After the embarrassment, the KonoSuba group and my group started talking.

Well... Talking idly. Kazuma and I were a bit away from them, having a more serious discussion.

I clapped my hands, beginning, "So, Kazuma, right?"

"Yes, I'm Kazuma."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Shopkeeper."

Kazuma sighed, "What is it with the names-?"

I interjected, "It's what I'm calling myself. See, you ever read or watched those stories where a person's life became a videogame?" He nodded, before realizing as I spread my arms out as if to let him take it in, "I'm a Gamer."

He looked annoyed, so I interjected, "And before you say anything... it's a miracle I'm still mentally sound. I have no Gamer's Mind or Gamer's Body. And factoring in how there's an 'infinite of infinity' out there that I have to deal with..."

At that, he frowned, looking confused. It was followed by realization, and heavy sweating, before looking back at his friends, concluding, "I now feel lucky with what I have to deal with."

I merely shrugged before smiling bitterly, "Welcome to the Infinite Omniverse. There is no such 'top' or 'bottom' life, merely 'better' or 'worse'." Shaking it off, I pressed on, "But I digress. My 'focus', to make it easier to understand, is being those 'vendor NPCs' that you encounter that sell you gear and items. Right now, I only have a few 'solid groups': weapons, potions, and Familiars. Armor is a bit iffy, and Yuno, the pink haired one without the braid, is still trying to work out how to mass produce them. Esdeath, the one with blue hair, has a plethora of weapons that are mainly blades; swords, scythes, daggers, and so forth. Astolfo, the pink haired one with the braid, is in change of the Familiars. Or, at least in charge of organizing their eggs."

He blinked, before asking seriously, "How much Eris would it cost for us to get decked out?"

I waved my hand, "No, no. Eris will be useless to me in the long-run. Realistically speaking, it'll only be useful if I'm buying stuff in your... 'segment' or 'chunk' of the multiverse. No, instead, I want to try something out. Don't worry, it's harmless." Linking my hands together, I explained, "As a 'Shopkeeper', that's what you should refer to me as, by the way, I am in need of Skills and Materials. Recently, I have gotten my hands on something that allows me to copy and turn the [Skills] and [Perks] into Books that others can 'absorb'. I want you and your 'group' to test out this 'payment' method to see if it works for what I have in mind."

Kazuma frowned, deep in thought as he looked at his friends, before nodding, "I'm in, but I'm not sure about the others..."

I deadpanned, "I'll let you watch your 'prime timeline' and see what would've happened to all of you."

Kazuma looked serious.

"When do we start?"

"Hey, boss-man!"

We both turned to see Astolfo walking up to us casually, hands behind his head as he asked, "Mind if I talk with you in private?"

Later...

I blinked, "Wait, that's it? That's what you wanted to talk in private with me about? I thought it was something serious."

Astolfo looked at me in a combination of embarrassment and confusion, "What do you mean?"

Shrugging, I explained, "I could care less about your gender or your sex. I only referred to you as a male since it's what you are in the 'canon timeline'. Admittingly, I pay little attention to it, but you're an infamous trap. As far as I'm concerned, you're just an alternate version of the one I know of."

Astolfo looked at me in disbelief, before looking at me happily, "So that means-!"

I nodded, "I could care less that you're trans. I mean, I recall being friends with one person that was trans, but I had no problems with them being trans. In full honesty, it's not that much of a difference to me. I just wished you told me sooner, since it would clear lots of things up."

He, er... She quickly glomped me in a hug. And if the wet sensation through my top says anything, Astolfo is crying happily.

Sighing, I went on while patting her back, "I'm not sure if I can find the right way to 'fix' your gender, though. The book I'm looking through technically has them, but so far, all of the spells that can do that come with some horny side effects. I rather you get used to your body before any of that."

Laughing, she nodded, "I figured. So, what's this book?"

Shrugging, I looked Astolfo over again, making sure she (god, this will taking some time getting used to) is okay before gesturing her to follow me as we head back to the group, "I got it for free. It's a weird 'Kama Sutra of the Kama Sutra'."

Wait... Back with one of the deals... and factoring in how 'Minor Reality Warp' is a 'cost'...

I stopped, before thinking about it some more, the contradiction increasingly bothering me. Astolfo looked at me in concern, before I requested, "I need to talk with Yuno privately. I think something's wrong."

