up to fly in a smooth arc across the air. With the momentum provided, my body slowly spun forward, allowing the transition from laying on my back to a posture-perfect Dogeza!

"Please! Teach me! Teach me this sorcery! I beg of you, Venerable Master!" I pleaded with my Master with my head on the transparent ground.

If it wasn't for me doing a dogeza pose, my Master would've been able to see the massive smile on my face.

'Take Me As Your Student: Ultimate Sincerity!'

A technique I devised to increase the chances of my request being granted. After all, a normal dogeza does not befit a supernatural Master.

'And my execution was perfect! So please, accept me!'

My Masked Master did not speak for a period of time, perhaps overwhelmed by my... desperation?

Definitely desperation. The power I seek is before me! No matter what, I must have it!

"Well... Psychic powers aren't something you can teach anyone. You're just born with it." The masked man meekly answered.

"No way..."

Then it's hopeless. I was destined to be a mob from the start. No more Master...

"Can you get up now? Doing a dogeza must be uncomfortable... and you're still naked."

The Master saw too much. No wonder he rejected me.

"Sorry! That must've been unpleasant to see."

As I was getting up while covering the family jewels, a set of dark clothing appeared near my feet.

Like, from thin air.

How?!

"You can keep my old clothes. I can't use them anymore anyway. Oh, you can have some of this too." He said.

Beside the clothing magically appeared a tub full of what I now recognize as coffee jelly.

It smells even better up close.

*Nom*

It tastes really good too. The Master is quite talented in cooking.

"Thank you, Maste—ehem—Mr... Tourist?" I thanked him.

The man chuckled in response before saying, "Snow White hasn't gotten old yet, so you can call me that."

Snow White? That is such a fake name, but I'll accept it.

While dressing up, I noticed that one of the mountains in the area was heaving an unnatural amount of dark smoke.

Owari Mountain. It was a famous landmark mentioned in one of the survival guides I bought.

From the orange glow it emitted near its peak, I knew its fame would exponentially grow.

Mr. Snow must have followed my gaze as he affirmed my suspicions.

"A volcano strong enough to destroy Japan, and the reason for your likely death. That is what Owari Mountain is."

Da fuq. Destroy Japan? How is that survivable?!

Mother Nature, you're a total bitch.

"...It sounds pretty strong. Will you stop it, Mr. Snow White?"

"Why the heck are you calling me Mr.? And no, the others will deal with it."

"The others..."

Right, Mr. Snow White said that people are born with psychic powers. Mr. Snow White cannot be the only one. There must be a group of psychics... a hidden organization?

An organization full of extraordinary people in the shadows?

That's sick!

"Oh, you can see them over there." The masked man pointed to an area near Owari Mountain's base.

I looked over and saw... I can't see anything.

The mountains are smaller than my pinky finger from this high up; seeing a person was impossible.

But Mr. Snow White can! Incredible!

"My bad, you can't see from here. Let's get closer." he said.

When I blinked, we were standing directly on the quaking ground, and I fell to my knees.

I felt Mother Nature's fury beforehand, but this tremorous violence that ravaged the earth was on another level.

It may have been because of Mr. Snow, but the pain had yet to visit me. I was on the ground just like before with all kinds of sharp and pointy things flying my way, but none hurt in the slightest.

Instead, an urge to throw up the coffee jelly I just ate made itself known.

*BOOM!*

With a loud bang, a massive eruption spewed out loads of molten lava. It flooded my vision, turning the surrounding greenery into a terrible, scorching red.

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"Shit, did the volcano explode?!?!"

So close, I was so close to the stream of neverending magma.

The way it rose from the ground like a tidal wave was beautiful, nothing like I've ever seen before.

Beautiful beyond words and incredibly formidable.

...this would spell the end of Japan, right?

How terrifying.

A single force of nature ends a country.

Were humans capable of that?

No shit, they're not. Forces of nature are called "Forces of nature" for a reason. It is beyond what humans can do.

Not even an atomic bomb can compete with that. It took two to make Japan surrender from a war, but you're telling me this can end Japan in one blow?

Laughable. How laughable.

I sought the strength to survive a nuke when a volcano eruption was enough to send me packing a hundred times over.

'In the end, us humans are weak.'

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Damn it.

It can't end like this.

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"Your internal monologue must've been pretty serious. What's with that look on your face?"

Before I realized it, Mr. Snow was in front of me.

He was standing while I kneeled on the shaking ground, and it took tremendous energy to look up to him with the tremors.

He didn't look bothered by the ensuing natural disaster.

"...tell me something." There was a question in my mind.

"Is it stupid... to chase after an impossible dream?" I asked, reeling in slight trepidation.

"An impossible dream?"

He became silent, and I endured it. Even the tremors seemed to die off, perhaps an effect of Mr. Snow's presence.

Still, despite the silent wait, the answer was obvious. An impossible dream that cannot be achieved...

Why even bother.

"Yeah, it's pretty stupid." From beneath the mask, a muffled voice rang true in my ears.

There it was, as expected.

