In this crossover anime/manga series, my romantic choices in my head are a bit strange.

"Ryu is such an idiot~ When analyzing an enemy, you don't just need to analyze the opponent, you also need to analyze everyone around him." Kaguya began her lecture, pointing to the three people next to Lin Tian: "Observe their attitudes. All three women are focused on him; they genuinely trust this strangely dressed guy. But it's normal that Ryu, who hasn't dealt with this kind of thing before, can't see it~... What is Kaguya saying?"

Ryu blinked blankly, trying to glean something from Lin Tian and the others' posture, but to no avail. She, of course, didn't know that this was knowledge Kaguya had learned from the unique bedroom arts of her hometown.

These guys are having an affair!

Ryu kept her doubts in mind, planning to ask Alyssa and the others when she returned to her clan. At the same time, another question occurred to her:

"...Three women? Wasn't it supposed to be two men and two women?"

The harbinger of death should be alone. From her perspective, behind Kui Mu, Lin Tian and the other two stood in a triangle formation to his right, like a team exerting pressure, and they were very close together. Could it be…! “So, Ryu-chan! You still lack experience, huh~” The next second after Kaguya finished speaking, on the other side…

"So, you don't understand what I'm saying!"

After talking for so long, Kui Mu finally lost his patience. He was no longer the V1 he used to be. He now had the means to fight back!

Seeing that Phil Weiss did not respond, he reached out and tried to pull Phil Weiss closer to him.

"Snapped!"

The cold, hard touch crept up his wrist and into his head. This coldness didn't bring him to his senses; instead, it fueled his anger.

"Let go! I'm going to teach this elf a lesson today...!" He tried desperately to break free with his right hand, but the arm that was holding him was like a giant clamp, firmly trapping his hand in place. And as time went on, the pain in his arm became more and more intense, making his face contort in agony.

"Damn it...! Let go! I won't touch her anymore, okay?!" Hey, little buddy. You haven't grasped the situation! "Say that again? Huh?"

His face was completely covered in black, and a dark, cold, and emotionless helmet appeared before Kuimu's eyes in an instant. The other adventurers watching didn't react, but only Kuimu knew that this felt like being attacked by a ferocious beast.

"Eek!!! I'm so sorry!!"

Kui Mu's body went limp. He was a little taller than Lin Tian, ​​but at this moment he involuntarily bent over and hunched over, his whole body trembling, his face filled with fear, and his attitude suddenly became humble.

"Humph!"

Lin Tian jolted him off balance, but Kui Mu ignored him. He just wanted to get away from the man as quickly as possible, so he pushed through the crowd and fled.

“This Kui Mu is too cowardly,” Ryu commented. She was about to continue when she turned to look at Kaguya, who was deep in thought, and her heart skipped a beat.

The words I was about to say were swallowed back down. Fine, you've seen more than I have, so I won't embarrass myself by offering my own...

She silently retreated behind Kaguya, watching to see what her friend would do next.

The author's note: Sigh, another day of being addicted to games. A new 19+ game recently came out in Korea, I tried it out a bit, and almost forgot to update. (To make it easier to collect female characters, the background of Kaguya Gojou regarding... well, you know what I mean.)

Chapter Fifty-Seven presents a strategy for recruitment...?

"This is really troublesome. Phil Weiss, are there many people like this?" Lin Tian shook his hand.

Phil Weiss glanced at the crowd around her. "A lot."

"We need to solve this problem first. Hey!"

Lin Tian roared and raised his right hand, signaling everyone to look at him.

“Fivis Sharia, you all hate this elf, right?” Everyone looked bewildered, while Kaguya showed a hint of interest.

What is Lin Tian planning to do?

“I’ll prove it. The so-called curse that kills teammates—” He took Phil Weiss’s small hand in his left hand. “It’s true!”

The adventurers were in an uproar, exchanging bewildered glances. They had expected Lin Tian to vehemently deny it, but...?

"What does this Black Knight mean?"

"The rumors about the 'Death Wraith' are true?! Ugh, ugh!!! I don't want to team up with her!!!"

"Uh...that's true, but it seems like no one was teaming up with her anyway. So what's he up to?"

"So, after confirming the curse was real, you killed her to give the adventurers some peace?"

Lin Tian glanced around at everyone present, an invisible aura emanating from him, and the conversation quickly ceased. He coughed lightly and said:

"But don't worry, everyone! Because I, Lin Tian, ​​am currently teaming up with this elf!"

"……what?"

"So everyone is safe until I die! Please look forward to my demise!"

Silence reigned.

"What the heck?" Han Songyi was speechless. "How come I never noticed that Brother Lin had a talent for comedy?" Zhu Xi thought for a moment:

"Mr. Lin Tian was watching anime before he left. Did he learn that from it?" "No wonder he sounded so silly!"