Getting serious, she saluted before quickly jogging to Yuno.

I hope I'm wrong and blowing it out of the proportions, but you can never be too sure.

Yuno's POV:

Approaching SK, I crossed my arms, "What did you call me here for?" Shopkeeper, he's a weird one, but effective.

When I met him, he caught me off guard instantly. He was there when I helped Yuki kill the Third Diary Holder... or tried to, at least. Third managed to move his hand out of the way of the darts, which meant that Yuki was in danger. However, a gunshot was heard before Third's head exploded in blood. We saw him approach the corpse and take the phone.

I knew for a fact that he wasn't from here when he turned to me and asked, as if I possibly held the answers to the questions he has, "Am I now Third, First? Or... is this 'Second Round' of yours not what you expected?"

We merely looked at him stunned, as I knew one thing... He knows the truth of what I went through.

During our meeting with the other Diary Holders for the 'first' time, his silhouette wasn't present, originally making me think he hasn't replaced Third. That, despite everything, my cover was still present.

I was wrong.

Both the Future Diaries of Yuki and I showed that we met with the mysterious Third killer in a nearby cafe, with my Diary even showing that we got even more information and strategies out of them at the cost of Yuki knowing the truth. I tried to dissuade him, but he was determined to get as much information as possible about the Survival Game.

I didn't regret yielding to Yuki's request.

SK snapped his fingers, getting my attention and pulling me out of memory lane.

Shaking my head, I spoke, "Sorry about that. What were you saying?"

SK looked reluctant, but powered through, "I was saying that... I think something went wrong with that 'Minor Reality Warp'."

What...?

SK elaborated, causing my concern to grow, "Don't get me wrong, I don't mind having you around. But... Here's the thing: For one of the options of the 'Quest Modifier' that I choose, an option was 'Meet the Yandere Queen'. And as I told you, you're the Yandere Queen. The problem is that... why? I've already met you, so why should it even be an option?"

I offered, "Maybe an alternate counterpart?"

SK shook his head, explaining to my growing worry, "Not possible. I knew for sure that meeting another Yuno would be troublesome, especially since it would seem like I had kidnapped 'you' from Yuki. Let's face it. If you suddenly appeared before me, you would instantly try to murder me for getting in the way from you and Yuki."

I nodded, admitting that he was right.

He then went on, the worry growing into horror, "Then there's the 'Reality Warps in a Minor Way'. 'Minor' is subjective, varying from subject to subject. Tripping on something is a 'minor' disturbance if you still make it on time to your destination. A hole in the wall of a fence is a 'minor' problem that could be fixed up easily. However, they are considered minor since it has something to be reference against so one can judge how much of an obstacle it is.

"The problem here is that the 'measuring stick' being used is Reality. Reality is existence, the rules we know and knowledge we accept. It's, in short, history. But what is 'minor' for history and of all existence? If it's 'history', then in theory, no one should know that something's wrong. But something is wrong, the 'cost' proves it.

"It's like... Okay, so say reality warps Yuki a bit. Not quite drastic as replace him with someone else, but... makes his interests different. Unless you know about the difference, as far as you knew, Yuki's interests are the same as always. This can be applied to everything and anything. Names, people, history, thoughts, all of it can warp and no one would notice unless they have some sort of... 'reality filter' that prevents them from changing with the new reality."

I looked at him in concern, "So, what do you want me to do? I might have experience with godly powers, but if what you're saying is true... then what changed?"

He looked at me helplessly, "I... I don't know. And that scares me. But... I think it involves you. The words 'Yandere Queen' meant 'Yuno Gasai', I know for sure that I picked the 'Wiz' option, and 'Reality Warps in a Minor way'... Those are what tipped me off. And Astolfo unintentionally began it, since we talked about a minor problem that changed nothing. But 'Reality Warping' also 'changes nothing'."

I went silent as I thought about it, about what I know... and what this means, if true.

Shopkeeper helped me along with giving me an offer for getting my Yuki back. He helped us deal with the other Diary Holders. He showed me a way to use the Diaries as a means to make the game easier. But if all of those moments were faked... No, not faked.

Overwritten.

Those moments had overwritten something.

All SK got for it in return is the ability to choose his targets with no randomness.

I know he's using me. He freely admitted himself to having me stick around because I was now his resident expert in 'time manipulation', no matter how minor it is. But I'm using him in return to bring back my Yuki.

