Chapter 122 The Absurdity at the End of Choice
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Tatara… Tatara…”
A voice drifted in from somewhere far away, soft and pleading.
”Tatara… mmh… Tatara…”
That voice belonged to someone precious—irreplaceable. The one person who could pull me back from the dark.
”Tatara… Tatara… ahn!”
The rocking grew sharper, urgent. I had to wake up. Now.
”Tatara! Tatara! Tatara!!”
Something slammed against me—or was it the bed? No, wait. Something was moving on my hips.
”Tatara, you’re so deep… you’re reaching all the way inside!”
Hold on. This felt wrong. Really wrong.
My eyes snapped open to a sight that burned itself into my brain: Ethelena, completely naked, straddling me with her legs spread wide, riding me like her life depended on it.
”Ahh… you’re awake♡”
”Awake isn’t the issue here!”
She leaned forward, giving me a full view of where we were joined. I had no idea what I was even saying anymore. My head spun. Actually, scratch that—this kind of chaos felt disturbingly familiar.
Where the hell were we, anyway?
”Hey, Ethelena—mmph!?”
She crashed down, sealing my lips with hers. Her tongue slipped inside, hot and insistent, stoking the fire already raging through my veins. But seriously—where was this place? Dim light, rocky walls… something about it tugged at my memory.
I tried to focus, but my body had other ideas. My manhood throbbed on the edge of explosion. With arms that barely cooperated, I gripped her hips and thrust upward, releasing everything into her depths. Pleasure crashed over me like a tide, and in that same instant, something warm flooded back—life force, raw and vital, pouring from her into me.
”Ehehe… Tatara’s awake… Tatara… hic…”
Her blissful expression crumpled. Tears welled up, spilling in fat drops down her cheeks until she was sobbing outright. I pulled her close, holding her trembling body, when a voice cut in from the side.
”Finally awake, are you, Tatara? You’ve had us terrified.”
Yohira’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her voice quavering. The worry made sense. The fact that she was naked, with streaks of white drying in her hair? That felt like it was begging for a straight-man retort.
”Honestly,” Tatia added, wiping her eyes, “you scared us half to death.”
Naked. White streaks glistening between her breasts. Should I just… ignore that?
”Can someone explain what’s going on?”
They nodded. Someone, please, bring me a comedian.
To sum it up, I’d been on the verge of death after fighting the ‘Undead King.’ Ethelena had acted fast, invoking a Sex Sorcery spell called the Cradle of the Merciful Mother. It siphoned life force from her and anyone who consented, funneling it straight into the target to knit flesh and bone. But one person’s essence wasn’t enough, so Yohira and Tatia had joined in—skin to skin, breath to breath—pooling their vitality until Ethelena could straddle me and finish the ritual.
They’d dragged me down to the boss room antechamber first, stripped me bare, and… well, the details blurred into heat and urgency. Three tongues, three pairs of hands, three hearts beating in frantic unison to fuse their life force before the final act. I wished I’d been conscious for the spectacle. Then again, sanity might not have survived it.
The spell had worked miracles. Not a scar remained on me—or on Tatia, for that matter. Limbs could regrow if treated fast enough. Insane.
”That pervert didn’t give us any experience,” Yohira grumbled, “but I did level up my skills. ‘Sword Aptitude’ and ‘Intimidation’ are complete.”
”Seriously?”
Skill Aptitude skills were notoriously hard to raise. Completing them was… something else. Two slots opened up. What would she choose?
”Speaking of which,” Yohira continued, “Dad and Mom told me to pick ‘Singing,’ so that’s set. But what should the other one be?”
”You’re asking me?”
”I want to be dyed by Tatara,” Ethelena purred.
”The way you say that…”
Still, Yohira picking something now made sense. She already had high firepower. What she needed was mobility.
”For an instant-effect skill, ‘Mobility Boost’ is good. And for dealing with ‘Undead King’ types, ‘Physical Attack Boost’ is also recommended.”
Giving Yohira a skill that boosted her base power would be more effective than a special ability that increased her already formidable firepower. Of course, leveraging her guaranteed critical hits by increasing critical damage was another option.
”Hmm, Tatara, what do you think?”
