Chapter 24: Gift and First Mission

POV: Yuki

[The God of Play has joined the group]

Yuki's eyes widened as the notification flashed across the screen. Just based on the name alone, he could already make a guess about the true identity of this figure. However, it was the subsequent message that followed that confirmed his suspicions.

[The God of Play has bestowed Fake Flügel a modified Rite of Restoration ritual]

[Will you accept]

[Yes / No]

Yuki's mind raced with excitement and realization as he connected the dots. "The God of Play... Tet," he murmured to himself, his thoughts filled with a mix of awe and curiosity. If anyone possessed the power and knowledge to bestow the Rite of Restoration upon him, it could only be Tet, the One True God of the world where No Game No Life unfolded.

Rite of Restoration is a powerful ritual that could restore a wounded Flügel to their peak condition, but there was a catch. Yuki's brows furrowed as he considered the drawback of this ritual. While it promised restoration, it took some years to complete.

Normally this would not matter for a Flügel who is Immortal, but in this world a single year is the entire time canon takes from the beginning to the end. Meaning if he uses the Rite of Restoration, he will be absent for the entire canon.

Without a moment's hesitation, Yuki's finger instinctively pressed the 'Yes' button, accepting the bestowed gift from the God of Play. The allure of possessing such a powerful tool, even if he didn't intend to use it immediately, was too enticing to resist. In his mind, having something in his arsenal was undeniably more advantageous than having nothing at all.

However, amidst his excitement, Yuki's curiosity piqued at the mention of the Rite of Restoration being 'modified'. It sparked a desire within him to delve deeper and uncover the intricacies of this unique offering. With swift movements, he navigated through the interface of the chat group, searching for an option that explains this ability to him. Although he did know the base ability from the anime, he was curious what exactly was modified.

A bit later, his perseverance paid off as he located the desired feature. With a quick selection, Yuki pressed the 'Status' button that was somewhere in the settings of the chat group, causing a status window to materialize before him.

Little did Yuki know at that time that his status had been subject to even more severe censorship than what the God of Play had experienced earlier when looking at Yuki's status. While the God of Play had at least been greeted with a few question marks indicating undisclosed details, Yuki's status window presented an even greater enigma. It withheld crucial information, leaving Yuki in the dark about some of his own capabilities and potential.

[Name: Yuki Takehara]

[Race: Flügel (Modified, True Potential Sealed)]

[Age: 15]

[Abilities: Racial Ability (expand), Quirk (expand), Rite of Restoration (modified) (details)]

Yuki's gaze lingered on the status window, absorbing the information it revealed. The fact that his race was marked as 'modified' didn't come as a surprise to him, considering his request to the God of Play to alter his gender.

However, what caught his attention and stirred a sense of curiosity within him was the notation of 'True Potential Sealed'. Yuki had already sensed that something was amiss with his Flügel nature, given that he ages, requires food and needs to sleep.

With a determined focus, Yuki's gaze shifted downward to the section listing his abilities. Yuki thought that he was familiar enough with his 'Racial Ability' and 'Quirk', therefore he decided to ignore them for now. Instead, his attention was drawn to the enticing entry of 'Rite of Restoration (modified)'.

Without hesitation, Yuki clicked on the option, causing another window to materialize, offering a more detailed description of this ability.

[Rite of Restoration (modified)]

[A welcome present from the God of Games. Using the Rite of Restoration allows the user to completely heal oneself within a timeframe of a few years. However, due to the modification, the time required for healing has been significantly reduced to a maximum of one year.]

[Note: The first usage of this ritual will unlock the true potential of the Flügel race.]

After absorbing the information about the Rite of Restoration (modified), Yuki's mind buzzed with possibilities. Yuki found himself caught between his desire to unlock his capabilities and the reluctance to miss out on the canon.

Suddenly a thought crossed his mind, considering the possibility of using the ritual during a mission. It had been mentioned in the manual of the chat group that time in their own world stood still during missions, presenting an opportune moment for him to undergo the transformation.

With his decision made, Yuki's attention shifted to the other members of the group. He wondered if they had also received gifts or if this was simply another privilege exclusive to his role as an admin. Scanning through the chat, he soon discovered that each member had indeed received a present of their own.

All Might: Have you all received a message from the God of Play, stating that you've been bestowed with an ability?

