《A Commonplace Story Of Overpowered Sorcerer》


 Chapter 1 - Preface

    Common_NEET, here. Before I start this preface, I want to thank you for trying out this story. This is my first attempt in writing, so I apologize early for mistakes you probably will find out in this story. I''m not arrogant enough that this story will come out perfect. Still, I try my best!


    My reason for writing this story is because I want to try writing one after reading many fanfictions. Mostly, it is about original character takes the place of the protagonist and becomes one himself. Usually, this original character is following after Author''s unbound imagination. Basically, a self insert. My interest and motivation to write this came after I read many fanfictions in some platforms that allow the publication of this type of stories. Webnovel.com is one of those platforms. After reading those stories, I have a strong d.e.s.i.r.e to write one myself!


    My reason to pick From Commonplace Job to World''s Strongest¡ªor as you may know in its Japanese title: "Arifureta Sokugyou de Sekai Saikyou"¡ªis my liking for the masterpiece of Ryo Shirakome. I knew about this franchise after reading the fans translated webnovel. Then, the Light Novel version comes out a while later.


    When I write the first this Preface, the second episode of the anime adaptation has just been aired. Honestly, Yue/Aletia makes me fall in love with her once again! Her animated version is fabulous! Her voice actress sounds cute too! I hope that there are some fans of Arifureta reading this story and share my joy and enthusiasm for Yue who has been animated!


    My rambling aside, let us talk about the main character of this story. I am envisaging him with a similar appearance with the main character of Seirei Gensouki/Spirit Chronicle written by Yuri Kitayama. Rio/Haruto Amakawa. Furthermore, I made up my mind to add one female character based on that franchise. Who is that? From the cover image, you probably can guess it! Indeed, it is Liselotte Cretia!


    Though I used the protagonist and one of female leads from Seirei Gensouki as the basis of my main character and one of his harem, I don''t think that I''m going to start a crossover with that franchise. As an aside, I have a plan to make this story a crossover after I wrap up the Arifureta parts of this story. What series will I pick for the crossover? Well, just follow the story and you will discover it!


    Anyway, this story is going to be harem because why not? Having a harem is a romance of any hotblooded male youth, after all. Still, I''m not going to give my MC massively big harem like a certain perverted dragon/devil protagonist of a l.e.w.d light novel who has the obsession to be a harem king! *Cough* Hyoudou Issei from Highschool DxD *Cough*


    However, I tell you early that despite I plan to pair my main character with the main female leads from Arifureta, the students and the teacher aren''t included in the list. Why? Well, you''ll find out the reason if you follow this story.


    There are many things I want to write in the preface, but the word count has passed 500. It''s too much for a preface, I think. So, I am a tad regretful to cut this short. Do not worry for we will meet again in Author''s Thought of each chapter (probably), Afterword, and the Preface of the new volume.


    So, happy reading!


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    Regards,


    Common_NEET


    Rewritten at: August 3, 2019

 Chapter 2 - Prologue

    This story begins with a young man named Rio Kevin.


    As this story starts, we can find Rio who''s currently covering his eyes from the bright light that''s hurting his eyes. He stood silently as he used his arms to shield his face. He couldn''t see beyond the bright light, which robbed his ability to see.


    For his appearance, Rio had an appearance that could be considered as ''handsome'' with light complexion, pitch black hair, and light brown eyes. He stood at 176 cm in height and weighed around 60 kg. His was around 18 years old at this point. For his attire, he was wearing a short-sleeved white shirt, gray trousers, and a pair of black sneakers.


    Before long, Rio discovered that the bright light dimmed up. He then lowered his arms and opened his eyes slowly. He soon viewed his vicinity and found himself standing on a plinth.


    And he was not alone.


    Rio looked at the boys and the girls around him. They looked around his age, maybe a year younger, and had the Japanese''s characteristics with the addition of variation of hair color like brown, dark blue, and even red. Though Rio was in a situation that should make him panic, Rio didn''t show the characteristics of a panicked person. He didn''t even seem to be confused either.


    If you pay attention to Rio''s eyes closely, you will realize that Rio had a look full anticipation and excitement. It looks as if Rio knew where he was and what was going on. As a matter of fact, Rio knew very well where he was at this moment and what was going on around him.


    "Ah, excuse me. Who are you?"


    A sudden question directed to him grabbed Rio''s attention. The voice of the speaker was male and young. Rio turned around and stared at the one who questioned him and saw a Japanese youth with an average appearance, light complexion, black hair, and brown eyes. The boy was actually shorter than Rio and was wearing a uniform consisting of a white shirt under a blue blazer and brown trousers.


    Rio blinked his eyes, signifying his realization of a strange thing that just occurred. It was the boy¡ªdespite his Japanese characteristics, the boy was speaking in Rio''s national language fluently. The boy, too, seemed to be surprised when he realized that he''d spoken in Rio''s national language fluently and seemed to understand it.


    Rio had a speculation in his mind and he was feeling confident with it. However, Rio soon recovered from his inner musings and answered the boy''s question. He''d seen the boy waiting for his response with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity in his expression.


    "Oh¡ª Yeah¡ª Sorry for spacing out. You can call me Rio. Anyhow, where is this place? Additionally, who are you?" Rio asked the Japanese boy before him. The moment he ended it, Rio realized that he''d spoken in Japanese fluently. He shrugged off the phenomenon without problems and waited for the boy''s reply. He had an idea why he could speak Japanese so fluently like that, but it wasn''t the time for pondering.


    The boy quickly went through the Japanese courtesy and lowered his head slightly in greeting. After that, he introduced himself to Rio, "Ah, where''s my manner. I apologize. My name is Hajime Nagumo. I am 17 years old and a stud¡ª"


    Before the boy, whose name was Hajime Nagumo, finished his introduction, Rio lost his self-control first, cutting off of Hajime''s introduction. Rio burst out into a peal of boisterous laughter, grabbing everyone''s attention. However, he wasn''t in the correct state to mind it. Rio knew very well the young man standing before him. How was he not? The young man named Hajime Nagumo was the main character in the animated series titled Arifureta Sokugyou de Sekai Saikyo. It was adapted from a light novel with a similar title. Additionally, there was also the manga adaptation. Rio was a fan of this novel even before the official light novel publishing when it was still a webnovel translated into English by fans on the internet. He was still following the After Story webnovel update to boot. At least, he was waiting for the new chapter being translated before he got in the accident that resulted in his current situation.


    Having realized that the fictional figure before him was real and alive, Rio finally believed that he was really resurrected in the fictional world of Arifureta Sokugyou de Sekai Saikyou¡ªin the fantasy world of magic and sword called Tortus¡ªby an old man claimed to be God after he died in an incident doe to God''s fault. It was the standard stuff you could find in other ''Reincarnated/Transmigrated/Transported to Another World'' trope.


    "Kuhaha¡­ Kuahahahahah! Shit! My stomach is hurt¡­ Kuhah¡­ Kuahahahah!" Rio kept laughing for a few seconds. He was too excited to control himself because his dream had become true.


    It was when the curtain for the beginning of the commonplace story of Rio''s adventure in the other worlds is raised. The beginning of the legend of a man who will become revered and feared not only in the scope of a single world but also in the other worlds too! The starting point of a man who will be revered as God and feared as Demon Lord!

 Chapter 3 - The Story of Rios Death

    Rio was laughing aloud, uncaring of the strange look he gathered. More than three dozens of people were currently in the room. Twenty Japanese youths and a single female teacher, who looked like a middle-grade student, were around him, and the others below the plinth were old men wearing monastic white robes with a tall cap and had a stave with disk-like ornaments hanging from the ring at the tip in their hands.


    They were currently inside a vast chamber. The entire room was constructed of a gleaming white stone that seemed smooth to the touch. Marble, possibly. Massive pillars with sculptures carved into them rose up to the towering domed ceiling. The room resembled some sort of grand cathedral.


    From the position of the students, the youthful female teacher and Rio, they could see a massive mural. The mural, which stretched ten meters long, depicted a faintly smiling figure, whose gender seemed indeterminable, wreathed in a halo, their blond hair flowing freely behind them. Behind them in the background were plains, lakes, and mountains. The figure had both arms spread wide as if trying to grab hold of all of it.


    The students, the teacher, and Rio were standing atop a type of plinth located in the deepest recesses of the room. They were raised above their immediate surroundings. In the beginning, they were all looking around dumbfounded. It looks like the summoning had affected the entire class. However, they quickly recovered from their stupor and focused on Rio after he started laughing loosely.


    Why was Rio so excited to the point of losing self-control? You might have that question pops up in your mind. Allow me to answer that question.


    Rio was formerly a senior student of high school who was in the middle of the convoy. He and the entire students in his grade had received the graduation notice from the national education government agency. The notice informed them that nobody failed the national exam. All students in Rio''s grade had successfully graduated. They started a convoy, driving through the main street of his town to show off their jubilation and the sense of freedom from graduating the compulsory 12 years education. However, this activity was the reason for Rio''s demise.


    In the middle of the convoy, the clear sky suddenly dropped a bolt of lightning. It struck Rio who stayed at the further back of the convoy. The lightning instantly killed Rio. He didn''t even feel pain when his soul was reaped and his body and his motorbike was turned into charcoal. When he regained his awareness, Rio found himself in a white empty space, standing alone in the empty white place.


    The moment he arrived in that place, Rio had a suspicion. He''d read some fanfictions to see where his situation was heading. But he was still skeptical because it only happened in fictions. There was no way it happens in real life, he thought. After a few seconds, a burly, bearded old man wearing toga appeared. This old man proclaimed himself as God and he apologized to Rio for accidentally killing him before his destined death.


    God then told Rio that his death was an accident caused by him who had a quarrel with another God and his power slipped off into the mortal realm in his anger. That sliver of divine power became all-destroying lightning that struck Rio, killing him in instant.


    God apologized to him and promised compensation for his mistake. When Rio demanded to be revived in his world, God informed Rio that he couldn''t return back to his previous life because he''d died. And if he was resurrected, it would throw off the fragile balance or something along this line. It was truly unfortunate. Rio only had two choices: to reincarnate as a blank slate or to resurrect in another world with his memory intact.


    Of course, Rio chose the second option.


    Although he chose the second option, to resurrect in another world with his memory intact, Rio couldn''t accept it just like that. He was only 18 years and he had yet to start his life for real. He was denied the chance of going into the third stage with his girlfriend. Rio had been cultivating her to the point she would be ready to make love with him. Ten months of patience and resources wasted just like that. It was only normal that Rio was outraged!


    In his rage, Rio didn''t care whether the old man was God or Devil. He gave God a piece of his mind and dressed him down, spilling all his frustration towards God. Somehow, Rio successfully extorted more compensations from God. In the end, he received three wishes, including the wish to resurrect in a world of his choice.


    To cut a long story short, Rio requested to be resurrected in the anime world. To be precise, he asked God to resurrect him in the world of Arifureta Sokugyou de Sekai Saikyou at the same time when the protagonist and his whole classmates were summoned to another world called Tortus.


    That was Rio''s first wish. His second wish was to have unlimited magic energy. For his last wish, he wanted to be able to create all the skills/abilities he wanted.


    And now, here he was, together with the protagonist and his classmates in the Temple of the Holy Church.


    "Sorry for losing control. I really need that," Rio stated between his short, rapid breath. He''d stopped his uncontrollable laughter and was currently sorting out his unsteady breath.


    "...Excuse me, but Mister... Rio?"


    "Yeah? Call me Rio. Without honorific, please. I feel itchy when I hear that. Anyhow, you won''t mind if I call you Hajime directly, will you?"


    Rio replied Hajime and asked his approval to call him directly without any troublesome honorific. He stared at Hajime who looked at him with a strange stare. Hajime seemed to be at lost with his easy-going personality. However, Hajime recovered his wits soon and spoke to Rio.


    "Y-Yeah. I don''t mind. Anyhow, are you okay? You suddenly laughed aloud like that. You were kind of grabbing attention too much, like not the good one, if you know what I mean..."


    Hajime trailed with a subdued tone as he pointed out Rio''s mistake. He had a deeply troubled smile.


    Finally, Rio realized what he''d done. In his excitement, he''d lost his self-control and disregarded the situation around him. He''d burst out into crazy laughter in front of many students and priests within the room. Rio soon felt deeply ashamed and wished that a hole would suddenly appear before him so he could jump in and bury himself inside it.


    "Ahahaha...sorry, I''m just excited that I am not dead after an overpowered asshole accidentally killed me..."


    In the end, Rio could only spout the first thing that popped up in his mind. He just smiled helplessly at the perplexed expression of Hajime and others. He shrugged his shoulders as if trying to say ''what can you do?'' and silently told them to drop it and continue with their own business.

 Chapter 4 - Popes Explanation

    "Excuse me. Have you calmed down, O Great Hero?"


    An important-looking old man stepped forward and questioned Rio. His jingling staff attracted the attention of everyone. He was an old man in his seventies, dressed even more lavishly than his peers, with a richly decorated monk''s cap that stood about thirty centimeters tall. Old was perhaps not the best word to describe him. If not for his deeply wrinkled face and aged eyes, one might think him a man in his early fifties.


    "Ah, yeah, sure. Sorry for causing a scene." Rio apologized awkwardly at the old priest. Inwardly, he was guessing the identity of this old man. He guessed that this old man was Ishtar Langbard, the one who would explain the situation for the summoned class.


    While Rio was busy pondering, the old man turned at the summoned students and the teacher. Finally, he opened his mouth and greeted them, "Welcome to Tortus, O Brave Heroes. It is our p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to welcome you here. I am the pope of the Holy Church, Ishtar Langbard. It is an honor to make your acquaintances."


    The old man, who called himself Ishtar, broke out into a good-natured smile. Rio had a very subtle reaction, which was missed by everyone when he heard Ishtar''s greeting. He had a suspicion about the old man''s identity, but he never thought that his suspicion was accurate.


    Afterward, Ishtar led the silent group of students into another room that was furnished with numerous chairs and long tables, saying it would be easier to speak calmly there. Rio was tagging along at the back of the group, walking side-by-side with Hajime, who was deep in thought as he followed after the others.


    As they walked into their destination, following after Ishtar, Rio was pondering about his second wish. He had asked God to give him unlimited magic energy. However, he couldn''t feel the unlimited magic energy inside him and wondered if God had tricked him.


    If God tricked him, it would be a big problem for him. After all, this world was very dangerous, and Rio didn''t want to face deadly trials and tribulations. He thought that it wasn''t worth the trouble and sacrifice.


    Rio stopped his silent musings when they arrived at their destination. The new room Ishtar had guided them to was just as lavishly built as the first. The exemplary craftsmanship of the furniture and the tapestries hanging on the walls was evident even to their untrained eyes. The layout of the room implied that it was some manner of a banquet hall.


    When it was the time for them to pick their seat, Rio decided to sit next to Hajime. He saw the teacher, Aiko Hatayama, and a group, which consists of two good looking and athletic boys and two very pretty girls all claimed seats at the head of their respective tables, and the rest arranged themselves around them. Rio and Hajime ended up at the very end of their table.


    The reason no one had made a fuss so far was that everyone was still too busy processing what had just happened. Though Rio''s crazy behavior had attracted their attention, they only thought that Rio was a weirdo and quickly lost interest in him. Besides, Ishtar had stated he would explain what was going on and they latched on his promise desperately.


    The moment everyone had finished seating themselves, a number of carts entered the room, pushed along by a retinue of maids. When Rio saw those maids, he gasped in admiration and excitement. It was the first time for him to see an actual maid. In the past, he only saw them from anime or digital media, so it was a very new and novel experience for him. But, Rio soon realized that something was amiss with these maids.


    The others maybe didn''t realize it because the boys were busy ogling the maids'' figures while the girls were glaring scornfully at the boys'' shameless behavior, but Rio saw the maids'' blank faces and dim eyes that look like that of dolls. These maids looked as if they had lost their will to live. It was disconcerting, Rio thought.


    Ishtar finally began talking once everyone had been served their refreshments.


    "Now then, I am certain you all must be feeling very confused about the situation you''ve found yourselves in. I shall explain everything, starting from the beginning. All I ask is that you hear me out until the end." Ishtar''s explanation was so generic and unreasonable that it seemed as if it''d come out of a fantasy book template. Well, this world itself is fantasy, Rio mused silently and amusedly.


    In short, this was what Ishtar said¡ª


    First, that this world was called Tortus. Within Tortus lived three different races: humans, demons, and demi-humans. Humans resided in the northern half of the continent, demons on the southern half, and demi-humans far to the east within a massive forest.


    Humans and demons had a strained relationship, having been at war for hundreds of years. Though demons lacked the sheer numbers humans possessed, their individual strength far surpassed that of most humans, balancing out the difference nicely. Both sides were currently locked in a stalemate, and a major battle hadn''t broken out in decades. However, there had been disturbing movements among the demons as of late. Namely the fact that they had managed to tame monsters.


    Monsters were supposedly wild animals that had undergone a magical metamorphosis after having mana¡ªthe term to call magic energy¡ªpoured into them. Though it seemed that humans had yet to fully understand the biology of monsters, so they weren''t quite sure. They were apparently very powerful and even capable of using magic, which made them an extremely dangerous threat.


    Up until that point, very few people had been able to tame such ferocious beasts. And even those who could were unable to handle more than one or two at a time. However, the situation had changed. Which meant that the only advantage the humans had over the demons, numbers, had been eliminated. As such, humans faced an unprecedented crisis that threatened the existence of their very race.


    "The one who summoned you all here was the blessed lord, Ehit. He is the guardian deity of us humans, and the one true god of the Holy Church. The supreme ruler who created the world itself. I suspect Lord Ehit grew aware of our plight. He realized that humanity was doomed to annihilation, so he summoned you here in order to prevent such a disaster. You heroes are humans from a world greater than ours, and therefore carry within you strength that surpasses the humans of this world."


    Ishtar paused for a moment before continuing hesitantly. "Or at least, that is what was shown to me in a divine revelation. Regardless, I implore you all to do as Lord Ehit has willed you. Please, defeat the demons and save the human race from destruction." He seemed almost in a trance as he said that. He had to have been remembering the time he received that divine revelation.


    According to Ishtar, over 90% of humans revered the creator god Ehit, and those who received his divine visions were without exception given high-ranking positions in the Holy Church. As Rio was mulling over how twisted a world must be for people to happily believe in ''the will of God'' without question, and how dangerous such a belief was, someone stood up and began hotly protesting Ishtar''s words.


    "You can''t possibly be serious! You''re telling these children to go fight in a war!? That''s absolutely unacceptable! As a teacher, I cannot allow it! Send us back right this instant! These kids all have families back home who must be worried sick! You can''t just kidnap them like this!"

 Chapter 5 - The Outrage

    "You can''t possibly be serious! You''re telling these children to go fight in a war!? That''s absolutely unacceptable! As a teacher, I cannot allow it! Send us back right this instant! These kids all have families back home who must be worried sick! You can''t just kidnap them like this!" The one who protested was Aiko Hatayama, and each of her words dripped with rather evident anger.


    Aiko, the mid-twenties social studies teacher, stood only 140 centimeters tall, with a baby face and her hair kept in a neat bob cut. She had brown hair and green eyes, which didn''t like the standard of Japanese from Rio''s original world. She was wearing a cream-colored business suit. That and her child-like appearance gave a sense of incongruity, or at least, Rio thought so. But, a part of Rio''s mind acknowledged that this youthful teacher was quite good-looking. No, the correct word was exotic. Rio saw that Japanese women were exotic. But, it was not enough to move Rio''s heart. He wasn''t into a woman with a child-like body, after all.


    Rio realized that this teacher didn''t obtain respect from her students. He saw the students that were looking in her direction with warm eyes as if they were watching their young relative, a little sibling or younger cousin perhaps, who was trying her best in doing something. It was truly disrespectful behavior. Even so, Rio kept his silence and watched everything advanced. He didn''t want to draw attention to himself again after what happened before. Besides, he knew what would happen next. And his thought became real as Ishtar opened his mouth the next moment.


    "I understand your feelings, however... I am unable to return you to your world at present."


    The moment Ishtar ended his declaration, silence filled the room. The oppressive atmosphere was felt by everyone present. They all stared at Ishtar blankly, unable to properly process what he had just said. Rio was the only one who didn''t show such a face, but he lowered his head and hid his indifferent expression.


    "Wh-What do you mean... you''re unable!? If you called us here, you should be able to send us back, shouldn''t you!?"


    Rio heard Aiko''s loud scream. He raised his head slightly and watched the short exchange between Aiko and Ishtar with rapt attention.


    "As I stated earlier, it is Lord Ehit who summoned you here. The only reason we were in that room at all was to greet you heroes, and to offer up our prayers to Lord Ehit. We humans do not possess the power to interfere with other worlds, so whether or not you can return also depends on His will."


    "N-No way..." Saying that Aiko slumped back into her chair, all the strength drained out of her. The other students all started yelling as the truth of Ishtar''s words sank in.


    "You''ve gotta be kidding me? What do you mean we can''t go back!?"


    "You can''t do this! Please, just send us back somehow!"


    "A war!? You can''t be serious! Take us the f.u.c.k back right now!"


    "This can''t be happening, this can''t be happening, this can''t be happening..."


    As the students fell into a panic, Rio was still indifferent, left forgotten. Sitting next to Rio, Hajime was shaken by this development as well, but his reaction was not as bad as the rest of the students. Rio finally spared his attention at Ishtar who said nothing and silently watched on as all of the students panicked. Though Ishtar was silent, Rio could see contempt hidden within the depths of the old man''s eyes.


    Finally, a brown-haired pretty boy with a good figure stood up amidst the hysterical group of students and slammed his fist down onto the table with a bang. That managed to get the attention of most of the kids. Once he had confirmed that everyone''s eyes were on him, he began speaking.


    "Everyone, there''s no point in complaining to Ishtar. There''s nothing he can do about it now. And... And I, at least, have decided to stand and fight. These people are about to be annihilated. Knowing that, how can I possibly leave them to such a tragic fate? And besides, if we''ve been summoned here to save humanity, it''s possible we''ll be allowed to go back once we''ve saved them... Well, Mister Ishtar? Do you think that''s possible?"


    Rio finally realized that this boy was Kouki Amanogawa. His self-righteous speech was a dead giveaway. He was speechless at Kouki''s declaration and thought that this boy''s mental sickness was worse than the novel portrayed it. ''Did he not realize what ''war'' means?'' Rio wondered silently as he viewed Kouki in perplexity. Even Rio who lived in a peaceful country knows the cruelty of war from footage and videos. He stopped his train of thought when Kouki and Ishtar began exchanging a short talk.


    "It is as you say. Lord Ehit is not so unkind that he would ignore a request from his chosen heroes."


    "And we''ve all gained some amazing powers, right? Ever since I arrived here, it''s felt like I''ve somehow grown way stronger."


    "Yes, that is correct. It would be safe to assume that each of you has the equivalent strength of anywhere from a few to a few dozen regular men."


    "Alright, then we should be fine. I''m going to fight. If we save everyone, then we can go home. So just you watch! I''m going to save everyone, including us!" Kouki clenched his fists tightly as he proclaimed his noble intentions, flashing an almost sickeningly dazzling smile at the end.


    When Rio saw that, he had a sudden urge to punch Kouki''s face. Kouki''s face was just punchable when he smiled like that!

 Chapter 6 - The Heros Group

    Right after Kouki ended his speech with his sickeningly dazzling smile, the dark-haired, burly boy and two pretty girls sitting near to his location followed up.


    "Heh, knew you''d say that. Still, I''d be worried about letting you go off on your own... Which is why I''m coming with you."


    This declaration came from the mouth of Ryutarou Sakagami. He was Kouki''s best friend. He had short, trimmed black hair and a gaze that seemed at once both cheerful and stern. He stood 190 centimeters tall and had a massive, bear-like frame. As his build suggested, he was a musclehead who didn''t have much delicacy.


    "Looks like that''s the only choice we have right now. It pisses me off that we don''t get any real say in the matter, but... I''ll help too."


    The speaker was standing at the same height as Rio, a good deal taller than most of the other female students in the room. She had pitch-black hair tied into a ponytail. That, combined with her well-built body, made her seem like a dignified noblewoman, a female Knight, or Samurai. This girl was Shizuku Yaegashi.


    "I-If Shizuku''s going to fight, then I will too!"


    Rio turned at the speaker and finally saw the last member of Kouki''s group¡ªKaori Shirasaki. She was beautiful enough to be considered a goddess by many. She had sleek, black hair that went all the way down to her waist, and large alluring eyes filled with kindness. Her small nose sat perfectly upon her face, and her pink lips were the epitome of perfection. Her figure was voluptuous for a girl at her age. Overall, she was a perfect beauty.


    Although Rio had the ambition to create a harem, Shizuku and Kaori weren''t registered in his eyes, however. As a matter of fact, he didn''t want to add the students and the teacher into his harem. For the time being, he had four targets already, and they were the members of Hajime''s harem who originated from this world in the canon timeline.


    Although he planned to get them, who were in Hajime''s harem in canon timeline, Rio surprisingly didn''t have Netori fetish. Then, what about his plan for picking them? Well, It isn''t called Netori when they had yet to fall in love with Hajime. They are still single without any interest to a man, excluding the MILF Dagon, but it''s irrelevant since she was a widow for a long time already, so calling it Netori is wrong in and of itself.


    It will become Netori if as the example, Rio stole the Golden Vampire after Hajime fell in love with her. But, then again, Rio wouldn''t allow it for happening. As a matter of fact, Rio wanted to return Hajime and his class back to his original world as soon as possible. But, before he could do it, he must find out whether God really gave him unlimited mana and the power to create all the skills and abilities he wanted or not.


    To tell you the truth, Rio was very anxious about this. He didn''t know what would happen to him if God tricked him and gave him nothing after dumping him here. If his second and third wishes weren''t granted, Rio planned to do what Hajime in the canon had done. He would get his hand on God''s Crystal and increased his power the hard way. He expected it would be full of misery and agony, but he would do anything to get peerless strength and a harem of beauties.


    Since the students had chosen to assist the humans in their war, they now needed to learn how to fight. No matter how amazing their newfound powers were, they were still high school students that had been living in the peaceful country of Japan. It would''ve been impossible for them to just start fighting against demons and monsters without any training. At this point, Kouki who had agreed to join the humans of Tortus in their war recalled about Rio''s existence. He felt bad that he had dragged this stranger to this problem, and so he apologized to Rio and had a small conversation to know about him better.


    Rio entertained Kouki''s curiosity and answered some of his questions while gave "No comment!" to the rest.


    Afterward, Ishtar explained to the students, the single teacher, and Rio that there were people ready to receive them in the Heiligh Kingdom. Said kingdom was apparently at the foot of the divine mountain, and the temple they were currently in was the head temple of the Holy Church that stood at its summit.


    The kingdom had very close ties with the Holy Church ¡ª according to legend, one of Ehit''s progeny, Sharam Vaan, had founded the kingdom. Of all the human kingdoms, it was apparently the one with the ric.h.e.s.t history. The fact that the Church''s most sacred temple was in the kingdom''s backyard spoke volumes about how deep their connection ran.


    Rio and Hajime''s class then followed after Ishtar who led them towards the temple''s front gate.

 Chapter 7 - Settling in the Heiligh Kingdom

    Rio and the others headed for the temple''s front gate. They were about to embark on their journey to the kingdom below. As they walked through the grand triumphal arcs that comprised the main gate of the temple, they were greeted by an endless sea of clouds. Rio was aware that they were in high altitude, but the rest didn''t. Because no one had suffered from altitude sickness, they hadn''t realized they''d been up so high up.


    They all, Rio included, stood in wonder as they stared at the clear blue sky and the waves of clouds sparkling in the sunlight. It was only natural for them to gawk like that. It was an amazing sight and a novel experience for everyone.


    As they made their way forward, they came upon a massive white circular pedestal that was surrounded by a fence. They walked through a lavish hallway made of the same white stone as the cathedral and stepped up onto the pedestal. Engraved within the stone of the pedestal was a large magic circle. On the other side of the fence lay a steep drop to the clouds below, so everyone huddled close to the center of the pedestal. But they were unable to restrain their curiosity, and timidly glanced around their surroundings despite their fear. As they were looking around, Ishtar began to chant,


    "{Faith is the key that opens the road to heaven ¡ª Celestial Path.}"


    The magic circle began emitting a blinding light as he finished chanting. The entire pedestal began gliding down toward the ground as if attached to some invisible cable. It appeared that Ishtar''s chant had been an activation signal of sorts. It functioned exactly like a fantasy cable car. The students all started clamoring excitedly as they saw their first display of magic. There was quite the ruckus when they passed through the sea of clouds too. Meanwhile, Rio tried to maintain his indifference, but he found that it was very hard to stay aloof. He kept glancing around with eyes full of amazement.


    Once on the other side, they could finally make out the ground below. Directly below them was a huge city, or rather a small kingdom. A huge castle that looked as if it were jutting out of the mountainside lay at its center, with the rest of the city spreading outward in a circle. The capital city of Heiligh. The magical cable car seemingly ran from the Holy Church down to the roof of one of the castle''s towers via some aerial pathway.


    As the outline of the capital grew more detailed, Rio finally discovered the uneasiness in the face of Hajime who had been standing next to him. He had an idea as to why the protagonist was this uneasy. But, he decided to put his mind to the rest after a few moments.


    The moment they landed atop the royal palace, Rio and the others were escorted to the throne room. The hallways they passed on their way were every bit as ostentatious as the temple had been. Along the way, they passed by knights, servants, maids, and government officials. Everyone who passed gazed at them with a mixture of awe and wonder. It seemed that most people were aware of who they were. The Apostles of God.


    Before long, with Ishtar leading them, they finally found themselves standing before a pair of massive double doors, into which numerous beautiful designs had been engraved. Two guards were standing at attention on either side of the door, and they loudly announced the group''s arrival to the royal family who was waiting within. Then, without waiting for a reply, they swung the doors open.


    Ishtar leisurely passed through the entrance, clearly at ease. All of the students timidly followed behind him, with the exception of Kouki and his friends, as well as Rio at the furthest back of the procession, who were seemingly unaffected by the splendor surrounding them.


    Within the room stretched a long red carpet that ended at the far wall. At its end lay a magnificent chair ¡ª or rather throne. Standing in front of the throne was a middle-aged man who radiated an aura of solemn dignity. He looked like an old Caucasian doing a play as a king, but he was actually the king of this kingdom. Next to him was the queen, and next to her were a boy and a girl, both with blond hair and striking blue eyes. The boy, who was the younger of the two, seemed no more than ten years old, while the girl must have been around fifteen. On the left side of the carpet was a line of soldiers, all clad in armor and uniform. On the right, a line of civil officers. Altogether, there were probably around thirty people waiting in the room.


    Once they were directly before the throne, Ishtar left the students and went to stand beside the king. He then proffered his hand to the king, who took it reverently and kissed it with the slightest brush of his lips. It looked like the pope was even more important than the king. A flurry of self-introductions followed after that. The king''s name was Eliheid S. B. Heiligh, and his wife the queen was called Luluaria. The blond boy was the prince Lundel, and the girl; Princess Liliana.


    After the introduction of the knight captain, the introductions finished, and a huge feast was laid out and they were able to enjoy the dishes of another world. Though, for the most part, it wasn''t very different from western food back on two different Earth''s Iterations of Rio and the students.


    After they finished their meal, Rio and the others were introduced to the instructors they would be training with in return for being clothed and fed by the palace. Their instructors had been chosen from the ranks of active duty knights and court magicians. The king probably wanted to strengthen the relationship between the students and his kingdom for the inevitable war to come.


    Once dinner and introductions were finished, everyone was led to their own individual rooms. Rio was certain he wasn''t the only one who was dumbstruck by the huge canopy bed he found in his room. The room was so luxurious that he couldn''t fully relax despite he''d already experienced quite the hectic day, more than the summoned students and a teacher.


    Since he couldn''t sleep, Rio decided to try out sensing his mana, or at least, finding a way to sense it.

 Chapter 8 - Unlimited Mana

    Having made up his mind, Rio sat cross-legged in his bed, rested his palms on his knees, and closed his eyes. He started meditating following the meditation technique of the martial art he had been practicing for six years.


    The next content will stray off of the story a bit, but it will explain about some of Rio''s mysterious past. Anyway, when Rio was in his seventh grade, Rio had decided to enroll in a martial art extracurricular class. He tried that because he thought it was cool, but he never thought that he would get into it and kept practicing until his twelfth grade. And speaking of this martial art, Rio actually learned Kung Fu, or to be precise Wushu. He had arrived in Blue Belt.


    After calming his mind from unnecessary thoughts, Rio finally settled in the perfect mood for meditation. He controlled his breath, inhaling softly from his nose before exhaling through his slightly parted lips. He focused into his body, his steady heartbeat, and the faint feeling of blood rushing in his blood''s vessels. He was trying to find out the mana in his body.


    After a while, Rio couldn''t find the whereabouts of his mana and became anxious. At this point, he thought that God had tricked him and ignored his second and third wishes. When Rio was almost giving up, he suddenly fell into a stupor. He was experiencing out of the world sensation he couldn''t describe properly in words.


    In the state of half-awake and half-sleeping, Rio found himself in a mysterious place. It had a black background and there was countless helix-shaped construct in blood-red color. Rio pondered his current whereabouts and believed he was in a metaphysical place where he could access the source of his mana. He believed in this conjunction because of what he did before he arrived in this mysterious place.


    Rio soon dismissed his unnecessary thoughts and checked his body. When he checked his body, he discovered that he was a bit see-through, like a ghost. Also, he was n.a.k.e.d.


    Rio looked around after inspecting his body, and something at the edge of his vision grabbed his attention. He turned in that direction.


    Rio saw a small sun, for the lack of better terms, floating amidst the forest of helix-shaped constructs. This small sun was gray¡ªno, Rio corrected his assumption. The color was actually platinum, not gray nor silver.


    Feeling curious Rio urged his body towards the small sun. Surprisingly, his body flew in the direction of the small sun. As he became closer, he felt a mixture of anticipation, curiosity, and apprehension.


    A few moments later, Rio stopped right before the small sun. Rio finally discovered the true nature of this sun, and it was no sun. It was actually an orb that contained swirling cloudy white liquid. When Rio saw it, he made a funny face. The content of this orb looks like swirling, glowing s.p.e.r.m. Thus, the origin of his funny expression.


    Rio shook his head and dismissed those unnecessary thoughts. It was not the time to joke around, he reprimanded himself silently. He inspected the glowing orb for a short while before moving up his right hand towards the orb.


    The moment he touched the orb, Rio felt warmth he couldn''t describe properly in words. Right after that, he felt his heartbeat quickening, pumping blood and something else into his entire body.


    This something else made him feel comfortable and empowered. He felt energized as if he had consumed doping drugs that made him excited and full of vigor. At this point, Rio finally realized this orb was the source of his mana, and the swirling liquid inside this orb was the manifestation of his mana. Because of the amount of mana he had, it looks like liquid and not gaseous substance.


    Rio was curious about the amount of mana he had in this magic core¡ªhe had given the orb that improvisational name¡ªand tried to sense the inside of the orb. However, Rio quickly regretted his action.


    The moment his consciousness submerged inside the orb, Rio felt as if he was drowned in the bottomless ocean in which the water was rushing and swirling furiously. His body was being pressured by the endless amount of the liquefied magic energy around him. He was not sure if this amount was enough to be called ''limitless'', but he understood that he had an absurd amount of mana within his magic core.


    Rio pulled back his consciousness in a hurry and gasped. He had stopped his meditation and returned back to his personal room. However, there was something different with him at this point. His body was currently outlined with platinum light.


    While this out of world phenomenon happened with him, Rio felt a powerful stream of energy from his heart, spreading into every inch of his body. With the passing second, the rush of energy increased. And following the intensity of his galloping mana, the platinum light around him became stronger.


    Rio realized that he had lost control of his own mana. He recognized the danger he was in. If he didn''t find a way to control his insane amount of mana in the next few seconds, the absurd amount of his mana would alert everyone¡ªeven Ehit¡ªand he wouldn''t allow that to happen.


    Since Rio discovered that his second wish to that God had been granted, he had the confidence that his last wish had been granted too. Therefore, Rio tried to trigger off his third wish, the power to create any skill/ability he wants. However, Rio didn''t know how he could activate this ability.


    Amidst his desperation, he strongly wished that his third wish to God would activate. At this point, the platinum light outlining his body had become brighter to the point of Rio''s feeling the oppressive pressure from his own mana. It didn''t harm him or hampered his mobility, but it freaked him out. He wanted to control his uncontrolled mana before his condition became worse. He didn''t want to get Ehit''s attention this soon.


    Unbeknownst by Rio, his oppressive mana had affected his neighbors. It knocked the residents of a few rooms close to his, some even frothing like overdose victims. At least, only two rooms next to his and other three rooms in front of his were covered by his oppressive mana. This accident didn''t spread to the whole castle¡ªor the whole kingdom at worst, but it would still create some problems in the next morning. Anyway, it was a topic for another time.

 Chapter 9 - Absolute Mana Control

    After strongly desiring for the ability to control his rampaging mana, Rio felt something clicked in his mind. Soon, knowledge and experience he didn''t have appeared in his mind. It popped up like that and it made Rio dumbstruck. His reaction was delayed for a second due to surprise.


    After recovering from his shock, he used the new knowledge in his mind to control his rampaging mana, and soon, Rio could stop his mana from leaking out of his magic core. The platinum light and oppressive sensation from his mana disappeared as if the previous scene had never happened. Rio heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Was that my third wish ¡ª the power to create all skills and abilities ¡ª activated?" Rio asked himself softly. He remembered the sudden influx of knowledge, information, and even experience that were not his suddenly appeared in his mind. "Let''s try it once again. This time, imagine something like a system to keep the progress of my skills and stats."


    Rio closed his eyes and focused on his d.e.s.i.r.e. He d.e.s.i.r.ed a simple system that only he alone could see to keep the progress of his power. The next moment, something clicked in his mind and he saw a holographic rectangular blue screen in the darkness. He was still closing his eyes and seeing darkness in that state. The sudden appearance of the holographic scene surprised him and he opened his eyes due to his surprise. He saw nothing like a holographic screen when he opened his eyes.


    "Was that only my imagination?"


    Rio frowned deeply and soon he closed his eyes again. The moment he closed his eyes, he saw that screen in the darkness. This time, he didn''t open his eyes and focused on the content written on the screen.


    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª


    Rio Kevin | 18 years old | Male | Level: 1


    Job: Sorcerer


    Strength: 10


    Defense: 10


    Vitality: 10


    Agility: 10


    Magic: Error


    Magic Defense: 10


    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª


    Rio opened his eyes and sunk deep in thought. He was surprised that the simple system he wanted was like the status plate in this world but not for long. He changed the subject of his pondering to his stats. They were the standard 10, but his Magic was written as ''Error''. For skills, he had 5 skills and one derivative skill listed in skill column.


    "So, that orb is not a magic core. It is actually a magic generator. Still, a Perpetual Magic Generator, huh? This is how God granted my second wish, I suppose."


    Rio was amazed by the cleverness of God who sent him here. Giving him a perpetual magic generator is similar to giving him unlimited magic energy. However, Rio became curious about whether his body could support the abnormal output of his endless magic at once.


    "Well, it is most likely that I will explode if I unleash all my mana in a single burst. I am so glad that I created Absolute Magic Control ability." Rio smiled wryly. At the same time, a bead of sweat trickled down to his left cheek from his left temple. Rio had realized if he didn''t have his third wish or was late in creating his Absolute Magic Control skill, he would burst out like an overfilled balloon. Forget about alerting Ehit. He would burst out into chunks of meats and splatter of blood and innards if he couldn''t control his unlimited mana properly. He would die first before he could grab Ehit''s attention.


    Rio finally realized how he was close to death. He almost died again after he died in less than a day. If he died again, he wouldn''t have the chance to be resurrected again. After all, if he died the second time, it was not because of God''s mistake and there was no third chance for him.


    This incident was like a wake-up slap for Rio. He had thought he was very clever when he asked unlimited mana + power to create skills/ability combo, but he discovered that it had a flaw. The flaw was his fragile body. In the end, he must be careful to not release his mana beyond his body''s endurance.


    "I need to raise my other stats as soon as possible. It will become a problem if my body can not support my mana output when the time calls for it."


    "I need to create a mental switch to use this power with ease..."


    Rio went on with his plan and focused his mental effort to create the skill he d.e.s.i.r.ed. After a few moments, he sensed the familiar sensation in his mind ¡ª something clicked in his mind. He had become familiar after experiencing it twice.


    When Rio checked his information with Self-Appraisal, he discovered a derivative Mental Switch right after Skill Creation. He then wanted to look into the effect of his new derivative skill.


    When he used his new mental switch and lightly wished for a new skill, Rio experienced the familiar sensation of a skill''s being created in his mind. He looked into his status and saw Elemental Magic Affinity had been added into skill column. Rio realized that he had succeeded.


    Looking into his status, Rio felt excitement and anticipation. He could create any skill he wishes easily now. Since he didn''t feel sleepy, he decided to create some skills he deemed important for the time being. He remembered that early in the morning, he and the other summoned students + a loli teacher would receive their status plate. He must prepare himself for that moment.

 Chapter 10 - One-Night Growth

    Several hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the roosters had started their daily orc.h.e.s.tra early in the morning¡­


    "I''m too tired because I skipped my sleep. *Sigh*"


    Rio heaved a tired sigh as he climbed down his bed and walked up to the dresser with a mirror on it. When he stopped before it, he looked into his reflection and saw his face, which was full of exhaustion. "I need to get rid of this exhaustion because today will be the first day of training with the knights and court magicians," Rio mumbled under his breath before closing his eyes. He then flipped the switch in his mind to turn on his Skill Creation.


    After his Skill Creation was triggered off, he wished for a skill that could get rid of his exhaustion. And the next moment, he sensed the sign of the skill''s created. What left was to check it using his Self-Appraisal.


    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª


    Rio Kevin | 18 years old | Male | Level: 1


    Job: Sorcerer


    Defense: 110¡ï


    Vitality: 110¡ï


    Agility: 110¡ï


    Magic: 100¡ï


    Magic Defense: 110¡ï


    Skills: Perpetual Magic Generator ¡ª Skill Creation [+ Mental Switch] ¡ª Appraisal [+ Self-Appraisal] [+ Subject Appraisal] [+ Object Appraisal] ¡ª Absolute Magic Control [+ Nine Seals] [+ No-Chant] [+ Instant Spell-Casting] [+ Parallel Spell-Casting] [+ Create Mana Construct] ¡ª Elemental Magic Affinity [+ Elemental Transcended Mastery] [+ Elemental Damage Resistance] [+ Elemental Damage Absorption] ¡ª Healing Magic [+ Heal] [+ Cure Disease] [+ Dispel Curse] [+ Regeneration] [+ Field Heal] ¡ª Barrier Magic [+ Timed Barrier] [+ Flexible Barrier] [+ Absolute Barrier] ¡ª Magic Conversion [+ Passive Conversion] [+ Strength] [+ Defense] [+ Vitality] [+ Agility] [+ Magic Defense] [+ Stamina]¡ï ¡ª Thought Acceleration [+ Parallel Thinking] ¡ª Auto Regeneration [+ Pain Control] ¡ª Clairvoyance ¡ª Detect [+ Magic] [+ Presence] [+ Heat] [+ Smell] [+ Bloodl.u.s.t] ¡ª Hide [+ Magic] [+ Presence] [+ Heat] [+ Smell] ¡ª All-Weapons Transcended Mastery ¡ª Unarmed Combat Transcended Mastery ¡ª Armor Transcended Mastery ¡ª Physical Damage Resistance [+ Physical Damage Absorption] ¡ª Farsight ¡ª Night Vision ¡ª Heat Vision ¡ª Creation Magic ¡ª Metamorphosis Magic ¡ª Heavenly Body Magic ¡ª Spirit Magic ¡ª Time Magic ¡ª Space Magic ¡ª Evolution Magic ¡ª Power of Destruction ¡ª Imagine Breaker ¡ª Anti-Possession ¡ª Language Comprehension


    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª


    If you see Rio''s stats, you must feel curious about their sudden sharp increase until they rival the stats of certain stupid hero who slept in another room in the same castle Rio was located. Furthermore, his Magic was not filled with ''Error'' anymore and there were stars after his stats value.


    The reason behind this change was Rio''s Mana Conversion skill. His mana was passively enhancing his other stats, but since his Magic was affected by Nine Seals derivative skills, he could only release his mana up to enhance his other stats value passively and leaving enough mana to be quantified into 100 points of Magic value.


    As an aside, Nine Seals was certainly a name with eight grader syndrome flavor, but this skill was actually very useful. At this point, all nine seals were sealing Rio''s magic generator, leaving it with small leeway to leak out magic juice to raise up his other stats by 100 and set his Magic to 100. With this skill limiting the output of Rio''s perpetually generated mana, he didn''t to be scared that his mana would slip out of control in anger ¡ª because Absolute Magic Control was still flawed and in extreme emotional state, he would just unleash his magic indiscriminately ¡ª and destroyed the whole continent in an accident. This world only had a single mega continent, and if he accidentally destroyed this continent, this world would be inhabitable for everyone but aquatic monsters, devils, and Dagons.


    When Rio released the first seal, his stats would get raised by 1000. With every seal released, his stats will get additional zero in their value, and it continued until the eight seals, which allowed him to have 10,000,000,000 stats value. When the ninth seal was released, Rio''s magic generator would release his unlimited mana in full throttle. Simultaneously, his unlimited mana will be conversed to unlimited stats value for his other stats, giving him unlimited stats.


    In short, Rio was already an illimitable monster, but he wouldn''t be able to control that power unless he created a skill for it, which can be created at any time. He was just procrastinating!


    Other than those interesting tricks, he also created some skills like Elemental Magic Affinity and its derivation. And this skill included all seven known elements in Tortus ¡ª Fire, Water/Ice, Lightning, Wind, Earth, Light/Holy and Darkness. For the derivative skills, the name itself was enough explanation.


    The rest of the skills were also easy to understand since their names gave out what they would do. There were also the skills Rio had shamelessly ripped off of a certain blond-haired vampire ¡ª Auto Regeneration and its derivative skill ¡ª and a certain rabbit girl ¡ª Clairvoyance to see a few seconds in the future and a random vision in a far future when the skill triggered off.


