alwaysunqualified

  Chapter 22 – First tournament arc. part 4

  I spent the entire night vexed by the goddess. I tried asking her questions but received no useful answers. When I inquired about returning home, she unched into an extensive diatribe about chapter numbers, pacing, and the need to find the right seiyū—apparently, that’s a voice actor. I even attempted to learn her name, but she only told me to call her "my love" or "babe." I think I'll just call her "moron."

  “Oh, so nice. Say it again, but with more disgust,” she replied, her smile radiating a deep sense of satisfaction.

  Forget it; I'm just going to rise and prepare for the tournament. With this influx of love points, I can now afford items that were previously beyond my grasp, like magic armor and weapons. Although, the names of these items do raise some concerns.

  [Love points: 37,998,433]

  [Kuudere Sword - This sword will grow stronger as you invest more love into it, enhancing its capabilities and acquiring new abilities as it tiers up. Love points also sharpens the bde. Currently at tier 0. Cost: 2.2 million.]

  [Masodere Armor - This armor becomes more robust as you invest more love into it, enhancing its capabilities and acquiring new abilities as it tiers up. Love points also serve to reinforce and repair the armor. Cost: 2.2 million.]

  [Dandere Cloak - Strengthens as you invest more love into it, enhancing its capabilities and acquiring new abilities as it tiers up. Love points enhance its concealment properties. Cost: 2.2 million.]

  [Kuudere - Cold on the outside but warm on the inside.]

  [Masodere - Resilient; can take a hit and ask for more.]

  [Dandere - Quiet and reserved, needing a gentle push to open up.]

  I'll save items like the gun for ter, but what do those terms even mean? I think they're Japanese, but I don’t really recognize them since I've always watched anime dubbed.

  “That is definitely the single most disgusting confession I’ve ever heard.” She abruptly stopped, and what followed sounded suspiciously like dry heaving.

  “Excuse me, I almost threw up there. But it's okay, I forgive you, no one is perfect, besides me. We can take all the time you want ter and watch anime the right way. I know of this incest one with twins, the only downside is that they are his step sisters,” she said, her tone dripping with empathy and concern that made the earlier speech seem like a poor performance.

  “Not this shit again. Why not do something useful and just tell me what they mean?” I replied, completely disregarding the intense emotion emanating from her.

  “But System-chan already did,” she said, looking confused, with one finger on her lips and a slight tilt of her head.

  “System-chan?” I questioned, fairly certain she was referring to the system, but puzzled by the 'chan'.

  “Can you believe he's pretending like he doesn't know you, System-chan?” she said, her gaze turning sympathetically towards the empty space next to me.

  “Yes, mother, he is quite mean. It seems he still needs a higher Social stat,” she remarked, sounding sad but also like a child feigning sorrow to manipute someone.

  “Aw, how cute, you're already speaking so well. But don’t tire yourself out; we have a long day ahead,” the goddess cooed, reaching out to stroke what I could now discern as a small humanoid figure next to me. I couldn’t make out any features, aside from her long hair.

  “Yes, mother,” she replied, and this time, I could tell it was genuine—the system truly relished the attention vished upon her.

  “Such a good girl, isn't she? You must be wondering who the father is,” the goddess said with a broad smile.

  “No,” I replied instantly.

  “And the results say…” I heard a drum roll start in the background, “you are the father.”

  “Daddy?” The figure turned to me, revealing rge purple eyes.

  “Don’t even start!” I excimed, doing my best to ignore her innocent gaze as I confronted the goddess.

  “Ah, it’s okay, mommy still loves you,” the goddess said, swooping in to hug the figure while shooting me a look of disappointment.

  “You're the best mommy. When I grow up, I want to be just like you,” she decred, sending a shiver down my spine. This was definitely an act, but is it bad that part of me wants to take an active role to ensure that doesn’t happen? No, she’s just trying to draw me into her pace. I need to ignore her.

  I ended up purchasing the weapons, armor, and cloak, despite being 99% certain I might regret it ter. However, the potential benefits seemed to outweigh the costs. Right now, they might not be much, but only nobles have access to weapons beyond tier 7, and beyond tier 13, you need investments typically only rge cities can afford.

  That's why fools often die in ruins. If they manage to secure a high-tier artifact, they're essentially set for life.

