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Chapter 28: Training These Newbie Soldiers!

Part 1

Yunyun went ahead to catch up with Mitsurugi for their usual training session. I went to the dungeon as well, but rather than meet up with the others…

I went to the train station to meet with the JSDF soldiers.

"...I believe I asked them not to dress too conspicuously."

I said, looking at the men and women before me dressed in Hawaiian shirts and khaki shorts.

Sena, who was tasked to organize the soldiers I was supposed to train, rubbed her temples as she sighed.

"I'm sorry, but they came here looking like this."

Other people were already steering away from them, thinking they were undercover cops or a group of weirdos.

I examined the soldiers. There were only about six of them, which was surprising. Aqua did thoroughly sniff through a bunch of soldiers, but there was only a handful of those who had potential. There were 5 men and 1 woman, all of them standing perfectly in a row. All the men had shaved heads, and the woman had hers cut in a bob.

"...Let's just head into the dungeon before we attract more attention."

I said, as people steered a wide path around this suspicious gathering.

Sena had to stay behind, as she couldn't enter the dungeon. Then, leading the soldiers, I stepped inside the dungeon entrance.

The soldiers gasped in shock once we transitioned from the real world to the dungeon.

"...The reports were real…"

One of them muttered. I suppose that even if they received a classified report about the dungeon and the demon king army, some of them would be skeptical until they saw it with their own eyes.

"I thought that this was some kind of test to see how well we can follow orders, no matter how ridiculous they were."

I raised my hand and they all stood to attention, saluting me. Their efficient movements caught me off guard.

''...Alright, I'm going to be your instructor, Satou Kazuma. I realize that it's weird to have an underaged teen as your instructor, but these are crazy circumstances we're faced with. I ask you all to obey my instructions, because the wrong move can mean life or death in this dungeon."

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Alright, then first of all, here's your gear."

I took out my phone and using the Storage Box, I brought out their uniform and arms, as well as their tactical belts filled with the Hyoizaburo-san style ghoul grenades and Howa Type 20 ARs loaded with the composite ammunition I designed.

"Our unit has two objectives. First is to raise your levels and second, to field test these prototypes. Once you're ready, please follow me."

"Sir, yes, sir!"

I led them inside the first floor. I could tell from their body language that they were quite nervous. Their eyes glanced back and forth, watching for any threats. When I sensed the first pack of monsters, I held up my hand, having them stop in place.

There was a group of five goblins equipped with stone spears. I memorized some standard military hand signals from a handbook I was given earlier. I gestured for a soldier to throw a grenade, and for the others to finish off the goblins once they were paralyzed.

Unlike the usual party I explored the dungeon with, these soldiers followed all my instructions perfectly.

"Gaaa?!"

The goblins were paralyzed as ghoul claw shrapnel dug into their skin.

And then, they were decimated by the spray of bullets that tore into them.

"Good work, team. Now, check your phones and see if you have the app now."

"...We see it, sir!"

They each showed me the Adventurer Apps that were now installed on their phones.

"Alright, let's hunt a few more monsters, then you should be able to choose a class. Tell me when you're ready."

Once they reloaded and did a quick equipment check, we moved forward until we saw a group of skeletons, which were swiftly taken care of by gunfire.

By the way, they didn't gain any gun-related skills, so I suppose there wasn't a Gunslinger class or any skills associated with guns.

When they leveled up, they showed me the classes they had available to them.

All of them qualified for Warrior, Rogue, Archer and the Knight class, as well as the Adventurer class that everyone unlocks.

"Alright, all of you, choose the Adventurer class."

This was the idea that I came up with.

I bemoaned having to choose the 'weakest' class at the start, but in terms of skill diversity and acquisition, Adventurer was the right class to choose for beginners.

Besides, they could always branch out into more specialized classes later on without missing much.

I could also teach them easier if they all fought like me.

"Ditch the guns and grenades for now and equip yourself with the loot you got from the goblins and skeletons."

They obeyed my instructions and put their guns away into their inventory. It was quite a sight, seeing JSDF soldiers in leather armor, using spears, bows and shortswords rather than guns.

"Fight the next group with the weapons you have now. Then, once you acquire the associated skills, switch weapons with the next person and unlock even more skills."

