Chapter 15 - Stepping outside the city walls.

  We had just left the middle city walls behind us. Accompanying me were Miki, my older sisters, along with Yuno, Alice, Ellie, and Lucy. We were nestled inside a self-driving carriage, a deliberate choice to avoid the outside scrutiny. Resting my head in my hand, I watched the urban ndscape slide by, lost in thought.

  Today marked the biannual culling of monsters beyond the city's borders. Every 25 days, the military would embark on a mission to clear the monsters from the surrounding few miles, creating a safe zone for new adventurers. Veterans could venture further, and though Miki qualified, we had no pns to delve deeper.

  Navigating through the male side of town was an intriguing experience. Gazing out the window, I realized I hadn't seen such a rge gathering of men since my arrival. My system's impact on my future pcement within the city sectors was unclear. As an adult, I most likely will still be required to participate in a connection ceremony, which typically involves a sister bestowing a blessing with the core at the center of a circle, surrounded by those joining on the outside.

  The prospect of this ceremony was slowly turning into a real concern. However, the thought of living among a group of guys presented a unique opportunity to forge friendships without the worry of a date starting. I found myself longing for the simplicity of hanging out with other guys, engaging in the kind of stupid fun I used to enjoy.

  “Date starto!”

  [A date outside the city.] [Targets: Ellie and Lucy]

  ‘Date?’ the announcement jolted me, causing my head to slip from my hand. I hastily navigated through the menus, having nearly forgotten that dates could initiate randomly. I quickly noticed I was missing two Date a lottery points.

  "Yes, this is the perfect time for a date," whispered a quiet yet unmistakable voice in my mind.

  'Wait, are you causing this?' I questioned.

  "Yes," she replied.

  "Um, could you not start dates at random?" I requested, hoping it would spare my Date points from being consumed without warning.

  "No," her replies remained succinct.

  'No, you can't, or no, you won't?' I sought crification.

  "Can't. As long as connections resonate, it will always be possible for one to connect," she eborated, offering a more comprehensive response.

  'Is that why it involves luck? Because it's random which connections are made?' I probed, eager to extract as much information as possible from her.

  …

  'Well, at least she responded this time.' It seemed that just adding one point in Social had significantly improved her ability to communicate.

  "Yes," she confirmed, responding to my internal musings.

  …

  …

  ‘Did I use up all my time?’ The prolonged silence led me to assume yes, prompting me to close all my menus and allow time to flow normally again.

  "They're massive, huh? Kind of hard to tell from the midsection," Ellie remarked as we approached the outer walls. Each segment of the wall was fortified with a massive tower, and the wall itself was three times as tall as the one in the midsection.

  "Yeah, no kidding. They must be as tall as a skyscraper," Sakura added, using a term she had learned from me. It sounded slightly out of pce, not quite fitting the usual linguistic patterns here.

  "Skyscraper?" Lucy inquired, puzzled by the unfamiliar word.

  "It's a building that scrapes the clouds," Sakura expined with a smile, echoing my earlier description to her. While the towers were tall, they fell short of touching the clouds above.

  "Wow, that sounds cool," Ellie expressed, with Sakura enthusiastically concurring. Technically, Ellie had used the phrase 'goddess-blessed,' but I transted it as 'cool' in my head. They conveyed essentially the same sentiment. Positive expressions here often involve references to the goddesses.

  "Maybe we'll discover something like that in an ancient ruin," Ellie mused, already dreaming up pns for our future adventures.

  Ruins are remnants of cities that have succumbed to destruction. The more advanced a city was before its downfall, the stronger the void creature or monster that resides there—but also, the more sophisticated the artifacts to be found.

  Many men attempt their luck before they are adequately strong or prepared, often meeting their demise. It is forbidden to explore ruins before reaching tier 6, but that hardly deters the reckless. I've heard that there was an attempt long ago to enforce a ban through a contract, but the guild would have had to concede too much for it to be deemed equal. Thus, they settled on merely prohibiting such ventures.

  The nearest ruin, as far as I know, lies a few hundred miles away, so a visit doesn't seem likely in the near future. Besides, venturing into a ruin merely in the hopes of impressing someone enough to consider marriage, is not something I’m stupid enough to do.

  “Mom is a lot less worried now that you're here, Miki,” Ellie said, swiftly topping off her gss with more liquor from the bottle she had brought as a gift for Miki. It was evident her mom had been nagging her about it; Ellie had mentioned this at least five times now.

  "Don't mention it, dear. It's my duty to look out for my future daughters," Miki responded with a ugh, deliberately sipping her drink slowly, a departure from her usual gulping approach.