    For the Mastery type skill, there was a Transcended appendage in their names, which meant those skills gave Rio''s correctional effect up to the level beyond humanity''s limits. And what kind of concept was that? Have you ever read Fate/Apocrypha novels, or watched the anime adaptation? Anyhow, there was a character called Saber of Black, whose true identity is Siegfried from Nordic Myth. Yes, that Siegfried who slew evil dragon Fafnir.


    It was stated that Siegfried''s swordsmanship had achieved the realm beyond humanity''s limits. Now, imagine that kind of skill but in handling all weapons and armors and in unarmed combat instead, and so you got the true worth of the Mastery type skill with a Transcended appendage in their names.


    Basically, Rio had the knowledge and experience to use all weapons and armors and fight unarmed with the skill beyond human''s limits. In short, anyone who fought in close range against Rio is f*cked with capital ''F''.


    Furthermore, Rio had even recreated some special magicks from Arifureta canon materials like the magic of Seven Liberators ¡ª because frankly, he deemed them overpowered and must own as soon as possible. Other than those overpowered seven magicks, he also recreated Power of Destruction of Bael Devil Clan from High School DxD franchise. For Imagine Breaker, it was a skill that nullified all magicks. Basically, it was a copy of the true Imagine Breaker of Touma Kamijou from A Certain Magical Index series. Lastly, there was Anti-Possession, which strictly speaking, Rio created it to be a contingency against Ehit when they set their eyes on him.


    Anyhow¡­


    Since his Mana Conversion had Passive Conversion derivative skill, he didn''t need to trigger it off manually. Rio could feel his mana recharging his cells, his exhaustion dissipating quickly. And in a span of a few seconds, Rio felt refreshed as if he just woke up from a deep sleep.


    Rio checked his reflection in the mirror and nodded his assent. He didn''t seem like a sleep-deprived person anymore. Afterward, Rio decided to get a quick shower and then went for a quick stroll around before the time to meet up for receiving status plate arrived.


    When he entered the private bathroom that connected to his personal room, a question related to his latest skill flashed in mind.


    ''Will not I am able to get tired after having s.e.x if my unlimited mana converses to stamina all times?'' Such a crazy thought popped up in Rio''s mind and he couldn''t help but feel very curious and wish to find out the answer. Too bad, he had no partner to find out the answer for his intriguing question.

 Chapter 11 - The Maid Called Liselotte

    After having a quick shower, Rio left his room and saw a young maid in the corridor. She had a cute Caucasian face and light blue hair that was cut above her shoulders. She was wearing the standard maid''s attire, not the s.e.x.u.a.lized maid''s attire you could find in maid caf¨¦ in Japan but an actual and proper maid''s uniform with a long skirt and conservative look. Rio estimated her age around 16 to 17 years old.


    Rio approached the maid. When he was close enough, he called out the maid who was still busy cleaning the window.


    "Excuse me..."


    When the maid finally realized his presence, she jerked and turned at him. Her complexion became pale before bowing deeply. She apologized in a stutter.


    "Lo-Lord Hero! Please, forgive this lowly servant for not realizing your presence soon!"


    Rio made a funny expression when he saw the maid''s behavior. He knew that the culture of this world was that of medieval Europe, and social caste was no joke. A slight from a common-born against someone with a higher standing could end up with the death of the common-born from beheading, but it was very strange when Rio experienced it first hand. Rio soon recovered from his bewilderment and stopped the maid from apologizing profusely.


    "Ah, please stop! Don''t worry! I am not offended. Really. Besides, you''re in the middle of your job, were you not? It''s me who interrupted you suddenly that is at fault."


    "No way! Lord Hero is not at fault! There is no way a Hero, the apostle of the blessed lord, Ehit, will make a mistake! In the end, it is this lowly maid''s fault! Please, I will do anything to amend my slight upon Lord Hero!"


    The maid implored with an anxious expression. When she said such suggestive words with that kind of expression, it was hard to keep his expression straight, and Rio was struggling to keep his impure thought from appearing in his face.


    The maid before him was cute ¡ª good-looking and above standard. As much as Rio wanted to take advantage of this maid''s offer and unleashed his pent up s.e.x.u.a.l frustration ¡ª which failed to be unleashed on Rio''s former girlfriend in his original world before God accidentally killed him ¡ª on her, Rio forcefully calmed his d.e.s.i.r.e. He remembered how maids were gossipers in some stories he''d read and old dramas he''d watched. Not only maids but the women who lived in the medieval era were mostly gossipers because of the minimum entertainment.


    In the end, Rio dropped his plan for dragging this maid into his room and mount her in his bed until she m.o.a.n.e.d her name with full ahegao expression. Of course, he could use Spirit Magic to control her mind or create Slavery Magic to give her an absolute order to keep it as secret, but like with Netori, Rio felt that it would leave a bad taste in his mouth. So, it was a big ''no'' to slave-harem or mind-controlled harem. Besides, he had the confidence with his skill in picking up girls he d.e.s.i.r.ed. He was conscious of his above-average appearance, after all.


    "Well, if you truly wish to make an amend, then would you mind to escort me around? I''m about to have a quick stroll, but I am not familiar with this place." Rio proclaimed with what he dubbed as his lady-killer smile. It was a faint and soft smile full of warmth he had trained in front of a mirror for months!


    When the young maid heard that, she gawked at Rio but soon recovered and beamed in Rio''s direction. From how honest her action was, Rio finally realized that her earlier offer to do anything to make amend didn''t have any suggestive message. She was a pure and honest girl who wanted to earn Rio''s forgiveness through pure and honest means. It was just that Rio''s mind was very rotten and always in the gutter. He thought that the maid before him had slipped a suggestive message on her offer to get a favor from one of God''s Apostles. When he realized his misunderstanding, Rio felt very awkward. But, he maintained his indifferent mask successfully.


    "But... Uh, pardon me, Lord Hero, would you mind if I inform my senior maids about this first? I am afraid that I will receive their scoldings if I skip my job. It is unbecoming of a maid-in-training to skip her job."


    "Very well, how about we seek out a senior maid together while you guide me around? It will be hitting two birds with a single stone."


    "Ah, of course! That is an acceptable idea! Very well, please follow me, Lord Hero!"


    The maid bowed in courtesy and spread out one of her hands towards the empty path in the corridor while her other hand was resting on her c.h.e.s.t, right above the slight bulges covered by her dress and apron. She lowered her posture and dipped down her head slightly. Rio couldn''t help but feel amazed by her skilled and refined movement. Her etiquette skill was top notch.


    Before Rio took a step forward, he remembered something. He then turned at the maid who was still doing her courtesy and asked, "Anyhow, I have not introduced myself. You can call me Rio. Would you mind to tell me your name?"


    The maid raised her head slightly while maintaining her posture. She blinked her eyes in bewilderment for a few moments before beaming at him with closed eyes.


    "My name is Liselotte, but you may call me Lissy, Lord Hero. It is my honor to be of use for your holiness."


    When Rio heard her name, he heaved a sigh of amazement. ''Not only she is easy in the eyes, but she''s well mannered too,'' Rio thought.


    Afterward, they walked together and sought the senior maid to report the sudden change in Lissy''s schedule, and along the way, she explained some locations in the castle to the interested Rio.


    Before long, a few hours passed. Rio and Liselotte were near the training field where the students were training.


    "Thank you for escorting me around, Liselotte."


    "No! It is my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to be of use for Sir Rio. Are you sure not to have a simple breakfast first? Won''t it be bad if you do not fill your stomach before training?"


    "No need. Once again, thank you for your kindness, Liselotte."


    "It is my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, Sir Rio."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Hahaha!"


    "Hehe~?"


    Rio and Liselotte stopped their exchange for a moment due to the loop in their conversation before breaking into joyful laughter. They had been strolling together, though it was mostly Liselotte guiding Rio around to get familiar with his new surroundings.


    In the course of one hour and a half, they had become quite close. Not close enough to create a romantic feeling blossoming in Liselotte''s maiden heart, but it was enough to leave a good impression in the pure and honest maid.


    Meanwhile, Rio had marked Liselotte as another target of his. He felt comfortable around this well-mannered girl. He was amazed by her etiquette and conversational skill despite her status as a commoner. Well, Rio had used Subject Appraisal on her and was surprised to discover that she was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage that was sponsored by the kingdom and the Holy Church.


    As an aside, the children who grew up in this kind of establishment will be scouted as servants or soldiers by the kingdom, but if the children had the aptitude for holy magic, they will get scouted by Holy Church instead.


    Liselotte had been working in the castle since she was 12 years old, and at that time, she had started as an apprentice. Currently, she was approaching her 17. She''d been working as a maid for a long five years. It was only natural if she was proficient with housework, which was one of many reasons why Rio d.e.s.i.r.ed her. After all, Rio''s skill for housework was below average.


    "Ah, well, sorry to cut our pleasant time together short. It is a shame. I really enjoy our time together despite it was very short."


    "No, no, no. I have been enjoying our time together despite it was short, Sir Rio. I am truly grateful for your kindness. Anyway, you need to go to the training field soon. Sir Rio is already late..."


    "Very well, and may our paths intersect once again, Liselotte."


    "It will be my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to accompany you once again in the future, Sir Rio."


    As he got farther from Liselotte, Rio could feel her eyes lingering on his back until he disappeared around the corner. Inwardly, Rio was smirking smugly. He was so sure that he had left a good impression in the mind of that innocent and pure young lady.

 Chapter 12 - Late Arrival for Training

    Rio quickened his pace and he arrived in the training field before long. When he arrived, he saw Kouki had a sheepish yet pleased smile when the armored Knight-Captain saying something to him. Rio''s sharp eyesight due to his skill caught a small twelve-centimeter by seven-centimeter silver plate in his hand. Rio understood that he was already late and it seems Kouki''s hero''s stats had come to light.


    Well, it wasn''t his problem. He had a pleasant time with a lovely young lady and he deemed his lateness worthy as a sacrifice to get know better someone as lovely as Liselotte, who despite her loveliness didn''t have significant involvement with canon nor make appearance whatsoever.


    As Rio approached the group, his arrival grabbed their attention. The Knight Captain, whose name was Meld-something, and Kouki caught the sight of the approaching Rio first because they were facing in his direction while the other students were showing off their back to him.


    Before long, his arrival got known by everyone and they looked at him with a curious, wary or contemptuous look. For the curious and wary look, it was only normal they had that because Rio was a stranger to them. They never met him before. They only knew him after he summoning ritual that transferred them to Tortus from their version of Earth. Meanwhile, those contemptuous looks came from a few boys who were led by a boy with long, reddish-brown hair. They seemed to dislike Rio because of his status as a Gaijin¡ªforeigner¡ªand how Rio acted aloof all the times. These boys were no other than Daisuke Hayama and his thuggish group.


    Rio didn''t even spare a glance at them, but if they dared to provoke him, Rio swore he would unleash hell upon them. Consequence be damned!


    "You came finally! Were you lost?" Captain Meld asked loudly. There was no ill intent behind his question, only honest curiosity.


    Rio finally stopped before him and Kouki, and after giving a short nod of acknowledgment to Kouki, Rio bowed in apology towards Captain Meld. Also, he told the truth. He''d strolled around the castle to sightseeing. "I apologize for my tardiness. I was strolling around the castle to familiarize myself with my new surroundings."


    "Is that so? Anyway, you came after I gave an explanation about the status plate. By the way, here, this is your status plate." Captain Meld handed over the last status plate towards Rio who accepted it silently. He feigned a confused expression when he accepted the small plate.


    "Rio, that artifact is something to check our status. Anyway, artifacts are..." The ever-helpful and deluded wannabe hero began explaining about what were artifacts, what was a status plate, and what was status. It was basically similar to the canon materials Rio knew intimately. Yet, Rio feigned his attention when Kouki helped him to understand the status plate better.


    They looked amicable towards each other, and Rio knew why Kouki acted like that around a stranger like him while the rest were wary and curious of him.


    Why Kouki was like this? It was in his nature to be unable to see the bad in humanity. Because of the unfinished and incomplete teaching of his late grandfather, who had been an attorney, Kouki''s sense of justice was flawed and twisted. He believed that nobody was a bad person and if there was a bad person, they just need help before they can see true justice. His late grandfather could only teach him the good in humanity, but before he could teach the evil humans could commit, he died. It was the cause of Kouki''s flawed justice.


    That kind of belief was truly flawed because of human nature who could be very sinful to the point of overly disgusting and rotten. The so-called trashy trash, which was better ceased to exist than wasting resources around him.


    Though Rio knew about Kouki''s flaw, he didn''t have the interest in fixing it. If it was easy, he wouldn''t mind fixing Kouki''s flawed belief. The problem was in how deep his belief rooted. Kouki had believed in his flawed ideal since he was still a kid and after years, it had festered and rooted in his mind to the point of turning him mad if his belief was shaken. Mere words were both enough to change his belief.


    Furthermore, Kouki himself was actually a stubborn guy. After all, only a stubborn guy could hold on such a troublesome belief for so long. Thus, Rio didn''t have any plan to fix Kouki.


    While he was listening to Kouki''s explanation, Rio suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling. His Detect skill and it''d specialized derivation¡ªBloodl.u.s.t¡ªhad warned him of a malicious look directed on him. This derivative skill does not only detect bloodl.u.s.t aimed at him but any kind of ill intention too. However, his other Detect''s derivation skills such as Presence didn''t give him the location of the owner of this ill gaze, and Rio knew that his Detect skill covered the whole capital city.


    ''There is only one answer, and the owner of this ill look is...SH*T!'' Rio thought and almost lost control over his calmness. He believed the owner of this ill look directed on him alone was Ehit. It seems the fake god is watching over their interaction from their high up place called Holy Precinct.


    Rio controlled his chaotic feelings ruthlessly and maintained his calm outward appearance with everything he could muster. His back was drenched with beads of cold sweat, wetting his inner shirt.


    "Anyway, since we came from a world where magic is only in fantasy stories, it must be a bit hard to access it for the first time, but do not worry. I will guide Rio until you can access your mana to use your status plate. In regards to accessing your mana, firstly, you need to sense the unfamiliar rush of energy in your body. It is easy to sense because it is a foreign feeling due to the nonexistent mana in our body back on Earth. Alright, try it, Rio! Just ask me for help if you meet trouble in it."


    Rio was having a bad time due to the unwelcoming attention from Ehit. It made his plan to hide his true status a bit more complicated than before, but he still had the confidence that neither Ehit nor everyone in the training field while realizing his little trick.


    Pushing on his Absolute Magic Control to its utmost limit, Rio imbued a drop of his blood with his mana which was filled with his intent, Creation Magic, and a bit of Spirit Magic. His intent was important because the intent and clear image were the main components behind a successfully cast spell. Creation Magic had the ability to affect inorganic materials as the caster pleased, and in this case, Rio wanted his status plate to display what he wanted others to see, not the real information he wanted to hide. Meanwhile, Spirit Magic was the main reason as to why the status plate could read the status of a person. The status plate was imbued with Spirit Magic that could interact with the negative aspect of the world, and one of the prominent examples was a person''s soul where their information is stored.


    "Hoh? What a majestic mana..."


    Rio heard Captain Meld''s comment on his mana color when it outlined his status plate. There was also clamor from the students who saw the procession. If Kouki''s pure white mana is called righteous and pure while Shizuku''s deep blue of lapis lazuli is beautiful, Kaori''s light violet as elegant, while Hajime''s light blue mana is warm and full of kindness, Rio''s platinum mana could be described as majestic.

 Chapter 13 - Rios Status Plate

    After a few seconds, Rio finished pouring his mana into his status plate and opened his eyes to see his status displayed on it. When his eyes saw his status, he cheered inside his mind. What appeared in his status plate was¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª


    Rio Kevin | 18 years old | Male | Level: 1


    Job: Sorcerer


    Strength: 10


    Defense: 10


    Vitality: 10


    Agility: 10


    Magic: 100


    Magic Defense: 100


    Skills: All Elemental Affinity ¡ª All Elemental Resistance ¡ª Advanced Sorcery ¡ª Healing Magic ¡ª Barrier Magic ¡ª Increased Mana Recovery ¡ª Detect Magic ¡ª Detect Presence ¡ª Language Comprehension


    ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª


    His status appeared according to his wish. He had decided to show an average status for the students who got summoned into Tortus. He didn''t want to be taken lightly by everyone else, but he didn''t to be seen above Kouki who was known as the Hero. Kouki and Captain Meld asked Rio to show his information in the status plate. Rio handed over his status plate towards them and they had different reactions for Rio''s status.


    "Whoah, Sorcerer job who has an affinity for all magic elements! It is a very rare job. Though not as rare as Kouki''s Hero job, your job is only one in a million! As expected of someone who was summoned from a greater world than this one, I suppose." Captain Meld was very impressed by Rio''s status.


    "Well, good for you, Rio. You have good status over there." Kouki''s reaction was lackl.u.s.ter compared to Captain Meld, but it didn''t hold any bad intention. It was natural for Kouki to feel lackl.u.s.ter due to his amazing stats that triumphed everyone else.


    At this moment, Rio also felt Ehit''s gaze on him ceased as if they lost interest in him. Rio felt as if an enormous burden had been lifted from his shoulders the moment Ehit stopped looking in his direction. Rio thought that Ehit had lost interest in him due to his unimpressive status compared to Kouki''s. If Ehit realized Rio''s true status, they wouldn''t cut off their interest in Rio so decisively and quickly. The best scenario from that was that Ehit would change their target from Kouki to him, the worst they would send their angel, Noint, to apprehend him or even kill him on the spot.


    For now, Ehit still settled into Kouki as their chosen future vessel. The reason why the students and Aiko were summoned to this world was because of Kouki Amanogawa who was Ehit''s real target. If at the moment of summoning, Kouki was alone, he would be transferred here without everyone else. It was due to the pure misfortune that the summoning happened right after a class in which everyone and one teacher were still in the classroom.


    "Good! Now, I want you all to check and inform me of your status!" Captain Meld turned his attention to the rest of the students and spoke that. They followed his instruction and handed over their plate to Captain Meld.


    Captain Meld was ecstatic after having seen how ridiculous everyone''s stats had been. He was probably elated to have so many overpowered allies. But his smile froze in place when he saw Hajime''s plate. Finally, it was Hajime''s turn. He muttered "Did I just misread it?" and began rapping the plate with his knuckles, then shone some light on it. After staring at it for a long time, he finally returned the plate to Hajime with a complicated expression. When Rio saw this, he understood what had transpired.


    "Umm, well, you see... A Synergist is basically a blacksmith of sorts. It might come in handy if you plan on opening a smithy, but otherwise..." Captain Meld muttered out a poor explanation of Hajime''s class.


    Looking at Hajime''s hollow expression, Rio was certain the boys in his class who all hated him would jump at this new chance to belittle him. A blacksmithing class was clearly not a combat-based job. The rest of his classmates all had combat-based jobs, and they would highly doubt his particular job would be of much use in battle.


    At this point, Daisuke Hiyama grinned wickedly as he hollered out to Hajime,


    "Hey, Nagumo. Don''t tell me you seriously got a non-combat job? How''s a blacksmith gonna fight monsters? Hey Meld, is this Synergist or whatever a rare job?"


    "No, not particularly. One in every ten people has the class. In fact, all of the craftsmen the kingdom employs have the job."


    "Gimme a break, Nagumo. You''re gonna fight with something like that?" Daisuke folded his arms provocatively as he said those words. As Hajime looked around, he could see that most of his classmates, the boys especially, were all laughing at him.


    "Who knows. You never know until you try." Hajime tried to defend himself, but it was for naught. His argument was unconvincing.


    "Show us your stats then, if you''re so confident. They better be way high to make up for your shitty job."


    Daisuke had most likely already guessed Hajime''s stats from Captain Meld''s expression, but he simply wanted an excuse to bully Hajime some more. He possessed quite a nasty personality. His three flunkies all jeered at Hajime as well. They were the kind of stereotypical thugs that bullied the weak and groveled before the mighty. Their actions were so clearly malicious that Kaori and Shizuku both glared at them, eyes full of disdain. Despite how smitten they were with her, none of them seemed to realize she disliked such bullying. Meanwhile, Rio just watched the development silently. Hajime lazily handed his plate over to Daisuke.


    When he saw the stats engraved on it, Daisuke burst out laughing. He passed the plate down to his other underlings and they all sneered or laughed at Hajime as well.


    "Bwahahaha... What the hell, man! You''re like totally average! Actually, 10''s exactly average, so I bet there are even some babies out there stronger than you!"


    "Hyahahaha, you''ve gotta be kidding me! This guy''s not even gonna last ten minutes! He''d die so fast that you couldn''t even use him as a meat shield!"


    Unable to stand it any longer, Kaori opened her mouth to give them a piece of her mind. But before she could get out a single word, someone else began yelling at them. That someone was Aiko.


    "Hey! Stop laughing at him! I won''t allow anyone to laugh at their classmates on my watch! As a teacher, I absolutely will not condone it! Now return Nagumo''s plate this instant!"


    The boys were all taken aback by how much anger was visible in Aiko''s small frame. They hurriedly returned Hajime''s plate in order to avoid her wrath. What a bunch of cowards!


    Aiko turned to Hajime and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. She said, "Nagumo, don''t worry about your job! Look, I got a non-combat job too! And aside from my job, most of my stats are pretty average too! You''re not alone!" Aiko then showed her pink-colored plate to Hajime with a "Here, look!"


    Hajime''s eyes resembled a dead fish''s once he finished reading Aiko''s plate. When Rio saw that, he was honestly pitying Hajime.


    "Huh? What''s wrong, Nagumo!?" Aiko asked as she shook Hajime back and forth. Everyone who had seen her status plate knew the reason behind Hajime''s pitiful expression.


    It was true that her overall stats were low, and that she didn''t possess a combat class, but her exceptional magic stat and a large number of skills meant that she would reach the level of other heroes with just a little training. And lest everyone forget, an army marches on its stomach. Aiko''s job was nothing like Hajime''s. His was so commonplace that there were myriad of others who were more proficient in it. In other words, even Aiko was plenty overpowered.


    Looking at Hajime''s expression, Rio was sure that Hajime felt doubly betrayed for getting his hopes up even a little.


    "Oh my, Ai, that was the final nail in the coffin..."


    "N-Nagumo! Are you alright!?"


    Shizuku smiled sadly as she watched Hajime shut down, while Kaori worriedly ran over to him. Aiko tilted her head in confusion. As always, she tried her best but ended up being completely unhelpful. The students smiled at her unchanging ditziness. Aiko had managed to achieve her initial goal of preventing Hajime''s bullying, but he still smiled emptily as he thought of the difficulties that lay ahead, and the treatment he would definitely receive.

 Chapter 14 - Kaori Shirasakis Request

    It has been a week after the status inspection. Time flowed quickly, with nobody able to stop it, and the students had grown up tremendously in a mere week. The speed of their progress was just too absurd.


    After another training session was over, Rio parted with some guys and girls he''d got to know better. There were Kousuke Endo and his two close friends¡ªKentarou Nomura and Jugo Nagayama. He, too, got close to the adorable Suzu Taniguchi, and despite his wariness towards Eri Nakamura, he couldn''t help but have some interactions with the bitch in a lamb''s costume.


    There were also a mixed group of boys and girls who Rio knew to be the Ai''s Bodyguards Squad in the other timeline he knew as canon. That ridiculous name aside, they were led Yuuka Sonobe who became ''The Mistress of the Demon King'' in the After Story of Arifureta Sokugyou de Sekai Saikyou main story. The rest of the group were Taeko Sugawara, Nana Miyazaki, Atsushi Tamai, Noboru Aikawa, and Akito Nimura.


    Other than that, he had earned his place in the most respected group of students, A.K.A Kouki''s group.


    If you ask Rio about his honest impression about these summoned students, he would say that they were real, that they live and feel just like him. He''d realized that they were also real living human beings and not only mere characters in a fictional story. It made Rio feel troubled because he was still human despite his ruthlessness and selfishness. But, he had stopped entertaining his troubled thoughts and pushed on his agenda.


    As Rio walked up towards the exit of the training field, he felt a few students followed after him in a hurry. His Detect skill alerted him of their arrival. When he turned around, he saw Kouki''s group approaching him, led by overeager Kaori. Behind her were an exasperated Shizuku, and the unwilling Kouki and Ryutarou. When he saw them, Rio easily guessed what was their business with him. Or to be precise, what was Kaori''s business with him while the rest just being dragged by the airhead beauty.


    "Rio, excuse me, but are you going to visit Nagumo? Can I go together with you? It has been a week already and I feel worried about Nagumo! Can you allow me to visit him with you? Pretty please?" Kaori stood before Rio, bowed deeply, and begged at him.


    Rio raised his brows in bemus.e.m.e.nt but quickly recovered from his confusion and threw an inquiring look towards Kaori''s friends. When they saw his look, they had different reactions.


    Shizuku just smiled apologetically but being passive like the usual. There was a trace of expectation in her eyes, hoping for his approval for Kaori''s willful request silently. Kouki had a troubled expression and he seemed at lost, seeming confused as to why Kaori wanted to meet the useless Otaku but said nothing and chalked it up as Kaori being her usual kind self. Lastly, Ryutarou just clicked his tongue in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e because he was dragged to something he didn''t want to be a part of. He followed after them due to his loyalty and friendship towards Kouki.


    In the meantime, they were grabbing the other students'' attention. The students who were taking a break after their afternoon training was watching the exchange between Rio and Kouki''s group silently. At the scene of Kaori''s bowing her head before Rio, some girls began whispering with each other, gossiping about what was actually happening. Some boys were openly glaring at Rio in jealousy and hatred. Rio also saw some girls seeming crestfallen when they saw the scene.


    Rio didn''t have 100% assurance that they had fallen in love with him, but he was confident that they were at least thinking him as a prospective boyfriend. His appearance was above average and he presented himself as a kind, thoughtful, and helpful young man who they could depend on.


    There was also a certain ''weight'' in Rio''s words, unlike Kouki''s empty promise that he spouted for many girls before. He never spouted sweet nothings. Some of his words were often harsh and hurtful, but they would help the listeners. After that, he would soothe their wounded hearts from his hurtful and harsh words after they accepted his words, making them feel better.


    Furthermore, there were no unwritten rules between girls about dating Rio like what they agreed in regards to Kouki. Basically, Rio was a fair game and high-quality commodity in the eyes of the girls. He was just below Kouki, but anyone had a chance with him. It made him a better choice as a prospective boyfriend than Kouki who was a forbidden fruit, so to speak.


    Of course, Rio helped some boys too. He helped boys to create an image of fairness. If he only helped girls, it would paint him as no good womanizer and the girls would become wary of him. In fact, one of the boys, Kousuke Endo had become very loyal to him despite the person himself was unaware of his loyalty. And the reason behind that was a topic for another time. As of now, let''s return back to the present situation.


    Rio watched Kaori''s bowing figure for a few seconds, but in the meantime, his mind was working in a hurry. Finally, he said, "Okay. If you want to visit Hajime in his workshop, then follow me!"


    "Thank you very much, Rio!" Kaori said after raising her head. She had a bright beaming smile on her face.


    Rio spared his attention towards the rest behind her and saw Kouki''s and Ryutarou''s troubled yet resigned expression. Meanwhile, Shizuku had a facial expression full of gratitude for him. Afterward, Rio led them towards Hajime''s workshop inside the castle.

 Chapter 15 - Criticizing Kaori

    A week ago, after everyone got their status plate, Rio had negotiated with Captain Meld to lend Hajime an exclusive, personal workshop. Despite their status as Apostles of God that allowed them to enjoy many privileges, Rio had still had a meeting with the king and the experienced Synergists who worked for the royal family to get his plan approved.


    It was fortunate that Rio had enough experience in dealing with people with a high profile. In the past, Rio had been a student council president in his high school and he was quite good at politicking. Also, he was a good conversationalist.


    Rio didn''t delude himself that he was a master politician, but he knew about politic enough to not seem like a total newbie in front of the king and his loyal officers. Rio treated their meeting as one of his past meetings when he tried to push a proposal for a big scale activity to his former headmaster.


    After giving some convincing arguments and promising the king that he and Hajime would share the completed product with the Kingdom, Hajime received his exclusive, personal workshop and resources for his works. As an aside, Rio had done all of those was because of his pity for Hajime when they boy became widely known as the weakest student with a commonplace job.


    The location of Hajime''s personal workshop was close to Knight''s barracks and residential area of the Court Magicians. It was the place where other Synergists who worked for the kingdom were located.


    On the way to their destination, Rio and Kouki''s group said nothing, advancing in silence. There was an awkward atmosphere around them, but Rio easily disregarded this awkwardness. Kaori was the only one who was oblivious to the awkwardness, but she was ignoring the silence because she was over the moon from finally having a chance to meet her crush after a long week of separation.


    "Say, Kaori..." Rio called Kaori abruptly, grabbing other''s attention. He was still watching ahead as he walked.


    "Yes?" Kaori returned back from her Lala Land and looked at Rio''s back since he was walking ahead of the others.


    The rest were watching the exchange silently. Inwardly, they were grateful for the sudden change in the mood. But, Rio''s next words changed their opinions.


    "Do you like Hajime? I mean romantically..."


    They all stopped dead on their track. When Rio sensed that, he also stopped, turned around, and saw that they had a dumbstruck expression. However, their reactions had two different meanings.


    Kouki and Ryutarou were dumbfounded for they thought that Rio''s question was very outrageous in and of itself. They couldn''t imagine Kaori having romantic interest toward someone like Hajime Nagumo. They only know Hajime as a no-good Otaku, after all.


    Meanwhile, Kaori and Shizuku were speechless because Rio''s inquiry had hit the bullseye. Shizuku knew that Kaori had a crush on Hajime and Kaori herself didn''t hide it from her best friend¡ªShizuku. In fact, they had some embarrassing adventures together because of Kaori''s wilfulness to get closer to and know Hajime better. For example, a certain visit of two goddesses in the eroge shop in Akihabara. For the more detailed event, you could check out the official materials of Arifureta Sokugyou de Sekai Saikyou.


    Back to Rio and the rest of the real heroes of this world...


    "W-wait for a sec! What did you mean by that, Rio? There is no way Kaori has THAT kind of interest for Nagumo, right? Am I right, Kaori? What... Kaori? What are you... Don''t tell me..."


    Kouki had protested first. He didn''t want to believe in it, but after looking in Kaori''s direction, he saw Kaori''s beet-red face and shy expression. It was when Kouki realized that Rio''s question was hitting the bullseye. He became speechless and stared at Kaori blankly.


    Meanwhile, Rio ignored Kouki who acted like he had lost his family''s jewel. Ryutarou was watching the procession with a dumbfounded look. Just like your typical muscle head who was too lazy to use his mind. And Shizuku was watching everything with an anxious look.


    Rio returned his intense eyes to Kaori and saw her shy reaction. She couldn''t look him in the eyes because he had revealed what she considered as her most embarrassing secret. However, Rio was watching Kaori''s reaction with an unamused expression.


    Rio was about to give Kaori a piece of his mind. It is true that when Rio read the story, he felt nothing but amus.e.m.e.nt for Hajime''s misfortune. But, it was when the event was told as a story.


    Rio''s current life wasn''t a story¡ªat least, in his current perspective, and he saw Hajime as a real living person just like him. Realizing this fact Rio couldn''t help but feel pity for him. Rio was only helping Hajime because of his pity for the boy.


    "From your reaction, I take it that you like Hajime romantically," Rio clarified and paused for a moment. He then continued on. "Then, I want you to stop that for Hajime''s sake, Kaori."


    The four teenagers were struck dumb again by Rio''s warning. Rio wasn''t surprised when Kaori recovered first and glared at him heatedly. In fact, there was a minuscule hatred in her usually kind eyes as she glared at him.


    "Why? Why should I stop showing off my feeling towards Nagumo? Who are you to demand that from me?!"


    Kouki and the rest were taken aback by the heat and venom in Kaori''s tone. It must be the first time for them to see this side of Kaori. However, Rio didn''t show any sign of surprise. He always knew that Kaori was far from being flawless. In fact, Kaori was what the Japanese called Yandere type girl. And she inherited this trait from her mother¡ªKaoruko Shirasaki. Rio knew about this information from the After Story.


    Shizuku who was very s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e and sharp probably had guessed where this headed on. She had been sending a desperate look in Rio''s direction, pleading to Rio to stop. And though Rio had a plan to pick Shizuku up in the future, he wouldn''t just cave in under her desperate look.


    "Why, you ask? Because your blind affection for him has been giving him nothing but grief. Do you know that your action in showering him with your attention and affection just hurting him?"


    Rio''s cold, ruthless words were like a straight hook that punched Kaori''s gut. She staggered back with an expression full of disbelief and denial.


    "Impossible! Lies! There is no way I am hurting Nagumo!"


    "Do you think so? Of course, you think so! How can you be so sure? Because you are blind to the truth! Do you know what everyone around you thinks about that? They think that someone at the bottom of the social ladder like Hajime is unsuited to earn your attention! The idol of everyone and the most beautiful girl in the eyes of many! Do you know what kind of hardship Hajime has endured from boys who envied his position because of your blind attention? Of course, you don''t! After all, you are busy fantasizing about your puppy love for him! Do you know how he feels when everyone around him looks at him in contempt? Of course, you don''t! You only have a tunnel vision on him alone and disregarding everyone else! Do you know that the bullying he experienced has gone physical? A fat chance, you are!"


    Each question and answer Rio spoke out was like a brutal punch that hit Kaori''s weakened spirit. The girl was staggering back and had a horrified expression. Though she was an airhead and was oblivious to everything around her for the majority of times, it didn''t mean this girl was stupid. She was actually smart and could become very observant if she wanted. However, her fixation for Hajime hampered her brilliant mind. That was why she couldn''t see what Hajime endured because of her.


    Rio''s words like a wake-up slap that awakened her up to the truth that had been eluding her, that made her question her friends as to why they seemed to dislike Hajime when she thought him as an amazing person he was.


    "Enough! I wouldn''t let you upset Kaori anymore!"


    Rio heaved a fed-up sigh when he heard Kouki''s loud warning. He turned at the wannabe hero and looked down at him with a condescending look an a.d.u.l.t would give a naughty, misbehaving kid.


    Although Rio had yet to finish giving Kaori a piece of his mind, he wouldn''t mind allowing her to recover from her shock while he gave Kouki a dressing down.

 Chapter 16 - Castigating Kouki

    "Be silent, Kouki. I am doing this for Kaori''s sake, not for malicious intent."


    At Rio''s blunt and cold words, Kouki was taken aback. It was normal for Kouki to react like that. Because of his charisma, he never got any retort from someone at his age. And though Rio was only his senior by a year and a half, Kouki still treated him like how he treated someone at his age. It was fair, but Kouki was sorely mistaken when he did that.


    Kouki wasn''t the only one. Shizuku and Ryutarou who were ready to back up Kouki were rendered speechless. Meanwhile, Kaori recovered a bit from her shock and looked at Rio with a confused yet still distraught look. She didn''t understand in which part Rio was helping her. However, Kouki questioned Rio after quickly recovering.


    "What did you mean by that? I didn''t see you are helping Kaori! What I saw is you were upsetting Kaori with your harsh words!"


    When Rio heard that, he heaved a sigh full of suffering and annoyance. He then looked at Kouki as if he was dealing with a very troublesome child, which he was!


    And when Kouki saw Rio''s condescending look, he became angry. He was affronted by Rio''s holier than thou attitude. However, because Kouki could open his mouth, Rio had opened his mouth first.


    "Well, you stopped me before I continue on. Anyway, did you never hear about how rude it is to cut off someone''s else speech? Besides, this discussion is between me and Kaori. You, who butted in, are at fault, here." Rio retorted in a tone that conveyed his mental exhaustion in dealing with Kouki.


    Kouki was once again struck dumb after hearing that. It was when Rio dropped his interest in dressing down Kouki. Just from their small exchange, Rio had realized that it is nigh impossible to fix Kouki''s personality.


    Kouki would disregard all advice from others if it goes against his belief. It is another troublesome flaws of Kouki Amanogawa besides his bad habits of interpreting adverse situations to his own convenience and his righteous personality that''s overflowing with a flawed sense of justice.


    The only way for him to get his warped belief fixed is by undergoing the same event that the canon Kouki Amanogawa had undergone in the other fantasy world, into which he got summoned by a real goddess to save that world''s humanity from extinction. That story happened in After Story, which was still far away in the future. And it is a big ''IF'' the events in this timeline is not off the rail too much because of Rio''s meddling.


    Rio looked straight into Kaori''s distraught eyes and said, "I never told you to stop your feeling for Hajime. But, I want you to be more mindful with your surroundings when you''re trying to drop hint about your feeling to him. After all, the status between you two is like heaven and earth. You''re someone who is idolized by everyone else while Hajime is looked down upon due to his honesty with his hobby. Maybe, you do not care about that, but others will have different opinions and it will affect Hajime who is an easy picking due to his low status, socially. Besides, due to the difference in your social status, Hajime does not know, no, it is not like that, he does not dare to believe that you have a romantic interest in him. He is self-conscious with his image in everyone''s eyes, after all."


    After listening to Rio''s long speech, Kaori''s dim eyes regained their light. The next moment, she sunk deep in thought.


    Looking at that, Rio knew that his words had stuck inside her mind. It had affected her. Rio didn''t think that it is hard to make Kaori realize her mistake. He only needs to point out her mistake and how she ought to fix it.


    "Wait, Rio!"


    Kouki called out once again. His voice grabbed everyone''s attention and they turned at him. When he saw their attention was focused on him, he continued on.


    "I don''t allow this! I won''t allow Kaori becoming a girlfriend of someone like Nagumo!" Kouki declared ''righteously''. His words rendered his friends speechless. Kaori who had regained the light in her eyes reacted badly at that and her eyes darkened.


    "Kouki! Who I want to be with is not your business, you know! Besides, what do you mean by ''someone like Nagumo''? Nagumo is an amazing guy!" Kaori tried to defend her crush, but Kouki who was being his usual stubborn self ignored her.


    "Be silent Kaori! I am doing this for your own good!" Kouki raised his voice at Kaori, making the girl flinch and step back.


    "Kouki!" Shizuku immediately raised her voice when she saw that. Her expression spoke out her disbelief at Kouki''s unreasonable action.


    Meanwhile, Ryutarou just looked in Kouki''s direction as if he finally realized just how stupid his best friend was and said, "Man, I thought you are going too far this time."


    Ryutarou might be your typical muscle-for-brain, but it was shown in the official materials that he still had a tact.


    "Shizuku! Ryutarou!" Kouki, wearing dumbfounded expression, looked at his best friend and childhood friend. He couldn''t believe that they would treat him as if he was in the wrong. He just wanted to protect his other childhood friend!


    "Kouki," Rio called out the dumbfounded Kouki and received his attention. He then continued on, "Why can''t you accept with whom Kaori wants to be? Do you have a romantic interest in her?"


    At Rio''s sudden and shocking question, Kouki answered in a fl.u.s.ter. "No! I don''t have THAT kind of interest towards Kaori. It''s just that... she is my childhood friend and I just want to protect her!" He tried to defend himself.


    Rio nodded sagely and said, "There is nothing wrong with it, Kouki. But, aren''t you being unreasonable? You may be her childhood friend, but it is her decision with whom she wants to be. Not even her parents have the right to deny it."


    "But... But..." Kouki''s eyes roamed around in utter loss. He tried to get help from his friends, but they averted their eyes, realizing that he was in the wrong this time.


    "I think, I understand what you are thinking," Rio said suddenly, grabbing their attention again.


    Kouki looked at him with a doubtful and conflicted expression. He must doubt Rio''s words when Rio said that he understood what he was thinking. However, Rio really understood Kouki''s thoughts.


    Rio recalled a similar event from the books. It was after canon-Kaori joined canon-Hajime''s group and canon-Kouki''s internal turmoils and thoughts were shown in the book. There was also a part where he had a deep talk with canon-Shizuku, in which he made Shizuku to give her promise to be at his side forever. Of course, there was no romantic meaning behind their promise. It was purely platonic. Regardless, Rio was spot on about Kouki''s thoughts and inner turmoils.


    "Don''t look at me like that," Rio started, chiding Kouki with a condescending tone and a matching look. "I really can understand what you''re thinking. I was once at your age too, though saying this makes me feel old despite I am only one year older. Joke aside, I know that you are afraid that everything will change if your precious childhood friend suddenly has a boyfriend. You do not want your current situation to change, are you not?"


    "That... Yes, you are right..." It was unexpected that Kouki easily acknowledged that. But, he might be mentally tired of the excitement so far. Therefore, he just acknowledged it.


    Regardless, it made Rio''s task easier. But, before Rio could ease Kouki''s worry, Kouki''s friends had beat him first.


    "Kouki, you silly! There is no way I am going to forget you just because I have a boyfriend. You are still my friend even if I have a boyfriend, you know!"


    "You fool! Just how little is your faith to us?"


    "Man, I feel hurt that you''re questioning our friendship! There is no way I''m gonna ditch you just like that! We are gonna be together through thick and thin, like the usual!"


    Kaori, Shizuku, and Ryutarou commented one after the other.


    Kouki looked at his friend with a perplexed expression before regaining his vigor. His fear that everything around him would change was for naught. It looks as if a huge burden has been released from his shoulders.


    "Kaori... Shizuku... Ryutarou... Thank you! And, sorry for doubting your friendship! I''m really a fool!" Kouki apologized with a heartfelt tone. He sounded relieved too.

 Chapter 17 - Koukis Reluctance

    Rio just smiled slightly and watched the exchange of the four close friends in silence. Though they had spoken without his encouragement, they still carried out the intended effect. In the end, they just followed Rio''s subtle manipulation by controlling the conversation. With his knowledge of the official materials, Rio had full confidence in his decisions and moves.


    After they calmed down, Kouki said something stupid that riled up Kaori.


    "Still, should it be Nagumo? I mean, that guy is hopeless, right?"


    "Kouki, how could you?! Take that back! I won''t allow you to bad mouth Nagumo and calling him names! Besides, Nagumo is not helpless, though he seems very unreliable and always looked sleep-deprived every morning back in our world and always slept in the class!"


    "But, that is what makes him no good, right?" Kouki had a troubled expression after listening to Kaori''s protest, which had been hurting Hajime''s image further.


    "I must agree with Kouki this time, Shirasaki. You don''t help his case by saying that." Ryutarou, at Kouki''s side, nodded his head in a sagacious manner while giving Kaori a weird look.


    Kaori gasped and looked at Ryutarou with a scandalized look. She then said, "What?! Even you too, Sakagami? Shizuku, please help me! I want them to know that Nagumo''s an amazing person!"


    "Er... Try to ask Rio''s help."


    Rio raised his brows at Shizuku when she threw off the ball of conversation at him suddenly. They immediately fixed their attention on Rio and waited for his response. Rio couldn''t help but heave a sigh of helplessness.


    ''These guys and girls are still kids, though they are already at their second year in High School,'' Rio thought without showing his inner exasperation in his face. He then said, "Well, try to tell them about what makes you fall in love with Hajime. Perhaps, it will help them to understand his good points."


    After listening to Rio''s advice, Kaori''s eyes lit up like a Christmas Tree and she started telling Kouki and Ryutarou the story about Hajime who helped the old lady and her grandchild from a group of thugs when they were still at the middle school.


    Kouki and Ryutarou had a complicated expression when they heard the story of Hajime''s embarrassing and undignified moment despite he was trying to help the old lady and her grandson. In one hand, they were impressed by Hajime''s guts. But, on the other hand, the way Hajime''s begging to the thugs to stop extorting the old lady and her grandson was just too shameful and embarrassing. They couldn''t help but feel pity for Hajime. Kaori was too savage without realizing it!


    At least, Hajime''s image in their eyes slowly changed little by little. And as Kaori poured out everything she knew about Hajime, to the point of freaking out both Kouki and Ryutarou, they were advancing to Hajime''s exclusive workshop. Rio was leading them in the front while the rest were following after him.


    Rio suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve and turned around. He found Shizuku who had split up from her friends and gave him a complicated look with a hint of gratitude mixed in it. "Thanks for what you have done," She started in a hushed tone.


    "What do you mean?" Rio feigned his ignorance.


    "That... Telling Kaori about her obliviousness towards Nagumo''s problem and helping us to understand Kouki better. I never thought he has that kind of doubt in him."


    Shizuku seemed mortified when she said that. She was conscious of Hajime''s problems, but she had done nothing to lessen his problem. She only threw apologetic, sad, or regretful face in Hajime''s direction whenever Kaori made a mess and affected Hajime adversely. Rio knew about this from his foreknowledge and his scrutiny in the past week.


    "Forget about it. Anyway, I am curious about you. Why did you not tell Kaori about that? If you tell her, Hajime had not needed to endure so many troubles since the start of your high school, right?"


    In fact, as Kaori''s best friend, Shizuku had the most realistic and better chance to point out Kaori''s mistake, but Shizuku didn''t have the courage to tell Kaori about that. Although it made her seem like a hypocrite, Shizuku also had a problem of her own that stopped her for pointing out Kaori''s fault.


    Shizuku felt that she was unworthy to correct other''s mistake when she was still struggling with her own problem. Rio understood about this. He even knew about Shizuku''s secret problem that she kept in her heart for a long time. And Rio wouldn''t waste his advantage to make Shizuku fall in love with him.


    "Sorry..." Shizuku apologized faintly. Her expression was weak unlike her usual cool and calm persona. It was unexpected that she would show such weakness before a stranger like Rio. Well, Rio wasn''t a stranger to Shizuku. At least, he wasn''t at this point. But, he was still at the level of a mere acquaintance or the early stage in friendship if something like that existed.


    Regardless, Shizuku''s reason for showing her weakness before Rio was due to the dependable presence Rio had been projecting deliberately. The way Rio handled Kaori''s problem and a small part of Kouki''s problem just strengthened this image. Thus, Shizuku who was always longing for someone she could depend upon was drawn to him.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have the plan to add Shizuku into his harem because he would send the whole students back to their version of Earth when they had their first expedition to Great Orcus Labyrinth.

