Mushoku Impact

"This has got to be some kind of joke..."
Though he had obtained a few Constellations and a new ally in the form of a Sumerian woman with white hair and red eyes named Cyno, Paul's third significant summoning spree was turning out to be more of a Klee upgrade event than anything else.
Over the course of 63 10-Pulls, Paul had 'missed' 39 times, obtained 17 4-Star Weapons, and 14 Character Constellations. Among these, there were some pretty interesting pulls, such as acquiring Lisa's sixth Constellation, Eula's second, and firsts for Shenhe, Mona, Yae, and Yoimiya. However, as exciting as these pulls were, they were overshadowed by the Intersection of Fate's almost blatant favoritism of Klee...
After feeding gold coins into the platform for the 63rd time, at least in this particular session, Paul once again welcomed the almost titillating sight of a beautiful golden meteor. His heart raced and his scalp tingled, but when the meteor invariably impacted the platform, the smile on his face became noticeably cramped as an increasingly familiar loli popped out.
"Yaaay~! Another one for Klee~!"
While he was happy that Klee had obtained another Constellation, it was the fact she was now on her fifth that left Paul at a loss for words. As far as he knew, the odds of obtaining a specific 5-Star Character were equal across the board, the only exception being the Archons. Yet, as if the IOF couldn't bear to see her sad, Paul had obtained two more copies of Klee's personal weapon and her fifth Constellation while the vast majority of his 5-Star allies were still in their fragmented base states.
Suppressing his mild incredulity, Paul adopted a smile that was equally sincere and awkward as he said, "Congratulations, Klee. If things keep going at this rate, you'll be the first 5-Star to awaken max Constellations. How are you feeling?"
Cupping her cheeks, Klee appeared even more bubbly than usual as she happily replied, "Klee feels amazing...it's like my whole body is filled with warmth and ready to explode~!"
Though he knew Klee's words were hyperbole, the corner of Paul's smile briefly twitched as he said, "Well...try not to..."
"Ehehehehe~"
Shaking his head, Paul returned his attention to the summoning circle and continued his spree. The eighty pulls that followed rewarded him with a fifth Constellation for Yun Jin, the final upgrade for his Black Sword, and a 4-Star Bow known as Predator.
While he was more than a little happy to have his favorite weapon finally uncapped to the max, Paul shelved his excitement for later. He had a Pity roll to knock out, so he quickly fed an additional hundred gold coins into the summoning circle before placing his palms down, adopting a serious expression, and shouting, "Confirm...!"
Though the sheen of the golden meteor caused his heart to pound, Paul was far more 'sober' than usual. This particular Pity roll was his 72nd for the evening, yet he had only obtained a single new ally. While that wasn't even remotely a bad thing, spending thousands of gold with very little to 'show' for it was a little unnerving.
As the golden meteor struck the platform, Paul had mixed feelings about seeing ethereal versions of Beidou and Kokomi pop out. He was happy for both of them, but the notion he wasn't going to obtain anything new was beginning to solidify within his mind. He still had abundant gold to spend, but he was starting to feel a considerable 'gacha fatigue.'
Unwilling to give up just yet, Paul began his ninth round of summoning in earnest. His first 10-Pull was a miss, but his second rewarded him with a Constellation for Tama(Thoma), her second one. What came after was yet another purple meteor, but rather than a Constellation, what popped out was a petite, roughly 156cm tall woman with pale, silvery-purple hair, soft green eyes, and a maid outfit reminiscent of a knight's attire.
Unable to control himself, Paul practically bounced to his feet, shouting, "Hell yeah!" while pumping his fist. He immediately recognized the young woman as Noelle, who, despite only being a 4-Star Character, had eluded him for years.
Though she was a little befuddled by Paul's behavior, Noelle maintained a calm and professional smile, waiting for him to calm down before offering a courteous bow and stating, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Paul. My name is Noelle, Noelle Gainsbury."
Blinking in surprise, Paul asked, "You have a family name...?"
