alwaysunqualified

  Chapter 33 - A quick two years.

  "Date starto!"

  'Agh, what time is it? And what day, for that matter? How long have I been here?' I muse, my memory foggy, my body too lethargic to move.

  "Today marks day 103," a voice announces, one that has become very familiar, though I am the only one who can hear her.

  'Didn't they say it would only take a few weeks for your hormones to settle down?' I grumble internally

  "Well, you do have thirty partners now." My system informs me. I’m sure she has mentioned this before, but it’s hard to remember clearly; this is about as coherent as I've been since I reached tier 1.

  ‘So this is that shitty goddess's fault!’ Even in this lucid state, I know exactly who to bme.

  "Mother will be delighted that you're thinking of her, even now," she replies, her voice tinged with the glee of a child pleased to mention her parents.

  ‘Ugh, I'm going back to sleep,’ I think, utterly drained both physically and mentally, in no state to deal with any of this. "Wait, I'm on a date, right?"

  “Yes.” The joy in her voice is unmistakable as the image of a small head nodding enthusiastically pops into my mind. Although I can't fully see her, I catch brief glimpses of what she is doing.

  Gncing at the windows, I notice:

  [A military holding date.]

  [Target: Shadow_404]

  'How long has she been here?' I wonder, fairly certain she had fled the day I was brought here. Or at least, I think I was certain. This brain fog is debilitating.

  “The gacha has been accessible since a few days after your arrival,” my system informs me. That means she witnessed some of the most shameful faps of my life.

  “I was also watching,” she admits, and I shift from feeling embarrassed to experiencing what must have been akin to my parents’ dismay when I accidentally walked in on them having sex as a child. “You… uh, what am I supposed to say in a situation like this…”

  “It’s okay, mother taught me how to handle this. I’m 18,” my system asserts confidently.

  "Bullshit!" I excim. I haven't even been here 18 years. Sure, she might have been created before I was born, but as far as I know, she spends most of her time unaware of what's going on, so she doesn't truly have the experience of someone that age, even if true.

  "Listen, um, if you run into someone doing that in the future, just, um, look away..." I'm definitely not in the right state to have this conversation.

  "Yes, father," she replies.

  "Don't call me that," I demand.

  "Yes, daddy," she responds pyfully.

  I'm speechless; that was even worse.

  "Papa," she tries again. "Sir, big daddy, Onii-chan."

  Each nickname is worse than the st. Frustrated and exhausted, I decide to ignore it all. I'm going back to sleep. I'll deal with this when I'm in a better state of mind.

  …

  ..

  .

  “Date starto!”

  'Has it really been that long again?' I wonder, lying in bed too sore to move.

  "193 days," my system informs me.

  “What sadistic asshole came up with this torture?” I mutter aloud, frustration evident.

  "I do not know," she answers my rhetorical question, a reminder of another lesson she needs. Her education is incredibly skewed, versed in topics she shouldn't be, and ignorant in those she should understand.

  "I wasn't looking for an answer; I was just venting. Only a few more days until I'm out of this hell," I crify.

  "On a positive note, mother says she could spend an eternity with her face on your abs," she adds—case in point. It seems she splits her time between me and the goddess in what she describes as a 'dual custody' arrangement.

  "Tell her to—" I catch myself, realizing the goddess's bad influence was already enough without my contributions.

  “She says she will wait for you to pin her—" she begins, picking up exactly where I was headed.

  "I don't want to hear it," I interrupt, cutting her off there.

  Reviewing the date information, I realized it was futile to expect much, so I took the opportunity to delve into the new information and features that came with reaching tier 1, now that I felt up to it. With this, It also became clear that I was in better condition during a date; before it started, I was physically immobilized and my mind was bnk.

  [Welcome to tier 1.]

  [Adult sections have been unlocked.]

  [The Goddess of Love has reluctantly gifted you with the skill: Contraception.]

  [Contraception: Prevents you from getting anyone pregnant. Lasts from activation until New Year’s.]

  I wanted to be annoyed, but this world cked any equivalent of condoms, and even my shop didn't carry them. As much as I’d like to believe I could control myself, the past two years had decisively proven otherwise.

  [+5 to all stats]

  [When all else fails, try again: Restart a date.]

  [Worst date ever achievement has merged with When all else fails, try again, bringing its uses up to two.]

  [Award-winning smile: Massively increase the effect of your st action.]

  [Goddess's choice: Make the best possible choice appear once a year.]

  [Connections run deep: See how people are connected once a year.]

  [Unlocked adult features]

  [All abilities have unlocked the first bonus.]

