"You're right, Gaia. But... I won't change my wish. Time is the greatest enemy of all living beings. As one ages, human strength inevitably weakens. Just look at the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen. No matter how strong someone is in their youth, their power will inevitably diminish with age."
Charlie's determination to seek immortality remained unshaken even after Gaia explained the downsides of eternal life.
"Time brings change. Lands shift, populations rise and fall, wealth comes and goes, resources deplete, and even love and peace pass quickly. No matter how great a hero is, there will come a time when they die. No matter how perfect a system of governance is, it will eventually crumble. This cycle repeats endlessly—that is the law of the world."
"But only immortality can transcend that law and change everything! In this world, few things offer rewards without risks. So, I am willing to bear all the risks of eternal life."
"..."
After Charlie finished his impassioned speech, the nine Saviors looked at him with mixed thoughts.
Some were amazed, some hated him, some were envious, some appreciated him, and so on. However, there was one commonality: they all respected his strength!
"Something feels off. If you desire immortality so much, why do you want the mermaid flesh that Shishido Jinbei ate? You know, eating mermaid flesh will grant you immortality, eternal youth, and longevity. But the immortality from mermaid flesh is very weak. If your head is cut off, you'll die. Strong poison can also kill you. Its regenerative abilities are also very weak, only slightly better than an ordinary person's."
"There are many better types of immortality you could choose. For example, Meliodas's Curse of Immortality, the Divine Curse of Immortality, the Fountain of Youth, Revenant, Hourai Elixir, the Fusang Tree Fruit, True Ancestor Immortality, the Life Storage System, and many more. Honestly, the immortality from mermaid flesh doesn't deserve to be called immortality; it's more fitting to call it Pseudo-Immortality."
Charlie's desire for immortality was genuine. Precisely because of this, Gaia was confused as to why he chose the weakest form of immortality among all the options.
After hearing this, not only Gaia but even the seemingly indifferent Alaya and the other Saviors were curious about Charlie's reasoning.
"Well, didn't you say that eternal life isn't as beautiful as one imagines? That's why I chose the weakest form of immortality. So, if one day I grow tired and weary of living, I can easily choose to end my long life. I won't have to suffer trying to find a way to die because of the immortality ingrained in me." Charlie said with a shrug, then added cheerfully:
"Even if the world collapses, I will live on alone. I will always be spirited. Sorry, Gaia. I will live. I will live long until I feel pity for humanity."
"..."
"You've thought that far ahead... As expected of the best Savior, your way of thinking is different from ordinary people. If others desired immortality, I'm sure they would choose the strongest form that makes them truly unkillable forever."
After saying this, Gaia used her nearly omnipotent power to manifest the mermaid flesh that Shishido Jinbei had once eaten.
*SHUA!*
In the next moment, a plate of sushi appeared floating in front of Charlie.
"Sushi?"
"That's a special service from me. You wouldn't want to eat mermaid flesh in its original form, would you? Sushi is more pleasing to the eye. Don't worry, its effects remain unchanged." Gaia teased, amused by Charlie's bewildered expression.
"Thank you for your consideration."
Imagining having to cut flesh from a mermaid and eat it, Charlie felt like a cannibal, even though mermaids aren't a human species.
Then, under the mixed gazes of the other Saviors, Charlie picked up the sushi on the plate and placed it in his mouth.
As his teeth bit into it, the texture of the flesh was strange—soft, yet with a slight chewiness like jellyfish. The first taste that hit his tongue wasn't just salty but also bitter and cold, as if he were biting into ice that slowly melted in his mouth.
"Gulp..."
There was no pain, no sensation—it was as if nothing had happened.
But Charlie could feel the sensation of being freed from the shackles of death.
Humans are destined to face life and death.
Life may be unfair, but death treats everyone equally.
For the fortunate, a life of seventy or eighty years passes in the blink of an eye.
At most, one might experience seven or eight decades before reaching the end.
For the less fortunate, life might end at birth.
Disease, disaster, accidents, war...
Countless threats constantly lurk to snatch away one's life.
Humans instinctively fear death.
Even Kibutsuji Muzan, the progenitor of Demons who has lived for over a thousand years, is obsessed with living even longer.
Immortality is an ideal cherished by many.
Initially, Charlie wasn't interested. However, his affection for Aishia changed his mind. Compared to the short lifespan of humans, Spirits are a long-lived race. Wanting to be with Aishia for longer, he desired longevity and eternal youth.
Now, he had achieved it. Charlie could only die if killed, not from running out of lifespan.
"Next, Frank. State your wish."
No longer paying attention to Charlie, who was savoring his freedom from the shackles of death, Gaia turned her attention to Frank.
"My wish is Merlin's Clairvoyance, which sees the present."
Frank lives in the world of Darwin's Game, where he must compete in Darwin's Game, which largely involves killing each other. With Merlin's Clairvoyance, all enemy positions would be in the palm of his hand. Thus, he could maneuver more freely.
Wars are won not just with weapons but with intelligence and information. That was Frank's belief.
"I thought you'd also ask for immortality like Charlie."
"Maybe next time."
"Done. Now you can use Merlin's Clairvoyance. You'll feel it after leaving the Void Sanctuary."
"Understood."
Frank tried using the Clairvoyance but failed. Upon reflection, it made sense. After all, there is no concept of time in the Void Sanctuary, so his Clairvoyance couldn't observe the present here.
"Lastly, Oscar, state your wish." Gaia asked Oscar.
"Sacred Gear: Twilight Healing." Oscar replied succinctly.
Twilight Healing has the ability to heal humans, angels, and other supernatural beings like devils and fallen angels. Oscar wasn't lacking in combat methods; his template, Qin Shi Huang, possessed martial arts that could even defeat gods like Hades.
What he currently needed was healing ability. In previous quests, he had been injured multiple times and could only rely on natural healing and medical treatment.
"Good choice. Alright, I've implanted the Sacred Gear: Twilight Healing into your body."
To verify Gaia's words, Oscar immediately tried it. A green light enveloped his palm, indicating the activation of Twilight Healing.
"As for the rest of you, there are two options. First, you can receive random items and ability. Second, the seals locking your template abilities will be randomly unlocked. Think carefully before choosing."
Gaia offered the options to the eight Saviors who had been waiting impatiently. Their performance hadn't been as good as Charlie, Oscar, and Frank. However, their efforts couldn't be denied and deserved to be rewarded.
If they were forced to risk their lives without gaining anything, they would surely lose motivation.
After five minutes had passed, they had made their decisions.
Farah chose the first option. After all, her template was Tsukuyomi Tsukasa, who had no supernatural powers other than immortality after consuming the Hourai Elixir.
Kazuya chose the second option. He felt the need to unlock the seals on his template, Tsukiguni Yoriichi's abilities, rather than adding random abilities and items that might be useless.
Miguel also wanted to unlock the seals on his template, Cid Kagenou, aka Shadow. So, he chose the second option without hesitation.
With the template of Hoshino Ai, Claire chose the first option, hoping to gain something that could enhance her combat strength.
Wang Jian with Satoru's Gojo template, chose the second option. He needed the power to protect himself in the dangerous Naruto World. Moreover, the darkness in Konoha is the most severe compared to the other four villages. Thanks to Danzo's efforts, many talents died early.
Thomas, with the template of Kirito, and Elena, with the template of Maria Mikhailovna Kujou—both templates were ordinary humans. They both chose the first option.
"Everyone has received their rewards for your hard work. Until we meet again. Bye bye~"
Waving her hand, Gaia sent the ten Saviors back to their respective Planar Worlds.
The Void Sanctuary returned to its tranquility.