That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

Shinji Matou is still a boy and doesn't look like a mage at all.

“The first sample collection is complete. Next up are you.” Shinji Matou turned to look at the two thugs, touched the wall with his right hand, and activated his alchemy, sending dozens of stone spears out of the wall to block their movements.

Just as Shinji Matou was about to undergo human transmutation, a delicate and anxious voice called out from behind him: "Make way! Make way! You people in front, don't block the way!"

Ok?

Shinji Matou turned around, frowning as he scrutinized the little girl rushing towards him. Could she be the one who originally saved the protagonist?

The girl looked no older than Shinji Matou. She had blonde hair tied in a ponytail, delicate and cute features, and her clothes were very refreshing, only slightly better than a swimsuit.

As is well known, in the world of Japanese RPGs, the more revealing a beautiful girl's clothing, the higher her defense and the stronger she is.

With her distinctive attire and adorable appearance, Shinji Matou was 100% certain that even if she wasn't there to save him, she was someone with some connection to the story.

"Huh? What are you doing? Is this some new street performance?" The girl stopped and looked at the bandits whose bodies were sealed with stone spears with a strange expression.

The bandits had a stone spear pressed against their throats, making it difficult for them to speak or even breathe.

Shinji Matou asked slowly, "You two know each other?"

"Sorry! I don't know you at all. I just happened to be passing by. Haha~ What you want to do is none of my business, and I won't tell anyone. That's all, goodbye." Sensing something was wrong, the girl nimbly leaped away from the alley.

You climb the wall so nimbly, are you also from the Shimada family?

Shinji Matou watched her leave without stopping her. She wasn't lying; she really had nothing to do with those thugs in front of her and didn't seem to intend to get involved.

Shinji Matou touched the wall with his right hand and continued to use alchemy to examine the bodies of the two thugs.

"Waaaaah!"

They looked extremely distressed, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably as if they had been electrocuted.

"The bodies of humans in this other world are not much different from those of ordinary people."

"But from a magician's perspective, their life force is far too vigorous. Is this the norm for humans in this world?"

After studying for a moment, a clear, sweet voice rang out from behind: "That's it!"

Not again? When will this ever end?

Shinji Matou turned around impatiently and saw a gorgeously dressed silver-haired girl. She wore a white long-sleeved dress with a pleated skirt, decorated with purple lace. The dress was fitted yet still showed the girl's liveliness. High boots accentuated her tall figure.

The girl had snow-white skin, bright eyes and white teeth, and beautiful, dreamlike features. Shinji Matou had only experienced this pure and clear beauty in Irisviel.

Beside the girl, a radiant glow coalesced into an adorable cat, its expression grave as it warned, "Emilia, be careful, there's a strong smell of blood here."

This was the first time Shinji Matou had ever seen a human-like expression on a cat's face.

Shinji Matou rubbed his temples, pointed to the bandit bound by stone spears, and routinely asked, "Are you with them?"

"No, we don't know each other." The silver-haired girl shook her head.

"Then I advise you to mind your own business."

"I have a question. Did you see anyone else pass by here just now?"

"A nimble brat went in that direction," Shinji Matou pointed to the direction where the blonde girl had disappeared.

"Thank you very much. May I ask you to release these people?"

"Why? Don't you have nothing to do with them?"

"I believe it is wrong to use magic to attack ordinary people."

Shinji Matou's eyes were cold and calm: "I don't know where you came from, young lady. Don't you know how to assess the situation? They are robbers, planning to rob me of all my belongings, and then they might kill me and throw me into the river. People in their line of work should be prepared to be killed."

The cat nodded vigorously in agreement, saying, "Emilia, I suggest we don't get involved in this. It's more important to retrieve the badge first."

The silver-haired girl glared at the cat: "Parker! We can't leave this unattended. The smell of blood here means someone has been injured or killed."

"Think about your own abilities before you say that," Shinji Matou scoffed, preemptively activating alchemy, which transmitted to the ground and altered the structure of the rock walls.

