alwaysunqualified

  Chapter 18 - Power leveling in a hot spring.

  “Would you stop swimming? We're not here to py,” Angelica scolded Sakura, disregarding Alice who was engaged in the same antics beside her. However, Alice was careful not to spsh the other guests, and her adorable demeanor made it hard to reprimand her.

  It was just past New Year's, and I found myself in a hot spring with my family. The enormous spring stretched farther than I could see, and the water shimmered in an unreal shade of turquoise, crystal clear and gently steaming like something from a video game. The steam swirled into the cool air, carrying a hint of sweetness that didn't match what I imagined a hot spring should smell like. Along the edges, the ground was sprinkled with colorful stones that crunched softly underfoot. Above us, an unnatural array of colors filled the sky, and the tranquil air shut out the noise of the crowds outside.

  The spring was mixed, with women and children sharing the space. Most notably, it was filled with girls who possessed powerful abilities. With the tournament coming up next year, I needed to seize this opportunity to collect strong cards to navigate through the matches. After the tournament, I pnned to gather as many cards as possible to reach level thirty.

  My focus was driven by the need to escape debt. Armed with the Date Love Point Extractor item and the attention of an audience of girls, I was confident that replicating past successes of garnering affection from spectators would help me accumute the necessary points.

  The downside was that I would really be making myself stand out like a sore thumb, but I'm well beyond caring about that now. After all, seducing a princess likely means I'm already on the queen's radar, not to mention whatever is going on with the valkyries.

  “Here goes nothing,” I muttered to myself, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves.

  'Use all my Date points.' My pn is to spend everything in one decisive move. If I can win over just one girl with a strong card, it'll all be worth it. Time came to a standstill, but I wasn't prepared for the flood of pop-ups that followed:

  [Ritual location bonus applied.]

  [Onsen episode bonus applied.]

  [Date location bonus applied.]

  [Catch-up bonus applied.]

  [Goddess approval bonus applied.]

  [+1 roll applied.]

  I was so overwhelmed by the sudden pop-ups that I almost forgot to use “Show Hidden Secrets,” but I remembered just before closing the windows. After some careful consideration, I applied it to the “Date location bonus applied” box, as it seemed the most common of all the bonuses. I was eager to understand the system’s fundamentals, and bonuses like “catch-up” seemed rare, at least compared to any game I had pyed in the past.

  [Date location is the location where you utilize your date-finding skills. It determines which girls are in the dating pool and your chances of securing a date with them.]

  [You can start accessing date location information at Observe 15.]

  ‘Wow, that is actually extremely helpful. If I'm correct, as long as I have sufficient information on a target, I should be able to guarantee a date with them.’ This information turned out to be very useful, and I even began to suspect that this system wasn't as random as I initially thought. However, I'm still not ready to discount the possibility that the stupid goddess simply implemented whatever amused her without much consideration for its functionality or coherence.

  “Ooooohhhhhhh,” my system’s voice echoed in my head as the golden wheel appeared. This wheel was far more eborate than the other. In contrast to the single explicit image in the center of the previous wheel, this one was embellished with graphic detail all over its golden surface. Each girl depicted was in a unique act or position, and none of them were dressed in anything that could be considered more than lingerie.

  ‘It’s called hentai, and Mother says it's the highest form of art,’ she decred, sounding quite proud of her knowledge on the subject. The more I conversed with my system, the more concerned I became about the nonsense that stupid goddess had instilled in her. Nevertheless, I made myself stay focused and postponed dealing with the goddess for another time.

  I was almost too distracted to notice that instead of individual names, this time, I received group names like “The Wandering Winds” and “The Fellowship of Nine.” These were, of course, abbreviations; the full names were excessively long. Even my sisters couldn’t settle on a name shorter than twenty words.

  The selector nded on an adventure group named "The Intrepid Trailbzers of Distant Horizons: Seekers and Explorers of Forgotten Paths and Mysterious Realms Beyond the Known Worlds and Uncharted Lands," or simply the Trailbzers for short, because I refused to repeat that mouthful every time I had to mention them.

  After the wheel of distractions vanished, I resumed reading the notifications. Even the system voice departed swiftly this time, after a sound that resembled a yawn. I briefly wondered if the system needed sleep, but decided to ponder it ter.

  [Bonuses are enhancements that improve a skill. There are two types of enhancements for dates: personal and external. Personal enhancements rete to the date target, such as choosing a location that holds significance for her. External enhancements involve actions, such as motorboating her before you roll to boost your luck. The greater the significance of the action to the target, the rger the increase in effectiveness.]

