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The September sky was still scorching hot.
Even at night, pedestrians walking along the streets would still feel beads of sweat trickling down their foreheads. People who had just stepped outside soon found their clothes sticking to their bodies, feeling uncomfortable.
"Finally got it."
Daniel opened his front door and let out a long sigh of relief.
Without saying much, he immediately took out his phone and turned on the air conditioner.
"Seriously, everyone keeps saying they won't buy the Porter's manga anymore, but the line was still huge."
Daniel put down the manga he had just bought and headed to the bathroom to shower, mumbling to himself while scrubbing.
Ever since the ending of Cautious Hero, his fan group was filled with people claiming they would never read another one of the Porter's so-called "comedic" manga again.
Even when KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! was being advertised, many fans still insisted they wouldn't buy it. Yet, today, when Daniel went to the bookstore, he saw a long line at the register.
To his surprise, he even spotted a few of his group members who had sworn off buying it. They had even posted in the chat saying they wouldn't buy it.
And there they were, standing near the front of the line.
In the end, nobody could escape the "truth in actions" rule!
After showering, Daniel wiped his hair dry and grabbed a cold Coke from the fridge, plopping down on the couch and taking a big gulp.
"Ah, nothing beats a Coke after a shower," Daniel sighed contentedly before reaching for the new manga.
The first chapter introduced a boy named Kazuma. From the promotional poster, it was easy to tell that he was the protagonist of the story.
The opening scene was similar to most isekai (another world) stories.
The main character was just an ordinary guy, and like in most isekai stories, he ended up dying—either hit by a truck while saving someone or caught in some other accident. The typical "can't escape the truck" trope.
But soon, Daniel noticed something different.
In the story, Kazuma did die trying to save someone, but the twist came when the goddess told him something unexpected.
"If you hadn't pushed her, that girl wouldn't have gotten hurt. The tractor was going to stop right in front of her," the goddess said, bursting into laughter. "I've been doing this job for a long time, but this is the first time I've seen someone die from pure shock, thinking they were run over by a tractor. Hahaha!"
At this, Daniel couldn't help but laugh too.
He had read plenty of isekai manga by now, and there were countless ways the protagonists met their end. Some died saving people from traffic accidents, some were struck by lightning, some died from illness, and some simply woke up in another world for no reason. But someone who died because they thought a tractor ran them over? That was a first for him.
Once again, the Porter had managed to add a unique touch to the smallest of details.
The story continued, with the goddess Aqua laughing so hard at Kazuma's death that she was practically rolling on the floor.
Aqua gave Kazuma two options: be reincarnated and start a new life, or go to a peaceful afterlife, where he could live out his days like a retired grandpa.
But there was also a third option—to go to another world and defeat the Demon King.
Thanks to Aqua's enthusiastic sales pitch, Kazuma chose the third option, to go on an adventure in the other world.
According to Aqua, Kazuma would get some kind of divine assistance, like a holy sword, magic powers, or super strength.
Each ability sounded incredibly powerful, promising an epic "OP protagonist" journey.
However, as Kazuma was about to choose, Aqua began whining.
"Hurry up! It doesn't matter what you pick. I don't expect anything from some shut-in. Just choose something already so we can get on with it. Pick anything; it won't make a difference."
Did he offend you by being a shut-in?
Seeing Aqua's attitude, many readers felt personally attacked.
Her lazy, dismissive tone really rubbed some readers the wrong way.
But Daniel wasn't offended. Instead, he started thinking.
From the promotional poster, Daniel remembered that Aqua was supposed to be one of Kazuma's companions, meaning they would go on adventures together. But from the way things were looking, Aqua wasn't going to join him, unlike the goddess from Cautious Hero. So how would these two end up adventuring together?
In the manga, Kazuma was also getting fed up with Aqua's behavior.
"Then… I'll take you!"
He pointed directly at Aqua.
"Huh?" Aqua didn't get it at first, still munching on snacks. But then her movements froze.
At that moment, readers across the board were just as shocked.
"Huh???"
Even Daniel didn't see this coming. The Porter had once again pulled off a wild move.
Not picking a skill, but choosing the goddess herself.
After all, Aqua had said that Kazuma could choose anything in the room, right?
What's that? Aqua's not a "thing"?
Well, she might just snap back with, "You're the one who's not a thing!"
But the best part wasn't just this choice. It was Aqua's reaction.
At first, Aqua seemed like a proper goddess. But when she realized she was being taken to the other world, her expression changed to absolute panic.
"Classic Porter," Daniel chuckled. "In his stories, goddesses never stay dignified for more than a chapter."
The goddess in Cautious Hero had been the same. At the beginning, she was a stunning, graceful figure with golden hair, but after meeting Seiya, she quickly became a master of crazy facial expressions.
Aqua was no different. With her flowing blue hair, she initially appeared as a serious deity, but before long, she was reduced to a comical mess.
In the Porter's works, goddesses never managed to stay dignified for more than a single chapter.
"Now you'll have to travel with the man you've been mocking this whole time. How does that feel? Hey, you've already been selected as my 'item,' so make sure to use your divine powers and help me have an easy adventure!"
At that moment, even Kazuma's face changed. He no longer looked like the hero chosen to defeat the Demon King. Instead, he now resembled a villain.
A bright light surrounded Kazuma and the crying Aqua as they were transported to the new world.
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