  "Okay, it's intervention time. You really need to stop spreading misinformation!" she said, her expression a mix of concern and care.

  …

  "What am I misinformed about?" I asked. I knew I didn’t know everything, but I believed my reasoning was sound.

  “Well, it would be easier to list the only thing you got right: that you will regret your purchase. And that’s not even including all the other errors you keep making. I don’t know whether to be impressed or stressed. Do you realize how much we'll have to correct ter? You really should improve your Observe stat,” she said, her voice caring yet unsettlingly sincere.

  “And social,” the system chimed in, sounding excited about the potential increase in that stat.

  I took a moment to reflect. I’ve been researching this world in my spare time, but so much isn’t documented, making certainty difficult. I thought I was doing a decent job. ‘Do I need to reevaluate everything I know?’

  After pondering for a while, I reached a conclusion. ‘You know what, I don’t care. It doesn’t really matter anyway.’

  "Oh well, I guess this way is more entertaining for our viewers." She shrugged and casually dropped the topic she had seemed so invested in.

  Ignoring her, I got up to wash my face and get ready. I pulled a new set of clothes from my inventory to change into. The staff had offered me a bath and to wash my clothing, but I declined. Technically, I didn't even need to change clothes; with this body barely getting dirty at this stage of my growth, much to Angelica's disappointment, but old habits die hard.

  Once ready, an attendant escorted me back through the grand halls, adorned with decorations I had ignored yesterday and decided to disregard today as well, especially when I noticed the massive dick looping across the archway.

  Returning to the room we had first arrived in yesterday, I was once again ignored, so I spent the time slowly feeding love points into my sword in a process that reminded me of feeding Alice. It was a gradual process, but the sword was already leveling up.

  [Name: Kuudere Sword Level: 3 Skills: Sharpen]

  The same cloaked dy from yesterday entered and with another tap of her staff, we vanished, reappearing on a ft stage amid a roaring crowd already shouting with excitement. In front of us, microphone in hand and arm raised in our direction, was the announcer from yesterday.

  “Now, brace yourselves, for the air itself trembles with the might of our champions! First, let us direct our cheers toward the indomitable spirits of our two strongest contenders—warriors of such formidable power, they have conquered foes without so much as a step! Behold the enchanting siren, whose charm captures the will of her adversaries, a mesmerizing dance of mind over matter. And witness the iron-willed dominatrix, whose steadfast command compels all to yield before her dominating spirit!” Her speech carried on as she pointed to the winners of the tier 6 and 5 brackets. The crowd roared again, and both competitors stood proud as they looked out, one exuding an intimidating aura, the other a charming presence as she gave a small wave.

  “Today’s battles shift to the relentless, heart-pounding pace of the Divine Ascent! Our valorous tier 0 victor shall commence the battle, each challenger ascending to dethrone him. This cascade of conquest will continue, a relentless battle of strength and strategy, until only one stands unmatched, the true paragon of our tournament!” The stage elevated into the air as a tune resonated through the venue, with the audience cpping along. A throne was shifted to the far side of the stage, just waiting to be cimed. The other competitors were teleported to a stage on the side, slightly below, leaving only me and the winner of the tier 1 brackets still on the stage.

  “Now, let us welcome the first two extraordinary warriors. Here stands a fighter like no other, a mirroring marvel who can assume the very essence of his peers' Blessings. And beside him, a colossus in her own right, a titaness whose strength and resilience have left her unscathed and unvanquished!” The girl facing me had a subtle green hue to her skin and towered slightly above me, standing close to eight feet tall. Her muscles were sharply defined, the veins visible beneath her skin. A small horn protruded from her forehead, just barely noticeable. She was devoid of clothing, paint, or any markings that might indicate a Blessing.

  “Mommy!” A voice cut through the speech and roar of the crowd, drowning out everything else as if they weren't even there. “Do you see her abs? That's not just a six-pack, that's a twelve-pack! Quick, go buy some cheese from the shop!”

  “So, dear audience, raise your voices! Let the Goddesses hear your cheers, for the battle begins anew. Watch closely, for history is written by the trials of the brave and the triumphs of the bold! May the mightiest prevail!” With her closing words and the resounding roar of the crowd that shook the city, she vanished, and the stage fell silent. Looking up, I could still see the crowd moving, but no sound reached us.