  [This onsen is renowned for establishing many legendary meetings in the city. As a result, meeting someone here for the first time often leaves a sting impression. It also puts the target in a rexed state, increasing Affection gains.]

  [A Date in a Onsen][Date target - Trailbzers]

  Finding the targets was straightforward since the Observe skill marked which group they belonged to. The Trailbzers, a diverse group of girls, were gathered on the other side of the Onsen.

  The first one I spotted was a girl with white shoulder-length hair and stern blue eyes. Her features reminded me of my encounter with the valkyrie, albeit slightly less ethereal and more human-like. She wore a set of blue earrings that even I could discern were a powerful item.

  [Name: Yelizaveta Level: ??? Affection: 0 Group: TrailbzersFeels at peace while in the water.]

  The next girl to catch my eye was a woman with bck hair adorned with golden ornaments. But that wasn’t what initially drew my attention. Just below her neck, my gaze was immediately captured by the intricate floral patterns covering her nipples. It took me a few seconds to stop staring.

  [Name: Urda ??? Level: ??? Affection: 0 Group: TrailbzersShe has a feather that she likes to run across her nipples, which she keeps on the side of her desk.]

  The third girl had long blue hair that fanned out across the water's surface. Perched on top of her head was a hat that wouldn't be out of pce on a wizard, and beside her floated a piece of cloth on the water. She seemed to be chuckling to herself.

  [Name: Esmeralda ??? Level: ??? Affection: 0 Group: TrailbzersHas a hard time letting jokes die and keeps going until it becomes annoying.]

  Slightly off from the group, was a girl as green as grass from head to toe, including her hair. With her eyes closed, she sat perfectly still, and if we were in the great forest, I'm sure I would have overlooked her among the trees.

  [Name: Chossach Grove Level: ??? Affection: 22 Group: TrailbzersRemains motionless until she strikes, like a Venus flytrap.]

  I'm not sure how I gained any Affection from her, but it's certainly welcome. The next two girls were slightly further away. The first was ghostly pale with striking purple eyes that stared straight ahead as if she were lifeless. Her hair was a faded bck, giving it a muted and subdued appearance.

  [Name: Nyx of the Dead Level: ??? Affection: -5 Group: TrailbzersRigor mortis has set in. Loves cute things.]

  ‘Rigor mortis? Is she actually dead? And how does that work when all ailments are supposed to heal?' I had many questions, but I chose to set them aside for now, a recurring theme for the day. I also wasn't sure when I lost Affection with her, and while I don’t need to collect all their cards, I’m certainly going to try.

  The st girl appeared slightly transparent. Her hair was styled into pigtails, and her eyes were a pale golden hue. After noticing that the two shared the same st name—or perhaps a title—I compared them, but aside from the lifeless look in their eyes, which suited their title, they looked nothing alike.

  [Name: Spectra of the Dead Level: ??? Affection: 0 Group: TrailbzersAs a child, she enjoyed hiding her friends' things, causing them to panic and search frantically, only to find them in completely unexpected pces.]

  ‘That makes six. If I can manage to get them all, I'd reach level 23.’ I would be increasing my social skill to level five just to see what skill I got and what it would offer in terms of system interaction, but ultimately leaned toward focusing on Observe. With Observe, I could identify girls with powerful cards, figure out the perfect gifts to give them, obtain their cards, and then never worry about it again. Social and Charm seemed better suited for leveling up affection past one hundred.

  ‘Time to see how all the skills work together.’ First, I upgraded the date location with “A Date to Remember,” transforming it from “A Date in an Onsen” to “A Steamy Rendezvous.”

  Next, I went to activate “Charm Her Pants Off,” but hesitated when deciding who to use the skill on. An idea struck me, and to my surprise, I felt the skill activate across their entire group.

  As time resumed, my body moved on its own once again—a sensation I might never get used to.

  “Hey Sakura, I’ll race you to the other side!” I called out in a childish voice, which sounded rather strange coming from a guy my size.

  With a wide smile and complete disregard for Angelica, Sakura leaped up and dashed off at my call, showing her enthusiasm. For the first time in my life, I witnessed Angelica and mom do a double take, perfect mirror images of shock at my words.

  Sakura’s card slid into pce, and I felt her Blessing move in ways far beyond her abilities. It swirled around me, not just pulling in water or even space, but something much more profound. The world shifted, and before I knew it, my head collided with something ft yet soft.