  As we neared the imposing city wall, our carriage slowed to a halt at a gate, prompting all of us to disembark. Surrounding us, several groups performed st-minute checks before venturing beyond the city's protective walls.

  "We'll proceed in standard formation. First, check your weapons, then take your pills," Miki instructed, her demeanor shifting to one of seriousness the moment we crossed the threshold, her pyful smile repced by a focused gaze on the forest ahead.

  In our standard formation, defenders take the front and rear positions, with the more vulnerable, high-attack members sandwiched in the middle. That pces me, Yuno, and Lucy in the center, Angelica covering our rear, and Sakura leading at the front, with Ellie scouting ahead. This formation adapts to different threats, such as burrowing or diving monsters, or when dealing with enemies concealed in the environment. In the forest, the primary concerns are camoufge and aerial attacks.

  I removed my sword, shield, and spear from my back, inspecting each carefully. Regur maintenance is essential for all but the high-tier weapons.

  “So scared Liev?” Ellie teased, her knives making a sharp sound as she honed them.

  A little.I fought a void monster. This is nothing.You're the girl here shouldn't I be asking you that.[Name: Ellie Daybasher Level: 44 Affection: 128She likes strong confident men. ]

  [Name: Lucy Daybasher Level: 40 Affection: 128She likes being taken care of. ]

  Observing is proving to be useful, although deciphering their preferences isn't particurly challenging. This skill will undoubtedly become more valuable as the number of girls increases—a thought I never imagined I'd entertain in any of my life… lives?

  “I fought a void monster. This is nothing,” I said confidently, sharing a smile with both of them.

  [+7 Ellie Affection points][+3 Lucy Affection points]

  “I'll be counting on you then, Liev. Just don't go too manish.” she responded, securing her now-sharpened knives before proceeding to count and inspect her supply of pills in the pouch at her side.

  This conversation took me back to our initial encounter. "By the way, is that guy still bugging you?"

  "Who?" She looked at me, puzzled.

  "The one who was bothering you when we first met," I crified, surprised that it didn't seem as memorable to them. I wondered if such incidents were so frequent for them that they had become commonpce. However, this theory was put on hold when everyone, except for Yuno who continued to sharpen her hatchet, stopped what they were doing and gave me a curious look.

  "What about the guy I knocked out?" I inquired, referencing the other individual from that day.

  "Oh, right, you did knock someone out... Who was that again?" Ellie queried the other girls, but no one could remember who it was.

  "Just some unimportant loser, like the few others who've tried to bother us. Thankfully, we don't attract nearly as much unwanted attention as some of the other girls do," Ellie concluded, with Lucy nodding in agreement.

  Reflecting on their experiences, I found myself pondering, 'Didn't they face constant harassment?' My memory was filled with their compints, particurly from Lucy, who has a penchant for being nude. 'Did the system have some unknown effect on them?'

  "If you're unable to multitask between speaking and inspecting, I'll take the liberty of removing your limbs and eyes to assist you," Miki quipped, her smile taking on a mischievous edge as she finished her drink, deliberately allowing a trickle to cascade down her chin and chest.

  We swiftly concluded our inspections and then took two pills each: one for healing and another for poison resistance. The poison pill granted us standard immunity to common toxins, though it induced a continuous, stinging discomfort. The healing pill, on the other hand, was formuted specifically to address physical injuries, ensuring it didn't negate the effects of the poison pill.

  With our preparations complete, we swiftly arranged ourselves into our designated formation.

  [+2 Ellie Affection points][+2 Lucy Affection points]

  The vicinity of the town transitions from a clear pin extending approximately half a mile in every direction to dense forest. Roads lead west and south, while the northern path lies in ruins.

  We advance into the forest at a walking pace, enveloped in silence, with everyone on high alert. It occurs to me that if an incident were to arise, time might very well freeze, rendering travel during a date significantly safer than under normal circumstances.

  Almost as though my thoughts have been overheard, time does exactly that.

  Kill the monsterswarn teamStay quietI'm keen on securing a kill to gauge the outcome, though I intend for the majority of any benefits to go to my companions. I will my perspective out, quickly spotting an unusual creature resembling a rabbit, distinguished by its white fur, antlers in pce of ears, and a trio of eyes arranged in a triangur formation on its head.

  Previously, in Love Land, I defeated a monster but gained little beyond its hide, which I managed to skin, albeit poorly, earning criticism for my technique.

  Observing the surroundings reveals more monsters, now identifiable as red dots on my minimap. "That's quite handy," I note internally.

  With a strategic outlook, I slot the librarian's card. Based on my understanding of how these curses function, they ought to synergize well with Lucy's Blessing, You're Unlucky.