 Chapter 18 - Kaoris Confession

    After passing through several fields for the training of Knights and Court Magicians, and test area for Kingdom''s veteran Synergists'' volatile products, the five of them¡ªRio, Shizuku, Kaori, Ryutarou, and Kouki¡ªfinally arrived in the Synergists'' area where Hajime''s exclusive workshop was located.


    Along the way, they passed some knights, magicians, and synergists who respectfully greeted them due to their venerated status as Apostles of God. As they grew closer towards their destination, Kaori''s body was trembling as if she was restraining herself for rushing into their destination like an impatient child before a toy/sweet store.


    Finally, they arrived in front of a single-story building made from stone with tiled rooftop. They stopped in front of the wooden door and waited for Rio to open the door. There was a nasty security system installed in the building if anyone whose mana wasn''t registered tried to enter the building.


    When Kouki asked Rio what this nasty security was, Rio explained the so-called nasty security to them with a manic glint in his eyes. After Rio finished his explanation, every one of them¡ªeven the muscle-head Ryutarou¡ªwas trembling with paper-like pale face and horrified wide-eyed expression.


    The security was basically a small plate glued to the door. There was a very complex magic circle that the four students couldn''t make head or tail of it despite their progress in the magical study under the best Court Magicians the Kingdom could offer.


    It was only natural they wouldn''t be able to understand the magic circle because Rio was the one who created it. He had visited the Root of this universe using Evolution Magic to absorb all knowledge in regard to Tortusian Magic system. However, he only visited the Root of Arifureta Universe to get all knowledge related to magic and skills and didn''t get to know everything else for he wanted to feel the joy from knowing something new in this universe.


    As an aside, Arifureta Universe also had the metaphysical plane in which all information was stored. It was similar to the Root from the Type-Moon universe¡ªfor anyone who knows about this famous franchise. And Evolution Magic was a path to reach this place after the user mastered it.


    Strictly speaking, not even the well-known user of this magic, Lyutilis Haltina, had mastered Evolution Magic. So, Rio who could master it in a mere moment was the real freak. Then again, he had the cheat he received from God¡ªthe actual God, not the fake one such as Ehit.


    After pouring a drop of his mana on the Mana Scanner, the door glowed and there was the sound of grinding steel before the door was opened automatically. He then led the four students inside, and they timidly followed after him, being wary of some nasty traps they thought Rio had installed in the place. Of course, it was only their imagination. All traps in the place were connected to the scanner and they only triggered off when someone tried to enter the building forcefully.


    When they arrived on the first floor, they saw an open space filled with crates and piles of raw ores. There were so many different types in the place and the four students were amazed by the vast types of the ores. The walls, the floor, and the ceiling were covered by a type of mineral that blocked magic and was very durable. Afterward, they followed Rio going up towards the second floor.


    The second floor was the real workshop and two bedrooms and a single shared bathroom. The bedrooms belonged to Rio and Hajime respectively, but they were rarely used because Rio would use his own personal room in the castle when he needs his rest and Hajime would stay in his workshop all the time, even when he slept or had his meals.


    Finally, they were led to the workshop by Rio and were dumbstruck when they saw the state of the workshop that looked like a hurricane had passed by. There were shards or small ores scattered and piles of tomes and scrolls on the floor and the surface of a heavy work table. Stuck on the wall was a board with many parchments filled with the complex schematic of firearms from Earth or complex magic circles with their details jumbled together closely. Also, scattered on the stone floor were countless parchments with doodles on it.


    Finally, the four students followed Rio who walked up to the only sofa in the room. There was someone sleeping in it, their face covered by a book. It was easy to guess the identity of the sleeping person.


    "Hey, Hajime, wake up!" Rio called out the sleeping person while shaking his knee that was folded and raised up on the sofa.


    "Hmmmph... Five more minutes, dad..."


    "There is no way I have a son with an ugly mug like you! Wake. Up. Now!"


    "Wah? What in tarnation?! ...Oh, eh, it is just you, Rio. What time is it? Wait a sec... Why Amanogawa and everyone else is here?"


    Meanwhile, the four students were amused at the humorous sight before them. Well, Kaori was pouting when Rio insulted Hajime''s mug jokingly. Rio even heard Kaori''s whisper that sounded like "Nagumo''s mug is not ugly!" He could hear that clearly due to his enhanced senses.


    "It is shortly after the afternoon training finished. Anyway, they are here for someone who got a withdrawal symptom because her crush disappeared for a week." Rio explained teasingly.


    Rio intended to tease both Kaori and Hajime, but the later was oblivious of that. Meanwhile, Kaori screamed out Rio''s name in embarrassment while the others had a wry smile¡ªShizuku¡ªand troubled smiles¡ªKouki and Ryutarou. The two boys still had yet to be able to wrap their mind around the idea of Kaori''s holding a crush for Hajime of all people despite both Kaori and Rio had mentioned Hajime''s positive values to them.


    Hajime alternated his view between Rio and Kaori, thinking about something. After a few seconds, his eyes lit up in understanding and raised his thumb at Rio. "So you are now dating Shirasaki! Amazing, Rio!" Hajime congratulated Rio and grinned widely.


    Everyone else in the room was dumbstruck by Hajime''s big misunderstanding. The next moment, Kaori''s loud wail echoed in the workshop. Thanks to the wall''s soundproofing feature, her loud wail didn''t spread out of the workshop.


    "WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE WERE YOU SPOUTING, NAGUMO! I''M NOT DATING RIO, YOU DUMMY! THE ONE WHO I LIKE IS YOOOUUUUU!!!" She was tearing up and jumped in Hajime''s direction before grabbing his shirt and shaking his body strongly. Her reaction was like a cat that got its tail stepped. And due to her stronger Strength stat, she was easily manhandling Hajime''s body. It created a comical sight.


    "Mercy, Shirasaki! Mercy! I see my world is spinning! Stop! I get a headache! Please, stooop!"


    When Kaori heard Hajime''s pitiful plea, she glared at him with teary eyes and an adorable pout. Hajime was patting his c.h.e.s.t and heaved a sigh of relief. But, the next moment, Kaori''s words finally clicked in his mind. He looked at Kaori, dumbfounded.


    "W-wait a second! Shirasaki, what did you mean by that? There''s no way you like me like THAT, right? Please don''t joke around with something like that? It is not funny!" Fl.u.s.tered, Hajime tried to reject reality.


    At this moment, Kaori realized that she had accidentally confessed to Hajime and turned very red due to her mortification. She had slipped out her true feeling because she was scared that Hajime would think that she was dating Rio while in fact she actually liked, no, loved him. However, she quickly recovered when she saw Hajime''s denial and pouted deeply at him.


    When Hajime saw Kaori''s annoyed look, he became more fl.u.s.tered and threw a begging look in other''s direction, asking for help. But, they, Rio included, averted their eyes from Hajime''s plight. They didn''t want to get caught in this mess. Seeing their reaction, Hajime''s expression turned into a mixture of betrayal and desperation.


    Rio decided to give Hajime the last pust and dragged the others out of the room. After stepping out of the workshop, he led them to one of the bedrooms, his bedroom. On the way, he told them, "Well, it is up to them now. Let''s wait until they finished. For the time being, let''s have a small talk in my room."


    Since they had nothing to do, Shizuku, Ryutarou, and Kouki accepted Rio''s offer without any fuss.

 Chapter 19 - Artifacts Demonstration and Announcement

    The next day, after the short lunch break, Captain Meld told the students plus Aiko and Rio that there was no training afterward. Some students heaved a sigh of relief while the other seemed deflated. They were curious as to why the training after lunch was stopped.


    Captain Meld explained to them, "The royal family and delegations from the Holy Saint Temple will test the new artifact created by your friends. You must know them. They are Hajime Nagumo and Rio Kevin. You all are invited to the testing too." When Captain Meld shouted that, he seemed excited.


    Yesterday night, after dinner, Rio had reported the completion of his and Hajime''s first product that he promised to them. He also gave them the sample, but the official testing would still happen the next day. The official testing was to show off the finished product in front of the delegation from Holy Church.


    The meeting was for the royal family, King''s important retinues, Rio, and Hajime. As the Captain of Royal Knight and an important personage of the Kingdom, Meld was involved in the meeting. After watching the product first hand, it was only normal for him to be excited. After all, Rio''s and Hajime''s creation could be said revolutionary, that it would help in their war against the demons.


    When the students heard that, they started a ruckus. They had forgotten Hajime since he had disappeared after their Status Inspection. They never thought Hajime had been doing something interesting. They did not feel skeptical of Captain Meld''s declaration because he also mentioned Rio''s name. Rio''s prestige in the students'' eyes had risen up after this week. Of course, not everyone liked Rio. But, let''s ignore the jealous and the narrow-minded bunch.


    They turned at Rio who was together with Kouki''s group. He had become the official member of Kouki''s group after what happened yesterday in the afternoon. When Rio became the center of the students'' attention, he shrugged his shoulders casually and returned their curiosity with a mysterious smile.


    Finally, the students were bring led by Captain Meld, the other knights, and Court Magicians towards the testing field. When they entered the testing field, the say a canopy had been erected in the middle of the field. There were around three dozens of a seat prepared for VIPs, the students included due to their status as Apostles of God.


    As an aside, Rio felt Ehit''s gaze on him as this happening, but he did not seem to mind the fake God''s attention on him. After a week to get familiar with his new power, he was confident that he could crush Ehit and their force residing in Holy Precinct.


    As they entered the canopy, Kaori made a beeline towards Hajime who was answering the questions from Ishtar and other delegation from Holy Church and embraced him in front of everyone. The other members of Kouki''s group followed after Kaori in a hurry. Only Rio who walked up to the new love birds with steady, unhurried steps. Rio did that to check the students'' reaction to this play. And as he expected, they had a face full of disbelief and outrage when they saw the open affection Kaori showered on Hajime was unusual and very different from the past. They were not blind. They could see that Hajime''s and Kaori''s relationship had changed. When Rio joined Hajime and the others, he motioned to Kouki with his eyes. Kouki then nodded in Rio''s direction in affirmation before facing the students.


    "Everyone! Please give me your attention for a few seconds!" Kouki''s loud voice attracted the students'' attention and distracted them from the open display of affection between Hajime and Kaori. Well, it was mostly Kaori fussing over Hajime who had a stiff face as he received Kaori''s fussing. After the students focused on Kouki, he continued on.


    "I want to inform you that two of our classmates have become an official couple. You may have guessed it, and indeed, these friends of ours are no other than Hajime Nagumo and my childhood friend, Kaori!"


    The students, Aiko, and the young Prince Lundel blanked at the bomb Kouki dropped. Some boys had exaggerated reaction as if they heard their beloved puppy was murdered in a cold blood. Kouki realized their strong reaction and shifted his view towards Rio who enjoyed the scene. He had a troubled expression. When Rio saw that, he shrugged his shoulders and silently informed Kouki to continue. Since Kouki did not know what he should do next, he waited for his friends to recover. And recover they did.


    "Are you f*cking kidding me?!"


    "Oy, this is a joke, right? Amanogawa, tell me that you were joking!"


    "This is only a dream, this is only a dream, this is only a dream..."


    The reaction was strong as expected. It looked like the reply when the student realized they could not return back to their world. However, it mostly came from the boys. The strongest protestors were Daisuke and his cronies. Meanwhile, the girls were busy gossiping. After all, it was a juicy gossip!


    "Everyone, please calm down!" Kouki shouted aloud, trying to calm the outrage. He was taken aback by the boy''s strong reaction. In fact, even Prince Lundel joined the strike, dumbfounding his parents and elder sister. However, Kouki calmed down them successfully with his max charisma. It was the reason why Rio and others had decided to make Kouki give this announcement on the previous day.


    "This announcement is no joke! Nagumo and Kaori are going out for real, and I, as Kaori''s childhood friend, don''t have a problem with Kaori''s decision! In fact, as her childhood friend, I respect and support Kaori''s decision. Ryutarou and Shizuku also gave their blessing for Kaori and Nagumo. As her friends, you all should respect and support her decision too! Moreover, Nagumo is actually not that bad if you get to know him better! So, stop clamoring and give your blessing to Kaori''s and Nagumo''s new relationship!"


    The clamoring students calmed down but not entirely. Though they had stopped making a ruckus, they glared enviously at Hajime, who looked shaken at the boys'' glare which was full of jealousy and bloodl.u.s.t. Meanwhile, Kaori was oblivious to the boys'' murderous glare due to her tunnel vision towards Hajime.


    When Rio saw Kaori, he shook his head in disappointment. Despite he had given those dressing down to her, she kept ignoring the mood and atmosphere around her. However, he allowed Kaori to have her enjoyment for now. After all, she was still over the moon because her d.e.s.i.r.e to be Hajime''s girlfriend turned real.


    Afterward, they advanced towards the main event of this meeting. Kouki and his group settled near the Royal Family and the Temple''s delegations in the front rows. Meanwhile, Rio joined Hajime above the rising ground for the actual presentation.


    Finally, Hajime started his presentation and explained the artifact he had created together with Rio. When the students saw the artifact, they gasped in realization. They had the knowledge, or at least, had seen the shape back in their original world. The shape of this artifact was similar to Guns. In fact, it looked like the M1911, also known as the "Government" or "Colt Government", a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, recoil-operated pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge from Earth.


    "My classmates probably know the shape of this artifact. In fact, I based this artifact on one model of many firearms in our world. However, this artifact does not shoot a bullet. What this artifact launched is condensed elemental mana that has a different effect upon hitting the target! To understand this artifact''s effect better, Rio and I shall show it to you, so you can see it with your own eyes!"


    When Hajime mentioned Rio''s name, Rio had prepared himself at the other end of the stage. Meanwhile, Hajime walked up towards the opposite end of the stage and nodded at Rio.


    ''Well, if that fake god takes the bait, then it is good. If not, it is also good. Either way, let''s see how Ehit will react to this!'' Rio mused silently before tapping into his mana. He did not release his full power. In fact, he only used mana according to his current stats. As an aside, Rio was currently level 6 and had 180 Magic and Magic Defense. Meanwhile, his Strength, Vitality, Defense, and Agility had broken through 30 points. Of course, this information was false. It was just something he wanted others to see while he his his real capability.


    The next moment, his body was covered by a platinum aura that gave a majestic impression. He then created several clay disks, floating above him.


    Everyone, Hajime excluded, exclaimed in shock when they saw the fast and chantless invocation of spell Rio had done. Furthermore, they realized that Rio had done that without any effort. At the same time, Rio sensed Ehit''s gaze on him. It was filled with bad intention. Rio endured the strong urge to smirk victoriously when he sensed that.


    Ehit had unwittingly stepped in Rio''s carefully laid trap.

 Chapter 20 - Shocking Display

    Rio kept his expression laid back while sensing Ehit''s gaze, which was filled with bad intentions, on him. The reason behind the sudden change in Ehit''s intention towards Rio, from dismissal to the sudden strong interest, was due to Rio''s ability to cast spell effortlessly without a chant.


    Rio remembered one important information related to why Yue, or in this case Aletia¡ªsince she had yet to be called with that name¡ªwas locked in the secret chamber in the fiftieth floor of the true layer of Great Orcus Labyrinth. She was locked here by her uncle, her only close relative left and someone who was a father figure for her, because, at that time, her uncle was fighting off the possession from one of Ehit''s lackeys. After knowing Aletia''s existence, Ehit became very interested in her and they soon discovered that Aletia was the best vessel for them due to her ability to control mana directly and evoke spells without chants or magic circles. In short, Aletia was the best vessel which makes Ehit able to use the majority of their power in the Tortus.


    Rio made up his mind to get Ehit''s attention to get a justification to attack Holy Precinct. If Ehit forced him to visit their place, he would have a good reason to destroy the mad self-proclaimed God once and for all.


    You might think that Rio is just wasting his time when he could just storm there and start crushing Ehit and their army of fake Angels. Now, hold your horses and think it through properly and calmly. Though Ehit was the true villain in this universe and someone who should be destroyed as soon as possible, they are still living, sentient being in the end.


    If you are in Rio''s position, would you be able to just kill someone else without a just cause? Could you do it without any hesitation? As long as you are not a psychopath, you would be unable to do it and feel remorse if you killed someone who had never wronged you. Rio was in this similar predicament. He was not a psychopath. He just wanted to have an easygoing and fulfilling life with his future harem. Not becoming a psychopath who did not have empathic and sympathetic senses!


    Though he knew that Ehit''s continuous survival was not good for anyone, it wasn''t enough reason to storm Holy Precinct and kill the disembodied motherf*cker. He would feel remorse after killing Ehit and their fake angels. And if he tried to ignore this remorse, he was afraid that he would become something hideous and evil like Ehit. He did not like to be put in the same place as the body-snatcher. Therefore, Rio carefully laid a trap for Ehit, so they would give him a justification to attack Holy Precinct. He used his knowledge official materials of Arifureta about Ehit''s strong d.e.s.i.r.e to obtain a new body.


    In the beginning, Rio planned to let Ehit snatches Kouki''s body, but he changed his mind after realizing Kouki was still a real, living being just like him. Yesterday, when Rio saw Kouki''s internal turmoils from his eyes, he realized this fact and did not want Ehit to get Kouki''s body.


    All that aside, back to the current situation. Rio ignored the clamor below the stage from the kingdom personnel and Temple''s delegations. When he realized that Ehit would not send their messenger, A.K.A Noint, he gave Hajime an okay with his short nod, telling Hajime to start his part.


    "Now, I will start! Be ready, Rio!" Hajime shouted that, not for Rio, but for the people below the stage. His loud shout grabbed their attention and he poured a trickle of his mana into the gun.


    The gun''s handle glowed sky blue. Right after that, Hajime pulled the trigger and shot one of the floating targets above Rio. Everyone below the stage could see a red ball launched at the floating clay disk and hit it off right in the center. There was no loud gunshot sound like the normal gun from Earth. It was so silent, scarily so.


    The moment the bullet hit the clay, it exploded and became a hot fireball with 1-meter diameter. The fireball, which had the firepower equal to fireball spell with 5 verse aria at the lowest, burned the clay disk into ash in a few seconds.


    There was a loud exclaim from the spectators, but Hajime had yet to finish his show. With a fluid motion that would impress the legendary Billy the Kid, Hajime pulled out the red cartridge from the gun''s handle and changed it with blue colored one from the belt with many cartridges around his waist. Hajime then shot for the second time. This time, the bullet froze the floating clay disk in a moment.


    Hajime continued on. He skillfully replaced the cartridge and shot. Back and forth. When Hajime used brown cartridge, the bullet turned into a stake made of rock right after it left the gun''s muzzle; the green cartridge would turn the bullet into a compressed wind bullet; the yellow cartridge turned the bullet into lightning; the black bullet would decay the target as if it got afflicted by a decaying curse; the pink cartridge would create pink-colored circular barrier with one meter of diameter in front Hajime.


    What they saw was truly revolutionary. In a war against demons, humans only had their number as an advantage. But, this advantage disappeared after demons found a way to control big numbers of monster. Moreover, demons were far skilled in magic and had bigger mana reserves than humans. They could spend a huge amount of mana to enhance their physical strength and speed to go against humanity''s strongest advantage¡ªnumber.


    However, Hajime''s artifact gives humans a new advantage. It was the casting speed. Though the cartridge was fixed with a single spell rule, it basically allowed human to launch a spell without chanting aria or creating a magic circle. It cut off the time to cast a spell into the most minimum. Furthermore, they realized something when they saw Hajime''s presentation.


    It was a well-known fact that Hajime was the only Apostle of God who had similar stats with the regular Tortusians at level 1. The amount of his mana should have not been enough to allow Hajime spamming such a destructive spell with ease. Those who could sense ambiance mana would be able to explain why Hajime could spam destructive spell of all elements, one after another, without a sign of exhaustion or mana depletion.


    The secret was the ambient mana in the air was pulled into the gun when it was triggered off. So, instead of using the user''s mana, the gun artifact, or to be precise the cartridge, was absorbing the ambient mana in the air. Meanwhile, the user''s mana was only needed to activate the artifact. It cut off the mana consumption very significantly.


    Of course, some people who could not endure their curiosity asked aloud, but Hajime stopped them and said, "There''s going to be the more detailed explanation and question and answer session. You can ask a question at that moment. For now, there will be the last...presentation from us."


    The spectators were confused when they saw that Hajime faltered when he mentioned the last presentation. He became paler and had a tight face. Their curiosity was piqued.


    Hajime turned at Rio and walked up towards him. After stopping a couple of feet away from Rio, he changed the cartridge with the white one and nodded at Rio with a tight expression.


    When Rio saw Hajime''s expression, he was amused. It was clear that Hajime was worried about something related to Rio, but he did not see the problem in and of itself.


    "Alright. I''ll do it."


    "Don''t force yourself, Rio."


    They exchanged a firm nod, Rio had laid back expression while Hajime''s was tight. Everyone was on the edge. They could not wait for another shocking presentation from the duo. They would get another shock...in a different sense than their previous shock, though.


    Rio then raised his hand between then and tapped his mana, cloaking only his hand and forearm with the majestic platinum mana. The next moment¡ª


    *CRACK*


    *SPLAT*


    "F.U.C.K! THIS IS TOO HARDCORE AS EXPECTED!"


    Right after that sickening cracking sound, disturbing splattering sound, and Hajime''s loud, unrestrained curse and shout,


    "Kyaaaa!"


    "Medic! Call medic! Lord Rio needs immediate treatment!"


    "Rio!"


    There were shocked and terrified screams and wails of unprepared girls, flurried shout for the medic, and several worried and scared call for Rio''s name. In fact, if Ehit''s soul had a humanoid form, they would do a double-take before turning fl.u.s.tered.


    And it was only normal because Rio''s hand and forearm turned mangled and snapped to the abnormal direction. Also, it was bleeding heavily.


    Rio had inflicted serious self-injury so abruptly.

 Chapter 21 - Ehits Descent

    Amidst the chaos that was created due to the abruptness of Rio''s extreme action, a certain old pope who had stood up in a hurry because he''d seen one of Apostle harming himself acted oddly. His eyes suddenly became vacant and glowed with golden light. But, it was so subtle that anyone else did not see it. Moreover, their attention was fixed on Rio and his mangled, bloodied arm.


    Though Hajime had seen this extreme action once, he was still squeamish when he looked at it. But, he was quickly being swept away by the fl.u.s.tered spectators. He saw them with a dumbfounded look. He had expected they would react badly from this, but he never thought it would be this bad. Because of his perplexities, he forgot to calm everyone.


    Meanwhile, Rio''s reaction was delayed because he felt a strong presence suddenly appeared in this place. No, the correct description to what he''d sensed was this strong presence had merged with someone. And it was Ishtar.


    Despite the others did not realize the strange occurrence in Ishtar, Rio did not miss it. But, Rio quickly calmed down the flurried people under the stage, "Please calm down! This is under control. If you do not calm down, this presentation cannot continue."


    Rio''s voice spread through the field for he had enhanced his voice with mana. Everyone stopped at their spots and turned at Rio. Before someone could open their mouth and make this more complicated, Rio continued on.


    "Don''t worry. I said this is under control, and I mean my words. Though my hand is like this, I have blunted the pain using magic. This is important for the next presentation. So, please return back to your seat."


    Though they seemed skeptical of Rio''s claim, they followed his words. They returned to their seats and tightly looked at the stage. Ishtar who had been possessed by Ehit followed Rio''s order without any fuss. Ehit did not announce their presence yet, and it made Rio curious about the entity''s plan.


    While putting up his guard towards Ishtar/Ehit, Rio turned at Hajime and nodded shortly. Hajime returned back Rio''s nod with his own, albeit shaky one. Hajime then raised his gun and aimed at Rio''s bloodied, mangled arm and pulled the trigger.


    As an aside, Rio had forced his Auto-Regeneration to stop healing his mangled hand for this. If he did not stop it, his hand would heal in the blink of an eye due to his absurd mana.


    A white colored orb was launched from the gun''s muzzle and it hit Rio''s wounded arm. The next moment, Rio''s hand was covered by a white aura. There were loud exclaims and amazed shouts when the spectators saw Rio''s arm healed. After a few seconds, Rio''s hand and forearm returned back to its healthy state.


    Rio turned at the dumbfounded spectators and said, "As you can see, this one has high-level healing spell formula engraved inside the cartridge. Of course, it cannot recover a lost limb, but it is still a spell similar to High Heal that can reattach a limb as long as the cut part isn''t destroyed or eaten by some monsters. With this, the presentation ended and the next presentation about the detailed specs of this artifact will be presented by Hajime."


    Hajime, who had recovered from seeing the gore, nodded and returned his attention to the spectators. He began the presentation. What Hajime explained was more or less shortened into these points.


    1) The artifact used ambient mana in the air to fuel it, but the user''s mana is needed to trigger the artifact.


    2) Even a regular person with level 1 and 10 Magic can use the artifact but only ten times. Each trigger consumed mana equal to 1 Magic.


    3) The artifact only useful against monsters and demons because of the magic formula engraved in the gun''s body. If someone tries to use it to harm human or demi-human, the formula will self destruct.


    4) There is a self-destruct function in both gun and cartridge. The only harmless and healing effect will not trigger the self-destruct mechanism. And by self-destruct mechanism, it means in the magic formula. The gun and cartridge themselves are only minerals shaped into a gun and a cartridge.


    5) The gun and cartridge production is like the status plate, meaning there is the production type artifact that will create them automatically.


    6) Trying to counter engineer the guns, cartridge, and the production artifacts are indivisible because there are self-destruct function that will erase the magic formula which is the most important component of these artifacts upon trying to open them.


    Hajime''s explanation was more or less answering the confusion of everyone. There were still some questions related to the speed of guns and cartridge creation, what kind of materials needed, what kind of spell can be installed, and some other trivial stuff. Whenever Hajime could not answer the question, Rio would step in and answer in Hajime''s place. In the end, the presentation was considered as a success and this new artifact was accepted by the Holy Church and the Heiligh Kingdom.


    Finally, Ishtar/Ehit who had been silent made his move. He stood abruptly, attracting everyone attention. Next, incomprehensible presence exuded from his body and light golden light leaked out of the orifices in his head. The people who did not know what happened with Ishtar was struck dumb. Those who knew what happened to him, mostly the delegations from Holy Church, prostrated before Ishtar in a hurry. They began praising Ehit''s name in reverence. Before long, everyone else knew that Ishtar''s body was possessed by Ehit and the god had indirectly graced them with their blessed presence.


    When the students knew about this, they had mixed feelings. They were finally in the presence of the God who arbitrarily kidnapped them from their world. They wanted to protest and demand Ehit to send them back. However, they were tongue-tied and frozen in their spot by Ehit''s presence. They could only dumbly watch the procession.


    Ishtar/Ehit continued walking up towards the stage, approaching Rio. When they got closer, Hajime fell down on his but and had a panic-stricken face. His body was drenched by his sweat. He lost control of his body. Meanwhile, Rio only had sweat on his forehead, it trickles down to his cheek and chin before falling down to the ground.


    At this moment, Rio discovered that he had underestimated Ehit. This fake god was powerful, but Rio was not scared of him. Nay, he did not even need to unseal all his nine seals. He only needed to unseal four seals to get enough power to crush Ehit.


    All that aside, back to the present situation. Rio was watching Ishtar/Ehit''s approach with a blank look, hiding his inner feeling. He also readied himself to take off his seals at any moment. After a few seconds, Ishtar/Ehit stopped in front of him and opened his mouth. What came out from Ishtar''s mouth was not his voice. It was the mixture of many different voices; male and female, old and young. They mixed together in surprising harmony.


    "O mine own belov''d apostle, mine own chosen h''ro! I am Ehit! The God of tis world! I am joyous with thy eff''rt to holp humanity, who is''t I loveth dearly, in their war ''gainst the vile demons yond seeketh their destruction! Tee coequal unhesitatingly did harm yourself to maketh thy pointeth cleareth, and t is w''rthy of mine own attention and careth. But, o mine own belov''d apostle, doth not harmeth yourself f''r the second timeth! T''pains me to seeth thee wound''d and thy blood spilled, o thee quaint child. Thou art mine own belov''d apostle and chosen h''ro who is''t shalt bringeth salvation upon mine own dearly belov''d humanity! groweth stout! beest stout, festinate! and I shalt waiteth until the day thee shineth brightly and p''rsonally inviteth thee to mine own heavenly did abide at which hour yond timeth finally cometh!"[1]


    Ishtar/Ehit turned around without waiting for Rio''s response and spoke to the delegations of Holy Church and the people of Heiligh Kingdom.


    "Treat that gent well. Treateth that gent well as h''ro. This is mine own sinc''re wisheth f''r the children I loveth!"[2]


    Right after that, Ehit''s presence disappeared and Ishtar slumped down right in front of Rio, unconscious. For a short while, everyone was silent, recovering from their intense experience. And the next moment, another chaos was created. This time, it was due to Ehit''s descend and ''blessing'' for Rio.


    Amidst the ruckus, Rio was thinking only a single line. He thought that a single line with a funny expression.


    ''Why the heck Ehit spoke Shakespearean?''


    ¡ï¡ï¡ï| FOOTNOTE |¡ï¡ï¡ï


    [1] "O my beloved Apostle, my chosen Hero! I am Ehit! I am happy with your effort to help humanity, who I love dearly, in their war against the vile demons that seek their destruction! You even unhesitatingly harmed yourself to make your point clear, and it is worthy of my attention and care. But, O my beloved apostle, do not harm yourself for the second time! It pains me to see you wounded and your blood spilled, O Beautiful Child. You''re my beloved Apostle and Chosen Hero who shall bring salvation upon my dearly beloved humanity! Grow strong! Be strong, fast! And I shall wait until the day you shine brightly and personally invite you to my heavenly abode when that time finally comes!"


    [2] "Treat him well. Treat him well as Hero. This is my sincere wish for the children I love!"

 Chapter 22 - The Talk with Liselotte (1)

    *Knock¡ªKnock*


    "Excuse me, Sir Rio. I''m going in."


    Rio stopped reading the commonplace fairytale book of Tortus and raised his head to look at the door. He was killing his spare time when he heard Liselotte''s familiar voice. After a few seconds, his door was opened from the outside and Liselotte entered the room while pushing a food cart. He then put down his book at the small desk next to the sofa. It was time for dinner, but Rio decided to have dinner in his private room in the castle. The reason why he locked himself in his room was due to his sudden popularity due to Ehit''s stunt three days ago.


    It had been three days since the presentation of his and Hajime''s artifact¡ªchristened as Magic Gun. Because of Ehit''s stunt at the end of the presentation, everyone from the Pope to the lowest servant in the castle treated him with excessive respect and reverence. Though Rio understood the importance of popularity and positive public image, the way these people treated him was too excessive.


    Rio was feeling stifled and annoyed by their excessive treatment. Even the king, Eliheid, treated him with greater respect than how he treated the Pope Ishtar since then. He always tried to strike a conversation in mealtime, trying to get closer with him. He could not even enjoy his meal and he was too mindful of his public image to shoo away the king.


    And speaking of Ehit... Rio had made up his mind that he would beat up that entity black and blue when he was finally ''invited'' to Holy Precinct. The disembodied entity had given him so much trouble for their stunt. Furthermore, it was clear in Rio''s eyes that Ehit was desiring his body. Ehit told him to grow strong fast, and it only meant that they wanted to take over Rio''s body due to the similarity of his body''s specs with Aleytia''s. If Rio became strong enough, he would become a better vessel than Kouki.


    Regardless, Rio would wreak havoc and crush Ehit. But, for the time being, Rio wanted to enjoy his life and focused on what was ahead of him. Strictly speaking, he wanted to move into the next stage of relationship with one of his many targets. Said target was the blue-haired maid who pushed the food cart into the table in his private room.


    Right after she stopped next to the table, Liselotte moved the dishes to the table. Her movement was swift and well trained. There was no waste movement. From Rio''s position, he could only see Liselotte''s back and yet her movement still looked graceful.


    Finally, Liselotte moved everything from the pushcart to the table. She turned around and faced Rio who was still reclining on the sofa. She gave Rio a demure smile and said, "Sir Rio, your dinner is ready."


    Rio was silent for a few seconds, making Liselotte make a confused and curious face. But, she didn''t speak what was in her mind and opted to wait for Rio to finish his thoughts. Liselotte was aware of Rio''s new status as the one who was chosen by their blessed god, and she had treated him with respect and reverence suited his new status, but Rio didn''t have any of it. He had ordered her to behave normally around him, and Liselotte was happy, albeit a tad awkward, to follow his order.


    Finally, Rio recovered from his thoughts and shifted his position. After sitting properly, Rio gestured to Liselotte to approach him. Liselotte was perplexed but still followed his silent order. When she was standing before him, Rio patted the empty space on the sofa next to him. His movement invited Liselotte to take the offered spot.


    Liselotte formed a surprised expression and alternated her look between Rio''s face and the empty space. After a few seconds, she made an unsure expression and said, "Sir Rio, would it not be respectful if I take the place next to you? I mean, by sitting next to you, it seems like we have equal standing when the truth is you''re far above my status."


    "No, I don''t think so. Besides, I don''t mind to share equal standing with you, Liselotte." Rio responded while patting the empty space again.


    Liselotte face betrayed her puzzlement, but she didn''t question Rio any longer and followed his order, sitting down next to him. There was only a few tens of centimeter distance between them, enough to keep off their bodies from touching each other. Afterward, an ambiguous atmosphere engulfed them and Liselotte squirmed on her place as she felt awkward. On the other hand, Rio seemed to ponder about something.


    After a few seconds, Rio returned back to the present and turned at Liselotte. Sensing Rio''s view on her, Liselotte unconsciously turned at him. Rio''s deep, unfathomable brown eyes intersected with Liselotte''s blue eyes. For a few seconds, they only looked into each other eyes.


    Finally, Rio recovered from his stupor first and grabbed Liselotte''s hand, which was resting on her l.a.p. Liselotte tensed her body but didn''t take back her hand from Rio''s hand. Her healthy pale cheeks were stained by red tint as she felt embarrassed. She averted her eyes away from Rio''s eyes. But, her acceptance of the skin contact spoke her good impression of Rio, that she would not mind having skinship with him, and maybe more.


    Rio understood this. He knew that Liselotte''s impression of him was very good. He made up his mind to carry their relationship to the next step¡ªas lovers¡ªat this moment. There was another reason for his decision, but it was irrelevant at this point.


    "Liselotte, please be honest with me."


    Liselotte returned back her eyes, meeting Rio''s. Her face reddened further as she had an inkling guess where this discussion''s heading. After a few seconds, Liselotte nodded her head shyly.


    "I will answer Sir Rio''s question honestly."


    "Good. My first question is¡­" Rio paused briefly, preparing himself, and then continued on. "What do you think about me?"


    Liselotte blinked her eyes and made a pondering face, but she didn''t avert her eyes from Rio''s. She could see the seriousness in Rio''s eyes. Thus, Liselotte wanted to return it properly.


    "About what? Did Sir Rio ask my impression of you as the Apostle of God, or as a person called Rio?"

 Chapter 23 - The Talk with Liselotte (2)

    "About what? Did Sir Rio ask my impression of you as the Apostle of God, or as a person called Rio?"


    "The latter," Rio answered Liselotte''s question shortly.


    Liselotte nodded in affirmation and closed her eyes briefly, collecting her thoughts. She then opened her eyes and looked into Rio''s eyes with a tender look full of affection. And despite Rio was prepared for any sign of her affection for him, he was still surprised. But, he held himself from showing his surprise, maintaining his calm appearance to the end.


    "I think Sir Rio is kind, thoughtful, reliable, and amazing. Sir Rio is a good person."


    "I see¡­" Rio nodded his assent. He then asked Liselotte his next question, "Do you already have someone you like, romantically I mean?"


    This time, Liselotte could not meet Rio''s gaze and lowered her face deeply. She was hiding her face with her front bang, but Rio could see her ears which had become very red. Rio put his other hand above their intertwining hands and squeezed Liselotte''s hand softly. Liselotte squeezed his hand in return, but she kept looking down, not meeting up his gaze.


    After a few seconds, Liselotte raised her face slightly. Rio saw Liselotte''s upturned eyes. When he saw that, his heart skipped a beat and wanted to hold this cute girl closely in his embrace. However, he restrained himself and waited for her answer.


    Liselotte finally gave Rio her answer, "I have someone I respect and love dearly¡­"


    When Rio heard that, Rio didn''t fall into the cliche trap of misunderstanding that usually happened in Shoujo stories. No sir, no way! Thank you very much! Besides, Liselotte had subtly informed him of the man she remarked by putting her other hand above Rio''s hand. Their hands were currently stacking on each other''s hands.


    "But¡­" Liselotte continued with a conflicted expression.


    "What is it?" Rio urged Liselotte to continue, wondering what was her problem.


    "I am not sure if I can be a suitable partner for him. I mean, he is very amazing! He is special! Yet, I''m only a lowly servant. And I realized that I am not suited to be with him..."


    Liselotte had an expression of self-ridicule and grief when she said that. Tears were pooling in the corner of her eyes, ready to fall down her cheeks any moment. Her hands which were holding on his were shivering. She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from spilling out her inferiority complex by shedding her tears.


    When Rio saw the grief-stricken expression in Liselotte''s face, Rio felt a pang of guilt.


    As an aside, Liselotte had started working as his personal maid the next day after their first meeting. It seems that the senior maid thought that Rio had taken a fancy to Liselotte, which he was by the way, when they informed her of their decision to stroll in the castle with Liselotte as the guide. Thus, that senior maid informed the head maid and soon, Liselotte was tasked to be Rio''s personal maid.


    Due to Liselotte''s new assignment, Rio had more chance to deepen their relationship. And more than a week were enough for Rio to seduce Liselotte to the point of being confident that his confession would not be rejected.


    Often time, when it was only the two of them, Rio caught the turmoils in Liselotte''s eyes. It seems that she. didn''t dare to overstep her limits as a mere maid. Moreover, she was only a silly young, pure maid, who never experienced love before, fall in love with someone she was tasked to take care.


    Although she was dissatisfied, she could only sulk and agonize silently. She didn''t have the courage to tell Rio her feeling for him because of the difference in their status. Also, she could not forget her budding crush for Rio and move on for Liselotte never fell in love before. Rio was her first love and she felt her feeling for him was very precious. She could not stop it from festering in her heart.


    Rio forced himself to push aside the guilt in his heart. He then looked deep into Liselotte''s glassy, wet blue eyes and said, "Do you love me, Liselotte?"


    The tears that were hanging in the corner of Liselotte''s eyes started pouring down like a waterfall. Liselotte gave Rio a happy yet complex smile. "Of course, I love Sir Rio! But¡ª"


    "No but!" Rio forcefully cut off Liselotte''s words. Liselotte, wide-eyed, looked at Rio with slightly parting lips. Rio wasted no time and continued on.


    "Listening to your answer is enough! I know that you love me, and to be honest, I like you as a woman and want you to be my woman! At the same time, there are other women too. I know that this sounds unfair, that I am a sinful man! You must feel dissatisfied and angry at my selfishness, but I''m a very selfish man. I want you yet I want them too! I don''t care about the difference in our status! In my eyes, all women are equal! There is no woman with higher or lower standing! Knowing this, will you still agree to be my woman?"


    Liselotte listened to Rio''s words until the end in silence. She had a complex look when she heard that. A part of her felt joyful when she heard that the man she loved, her first love, returned her feeling. At the same time, she felt a tad dissatisfied when she heard that she would not be his only woman.


    However, in Tortus, Polygamy was not frowned upon. In fact, it was widely practiced by nobility to produce heirs to continue their line. Moreover, nobles would often take good-looking commoners as concubines. Not only nobles, some exceptional commoners even practiced polygamy as long as the man was able to take care of more than a single wife.


    Still, Liselotte wanted to monopolize Rio for herself. It was only natural for having this d.e.s.i.r.e. Love was not about giving and taking. It was about taking everything to satisfy it.


    Liselotte closed her eyes and sunk deep in thought, weighing her answer carefully. After a few tens of seconds, she opened her eyes and displayed a resolute look. "Although I won''t be Sir Rio''s only woman, I am still happy to be your woman. Besides, polygamy is allowed in this world. I''m not sure about Sir Rio''s world, but you can stay in this world forever! No, please don''t return back! I know that I am being unreasonable, but I don''t want to be separated from Sir Rio! I agree to be Sir Ri¡ªhwah!?"


    It was enough. The moment he heard ''I agree'' from Liselotte''s mouth, Rio pounced at her without hesitation.

 Chapter 24 - Eating the Maid (1) [+18]

    Right after Rio pounced at the defenseless and innocent blue-haired maiden, the first thing he did was claiming Liselotte''s soft, warm lips. Liselotte had jerked in surprise when Rio pounced at her but she allowed him to lay his lips on hers. She''d thought that her inner lips would get bruises from bumping up with Rio''s lips, but she was mildly surprised when she felt how soft their lips meeting was.


    In truth, Rio had stopped his momentum at the last moment before he bumped up with Liselotte''s lips. Liselotte jerked back in reflex just helped him in this case. He then pushed his lips to hers softly in the short interval after stopping his momentum. Therefore, there was no accident that would turn off the mood.


    When their lips met, Liselotte pulled her hands from Rio''s grip. Rio allowed her to do that. Liselotte then rested her hands on Rio''s broad shoulders and savored the feeling of his lips while closing her eyes, imagining Rio''s face vividly in her mind. Rio, too, moved his hands after releasing Liselotte''s hands and grabbed her soft, smooth cheeks. He rubbed her cheeks as he kissed her lips.


    After a few seconds, Rio parted his lips and licked Liselotte''s bottom lip. Liselotte was surprised and she opened her lips unintentionally. Rio then bit her bottom lip softly and began s.u.c.k.i.n.g them.


    "Mmmmmmph..." Liselotte m.o.a.n.e.d into Rio''s mouth. She felt pleasant tingles spreading to her whole body from her bottom lip which was nibbled naughtily by Rio. Before long, the tingles run towards her lower abdomen. Unknown heat appeared inside that spot and slowly built up.


    Liselotte began squirming in her place. Rio stopped nibbling her lip and inserted his tongue into her mouth. Liselotte jerked in surprise due to the sudden intrusion but she didn''t push away Rio and accepted him.


    "Muach...Myucp...Mmmmph...Muach...Muhmph!"


    They made a l.e.w.d, wet sound as Rio''s tongue roamed in Liselotte''s unexplored mouth, c.a.r.e.s.sing her teeth, gums, and the roof of her mouth, before wrestling with her tongue. In the beginning, Liselotte''s tongue was unresponsive, allowing it to be violated by Rio''s eager and aggressive tongue. But, she soon wrestled back after a few seconds.


    As her arousal was building up, Liselotte moved her hands to the back of Rio''s head and grabbed a fistful of his hair. She then pushed his face deeper into hers. She didn''t want to be separated from this unknown yet precious sensation from intimate contact with Rio.


    Rio didn''t stay silent. He moved his hands down, c.a.r.e.s.sing Liselotte''s lower jaw. His hands slid down to her collarbone and finally arriving on her modest b.r.e.a.s.ts. Though they seemed modest pair, Rio discovered that he could not grab their entire surface on his palm and fingers. Liselotte''s maid uniform was surprisingly hiding their full glory. At least, he guessed that they were around D-cup. A respectable size for a developing girl at her age. Rio then began rubbing them softly, being mindful of Liselotte''s first time being touched by a man.


    Rio alternated between rubbing her b.r.e.a.s.ts and pinching and twisting her erect n.i.p.p.l.es under her apron and dress. Simultaneously, he felt Liselotte''s body reacting intensely to his ministrations. Despite Rio''s inexperience in the actual s.e.x, he didn''t lack experience in foreplay. He had groped his former girlfriend so much that the only part he had yet to touch was her inner p.u.s.s.y. Rio was playing with Liselotte''s innocent yet curious body like a fiddle.


    Liselotte felt that she was sinking in a strange state. She felt her mind slowly lost its coherence. Snow white fogs slowly covered her mind. The pleasant tingles and the heat in her lower abdomen became too much for her to endure. It was very unbearable. At the same time, something, unknown feeling, was building up fast, but Liselotte didn''t know how to unleash this built up. She couldn''t help but feel frustration from it.


    Liselotte was both anxious and desperate to release this uncomfortable yet euphoric sensation. It was new and unknown. She was both scared and excited by this new and unknown sensation. In the end, she decided to forcefully put it aside. She then focused on her kissing and Rio''s naughty hands on her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    "Mmph...hngh...cyup...myup...mmmph! Mmmmmph!"


    Rio stopped playing with Liselotte''s b.r.e.a.s.ts and was about to move his hands lower, but he heard Liselotte''s disappointed groan in his mouth. It seems that Liselotte didn''t want him to stop focusing on her b.r.e.a.s.ts, but Rio had a plan to train her other parts to receive his stimulation. It is true that b.r.e.a.s.ts are one of the well-known erogenous zones of women, but there are other spots that can elicit a woman''s arousal.


    Disregarding Liselotte''s disappointment Rio traced his palms on Liselotte''s flat torso and stomach. She jerked and squirmed as his hands c.a.r.e.s.sed them. She felt ticklish. Her disappointment was replaced by amazement and a new p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e as her body kept receiving the stimulation.


    After stopping in the middle of her stomach, Rio had his left hand move to Liselotte''s back until it stopped on her spine. His other hand moved down to her l.a.p and traced her left t.h.i.g.h. He began rubbing her t.h.i.g.h slowly while moving closer to her groin.


    When Liselotte sensed Rio''s right hand moving closer to her groin, her body trembled from intense tingles. It was more intense than when he rubbed her b.r.e.a.s.ts but less than when he played with her n.i.p.p.l.es. In the meantime, she found his left hand that started massaging her stiff back made her relax.


    Finally, Rio''s right hand arrived in her groin and c.a.r.e.s.sed her fabric-covered l.a.b.i.a. The moment Rio touched her sacred area, Liselotte''s body trembled strongly for a brief moment. She felt the strongest stimulation yet. After a few seconds, Liselotte stopped trembling and kissed Rio with more vigor than before. As her mind was filled with l.u.s.t and she just wanted for release of the unknown tension in her lower abdomen, Liselotte showed no restraint. Her movement became wild and wanting.


    Rio received her vigor and concentrated on her s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e lower part. He had allowed Liselotte to take the lead for kissing. Though she was not a master, her motivation and passion were enough to lead him. Rio had his left hand massaging her back while his right hand c.a.r.e.s.sing her sacred entrance.