"...Oh, what is it? A comedian?" "Hey, move along, another one's gone crazy."

"Please look forward to my death"—I thought this was a stage play! Or is this a free roadshow?

"Um... the harbinger spirit is right there. Should we just ignore it?" "Who cares about something like that! Let's wait until this idiot dies!" Although their words were roundabout, they ultimately achieved their goal, and now no adventurers came looking for trouble.

"But Lin Tian, ​​how are we supposed to find a family? Taking in a lunatic as a family member is just too stupid... Your story will definitely become a laughing stock!"

Ah, right.

Lin Tian had forgotten about this and laughed awkwardly:

"It's alright, it's alright, there are always gods who won't know! Look at that God of Poverty, he's completely unknown, isn't he?"

"Brother Lin, wouldn't the God of Poverty affect your fortune...?" "That's not important!"

Lin Tian and his group quickly disappeared into the distance, and Kaguya made no move until their figures completely vanished from Ryu's sight.

The boorish beauty was deep in thought, her gaze conflicted and unreadable. It seemed even Kaguya didn't know how to talk to such a comedian—just as Ryu was thinking this.

"Oh dear, he seems to really like women... Does he expect me to offer myself to show he's sincere?" W-what?!

"Kaguya, what are you saying?!"

"Ah, right—that's because Ryu is here! Looking closely, although Ryu is barren, she's still young and has room for improvement—oh dear!" Ryu tapped her head in annoyance, as a return gift to Kaguya earlier.

"...Are you really going to recruit him? Is he that special?" Even if it was a joke, Kaguya wouldn't say something like that without any basis. Ryu had never seen Kaguya say such a thing to those homeless men who coveted her beauty.

"Hmm, I can't say for sure. His strange sense of justice is quite to my liking; it's different from everyone else in the familia. Astrea would probably be happy to receive such a strange child, wouldn't she?"

"And you still address the Supreme God by his name like that..."

"Oh dear, it's you who's being distant, Ryu. Astraea treats you like family!" They chatted casually, discussing their recruitment plan. But they couldn't have imagined how quickly things would change—Lin Tian, ​​Zhu Xi, and Song Yi found a hotel to stay in. Philvis needed to go to her god Dionysus to update her stats; according to her, after surviving a near-death experience, she had a chance to advance to Iv3.

The three of them had a good night's rest, and Lin Tian set off early the next morning. Since there was no main god yet, Zhu Xi and the other two didn't have anything important to do.

As Lin Tian walked down the streets of Orario, people made way for him. After one night, his deeds had clearly spread, and everyone avoided this strange man.

"God, God, God... Damn it!" He wants the blue ribbon!!!

The great Hestia is omnipotent! A bosom as vast as a rolling wave, a buttocks no less shapely than a mature woman's, a figure like a young girl's, a face like a loli's, and a gentleness that can encompass everything—he seems to make Hestia his supreme god!!

If Hestia could be his god, he would immediately bring her to the Hunter world! What crisis, what training, is more important than the blue ribbon?

"Hestia could be my mother... never mind." It wouldn't be good if some god heard that.

Unfortunately, the blue ribbon hasn't descended to the lower realm yet, so there's nothing he can do about it.

It's also unlikely that other main gods will join in; no foolish god would wander the streets and be recognized... oh, maybe a penniless old woman would.

The specific method for joining a clan is quite simple: introduction! "But that won't work. Damn it!"

These guys treated him like he was a ghost, avoiding him like the plague! He even vaguely saw something like, "Tomorrow's payout is 3 to 1 if you die, two days' payout is 5 to 1..." when he casually strolled into a gambling den.

The only people who would accept him are businessmen who want to make money. "The god of commerce... well, it wasn't mentioned in the original work."

Lin Tian decided to visit various shops. While the shopkeepers didn't refuse him, they all offered friendly reminders:

【Brother, we business families don't go to the front lines. You're wasting your talents!】

[Hey bro, you dream of becoming a hero too, right? That cool armor is definitely a must-have for exploring the dungeons!]

"This armor is so magnificent, it must have cost a fortune!! Hey buddy, what do you think of my offer?!"

Yes, merchant clans rarely enter dungeons; they prefer to trade in Orario. While they can enter dungeons, it's extremely rare, only when a V1 clan adventurer is about to advance in rank will they lead a party down.

Lin Tian didn't want to attract too much attention. He had a ticking time bomb inside him. Yesterday's mistake only amused the gods who heard about it, and they wouldn't look at him with curiosity. He was going into the dungeon every day and leveling up very quickly.

What, you don't want the chrysanthemum anymore? He knows who Apollo is!

Therefore, Lin Tian considered joining a business clan as a backup option. He was just about to return empty-handed when he saw an unexpected figure.

Author's Note: Limited-time, no-prize guessing game. Which clan will you join? (P.S.: It's so hot. Not in a good mood, will try to update three chapters tomorrow.)

