Starting with Firefly, Speedrunning the World

Nene Arakawa felt a bit flustered and surprised, but then she seemed to recall something and steadied herself. Only then did she begin to look around, and immediately she saw Keiwa Sakurai, the person who had escaped with her last time…

He, too, was currently looking around in confusion.

Just then, Tsumuri appeared on the nearby platform, holding a folder and speaking aloud.

"Hello everyone present. I am the Game Navigator, Tsumuri!"

"Welcome to the Desire Grand Prix!"

"Currently, the world we live in is exposed to the threat of the Jyamato…"

After drawing everyone's attention, Tsumuri skillfully began to explain the game-related information for the DGP Grand Prix.

The Desire Grand Prix: the last contestant standing will have the opportunity to have one wish granted.

This single condition alone excited the numerous participants who were still completely bewildered.

Any wish was possible; the thought alone was thrilling.

Even Nene Arakawa was no exception at this moment!

"As expected, not in reality?"

Firefly lay on the sofa, sensing the location of the Oddity on Nene Arakawa, lost in thought.

She had to admit, the technology of these future people was indeed remarkable in some aspects. They could arbitrarily set and modify worlds covered by the Goddess's power!

Because this world was covered by the Creation Goddess's power, various game rules could be set simply by using one of the key Vision Launchers.

But what was funny was that these incredibly capable future people.

They still needed sponsorship from the world's chaebols and also had to consider the reactions of the authorities. Even if something went wrong, they would generally just use Creation Power to alter everyone's memories and perceptions.

Even more amusing was that something as crucial as a Vision Launcher was unlocked by fingerprint.

Hilarious.

"I hope they can directly bring in the Game Master or the producer!"

Firefly took out her transformation device but didn't rush to act; she needed to wait a bit longer.

Her gaze fell upon the Herta Puppet beside her, hoping it wouldn't disappoint her!

Returning to the DGP, Tsumuri was still explaining the rules and rewards.

"In short, any wish can be granted."

"Now, please write down your wishes."

As soon as she finished speaking, before the people present could react, a pen and a wish card suddenly appeared in their hands.

When they came to their senses, many were eagerly writing down the wishes they wanted to fulfill.

Nene Arakawa held hers, preparing to write, but then hesitated as she thought of something.

She wondered if the Knight who saved her last time was here. She scanned the surroundings but couldn't tell who it was.

No one seemed like it.

Perhaps they weren't here at all?

And compared to the Knight who saved her, Nene Arakawa thought of Firefly-chan, with whom she had been living these past few days.

Without those worries, she was also very happy.

If only she could find true love and continue like this.

She was truly greedy!

Thinking no further, and noticing that everyone else had finished writing their wishes, Nene Arakawa quickly wrote down her own wish and handed the card to Tsumuri.

Tsumuri accepted the wish card with a professional smile, collected all the cards, and then formally announced the start of the Desire Grand Prix.

In the blink of an eye, everyone found that the floating platform they were on had turned into a forest.

This was the magical power of the DGP!

And where they were located was an area covered by the Jyamato's domain, a large circular area within the forest.

At this moment, Tsumuri's voice rang out again.

"Contestants, the DGP Grand Prix officially begins!"

"The first round that decides your fate."

"The first mission is a classic treasure hunt."

"Please retrieve the treasure chest stolen by the Jyamato and obtain the item inside the chest."

Chapter 23: Stellaron Hunters Do Not Belong to the DGP

Time flew by.

In the Knight-exclusive lounge of the DGP Grand Prix, after the first familiarization match, the number of remaining contestants had significantly decreased.

This also served as a valuable lesson for those who treated the game lightly, showing them it wasn't as simple as they imagined.

Anything could happen!

Keiwa Sakurai, in particular, looked at Ace Ukiyo with a gaze full of resentment. He had obtained the top-tier "Booster Buckle" at the start, but this fox had tricked him under the pretense of saving someone.

Buffa and Azuma Michinaga also wore grim expressions.

Only Nene Arakawa seemed carefree, diligently polishing a beautifully crafted card in her hand.

"Miss Neko, can you tell me what that is you're holding?"

Ace Ukiyo appeared beside Nene Arakawa at some point, his gaze fixed on the exquisite item in her hand as he asked thoughtfully.

Hearing Ace Ukiyo's question, the others nearby also looked over curiously.

"Oh, this? It's nothing, just a gift from a friend!"

Upon hearing Ace Ukiyo's question, a hint of caution arose in Nene Arakawa's heart. This Ace Ukiyo was a cunning fox who could deceive others; he had even tricked Tycoon.

