Time was stopped?
Does that mean if I run out of stamina mid-session in the future, I can just hop to another world, recover, and then...
Damn it!
Why is my brain wired like this?!
How is that the very first thing I think of!
Li Ke was utterly baffled. He had already verified that when he sent other people back, time kept moving normally—which was obvious from how Kiri had dropped straight back into the Arad Continent.
But why was the 7 Days to Die world an exception?
Li Ke quickly shifted his gaze to his skill panel, focusing on the Dimensional Lord of 7 Days to Die skill that had plummeted to a mere 25%.
"Is it because of this?"
Unable to confirm his theory, he glanced over at the other characters' portraits instead.
In the very next instant, he noticed yet another shift.
The previously staggering summoning costs of hundreds of thousands or millions had completely vanished. They were replaced by energy point values in the mere hundreds. Tsunade's cost, though still high at a solid 1,000 points, was nowhere near the absurd millions it had been before.
"Why is that? Is it because of the world barriers, or just the distance? Whatever, it's not like I can solve this right now anyway."
Li Ke shook his head, deciding to brush the matter aside.
A moment later, that familiar, refreshing sensation washed over him once more. The feeling of his attributes being boosted tenfold flooded back into his veins. The crushing gravitational pull that had just been weighing heavily on his body suddenly diminished until it was barely noticeable.
"Oh?"
Li Ke was highly tempted to see if he could exploit this mechanic like a glitch to rapidly power himself up. However, his immediate priority was to speak with Lux.
Now that his vitality had surged back tenfold, staring at the disheveled Lux right in front of him would inevitably lead to some highly unnecessary distractions if he didn't send her away quickly.
"Yes, Kiri is perfectly fine now. As for the armor, I figured I might run into a Blood Moon in this world, so I put it on just to be safe. But how did you know it was me? You shouldn't have been able to see my face."
As Li Ke explained, he twisted his helmet and pulled the full-face visor off his head.
"Just a feeling, I suppose? Plus, it feels like a really long time has passed for you, Mr. Li Ke..."
Lux looked dubiously at Li Ke's slightly sweat-glistened face. She could genuinely sense that a chunk of time had somehow passed for Li Ke out of thin air.
On top of that, there was a strange, newfound magical aura lingering around him.
"Well, it's probably just your imagination."
Li Ke instinctually chose to hide the fact that time had stopped. He didn't know why he did it, nor did he understand the underlying mechanics of the time freeze, but his gut told him to keep it a secret.
With those words, he extended a hand toward Lux.
"Regardless, I finally have the means to send you home now. Do you want me to send you back right away?"
"Huh?"
Lux stared at Li Ke in utter surprise.
"I managed to gather a bunch of Energy Points in another world, Lux. It's more than enough to cover your repatriation fee, so you can head back home. Weren't you in a hurry to return? I can send you back this very second."
The hand Li Ke extended was incredibly tempting in Lux's eyes, yet she slowly shook her head.
"Well, it's better to handle my own responsibilities myself," Lux said. "Besides, Mr. Li Ke, I still want to study the abilities unique to this world..."
"I've already tested them. The system's item functionalities don't work, though the inventory itself and the basic actions limited to it still function. You can gather some basic materials, but I'm not sure if things like iron ore work yet. Building blocks, however, are a definite no."
Li Ke had genuinely experimented with it. He had tried using the digitized building feature in another world, only to fail. However, the storage inventory still functioned, though it was strictly limited to whatever he held in his hands.
The pickaxe still retained its ability to shatter a cubic meter of material in just a few swings, allowing him to gather dirt. Yet, it yielded a structured dirt block rather than malleable clay. Once pulled out, it couldn't be placed or even properly discarded; taking it out simply caused a massive, one-cubic-meter block of soil to manifest out of thin air.
He hadn't encountered any iron ore yet, so he couldn't verify that, but the vast majority of his system functions were utterly useless back in the Dungeon Fighter world.
That said, the fundamental logic governing rocks and trees remained fairly similar to 7 Days to Die. They could be processed normally within the inventory interface, but the moment they were extracted, they reverted to the physical properties of the local world. Li Ke still couldn't fathom the exact reason behind it.
"I see..."
Lux looked slightly disheartened. If she could have brought the mechanics of this world back with her, it undoubtedly would have been a massive help to her circumstances.