  “Hey. kid, you just thought something rude about me didn’t you?” a girl's voice asked, prompting me to look up and see a small, red-haired girl. I instinctively used Observe.

  [Name: Tabitha ??? Level: ??? Affection: 0 Group: TrailbzersHas a soft spot for kids. Often spends her free time pnning what she'll do when she has her own children.]

  ‘Wait, she's part of their group. I completely overlooked her earlier, thinking she was just some kid tagging along.’ I gnced back at her after reading the information from the window.

  Her eyebrow twitched as she scrutinized my face. “You just thought something even more rude, huh?”

  I fshed her a grin, reminiscent of a mischievous child about to pull a prank, and replied, “I was just caught off guard by your stunning hair.”

  [+37 Tabitha Affection points]

  I noticed that I also gained Affection points from the rest of the group, but I'd have to check those details ter.

  “Oh,” she nodded in response to my compliment, “your mom really did raise a good kid.”

  “Wait, aren't you part of ‘The Intrepid Trailbzers of Distant Horizons: Seekers and Explorers of Forgotten Paths and Mysterious Realms Beyond the Known Worlds and Uncharted Lands’?” I asked, my eyes sparkling as I popped up out of the water, now towering over her as I looked down.

  “Oh, you know of us? Guess we have been doing some pretty impressive stuff tely,” she responded, her earlier annoyance vanishing as she struck a boastful pose and tapped her chest.

  “Yep, my mom told me all about your group. Oh, I know,” I said as I pulled out a drink set, the cups already filled with liquor, that must have come from somewhere in the shop. A quick gnce confirmed I was indeed missing 15,000 points. “Here's to the beautiful big sister.”

  “Oh,” she said, rubbing my head as I leaned over to hand her a cup. She took a sip of the liquor I'd given her, and I felt her hand pull away as the skill effect faded.

  “Wow, this is good,” she said with a bright smile.

  Before I could straighten myself, another hand reached up, and I noticed Miki for the first time in a while. She must have made her way over while I was chatting with Tabitha. Once she secured a drink for herself, she slid over to the edge of the onsen, settling next to Tabitha and leaning against the side. Her gaze briefly swept over Tabitha’s body before she spoke.

  “Tabitha The Raging Inferno of Courage, Chaos, and Redemption Amidst the Firestorm, right? You really are fun-sized,” she said with a grin. As I looked at the two, it was clear that Tabitha was even smaller than Miki.

  Shifting her eyes back to Tabitha, she maintains the stare beneath the water. “You're really going to need to use some force to get it in there, sweetie. Yep, there will definitely be a bulge.”

  Tabitha looked puzzled at Miki's words, but I had some inkling of what she meant and decided to steer the conversation away from it.

  "So, tell me about your test outing," I said, trying my best to maintain the kid act. Tabitha gave me a strange look for a moment but ultimately chose to let it slide.

  Instead, she raised her head high, radiating pride. “Not even twenty days ago, we were traveling through the Great Forest when we encountered a Tier 8 monster. The beast was camoufged, making it impossible for us to spot. I was the first to be targeted, as it's neutral practice to go for the strongest first. But when it struck, I didn't panic. I hit it with a combination of fire, slicing it clean in half.”

  A voice cut in from farther down the onsen, “She was indeed the first one targeted. The monster struck her so hard, she ended up buried meters underground and was so out of it that she didn't even participate in the fight. It took us all morning to dig her up, after we managed to kill it.”

  A lone blue cloak floated gracefully just above the water's surface, its fabric extending skillfully to wrap around one of the cups before returning it to the blue-haired girl who was now entering the conversation. “Come on, stop being mad and come back over here to join us. They're just useless anyway.”

  A series of Affection notifications popped up, each over +15.

  “You can only say that because…” She gnced at the other girl's chest, then looked away, cheeks puffing up in displeasure as she sank her own ft chest back under the water.

  "Plus—" Before the blue-haired girl could finish, fmes erupted around her.

  “Stupid cowgirls,” muttered the petite redhead, not even gncing at her companion. I looked over to see the blue-haired girl slightly singed and more irritated about her drink, which had gone up in fmes.

  “That's enough, you two. We're not at home, and you're setting a bad example for the kids,” the white-haired girl at the center of the group said firmly. She was right; looking around, I saw that many people were watching, including my mom, who was making her way over with the twins, who were cpping enthusiastically at the fire show.

  I offered a smile to the other girls, “Would the rest of you like some?”