I hesitantly looked at him, before asking, "If... if whatever was 'lost' was 'brought back', would you still want me around?"

He nodded, explaining, "I'm greedy and want to survive this vast Omniverse. The more subjects I can cover, the more theoretically safe I'll be. Even if whatever is lost is returned, I still want you to stick around. Fake or not, I made a promise to you that I would help you bring back Yuki."

BA-DUMP

... Sorry, Yuki.

But he helped with our future. It's only fair if I help with his problems, whatever they might be.

I nodded, "Then I'll do my best to figure out what was 'replaced', and let you know the moment I find out what it was."

He smile... it was to me and full of relief.

"Thanks, Yuno."

As he left, I became confused as I felt my heart beat slightly faster.

... Why do I feel more warmth from him than I do from Yuki?

Shopkeeper's POV:

I let out a breath of relax. I felt bad for burdening Yuno with this, but like it or not... she can't 'use' me when I'm not very focused. Besides, even if she's the one that 'overwritten' someone, then I'll try and promote her to 'Chronomancer' or something.

Still need to figure out how 'Future Sight' and 'Prophecies' work...

Bah, I'll figure it out when I figure out how to manipulate time.

Right now, we got the group fitted in new weapons that Esdeath crafted.

As I waited, a thought occurred to me, making me call out, "Aqua and Chris! I have some questions for you."

When they came over, I asked, "Just curious, what system does your universe work with? I mean, in some games, you gain and unlock Skill levels by doing an action over and over. Same goes with stat points. So why don't farmers have higher strength and stamina from working out in the fields than other Adventurers in general?"

The answer they gave me was a bit confusing, but also understandable. To make it simple, ordinary citizens cannot access magic easily unless they are blessed or are part of a guild. Upon choosing a class, their attributes are increased, but also mainly 'focused' into that type of class since the Classes 'specialize' in what they can and cannot do. The comparison they used is "It's like a vet being told it needs to do surgery on a person; it's possible, but it's not what their job specializes in". A bit confusing, but I understood what they were saying.

On a side note... It's weird to see Goddesses slowly gain INT.

Aqua found Yuno's stash of failed 'Stat increase' potions, which only increase the drinker's stat by 1 or 2 points, and each potion can only be reused once every 7 days, otherwise it's just flavored water.

I swear, I never saw Aqua rapidly pale before reorganizing her Skill points before. Same with Megumin and Darkness. Well... Megumin merely added more stamina and increased her mana pool, so not much there. And Darkness drank the 'Idiotic Nightmare' potion. According to Yuno, the drinker would experience a nightmare if they were currently doing something logically foolish, the more logically foolish the more frightening it is.

Not sure what she saw, and I'm not going to ask. That's Kazuma's problem.

As for Yunyun... I merely gave her all of my non-magical books on 'Friendship' and 'Making Friends'.

Moving on...

Currently, Kazuma's Party was following me to my Loot Seed garden-farm. After Kazuma gave them a brief rundown, I clapped my hands.

"Okay. So, here's the thing. I'm not going to give you these for free. Instead, I offer you all a deal. I have a Skill that allows me to 'copy' your Spells, Skills, Blessings, and Curses into a book that others can read and absorb, gaining what was copied. Right now, the fastest growing 'rank' is Common. Here are your options. In exchange for every Common ranked Spell/Skill, you can either 'open' 5 [Common Loot Seeds] or take one Common item of my recommendation that was already 'harvested' from them. Remember that the 'result' from each 'harvest' is random, meaning you'll get anything. From a soaked piece of paper to a rusty sword, to even a simple non-magical book that you can't even read."

The party shared a look, before grouping together and discussing.

As they did, I asked Chris, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

She looked hesitant, but nodded, "I might not have the answer, but sure."

I explained, "Due to the multiverse, I'm assuming that I know your 'true' identity. Thus, my question is... how do numbers translate into 'Luck'? It's been bothering me and worries me a lot since 'luck' is a force that cannot be controlled that easily, second only to 'love'."

She frowned, as if taking in what I said before attempting to explain, "Well... The system that we use is more like a raffle wheel. The numbers are how many 'raffles' that person has to succeed. It gets more complicated, but let's just say that I have a rivalry with Fate and Destiny."

