Chapter 4

A planet similar to Earth, with an area about seven times that of Earth, has a land-to-sea ratio of roughly 7:3...

The young man, looking at the 3D image of the planet floating in front of him, said, "This is the world I'm going to cross over to?"

"Exactly! It's a planet I specially created."

"Special creation? What does that mean?" The young man seemed a bit puzzled.

"This is a planet created in the style of Western fantasy novels. In short, a planet usually nurtures only one intelligent species through biological evolution. If there are two, one will eventually be eliminated. But to mimic the fantasy style, I deliberately preserved several intelligent species..."

The young man interrupted the 'Panda with Glasses' and said, "Wait a moment, you said it's based on the style of Western fantasy novels... Does that mean..."

"Bingo!" The 'Panda with Glasses' said jokingly, "Not entirely based on novels, but created according to the common fantasies of all humans. In short, it's a synthesis of popular ideas."

"But biological evolution takes at least hundreds of thousands of years, and the internet has only been around for... Never mind! You are a 'god'!" The young man laughed self-deprecatingly.

Stretching, the 'Panda' said proudly, "I understand your point. Biological evolution does take a long time. After creating this planet, I placed it in another space to accelerate the flow of time. In the few years you feel, hundreds of thousands of years of biological evolution have been completed."

"Oh!" The young man nodded and said, "Let's not discuss these deep questions. Let's get to the main topic. Ask a question."

"Answer!"

"You still watch 'Brother Ichigo'?"

"Of course, and I think it's pretty good."

... After a brief silence, the young man raised a finger and said, "Panda, you're sending me to another world. Are you going to give me a new body and throw me over, or let me possess someone else's body to come back to life?"

The 'Panda with Glasses' seemed a bit embarrassed by this question, looked away for a moment, and then slowly said, "Actually... I haven't decided which way you'll cross over."

Seeing the young man's face turn difficult, the 'Panda with Glasses' quickly tried to smooth things over, "This... I also want to hear your thoughts. We can discuss this issue in more depth."

"That's simple. Since I'm in a soul state, just give me a new, powerful body! The appearance should be handsome and dashing. As for strength... hmm, dual cultivation of magic and martial arts, able to kill dragons bare-handed, plus a few billion in assets, and ideally, make a beautiful princess of a major country fall in love with me as soon as I arrive. Of course, enhance my 'certain aspects'... otherwise, I won't be able to conquer the world with my lower half... Oh, and don't forget to give me a few divine artifacts and holy relics..."

The young man immediately listed a series of extremely 'reasonable' crossover requirements, leaving the 'Panda with Glasses' speechless for a while before he finally managed to say, "Then why bother crossing over at all? I might as well just read a generic crossover invincible novel online. Damn! Didn't you always say you hated invincible, show-off protagonists?"

"Reading novels is one thing, but when it's your turn to really cross over, it's another. Who wouldn't want to be as strong as possible after crossing over?" The young man smiled nonchalantly.

The 'Panda with Glasses' had to nod in agreement, "If you want a powerful body, I can satisfy you, but I must impose some restrictions!"

"Restrictions?" The young man tilted his head and looked at the 'Panda with Glasses,' "Not like those protagonists who become stronger when they meet strong opponents and weaker when they meet weak ones, right?"

"Oh! Don't worry about that. I'll just limit your power to a certain range. Otherwise, you'd be like a cheat, sweeping through the entire world, and that would be no fun!"

"You mean I'm invincible within a certain range, but not outside of it?"

"Correction, you can't leave that range. I'll set some limits on your activity area. Of course, I'll give you some tasks, and if you complete them, you can expand your range. I'm not doing this to make things difficult for you; I just hope you won't solve problems solely through violence and power. The restrictions are to encourage you to use more strategy."

"Let's not talk about that. There's actually a more important issue you need to address!" The young man waved his hand.

"Please go on!"

"That... hmm... how should I put it?"

The young man seemed a bit troubled and thought for a moment, "Panda, you know I'm only 20 years old. With my mental capacity, I'm afraid I won't be able to adapt to the new world's environment after crossing over."

"Can you explain in more detail?"

"Simply put, it's like a modern person suddenly going back to ancient times, who might not be able to adapt to the survival methods there. I'm going to a completely unfamiliar world, living as a stranger in a strange land, and I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it mentally."

"You mean you might develop a mental illness?" The 'Panda with Glasses' said with a hint of amusement.

"Of course. Do you think someone who suddenly crosses over to another world would shout, 'Oh!!! Goodbye to my past life, beautiful girls of the other world, your loving husband is here!' like those protagonists in novels?"

