Chapter 15: Calm before the Storm (6 - Final)
A cool breeze brushed up against Lin Wu's face, gently embracing him like a mother.
'If only a girl could see me like this.'
In anime, the 'wind blowing the male's hair' is quite a popular cliche...
Lin Wu lamented as he reached his house, the shadow cast by the sunlight allowing him to put down his parasol.
As he switched into his green sandals, he glanced at the grandfather clock that ticked rhythmically throughout the hallway.
4:00 PM.
'4 hours until the news, and 2 hours until Natsumi's sleepover.'
As the door clicked shut from behind him, a spicy scent wafted through the air...
The smell came from the kitchen and lounge area, Lin Wu quickened his steps in contrast to the ever-constant ticking of the clock.
'I can't believe I said yes to mapo tofu... I had it for Home Economics and now I'll have it for lunch...'
Seeing a plate covered in plastic, Lin Wu instantly knew where it came from— from who else but the person who offered it?
Enrico Pucci.
The Priest-turned-Pope even left a letter for him.
Lin Wu sat down on the wooden chair, uncovering the container top as he paused for a moment.
He then grabbed the remote that sat beside the gifted fruits basket and pointed at the television opposite of him.
"With the discovery of Plavsky particles, the Kaiba Corporation has created a division called the 'Plavsky Particle System Engineering' where they'd make use of the newly discovered particles to better enhance Dueling as well as Gunpla fighting! On other news, just recently City Z had proposed an expedition into the 128 Forbidden Areas. The area in question is quite interesting, the name of it was actually given to us by a native of that area. It's called 'The Guiding La—'"
Lin Wu toned out of the television, leaving it open for the background noise.
'It's uncomfortable with no noise in the background.'
He admitted to himself as he picked up the wooden chopstick and split it into two.
As a matter of fact, it's hard to make himself truly comfortable in this world.
There's always a part of him that's a somewhat guarded.
It's not something that'd stop him from being able to sleep at night, but it is something that can affect him to a certain extent.
Like a 'debuff' that only takes away like 1% of your total stats.
However, if the topic was him not being able to use his full powers because of not being accustomed to *not* being a regular human anymore... then that's a different story.
'It's just hard.'
Imagine seeing people who you've watched grow up, fight, get through their extremely personal struggles, even admire or idolize them— heck, even just 'regular' people like those Slice of Life animes, imagine trying to be 'casual' with them when you know their personal history as well as the back of your hand.
Of course, there are exceptions like with everything.
It's easier to be casual with someone compatible.
'Right, I forgot about the letter.'
Stuffing the last mouthful of the delectable mapo tofu into his mouth, he carefully opened the envelope.
Lin Wu started reading it out. "Your application to become a Janitor for the main headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church of City A has been approved as per the recommendation of His Holiness... While we are a non-profit organization..." He skimmed again, "You'll be paid at an hourly rate of 2,000 Yen per hour... You are expected to... You will commence working at the end of the next week. May the blessings of God be upon you."
While Lin Wu had skimmed a large portion of it, he knew what the general idea of the letter meant.
'Don't do anything that'll harm our image.'
Lin Wu got out of the chair and sunk into his sofa, reminiscing about his three-week-long stay in this world.
It's quite an 'odd' experience.
What used to be 2D blending seamlessly with 3D.
It's like only using his right eye his entire left, and then one day his left eye opened up— it's not just his vision doubling, but the brain would also have trouble processing the new 'perspective' and the influx of new information.
A weaker example can be glasses. If one has worn glasses before, they could probably remember the first week of putting them on.
It's 'surreal' with just how much they can see with the glasses on.
At that time, he was advised to go outside as much as possible, by throwing himself into the world so that he'd get used to the blend of 2D into 3D.
So what he had decided to do was visit Akihabara.
"I mean... I had to right?"
Especially since what used to be only 2D suddenly became 3D and is actually living with their own aspirations and goals in life...
Any weeb, be they casual or hardcore, would want to visit Akihabara if they ever go to Japan.
It's like the Garden of Eden.
Paradise.
