Chapter 14 - Too much information.

  alwaysunqualified

  A loud snap reverberated through the room when my shin fractured, the bone protruding through the skin. I colpsed, unable to remain upright. Angelica rushed to my side, offering support as she helped me lean back against her before focusing her energy. Her healing powers began to work immediately, mending the bone in my leg.

  “You need to already be lifting your leg sweetie,” Miki instructed, as she seductively licked her lips, her gaze fixed on my broken and bleeding leg. “Not that I mind the show.”

  [Name: Miki Ekker Level: 191 Affection: 381True Oni - Enjoys blood, sex and drinking. All three at once is preferred.]

  I was in the midst of training hand-to-hand combat in the cleared storage room with Sakura. She was smaller, faster, and stronger than me, which meant that, unlike on Earth, my physique provided only disadvantages here. To prevent her from easily overpowering me, I had to keep my limbs close; if she managed to catch one, she'd easily break it as one would snap a twig. I was required to deflect any blows I couldn't dodge for the same reason.

  The fighting technique I was being forced to adopt is usually reserved for those who made it a habit to battling opponents of higher tiers, yet it had become my standard approach. Sakura’s usual fighting style utilized her "Almighty Attract" ability to enhance her movements, significantly increasing her speed and the force of her strikes. Coupled with her "Armor Blessing," she could deliver punches and kicks that far exceeded the expectations for her tier.

  This unique combination is precisely why I could afford to train in such a manner; should a strike of hers prove potentially lethal, her Blessing would automatically adjust its intensity to render it non-lethal.

  I've also been learning an aggressive style that feels more natural, utilizing my reach and physical abilities to gain advantages in a fight. However, most of my cards ck a physical boost. It was markedly different to fight with such an advantage, pushing the offensive, than constantly being on edge, knowing a single error could end the fight.

  Eventually, my leg injury healed, and I was ready to reengage, assuming my stance. My arms were held close to my body, with my legs and torso slightly bent, reminiscent of a boxer adopting a low stance.

  As Sakura advanced, I executed a deceptive low kick, tempting her into a counter. She stomped down, attempting to crush it, but I swiftly altered my move to a sweep, targeting her knee and causing her to stumble. Gracefully, she flowed with the motion, her hand touching the ground as she transitioned into an overhead roundhouse kick aimed at my head. To avoid it, I had to adjust my footing in a stutter step, but her other foot found its mark. Using her hands to propel herself from the ground, she drove into my chest with a force that fractured my ribs. The impact hurled me backwards, and I collided with a protective barrier set up by Angelica to prevent, primarily me, from damaging the walls.

  "You should've unched yourself back, sweetie; you'd still have been hit, but the force would've been much less," Miki advised as she rose from where she had been lounging. "With that said, it's almost time for the party, now I wonder what future snacks you will pick up tonight."

  "Here, brother," Angelica said, approaching me with my pants and shoes. This time, she allowed her ranged healing ability to mend my broken ribs. Typically, my attire consists of pants, shoes, and a t-shirt, which seems to attract strange gnces from the women in the city. Everyone here may be a naturist, but I still feel more comfortable when clothed.

  I swiftly took them from her before she could begin assisting me out of my torn clothes and hurried to the bathroom, where my mother had already prepared a bath for me. The idea of her smelling my sweat-soaked and blood-stained clothes, is something I didn’t need stuck in my head all day.

  I quickly washed up and got ready for the party, joining the rest of my family downstairs. I would help welcome the guests with Sakura and Amelia.

  We were celebrating Sakura and Angelica's achievements. Officially, the party was in honor of Sakura reaching adulthood and Angelica graduating at the top of her css. The underlying motive, however, was to gather everyone with high Affection towards me in one pce, hoping to acquire some valuable cards in the process.

  I got my Observe stat to level 5, it now offers basic insights into the preferences of various girls. Although it often returned no information for girls beyond tier 1, it proved useful occasionally. I noticed a higher success rate in obtaining information from those with whom I shared a significant level of Affection. The skill also appeared to have a one-day cooldown for gathering data, with previously acquired information neatly stored in a specific section accessible through inspecting their names in my system menu.

  "Nice of you to come, Izzy, Liz," Amelia warmly greeted as Izzy and her mother arrived. Liz bore a strong resembnce to Izzy but was dressed in only a pair of loose-fitting jeans. Without prior knowledge of their retionship, one might mistakenly assume Liz to be a year or two younger than Izzy.

  [Name: Izzy Fiststopper Level: 31 Affection: 199Is on cloud nine, since she became an adult before Sakura.]