However, now that she knew the practical utility wasn't that high—especially without access to a crafting workbench—the system's overall value dropped significantly.
"In that case, let us continue gathering energy, Mr. Li Ke."
Lux looked at him with a serious expression. Even though Li Ke claimed his pool was full, she decided it was far better to play it safe.
After all, if Li Ke possessed this type of power and didn't strictly require the energy points, yet she failed to satisfy him...
No matter how naive or scatterbrained she could be at times, Lux was still born into nobility. She possessed at least this much tactical foresight. She had already paid a heavy price once before for acting without thinking things through.
"I'm completely serious, Lux. I can send you back right this moment..."
Li Ke had a rough idea of what was going through her head.
But truth be told, he quite liked Lux too...
Well, liked her in a distinctly lustful sort of way. Plus, she was the very first non-starter champion he had ever unlocked and played, which naturally came with a layer of sentimental attachment.
Yet, Lux remained completely steadfast.
"A person should finish what they start. Just consider this my own personal goal! After all, up until now, I've always had to rely on others."
She had already chosen to make the sacrifice, so she naturally wasn't going to quit halfway through.
"Alright... but I need to take a shower first. Just know that if you want to stop, I can send you home at any moment."
Li Ke, whose resolve wasn't particularly strong to begin with, decided to wash up first to rinse off Seria's scent and fluids. This was the maximum amount of respect he could muster.
"Mhm, I understand," Lux nodded.
Li Ke naturally walked off toward the open area they had specifically set aside, intending to get some time alone to sort through his thoughts.
What he didn't realize, however, was that the moment he stepped away, Lux stared at the closed door before pulling out a bucket.
She needed to wash up as well, and specifically needed to clean out her backside.
Using her mouth was far too slow, and she had nearly choked to death several times already. Thus, she planned to put her newly acquired knowledge to practical use—which was exactly what she had intended to do all along.
Staring at the water as it gradually came to a boil, Lux was acutely aware of how contradictory her decision was. She knew that in just a short while, she would be using this very water to cleanse her own inner tracts.
"Even if I preserve my physical purity this way, what point is there to it? It's nothing more than self-deception."
Lux wrapped her arms around her knees, curling her body inward with a look of helpless resignation. Even though Li Ke didn't seem to be lying, she couldn't afford to take his words at face value. Whether she looked at the situation with optimism or suspicion, evaluating every angle was a duty she had to bear if she ever wanted to become a leader capable of guiding her people forward.
"This path really is incredibly difficult..."
She let out a soft sigh. In Lux's eyes, whether she used her mouth or her backside, it was a fundamental betrayal of the faceless, future husband she had yet to meet. There wasn't much of a practical difference between doing that and just sleeping with Li Ke outright.
Yet, this was the only choice she could make right now. The sole reason she insisted on keeping her front intact was purely tactical—she might still need to leverage her technical 'purity' in the future.
It was a concept that had already lost all spiritual meaning in her own heart.
But it was something she had to do. Because she was Luxanna Crownguard. The citizens of Demacia had provided for her all her life, so she had to give everything she possessed to protect them!
This was her absolute duty.
Since this was the only method and the only circumstance that would allow her to return and save the Demacian people, she had no right to waste time wallowing in self-pity and anxiety!
Lux's gaze hardened with renewed resolve.
As for spacing the sessions out over several days to relieve the physical strain on her jaw?
Now that she knew the system powers of this world weren't particularly useful, the faster she left, the better! She truly couldn't afford to waste a single day or two!
...
Meanwhile, Li Ke was soaking inside a makeshift metal oil drum, feeling the temperature of the water gradually rise around him. Suddenly, he caught the sound of approaching footsteps.
He initially assumed it was Lux. But when he turned his head, he was greeted by the sight of Rias Gremory. Before he could even utter a word, Rias spoke up first.
"What exactly did you do, Li Ke? Ever since you stepped back into this room, my mind has been flooded with continuous telepathic messages... It feels as though you've been entirely rejected by this world. Li Ke, this world is demanding that I strip away the powers granted to you."
"Huh?"
Li Ke blinked in utter confusion. The world was ordering Rias to take back his powers?