The young man became quite agitated as he spoke, "I can guarantee that if I suddenly found myself in a forest in another world, I might go insane within days or even hang myself with a branch to solve the problem."

The 'Panda with Glasses' laughed, covering his mouth.

"I understand your concern. As you said, a normal person's mind would struggle to adapt to such a sudden change. I can help you with this issue!"

"How?"

"Very simple. I'll slightly enhance your mental awareness to strengthen your mental resilience." The 'Panda with Glasses' said, pointing his finger at the young man's head.

"Wait!" The young man quickly avoided the 'Panda's' 'evil hand' and said, "You mean mental enhancement. This kind of thing... uh... my point is, if you enhance my mental state, will I still be me in terms of personality and memory?"

The 'Panda with Glasses' stopped and quickly explained, "Don't worry, you'll still be you. Enhancing your mental state doesn't mean altering your memory or personality. For example, if someone is born with acrophobia, and one day they suddenly overcome it, it doesn't mean they're no longer themselves."

"Ah... in that case, thank you for your trouble!" The young man nodded, feeling a bit relieved.

"Don't worry. If I really wanted to alter your memory, you wouldn't even notice."

"Then why didn't you just alter my memory and send me over directly?"

"Then you wouldn't be you anymore." The 'Panda with Glasses' softened his tone, "Besides, I don't want to do that to a good friend. I respect your feelings and free will."

... The young man was stunned and silent after hearing the 'Panda's' words.

"Thank you..."

The 'Panda with Glasses' smiled shyly and said nothing, just placing his finger on the young man's forehead. A faint blue light flashed, and the young man felt a warm current pass through his body. He touched his forehead but felt no abnormalities.

"Is that it? I don't feel anything."

"Don't worry, it's fine!"

"Great! But I have one more question!" The young man said awkwardly, "In general, crossing over to another world often involves fighting. I've never even killed a fish, let alone a person. The most violent thing I've done is stepping on a cockroach. If I really encounter battles, I might not even fight back and just get killed. Can you help me with this?"

"Same as before, I'll enhance your mental state and explain to eliminate your concerns." The 'Panda with Glasses' looked at the young man and said seriously, "After this enhancement, you'll still feel pain, but your tolerance for pain will increase, and your sensitivity to violent things will decrease. However, this might make you more bloodthirsty and cold, depending on your character, experiences, and self-regulation."

The young man nodded in understanding. He clearly understood what the 'Panda' meant: the environment shapes a person's character. As long as he was still himself, that was enough.

OK! The young man clapped his hands, stood up, and said, "That should be fine. Now, create a new body for me."

The 'Panda with Glasses' thought for a moment and then said excitedly, "I'm too lazy to create a new body for you. I'll just let your soul possess an existing body. I have just the right candidate in mind."

"Suitable candidate? I hope it's not some noble family's born-worthless young master."

"You're too sarcastic." The 'Panda with Glasses' said with a bitter smile, "I promise it's a character you'll like."

The 'Panda with Glasses' waved his hand, and a magnificent figure appeared in the center of the platform...

Arlin, the ancient dragon! The ruler of the Yanode Mountains, the leader of the White Dragon Clan, a terrifying presence in the Dragon Wars. Though not a Dragon God, he possessed power on par with or even surpassing the five Dragon Gods in some aspects... In the Dragon Wars that reshaped the world, Arlin even killed several gods, and his terrifying power has been a nightmare for other dragons. However, Arlin ultimately fell in the depths of the Yanode Mountains, and over time, this ancient dragon was forgotten in the corners of the world...

... The young man was very excited. He never expected his new body to be a dragon, and from the information the 'Panda' provided, it was a very powerful dragon. This was much more appealing than a human body. Thinking of this, the young man happily gave the 'Panda with Glasses' a thumbs up.

"I've also prepared some conditions for you." The 'Panda with Glasses' rubbed his nose and continued, "Considering the limitations on your power, I've given you the ability to create life. When your own power is limited, you can create other life forms to help you with tasks. Your new body, Arlin, the White Dragon, has vast knowledge and experience. After possessing his body, you can directly access his memories and experiences, which will help you understand the new world quickly."

The young man immediately understood and said, "Like summoning, similar to summoning various units in summoning novels, right?"

"Exactly! The summoned creatures won't be limited by your power. I've created a system for you, and it's very simple to use, like a real-time strategy game. I guarantee it has high freedom and won't feel rigid."

"Thank you very much."

