Player's Journey In Anime World

The leader of the Warbeast was a wolfman clad in silver-white armor. Standing half a step behind him was a fox woman dressed in a shrine maiden's attire. The fox woman was stunningly beautiful, with a voluptuous figure, golden fluffy ears, and a tail that combined sensuality and cuteness. She leaned in and whispered something into the wolfman's ear. After scrutinizing Ryou, the wolfman hesitated no longer and promptly blew the signal for retreat.

On the other side of the battlefield, a three-headed monster glared at Ryou fiercely, its gaze filled with caution. It then raised its three heads and howled toward the sky.

"Awwooooo~!!!"

The magical beasts on the battlefield immediately perked up their heads, their ears twitching slightly, and then retreated in an orderly fashion. The three-headed monster was the last to leave. As it was about to step into the forest, it turned back and shot Ryou a glance filled with resentment and fury. Then, without hesitation, it turned and disappeared into the forest, its silhouette swallowed by the trees.

The beastman horde, numbering over 100,000, along with nearly a thousand magical beasts, had created a battlefield that stretched beyond the horizon. Yet, this massive war was settled by Ryou alone. Behind Ryou stood a group of human refugees who had been watching his overwhelming display of power. They shivered in fear, exchanging nervous glances until they managed to push forward a trembling, white-haired elder to speak on their behalf.

"Thank you, Your Grace, for saving us," the elder said, his voice quivering.

Ryou waved his hand dismissively, indicating there was no need for formalities. His primary goal had been to learn about this world's nature, and saving the refugees was merely incidental. However, the elder's next words piqued Ryou's interest. After hesitating for a moment, the elder cautiously asked, "May I ask which race Your Grace belongs to?"

This question intrigued Ryou. He appeared human, with black hair and distinct human features. The elder, though aged, should not have been so blind as to mistake this. A sly smile spread across Ryou's face.

"Oh? Do I not look like a human to you?"

The elder offered a bitter smile.

"You jest, Your Grace. Everyone in Disboard knows that we humans are the only intelligent race incapable of using magic."

Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly. He recognized the name and found the elder's words deeply intriguing. Among all the intelligent races, why was humanity alone incapable of using magic? Was this the malice of the gods or a peculiar rule of this world? Given the familiar name Disboard, Ryou began to form a hypothesis.

Through his conversation with the elder, Ryou confirmed his suspicions: this was the world of No Game No Life, specifically, the version from 6,000 years before the main story—a time depicted in the movie prequel. Unlike the cheerful and playful atmosphere of the main series, this era of Disboard was a living hell, engulfed in a war among the gods. The sky was perpetually covered by black dust, radiating intense corruption and radiation, with no sunlight in sight. Intelligent races, driven by the commands of their deities, developed apocalyptic weapons and unleashed them indiscriminately on the battlefield, pushing the world to the brink of destruction.

It was like a magical version of World War III, with nations hurling nuclear-equivalent attacks at one another without restraint. Amid these godlike beings, humanity—though intelligent—could neither use nor even perceive magic. Among such earth-shattering forces, they were powerless, with a combat effectiveness of essentially zero. Even a stray magical attack could easily claim hundreds or thousands of human lives. To survive, humanity had been forced to live like rats, hiding underground.

Before crossing into this world, Ryou had played a survival game called This War of Mine, which depicted the plight of civilians during a modern war. In it, players scavenged for food, water, and medicine while balancing morality and survival in a war-torn city. Though the game was grim, in Ryou's view, it was paradise compared to the plight of humanity in Disboard. At least in the game, after surviving for dozens of days, the United Nations intervened, and the war ended. There was at least a faint hope for survival. But in Disboard, humanity knew only despair. Being alive to see another day was a miracle. They never knew when a stray magical strike might obliterate their shelter or when another race might discover and annihilate them.

The unending war had turned all intelligent races, except for humans, into bloodthirsty beasts. To refer to them as monsters might have been more accurate. For what? The gods were fighting over the Suniaster, a mythical artifact said to grant the power to become the sole deity. The selfish desires of a handful of gods had cost Disboard countless lives. How absurd. How infuriating.

Ryou suddenly thought that playing the role of a humanist wouldn't be so bad. Of course, his primary goal remained to secure the final Root Gem, known as Void, which he suspected was closely tied to the Suniaster. The artifact's coordinates had been deduced by the movie's protagonist, Riku. Once Ryou had the location, charging in headfirst would be his style. For now, he shelved the Void gem's importance. Helping humanity rise from its status as a trampled ant colony became his immediate concern.

...

When Ryou explained the world's situation to Gilgamesh and Scathach, their reactions were telling. Scathach remained indifferent, while Gilgamesh's face twisted with disdain.

"As expected, gods, no matter the world, are all equally revolting!" Regarding this, Ryou chose not to comment. After all, Gilgamesh herself was a victim of the gods' arrogance, which likely fueled her newfound enthusiasm for teaching humanity in this world how to overthrow the deities' rule.