"Now I want to know. Can you tell me what your dream is?" Unexpectedly, he asked what mine was.

In his eyes, I caught it, the unbridled curiosity within them.

"No."

I saw it get snuffed out with a word from me.

'Don't get me wrong...'

"...I haven't given up on it yet."

Perhaps I imagined it, but his eyes shined in a green light.

"...I see."

Mr. Snow spoke entrancingly, "Then, would you like some help?"

"What?" I doubted my ears.

Mr. Snow continued with mild enthusiasm.

"Of course, you don't need to tell me exactly what your dream is, but I have my ways.

"I'll help you achieve this *impossible dream* of yours without anything in return. Actually, my only requirement is that you make your dream come true.

"What I can give you is an opportunity. Anything after that is all up to you."

To display his commitment, he showed his hand with an extended pinky finger.

I recognized the meaning of the gesture he was making.

"Why do this?" It was ridiculous to believe what was happening.

"You remind me of someone. Totally fictional though, but it's uncanny how similar you two are."

"...seriously?"

"Seriously."

An unnatural force took hold of me, forcing me to stand. Unexpectedly, the tremors were no more, and I could stand properly.

I couldn't see his face under the kitsune mask, but I had a feeling that Mr. Snow was smiling.

"So, pinky promise?" His pinky was still extended.

A picture of a devilish, wicked smile appeared in my head.

'Well, I didn't say I was selling my soul to him or anything, right?' I shamelessly thought. 'Nevermind. At this point, I would do anything to get that sweet, nuke-resistant body.'

"...I promise."

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Our fingers intertwined, and I couldn't help but notice that Mr. Snow's hand was quite small and fair.

Now that I look more closely, Mr. Snow is smaller than me. Kinda like a girl.

But I doubt that's the case. My perceptive eye is telling me that's a dude under the hoodie. Even the way he acts is like a dude.

Mr. Snow White is just a man of smaller stature. It must be because he's a short old man that contains profound wisdom in his mind.

Like a true hermit! Short and old like Master Roshi, but Mr. Snow is clearly superior.

'Huh, no wonder he said his old clothes didn't fit him. I'm pretty buff, but his clothes still fit me perfectly fine. Mr. Snow White definitely got old, maybe a lot skinnier too. Was he fat before or something—'

A dark pillar of light emerged from Owari Mounta—Owari Volcano(?), and I fell to the ground a second time.

"Oh! It's happening... and what's this?"

Contrary to his words, Mr. Snow's tone was excited as he looked towards whatever-the-hell-THAT-is.

Are aliens attacking or what?! That cannot be human.

"That can wait. Let's deal with you first. Hold on one second, okay? System! How do I use this..."

Mr. Snow began talking to himself, making me question what I got myself into as the pillar of dark light expanded.

"So I just say whatever I..." Mr. Snow was still muttering jargon, completely oblivious to the approaching pillar.

The fact that the tremors restarted and were growing stronger wasn't helping in the slightest.

I had to kneel on the ground again.

'I can't run away in this earthquake! Not throwing up is the best I can do!

'God, if you're real, help me survive this! Mr. Snow too. Keep him alive! He's actually going to give me what you never have!' I prayed for a miracle, watching as the dark pillar drew near.

*Beep* *Beep*

As though answering my prayers, I heard the beeping of a loud horn.

Call it luck or whatever but somehow, a truck found its way into the mountains, speeding right towards us.

'We can ride that out of here!'

Thank the Lord! Which lord? I don't know, the Truck Lord? Truck-Sama?

Hail Truck-Sama!

"Over here!"

I called out and frantically waved one of my arms, but it didn't do much since the truck was already heading in our direction.

"Woah..."

The truck rammed through the trees on its path like a ferocious beast, mowing them down with ease.

"Looks like your ride is here."

Mr. Snow stopped mumbling to himself. He seemed intrigued, looking at the approaching truck.

It is pretty incredible. Just look at it blitz through the mountain forest.

With it, getting out of here should be easy.

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'It's going really fast, huh.'

The absolute beast of a truck was near us already.

"It seems that this is goodbye." I heard Mr. Snow say.

Before I knew it, Mr. Snow had walked off to a distant tree quite a few meters away from me.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Confused, I shouted with apparent worry.

Goodbye already? I don't have any powers yet. I thought you were gonna help.

I'm still a mob without the strength to become a hidden power in the shadows.

{Yeah, but I already said it, didn't I?} his voice resounded in my head. {It's all up to you.}

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Did Mr. Snow just... read my mind?

Are you actually a God?

Mr. Snow merely shrugged. {Good luck and make it worthwhile—Wait, why are you glowing?!}

There was no chance for me to answer.

*BEEEEEP*

Everything went black.

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"System, why did he start glowing golden in the end?"

It was unnatural because when he did, I started feeling a little weak.

Just a little, but it did not feel good at all.

[Notice]

[The host had simply given the individual, Minoru Kagenō, a blessing]

I can do that?

"I clearly didn't do or intend that!"