Taking it in, I nodded before questioning, "Just curious, did the amount of successful 'isekais' to that world become affected by Aqua's departure?"

Chris slumped, "They become lower than the libido of Pandas. Pandas, I say. We forgot about her 'silver tongue' so when she was deported, and the souls came in, none seemed to even want to head to another world. And even when we realized our mistake, we couldn't change it since it goes against what our system can allow us to do."

"I see. Oh, speaking of systems, mind if I list a few different Worlds to see whether this version of you knows what I'm talking about or not?"

Chris raised an eyebrow, "Can you give me an example?"

I instantly said the first world that came to mind, "Re:Zero."

"Never heard of it."

"Saga of Tanya the Evil."

"Nope."

"Overlord."

"Isn't that a title?"

"RWBY."

"Nada."

"Shield Hero."

"Wait, there's a world involving a hero with a shield?"

"Said hero has this weapon-shield that, due to reputation, puts him under heavy discrimination."

She raised an eyebrow, "How bad?"

I answered honestly, "The infamous moniker is 'Shield Devil'."

She winced, "Ouch..."

Later...

The Party decided that they want to see what I had to offer before coming to a conclusion.

I clarified as some of the Rabbids brought the items in question over, "First, these are my helpers. They are sentient and are working on a way to communicate with other non-species of their kind with images. Second, Kazuma?"

He reflexively answered, "Yes I'm Kazuma."

I began, "So, you ever read those fanfiction stories where a person is inserted into their favorite fictional media?"

He slowly nodded, before his eyes widened, "Wait... Us?"

I nodded back, "You all. For what it's worth, I still see you as customers. Just know that I'm internally fanboying over being near my top waifu of your universe."

"Oh, I know, Shop-Kun~!"

All of us quickly looked around, on guard as I muttered, "That's... someone I don't know."

I noticed Wiz looking embarrassed, but dropped it as I pressed on, "Anyway, I'll be going in the way of introductions. That means that the order of appearances in your... story."

Kazuma gave a thumbs up as I took a deep breath before letting it out and beginning, "For you, you have the option of having this." Showing the item, I presented it to him.

DnD Video Crystal
Rarity: Common
Description: A crystal ball that allows the user(s) to watch DnD videos. Once started, the video must be watched through before selecting another video to watch.

I explained, "It's a crystal ball that will allow you to watch 'DnD' videos. I don't know if this is already through your skull, but your current world is pretty much more of a 'DnD Fantasy' world as opposed to a video game world. I chose this because you're the leader of the group, and I think you need to be reminded that mortals always get creative with solving problems they come across."

He slowly nodded as I turned to Aqua. She looked at me shyly, before I sighed and admitted, "I... have no clue. This is merely a problem on my end due to the fact that you're a literal goddess on the mortal plane. So instead, I decided to focus on your Party Role... before deciding that I should give you something beneficial in the long run." The four of us (Kazuma, Aqua, Chris/Eris, and I) ignored the shocked looks as I presented her the item.

Flask of Infinite Wine
Rarity: Common
Description: A metal flask enchanted to fill up with wine when the opening is closed off via cap. Takes 10 seconds to refill.

I bluntly spoke, "It's a flask that basically refills itself with wine just so long as the cap is screwed on. Although it takes 10 seconds to 'refill', it's pretty much an endless amount of wine. Not sure about the quality, though, so fair warning. Honestly, it was tough to pick an equipment that could help you combat wise. But then I recalled how you're always in debt due to wine, so I decided on this." Aqua legit teared up, but I paid no mind.

I then turned to Megumin.

We stared at each other for a while, before she admitted, "The way for explosion is still what I believe in. I won't give it up, even if I'm using lesser explosions."

I shrugged before revealing the item, "Fair enough. I figured, so that's why I'm giving you this."

Flute of Pig Summoning
Rarity: Common
Description: Twice a day, summon a pig. Summons must be at least 8 hours apart.

She looked at it, then back at me, before pointing out, "It's a flute."

I agreed, "Yes. And when it's played, it summons a pig, regardless of what conditions you are in."

Kazuma asked, overhearing us, "Why would we want this?"

I merely raised two fingers: "Two Words: Free Food."

Megumin got serious, demanding, "What's the size of the pig?"

I merely held out my hands.

"That small?"

I corrected, "That's the size of a simple porkchop."