Heals the soul.
This is just a conjecture, but Lin Wu has this feeling that locations 'popular' in anime, like high schools, cafe, the dojo, and etc all have a higher chance of meeting a character from anime...
Using terminology from a popular web novel Lin Wu had read before he transmigrated, this phenomenon would be similar to that of the "Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence," where people of similar 'origins,' in this case being anime/manga/light novels/etc, would naturally gravitate towards each other and/or places that appeal to their 'origin,' such as Akihabara, maid cafes, and high schools.
'Naturally gravitate' as if it was a natural law, such as humans always being subjected to gravity, or that one must eat. Another example could be the ever-so-popular phrase "stand users attract stand users."
As such, with so many characters gravitating towards Akihabara, it became a gathering hub of sorts— like that of an automated online lobby matchmaker.
This is also the reason why Akihabara is under the watch of many factions, including the Government and the Hero Association.
When Lin Wu visited there, his 'weeb' bottleneck almost achieved a breakthrough...
'Baaah!' He ruffled through his hair in frustration.
Just thinking about that 'event' made him cringe.
'Why did I even decide to take the shortcut back then?'
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At that time, he was genuinely in 'tourist' mode, the only thing separating him from the usual tourist was the lack of a Hawaiian t-shirt, hat, sunglasses, and a camera hanging from his neck.
His next stop was the Gundam Cafe, a popular tourist location for mecha fans; however, to get there quickly, he'd have to take a short cut.
Going into the alleyway was a mistake.
A cliche mistake for sure, but a mistake nonetheless.
When he was trying to get through, he saw a small figure hiding by the trash area.
A small girl, about 10 years of age, wearing a ragged piece of a blanket as makeshift clothes. As Lin Wu got closer, he realized that the appearance of the girl was oddly familiar. She had chestnut-colored hair with an ahoge, a color mirrored by her eyes that were alert— staring straight at him.
Perhaps it was due to Lin Wu's unique circumstance that she did not run away, choosing to gaze curiously at him.
He could still remember her voice that day and eccentric form of speech...
"Misaka says as Misaka is wondering, the electromagnetic field around you is quite strong, perhaps slightly weaker than Misaka Mikoto's. Misaka asks excitedly if you are one way or another related to Misaka or her sisters?"
Not knowing what to do facing a naked little girl, Lin Wu quickly took off his clothes only to hear a voice from in front of him!
"Hey, pervert! What are you doing to that innocent girl!"
As Lin Wu turned towards the source of the voice, he came face to face with a fist!
"Hey! I was just trying to put some clothes on he—"
Without trying to fight back, Lin Wu was pushed onto the floor. Letting himself fall, another fist connected onto his face.
"Sto—"
And another.
Still unfazed, despite being punched for the third time, Lin Wu took a good look at his assailant.
Donned in familiar Kuoh Uniform, standing at about 170cm with familiar spiky brown hair and light brown eyes, this was someone he knew semi-well.
Issei Hyoudou.
A member of the Perverted Trio.
And also the hot-blooded protagonist of High School DxD...
'Another stock shonen hero...' He grimaced.
The youth stared at him coldly as he started speaking. "You can try explaining this to the cops you scum."
Lin Wu gave a sigh.
Issei was initially shown to be the 'worst' person ever, with his perverted nature coupled with his ignorant, self-centered, and arrogant attitude. He knew that Issei would get better as his character developed onto the future, which was why Lin Wu didn't try to fight back.
But it was getting really annoying trying to talk to someone so stubborn who already believes him to be a sex offender.
'At least he was smart enough to call the cops before coming at me.'
Coming out of the alleyway in cuffs, both Lin Wu and the girl were brought into the police station with many eyes and cameras pointing his way.
Admittedly, Lin Wu should've thought some more.
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Lin Wu gave another sigh as he rested his neck on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
'If only Issei could hear Last Order trying to get him to stop that time...'
Last Order was the name of the little girl, a weird name for sure but her name nonetheless.
Issei was too focused on saving the girl that he focused only on 'beating' Lin Wu up.