    The longer Rio did that, more frantic Liselotte''s movement became. And when she showed the sign of her release, her movement became wilder than ever, Rio used his thumb to press her erect c.l.i.t.o.r.i.s under her garment.


    Liselotte''s reaction was immediate. Her muscle tensed and her jaws and tongue ceased to move. After a few seconds, she shuddered intensely. She even bit Rio''s tongue and lip as she had the first-ever o.r.g.a.s.m. It was fortunate that Rio was quick in reinforcing his lips and tongue or else it would become a bloody affair. Rio was a tad annoyed by Liselotte''s rough reaction that almost harmed him if he was late by a second.


    After a few minutes, Rio felt that Liselotte''s o.r.g.a.s.m had ended. Her muscle and jaws relaxed. Her body slumped into his c.h.e.s.t and their kiss was broken. When Rio saw Liselotte''s vacant expression and glassy, wet eyes, his annoyance was replaced with smug satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment. He was proud of himself who had turned this lovely girl into this state.


    Before long, Liselotte recovered from her afterglow stupor. She didn''t seem to remember her mistake and looked at Rio quizzically. She was trying to put her out of world experience in words but couldn''t find the correct words to describe it properly.


    "That''s... That''s..."


    "Amazing? Wonderful? Blissful? Euphoric?"


    Rio tried to help her find the correct word to explain it. His words jolted her awake and she turned very red, her neck and ears included. The next moment, she buried her face into Rio''s c.h.e.s.t. She felt very ashamed for displaying such a sight before him. She didn''t know why she felt mortified by it, though. She just did that.


    Rio decided to wait until Liselotte calmed down and rubbed her back. When Liselotte stayed silent in his embrace, Rio felt a bit lonely from the silence and decided to tease her, "Was it good?"


    Liselotte shuddered strongly after listening to Rio''s question. She felt mortification yet longed for the previous out of the world experience. It was her first time experiencing that and it was a very intense one at that. It was only normal for a maiden like her to be curious about that. In the end, Liselotte nodded in Rio''s c.h.e.s.t, feeling unsure of her own voice.


    "Do you want to feel it again?" Rio questioned Liselotte suddenly. He waited for Liselotte''s answer. After waiting for a few seconds, he heard her faint voice that sounded like a mosquito.


    "...Could I?"


    "If it is my lady''s heartfelt wish, who am I to deny her?"


    "Then... Make me feel good again, Sir Rio, please!"

 Chapter 25 - Eating the Maid (2) [+18]

    After receiving Liselotte''s assent, Rio decided that it was the time for the main event. Briefly, he wondered where they would do it. In the sofa or in the bed? Such a question popped in his mind. After a few seconds, Rio decided to have their first time in bed. But, before that, Rio remembered something important.


    Rio turned at the doors and waved his left hand in that direction. Platinum mana flashed in an instant on his hand, the door, and the whole room. Liselotte had caught it and she pulled her head from Rio''s c.h.e.s.t. She then gave him a quizzical look and said, "What was that Sir Rio?"


    "Just keeping our privacy. You wouldn''t like it if someone else stumbles into us when we do this, would you?"


    Liselotte, wide-eyed, shook her head forcefully. The idea of her intimate moment with her beloved being watched by the third person filled her heart with strong shameful feeling. She didn''t want her private affair with her beloved to become public entertainment.


    Of course, Liselotte didn''t know that it also messed with Ehit''s scrying magic, displaying different scene than what actually happened. There was no way Rio would allow the voyeuristic body-snatching motherf*cker to watch his intimate moment with his woman.


    "In addition, you need not hold back your voice any longer. If you want to scream, just scream at your heart content. This room blocks the sound for coming out."


    When Liselotte listened to Rio''s words, her face, ears, and neck reddened so much that she looked like an apple. She then buried her face in Rio''s c.h.e.s.t from the intense mortification. Simultaneously, she punched Rio''s shoulders with her hands, though her punch didn''t have strength in it.


    "Sir Rio, you''re very bad! Bully! Meany!"


    When Rio saw Liselotte''s cute reaction, he was very pleased and rubbed her back softly. After that, they fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying the comfort which was provided by the other. After a few tens of second, Rio remembered that he was going to have s.e.x with Liselotte and silently ridiculed himself for being swept by the mood, forgetting the most important issue. He then had his hands on the knot of lace of Liselotte''s apron and then carefully undid the knot.


    When Liselotte felt that, her body trembled slightly. She was embarrassed, but she endured her mortification because it was Rio. She didn''t have any aversion if it was Rio who saw her pure body. In fact, she felt strange anticipation from the idea of being seen n.a.k.e.d by him.


    While Rio untying the complicated knots of Liselotte''s dress, he could not help but feel impatient and annoyed. The medieval fashion style was too outdated and troublesome!


    Finally, Rio untied all laces on Liselotte''s dress. He took off her corset first before pushing her body a bit to take off her dress. After pushing her off of his c.h.e.s.t, Rio stopped for a few seconds to savor the cute expression of Liselotte. Her face was very red and she was averting her eyes away, afraid to meet his.


    Rio chuckled faintly before pulling up her dress. As much as he wanted to savor Liselotte''s cute embarrassment, he had his priority. After a few tens of seconds, Rio finally succeeded in stripping her off of her dress. Rio was a bit surprised when he saw Liselotte''s u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r. It looked like bras but not as comfortable and modern looking like the bras from his world. For the lower u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r, Liselotte was wearing something like a frisky G-string. There was only a piece of fabric that was connected with a coarse lace circling around her lovely h.i.p.s.


    When Rio saw that, he could not help but think, ''Is this the standard of female''s u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r in this world? Maybe, I can use the knowledge about modern u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r to get honest money to feed my harem in the future.''


    Liselotte, who saw Rio''s vacant eyes on her u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r, felt the ashamed feeling that she had never experienced before. She wished a hole will suddenly appear next to her so she could jump inside to hide. Alas, her wish was for naught. She could only hide her face behind her hands.


    After a few seconds, Rio recovered and dismissed the unnecessary thoughts from his mind. He then took off Liselotte''s u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r. When Liselotte was n.a.k.e.d, Rio sighed in amazement. It was not his first time seeing a female n.a.k.e.d figure. But, every time he saw the n.a.k.e.d body of a girl, it never ceased to amaze him. All female''s bodies were equal in his eyes. A perfection made for men.


    "Umm... Sir Rio?"


    Liselotte''s timid voice grabbed his attention. Rio blinked his eyes and looked at her quizzically. He saw her peeking from the gaps between her fingers.


    "What''s it?" He asked her softly.


    "I feel that it is unfair..."


    "What''s unfair?"


    Briefly, Liselotte struggled to speak out what was in her mind. Yet, she spoke it out after gathering enough courage, "That...I''m n.a.k.e.d and Sir Rio is not..."


    Rio heard Liselotte''s response that sounded so faint like a mosquito. Regardless, he knew what was her problem. He then felt a sudden d.e.s.i.r.e to tease her and followed his d.e.s.i.r.e without delay, "Do you really want to see me n.a.k.e.d that badly?"


    Liselotte, realizing that Rio teased her, moved down her hands and clenched them. She pouted at Rio and said to him, "Sir Rio is so mean!"


    Rio laughed at Liselotte''s cute reaction. He decided to take off his own clothes and moved away from Liselotte to get enough space. He then began to strip while being watched by Liselotte, who was wide-eyed and very curious.


    He had been wearing a high-quality silken tunic and leggings of this world. His only clothes, a short-sleeved white shirt, light gray pants, and a pair of boxers were stashed safely in the wardrobe within the room. He never wore it after he received this room and clothes to wear from the Kingdom.


    Liselotte gasped when she saw Rio''s c.o.c.k. It was only half awake, but its size was not disappointing. Rio had a d.i.c.k on the gifted side. It was not excessively large, but it gave him the confidence to please his woman with its size alone.


    After putting off all his clothes, he returned back to Liselotte on the sofa. He hugged her, eliciting a mortified yelp from the blue-haired girl. As Rio hugged her, he enjoyed the soft and feminine feeling of her body.

 Chapter 26 - Eating the Maid (3) [+18]

    After making up his mind, Rio looked at Liselotte who was looking at his face in confusion. Yet, she did not speak what was in her mind and opted to wait until he finished with his thought.


    Looking at such an obedient girl, Rio felt very lucky. He then grabbed her cheeks and pushed his face closer to hers. He claimed her lips in a passionate French kiss.


    Though Liselotte was caught off guard in the beginning, she soon returned his passion. She threw her hands over his shoulders and circled her slender arms around his neck, pulling him closer.


    "Muach...Mmmmph...Hmph...Muach...Mucph...Muach...Mmmph..."


    They tangled up in a passionate embrace and wanting kiss. Their ardor matched each other. As they did that, Liselotte melted into his front, sticking her modest b.r.e.a.s.ts on his c.h.e.s.t. Simultaneously, Rio brought her closer by putting her light body on his l.a.p. Liselotte was crouching in front of Rio while her b.u.t.t.o.c.k.s rested on his l.a.p and her t.h.i.g.hs clamped his waist. After a few seconds, Rio felt his c.o.c.k regained its strength and woke up. His c.o.c.k accidentally rubbed Liselotte''s l.a.b.i.a and it elicited a muffled m.o.a.n from the blue haired girl.


    "Mmmmmph...hngh...muach...mmmph!"


    As Liselotte felt the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e from the rubbing of her p.u.s.s.y''s entrance and Rio''s hardened c.o.c.k, she started grinding herself on Rio, seeking out more p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e. Before long, Rio could feel her becoming wet and ready. The sticky liquid was leaking out of her lower lips, coating his c.o.c.k. Rio finally broke the kiss.


    "Sir Rio! Why? Come again! I want to be one with Sir Rio more!" Liselotte stated out her dissatisfaction through her rapid, hot breath. Her face was very red and she had glassy, unfocused eyes.


    "You want to become one with me that badly, huh? Very well. We shall become one in the truest sense!" Rio responded at Liselotte''s demand. His words woke her up from her stupor. Liselotte then looked at him quizzically, uncomprehending his statement. The next moment, she squealed in surprise for Rio had raised her body and carried her off of the sofa. Along the way, Liselotte was hugging him like a koala on a tree. Rio finally arrived in his bed and laid Liselotte on it.


    When Rio tried to claim her lips again, Liselotte surprisingly stopped his advance by resting her palms on his c.h.e.s.t. Rio looked at her quizzically, feeling at lost by her sudden rejection to advance into the next step. After Liselotte saw his expression, she said to him, "Sir Rio, didn''t you think that we are still too young to have a child? If we continue, I will become pregnant."


    Rio became dumbfounded after listening to Liselotte''s words. He finally understood why she stopped him, but Rio didn''t want to stop. "Hey, Liselotte..." He called her out but stopped the words he wanted to say. Actually, Rio wanted to question Liselotte whether she knows about magic that can stop pregnancy, but he stopped short after remembering that Liselotte''s Job is not related to magic.


    You may not expect it, but Liselotte actually had Blade Dancer job. And what kind of job is Blade Dancer? As you may have guessed from its name, Blade Dancer is a derivative Job of Swordsman. However, unlike the standard Swordsman Job, Blade Dancer focused on the style and beauty of swordsmanship. It has lower attacking power of the standard Swordsman Job, but Blade Dancer is far more agile than the standard Swordsmen.


    All that aside, back to the present situation. Rio stopped his question when he remembered about that. However, he''d grabbed Liselotte''s attention. Thus, she said to him, "Did Sir Rio want to ask something to me? Why suddenly stopping?"


    Rio fixed his attention on Liselotte and shook his head. He then said to her, "Forget about it. There is no way you would know about magic to stop pregnancy, would you?"


    Liselotte made an understanding expression in Rio''s words. She could take a guess where it heads on. But, her face became serious after a few seconds. She said to him, "Actually, I have heard about that kind of magic, but it is frowned for nobility to use it on their spouses."


    "Why is that?" Rio asked Liselotte in confusion.


    "It is that there is a chance the spouses will lose their ability to produce offspring. For nobility, producing an heir is very important."


    "I see..." Rio nodded in understanding.


    Rio understood what Liselotte meant by that. Nobility was fixated with the idea of bloodline and the most important thing for male nobles when they married was producing an heir to continue their line. A woman who cannot produce offspring is treated as a defect. After that, it is whether the marriage will bring benefit to the house or not. In the end, marriage for a noble is more like a business transaction than a sacred union between to loving couples.


    Rio sunk deep in thought after that. He soon remembered that he could use Metamorphosis Magic to turn Liselotte sterile in the nonpermanent state. Though he didn''t have a deep understanding of female''s biology, he could visit the Root of Arifureta Universe to get the knowledge he needs. He was focusing on his carnal impulse too much that he forgot about it.


    After making up his mind, Rio said to Liselotte, "I can turn you sterile in the nonpermanent state. It''s for tonight and other nights in the future, perhaps. When we are ready to have offspring, I can return your ability to get pregnant. Would you allow me to do that?"


    Liselotte stared at Rio''s serious and confident expression for a brief moment, searching for something. After she found out what she needed, she nodded her assent, allowing Rio to cast his magic on her.


    Rio decided to tap into Liselotte''s information in the Root using Evolution Magic. He did it so carefully so he wouldn''t alarm Ehit. After he acquired the detailed reproduction anatomy of Liselotte, he cut off his connection to the Root and started his work. He killed all ova in Liselotte''s w.o.m.b before deactivating her ovary. He didn''t stop only at that and modified her v.a.g.i.n.a a little bit. He turned off the pain receptor inside her v.a.g.i.n.a, so she wouldn''t feel pain when Rio takes her v.i.r.g.i.n.i.t.y. Also, he spread out her nerve ends from her small G-spot near her cervix until they covered her whole v.a.g.i.n.a.l wall.


    Rio knew that what he''d done was basically cheating, but wanted to give Liselotte the best experience in her first time. Afterward, he told Liselotte that he completed his task.


    "Then, please claim me, Sir Rio..." Liselotte said to Rio with a tone that contains her anticipation and anxiety. The former from being claimed by Rio while the latter from the pain she would experience. She didn''t know that Rio had done more than merely turning her sterile in the nonpermanent state.


    "Of course, my dear lady, but, first, allow me to prepare your body to accept me!" Rio declared and started another round of intense foreplay. He claimed her lips and French kissed her with a burning passion which was matched by Liselotte. Simultaneously, he had his hands on her groin and b.r.e.a.s.ts, alternating between those two globes using a single hand.


    "Muach....myach....nyucp...mmmmph....muach..."


    Liselotte unrestrainedly made a l.e.w.d kissing sound. She was into it so much that her reserved attitude had disappeared. There was only passion and wanting, matching the intense passion Rio poured into her.


    After a while, Rio sensed that Liselotte was ready. Her love juice was dripping out through her l.a.b.i.a like a small flood. He broke their kiss, viewed Liselotte''s face, and saw her very red face with vacant eyes. He then positioned himself between Liselotte''s legs, spreading them apart so he could get easy access to her unsullied maidenhood.


    Grabbing his c.o.c.k Rio rubbed Liselotte''s wet l.a.b.i.a with the helm of his c.o.c.k. He then pushed the tip of his c.o.c.k through her tight entrance. Liselotte gasped loudly at the stimulation and her body trembled strongly.


    "A-ah! Si-Sir Rio..." Liselotte called out Rio''s name with a sweet, fragile tone, grabbing his attention from her groin. Rio looked up to meet her eyes and saw her anxious expression. "Please... Please holds my hands... I''m scared!"

 Chapter 27 - Eating the Maid (Final) [+18]

    Rio granted her d.e.s.i.r.e and grabbed her hands which were offered to him. Their fingers intertwined. Since Rio had slipped the tip of his c.o.c.k inside her p.u.s.s.y, he didn''t need to hold his c.o.c.k anymore. He then pushed it deeper.


    ''Shit! So tight!'' Rio cursed silently as he felt Liselotte''s v.a.g.i.n.a squeeze his d.i.c.k like a vice. He pushed himself deeper into her and felt her strong shuddering from the overloading p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e assaulting her mind. Since her entire v.a.g.i.n.a had become her s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e spots, a small movement from Rio''s d.i.c.k was enough to send her up into heaven.


    When Rio felt a resistance, Liselotte winced. It was not because of pain. She was surprised because he finally reached her h.y.m.e.n.


    Rio stopped pushing his d.i.c.k and released one of her hands. He had her hands resting above her head on the bed and allowed them gripping his hand. Simultaneously, he had his free hand on her cheek before kissing her deeply. His body curved like an upside-down ''U'' shape.


    Liselotte didn''t know about her modified v.a.g.i.n.a, so she had the illusion that it would be painful. After Liselotte relaxed, Rio pushed with all his might. He felt his d.i.c.k piercing through her h.y.m.e.n and burying deep inside her v.a.g.i.n.a until its tip kissing her cervix.


    "AAHHH~?"


    Liselotte screamed aloud. Not due to pain but una.d.u.l.terated bliss. Her slender body was curving up beautifully and her modest b.r.e.a.s.ts were swaying and rippling strongly before being squished on Rio''s c.h.e.s.t. While curving up, her body tensed until it was as hard as a statue. She also spasmed intensely. Her hands were crushing and twisting his while her t.h.i.g.hs were clamping his waist so tightly. It was fortunate that Rio had higher stats or else he would feel miserable due to Liselotte''s uncontrolled might who had reached the average 50 stats value.


    Rio almost came after piercing Liselotte below, her warm and tight walls around his d.i.c.k felt so pleasurable! They were milking his c.o.c.k greedily while her secretion overflowed from her uterus, coating his c.o.c.k with the warm, viscous juice. Liselotte was c.u.m.m.i.n.g hard from a single penetration, and it should''ve been impossible if not due to Rio''s cheating method.


    While kissing her, Rio closed his eyes to achieve zen. He didn''t want to come so soon right after sheathing himself inside her. His Agility may be above standard and his movement was admired die to quickness, but he didn''t want to be quick in this. It was a matter of pride. No man would be happy to be called ''quick'' in bed.


    After a few seconds, Rio pulled out his c.o.c.k from the tight, convulsing c.u.n.t of Liselotte. If not for her secretion, Rio would have a hard time due to the vice-like grip Liselotte''s v.a.g.i.n.a on his c.o.c.k. As his shaft slid out slowly, Liselotte''s body was convulsing and spasming strongly as if she was electrocuted. Simultaneously, she screamed aloud in p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.


    "Hyaaaaaaaaaaah~ ? Ah, hah, aaaaaah~?"


    Liselotte was above cloud nine. Her mind blanked, turning pure white. She was assaulted by the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e that almost broke her mind. It was too much for a v.i.r.g.i.n like her, but Rio was unaware of it. He was pouring all his attention on his c.o.c.k that finally stopped when only its helm staying inside her c.u.n.t.


    Before Rio thrust himself, he broke the kiss and glanced at Liselotte. He immediately became dumbstruck after viewing her l.e.w.d and silly expression. The correct word to refer to Liselotte''s current expression was Ahegao. Only the lower half of her blue irises could be seen in her eyes, and tears falling from the corners of her eyes. Her thin yet perfectly sculpted lips turned into ''O'' shape while her sharp, cherry red tongue jutted out from her mouth as if seeking for something to entangle.


    Rio was speechless because he never thought he would see a real ahegao face in his life. He''d seen them from anime or hardcore p.o.r.ns, but they were not real. And those a.d.u.l.t videos were following scripts.


    Simultaneously, Rio felt burning excitement in his c.h.e.s.t. He allowed this burning d.e.s.i.r.e that was like a bubbling magma to run wild. He then thrust his h.i.p.s into Liselotte''s groin, pushing his c.o.c.k inside her convulsing wet snatch once again.


    "Hyaaanh~? Angh! Ah, aaaah! Fwuaaah! Hwaaa~?"


    Rio couldn''t understand the incoherent gibberish that came out from Liselotte''s mouth. Not even his broken Language Comprehension skill could decipher the meaning behind Liselotte''s incomprehensible language.


    Rio dismissed the unnecessary thoughts from his mind and focused on pounding Liselotte''s p.u.s.s.y. His mind blank as his eyes trained upon Liselotte''s l.e.w.d expression; his h.i.p.s moving back and forth as his c.o.c.k sliding in and out of Liselotte''s honeypot. As he did that, Liselotte''s body was writhing, squirming, and convulsing randomly from the endless excessive p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e she was experiencing. Her mind had shut down to protect itself from collapsing, leaving only a small part to relish this out of world experience. After a few tens of seconds, Rio felt something, which snapped him out of his stupor.


    "Ahah?!" He exclaimed in surprise as he felt that his balls were clenching tightly, signifying his release. Without another delay and hesitation, Rio pushed his h.i.p.s into Liselotte''s groin hard, sheathing his c.o.c.k fully inside her p.u.s.s.y which had been leaking her love juice nonstop. He then released a significant amount of s.p.e.r.m inside Liselotte''s w.o.m.b, marking her as his woman.


    And simultaneously, Liselotte had her most intense o.r.g.a.s.m yet. Her body stopped squirming, staying still for a few tens of seconds. It then shuddered strongly before going limp.


    Rio, still dazed, looked at Liselotte''s messy face blankly. His mind had yet to recover from his first-ever o.r.g.a.s.m from real s.e.x. Though he''d had experienced handjob, blowjob, Titjob and other s.e.x.u.a.l plays other than v.a.g.i.n.a.l and anal s.e.x, he never experienced something as intense as that.


    Finally, Rio recovered from his blissful stupor and stared at his knocked out woman. The next moment, Rio had a wry smile and complex look on his face. "Am I overdoing it with modifying her p.u.s.s.y?" He mumbled with a troubled tone.


    Rio then decided to look at what will happen tomorrow. He didn''t know whether his action had accidentally broken Liselotte''s mind or not. If he''d broken her because of this, he had the confidence to recover her mind to the normal state and undo the modifications he put on her v.a.g.i.n.a. If not he would let it stay like that.


    "For now, let''s rest. Though my stamina has recovered, I don''t think that I can have another round if my partner is knocked out like this. I don''t have any fetish for s.e.x with an unconscious partner." After making up his mind, Rio lowered his body and scoped up Liselotte''s body, embracing him in his arm. He felt his d.i.c.k twitched inside Liselotte''s p.u.s.s.y as he felt stimulation when Liselotte''s modest yet perky b.r.e.a.s.ts were squished on his c.h.e.s.t. Simultaneously, her body also twitched because of his c.o.c.k''s movement.


    Rio forcefully restrained his d.e.s.i.r.e to f.u.c.k Liselotte when she was unconscious and carried her to the head of his bed. He then lied his body and positioned Liselotte''s smaller and soft frame above him.


    "Sorry for overdoing it, dear, and sleep well," Rio whispered to Liselotte before kissing her head. He missed the small, satisfied smile on Liselotte''s face because of their position. He then closed his eyes and forced himself to fall asleep.

 Chapter 28 - Rios Flaw

    The next day, at dinner time, Rio was currently enjoying his dinner with Liselotte. They were in Rio''s private chamber. Liselotte was sitting on Rio''s l.a.p, feeding him. Meanwhile, Rio had his hands inside Liselotte''s dress, kneading her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    It was fortune that nothing regrettable had happened because of modifying Liselotte''s puss*, but something still changed due to that. However, it wasn''t something that Rio deemed as bad.


    "Say aaaaaahn~?"


    Liselotte spoke with a seductive voice. Her face was rosy and her eyes were glassy. Her lips were curling up in a bewitching, l.u.s.tful smile, and whether she did it unintentionally or not was up to your own imagination.


    Rio paused his hands'' movements briefly and opened his mouth wide, allowing Liselotte to feed him without any problem. Rio then continued fondling Liselotte''s b.r.e.a.s.ts while chewing his food.


    "Hmmmh~?"


    Rio heard Liselotte''s blissful sigh, which was mixed with a m.o.a.n. A deep feeling of accomplishment stroked his manly pride. The next moment, he heard Liselotte''s voice opening a talk between them.


    "Can ask something?"


    "Sure."


    "Have you realized that your stare is...different?"


    "My stare?" Rio forgot his urge and sunk into confusion. He looked at Liselotte on his l.a.p with an uncomprehending stare.


    "Yep, your stare." Liselotte nodded deeply. However, Rio just became more confused than before.


    "Alright. I really want to know what did you mean by that." Rio said seriously after recovering from his stupor of confusion.


    "*Sigh* I take it that you really don''t realize it. Very well, this humble maid shall enlighten her oblivious and slow-witted master." She said that, but she didn''t look humble at all. Conversely, she looked so haughty like a very spoiled little princess.


    Well, she was relishing in being pampered by her high-standing and amazing lover, after all. It was very rare for her to experience such a type of luxury in her life. Thus, she wanted to enjoy it as much as she could without stepping out the line.


    When Rio heard that and saw Liselotte''s facial expression, he had a sudden urge to remind her who was wearing the pants in their relationship. But, before he could do it, Liselotte spoke first.


    "Although it is almost unnoticeable, you have this kind of look that can be mistaken as awe and wonder by an unobservant person who doesn''t know you intimately. I''ve come to realize that you gave me this kind of stare a couple of days after our first meeting. To be frank, that stare is flattering when you are unaware of what it hides. In fact, it makes me, a lowly servant, to be hopeful to win your affection and acknowledgment, which are something that I have received.


    "After...being claimed as your woman, I finally realized what this look means. It''s true that your stare holds awe and wonderment, flattering indeed, but it also hides your thirst and hunger to own the object of your awe and wonderment. It''s like a greedy man who sees very precious art that he d.e.s.i.r.es to obsessive level because of its beauty and quality."


    Regardless, Liselotte''s observation also taught him something about himself that he wasn''t aware of. It''s true that he knows about his interest for s.e.x because he is still a hot-blooded youth in his teen, but to discover that his stare towards someone, a woman, he d.e.s.i.r.ed was akin to a stare of a collector on one of kind, unique, priceless item, it was new. He hadn''t been aware of that because of his belief that he was still treating the subject of his conquest as a human being. Well, now, he knew that he was just being arrogant.


    Rio recovered from his pondering and stared at Liselotte who had a coy expression. Just a footnote that you may heed or may not heed, his hands were still inside her dress, stilling on her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Regardless, he wondered what Liselotte felt as he was staring at her like that. He''d been doing that for a while now.


    "Tell me, Liselotte. What do you feel when you''re subjected by my gaze?"


    Liselotte''s coy expression slipped off into a blank, bewildered expression. It happened for a moment before she donned on a thoughtful mask. After a few seconds, she asked him a question, "What kind of answer you want to hear? The flattering one or honest one?"


    "Both. Starts with the flattering one, I suppose." Rio told her calmly. He could take a critique from another person. As long as the critique is constructive, he wouldn''t mind despite it was painfully aggravating to hear. But, if someone just critiqued him to maliciously insult him, well, he knew to hold a grudge for a very long time.


    Liselotte nodded and said, "As a woman, I feel happy, treasured, loved. I think I''m truly fortunate when you look at me with that kind of look."


    Liselotte delayed her next words for a few seconds, smiling in a mixture of loneliness and wistfulness. She then continued on, "Of course, I''m dissatisfied and disappointed. I wish for more. All humans are inherently greedy creatures who wish for more in life. I''m no different. I want to be looked at by Rio with more care, more love, and more in everything else. But..."


    Liselotte paused and stared at empty space with a faraway gaze. She then continued on with a wistful tone, "I''m only an orphan. I don''t even remember my parents face anymore nor I care since I''ve grown up alone in a harsh environment full of struggle to the top. I have learned that reality is a very unfair and cruel mistress. Simultaneously, I learned to be grateful for what I have. Despite I feel dissatisfied, I think I''m content."


    "Is that so?" Rio said skeptically. He had his hands moving down from her b.r.e.a.s.ts to her slender, hugable waist and pulled her closer into his embrace. He felt bad for her. A pity, maybe? Regret, perhaps? Rio wasn''t sure but he disliked this feeling. He wanted her to be happy so the uncomfortable feeling in his c.h.e.s.t would disappear.


    He wanted to make Liselotte happy. The happiest woman in the world. For his own sake. Could he do it? He was confident that he could do it. His cheats made him theoretically omnipotent, after all. But, Rio wasn''t that shallow. He realized that there was still something he couldn''t do despite all the power in his fingertip.


    Rio realized what Liselotte truly d.e.s.i.r.ed. She had hinted it in her words. But, Rio couldn''t be able to grant it. He wasn''t in love with her. In fact, Rio didn''t know what was love. He understood l.u.s.t and passion, but he was oblivious towards love.


    "Ah... I am truly a sinful man. Don''t you feel regret to be a woman of such a man, honey?" Rio questioned Liselotte before burying his face into her neck and starting to nibble her smooth, tender neck. Liselotte soon began squirming and m.o.a.ning in p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.


    "Mmmmh~? For now, I''m content. Ahh~?"


    As Liselotte said that, her body was squirming in Rio''s l.a.p. Her words were almost incoherent, mixed with a wanton m.o.a.n, l.u.s.tful sigh, and euphoric mewl. Her face distorted in p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, forming indecent expression that would entice any straight, healthy man. Her complexion was red, and her countless beads of sweat drenched her forehead. Her front bangs sticking on it. It was truly an o.b.s.c.e.n.e sight.


    Rio was playing her body like a fiddle; his left hand was on her b.r.e.a.s.ts, rubbing, kneading, and squeezing them while his other hand was between her t.h.i.g.hs with his middle and index fingers slipping into her wet, convulsing womanhood, stimulating her super s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e v.a.g.i.n.a post the modification.


    Up to this point, Liselotte was still unaware that Rio had modified her v.a.g.i.n.a. She thought she was just this s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e. A natural s.l.u.tty woman. Well, Rio wouldn''t tell her unless she asks, though.


    Before long, Liselotte reached heaven. Her eyes rolled back into her skull, and a line of drool was trickling down from each corner of her lips. She was in bliss. And Rio allowed her a break, giving her times to regain herself.


    Liselotte soon returned back from her minor o.r.g.a.s.m. Her blue eyes rolled back to their proper place, staring at Rio with undisguised l.u.s.t and d.e.s.i.r.e. She was craving for the real thing.


    "Darling~? Let''s just start the main course. Ah~? I cannot hold it anymore~?" Liselotte pleaded with a bewitching smile.


    Rio smiled easily and nodded his head casually. "Sure. I may not be able to grant you your true wish, but I can still make you feel like the most fortunate woman in the entire world." After spouting that corny line, Rio carried Liselotte in a princess carry.


    Their destination? Rio''s bed. They would get their well-earned after they finished their business first, and it will end up very late with the both of them left exhausted yet very satisfied¡­

 Chapter 29 - Ring

    The unstoppable flow of time advanced, uncaring of the mortals who could only accept the advance helplessly. Fourteen days had passed since Rio was resurrected in the Temple of the Holy Church in Tortus. Rio''s slow and leisure life continued until a change graced the unchanging schedule for almost two weeks.


    The location was the training field. Two dozens of students, the sole teacher from another world, and Rio were fixing their attention on Captain Meld. The afternoon training session for that day had ended, but they hadn''t left yet. Captain Meld had told them before the training that there would be an announcement at the end of their training session.


    "Attention!" Captain Meld''s sonorous voice spread in the whole field, informing everyone to put their attention on his next words. "Tomorrow, as part of your practical training, we will be going on an expedition to the Great Orcus Labyrinth. I''ll prepare all the necessary equipment you guys will need, but don''t think this is going to be anything like the monster hunts you''ve been going on outside the capital! You guys better prepare yourselves! Get as much rest as possible tonight so you''re ready! That''s all, dismissed!"


    When the students heard the content of the announcement, they broke out into chatters. Rio seemed uncaring of this announcement, but he was actually very pleased with this inside.


    ''So it is still following the schedule in the canonical materials, huh? And here I thought that the schedule will change because of my meddling. Regardless, tomorrow is the true start of my second life!'' Rio mused silently.


    Afterward, Rio and the others left the training field. As they walked up towards the castle, Rio could be seen amidst a small conversation with Kouki''s group. He would skillfully guide the conversation to be enjoyable. And before long, they arrived in the castle and broke up as they headed to their respective rooms.


    When Rio arrived in his room, he discovered that Liselotte had been waiting for him. They exchanged a short greeting before Liselotte dragged Rio to his private bathroom. Afterward, well, no need to explain what they were doing in there. They left the bathroom half an hour later. Rio was carrying Liselotte in a bridal style and brought her to the bed. He''d dried both himself and Liselotte before coming out. Surprisingly, they didn''t continue their play from the bathroom, opting to cuddle. Before long, they fell asleep in each other embrace.


    When the morning came, Rio woke up alone in bed. He was confused due to Liselotte''s absence but not for long. Liselotte came out of the bathroom shortly after Rio woke up.


    "Good morning, honey," Liselotte greeted Rio as she stood at the side of the bed.


    "Morning, Liselotte." Rio greeted her in return as he stretched himself.


    "Well, today you are going to have an expedition in Great Orcus Labyrinth, are you not?"


    "Yeah..." Rio replied shortly and became thoughtful. When Liselotte saw Rio''s behavior, she tilted her head in confusion but said nothing. She wouldn''t ask a question and chose to wait for Rio to tell him instead.


    "Speaking of which, I want to ask you something," Rio suddenly stated, grabbing Liselotte''s attention. He feigned his troubled expression when he said that.


    "By all means, ask whatever you want!" Liselotte asked him with an expression full of curiosity.


    Rio was silent. He was thinking about how he should tell Liselotte of his plan. After all, he had a plan to send the heroes back to their original world. Their version of Earth. There was no way he would tell her that he would intentionally sabotage the expedition just to get the chance to fall into the true layer of Great Orcus Labyrinth. Though it sounds hypocrite, he didn''t want to worry his first woman. He also intended to tell Liselotte that the god 90% humans in Tortus worshipped wasn''t like how they believed them to be.


    It was fortunate that Liselotte wasn''t a zealot of Holy Church''s doctrine despite being raised in an orphanage with both the kingdom and the Holy Church as the sponsor. It could be said that Liselotte was following the Holy Church''s doctrine for her own convenience. Liselotte was surprisingly a pragmatic girl despite her youth. And it wasn''t anything strange.


    In fact, back in Rio''s original world, fake believers of a certain religion weren''t something rare. Although they acknowledged that they worshiped this God and believed in that religion''s doctrine, they still committed something considered as sins and wrong by said religions. It sounds like they chose to follow this or that religion not because of their own heartfelt d.e.s.i.r.e but due to the environment or their parents.


    All that aside, back to the present situation. Rio wanted to tell Liselotte about the truth of Holy Church''s doctrine and what kind of crazy motherf*cker Ehit is. However, he needed to have proofs for his accusations towards Ehit''s true nature.


    ''Well, there is the information in that magic circle in the deepest part of each Labyrinth of the Liberators. It''s the most unquestionable proof about Ehit''s true nature.'' Rio mused silently.


    He had the sudden idea to take Liselotte into Great Orcus Labyrinth, but he decided to dismiss the idea because it was crazy. After all, Great Orcus Labyrinth was actually the hardest, meanest, craziest of seven Labyrinth because of Oscar Orcus''s thoughts that were similar to that of eight grader syndrome victim. Do you think Miledy Raisen''s Labyrinth is the meanest in the physical aspect? Nope, Great Orcus surpassed it! Do you think Lyutilis Haltina''s Labyrinth is the worst in the mental aspect? Nope, and again, Oscar Orcus''s Labyrinth surpassed it by far. The Great Orcus Labyrinth is even called the hardest and ''last'' Labyrinth the challenger should attempt by the rest of Liberators other than Oscar Orcus himself.


    ''I should take her with me, I think. She can level up here by surpassing her current limits.'' Rio thought and stared at Liselotte with a scary glint in his eyes.


    "Alright, Liselotte. I''ve made up my mind!" Rio suddenly declared aloud.


    Liselotte stared at Rio with an uncomprehending stare, wondering what Rio had decided. The next moment, she saw Rio using his magic. He summoned random ironware in the room and reform its shape into a ring. Then, he did something to it, but Rio didn''t tell Liselotte what he''d done.


    Rio then told Liselotte, "Don''t take off this ring. Don''t tell anyone about this. And I hope that you will promise that you won''t tell anyone else about our talk this time."


    Despite her perplexity, Liselotte didn''t ask any question. "I''m not sure, but if it''s very serious, I''ll follow your instruction without hesitation," Liselotte responded positively and bowed at Rio respectfully. At this moment, she was both exclusive attendant of Rio Kevin as well as his lover.


    When Rio saw that, he couldn''t help but heave a sigh of relief. At least, he could trust Liselotte.

 Chapter 30 - Night in Horaud

    The Great Orcus Labyrinth. It was a massive dungeon said to span a hundred floors. As it was one of the seven great labyrinths, the deeper one went, the stronger the monsters they faced. Despite the dangers, it was a very popular training spot for adventurers, mercenaries, and new troops alike. The main reasons for that were because it was easy enough to measure the relative strength of the monsters one would have to face based on the floor they were on, and that the mana crystals contained within the monsters were of a higher quality than the ones harvested from monsters on the surface.


    A mana crystal was the core of a monster; it was what made a monster a monster. The more powerful a monster, the bigger and purer a mana crystal it held inside. Mana crystals were an important component in magic circles. A magic circle only needed to be drawn to be able to cast the spell inscribed within, but it would have reduced effectiveness without powdered mana crystals used in the engraving of the circle. In fact, it would only be one third as powerful.


    Mana crystals allowed for the more efficient transferal of mana, which was why they improved effectiveness so much. In addition, most commonplace magical tools used mana crystals as a power source. Because they were used by the common folk and not just the military, mana crystals were always in rather high demand.


    However, monsters that possessed high-quality mana crystals were also capable of using powerful specialized magic. It was specialized because while they had large quantities of mana, monsters were incapable of using magic circles or chants, meaning that they could only ever use a single type of spell. Still, being able to unleash that spell without needing a magic circle or incantation was a powerful asset. It was the number one reason one could never let their guard down when fighting a monster.


    As an aside, after the kingdom''s troop acquired Magic Gun, they had the same powerful asset in a fight against the monster. The Magic Gun was universally accepted by the soldiers because of the ease in deployment. For the court magicians, the Magic Gun artifact received a split reaction. Some Court Magicians couldn''t accept the Magic Gun existence because it rendered their training and effort in shortening their chant null while the rest accepted it with open-mindedness and even liked it. Those who accepted the Magic Gun were mostly the scholar type Court Magicians.


    Besides, the artifact that produces the cartridge still needs the knowledge of spell formula craft. And only knowledgeable magicians, the scholar type, could input a new magic formula to create a new type of cartridge other than those had been produced by Rio and Hajime.


    All that aside, back to the present situation.


    Rio and the others arrived in the outpost town of Horaud, together with Captain Meld and a few of his knights. It was a small town that primarily existed to service the adventurers who traveled there wishing to challenge the Great Orcus Labyrinth. As the labyrinth was also used as a training arena for new soldiers, the kingdom maintained a state-run inn at the town, which was where the students were all staying.


    Rio was a bit dissatisfied when he was forced to sleep in a normal room for once. He''d become accustomed to the luxurious room he acquired in the castle. Regardless, Rio reminded himself that he would dive into Labyrinth and there was a big probability of staying in there for several nights until he arrived in the abode of Oscar Orcus.


    He shared his room with Hajime, who had the whole room for himself in the canon timeline. Hajime happily dived into his bed with a relieved sigh. Meanwhile, Rio saw his antic with an amused smile.


    "Hey, Hajime, I''m going out," Rio called out Hajime suddenly.


    "What did you mean by that? Where are you going to stay?" Hajime turned around in his bed and threw an inquiring stare in Rio''s direction. At this moment, Rio had his hand on the door''s handle and was about to leave Hajime behind.


    "To tell you the truth, I cannot sleep. Well, since we are going to enter a Labyrinth, which is basically a den of monsters, to train, I cannot sleep due to the excitement. So, I''ll try to have a leisure stroll and see what this town can offer."


    "Is that so?" Hajime had a thoughtful appearance as he responded towards Rio''s explanation. Of course, Rio wasn''t being honest here. There was no way he would tell Hajime that he was trying to find a brothel because he was lonely.


    "Well, then, have a nice trip... I guess. I''ll have quick maintenance for my artifacts while you''re out." Hajime nodded shortly before pointing at the briefcase where his Magic Gun and several cartridges were stored safely.


    Afterward, Rio opened the door and exited the room. He immediately saw a feminine silhouette approaching in the corridor. He then discovered that the silhouette belonged to Kaori. Rio soon understood as to why Kaori was visiting Hajime''s room this late. Although Hajime and Kaori had become an official couple due to his meddling, they had yet to enter the second stage. Don''t mention the third stage when they hadn''t kissed yet. Furthermore, some students hadn''t accepted it yet. And you may have expected who are these students.


    "Oh, my, Rio? Are you going out?" Kaori asked him with a beaming smile as she got closer.


    "Yep. Can''t sleep. I take it that you''re going to have a special time with your boyfriend?" Rio said and questioned Kaori for formality sake.


    Kaori nodded her head and her smile deepened as she heard Rio mentioning Hajime as her boyfriend. Though it had been several days since they became a couple, Kaori seemed still over the moon as if it just happened yesterday.


    "Anyway, don''t do something you two will regret later. You two are still young..." Rio couldn''t help but tease Kaori. And when Kaori heard that, her pale skin turned very red in mortification. If it was anime, Rio was sure that Kaori''s soft brown eyes would become swirls and steam would come out from her ears.


    "Mou! Rio, you meanie! Don''t tease me!" Kaori pouted at him but seemed not truly affronted by Rio''s teasing.


    "Ahaha, well, don''t mind me. Just go to your sweetheart. He''s giving his artifacts maintenance."


    "I see. Won''t I disturb him?" Kaori seemed fretful as she asked Rio that.


    "Worry not for I believe Hajime will be happy if you accompany him. Now, go inside! Shoo!" Rio stated while giving Kaori a shooing motion. She pouted once again before entering the room with a spring in her steps. Afterward, Rio heard a commotion both Hajime and Kaori caused. He couldn''t help but shook his head in exasperation.


    Afterward, he went out of the inn after telling Captain Meld. There was a little complication when Captain Meld wanted him to take a knight or two as his escort, but Rio had been able to dissuade Captain Meld''s worry and could stroll alone without escort.


    After finding an empty roof, he laid his back on it and stared at the moon. Rio then subtly erected a barrier to fool Ehit who had been keeping close eyes on him. His illusion barrier would make Ehit see him sleeping on the roof when in truth, he used his Space Magic to teleport back to his private room in the castle, surprising Liselotte who was in the middle of cleaning the room.


    "Wha-what? Sir Rio! How? When? Why?" Liselotte was so fl.u.s.tered when she discovered Rio in his room. After all, she had seen him and others went to Horaud.


    "None of that! I''m very lonely without you, so I decided to spend tonight with you! Now, accompany me, my Liselotte!"


    Rio ignored Liselotte''s confusion, carried the perplexed maid to his bed, and did her here.


    That night, passionate sounds filled Rio''s private room when it should be empty. And yet, no one knew about it because the barrier that Rio put around his room.

 Chapter 31 - Inside the Labyrinth (1)

    The next morning, everyone, including Rio who had returned back to Horaud before dawn, reported to the plaza that served as the entrance to the Great Orcus Labyrinth early enough that the sun had still yet to rise. No one, not even Erik who had accompanied, Rio to the brothel knew about Rio''s action last night.


    The students were all filled with equal parts trepidation and curiosity. Rio, however, seemed uncaring of what would happen. He was maintaining his aloof expression as he was together with Hajime in Kouki''s group.


    Speaking of Hajime, he was also somewhat excited and nervous about his first excursion into a dungeon, but when he saw what the entrance to the Great Orcus Labyrinth looked like, some of his excitement faded.


    Rio thought that it was understandable. He knew that what Hajime had expected was the standard cavern entrance leading into unknown dark depths. However, the sight that greeted them was something that looked more akin to the entrance to a museum, complete with its own receptionist counter. A girl in uniform was checking over the people going in and out of the labyrinth with a smile. It appeared that everyone''s status plate was checked at the entrance. That way, the number of casualties could be accurately tallied. With the threat of war looming overhead, the government wanted to avoid losing too many men, so they implemented that policy as one of their countermeasures.


    Numerous stalls were lined up on the plaza surrounding the entrance, the merchants all competing with each other to show off their wares. It felt almost like a festival. As an aside, Rio had bought some meals and stored them into his pocket dimension for preparation. He was going to stay in the depth of Great Orcus Labyrinth for a while. He ignored or kept his silence when some students, even Hajime, asked him for his reason behind leaving the group when he bought the meals. Fortunately, they received the message and dropped it.


    Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Shallower labyrinths that didn''t have as many floors were popular with merchants, since people naturally gathered there. The people present ranged from boisterous adventurers who talked big but quickly lost their lives in the labyrinth, to criminals who operated out of back alleys and other unsavory locations. As the government was preparing for war, they didn''t want to waste too many resources handling those problems, so they cooperated with the local adventurer''s guild to keep the area safe. People were selling their wares all the way up to the receptionist''s desk at the entrance, which in a sense made life easier for the adventurers who were setting out into the labyrinth''s depths.


    The students were gawking like country bumpkins as they followed Captain Meld in single file, like a row of little ducklings. Once inside, the lively atmosphere that had surrounded them mere moments ago vanished. In front of them was a passage that was a little over five meters wide. Though there was no obvious light source, the entire labyrinth was dimly lit, enough that one could vaguely make out their surroundings without the help of a torch or magical item. In truth, the passages were all lit by a special mineral called green glowstone that was buried in the walls. The entire Great Orcus Labyrinth was actually an excavated vein of green glowstone ore.


    The party all filed into ranks and slowly advanced through the labyrinth. After a few uneventful minutes, the passage they were walking down opened up into a wide plaza.


    Towering seven or eight meters above them was a dome-shaped ceiling. The students were all looking around curiously, when suddenly a number of gray creatures resembling furballs burst out from cracks in the wall.


    "Alright, Kouki, your team''s up front! Everyone else falls back! I''ll have you switch in after some time, so stay sharp! These monsters are called Ratmen! They''re quick on their feet, but not all that strong. Keep your cool as you fight!"