  "Yes, that would be nice. They seem to be enjoying it," the dark-haired girl adorned with gold ornaments replied, dragging her words out like the princess. Despite my best efforts, my eyes kept wandering to her nipples.

  Suddenly, a small wooden creature formed on her shoulders, resembling a block of wood with arms and legs. After it took shape, it dove into the water and swiftly swam over to pick up two drinks, then hurried back to the girls. The bck-haired girl waved in thanks as she received the drinks, handing the second cup to the white-haired girl.

  [+17 Yelizaveta Affection points][+26 Urda Affection points]

  My attention was drawn back to this side as my mom approached us. The twins in her arms, torn between swimming toward me and hiding. Their indecision quickly turned into teary eyes as they watched us.

  “Oh, they're so cute,” Tabitha excimed, seeing the twins up close. “Oh, no, don't cry!” She tried making silly faces, which drew a ugh from Mom but did nothing to cheer up the twins. The petite girl began to panic as much as the twins did.

  Without a word, the white-haired girl tossed something to the redhead, who easily caught it. Her expression immediately settled, as if her panic had never existed. "You're in luck, you two! This is from Celestial Starlight Citadel, the only town with a Tier 12 candy maker. Once you taste it, you'll be begging this older sister to fetch you some more."

  She extended her hand to offer the chocote to the twins, but they ignored it, instead lunging forward to bite into her hand with their razor-sharp teeth.

  I jumped, about to swim over and intervene, but I was the only one armed. All the other girls just ughed. It took me too long to realize that the twins could never have bitten her unless Tabitha and Mom allowed them.

  "They really are little oni, huh?" She giggled gently as the twins gnawed at her hand, then she skillfully used her free hand, which now mysteriously held the chocote, to slip some into their mouths. How she made the switch, I couldn’t see, even with Sakura's card still active.

  Once they tasted the chocote, they quickly let go, evidently preferring the sweet treat to her hand.

  “See? What did I tell you…” the twins then refocused on Tabitha and both quickly scampered over to me. I scooped them both up into my arms. Once they felt safe, they mustered the courage to gre at her, even while contentedly munching on her chocote.

  “Don't feel bad, you know a girl can't win against a brother. They even ditch their poor old mom every chance they get, just like their older sisters,” Mom said, watching the twins and then shifting her gaze to Angelica and Sakura, who had just made her way back over.

  Both sisters simply rolled their eyes at her comment. I reached out one hand while making sure to keep a good hold on the twins. “Here you go, big sister, for winning.”

  “You’re really bad at acting, brother,” Sakura couldn't help but blurt out. She took the pte from me, so I didn't have to juggle three things, and cimed a cup for herself. “But you look so cute when you try. You should do this more often.”

  Seeing that the twins were glued to me, Mom made her way over to the group, most likely to thank them for the chocote. She easily struck up a conversation, and I quickly noticed Affection notifications popping up.

  'Looks like Mom will handle the rest,' I thought, seeing that the girls she was chatting with were already close to one hundred.

  [+37 Tabitha Affection point]

  Looking back, I saw Tabitha talking to Miki, her face beet red as she gnced at me out of the corner of her eye. From her expression and the fact that she was speaking with Miki, it wasn't hard to guess what they were discussing.

  Angelica was equally engrossed in the conversation, though not as flustered. I decided to step away for my own sanity. I swam over to the trio standing a little apart from the others, with Sakura following behind. Though these three weren't as distant as Tabitha, they seemed somewhat removed. More precisely, two of them seemed distant, with the green-haired girl serving as a bridge between them. They were the only ones I hadn't gained any Affection points with so far.

  “Would you two like some?” I offered. They didn’t answer, but the ghostly pale one locked eyes with me, and I felt as if she was staring into my soul.

  “Aren’t you bothered by us?” Her voice was soft yet eerie.

  “Why would I be?” I asked, until I noticed the twins had stopped eating their chocote and were burying their faces in my chest, trying to hide. Even Sakura looked sick, a sight I’d never seen before.

  “I see,” she said, giving me a smile that seemed both there and not. “You’ll grow up to be a fine man.”

  I'm not sure how she managed it, but the cup floated from Sakura to her without any visible external force.

  “I will gdly accept this offering,” she said to me, giving a slight bow of her head.

  [You have offered Spectra an offering. All spiritual defenses have increased while she has a positive view of you.]

  [+100 Spectra Affection points]

  ‘I’m not sure what that meant, but she's at 100 now,’ I thought. I then turned my attention to the girl with purple eyes. “How about you?”