It didn't hurt since his physique was special, and at that time Issei didn't even know he had a Sacred Gear.
As a result, Lin Wu was locked up for a day while his case was being investigated. It took time for the government to get access to the security cameras with the various factions, so he had to be detained for at least a day.
By the time the next class started, everyone was already whispering pointing at him—mostly due to Issei bragging about his 'heroic rescue of a little girl, beating up the villain without getting hit at all, dodging every single hit with grace and throwing blows capable of knocking someone out' the previous day.
The damage was already done before he could even defend himself.
While everything was cleared in the police station, with the Misaka family getting a heavy berating for letting their youngest play such an extreme version of 'hide-and-seek' and the police apologizing to Lin Wu, Issei was never informed of the matter—mostly because he already went off to the adult film section store at the time...
When told the truth a few days later, the protagonist only replied with "And? I would do it again if given the chance."
And then he'd explain how he had knocked Lin Wu down and proceeded to use some ancient martial arts to beat him up in great detail...
At that point, the smear to his reputation was permanent.
Those who were more skeptical of rumors obviously knew the truth, since the records were there in the open, but many chose to believe in catchy headlines and rumors...
The Misaka Family even apologized to him personally.
It would've been blown even more out of proportion had Tatsumaki and Enrico Pucci not used their connections to wipe the news off the internet, especially with Issei sharing his exploits to anyone who had an open ear.
'I hope he grows out of it soon.' Lin Wu shook his head.
To this day, Issei still bragged about his encounter with Lin Wu.
Sure, he knew that it was just a misunderstanding, but he was actually praised by the police for his good intentions so he actually took it in huge strides!
The guy never even apologized to Lin Wu!
He even looked at him with disgust for 'taking off his clothes in front of a girl, perhaps scarring her for life!'
'Damn!'
That was a fully nude girl! It's better for a guy to go naked than a girl in the public!
Just thinking about it made Lin Wu a little bit angry.
If he had wanted back then, he could've killed Issei on the spot!
He could've surged electricity directly into Issei's brain, interfering with the electrical signals and killing Issei directly!
He could even plunge his plunge straight through the fool's chest had he wanted!
Or he could've grabbed him by the neck and crushed his cervical vertebrae with raw force!
'Stop!' Lin Wu shook his head quickly, trying to calm down.
"I'm not like 'them.'"
--------------------------------
The long hours had finally passed, with Lin Wu in his pajamas as he waited for the television to start.
As much as he had wanted to 'hear' what was going on at Natsumi's end, he couldn't with the major loss of his 'hearing' ability.
*Tick*
As the clock finally hit 8:00 PM, the television immediately changed channels to the government channel meant for City-wide announcements.
A large man appeared on the screen sitting on a desk with a large screen behind him.
This was the person who Tatsumaki was complaining about!
A man with a well-defined physique, like that of a stereotypical western comic book superhero! With short blonde hair, swept backward, and two distinct tufts that stick up above his eyes casting a dark shadow over his creepy smile— this was All Might!
The Symbol of Peace!
"GOOD AFTERNOON! How are you doing this fine night?"
He paused for a moment before smiling.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your wonderful day, but I have a very important announcement that many of you will be interested in!"
The screen behind him zoomed in onto a scene that Lin Wu was very familiar with, with a key difference...
"That's the stadium being built by Metal Knight!" Lin Wu exclaimed!
Except it was already done!
They had only started constructing it yesterday!
An Olympic-sized stadium constructed in merely two days!
"That's right, this is a stadium built by our collaborators, the Hero Association."
"Some of you may be asking 'why is this being made when we already have one?'"
"The answer is simple!"
"We'll have two events simultaneously!"
'Two events huh? That's weird...'
Everyone watching was confused...
The U.A. Sports Festival was something that hundreds of millions of people watched, it was something meant to display to the world the 'next generation' that'd take over the old. As such, it was a hyped event for both investors and the average citizen.
"One will be the U.A. Sports Festival that everyone will watch, and the other is the Academic Festival!"
What exactly is this Academic Festival?