The group did a double take as Astolfo drooled, "The ribs were so good." Esdeath nodded, salivating slightly as Yuno was casually (yet hungrily) sharpening her knives.

The KonoSuba crew looked at the flute again, with Megumin filled with much temptation as I moved on.

Clapping my hands, I began, "So, Darkness... Here's the thing: You are a crusader that cannot hit anything." She nodded in agreement, flushing slightly but still serious. I went on, "The thing is... you're infamous across the multiverse for being a masochist. In fact, it was mostly discovered when they saw the 'Cabbage Hunt' moment." She turned slightly redder as I concluded, "Thus, it became tricky to decide on your actual item in question. However, I stumbled upon something that might work into your favor and fighting style, or lack thereof."

Minor Retaliate
Rarity: Common
Type: Skill Book
Description: When activated and active, cannot move or attack. Upon unleashing the move, damage close surrounding enemies equal to half of the attack power taken when Skill is active plus physical strength.

I explained as she looked in curiosity, "Your main style is drawing in attacks, and you have durability and strength that are extreme by the human standards of your world, allowing you to withstand said attacks. This is a book that, when used, allows you to learn a Skill. This Skill allows you to take the attack power you've absorbed and unleash it towards your surrounding enemies along with your physical strength. It basically allows you to 'counter' any attacks you manage to endure, just so long as the 'receiver' of the attack in question is within swinging/hitting distance."

She looked eager, and I could understand why. As far as I'm aware, it doesn't show in the anime how to gain new skills early.

I quickly warned her, "However, truth be told? I'm not sure how this works in practice. It's kind of like taking down a tree: there's so many ways to do it, that the method may differ from person to person. No harm if this doesn't work, I'll just allow you to pick 5 [Common Loot Seeds] instead." Her eagerness lessened, as she nodded with understanding what I'm saying.

Turning to Yunyun, I admitted, "I... really didn't expect you or Chris on being here. Kazuma and his Party along with Wiz, I expected. You two? Not so much. But your 'friendless' status could easily be fixed with a Familiar. Don't get me wrong, I'm okay with being friends with you in the future, but I think the only acceptable level between us is 'customer and merchant' for now. So, if you still want to have 5, then go for it." She merely nodded before continuing on reading.

Guess she's desperate for friends... And I mean 'real' friends. Seriously, the book she's now reading is 'Types of Abuse'. If that isn't saying something, I don't know what is.

Oh! Note to self, see if I can set up a 'Skill/Spell/Item Rental' section.

Anyway, on to what they chose.

Kazuma said that he'll take the deal, but also share with Wiz to help her with her shop. In exchange, he 'gave' me [Enemy Detection].
Aqua instantly grabbed the flask and started chugging, giving me [Night Vision].
Megumin was still undecided, since she only had one spell. Perfectly understandable.
Darkness is offering up [Decoy] and is waiting to see if the Skill Book works.

As they tried out their new equipment, with Megumin promising me that she'll talk to me later about the deal, I went up to Kazuma and informed, "By the way, I have this [Quest] I need to do, and I'm trying to 'clean sweep' it. If you and your friends are up for it, you can join in. But if you're all not interested, it's okay. You can just stay with the Rabbids and try to help them out around their village."

He blinked, before deadpanning, "You're pretty much dropping one thing after another on us, aren't ya?"

I shrugged, "I'm saying it now, so I won't forget to tell you about it later."

Suddenly, Wiz came up to us and requested, seemingly embarrassed, "U-um... Shopkeeper?" I turned to her and noticed that she was a bit pink.

She took a deep breath before continuing, "Can we talk in private?"

Curious, I accepted while opening up the 'chat', "Sure, let me just do something real quick."

Oh, and also internally nervous since she's my waifu.

SK: Esdeath?
Esdeath: Yes, Shop-kun?
SK: In that world, I need you to hunt down some things...

Listing down what I required and making it a [Quest] so she can easily remember what they are, I walked with Wiz to my room.

I wonder what she wants to talk with me about.

Later...

I blinked, before groaning and rubbing my eyes, clarifying the absolute bombshell of news dropped on me by my top waifu, "So just to clarify... your patron is Lady Death, and she finds me 'interesting'?"

She shyly nodded, before her face suddenly became teasing as her eyes went black, her cheek bones having small skulls marks on them as she answered, "Indeed~! And I have to say, it's nice to properly meet you, Shop-kun."