  “I have seen what you can do. While you might beat a lot of tier 1s, just give up here. I don’t think you want to get embarrassed in front of all these dies,” my opponent finally spoke, snapping me out of my observations. Then time froze.

  “Date starto!”

  [Target: A girl you could shred cheese on.]

  [Name: Gov Level: 57 Affection: -2Yes, she can indeed crush your head with her thighs.]

  I took a deep breath, centering my nerves before fielding Miki’s card, ready to end this as quickly as possible.

  “I wonder if I should have made intelligence a stat; I could have bargained a bit harder with Intellect-chan,” the goddess mused, seemingly to herself. I ignored her, allowing time to resume. I took a deep breath, filling it with poison, then exhaled, pnning to engulf the entire arena. Instead, I was promptly punched in the face, then the gut, and hurled across the arena. I bounced a few times before sliding to a halt.

  As I y there, I was surprised that it actually hurt, given Miki’s durability. It seemed I couldn’t, in fact, one-shot her with Miki’s card.

  Using my legs, I attempted to spin my body upright while filling my lungs again, but before I could even lift myself off the ground, I felt a foot sm into my stomach, pinning me down and cracking the ground beneath me. Before I could react, she mounted me and cmped her thighs around me, immobilizing me before starting to rain down punches.

  “Oh, mommy! Make sure to come back for this one; she really knows how to treat a man,” the goddess chirped, sounding like a simp hopelessly infatuated with a girl.

  I switched to a less effective but faster-producing poison that flowed continuously from my mouth with each hit she delivered. I did my best to guard against her blows, but it seemed to have no effect as I was literally pounded into the ground. A synthesized poison would work, I was sure, but there was no way I would have time for that with her…

  Then one of her punches connected lightly before her body colpsed on top of me. She just dropped dead mid-punch.

  “I personally would have chosen Yelizaveta-chan’s card. The epic csh of power would have racked up a ton of points. But hey, I'm not one to kink shame—if you want to get beat up by a dommy mommy, don't let me stop you,” she said, trying to sound nonjudgmental.

  “I didn’t ask!” I retorted as I pushed the rge girl off of me and got up. My clothes were a mess until the stage was repaired, the girl vanished, and the crowd along with the announcer returned.

  She marched across the stage, still full of poison, her ribbons flowing out behind her. “Let us hear it for our valiant tier 0 champion, who battled not just his opponent but the very clutches of death itself, and emerged victorious as his adversary succumbed to a cunningly woven web of poison. It was a victory grasped in the final, fleeting breaths of fortune—an epitome of survival by the skin of one's teeth!”

  With a wave, the poison vanished and my next opponent took her pce opposite me. “Now, as the echoes of that battle still reverberate through the arena, it is time to introduce the next challenger. A combatant whose abilities transcend distance, whose command over the cosmos itself can rip it apart. Please welcome the mistress of space—she who bends the continuum to her will, creating and colpsing distances with but a mere thought!”

  The goddess yawned as the new challenger took the stage. “Boring, why did Destruction-chan give her such a boring power? It’s really only good for ripping apart space. Not that I'm saying not to bring her home, and yes, the interior is green, if you must know.”

  “Step forward, illustrious warrior, and let the arena embrace your celestial might. May your battle not only defy space but also demonstrate your valor, as you seek to dethrone the reigning champion and cim the throne as your own celestial domain! May the mightiest prevail,” she announced before disappearing, leaving me facing the stoic girl in front of me. She was petite, her goblin-green skin giving away her race, even though she cked their characteristic ears. She wore a simple chain vest, uncommon attire here, with a half-shield on her left arm.

  “Date starto!”

  [Target: A girl that can't touch you.]

  [Name: Tisk Level: 84 Affection: 6Has 107 sisters.]

  I slotted Esmeralda’s card and draped the cloak I had purchased over my clothes. In her card, she wore her wizard-like hat and cloak, and nothing else. Her long hair was a lighter shade of blue than her eyes, which sparkled with mischief when paired with her smile.