Nodding her head in affirmation, Noelle replied, "My family is one of the many that helped to found the Knights of Favonius. It is my dream to one day join their ranks. To that end, if there is anything you require of me, you need only ask."
Feeling a lot better now that Noelle had joined their ranks, Paul managed a sincere smile as he said, "That's great to hear. Welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei, Noelle. Glad to have you with us."
While returning a smile of her own, Noelle took a moment to look around, her eyes immediately locking onto Klee. She was hoping to see Jean and Albedo alongside her, but the radiant smile on the young girl's face made it clear she hadn't been mistreated.&nbsp;
Noticing the deviation in Noelle's gaze, Paul looked over his shoulder to find Klee staring back at him with her upgraded Dodoco Tales in hand. His attention brought an even more radiant smile to her face, so Paul returned one of his own before turning back to Noelle and asking, "Mind helping us look after Klee? I'm assuming Alice asked you something similar."
Though her eyes briefly widened, Noelle made no attempt to conceal the truth, admitting, "Indeed. Ever since Klee was summoned, Lady Alice has been beside herself with concern. She asked those of us that remained to please take care of her if we were summoned in advance."
As he would also be worried if his children abruptly disappeared and fell into the hands of someone he wasn't knowledgeable of, Paul didn't take offense to Alice's apparent mistrust. He was a little curious to know why Cyno hadn't mentioned something similar but decided not to inquire as it might inadvertently offend the white-haired, incredibly taciturn girl from Sumeru.
Setting aside his concerns, Paul supplied a curt nod before suggesting, "Please join Klee and the others. I'm currently in the middle of a spree to try and obtain 'Lady Alice,' so it will be dangerous for you to remain on the platform."
Pleasantly surprised by the revelation, Noelle's practiced smile gained a hint of sincerity as she lowered her head and replied, "As you will." in an audibly chipper tone. First impressions were very important, so she was relieved to see how straightforward and kind Paul appeared to be. There was a chance he was putting on airs, but that didn't make a lot of sense, considering he could order them to do whatever he wanted.
With Noelle joining the others, Paul returned to his summoning spree with renewed vigor. His subsequent two pulls were misses, but the three that followed rewarded him with a third Constellation for Ningguang, a fourth for Xiangling, and the first for Cyno. Then, as if Noelle's summoning had liberated him from his dry streak, his 5-Star Pity pull was yet another new summon, a bespectacled, incredibly buxom beauty with stylish green hair and yellow eyes.
Resisting the urge to stare at the woman's exposed navel, Paul adopted a welcoming smile as he questioned, "If I'm not mistaken, you're Dr. Baizhu, correct? If so, welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei."
Nodding her head in affirmation, Baizhu replied in a soft yet husky tone, "Your assumption is correct. My name is Baizhu Lengshi, Chief Physician and former proprietor of Bubu Pharmacy. If there is anything that ails you, I will do my best to be of service."
Noticing an incongruency between Baizhu and virtually everyone else he had summoned, Paul remarked, "You're not wearing a maid outfit...?" in a marginally confused tone.&nbsp;
"Hmmm...?"
Looking down at her body, Baizhu somewhat playfully inquired, "Does my attire not suit your tastes?"
Deciding it was probably for the best if he didn't harp over the matter, Paul shook his head and said, "You look great." before gesturing toward the peanut gallery and adding, "Why don't you join the others. Ningguang will help you get up to speed. I'm currently in the middle of a summoning spree."
Shifting her gaze to Ningguang, Baizhu narrowed her snake-like eyes and mused, "Ah, if it isn't the Lady Tianquan. How has my Qiqi been...?"
Adopting a business-like smile, Ningguang replied, "Why don't you come over here, and I'll tell you all about her?"
Nodding her head, Baizhu stepped off the summoning platform and joined Ningguang. In her wake, Paul, Ganyu, and Xinyan took a few moments to clear away some of the weapons clutter before returning to their positions and continuing with the summoning spree.