I already have a cheat code on what to do to unlock certain skills, so they wouldn't have to go through the trial and error process I went through.

Aside from learning weapon skills, I also had them track enemies and become aware of their presence, letting them gain [Enemy Detection, [Farsight] and [Tracking].

I also had them run away from a group of slimes just for the sake of getting [Escape].

Even if they were trained soldiers, this was their first time in the dungeon and they were already pretty stressed out about it. They were exhausted before we even reached the Giant Toad area.

They weren't ready for that yet, anyway.

"Alright, let's call it a day. Good work. When the demon king army comes to invade, you will still primarily use your guns, but you should use all your other skills in tandem with it, especially [Farsight] and [Escape]."

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright, you're all dismissed!"

They saluted me once more, before putting their gear away into their inventories.

When we got out of the dungeon, Sena came up to me, as she was patiently waiting outside.

"How did it go, Kazuma-san?"

"...They're already better than my party."

"...! They leveled up that fast!"

No, they were much weaker.

But they followed my orders so precisely that it almost made me cry tears of joy.

While also dreading having to party with the likes of Aqua again.

You established a new bond!

Satou Kazuma Squad (JSDF Forces), Bond Rank: 1

At Rank 1, this squad will already obey all your orders and your command. However, this doesn't mean that you have earned their loyalty and respect yet. They are merely following your orders out of professional obligation.

…Well, I suppose there's still work to do to earn their respect.

Part 2

The others were already tired from their training, but I haven't trained by myself yet, since I was busy with the soldiers.

And so, I decided to do some solo grinding, since it had been a while.

I went back to the dungeon after splitting off from Sena, and used the teleporter to go to the fourth floor.

On the way there, I stopped to talk to Mary.

"Ah, Kazuma-san… I finished scanning the fourth floor."

"Good job."

"Do I get a reward?"

Considering that I needed to establish a bond with her somehow, I didn't dismiss her request right away.

"What kinda reward do you want?"

"Humu. Of course, I'd want some human nutrients."

I gave her a wary look.

"...I'm not gonna let you sap my life force away."

"I won't sap everything. Just a little bit."

I suppose it was similar to how the succubus fed themselves.

Just to make sure she didn't try anything, I placed my hand on the wall behind her and used [Drain Touch] to replenish my energy as she absorbed nutrients from me. What was scary was that this method to absorb nutrients was a passive effect that I didn't even feel or notice. That was how her kind lulled humans into a false sense of security.

"Alright, that should be good enough~!"

Mary let out a satisfied sigh as she stretched her arms, looking happy with the nutrients she absorbed. It had been a while since we forced her to abstain, after all.

"Remember what will happen to you if you do that to anyone else…"

Mary smirked when I said that.

"Wow, possessive much? Don't want me to do that to any human but you?"

"Way to twist my words!"

That was her specialty, so I tried not to let her provoke me.

"You know, you kinda remind me of my beloved…"

"Wasn't he a loser NEET who was desperate enough to mate with a plant?"

"Yeah, you really do remind me of him!"

"In what way?!"

I reminded her again to behave, before taking the new map and going on my way.

You established a new bond!

Mary (Tranquility Girl), Bond Rank: 1

At Rank 1, Mary will reluctantly go along with your commands, as her survival depends on it. She also seems to tolerate you because you remind her of her beloved. Giving your nutrients to Mary will deepen your bond.

Quest completed! Establish a bond with Mary the Tranquility Girl! Quest Rewards: Gain the title [Monster Tamer]

[Monster Tamer]

When this title is equipped, you are capable of calming and taming monsters around your level.

I got a title…

I equipped it right away, looking to try it out on some of the monsters in the lower floors.

If Darkness could tame that Giant Toad, I imagined that I could achieve the same results.

I mean, if Darkness of all people could do it…

Once that was taken care of, I set about exploring more of the fourth floor.

It didn't take long until I sensed quite a powerful monster. The fact that it wasn't in a group and still gave me a sense of foreboding meant that its threat level was pretty high.

When I turned the corner, I was surprised to see that it was a Female Orc.

However, unlike the other Female Orcs, it seemed to have hair that was intentionally dyed black. It also seemed to wear something like black eyeliner and even had a nose-piercing. As for its weapon, it had a big cleaver.

I observed this Female Orc before engaging it in combat.