  Spoiler

  [colpse][Name: Esmeralda ???Level: 212Affection: 117Trait: Goddess: The Goddess of Material.Primary Blessing: Photon Control tier 6Lesser Blessings: Martial Combat tier 5, Cape Mastery tier 7, Level Pying Field tier 3, Trash Can Tier 4, Follower tier 4]

  [Photon Control: Allows the wielder to generate, control, and manipute light.]

  [Martial Combat: Correction to combat abilities in the mortal pne.]

  [Cape Mastery: Master over using the cape.]

  [Level Pying Field: Temporarily adjusts the target's power level to more closely match that of the wilder.]

  [Trash Can: Ability to discard or neutralize lesser abilities.]

  [Follower: Increases the effectiveness as a follower in various aspects of life.]

  "Oooo, critical mistake," the goddess remarked, her lips puckering forward while her head leaned back. I actually paused at that, turning to give her my full attention.

  "Oh, no spoilers, but maybe you should think about how your blessings function when you get home. There are so many little features of System-chan that you've failed to utilize," she noted, her tone a mix of disappointment and understanding, as if it were almost expected of someone like me.

  I took some time to reread Esmeralda's card, but I couldn't spot what she was hinting at. Even with the additional information from Esmeralda, I couldn't see how I could approach this differently.

  "Yep, I should have added Intelligence as a stat… No, him being cute is still more important, oh and the big dick." she mused, as if reassuring herself that she had made the right choice in the end.

  I shook my head, refocusing on the fight. Her abilities were formidable, and without a hard defense, even the tier difference in our Blessings wouldn't prevent her from potentially killing me if I lost focus.

  As the fight commenced, I let the cloak wrap around my arms and legs, enhancing my movements. I dodged an invisible attack aimed at my head with a speed I wasn't normally capable of. Mastery of an item, like my mom's dle, grants a ridiculous boost. At tier 7, my cloak almost seemed to act as a sentient entity, capable of responding on its own. With martial combat, I could sense her attacks approaching, even if I couldn't visually track them myself; the cloak managed the movements.

  ‘Good, looks like defense is no big deal after all,’ I thought as I unleashed a series of photon sers from my hands that bent around her, leaving scorch marks on the ground. Her ability to bend space was annoying, but I felt it was only a matter of time before I fully countered her Blessing.

  I fired a second volley of beams that circled around her, nding in front.

  Suddenly, my cloak acted like wings, pulling me upward as the space below me crumpled. It prepared to fly me away, but with a thought, I slowed its speed, allowing her spatial ability to catch my arm. Just as I sensed my arm was about to be torn off, I activated "trash can" to devour her ability before she could do any damage.

  With that, I formuted a winning strategy: I could charge in, neutralize her abilities with "trash can," and end the match with a quick burst of ser fire. However, I paused to further consider the capabilities of Esmeralda’s Blessing. Her sers didn't really have a cooldown period; she mainly limited their use because they consumed a lot of magic. That’s why I started the fight simirly, testing my opponent while relying on my less intensive cape Blessing to keep me safe, but unlike her, I couldn't afford to get up close and personal.

  Also unlike her, my only limit was how fast I could manifest the sers. With a smile, I extended both hands, and small orbs began cycling around them. I could produce sixty a second. Realizing this, my smile widened. I fired the first ser just as the st one formed to repce it. I unleashed a barrage of sers as my cloak maneuvered me around her. She attempted to twist space to evade, but random sers found their mark, chipping away at parts of her body as they burned through. In less than a minute, she y on the ground, barely half of her remaining.

  With the fight concluded, my choices reappeared.

  Show your excitement about your new ser minigun abilityFloat down coolly"Yeah, woo hoo. Good going," the goddess cheered, though her enthusiasm didn't sound sincere.

  "0/10, failed to get the girl," my system followed up, sounding very disappointed.

  "Well, she is a tough one to win over. Although he could have done better. And really, what's one less girl in a goblin orgy... Yeah, he really did mess up big time here." The goddess wore a face that a parent might make when disappointed in their child but still showing love, reminiscent of my mom back on Earth.

  I made my choice just to avoid further commentary from them. In one fluid motion, I nded back on the ground, the cloak vanishing just as my feet touched down. I gnced at the fighters who had yet to challenge me and offered them a barely visible, cocky smile, which was rewarded with a flood of points.