Chapter Fifty-Eight: An Encounter

Lin Tian wanted to try the delicious food that appeared so often—that's right, it was fried potato balls!

He unexpectedly saw a petite figure who looked eight or nine parts similar to his memory—the future swordswoman, Ais Wallenstein.

(Childhood, but older)

She was slender and tall, dressed in a simple blue sleeveless top and dark blue skirt, a thin sword hanging at her waist. Her long, pale golden hair, as if bathed in moonlight, cascaded down her back, and her indifferent, emotionless golden eyes were as clear as snow water. At this time, she was not yet like she would later, always strolling the streets in armor, though her face was wooden and seemed lifeless.

Lin Tian saw Ais standing in front of the potato ball stall. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed on the golden potato balls bubbling in the oil.

"Oh no, my good partner."

What's wrong, buddy? Is something bothering you?

That blonde kid really hates dragons. Do you think she might be targeting you?

[Hmph, my friend, do you not trust me, the Second Heavenly Dragon?]

"My mere concealment is imperceptible unless my partner uses my power, and even a god personally investigates. Speaking of which, you're quite something, partner. You must have been up all night last night, right? Now you're craving women again!"

Among all the hosts of Draig, Lin Tian is quite unique—especially when it comes to women. Dragons are inherently lustful, and Draig could sense that Lin Tian was quite skilled in that area.

"Pfft, what do you mean, I need women again... Do you think I'm that kind of person?! This is for the sake of the clan!"

Sword Maiden Ais belongs to the Loki Familia and is quite powerful. She has always been a major force in conquering dungeons in the main story of DanMachi.

Ais Wallenstein—as a fairy spirit who came to the continent, she has an extraordinary obsession with conquering dungeons and is also beloved by the members of her familia. If she were to introduce him, joining the Loki familia would be a certainty!

Lin Tian approached silently, looking for an opportunity to strike up a conversation with the young fairy, and soon the opportunity came.

"Here you go, your French fries. Two thousand farges, please!" Holy crap, what a swindler!

Lin Tian's eyes widened. As a loyal fan of the Blue Ribbon brand, he knew the price of potato balls. Selling something that costs 30 for 2000? You're even more ruthless than a capitalist!

"The money... is just right."

Ais unfolded her money pouch—or rather, it was always open—and inside was exactly two thousand Fali. This unscrupulous merchant must have seen she only had that much money and assumed she was a newcomer to Orario, hence the extortion... "Hey, boss, you're too greedy! Bullying a little girl like this, don't you feel ashamed?"

Lin Tian slapped his hand on the stall, his metallic knuckles tapping rhythmically.

"Huh? Who are you... Mind your own business!" "Mind your own business? You're doing business and you're so out of touch! I thought all of Orario knew who I was!" "You..."

The shopkeeper paused, his usually shrewd eyes scanning Lin Tian's attire, which gradually matched the rumor. His eyes widened, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"You...you're that crazy knight?!" "What crazy...hey, watch your mouth!"

The boss's face was visibly covered in sweat, and he couldn't help but feel a chill as he looked at Lin Tian's figure covered in black armor.

There are many different opinions about Lin Tian's reasons for protecting Fei'erweisi. After all, this was just a purely amusing incident, and many versions emerged in one night. Some say he was protecting the weak out of a sense of justice, some say he was blinded by lust, and some say he was Fei'erweisi's fiancé from the countryside—this one must have been made up by those love-struck fools.

But one thing remains undeniable: the Black Knight is a madman. It's no wonder he's so nosy!

He had initially intended to scare him off by saying he was some kind of member of the XX Familia, but then he worried about getting beaten up. He knew he had acted unreasonably, and even if the Ganesha Familia came, they wouldn't side with him.

"Okay, okay, it's just a little money! I don't want these portions anymore! Take them all, they're free!"

"Seriously, I've run into a lunatic..."

The boss quickly wrapped up the fried potato balls, stuffed them into Ais's arms (who looked bewildered), and drove off in his little car.

Ais tilted her head. She was just indifferent, not really stupid. She realized that she had almost been swindled out of a lot of money.

"Thanks……"

Her beautiful eyes scrutinized the strange man. His odd all-black attire inexplicably reminded her of a black dragon, and for a fleeting moment when he got close, she almost drew her sword—luckily, she reacted quickly enough.

Ais spoke with almost no expression, only subtly conveying her thoughts through her actions:

"Here, have one for you."

She took out one of the strings and handed it to Lin Tian, ​​clearly indicating that the rest were his.

I find it inexplicably cute!

"No, you can have all of these yourself. Next time you encounter something like this, you need to be more discerning."

Lin Tian remained silent for a while, then, feeling there was nothing more to talk about with Ais, nodded and left alone.

I have about ten days of free time, so making a good impression today is enough. Hmm, where should I go next...?