Multiverse Gacha

After returning to the Imperial Capital, August used a few clever tactics to find a remote mountain range on the outskirts of the city.

Here, he allowed the World Tree Sapling to take root in this world. Of course, August merely served as an anchor for the process—crossing time and space to arrive here was the sapling's ability, not his own.

As for the safety of the place, August paid it no mind.

In this world, the only real dangers came from a few perilous creatures, but these were mere trifles to the World Tree Sapling. For the sapling, these otherworldly monsters were no more than a snack.

To August, this world held no value, not even when the empire was toppled in the original story. It didn't matter. It would just be a change of rulers. The dragon-slaying heroes would eventually become the new dragons.

To put it simply, this was merely a reshuffling of power. A new empire would rise, its new nobles would take their places, and the cycle would repeat.

Boom~

A storm suddenly whipped through the surrounding mountains. August knew it was the world reacting—afraid, angry.

As the essence of the world was drained, it would only weaken further, heading toward inevitable destruction. For now, it was just the beginning. Once the world's essence was depleted by half, natural disasters and calamities would ravage the land, pushing everything toward its end.

But that was still a year away. After all, this was an entire world, and the sapling was still in its infancy.

If it were a fully-grown World Tree, this world could be consumed with a mere thought. When the World Tree reached its full potential, each fruit hanging from its branches would represent an entire world. It would no longer just support worlds—it would create them.

With that in mind, August returned to the Imperial Capital. The countdown for this world had officially begun. Whether this world thrived or decayed, its ultimate fate was sealed.

This world was, in August's view, one of the few truly worthless worlds.

After all, how many anime series started with the main character's group dying from the beginning, and by the end, they were mostly gone too? The conclusion was inevitable.

By coincidence, as he walked through the streets of the Imperial Capital, August noticed a bounty board.

The board displayed wanted posters, and among the criminals were none other than the Night Raid members. Some had no portraits, like Brand and Red-eyed individuals, but others had their faces clearly shown.

"Night Raid?"

Looking at the posters, August couldn't help but laugh. "Are they hunting Night Raid assassins? What's the point?"

Uninterested, he merely glanced at the posters before turning away and strolling through the streets of the Imperial Capital, aiming to absorb the negative energy in the city. The darkness in this place was overwhelming, with negative energy constantly being generated in massive quantities.

Before long, the sky darkened, and the streets grew emptier. In the Imperial Capital, especially in the common areas at night, the streets became incredibly dangerous.

In the shadows, illicit deeds were common, and disappearances had become the norm.

Whoosh~

At that moment, a carriage slowly rolled into view. As it neared August, it suddenly came to a stop, causing him to pause in slight surprise.

Whoosh~

The carriage door opened, and a noblewoman along with a young lady stepped out. The golden hair and luxurious attire of the two immediately revealed their aristocratic status.

However, as August observed them, he noticed something else.

These two women radiated an overwhelming aura of sin, especially the young girl—her aura was even more intense than the woman's. Was this the Imperial Capital? It seemed that anyone you met here was steeped in guilt.

"Sir, it's quite late. What brings you out walking alone on the streets?" the noblewoman asked.

"Just taking a stroll," August replied casually.

Hearing this, both women smiled.

"A stroll through the streets at this time?" the girl remarked, her voice filled with intrigue.

"If you don't mind, you could spend the night at our home. You must not be from the Imperial Capital, are you?"

"Yes, I just arrived today."

"In that case, may I invite you to tell us about the world outside the Imperial Capital?"

"Sure."

"Thank you!" the young girl chirped, joyfully taking August's hand and leading him to the carriage.

Unbeknownst to most, the seemingly sweet and innocent girl was actually a demon in disguise. Her aura was so drenched in sin, she could easily be blamed for countless murders.

The driver and guards who accompanied the carriage sighed as they saw August board. One of them muttered, "One unlucky soul."

"Where are you from, sir?"

"I'm from the North."

"The North? How impressive!" the girl marveled.

"It's nothing special," August replied with a shrug.

Inside the carriage, the girl incessantly chatted, asking August questions about life outside the Imperial Capital. But both she and her mother wore expressions of mockery and disdain. There was never any kindness without ulterior motives.

The carriage soon entered a sizable estate, and upon entering, August could immediately smell the faint odor of rot. It wasn't overpowering, but if it weren't for his keen senses, he might have missed it.

This place reeked of negative energy—especially in the back of the estate, where the power of negativity was particularly intense, with all sorts of negative emotions mingling together.

On the carriage, August learned the young girl's name: Aria.

Connecting this with everything he had seen, August couldn't help but feel exasperated. He had merely stepped out for a walk to absorb some negative energy, yet here he was, caught up with the first villainous boss of the series.

Aria, with her sweet and innocent exterior, hid a malicious personality. She enjoyed luring naive country folk into her home, only to torture them to death.

In the original story, the main character, Tatsumi, was tricked into coming here, where he witnessed the gruesome deaths of his childhood friends, Ieyasu and Sayo, who perished at the hands of this family.

Now, as August found himself trapped in this situation, he couldn't help but wonder—what would happen to the main character? Had he missed the chance to cross paths with them?

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