”I’d say ‘Mobility Boost’ first. I want you to be able to come to my side anytime.”
”Then ‘Mobility Boost’ it is.”
Was that too easy?
”Like I said, I want to be dyed by Tatara.”
”Right… By the way, Yohira.”
”Yes?”
”You’ve got something white in your hair. You should wipe it off.”
”You couldn’t have said that sooner!?”
She lightly patted my shoulder, then pulled out a cloth and began wiping her hair. Ethelena gave a wry smile and snatched the cloth, taking over the task. It was a sweet scene, but couldn’t they at least put on some clothes?
”What about you, Tatia?”
”My overall rank increased slightly. I got a bit stronger, but there are no major changes.”
Tatia’s response was brief.
”Tatia, can I ask you something?”
”Hmm, what is it?”
”Next time, could you focus on Physical or Magic Defense?”
”Hmm… Considering what happened, that might be necessary.”
Tatia pondered my words. It hadn’t been necessary before, but with more unpredictable events likely, it was a valid concern. Dodging skills like ‘Shirahadanagashi’ were an option, but that would require ‘Skill Power Boost’ as well, and more importantly, the chance of getting hit would remain. Tatia had taken the ‘Undead King’s’ blow for me, acting as my shield. If her defense had been higher, she wouldn’t have been injured so badly. More enemies with ‘Pierce’ would appear in the future, but they were rare. Physical and magic defense boosts would never be unnecessary.
”Understood. If I complete any skills, I’ll prioritize ‘Physical Defense Boost’ first.”
”Thanks, Tatia.”
”Don’t worry about it. I… also want to be dyed by Tatara-san.”
She blushed, saying something cute, but I didn’t think it was appropriate given the white stuff still clinging to her chest.
They tidied themselves up, and we faced the boss door on the 40th floor once more. Nakata had retrieved my mask, so odor countermeasures were in place before the boss.
’Alright, this is the Dragon Zombie… Honestly, after the ‘Undead King,’ this guy will probably feel like a pushover,’ I sent telepathically.
Ethelena had used up her ‘Elingium’ bullets and ‘Gloriosa’ special ability bullets, but frankly, it wouldn’t make much difference.
’If I still had the ‘Demon Spear Wallachia’ I made then, I could have beaten it easily, if not instantly.’
’That pervert took it with him,’ Yohira replied.
Yes, the ‘Demon Spear Wallachia’ had been stolen by the ‘Undead King.’ According to Ethelena and Yohira, who witnessed it, he’d turned into mist while being restrained by ‘Wallachia,’ escaped, and then stored it in his Inventory. Since it was made from materials obtained during this exploration, it was a wash, but having it stolen still pissed me off.
’B-but he forgot his sword…’
’It’s a masterpiece, but I’m still not satisfied.’
’Even so, that sword was clearly meant for Tatara.’
The sword they were referring to was the one that had pierced me from behind. Appraisal revealed its name: ‘Famous Sword Alucard.’ It had a rather unusual ability: ‘Indestructible.’ Like Yohira’s ‘Temari-bana,’ it was a weapon that couldn’t be broken. It seemed to be an artifact that had transcended time, becoming a conceptual weapon as a result. It was indeed a weapon suited for my sword techniques, but I couldn’t be happy about using a used item from that bastard.
Anyway, about the ‘Dragon Zombie.’
’Even though it’s rotten, it’s still a dragon, so watch out for its massive body and breath attacks. It can’t breathe fire anymore due to its undead state, but it does spew poisonous breath, so be careful.’
Direct contact would be dangerous, but since my nose and mouth were covered by the mask, it would be relatively safe after avoiding it. Due to its decaying body, the agility dragons normally possess was lost, making its attacks easier to dodge. Its dragon roar, lacking its original mana, could be countered with a soundproofing barrier.
Come to think of it, we had countermeasures for almost everything.
’Well then, shall we begin?’
With a light tone, I opened the boss room door, earning a wry smile from Yohira, who seemed to have something to complain about.
The room was twice the size of previous boss rooms. In the center sat the beast. It was a colossal creature, easily thirty meters from head to tail. Its scales were peeling, flesh rotted away in places, revealing bone. Its wing membranes were tattered, making flight impossible. Its sunken eye sockets stared at us with cloudy white eyes. Even in its decayed state, it possessed a majestic physique—a phantom beast king. The ‘Dragon Zombie’ awaited.