  [Shop - Fsh Sale: Items will periodically be avaible at reduced prices.]

  [Love Land - Assistant Access: All assistants may enter Love Land at any time, gaining expanded access to its features. They can exit at your current location or their original location. Time in Love Land flows normally when you are absent.]

  [Map - Zoom: Ability to zoom out on your mini-map.]

  [Inventory - Time Stop On/Off: Option to stop time for any item slot in your inventory.]

  [Goddess Hotline - Goddess Request: The Goddess can make requests during calls.]

  [All abilities can now be upgraded using Affection Points.]

  [Deck Feature Unlocked]

  [Deck Theme: Adds a bonus to all cards in the deck when all cards share a theme.]

  [Deck 1 Theme: None]

  [Card Pying Field Expanded.]

  [Your menus have been upgraded for improved navigation.]

  As I navigate the updated menus, I notice that the information has been condensed and rearranged, making it easier to view at a gnce given the increased volume. A new section for ability leveling has been added, listing my abilities along with the cost to tier up, all marked zero out of one thousand.

  Reaching the card section, I find that the first slot for Deck 2 is locked, requiring one thousand points to unlock. At the top of the section, it showed 17,041 unallocated affection points.

  I allocate one point to the first card slot and watch the top number decrease by one. I quickly realize that points, once allocated, cannot be retrieved; this rule applies to the ability section as well, as I pce one point into the shop section.

  This introduces the most significant bottleneck I've encountered. While Yuno's affection continues to increase, everyone else's affection caps quickly. It wouldn’t be so bad if it remained at one thousand, but I suspect the requirement will increase as I level up. However, the convenience it offers outweighs the annoyance, because it means that even if I'm stuck on a date I don't want, I can't actually obtain her card unless I unlock the corresponding section.

  I already had some ideas on how to make gaining Affection easier, such as marriage, so I decided to shelve that thought for ter. As I browsed through my skills, I noticed that 'More Than Just A Little Luck' was still inactive, even though everything else had reset.

  Finally, I reached the section with my unallocated stat points. Now that I was Tier 1, it was time to spend them. The question was on what, so I decided to crify some things with my system. "Social allows you to interact more, right?"

  "Yes, father," she replied, continuing to use that title despite my past attempts to dissuade her.

  "Do the other stats do anything for you?" I asked before making a decision.

  "Mother says I become more charming as I grow, and my ability to observe really showcases my intelligence. Most importantly, luck gives me more gacha currency!" she expined excitedly.

  'What does that even mean? Wait, if she's like anyone else here, then that should rete to her mind, body, and soul, right? That means if I want to help her grow, I can't just ignore charm and social like I was pnning to.' I thought, now having a clearer understanding of how that works.

  I had been saving my stat points to see if anything changed at Tier 1. If nothing did, I pnned to prioritize luck as my primary stat with observation as secondary.

  However, if I want her to truly develop, I'll probably need to bance the stats more evenly. In this case, the stat that has proven most useful, even if not always in the way I prefer, is the most useless to her.

  Even if the importance of luck diminishes ter, prioritizing it now could save me a lot of trouble in the near term.

  "What do you think?" I ask the person who would be equally affected by my choice.

  “Mother said to listen to you at times like these,” she replies, not offering her own opinion.

  I have been flip-flopping on strategies, but now that I'm past the early game, I need to settle on one. Taking a deep breath, I allocate points into social, pnning to invest in charm next.

  Since I'll be with her for the foreseeable future, I consider the added trouble worth it. I opt for a banced approach, acquiring what stat points I can from alternative means and filling in the gaps with points from leveling.

  With my ability to keep card slots locked, it won't be as much of a hindrance as I previously thought, given that cards remain my primary means of survival in this world.

  [Skill Unlocked: My Father Works for That Company - All present will believe any lie told for 1 hour a year.]

  With the system silent and my desire to sleep overwhelming, I let time resume. Ignoring the ninja again, I go back to sleep.

  [Date end.]

  …

  ..

  .

  I finally got moved out of that holding hellhole, and thankfully, I don't feel the urge to to fuck everything anymore. Well, at least not every second of every day.

  After the move, I was introduced to my unit, where I'll be stationed for the next three years. I arrived te but only received some firm pats on the back for having endured a year and a half longer than anyone else in that dreadful pce.

  I was assigned as the final member of Unit 8. The other members were Elric, Robert, Mark, and Andy.

  Things were initially awkward with them once they found out I couldn't use magic items. However, that quickly changed when I demonstrated my ability to conjure items out of thin air that we might need, especially food—a luxury none of the other trainees could access.