With three new allies at his side, one of which was regarded as the best Physician in their world, it was fair to say Paul was in high spirits. His next set of summons didn't reward him with anything new, but obtaining 4-Star Weapons and Constellations for Shinobu and Lynette weren't exactly 'bad' things. Rather, as the only source for Vision-based weaponry in the world of Mushoku Tensei, he was going to need an abundance of extra weapons to gift out and sell to Vision-bearers in the future.
Moving on to his next set of pulls, Paul was somewhat disappointed to obtain nothing but 4-Star Weapons during his first eight pulls, but that changed rather swiftly when he performed what would ultimately be his final pull for the night.&nbsp;
Though the meteor possessed the same golden luminance as every other 5-Star Character Paul had received, he quickly realized something was off when Ei abruptly appeared at his side. She didn't speak, but her presence was enough to suggest that the person contained within the meteor was either very powerful or dangerous.
Making it pretty obvious who Paul had summoned, the temperature atop the summoning platform began to increase as the Visions adorning Klee's and Xinyan's outfits began to glow. The temperature became even more intense when the meteor impacted the platform and practically exploded, but Paul forced himself to continue staring forward as a vermillion-haired woman with fiery eyes, and an incredible figure emerged with a confident yet fierce expression on her face.
Ignoring the presence of Ei, the vermillion-haired woman, none other than the Pyro Archon, Murata, adopted a wolfish grin as she stared at Paul and inquired, "So, you're the lucky bastard that gets to call himself my Master, eh? Your face and body ain't bad, but how are your aptitudes as a warrior? Don't tell me you make a habit of hiding behind this brat...?"
As one of the 'original' Seven, preceding Ei's rule by nearly 4000 years, the only other Archon Murata respected was Zhongli. As far as she was concerned, Ei was just a weak-willed brat who couldn't accept the loss of her sister. She might not be able to compete with her in terms of speed, but in an actual war, she was confident she would come out ahead more often than not.
Interjecting before a fight could break out, Paul adopted a serious and resolute expression as he replied, "I'll do whatever I must to ensure the survival of my world and the restoration of Teyvat. Ei has been keeping me safe until I am strong enough to stand independently. You're free to look down on me, but I won't tolerate you picking fights or insulting those who work tirelessly to achieve our shared objective..."
"Hoooo...?"
Crossing her arms, a somewhat predator smile developed across Murata's face as she stared at Paul with her thin, dragon-like pupils. She was also willing to do whatever it took to restore her world, so if Paul hadn't been up to the challenge, she would have searched for a few good men to help her sire some children. Seeing Paul stand his ground despite his dried skin beginning to crack and splinter gave Murata the impression she might not have to...
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(A/N: This is the end of Volume 2. If you've enjoyed the story thus far, feel free to let me know in the comments section. However, as I want to focus on finishing EPIC, this is the last chapter of MI unless the story somehow ends up in the top 3 on webnovel. My priority will always be writing stories that the community wants to read, so if enough people want me to focus on MI, that's exactly what I'll do.)

With less than a year remaining until the debuts of Aiden and Aria, Paul was finalizing his preparations to return to the Milbots Region. He initially intended to wait for Badigadi to appear, but it had been close to two years since the six-armed Demon's disappearance. Even Clairvoyance couldn't uncover his position, so Paul focused on improving himself rather than fretting over future events.