Although Rias hadn't made an aggressive move yet, Li Ke immediately pulled up his world-travel interface mentally, preparing to teleport away the very second things went south.
However, Rias's next words were an even bigger bombshell.
"It claims that because you bartered the native World Power of this reality away to a deity from another universe, you have drastically accelerated the collapse of this entire dimension. Therefore, it wants to revoke your permissions—meaning your item inventory and all related mechanics. The voice of this world is flickering and highly distorted, so I can't hear everything perfectly clearly. But the reward it's offering me in exchange is total ownership of this reality. It wants me to become the Ruler of this Dimension to sustain its survival."
"So it basically sounds like a forced repossession."
Though Li Ke felt a pang of reluctance, he didn't mind giving it up if it was truly necessary. After all, 'accelerating the collapse of a dimension' sounded like a catastrophic crisis, and he had zero desire to take the blame for it.
"Will it kill me, though? Or leave me crippled or something?"
The very moment he voiced his concern, a peculiar, rhythmic pulse resonated through the air. There was no distinct voice or specific melody, yet it manifested clearly, allowing Li Ke to instantly comprehend its meaning.
'It will not. You simply need to give your consent.'
That was the rough translation of the intent behind the pulse.
Li Ke let out a brief chuckle. He remained fully prepared to escape to Seria's world at a split second's notice, but he figured it was best to state his position clearly to avoid a direct confrontation.
"Well, as long as it won't kill me, I con—"
But in the next instant, a flawless white hand swiftly clapped over his mouth, cutting him off.
"Don't you dare agree to it, Li Ke. Otherwise, I'm going to be stuck becoming the master of this dimension."
It was Rias.
"Huh?"
Li Ke's mind flooded with question marks. Was becoming a Dimensional Lord supposed to be a bad thing?
As if reading the blatant doubt written all over Li Ke's face, Rias opened her mouth to explain.
"This is anything but a cushy job. This is a dying dimension. The only reason new people are constantly being dragged in here at set intervals is that the world itself is desperately searching for someone who can become its new Dimensional Lord. Before you, countless people have been hauled into this place... Though, interestingly enough, you are the sole anomaly. You materialized here entirely on your own, and you possess the unique ability to Repatriate others. The dimensional consciousness only knows that you are undeniably a regular, misfortunate human, and that you truly did come close to dying several times. Aside from that, it only knows that you are an ordinary person from an exceptionally terrifying world that is devoid of any magic or superpowers."
Rias seemed to find the situation rather amusing, yet she kept her hand firmly over Li Ke's mouth, continuing to explain things that Li Ke honestly didn't care much about.
"However, because it's a dying dimension, it lacks the strength to actively revoke the powers bound to you on its own. If I were to become the Dimensional Lord, I would be trapped here for all eternity, never able to return to my original world. Even though I would gain an ageless, deathless lifespan, that longevity would be intrinsically tied to this dimension. The moment this fragile universe collapses, I will die along with it—a permanent, absolute death where even my family will forget I ever existed. Not only that, but once I become the Dimensional Lord, my pieces will lose all memory of me. They might retain their powers, but they will be branded as devils who betrayed the Gremory Clan. They will die. They will absolutely die. I cannot tolerate such a thing happening. Therefore, even if it costs me my life, I refuse to become the Dimensional Lord!"
"So, if you force me into that position, I swear by the name of Rias Gremory and my great ancestors: the very instant I become the Dimensional Lord, I will freeze your time, tear your entire body to shreds, and leave you as nothing but a floating brain! I will ensure you can never leave this place either! Trust me, the world has informed me that I am fully capable of doing this!"
"..."
Li Ke was completely speechless. He hadn't watched much of High School DxD, so he honestly hadn't realized that Rias was willing to go to such lengths for her servants, to the point of turning down immortality itself. If he remembered correctly, the devils and angels in Rias's world still possessed finite lifespans, which was precisely why having heirs was deemed a necessity.
Yet, even through the palm of Rias's hand, Li Ke could feel that her heart was racing incredibly fast.
"Blink if you understand."
As she uttered those words, Rias's heart hammered even faster against her chest.
Li Ke blinked his eyes, and Rias kept her word, easing her hand off his mouth. However, her palm didn't stray very far from his face.
"Relax, I haven't lost my mind. I have someone I absolutely must see. To be completely honest, the only reason I came out here this time was to send Lux back. As for you, I haven't spared you a single thought."
