"Yu Zhou, Masaki, while I'm on Mars, if any crisis arises on Earth, I'm counting on you." Daigo said solemnly as Asuka flew away, turning to Yu Zhou and Masaki.
"No problem, don't worry, Daigo," Masaki nodded in acknowledgment.
"Actually…" Yu Zhou hesitated for a moment, then said, "it's about time I return to my own world as well."
"What?"
Not just Daigo—everyone in the Victory Team was stunned to hear this.
"Already? It's barely been a year, and now you're leaving too, Yu Zhou?" Even though they knew he was from a parallel universe and would eventually leave, Captain Megumi couldn't hide her feelings.
"Yes… now not only is Daigo leaving, but you're leaving too," Horii sighed. He had tried to keep a cheerful expression while seeing Daigo off, but now he couldn't anymore.
"So… when exactly are you leaving?" Shinchou asked.
"About now." Yu Zhou recalled the storyline. It was roughly the moment after Daigo met Asuka—and that was the current time.
No sooner had he spoken than a familiar spatial vortex appeared before him, pulling him in with a strong force.
"Just as he said he was leaving…" Nozawa muttered, watching Yu Zhou being drawn into the swirling portal.
"Yes." Yu Zhou waved to everyone. "Goodbye, all of you. I promise I'll come back to see you."
He knew he would return to this world eventually—thanks to Dyna, who was very familiar with him.
"Goodbye!"
"Goodbye!"
Back in his small, shabby apartment, the spatial vortex suddenly appeared, following its usual procedure and depositing Yu Zhou onto his bed.
"Honestly, this feels like a wormhole from a video game—a giant mouth swallows you and spits you out. Might even lower your sanity points," he muttered.
After so many trips through spatial vortices, Yu Zhou had learned what to expect.
Every time he returned, he worried about the crises the red-dress girl had mentioned.
This was his world—unlike the other worlds he had visited, where he could handle things calmly.
If a real crisis were to strike while he was away in another world, it could harm friends, family, or classmates. Yu Zhou didn't dare imagine the consequences.
"Hopefully any crisis in this world will happen somewhere uninhabited," he silently prayed.
Checking his phone, he saw a message: the remaining payment from the crystals he had sold had been transferred to his account.
This time he had brought more crystals to sell later, converting them into personal funds.
Having money meant he could finally move out of this cramped apartment. The only concern was: what if a spatial vortex appeared here again?
He decided to call the landlord to discuss buying the apartment outright.
Also, if he bought a new place, what if a monster appeared in the world one day—his brand-new home could be ruined instantly.
Yu Zhou also upgraded his electronics—phones and computers with larger storage, mainly to accommodate all the Ultraman films and series he wanted.
He even had a bold idea: "What if I invest in a production company and fund a new movie with all the settings I want? Could I end up in the world of that movie?"
If he could insert advantageous elements into a film about Dyna, he could get a significant boost to his own abilities when he entered that world.
"Is this… cheating the system?" Yu Zhou grinned.
He decided that next time he traveled to another world, he would gather even more useful items to fund this plan.
Feeling the joys of having money, Yu Zhou went to the market to buy ingredients. After all, eating well was the most important.
With his inherited cooking skills, he didn't plan to dine at expensive restaurants—he'd cook for himself.
Looking around the vegetable stall, he spotted a promising herb.
"Sir, is this chive?" Yu Zhou asked, picking up a bunch and inspecting it. It didn't quite look like the chives he remembered.
"Meow," the old vendor said, fanning himself.
"Meow? I'm asking if these are chives, not if I'm a cat!" Yu Zhou frowned, confused.
"You silly!" the vendor snapped. "I'm telling you—they're chive seedlings!"
"Did you understand me or not?!"
"Alright, alright… my mistake, I didn't hear properly," Yu Zhou apologized.
The vendor shook his head, continuing to fan himself. "Young man, you're so young and hard of hearing—is it because you're weak?"
"Ha! You're the weak one!" Yu Zhou muttered, stuffing a bunch of chives into a bag. "Weigh these for me, please."
After buying several vegetables, the vendor began calculating the total on a computer.
"Sir, after all these years selling vegetables, you still need a computer for simple addition?" Yu Zhou teased.
"Nonsense! My mental math is faster!" the vendor retorted.
Yu Zhou asked, "Then what's 99 plus 421?"
"732!" the vendor replied immediately.
Yu Zhou winced. "That's not even close!" He looked at the vendor with pity—selling produce like this must be tough.
"Don't worry about accuracy, just the speed!" the vendor huffed.
Leaving the market, Yu Zhou secretly placed the groceries into his spatial bracelet, preparing other supplies for future travels.
Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out nearby. Yu Zhou looked up to see a building erupt in smoke and debris.
"Could it be… a monster has appeared in this world?!"
As the dust cleared, he realized it was only a demolition team—blasting the building for reconstruction.
"Maybe I've become too sensitive from all the monster battles in other worlds," Yu Zhou sighed, relieved.