 Fortunately, though her presence brought him a fair amount of pain and suffering, the appearance of Murata ushered in a 'new era' as far as Paul's training was concerned. The red-haired Archon was on par with Atofe and Reida in terms of dynamism and her thirst for battle, so Paul rarely had an opportunity to rest unless she was out on a 'campaign.'&nbsp; With the blessings of the twin Demon Empresses and Atofe, Murata had been spreading her influence through the Demon Continent by defeating some of the more problematic Demon Lords. As a result, she had earned herself the epithet and title of 'Flame Demon King,' as, despite appearing human, everyone she encountered viewed her as a Demon. Paul was no exception. Not because Murata was particularly harsh during their training but because she was a monster in the bedroom...&nbsp;
 Though he managed to talk her down from building an army from their progeny, Paul couldn't escape Murata's desire for children. From her point of view, the strong and capable had an obligation to reproduce as much as possible. She hated how it was almost the complete opposite in most human societies, so, back in the world of Teyvat, she took it upon herself to build one of her own.&nbsp; To dissuade Murata from doing the same thing in the world of Mushoku Tensei, Paul challenged her to raise their son, Iskandar, to be powerful enough to take on his other children. He argued that quality was always better than quantity and that if their children ended up weak, there was no difference between them and ordinary humans. Murata didn't like that one bit, so she intended to train Iskandar personally once he was mature enough to wield a sword. Until then, he was predominantly left in the care of Ganyu, Noelle, and Lilia. Paul also tried spending time with him, but, as could be expected from someone descended from the Greyrats, Iskandar wanted very little to do with him. He clearly wasn't a reincarnator, but his fondness for big-breasted women had been evident from day one...
...&nbsp; ..&nbsp; .
Staring cross-armed down at the large, fortress-like complex being constructed a few hundred meters from the base of Fort Necross, Atofe couldn't help frowning as she asked, "Are you sure about this? It seems like a waste of time and resources..."&nbsp; Nodding his head, Paul replied, "People from all over the world already come to the Demon Continent in search of strength, wisdom, wealth, and many other things. Given time, the Necross Academy will become one of the most prominent institutions in the entire world. Then you won't have to kidnap people and hold them against their will..."&nbsp;
 Scratching the back of her head, Atofe groaned, "If you say so..." before looking up at Paul and asking, "So, when are you planning to leave? If you don't depart soon, you won't be able to traverse the Great Forest on foot."
Adopting a wry smile, Paul replied, "It's complicated...I want to travel the world and experience what it has to offer, but too much is at stake for me to risk my life sightseeing. Right now, I'm stuck between deciding if I want to form a convoy or if I want to travel incognito..."
"Ah, I see what the issue is..." remarked Atofe, a teasing smile developing across her face as she added, "You can't decide which of your little pets you want to accompany you."
Shaking his head, Paul explained, "Nah, I'm well past that point. Whoever wants to travel with me is welcome to do so. I'm more concerned with how the countries we pass through will respond. At this point, the leaders of every major nation should be aware of my affiliation with Ningguang and the burgeoning nation of Teyvat. If we travel in a large group, it will make a lot of people 'very' nervous..."
Raising her left brow, Atofe retorted, "Yeah, and? Humans are always fretting over one thing or another, especially if they feel their positions or livelihoods are at stake. As the Special Envoy of the Asura Kingdom, you 'should' throw your weight around. Making concessions for the weak will only undermine your position."&nbsp;
 Though Atofe's words sounded tyrannical, Paul understood there was considerable truth within them. The mighty could only be so 'humble' without inviting disaster upon themselves and the people they wished to protect. People would likely never cease attempting to assassinate him, but he could prevent his dissidents from openly maneuvering against him by demonstrating the consequence of such actions...
Nodding in affirmation of how own thoughts, Paul's expression hardened as he asserted, "Then that's what I'll do. I'll need to talk with Ningguang first, but I doubt she'll mind having the focus pulled away from her for a few months."&nbsp;
 Adopting a toothy grin, Atofe gave Paul a firm punch in his arm, nearly knocking him off balance as she teased, "There he is. I was wondering where the man who was brazen enough to waltz into the center of the Demon Continent went. It's too bad he couldn't best me in single combat these past two years..."
Recalling his promise to defeat Atofe and make her 'his,' Paul's furrowed brows creased further. Despite mastering his Visions and developing the traits of various Demons, making him functionally immortal, he could not defeat Atofe in a 'serious' bout. More frustratingly, his swordsmanship had stagnated on the border between the Saint and King Ranks as his focus was split between mastering his Visions, developing his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, spending time with the girls, and fathering his newest child...&nbsp;
 Discarding such thoughts from his mind, Paul stared into Atofe's crimson, black-sclera eyes and said, "The next time we meet, I'll be sure to make you mine..."