  "Be cautious, six monsters are approaching from the east," I announced, ensuring my voice reached all my companions.

  A barrier was promptly erected, ready to stop the approaching threat. The initial trio rebounded off this shield, while the fourth assaint managed to inflict a crack upon its surface. The fifth and sixth adversaries breached the barrier, and I directed my focus toward these monsters.

  A curse swiftly afflicted both, leading one to attack its ally, biting fiercely through the neck. The creature's onsught was hindered as blood obscured its vision.

  [+44 exp added to the store.]

  The final blow was delivered by Sakura, who decisively pierced one of the creature's eyes, ensuring its demise.

  [+22 exp added to the store.]

  The remaining monsters attempted another assault but encountered a freshly erected barrier. Angelica strategically allowed the st one to make its move, seemingly unobstructed. It was struck by another curse, yet appeared unaffected.

  Attempting to leap over Sakura, the creature found itself pulled into her shield, promptly followed by a decisive stab through its neck. Sakura waited for the monster to dissipate before she retracted her bde.

  [+14 exp added to the store.]

  "Seems the curse had an effect after all," I muse, casting a gnce toward the window.

  An intense implosion echoed as another monster collided with the barrier. Though the barrier shattered, the explosion also cimed the remaining two attackers. Curiously, I received no experience points from this encounter.

  Accessing the store, I conducted a search for experience points, and a relevant section appeared. I began to read through the descriptions provided on the page.

  [Trade 1 Love Point for one exp point for any girl over 500 Affection. Bonuses from achievements do apply.]

  This could be particurly beneficial for individuals like Lamya, the librarian, who may shy away from combat yet possess valuable abilities. Many of the creatures in this world can’t simply be overpowered—unless, of course, one disregards the colteral damage. However, attempting such brute force would likely incur the wrath of the goddess of life before one could even conclude their action, reinforcing my argument.

  Assigned the task of collecting cores while my companions provided protection, I was astonished to find the cores in pristine condition post-explosion. It led me to ponder whether anyone had considered utilizing these cores for armor, as I had never observed one to be damaged.

  Lamya's card furnished me with an immediate understanding of the myriad reasons why that would be a misguided venture, along with historical accounts of catastrophic attempts. Indeed, using what are essentially power sources as armor seems ill-advised upon reflection. Moreover, Lamya's card proved exceptionally useful, providing instant insights into various queries. Its utility is undeniable, though I wish she would exercise more discretion in her choice of literature.

  Once I finished gathering the cores, we resumed our formation and continued on. Not long afterward, the timer on my card expired. While time constraints haven't posed a significant issue thus far, this serves as a reminder that I should begin practicing combinations of cards to use against the training dummy. I need to prepare for situations where I might face a monster that cannot be defeated with my most powerful cards or if I exhaust my supply. Although I've accumuted some goddess points, I'm inclined to conserve them rather than expend them frivolously.

  Ellie signaled a formidable creature was ahead, and the application of healing magic was our cue to continue as pnned.

  The atmosphere grew eerily quiet, and our presence became less detectable as we approached a colossal, hairless bear distinguished by its dual heads and eyes scattered across its body.

  I activated Sakura's card and positioned myself beside her. Recognizing my intentions as I drew my shield, Sakura mirrored my action, retrieving an additional shield from her back.

  Lacking Sakura's athletic prowess, I rely on the physical boost and knowledge the card provides, though I ck her instinctual combat skills. My long-term strategy involves mastering the bow, but Sakura has yet to master imparting her ability on something as small as an arrowhead.

  Positioning ourselves with shields in hand, reminiscent of frisbees, we prepared to initiate the attack. The act of throwing our shields served as the signal. As my shield nded beneath the beast, all its eyes snapped open, but it was already too te. The simultaneous activation of the Attract ability by the shields positioned above and below sealed its fate. The immense power tore through him, cleaving his skull and separating it into distinct halves. A torrent of crimson erupted forth, painting the boundary barrier, obstructing our view within.

  [+114 exp added to the store.]

  The vanishing of the blood confirmed its demise, and we carefully approached to retrieve its core. After securing it, Miki appeared alongside Alice, who greeted us with enthusiastic waves.

  “It's getting te; let's start heading back,” Miki suggested. Gncing around, the difference in time wasn't apparent to me due to the dense canopy overhead, it seemed as constant as when we first entered.

  “How long has it been?” I inquired.

  “Fourteen hours,” she responded, a duration much longer than I had anticipated.

  “Wow, that really was a long time. We only fought twice,” I remarked, observing the amusement in my companions' reactions to my surprise. “Is this the normal pace?”