[The host said the words, "Good luck", which is a form of imparting a blessing/s upon a chosen subject]

[Most importantly, the host meant it]

Apparently, I can do that now. That's so useless.

"Well, retract it! I don't like this weak feeling!"

[Unnecessary]

[The intent behind the blessing was rather lackluster, resulting in a temporary, minor backlash]

[The host will recover soon]

Releasing a sigh, I muttered, "I'm not doing that again. The feeling sucks."

'Minoru Kagenō, you're one lucky guy. You got trucked, AND received a blessing. I don't know how good my blessing is though.' I thought in my mind.

Just then, a coffee jelly tub slowly materialized just a little over my head. Catching the falling piece of treasure was easy with my reflexes and stats.

[Collected data suggests that indulging in distractions can ease the discomfort being experienced by the host]

[10 Handmade Coffee Jellies have been added to the Inventory]

"...thanks." To my System, eternally grateful, I am.

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During my little coffee break, I heard the sounds of a battle taking place.

"...when dark overlaps with dark... aha, AHAHAHA!!!! I should show you! Our dark creation! The fruit of our Dark Reunion!"

With Clairvoyance, I saw Saiki and Kaidou facing two Reunionists surrounded by a massive cloud of pitch-black darkness.

Phenomenal amounts of "dark" energy made up the cloud of darkness. Thanks to my "Dark" Magic skill, I realized that the cloud was shrinking yet thickening as a result.

The condensing cloud became smaller, slowly taking on a form resembling spaghetti, but thousands of meters long and about as thick as a sizable building.

I saw a pair of sinister eyes look down on Saiki and Kaidou, before staring at me!

"You can see me through Clairvoyance?" I mumbled to myself, somewhat surprised about the creature's perceptivity.

One of the two Reunionists yelled out in glee after seeing the "dark" monstrosity.

"Swallow the both of them whole, Murder Dragoram Snake!"

The Murder Dragoram Snake shrieked in response. It lunged at a speed unbefitting its ginormous size and gobbled up the helpless duo.

The Reunionists, that is.

And then it frantically slithered through the air in the opposite direction.

"Damned snake, spit us out right this instant! Where are you going dammit?!" I heard the faint and muffled voice of an agitated Scion.

The snake didn't listen, opting to slither away at a faster pace.

"...This snake doesn't only have sharp eyes."

'Such a large creature is running away from me...'

'What is this wonderful feeling!'

The Murder Dragoram Snake was capable of travelling through the air, and pretty quickly too. It retreated high into the sky and out of Earth's atmosphere towards the Dark Reunion spaceship.

"Unity, was it? We meet again."

Now it's time to say goodbye for the second time.

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[Emergency Quest (Completed)]

The End Is Nigh |Rank: FFFFF|

[Quest Completion Rank]: SSS

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[Notice]

[Complementary skills detected]

[<Skill Synthesis> in progress...

- P.S.I. "The Lord of Sweets"

- Saiki K World Skill

...Completed]

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P.S.I. "The Lord of Sweets" |Rank: XII --› XII+|

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"So it was real. I can complete the Emergency Quest a second time."

When the dark pillar of light descended, a familiar Emergency Quest Notification popped up.

I thought that since I'd already done it before, even if I did it again, I wouldn't receive anything. Upon completion, it surprisingly still gave me rewards.

[The efforts of the host have been recognized and thus were renumerated appropriately]

"Even when I already did it before?"

[Affirmative]

Too generous. The System is too generous. And it's worrying how generous the System is.

Somewhat concerned, I asked the System, "Wouldn't you face any repercussions? From what I know, this is not normal for a System at all."

[Do not compare me to those tras—]

[I am the host's Omniversal System, and my purpose is to serve you to the best of my boundless abilities]

[I will always be on your side]

"You haven't clearly answered my question."

[The System will be fine]

After hearing those words, I began to breathe a little easier.

"Thank the Creator."

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I searched the mountain forest for the Psychic Quartet and found no one. Teleporting inside the hotel room where we had our meeting, I saw that they were resting.

On one of the beds, Kaidou was sound asleep while Aiura was decorating her crystal ball with gaudy stickers on the other.

Toritsuka was alone and talking to a ghost in a corner about "important" biological matters.

Saiki was missing, probably doing his own thing in who-knows-what country. Well, I can always tell him later what I'm gonna tell the members now.

"Neeeewbiiiieeee~ You're alive~!"

"Good to see you guys too. I have something to announce so gather around!"

To get everyone ready, I sped up the time for Kaidou alone so that he can get a full 4-hour nap without anyone disturbing him. When he woke up, which was around 2 seconds later, I put everyone back in peak shape through time reversal.

Kaidou yawned awake. "That was one of the nicest naps I've ever had. Oh, hey there Snow." He did a morning stretch.

By this point, I'd already gotten their attention. So to get things out of the way...

"I'm leaving Earth."

While clutching the bright authority in my hand, I firmly spoke the words I'd been meaning to say.

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A/N: Hell yeah. New world coming up!

The next chapter is just an omake. Don't get too excited. I'll post the omake when I do 100 push ups, so, you know, if I take a month...