Though she snorted through her nose, Atofe maintained a grin as she retorted, "Whatever you say, brat. Just be glad I didn't make you mine."
Looking past Paul, Atofe narrowed her eyes at Ei and Ganyu, his usual entourage. If not for their presence and the circumstances surrounding Paul, specifically his relationship with the two Kishirikas, she would never permit him to leave...
...&nbsp; ..&nbsp; .
With his mind made up, Paul discussed his intentions with Ningguang, who, as expected, readily approved his decision. In fact, predicting his actions, she had even prepared a boat to transport him between Wind and Zanto Ports, several carriages to carry supplies, and a contingent of sixty people to act as an escort.
Though he felt Ningguang's actions were a bit much, Paul didn't contest them as it wasn't uncommon for landed Nobles to travel with an escort of three-to-five-hundred people. To compensate for this, Ningguang made sure the lowest-ranking person within the convoy was at least Advanced Rank in terms of skill. This placed them above the average Royal Guard in the Asura Kingdom, so, despite being relatively few in number, they could be considered a batallion(1000 people) in terms of military might.&nbsp;
 As impressive as this sounded, what truly distinguished the individuals in Paul's escort was their unprecedented diversity. Everyone wore matching outfits, armor, or robes(depending on their role), but there were Humans, a variety of Demons, Beast People, Dwarves, and even Elves. They were a veritable menagerie but exuded a sense of unity and purpose comparable to the Holy Knight Order of Milis.
Due to Paul's actions as a child, combined with a healthy amount of propaganda, nearly everyone affiliated with the burgeoning nation of Teyvat viewed him as a savior-esque figure. Many of them were former Slaves or from groups of people suffering extreme hardship, so they had all but given up hope before being liberated by Ningguang. Now, they had been given purpose and the means to rise above themselves, becoming a part of something much greater...
...&nbsp; ..&nbsp; .
Following a sleepless evening in Kishirika Castle, Paul was preparing to depart with Jean, Eula, Ei, Yae, Venti, Xinyan, Xiangling, Lynette, Shinobu, Ghislaine, and Lilia atop Ganyu when Klee abruptly appeared, shouting, "Klee wants to go with Big Brother! Please, please, please, please, please take Klee with you~!"
Though he was initially surprised, it didn't take long for Paul to adopt his usual smile as he replied, "That's fine with me, but we're not going to play around, Klee. If you're serious about coming with us, you'll need to listen to Jean and be on your best behavior."&nbsp; Seemingly ignoring the latter half of Paul's statement, Klee jumped up, shouting, "Yaaaaaaaay~!" before skipping over and leaping into his arms. She hadn't changed the slightest since the moment she was summoned, so Paul carried her like he would one of his children before giving a curt nod toward Fayde and climbing atop Ganyu's back. Kishirika and Kishirisu weren't much for goodbyes, so neither had shown up in person. However, he could sense them using Clairvoyance to observe him, so he adopted a smile and used his free hand to wave at empty space before giving Ganyu permission to take off...
&nbsp; Following Paul's party with her eyes, Fayde waited until the group had fully disappeared before adopting a somewhat pouty expression and muttering, "Good riddance..." in an irritable tone. Her efforts to seduce Paul had borne fruit, but his refusal to contract and impregnate her had left her feeling...frustrated.&nbsp; Tracing her glowing blue nail across her abdomen, Fayde exhaled a tired sigh before returning to the interior of Kishirika Castle, now resembling a lush garden. It was also completely saturated with Elemental Energy, so Fayde found a thick branch to lie upon before dozing off under the rays of an artificial sun...
...&nbsp; ..&nbsp; .