"Heh… Life really is better by myself. Who needs other orcs? They're so noisy and obsessed with men… Ugh. Damn sluts… Always partying all night and capturing men to mate with… There's more to life than that, you know? And what about the emotional connection? I can't just sleep with some random guy the tribe captured and let him impregnate me, while also sharing him with everyone else. If I was to mate with a man, I'd want it to be a special relationship, you know? Yeah, a relationship like that is ideal."

…It seems like this particular Female Orc is having some kind of identity crisis.

I tried to sneak up on the Female Orc, but she was high-leveled enough that she sensed my presence, even with [Lurk].

"...! Sniff, sniff… Oh? That's a man, I smell, isn't it? Hey, you can come out! We don't have to fight. I'm not like the other orcs! I'm not just looking to hook up! I want to connect on an emotional level!"

That might have been convincing if she wasn't drooling and blushing while saying that.

I decided to try out the [Delay Spell] skill.

I drew my shortbow and created an ice arrow, and while I was notching it, I used [Delay Spell]. Even as I was firing the arrow, three magical orbs made out of ice, water and fire floated above my head, orbiting it.

"Owww! W-Why'd you hurt me?! I just wanted to talk! Here I was being nice to you, and you're gonna treat me like that?! Fine, I guess I'll force myself on you after all!"

The orc's real intentions came out.

Even with the ice arrow piercing her arm that she used to protect herself, she charged at me with tremendous speed. She really was quite a high level monster…

I wouldn't have been able to react in time if I didn't delay those spells.

The orb of ice and water reacted with a mere mental command, forming a slippery trap on the ground.

"Eeek!"

The orc didn't expect it and slipped down.

Then, I shot the orb of fire, aiming it at her face. She predictably moved her cleaver to block it.

I used the opportunity to attack her exposed torso, driving the blade of Chunchumaru clean through her stomach. She twitched for a while, before she eventually lost her life.

You unlocked a new skill!

[Control Spell] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (5 mp)

You can control the direction and speed of the spell. Advanced Magic is the most difficult to control, while Elementary Magic is very easy to control.

I suppose I got this while intentionally aiming the [Tinder] at her face.

I took her equipment into the storage box. I didn't really need the money from it anymore, so I intended to donate it to the soldiers later.

Part 3

"Appuri-chan, what other exclusive skills are available for the wizard class?"

I asked, as I replenished my mana with [Drain Touch, taking the opportunity to take a break as well.

"There's [High-speed Incantation, although that skill only applies to intermediate and advanced magic."

Since elementary magic didn't require a specific chant, there was no way to unlock that skill.

[Flash] was also a type of spell that didn't require much chanting to cast it. I'd have to wait until I unlocked spells that required chanting.

"Aside from that, there's also [Charge Spell, [Staff] and [Mage Armor]."

"[Charge Spell] is pretty self-explanatory, but what about the last two?"

"[Staff] gives one weapon proficiency using staffs in combat. This is the skill Megumin-san has. [Mage Armor] gives one damage reduction that scales with their magic power, although this is capped at 5. The user also can't wear any armor aside from robes and magical clothing."

I didn't really have a use for [Staff] and [Mage Armor, so I opted to just try and learn [Charge Spell] instead.

The female orc from last time was incredibly powerful on her own, but there was only so much one monster could do. The next encounter was a group of monsters that gave off an aura of collective strength.

They were a group of lizardmen equipped in leather armor. They also carried a variety of short bows and scimitars. There were eight of them in total, a rather large group.

Unlike the female orc, they didn't sense me when I used [Lurk, so I was able to take my time preparing. I used [Delay Spell] to make water and ice orbs float around my head.

Then, I decided to debut the [Flash] spell.

I focused on trying to charge up as much mana into the spell as I could before releasing it.

Of course, I made sure to do the iconic Solar Flare pose.

"[Flash]!"

"Kraaa!"

The lizardmen were blinded by the flash of light that filled the tunnel.

I didn't waste any time and created an ice arrow.

"[Snipe]! [Snipe]!"

I managed to take out two of them before the other 6 regained their senses.

I didn't give them any time to attack.

The delayed [Create Water] and [Freeze] transformed from floating orbs to two more ice arrows. I was able to instantly fire and take out two more, leaving only four left.

