Anime Mashup - Into the Apocalypse

In less than half an hour, Lin Moze had his mind blown by the inventory of the Dimensional Merchant, Starborne.

He also gained a deep appreciation for what Starborne casually referred to as "minor flaws."

For example:

A Devil Fruit that could awaken the powers of the Sun God—its flaw? The user couldn't awaken it.A hammer that granted mastery over lightning—its flaw? Only a perfectly righteous and virtuous person could wield it, and even then, the hammer could abandon them at any time.A so-called "Way of the Second Son" inheritance—its flaw? Lin Moze refused to even think about it again. The imagery was far too disturbing.

Every item was both extraordinary and problematic, leaving Lin Moze unsure what to choose.

Finally, his eyes fell on a glowing vial filled with swirling crimson liquid.

"What about this one? You haven't introduced it yet."

He pointed at the vial, curiosity piqued.

"Oh, that one?" Starborne raised an eyebrow. "It's called the Blacklight Virus—originally believed to be the perfect bio-enhancer, capable of granting its host unmatched powers of absorption and evolution."

"But?" Lin Moze prompted.

"But it was later proven that this thing doesn't enhance so much as it assimilates its host's cells. In the process, it generates a powerful viral hive-mind that overwrites the host's consciousness, creating a completely new personality."

"No way to prevent that side effect?"

"Not for most people," Starborne explained. "Even for extraordinary individuals, consciousness and willpower are hard to define. Unlike a soul, they can't easily be isolated or protected."

He paused before adding, "Unless someone can manifest their willpower and define their existence directly, they can't resist the virus's effects. And let's be honest—anyone strong enough to do that wouldn't need this thing in the first place."

Manifest my will... define myself?

Lin Moze's eyes gleamed.

He glanced at his Savior Panel and reread the description of his talent—Absolute Self.

Then, without hesitation, he said:

"I'll take it—the Blacklight Virus."

Starborne blinked but quickly recovered.

"Alright. Your choice."

With a flick of his wrist, Starborne retrieved the vial, along with a sleek syringe, and set them on the table.

"This is the Blacklight Virus, complete with a smart injector. Preassembled needle, auto-push mechanism, painless injection, and leak-proof design. Just pick a spot and press."

Lin Moze didn't reach for it right away. Instead, he locked eyes with Starborne.

"What's the price?"

"Like I said earlier—special deals for promising Saviors."

Starborne grinned.

"Ten thousand Redemption Points. No interest. Credit accepted."

Seeing Lin Moze's confusion, he waved dismissively.

"Don't worry. Once you return to your world, killing any monster will unlock the Redemption Points module in your Savior Panel."

"These points are earned by disassembling monster corpses through the panel. Think of it as your Savior-exclusive currency."

"Virtual currency, huh? Does it even matter to you?"

"It's not virtual." Starborne leaned forward.

"These points are made from the temporal energy remnants of slain monsters. In the multiverse, they're a universal hard currency."

"For me and other dimensional traders, they're highly valuable. While they're useless for individuals, they're essential for interdimensional trade networks."

Lin Moze raised an eyebrow.

"If these points are so useful, why not just jump into our world and farm them yourselves?"

"First, gathering points isn't as easy as you think. Second, we can't freely enter your world."

Starborne gestured at the holographic displays.

"The dimensional barrier is only weak right after an invasion. Merchants like me use this brief window to make deals. Once the barrier stabilizes, we're locked out except for small portals using tokens like this."

He waved a black card before adding:

"Trust me, the risks of lingering in your world far outweigh the rewards."

Lin Moze nodded, absorbing the explanation.

"Alright. Show me what one Redemption Point is worth."

The screen shifted, displaying a humanoid monster—the Kabane.

Lin Moze recognized it immediately.

It was one of the creatures he saw attacking his school earlier, straight out of a famous anime from his past life.

"These are Kabane," Starborne explained. "The entry-level monsters in your invasion—essentially zombie variants. Moderate strength and speed, with a single weak point at the heart, which is protected by a tough outer shell."

"Each one's worth 10 Redemption Points."

Kabane.

Lin Moze remembered them well. Their combat strength wasn't overwhelming—especially not compared to what the Blacklight Virus could do.

Calculating quickly, he said:

"So I just need to kill 1,000 Kabane to pay off my debt. Doesn't sound too bad."

"Wrong. You need to disassemble 1,000 Kabane through the panel. If you absorb them instead, you won't get any points."

"Got it."

At least it was achievable.

Lin Moze grabbed the vial without hesitation.

Pressing the injector against his arm, he activated it.

"I agree to the trade—10,000 Redemption Points. I'll pay it back as soon as I can."

"Deal."

Starborne smiled as the trade finalized.

A black card materialized in his hand, which he passed to Lin Moze.

"This is my merchant token. Once the dimensional barrier stabilizes, this will be your only way to contact me."

"Looking forward to our next trade."

Lin Moze pocketed the card.

The Blacklight Virus began spreading through his veins, black and crimson tendrils rippling beneath his skin.

A grin tugged at his lips.

The scenery shifted again as his vision went black.