Even with Ganyu pacing herself, it only took around five and a half hours to travel from the Capital of Rikarisu to the southernmost tip of the Demon Continent, Wind Port. Another half an hour and they could have reached Zanto Port on the Milis Continent. However, as they comprised nearly half the Demon Continent's active S-Ranks, they had an obligation to check in with the Adventurer's Guild before departing.
Upon learning of Paul's intentions, the Guild Master of Wind Port's Adventurer's Guild did his best to convince them to stay in the Demon Continent. The loss of a single S-Rank Adventurer was a heavy blow to the Guild, so the prospect of losing eleven made the middle-aged retiree sweat. After all, most of the A~S-Rank Quests posted over the last two years were dealt with by Paul and his companions.
Unfortunately, while he empathized with the Guild Master's plight, Paul was many other things before he was an Adventurer. In this particular instance, he was the Special Envoy of the Asura Kingdom, so, with that as an excuse, he bid the Guild Master and his staff farewell before departing to board the massive galleon Ningguang had charted for them.
Though the sea between Wind and Zanto Port wasn't particularly wide, it was still infested with sea monsters and rogue members of the Sea Race. Any ship that looked like an easy mark would simply disappear during the crossing, so the vessel Ningguang procured had a total of thirty cannons and a giant harpoon strapped to the front. Its hull was constructed from the bones and scales of the many sea beasts it had felled, so, other than Klee getting a little seasick, Paul's group had no issues traversing the narrow stretch of sea...
...&nbsp; ..&nbsp; .
(A/N: It may not surprise you to learn that Iskandar's nickname is fated to be Alex xD...)

After a 'very' eventful evening, stretching well into the morning, Paul, once again, found himself in the main banquet hall. This time, however, nearly everyone was present, happily relishing the breakfast prepared by Xiangling and her growing number of 'disciples.'
As she hadn't been allowed to participate in the evening's 'entertainment,' Klee was seated atop Paul's lap with a radiant smile, feet dangling as she enjoyed her favorite meal, slightly charred, fish-flavored toast. The aroma and appearance of the meal were more than a little...unique, but Paul had long grown accustomed to it. Klee had a habit of wanting to sit on his lap, and while he knew it probably wasn't the wisest decision, Paul struggled to deny the earnest Elfette's requests when she appealed to him with her patented, puppy-eyed stare.
With a somewhat exasperated expression and tone, Paul gently brushed a few crumbs from Klee's lap as he instructed, "Sit still, Klee. You're getting crumbs all over your dress..."
Though she stopped dangling her legs, Klee didn't appear to take Paul's words to heart as she replied, "It's okay, Big Brother~! Klee's clothes are stain and dirt-proof~!"
Smiling wryly, Paul considered how he might gently admonish the young blonde before exhaling a sigh and abandoning the notion. Fortunately, he was not the only one involved in Klee's rearing. Jean wasn't present, but Albedo had no qualms articulating, "Klee. While there is a certain degree of truth to your words, that's no excuse to disregard manners. When you make a mess, others have to clean it up. A proper adult does their best to avoid making trouble for others..."
"Oh..."
Not wanting to cause trouble, Klee visibly deflated but focused intently on her toast. Paul had told her she would need a few years and the approval of Jean, Albedo, and her mother before she could be considered a proper adult, so she did her best to take their words and advice seriously.
Feeling appreciative of Albedo's assistance, Paul directed a grateful smile in her direction as he asked, "How's your research going? Have you made any headway on repairing the teleportation circle to Betobe's Library?"
Exhaling a faint sigh, Albedo replied, "We've repaired the magic circle and triple-checked the spell formula. However, without exact coordinates, the probability of teleporting directly into the corrosive lake slime is far higher than reaching our destination. Trying to pinpoint spatial coordinates in an area spanning 226,000 square kilometers isn't easy..."
Though she had no intention of giving up, the amount of magical energy required to trigger long-distance teleportation wasn't insignificant. Each attempt required thousands of gold worth of high-quality magic crystals, so unless they began raiding dungeons or slaughtering B-Rank monsters by the thousands, they were limited to around 2-3 attempts per day.&nbsp;
Thinking he may have touched a nerve, Paul adopted an apologetic smile and said, "I appreciate the efforts of the entire research department. Just inform me if there is any progress..."