"The summoned creatures can be any from the fantasy world, whether dragons, humans, elves, goblins, or giants! I've even added some characters from games you often play..."

"Are there characters from the 'Heroes of Might and Magic' series?" The atmosphere became lively, and the young man asked happily.

"Of course! And this system can not only summon creatures but also exchange various resources and items..." The 'Panda with Glasses' scratched his head, a bit annoyed, and said, "I've created a small assistant in the system for you. You can ask him detailed questions later. I'll implant the method of using this system into your mind first."

Even knowing the 'Panda with Glasses' was an omnipotent god, the young man was still amazed by the power to create life so easily. Suddenly, he thought of something important, a dream perhaps of all anime and ACG enthusiasts. The young man leaned close to the 'Panda with Glasses' and whispered, "I have a question. Can I summon... those characters..."

"Anime characters?" The 'Panda with Glasses' tilted his head, thinking.

Seeing the 'Panda with Glasses' seemed a bit hesitant, the young man was a bit worried. He didn't doubt the 'Panda's' ability to do it.

"Do you really want to meet these fictional characters?" The 'Panda with Glasses' suddenly changed his expression and said mischievously, "Or are you planning to have a big harem?"

The young man relaxed when he saw the 'Panda's' mischievous smile and said, "I hate harem protagonists the most. We've known each other for so long; you should know my preferences."

"Just a joke, don't take it seriously." The 'Panda with Glasses' shrugged and said helplessly, "Do you really not want to consider my harem suggestion? Think about it, the pink princess from 'Gundam SEED' PLANT, the lolis from 'Mahou Sensei Negima,' the cute Arthur from 'Fate/Stay Night'..."

"Enough! Don't say any more." The young man put his finger on the 'Panda with Glasses' mouth, stopping his endless talk. "I want to summon anime characters because I like their personalities and characters. If possible, I'd rather travel this world with them, make friends from different lands, play with people from different countries, and eat food from different places. To me, that's the most romantic thing. Not ruling the world, taking other people's women, or becoming a god or king."

Listening to the young man, the 'Panda with Glasses' was silent. The young man lowered his tone and continued, "I asked for a lot of powerful abilities just now, but even if you gave them to me, I wouldn't abuse them. I just want to be a tourist in this world. To me, exploring the beautiful scenery of this world is much better than fighting on battlefields and scheming in palaces."

"Because of this, I can be friends with you for so long." The 'Panda with Glasses' nodded in approval, "Everyone has a pure dream. A young person might aspire to be a clean official, but when they get power, they might not stick to their dream. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. When I give you absolute power, can you guarantee you won't abuse it?"

"I'm not a saint or a god, so the answer is... no!" The young man answered directly.

"Alright, I'm satisfied with that answer!" The 'Panda with Glasses' clapped his hands like a child and said seriously, "Summoning anime characters is simple. Every time humans create a story and a fictional character, they create a parallel new world. I just need to simulate these worlds and open their doors to bring these characters to this world..."

"But there's a problem, right?"

The 'Panda with Glasses' nodded, "The problem is that these created characters have been given souls by their creators. I can't guarantee they will be 100% loyal to you..."

"Not absolutely loyal to me? Then you mean other summoned creatures will be loyal to me?" The young man asked curiously.

"Let me explain." The 'Panda with Glasses' cleared his throat and said, "Originally, summoned creatures were set to be 100% loyal to you, executing any orders, even unreasonable ones. But for anime characters, I can't guarantee they will absolutely follow your orders. These characters have been given personalities and values by their creators. For example, Saber from 'Fate/Stay Night,' with her knightly spirit, would strongly resist orders like kidnapping, assassination, or theft. Similarly, characters who are originally cunning might disdain overly righteous orders... Do you understand?"

"Completely." The young man nodded and thought for a moment, "Can't you force them to be loyal to me?"

"I can, but I'd have to alter their values. Do you want to see a righteous Saber suddenly become cunning, or a cunning character become righteous?" The 'Panda with Glasses' shook his head, "You wouldn't want that. To you, they wouldn't be the characters you love, just strangers with the same appearance."

The young man fully understood the 'Panda's' point and didn't want to do that, but he still said, "Even if they won't be loyal to me, it's fine. I just want more companions to share the journey and experiences with, to feel this world together. I don't care if they are loyal."

"Since you're so determined..." The 'Panda with Glasses' thought for a moment and said, "Alright! I'll help you with this!"

The 'Panda with Glasses' suddenly disappeared from the platform and reappeared in front of the young man after less than five seconds. The young man asked curiously, "What happened?"

"Setting up the state