  It also helped that Mark recognized me from the tournament, easing my integration into the group.

  “Damn, a burst type, huh? Sucks if you get caught off guard by just about anyone—it's game over,” Elric said while sitting on the floor of our cramped room. He used an idiom about your dick exploding, but it essentially means the same thing as 'game over.'

  “I’d trade my boring boost ability for something that could let me fight at tier 6. Just marry a woman who can protect you,” Robert suggested, cleaning his axe on one of our beds.

  “And let everyone ugh at you for hiding behind a woman? No thanks, it's better to just tier up with a solid Blessing,” Elric countered.

  “Dead men can only ugh so long. So, what tier can you actually fight up to?” Mark chimed in, munching on some food I had conjured. He was essentially asking at what tier my abilities would become ineffective.

  “Not sure,” I replied, truthfully unsure. After reaching tier 1, I can now use two cards at once. That means I can combine some of the more broken abilities together, or pair a powerful ability with one that prevents me from getting killed before it activates.

  I can also switch out one card at a time, so there are plenty of combo opportunities.

  I'm also unsure about how some interactions work, and my practice time in Love Land is limited. For obvious reasons, I haven’t invited any family or friends to join me, so I've been practicing alone at the training grounds.

  I still can't shake off some of the thoughts I’ve had. Those intrusive thoughts haven't disappeared; they’ve just lessened, ready to spring up and bombard me at even the slightest mention of a girl.

  I definitely have more sympathy for the other guys now. Initially, I dismissed them as fools at the adventurer's guild, but if I were still my teenage self dealing with this, I’d probably be far worse.

  “What about the Lieutenant? Think you could beat him?” Andy asked.

  In the military, the lower ranks are Recruit, Sane, Soldier, and Squad Commander. We are currently ranked as Sane. Recruits are those still caught in their horny fever dream, while Soldiers are actively engaged. Most men remain at Sane until their final year, when they participate in clearing operations with rger military groups, advancing to Soldier before discharge. If they choose to continue, that’s when the military really integrates them into more extensive operations, involving travel and external missions.

  A Lieutenant is responsible for leading a group of Squad Commanders or overseeing Sane recruits. With our contracts, we can’t go AWOL, but that hasn’t stopped some from attempting stupid acts, nor has it deterred some families from trying to intervene on behalf of their sons.

  "If he just uses what he's already shown, then yeah," I said. I had two extremely strong cards that, when combined, could overwhelm him as long as there were shadows. The only real problem would be if he had equipment that allowed him to outst my timer.

  "Damn, sure you don't want the burst?" Mark joked, gncing at Elric.

  "I'm telling you, slow and steady is the way. Everyone knows about the 100-year fight," Elric replied, shaking his head. As the name implies, it was a fight between two men who battled for one hundred years straight, without any breaks.

  "Yeah, they only had to fight for 100 years because neither could outright kill the other," Andy chimed in.

  We ughed at his sour expression.

  "Lights out!" a call echoed through the room.

  "That time already?" Mark compined, but none of us stayed put. We all headed to bed, aware that te-night whispers were not an option when the person in charge could supposedly hear a fly fp its wings from a mile away. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but he could definitely hear everything we said.

  …

  “Date starto!”

  I woke up yet again to the start of a date. 'You have to be doing this on purpose.'

  “It wasn't me this time, see,” my system informed me.

  [An event has triggered in your area.]

  “Oh, she is finally here!” an annoying voice chimed in, one I hadn't missed. Reflecting on it, maybe that holding room wasn’t so bad after all.

  “Hey, I have to get my screen time in while the other girls are not around. Do you know how hard it's going to be ter?” she compined.

  “Why are you here?” I cut through her compints and got straight to the point. My state of mind might be better, but I still didn’t want to deal with her.

  “Because you were going to let Succubus-chan die, how mean,” she whined again.

  "Is that what this is about?" I asked. I had heard about succubi in this world. They are creatures born in areas steeped in lust. They're not monsters but rather members of the races; the problem lies in their food source. They feed on the life essence of men, specifically those at or below their tier, and almost always, the man ends up dead. This is why they are typically ordered to be killed on sight. "You want me to become prey to a succubus?"

  "Prey? A succubus can't kill you. All she will do is take a few love points, and you'll save an innocent life. Once you bond, she will be unable to feed on any other male, so the city will have no reason to kill her. Ah, but make sure not to forget to unlock a card slot, or the bond will fail," the goddess expined.