The first to answer was Black Star, who confirmed it with a 'yes', followed by a reply from all others that they too received a similar notification.

Little Demon Venerable: Should we accept this, it could be a trap after all.

Black Star: I understand your concern, but I've already accepted it. I'm currently trying to figure out what this ability does. So far, it doesn't seem like a trap to me.

All Might: Has anyone heard of an ability called 'Blood Break'?

The Fool: I'm not familiar with it. Maybe we should ask Fake Flügel. He might have some knowledge about it.

At that moment, Yuki was still engrossed in exploring his own ability and deciphering its secrets. The one to respond was none other than the God of Play himself.

God of Play: Blood Break is an ability that grants the user the ability to surpass their physical limits and defy the laws of physics for a limited period of time. However, using Blood Break puts immense strain on the user's body.

Shortly after, Yuki finished examining his own ability and turned his attention to the chat messages. Tet's message remained the final one left for him to read. After also reading this last message he continued to enlighten All Might.

Fake Flügel: All Might, he's telling the truth. However, there's a crucial detail he's withholding. Given your current physical state, you'll only be able to utilize it for a few brief seconds, assuming you're in your muscular form. Do not try to use it in your true form or else you might die.

Upon hearing this, All Might accepted the present. Yet, he wasn't the only one with inquiries about the presents from the God of Play. Little Demon Venerable also harbored suspicions and posed a question in the chat group.

Little Demon Venerable: What does this Psychological Empty Space do?

Fake Flügel: When activated, it allows you to remain concealed from almost anything. It might even grant you the ability to elude Heaven's Will.

Upon reading this, Little Demon Venerable couldn't contain his excitement. For a long time, he had sought a means to completely evade the watchful gaze of the Heaven's Will. This truly is the ability the current him needed the most. Although he already had some plans to counter the Heaven's Will using the luck path, one more ability is nothing he refuses.

Next to ask a question was Scheming Shinigami.

Scheming Shinigami: What exactly is an Ex-Machina?

God of Play: A Ex-Machina is a highly advanced Machine-Race. They have an incredible ability to learn and adapt to any situation.

Scheming Shinigami grasped the general concept conveyed by the God of Play and proceeded to accept the gift he had received without hesitation.

Fake Flügel: To clarify, I suggest accepting the gift first and then checking your status. As the God of Play, I assure you that I have no malicious intentions.

Black Star: Hold on, do all of you also have a status window? While mine does show the ability I received, it doesn't provide a detailed description. Is it the same for everyone else?

Scheming Shinigami: What exactly do you mean by 'status'? I'm not familiar with this term.

Aizen, despite the computational prowess bestowed upon him by the God of Play, still struggled to comprehend the concept of a status. Having spent most of his life in the Soul Society, he was not well-versed in gaming terminology.

Fake Flügel: What I meant is the status within this chat group. Click on 'Settings' and you'll find a button labeled 'Status'. Clicking on it will display your own abilities. From there, you can select a specific ability to view its detailed description.

After Yuki's explanation, they all followed the instructions and explored their own abilities, gaining a better understanding of what they had received.

As the day progressed and their discussion continued, nothing major happened during the next few days, as if the chat group never existed in the first place. If not for the power they received, some would have thought this was just a joke. Then months later, their everyday life was suddenly interrupted by a system message from the chat group. Until then the group was mysteriously quiet, with only a few conversations between the members taking place.

[Reincarnator detected, Initiating Mission]

Shortly after in the mission section appeared a new mission with the name 'Hunt down the Reincarnator' that was labeled as a tutorial mission.

Fake Flügel: Everyone, check the mission tab! A mission has appeared there.

Yuki quickly typed his message in the chat before diving into the detailed description of the mission.

[Hunt down the Reincarnator]

[Description: A person was reincarnated into the world of One Piece as a Tenryūbito. Every Member is forced to participate.]

[Duration: Until the death of the reincarnated person is confirmed by the chat group]

[Victory condition: Kill the reincarnator (0/1)]

Yuki's eyes scanned the mission details displayed on his screen. The timer below showed '23 hours 59 minutes and 03 seconds,' indicating that the mission would commence tomorrow evening, right after his first day at UA High School.

"Looks like I'll have quite the eventful day," Yuki thought to himself.

Meanwhile in the chat group a discussion unfolds itself regarding the mission.