  "Hey, Amelia. Hey, Sakura, nice to see you've finally become an adult," Izzy said with a taunting tone, causing Sakura's eyebrow to twitch, which only made her smile grow wider. "Thanks for the invite. I was starting to think you were avoiding me, especially after you missed my party."

  Sakura's expression then suddenly softened into a smile as she embraced me. "I've been praying all week, hoping to receive a Blessing today."

  "Um, yeah?" Izzy appeared puzzled by her words. "Hey, little guy... Man, you've really been growing up fast tely."

  I responded with a smile, "Now, what was I talking about? Oh, right, my pa-" Her sentence was abruptly cut off as her mother gently but firmly grabbed the back of her neck, lifting her like one would a puppy.

  "You're not going to spend the entire time here squabbling with Sakura. Let's go inside," she said, dragging her into the house amid Sakura's ughter.

  [Name: Liz Fiststopper Level: ??? Affection: 99Her erogenous zone is her armpits.]

  As I read through the information, my eyebrow involuntarily twitched. Two patterns emerged that caught my attention: for reasons unknown, married women tended to provide observations of a sexual nature, and their affection levels consistently pteaued at 99. Additionally, those within tier 1 sometimes shared simir insights, with the chances being roughly fifty-fifty.

  On a reted note, I stumbled upon several interests listed that were quite disturbing.

  [Name: Ruza Zone Level: ??? Affection: 111Loves being completely enveloped and totally immobilized without any possibility of movement or release.]

  [Name: Aqiss leaf Level: ??? Affection: 142Likes the feeling of living beings crawling inside of her.]

  [Name: Aqiss leaf Level: ??? Affection: 171Likes it when her loved ones eat parts of her body, preferably from the source.]

  The st encounter led me to a shocking revetion about this world: cannibalism is considered normal in certain regions, justified by the fact that any consumed parts will eventually regrow. This practice is especially prevalent among races such as Oni and Ogres. I mentally designated these areas as "pces I shall never visit." Furthermore, this knowledge has permanently altered my perception of the twins' razor-sharp fangs; I can no longer see them as merely cute.

  Following this discovery, I took a break from using the Observe skill. However, on a brighter note, reaching level 5 with Observe unlocked a new skill for me. It seems that reaching level 5 in any skill grants a new ability, making my next goal clear.

  [Show hidden secrets - Show hidden secrets once a year.]

  Reaching level 15 unlocked a new feature for me: a minimap that dispys the locations of anyone whose card I possess. This map can also be enhanced using Love Points, a recurring theme I've noticed with the upgrades accompanying my level-ups. However, further enhancements were locked until reaching tier 1.

  My train of thought was interrupted by the sound of clicking heels as Selen approached the door. She was dressed in a robe with a lower neckline than before and had a razor-sharp whip coiled around her waist. Accompanying her was a dy cloaked in a thick hood that completely obscured her face, the material becoming more transparent as it went down.

  "Happy adulthood, Sister Sakura," she greeted, before making her way towards me and pcing her hand gently on my chest. A sharp pain shot through me, causing an involuntary flinch back. "Still the little sinner, I see."

  [Name: Sister Selen Level: 44 Affection: 248Enjoys the many faces of pain.]

  Before Selen could extend her hand to reestablish contact, she was interrupted by Cire approaching us alongside one of her mothers, Mari. Mari's beastmen bloodline was evident in her appearance, characterized by a pair of small cat ears and hands and feet that bore a slight resembnce to paws.

  “I would stop that, before you lose your hand,” Cire warned her. Selen gnced down, seemingly only now noticing Yuno, who was watching her with an impassive expression. After giving my chest one final, light pat—eliciting another wince of pain from me—Selen remarked, "His little pet seems to know her pce."

  "Well, don't say I didn't warn you," Cire retorted with a shrug, then approached to offer her congratutions. "Hey, Sakura, congrats."

  Selen entered the house without further acknowledgment of Cire, making herself comfortable as if she belonged there. Her silent escort followed. Cire, too, quickly moved inside, allowing us to welcome the remaining guests. The event gathered slightly over eighty girls and their escorts, which left the house feeling cramped but also presented me with an excellent opportunity to gather cards.

  After ushering in the st guest, we moved away from the doorway, with Amelia heading off to fetch the twins. Sakura remained, her gaze fixed on me expectantly.

  Surveying the room and then turning back to Sakura, I mentally prepared myself. ‘Well everyone is here, so here goes nothing. Start a date, use all remaining Date Points.’

  "Ohhhh, let's start the gacha!" The voice’s volume was overwhelming, a stark contrast to its earlier quiet.

  'Gacha? I think I've heard of that before... Isn't it some kind of mobile game?' I pondered the unfamiliar term that had surfaced, trying to shake off the surprise and clear my head. My eyes briefly scanned the word dispyed in the notification window.