Nodding in affirmation, Albedo replied, "Certainly." before adopting a faint smile and segueing back into her research, revealing, "Speaking of which, our resident bio-alchemist has made notable progress in her study of the 'Black Armor.' Were she here, she could speak more on the matter..."
As Sucrose was one of the girls Paul elected to spend his evening with, she was currently a little...indisposed. She had attempted to come down for breakfast, but Paul forced her to stay behind and get some rest.&nbsp;
While Paul was looking somewhat embarrassed, Kishirika and Kishirisu decided to chime in, the former remarking, "Oh, that little puppy girl was able to make sense of Laplace's notes?" while the latter added, "Not bad. She doesn't give off the impression of a particularly reliable individual, so I assumed it would take a decade or two before she made any significant headway. Hell, even Laplace took fifty years..."
Narrowing her eyes, Albedo adopted a rare, prideful look as she asserted, "Sucrose is the student I am most proud of. When she adequately applies herself, there is very little she can't achieve."
Not wanting an argument to break out, Paul inserted himself back into the conversation, asking, "So, what was she able to figure out? I'll ask her for the details later, but a sneak preview is more than welcome."
Shifting her crystal clear, brilliantly teal eyes from the twin Empresses to Paul, Albedo took a moment to collect her thoughts before revealing, "She has identified the mutagenic compound that allows Slimes to evolve from their standard, river-dwelling variant to the sort capable of ingesting and processing metals. She is currently in the process of trying to synthesize it into a transplantable compound. If her experiments are successful, well, the possibilities are endless..."
Recalling the discussion he and Sucrose had once had after analyzing the structure of Azura's 'blood,' Paul understood what Albedo was alluding to. He had told them about how scientists in his previous world postulated using nanomachines for everything from automation and construction to modifying human genetics. He also warned them about the dangers of a 'grey goo' scenario, but that hadn't deterred the alchemically-inclined duo from looking into it between their other projects.
Though he felt like they were on the threshold of opening Pandora's Box, Paul couldn't help smiling as he jokingly replied, "If we're seriously able to develop functional nanites before processors and computers, I'm going to feel bad for the scientists of my previous world..."
"Ah, yes...computers..."
As Paul had frequently talked about computers and the possibilities they opened up as far as technological innovation was concerned, developing a working prototype was high on Albedo's list of priorities. However, while she had a basic understanding of what she was supposed to be making, it was difficult to conceptualize binary and create a programming language when she had experience with neither.
Interpreting Albedo's utterance as an expression of exasperation, Paul's smile waned as he said, "Don't push yourself. The work you and Sucrose are doing is already well ahead of its time. We can worry about things like computers and the development of the internet once Hitoshit has been dealt with. I don't even want to imagine what that jackass could do with access to social media..."
Understanding that Paul was trying to cheer her up, Albedo regained her smile and replied, "Very well. I'll continue to look into it, but I'll reduce its priority to C-Class until Master Alice's arrival. With her help, we should be able to complete a working prototype for use in automation."
Hearing mention of her mother's name, Klee, having long finished her fish-flavored toast, promptly perked up to ask, "Is mommy going to be joining us soon!? Yaaaaay~!"
Realizing she had inadvertently stepped on a landmine, the expression on Albedo's face resembled Paul's usual wryness until the latter wrapped his arms around Klee, forcing her to stop bouncing around as he revealed, "It all depends on luck and fate. I intend to perform a mass summoning this evening, but there are no guarantees your mother will be among our new allies. If you can promise not to cry, I'll let you enter the IOF and watch..."
Though she was a little disheartened by Paul's words, his warmth and the possibility she could be reunited with her mother brought a smile to Klee's face. The days she spent with Alice in the Intersection of Fate were some of her fondest memories before her summoning. She had experienced lots of new and exciting things since then, but she believed everything would be even better with her mother present.
