**Chapter 40: Initiative**

The battle ended quickly. The assassins left behind eight or nine bodies, and the remaining few took advantage of the chaos to escape. This part was easy to explain, but the real problem now was the giant block of ice in front of Linton.

Yes, right in front of Linton was a massive block of ice, and through it, he could see a figure inside. Naturally, the person inside was the leader of the assassins, although Linton still didn't know who exactly they were. After breaking free from Linton's illusion for a moment, the leader had released some kind of skill. Linton dodged cautiously, only to find the surrounding area quickly freezing over. In the blink of an eye, the assassin had frozen themselves into the block of ice that Linton now faced.

The person had encased themselves in ice, and after a brief inspection, Linton couldn't tell if this was a form of suicide or some kind of survival technique. The figure inside remained motionless, leaving Linton unsure whether they were dead or alive.

These assassins were clearly fanatics. Linton had tried to capture one alive for questioning, but each captive quickly committed suicide, using some unknown method. It was as if they had a sudden seizure and died. According to Princess Yalan, it was likely that someone had used magic to control their lives, although she admitted she didn't fully understand the mechanics of it.

Now, the only person who might offer answers was the one inside the ice block—if they were still alive. Linton wanted to break them out immediately, but the ice was surprisingly tough. Even Lena's attempt to cut through it with her combat aura failed. Linton tried using a fire technique, but the ice wouldn't melt; it seemed to be regenerating itself. The only move left in his arsenal was *Amaterasu*.

However, *Amaterasu* would likely melt the ice, but it would also incinerate the person inside. What would be the point of melting it if the captive were burned to ashes? According to Princess Yalan, the ice block was being sustained by magic, making it so durable and self-repairing. The magic was likely coming from the assassin inside. If they waited, the ice might melt on its own once the leader's magic was exhausted.

After discussing it, the group decided to wait. They still had time to spare since Barry needed to recover, and they could keep an eye on the assassin in the meantime. Based on Princess Yalan's estimate, even a star-level mage wouldn't be able to maintain this kind of spell for more than two or three days. By then, the assassin would likely be drained of magic and would pose no threat.

They believed the next few days should be relatively safe. While some of the assassins had escaped and would report back, it would still take time for another team to arrive. Meanwhile, Barry's recovery seemed to be going well, and he should be fully healed in time.

After handling the bodies and inspecting the assassins' belongings, the group still found no useful information. These assassins were clearly professionals who left no trace.

Linton again questioned Princess Yalan about any possible suspects. She claimed ignorance, although she clearly had her suspicions. After all, her relationships with her siblings were strained, but as a royal matter, she preferred not to speculate openly.

Gassain, knowing Linton's intentions, couldn't help but roll his eyes. He obviously knew who the real target of the assassins was but remained silent. Although he said nothing, he was eager to find out who was responsible for his father's assassination. Involving the third princess would make the investigation much more effective, likely drawing the king's attention and ensuring a smoother process.

Lena seemed to have her own suspicions as well, but like the others, she kept them to herself. Everyone seemed to have their own agendas, and it felt like the group was subtly drifting apart.

After a simple dinner, Lena and Princess Yalan took the first watch while Linton went to rest in the tent. Barry's recovery was going well, though he hadn't woken up yet and had begun snoring loudly. The noise made it hard for Linton to sleep, but since Barry was injured, punching him wasn't an option.

Linton lay awake, pondering, and decided to use the time to study his system. With nothing pressing for the next few days, he could finally familiarize himself with its functions, many of which still baffled him.

One function that puzzled him was the *Exploration* feature. The first time he crossed worlds, it was triggered after 30 cycles of inactivity, and the second time was when he had negative points from being attacked. So, there appeared to be three methods of crossing worlds: having negative points for emergency missions, automatic crossing after 30 cycles of inactivity, and initiating exploration manually within those 30 cycles.

But Linton couldn't find any button to initiate exploration. He checked every option, but there was no "manual crossing" button in sight.

Running out of ideas, Linton decided to ask Battle Assistant directly. 

"Hey, Battle Assistant, can I initiate an exploration task manually?"

"System prompt: Do you wish to begin exploration?"

"Huh?" Linton paused, surprised by the response. It wasn't the usual mechanical voice of the Battle Assistant, which was gender-neutral and robotic. This was clearly a female voice, like the announcements you hear on buses. The two voices were distinctly different.

Linton hadn't expected a response from the System Assistant, which had always been silent except for notifications. But this time, it actually answered his question.

"Wait, you can talk?" Linton asked.

"System prompt: Do you wish to begin exploration?"

The System Assistant began repeating itself. Linton figured it was a basic AI that could only respond to certain commands.

"Yes," Linton said after thinking it over.

"Exploration initiated," the voice continued. "Please select the world you wish to explore."

A screen appeared before Linton, displaying several unfamiliar options. There were two icons that looked like folders. One was labeled "World A," with a progress bar showing 1.4% explored. The other was labeled "World B," with 24.6% explored.

Linton quickly understood. The first world was the one where he'd encountered Spider-Man, probably the Marvel Universe. The second one was clearly the Naruto world. From the looks of it, he could continue exploring worlds he'd already visited since the exploration wasn't complete. This didn't surprise Linton; he had suspected as much, but now he knew how to trigger it.

"Got it. Exit," Linton said.

"System prompt: If you exit without choosing, random exploration will begin."

"What?" Linton froze. "Wait, I'm not asking for random exploration. I'm canceling. Exit. ESC."

"System prompt: If you exit without choosing, random exploration will begin."

Linton was stunned. Was he stuck on this screen? 

"Do I have to start exploring now?"

"System prompt: If you exit…"

"Hey, come on, are you serious? If I randomly disappear, how am I supposed to explain that?" Linton realized what was happening but felt helpless. When he crossed worlds, he disappeared, and though the time flow was different, people would definitely notice. What excuse would he have when he came back?

"System prompt…"

The System Assistant ignored Linton's protest and continued repeating itself.

"Seriously, stop messing with me!"

"System prompt: You have 3 minutes to make a selection. If no selection is made, random exploration will begin automatically."

"What the…?" Linton was dumbfounded. He glanced outside; maybe he could quickly let Yalan and the others know. But after some thought, he decided against it. If he disappeared suddenly, it would be easier to explain later. He could always make something up when he returned.

Since he couldn't exit, he had no choice but to proceed. He looked at the two worlds. Random selection was too risky; he didn't want to end up in some unknown world with terrifying monsters that could instantly kill him. He'd rather choose one of the two worlds he knew.

After weighing his options, he clicked on the Naruto world. A flash of white light enveloped him, and when the light faded, Linton found himself inside a room.

He glanced around. It was a simple wooden room with a Japanese aesthetic, which made sense since he was in the Naruto world. But how had he ended up here?

"Who's there? Who's in the room?" A voice came from outside, and Linton realized it sounded like a child.

(End of Chapter)