Journey to Planar World

Gaia noticed the distrust amongst them.

"I know you might be suspicious of each other. That's why, starting from the second cycle, we've established a rule that Saviors cannot kill or harm each other, directly or indirectly. This applies in all situations, including plotting."

Hearing this explanation, Charlie felt a little relieved.

'At least we don't have to constantly be wary of betrayal.' He thought to himself.

On the other hand, some faces looked disappointed, like Thomas, who seemed to have already planned something to fight against those he considered rivals.

"Now, we'll move on to the Q&A session. Each of you has one chance to ask a question. So, think carefully before asking." Gaia continued enthusiastically.

"..."

The room immediately fell silent. Everyone seemed to be seriously thinking about what question they would ask.

After a while, Farah Nadia, the woman with the Tsukuyomi Tsukasa template, stood up gracefully.

"Earlier, you mentioned the second cycle. I'm curious, what cycle does this generation of Saviors belong to, and what happened to the previous cycles?"

Everyone immediately put on serious expressions. The question clearly caught their attention, including Charlie, who had been pondering the true purpose of Gaia and Alaya creating Saviors.

Gaia sighed softly, as if finding it heavy to answer.

"You are part of the third cycle. The first cycle consisted of 100 Saviors. Unfortunately, they all perished while trying to save the Planar World that was attacked by the Abyssal Devourer."

"..."

Hearing that, the whole room felt even more tense. The reason for the destruction of the first cycle made everyone realize how dangerous it was to save the Planar World even with the cheat of anime character templates.

In a cold tone, Alaya continued.

"The male Saviors in the first cycle were the biggest source of the problem. They indulged themselves in building harems and enjoying life without ever seriously sharpening their combat strength. As a result, when the Abyssal Devourer attacked the Planar World, they were unable to withstand it."

"And the female Saviors?" Farah asked with concern, including Claire and Elena were very concerned about this.

Alaya looked at her, then answered without hesitation.

"They were even worse. Most of them were cowards and easily gave up. They couldn't withstand the training to become strong. With very weak strength, they became easy prey for the Abyssal Devourer."

Everyone seemed silent after hearing that explanation. Charlie's face remained flat, but in his mind, he couldn't deny that the explanation made sense.

'Men and women will never be truly equal. Men have their own roles, and women have different roles. However, when they try to defy this law of nature, the result is destruction. That has been clear from the beginning.'

This fact reminded him of the frequent conflicts in his previous life, especially the debate about gender equality, which was often more political than practical. For Charlie, the essence of equality was ability and contribution, not simply an excuse to gain privilege.

"That's why, in the second and third cycles, there are more men than women. We've learned from our past mistakes. Only those who have the potential to survive and develop strength will be chosen as Saviors." Alaya continued, ignoring the ugly expressions of Farah, Claire, and Elena.

"Thank you for answering my question."

After saying that, Farah sat down with an expression that was hard to read.

Gaia continued her explanation in a cheerful voice.

"In the second cycle, we chose 50 people as Saviors, with a ratio of 70% men and 30% women. They showed better results compared to the Saviors in the first cycle. But in the end, they still failed. They were destroyed by the Abyssal Devourer in the Planar World."

"..."

Those words made the atmosphere even more tense. Everyone looked at each other with horrified expressions. The experience of the first and second cycles showed how dangerous the Abyssal Devourer was. And the fact that the third cycle only consisted of 10 Saviors, far fewer than the previous two cycles, made everything feel heavier.

Alaya interrupted with a slightly softened voice.

"Remember that the third cycle is the last chance. If you fail, countless Planar Worlds will face apocalypse. Their World Source will be devoured by the Abyssal Devourer."

Her gaze swept across the room, her eyes like knives piercing everyone there.

"That's why we chose the Saviors in this cycle very carefully. You are experts in your respective fields. Don't repeat the mistakes of your predecessors."

"..."

There was a moment of silence before Gaia spoke again, this time in a cheerful tone, trying to dispel the gloomy atmosphere.