Ryou, uninterested in micromanaging what felt like a simulation game, focused on direct action. The two divided responsibilities: Ryou sought out scattered human refugees, while Gilgamesh took on the task of organizing, governing, and teaching them. As for Scathach, she predictably continued her role as an aloof bystander.

...

Having uncovered the harsh truths of this world, Ryou abandoned restraint. If these beings held no value for their own lives, there was no reason to expect mercy from others. Whenever he encountered warring factions from other races, he unleashed a Meteor Barrage, obliterating both sides indiscriminately. Over time, the number of humans in the settlement swelled to the millions, while the number of non-human casualties caused by Ryou reached horrifying levels.

This rise in both human strength and destruction naturally drew attention from other races. Without warning, a coalition army consisting of Warbeast, Demonic Beasts, and Dwarft was amassed near the human settlement. Their total force numbered in the millions, equipped with advanced war machines like Dwarf tanks and airships. Yet, under the combined might of Ryou and Gilgamesh, the coalition was utterly annihilated. For Ryou, enhanced by Energy Gem, deploying devastating magical weapons was as routine as breathing. As for Gilgamesh, her arsenal of large-scale attacks exceeded anyone's wildest expectations.

After the battle, Ryou spared only the commanders of the Warbeast and Dwarft to extract critical information. Through friendly and persuasive means, he confirmed his suspicions: the surrounding major races—Warbeast, Dwarft, Demonic Beasts, and Giants—had collectively decided to exterminate the human faction. Under the leadership of the powerful Giant race, the coalition had agreed to a temporary truce. Their goal was the complete obliteration of humanity—not just a military defeat or enslavement, but total eradication, body and soul. In the eyes of their gods, the Suniaster could belong to only one race, making every other a mortal enemy. These gods and their frenzied worshippers adhered to a single equation: Dead rivals = Good rivals.

The coalition attack accelerated Ryou's plan to relocate the human settlement. From the beginning, his strategic insight revealed that their current location was unsuitable. If humans, the weakest race, had managed to claim it, it was unremarkable land, barren and lacking valuable resources. Moreover, this settlement was sandwiched between multiple powerful factions, serving as a natural buffer zone—a precarious position akin to a hellish opening move in a strategy game.

Ryou knew that neither he nor Gilgamesh could protect humanity forever. For humans to thrive in this world, they had to grow strong enough to defend themselves. Ryou's vision offered two potential paths.

Seize the Suniaster, rewrite the world's laws, and strip all races of their magical abilities. This would level the playing field and allow humans, with their unparalleled creativity, to rise above the rest.

Find a way for humans to wield magic, elevating them to equal footing with the other races.

Both approaches had pros and cons, leading humanity in radically different directions. The first would foster technological innovation while discarding magical reliance. The second would require the creation of an entirely new magical system. Ultimately, Ryou chose the second path—enabling humans to use magic—finding it far more intriguing. The key lay with the Suniaster, which he suspected was the source of the world's power. Only something that fundamental could reshape the rules of existence.

But before pursuing the Suniaster, the relocation of the human settlement became an urgent priority. Of course, Ryou had some farewells to deliver to the surrounding neighbors.

...

Warbeast Capital: Orgrimmar

"You're all useless! Every last one of you!"

A deafening roar reverberated through the ancestral hall. The shockwave rattled the bone and fang ornaments hanging from the columns and ceiling. A towering Lionman clad in crimson-black, spike-covered heavy armor leaped from his throne of bone, fang, and hide. He grabbed the throat of a kneeling Wolfman and effortlessly hoisted him into the air.

"I entrusted you with everything, and this is what you bring me? Thirty thousand! Thirty thousand of our finest warriors were wiped out completely! By humans—those weaklings only fit to be our slaves or food?"

Choking, the Wolfman struggled to explain between gasps for air.

"S-supreme Chieftain... I-I apologize... It's because... among the humans... two extraordinary warriors appeared—"

Before he could finish, a glob of saliva splattered across his face. "Fool! There's no way such a frail race could produce strong warriors. Those must be rogue Divine Spirits!"

The Lion Chieftain's expression suddenly shifted, becoming eerily calm. The Wolfman, however, began trembling even more violently. The chieftain's gaze had changed to that of a predator eyeing its next meal.

"Enough. I should never have expected anything from the likes of you. Go explain your failures to the Ancestor."

The Wolfman's chest heaved in terror, his eyes widening with dread. As a high-ranking member of the Warbeast, he knew all too well how cruel and pitiless their patron god was.

"No! Chieftain, wait—have mercy—!"

Before the plea was complete, the Lion Chieftain's muscles flexed, and his claws crushed the Wolfman's throat, silencing him forever. Carrying the lifeless body, the chieftain strode toward a cavern behind the great hall. The air inside was thick with the stench of blood.

Crunch!

The chieftain stepped on something brittle, the sound reminiscent of breaking chips or eggshells.