    As Captain Meld had said, the Ratmen were quite fast, and rushed at them with alarming agility. Pairs of dark red eyes gleamed with a ghastly light from within the balls of fur. Their name was rather fitting, as they looked like a giant, muscular rats... that stood on two feet. Only the area around their corded c.h.e.s.ts and impressive eight-packs was bereft of fur, almost as if they were trying to show them off.


    Kouki''s group, who were facing them head-on, all grimaced when they got a better look¡ªespecially Shizuku, who was standing up front. They certainly did look disgusting.


    Once the Ratmen entered into range, Rio, Kouki, Shizuku, and Ryutarou all attacked at once. In the meantime, Kaori, Hajime and two of her close female friends, the glasses-wearing Eri Nakamura, and the childish and energetic Suzu Taniguchi, started preparing their Magic Gun, readying their magic. Four vanguards and four rear guards¡ªthat was the basic formation they''d practiced during training.


    Kouki swung his Holy Sword, which still looked like a bastard sword. It was blessed with the light element, which had the sickeningly efficient properties of simultaneously weakening enemies that were hit by the light it emitted, while also increasing one''s own physical strength. It sure played dirty for a "holy" sword. Meanwhile, Rio cloaked his Sabre with his mana to increase his weapon durability and sharpness. For someone with Sorcerer Job, Rio was acknowledged as another strong vanguard. He was only behind Kouki who had Hero Job and his Holy Sword.


    Shizuku, meanwhile, possessed the job of Swordsman, which was fitting for a samurai-esque girl like her. She wielded a katana, which had been created by Hajime, and made short work of any enemies that got within reach of her sword with her quick-draw skills. She had refined her swordplay even further since arriving in Tortus, and had even earned the admiration of many of the knights. While everyone was busy watching Rio and the others fight, the rearguard in the backline finished their preparation.


    They pulled the trigger of their magic guns in unison, and small red bullets were launched from the muzzle of the gun before turning into a huge whirlwind of flames that enveloped the Ratmen, burning them to a crisp.


    The Ratmen screeched in pain, flailing wildly until the flames pouring down on them reduced them to ash. In the blink of an eye, all of the Ratmen had been annihilated. The other students didn''t even get a chance to fight. It looked like monsters on the first floor were far too weak to even put up a fight against Rio and Kouki''s party.


    "Wow, well done! Alright, the rest of you will be up next, so don''t relax just yet!"


    Captain Meld reminded the class not to let their guard down, though he was smiling, impressed at their prowess. Still, he couldn''t prevent the students from getting pumped up about their first dungeon monster elimination expedition. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly as he saw the students breaking out into smiles.


    "Oh, and... while you don''t have to worry about it this time since it''s training, in the future try and kill your enemies in a way that preserves their mana crystals. What you did back there was overkill."


    Hajime, Kaori, Suzu, and Eri blushed at Captain Meld''s words, realizing they may have gone too far because the firepower that was provided by Hajime''s Magic Guns. From then on, the class smoothly advanced through the floors of the labyrinth, rotating the vanguard between battles.

 Chapter 32 - Inside the Labyrinth (2)

    Eventually, they arrived at the twentieth floor, the floor that separated skilled adventurers from rank amateurs. Currently, the deepest floor people had managed to reach was floor sixty-five. However, that was a legendary feat that hadn''t been replicated since, so in recent times anyone who made it past the first twenty floors was considered a highly-skilled fighter. Anyone who made it past the first forty was superhuman.


    With Rio and Kouki at their head, the students were able to easily advance through the floors. Though they had little combat experience, their overpowered abilities and Hajime''s unfair artifact more than enough to compensate. The most dangerous enemy the students faced was actually the traps scattered about. Some of them were even lethal.


    The most common countermeasure for traps was something known as a Fair Scope. A Fair Scope was a handy tool that detected traps by reading the flow of mana. Most of the traps in the labyrinth were magical in nature, so a Fair Scope detected around 80% of them. However, the Scope possessed a very limited range, so it was only effective in the hands of an experienced user. Rio, however, begged to differ. In fact, he could feel all traps because of his cheats. Still, he said nothing to maintain his secret.


    Even so, the real reason Rio and the students were able to descend so smoothly was because of how well their knight mentors were guiding them. Captain Meld also often reminded the students to never enter a room that hadn''t been scoured for traps first.


    "Alright everyone, from this point on, monsters won''t come at you just one species at a time. They''ll coordinate with each other and attack in large groups. Don''t let your guard down just because we''ve had nothing but easy victories so far! Today''s training will conclude once we clear the twentieth floor, so let''s end things with a bang!" Captain Meld''s voice echoed throughout the room.


    While everyone was taking a short break, Rio glanced over to his group, and he saw Kaori who was fussing over Hajime, who was helping helpless expression, Kouki who looked at Hajime in pity, Shizuku who sent an apologetic look in Hajime''s direction, and Ryutarou, Suzu, and Eri who snickered at Hajime''s misery.


    Rio then saw Hajime shuddering out of the blue and looking around with an expression with the mixture of confusion and wariness. Rio also detected the bloodl.u.s.t directed on Hajime and glanced at the source. He then saw Hayama who glared at Hajime with hatred.


    That wasn''t the first time Hajime was subjected by this gaze either. He''d been subjected to it multiple times since the day he became Kaori''s boyfriend, but whenever he tried to look for the one who was doing it, they seemingly calmed down. Hajime was growing tired of it.


    However, Rio knew who was that. He couldn''t help but think that he needn''t sabotage the expedition if Hayama was still deluding himself that he had a chance with Kaori. Thus, Rio made up his mind to see how it will advance.


    Rio, the students, and the knights continued exploring the twentieth floor.


    Each of the labyrinth''s floors spanned a few kilometers in every direction, and new floors usually took a team of dozens anywhere from half a month to a month to fully search and map out. However, at present, all the floors until the forty-seventh had been mapped out, so they were in no danger of getting lost. Nor should they have been in any danger of falling into a trap.


    The deepest room on the twentieth floor was like a limestone cave but made of ice. Icicles protruded from the walls, some of them melted, creating a complex topography. The stairs leading to the twenty-first floor was just past it.


    Once they made it that far, their training for the day would be over. Sadly, while teleportation magic had existed during the Age of the Gods, it no longer did, so they had to walk back to the entrance¡­ Or so they thought so. Nobody was aware that Rio could use teleportation magic, but this is irrelevant for the story at this point. The students had already begun to relax when a protrusion in the wall had prevented them from advancing in formation, forcing them to continue in single file.


    Eventually, the three people at the head of their procession, Rio, Kouki, and Captain Meld, came to a halt. Puzzled, the students prepared for battle as they looked around. It seemed they had encountered a monster.


    "It''s camouflaging itself! Keep a close eye on your surroundings!" Captain Meld yelled out a warning to everyone.


    An instant later, the thing everyone had mistaken for a protrusion suddenly changed color and began to move. The creature that had assumed the shape of a wall was actually a dark brown color, and it stood there on two legs. It began beating its c.h.e.s.t. Seemed the monster was a gorilla that could camouflage itself like a chameleon.


    "A Rockmount! Watch out for its arms, they pack quite a punch!" Captain Meld''s voice resounded throughout the cavern as Kouki''s party prepared to engage the enemy.


    Rio and Ryutarou repelled the Rockmount''s enormous arms with their fists. Rio could do this fear because he enhanced his physical strength and body''s durability with his mana. Meanwhile, Kouki and Shizuku shuffled to either side to flank it but were unable to properly surround it because of the rough terrain.


    Realizing it couldn''t get past the impenetrable wall that was Rio and Ryutarou, the Rockmount fell back and s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath.


    "Graaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Seconds later, it looked back and roared so ferociously that the entire room shook.


    "Guh!?"


    "Uwaaah!?"


    "Kyaaah!?"


    Though the shockwave of sound that hit the students did no harm, it made everyone stiffen in fear. That was the magic Rockmounts were capable of using, "Intimidating Roar." It was a mana-infused roar that could temporarily paralyze all who heard it.


    Kouki and the others, who took it head-on, found themselves unable to move an inch. Rio, meanwhile, faked his paralyzed state. He still kept his facade to the end. They expected to be attacked while stunned, but the Rockmount sidestepped past them, picked up a nearby boulder, and hurled it at the rear group group. And what a spectacular throw it was! It flew cleanly over the heads of the immobile front line and headed straight toward its intended target.


    They all pointed their magic gun at the boulder and prepared to intercept. There was no space to dodge. However, they stopped midway, the sight of what was coming toward them shocking them into inaction.


    The boulder the Rockmount had thrown was a second Rockmount! It somersaulted in the air and spread its arms wide, heading straight for Kaori. The way it spread its arms out resembled the Lupin Dive. The resemblance was so uncanny that one almost expected it to scream "Kaori deaaaaaaaar!" as it hit her. It even had the bloodshot eyes and heavy breathing down pat. Kaori, Eri, and Suzu all screamed in terror and forgot to keep chanting. Only Hajime who was in a good state and he pulled his magic gun trigger to end the life of the creepy Rockmount.


    "Oy, what do you think you''re doing in the middle of a fight!? And good job with staying calm in the middle of the fight, Hajime!" Captain Meld reprimanded the girls and praised Hajime''s willpower and self-control.


    The girls quickly apologized, but that must''ve been quite the disgusting sight to see, as their faces were still pale. In fact, Kaori was hugging Hajime''s left hand for her dear life. A certain someone completely snapped when he saw how rattled the girls were. Amanogawa Kouki, the class''s resident self-styled hero of justice.


    "Bastard... How dare you hurt Kaori and the others... I won''t forgive you!" He must have mistakenly thought their paleness came from their close brush with death, and not how disgustingly creepy the Rockmount had looked. Kouki flew into a rage over that rather cliched reason. Pure white mana began leaking from his body, and almost as if in response, his holy sword began to glow.

 Chapter 33 - Inside the Labyrinth (Final)

    "{Soar unto heaven, O divine wings¡ªCelestial Flash}!" Kouki chant aloud as he prepared his Holy Sword''s ability.


    "No, stop, you idiot!" Kouki ignored Captain Meld, raised his sword up high, and swung down with all his might.


    Kouki finished chanting his spell the same instant, and his holy sword unleashed a dazzling blade of light. There was no escaping it. The curved light passed through the Rockmount with only the slightest hint of resistance, cutting it cleanly in two, and stopped only after crashing into the wall.


    There was a loud rumbling, and pieces of the wall began to rain down. Kouki breathed a deep sigh, then turned to the girls, a lady killer smile on his face. He had defeated the big bad monster for them. Just as he was about to say "It''s okay now!" Captain Meld, who was smiling angrily with veins popping out of his forehead, walked up to him and delivered a punch. However, he punched Kouki at the back of his head.


    Rio, meanwhile, took his chance to deliver a punch into Kouki''s face. He was very satisfied because he could do it. But, of course, he feigned his severe look.


    "Hobwah!?"


    "You damn fool! I understand why you got angry, but you can''t use skills like that in a narrow passage! You could''ve brought the whole cave down on us!"


    "That''s what he said. Even a moron should be aware of it," Rio just added the salt into Kouki''s bruised ego.


    Kouki''s complaints died in his throat at Captain Meld''s and Rio''s chastising words and severe expressions, and he apologized awkwardly. The boys and girls all smiled wryly and tried to comfort him.


    Then suddenly, Kaori turned to look at the crumbled section of the wall. "...What is that? It''s all sparkly..." At her words, everyone turned to look in the direction she was pointing.


    There was a strange mineral emitting a pale blue glow, protruding from the wall like a flower in bloom. It looked like a crystal with Indigolite buried in its center. All of the girls, including Kaori, were entranced by the beauty of the gem.


    "Oh, that''s a glanz crystal. And a pretty big one to boot. How rare," Captain Meld said.


    Glanz crystals were basically a type of raw gemstone. Though they held no special properties, their l.u.s.ter and radiance made them popular among the noble ladies and their daughters. They were often processed into rings, earrings, pendants, and such other jewelry to be given as gifts. Apparently most girls were overjoyed to receive glanz jewelry as gifts. It was among the top three jewels used in proposal rings.


    "That sounds so lovely..." Kaori blushed when she heard Captain Meld''s explanation, and was further entranced by the stone. She then stole a glance at Hajime, who had an awkward, stiff smile on his face. It was so quick that it almost went unnoticed. However, almost everyone, barring Kouki and Captain Meld, most definitely did take note.


    Rio eyed the Glanz Crystal and pondered whether he should touch it by himself or allow Daisuke to do the honor. He was aware that Daisuke couldn''t accept Hajime''s and Kaori''s relationship despite the said couple flaunted it in front of the students, or at least, Kaori did while Hajime had an awkward and helpless expression as he was subjected by hateful and envious gazes of the boys. The girls surprisingly accepted their status as a couple.


    All that aside, back to the current situation.


    "In that case, I''ll go grab it for us!" Daisuke suddenly ran forward after saying that. He swiftly climbed up the debris of the crumbled wall, heading toward the glanz crystal as fast as possible. Captain Meld hurriedly tried to stop him.


    "Hey! Don''t just run off on your own! We''re not even sure it''s safe yet!"


    However, Daisuke pretended not to hear, and he was standing in front of the crystal before long.


    "Captain! It''s a trap!"


    "What!? Stop!" However, both Captain Meld and the knight''s warning arrived a moment too late.


    The second Daisuke touched it, a magic circle appeared in the center of the crystal. The trap had been set for anyone foolish enough to touch the glanz crystal. "If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is." That was one of the world''s golden rules.


    The magic circle glowed bright, then grew large enough to encompass the entire room. It was just like the day they had been summoned.


    "Crap, retreat! Everyone get out, now!" Captain Meld''s words spurred everyone into action, and they all scrambled for the exit... but they didn''t make it in time.


    Light filled the room, and before long white was the only thing anyone could see. Everyone was assailed by a momentary sensation of weightlessness. Rio and the others could feel the atmosphere shift. A moment later, the knights appeared in the middle of a massive stone bridge.


    It was around one hundred meters in length. The ceiling also towered a full twenty meters above them. Below the bridge was not a river, but instead a dark abyss with no visible end. The gaping chasm resembled the very pits of hell.


    Though the bridge was ten meters wide, it had no railing at all, so if someone slipped, there would be nothing to catch their fall. The knights had been sent to the middle of the bridge. One side of the bridge was a passage heading further in, while stairs leading upward were at the other end.


    Captain Meld and the knights immediately turned around, checking the heroes'' condition, and was aghast the next instant.


    It was because Rio and all twenty students had disappeared.

 Chapter 34 - Epilogue: Is It Wrong to Pick Up a Girl in a Dungeon?

    It was currently in the noon outside of Great Orcus Labyrinth, but unless you have the power to discover about this while being deep inside the dungeon, you won''t know about it.


    Well, Rio could easily find out the time outside of the labyrinth and he knew it very well. That aside, he was currently standing in front of certain heavy double doors on the fiftieth floor of true Great Orcus Labyrinth. On each side of the door was a statue of a cyclops sunk deep into the recesses of the wall. And that there was a magic circle carved into a tiny hollow on each of the two.


    And, Rio wasn''t alone at this moment.


    "Wanna bet, Liselotte?" Rio suddenly said to the blue-haired, maid uniform-wearing girl at his side.


    "Bet? Bet about what?" Liselotte questioned Rio with a careful tone as she peered at Rio''s face with her transformed red eyes. Rio finally turned around and stared at Liselotte''s face.


    It had been five days since he jumped into the depth of Great Orcus Labyrinth. When the teleportation trap from the Glanz Crystals Daisuke touched activated, he used the split second from the transportation to store all students into a pocket dimension he created using Space and Time magicks. In that place, time is stopped so the students are being put under the stasis effect.


    In the beginning, Rio planned to send them back to their version of Earth, but Rio changed his mind at the last moment. If he just sent them back, there was a chance that Ehit would check into the students'' iteration of Earth and discover that they had been returned back to their home. There is a big chance that Ehit will summon them back and it will become more problematic. Well, Rio could take anything Ehit throws in his direction, but he is lazy to clean the mess unrelated to him. That''s not his responsibility, by the way.


    Thus, Rio would keep those students in his pocket dimension under the stasis effect until he dealt with Ehit''s problem. Probably, Ehit will not survive after that promised day. Nay, Rio would turn that outcome into factuality. After all, Ehit is too troublesome and one heck of a scheming son of a bitch that is best to disappear as soon as possible.


    And yet, Rio wasn''t in a hurry to crush Ehit. For the time being, Rio was going to enjoy his time while having an amusing adventure as he visited each Labyrinth of the Liberators. And simultaneously, he was going to add more girls and women into his harem plan.


    All digressions aside, back to the topic at hand. After Rio forcefully stored the students inside his pocket dimension, he cloaked himself in an illusion and hid his presence. Hence, Captain Meld and the knights couldn''t find him nor the students after they opened their eyes in that bridge.


    Before Rio jumped into the deep ravine under the bridge, the last view he''d seen from the knights were their pale and aghast expression. They probably thought of what kind of punishment or chaos will ensue when the kingdom and the Holy Church knew about this development, Rio thought.


    It wasn''t long until he arrived his destination, and the first thing Rio received as a warm welcome in the depth of Great Orcus Labyrinth was a jaw of starving mutt. It was the same lightning twin-tailed wolf that Canon-Hajime eat to get his monsterization and Lightning Field skill.


    Of course, Rio dealt with the mutt''s problem easily. There wasn''t even a trace, not even a drop of blood, left behind.


    Afterward, Rio sought God''s Crystal. However, it wasn''t as easy as Hajime who luckily stumbled upon it after one of his arms was severed and eaten by the demonic bear. Rio needed to waste several hours until he obtained the God''s Crystal.


    After storing God''s Crystal and collecting the spilled Ambrosia on the ground, he summoned Liselotte to the cave where God''s Crystal formerly resided.


    The blue-haired maid was perplexed by the sudden happenstance, but she recovered quickly when saw Rio. She then bombarded Rio with questions. Where they were? What happened? How she was summoned here?


    Rio answered Liselotte''s flurried questions calmly. He told her where they were, what happened to him while hiding the fact that he stored the students into his pocket dimension, and that she was summoned to his location because of the ring he gave her.


    Afterward, Rio began to hunt the monster on the first floor of the Depth, the shortened version of the true Great Orcus Labyrinth Rio had coined, and eat the meat to raise his status value, barring his broken Magic stats. Nothing happened to him, surprisingly.


    Rio''s hair didn''t turn white or his eyes, red, like the canonical Hajime who got Marie Antoinette syndrome. He, too, didn''t get the skills, only the stats boots, but he didn''t think it too much since he could create any skills he wanted.


    Rio didn''t forget to feed the meat to Liselotte. He didn''t force her and told her that it was up to her. Of course, he told her the benefit and promised that she wouldn''t die despite eating monster''s meat that should have killed someone due to mana poisoning.


    After careful pondering, Liselotte agreed. She put her faith in Rio, who answered her belief to him. When the monsterization happened, Rio helped Liselotte acclimating with the sudden growth and berserk mana of a monster. He did it carefully and numbed her pain. Also, he tried his best to not overstraining Liselotte''s body like how it happened to the Canon-Hajime. It took a long time, but Liselotte''s unique blue hair¡ªin Rio''s perspective¡ªwas saved. But, the same thing couldn''t be said for her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes changed to ruby red, not unlike that of vampires.


    In the end, other than absurd stat boost, Liselotte acquired Electrokinesis skill, unlike Hajime''s Lightning Field, from the twin-tailed wolf. It was because of Liselotte''s aptitude for magic was surprisingly better than Hajime. Perhaps, it was because she was born and grew up in a world where mana permeating the air. Hence, she acquired Electrokinesis instead of a trashy Lightning Field.


    From the Kickmaster Bunny, Liselotte acquired the same skill as the Canon Hajime. The same thing happened when she ate Demonic Bear''s meat.


    Afterward, they dived deeper into the labyrinth. At the same time, Liselotte also learned to master her power and her boosted stats better. Rio had transmuted a pair of rapiers for Liselotte since her Job was Blade Dancer. In fact, Liselotte performed one blade dance for Rio, who was mesmerized by her skill. Though her blade dance wasn''t good for fighting, it was a very amazing performance nonetheless.


    They had leisure time when they dived the most dangerous one of the seven labyrinths. They looked like a pair of a newly married couple who was enjoying sightseeing on their honeymoon, as a matter of fact. If Oscar Orcus is still alive, he would surely vomit blood due to frustration.


    And thus, they arrived on the fiftieth floor and were currently standing before the sealed room. Which contained the certain former Queen of Vampire kingdom three hundred years ago. Of course, Liselotte wasn''t aware of this fact. Rio knew about this because he''d read the novels in which Tortus was a fictional another world for a story that glorified the protagonist.


    As an aside, Rio''s and Liselotte''s status and skill were as below¡ª


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Rio Kevin | 18 years old | Male | Level: 21


    Strength: 1,880¡ï


    Vitality: 1,970¡ï


    Defense: 1,860¡ï


    Agility: 2,040¡ï


    Magic: 1,000¡ï


    Magic Defense: 1,760¡ï


    Skills: Perpetual Magic Generator ¡ª Skill Creation [+Mental Switch] ¡ª Appraisal [+Self-Appraisal] [+Subject Appraisal] [+Object Appraisal] ¡ª Absolute Magic Control [+Nine Seals (8 Seals Activated)] [+No-Chant] [+Instant Spell-Casting] [+Parallel Spell-Casting] [+Create Mana Construct] [+Mana Transfer] ¡ª Elemental Magic Affinity [+Elemental Transcended Mastery] [+Elemental Damage Resistance] [+Elemental Damage Absorption] ¡ª Healing Magic [+Heal] [+Cure Disease] [+Dispel Curse] [+Regeneration] [+Field Heal] ¡ª Barrier Magic [+Timed Barrier] [+Flexible Barrier] [+Absolute Barrier] ¡ª Magic Conversion [+Passive Conversion] [+Strength] [+Defense] [+Vitality] [+Agility] [+Magic Defense] [+Stamina] ¡ª Thought Acceleration [+Parallel Thinking] ¡ª Auto Regeneration [+Pain Control] ¡ª Clairvoyance ¡ª Detect [+Magic] [+Presence] [+Heat] [+Smell] [+Bloodl.u.s.t] ¡ª Hide [+Magic] [+Presence] [+Heat] [+Smell] ¡ª All-Weapons Transcended Mastery ¡ª Unarmed Combat Transcended Mastery ¡ª Armor Transcended Mastery ¡ª Physical Damage Resistance [+Physical Damage Absorption] ¡ª Farsight ¡ª Night Vision ¡ª Heat Vision ¡ª Creation Magic ¡ª Metamorphosis Magic ¡ª Heavenly Body Magic ¡ª Spirit Magic ¡ª Time Magic ¡ª Space Magic ¡ª Evolution Magic ¡ª Power of Destruction ¡ª Imagine Breaker ¡ª Anti-Possession ¡ª Language Comprehension


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Liselotte Altra | Age: 17 | Female | Level: 31


    Strength: 912


    Vitality: 1028


    Defense: 916


    Agility: 1127


    Magic: 782


    Magic Defense: 782


    Skills: Swordsmanship [+Dual Wielding] [+Quick Draw] ¡ª Agility Up ¡ª Choreography ¡ª Etiquette ¡ª Caretaking [+Increase Efficiency] [+Increase Cleaning Affinity] [+Increase Cooking Affinity] [+Incrase Sewing Affinity] ¡ª Mana Manipulation ¡ª Iron Stomach ¡ª Electrokinesis ¡ª Air Dance [+Aerodynamic] [+Supersonic Step] [+Steel Legs] ¡ª Gale Claw ¡ª Night Vision ¡ª Farsight ¡ª Sense Presence ¡ª Detect Magic ¡ª Hide Presence ¡ª Poison Resistance ¡ª Paralysis Resistance ¡ª Petrification Resistance


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    All that aside, back to the present situation...


    "Yep. A bet. For the content, well, if there''s a girl sealed behind the door, she''ll become your harem sister. How''s it?" Rio stated while raising his brows challengingly at Liselotte.


    At first, Liselotte had a blank expression. After a few seconds, she laughed at Rio''s face. She spoke to him after her laughter stopped.


    "Please, don''t be ridiculous, Rio. There''s no way a girl is sealed behind these doors."


    "Is it wrong to pick up a girl in a dungeon?"


    "Of course, it is so wrong in so many aspects! If there''s one, then this girl is a very dangerous being. In fact, I won''t allow her to be my ''little sister''."


    Rio heaved a deep sigh full of vexation and lamentation. "If there is a girl and she''s dangerous, I''ll accept your refusal. But, if she''s actually an innocent girl, she''ll become the second member of my harem. How is it?" Rio spoke with a tone filled with provocation.


    Liselotte wastes no time for answering Rio''s demands. She nodded shortly and said to him, "Very well. I''ll agree. But, remember, if there''s a dangerous being, you''ll be the one who deals with it."


    "I agree." Rio nodded his assent and turned at the doors. He raised his left hand and touched the cold surface of the doors and poured his mana.


    The next moment, Rio got zapped and activated the mechanism of the door.

 Chapter 35 - Afterword

    With me, Common_NEET, once again! Finally, the first volume of my first story ended. It has been an adventure and a challenge! For you all who have been reviewing, rating, and giving this story your Power Stones, allow me to sincerely thank you! Your support so far is greatly appreciated!


    At this point, I have already rewritten and changed the content of this volume several times. For you who started reading since the publishing of this story, you may or may not remember it, but I will explain some changes in this volume 1...


    1. Rio''s harem: In the beginning, I planned to add Shizuku, Yuuka, and Suzu, but I changed my mind because of the change midway. There won''t be students in his harem because he''ll send them back to their iteration of Earth.


    2. Liselotte''s back story: In the beginning, I wrote her as ''a daughter of a low-class noble who is in Lady-in-Training as a maid in castle'', but I changed that into ''an orphan and a commoner who was accepted to be a servant in the castle due to her own effort and hard work.''


    3. I took out Lilianna and Luluaria from harem list.


    Those three are the clearest examples of the change in this story. Some of you may dislike my decision, and by any means, I apologize. But, I have made up my mind and this story is my story, so I can choose how this story advances.


    Other than that, I also split up and expanded the chapters. From 25 chapters, volume 1 becomes 35 chapters, Preface and Afterword included.


    All that aside, back to the topic at hand. Since the first volume has been completed, I want to take a break from the absurd quick update. This does not mean I am going to drop this story. Nay, there is snowball chance in the hell I am going to drop this story. I consider this story my masterpiece, after all.


    My decision to take a break is for preparing the second volume, which will cover Rio''s leisure adventure in the other dungeons as he adds more girls and women into his harem. For the duration of the break, it is going to be a week, aka 7 days. So, Volume 2 will start being published on August 10th, 2019.


    At this point, Volume 1 ended with ¡À42K word count with¡ª


    Views: +447K


    Collection: +2,500


    That''s all, I suppose. Well, let''s meet again in the Preface of Volume 2. Don''t forget to keep your support when it comes out! Till we meet again!


    -


    -


    -


    Regards,


    Common_NEET


    Rewritten at 3/8/2019

 Chapter 36 - Preface

    Common_NEET, here! Been a while, hasn''t it? Sorry if I didn''t reply to your reviews in the first volume and basically turned black in the past week. I''ve been busy with life and spending my free time to write the chapters for the second volume and my other story.


    Speaking of my other, I hope that you''ll check it out when it starts publishing at 19/8/2019. For you who dislike harem trope, I recommend that story because it doesn''t have harem trope in it. Other than that, the first arc of that story is basically a fan-fic of Fate/Stay Night, but it will be original afterward. It is also a cultivation type of story. With system to boot.


    All the digressions aside, back to this preface. I hope that the old readers of this story is still faithful and has been waiting for this second volume. If you''re the old readers who have been waiting, then you have my gratitude for waiting patiently. If you''re a new reader who has been binge reading, I welcome you to my story.


    That aside, this second volume is the turning point in this story. There will be many twists that are going to surprise you... I hope. You may like it or may dislike it. Either way, I have been trying my best in writing this second volume.


    For you who thought that Rio''s interaction with the students was a waste of time, well, I would agree to disagree. After all, it was realistically impossible to just ignore everyone else. Even sociopath will need others to function in life. Socializing is the most important aspect in the life of humanity, I think.


    Next, everyone seems hoping for more members for Rio''s harem and requested for Shizuku, Aiko, Lilianna, and even her mother to be in his harem. After thinking, pondering and weighing it up a while, I apologize that I''m unable to grant your request in regards to Shizuku and Aiko. For Shizuku, she''ll be sent back to Earth with other students Rio had ''kidnapped'' and stored in his hammerspace. For Aiko... Well, you''ll find about her fate later.


    For Lilianna and her mother, I''ve decided to put them back into Rio''s harem, so rejoice!


    In the end, Rio''s harem from Arifureta Universe, barring Liselotte who is my original character, were¡ª


    1) Aletia


    2) Shea


    3) Tio


    4) Lemia


    5) Lilianna


    6) Luluaria


    7) Noint (who''ll obtain new name later)


    Now, about Rio''s morality and character development. Well, should I turn him into a sc.u.m like your typical shitty isekai cheat harem story or reform him into a more proper human? Tell you what?! Just keep following the story, and you''ll find out.


    Well, then, I think it is everything I want to share in this preface. Now, you may enjoy the story. And thank you for reading this!


    -


    -


    -


    Regards,


    Common_NEET


    Written at, 10/8/2019

 Chapter 37 - Prologue

    Before we follow the adventure of our main character in this second volume, let us return back to the day when Rio and the others had their expedition into Great Orcus Labyrinth. After Daisuke Hayama activated the teleportation trap which had been taken advantage of by Rio to store all students into his pocket dimension in stasis state, Ehit immediately lost the track of them. They believed that the heroes and one unknown had been transported into the true Orcus Labyrinth where they were unable to peer through due to the materials that made of the depth''s walls and floors blocked their ability to scry into it.


    When it happened, Ehit immediately lost their calm. Despite having lived in a spiritual state for many millennia, such a blunder was enough to set off Ehit''s patience. And it was only normal for Ehit to be furious. They had waited for 300 years to get another candidate to be their acceptable vessel after the previous one, an atavistic vampire girl, was hidden inside the depth of Orcus Labyrinth by her uncle who was now possessed by one of Ehit''s loyal servants, and they discovered it in another world. Of course, this vessel was no other than Kouki Amanogawa.


    Ehit then summoned the boy yet they accidentally summoned the others due to their target''s location when the summoning happened. When the whole class was summoned, an unknown was also carried off. Since Ehit was in a pleasant mood because of their target was within their grasp, they allowed the unknown to live. Maybe, the unknown would give them amus.e.m.e.nt later, Ehit thought at that time. Even so, Ehit kept their watch on any complication. It meant the unknown too.


    However, the unknown was proven to be a harmless ant after they watched him for a while. Of course, Ehit was unaware that they were fooled by this unknown. Ehit never thought the unknown had the ability to trick him, believing him to be only a weak, powerless mortal but with good potential like the others they''d summoned. At least, the unknown provided them with entertainment when he helped the useless hero with a commonplace job to create an interesting artifact to make the war between humans and demons more interesting and entertaining.


    With that artifact, the war would turn out more brutal, more bloody, full of despair and misery. Ehit thought that the struggle of lesser beings amusing and very entertaining, and they would relish in their despair. Ehit was just that crazy and twisted.


    In the day of the new artifact''s demonstration, they were shocked when they discovered that the unknown had a very high aptitude for the magic to the point of mastering the art of direct mana manipulation, able to cast a spell without chant and magic circle. It reminded Ehit of their lost vessel candidate from 300 years ago. The atavistic vampire. And Ehit was elated by the discovery. They decided to mark the boy as a backup plan if something happened with his first candidate. They even graced those lowly beings with their divine presence.


    Then, the day their heroes would have an expedition to the Orcus Labyrinth arrived. Ehit believed there wouldn''t be any complications since the strongest knight of the kingdom their pawns had controlled subtly behind the scene was chaperoning them. But, one foolish brat screwed off Ehit''s plan.


    "Useless! Those damn humans are useless! How dare they! Because of their idiocy, my two future vessels died in that accursed labyrinth of that accursed Orcus brat! Raaargh! Why it''s always the Orcus brat''s labyrinth! 300 years ago, it was that atavistic vampire. Now, two of my vessel candidates also lost in that accursed place! Damn, damn!"


    A furious roar filled with rage came from a muddy silver ball of light amidst the disgusting lump of flesh. It was a horrifying sight. Anyone with a weak stomach would throw up when their view landed on the disgusting sight. However, those muddy silver light and the lump of meat was the true nature of the revered god of Tortus. The absolute God worshiped by the followers of the Holy Church and its doctrine. Ehit.


    The fanatic believers wouldn''t care about their revered God''s appearance, but the ordinary believers would question it. In fact, there was a chance they would discard their belief for Ehit. After all, it was too unholy.


    All those digressions aside, back to Ehit and their fury...


    Ehit called one of their Apostles. The Angels.


    This Angel had the appearance of peerless beautiful woman with silver hair, slender yet sensual body with ample bosoms and bountiful b.u.t.t.o.c.k.s, and feathery white wings growing out of their back. She wore a very revealing bikini armor and had two broadswords sheathed into the sheaths hanging down from her slim waist. However, this Angel had an expressionless face as if she was an automaton without her own will.


    She was kneeling submissively in front of Ehit, waiting for her Lord''s decree. She didn''t need to wait for long for right after she appeared, Ehit immediately told her their order.


    "Descend to that useless kingdom! Punish those ants for their foolishness! Bring down my divine punishment upon them! Don''t leave even a single soul behind!"


    "Your will is our command, my Lord," the angel responded with an emotionless tone.


    Afterward, she, and several other angels with a similar appearance as if they were twins, descended to the Heiligh Kingdom and carried Ehit''s order. To destroy the Heiligh Kingdom as an example for all humans, demons, and demi-humans in Tortus that Ehit was the absolute and supreme being. And they wouldn''t allow even a single slight left unaddressed.


    That night, the Heiligh Kingdom had become another victim of Ehit''s cruelty in the long history of Tortus. Both known and unknown by the masses. Similar to the Klarus Kingdom and the Avatar Kingdom from 500 and 300 years ago.


    When this tragedy occurred, Rio and Liselotte were busy diving the true Orcus Labyrinth to power up the blue-haired maid of the two... Wholly unaware of this significant change in the world.

 Chapter 38 - Quick End of the One-Eyed Guardians

    Let''s return back to the present from the time of Prologue''s event. The location: the fiftieth floor of true Great Orcus Labyrinth, where Rio and Liselotte were currently on.


    "Rio! Are you okay? What happened?"


    Liselotte threw away her swords and went to Rio, who got pushed back from the doors in a hurry. Her heart had skipped a beat before she got fl.u.s.tered when she saw the crackling electricity zapped Rio. She was afraid something bad happened to him.


    "No need to worry. I''m not harmed, you see." Rio shook his head, offered his unblemished hand to Liselotte, and explained to her. He wanted to calm her worry because it''s needless.


    Rio hadn''t told Liselotte of his biggest secret, namely his true stats and real skills. So far, Liselotte only knew about his stats and skills from the false status displayed on his modified status plate. Additionally, he added Spatial Magic in his status plate.


    It wasn''t like he wanted to keep it as a secret forever, but he hadn''t met the proper time to explain his unique circ.u.mstance to Liselotte, who only knew him as someone from another world and one of the heroes summoned to Tortus by Ehit.


    "Please be more careful next time. Even if you have become stronger than the strongest human in this world, you''re not immortal, Rio!" Liselotte castigated him as she stood close before him and rested the back of her hands on her slim, huggable waist. She was still holding her twin rapiers, which had been recovered a short while ago.


    "Sorry. Still, don''t worry, okay. Something like that isn''t enough to even leave a scar on me." Rio gave Liselotte a small smile to placate her, but Liselotte thought that Rio was taking everything without being serious at all. She couldn''t help but feel vexed at him.


    "Humph!" Liselotte threw her face away and pouted deeply, trying to show her dissatisfaction to Rio. However, their shenanigans were cut short when the two statues of Cyclops at each side of the door trembled.


    Liselotte was caught off guard for a moment before she recovered soon after and readied herself. Her red eyes narrowed as she stared at the statues which were cracking and displaying that they weren''t what she believed to be.


    Meanwhile, Rio eyed the Cyclopes with interest. He knew that they were actually alive despite being petrified.


    Their petrified skin rapidly regained its color, going from gray to dark green.


    The cyclopes fit the fantasy description for them to a T. They each wielded swords nearly four meters long that they had pulled from god knows where. Currently, they were struggling to free their still¨Centombed lower halves, determined to eliminate the unwelcome intruder.


    "They seem strong," Liselotte mumbled under her breath as she readied herself for another fight against powerful monsters of the Depth. Her twin rapiers crackled with purplish lightning as she used her Electrokinesis.


    "Well, let us finish them off before they can get out, shall we?" Rio commented easily and waved his hand towards one of the cyclopes. Simultaneously, he used Spatial Magic.


    A thin white line suddenly appeared around the Cyclops at the left of the door. And the next moment, its massive head was lopped off of its shoulders before a shower of blood sprouted from its neck. It happened in split second. And just like that, one of the cyclopes died without knowing what happened. Its rotating head that floated on the air showed a dumbfounded expression.


    "Although I have seen it countless times already, it keeps reminding me that you''re truly an outrageous existence, Rio," Liselotte mumbled in amazement. But, she soon recovered from her amazement and followed Rio''s example. She pointed one of her lightning clad rapiers towards the second cyclops, which had frozen in shock due to its comrade''s instant death.


    That cyclops finally sensed danger from Liselotte and was about to roar to intimidate the blue-haired maid. However, before it could even create a sound, a bolt of purple-colored lightning punched through its only eye and fried its brain, killing it.


    Thus, the twin cyclopes that gave Rio a bit trouble in the canon timeline were killed just like that. They made a quick work on them that would make adventurers, mercenaries, and knights turn speechless if they saw it.


    Afterward, Rio sliced a small portion of the cyclops'' meat and grilled it with his fire magic. He didn''t forget to add seasoning to make the shitty taste of monster''s meat a tad bearable. He then ate his portion in silence before handing over Liselotte''s portion.


    When Liselotte received her portion, her pretty face distorted in disgust. She''d eaten monster meat since she was summoned here by Rio, but she couldn''t become accustomed to the unpalatable taste of it.


    When Rio saw that, he gave Liselotte a consoling smile and took out a jar full of honey from his pocket dimension. He then took out a short, thin stick from his hammerspace and put it inside the jar. He stirred the stick until the thick and viscous honey stuck on it before pulling the stick out and freezing the honey around the stick. He was creating a cold treat to help Liselotte''s palate to recover from the abuse of eating monster''s disgusting meat.


    As Rio did all that, Liselotte was eating the grilled meat in a hurry. Her face twisted as she did that. She almost threw up from the unpalatable taste but forced it to enter her stomach. Afterward, she took out a vial of ambrosia that was given to her by Rio from her ring-shaped storage artifact.


    Previously, the ring was only a simple ring from a steelware that allowed Rio to find her whereabouts and summon her to his side using Spatial Magic. After he summoned her to the Depth, he upgraded the ring. Other than acting as a storage artifact, it also had the ability to create an impenetrable barrier that could protect Liselotte''s from a deadly ambush that can kill her in instant.


    All the digressions aside, back to the current situation. Liselotte grimaced when she experienced the familiar stomach ache from ingesting the meat of strong monster. At the same time, she could feel that she became stronger and obtained a new skill¡ªthe cyclops'' skill. She then accepted the cold treat from Rio and soothed her palate with it. Simultaneously, she took out her status plate and checked her status.


    "Hmmm... Hai hot hundredh oh hahue inh hengh, hithahity, han hehends. He hew hillh his hiahahond hin?[1]" While slurping her cold treat, Liselotte mumbled incomprehensibly.


    Rio stared at her when she did that. His expression shifted subtly and his eyes were glittering pensively and perversely. He was looking at Liselotte''s mouth which was s.u.c.k.i.n.g on the treat and couldn''t help but think, ''I haven''t received a blowjob from her, have I? Should I train her more until she''s skilled enough with this cold honey treat?''


    Liselotte sensed Rio''s gaze on her and looked up from her status plate. She titled her head quizzically when she saw him like that. She could tell that Rio was thinking about something perverse, but she wasn''t offended. After all, they were lovers and already did have s.e.x. Still, she was curious why Rio was thinking perversely so suddenly.


    Liselotte pulled out her cold honey treat and swirled her tongue on the tip for the last time. Simultaneously, Rio gulped his saliva heavily when he saw the stimulating sight before him. Liselotte was unaware of the real reason why Rio actied like a horndog all of sudden.


    "What kind of perverse thing you''re thinking, Rio?"


    Liselotte''s question woke up Rio from his stupor. He soon shook his head and forcefully pulled out his mind from the gutter. He then answered Liselotte''s question vaguely and changed the topic forcefully, "Nothing important. Let''s check out what''s inside this room."


    Liselotte stared at Rio quizzically. His answer didn''t satisfy her curiosity, but she allowed Rio to change this subject. She then said to him, "Do you know how to unlock the door? You were zapped by it before."


    "I think we need to use the mana crystal inside these two cyclopes to unlock the door," Rio replied easily. Inwardly, he was glad that Liselotte agreed to change the topic. He then stared at the dead cyclopes and summoned their mana crystals using Spatial Magic.


    Rio carried the two fist-sized mana crystals over to the double doors and placed them in the two indents. They fit perfectly. After a brief delay, they began pouring gouts of dark red mana into the magic circles. The sound of something snapping echoed in the distance and the light began to fade. Mana started diffusing through the room at the same time, making the surrounding walls glow with a bright light.


    The room was suddenly filled with more light than Rio and Liselotte had seen since their arrival in the Depth.


    ¡ï¡ï¡ï| FOOTNOTE |¡ï¡ï¡ï

 Chapter 39 - The Sealed Golden-Haired Vampire

    Rio and Liselotte blinked at the sudden brightness. They waited for a moment until they adapted. Rio then pushed open the door. Simultaneously, Liselotte was on guard as she peered into the room, clearly on the lookout for any trap.


    The room on the other side of the door was pitch black, with not a single light source to be found. However, a combination of their Night Vision and the light spilling in from the room outside was enough for them to dimly make out their surroundings.


    The interior of the room was composed of the same marble-like substance that Rio had first seen in the church cathedral when he got resurrected. Two rows of thick pillars, spaced out at regular intervals, extended all the way to the end of the room. In the very center of the room stood a huge cubical slab of rock. Its surface was glossy, and it shone from the reflected light coming in from the room behind.


    Rio and Liselotte took a closer look at the cube, noticing there was something that glowed faintly jutting out from the center of its front face. It looked almost as if it was sprouting out of the rock. At that sight, they had a different reaction; Rio was full of expectation and anticipation because he knew what it was while Liselotte just increased her guard.


    Wanting to get a closer look, Rio threw the doors open wide, and looked for something to hold them in place. He didn''t want to make the classic horror movie mistake and enter only to find the door shut behind him. However, before he could fix them in place, whatever was in the center of the cube stirred.


    "...Who goes there?"


    Rio and Liselotte heard a faint, hoarse, female voice. Rio realized it was Aletia because the voice sounded like her VA in the anime adaptation. Meanwhile, Liselotte was startled and readied herself for another confrontation against a ridiculous monster. Rio ignored Liselotte''s paranoid behavior and looked over to the center of the room again. The ''something'' they had seen earlier was squirming slightly. The light pouring in from the other room revealed that something''s true form.


    "A... person? No, a girl. Is there really a girl inside a dungeon?" Liselotte mumbled in shock. The something sprouting from the rock was indeed a person.


    The girl was buried in the rock from the neck down, and her golden-blonde hair dangled limply in front of her face, much like the ghost from a certain famous horror movie in Japan. Eyes as red as the blood moon peeked out from between gaps in her hair. She looked to be rather young. Still, despite her haggard appearance and her hair covering the better part of her face, it was still clear she was quite beautiful.


    Liselotte stiffened in surprise; she hadn''t expected to see another person so deep in the labyrinth. It seemed the girl was just as surprised to see Liselotte and Rio too, as she was staring at them in dumbfounded shock. Meanwhile, Rio was still calm as ever because he already knew about this. After a moment of silence, Rio took some deep breaths to steady himself, and then resolutely said...


    "Liselotte, I win the bet."


    "Wait! Wait for a second, Rio! You just can pick up a random girl you find in a dungeon! Furthermore, she''s sealed in this place for who knows how long! What if she''s a dangerous individual?!"


    "Then, let''s ask that girl why she''s here, shall we?"


    "Wait! Rio!"


    Rio ignored Liselotte and walked up towards the golden-haired girl who was watching their shenanigans with a dumbfounded look. Liselotte couldn''t help but follow after Rio while keeping up her guard. They finally arrived before the golden-haired girl and Rio soon asked her a question.


    "So, tell us who are you and how are you in here. And please, make it short!"


    The golden-haired girl blinked her red eyes, waking up from her stupor. Her red eyes shone with hope and she started mulling over her answer. After a few seconds, the girl came back to her senses with a start and quickly began speaking with a hoarse voice.


    "I am one of the original, atavistic vampires... because of the extraordinary power I was gifted with... I worked hard for the sake of my country and my people..."


    "Alright! Stop for a moment!"


    "Huh?"


    "Eh?"


    The golden-haired girl and Liselotte were taken aback when Rio told the golden-haired girl to stop her story. They turned at him in confusion, and desperation in the golden-haired girl''s case, and saw his hand entered a platinum circular portal in the air. Liselotte knew that Rio was searching for something in his pocket dimension, but the golden-haired girl didn''t know about that yet. The golden-haired girl had a dumbfounded look as she watched Rio.


    A few seconds later, Rio pulled out his hands. The two girls saw a pitcher and a glass in his hands. Rio then poured water into the glass and offered it to the golden-haired girl with a soft smile. He then said to her, "Your throat must be very painful. I can imagine how long you haven''t had any meals or water since you''re sealed for who knows how long."


    The golden-haired girl stared at Rio with glittering eyes as if he was a saint and a halo of light would appear at any moment above his head. She was touched by his thoughtfulness and nodded shortly. Afterward, Rio helped the golden-haired girl drink from the glass. At the sideline, Liselotte watched the procession silently. Her guard on the golden-haired girl''s existence had lowered unintentionally.