  “No, normally you would have run into more than four. They also would have been more prepared. The first group, for example, would have dug themselves underground. Monsters get smarter and stronger the longer they are alive,” Miki expined, her expertise evident.

  “Four? looks like there are still monsters out of our league around.” Sakura noted, her disappointment clear upon realizing Miki had neutralized two sets of threats to prevent us from coming to harm. With that realization, we turned to head back.

  [Luck has triggered allowing you to see an event.]

  Scanning the surroundings, nothing unusual caught my eye.

  “Is something the matter, sweetie?” Miki inquired, her sword already drawn, blending vigince with a casual tone.

  Oddly enough, time remained in motion. “No, let's head back,” I responded, after a thorough check confirmed everything was as it should be.

  With heightened caution, we retraced our steps without encountering further monsters, Miki leading the clearance. Approaching three-quarters of the way back, the situation shifted.

  "Assume a defensive position; trouble is approaching rapidly. Liev, ready the barrier rod," Miki commanded, her tone stripped of any innuendos about my rod, signaling the gravity of the situation.

  The sound of destruction preceded the trembling of the earth. Amidst the chaos, before I could fully assess the situation, a woman cd in a maid's attire appeared before us.

  “My sincerest apologies, the commotion from my mistress's battle seems to have disturbed you,” she stated, executing a fwless bow towards our group.

  “Wow, an actual maid!” Sakura excimed, her enthusiasm palpable.

  In this world, maids are revered figures. They are women endowed with the primary Blessing of the goddess of submission and have devoted themselves entirely to her service, functioning as her oracles. Their loyalty is unwavering, and their strength surpasses that expected of their tier.

  Legends throughout this world invariably include tales of these distinguished maids. With one present, it seemed unnecessary to activate the barrier rod, though I kept it ready as a precaution.

  From the direction of the earlier commotion, a hydra-like serpent emerged, seemingly attacking the air. This scene persisted until one of its heads was severed, only for it to be repced. This cycle continued, with each new head attempting an attack before being cut off, and at one point, a head spat something into the air. The creature then turned, repeating its futile aggression, losing more heads in the process.

  “I see. A resonator,” Miki remarked, her focus on the distant battle.

  A resonator is someone whose Blessings synergize, amplifying each other's effects. Legends often celebrate them as guardians, either of their birthpce or of the city they choose as their home.

  "My mistress is the most powerful resonator ever born in this city," the maid mentioned, her tone neither prideful nor boastful, simply conveying what seemed to her a widely acknowledged fact.

  Driven by habit, I activated my Observe ability, albeit without expecting to discern anything noteworthy.

  [Name: ??? Level: 43 Affection: 0Hobbies are training, training, and training.]

  “Ooooohhhhh, a rainbow rare!” A booming voice echoed in my mind, making me flinch. However, my attention swiftly returned to the present when I noticed a stream of poison heading our way, which the maid dispelled with a mere gesture. When I attempted to use my Observe on her, a rge red warning box appeared, advising against it.

  We settled down to watch the battle, entrusting our safety to the maid. The conflict seemed to stretch on for hours, but eventually, the monster ceased regenerating heads, halted its movements, and vanished.

  “My mistress extends her apologies once more and has instructed me to escort you back to the city.” The transition was seamless; one moment the maid stood before me, and the next, I found myself at the city gates. Looking back, there was no trace of the battle to be seen.

  [Date end]

  [Event CG unlocked]

  A new tab beled "CG" appeared in my interface. Upon exploring it, I found categories marked "normal" and "18+." Initially hesitant upon noticing this distinction, my curiosity prevailed, and I selected a CG I had unlocked. This action revealed a dynamic video of the recent battle, offering the flexibility to view the scene from various perspectives. The spectacle of the girl deftly navigating the battle, evading and confronting the monster with ease, was captivating.

  Just as I was about to entertain a favorable thought about the goddess of love, I caught myself. Given past experiences, I was almost certain that any positive acknowledgement might inadvertently invite her to disrupt my current state of approval. Thus, I exited the menu, choosing to proceed with my day without further contemption on the matter.

  [Liev Ekker - Level 17 Goddess points: 6,265Love points: 1,012,006Debt 1,331,096Stat points: 0

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

  Skills - Date a lottery 8/10, 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 - 239, 6_Selen - 253, 7_Miki - 412, 8_Amelia - 418, 9_Anna - 233 10_Emma - 233 11_Sk?gul - 500, 12_Ellie - 137, 13_Lucy - 122, 14_Grace - 1000, 15_Shadow_13 - 113, 16_Izzy - 203 17_Lamya - 401]