I used [Bind] to deter the lizardman charging at me. He fell on the ground. Then, I dealt with the archers by using [Wind Breath] to blow their arrows away.

There was one more lizardman with a scimitar who used tricky movements, dashing side-to-side to avoid my attacks as he advanced forward.

"[Tinder]! [Control Spell]!"

I shot a bolt of fire, which I controlled to curve sharply.

The lizardman didn't expect the change in direction and couldn't dodge in time.

"Argh!"

Along with its burnt shoulder, it was also too distracted to protect itself.

"[Drain Touch]!"

I absorbed its mana and its life, before finishing it off with Chunchunmaru.

By this time, the archers reloaded another arrow and fired it. I used their dead comrade as a shield.

Then, I used [Delay Spell] to make three spheres of clumped up dirt float above me.

Right when the archers were prepared to fire again, I charged up my mana again.

"[Wind Breath]!"

I released a strong exhale of wind just as I released the delayed [Create Earth].

"Gackkk!"

The archers hacked and coughed as an onslaught of dirt was blown their way.

That bought me enough time to finish them off.

"[Quick Draw, [Power Slash]!"

Their heads rolled off their shoulders.

It was the first time I was able to take out such a large group of powerful enemies that easily.

My new skills were giving me even more options than I had before.

It was a bit tricky having a bunch of different options, though. Especially since I was pretty much just experimenting at this point.

You learned the skill, [Charge Spell]!

[Charge Spell] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill

Empower the effects and damage of a spell, depending by time you spend charging the spell, and the amount of mana you spend. For every 5 seconds that passes (maximum 10 seconds), you can increase the potency of the spell by 1. You spend the total mp amount the spell requires for every 5 seconds that passes. If you are interrupted while charging, the spell effect disappears and you lose all the mana you've spent charging up.

Since I pretty much learned every useful skill from the wizard class, aside from [High-speed Incantation] that meant I could switch back to adventurer on the next level up, or change to another class that I unlock in the future.

I didn't have to worry about school or other responsibilities for this week, at least, while we were preparing for the war. The government gave our schools a suitable excuse. I also didn't have to worry about my parents wondering why I was out so late. With that in mind, I decided to explore some more in the dungeon.

Before I could move forward, I saw something like a puddle right before a fork that led to two paths. It was more like a pond when I looked closer, and I saw fish swimming inside. It was like the pond Megumin and I fished in, back on the first floor.

Since food from the dungeon gave benefits and exp, I decided to use my [Fishing] skill.

But first, I needed a fishing rod.

I took the longbows the lizardmen dropped and used [Smithing].

I was somehow able to restructure the bowstrings into a fishing line, and the bow itself into a rod. It was a simple matter to make a hook from the steel in the scimitars.

As for the bait, I carefully took one of the worms scurrying around on the dungeon floor, careful not to take too much of the monster's food.

I created an earthen bench with [Smithing] as well and took a seat. The goal was to clear my mind with a peaceful activity, as well as catch some fish to raise my stats.

Perhaps it was due to my luck, but it didn't take too long until I got a bite.

I managed to catch a sturgeon.

[Sturgeon] Common

A rather common fish found in the dungeon's ponds. When cooked this will give 15 EXP and 1 Stamina.

I stuck a stick through it and used [Tinder] to cook the fish.

I didn't have any seasonings with me, and I kept a mental note to do that last time, in case I wanted a snack in the dungeon.

You gained 15 EXP and 1 stamina!

Part 4

I stayed a bit longer in the dungeon, but I didn't want to risk advancing too far without the others.

The enemies were getting more powerful and plentiful. Even if I beat those lizardmen easily, it was only because they had conventional means to fight. If I fought a powerful monster with some strange magic I couldn't counter, then I'd be dead without anyone to rescue me.

And so, I took the teleportation circle back to the entrance and left the dungeon.

Besides, there was another chore on my list. I headed over to the pawn shop.

The blacksmith was there as usual, looking bored. He glanced at me with barely any interest in his eyes.

"It's you again. What do you want?"

Such poor customer service!

"Did your smithing skill rank up at all?"

"Yeah, I can craft 'Very Rare' items now. Not like you can afford those."

"I got some money now. Show them to me."

He gave me a doubtful stare, but he took out his best wares to display to me anyway.