"While the event is less 'bombastic' it has just as much if not more competition!"
"In short, this is a contest of the mind!"
"Anyone under the age of 40 is allowed to attend! Participants would undergo various examinations of different fields, from Electrical Engineering to Military Tactics! Any modern subject would have a test for it! Many of you might be asking why the answer is simple."
All Might took a moment to collect his words.
"U.A. High School is known for their... rather one-sided entrance exams, where there is a large emphasis on combat-centric quirks, as such, we've opened up an event for those who are more academically-oriented!"
While it was true that there were other departments of U.A. High School, they were not too much different compared to other schools.
U.A. High School is, and will always be, known to be a Hero school.
If one had no intention of becoming a Hero, they'd apply to Kuoh Academy instead.
"Those who perform well under the age of 18 will be immediately inducted into U.A. High School's new department— the 'Academia' department! This is not the 'General' department where one has a broad understanding of everything but mastery over nothing! This is for those who are specialized in a single subject so that they can be better groomed for humanity's expansion!"
While everyone could feel the excitement start to boil, it didn't yet burst, this wasn't too 'explosive'...
"Those under 25 who perform well will be immediately accepted into U.A. University! A newly opened university endorsed by the government with collaborators from Farvard, UCL, Zsinghua University, LMU Nunich, ETH Surich, the Frandes Ecole, and many more well-known universities!"
"Those under 40 who perform well will be inducted straight into the government for research or further development in their respective fields! Ranging from collaborating with the military to bettering the lives of the average citizen!"
A literal bomb dropped!
Anyone would know at least one of the mentioned universities, which means that the others are on the same level if not higher?!
And there was more?!
Wasn't this essentially the top tier universities of the 26 Cities merging together?!
Just what was the government planning?
Lin Wu stared at the television in shock!
While he knew that there would be an Academic Festival, he didn't expect it to turn out like this!
Lin Wu immediately came to a realization.
This is no different from the 'Imperial Examination' that started back in 618 CE during the Tang Dynasty!
A civil service exam system designed to select the most studious and learned candidates for appointment as bureaucrats in the government!
Except for this time, it wasn't just for bureaucrats!
It was for engineers, scientists, researchers, historians, everyone!
But just why are they doing this?
Is there a bigger threat that demands the biggest minds of the world be grouped together like a massive think tank?
It wasn't a secret that all the academic institutions were always trying to one-up one another, so why did they decide to band together?
While the majority of people started fantasizing about doing well on the Academic Festival, the more inquisitive kind started to guess the government's attention...
Lin Wu turned back to the television.
"Now that the small news is out of the way..."
Small news?!
The watchers gasped in surprise if this was just 'small' news then what was the 'big news?'
All Might nodded at something behind the camera, the screen taking over.
It showed the two stadiums side by side...
"What's going on?" Lin Wu asked confusingly.
As Lin Wu watched, he saw something move!
"T-the stadium is... changing?!"
The spectator seats between the two stadiums started to shift upwards!
It started to 'grow' from the rest of the stadiums!
When both of them were about 50 meters tall, it then expanded outwards and then turned into a transparent layer!
As if this wasn't weird enough, the two stadia actually started to merge together now that the spectator seats that once blocked them from combining were moved upward towards the sky!
Just what the heck was going on?!
Everyone was shocked as they started texting their friends and families to get online.
People spammed the television channel or stream link to anyone they can reach!
"This is will be the stadium for the third and most important event."
"The name is 'The Overworld Tournament.'"
"This event will be a 7-day-long contest for combatants unaffiliated with The Pro Heroes, The Hero Association, and U.A."
The screen projected an emulation of around 12 "stages" on each mega-stadium.
"Some of you may be wondering whether or not there would be enough room for the predicted amount of one million combatants."
The projection suddenly turned 3D, and then another 'mega-sized stadium' popped up from under the mega-sized stadium!
And to the left and right of the stadium was another!
It was shaped like the Tree of Sephiroth!
"In total, there will be 10 of these mega-sized stadiums."
"We will be hosting 120 matches consecutively from 11:00AM to 6:00PM!"
