Chapter 251: Debt Collector Threat

Axel turned to Navi, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him. It had been a while since he had seen Navi so panicked. However, before he could dwell on the memories, Navi’s words left Axel questioning his own ears.

[T-The debt collectors, they’re onto us!]

“…What the hell?”

Axel paused to think.

Based on Navi’s initial calculations, they should have been able to remain under the radar for a year. They had only spent a twelfth of that time so far, and now they were facing this?

“Didn’t you say the system would protect me? Why is this happening now?” Axel asked.

He couldn’t tell if he should be angry, worried, or filled with despair.

[Sorry, but that’s outside my expectations too!] Navi shot back, his frustration evident. [Who could have predicted they’d track us down because of the unique signature the World Tree emits?!]

“The what?!”

Axel gasped, turning toward the tree before him.

The one that was shimmering with mana particles, as if showing gratitude for his care. “This thing… is the reason we’re in trouble?!”

Of course, it wasn’t that simple.

Navi briefly explained how the World Tree’s presence was just the beginning. Once it grew to its current size, it began releasing a distinctive signature into the surrounding dimensions.

No, to be clear, it’s not really unique… as there’s another one that exudes the exact same signature. The original World Tree, Yggdrasil, the home of the Gods of Asgard.

The signal from the World Tree simply drew attention to them, especially from the big players in the industry.

After all, the World Tree was meant to be a one-of-a-kind world, not something that could be “planted” by anyone at will. However, this presence piqued the interest of major companies, prompting them to investigate further and ultimately expose Axel’s existence.

In short, the World Tree became a catalyst that attracted attention to Axel.

This unexpected chain reaction led to his discovery by the authorities from whom he had stolen valuable recipes.

[The only silver lining is that it would still take them a month to arrive.] Navi continued. [Their main fleets were positioned so far away that reaching him quickly would be difficult. However, they might send scouts ahead to monitor the situation.]

“This is bad…”

Axel’s current liquid funds were just over 100 Quadrillion—still far from the target amount. If they arrived now and extorted him, he would be unable to pay.

“What’s their estimated strength?” Axel asked Mimir, who had appeared behind Navi during her explanation.

“The main force is estimated to consist of about 10,000 S-Ranks and around 100 SS-Ranks. The scouting force will definitely include at least one S-Rank.”

This was merely a rough estimate, more of an educated guess, but it was nearly guaranteed to be accurate. Upon hearing this, Axel frowned. “No gods in their lineup, right?”

“The chances are low, but not zero. Still, I doubt they would send a god to collect a debt.”

At this point, Axel finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He and the girls were SSS-Rank, stat-wise. Although they were constrained by their mortal forms, they were confident they wouldn’t lose to anyone at S or SS Rank. Fenrir, a being of godlike power, was nearly at the peak of SSS-Rank, bordering on EX-Rank, even with her seal in place. In short…

’As long as no gods get involved, the worst-case scenario is still manageable,’

Axel thought, perhaps a bit too optimistically.

“However, that only considers personnel,” Mimir continued. “They would definitely arrive in their ships, and when it comes to firepower… we could easily be wiped off the map in an instant.”

“You… what?”

Axel’s mind began to race.

He realized that a civilization capable of creating a weapon valued in the quintillions wouldn’t send their “envoys” unarmed. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if they came equipped with the very weapon from the recipe that Axel had stolen!

The danger was real.

“Fuck…!” he cursed.

To escape this mess, they either had to completely redo their defenses, preparing for an invasion from an advanced civilization, or they had to surrender. This wasn’t just a normal raid; it felt like a common man up against a massive conglomerate!

Even the laws wouldn’t hesitate to side with the latter!

Axel took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. He glanced at the three maids—Fenrir, Eve, and Ria—who looked worried about him and nodded.

“Navi, give me quests,” he said. “Show me the fastest way to unlock the other functions I need to craft those weapons. We can’t afford to wait patiently right now…”

Right.

He still needed four functions before he could actually craft the weapon: Metallurgy, Nanotechnology, Mana Manufacturing, and WMD Control.

Until now, Navi hadn’t provided any hint on how to unlock them.

But with their debt collectors hot on their tail, there was no time to hold back.

[Contractor, that’s… not easy, you know?]

Navi didn’t agree right away.

[The main reason I haven’t allowed you to access those functions yet isn’t because I’m withholding them. It’s due to a simpler, more natural reason—the current System can’t handle it.]

“Really?”

Axel turned to Mimir with a quizzical look. “But didn’t you upgrade the System once already, Mimir?”

“I did.”

She nodded, drifting down to the ground as if fatigued.

“However, I only fortified the mainframe. If we were to compare it to constructing a skyscraper, I didn’t add HVAC or elevators; I merely made the foundations deeper, thicker, and much more stable.”

She let out a soft sigh.

“If the system could retain its advanced functions between users, why do you think we’d make you start from scratch each time?”

Right.

The System was essentially a parasite. It lived off its host—Axel, in this case.

If he were to disappear, the parasite would lose all its strength, retaining only whatever functions it could manage on its own before moving on to find another host.

Advanced features like Nanotechnology would be too resource-intensive to maintain between successive users. It was like trying to keep a 1,500-watt heater plugged into a 12-volt battery. Before even questioning how that would work, it was clear the battery simply didn’t have enough power to support it.

“Alright, I understand,” Axel nodded. “So, in short… I just need to upgrade the current system, right?”

[Exactly.] Navi nodded.

“Good. Then, give me the quest.” Axel clenched his fist tightly, focusing intently. “I shall complete it as quickly as possible!”

[Well said, Contractor!]

The little penguin clapped its flippers before waving them, presenting a glowing system window to Axel—something he hadn’t seen in quite a while.

However, the contents were…

“The fuck… To upgrade the system, I have to do all this?”

…A bit different from what Axel had expected.

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