Smiling at the notion, Klee looked up at Paul and said, "Okay, Big Brother. Klee promises not to cry, so can Big Brother hold me nice and tight?"
Restraining a sigh, Paul's expression melted as he replied, "Sure thing, Klee..." Then, even though it made him feel incredibly awkward, he gave the petite Elfette a firm hug while nearly everyone at the table observed him with various degrees of amusement and sympathy...
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..
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After what felt like an incredibly long yet paradoxically short day, Paul found himself standing at the entrance to the IOF while Kishirika used a variety of Demon Eyes to try and visualize it. Kishirisu was also present, but most of her Demon Eyes had been lost during the encounter against Ei and Zhongli. She didn't keep her Demon Eyes when she transferred to a new body, so she was still in the process of recovering even the base set Kishirika was known for.
"This is ridiculous...a doorway to another world can't just open up without leaving behind some sort of trace..."
As he was nowhere close to uncovering the secrets of the IOF, Paul just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know what to tell you. I've tried carrying in others who couldn't see the interior, but they just disappear in a kind of 'ripple' before falling to the floor."
Shifting her attention from the door to Kishirisu, Kishirika earned an eye roll from her counterpart before she begrudgingly volunteered to let Paul demonstrate his claim with her body. He obliged, but, as purported, the buxom Demoness nearly fell onto her rump as he stepped into the portal. From the perspective of those that couldn't see the IOF, Paul was the one who appeared to disappear into an invisible membrane while Kishirisu was left levitating in the air.
Though she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing, Kishirika had no choice but to admit the IOF was, at least for the time being, an existence beyond her comprehension. It had to be a form of spatial magic, yet, even while observing the process of Paul disappearing and reappearing, there wasn't so much as a single trace of magical or even elemental energy.
Throwing her hands up, Kishirika groaned, "Whatever, I give up trying to make sense of your powers. Just get on with your summoning and return as quickly as possible. I'm eager to meet m&mdash;your new subordinates..."
Shaking his head in mock exasperation, Paul lazily replied, "Yeah, yeah..." before stepping into the IOF and joining everyone waiting for him atop the summoning platform. He took a moment to greet Katherine and ask if she had any additional merchandise available for purchase, but that was more of a courtesy than anything else. Unless he increased his Adventure Rank or cleared a Labyrinth, her stock didn't change.
With all the formalities out of the way, Paul took his place between Ganyu and Xinyan. They had already slotted in enough gold for him to perform a summon, so after a brief kiss from his residential Goddess of Luck, Paul closed his eyes and readied himself for another intense, hopefully fruitful, round of summoning...
Expecting a series of misses, Paul wasn't the only one surprised when the very first ritual manifested a resplendent golden meteor. The approximate odds of this occurring were a mere 0.6%, so Paul couldn't help turning to Xinyan and playfully remarking, "Remind me never to summon without you at my side..."
Feeling her cheeks heat up, Xinyan reached up to cover her blush and massage them as she averted her eyes and replied, "Right...I'll keep that in mind..."
Though he was tempted to tease the bronze-skinned beauty even more, the luminosity of the meteor forcefully drew Paul's attention. He doubted the person within would be Alice, but so long as it wasn't the Tsaritsa, he would be content with just about anything. If it 'was' the Tsaritsa...well, he still had twenty-one months before his return to the Central Continent...
Fortunately for everyone, the fortuitous 5-Star was not the infamous Cryo Archon. It also wasn't Alice, but that didn't prevent Klee from bouncing up and down as she excitedly cheered, "Yaaaaaaay~! Klee's going to be even stronger now~!"
While many had yet to obtain even a single Constellation, Paul's third major summoning spree was commemorated by the acquisitions of Klee's third. This made her the 5-Star Character with the highest Constellations thus far. Since they had also obtained her personalized weapon during his previous spree, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Klee was the luckiest person Paul had ever summoned...besides himself, of course...
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Chapter 200: MI200: Intensity