120 at the same time?!
For 7 days straight?
While this may not seem like a large number to others, the speed at which matches took place only ranged in the minutes!
Just how much money did the government spend?!
Did the Hero Association know of this?
Was this a powerplay?!
"I don't want to take up too much of your time." All Might admitted, the screen behind him showing the silhouette of some spherical objects.
"So I'll cut straight to the point."
"If you... take first place, this will be yours."
He smiled smugly, pointing at the silhouette behind him.
Lin Wu's widened his eyes in shock!
On the screen was 7 massive Dragon Balls, about half the size of a human!
'T-this...' Lin Wu stammered...
'That is the Namekian Dragon Balls!'
"Many of you must be wondering what this is, as a matter of fact, we didn't know what it was either at first."
Everyone watching was utterly confused.
The prize was 7 fancy balls?
This had to be the biggest disappointment of the century!
"Now now," All Might said as if expecting a negative response, "Watch this."
A video popped up on the screen, it depicted a well-dressed man with sunglasses that hid his eyes with the Namekian Dragon Balls in front of him.
He held a piece of paper, as if he was confused by it, and started to read it out.
The video silenced the man's words, preventing it from being heard.
And then the balls started glowing!
A surge of energy shot up into the sky!
Forming a shape of a massive muscular green dragon!
Everyone jumped up from their seats, eyes glued onto the screen!
The well-dressed man started reading the paper before turning to the massive dragon with menacing glowing red eyes.
This time, there was audio.
"Mighty Dragon... Grant my wish... Expand the size of our planet for humanity's expansion!"
'Huh?!'
Everyone was shocked.
This dragon could grant wishes?
It wasn't a monster?
Just what was going on?!
The dragon paused momentarily before nodding its head.
"Your wish... is granted."
The audio was then cut off, the dragon looked confused for a moment, only for the well-dressed man to say something in response.
Reluctantly, the dragon nodded once more. Returning to the 'energy' form, it shot straight back into the balls.
'That's it? No big explosion or anything?' People couldn't help but second-guess.
The video on the screen was soon replaced by another video.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Everyone saw that the planet was AT least ten times larger!
And yet, nothing changed at all?!
If the size of the planet increased tenfold, then the gravity would be at least ten times as heavier!
Was the almighty dragon this powerful?!
Some people immediately pulled out their phones, only to see that Boogle maps were under emergency maintenance!
Scientists jumped straight into researching the actual effects of the planet increasing in size!
"Everyone," a calm voice knocked everyone out of their stupor, "this is the prize for the first-place winner of the Overworld Tournament."
"You'll have a wish granted."
"Wealth."
"Fame."
"Power."
"You want this wish-granting treasure?"
"You can have it!"
All Might then gave his trademark smile.
"We hope to see you soon! Check the government website for more information!"
Lin Wu didn't know how to react.
Because he'd have to participate in it.
He would've called Tatsumaki and asked her on more information had he not heard a loud beep go inside his mind!
A sharp feminine voice that he did NOT expect or want to hear!
[Heya~ Hope you didn't miss me~]
[Oh my, you've gotten 3.40895% skinnier! That's not good, did you not follow the diet plan I've planned out for you? What about the minute-by-minute schedule I made?]
[Let me check the history real quick... Dearie me, I came back a week earlier only to be confronted with such disappointment...]
[Hey, why do you look so afraid? This time I didn't take control and forcefeed you so why did your heartbeat go up by 20.532 B/PM?]
A second of silence.
[We'll talk about that later, we don't have time.]
[Commencing Mandatory Combat-Type System Upgrade v.623-02-08.]
[Expected Installation Time: 6 days and 2 hours.]
Lin Wu paused.
"Fuc—"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Robot9001
Robot9001 A few days late, made it up in terms of word count though!
Had to focus on exams, sorry...
My writing will improve slowly but surely...
I've also REWRITTEN the chapter with multiple languages which is also why this update came a few days later. The rewrite is to make it more readable for the newer readers.
Please give me power stones, they keep my drive to write going!
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