"Ouch, ouch... Did I forget to check my horoscope today before going about my activities? Oh right, I don't believe in such things."
Naoki lay sprawled on the ground, his breath still gasping. He grumbled about how unlucky he was to be thrown into Mato just because of bad luck.
"Whatever. It's useless to lament misfortune. Now, survival is the priority."
While enduring the pain in his shoulder, Naoki forced himself to sit up. Once seated, his vigilant eyes immediately swept the surrounding environment.
He was inside a vast, rocky cave. Its walls were made of rough grayish-brown stone, covered with strange moss that emitted a faint greenish glow, adding to the surreal atmosphere of the place.
The main light source was the round hole far above, where he had fallen earlier, which emitted the dull copper light from Mato's sky. The hole was like a sky lantern hanging overhead.
However, the most striking thing wasn't the cave or its light. Right in the center of the cave, rising majestically from the ground, stood a tree.
The tree grew from large roots that looked like coiled stone dragons, and it was one of these large roots that had slowed his fall earlier. Naoki realized he was currently sitting atop a network of giant roots protruding from the ground like the earth's veins.
"Wait a minute... How could there be a tree in Mato, which is barren without plants and animals, unless..."
A wild guess crossed his mind, making his heart pound hard for a different reason. Naoki looked up, his glowing red eyes narrowing to observe the tree's structure more carefully.
The tree towered over ten meters high, its trunk sturdy and textured. What made it amazing was its foliage—lush and healthy green, gleaming even in the cave's dim light, a striking contrast to everything in Mato. And among the dense green leaves hung several round fruits, pale golden-pink in color that emitted a gentle aura.
"T-This..." Naoki's breath caught in his throat. "Peaches!!!"
Yes. There was no mistaking it!
The shape, color, and aura of strangeness were exactly as depicted in textbooks and documentaries. The mystical fruit that was the source of super powers for women, the fruit that changed the global power map.
Naoki sat silent for a moment, processing this incredible discovery.
It should be noted that Peaches were an extremely rare commodity. They only grew naturally on trees scattered throughout the Mato dimension and couldn't be cultivated.
Because Gates to Mato only appeared in Japanese territory—a unique phenomenon still being studied—the Japanese government held de facto monopoly control over Peach resources in the world.
Japan distributed Peaches to other countries not as aid, but as a highly valuable political and economic tool. Major countries like America and the European Union had to pay fantastic prices or provide special diplomatic concessions just to get Peach allocations for their female soldiers.
Although distributed globally, Japan of course kept the best and largest stock for their own Anti-Demon Corps. This was the fundamental reason why Japan, in this world, shot up to become a respected new superpower, far surpassing its status in Naoki's previous life's world.
Outside Japan, women who successfully ate Peaches and gained abilities were often immediately elevated to elite military forces or high-level national security guards due to their scarcity and invaluable worth.
"Every year, Japan only releases 500 peaches for the entire world, where America and the European Union compete for the largest quota, while small countries only get 1-2 fruits."
Naoki recalled information he had once read on internet forums.
Then, his eyes returned to look at the tree before him, counting carefully.
"And here there are eight ripe Peaches waiting to be picked."
Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught something gleaming near his feet, wedged between the roots. A fallen fruit, probably from his earlier impact.
"No, the total is nine fruits."
"That's equivalent to the quota of 4 to 8 small countries for a full year. If I could bring these out, if I could sell them even on the black market, I could get rich overnight, achieve the financial freedom that many people can only dream of."
However, that bubble of imagination burst instantly when faced with the cold wall of reality.
"The condition for all that only applies if I successfully escape from this cave, then safely leave Mato and return to the real world."
Naoki looked up, staring at the hole in the cave ceiling far above. He estimated the distance at about twenty meters. With his battered body condition and no climbing equipment, it was impossible for him to climb out with his own strength.
"Even if I'm lucky enough to be found and rescued by the Anti-Demon Corps, these Peaches will definitely be confiscated immediately. I won't get anything except an apathetic thank you."
Naoki clenched his fist on the damp ground.
Considering the social status of men in this world who were only considered second-class citizens, he was very sure the Anti-Demon Corps wouldn't bother giving compensation or reimbursement to a teenage boy for finding Peaches that legally should belong to the state.
Instead, he would be expected to be grateful that his life was saved by them. There might be a small note, or perhaps nothing at all. Those fruits would enter their inventory, and Naoki's story would sink.
(I'm a Reincarnator! There must be something special about me! I can't be like other men in this world!)
That thought echoed strongly in his head, igniting a fire of rebellion. Naoki stared at the Peach beside him with a burning gaze, a gaze hungry for power. He refused to believe in the world's destiny that said men couldn't have power.
Up until this moment, he didn't believe that there weren't men out there who had secretly tried to consume Peaches.
His logic was simple: for those who had abundant wealth and absolute power before the Mato dimension appeared, money was just a number. How could male conglomerates or leaders who were already accustomed to being at the top of life's hierarchy suddenly willingly have their roles displaced by women without resistance?
Indeed, Peaches were very rare and tightly guarded. But that didn't mean they were impossible to find on the black market for those who had resources and connections. The price would certainly be many times the official price, but for billionaires or criminal rulers, money wasn't a problem.
Every man who successfully obtained a Peach through various secret methods must have had the same mindset as what Naoki felt now: "What if I'm the exception? What if I'm more special than other men?"
History has never lacked ambitious men who took crazy risks to transcend their destiny. Rebels, explorers, mad scientists—they all pushed boundaries.
Naoki was no exception. The ambition that had been buried by frustration and acceptance was now ignited by the presence of the Peach before his eyes and by his desperation.