Li Ke was telling the truth. Rias was undeniably gorgeous, but she was entirely untouchable.
"Hah... Well, things have changed now."
Rias took a deep breath, having reached a decisive conclusion. Since the others had managed to leave after sleeping with Li Ke, she should logically be able to do the same.
"I can use my mouth to do those kinds of things for you, or I can let you enter my body directly. However, the latter option comes with a condition."
Rias reached out, materializing a demonic Evil Piece once again.
"Not interested."
Li Ke rejected the offer without a second thought. Yet, Rias didn't let the interruption stop her.
"Become a devil, become my husband, and use my assistance to grow stronger so you can defeat the heir of the Phenex Clan! Because there is no way I could intimately give myself to someone else, only to turn around, pretend nothing ever happened, and marry a different man!"
"Still not interested."
Li Ke's reply remained entirely unwavering. Although he now realized that Rias's devotion to her servants was vastly different from what he had originally assumed, he still chose to decline.
Rias let out a soft sigh, and then, shifting back into her characteristically proud, regal tone, she spoke up once more.
"In that case, once Lux leaves, let me use my mouth to relieve your loneliness instead. But remember, I am a woman of my word. No matter where or when you try to speak your consent to the world, I can freeze time in a split second! I will beat you until nothing but your brain remains!"
Though her tone carried a fierce edge, Li Ke could easily catch the underlying trace of guilt and hesitation in her voice.
It was glaringly obvious that she was just as terrified of him forcing a mutually destructive end.
Li Ke rubbed his chin in utter exasperation. In a standoff like this—where both sides were completely bluffing out of mutual fear—his best move was to offer a highly practical counter-proposal.
"How about you just give me a blowout right now, and I'll send you back immediately? Since you already know Lux gave me a blowjob, you should also know my Energy Points are completely overflowing at the moment..."
But Rias sharply cut him off.
"Are you looking down on me?!"
Rias snapped back with a bizarre, fiercely prideful inflection.
"Members of the Gremory Clan only earn their own keep! If a mere human can accomplish a task like this, then so can I! I will perform the exact same work Lux did! Do not underestimate me!"
Rias's emotions were visibly running hot. Looking at her, Li Ke realized that just like Lux, she had overthought the entire situation to an absurd degree.
"I honestly have no idea why you people always manage to overcomplicate everything..."
Li Ke let out a heavy sigh. Yet, his words seemed to strike a nerve. Rias hesitated for a brief moment, slowly extending her hand before freezing it right in front of him.
Li Ke was utterly baffled by her sudden movement, but the reason dawned on him a second later.
"Even though I could just let Lux leave first... as a sign of good faith for our transaction... I... I..."
Rias took a deep, centering breath.
"Let me use my mouth to give you a release first."
She was genuinely terrified that Li Ke would cut and run, break his word, or pull some other stunt. Therefore—
She decided to give Li Ke a taste first, fully expecting that he would crave using her services again.
It was purely an insurance policy.
Li Ke: "..."
He had completely parsed Rias's thought process by now. But how should he put it? From her perspective, her logic wasn't entirely groundless. If he were in her shoes, he would probably be overthinking things too.
Yet, when all these rationalizations piled up, it resulted in this completely ridiculous farce.
Now that Rias had finished her piece, it was his turn to speak up.
"Yeah, yeah, sure. But Miss Rias, since you're calling this a transaction, what exactly do I stand to gain from it? I don't have a single demand for you. The other girls here either have a solid relationship with me, or they willingly engaged in a physical relationship to trade their bodies for a ticket home. But you know perfectly well your situation is entirely different, don't you? You're gorgeous, sure, but I have zero interest in your body... and you aren't simply looking to barter your flesh for a ride back either. Besides, ever since you arrived in this place, you've done nothing but cause me endless headaches, haven't you?"
Li Ke's words hit their mark, causing Rias to instinctively take a step back.
If Rias had simply stated from the beginning that she just wanted to leave, he wouldn't have bothered pressing her like this. But her attitude just now had been absolutely atrocious! Li Ke had zero intention of enabling her sense of entitlement that he was somehow obligated to fix her problems!
"Guh..."
Rias found herself entirely unable to argue back.