31 ‘I….need….’

Roland would be lying if he said he wasn't excited. Seeing the gate being activated as well as seeing the old witch's hand 'go through the wall', he was more filled with anticipation for what was to come.

"Time to choose where your journey begins"

The moment she said those words, all the novels, webnovels, manga, mahua, manhwa, webtoons and comics he'd ever read flashed across his mind.

'How cool would it be to witness cooking contest in Shokugeki No Soma' stars appeared in his eyes at the thought of food.

'Wait…if I enter that manga, would I experience it as how I'd read it, exaggerated and all?'

The image of women entering a state of euphoria, and with their clothes flying off entered his mind. Blood flushed to his cheeks before running a river through his nose.

'I….need….'

He entered a trance, lost in his own world. The old witch looked at him and scoffed.

"Bloody pervert"

She walked towards him, then raised her hand and smacked across the back of his head. The sudden exertion of force to his head knocked him off his feet, sending him face down to the ground.

It took Roland a good minute to realize that he had been knocked down.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

He jumped up and rubbed his now bruised forehead and glared at the old witch.

"What the hell was that for?!"

The first time he got hit, he could understand, though his actions at the time had been unintentional and he was not aware that she would've transformed, or rather, he didn't know that she could have transformed at all.

She stared at him, a look of displeasure masked her face.

'I'm not obligated to explaining my actions to you at all'

She turned up her head and walked back towards the wall.

Her attitude and lack of response irritated Roland.

'Tch...obviously her parents never disciplined her at all and could use some right now'

He swore in his heart to discipline her in the future the moment he gets the chance.

'Just wait...'

The old witch, oblivious of Roland's plans, placed her hand in her coats pocket and removed a bronze pocket watch, engraved with a hourglass that seemed animated. The motion of sand moving down in the hourglass caught Roland's attention, causing him to temporarily forget about what took place a few seconds before.

'Cool'

The old witch stared at the watch, her previously displeased expressed now removed and one of confusion appeared.

"Weird..."

Roland heard her mumble to herself, causing him to become even more curious.

"We wait" was all she said before taking a seat on the ground.

Huh?"