    "Now, continue!" Rio told the golden-haired girl kindly while storing the pitcher and the empty glass. After the golden-haired girl heard that, she nodded strongly, making Rio and Liselotte felt worried for her small, fragile-looking neck.


    "So, as I''ve stated before. I''m one of the rare atavistic vampires with extraordinary power. I work hard for my country and my people. But then, one day, my retainers all said I wasn''t needed anymore. My uncle said that he would be king in my place. I...was fine with that, but because I had so much power everyone was afraid of me, they thought I was dangerous. They couldn''t kill me... so they decided to seal me here instead. That''s why I''m here..."


    Rio and Liselotte sighed as they heard her tale. For a different reason. Rio knew about Aletia''s background story, but it was as a character in a fictional story. When he heard that from a real living human, or a vampire, in this case, he felt pity for her. She had certainly suffered a cruel fate. Liselotte, meanwhile, felt crushing sadness from the tale. However, during the course of the golden-haired girl''s tale, she heard some things that nagged at her. She felt an inexplicable, complicated feeling well up within her, so she asked the following:


    "So does that mean you were some kind of royalty?" the golden-haired girl nodded shortly at Liselotte words. When she saw the golden-haired girl''s reaction, she was speechless because it was different from her eager reaction towards Rio. She felt a complicated feeling well up inside her but pushed that aside and continued on.


    "What do you mean they couldn''t kill you?"


    "...I heal automatically. No matter what kind of injury it is, it''ll just heal by itself. Even if you cut my head off I''ll regenerate eventually."


    "Th-That''s quite the ability... So that''s the power everyone was afraid of?"


    "That too, but... the main thing was that I could control mana... directly, without a magic circle."


    Liselotte nodded and replied with a simple, "I see."


    After consuming monster flesh she had become capable of freely manipulating her mana as well. She needed no chants or magic circles to enhance her body, or use the special magic she''d acquired despite she had a bad aptitude for magic.


    "...please, save me..." the golden-haired girl begged pitifully and turned at Rio. But, she, as well as Liselotte, was dumbfounded when they discovered that Rio had moved away. He was walking around the dark room before stopping on a spot for a moment.


    "Rio! The hell are you doing! Return, quick!" Liselotte hollered at him in annoyance, and Rio turned his head around to face in her direction. He gave them a nod and returned back with a leisure pace.


    "Hey..." the golden-haired girl''s soft call grabbed Liselotte''s attention. "Are you two... a couple?" She asked Liselotte blankly.


    "Yeah. We have been a couple for almost a month now."


    "I see." Although the golden-haired girl had a blank expression, Liselotte could feel her disappointment. Liselotte smiled wryly at that. She didn''t think that the golden-haired girl was an easy girl, but any girl in the golden-haired girl''s position would latch on her opposite s.e.x who helped her out of her despair. What is more, Rio was eye candy and was an exceptional person with seemingly bottomless power. Liselotte suddenly remembered the bet she''d made with Rio and felt cheated. She wondered if Rio knew that this vampire girl was on the other side when they were outside of this sealing room.


    ''Well, a loss is a loss. And I must accept her as my little sister huh?'' Liselotte''s wry smile deepened, garnering a confusion of the golden-haired girl.


    "Hey, vampire girl. Listen..." the golden-haired girl looked up and met Liselotte''s red eyes with hers.


    As Rio approached them, Liselotte decided to build a foundation for their future relationship. In other words, a pecking order between them.

 Chapter 40 - Unsealing the Golden-Haired Vampire

    Rio was approaching Liselotte and Aletia who were discussing something in a low voice. Although Liselotte tried to keep their voice low, Rio could listen to their discussion easily. He was so amused by the content of the discussion.


    In short, Liselotte was flaunting her seniority in Rio''s soon to be established harem and was trying to make Aletia into her ''little sister''. It was hilarious because of Aletia''s age which was many times older than Liselotte, but the blue-haired blade dancer wasn''t aware of it. Aletia was mostly passive in the discussion. That was because of her numbed emotions after being sealed in this God-forsaken place for around three hundred years.


    "So, do you agree with this accommodation?" Rio heard Liselotte''s business-like voice asking for Aletia''s approval. The immortal vampire was silent for a few seconds, weighing her choice. She then nodded and replied with a soft, "En."


    "Very well, then, you may call me Big Sis from now on." Liselotte nodded deeply. Her face formed a smug and victorious expression.


    "En." Aletia nodded shortly before turning in Rio''s direction as he climbed up the elevated ground on which Aletia was sealed in the cube. She had lost her interest in Liselotte. She was watching Rio''s face intently, clearly trying to engrave his appearance in her mind.


    Inwardly, Rio felt grateful for Liselotte for taking the initiative in speaking about his ambition to create a harem and was glad that Aletia accepted Liselotte''s offer.


    "Have you finished your discussion, girls?" Rio questioned both Liselotte and Aletia after stopping close to them. Liselotte turned at him and stared at him quizzically.


    "Ah, Rio, what were you doing by going around like that?"


    Liselotte asked Rio, seemingly miffed because he''d left her just like that without telling her first. In return, Rio smiled wryly at Liselotte. Rio then said to her, "I was bored and curious, so I try to find out something interesting in this room. Look what I found. I got this artifact that recorded a video. I think, this will help our vampire princess in clearing her misunderstanding about something."


    Rio''s statement piqued the girls'' interest. They stared quizzically at an orb in Rio''s hand.


    "Vi-de-o? What''s that?"


    "My... Misunderstanding?"


    Liselotte and Aletia looked up to see Rio''s face. They had a similarly dumbfounded expression but with different reason. Liselotte''s confusion was due to her lack of knowledge about the video Rio mentioned. She never saw or heard about it. Meanwhile, Aletia was curious about the meaning behind Rio''s mysterious statement.


    "Video is a moving picture which also produces sounds." Rio then took out a small transparent ore that looked like a diamond from his pocket dimension. He acquired it from strolling around the chamber as Liselotte and Aletia had their girl''s talk.


    Of course, Rio knew about this from his foreknowledge. He intentionally sought the video recorder artifact and would present it to Aletia soon, unlike how Hajime in the canon presented it after the fight against Ehit.


    "I think... I understand," Liselotte stated and soon nodded shortly. "So, where did you get it?" She asked Rio.


    "In that place," Rio replied while pointing his thumb at the spot where he stopped for a short while before. "But, let''s put aside the meaningless thing and free our vampire princess from her seal. Wouldn''t you mind?" Rio directed his question towards Aletia, who nodded shortly in return. Simultaneously, he returned the artifact into his pocket dimension for the time being.


    "Very well, and Liselotte, move behind me. I don''t want you to get hurt needlessly from this." Rio directed his words towards Liselotte who quickly followed his order, standing behind Rio who faced Aletia. He then had his free hand on the smooth surface of the block that sealed Aletia''s body.


    "Second Seal... Release!" Rio muttered faintly, though the two girls still heard his voice. They stared at him in bewilderment but changed into shock the next moment. It was because an enormous amount of platinum mana poured out of Rio''s body. It kept pouring out as if there was no end of it.


    Before he released his second seal, Rio had already unsealed his first seal, increasing his Magic value to 1,000 points. However, after releasing the second seal, his Magic value spiked up to 10,000. Yet, Rio hadn''t finished yet.


    "Third Seal... Release!"


    Liselotte''s and Aletia''s black pupils shrunk into dots and were shaken badly when they sensed the amount of mana Rio expelled from his body unintentionally. After releasing his third seal, another zero was added into his Magic attribute, turning it into 100,000. Just what kind of concept of 100,000 Magic value? The proper words to describe the amount of Rio''s mana was ''out of the world.'' Even Aletia who was born with Sorcerer Job and had a ridiculous aptitude for magic was like a joke in comparison. Hell, the end game version of Hajime in the canon timeline didn''t have that much Magic value despite being called as a monster.


    "This is enough... Now, Skill Creation... Create Magic that will crush everything..." Rio mumbled faintly and willed his last gift from his divine murderer to create a Crush Magic of a certain mage from another world. After the skill was created, Rio used his newfound skill on the block that sealed Aletia.


    "Crush!"


    Platinum colored lines appeared on the cube. Nothing happened except for the oppressive mana Rio was intentionally pouring out. The next moment, the cube that sealed Aletia disassembled into smaller cubes and she was released from her prison after long 300 years.


    As Aletia''s emaciated child-like body fell, Rio restrained his mana in instant before catching Aletia in his arm. At this moment, their eyes met and the time seemed stretched out into infinity. They stared into each other eyes silently.


    Rio was mesmerized by Aletia''s beauty. Despite her child-like appearance, her beauty was undeniable. Rio couldn''t help but wonder what would she look if she obtained her a.d.u.l.t form. Meanwhile, Aletia was dumbfounded by Rio''s handsome face. She finally realized that he had a very pleasing face when she looked up close. Furthermore, his previous stunt was still clear in her mind. She never thought that someone out of the norm like him existed.


    "Ahem... How long you two are going to flirt with your eyes and ignore me, eh?"


    Liselotte''s miffed voice woke up Rio and Aletia from their stupors. They turned at Liselotte who was pouting as if she was wronged... which she was!


    "Ah, sorry about that, Liselotte."


    "...Sorry."


    Rio apologized sheepishly while Aletia spoke shortly and blankly. Liselotte heaved a sigh with a mixture of vexation and resignation. She opened her mouth and was about to give her comment but stopped abruptly. Her pupils turned into dots and were shaken. She looked up in a hurry and forcefully while preparing her rapiers, which were clad in purple lighting.


    "Incoming of a strong monster!"


    Liselotte warned Rio and Aletia, who followed her example and looked up. They saw a massive scorpion-like monster with two tails perching on the ceiling. Soon, it fell down at their position.


    Rio clicked his tongue in annoyance. He had expected this monster appearance but still annoyed by its appearance that interrupted their moment. He raised his hand and created a barrier that halted the monster''s fall. When Liselotte saw that, she calmed down and stared at Rio with a strange look.


    "It seems like you''re still hiding many things from me, aren''t you, mister?" Liselotte questioned Rio with a hurtful tone and a wronged expression.


    Rio felt a pang of guilt when he heard that and viewed Liselotte''s expression. Fl.u.s.tered, he replied back in a hurry, "No! Well, I am still searching for the proper time to tell you about me. It''s true that I hide many things, but it''s not my intention to hide it forever."


    "Very well. Though I feel disappointed, I will accept your reason. However, you must tell me about that later. Got it? Good. Now, what will we do about that fellow?" Liselotte changed the topic after she received Rio''s assent and looked up at the humongous twin-tailed scorpion that tried to break Rio''s barrier in vain.


    Rio didn''t immediately turn up. He met Aletia''s blank stare. Though she had a deadpan look, Rio could feel her resignation. She was allowing Rio to do what he pleased. She wouldn''t even mind it if he discarded her here because of the appearance of the powerful monster, which was clearly a trap prepared by her jailer a long time ago.


    Rio suddenly pattered Aletia''s head, surprising her. "Don''t worry. You have accepted Liselotte''s offer. Thus, you''re now one of us. I won''t throw you away just like that. Besides, that monster is nothing but a gnat before me." Rio said to Aletia kindly.


    Rio finally looked up and eyed the monstrosity that tried to break his barrier. ''Now, how should I deal with you? There are countless ways for me to deal with you¡­ Choice, choice¡­ I never thought that I will find trouble in choosing a means to kill a monster.'' Rio commented silently with a wry smile.

 Chapter 41 - Rios Problem with Yue

    A few moments had passed since Rio dealt with the monster''s problem. How he did that was up to your imagination. Rio was currently sitting on the floor with the n.a.k.e.d Aletia at his left and Liselotte who was chewing the cooked meat of the twin-tailed scorpion to get another skill and extra status points. Rio had eaten his portion and was currently washing off the unpalatable taste of the monster meant with honey.


    "Why are you two eating monster meat?" Rio turned at the questioner and saw Aletia''s confused expression. Well, she actually had a deadpan expression, but her eyes were glittering with curiosity. Liselotte stopped for a moment before continuing, clearly dumping the job to explain to Rio.


    "It''s because we can get status increase and new skills after eating new monster. At least, Liselotte does. For me, I only get bonus status points." Rio explained at Aletia. He then offered a piece of the cooked monster''s meat for Aletia and said to her, "Do you want to try?"


    Aletia shook her head. "No. I pass," She replied, but, right after that, her stomach rumbled with vengeance of 300 hundred years being unfilled.


    Rio and Liselotte, who stopped eating again, deadpanned at Aletia. When she became the center of the others'' attention, she surprisingly maintained her deadpan. However, if you watch her face closely, you will find that her eyes were trembling and a faint rosy hue appeared on her cheeks. She was clearly embarrassed by that.


    "Are you sure? Your tummy seems disagreed with you..." Rio couldn''t resist to tease Aletia.


    "No. I don''t want monster''s meat," Aletia replied curtly.


    When Liselotte heard that, she snorted before finishing her meal forcefully. She then drank the Ambrosia and washed off the disgusting taste of the monster''s meat with the sweet cold treat Rio had prepared for her.


    Meanwhile, Rio remembered that Aletia was a vampire. She consumed blood. ''Does this mean that I need to be her bloodbag if I want her as my girl?'' Rio finally realized the most crucial thing of taking care of a vampire lover. His expression became complex as he stared at Aletia, who returned his stare expressionlessly.


    ''Well, there''s nothing free in this world, I suppose. Fortunately, I can numb my pain.'' Rio made up his mind and offered his left hand for Aletia.


    Aletia raised her brows slightly, confused at the gesture. "You''re a vampire, yes? If I remember correctly, your kinds consume blood. Since you have agreed to join us, you''re now my responsibility. Hence, I''ll feed you." Rio explained to the confused Aletia. When Rio found no reaction from her, he became confused and asked her, "Do you have problems with it?"


    Aletia moved her eyes and viewed Rio''s jugular. She said nothing, but her gaze spoke everything. The corner of Rio''s eyes twitched as he thought, ''This girl wants to drink from here, huh? Fine! I reap what I sowed, I suppose.''


    Rio allowed Aletia to get a bite on his neck. He pulled his collar and showed his jugular for Aletia. Though he said nothing, Aletia understood the meaning of his gesture. She wasted no time and got closer to Rio. She then circled her slender arms around his neck as she brought her face closer to his jugular. Finally, Aletia comped Rio''s neck and started to draw blood.


    While Aletia had her meal, Rio turned off his Auto-Regeneration skill but activated the derivative skill Pain Nullification. Aletia leaked out a muffled m.o.a.n as she consumed his blood. Simultaneously, as Aletia embraced his body and tried to fuse her soft body into his, Rio couldn''t help but feel weird because of Aletia''s e.r.o.t.i.c feeding.


    Rio was aroused by Aletia''s feminine fragrance and her soft body. Though she had a childlike figure, she was actually a legal. She was older than 300 years old, after all. However, Rio forced down his arousal. He didn''t want to get aroused by a childlike body! He wasn''t a Lolicon or Pedophile, no Sir! Thank you very much, he passes!


    Rio suddenly felt a judgemental gaze on him and woke up from his stupor. He then turned at the source of that gaze, Liselotte, who stared at him with a half-lidded gaze. Though Liselotte said nothing, Rio felt her gaze on him was very hurtful. It feels as if she was accusing him from being a Lolicon or Pedophile, which he was NOT!


    Rio threw a wry smile in Liselotte''s direction. Liselotte threw her face away as if she didn''t want to acknowledge that she knew him. His wry smile deepened when he saw that.


    To be honest, Rio wasn''t a fan of loli or a woman with a childlike body. He was a staunch believer in sensual m.a.t.u.r.e figure. If he liked Loli, he would attempt to get close to Lilianna, or Suzu Taniguchi, or Aiko Hatayama when he stayed in Heiligh Kingdom.


    All those digressions aside, back to the present situation. Aletia finally satisfied her stomach. She pulled back her head but not before l.i.c.k.i.n.g Rio''s neck sensually. "Mmmh... Your blood. It''s delicious~" she nodded with a dreamy look.


    Rio made a weird face when he heard Aletia''s review about his blood. He didn''t know what''s difference in his blood and the others. To him, all blood tasted similar. Salty. However, he chalked it up as vampire''s things. Moreover, he had unlimited mana that kept nourishing his physique, so his blood probably tasted delicious from vampire''s perspective.


    "Well, now, we have fed ourselves. How about giving proper introduction?" Rio decided to start a topic of discussion since they didn''t have any problem now. "I''ll begin first. My name is Rio Kevin, but you may call me Rio. 18 years old. I come from another world called Earth. Best regards from now on."


    Aletia blinked her eyes, seemingly caught off guard by Rio''s introduction. Maybe, she never thought Rio from another world. She recovered her ability to think when Liselotte introduced herself next.


    "I''m Liselotte Altra. You may already know this, but I am Rio''s first lover." Liselotte briefly paused before continuing on. "About me, well, I was born in Heiligh Kingdom but grew up in orphanage after my father, a kingdom''s soldier died in a fight against monster''s outbreak. My mother died when she delivered me. I was accepted as a maid apprentice in the castle when I was 12 years old. Afterward, I worked as maid for five years until the heroes, including Rio, were summoned around three weeks ago. I fell in love with Rio and decided to follow and devote myself for him. Hence, I left my previous job as servant in the castle. That was the summary about my life, I suppose. Now, it''s your turn, Little Sis."


    Liselotte threw the metaphorical ball in Aletia''s direction. She sounded smug when she called Aletia ''Little Sis.'' Surprisingly, Aletia didn''t protest. However, when it was her turn, Aletia sunk deep in thought. She seemed pondering about something.


    "My name... I want to forget my old name. Could you give me a new name?" Aletia said to Rio pleadingly.


    When Liselotte heard that, she had understanding expression. She could guess why Aletia wanted a new name to start over her life. After all, Aletia''s past was very cruel indeed. She didn''t seem mind when Aletia asked to be named by Rio instead of her, but she still sent a threatening glare in Rio''s direction as if she was trying to say "Give her a strange name, and I''ll cut off our s.e.x for the whole month!"


    Normally, Rio would return Liselotte''s glare with a wry smile. However, he was frowning deeply, surprising even Liselotte because of his unusual behavior. She couldn''t help but wonder what''s Rio''s problem.


    Meanwhile, Aletia''s eyes wavered when she saw Rio''s expression. She thought that Rio didn''t want to give her a new name to mark her new life.


    And Aletia''s guess was actually not wrong. Rio didn''t want to give Aletia a new name because only ''Yue'' name was suitable for her. However, he had a problem with that name. ''Yue'' was a name Hajime had given for Aletia in the canon, but it marked Aletia as Hajime''s woman. In this timeline, Aletia had accepted to be a member of his harem. She was his, not Hajime, not anybody else. He felt very overprotective for his girls. Due to that, Rio believed she should use her old name, Aletia, as his woman.


    It was when Rio recalled about the recording artifact he discovered in the room. ''Perhaps, I can make her keep her old name if her misunderstanding about her uncle is cleared.'' Rio made up his mind and took out the artifact from his pocket dimension.

 Chapter 42 - Message and Tears

    "Aren''t you going to give me a name?" Aletia questioned Rio. Despite her deadpan, Rio could feel her sadness and disappointment from her quivering red eyes. It said that eyes were the window towards the soul, and Rio agreed with that sayings. However, Rio couldn''t speak out his answer.


    He decided to take out the recording artifact he found in the chamber before. His action confused Aletia and Liselotte, who was on the verge of giving Rio a piece of her mind from disappointing his girl.


    "What are you doing?" Liselotte questioned Rio and stared at him quizzically. However, Rio ignored her and focused on Aletia.


    "Do you remember about my previous words in regards to this artifact?"


    Rio put aside her troubled mind and recalled Rio''s previous world when he showed off the diamond-like artifact before. She nodded and replied, "You said about clearing my misunderstanding. But, I don''t understand."


    "Then, I allow me and this artifact to make you understand." Right after Rio said that, he poured a bit of his mana into the artifact, triggering it off.


    The artifact shined, and suddenly an image was projected. Seeing the person that appeared there, Aletia opened her eyes wide in shock and murmured in a daze.


    "¡­Uncle?"


    Rio wordlessly embraced Aletia with one arm while pulled Liselotte into his embrace with his other arm. He knew what would happen next. Aletia would need their support. Hence, he did that.


    Despite her confusion, Liselotte kept her silence and watched the recording.


    It was unclear whether it was unconsciously or consciously, but Aletia was also gripping tightly the hands of Rio around her waist.


    In front of those three, the person in the image recording¨DAletia''s uncle, Denreed Gardia Wespertrio Avatar slowly began to talk.


    [¡­Aletia. Long time no see, I wonder if saying that is a little wrong. I think that you are surely hating me. No, surely word like hate will not be enough at all. What I did...Hah, that''s not it. This is not what I want to say. Even though I have been thinking of various things, now that the time has come to leave my last will I cannot speak smoothly.]


    While making a self-deprecating wry smile, Denreed pulled himself together by clearing his throat.


    [That''s right. First let me say my thanks. ¡­Aletia. Surely, right now on your side there should be someone who you are trusting from the bottom of your heart. At the very least, that person must be a strong person who could obtain metamorphosis magic and able to challenge the true Great Orcus Labyrinth, a person who didn''t abandon you from the guardian that I prepared and rescued you.]


    Rio''s eyes were closed. As though to listen to those words, or possibly to lament the departed.


    Aletia didn''t even twitch. What Rio could see were only her glittering golden threads that were sparkling from reflecting light.


    [Aletia. Surely many questions are flooding inside your c.h.e.s.t. Or else, perhaps you have already know the truth. Just why, that day, I hurt you, and buried you inside that bottom of darkness? What kind of existence are you, and who is your true enemy?]


    The story that was talked from there was the facts that only Rio who already knew and speculation that didn''t miss from the truth.


    Namely, that Aletia was born as a special being, and she was aimed by Ehit. Denreed who noticed that pretended to kill Aletia in his coup d''etat with the disguise that he was blinded by greed, he then sealed her in the Depth of Great Orcus Labyrinth, the room where she was sealed itself was a hidden place that could fool even the god. The sealing of Aletia was also a bitter choice for him so that her presence couldn''t be possibly detected even for a bit.


    [I was hesitating whether to tell you the truth or not until just before that day. But, for the sake of deceiving those guys with certainty, I judged that I shouldn''t tell you. I also thought that if you hate me, then that would be a motivation for you to live.]


    Surely Denreed also couldn''t stay for long in the sealing room. That was why, after pretending to kill Aletia at the palace, there was no doubt that there was also no time for him to talk with her. Just how filled with bitterness that choice that he made? It was shown by the strength of his hand clutching at the other side of the image.


    [Even so, it doesn''t change that I had hurt you. I won''t say anything like your forgiveness after this late. However, I want you to please believe only this. I want you to know this.]


    Denreed''s expression changed from anguish, into an expression of smiling while crying. That look was overflowing with gentleness and kindness, at the same time, it was also filled with a hopeless sadness.


    [I love you, Aletia. I love you from the bottom of my heart. I have never thought of you as bothersome, not even for once. ¨DI thought of you as my daughter.]


    "¡­Un, cle. Uncle Den. I¨DI too¡­*Sob* ¨D *Hicks¨DHicks* ¨D *Sob*..."


    Thought of you as a father. That feeling was flowing down along with the tears that traced through her cheek, unable to form into words. But, the strength of the hand that was clutching Rio''s hand conveyed that feeling more eloquent than anything. At the same time, Liselotte had her hand on Aletia''s head, combing her golden hair softly as if she was trying to console her. Liselotte was accompanying Aletia in crying.


    [I''m sorry that I couldn''t protect you. I''m sorry that I couldn''t do anything but to entrust you to someone in the future. I''m sorry that I act like a pathetic father.]


    "¡­Such things¨D"


    What was in front of their eyes was a recording of the past. It was nothing more but Denreed''s last will. But, such a thing was irrelevant. Aletia couldn''t help but yell no matter what.


    Something shining was gathering at the corner of Denreed''s eyes. But, he didn''t let that flow by any means. While enduring tightly, he spun words toward his beloved daughter with all his heart.


    [I wanted to be at your side, seeing your figure when you grasped your own happiness someday. It was my secret dream to punch the man standing at your side once. And then, after that, I wanted to exchange sake with him, and say "please take care of my daughter". It was the partner that Aletia chose. Surely, he would make a firm promise with a serious face.]


    Denreed was looking at far away as though seeing a dream at the other side of the image. By any chance, there might be the Aletia of the past at the direction of his gaze.


    [It will be the time soon. There are more things that I want to talk, various things that I want to convey but¡­with my creation magic, I can only make an artifact of this degree.]


    "¡­no-, I don''t wanna¨D*Sob*. Un¨D *Hicks* ¨DFather!"


    Denreed smiled wryly at the approaching limit of the recording, to that Aletia reached her hand while crying. Her uncle, no, her father figure''s¨Dsomeone who took care of her after her real parents'' death¨Ddeep and deep affection, and that tragically tough resolve fiercely shook Aletia''s heart, indescribable feelings were overflowing out.


    Rio hugged Aletia even tighter as he felt tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. When he read this scene, in the epilogue of Arifureta, even someone like him was touched. But, watching it in the real life... the impact made even someone like him almost pouring his tears. No, he was already crying. And Liselotte joined them, crying together with them.


    [I cannot be on your side anymore, but even if this life is about to run out I''ll continue to pray. Aletia. My beloved daughter. I wish for infinite happiness to shower above your head. For you to walk a path that is warmer than sunlight, and gentler than moonlight.]


    "¡­Father¨D"


    Denreed''s gaze wandered. Surely that was because he was imagining the person who was being close with Aletia.


    [To you who is very close with my beloved daughter. It doesn''t matter what kind of shape it is. Make that child, to be the happiest girl in the world. Please, I beg you.]


    "¡­Naturally. I swear it with my life."


    "Yes... Don''t worry. Please rest in peace, Sir Denreed."


    There was no way Rio''s and Liselotte''s words reached him. But, without any doubt, Denreed was smiling in satisfaction. Surely he was convinced of how the person, or people, in this case, in the future who listened to his words would answer. In various senses, he was a preposterous, presumptuous, and arrogant person. Perhaps it was just as expected from Aletia''s father figure.


    The recording was fading down. Denreed''s figure melted into empty air. It was as though his soul was going away¡­


    Rio, Liselotte, and Aletia were snuggling to each other so close that they wouldn''t separate no matter what while gazing straight ahead while weeping silently, there the last words of Denreed resounded.


    [¡­Farewell, Aletia. I wish that the whole world that is surrounding you, to be filled with happiness.]


    Inside the sealed chamber on fiftieth floor of the real Great Orcus Labyrinth, Aletia''s heart-wrenching crying voice was echoing. It contained sadness. However, that was not all there was to it, it was a voice that was choked with warm tears of gratitude. That warmth gently enveloped Rio and Liselotte.


    Aletia rotated her body and clung to Rio''s c.h.e.s.t. Liselotte also hugged her while rubbing her back. There Aletia vented her emotion to her heart''s content.


    It was unknown how long time passed like that.

 Chapter 43 - Stay the Night on Fiftieth Floor

    A few hours had passed since Rio and Liselotte found and unsealed Aletia and listened to Aletia''s uncle''s¡ªDenreed¡ªrecording. Afterward, they decided to leave the sealing room. Mostly, it was for Aletia''s sake. They didn''t immediately dive further into the depth. They decided to take a break in a cave Rio created by digging the wall.


    When they stayed in that small cave, which was furnished with simple furniture like a soft rug, pillows, blankets, air conditioner artifact, and a lighting artifact, they had some talks. The topics were within the scope of important things such as their respective pasts; Aletia started first by telling her past before she was sealed; next, Rio explained a bit about his background.


    It was also when Rio told Liselotte and Aletia about his secret. That he was different from the summoned heroes because he''d died. That he obtained two cheats as compensations from God''s mistakes. However, he didn''t tell them that their world was known as a fictional story. Rio had made up his mind to keep this knowledge to his grave if he could even die.


    Well, with his unlimited mana and Auto-Regeneration skill, there was a high probability that Rio had become immortal.


    While they had their talks, Liselotte also discovered that Aletia was older than 300 years old. When she discovered that, she had a complicated expression before disregarding it, saying that despite Aletia''s far older than her, she was still the senior one between the two.


    Aletia just gazed blankly at Liselotte, but her eyes were glimmering with amus.e.m.e.nt. It seems as if she was indulging Liselotte''s delusion. Meanwhile, Rio found the synergy between the two was amusing. It made you question who''s elder and who''s younger between the two.


    Anyhow¡­


    When Liselotte and Aletia heard about Rio''s secret, they were dumbfounded. Their reaction was normal. After all, Rio was basically the strongest in Tortus. There was even a possibility that he was even stronger than Ehit, God that was worshiped by 90% of humans in Tortus.


    Afterward, they shifted into a lighter topic. Mostly about their likes and dislikes, personal preference, or something along that line. They restarted another heavy topic when Aletia unintentionally brought the topic of Seven Liberators who built the seven Great Labyrinths. However, Aletia told Rio and Liselotte about the twisted version that explained how the Seven Liberators were rebels, which were called The Mavericks.


    However, Aletia commented on how it was probably incorrect since she and Liselotte had discovered that Ehit wasn''t a benevolent and righteous God everyone believed from her late uncle''s recording. At this point, Rio withheld what he knew about the Liberators. After all, these girls would know about this details later, after they conquered this labyrinth. However, Rio told them about Ehit''s true plot for him and Kouko. How Ehit was actually aiming for Kouki Amanogawa''s body in the beginning, and later, his after the Magic Gun artifact''s demonstration.


    When Aletia and Liselotte heard that, they became worried for his sake. It made Rio feel good. He was happy because his girls were worried about his well being despite they didn''t need to. After convincing them that he would be safe from Ehit''s plot, they changed into the lighter topic until they fell asleep due to exhaustion.


    Both Liselotte and Aletia snuggled closely into Rio when they asleep. While the two girls had been sound asleep, Rio was fully awake all the time. He was actually feeling restless. He realized that he''d been spoiled so much by Liselotte each night when he stayed at Heiligh Palace.


    In that place, since he and Liselotte became an official couple in secret, she would indulge Rio''s hotblooded d.e.s.i.r.e every night. It''d become a habit before Rio realized it. He felt something was missing when he couldn''t be able to do his nightly e.r.o.t.i.c activity with Liselotte.


    Unfortunately, Rio couldn''t ask Liselotte to indulge him when Aletia was always around them since they left the sealing chamber. Though Aletia was the oldest amongst them, Rio and Liselotte were subconsciously treating her as a little girl due to her childlike appearance and what happened after Denreed''s recording ended. It was hard to see her as an a.d.u.l.t after witnessing the scene of Aletia''s bawling out her sorrow and gratitude for her deceased uncle like a child who lost her parents.


    Rio opened his mouth and was about to respond but stopped at the last moment because he remembered Aletia. He immediately created Telepathy skill and connected with Liselotte to have a silent, telepathic conversation.


    [Yeah. I can''t sleep. And for your information, I''m replying using a new skill I created. Telepathy. Just think something you want me to hear and I will hear it.]


    Liselotte was dumbfounded when she heard Rio''s voice inside her head but quickly recovered her calm after listening to Rio''s explanation. [Like this?] She replied through their newfound telepathic connection.


    [Yep. Just like that. Anyway, can''t you sleep too?]


    [Yes. I feel something is missing.] Liselotte nodded faintly as she replied telepathically.


    [Same here. Having no s.e.x with you for a night is very frustration,] Rio stated bluntly.


    Liselotte had an exasperated expression when she heard that. She rolled her eyes while replying, [Tch. Aren''t you insatiable?]


    [Can''t be helped. S.e.x is good and relaxing. Don''t tell me you hate doing it with me.] Rio asked Liselotte with a half-playful and half-serious tone.


    [No. I don''t hate it. I wouldn''t enjoy it if I really dislike it. However, I think that you''re too much sometimes. I mean that you are always doing it until I get knocked out. I wonder if you even satisfied at that time?]


    When Liselotte heard that, she had a wry smile. Afterward, she said to him, [Well, we can''t do it because Aletia is here now. Though she has accepted to be yours and she is far older than her real appearance, her childlike appearance is still a bit much, don''t you think?]


    [I concur. But, I feel restless without doing it before sleeping...] Rio had an unwilling expression.


    [What a hopeless man, you are. Well, do you mind if I help you relieve yourself using my hand?] Rio became thoughtful after he heard that. He remembered about his perverse thought before they fought the cyclopes that had guarded the door into Aletia''s sealing chamber.


    [Would you mind if I ask you to use your mouth instead?] Liselotte was dumbfounded right after listening to Rio''s outrageous question. She watched Rio''s face and searched for something, which was found a few moments later.


    [You''re serious aren''t you?] Her disbelief and exasperation were written on her delicate face.


    [Yep. So, would you do it?] Rio questioned Liselotte in return for her own question. Liselotte delayed her answer as she frowned deeply while thinking about something serious. When Rio saw Liselotte''s expression, he couldn''t help but feel anxious. He wondered if he stepped out the line this time. Fortunately, she seemed not angry at him from her next response.


    [I knew that men sometimes have a strange and weird fantasy, but using my mouth, huh? Well, as much as I want to make you happy, I still need to prepare myself for it. So, sorry, Rio. Maybe next time. For the time being, you must accept my hand.]


    Rio nodded slightly in assent. Inwardly, he was relieved because Liselotte didn''t seem to be angry. Disturbed? maybe. Angry? Nope. After their soundless pillow talks, Liselotte slipped her soft hand into his legging and started giving him a handjob. Her movement was awkward at first, clearly due to her inexperience. They only did normal s.e.x in missionary or d.o.g.g.y style position. Mostly, it was in missionary style. It could be said that their experience in s.e.x wasn''t deep. At least, she became better as time passed.


    After a few minutes, Rio had his release from Liselotte''s hand. He felt relaxed a little. It wasn''t like the same sense of fulfillment and relaxation from having the real thing. But, it helped him a bit. Liselotte seemed to be turned on when she gave him a handjob, but she decided to sleep immediately after relieving him. Afterward, Rio followed Liselotte''s example. They joined Aletia who was deep asleep amidst their e.r.o.t.i.c escapade.


    They would be busy tomorrow due to their schedule to dive deeper into the labyrinth.

 Chapter 44 - Venturing Deeper

    After Rio and the others woke up, they freshened themselves with a makeshift bathroom Rio created. The bathroom was a small, new space he created by digging another channel into the wall. There was only a bathtub which was filled with warm water to soak.


    In the beginning, Rio didn''t have a habit for soaking in hot water like Japanese, but that had become his new habit after he socialized with the students. In Heiligh Palace, he would enjoy the dip in hot water together with some male students such as Hajime, Kouki, Ryutarou, Kousuke, and his two friends. Before he knew it, he had been influenced by those children''s culture.


    It wasn''t like a bad thing, and he found the experience from soaking in hot water was comfortable. However, it made him very spoiled and he wouldn''t take a bath unless the temperature of the water was up to his standard. Well, it wasn''t a problem with his transcendental elements affinity. He could create water using his magic and warm it fast.


    Regardless, the three of them finally finished preparing for their next venture inside the labyrinth. Rio had donned his tunic and leggings under his black robe while Liselotte wore her combat-maid''s uniform. For Aletia, Rio had created a simple one-piece gray dress for her.


    The dress was created by spinning a massive amount of insectoid monster''s string which was like silk he''d collected and stored into his pocket dimension into yarn before knitting it into a simple one-piece dress. He used Transmutation to do everything.


    Of course, the quality was bad. Even Liselotte complained about it for the silent Aletia''s sake. However, they must make due for the time being. After they arrived in the abode of Oscar Orcus, Rio promised them for better accommodations. Well, he''d leave all knitting and sewing for Liselotte, though. His knowledge and skill in that field were limited, unlike Liselotte who''d learned them from the best. Moreover, he thought it was a waste to enter the Root just for something like that.


    "Is everyone ready to go?" Rio asked his two companions who stood at each side of him. He turned at them alternately.


    "Yes. I''m ready." Liselotte replied shortly while fingering the handles of her sheathed rapiers. Rio nodded his approval at Liselotte before turning in Aletia''s direction.


    "...Yeah." Aletia responded curtly with a short nod.


    Rio the turned his view towards the hole that''d send them to the next floor. It looked like a gaping maw of a monster that connected to the unknown abyss. Regardless, no one in his group seemed worried about what waited for them on the next floor.


    "Very well. Let''s go!"


    Rio stepped into the sloppy staircase and ventured into the darkness and unknown. Meanwhile, Liselotte and Aletia followed after him closely.


    And so, their dungeoneering advanced.


    ¡ï¡ï¡ï| BREAK_LINE |¡ï¡ï¡ï


    "Daaaaah! Dammit! There are too many of these lizards! Annoying! Rio! Aletia! Help!"


    "Aren''t you a bit too relaxed!?" Liselotte retorted as she beheaded another monster that thought she was easy prey. After she executed all the monsters around them, she took a short break to catch her breath. She then turned at Rio who was daydreaming about something and became annoyed. "Rio! Could you stop daydreaming!"


    "Hm? Ah! Sorry, Liselotte. Oh, well, you have done a good job of cleaning these weaklings." Rio replied absentmindedly.


    Liselotte and Aletia realized that Rio seemed out of it after they arrived on this floor. They were currently standing amidst a clump of grass, with Aletia standing at his left on. Thick, tall grass, coming all the way up to Rio''s shoulders, stretched out in every direction as far as the eye could see. Aletia who was the shortest would be completely buried within the 160-centimeter tall grass.


    "You seem thinking about something seriously," Aletia finally commented Rio''s strange behavior since they arrived in this floor.


    Rio looked down at Aletia who was a head shorter than him and displayed a troubled expression. After a few seconds, he finally shook his head and got a grip on himself. He replied to them, "I think I''m forgetting about something important, but I can''t recall it correctly despite I''m trying to remember it."


    Liselotte and Aletia tilted their heads quizzically from Rio''s unclear words. Rio disregarded their curiosity and glanced at the head of the monster which looked like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. When they had first descended onto the floor they were currently on, they had been greeted by a massive sea of trees. Each tree was over ten meters tall, and they were packed together tighter than sardines. The entire floor was extremely humid as a result. However, unlike the jungle floor they had traversed earlier, it wasn''t sweltering hot. As they had been searching for the next staircase, they suddenly felt a huge earthquake. Seconds later, they had found themselves face to face with a huge reptilian monster.


    It was decided that Liselotte and Aletia would deal with any monster appearing before them. Liselotte needed these fights to be familiar with her sharp increase of status and a new skill she acquired every time she ate monster''s meats. For Aletia, though she had abundant battle experience from her past, she had been sealed for 300 years and her skill had become rusty in the result. Thus, Rio allowed them to hog all monsters to get better in a fight.


    Aletia could cast any elemental spell nearly instantly and supported Liselotte from the rear. Though she was unparalleled when it came to offensive magic, it appeared Aletia wasn''t very skilled with barriers or healing. Perhaps it was because she unconsciously regarded them as unnecessary since she was able to automatically heal any wounds. Furthermore, Liselotte had her Ambrosia with her, so she had no need for healing spells either. Still, it didn''t mean that Rio would allow his girls to get meaningless wounds.


    Although Rio had less battle experience than them, he had his cheats to fall back on. So, he gave up his chance for fighting monsters for Liselotte''s and Aletia''s sake. Of course, Rio was always on standby and would support both of them when they were in a pinch. However, it would end at an instant whenever Rio stepped in because his power was unreasonably out of the norm.


    The only difference was, for some reason, it had a beautiful flower adorning the top of its head. Its sharp fangs and overflowing bloodl.u.s.t clearly marked a dangerous foe, but the sunflower resting atop its head made it seem more comical than deadly. This was quite possibly the most surreal monster Liselotte and Aletia had faced thus far.


    However, the moment Rio saw these surreal monsters appearance, he felt that there was something important about them and became restless when he was unable to remember what he should remember in regards to these flowery reptilian monsters. It was the main reason why Rio was absentminded thus far.


    ''Shit! I can''t remember it!'' Rio grimaced suddenly, deepening the confusion and worry Liselotte and Aletia were feeling for him. However, he was into his own world, so he was ignoring them for the time being. ''Wait! Can I create something like a perfect memory recall or something?''


    Rio suddenly had an idea. He tried this idea and was pleasantly surprised when the skill he wanted was created.


    ''Now, let''s try to recall the memory of volume 1 of Arifureta. In canon, Hajime''s story in the Great Orcus Labyrinth was focused in volume 1.'' Rio triggered off his new skill and recalled the content of volume 1 with the perfect clarity. He could remember the content of the book a word by a word, a sentence by a sentence with 100% accuracy.


    Finally, he arrived in the part of the Tyrannosaurus Rex with a flower on its head. Rio''s eyes immediately turned wide when he finally discovered the reason behind his restlessness.


    "Liselotte! Get close to me! Quick!" Rio shouted in urgency, making Liselotte and Aletia speechless by the suddenness of it. Still, Liselotte recovered quickly and approached Rio in a hurry. Meanwhile, Aletia stared at Rio''s urgent expression in puzzlement.


    Rio ignored Aletia''s stare and created a strong barrier around them after Liselotte arrived at his right. The three of them were inside of semitransparent platinum shell in a dome shape. In fact, the barrier was circular in shape and it went down into the ground.


    "Hell Scape!"


    Right after that, Liselotte''s and Aletia''s pupils shrunk into dots as they were badly shaken by the unreasonableness of Rio''s outrageous existence they were witnessing.

 Chapter 45 - The Guardian of the Last Floor (First)

    Orange, red, and crimson color flooded their entire view. Hell Scape. It was truly a fitting name for what they were witnessing. Liselotte and Aletia were struck dumb as they witnessed the scorching, blazing flame incinerated everything outside of the barrier. And thanks to Rio''s barrier, they didn''t feel the hellish temperature of the outside of the barrier.


    "Even though I''ve heard it, but witnessing it with my own eyes feels really different."


    "...Agreed."


    Liselotte and Aletia commented in awe, but Rio ignored their comment. He kept feeding his inexhaustible mana to keep the hot flame outside of his barrier. He continued for a while. Finally, he lowered his hand slowly. The blazing flame outside of the barrier soon died out due to the lack of fuel that kept it ablaze.


    Finally, the three could see the state of the entire floor. The thick jungles had disappeared. Everything was incinerated into gas. Even the floor had become a molten magma. Only the small space protected by Rio''s barrier was safe.


    "Why you did that?" Aletia finally questioned Rio''s motive.


    Rio delayed his response for a second, but his mind worked fast in that mere second. His actual reason was that he remembered what happened to Hajime and Aletia in the canon timeline. In this floor, there was a humanoid plant monster that could control other monsters by sticking a part of its body on the other monster''s head. Indeed, it was the sunflower-like plant that grew out of the Tyrannosaurus Rex''s head.


    In the canon timeline, Aletia, or Yue in that case, was controlled by this Alaurne-like monster and was forced to attack Hajime. Of course, Hajime who was still in his lowest shot Aletia without the second thought, turning such a beautiful girl bald. Although there wasn''t any further complication, it still left the scar. He didn''t fear of being controlled because of his Anti-Possession skill. However, the girls were different. They didn''t have the same protection as him. Rio didn''t want his girls to be controlled by a mere cannon fodder monster.


    Although he could deal with that problem quickly and easily, it would still leave a bad taste in everyone''s mouth. And so, Rio was basically nipping the bud of the trouble before it came to them.


    Of course, Rio wouldn''t tell them the real reason behind his sudden outrageous action. He didn''t know why he kept the secret about this world being a mere fictional story in his original world close to his heart. He would ponder about it later, but for the time being, he must say something to appease his girls'' curiosity.


    "Well, I have been feeling very restless since I entered this floor. My restlessness became stronger when I saw those lizards with flowers on top of their heads. I then remembered that there is a type of monster, a plant monster, a kind of Alraune, that can control others by planting a part of its body on other''s head. From here, you can guess the rest, right?"


    Liselotte and Aletia became thoughtful for a brief moment. They soon realized what Rio meant. They stared at him warmly and lovingly before holding his hands, one for each girl, tightly.


    "Thank you for worrying about us, Rio."


    "...Agreed."


    Liselotte and Aletia spoke with a heartfelt tone and warm gaze. When Rio saw their gazes and sensed their sincerity, Rio felt an unknown feeling in his c.h.e.s.t. It was a new and unfamiliar feeling, but it wasn''t a bad thing. In fact, he felt warmth he couldn''t describe in words for fearing it would cheapen this precious feeling.


    "Of course I am always worried about you two. After all, you two are my girls. My precious girls." Rio commented bashfully as he averted his eyes from them. It was the first time in his life he felt the weird bashful feeling when facing the opposite s.e.x of his.


    Since the whole floor had been turned into a hellish landscape by Rio, he decided to bring them to the stair to the next floor direction, suing spatial teleportation magic. He flooded the entire floor with his mana, not as much as before, only enough for him to sense the whole floor like utilizing the divine sense in some Chinese Immortal Hero Novels he''d read in his previous life. After discovering the stairs, he teleported them all into the next floor.


    And so, their venture continued on.


    ¡ï¡ï¡ï| BREAK_LINE|¡ï¡ï¡ï


    The next floor would mark the hundredth from the one Rio and Liselotte had started in and the fiftieth floor after Aletia''s sealing chamber.


    Before they delved into it, they decided to make sure everyone was ready. Liselotte and Aletia were confused when Rio suddenly stated they would have a good night rest before entering the next floor. When they inquired about his reason, he explained that the next floor was the last floor of the depth of Great Orcus Labyrinth. He also told them about his ''assumption'' on the last guardian monster which was probably more stronger than any monsters they had faced on the upper floors.


    They agreed with his judgment and stayed the night on the ninety-ninth floor in a hidden cave Rio created as usual. That night, Liselotte also helped Rio to have a good night sleep. Since Aletia joined them, they hadn''t done the real things and could only relieve each other with the other''s hand. In the meantime, Rio hadn''t received his first blowjob from Liselotte yet. But, he understood why they couldn''t do it openly in Aletia''s presence.


