Rod instinctively jumped hard towards the side of the fireplace.
Boom—!!!
A powerful explosion blew a large hole in the wall.
Clang!
A fleeting blade blocked the short sword.
A girl with long black hair as smooth as silk, dressed in a kimono, appeared.
She was practically the embodiment of the so-called [Yamato Nadeshiko] of the Far East, standing in front of Rod, glaring sharply at the man with blood-red hair opposite her.
"To dare to attack my… protected person right in front of me, you're truly bold!"
Laila let out a "Heave-ho" and leaped down, helping Rod up with a worried expression.
"Are you alright? I tried my best to control the amount of explosives."
"Cough cough cough… Don't worry, I won't die."
Rod coughed as he used the support to stand up from the ground, rubbed his aching arm, and glanced at the completely extinguished flame in the fireplace.
It seemed like she protected me just now, was that an illusion…
"Didn't I tell you to go find reinforcements…? I don't remember [Cunning Mouse] being such a reckless existence."
Rod looked worriedly at Kaguya Gojou, who was confronting Vit.
This is troublesome. Although [Faceless] Vit is a madman who loves to torment people, his strength is indeed not to be underestimated.
Theoretically, a Lv3 Kaguya does have the possibility of defeating a Lv4 Vit, but now they are in a Dark Faction stronghold, and the remaining soldiers will soon come to surround them, so the situation is clearly not optimistic.
Laila was also annoyed for a moment, then sighed helplessly.
"I don't know either. Anyway, when I heard you were in danger, my hands and feet moved before my brain did…"
Rod glanced at this Pallum in surprise.
What kind of reason is that?
"Don't look at me like that, I don't know why either."
Laila twitched her ears, heard the noisy footsteps coming from the corridor, took a deep breath, and made a decision.
"Anyway, reinforcements are still needed, but… this time it has to be you."
Rod's eyes widened, and he pointed at himself: "Huh? You're asking me, someone who isn't even an adventurer, to go for reinforcements?"
He even doubted whether the person standing in front of him was truly the Pallum known for her wisdom.
However, things had come to this, and Laila, instead, became incredibly calm, not responding to Rod's self-deprecation, but rationally explaining the situation.
"Can you still run? I must stay and hold off these small fries for that woman; she's already struggling just to block that bastard."
"We won't last long, so if you can't find reinforcements in the shortest time, you can prepare our funeral."
"Since you've heard of our Familia, you should also know where our base is."
Vit couldn't help but burst into laughter after hearing Laila's idea.
"Are you really those fools who only play petty tricks, are overly ambitious, and adhere to exaggerated creeds?"
"To actually expect him to escape from the encirclement of us adventurers, are you trying to make me laugh to death, hahahahaha!"
"Even if it's just a bunch of level 1 trash who just received Grace, he's still just a mortal, and he can't escape! This is the truth of this world!"
Laila ignored the man's ridicule, silently staring at Rhode.
"You… you'll have a way, right?"
She knew the thought was ridiculous, but a voice kept reminding her in her mind, 'Believe him!'
Rhode looked troubled. Although he wanted to agree coolly, he still felt it was a bit too much to ask for, to the point of being absurd.
"I…"
[Ding dong~]
Just then, the system's beautiful notification sound rang out in time!
[A-rank Wish has been issued.]
[Content: Escape the Dark Faction stronghold and find reinforcements for Laila and Kaguya.]
[Failure: Laila and Kaguya die after fifteen minutes.]
[Success Reward: One ability from either Laila or Kaguya, and corresponding Wish Points.]
Rhode quickly read through all the content, then his eyes went black, and he urgently asked in his mind.
"Damn it, where's my 新手禮包 ?!"
[The system will issue a corresponding level of Newbie Gift Pack based on the rating of the first mission you complete.]
"Nǐmǎ (Damn it)….. My situation is urgent now. Just give me something that can help me complete the mission, even if it's a loan!"
The system was silent for a moment.
[Do you want to pre-pay one thousand Wish Points to exchange for a Wish Ticket?]
"Yes, yes, yes, whatever it is, as long as it's useful, use it quickly!"
Rhode took a deep breath, met Laila's trusting gaze, and nodded forcefully.
"I don't know why you trust me so much, but leave it to me."
Laila's lips curved upwards, and her slender hand grabbed Rhode's collar, tossing him forcefully towards the gap.
"Don't be late, I haven't had dinner yet~"
"Trying to escape?!"
Vitt kicked the ground, about to stop Rhode, but was blocked by the boomerang Laila threw.
"No way! Your opponents are us!"
Vitt was annoyed for a moment, then put on his mask-like smile again.
"Alright, let those useless trash do their job and bring back that guy's head."
"Ah ah, your expressions of despair and distortion will surely be interesting then. Before that, let me play with you two first~"
Laila took a deep breath, cautiously taking out explosives.
"Sorry, Kaguya."
Kaguya replied dismissively.
"Don't be so self-important, I just want to save that guy too."