  If that was true, it really could save an innocent life. Once a succubus matures, they are no longer considered kill-on-sight and are treated like any other race, albeit with some discrimination due to the knowledge of what they had to do to reach such a high tier. However, they would no longer indiscriminately drain life from males and could control the amount they took to avoid killing them.

  Technically, they didn't need to feed right after being born, but their instincts drove them to do so at any cost, and they often possessed abilities that could bypass tiers. Having endured a fraction of what a succubus must go through over the st two years, could I really just lie here knowing that an innocent person would be hunted down while I slept?

  “You will also get goddess points for completing the event,” the goddess added, sweetening the deal.

  [Goddess call-in has activated a request to save the succubus. Reward: 1000 Goddess points.]

  “God dammit, fine,” I said, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep with this new knowledge anyway.

  “Hehehe, we are one step closer to having succubi running Love Land in bunny suits!” the goddess cheered.

  “You are making me not want to do this,” I told her.

  “You, sir, are not a man of culture,” she said, wagging her finger at me.

  "That's fine with me," I said as I quickly unlocked the first card slot for one thousand points, noting that the next slot would cost one thousand one hundred. I couldn't help but think this was going to be annoying, but setting that thought aside for ter, I fielded Shadow_404's card and slipped into the shadow of my bed before unching myself out of the dorm. I followed the map indicator as I slung from shadow to shadow for a while until I came upon a giant pilr of magic quite a distance from the outskirts of the city where our dorm was located. The magic concentration was so intense that it forced me out of the shadows, and I had to start walking the rest of the way.

  I stopped when I felt a hand on my chest. “You should not proceed any closer, I would not be able to protect you.”

  Looking down, I saw Shadow 404 looking up at me, her face slightly red. 'Is she blushing?'

  “I mean, if I masturbated as much as she did right next to you, I would be blushing too when I finally showed my face,” the goddess commented, causing me to do a double take at her blushing face and her hand touching me. I noticed her small, firm nipples pushing against the delicate fabric of her top. My gaze followed the contours of her slender waist and was drawn to the faint, damp area that suggested her arousal.

  ‘She did what now!?’ I asked, swallowing hard. My hand instinctively reached out to grab her before I clenched my teeth, forcing my eyes away from her to prevent my mind from slipping back into the gutter and losing control.

  “All doujinshi artists are free to use any scene for reference,” the goddess said, ignoring my confusion over whatever a doujinshi was.

  'Wait, that's like cartoon porn, right?' I thought, striving to keep my mind focused and away from wandering back to the petite girl.

  “Sometimes you say things that hurt me… oh, I can’t stay mad at you,” she said, giving me a smile that seemed more suited to an old man on his deathbed—a really odd smile when you think about it.

  Listen, I know what I am doing.How many times did you cum while masturbating?There is only one way to stop me, bend over on that tree.I detached my consciousness from my body while time was suspended, hoping the separation would calm my nerves. Unfortunately, it did little to soothe me. Turning my attention to my options, I realized that they seemed to have worsened, irregardless there had always been only one viable choice most of the time.

  “Listen, I know what I am doing,” I reassured her, keeping my gaze fixed forward. In reality, I had no clue, but my confidence seemed to persuade her to step aside. I hurry forward, any further hesitation on my part would likely lead to actions I’d regret.

  With each step forward, I received a flurry of notifications indicating a rapid loss of love points.

  Gncing back, I saw Shadow 404 standing tense at the spot where the points began to drop. Despite her tension, she maintained her gaze. I smiled to let her know I was alright, prompting a quick blush as she shyly pced her hand behind her. Dismissing the intrusive thoughts beginning to surface, I refocused on the magical spectacle before me.

  I approached the swirling vortex of magic, a barely perceptible cyclone of shifting blue hues. It spun and darted in every direction, its colors occasionally deepening into darker blues before lightening again.

  I remained in pce, letting the points drain away, waiting for an alert like the one I received with Alice.

  [A succubus has tried to take you as her spouse but failed.]

  [You are the primary bond for the succubus birth.]

  [+200 nameless Affection points]

  A girl materialized in mid-air, distinguished by her long, flowing red hair, curvaceous figure, and plump, ruby-red lips. She is strikingly beautiful—the epitome of my ideal type.

  When she fshed a seductive smile, my body reacted instinctively, and I found myself pinning her beneath me. However, the moment I saw the innocence in her eyes, I halted, baffled by her look. "What the hell?" I wondered aloud.

  "The succubus reaches adulthood immediately, but they are creatures of instinct, and it takes time for their minds to fully develop. Initially, they focus solely on feeding until they stabilize. Afterward, they use the excess essence to form a mind," the goddess expined, answering the question I had yet to ask.