So, instinctively, she retracted the Light Cone she was holding.

If not for the Light Cone Firefly-chan had given her during the last match, she might have been in trouble.

People are so deceitful!

To achieve her heart's desire, she hadn't expected her greatest enemy to be not the Jyamato, but the other Riders beside her.

She had almost gotten into trouble before she could adjust her mindset.

"I see."

Ace Ukiyo nodded and didn't press further.

But he couldn't be mistaken; when Neko was suddenly attacked by an older man earlier, an unfamiliar, intangible force had protected her.

So it was hard for him not to be curious.

However, being a fox, he wouldn't pry further, as that would only make people more resistant.

"By the way, I wanted to ask..."

After a short while, Nene Arakawa hesitated for a few seconds, unable to hold back her curiosity and ask the others.

She had observed for a long time and seen everyone transform, but she hadn't seen the Rider who saved her last time.

"Has anyone here heard of or seen a Rider called Sam, a Stellaron Hunter?"

After speaking, Nene Arakawa scanned her surroundings, primarily focusing her gaze on Ace Ukiyo and Azuma Michinaga.

These two had been present in the previous Desire Grand Prix, so there was a high probability they would know of his existence.

"Sam, a Stellaron Hunter? Who is that? I've never heard of them."

"Could it be that besides us, there are other Riders?"

Faced with Nene Arakawa's question, almost everyone present looked puzzled and indicated they had never heard of him. Even the Game Master beside them was the same.

However, his actions paused, and he looked at Nene Arakawa with a thoughtful expression.

"Yes, yes, I want to know where he is too."

"That Rider in full silver-white armor should also belong to the DGP, right? Why don't we see him this time?"

Hearing Nene Arakawa's words, Keiwa Sakurai chimed in with his own questions.

He assumed that Rider was also related to the DGP. Geats and Buffa from the previous round had appeared; his savior shouldn't be absent!

Compared to the deceitful fox, he felt that Sam the Stellaron Hunter was more trustworthy.

Yet, he wasn't here this time, which was a bit disappointing.

He had originally wanted to thank him properly.

However, as Keiwa Sakurai described Sam the Stellaron Hunter, while the other Riders didn't react much, Ace Ukiyo's expression instantly darkened.

Seeing his victory interrupted once again, altering his original plan, the breaking of his undefeated myth was not a good thing for him.

Ace Ukiyo now suspected if that mysterious Rider who appeared earlier was actually arranged by the organizers.

He turned and cast a calm glance at the Game Master, Guelorey, quickly regaining his composure.

After all, he was a fox, 2000 years old; it was normal for him not to show his emotions.

But Azuma Michinaga beside him couldn't do the same.

His face was so grim it looked like he was about to kill someone. Thinking of the humiliation that mysterious Rider had caused him, he could barely control his emotions.

His heavy breathing was audible to almost everyone present.

He also desperately wanted to know who that guy was and swore he would get revenge.

"Regrettably, he does not belong to our DGP!"

"We, the organizers, were also very surprised by the existence of that Stellaron Hunter, Sam."

At this moment, Guelorey stepped forward and explained to everyone.

If it were a blatant conspiracy by the organizers, it wouldn't be accepted by the audience, and he didn't want to take the blame.

Even though the outcome of the last match was exactly what he wanted to see.

Geats' undefeated streak ending attracted extremely high viewership and amusement, bringing in quite a few more people from the future to watch the DGP Grand Prix.

But in a way, even though Geats lost to that Stellaron Hunter, the opponent wasn't a contestant, so it couldn't be considered a complete defeat.

Among many of Geats' fans, his title of undefeated war god remained unshaken.

After all, everyone could see that the Stellaron Hunter's power was immense, on a completely different level. It was a total accident!

Speaking of this Knight, Guelorey only learned now that his name was Sam, the Stellaron Hunter!

Stellaron Hunter...

Not part of the DGP, not part of this world.

If they truly are hunters who hunt Stellaron, as their name suggests, then things could get complicated.

What exactly is a Stellaron?

The first thing that comes to mind is likely a type of celestial body, a planetary core.

A celestial body composed almost entirely of a metallic core.

Typical celestial bodies like Earth are covered by a mantle, but planetary cores, due to impacts or other reasons, are left with only their metallic core.

More typical examples of planetary cores include the planet Psyche, and TOI 849b.

For instance, the planetary core TOI 849b, discovered in July 2020, is a massive planetary core.