Laila thought Kaguya was just being tsundere, unaware that this was her true thought.
The two who would always quarrel when alone for the first time reached an absolute consensus on one matter, all because of that indescribable intuition.
He absolutely cannot be harmed!
Even if it means sacrificing her own life for it!
Tap tap tap tap——
"Over here!"
"Don't rush, he can't run far!"
"Haha, trying to escape from us adventurers? You're not the first. Do you know what happened to your predecessors?"
The man holding a long blade stood in Rhode's path with a sinister expression, seemingly intending to toy with his prey for a while longer.
The alley behind him was also blocked by two adventurers who had climbed out from the second floor.
Rhode got up from the ground, stretched his somewhat stiff limbs, and spoke calmly.
"I don't care, and I don't want to hear it."
The man, who had been trying to witness Rhode's panicked expression, instantly choked, then glared at Rhode in exasperation.
At a time like this, shouldn't you be cooperating by trembling and begging for mercy?!
[D-rank Wish Ticket activated!]
[A Wish has been automatically sent to all realms for you. It will match the most suitable reinforcements for your current situation and resolve the situation through spirit body possession.]
Rhode frowned slightly and asked in his mind.
"Can't I summon a specific one?"
[Wish Tickets of the corresponding rank can only contact targets of that rank, and whether they will respond to your Wish is completely unknown. Depending on the situation, you may need to pay an equivalent reward afterwards.]
[Do you want to try a targeted Wish?]
"Then forget it."
The system being unable to forcibly summon sounded like a somewhat strange setting, but it made Rhode feel much calmer.
All the realms it connected to were real worlds, not playgrounds created out of thin air by the system.
Rhode looked at the adventurer who was slowly approaching with a sinister smile, licking the tip of his blade, and narrowed his eyes.
"Just make the Wish like this. I want to see who will respond to me…"
A colorful meteor, visible only to him, streaked across the star sea and fell into a certain world.
[This is the land blessed by gods——]
Rhode's eyes lit up.
Ah? Could it be that my luck is through the roof?!
A world with gods? Type-Moon? Little Garden? Or Saint Seiya?
[This is a cruel battlefield where countless strong individuals compete——]
Good, good, that sounds very strong!
Bring it on, I can't wait!
Why would I even ask for reinforcements now? I'll go back immediately and beat that idiot Vitt until he kneels and begs for mercy!
As Rhode grew more excited, a confident smile, ready to break the current situation, gradually appeared on his face.
However, Rhode's smile, in the eyes of his enemies, was undoubtedly blatant mockery!
"You damned ant, even if I consider Valletta-sama, as long as I leave you alive, it's fine to cut off your limbs, right?!"
The man, infuriated, roared and swung his blade.
An adventurer who had received the Grace of the gods and had their potential activated, even if only level 1, his speed was far beyond what Rhode himself could dodge.
However.
In the scene only he could see.
The meteor streaked past countless figures exuding powerful auras, finally landing in the palm of a chestnut-haired girl.
The chestnut-haired girl instantly opened her sharp eyes.
At this moment, a sharp flame flashed in Rhode's eyes, and with a speed far exceeding the man's, he dodged the blade by ducking down.
"Wh-what?!"
Before the stunned man could react, Rhode lunged close to him in a breath, punching him in the abdomen.
"Ugh…. Ah….!!!"
The man let out a shrill scream, his eyeballs almost popping out, and was instantly knocked to his knees by Rhode, unable to get up!
However, Rhode, having done all this, showed no joy on his face; instead, his expression was somewhat strained.
Something's not right.
Too weak!
No, compared to his original self, it was naturally a world of difference!
But in terms of a strong person in a world with gods, how could the power only be this level?!
That last blow should have shattered a level 1 adventurer, that would be more likely!
Although abundant power flowed through his body, the attack just now was very stiff, its effect achieved purely by raw stats.
It felt to him as if… the one who responded had never experienced this kind of battle before?
Damn it, didn't it say that it was a cruel battlefield where countless strong individuals compete?
Rhode's face twisted into a grimace.
What's going on?
Who the hell did I summon?!
System, come out!
The girl's somewhat flustered voice echoed in his mind.
"Master, did you just hit someone with your fist? Is… is that really okay?"
Even in his anxiety, facing the girl's voice that was almost crying, Rhode had to calm down, quickly sharing the current situation with his partner, who was one with him.
"Now you know the situation, right? Is there a solution?"
He still held a last shred of hope, what if the other party had some secret weapon like a dual personality.
"Ugh… I, I can't do battle. I just felt that you needed help, so I chose to respond…"
Rhode was instantly silenced, but then his mind raced.
No, the target of my Wish must have a way to solve my current problem; the system wouldn't lie to me about that.
"By the way, what are you good at?"
"Eh? Me?… I'm a bit good at running…"
A thunderclap exploded in his mind, Rhode seemed to have thought of something, suppressing his urge to complain, he took a deep breath and asked.
"What's your name?"