"If you're still using medium armor, then I have this mithril half-plate set."

"Mithril… Isn't that legendary material?"

"It's a grade below adamantine ore according to the app system. But since it's lighter than adamantite ore, it makes for good light and medium armor."

"Alright, I'll buy it."

He gave me a tired glare.

"You can't afford it. It's 500,000 Yen."

That amount would have made me wet myself before.

I took out a wad of cash and dropped it on the counter.

He silently looked through the cash, making sure to really inspect each bill. Was I really that untrustworthy?

Finally, he said.

"Alright, I'm not gonna ask where you got this. Take the armor and go."

"Hold on, that's not the only thing I'm gonna buy. Show me your longbows."

I had a goblin longbow, but that was just some random loot I got from a goblin.

"Hmm… Well, I got this treant wood longbow. The wood is super flexible but tough at the same time. It costs 50,000 Yen."

He showed me a longbow made out of a polished, dark wood. I felt the smooth surface of it and tried the bowstring.

"Alright, I'll buy it."

"Where are you getting this money from?"

"I promise it's from a legit source."

"That's what they all say… Do you want a new sword, too?"

I was rather attached to Chunchunmaru at this point, considering it something like my partner.

"Nah, but is it possible to upgrade it?"

"Yeah, I can do that. That'll be an extra 100,000 Yen."

"Done."

He seemed happy for once, getting this much money in one night.

Mithril Half-Plate - Medium Armor (Very Rare)

A set that includes a breast plate, pauldrons and chausses. The mithril has a light blue sheen. Reduces incoming damage by 8. Applies -8 penalty to stealth related stats when sneaking.

Sells for: 400,000 Yen

Treantwood Longbow (Very Rare)

A longbow made out of flexible treantwood. Increased damage when fired at long distance (3)

Ammo: 20/20 (treantwood arrows)

Bow Accuracy: Dexterity modifier [Bow] = 76% chance of hitting

Weapon Damage: 9 piercing damage Dexterity modifier (6) Bonus (3) = 18 piercing damage

Sells for: 70,000 Yen

Chunchunmaru (Unique) - Signature Weapon

Forged and upgraded by Very Rare Blacksmith. Named by Megumin.

Durability: 40/40

Weapon Accuracy: Dexterity modifier [One-handed Sword] = 76% chance of hitting

Weapon Damage: 6 slashing damage Strength modifier (8) Bonus (4) = 18 damage

Sells for: 40,000 yen

…

…

My next destination was Wiz's shop.

Not only did I want to check out her wares, I also wanted to check up on that demon.

"Eeep?! Please don't exorcize me! Oh… I thought you were that blue-haired goddess…"

The demon said, sighing in relief when he saw that I wasn't Aqua.

"...Is that girl coming here to terrorize you again?"

Even though I told her not to.

"A-Ah, I can't say or else something bad will happen…"

I was actually feeling kinda sorry for him.

His mood improved a lot, though, when Wiz walked in.

"Ah, Kazuma-san! Thank you for coming over!"

Vanir must have told her about all the money I earned, since she was greeting me so pleasantly.

Well, Wiz is a good girl in the first place. Maybe she really was just happy to see me.

"Hey, Wiz. What's Vanir up to? That guy still owes me money for promoting those pagers…"

"Um… Vanir-san said that he predicted you'd ask for that, so he went somewhere else…"

That sneaky devil!

"Oi, Wiz, I'm gonna buy a lot of stuff tonight, so tell me where that guy is."

"I-I've been sworn to secrecy!"

I took out a wad of cash and held it out in front of her. She stared at it while blushing.

"H-He went to the succubus shop…"

Since the succubi were such big fans of him, I suppose it made sense that they'd house him for the night.

"I guess I'll have to pay him a visit… But before that, can I ask you to cast enchantments on my gear?"

"Certainly! I can give a 3 enchantment to your gear for 1 million Yen!"

"That's insane!"

Even with the amount of money I had, that made me want to scream at Wiz.

"B-But that's the highest level of enchantment I can give to equipment!"

"Give me a discount."

"Eh?! B-But…"

"Listen, Wiz. I doubt that Vanir gave you any of the money he got for his pagers. He probably said 'You didn't help me with developing these at all, you broke shopkeeper, so why should I have to share?!', right?"