  'So her mind...' I pondered, looking down at the innocent girl who still gazed up at me with a seductive smile. Her hands started to reach under my shirt, trailing her finger across my abs.

  [Your devine Saul has triggered.]

  Instantly, my libido was extinguished, and I felt like a child again. It was an odd sensation, allowing me to view the girl with a crity I hadn't experienced in years. The abrupt shift rattled my mind in a way that was hard to articute. It was as if I was simultaneously myself and not myself, a feeling of disconnection I hadn't experienced since reaching tier one, which now returned with full force. Having dealt with this before, I didn't let it affect me. Instead, I rose and purchased a pair of pants and a shirt for her from my shop.

  “You do realize she's a creature literally made for sex, right? She won't thank you for this; in fact, she might be upset once her mind fully forms,” the goddess remarked.

  “Then she can be mad with a sound mind!” I replied, looking down at the now completely innocent dy gazing up at me with crystal-clear eyes. With my own desires vanished, so too did hers, leaving her as the true newborn creature she was.

  “You're so cute sometimes. Well, you won't have to worry about her jumping another guy now that she is bound to you. So what should we name her?” the goddess asked, smoothly changing the subject.

  [What would you like to name her?]

  CssiJadeNomiChoose own nameGncing at the dick hanging off the C, I recognized the reference and was certain that these were all stripper names. I am not naming her after a stripper, so I chose to think of a name myself for her. After observing her sitting there, clutching the clothes I had bought, and looking up at me with innocent eyes, I settled on the name Ruby—it matched her hair, lips, and eyes perfectly.

  [You have completed your connection with ruby.]

  [Date end.]

  A new menu appeared, detailing my assistants' activities and providing the option to summon them to Love Land, which I chose for Ruby.

  With that, she vanished. I made a mental note to check out the store for items she might enjoy once I returned to the dorm.

  [+13 Ruby Affection points.]

  "Ha?" I excimed, surprised by the notification.

  "Alice just used her skill on her," my system informed me, dispying a menu that indicated Alice's location was also Love Land.

  'That does make me feel better. She's always been diligent in looking after the twins; no doubt she'll show the same care for Ruby,' I thought, reassured.

  When I looked up, Shadow 404 had disappeared into the shadows again.

  "Hey, how about helping me get back to the dorm?" I asked, trying my luck. I didn't want to use another valuable card just to sneak back in.

  My only response was a rapid shift in perspective, and suddenly, I was back under my covers. It was quite jarring not being in control of the movement. It only took me a few seconds of being back, before I was out like a light.

  [Name: Ruby EkkerLevel: 30Affection: 213Trait: Goddess: Goddess of Mind.Primary Blessing: Seduction tier 7Lesser Blessings: ???]

  [Seduction: Skillfully feed into the target's desire.]

  [Completed request: +1000 Goddess points.]

  [Achievement unlocked: My assistant can't be this sexy - Recruit 1 sexy assistant - expand assistent system access.]

  [Achievement unlocked: What a waste - do not use all your date points before the end of the year. - Save half of remaining date points to carry over to the next year. ]

  [Achievement unlocked: Sleep is for the dead - be woken up multiple times for a date. - gain a massive resistance to sleep while on a date.]

  [Love Land]

  [Love nd: tier 1 (0/1000)Buildings: Monster Ranch 3, Training Area 3, Arena 3, Grove 3, house 1, Cozy House 2, Alchemy Lab 2Building Queue: house 2 [13 days remaining]]

  [Grove 3: Increase the resting cap and increase herbs that can be found in Love Land.]

  [Liev Ekker - Level 31Goddess points: 14,265Love points: 1,463,154,484

  Affection points unallocated: 17,319Stat points unallocated: 0

  Luck: 21 Date a lottery 16/15A date to remember [1 use(s) remaining]More Than Just A Little Luck [0 use(s) remaining]When all else fails, try again [2 use(s) remaining]

  Charm: 14 Charm her pants off [1 use(s) remaining]Award winning smile [1 use(s) remaining]

  Social: 15 Social butterfly [1 use(s) remaining]Goddess choice [1 use(s) remaining]My father works for that company [1 use(s) remaining]

  Observe: 15Show hidden secrets [1 use(s) remaining]treasure hunter [1 use(s) remaining]connections run deep [1 use(s) remaining]

  Adult skills: Contraception [1 use(s) remaining]

  Achievements - 54Achievements_Alice - 1Achievements_Lucy - 0

  Deck 1(18,107): 1_Yuno - 7222 9_Anna - 500 10_Emma - 500Deck 2(213) Ruby_31 - 213]