Starting with No Game No Life: Infinite Chests

"One million exchange points?!" Riku said, visibly moved.

"Yes, ordinary Gigants are worth forty thousand exchange points each. But because you wrecked them so badly with your last attack, their value dropped a lot," the system explained.

"So basically, I went a little overboard," Riku muttered with a shake of his head.

The system's recycling mechanic was probably designed to make him stronger through killing. But it hadn't expected him to power up this quickly, even taking a path of his own.

While Riku could be merciless to his enemies, he wasn't the type to randomly attack others. Wiping out every race just to collect exchange points was far too crazy.

Of course, if he got extremely unlucky and kept pulling garbage from the chests, who knows, maybe he would go hunt down some monsters or lesser races just to get stronger.

"A second diamond-grade chest, huh… I wonder what I'll get from it." With that, Riku turned his gaze to the distant diamond chest.

He instantly teleported over.

Seeing this, Zhuralis, who'd been staring in a daze from far away, finally snapped out of it and hurriedly flew in his direction.

By then, Riku had already placed his hand on the diamond chest.

With a crisp click, the dazzling diamond chest popped open.

At the same time, a familiar voice rang out in Riku's mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, master, you have opened a diamond-grade chest and obtained the Sun Authority: Leo.]

Sun Authority: Leo, from "Problem Children Are Coming from Another World," grants the wielder invulnerability to all weapons.

"The Sun Authority?" Riku froze for a moment, then muttered in shock.

Even in the Little Garden, full of gods and buddhas, the Sun Authorities were tremendously important gifts, prized even by divine kings. Their significance was so great that entire wars had been fought over them, with countless gods competing for them.

"Leo's Sun Authority makes you completely invulnerable to weapons, even top-tier divine relics can't pierce the wielder's body," Riku murmured.

Then he gave a wry smile. Unfortunately, it wouldn't help him much at this stage. It wasn't going to be decisive in his life-or-death battle with the God of War.

"Well, pulling something this good is already hitting the jackpot. Complaining would just be greedy." He shook his head, taking the Leo Sun Authority under his control.

"Lord Riku, did something just appear over there, or was I seeing things?" Zhuralis arrived and asked in confusion.

"That was no illusion, it was the Star Grail manifesting," Riku replied cheerfully.

"The Star Grail?!" Hearing this, Zhuralis's dragon eyes widened in shock. "But doesn't the Star Grail only appear after a victor has been decided?"

"Hehe, you'll understand soon enough. As for why it showed up now, it's because the power I released earlier was so overwhelming that it threatened the entire planet. The Grail appeared to erase that destructive force," Riku explained.

"I see," Zhuralis replied, her expression clearing with sudden understanding.

"All right, let's go. We're done here. Next target: the Siren's!" Riku flashed onto Zhuralis's back and lay down, relaxing.

That last burst had used up a huge amount of his strength he needed a good rest.

"Understood," Zhuralis replied respectfully, flying in the direction Riku indicated.

As they travelled, Riku considered his options for the chests.

He now had a massive 1,040,000 exchange points. It'd be a shame not to use them.

"System, exchange for a Supreme Chest." After thinking for a moment, Riku gave the command in his mind. [Exchange for Supreme Chest, deducting 100,000 exchange points. Ding, exchange successful.] The system's voice echoed in his mind.

A moment later, a luxurious purple chest appeared before Riku.

Smiling, he placed his hand on it.

With a crisp click, the chest opened, revealing a dazzling item wrapped in a ball of light.

At the same time, the system's voice rang out:

[Ding! Congratulations, master, you have opened a Supreme Chest and obtained Excalibur.]

"Excalibur? Not really all that useful to me…" Riku frowned. As much as he liked the ahoge king's legendary weapon, for someone who already had star-busting strength and needed to surpass even the God of War, this wasn't much help.

[Master, this is the true original version, not the city-level Noble Phantasm. It can handle your power and even amplify it]

"I see." With that, Riku nodded in satisfaction.