    Speaking of Aletia, she''d been showing them that relaxed expression quite often recently. She''d clearly gotten used to being around them and being a part of them. Especially when they were resting in their temporary bases, she always stuck to Rio like glue. When they were sleeping she clung to his arm as they slept, and when they were sitting she always sat on his l.a.p and rubbed her soft rear on his groin. And when she was s.u.c.k.i.n.g his blood she''d just hug him from the front. Even when she finished she''d cling to him for a long time after. She particularly enjoyed burying her face in his c.h.e.s.t and rubbing against him.


    But see, the problem was, Rio was still a guy. Fortunately, Aletia''s childish appearance made her look more cute than s.e.xy, but the fact remained that she was actually quite old. He normally couldn''t tell due to the way she acted, but the few times her age shone through she looked so alluring that he had a hard time holding himself back. He was able to control himself only because he had Liselotte with him and he always reminded that he wouldn''t touch Loli despite being legal. He had his own bottom line that he wanted to preserve at all cost. Sinking his claws into Loli despite being a legal one was one of his many self-imposed rules.


    All that aside, back to their current situation. Liselotte and Aletia had become stronger than ever. Liselotte acquired many skills and status value from ingesting new monster meats. However, as she grew stronger, the effect of consuming monster''s meat slowly diminished until it gave an insignificant boost for her status. For Aletia, she had polished and refined her fighting style that had become rusted from her long sealing. It could be said that they were very formidable.


    However, the truly scary thing about this labyrinth was that even with their strength, it might still throw something at them that could kill them without breaking a sweat. Which was why Rio prepared them as he could before descending. Of course, if it was Rio, he could decimate this whole Labyrinth and its monstrous denizen in contemptuous ease. However, he wanted his girls to be formidable too.


    With their preparations finally complete, they descended the stairs to the floor below.

 Chapter 46 - The Guardian of the Last Floor (Final)

    The bottom of the staircase opened up into a massive open room, empty save for the pillars that dotted the area. Each pillar had a spiral pattern engraved into its stone face. It gave off the impression that each pillar was a massive tree with vines entwined around its trunk. The pillars were all spaced evenly apart from each other, and extended all the way to the ceiling thirty meters above. The ground was unnaturally smooth, as if it had been paved. All in all, it was a very majestic room.


    They took a step forward as they marveled at the room''s design. The moment they stepped inside, the pillars in front of them began glowing faintly. The two of them instantly returned to their senses and warily observed their surroundings. Starting from the pillars nearest to them, each set began glowing one after the other.


    Rio knew what would happen next, so he informed his girls to stay on their guard. They then carefully continued forward. Everyone was on alert for any sign of enemies.


    After about two hundred meters of walking, they found themselves staring at the opposite wall. Set within it was a massive set of doors. The ten-meter-tall pair of double doors also had something engraved into them. There was a heptagon carved into each, with a peculiar pattern adorning each vertex of the shape.


    "Well, that''s quite the impressive entrance. Do you think this is..." Liselotte trailed.


    "...Where the liberators live?" Aletia responded.


    It really looked like the kind of room that''d have the last boss in it. Though none of Liselotte''s perception skills were picking up on anything, her instincts were screaming at him nonetheless. "It''s dangerous to go any further," they told her. Aletia felt it as well, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.


    "Well, if it is, that''s just perfect. That means we''ve finally made it to our goal." Liselotte pushed down her instincts and put on her confident smile as she threw a meaningful gaze at Rio who allowed the girls to have their moment. No matter what was ahead, they had no choice but to move forward.


    "...Yeah!" Aletia nodded her assent as she followed Liselotte''s example before she and Liselotte glared resolutely at the double doors.


    "Good spirit, girls. But, don''t be overconfident." Rio reminded them easily.


    Afterward, they stepped forward simultaneously, walking past the last pair of pillars. The moment they cleared them... a massive, thirty-meter large magic circle appeared in the air between them and the door. It pulsed malignantly as it shot out a gout of dark red light.


    This kind of magic circle was very familiar to Rio. He could never forget the magic circle that was responsible for sending him and the students on the bridge. However, this one was three times the size of the one that had summoned the behemoth, and the inscriptions on it were far more complex and precise.


    "Well, that size is no joke. We''re seriously up against this place''s strongest monster, aren''t we?" Liselotte commented in worry as she watched the magic circle.


    "Don''t worry... we won''t lose." Rio tried to calm Liselotte with an optimistic smile. Meanwhile, Aletia nodded her agreement and displayed resolute expression.


    However, Rio''s smile understandably faltered a little, Liselotte''s tight expression turned into a deep grimace, Aletia''s determined expression remained unshaken but she tightly squeezed Rio''s arm when they the magic circle let out one last incandescent burst of light and displayed their foe. What stood before them was a monster thirty meters in length. It had six heads attached to very long necks, each of which had a different-colored pattern engraved into its head and a pair of dark red eyes. It resembled the Hydra from Earth''s myth.


    Although Rio had the utmost confidence to win in a fight against the hydra, the size and its monstrous appearance still caught him off guard.


    "Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" It let out a peculiar howl and focused all six pairs of eyes on Rio, Liselotte, and Aletia. Determined to pass judgment on the foolish intruders, the Hydra unleashed a wave of bloodl.u.s.t so powerful it would have stopped a normal person''s heart on the spot.


    Rio immediately created a barrier to defend them. Simultaneously, he gave his order for his girls. "Liselotte! Aletia! Cut off the white patterned head first. I have a strong hunch that it has the ability to heal the other head. Afterward, go all out to the other head. I will support you all from behind!"


    "Understood!"


    "...En!"


    Liselotte and Aletia followed his order without any hesitation or delay. They attacked the white patterned head first. In the meantime, Rio would cast a barrier to protect them from being blindsided by the other heads. Rio''s action made the Hydra realize that it must kill Rio first before it could connect its attack on Liselotte and Aletia. However, it gave the girls more chance to attack the white patterned head because all heads, barring the white patterned one, were focusing on Rio.


    They weren''t worried about him because they had the utmost faith in him. Their belief in him was repaid with Rio''s ability to take the aggro of the other heads of the Hydra until they successfully cut off the white-patterned head. After that head was cut off, the hydra turned berserk. It attacked everything indiscriminately and there were many close calls. However, Rio supported the girls by protecting them from the most deadly attack they couldn''t evade in time.


    Before long, the last head was cut off. The Hydra was defeated.


    Liselotte and Aletia checked for another threat. When they were sure that there wouldn''t be any surprise, they immediately plopped down on their spot, releasing all their acc.u.mulated tension.


    "Ahahahaha! We won! We finally conquer this crazy labyrinth!"


    "...Yeah. Good job, Liselotte!"


    "Of course, who do you think I''m?"


    Liselotte and Aletia congratulated each other in a very good mood. Meanwhile, Rio approached them calmly. He was very pleased that the fight came out better than what happened in the canon timeline. Well, it was an obvious outcome because there was him who kept his girls safe while in the canon timeline, there were only Hajime and his Yue.


    "Good job, girls. Take a short break." Rio congratulated them and gave them time to rest. He then continued on while pointing up towards the door that separated this vast chamber from Oscar Orcus'' place. "After that, we will enter Orcus'' secret abode on the other side of that door."


    Liselotte and Aletia unconsciously turned in the direction where Rio pointed at. They had dazed expressions as they watched the Liberator''s Lair as they wondered what was on the other side of that door. They wanted to check out that place soon, but they were very exhausted to the point that their muscles screamed in protest when they tried to move them.


    When Rio saw that, he had a wry smile. Because there were two girls, he couldn''t carry them into the room by himself. If he carried one, the other would be left behind and felt discontent. If he used Telekinetic power to carry them, they would become discontent when they were treated like that. In the end, Rio thought that it was better to let them take a break to recover their energy. It wasn''t the perfect choice, but Rio believed it was the better choice.


    Several dozens of minutes later, Liselotte and Aletia had recovered enough to move. They followed after Rio as he walked up towards the door. They passed through the door and entered a small tunnel. Before long, they arrived in a very comfortable living space without any sight of a monster within.


    They stood on their spots and gazed dazedly at the scenery before them.

 Chapter 47 - Oscar Orcus

    Rio, Liselotte, and Aletia were staring at the scene before them dazedly. The sun was shining brightly.


    Of course, they were still underground, so it couldn''t possibly have been the real sun. There was a giant conical structure hanging high above the ceiling, with a dazzlingly bright orb hugging the cone''s bottom side. The reason their minds had instantly thought of sunlight was not only due to the light and warmth, but also because it had none of the artificial quality present in lamps or fluorescent lighting. The light felt like real sunlight and was very different from the fake sunlight in some of the floors they had visited.


    The room they were in was about the size of a baseball stadium, with the wall in the far back completely covered by a waterfall. Water poured out of a small opening in the ceiling and fell into a river below that flowed further in, passing through a cavern on the far wall. The rush of falling water created a refreshing breeze that blew pleasantly across their faces. Upon closer inspection, Hajime discovered that there were fish living in the river too. It was possible the fish had followed the river''s current and traveled there from the surface.


    A short distance from the river was a miniature farm. There didn''t seem to be anything growing there at the moment. Next to the fields stood a cozy-looking barn. Though it seemed empty, it was clear with the supply of water, fish, meat, and vegetables present that one could cook anything they were so inclined to. The entire room was covered in greenery and there were trees scattered about the area.


    It was a surreal sight for them because they''d been accustomed to the bleak and despair-inducing atmosphere of the depth of the labyrinth. It was like an entirely different world. An oasis amidst the dry and hot desert, so to speak.


    Finally, their gazes stopped at a building. The rock that the house was carved out of appeared to be some kind of white limestone. It gave off a very clean look.


    Liselotte and Aletia turned at Rio, asking his opinion about their next action silently. He was the strongest and the leader of their group after all.


    "Let''s enter the house. I don''t feel any danger from it."


    "Understood."


    "...Yeah."


    Liselotte and Aletia replied readily and waited for Rio to lead in the front. Rio smiled wryly when he saw the girls'' behavior, but he immediately went to the house. It was three stories tall and well ventilated throughout. They entered the house and found another one of those light spheres was hanging from the entrance''s ceiling. The light was a bit too dazzling for everyone, who''d spent a great deal of time surrounded by darkness.


    They decided to start by exploring the first floor.


    There was a thick rug laid out next to a fireplace, a living room furnished with sofas, a kitchen, and even a bathroom. Interestingly enough, the place appeared brand new. Though they found no presence of other people, it seemed obviously lived in. The appliances and furniture hadn''t seen use in quite some time, but it was clear their owner took good care of them. Rather than an inhabited dwelling, it felt more like a house someone simply managed. Rio calmly advanced since he knew that there was no danger while Loselotte and Aletia warily followed after Rio deeper into the house.


    After a while, they found themselves standing outside again. There was an oval-shaped door that led to a backyard of sorts that contained a lion statue. The lion''s mouth was open mid-roar. Next to the statue was a magic circle. Although Rio already knew what the lion status actual use was, he still experimentally poured some mana into it, and hot water jettisoned out of the lion''s gaping maw. Rio nodded at that. Apparently, lion fountains were a staple of high-class places no matter which world one was in.


    "This is basically a bath, isn''t it? Perfect, it''s been a while since I last took the proper one." Liselotte smiled happily. Until that point, she had never had the luxury to have a proper bath. She used the magic circle to pour out some more water and lightly wiped her face down as a temporary measure.


    Meanwhile, Rio watched the pool with a pensive look. Just like Liselotte, he had never had a proper bath since he dived into Great Orcus Labyrinth. Although he created a makeshift bath in their short term bases as they dived further in the labyrinth, that wasn''t enough to satisfy him. He had been influenced by the students'' Japanese culture, and like all them, he came to love baths. He was going to take a nice long soak and cleanse himself properly.


    Standing at Rio''s side, Aletia was watching his thoughtful expression and seemed to catch his thought. She chimed in with her opinion on the matter.


    Rio turned at Aletia and pondered his answer carefully. He could imagine his awkwardness if he took a soak together with Aletia. Though she was legal, her body wasn''t unfortunately. Furthermore, he didn''t want to get assaulted by a horny vampire when he wanted to enjoy his long bath.


    "...I''d prefer to relax alone for a bit..." Rio replied calmly, rejecting Aletia''s dangerous offer.


    "Muu..." Aletia was playfully kicking around the water. She pouted unhappily at his rejection.


    Their examination of the lion statue complete, the pair made their way up to the second floor. There they discovered a library and a workshop of some kind. But the bookshelves and the door inside the workshop were all locked. Well, Rio could open them forcefully, but he didn''t want to break something when he knew that he could open it later. so they weren''t able to do a thorough examination of the rooms. After that, they climbed the stairs to the third floor and saw a single room set in the back.


    There was nothing else on the floor. As Rio pushed open the door, he saw an eight-meter-long magic circle inlaid on the floor that had some of the most complex and subtle inscriptions he had ever seen. The circle''s design and layout were so detailed that it wouldn''t have been an exaggeration to call the whole thing a work of art. But what caught his eye most was the person sitting in an ostentatious chair right next to the circle.


    Said person was clearly dead. The corpse had already decayed until nothing but bones remained, and it was clothed in a grand robe of black and gold. There was not the slightest hint of dust or grime anywhere on the robe. The impeccable cleanliness of the corpse made it seem more akin to a haunted house prop than something actually scary.


    It was splayed out on the chair in a relaxed pose, with the skull''s empty sockets staring down at its own figure. Almost as if the person it had once been had simply sat down there and died that way. The skeleton and magic circle were the only objects in the room.


    Rio knew whose skeleton it was...


    "Oscar Orcus..." He muttered the name of the skeleton''s owner. Looking at the remains of the Synergist of the Liberators, Rio felt sad somehow. He could feel Oscar''s loneliness as he died alone in this place.


    He changed his mind the next moment. If Miledy wasn''t as annoying as her novel counterpart, he wouldn''t mind to treat her with respect. However, if she was still the same annoying Miledy from the canon, Rio wouldn''t mind to guide her soul to pass the river of Styx to meet up with her long-departed comrades as soon as possible.


    "So, what''s this magic circle about?"


    Liselotte''s curious voice returned Rio''s attention to the present. He shifted his gaze from Oscar''s skeleton to her. Simultaneously, Aletia also projected her curiosity only with her gaze. For someone who rarely displayed her expression on her face, she had very expressive eyes.


    "Only one way to find out," Rio replied curtly. He knew what would happen if he stepped into the magic circle. He was curious whether he would receive Oscar''s Creation Magic, and if did, would it be different from the Creation Magic he created from Skill Creation? This mystery piqued Rio''s interest. Hence, he volunteered readily.


    "Are you going to check it out directly? Won''t it be dangerous?" Liselotte asked him fretfully, but Rio waved her worry easily.


    "Nothing will happen to me. Don''t worry."


    "Okay... be careful."


    Rio calmly took a step forward. He didn''t forget to deactivate his Imagine Breaker before stepping into the circle. When he reached the center of the circle, the entire room was filled with bright yellow light.


    Rio closed his eyes, unable to handle the intensity. A second later, it felt as if something invaded his head, and he began seeing flashbacks of his time in the abyss, starting from when he fell all the way up until he assisted the girl in fighting the Hydra.


    The magic circle still glowed faintly, filling the room with a mystical light.


    Rio silently gazed at the figure, waiting for something to happen. Finally, the apparition began to speak.


    "I congratulate you on overcoming my trial. My name is Oscar Orcus. I am the man who created this labyrinth. I suppose to the world I''m known as a maverick."

 Chapter 48 - The Liberators

    Right after Oscar''s projection introduced himself, Liselotte and Aletia reacted as if they were half-surprised and half-expressed it. On the other hand, Rio stared at the projection in amazement mixed with pity. Amazement because he could see one of the Legendary yet Crazy figures in Arifureta Universe. Pity because he remembered the pain Liberators experienced due to Ehit''s cruelty.


    "By the way, please spare me the questions. This is nothing more than a recording I left behind, so I, unfortunately, cannot answer any queries you may have. I wanted to tell those who made it this far why it was that we, who learned the truth of the world, chose to fight against the gods... so I decided to leave a message. And this was the simplest form to convey that message in. I want you to know... that though we were mavericks, we were not truly rebels."


    The story he wove for them was completely different from the history Rio had learned from the Holy Church''s records, or the doctrine of Holy Church Liselotte heard since she was young, or the stories Yue had been told about the mavericks. The revelations Oscar had for them shocked Liselotte and Aletia to the core. Meanwhile, Rio had expected it, but it was different from reading from the novels. Oscar''s expression when he retold the story gave the sense of realism that Rio didn''t feel from reading the novel. It reminded Rio to the fact that he was living in this world for real now.


    Oscar''s tale was one of the mad gods and their descendants who fought against them.


    A short time after the Age of the Gods, the world was engulfed in strife. Humans, demons, and even beastmen all fought against each other in a never-ending war. Their reasons were as numerous as their battles. Land, resources, personal values, greed, but most important among them was theology.


    In that age, the races and countries were split up into numerous factions, each of which had their own god. And it was each tribe''s god that incited its people to fight against those who worshiped others.


    After some time, a group appeared that sought to put an end to this centuries-long war. They called themselves the Liberators.


    There was only one thing they all had in common. Each member was a direct descendant of one of the gods. Their leader was someone who had, by coincidence, happened to learn of the gods'' true intentions. It appeared that the gods were using the various races like pawns, playing a grand game of chess with the world as their board. The leader of the Liberators couldn''t stand their sickening disregard for life and began looking for comrades who felt the same way he did.


    However, their plans were foiled before the battle could even begin. The gods manipulated the sentient races and made them believe the Liberators were trying to destroy the world. They were marked as enemies of the gods, and every human, demon, and beastman considered them their mortal foe.


    After a great many conspiracies, events, and dramatic encounters, the Liberators found themselves on the run. They couldn''t bring themselves to fight the people they had sworn to protect, but those very people believed they were ungrateful heretics trying to bring about the end of the world. Their true name was forgotten, and they were known simply as mavericks in the annals of history.


    The Liberators were killed off one by one until only the strongest seven remained. With the entire world against them, they realized they wouldn''t be able to defeat the gods. So they scattered to the ends of the earth and built huge labyrinths to hide themselves in. They created a series of trials, praying that someone who could clear them might one day appear, so they could bequeath their powers onto them in hopes that these new warriors would carry out their dreams.


    After he finished his long speech, Oscar smiled peacefully.


    "I have no idea who you are, or why you chose to fight your way down here. Nor do I have any intention of forcing my own dreams of the gods'' demise onto you. I simply wanted you to know what it was we fought and died, for... As a reward for hearing me out, I shall grant you my strength. How you use it is entirely up to you. I can only pray you won''t use it for evil. That''s all I have to say. Thank you for listening to the end. May the ''blessings'' of the gods never reach you." Oscar''s apparition vanished once he finished talking. At the same time, Rio felt something strange enter his mind. The sensation was quite painful at first, but because he knew what was happening, he quietly let it enter inside him and numbed the pain using his skill.


    The process finally completed, and the magic circle grew dim once more. Rio let out a long breath he hadn''t realized he''d been holding in the whole time. He immediately checked the difference between the Creation Magic he created with Skill Creation and the one from Oscar. He discovered that they were similar.


    Well, it couldn''t be helped because he wanted the same magic when he created it. His Creation Magic wasn''t different from the one Oscar had. It made him think whether going into other Labyrinth would be beneficial for him and his girls or not. And after short contemplation, he decided to visit the other Labyrinth to get the special items or just to destroy the circle.


    Rio knew that his plan was very low, but he didn''t want someone troublesome obtained this Age of Gods magicks like Ferid, the demon who obtained Metamorphosis Magic and Spatial Magic.


    "Rio... are you ok?"


    "What are you going to do?" Aletia was referring, of course, to Oscar''s tale, after Rio focused on her again.


    "Hm? Nothing really. It wasn''t that good-for-nothing Ehit that summoned me here in the first place. I can do whatever I want with my life. That''s all... Did his story bother you, Aletia?"


    Although Rio knew about this world''s darkness since the beginning, he was too lazy to bother himself with problems unrelated to him. He would only do something if it could give him benefit. Although Ehit was desiring his body, the fake god hadn''t stepped onto his bottom line yet, but it didn''t mean he would ignore Ehit entirely. If you ask Rio of his honest opinion about Ehit''s problems, he thought Ehit as a pebble on the road. He could continue his stroll, ignoring the fake god entirely like how he passed over the pebble on the road without a care in the world. If that said pebble bothered him, he just kicked it away from disturbing him.


    If Ehit who has superiority and megalomaniac complex heard Rio''s honest opinion about them, they probably lost all sense of reason in rage.


    That being said, Liselotte and Aletia was someone of this world. Which was why, if she said she wanted to do something about it, Rio might have reconsidered. After all, Rio had accepted them as his girls and he would treat them as his precious girls. That meant he wouldn''t mind to spoil them.


    Surprisingly, Aletia sunk deep in thought after hearing Rio''s inquiry. This was the difference between Rio''s Aletia and Hajime''s Yue in the canon timeline. In this timeline, this vampire watched Denreed''s recording soon after she was freed from her seal. She discovered her pain and her father figure''s agony were Ehit''s fault. It was different from her counterpart in the canon timeline who would shake her head without hesitation right after hearing that question.


    When Rio saw his girls'' troubled appearances, he made up his mind and said to them, "Let''s think it through carefully later. For now, it''s better if you step into the magic circle to obtain Oscar''s inheritance. It was the Age of Gods magic."


    The abrupt change in the topic disoriented the girls, but it gave them a recess for the time being.


    "What kind of magic is it?" Liselotte inquired curiously.


    "I congratulate you on overcoming my trial. My name is Oscar..."


    Oscar''s disembodied voice rang out for a second time. Having it happen a second time kind of ruined the moment. Oscar repeated the same words he had earlier, so Rio, Liselotte, and Aletia ignored him.

 Chapter 49 - Bestowing Magicks and Skills

    "How did it go? Did you learn it?" Rio''s curious voice woke up Liselotte and Aletia from their dazed states.


    "Yeah, I did. But artifacts don''t make much sense to me."


    "...I don''t have transmutation skill. This magic is useless to me."


    Liselotte and Aletia responded with a wry smile and a dry look respectively. When Rio saw that, he was expecting it, but he couldn''t stop himself from smiling wryly. However, he sunk deep in thought the next moment, piquing Liselotte''s and Aletia''s curiosity and worry.


    ''This magic is unsuitable for them because they don''t have Transmutation. But, what if they have that skill?'' Rio thought. He had the idea to give them some skills he had so they could expand their versatility. It was unfortunate that he couldn''t grant them Perpetual Mana Generator and Skill Creation, but the other skills were a fair game.


    ''But, doing it really making the trial in other labyrinths useless, huh? Who cares, by the way! I''ll still visit some Labyrinth because of the other gift they can offer, like that Compass of D.e.s.i.r.e, though I can create a skill with the similar effect that nullifies its use. Haaah, I''m too amazing that nothing in this world cannot be recreated by my cheat.'' Rio formed a wry smile abruptly, disturbing Liselotte and Aletia who watched Rio''s expression as he was deep in thought.


    ''Besides, venturing into labyrinths and conquering the so-called unconquered challenge is fun in and of itself.'' Rio made up his mind and recovered from his thoughts. He then stared at Liselotte and Aletia intensely.


    "What''s it?" Liselotte asked Rio with a wary tone when she was subjected by Rio''s intense stare. Aletia said nothing, but her wary eyes displayed the same sentiment to Liselotte''s.


    "Do you remember my Skill Creation?" Rio questioned the duo suddenly.


    They stared at Rio silently and tilted their head in confusion. When he saw them like that, he resisted his urge to hug them because of how cute they look. Dismissing the useless thoughts in his mind Rio began explaining his intention to them.


    Of course, what Rio spoke wasn''t the truth. There was no way he would tell them that he acquired the information about the Age of the Gods from a novel based on Hajime''s adventure in this world, in which Aletia was one of the easy heroines in Hajime''s harem while Liselotte was an unimportant background character that probably didn''t exist.


    When they heard his statement, something finally clicked in their minds. Their eyes turned wide open at once and their jaw hung open in disbelief.


    "Wait! Does it mean you already have the Age of the Gods magicks since the beginning?" Liselotte asked Rio.


    "Yep. I create it when I read their records in Holy Church''s archive. After acquiring Creation Magic from that magic circle, I discovered the Age of the Gods magicks my Skill Creation created are similar to it. I became 100% sure that the rest is also the same."


    "...Seven Labyrinths for Seven Liberators, meaning seven magicks from the Age of Gods¡­" Liselotte mumbled in a daze and wonder.


    "...You''re outrageously broken..." Aletia finished in Liselotte''s place, similarly in a daze and wonder.


    Rio nodded while grinning widely. He then said to them, "So, I have an idea to give you all these seven magicks from the Age of the Gods when I experienced the magic knowledge and skill transferral of that magic circle. Furthermore, there are other skills I wanted you two to have. Do you girls want it?"


    Liselotte and Aletia had their jaws hung open once again. But, they recovered quickly and exchanged a silent glance. It seemed weird when Rio once discovered the girls somehow had created the means to converse silently with their eyes. However, after thinking about it a little bit, he should have expected their synergy at least this good. After all, they had been fighting side by side since Aletia joined them. Their coordination was almost impeccable because it was refined in the deathtrap called the true Great Orcus Labyrinth.


    They finished their silent exchange and turned at Rio. Their red eyes glinted with scary eyes. Though they hadn''t verbally accepted his offer yet, Rio already guessed their answer. At the same time, he couldn''t stop himself from forming a wry smile. He had probably opened the Pandora Box that should have been left alone.


    Of course, Rio dared to do this because he had his full trust in Liselotte and Aletia. If it was other girls, even though they were peerless beauties, who Rio didn''t truly believe and trust in, he wouldn''t dare to do this.


    Afterward, Rio used Spirit Magic and Evolution Magic to impart the knowledge of the other magicks from the Age of the Gods into their minds. He did it slowly because the information was enormous. The quick transferral of Creation Magic alone was enough to burden their minds, and Rio transferred the other six afterward. It was only normal that the process would leave them exhausted.


    Moreover, Rio didn''t only give them the magicks from the Age of the Gods he had created. He also gave them Transmutation skills and its derivative skills, the Mastery Skills over Weaponry, Martial Art, and Armory, and others.


    As an aside, in regards to the Martial Art, it was actually a free martial art from many martial arts fused together to create a pinnacle Martial Art. It was a bit similar from Greek''s Pankration albeit some dishonorable moves like poking the eyes or attacking the crotch are included.


    As it was stated beforehand, this Martial Art was truly free and brutal with only a single purpose as its essence. To disarm or/and kill the user''s opponent.


    He also gave Liselotte the Auto-Regeneration skill and its derivation skill, Pain Nullification. The rests were some perception skills and other skills that would help them in a pinch. Also, he didn''t forget to give them Anti-Possession. This one skill was very important for Aletia because she was also targeted by Ehit.


    After the transferral process, it was only natural that the girls were knocked out cold. At least, they were already in a safe place. Rio then carried them to one of many bedrooms in the building after taking off the keyring from Oscar''s skeleton. He didn''t forget to give the departed soul of Oscar a promise that he would give his skeleton proper burial later.


    After tucking Liselotte and Aletia in the same bed in one of the rooms, Rio buried Oscar''s skeleton near the edge of the field and even gave him a modest gravestone.


    Once the burial was finished, Rio returned to the two places that had been locked before. Rio had relieved Oscar''s skeleton of the ring it''d been wearing on its skeletal finger. It wasn''t grave-robbing since the skeleton hadn''t been buried yet. The ring had a symbol of a circle with a cross splitting it into even sections engraved on it, which matched the engravings on the locks perfectly.


    According to the blueprints, though Rio already knew about this small detail, the magic circle on the third floor connected to another circle that would teleport them back to the surface. That function could only be activated with Orcus'' ring.


    He also found other trivial information such as the cleaning that was handled automatically at set intervals by golems that normally rested in one of the workshop rooms, and that the globe hanging from the ceiling possessed the same properties as the sun, so Rio and his girls could grow crops if they wished.


    There were a number of artifacts and rare materials Oscar had been working with in the locked room of his workshop, according to the memos. Rio decided to take those too unabashedly. Somehow, Rio had become a collector before he realized it.


    Afterward, Rio discovered Oscar''s diary. It chronicled the normal everyday life of Oscar and his six powerful companions. The Liberators. One of the passages in it talked about the labyrinths his six comrades had made.


    According to his diary, his six comrades had also designed their labyrinths so that anyone who made it all the way to its furthest depths would be granted magic from the Age of the Gods. Unfortunately, it didn''t go into the specifics of what kind of magic each had.


    Well, that little detail was useless for Rio and his girls, but Rio was enjoying the everyday life of the Liberators. It was similar yet different from reading Arifureta Zero. There were some contents that weren''t written in the Zero Volumes.


    Afterward, he searched around the library for a while longer. Once he finished rummaging through the library, he headed over to the workshop. There were a number of locked doors in the workshop, all of which Rio opened with Orcus'' ring. Crammed inside were all manner of ore, tools with unknown purposes, and work manuals. The entire treasure trove was a Synergist''s dream come true.

 Chapter 50 - In the HOT Spring

    Soon enough evening fell, and the bright sunlight turned to pale moonlight. Rio was currently soaking in the bath, letting his entire body relax for real since he dived into the true Great Orcus Labyrinth. He''d been on edge ever since he''d fallen into the abyss. The bath cleansed him in both body and soul.


    "Haaaah, this feels great!" This kind of carefree tone was a first for Rio since he was resurrected. As he let the energy drain from his body, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps heading his way. He was curious about who it was. If it was Liselotte, he would pour all his s.e.x.u.a.l frustration into her since Aletia joined them. After all, the vampire was unwittingly c.o.c.kblocking the duo since she joined them.


    "Geez¡­ I told you I wanted to take my bath alone!" Rio couldn''t help but protest when he found it was Aletia. Then, there was a loud splash.


    "Hmm... This really does feel nice..." And then, Aletia was sitting next to him. She scooted over next to Rio, completely n.a.k.e.d. Her beautiful porcelain colored skin glowed enchantingly in the moonlight. That was the first time Rio had seen her do up her hair. The exposed nape of her neck only served to increase her charm.


    It seems that she had woken up first before Liselotte. Rio felt aggrieved when he discovered it was Aletia instead of Liselotte. He had so much pent up frustration, but he wouldn''t touch Aletia with her childlike body. And yet, he was feeling hot when he realized that he was alone in the bath with a girl.


    "...Aletia, I remember telling you that I want to bathe alone, so why are you here?" Rio knew the flush rising up his body had nothing to do with the heat of the water. He scolded Rio more angrily than usual, trying to hide his excitement. He was actually tempted by her, but he was drawing a line in this matter.


    Aletia could easily tell what was going through Rio''s mind at the moment, so she gave him her most seductive sidelong glance yet as she replied.


    "...But I refuse."


    "...¡­*Sigh*"


    Rio heaved a loud, miserable sigh and kept his gaze upwards. He didn''t want to lose the last restraint he had. But, he didn''t want to leave the bath since he hadn''t been satisfied yet. What a dilemma¡­


    "...Rio." Abruptly, Aletia grabbed his cheeks and forcefully turned him around, facing her. At this moment, Rio unintentionally saw Aletia''s glorious n.a.k.e.d figure.


    "At least cover your front. I know this house has a lot of towels."


    "I want you to look."


    Rio was at a loss for words. Her unexpected reply left him even more fl.u.s.tered than before. His lower half was raring and ready to go as it peeked out with a "You rang, master?"


    "...See? Rio, don''t you want to look?" Aletia followed up with another attack. Her pleading voice was slowly whittling away at Rio''s reasoning. If you look at him closely, you will see the furious twitch in the corner of his lips and in his left brow.


    "U-Umm, Aletia. I''m not sure I..."


    "...Am I not pretty enough?"


    Rio tried to reason his way out of the situation, but Aletia cornered him with a very depressed-sounding follow-up. "Not at all. Trust me, you''re really pretty."


    "Then, why have you done it only with Liselotte?"


    "Wait! You know about that?"


    "Of course, I know. You two weren''t subtle at all..." Aletia stated bitterly. Rio felt a pang of awkwardness mixed with guilt When his eyes met hers, he realized the sadness and insecurity in her voice had been real.


    "Sorry, it''s not because I dislike you or what. You have heard it from Liselotte, about my ambition, but as expected, even I won''t stoop so low like doing it with a childlike body."


    "I see¡­ so, that''s the reason, huh? Because of my unaging body." Aletia nodded in understanding. Then, she settled with a very determined expression. The next moment, golden mana poured out of her body. Rio raised his brow in confusion when he saw Aletia''s magic invocation. He wasn''t alarmed because he believed in her, that he wouldn''t harm him.


    The next moment, Rio had his eyes wide open when he saw the surreal scene right before his eyes.


    Rio watched the surreal scene before him. Clad in golden mana, Aletia''s child-like body was growing up with a rapid speed that was noticeable to eyes. Although he shouldn''t be this amazed because he theoretically knew it could happen, knowing from theory and watching it directly was a different matter altogether.


    Finally, Aletia''s metamorphosis from a girl into beauty in her late teens to her early twenties finished. When Rio inspected Aletia''s new appearance, he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Before long, he discovered that Aletia''s new proportion was similar to that of Liselotte. Rio became speechless when he realized that.


    Aletia had a smug expression after she completed her transformation and saw Rio''s gaze raking her n.a.k.e.d body. However, his next words wiped off the smug look she had.


    "Are you basing off your body from Liselotte''s?"


    "Rio''s idiot!" Aletia had half-lidded eyes and a deep pout after he heard Rio''s tactless comment. Normally, Rio wouldn''t be this tactless, but he was at lost for words at Aletia''s shamelessness in ripping off Liselotte''s figure.


    "...Sorry." Rio smiled wryly as he apologized to the sulking Aletia in her new form. He then decided to make up his mistake by sincerely praising her new appearance.


    "Still, you''re gorgeous, Aletia."


    After hearing Rio''s sincere praise, Aletia''s mood became better. She had a seductive expression as she replied, "...I see. That makes me happy. Because I belong to you, Rio. So look as much as you want."


    Aletia abruptly stood up. Bathwater dripped down her soft skin as she bared herself to Rio.


    Rio watched a single bead of water trail its way down her body. It passed over her ample b.r.e.a.s.ts, clung tightly to her slender waist, and trailed down her nether regions before finally running down her creamy and rich t.h.i.g.hs and rejoining the larger body of water below it.


    There was not a single blemish on her pale skin, and her proportions were perfect. She wrapped her arms behind her back, not trying to hide any of herself from Hajime. There was no way such an action wouldn''t be embarrassing, and she was indeed blushing slightly, but she still stood there proudly, her body trembling slightly. It was the perfect combination of bashfulness and seductiveness.


    Framed by the fake moon, her golden hair glowed around her like a halo. The sight was so perfect that she seemed almost divine. It was only natural if Aletia had more charm than Liselotte because of her good gene. After all, she was the royalty before she was sealed in that chamber.


    At this moment, Rio wouldn''t have doubted her even if she had told him she was a goddess.


    "Fhuhuhu~?"


    Aletia laughed triumphantly, and Rio finally returned to his senses. She was staring at the only part of his body that was being honest about his feelings, and he swiftly decided to even the field, so to speak. Nay, Rio decided to get an upper hand in this match¡­


    "Kyaaaaa¡ªmphh!" Aletia squealed in surprise as Rio suddenly pounced at her. He immediately kissed her lips, sealing her mouth.


    Aletia struggled at first. It was due to her surprise. She then relaxed and returned the kiss. Rio began to suck Aletia''s soft, warm bottom lip. It made her open her mouth, and Rio took his chance to slip in his tongue. Before long, they wee engaging in passionate kiss. Their m.o.a.ns were muffled by each other''s mouth.


    After a few dozens of seconds, they separated themselves. A string of saliva connected their slightly open mouth. They had a matching dazed expression with rosy blush. That string was cut off when Aletia spoke to Rio.


    "Rio... Take me."


    "With p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e..."

 Chapter 51 - With Aletia (In A.d.u.l.t Form) (First) [+18]

    "Rio... Take me."


    "With p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e..."


    Rio immediately replied and gave Aletia another passionate kiss. This time, as they were wrestling with their tongue, their hands began roaming and tasting each other''s body.


    Rio had one hand on her b.r.e.a.s.ts, alternating between rubbing and kneading those soft meaty globes and pinching and twisting her stiff, s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e n.i.p.p.l.e. His other hand was kneading and squeezing her jiggly buttock. Simultaneously, Aletia had one of her hands around Rio''s neck, grasping a fistful of his hair tightly. Meanwhile, her other hand was tracing his chiseled c.h.e.s.t and hard abs.


    "Mpphhh...ahn...mph...hmmmm~?" Aletia''s muffled m.o.a.ns and their ragged breath accompanied the sound of pouring and splashing water in that place. When Rio separated himself from Aletia, he heard her slurred voice.


    "Nnaaahhh¡­nnn. Your hands¡­Your hands are squeezing my b.r.e.a.s.ts and butts¡­ Rio, I feel weird~?" With a seductive face that looked so e.r.o.t.i.c and indecent, Aletia was mumbling that in p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.


    He initially softly touched those soft mounds and lifted them up to check their weight, but then he dug his fingers into the far-too-soft flesh, eliciting the vampire''s m.o.a.ning voice. He also kneaded and squeezed her bubbly butts roughly, digging his finger into her soft, elastic skin. But there was no hint of pain in the m.o.a.n, her skin was trembling a little, and she was obviously aroused.


    "That was¡­that was great¡­ You can be even rougher than that¡­"


    He started groping her b.r.e.a.s.ts and squeezing her b.u.t.t.o.c.k.s even stronger as she asked. As his hand fondled her soft mounds, again and again, he watched them change shape as if s.u.c.k.i.n.g in his hand. He then had his hand and his fingers dig even deeper into her elastic and soft flesh.


    "Nnaahh¡­ So-so rough. If you''re that rough¡­"


    He could tell he was being too rough, but he continued because she seemed to enjoy it deeply.


    He grew even more aroused as the flesh fruits seductively changed shape before his eye and he used every piece of knowledge he had to try to draw out as many m.o.a.ns of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e as he could. He even rolled her light pink n.i.p.p.l.es between his fingers until they grew very stiff.


    "Then I''ll keep doing it."


    He responded to her voice by persistently rolling her n.i.p.p.l.es between his fingers while fondling those flesh fruits. Those gummy-like points grew to the size of her pinky finger''s tip and bent a little. Watching them was enough to make Rio even hornier.


    "Nn¡­ahh¡­ No¡­this isn''t enough. Suck them, Rio. Suck my b.r.e.a.s.ts¡­ Suck them as hard as you can¡­" Aletia''s seductive voice asked for even more stimulation to her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    "Okay¡­"


    No sane men could have refused that request. Rio s.u.c.k.e.d on one of the erect n.i.p.p.l.es and gently bit on the gummy-like tip.


    "Kyaaaaaaannnnn!"


    But as soon as he did, the former queen gave a large jerk and the stimulation to her aroused n.i.p.p.l.e brought a damp scream to her lips. Her voice echoed within the place and increased his arousal as he s.u.c.k.e.d on the n.i.p.p.l.e.


    When Rio checked her expression, Aletia had a delighted expression. He moved his other hand and used it to help his other hand to fondle both her soft mounds while moving his face back and forth between them, l.i.c.k.i.n.g and s.u.c.k.i.n.g the n.i.p.p.l.es.


    Each time he licked or softly bit the tips and each time he s.u.c.k.e.d the entire a.r.e.o.l.a, an agonized m.o.a.n would escape her lips. As he dug his fingers in to grope those soft flesh fruits, they grew gradually tighter and pushed back at his fingers. The n.i.p.p.l.es grew slightly darker and even the a.r.e.o.l.a swelled out as Rio enjoyed the gummy-like texture.


    Her long eyelashes shook, moisture-filled her red eyes, and she rubbed her t.h.i.g.hs together as if she needed to pee. The dampness of her m.o.a.ns grew and reverberated through the place as she wrapped her arms around his head so he would suck on her n.i.p.p.l.es even more.


    "How about here too?" Rio removed his lips from her fully erect n.i.p.p.l.e and reached a hand toward her precious place. Aletia immediately nodded with her face beet red.


    "Then¡­"


    "Rio¡­nn¡­"


    As soon as he rubbed her smooth t.h.i.g.h and slowly touched the crotch with his fingertips, she squeezed her lips shut in a tense expression as her entire body gave a jerk of p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e.


    "Go ahead¡­ Hurry¡­hurry up and touch me¡­ Touch my most important place¡­hyaaahhh!"


    Urged on by Aletia, he pressed his fingertips against the crotch of her wet precious spot. She immediately pulled with the arms around his head, burying his face in her cleavage as her entire body began to tremble.


    His fingers felt the softness and boiling heat of her female flesh. Just sticking his fingertips inside her slit was enough for plenty of female nectar to seep out from deep within her p.u.s.s.y lips.


    "Don''t¡­don''t say that. It''s so embarrassing¡­"


    When he spoke his mind without thinking, Aletia shook her red face back and forth in embarrassment. But at the same time, her warm female nectar wrapped around his fingers and it trailed down her t.h.i.g.hs, providing further sweet and sour e.r.o.t.i.cism.


    ''She''s this wet just from me touching her¡­ What a l.e.w.d vampire. Then what if I do this?'' Rio thought in amus.e.m.e.nt and curiosity.


    "Eh? Hyah¡­ Wh-what are you doing!?"


    He removed his hands from her p.u.s.s.y. The vampire reacted by giving him a look of surprise for the first time. He rubbed her c.l.i.t.o.r.i.s and spread her soft p.u.s.s.y lips with his fingers.


    "Fwaaahh! You''re touching me¡­touching me there. Your hand is touching me there¡­hkhhhh!"


    As soon as he rubbed her soft p.u.s.s.y lips and used his middle finger to touch the hidden hole overflowing with love juices, Aletia threw her head back and clenched her mouth shut to restrain her voice.


    "Aletia, spread your legs a little more. It''s hard to touch you otherwise."


    "Fwah¡­spread¡­spread my legs? ¡­Okay." Aletia, red-faced, gave a quick nod and stuck her p.u.s.s.y forward to make it easier for her to sit.


    "You''re so pretty, Aletia."


    "Fwah¡­fwahhhhhhh!"


    After speaking his mind, he resumed s.u.c.k.i.n.g on her n.i.p.p.l.es while rubbing her hidden hole. The vampire lost all control, swung her long golden hair around, and let out a wet m.o.a.n through her clenched lips. The entrance to her hidden hole gradually started to squirm and twitch softly and it almost seemed to suck his finger inside.


    "Amazing¡­this is amazing. Master never told me this is this amazing!" Aletia mumbled, unintentionally mentioning her old educator when she was still the ruler of her old kingdom. Rio knew what he meant. He had known a bit about Aletia''s past from the novel.


    Unable to hold back, she wiggled her slender h.i.p.s around to rub her hidden hole against his fingertip. Her b.r.e.a.s.ts rose and fell with her deep breaths. They swayed before Rio''s eyes, the saliva-covered n.i.p.p.l.es trembled, and the aroused sweat in her cleavage reflected the light.


    Even as Aletia clenched her lips shut, her m.o.a.ns were loud enough to take over the sound of the pouring water from the lion statue. Simultaneously, her hidden hole wriggled around Rio''s finger, and love juices dripped down to create small ripples in the water.


    "Hauffh¡­Ahhh~? I''m¡­I''m going to go insane! Put it in¡­ Hurry up and put it inside me¡­ Rioooo~?"


    She could not bear the throbbing in her body, so she begged him to penetrate her with a wet, alluring voice. But she was, of course, embarrassed to ask, so her voice was surprisingly quiet. It was nearly a whisper. Her red eyes were so damp it seemed tears were going to spill from them at any moment and her saliva-covered n.i.p.p.l.es were so erect it seemed they would burst at any moment.


    The itchiness in Rio''s p.e.n.i.s from her seductive plea pushed him over the edge. His mind was boiling from the arousal of touching her body, s.u.c.k.i.n.g on her b.r.e.a.s.ts, and even touching her hidden hole. A sense of impatience spread from his p.e.n.i.s to fill his entire body and his instincts took over.


    "Ahh¡­" Her voice sounded embarrassed and yet filled with unbearable anticipation.


    Wet from her love juices, her c.l.i.t.o.r.i.s had swollen to the size of a pen tip. That light pink bud sticking out from its hood told him everything he needed to know about her body''s arousal. The p.u.s.s.y lips trembled as they opened wide and exposed the light red hidden flesh and hidden hole. That small v.i.r.g.i.n hole was twitching as it dripped with female nectar.


    Rio wrapped one of Aletia''s legs around his waist, brought his curved p.e.n.i.s toward her p.u.s.s.y, and pressed the tip against her v.i.r.g.i.n hole. The s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e head felt the hole wriggling as if s.u.c.k.i.n.g it in and he could feel her overflowing love juices trailing down the shaft.


    "Here I go." He warned her.


    "Eh? Ah¡­O-okay¡­" When he stated his intention to put it in, her youthful features grew red and she nodded while showing some hesitation toward her first time.

 Chapter 52 - With Aletia (In A.d.u.l.t Form) (Final) [+18]

    "Nkaaahhh¡­" He could hold back no longer. As soon as Aletia answered, Rio moved his h.i.p.s forward and spread the hard and tight hole with his tip. She m.o.a.n.e.d painfully at this first penetration and her slender jaw arched backward.


    "Hmm¡­" Rio had only put the tip in, but the feeling of the entrance spreading around him and the warmth of her v.a.g.i.n.a kept his h.i.p.s moving forward on their own. The v.a.g.i.n.a s.u.c.k.e.d tightly in against his rod and he pushed the tip further in, forcing open those tight v.a.g.i.n.a.l walls.


    "Agh¡­ It¡­it hurts¡­ Move more¡­slowly¡­ahhh!?" She breathed heavily as she bore with the pain of a v.i.r.g.i.n. He nearly jammed the entire thing inside, but he stopped himself at the last second and started feeling the rough folds of flesh. A moment later, the tip touched a thin membrane and Aletia''s entire body stiffened.


    "Please¡­please be gentle¡­" The tremor in her voice told him she was afraid of the pain of being deflowered. It was surprising that she didn''t nullify the pain since she was able to do it. However, Rio chalked it up as her decision since this was her real first time. He knew it was a bit presumptuous of him, but¡­ eh? Who cares?