All Might: Guys, I have a concern about this mission. The objective is to kill the reincarnated person, but I cannot bring myself to take a life. Is there any way we can resolve this without resorting to violence?

Little Demon Venerable: Hmph! Peaceful solution? That's a waste of time. Killing anyone that displeases me has always been my way. I have no qualms about eliminating our target.

Scheming Shinigami: Killing doesn't bother me. If someone stands in my way, I'll eliminate them without hesitation.

All Might: I understand that not everyone may share my ideals, but I believe in the power of compassion and redemption. It's our duty as heroes to inspire change and guide others towards a better path.

Little Demon Venerable: Hah! Killing is the most efficient solution. Why waste time on convincing someone when we can simply eliminate them and be done with it? Besides, I won't let anyone stand in my way.

Scheming Shinigami: Hah! Your ideals won't get us far, All Might. Heroes are weak, and their compassion is often taken advantage of. I won't put my life at risk just to spare someone who deserves death.

Black Star: Hmph! Heroes, villains, it's all the same to me. But if you want to try your luck with persuasion, go ahead. I won't stop you, but I won't hold back either.

All Might: I won't give up on my beliefs, even if it means standing alone. But I hope, over time, we can come to understand each other and work together for the greater good.

Fake Flügel: Everyone, I have another important thing to discuss. I've been thinking about staying in this world for an extended period, possibly over a year.

All Might: Stay for over a year? But why, Fake Flügel? Our mission here is to complete the task and return to our own world as soon as possible.

All Might wrote this knowing that staying inside this foreign world for a year will only result in him having next to no time left to be a hero once he returns.

Fake Flügel: I understand your concern, All Might, but hear me out. This world has unique opportunities that can benefit us. For example, it has a method to heal your injuries and help you grow stronger, allowing you to continue being the symbol of peace. It's a chance for you to regain your power.

Little Demon Venerable: I agree with Fake Flügel.

Fang Yuan quickly agrees, after all this is also an opportunity for him. Staying longer means more time to strengthen his foundation and enhance his skills. Time is precious, especially for him.

The Fool: Hmm, staying for over a year, you say? Why should we agree.

Fake Flügel: This world offers an environment where you can fully explore and experiment with your potion digestion. It provides ample opportunities for you to digest your potion.

After thinking about it for a bit, Klein responded.

The Fool: I'm convinced. I'm on board with staying for an extended period.

Now only Black Star and Scheming Shinigami remain to be convinced. This is also the most problematic part, especially Scheming Shinigami, who not only possesses the power to end the mission immediately, but also has not much benefits in staying there.

Fake Flügel: Alright, it seems we have almost reached a consensus regarding staying in this world for an extended period.

Scheming Shinigami: I must admit, staying longer wasn't initially in my plans, but after considering the possibilities, I see the value in it. Count me in as well.

This came to a great surprise to Yuki, but Aizen was always sort of incomprehensible. Knowing that trying to understand Aizen is a futile effort he does not even try to do so. This is especially true now that he has the computation power of an Ex-Machina.

Black Star: I don't know. I understand the benefits you've mentioned, but what's in it for me? As far as what was mentioned until now, I don't see how this world can offer anything substantial to a mechanic like me.

Fake Flügel: Black Star, have you heard of Devil Fruits?

Black Star: Devil Fruits? No what are they?

Fake Flügel: Devil Fruits are mysterious fruits found in this world that grant incredible abilities to those who consume them. Staying here longer would give you the opportunity to study these fruits.

Black Star: That does sound intriguing. If they hold such power, then it's worth investigating.

Seeing that he made Black Star interested in them he decided to give it one final push.

Fake Flügel: See, Black Star? This world holds hidden treasures and knowledge that can benefit all of us. By staying longer, you'll have a chance to delve into the mysteries of Devil Fruits and bring that knowledge back to your world.

Black Star: Alright, I'm convinced. I'll stay and analyze these Devil Fruits. Who knows what kind of breakthroughs I can achieve? Let's make the most of our time here.

A year was not much time for Black Star to begin with. Furthermore he also had his own hidden agendas like trying out how far his own system works in that world or familiarizing himself with his powers as a newly advanced Beyond A Grade Super.

With Black Star's agreement, the group was finally united in their decision to stay in the world of One Piece for an extended period. Each member had their own motivations and goals.

And so the day came to an end and Yuki went to sleep.