He took out Excalibur and held it. Radiant, noble, it seemed to embody the truth of victory. While it looked similar to Artoria's, there were subtle differences.

Once he was sure it would be useful, Riku tossed it into the system's storage.

"System, exchange for a Divine Chest." Riku's golden eyes flashed with anticipation.

Even he couldn't keep his composure; excitement and tension mixed together as he awaited what was inside.

A Divine Chest—the highest tier in the current system, sure to have something game-breaking. Otherwise, it wouldn't deserve the name.

[Divine Chest exchange successful. Deducting 500,000 exchange points. Master's remaining balance: 440,000.]

A moment later, an orange-gold chest appeared before Riku, making him narrow his eyes.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and placed his hand on the chest, opening it.

[Ding! Congratulations, master, you have opened a Divine Chest and obtained the Saiyan God Bloodline.]

"The Saiyan God bloodline?" Riku was stunned, his eyes flickering. The Saiyan bloodline was the ultimate cheat, and this Saiyan God bloodline was far stronger than any ordinary Saiyan's.

For a Divine Chest, this was definitely top-tier.

Riku stroked his chin, nodding in satisfaction.

"System, fuse the bloodline." He gave the order.

[Ding! Kindly note: The Saiyan God bloodline has extremely high physical requirements. Attempting to fuse it now will cause your body to collapse.]

"Damn it!" Riku's face instantly turned dark.

"If I can't fuse the bloodline, what's the point?!" Riku said, annoyed.

[Master, the Divine Saiyan bloodline is different from ordinary Saiyan blood. Its potential is immense. Once fused, your physique will soar, going Super Saiyan is easy, Super Saiyan God is within reach, and surpassing even that is just a matter of your own talent. But it's far easier than for regular Saiyans]

"Giving me a sugarcoated pitch now doesn't help. The key thing is, I can't even use it," Riku rolled his eyes.

[Actually, there is a way to fuse the bloodline. It's a special privilege only available for Divine Chests]

"Huh? What way?" Riku's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked.

[Bloodlines from Divine Chests can be perfectly fused by spending exchange points]

"Tch, so in the end, you just want more points," Riku clicked his tongue. "Go on, how much?"

[For 300,000 exchange points, the system can help you perfectly integrate the Divine Saiyan bloodline. The initial result will only be a partial power-up and grant you the regular Saiyan bloodline's abilities. Once your physique meets the requirements, the Divine bloodline will fully awaken, and all the dormant power will erupt at once. Compared to risking self-destruction, this is the safest way.]

That made Riku narrow his eyes suspiciously. Since when did the system start acting like a salesman?

"All right, last question: if I integrate the Divine Saiyan bloodline, am I still human?" Riku hesitated, then asked seriously.

[You are. Even though it's called a "Divine" bloodline, that just means it's powerful. At your core, you're still human]

"That's fine, then," Riku nodded.

"Let's do it," he said resolutely.

[Understood]

A moment later, the ball of light before Riku disappeared, merging into his body.

Instantly, he felt his blood begin to boil, steam pouring off him. A wild, violent energy surged inside, threatening to tear him apart.

Now Riku understood why the system had warned him about his body breaking down. His current physique was strong, but compared to this bloodline's terrifying potential, it was still far too weak.

Just then, a cool sensation washed through him, soothing the raging blood and making Riku comfortable again. The wild energy gradually faded.

At the same time, he felt his body grow even stronger. A kingly aura suddenly burst forth across the land, commanding, overwhelming!

"Lord Riku?!" Overwhelmed by the surge of power, Zhuralis nearly dropped from the sky in shock.

What just happened? Why had Lord Riku's strength suddenly soared again?!

"Whew, this feels incredible," Riku muttered a moment later, relishing the sensation. The thrill of feeling your power rise was unbeatable.

"Lord Riku?" Zhuralis called out uncertainly.

"It's nothing, let's keep moving," Riku replied casually.

"All right," Zhuralis said, not pressing further. She knew what to ask and what to keep to herself. If Riku wanted to talk, he would.