"T-That's exactly what he said… And the voice was perfect, too."

That was because I used [Versatile Entertainer] to imitate his voice.

"I-I get it… I'll give Kazuma-san a discount… But it can't be too much!"

I settled for paying 3 million Yen for all the enchantments. I asked her to enchant my elven shortbow as well.

I watched her lay her hands over the equipment and cast a blue glow on them.

"[Enchantment]!"

I nodded in satisfaction once I saw that Wiz gave each item a proper enchantment, instead of sneakily giving me a useless one like last time.

"Thanks, Wiz."

"You're welcome!"

"By the way, can I ask you what you will do during the upcoming war?"

She gave me a conflicted look.

"I will stay as a neutral party… I will only step in if the demon king army harms innocents."

Even if Wiz seemed pretty airheaded, she did stay firm in her promises and ideals. I honestly respected that about her, even if she was on the other side.

Wiz (Lich Shopkeeper), Bond Rank: 4

At Rank 4, Wiz sees you as a rich customer who gave her enough money to last for a while. You remain as her best, and only, customer, but she is also starting to see you as a friend. Due to that, she hopes that you will stay safe during the war. Shopping in the store will deepen your bond with her.

Bond Reward: You learn the skill [Enchant]!

[Enchant] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (10 mp)

Gives a basic enchantment to an item, increasings its damage, armor class or existing effect by 1.

Part 5

I went to the succubus shop afterwards.

The main goal was to find Vanir who was avoiding me.

But I also wanted to use the dream service again to do some mental training, like last time.

"There you are…"

"Urk… You actually went here to look for me, huh?"

I went to see Vanir being fawned over again by the succubi.

"Oi, time to pay up."

"Ridiculous! Even though you gained so much money from your country's rulers, you're still going to demand money from me?!"

"...A deal's a deal! Now pay up!"

"Tch… As a devil, I am bound by our contract. Fine, here you go."

"Wait… You made quite a lot of money, didn't you?!"

He handed me a million Yen.

"Thanks to you for promoting the product to your fellow app users! Ah, you should have seen the look on Wiz's face when I made so many sales in her own store! The despair and jealousy was truly delicious!"

"Stop treating Wiz so poorly."

"...Says the one who has been asking for ridiculous discounts knowing she's poor. Not to mention how you lustfully stare at her body."

I couldn't really argue with that.

"Oh? If it isn't my buddy, Kazuma."

I turned my head to Dust, who always seemed to be hanging around in the succubus shop. That was my mistake. Vanir took that chance to slip away.

Well, he already paid me, so I didn't care if he left.

I looked at Dust, who I knew was from the other world.

"Dust, you know about the upcoming invasion, right?"

He disinterestedly picked his nose.

"Oh, right. Well, that doesn't really involve me, so I'll just hide somewhere."

"It doesn't involve you…? But you're a citizen of the other world."

"So what? Are you personally responsible for the atrocities your country pulled off in previous wars?"

Where did he learn about that?! I thought he was just bumming around and accruing debt!

"W-Well, that was from a previous era… Haha…"

"Hmph. I learned a lot from watching those hot babes on NHK, you know?!"

Ah. So he was just watching a history special presented by an attractive woman.

"Fine… I'm not gonna say that Dust is personally responsible, but don't you want to help the people of this country, who welcomed an interdimensional refugee like you with open arms?"

"Hah? What do you mean by that? I've been treated horribly here! When I try to pick up a girl, they always reject me! And the banks don't wanna loan me any money because I don't have any ID, or whatever? Even though I showed them my Adventurer Guild card?!"

That seemed like a reasonable reaction from the public. Rather, I was surprised that Dust hadn't been arrested yet.

"Fine… How about this? Depending on your performance in the war, I'll award you money."

I didn't know Dust's exact level, but he didn't seem like a complete newbie. And he was the only one from the otherworld who could fight on our side.

"For real?! Yosh, I'm in!"

It didn't take much to convince him.

"As for how you'll prove your progress, I guess you can give me the ears of demons, or something."

I used that old method to prove the validity of his kills.

"Yeah, I'm used to stuff like that. Alright, you got a deal, buddy!"

We shook on it.