"Emilia! Get out of the way!" the cat cried out anxiously, but it was too late.

Emilia knew nothing about alchemy, let alone how to defend against alchemical attacks. The stone spears suddenly pierced out from the walls on either side of the girl, aimed at her head, and stopped abruptly one centimeter away from her brow.

"you···"

Emilia stared blankly at the tip of the stone spear, her face pale with fright.

"Hey, if you dare hurt Emilia, I won't let you off the hook." The cat's voice turned deep, its vertical pupils staring at Shinji Matou with a terrifying killing intent, and the surrounding elements became restless.

Ok?

Shinji Matou narrowed his eyes, sensing the agitation of the elements, which covered a very wide area. This fluffy cat looked quite cute, but its strength should not be underestimated.

A beautiful young girl with a kind heart and adorable animal companions—a standard heroine setup.

Chapter 100 The Gut Hunter

What should I do?

Shinji Matou frowned and pondered for a moment, then came to a conclusion. He stared at the silver-haired girl and said calmly, "Although I don't know which castle you came from, you must give something to get something in return. Equivalent exchange is an eternal truth, no matter how this world changes. You want to use brute force to subdue me and satisfy your hypocritical pleasure of saving two innocent lives. In my eyes, you are no different from these bandits. I am saying this to you now because you didn't make a move just now, otherwise your brains would have already flowed off this stone pillar."

“This is a warning, Miss Emilia. You don’t want to do this, do you?” Shinji Matou said calmly, sitting on the steps.

Emilia, with the spearhead pressed against her forehead, slumped to the ground, taking a long time to regain her senses and nod with difficulty.

"Who are you? You're not from this country, are you?" Puck the cat asked cautiously, staring at Shinji Matou.

Very strange.

Puck sensed something strange about Shinji Matou: the difference between his behavior and age, the strange magic, the tone of his voice, and so on.

No, to be more specific and to delve deeper, Shinji Matou is filled with a sense of difference that makes him feel out of place in this world, like a demi-human standing among a crowd.

This sense of incongruity made it difficult for Parker to immediately determine the qualities of Shinji Matou, let alone to read the surface of his consciousness as good or evil.

"My name is Matou Shinji, a passing mage," Matou Shinji replied with a smile, without ceasing his analysis of the two bandits' bodies.

They were trembling all over, their eyes were rolling back, and they were so tortured that they almost fainted.

Alchemy's exploration is based on the erosion of magic. The magic in this world is completely different from that of the Type-Moon. Even the slightest difference can lead to a great rejection reaction, causing severe pain to the human body.

Emilia stood up, leaning against the wall, biting her cherry lips and stubbornly asking, "Please stop, Mr. Matou Shinji. What price do you want me to pay before you let these two go?"

“Emilia!” Puck slapped his forehead with his paw, looking helpless. He knew Emilia’s personality best; she would never leave these two unattended.

Wow! She really is a naive and innocent female lead. If this cat weren't around, the story could easily develop into an adult anime.

Shinji Matou stared at her strangely: "Are you serious? You're offering me an equal exchange just to save two bandits?"

"Yes, I cannot stand by and watch others die in such a painful way."

"Let me make this clear beforehand, I won't consider your position. Whatever these two bandits can offer me, I will demand in return."

"I see."

“Very good. My requirements are very simple. They were just my experimental subjects. What I need is knowledge of equal value.”

"Knowledge?" Emilia and Parker looked at each other in confusion.

"Yes, all useful knowledge about the world, the country, and even you and me."

“I see.” Parker said in realization, patting the cat’s paw. “That makes things easier. I know someone who has a large collection of books, which should be able to meet your needs.”

In short, they've become connected.

"The negotiation was successful."

Shinji Matou's right hand, which was placed on the ground, flashed with a blue arc of light. The stone spears that had been binding the two bandits' bodies returned to their original state. They looked at Shinji Matou in terror, and without saying a word, they turned and fled.