  She didn't respond. In fact, she didn't move at all. If this were on Earth, I’d swear she was a corpse. The silence stretched on while the other two offered no help. Then I remembered what I'd read in her Observe window.

  I scrolled through the shop and found a rge, fluffy pink bear, which I bought for just 300 points.

  As soon as the bear appeared in my hands, the twins lunged at it, tearing it apart piece by piece. The sight seemed to bring life to the girl's eyes before they went even more lifeless than before.

  [-30 Nyx Affection points.]

  But I quickly shifted my focus as I scrambled to grab the twins, only to realize they were both fine, comfortably sitting on a wooden branch. It seemed that whatever had been bothering them was forgotten in the scramble. Perhaps one of the girls had intervened, because even Sakura looked better now.

  [+37 Chossach Affection points]

  I gnced over and saw the green-haired girl smiling at us, her ruby red eyes now open. I returned the smile and shuffled through the shop for another bear, this one adorned with extra frills.

  “This one’s for you; you seem like a girl who appreciates extra frills,” I said, holding the bear above the water. Like the liquor earlier, the bear floated from my hand across the water. The girl moved for the first time, quickly snatching the bear as if worried the twins might try to cim this one too.

  [Your actions have charmed her, moving her dead heart.]

  [+742 Nyx Affection points]

  'Wow, that was a lot,' I thought, as the dead looking girl went from zero to beyond the point where most others got stuck. Despite the increase in Affection, her expression remained unchanged.

  Seeing that these three had now reached 100, I looked back and used Observe on each girl, confirming that all had passed the hundred-point mark.

  [Date end]

  As if on cue, knowing I had achieved my goal, the date ended. I looked at the seven cards I had collected, deciding to examine them more closely when I was back at home. Reflecting on the event, I realized I hadn't encountered any dialogue choices this time. I wondered if that was due to my use of skills, or perhaps it was influenced by the bonuses I had received.

  Allowing time to resume, I rejoined Tabitha and listened as she regaled us with more heroic tales, obviously embellished to make her look good. Despite her efforts, she couldn't coax the twins to warm up to her.

  The rest of the year passed without much excitement, until I received a notification halfway through that I was automatically accepted into the tournament, bypassing the need for qualifiers. My best guess was that the princess had intervened, though I hadn't yet had the chance to see her.

  [Inventory Unlocked: You can store up to 40 items.]

  [Social Butterfly: Show only the correct choices on one date.]

  [More Than Just A Little Luck: Set up a date that seems impossible to occur.]

  [Love Land]

  [Training Field 3: -10% cost.]

  [Library Upgraded to Magic Library: Gain information by defeating or imprisoning enemies. Also gain information when visiting new pces for the first time.]

  [Graveyard Unlocked: 1.5 million - All stored bodies will remain in perfect condition.]

  [Laser Cannons Unlocked: 100k each, max of 5.]

  [Helper Menu Unlocked: 5k each. Totems added - Tier 1 limit, max of 10.]

  [Armor Workshop Unlocked: 30k - Provides all the tools needed to craft armor.]

  [Grove Upgraded to Sprite Grove: Will now empower and spawn creators, who are counted as helpers.]

  [Shrine Unlocked: 7 million - Offers protection for all girls who hold Affection for you.]

  [Debt repayment - 1,007,611][New Debt - 820,739]

  [All your skills have been reset.][Happy new year! You were gifted - 18,822 Love points - from all your loved ones.]

  [Liev Ekker - Level 24 Goddess points: 6,265Love points: 18,822Debt 820,739Stat points: 0

  Luck: 15 Charm: 5 Social: 5 Observe: 8

  Skills - Date a lottery 12/12, A date to remember [o], Show hidden secrets [o], Charm her pants off [o], Social butterfly [o], More Than Just A Little Luck [o]

  Achievements - 28Achievements_Alice - 1

  Cards: 1_Yuno - 2020, 2_Sakura - 500, 3_Angelica - 500, 4_Alice 500, 5_Cire - 245, 6_Selen - 254, 7_Miki - 447, 8_Amelia - 466, 9_Anna - 272 10_Emma - 272 11_Sk?gul - 500, 12_Ellie - 142, 13_Lucy - 129, 14_Grace - 1015, 15_Shadow_13 - 136, 16_Izzy - 208 17_Lamya - 422, 18_Nyx - 707, 19_Esmeralda - 114, 20_Tabitha - 127, 21_Urda -101, 22_Yelizaveta - 101, 23_Spectra - 100, 24_Chossach - 133]