Dust (Blond Delinquent), Bond Rank: 4

At Rank 4, Dust views you as someone with deep pockets who he can follow around and receive money from. He will fight in the war for you, as long as you reward him. Be careful about being seen with him in public, as he owes the yakuza a fair bit of debt, and is known as a perverted pest around the city.

Bond Reward: 10 Dexterity

You met the 'Dexterity' requirements for the Archer class!

His reputation in the city was getting worse.

And I unlocked another class, which was perfect since I already got all I wanted out of the Wizard class.

…

…

"It's nice to see you again, Kazuma-san!"

Rorisa said, when I entered the private room reserved for me.

"Yo, Rorisa… I came here to do some of that mental training again."

"Ah, yes! Actually, I mentioned it to my senpai, and they were impressed about that new usage of the dream service you came up with! With your permission, we'd like to offer it as a service to the other app-users, since they might be interested in that kind of training."

"Humu… Sure, I have no problems with that."

If it'd help the others in surviving the upcoming conflict, I didn't mind sharing my training method with them.

"So for this training session, what would you like to do?"

"Do you have any data on Sylvia and Hans of the Demon King army?"

"Um… We don't have any information about Hans. Either he's more of a recon type or he hasn't been involved in any major battles in the otherworld. But we do have some data about Sylvia the chimera, who has been involved in a fair bit of clashes."

"Alright, I'd like to try simulations regarding Sylvia."

"Perfect! Then please go ahead and lay down."

I laid down on the bed and went to sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, I was face-to-face with Sylvia.

She looked like an ordinary female human at first, albeit a very tall one. She had dark skin and red highlights in her black hair.

I was also drawn to her curvy body.

Once I regained my focus, I tried out the new combo I had in mind.

I created an ice arrow, and then…

"[Enchant]!"

I used the new spell I learned from Wiz to enchant the ice arrow. After all, it counted as an item.

There was a blue glow around the arrow and it trailed a streak of blue energy as I fired it.

"Gackkk!"

Sylvia let out a cry of pain as the arrow hit her, however, the arrow didn't penetrate too deeply.

She must have a high magic resist, which was effective even if I had [Magic Archery].

"[Bind]!"

She surprised me by using a skill that I regularly used. She threw a rope that caught me off guard, wrapping around me.

"[Steal]!"

I simply stole the rope, making it appear in my hands instead. Then, I threw the rope back at her.

"[Bind]!"

"[Steal]!"

She used another thief skill.

Furthermore, she copied my move.

This Sylvia must have the thief class, aside from being a chimera with high resistances.

What a pain.

She was also quick on her feet and could counter my moves.

Next, she opened her mouth and exhaled out a large fire blast.

She could even breathe fire, huh?

[Heat Resistance] helped numb the pain, but it didn't take long until I was burnt to a crisp.

With that, I woke up from the dream.

"How was it?"

Rorisa asked, as I sat up from the bed.

"...What a powerful opponent."

Still, I learned a lot.

I went back to the dream a couple more times, but I ended up dying each time. I guess she wasn't an enemy I could take on by myself, unlike with Beldia.

Then again, Beldia didn't have most of his abilities available, since he defeated a bunch of powerful app-users like Mitsurugi beforehand.

And I still didn't know what Hans was capable of.

There was also no way for us to know if the demon king army found a way to increase the amount of creatures they could send through the portal.

If they found a way to bring even a portion of their army, along with Hans and Sylvia, we were pretty much screwed.

"Would you like to see a lewd dream next to wind down, Kazuma-san?"

Rorisa seemed so pure, that there was an almost innocent tone in how she asked that.

Even though she was asking me if I wanted sexual relief.

I haven't had a chance to do anything with Aqua in the mansion, since the others were around.

Rin was also there, but I didn't want to rush her into anything yet, and just kissing would only make me sexually frustrated. Same goes for Yunyun. And we haven't even kissed yet. I also didn't want to pressure the poor girl, since she was the type who'd go along with whatever her crush told her.

"I'll take you up on that offer."

"Great! Then, please fill out the form!"

I looked at the form and thought about what to ask for.

At this point, it felt kinda wrong to ask for someone I knew, especially with how close I was to the girls now. I could maybe ask for an acquaintance like Lia-san, but even that felt kind of weird.