Seeing that they had escaped safely, Emilia breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Mr. Shinji, I'm sorry, I have an urgent matter to attend to right now. If possible, please wait for me at the fountain in Central Park at noon tomorrow. I will keep my promise then. If you are worried, you can come with us."

I hope you will keep your promise.

Emilia puffed out her cheeks angrily and emphasized, "Of course! I'm an elven sorcerer, and I value my promises more than my own life."

"Let's go, Puck." The silver-haired girl, with the cat floating in the air, chased after the direction that Shinji Matou had initially pointed.

As Emilia left, Shinji Matou's right silver eye glowed, capturing the subtle elemental traces left in the air.

Shinji Matou wouldn't easily let go of any clue to clearing a world, and he was no exception with the blonde girl from the beginning. When she was climbing the wall, he used alchemy to create an anomalous elemental zone, similar to a paint trap, to make it easier for Shinji Matou to track her down.

"Judging from Emilia's attire, she's most likely one of the heroines. Is that blonde little girl a thief...? It's worth investigating." Matou Shinji followed the traces of the elements to find the little girl, while also taking in the scenery of the otherworldly city.

On the way, following the girl's footprints, Shinji Matou marveled at her agility: "It's such a pity she didn't apply to the Brotherhood to become an assassin. She doesn't take the normal route and basically wanders around the rooftops of the city. Her wall-climbing skills are comparable to the Shimada family."

After several twists and turns, it was already dusk, and the setting sun dyed the entire city in a honey color.

Shinji Matou followed the trail to a place completely different from the bustling street he had just passed.

The surrounding area was filled with dilapidated houses, and the muddy ground was not paved with stone slabs. The residents around were mostly emaciated and looked pale. Without needing to say more, Matou Shinji knew what kind of place this was and sighed to himself, "There must be shadows beneath prosperity. This is what a slum is all about."

Looking around, his gaze suddenly stopped. A woman's figure caught Shinji Matou's attention. She, too, was out of place with her surroundings, exuding an eerie sense of incongruity.

The woman's attire was alluring and bizarre, like a noblewoman about to attend a banquet wearing a black high-slit dress, half-revealing her snow-white skin. Her graceful and full curves attracted the attention of all the men around her. Her long, straight legs, covered in black stockings, peeked out from the high-slit hem, and the hazy, mysterious beauty stimulated the men's impulses.

Over her evening gown, she wore a purplish-black cape, like a blooming purple spider lily.

The slums weren't safe enough for such a beauty to stroll around like she was in her own garden. Shinji Matou smelled blood on her; she was dangerous, not because of her strength, but purely a personal feeling.

The alluring woman noticed Shinji Matou's scrutinizing gaze, turned her head to meet his eyes. Her gaze was soft and seductive, adorned with a beauty mark at the corner of her eye, and her tongue slid across her full, red lips with a thirsty look.

They were noticed so quickly.

Shinji Matou felt a headache coming on. This woman was obviously no good. From her, Shinji Matou vaguely sensed a highly aggressive fighting spirit similar to that of Scáthach, the queen of the Land of Shadows.

This is the type of enemy that Shinji Matou least wants to encounter.

I rewatched the film "Edge of Tomorrow," which has a similar theme.

Tom Cruise is still the most handsome guy ever! That numbness in the face of death is incredibly cool!

If Subaru went to the world of Edge of Tomorrow and got Tom Cruise's save-loading ability, he'd probably go crazy in a couple of days.

Chapter 101 Stand Users Are Attracted to Each Other

Stand users are attracted to each other, as are those who are different from ordinary people. Matou Junmi and the woman could sense each other's abnormality just by looking at each other.

The woman walked slowly to Shinji Matou, bent down, and stared intently at him with her light purple eyes, smiling alluringly: "Young man, you look delicious."

A faint, pungent smell of blood, accompanied by a strange fragrance, wafted into Shinji Matou's nostrils. He frowned in disgust, took a few steps back, and replied in an unfriendly tone, "You're the one who can't take your eyes off men for a single moment. It's unbelievable that you can wear clothes like this to the slums."