... I'm talking to Death. I'm literally being talking with Death. Death is a lady, possessing my waifu, and can literally end my life whenever she wants.

With how things are shaping up, I'm going to literally flirt with Death in an effort to keep myself-

"Oh, stop worrying! You're interesting, and I want to see what you will do!"

Snapping my attention back to Death possessing Wiz's body, I noticed that half of the eyes returned to normal. Literally, the upper half of the eyes returned to Wiz's eye color.

While many would be freaking out... I always have the multiverse on my mind, asking 'what ifs' to myself.

I slowly answered, "You're... interested with me?"

Death nodded, causing me to ask, "Why? Better yet, isn't there a better version of me that you find interesting?"

And that's the thing... If the multiverse theory is true, then there will also be a 'better' version of yourself, with the possibility of a 'perfect' version also probable. That worries me. Surely, there's a 'perfect' version that she finds more interesting than me, right? I mean, everyone expects 'better' of you: parents, friends, teachers, everyone. Even yourself. With the multiverse being a thing, there's a world where you did 'do better'. Better choices, better life, better friends.

Better everything.

So, if there's a 'better' version of yourself, then it stands to reason that there's a 'perfect' version of yourself. And everyone has hopes that you'll be 'perfect'. But with how 'perfect' differs from person to person, there would be multiple 'perfect' versions of the same thing. Adding to how the Omniverse makes me a literal 'one-out-of-infinity', that would logically mean that there's a 'better' me for Death to be interested in.

... Right? I mean, I'm no one special. I'm just one of the many Gamers out there. And if the fanfics have anything to say about it, many have their 'Affections' and 'Obedience' with Death maxed out or something, allowing them to literally screw Death. Even if not counting Gamers, there are many that 'conquer' Death. And didn't Deadpool and Thanos have a love triangle with Death?

This brings me back to my main point... why me? Of all of the versions of me out there, why this one? There's a better version out there, surely, for Death to be interested in.

... Right...?

Death looked at me and looked curious, asking, "What's wrong?" I didn't know whether or not Wiz would hear this, but...

I need to say it, anyway.

I spoke out my feelings about being confused on why Death is interested in me. I explained my thought process and voiced my doubts about Death choosing me.

All she did was smile.

"Shop-kun... You are the first version I'm interacting with. And I find you interesting because, unlike the others of your kind, you don't let this power blind you from the truth of your situation. I know that you're scared, and you have a right to be. It's a vast omniverse out there, and you're correct to think that there's always a bigger fish, and that's why I find you interesting. So do not fret about there being a 'better version' of you, because as of this moment, you are the version I find the most interesting, no matter what other versions appear."

With those words, it took a load off of me. She accepts me for me... and doesn't blame me for my doubts.

I smiled in relief, before asking, feeling less tense, "So, aside from that... I'm guessing you were interested in my momentary 'massacre montage' with Raccoon City?"

She nodded and looked smug, "Indeed. You helped me win a bet with my rival, Life, against Time, Fate, and Destiny. And luckily for us, you kept true to yourself even after going into the 'deep end'."

"Actually, what did happen to those 'ruined timelines'?"

Death answered, with a patient smile, "Well, in the Gamer business, we 'recycle' those worlds into [IDs]."

Nodding as I took in the information, reality metaphorically smacked me back to the current situation.

Death is possessing someone.

Looking over Death/Wiz again, I asked awkwardly, "So, what kind of possession is this? I mean, is Wiz aware of what's going on or...?"

Because if she is, this got a whole lot more awkward.

Death/Wiz merely grinned as if she was waiting for me to say those words, before grabbing my wrists and placing my hands on Wiz's boobs, answering as if I asked what the time was, "Yes, she's aware of what's happening to her. Why did you think our eyes are half of the original color? Oh, and how do her boobs feel?"

In that moment, two things went through my head:

One, Wiz and Death are a package deal, and Death can make Wiz do things against her will. This means that instead of me flirting with Death, Death flirts with me.

Two... Soft. She's soft and I'm now hard.

Coming back to focus, I've noticed that Wiz is back to normal and was both blushing and stammering... with my hands still on her boobs.

Quickly withdrawing them, I felt my face heat up as I spoke/begged, "For now, let's not mention this to anyone..."

