Surprise! I've Transmigrated Again

"Change, Darkness!" After submitting the commission and receiving the reward, Adam turned to Darkness. "You need to change!"

"No!" She displayed a look of complete refusal, mirroring Megumin's attitude — both adamantly opposed to any alterations in their "combat styles."

"Hear me out, Darkness." Adam placed his hands on her shoulders, gazing directly into her eyes until she shyly lowered her head. "I'm not asking you to learn attack skills or change your offensive methods. I want you to fully embrace the path of defense."

"What?" Darkness stared at him, stunned.

"You understand, don't you? Our team's ultimate goal is to defeat the Demon King. We're composed of members with specialized attack abilities focused on this task. I hope you can upgrade your skills too, to better complement our team."

Actually, speaking of special attack types, there's no one else besides Megumin.

Aqua, being a goddess, has already reached her growth limit. Kazuma, with his lackluster 「Adventurer」 class, wouldn't benefit much from an change in his combat style. Adam, however, with his cheating skills, is naturally versatile!

So, time to change, Darkness!

"So what should I do?"

"Ditch that longsword and grab a shield instead!"

"No way!" Darkness shook her head, dead serious, "A knight never parts with their trusty blade!"

"Oh really?" Adam's lips curled into a sly grin. "Even if that blade couldn't hit the broad side of a barn?"

"Ugh... well... I..." Darkness squirmed, her cheeks flushing at the embarrassing truth.

"I'm not asking you to completely give up the longsword," Adam persuaded her. "Just add a shield to your arsenal."

"Huh?" Darkness looked puzzled.

"The Cross Kite Shield is a half-body shield that can hold a longsword on its inner side." Adam produced the blueprints he'd prepared earlier, explaining his idea to Darkness. "What do you think? Doesn't it suit you perfectly?"

The Cross Kite Shield, famously wielded by Heathcliff in "Sword Art Online", is a half-body shield large enough to conceal a longsword on its inner side and provide cover for its user. Unlike its in-game counterpart, the real-world version is extremely heavy — so much so that ordinary knights struggle to lift it.

Darkness, however, is no ordinary knight. With her exceptional arm strength and stamina, she can wield this massive shield single-handedly, allowing her to endure lengthy battles!

"Hmm..." Darkness scratched her head, mulling it over.

"Come on, think about it. With a shield, you'll be able to take even more hits. That would bring you quite a bit of pleasure." Adam further enticed her, whispering in her ear, "Don't worry, I'll train you well, until I shape you into the correct form (I want)."

"T-teach me? Oh my..." Darkness blushed, fidgeting. "Well, if Adam insists..."

Despite her halfhearted protest, her body honestly agreed.

"Hehe, a wise choice! You can't escape, Darkness! You are (my) our team's knight!"

Speaking softly in her ear, his warm breath made Darkness's face and fair neck turn crimson. She lowered her head shyly, her vivid imagination adding the words in parentheses to his speech.

"Aqua, why don't we use this reward to forge a shield for Darkness?" Adam suggested, glancing at the money bag in his hand. He made a mental note to repay the funds later, "After all, we're asking her to change for our team's benefit. It's only fair we provide the weapons and armor."

The reward for the {Purify the Polluted Lake} quest was ξ300,000. Since Aqua had contributed the most, they needed her approval to spend the money on a shield for Darkness.

"Of course, if Adam thinks it's best." She replied, her trust in him apparent as she agreed without hesitation.

Whoa, hold up! Is this really our Aqua? The same one who's usually all "me, me, me"? Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming!

"Uh... thanks…" Adam mumbled, caught off guard by her sudden burst of team spirit.

But Kazuma wasn't buying it. He squinted at Aqua suspiciously and blurted out, "Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Aqua?"

"Hey! I can be a team player too, you know!" She shot back, puffing out her cheeks.

"Yeah, right. And I'm the Demon King." Kazuma scoffed.

"Ugh, you're such a jerk!"

And just like that, the two problematic kids were at it again, bickering and roughhousing like a pair of squabbling siblings.

By the way, she did acknowledge the title of goddess.

"I won't comment, since I wasn't of any use this time." Megumin nodded and stated her position.

"Alright then, let's not waste any time. Off to the blacksmith to forge Darkness's shield!"

Adam guided the group to the blacksmith's workshop, where he presented the blueprints and detailed the specifications.

After examining the plans, the blacksmith nodded confidently. "I understand. The shield will be ready for pickup in a week."

"Much appreciated." Adam replied gratefully.

With the deposit paid, the group went their separate ways.

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Evening fell.

In a secluded corner of the stable, Aqua, Kazuma, and Adam huddled together.

"Aqua, I need to tell Kazuma about my other ability." Adam said, his tone serious, "We're together day and night — it's impossible to keep it hidden. I hope you understand."

"Tell that Kazuma guy?" Aqua rolled her eyes but shrugged. "Whatever, if Adam says so, spill the beans."

"Whoa, hold up! What's with the VIP treatment for Carter-senpai? And what's this hush-hush ability you're yakking about?" Kazuma griped, feeling like the odd man out.

"Don't be angry. I'll explain everything now." Adam said, his tone reassuring.

He then recounted his extraordinary tale to Kazuma, detailing how Aqua had mistakenly summoned him and the two extraordinary abilities he'd acquired as a result.

"Hold up! You're telling me Carter-senpai can hop between worlds?!" Kazuma's jaw dropped, "That's insane! Why don't I get a cheat like that? Meanwhile, this goddess over here is about as useful as a chocolate teapot!"

"Hey, you pervy NEET! Look who's talking!" She snapped back.

Before Adam could blink, Aqua was all over Kazuma, bawling her eyes out and trying to put him in a headlock.

"Well, that's the situation," Adam said, motioning for her to keep her voice down. He continued, "From now on, I might vanish occasionally. To avoid arousing suspicion from Megumin and Darkness, I'd appreciate if you could cover for me sometimes. Would that be alright?"

Adam knew his ability to travel between worlds couldn't remain a secret forever. While he could keep it from Megumin and Darkness for now, how long could he possibly hide it from Kazuma?

Sure, Kazuma was a bit of a troublemaker with a naughty streak, but the guy wasn't dumb. He had a knack for sniffing out secrets. It wouldn't take long for him to catch on that something was up.

Given the inevitability of exposure, Adam decided to be proactive in telling him.

"One more thing." He added, "I need you to keep an eye on Aqua. You know how she is — she might let it slip without thinking."

"Yeah, Aqua's got a mouth like a leaky faucet." Kazuma nodded, "Don't sweat it, I'll keep tabs on our resident blabbermouth."

"I'm counting on you." Adam said with a satisfied smile.

Another reason he confided in Kazuma was that his world-traveling ability had now become active.

Indeed, Adam could now traverse between worlds!

His skill had already detected the coordinates of other realms!

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