  [Gocha - Spend luck, pull waifu.]

  "I don't even know why I bother," I muttered under my breath as the dating wheel materialized in front of me.

  "Come home, waifus!" The voice couldn't contain its excitement, cheering as the wheel began to spin.

  ‘Not you to!’ I couldn’t help but sigh, wondering what was up with the massive change. ‘Well I guess the goddess did make it.’

  "It's 'her'," the voice corrected me softly.

  'Ha,' I mentally retorted, somewhat taken aback. The voice did have a feminine quality, yet it's not often one associates gender with disembodied voices or menus.

  "I am a 'her'," she asserted once more.

  'Well, Miss 'Her', could you possibly refrain from speaking like this?' I ventured, hoping to avoid any additional headaches.

  "No," she replied succinctly.

  ‘Why not?’ I inquired, curious about her insistence.

  …

  ‘Not answering now?’ I prodded again, seeking a response.

  As the wheel began to emit a blue glow, its spinning captured my attention once more.

  "Lucky, lucky. A rare!" The voice returned, brimming with excitement

  "Are we rating them now?" I persisted with my inquiries.

  "Double!" Her excitement escated even further.

  ‘Yep she is ignoring me, wonder where she picked that one up from,’ I thought, injecting as much sarcasm as possible into my mental retort.

  The wheel introduced a second pointer, spinning in the opposite direction, and it eventually halted on two names.

  “Goth girl getto!” She excimed with enthusiasm.

  “Sporty girl getto!” She echoed with equal fervor.

  [Contrast combo + ???]

  I allowed a moment for her excitement to settle before pressing on. “Done? So since you're in a talkative mood today, want to tell me what that all meant?”

  "No," she responded curtly, once more.

  ‘Right, expectations are bad,’ I mentally conceded, on the verge of giving up, when she unexpectedly offered advice. “Maybe you should get your Social up.”

  "Would that actually help?" I asked, taken aback by her suggestion.

  "Yes," she affirmed, her voice fading away.

  'Oh,' I was left speechless by her unexpected guidance.

  [Family sanctioned date.][Date targets: Izzy and Lamya]

  Lamya is a reserved girl employed at the library. Merely greeting her during each visit was enough to increase her Affection towards me. On one occasion, after returning to retrieve a stick I had been absentmindedly fiddling with, I found her affectionately rubbing her face against the books I had been reading. Beyond this peculiar habit, she is genuinely kind-hearted. However, despite her niceness, I would never leave her unsupervised with my younger brother.

  [Name: Lamya Night Level: 54 Affection: 299Loves little boys.]

  She appeared out of pce, standing alone to the side, occasionally stealing gnces my way with an expression that mingled happiness and disappointment.

  Their Affection levels were both over 100, so there was no further action required on my part.

  When time resumed, Sakura was overjoyed to learn that Izzy was one of the targets. She enthusiastically dragged me throughout the party, boasting about my achievements to all the girls. This culminated in me overwhelmingly defeating anyone who dared challenge me in magic chess. It turned out to be a surprisingly rexing day.

  [Date end]

  [Treat unlocked - Tomboy]

  [Cards]

  Izzy's card depicted her wearing a low-cut white shirt paired with skinny jeans. Her silver hair was cut short, framing her steel-colored eyes, which looked sharp yet softened by her smile.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]

  [Name: Izzy FiststopperLevel: 31Affection: 199Trait: TomboyGoddess: Goddess of the Material.Primary Blessing: Goddess Body tier 2Lesser Blessings: The Way Of The Fist tier 2, Soft Hands tier 1, Pain to Pleasure tier 2, Backdoor tier 1, Strategic Thinking tier 1]

  [Goddess Body - Gives your body the properties of the Goddess of the Material.]

  [The Way Of The Fist - Master of fist fighting.]

  [Soft Hands - Your hands will always remain soft.]

  [Pain to Pleasure - All pain becomes pleasure.]

  [Backdoor - You are a master at using the backdoor.]

  [Strategic Thinking - Able to pin multiple moves ahead.]

  In her card, she is depicted reading, cd in a thick sweater. Her pale skin contrasts with her dark bck hair, which is tied into side tails. She was often regarded as peculiar for dressing so conservatively, but it was a trait I quite liked.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]

  [Name: Lamya NightLevel: 54Affection: 320Trait: Goddess: Goddess of Imbance.Primary Blessing: Curse tier 2Lesser Blessings: Share Knowledge (book) tier 4, lessen presence tier 2, Gloomy tier 2, Child Care tier 1, Take in Pain tier 1]

  [Curse - Apply curses to target.]