Wiz shyly nodded, "A-agreed."

After taking some time to calm ourselves down, I asked curiously as I led her back outside, "So this might be a shift in topics, but how do you feel about opening your own 'booth' in my [Shop]?"

Wiz blinked in surprise, "Huh? What do you mean?"

I elaborated, "A sort of... 'Wiz's Bargain Bundles' section or something. A section dedicated to selling your 'failure' and 'joke' items in bundles. To be honest, I think the reason your shop doesn't sell any products is because your customers lack imagination."

She tilted her head in confusion and curiosity as I recalled, "Bear in mind that these were all from board games that involve a setting similar to your corner of reality. Let me start with this series that I ended up losing interest in: the Oxventure Guild. These group of people were having this 'campaign', and it led to a surprisingly well-done tactic that was unofficially dubbed 'Merilwen's Meat Grinder'..."

Later...

"... And that's just in one video from MrRipper, with said 'useful useless item' stories coming from various other people."

Wiz looked in amazement, continuing to jot down notes on the notepad, "So when you got that 'Pig Flute'...?!"

I admitted, "Well, that and wanting to see if it's a different kind of species that was summoned. We ate good for those days before you people arrived. Also, to check if, aside from consistency, if the pig was sick, poisoned, or inedible. I needed to make sure that what I had in mind was possible. Otherwise, I needed to find a different gift for Megumin."

Wiz looked up, pausing as she repeated, "Wait, consistency?"

I pointed out as we made it to the outdoor seating area for one of the many Rabbid towns, "Call me cautious or otherwise, but I know for a fact that anyone can swing a sword. However, how they swing it will vary. Think of it like a shouting contest. While everyone is loud, the actual measurement of how loud they are could vary. There's even a difference between yelling while you're healthy and yelling while you're sick. I needed to make sure that a healthy edible pig is summoned, regardless of who blows the flute and how they are in health."

As she wrote down what I told her, I saw Esdeath, Yuno, Astolfo, and the others gathering around a table.

I asked as Wiz finished before quickly coming over, "Sorry we're late. What's the plan for this 'clean sweep'?"

Kazuma summarized, "Well, Yuno says that we cannot get rid of the monsters that keep on respawning. However, we can 'overkill' the rest of the bosses."

I blinked, before asking, "We talking '99 point 99 percent of all germs'? Or are we talking 'using a War Hammer on a walnut'?"

Esdeath clarified, "No survivors to cause a 'revenge story arc'."

Megumin looked confused, asking, "What does that mean?"

Aqua explained, "It's that trope of where murderer kills parent, so parent's child gets revenge by killing murderer."

Megumin looked even more confused, so I explained, "Basically we're making sure that once the evil is defeated, the said evil cannot come back more powerful than before where it's strong enough to kill us. Think using your Explosion to merely get rid of a tiny ant or bug."

Megumin slowly nodded in understanding, "Oh..." She quickly took on the expression of realization and dread as she repeated, this time picturing what we all have to do, "Oh..."

Yuno brought all of our attention to her, interjecting, "Which is why we're going to do this in parts. While it's true that, in this case, 'there's no kill like overkill', I've planned it so that we have power to spare. No offense, Megumin, but I rather not do everything at once and be vulnerable later."

Megumin pouted as Chris questioned, "So what's the plan, then?"

Yuno gestures to me, so I summarized while placing a list of what we have to do, "Truth be told? Again, we're going to clean sweep. Here are what my tasks are."

To Do:
-Befriend the 'protagonists'.
-Defeat any bosses that show up.
-Document and gather information on the monsters we see, except the bosses.
-Steal the magic-technology data of Hyrule.
-Noah's Ark.
-Compare the different 'magic systems', if there is one/any.

Kazuma looked over them with his group, Yunyun asking, "What' doe Noah's Ark mean?"

Astolfo explained, stretching, "It's a reference to one of the many religious stories that come from Shop-kun's world."

I explained, "In the story, a man was told that a catastrophic flood will occur. So, he built a boat large enough to carry two of every animal. In this case, I want to try and obtain two of every species of animal in the world we'll be arriving in. I want to populate and make this [Working Space] more... 'naturally' ecological."

Yunyun nodded as Yuno took out a stack of files, starting, "As far as I'm aware, here are the most notable bosses we should be wary of."