    While trying to soften the pain as much as possible, he moved his h.i.p.s forward and gently pressed the tip against her h.y.m.e.n.


    "Nnah!? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah!"


    The h.y.m.e.n felt just like her v.a.g.i.n.a.l walls, but it easily tore and his slowly moving p.e.n.i.s suddenly stabbed in down to the base. Her scream rang through the place.


    "Hkh¡­Hhhh¡­All at once¡­?"


    Not only had Aletia just lost her v.i.r.g.i.n.i.t.y, but her v.a.g.i.n.a had been filled up in an instant. She breathed heavily as she tried to endure the pain since she didn''t nullify it.


    Rio waited until she adapted to the new thing inside of her. He was enjoying the sensation of many folds of flesh all wrapped around his rod. The v.a.g.i.n.a.l walls had not even started wriggling and they squeezed down on his entire p.e.n.i.s as if to never let go again.


    The inserted tip brushed again the entrance to her w.o.m.b and he felt it opening and closing as if to swallow his s.e.m.e.n as soon as possible.


    "Aletia¡­I''m going to move," Rio warned her.


    "Nnah! Hgh! Yeah¡­Hgh!?"


    "Aletia. It feels good inside you. You''re amazing," he whispered sweet nothings into her ears.


    With each thrust, the v.a.g.i.n.a.l walls and folds of flesh would rub stickily against his p.e.n.i.s and he was overcome by an itching impatience that nearly tore everything else from his mind. His rod began to throb as he ignored her pain and raced toward ejaculation.


    "Fwah¡­ahh¡­Wh-what is this? Hyah! It hurts¡­but it feels numb. I don''t even use my skiiiil! What is this numbness inside me!? I feel weird! Rio, Rio, Rio! I''m going craaazy~?"


    A few minutes after he began thrusting inside her p.u.s.s.y with one of her legs wrapped around his waist, Aletia''s m.o.a.ns grew much more seductive and her peach-like b.u.t.t wiggled in response to the piston-like p.e.n.i.s. Before, her v.a.g.i.n.a had simply tightened around him, but now it started some gentle wriggling movements and the many folds of flesh wrapped around the p.e.n.i.s as if l.i.c.k.i.n.g across every inch of it.


    "Nhahh! Amazing¡­My body is so hot¡­It''s so hot! It''s so hot¡­I can''t stand it!"


    Her hidden hole emitted the smooth sounds of the penetration as she awoke to the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.es of s.e.x. She wrapped her arms around his neck and both legs around his waist while waving her long golden hair around.


    He could feel her weight and body temperature in his entire body and he was happy to see how much p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e the vampire was feeling from her first time, so he sped up the movement of his h.i.p.s as he penetrated her hidden hole.


    The o.b.s.c.e.n.e wet sound of penetration rang through the stall and her m.o.a.ns echoed on and on. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his while whispering in her wet voice.


    "Rio¡­something''s¡­something''s coming!"


    Aletia bit her lip to contain the m.o.a.ns, but she could not keep a wet breath from escaping. The pain seemed to vanish entirely, she let her aroused m.o.a.ns escape her bit lips, and the o.b.s.c.e.n.e sounds of penetration sounded even louder as her hidden hole took in Rio''s rod.


    Her v.a.g.i.n.a tightened even further and the folds of flesh wrapped stickily around him, but his p.e.n.i.s was at its limits as her aroused v.a.g.i.n.a tightened down on it. The rod''s throbbing grew quicker, it began to tremble, and the tip swelled out in preparation to e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.e. The t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e.s tensed while coated in her love juices and the proof of her v.i.r.g.i.n.i.t.y and he felt the painful impatient throbbing of p.r.e.-.e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n preparing to send a torrent of s.e.m.e.n into Aletia''s unsullied w.o.m.b.


    "Aletia, I''m going to c.u.m inside¡­"


    "Fwaahh! Ah¡­ah¡­So rough¡­nnhhh!"


    Aletia''s v.a.g.i.n.a wrapped around his head and shaft, his h.i.p.s continued to roughly thrust into the vampire. With each thrust, her long hair would scatter as if blown by a gust of wind, her large flesh fruits would shake so hard he thought they would tear off, and her aroused sweat would pour down her cleavage. Her perfectly flat and smooth belly trembled slightly, telling him she was approaching o.r.g.a.s.m from her first time.


    "Ahhh¡­Rio! Your p.e.n.i.s is making me go numb inside¡­ I''m going to¡­I''m going tooooooo!" A truly unrestrained cry finally escaped her pink lips and she embraced him tightly. Her large flesh fruits were crushed between the two of them, so he felt their indescribable softness and could feel her two n.i.p.p.l.es rubbing and rolling against him.


    "Ahh! I''m c.u.m.m.i.n.g!" He could not hold back any longer. His rod trembled several times, it grew thicker, and a mass of cloudy liquid began rising inside it. He tightly embraced her body and thought of nothing except pumping her v.a.g.i.n.a full of his s.e.m.e.n. His h.i.p.s pumped even faster and the wet sound of penetration was joined by the sound of slapping flesh as he pounded into her p.u.s.s.y.


    "Hyahh! This¡­this is it! I''m going to come! It''s my first time¡­but I''m going to come~?!"


    Even in her position, Aletia intensely wiggled her h.i.p.s enough for her b.u.t.t to bounce up and down and her v.a.g.i.n.a tightened down on Rio''s p.e.n.i.s as if to crush it. The countless folds of flesh reacted to her approaching climax by wriggling deeper which tickled even the inside of his rod with a pleasurable numbness.


    "I''m going to¡­c.u.m inside you!"


    "C.u.m?!" She seemed confused at the term but only briefly. She soon understood what Rio meant with his words. "Yes¡­G-go ahead¡­ Fill me with your seed, Rio¡­Make me yours truuuulyyyyy~?"


    Once he had her permission, he moved his h.i.p.s intensely enough to break them and thrust up through her hidden hole and along her v.a.g.i.n.a.l walls with a powerful enough piston motion to lift up her body as she embraced him.


    "I''m c.u.m.m.i.n.g¡­inside you. Now!"


    "Kyaaah!? Something hot is filling me¡­ There''s so much¡­ Rio¡­ Riooooooooo! Hnngh~?!"


    He forcefully inserted his p.e.n.i.s down to the base and released the thick milky liquid. The pleasant numbness even felt painful while the liquid shot inside her. As the milky liquid filled her v.a.g.i.n.a, Aletia let out a sweet scream and clung to him.


    The vampire had been sitting on the edge of the pool, but now she was trembling like a small animal clinging to a tree and thick love juices sprayed noisily from her v.a.g.i.n.a as it tightened painfully down on his rod.


    The stimulation of her v.a.g.i.n.a.l walls and folds of flesh did not end even when he came, so he pumped more s.e.m.e.n inside her w.o.m.b than he had ever produced when doing it on his own. The head trembled again and again inside her hot v.a.g.i.n.a. He could feel his fluids shooting inside her and wrapping around the folds of flesh. The w.o.m.b entrance his tip was just barely touching was opening and closing to swallow up the milky liquid.


    "Nn¡­hahh! There''s so¡­muuuuuch~?!" Her body convulsed and she spoke incoherently. But her o.r.g.a.s.m was not over yet. Her crushed flesh fruits trembled countless times, more aroused sweat poured down her body, and her v.a.g.i.n.a squeezed Rio''s entire p.e.n.i.s while wriggling to pull it in deeper. He even felt some throbbing pain in his p.e.n.i.s and it started losing strength with each consecutive squirt of s.e.m.e.n. However, his exhaustion disappeared as fast as they come because of the Stamina derivative skill of his Mana Conversion.


    "R-Rio¡­Are you unsatisfied?" Aletia murmured with a tremble after Rio pulled his c.o.c.k out of Aletia''s v.a.g.i.n.a, spilling a bit of his seed in the process. White, cloudy liquid mixed with redness from her deflowering tricked down from her swollen l.a.b.i.a. She still needed a few moments after her first o.r.g.a.s.m. She didn''t think she could do it so soon. At that moment, help appeared.


    "Well, well, well, you wouldn''t mind if I take your place, right, Aletia?" It was Liselotte. She entered the bath n.a.k.e.d. She had a red face and l.u.s.tful look when she appeared.


    Rio had sensed Liselotte''s arrival but forgot about it due to his climax.


    When Aletia heard her voice, she turned around slowly. Her face was very red like a ripe apple, clearly ashamed because she was being watched. There was also a hint of annoyance mixed in it. Her red eyes looked accusingly at Liselotte.


    "Don''t look at me like that. I know you''re mentally exhausted now. Just allow me to take your place until you recovered."


    They exchanged a silent glance after that. A few seconds later, Aletia nodded slowly, clearly allowing Liselotte to take her place as


    When he saw that, Rio just smiled wryly. He felt like he was the shared possession of these two women instead of the opposite. ''Well, at least, I can continue until I am satisfied tonight.''


    From that point onward until the artificial sun replaced the artificial moon, Liselotte and Aletia did a rotation to exercise the futility in trying to drain Rio''s infinite stamina.

 Chapter 51 - With Aletia (In A_d_u_l_t Form) (First) [+18]

    "Rio... Take me."


    "With p_l_e_a_s_u_r_e..."


    Rio immediately replied and gave Aletia another passionate kiss. This time, as they were wrestling with their tongue, their hands began roaming and tasting each other''s body.


    Rio had one hand on her b_r_e_a_s_ts, alternating between rubbing and kneading those soft meaty globes and pinching and twisting her stiff, s_e_n_s_i_t_i_v_e n_i_p_p_l_e. His other hand was kneading and squeezing her jiggly buttock. Simultaneously, Aletia had one of her hands around Rio''s neck, grasping a fistful of his hair tightly. Meanwhile, her other hand was tracing his chiseled c_h_e_s_t and hard abs.


    "Mpphhh...ahn...mph...hmmmm~?" Aletia''s muffled m_o_a_ns and their ragged breath accompanied the sound of pouring and splashing water in that place. When Rio separated himself from Aletia, he heard her slurred voice.


    "Nnaaahhh¡­nnn. Your hands¡­Your hands are squeezing my b_r_e_a_s_ts and butts¡­ Rio, I feel weird~?" With a seductive face that looked so e_r_o_t_i_c and indecent, Aletia was mumbling that in p_l_e_a_s_u_r_e.


    He initially softly touched those soft mounds and lifted them up to check their weight, but then he dug his fingers into the far-too-soft flesh, eliciting the vampire''s m_o_a_ning voice. He also kneaded and squeezed her bubbly butts roughly, digging his finger into her soft, elastic skin. But there was no hint of pain in the m_o_a_n, her skin was trembling a little, and she was obviously aroused.


    "That was¡­that was great¡­ You can be even rougher than that¡­"


    He started groping her b_r_e_a_s_ts and squeezing her b_u_t_t_o_c_k_s even stronger as she asked. As his hand fondled her soft mounds, again and again, he watched them change shape as if s_u_c_k_i_n_g in his hand. He then had his hand and his fingers dig even deeper into her elastic and soft flesh.


    "Nnaahh¡­ So-so rough. If you''re that rough¡­"


    He could tell he was being too rough, but he continued because she seemed to enjoy it deeply.


    He grew even more aroused as the flesh fruits seductively changed shape before his eye and he used every piece of knowledge he had to try to draw out as many m_o_a_ns of p_l_e_a_s_u_r_e as he could. He even rolled her light pink n_i_p_p_l_es between his fingers until they grew very stiff.


    "Then I''ll keep doing it."


    He responded to her voice by persistently rolling her n_i_p_p_l_es between his fingers while fondling those flesh fruits. Those gummy-like points grew to the size of her pinky finger''s tip and bent a little. Watching them was enough to make Rio even hornier.


    "Nn¡­ahh¡­ No¡­this isn''t enough. Suck them, Rio. Suck my b_r_e_a_s_ts¡­ Suck them as hard as you can¡­" Aletia''s seductive voice asked for even more stimulation to her b_r_e_a_s_ts.


    "Okay¡­"


    No sane men could have refused that request. Rio s_u_c_k_e_d on one of the erect n_i_p_p_l_es and gently bit on the gummy-like tip.


    "Kyaaaaaaannnnn!"


    But as soon as he did, the former queen gave a large jerk and the stimulation to her aroused n_i_p_p_l_e brought a damp scream to her lips. Her voice echoed within the place and increased his arousal as he s_u_c_k_e_d on the n_i_p_p_l_e.


    When Rio checked her expression, Aletia had a delighted expression. He moved his other hand and used it to help his other hand to fondle both her soft mounds while moving his face back and forth between them, l_i_c_k_i_n_g and s_u_c_k_i_n_g the n_i_p_p_l_es.


    Each time he licked or softly bit the tips and each time he s_u_c_k_e_d the entire a_r_e_o_l_a, an agonized m_o_a_n would escape her lips. As he dug his fingers in to grope those soft flesh fruits, they grew gradually tighter and pushed back at his fingers. The n_i_p_p_l_es grew slightly darker and even the a_r_e_o_l_a swelled out as Rio enjoyed the gummy-like texture.


    Her long eyelashes shook, moisture-filled her red eyes, and she rubbed her t_h_i_g_hs together as if she needed to pee. The dampness of her m_o_a_ns grew and reverberated through the place as she wrapped her arms around his head so he would suck on her n_i_p_p_l_es even more.


    "How about here too?" Rio removed his lips from her fully erect n_i_p_p_l_e and reached a hand toward her precious place. Aletia immediately nodded with her face beet red.


    "Then¡­"


    "Rio¡­nn¡­"


    As soon as he rubbed her smooth t_h_i_g_h and slowly touched the crotch with his fingertips, she squeezed her lips shut in a tense expression as her entire body gave a jerk of p_l_e_a_s_u_r_e.


    "Go ahead¡­ Hurry¡­hurry up and touch me¡­ Touch my most important place¡­hyaaahhh!"


    Urged on by Aletia, he pressed his fingertips against the crotch of her wet precious spot. She immediately pulled with the arms around his head, burying his face in her cleavage as her entire body began to tremble.


    His fingers felt the softness and boiling heat of her female flesh. Just sticking his fingertips inside her slit was enough for plenty of female nectar to seep out from deep within her p_u_s_s_y lips.


    "Don''t¡­don''t say that. It''s so embarrassing¡­"


    When he spoke his mind without thinking, Aletia shook her red face back and forth in embarrassment. But at the same time, her warm female nectar wrapped around his fingers and it trailed down her t_h_i_g_hs, providing further sweet and sour e_r_o_t_i_cism.


    ''She''s this wet just from me touching her¡­ What a l_e_w_d vampire. Then what if I do this?'' Rio thought in amus_e_m_e_nt and curiosity.


    "Eh? Hyah¡­ Wh-what are you doing!?"


    He removed his hands from her p_u_s_s_y. The vampire reacted by giving him a look of surprise for the first time. He rubbed her c_l_i_t_o_r_i_s and spread her soft p_u_s_s_y lips with his fingers.


    "Fwaaahh! You''re touching me¡­touching me there. Your hand is touching me there¡­hkhhhh!"


    As soon as he rubbed her soft p_u_s_s_y lips and used his middle finger to touch the hidden hole overflowing with love juices, Aletia threw her head back and clenched her mouth shut to restrain her voice.


    "Aletia, spread your legs a little more. It''s hard to touch you otherwise."


    "Fwah¡­spread¡­spread my legs? ¡­Okay." Aletia, red-faced, gave a quick nod and stuck her p_u_s_s_y forward to make it easier for her to sit.


    "You''re so pretty, Aletia."


    "Fwah¡­fwahhhhhhh!"


    After speaking his mind, he resumed s_u_c_k_i_n_g on her n_i_p_p_l_es while rubbing her hidden hole. The vampire lost all control, swung her long golden hair around, and let out a wet m_o_a_n through her clenched lips. The entrance to her hidden hole gradually started to squirm and twitch softly and it almost seemed to suck his finger inside.


    "Amazing¡­this is amazing. Master never told me this is this amazing!" Aletia mumbled, unintentionally mentioning her old educator when she was still the ruler of her old kingdom. Rio knew what he meant. He had known a bit about Aletia''s past from the novel.


    Unable to hold back, she wiggled her slender h_i_p_s around to rub her hidden hole against his fingertip. Her b_r_e_a_s_ts rose and fell with her deep breaths. They swayed before Rio''s eyes, the saliva-covered n_i_p_p_l_es trembled, and the aroused sweat in her cleavage reflected the light.


    Even as Aletia clenched her lips shut, her m_o_a_ns were loud enough to take over the sound of the pouring water from the lion statue. Simultaneously, her hidden hole wriggled around Rio''s finger, and love juices dripped down to create small ripples in the water.


    "Hauffh¡­Ahhh~? I''m¡­I''m going to go insane! Put it in¡­ Hurry up and put it inside me¡­ Rioooo~?"


    She could not bear the throbbing in her body, so she begged him to penetrate her with a wet, alluring voice. But she was, of course, embarrassed to ask, so her voice was surprisingly quiet. It was nearly a whisper. Her red eyes were so damp it seemed tears were going to spill from them at any moment and her saliva-covered n_i_p_p_l_es were so erect it seemed they would burst at any moment.


    The itchiness in Rio''s p_e_n_i_s from her seductive plea pushed him over the edge. His mind was boiling from the arousal of touching her body, s_u_c_k_i_n_g on her b_r_e_a_s_ts, and even touching her hidden hole. A sense of impatience spread from his p_e_n_i_s to fill his entire body and his instincts took over.


    "Ahh¡­" Her voice sounded embarrassed and yet filled with unbearable anticipation.


    Wet from her love juices, her c_l_i_t_o_r_i_s had swollen to the size of a pen tip. That light pink bud sticking out from its hood told him everything he needed to know about her body''s arousal. The p_u_s_s_y lips trembled as they opened wide and exposed the light red hidden flesh and hidden hole. That small v_i_r_g_i_n hole was twitching as it dripped with female nectar.


    Rio wrapped one of Aletia''s legs around his waist, brought his curved p_e_n_i_s toward her p_u_s_s_y, and pressed the tip against her v_i_r_g_i_n hole. The s_e_n_s_i_t_i_v_e head felt the hole wriggling as if s_u_c_k_i_n_g it in and he could feel her overflowing love juices trailing down the shaft.


    "Here I go." He warned her.


    "Eh? Ah¡­O-okay¡­" When he stated his intention to put it in, her youthful features grew red and she nodded while showing some hesitation toward her first time.

 Chapter 52 - With Aletia (In A_d_u_l_t Form) (Final) [+18]

    "Nkaaahhh¡­" He could hold back no longer. As soon as Aletia answered, Rio moved his h_i_p_s forward and spread the hard and tight hole with his tip. She m_o_a_n_e_d painfully at this first penetration and her slender jaw arched backward.


    "Hmm¡­" Rio had only put the tip in, but the feeling of the entrance spreading around him and the warmth of her v_a_g_i_n_a kept his h_i_p_s moving forward on their own. The v_a_g_i_n_a s_u_c_k_e_d tightly in against his rod and he pushed the tip further in, forcing open those tight v_a_g_i_n_a_l walls.


    "Agh¡­ It¡­it hurts¡­ Move more¡­slowly¡­ahhh!?" She breathed heavily as she bore with the pain of a v_i_r_g_i_n. He nearly jammed the entire thing inside, but he stopped himself at the last second and started feeling the rough folds of flesh. A moment later, the tip touched a thin membrane and Aletia''s entire body stiffened.


    "Please¡­please be gentle¡­" The tremor in her voice told him she was afraid of the pain of being deflowered. It was surprising that she didn''t nullify the pain since she was able to do it. However, Rio chalked it up as her decision since this was her real first time. He knew it was a bit presumptuous of him, but¡­ eh? Who cares?


    While trying to soften the pain as much as possible, he moved his h_i_p_s forward and gently pressed the tip against her h_y_m_e_n.


    "Nnah!? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah!"


    The h_y_m_e_n felt just like her v_a_g_i_n_a_l walls, but it easily tore and his slowly moving p_e_n_i_s suddenly stabbed in down to the base. Her scream rang through the place.


    "Hkh¡­Hhhh¡­All at once¡­?"


    Not only had Aletia just lost her v_i_r_g_i_n_i_t_y, but her v_a_g_i_n_a had been filled up in an instant. She breathed heavily as she tried to endure the pain since she didn''t nullify it.


    Rio waited until she adapted to the new thing inside of her. He was enjoying the sensation of many folds of flesh all wrapped around his rod. The v_a_g_i_n_a_l walls had not even started wriggling and they squeezed down on his entire p_e_n_i_s as if to never let go again.


    The inserted tip brushed again the entrance to her w_o_m_b and he felt it opening and closing as if to swallow his s_e_m_e_n as soon as possible.


    "Aletia¡­I''m going to move," Rio warned her.


    "Nnah! Hgh! Yeah¡­Hgh!?"


    "Aletia. It feels good inside you. You''re amazing," he whispered sweet nothings into her ears.


    With each thrust, the v_a_g_i_n_a_l walls and folds of flesh would rub stickily against his p_e_n_i_s and he was overcome by an itching impatience that nearly tore everything else from his mind. His rod began to throb as he ignored her pain and raced toward ejaculation.


    "Fwah¡­ahh¡­Wh-what is this? Hyah! It hurts¡­but it feels numb. I don''t even use my skiiiil! What is this numbness inside me!? I feel weird! Rio, Rio, Rio! I''m going craaazy~?"


    A few minutes after he began thrusting inside her p_u_s_s_y with one of her legs wrapped around his waist, Aletia''s m_o_a_ns grew much more seductive and her peach-like b_u_t_t wiggled in response to the piston-like p_e_n_i_s. Before, her v_a_g_i_n_a had simply tightened around him, but now it started some gentle wriggling movements and the many folds of flesh wrapped around the p_e_n_i_s as if l_i_c_k_i_n_g across every inch of it.


    "Nhahh! Amazing¡­My body is so hot¡­It''s so hot! It''s so hot¡­I can''t stand it!"


    Her hidden hole emitted the smooth sounds of the penetration as she awoke to the p_l_e_a_s_u_r_es of s_e_x. She wrapped her arms around his neck and both legs around his waist while waving her long golden hair around.


    He could feel her weight and body temperature in his entire body and he was happy to see how much p_l_e_a_s_u_r_e the vampire was feeling from her first time, so he sped up the movement of his h_i_p_s as he penetrated her hidden hole.


    The o_b_s_c_e_n_e wet sound of penetration rang through the stall and her m_o_a_ns echoed on and on. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his while whispering in her wet voice.


    "Rio¡­something''s¡­something''s coming!"


    Aletia bit her lip to contain the m_o_a_ns, but she could not keep a wet breath from escaping. The pain seemed to vanish entirely, she let her aroused m_o_a_ns escape her bit lips, and the o_b_s_c_e_n_e sounds of penetration sounded even louder as her hidden hole took in Rio''s rod.


    Her v_a_g_i_n_a tightened even further and the folds of flesh wrapped stickily around him, but his p_e_n_i_s was at its limits as her aroused v_a_g_i_n_a tightened down on it. The rod''s throbbing grew quicker, it began to tremble, and the tip swelled out in preparation to e_j_a_c_u_l_a_t_e. The t_e_s_t_i_c_l_e_s tensed while coated in her love juices and the proof of her v_i_r_g_i_n_i_t_y and he felt the painful impatient throbbing of p_r_e_-_e_j_a_c_u_l_a_t_i_o_n preparing to send a torrent of s_e_m_e_n into Aletia''s unsullied w_o_m_b.


    "Aletia, I''m going to c_u_m inside¡­"


    "Fwaahh! Ah¡­ah¡­So rough¡­nnhhh!"


    Aletia''s v_a_g_i_n_a wrapped around his head and shaft, his h_i_p_s continued to roughly thrust into the vampire. With each thrust, her long hair would scatter as if blown by a gust of wind, her large flesh fruits would shake so hard he thought they would tear off, and her aroused sweat would pour down her cleavage. Her perfectly flat and smooth belly trembled slightly, telling him she was approaching o_r_g_a_s_m from her first time.


    "Ahhh¡­Rio! Your p_e_n_i_s is making me go numb inside¡­ I''m going to¡­I''m going tooooooo!" A truly unrestrained cry finally escaped her pink lips and she embraced him tightly. Her large flesh fruits were crushed between the two of them, so he felt their indescribable softness and could feel her two n_i_p_p_l_es rubbing and rolling against him.


    "Ahh! I''m c_u_m_m_i_n_g!" He could not hold back any longer. His rod trembled several times, it grew thicker, and a mass of cloudy liquid began rising inside it. He tightly embraced her body and thought of nothing except pumping her v_a_g_i_n_a full of his s_e_m_e_n. His h_i_p_s pumped even faster and the wet sound of penetration was joined by the sound of slapping flesh as he pounded into her p_u_s_s_y.


    "Hyahh! This¡­this is it! I''m going to come! It''s my first time¡­but I''m going to come~?!"


    Even in her position, Aletia intensely wiggled her h_i_p_s enough for her b_u_t_t to bounce up and down and her v_a_g_i_n_a tightened down on Rio''s p_e_n_i_s as if to crush it. The countless folds of flesh reacted to her approaching climax by wriggling deeper which tickled even the inside of his rod with a pleasurable numbness.


    "I''m going to¡­c_u_m inside you!"


    "C_u_m?!" She seemed confused at the term but only briefly. She soon understood what Rio meant with his words. "Yes¡­G-go ahead¡­ Fill me with your seed, Rio¡­Make me yours truuuulyyyyy~?"


    Once he had her permission, he moved his h_i_p_s intensely enough to break them and thrust up through her hidden hole and along her v_a_g_i_n_a_l walls with a powerful enough piston motion to lift up her body as she embraced him.


    "I''m c_u_m_m_i_n_g¡­inside you. Now!"


    "Kyaaah!? Something hot is filling me¡­ There''s so much¡­ Rio¡­ Riooooooooo! Hnngh~?!"


    He forcefully inserted his p_e_n_i_s down to the base and released the thick milky liquid. The pleasant numbness even felt painful while the liquid shot inside her. As the milky liquid filled her v_a_g_i_n_a, Aletia let out a sweet scream and clung to him.


    The vampire had been sitting on the edge of the pool, but now she was trembling like a small animal clinging to a tree and thick love juices sprayed noisily from her v_a_g_i_n_a as it tightened painfully down on his rod.


    The stimulation of her v_a_g_i_n_a_l walls and folds of flesh did not end even when he came, so he pumped more s_e_m_e_n inside her w_o_m_b than he had ever produced when doing it on his own. The head trembled again and again inside her hot v_a_g_i_n_a. He could feel his fluids shooting inside her and wrapping around the folds of flesh. The w_o_m_b entrance his tip was just barely touching was opening and closing to swallow up the milky liquid.


    "Nn¡­hahh! There''s so¡­muuuuuch~?!" Her body convulsed and she spoke incoherently. But her o_r_g_a_s_m was not over yet. Her crushed flesh fruits trembled countless times, more aroused sweat poured down her body, and her v_a_g_i_n_a squeezed Rio''s entire p_e_n_i_s while wriggling to pull it in deeper. He even felt some throbbing pain in his p_e_n_i_s and it started losing strength with each consecutive squirt of s_e_m_e_n. However, his exhaustion disappeared as fast as they come because of the Stamina derivative skill of his Mana Conversion.


    "R-Rio¡­Are you unsatisfied?" Aletia murmured with a tremble after Rio pulled his c_o_c_k out of Aletia''s v_a_g_i_n_a, spilling a bit of his seed in the process. White, cloudy liquid mixed with redness from her deflowering tricked down from her swollen l_a_b_i_a. She still needed a few moments after her first o_r_g_a_s_m. She didn''t think she could do it so soon. At that moment, help appeared.


    "Well, well, well, you wouldn''t mind if I take your place, right, Aletia?" It was Liselotte. She entered the bath n_a_k_e_d. She had a red face and l_u_s_tful look when she appeared.


    Rio had sensed Liselotte''s arrival but forgot about it due to his climax.


    When Aletia heard her voice, she turned around slowly. Her face was very red like a ripe apple, clearly ashamed because she was being watched. There was also a hint of annoyance mixed in it. Her red eyes looked accusingly at Liselotte.


    "Don''t look at me like that. I know you''re mentally exhausted now. Just allow me to take your place until you recovered."


    They exchanged a silent glance after that. A few seconds later, Aletia nodded slowly, clearly allowing Liselotte to take her place as


    When he saw that, Rio just smiled wryly. He felt like he was the shared possession of these two women instead of the opposite. ''Well, at least, I can continue until I am satisfied tonight.''


    From that point onward until the artificial sun replaced the artificial moon, Liselotte and Aletia did a rotation to exercise the futility in trying to drain Rio''s infinite stamina.

 Chapter 51 - With Aletia (In Adult Form) (First) [+18]

    "Rio... Take me."


    "With p???sur?..."


    Rio immediately replied and gave Aletia another passionate kiss. This time, as they were wrestling with their tongue, their hands began roaming and tasting each other''s body.


    Rio had one hand on her br??sts, alternating between rubbing and kneading those soft meaty globes and pinching and twisting her stiff, s?ns?t?v? n?pp??. His other hand was kneading and squeezing her jiggly bu??ock. Simultaneously, Aletia had one of her hands around Rio''s neck, grasping a fistful of his hair tightly. Meanwhile, her other hand was tracing his chiseled ?h?st and hard abs.


    "Mpphhh...ahn...mph...hmmmm~?" Aletia''s muffled m??ns and their ragged breath accompanied the sound of pouring and splashing water in that place. When Rio separated himself from Aletia, he heard her slurred voice.


    "Nnaaahhh¡­nnn. Your hands¡­Your hands are squeezing my br??sts and bu??s¡­ Rio, I feel weird~?" With a seductive face that looked so ?r?t?? and indecent, Aletia was mumbling that in p???sur?.


    He initially softly touched those soft mounds and lifted them up to check their weight, but then he dug his fingers into the far-too-soft flesh, eliciting the vampire''s m??ning voice. He also kneaded and squeezed her bubbly bu??s roughly, digging his finger into her soft, elastic skin. But there was no hint of pain in the m??n, her skin was trembling a little, and she was obviously aroused.


    "That was¡­that was great¡­ You can be even rougher than that¡­"


    He started groping her br??sts and squeezing her bu????ks even stronger as she asked. As his hand fondled her soft mounds, again and again, he watched them change shape as if su?k?n? in his hand. He then had his hand and his fingers dig even deeper into her elastic and soft flesh.


    "Nnaahh¡­ So-so rough. If you''re that rough¡­"


    He could tell he was being too rough, but he continued because she seemed to enjoy it deeply.


    He grew even more aroused as the flesh fruits seductively changed shape before his eye and he used every piece of knowledge he had to try to draw out as many m??ns of p???sur? as he could. He even rolled her light pink n?pp??s between his fingers until they grew very stiff.


    "Then I''ll keep doing it."


    He responded to her voice by persistently rolling her n?pp??s between his fingers while fondling those flesh fruits. Those gummy-like points grew to the size of her pinky finger''s tip and bent a little. Watching them was enough to make Rio even hornier.


    "Nn¡­ahh¡­ No¡­this isn''t enough. Suck them, Rio. Suck my br??sts¡­ Suck them as hard as you can¡­" Aletia''s seductive voice asked for even more stimulation to her br??sts.


    "Okay¡­"


    No sane men could have refused that request. Rio su?k?d on one of the erect n?pp??s and gently bit on the gummy-like tip.


    "Kyaaaaaaannnnn!"


    But as soon as he did, the former queen gave a large jerk and the stimulation to her aroused n?pp?? brought a damp scream to her lips. Her voice echoed within the place and increased his arousal as he su?k?d on the n?pp??.


    When Rio checked her expression, Aletia had a delighted expression. He moved his other hand and used it to help his other hand to fondle both her soft mounds while moving his face back and forth between them, ???k?n? and su?k?n? the n?pp??s.


    Each time he licked or softly bit the tips and each time he su?k?d the entire ?r????, an agonized m??n would escape her lips. As he dug his fingers in to grope those soft flesh fruits, they grew gradually tighter and pushed back at his fingers. The n?pp??s grew slightly darker and even the ?r???? swelled out as Rio enjoyed the gummy-like texture.


    Her long eyelashes shook, moisture-filled her red eyes, and she rubbed her th??hs together as if she needed to pee. The dampness of her m??ns grew and reverberated through the place as she wrapped her arms around his head so he would suck on her n?pp??s even more.


    "How about here too?" Rio removed his lips from her fully erect n?pp?? and reached a hand toward her precious place. Aletia immediately nodded with her face beet red.


    "Then¡­"


    "Rio¡­nn¡­"


    As soon as he rubbed her smooth th??h and slowly touched the crotch with his fingertips, she squeezed her lips shut in a tense expression as her entire body gave a jerk of p???sur?.


    "Go ahead¡­ Hurry¡­hurry up and touch me¡­ Touch my most important place¡­hyaaahhh!"


    Urged on by Aletia, he pressed his fingertips against the crotch of her wet precious spot. She immediately pulled with the arms around his head, burying his face in her cleavage as her entire body began to tremble.


    His fingers felt the softness and boiling heat of her female flesh. Just sticking his fingertips inside her slit was enough for plenty of female nectar to seep out from deep within her puss? lips.


    "Don''t¡­don''t say that. It''s so embarrassing¡­"


    When he spoke his mind without thinking, Aletia shook her red face back and forth in embarrassment. But at the same time, her warm female nectar wrapped around his fingers and it trailed down her th??hs, providing further sweet and sour ?r?t??ism.


    ''She''s this wet just from me touching her¡­ What a ??wd vampire. Then what if I do this?'' Rio thought in amusement and curiosity.


    "Eh? Hyah¡­ Wh-what are you doing!?"


    He removed his hands from her puss?. The vampire reacted by giving him a look of surprise for the first time. He rubbed her ???t?r?s and spread her soft puss? lips with his fingers.


    "Fwaaahh! You''re touching me¡­touching me there. Your hand is touching me there¡­hkhhhh!"


    As soon as he rubbed her soft puss? lips and used his middle finger to touch the hidden hole overflowing with love juices, Aletia threw her head back and clenched her mouth shut to restrain her voice.


    "Aletia, spread your legs a little more. It''s hard to touch you otherwise."


    "Fwah¡­spread¡­spread my legs? ¡­Okay." Aletia, red-faced, gave a quick nod and stuck her puss? forward to make it easier for her to sit.


    "You''re so pretty, Aletia."


    "Fwah¡­fwahhhhhhh!"


    After speaking his mind, he resumed su?k?n? on her n?pp??s while rubbing her hidden hole. The vampire lost all control, swung her long golden hair around, and let out a wet m??n through her clenched lips. The entrance to her hidden hole gradually started to squirm and twitch softly and it almost seemed to suck his finger inside.


    "Amazing¡­this is amazing. Master never told me this is this amazing!" Aletia mumbled, unintentionally mentioning her old educator when she was still the ruler of her old kingdom. Rio knew what he meant. He had known a bit about Aletia''s past from the novel.


    Unable to hold back, she wiggled her slender h?ps around to rub her hidden hole against his fingertip. Her br??sts rose and fell with her deep breaths. They swayed before Rio''s eyes, the saliva-covered n?pp??s trembled, and the aroused sweat in her cleavage reflected the light.


    Even as Aletia clenched her lips shut, her m??ns were loud enough to take over the sound of the pouring water from the lion statue. Simultaneously, her hidden hole wriggled around Rio''s finger, and love juices dripped down to create small ripples in the water.


    "Hauffh¡­Ahhh~? I''m¡­I''m going to go insane! Put it in¡­ Hurry up and put it inside me¡­ Rioooo~?"


    She could not bear the throbbing in her body, so she begged him to penetrate her with a wet, alluring voice. But she was, of course, embarrassed to ask, so her voice was surprisingly quiet. It was nearly a whisper. Her red eyes were so damp it seemed tears were going to spill from them at any moment and her saliva-covered n?pp??s were so erect it seemed they would burst at any moment.


    The itchiness in Rio''s p?n?s from her seductive plea pushed him over the edge. His mind was boiling from the arousal of touching her body, su?k?n? on her br??sts, and even touching her hidden hole. A sense of impatience spread from his p?n?s to fill his entire body and his instincts took over.


    "Ahh¡­" Her voice sounded embarrassed and yet filled with unbearable anticipation.


    Wet from her love juices, her ???t?r?s had swollen to the size of a pen tip. That light pink bud sticking out from its hood told him everything he needed to know about her body''s arousal. The puss? lips trembled as they opened wide and exposed the light red hidden flesh and hidden hole. That small v?r??n hole was twitching as it dripped with female nectar.


    Rio wrapped one of Aletia''s legs around his waist, brought his curved p?n?s toward her puss?, and pressed the tip against her v?r??n hole. The s?ns?t?v? head felt the hole wriggling as if su?k?n? it in and he could feel her overflowing love juices trailing down the shaft.


    "Here I go." He warned her.


    "Eh? Ah¡­O-okay¡­" When he stated his intention to put it in, her youthful features grew red and she nodded while showing some hesitation toward her first time.

 Chapter 52 - With Aletia (In Adult Form) (Final) [+18]

    "Nkaaahhh¡­" He could hold back no longer. As soon as Aletia answered, Rio moved his h?ps forward and spread the hard and tight hole with his tip. She m??n?d painfully at this first penetration and her slender jaw arched backward.


    "Hmm¡­" Rio had only put the tip in, but the feeling of the entrance spreading around him and the warmth of her v???n? kept his h?ps moving forward on their own. The v???n? su?k?d tightly in against his rod and he pushed the tip further in, forcing open those tight v???n?? walls.


    "Agh¡­ It¡­it hurts¡­ Move more¡­slowly¡­ahhh!?" She breathed heavily as she bore with the pain of a v?r??n. He nearly jammed the entire thing inside, but he stopped himself at the last second and started feeling the rough folds of flesh. A moment later, the tip touched a thin membrane and Aletia''s entire body stiffened.


    "Please¡­please be gentle¡­" The tremor in her voice told him she was afraid of the pain of being deflowered. It was surprising that she didn''t nullify the pain since she was able to do it. However, Rio chalked it up as her decision since this was her real first time. He knew it was a bit presumptuous of him, but¡­ eh? Who cares?


    While trying to soften the pain as much as possible, he moved his h?ps forward and gently pressed the tip against her h?m?n.


    "Nnah!? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah!"


    The h?m?n felt just like her v???n?? walls, but it easily tore and his slowly moving p?n?s suddenly stabbed in down to the base. Her scream rang through the place.


    "Hkh¡­Hhhh¡­All at once¡­?"


    Not only had Aletia just lost her v?r??n?t?, but her v???n? had been filled up in an instant. She breathed heavily as she tried to endure the pain since she didn''t nullify it.


    Rio waited until she adapted to the new thing inside of her. He was enjoying the sensation of many folds of flesh all wrapped around his rod. The v???n?? walls had not even started wriggling and they squeezed down on his entire p?n?s as if to never let go again.


    The inserted tip brushed again the entrance to her w?mb and he felt it opening and closing as if to swallow his s?m?n as soon as possible.


    "Aletia¡­I''m going to move," Rio warned her.


    "Nnah! Hgh! Yeah¡­Hgh!?"


    "Aletia. It feels good inside you. You''re amazing," he whispered sweet nothings into her ears.


    With each thrust, the v???n?? walls and folds of flesh would rub stickily against his p?n?s and he was overcome by an itching impatience that nearly tore everything else from his mind. His rod began to throb as he ignored her pain and raced toward ejaculation.


    "Fwah¡­ahh¡­Wh-what is this? Hyah! It hurts¡­but it feels numb. I don''t even use my skiiiil! What is this numbness inside me!? I feel weird! Rio, Rio, Rio! I''m going craaazy~?"


    A few minutes after he began thrusting inside her puss? with one of her legs wrapped around his waist, Aletia''s m??ns grew much more seductive and her peach-like bu?? wiggled in response to the piston-like p?n?s. Before, her v???n? had simply tightened around him, but now it started some gentle wriggling movements and the many folds of flesh wrapped around the p?n?s as if ???k?n? across every inch of it.


    "Nhahh! Amazing¡­My body is so hot¡­It''s so hot! It''s so hot¡­I can''t stand it!"


    Her hidden hole emitted the smooth sounds of the penetration as she awoke to the p???sur?s of s?x. She wrapped her arms around his neck and both legs around his waist while waving her long golden hair around.


    He could feel her weight and body temperature in his entire body and he was happy to see how much p???sur? the vampire was feeling from her first time, so he sped up the movement of his h?ps as he penetrated her hidden hole.


    The ?bs??n? wet sound of penetration rang through the stall and her m??ns echoed on and on. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his while whispering in her wet voice.


    "Rio¡­something''s¡­something''s coming!"


    Aletia bit her lip to contain the m??ns, but she could not keep a wet breath from escaping. The pain seemed to vanish entirely, she let her aroused m??ns escape her bit lips, and the ?bs??n? sounds of penetration sounded even louder as her hidden hole took in Rio''s rod.


    Her v???n? tightened even further and the folds of flesh wrapped stickily around him, but his p?n?s was at its limits as her aroused v???n? tightened down on it. The rod''s throbbing grew quicker, it began to tremble, and the tip swelled out in preparation to ????u??t?. The t?st????s tensed while coated in her love juices and the proof of her v?r??n?t? and he felt the painful impatient throbbing of pr?-????u??t??n preparing to send a torrent of s?m?n into Aletia''s unsullied w?mb.


    "Aletia, I''m going to ?um inside¡­"


    "Fwaahh! Ah¡­ah¡­So rough¡­nnhhh!"


    Aletia''s v???n? wrapped around his head and shaft, his h?ps continued to roughly thrust into the vampire. With each thrust, her long hair would scatter as if blown by a gust of wind, her large flesh fruits would shake so hard he thought they would tear off, and her aroused sweat would pour down her cleavage. Her perfectly flat and smooth belly trembled slightly, telling him she was approaching ?r??sm from her first time.


    "Ahhh¡­Rio! Your p?n?s is making me go numb inside¡­ I''m going to¡­I''m going tooooooo!" A truly unrestrained cry finally escaped her pink lips and she embraced him tightly. Her large flesh fruits were crushed between the two of them, so he felt their indescribable softness and could feel her two n?pp??s rubbing and rolling against him.


    "Ahh! I''m ?umm?n?!" He could not hold back any longer. His rod trembled several times, it grew thicker, and a mass of cloudy liquid began rising inside it. He tightly embraced her body and thought of nothing except pumping her v???n? full of his s?m?n. His h?ps pumped even faster and the wet sound of penetration was joined by the sound of slapping flesh as he pounded into her puss?.


    "Hyahh! This¡­this is it! I''m going to come! It''s my first time¡­but I''m going to come~?!"


    Even in her position, Aletia intensely wiggled her h?ps enough for her bu?? to bounce up and down and her v???n? tightened down on Rio''s p?n?s as if to crush it. The countless folds of flesh reacted to her approaching climax by wriggling deeper which tickled even the inside of his rod with a pleasurable numbness.


    "I''m going to¡­cum inside you!"


    "Cum?!" She seemed confused at the term but only briefly. She soon understood what Rio meant with his words. "Yes¡­G-go ahead¡­ Fill me with your seed, Rio¡­Make me yours truuuulyyyyy~?"


    Once he had her permission, he moved his h?ps intensely enough to break them and thrust up through her hidden hole and along her v???n?? walls with a powerful enough piston motion to lift up her body as she embraced him.


    "I''m ?umm?n?¡­inside you. Now!"


    "Kyaaah!? Something hot is filling me¡­ There''s so much¡­ Rio¡­ Riooooooooo! Hnngh~?!"


    He forcefully inserted his p?n?s down to the base and released the thick milky liquid. The pleasant numbness even felt painful while the liquid shot inside her. As the milky liquid filled her v???n?, Aletia let out a sweet scream and clung to him.


    The vampire had been sitting on the edge of the pool, but now she was trembling like a small animal clinging to a tree and thick love juices sprayed noisily from her v???n? as it tightened painfully down on his rod.


    The stimulation of her v???n?? walls and folds of flesh did not end even when he came, so he pumped more s?m?n inside her w?mb than he had ever produced when doing it on his own. The head trembled again and again inside her hot v???n?. He could feel his fluids shooting inside her and wrapping around the folds of flesh. The w?mb entrance his tip was just b?r?ly touching was opening and closing to swallow up the milky liquid.


    "Nn¡­hahh! There''s so¡­muuuuuch~?!" Her body convulsed and she spoke incoherently. But her ?r??sm was not over yet. Her crushed flesh fruits trembled countless times, more aroused sweat poured down her body, and her v???n? squeezed Rio''s entire p?n?s while wriggling to pull it in deeper. He even felt some throbbing pain in his p?n?s and it started losing strength with each consecutive squirt of s?m?n. However, his exhaustion disappeared as fast as they come because of the Stamina derivative skill of his Mana Conversion.


    "R-Rio¡­Are you unsatisfied?" Aletia murmured with a tremble after Rio pulled his ???k out of Aletia''s v???n?, spilling a bit of his seed in the process. White, cloudy liquid mixed with redness from her deflowering tricked down from her swollen ??b??. She still needed a few moments after her first ?r??sm. She didn''t think she could do it so soon. At that moment, help appeared.


    "Well, well, well, you wouldn''t mind if I take your place, right, Aletia?" It was Liselotte. She entered the bath n?k?d. She had a red face and ?ustful look when she appeared.


    Rio had sensed Liselotte''s arrival but forgot about it due to his climax.


    When Aletia heard her voice, she turned around slowly. Her face was very red like a ripe apple, clearly ashamed because she was being watched. There was also a hint of annoyance mixed in it. Her red eyes looked accusingly at Liselotte.


    "Don''t look at me like that. I know you''re mentally exhausted now. Just allow me to take your place until you recovered."


    They exchanged a silent glance after that. A few seconds later, Aletia nodded slowly, clearly allowing Liselotte to take her place as


    When he saw that, Rio just smiled wryly. He felt like he was the shared possession of these two women instead of the opposite. ''Well, at least, I can continue until I am satisfied tonight.''


    From that point onward until the artificial sun replaced the artificial moon, Liselotte and Aletia did a rotation to exercise the futility in trying to drain Rio''s infinite stamina.