A few hours later, over the endless blue ocean, the Siren race below sensed Riku and Zhuralis's overwhelming presence and abandoned their lair in terror, fleeing for their lives.

Riku couldn't be bothered with them. He dove straight into the sea, heading for the ocean floor to open a platinum chest.

The crushing water pressure would instantly pulp any normal person, but to Riku, it was nothing.

He leisurely placed his hand on the platinum chest.

[Ding! Congratulations, master, you have opened a platinum chest and gained +10 Charm.]

"Charm? What the heck?" Riku was stunned. He knew platinum chests and higher could yield unique abilities or useful bonuses, but this was a first.

[A high Charm stat gives you a great first impression with women, strong friendship with men, and inspires awe in your subordinates. The higher your charm, the better]

"So what's my Charm stat now?" Riku raised an eyebrow.

[Unable to query]

Riku was speechless.

"Oh well, having it is better than nothing. I guess picking up girls will be even easier from now on." He shook his head, not wanting to overthink it.

Why did he get this? It probably had to do with the Siren, while they weren't especially powerful and ranked just above humans, they were known for their charm abilities.

Riku burst out of the sea and landed on Zhuralis's back.

As Riku appeared, Zhuralis suddenly felt her heart flutter. Once she realised, she froze she respected Riku deeply, but with such a huge difference in species, how could she possibly feel this way...?

"Lord Riku, you seem different somehow," Zhuralis said hesitantly.

"Hm? How so?" Riku asked, grinning.

"You just seem more... attractive than before," Zhuralis admitted.

"That just means I'm too handsome for my own good," Riku joked for the first time in a while.

"Hmm, maybe that's it," Zhuralis murmured, tilting her head in confusion.

"So where to next?" she asked. Even as Riku's "mount," she rather enjoyed it. With him, she didn't have to worry about being killed, ambushed, or threatened; she could just travel in peace. Her only small regret was not being able to take on her human form.

"Next... hmm, let's go see Schwi," Riku said after a moment's thought.

He cared deeply about Schwi. If she got hurt or even felt wronged, he couldn't bear it. Schwi's journey to become the full connection command unit was only slightly less difficult than Riku's quest to defeat the God of War.

"Schwi, huh? Got it," Zhuralis paused, understanding, and nodded silently.

Without further delay, Riku activated Spatial Shift and vanished.

"Riku…"

Atop the mountain peak, Schwi stood gazing into the distance. Her cute clothes were covered in black soot, but she didn't bother to shake it off. Instead, she murmured to herself.

"If it's for your sake, these memories, this wish, I'm willing to share them with every unit."

After a while, the confusion faded from Schwi's eyes, replaced by firm resolve.

"I already told you, no doing anything reckless."

A voice, full of affection and gentle helplessness, sounded out, making Schwi startle and look up. In front of her, soaring through the air, was the enormous white dragon, Zhuralis. And standing on Zhuralis's head was the one she loved most.

"Riku, you're here." Schwi flew over and hugged Riku tightly, her voice trembling. "Schwi… failed."

"It's okay." Riku gently patted her head, speaking softly. "As long as we're together, that's all the strength we need."

"But…" Schwi clung to him, guilt written all over her face. "It's because I was too selfish… I didn't want to share everything about myself with all the other units."

"Schwi, that's proof that you truly have a 'heart.'" Riku said seriously. "Now, let's solve this together."

"Mm." Hearing this, Schwi let go and looked up at Riku for several seconds before slowly breaking into a smile and nodding firmly.

"Schwi, here's a gift for you. Take it." Riku patted her head, then took out the item he'd drawn from the platinum chest in the Dwarf lands—the Source of Machinery.

"This is…?" Streams of data flashed through Schwi's eyes as she stared, stunned.

"This is the Source of Machinery, a precious item that will let you evolve. It can also allow other Ex-Machina to have 'hearts' of their own," Riku explained briefly.

"Thank you, Riku." Schwi hugged the white energy source, murmuring softly.