As Yuno went over what she had planned, along with taking criticism, I reminded myself of two things:

One, to talk with Death to see if that 'Reality Shift' took something away from me that's important.

Two, that this is why Yuno is my most valued expert in studying temporal manipulation.

Future Diaries was all about using the information from the future as you see fit. Although they were all in the style of the 'holder's perspective', Yuno had one of the most powerful 'Future Diaries', in my opinion. While it was obsessive and only focused on her crush, it also gave information in the form of ten-minute intervals. This gives her a 'beat-per-beat' stream of information on the future.

She even admitted to me herself that she would try and figure out how to recreate the Future Diaries, but I gave her the condition that the 'diaries' themselves can be used by anyone without any 'voodoo destruction'. She agreed and wanted to see what would happen if a 'video diary' became a 'Future Diary'.

Yuno's voice brought me out of it, "-and that about sums up the bosses that appeared in Breath of the Wild. Main, mini, mid, all of it."

Esdeath, ever the battle maniac, queried, "So who goes against what?"

Yuno admitted, "Ideally? Aqua and Darkness against Fireblight, Wiz and Megumin against Waterblight, Esdeath and I against Thunderblight, and you and Kazuma against Windblight."

I interjected while raising my hand, "Yeah, sorry, but I have plans that'll go against that. I'll loan Kazuma a bow I have in storage, though. Not loaning a gun since it still requires ammo."

Yuno blinked, before glaring at me, demanding, "And what will you be doing?"

I answered honestly, "I'm going to be collecting monster guts and see if it's a potential business branch. I mean, you do realize that some of your potions require weird stuff, right?"

Fake reality or not, at least I know how to manipulate a Yandere. That is the truth.

Actually, might as well get it over with.

Turning to Wiz, I asked directly, "Sorry, but can I ask Death something?"

Everyone else looked at me like I was crazy, before screaming as Wiz's eyes went black and her cheek bones had small, cute skulls on them, the voice that came out asking, "Oh, and what you want to ask me?"

I explained, "Well, I was informed that 'reality warped in a minor way'. That scares me since I could not know since 'history' is party of 'reality'. Right now, Yuno is looking into it, but... I have to know. Was something 'taken away' from me?"

Death looked at me, eyeing me before smiling with interest, "More like 'someone'. This is why this version of you interests me. You have the right amount of caution and logic to make you catch what happened. The other versions, they didn't think anything was amiss."

Yuno looked at me in shock, before I asked, "So what were they replaced with, and would I lose what were they substituted with?"

Death shook her head, "No, you won't lose anyone. And the 'minor' warp was merely an accident one of my... colleagues... accidentally did to you. Rest assured that both you and the one you have loss will be compensated by said colleague. As for what they were replaced with..."

Yuno interjected, "It's me, isn't it?"

Death looked surprised, but nodded slowly as Yuno looked down slightly, clenching her fists.

Shaking it off slightly, I demanded, "So how do I bring back whoever I loss?"

Death suddenly grinned before cryptically warning, "Prepare your pelvis, stock up on stamina potions, and have Yuno here be ready to have Aphrodite possess her!"

...

Blinking twice, all of screamed in confusion, surprise, and... (I think Yuno, Esdeath, and Astolfo screamed in) excitement,

"EHHHH?!"

Um... Hi.

I'll be honest, this was hard to write naturally.

But to be straight with all of you, this arc will revolve around something that Gamers barely even touch... Reality Manipulation on the other side of the coin.

Let's be real. Multiple Gamer fanfics have 'Reality Warping' spells and stuff make major and/or minor changes with no one noticing that something is wrong. And 'Reality Warping' is something that Shopkeeper has yet to find a way to be unaffected by it.

Now, moving on to SK's breakdown in front of Death

To give you all an idea of why Shopkeeper is pretty much scared, think of it like this: If 'Elder' Gods are above 'Major' Gods, then it stands to reason that there's something above those people.

Like how there's a 'better player' above other 'players'.

What he's scared of, and what his true focus is, is surviving the attention from 'the ones on the very top'.

But he's also scared of a 'better him'. And with 'multiverse theory' being true, it's actually feasible.

Sorry if this is all over the place, and if this is late, but thank you for being patient.

Leave a comment or review on how I could improve this story.

Oh, and quick question to all of you:

Should I attempt to make a 'Group Chat' story?

Posted: 4/15/2022