"Forget it, better draw a manga first."
Han Feng shook his head, pushing aside unnecessary thoughts.
"System, draw a manga!"
[Beginning extraction…]
[Extracted manga — That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime]
[That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Satoru Mikami lived an ordinary, unremarkable life, until a random stabbing ended his 37 years.
When he woke up, he found himself reincarnated as… a slime.
Soon after, he encountered the Catastrophe-class monster "Storm Dragon Veldora," and fate took a drastic turn.
Veldora gave him the name "Rimuru." Just as he began his new "slime life" in another world, he got caught in the conflict between goblins and direwolves—eventually, and quite absurdly, becoming the Demon King of monsters.]
"Another manga about a Moe King!"
A gleam of interest flashed in Han Feng's eyes.
He already had the first Moe King, Sakura.
Now there was another—this time, an otherworldly slime Demon King.
Truly amusing.
Most importantly, this world really did have slimes.
"If someone actually gained the ability to reincarnate as a slime… now that would be entertaining."
Han Feng chuckled and placed the manga on the shelf.
Just then, another familiar customer walked in.
"Boss Han, I'm back again!"
Dainsleif looked around curiously, then let out a sigh of admiration.
"This place… it really changes a lot."
Overnight, the manga shop seemed to have transformed entirely.
"You'll get used to it."
Han Feng smiled lightly. "The manga's over there."
Dainsleif nodded, dropped a bag of Mora on the counter, and walked to the shelves.
"Doraemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! are both gone?"
He searched up and down but couldn't find either volume.
A hint of disappointment crossed his face.
He had wanted to check one of them today:
One, to see if time machines that could really travel through eras existed.
The other, just to test if he could get another pack of spicy strips.
That one bag from last night… after tasting it, he felt it was perfectly to his liking—so stimulating, so addictive.
Unfortunately, it was gone too soon.
"Looks like I'll have to buy more from that young lady…"
Dainsleif sighed.
It was rare for him to find food he actually enjoyed, yet it was this hard to obtain.
But manga still had to be read.
"Hm? That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime? A new manga?"
He looked at the unfamiliar cover with curiosity.
Especially the title…
He had heard that in Inazuma there was a book called 'Reincarnated as the Raiden Shogun: Unrivaled Across the World.'
Reincarnating as the Raiden Shogun—sure, he could understand that.
She was one of the Seven Archons, after all, immensely powerful.
But reincarnating as a slime?
On Teyvat, slimes were bottom-tier creatures, like hilichurls— basically fodder for anyone to bully.
What kind of story could this manga possibly hold?
"…Alright then, I'll take this one!"
Dainsleif picked up the book and headed for the reading area.
But as he passed a certain corner, he suddenly froze.
"That person… feels familiar."
He narrowed his eyes at the figure sitting in the corner.
"…It's him!"
A sudden flash of recognition struck.
He wasn't someone who had many friends—always a solitary wanderer.
And the other's disguise wasn't exactly flawless.
So, it didn't take much for him to piece it together.
Then he noticed the Yu-Gi-Oh! volume in the other's hand.
Dainsleif's mouth twitched slightly.
So he's the one who took it…
He hesitated for a moment, then deliberately changed direction— heading straight toward that figure.
Someone sat down across from him.
Aether casually looked up— and froze.
"…Of all people, it's him!"
His brows furrowed slightly.
Would his disguise be enough to fool him?
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Dainsleif let out a sigh.
"It's you?"
The words instantly confirmed it for Aether: he'd been recognized.
But here, in Boss Han's shop, he wasn't worried.
This place was safe.
Besides… the man before him was once his companion.
Thinking of their shared past, Aether sighed.
"…It's me."
"You came."
"I came."
"You shouldn't have come."
"But I'm already here."
The words fell.
Silence again.
Meanwhile, Yanfei and the others nearby, who were reading manga, were left utterly bewildered.
What kind of riddle contest is this?
Can't you two just speak like normal people?!
"Yanfei, do you know what they're talking about?"
Xiangling whispered curiously.
In her mind, Yanfei—knowledgeable legal advisor, solver of countless cases—should surely understand.
Yanfei: (⊙_⊙)
How the heck am I supposed to know?!
She coughed awkwardly, forcing a laugh.
"Ehem, forget it, I'll just read my manga."
To be fair… this new manga really was sweet.
So sweet it was almost cloying.
Nothing in the shop escaped Han Feng's notice.
Naturally, he saw it all.
"Two riddle-speakers, huh.
If little Paimon were here, she'd be tearing her hair out in frustration."
He chuckled to himself.
In his eyes, though the two now stood on opposing sides, deep down they still shared the bond of "friends who once journeyed together."
They had traveled far and wide, faced hardships side by side.
It was… not unlike Lumine and Paimon.
Han Feng suddenly squinted, muttering to himself—
"Hiss… if that's the case, doesn't that make Dainsleif… an 'emergency food' too?"
~~--------------------------------------
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