"There's no need to say thank you between us." Riku smiled gently. "Hurry up and absorb it. The final battle is about to begin. I'll need your strength for what's coming."

Hearing this, Schwi nodded seriously. Two cables extended from her back and pierced into the glowing orb.

Instantly, the air around her began to stir. Schwi was engulfed in the sphere of light.

Riku waited silently.

He waited for a week.

After a week, the sphere of light faded, and Schwi appeared before Riku. Her previous clothes had been destroyed, leaving her naked and revealing her beautiful body.

But Riku didn't pay attention to that. Instead, he focused on her expression: now, she looked no different from an ordinary girl. The data-filled look in her eyes was gone, replaced by a lively spirit and subtle shifts of emotion.

Other than her signature headpiece and the cables at her back, all the external machine parts had vanished, making her almost indistinguishable from a normal girl, though far more beautiful.

"Schwi, how do you feel?" Riku asked with concern, taking out a set of clothes from storage and handing them to her.

"It feels wonderful. My functions have improved greatly, and fighting Dragonia will be no problem. I can also transmit my 'heart' as data, so other Ex-Machina can have 'hearts' too," Schwi said with a bright smile, hugging Riku tightly and almost obsessively.

"That's all that matters." Riku breathed a sigh of relief. Even though the system had assured him nothing would go wrong, when it came to Schwi, he couldn't help but worry.

"Oh, Riku. I've already created the perfect 'hole.' If you want tightness, softness, or mmph!"

Schwi suddenly looked up, face turning crimson with shyness and anticipation.

But before she could finish, Riku quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

Even so, Zhuralis still heard and shook her head with a wry smile.

"Ahem… Schwi, how confident are you in becoming the full connection command unit now?"

Ignoring Schwi's aggrieved look, Riku hurriedly changed the subject.

"If you count my feelings for you, I'm one hundred percent sure," Schwi said, looking up at him with unwavering determination.

"That's good." Hearing this, Riku let out a breath. He'd always believed Schwi could do it; he'd only asked to distract her.

"But before that, I want to tell you something," Schwi said, suddenly nervous.

"What is it?" Riku's expression tensed for a second, then relaxed as he answered.

"The truth is… Riku, it was I who destroyed your hometown." Schwi lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes, her voice full of anxiety.

Even though she knew telling the truth might make Riku hate her or even leave her, deep down, she knew she couldn't keep hiding it.

Now that she had a true 'heart', overwhelming guilt and remorse compelled her to come clean, even if it meant Riku would hate her.

"I've known for a long time." Riku replied, gently stroking Schwi's head.

"I made our contract knowing that. Past, present, or future, our bond has always been unbreakable, nothing can separate us."

During the Ex-Machina's battle with Aranleif the Ultimate, Aranleif used his last strength to unleash his ultimate attack, Incinerating Roar. The Ex-Machina couldn't take that hit directly if they tried; they'd suffer huge losses. Schwi, acting as the analysis unit, managed to divert most of the attack away, sacrificing only a few Ex-Machina units. But in the process, the blast hit Riku's village, killing nearly everyone only Riku survived, watching the devastation with cold eyes.

Later, Schwi noticed Riku's existence, giving rise to her desire to seek a 'heart,' which ultimately led to her being abandoned.

"Riku…!" Schwi stared at him in disbelief. She never imagined Riku had always known and that, knowing the truth, he not only hadn't killed her, but stayed by her side all this time.

"All right, this isn't the time for that. We'll talk later, once we're home. Right now, there's important work to do." Riku patted her head gently, stopping her from getting lost in her thoughts.

Schwi's eyes grew moist, her chest filling with a strange, new feeling. She nodded vigorously.

"Riku, leave it to me!" With that, Schwi spoke with utter conviction, her eyes shining with passionate emotion.

"Connection initiated. Connection successful. Beginning data transmission." Instantly, geometric rings of light appeared at the sides of Schwi's head, and a series of voices echoed across the sky.