Chapter 269: I'm Not Begging You

After locating the human settlement, Takumi opened a spatial gate and walked right in. Shubi followed closely behind.

When they reappeared, they found themselves in a mountain valley. The place looked like a ruined wasteland, but Takumi knew that people were hiding beneath the rubble.

Upon arriving, Shubi immediately began scanning the surroundings and soon detected human traces. Their sudden appearance immediately triggered the alert system of the wary survivors. The people of this world were always on edge, constantly cautious of threats.

But when the guards saw Takumi, they were taken aback.

Humans?

Was he human?

Not just Takumi—Shubi also looked human now. This made things even more confusing. Were they really human?

How did they even appear like that?

Takumi and Shubi also noticed the on-guard sentries. Sensing their presence, Takumi smiled faintly and walked toward them with Shubi.

Seeing the pair approach, the guards instantly raised their defenses, clutching scavenged weapons tightly in their hands.

"Finally found you all. Don't worry, I'm human too," Takumi said with a friendly smile.

He was human, after all.

Despite his words, the guards remained tense.

"Impossible! Humans can't use spirits to perform magic!"

They had seen with their own eyes how Takumi and Shubi appeared. They simply materialized—clearly the work of magic. But that was something humans in this world could not do. They couldn't summon spirits to use magic.

"I am human," Takumi replied calmly. "But I never said I was from this world. I'm a human from another world. Now, call out your settlement's leader. I mean you no harm. If I did, I wouldn't be standing here calmly talking to you."

Takumi didn't blame them for their suspicion. Given the circumstances, it was understandable they didn't believe he was human. After all, he had used powers beyond their comprehension.

He didn't look human to them—he looked more like a disguised member of another race.

Still, Takumi wasn't going to waste energy convincing them. Speaking to them calmly was already a show of goodwill. Any other race would've barged in forcefully.

Takumi's tone made the guards pause and exchange glances.

A human from another world?

Was that even possible?

As they hesitated, someone stepped out from within the settlement. Their leader had noticed the commotion.

To survive in this world, everyone had to stay vigilant. Sentries outside were mirrored by those inside. So when someone arrived, those within were immediately alerted.

A middle-aged man emerged—it wasn't Riku. Riku was just a young boy who'd been recently taken in. This man was the actual leader of the tribe.

His gaze immediately settled on Takumi and Shubi. He too was unsure.

"Are you humans?" he asked.

"I'm human, but she's not," Takumi answered truthfully. "She's a Machine Species. I don't want to waste time proving my humanity, so I'll get straight to the point.

"A great war is coming to this world. If you want to leave, I can take you out. I'm not from this world. I'll send you to another—a human-dominated world where you won't have to worry about other races. There, you'll gain your own human strength.

"So—what is your choice?"

Takumi didn't want to waste time. Riku was still just a child—the man before him was the real decision-maker. He was likely Cloné Dora's father.

The chief was stunned.

Humans from another world? A world run by humans? An escape from this hell?

And the girl beside him—was she really a Machine Species?

All of this made the man hesitate.

"Is it true?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Of course," Takumi smiled. "So? Your answer?"

"Alright!" the man responded without hesitation.

He was willing to take a gamble on Takumi.

After all, there was no reason for Takumi to lie. Staying in this world only meant endless suffering. A new world offered hope.

If Takumi meant harm, he could've already attacked them—he wouldn't bother talking. So the chief agreed.

Takumi nodded.

"Take some time to pack. I'm going to gather the rest of the humans from around the world."

Humans were scattered across the land. Though small in number, they were everywhere. The constant wars had whittled their numbers down—only a few tribes remained. Even if the world population exceeded a million now, it would be a miracle.

Life in this world was too harsh.

With that, Takumi opened a portal and left.

He began traveling the world, rounding up scattered humans. The Machine Species had already recorded their locations.

These machines wandered across the entire world—even entering territory of other races—and documented everything they saw.

So even those hiding in remote places had been logged. Even if they'd moved, Takumi could still find them.

Occasionally, Takumi even found children wandering alone. As expected, he scooped them up and stashed them into a spatial bracelet.

He planned to hand them over to You later.

You could take care of them. After all, Takumi didn't know when he'd return.

Many humans, upon seeing Takumi's power, followed him without question.

Of course, there were those who didn't believe him.

To them, Takumi had only one response:

"I'm not begging you."