  [Share Knowledge (book) - Share knowledge with others.]

  [lessen presence - Fade presence.]

  [Gloomy - Bring energy level down.]

  [Child Care - Get skills and knowledge for taking care of children.]

  [Take in Pain - Take in pain of those around you.]

  The remainder of the year passed retively uneventfully, culminating in the New Year's celebrations. I found myself enjoying the festival as the New Year arrived and with it, my end-of-year reset.

  While reviewing my skills, I was intrigued by one in particur: Show Hidden Secrets. My gaze then drifted to Alice, who was peeking at me from atop Miki's head. I was tempted to use the skill on her but hesitated, struck by a sudden thought.

  ‘Wait, if the Social stat affects my system, can't I use this on the system too?’ While curious about the voice, I opted to choose a different target. ’So what's the most important part of the system?’

  Although cards are my primary means of fighting, everything fundamentally revolves around Affection. With that in mind, I navigated to Yuno's card page and deployed my skill on Affection.

  [Affection is the representation of the connection between your sparks. At 100 a connection is established. At 500 a connection is finalized. At 1000 their spark will resonate with yours. Past 1000 they release their spark to you, becoming a part of your power. Once this occurs, their existence is tied to yours; they can perish only if you do.]

  [Affection moving closer to zero, is the visible representation of the bond closing. The connection cannot diminish beyond the st tier. A connection that surpasses the +- 1000 threshold can only strengthen over time.]

  [Making people like you is an effective way to make them let their guard down, allowing the connection to grow. However, this is not the sole method; any intense emotion directed towards you, such as pain or fear, may also strengthen the connection, albeit less effectively.]

  ‘Goddess of love my ass, I was better off not knowing.’ I grumble, piecing together the unsettling truths.

  In this world, a wedding is termed a 'connection ceremony,' which aligns with my suspicion that a date essentially acts as a preliminary step to such a ritual. This theory expins why I can only obtain cards post-date and why Affection halts at 300 without a card.

  ‘Well the waifu thing makes a whole lot more sense now,’ I mented. ‘Now the question is can I really just quit. Even if I tried, dates would still trigger and its not like I would ever stupe to torture to get someones card. I also don't want to put my family in danger by doing something stupid.’

  "Does Yuno's fate hinge on mine?" I pondered, looking over at my enigmatic twin, who offered a reassuring smile amidst the temporal standstill. Observing my family's joyous expressions, I sent a silent prayer for guidance to God. Resolving to embrace the situation, I decided to make the most of it and enjoy the festival with my family.

  “So cheap, so cheap,” I compined. “Welp, Liev will just have to get beat up a little, maybe I should also, oh good morning system-chan. Did daddy wake you up?”

  “Yes mama,” she replied in a cute voice.

  “What a mean daddy he can be, did you at least have fun pying.“ I gave her my award winning motherly smile.

  “Yes I got a really good spin.” She answered honestly, what a good kid we made together. She is just perfect for an innocent daughter, naughty mother sandwich.

  “That is great, oh since you are up, we should continue where we left off. There is still so much you have to know about the joys of gacha! Now make sure to stay away from husbando. Daddy has a lot of fws, he is not perfect like mama.” Truly, it was an immense challenge to alter the world's demographics with constant scrutiny from the others. If only he could appreciate the beauty in yaoi.

  “Yes mama,” she obediently replied.

  “That's our little girl,” I spent some quality time with our first daughter.

  [Training field 2 - 2% cost.][Training field 2 option expansion. Can now increase the training dummy amount up to five.][Library Unlocked - 50k - Store all knowledge from all the girls who can enter Love Land.]

  [Debt repayment - 735,123][New Debt - 331,096]

  [All your skills have been reset.][Happy new year! You were gifted - 15,056 Love points - from all your loved ones.]

  [Liev Ekker - Level 17 Goddess points: 6,265Love points: 15,176Debt 331,096Stat points: 0

  Luck: 11 Charm: 5 Social: 2 Observe: 5

  Skills - Date a lottery 10/10, A date to remember [o], Show hidden secrets [x], Charm her pants off [o]

  Achievements - 23Achievements_Alice - 1

  Cards: 1_Yuno - 1887, 2_Sakura - 500, 3_Angelica - 500, 4_Alice 500, 5_Cire - 229, 6_Selen - 251, 7_Miki - 392, 8_Amelia - 400, 9_Anna - 227 10_Emma - 227 11_Sk?gul - 500, 12_Ellie - 128, 13_Lucy - 113, 14_Grace - 1000, 15_Shadow_13 - 113, 16_Izzy - 201 17_Lamya - 360]