"Enough of this heavy topic. Who wants to ask next?"

Frank Günther from Germany, who had the Ishigami Senku template, raised his hand confidently.

"I'd like to ask."

"Go ahead, Frank." Gaia smiled.

Frank stood up and asked in a critical tone, "Are there any specific criteria in choosing our templates? Look at Oscar, Wang Jian, and Miguel. Their templates aren't ordinary people, they have extraordinary powers. Isn't this unfair to some of us?"

Because he didn't know Karasuki Rio was the protagonist of an Isekai anime with a sword and magic genre, Frank didn't mention Charlie's name.

Meanwhile, some other Saviors, including Thomas, nodded in agreement. Those who felt their templates were just ordinary people seemed to support Frank's question.

Facing the gaze of the Saviors with ordinary templates, Gaia shrugged, looking unwilling to be blamed for this issue.

"It's not my fault. The template selection is based on yourselves. Have you ever thought, 'If I were an anime character or a figure in a fantasy world, who would I most want to be?' That answer is what determines your template. Simply put, the template is chosen based on who you idolize or admire the most."

Hearing that explanation, some people looked confused, while others seemed to understand.

Charlie, who had only been listening, now nodded slowly.

'So that's why I got the Karasuki Rio template.'

He liked the character Karasuki Rio even before the anime adaptation was released. The reason he liked Rio was because he looked handsome, that's all, a simple and shallow reason. Especially the version of Rio with white hair.

The explanation made him accept his template more calmly. However, for others, especially those with ordinary templates, like Thomas, frustration was still clearly visible on their faces.

"Hmph."

Thomas snorted, his expression a mix of frustration and confusion.

"Then why is my template Kirigaya Kazuto? I like Son Goku the most and often imagine myself as him in the anime world. Why didn't I get Goku?"

Several other Saviors waited for an explanation with curiosity. Even Charlie, who had previously been satisfied with Gaia's explanation, now looked with a little curiosity.

Alaya glanced at Gaia who looked awkward. Finally, in a cold but firm tone, she explained.

"The stronger an anime character is, the more World Source it takes to make them a template. In the first and second cycles, there were already Saviors with the Son Goku template. They spent a huge amount of World Source just to become Goku. However, even with such a strong template, they failed completely."

"...!!!"

Hearing this, Thomas was shocked.

"How could they fail? Isn't Goku almost invincible?"

Staring at him emotionlessly, Alaya replied briefly.

"Strong characters don't guarantee strong users. They were incompetent. They used Goku's power only for personal pleasure. When facing the Abyssal Devourer, they were defeated decisively. Don't just rely on raw strength, but Battle IQ must be honed."

"..."

The explanation silenced everyone. Even those who had previously felt envious of others who had strong templates began to realize that strength alone was not enough to survive.

"Ahem."

Gaia saw the atmosphere getting heavier, taking over the conversation in a lighter tone.

"After the failures in the first and second cycles, the amount of World Source remaining is very limited. That's why there are only 10 Saviors in the third cycle. And with the resources we have now, it's impossible to realize a template as strong as Son Goku. So, we chose your second favorite character if our resources weren't enough for the first character."

"..."

Thomas fell silent after hearing that explanation. His face turned into frustration and regret. In his heart, he cursed himself.

'Why is my second favorite character after Goku is Kirito? Why didn't I choose Tenjou Yuuya? At least he's strong and handsome, which can make a woman's womb hot just by looking at his handsome face.'

He clenched his fists tightly, trying to hold back his disappointment. But now it was too late, and nothing could be changed.

"So remember, it's not just the strength of the template that matters. How you utilize and develop that strength will determine your success. The template is just a foundation. Build your own strength on top of it. After all, I've made you reincarnate where it's easy to gain strength."

While saying that, Gaia glanced at her chosen Saviors, Charlie and Wang Jian, who were sitting side by side.

"Who wants to ask next?"

Gaia offered again, trying to divert attention from Thomas's gloomy aura who was still seen looking down in frustration.