After returning home, Sai Akuto resumed his usual routine of training his body and practicing with his Sacred Gear.
But being at only the peak of Low-Class Devil level wasn't nearly enough to safely get through the early stages.
At minimum, his base strength needed to reach Mid-Class Devil, and he had to successfully develop his Balance Breaker.
One chance at an "Boosted Dragon" might be enough to handle Kokabiel.
But now, he also had to be prepared to deal with Maou-level threats from the Old Maou Faction. One shot of "Boosted Dragon" would hardly be sufficient.
[Although Grayfia and the others would most likely step in, if possible, I don't want my fate to rest in someone else's hands.]
[I must... get stronger as soon as possible.]
With the determination to become stronger quickly, Akuto threw himself into relentless training.
Not just body and sword training—he drilled his magic and control methods as well.
He was very satisfied with his body, enhanced by the pure-blood demon bloodline. It was strong, durable, and far beyond human limits.
Even when his magic was exhausted and fatigue set in, he still had the energy to keep training his body and swordplay.
Everything about him now screamed that he had already left the category of ordinary humans—he was a supernatural being.
...
While he trained, a crisp chime echoed in his mind.
[Ding~]
[Host's willpower and strength have met the requirement. System upgrading...]
[Upgrade successful. Congratulations, host, "Dungeon World" function unlocked.]
[Dungeon World time ratio can be adjusted freely between 1:10 and 10:1. Host may enter Dungeon World for up to 12 hours per day.]
"Hm? Dungeon World?"
"In the Dungeon World... can I still trigger system missions?" Akuto asked the most important question.
[Ding!]
[Even within Dungeon World, host can trigger system missions normally.]
"Good. That's all I needed. How do I enter?"
Even if missions weren't possible, he would still have wanted to go.
A 10:1 time ratio meant ten times the training.
Even with only 12 hours a day allowed inside, that was still five times more training time!
[Ding!]
[Detected host's strength at Low-Class Devil. Drawing initial Dungeon World...]
[Congratulations, host has unlocked: High School Of The Dead.]
[Would host like to enter Dungeon World now?]
"Yes."
[Ding!]
[Transferring to High School Of The Dead.]
[Host will gain an identity similar to, but distinct from, the original protagonist. After the plot begins, host will awaken memories from another world.]
"Hm? Only after the plot starts?"
Akuto frowned. Of course he wanted to influence the story earlier.
[Ding!]
[Though the host cannot awaken memories early, you may set behavioral directives for your pre-awakened self, thereby altering the past story to some extent.]
"Oh? So I can alter the story somewhat by setting directives? That's pretty considerate."
Akuto was quite satisfied with this feature.
[Before entering Dungeon World, please select your initial abilities.]
[As High School Of The Dead is a Beginner Dungeon, host may choose either two starting abilities, or two chances to use full body strength.]
"System, can I choose one ability now and leave the other open for later?"
He didn't want to lock himself into fixed abilities from the start.
If he could keep one slot open, it meant he could choose later depending on what he needed.
[....]
[Approved.]
[Host may leave one ability slot empty at the start, and later convert it into either an ability or a one-time full-strength use.]
The system was surprisingly flexible—as long as the total power didn't exceed its allowance, it was negotiable.
[Additionally, if the host wishes to quickly gain more ability slots, you may do so by capturing the heroines of the story.]
[Each heroine successfully captured grants one ability slot.]
[Note: capturing requires raising affection—it is not simply a matter of physical intimacy. Act with care.]
...
"So I can earn more ability slots by capturing heroines? That means the more I capture, the closer I'll be to maintaining the same peak battle strength I had in DxD world."
Rubbing his chin, Akuto made his decision.
"I'll start by taking the Reinforced Slime Suit. I'll save the other slot for later."
His first choice wasn't the Boosted Gear or the Leviathan bloodline.
It was—the Reinforced Slime Suit!
Boosted Gear and Leviathan bloodline were only for himself, not as useful for protecting others.
The Slime Suit, on the other hand, had both practical and... entertaining functions.
First, it worked even without magic.
Second, it could divide—Akuto could share portions of it with those he trusted.
Third, it could self-cleanse, neutralize toxins, and regulate temperature. Truly versatile.
Such a tool would be absurd not to bring.
...
After asking a few more questions, Akuto completed all the pre-transfer settings.
[Ding!]
[Transferring to Dungeon World: High School Of The Dead (Beginner Difficulty).]
[Initial Ability: Reinforced Slime Suit. (Remaining slot can be chosen later or converted)]
[Pre-awakening Directives:
Mode 1: Actively seek contact with heroines, creating events to raise affection, but avoid direct romantic commitment.
Mode 2: Intervene if a heroine risks being involved with another male.
Mode 3: If possible, resolve Rei Miyamoto's blackmail situation with Koichi Shido.]
[World Transfer... Start!]
In a blur, Akuto's figure vanished.
...
[Ding!]
[Transfer successful. Host must complete High School Of The Dead's main storyline missions.]
[Main Quest 1: Within six months, build a safe shelter with maximum defensive capability (Blue Rank).]
[Note: shelter rewards scale by number of heroines and total people sheltered.]
[Main Quest 2: Within six months, kill as many zombies as possible (no fixed limit, rewards scale with milestones).]
[Note: rewards are triggered at thresholds—1, 100, 10,000, 1 million, 100 million, etc.]
On the rooftop of a school in the High School Of The Dead, Akuto gradually regained consciousness.
A flood of foreign memories poured into his mind.
(End of Chapter)
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