Well, speaking of acquaintances, I remembered the beautiful blonde receptionist from the gym, Luna-san.

I hadn't been to the gym in a while, so I hadn't had any chances to see her.

Since I really didn't know her all that well, and couldn't really see me getting to know her personally anytime soon, I didn't feel too bad about choosing her.

As for the scenario…

Listen, I'm the kind of guy who can't get off unless the scenario is immersive.

In most pornographic works, the scenario and premise is usually unbelievable. There's barely any setup and consideration to the leadup before the sex. But as a man of culture, I like to be immersed before consuming said pornographic work.

That was why I couldn't just ask to simply have a sexual encounter with Luna-san.

"Um… Kazuma-san? What's taking so long… Eh, what's with that paragraph you're writing?!"

Rorisa said, as she looked over my shoulder to see the scenario I was writing up.

"Ah, can you get me more paper?"

"S-Sure…"

Once I was done, Rorisa read the prompts that I came up with.

"Um… So the gym is struggling but Kazuma-san stays as a loyal customer… And feeling grateful, this Luna-san wants to reward Kazuma-san for his loyalty, by offering to cook dinner for him. She invites Kazuma-san to her apartment, and it begins to heat up from there…"

"Fufu… It's a pretty realistic scenario, isn't it?"

"N-Not really."

That made me pause.

"Come again…?"

"I mean, if the gym is struggling, why would she bother sleeping with a client? Shouldn't she be consulting her financial advisor, or exploring bankruptcy alternatives? And from what I understand, she's just a receptionist, not the owner of this gym. Why would she go so far as to sleep with a client just to protect her workplace? It'd be much easier to just work in another gym, right?"

She started shredding my scenario apart.

"...Let's skip all that and just have her invite me to her apartment, then. Maybe I'm her favorite client or something, I don't know."

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to criticize you like that!"

I gave up on an elaborate scenario and settled for a simple one.

After laying in the bed again, I went back to the world of dreams.

Since I had done this quite a few times now, I was aware of the transition between reality and dream.

I found myself laying on a bed, with Luna-san naked on my lap.

…I knew I asked to skip the prelude, but isn't this too fast?!

How can I get aroused like this?!

"Kazuma-san, do you want to put it in, now?"

"Yes, please."

I got aroused.

She rubbed her pussy lips against my tip, before sliding me inside her. I moaned from the pleasure.

"Ah… You feel so good, Kazuma-san…"

I moaned as I felt the simulated pleasure of a pussy around my cock.

She started moving, her big breasts bouncing as she rode me. I reached up to squeeze her breasts, while she expertly rode my cock.

It didn't feel as good as real sex, but it was infinitely better than just jerking off alone. There was also the added pleasure of having sex with a woman I knew I would have no chance with in real life. I cared about the girls in my life, but I couldn't just stop myself from finding other women attractive, too, and Luna-san was one of the hottest women I had laid my eyes on.

And in a dream, there were no consequences.

I grunted as I came hard inside her, letting her pussy squeeze me for everything I had.

"Hnnngh!"

"Did you like that, Kazuma-san?"

She smiled, giving me that same professional smile she had behind the receptionist desk.

Before I could respond, the dream faded away and I soon found myself in the real world.

"...Ah."

I found myself staring at Rorisa…

Who was currently wiping my exposed cock with a tissue.

"Um… What are you doing?"

She blushed a little and laughed awkwardly while throwing the tissue out.

"...Usually this happens in the comfort of our client's home, but since you'll be walking home, I didn't want Kazuma-san to have to walk home with semen in his underwear…"

"Wait, does that mean you always pull off my pants when I'm doing this?!"

I knew that she cleaned me up last time, but I didn't know that she directly wiped my cock with tissues like that!

So embarrassing!

…But also incredibly erotic.

"W-What else am I going to do?! Do you want to walk home smelling like semen, or what?!"

"T-Thanks for the extra service…"

I made sure to pay a big tip.

Rorisa (Rookie Succubus), Bond Rank: 4

At Rank 4, Rorisa is embarrassed now that you've found out how she cleans you up after your 'sessions'. Regardless, she sees you as more than just a customer, thanks to your kind treatment of her. She also finds it admirable how you treat the war so seriously. Treating her nicely when you come over will increase your bond with her.

Bond Reward: 10 Charisma