I immediately used ‘Appraisal’ to check its status.
Undead ‘Dragon Zombie’
HP 450/450
Mana 300/300
Skill Power 10/10
Physical Attack 75
Physical Defense 30
Magic Attack 12
Magic Defense 25
Speed 30
Movement 3
Status Ailments: None
Special Ability: ‘Undead Trait’
As soon as they saw it, Ethelena and Tatia sprang into action. Ethelena, hiding behind Tatia, attacked with a ‘charge’ before Tatia moved to its rear and unleashed bullets from her dual ‘Lonisera’ and ‘Gloriosa.’ The ‘Dragon Zombie’ roared as it took fire-attribute damage, its weak point. But the sound didn’t reach us.
Tatara and Yohira, moving a beat after Ethelena and Tatia, targeted separate forelegs. The plan was to break its stance first, then attack its head. We’d decided this a while ago. However, I felt like we might die before that.
I swung my hammer at its foreleg.
Weapon Hit: 20 + 138 – 30 = 128. Hit check.
Fire Attribute Attack: 1.5 x 181 – 30 = 241. Limb Destruction Check.
Instead of just breaking its stance, I blew off one of its legs. Thinking in terms of the ‘Undead King,’ this was overkill, wasn’t it?
With both legs gone, the ‘Dragon Zombie’ collapsed, its head hitting the ground before it dissolved into light… That was anticlimactic.
’…Isn’t it weaker than expected?’
’It’s hard to compare when we just fought that thing, but this guy should normally be much stronger…’
What kind of boss can be defeated in one turn just by exploiting its elemental weakness?
’Boss drop acquired.’
A treasure chest appeared where the ‘Dragon Zombie’ had been. No struggle, no sense of accomplishment.
I pulled down my mask. The smell seemed to have dissipated, so I took it off. Freed from the stuffiness, I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of clarity. I’d taken it off before the boss fight, but this felt different—a sense of release.
”Since I didn’t do much this time, how about Ethelena opens it?”
”Eh, really?”
Ethelena looked surprised at my words. Yohira and Tatia nodded, so she proceeded to open it.
”Ooh, what could it be♪”
With an excited cry, Ethelena looked inside the treasure chest, her expression turning puzzled. What could be inside to make her look like that?
”…A string?”
She pulled out a red cloth attached to a golden string. A bad feeling washed over me as I used ‘Appraisal.’
Full Armor ‘Dragon Pervert Armor’
HP +50
Mana +20
Skill Power +20
Physical Attack +15
Physical Defense +40
Magic Attack +10
Magic Defense +30
Speed +20
Movement +1
Special Ability: ‘Fire Attribute Resistance’, ‘Female Only’
It was incredibly powerful armor, exclusively for women. ‘It’s just a string,’ I thought, but… this was typical of high-performance, erotic game equipment. Judging by the name, it was likely monster armor crafted from dragon scales, and its stats were exceptional for a drop. However, wearing something like this would make it impossible to concentrate. Blood would rush straight to my manhood.
”…It’s incredibly high-performance full armor.”
”Huh? It’s just a string and cloth?”
”Well, it’s essentially magic armor.”
If Ethelena equipped it, I might lose control and lock her in the room. She’d probably look amazing in it, but I couldn’t let her walk around outside.
”…It seems a waste to just let this sit unused.”
”Honestly, it would be best for party combat effectiveness if Yohira or Tatia equipped it.”
”I certainly don’t want to wear something so lewd.”
Yohira muttered, having apparently appraised its stats, her voice laced with exasperation. Considering the party’s overall balance, I recommended either Yohira or Tatia, but Tatia immediately refused. Yohira nodded in agreement, so the vanguard duo was out. Ethelena didn’t need the attack boost. Giving it to Ichika was out too, as she disliked revealing outfits. Her own armor, made from ‘Archangel’ wings, was absurdly powerful, compensating for her fragility with high defense and elemental resistance. The Dragon Scale Armor wasn’t necessary for Ethelena.
”I’ll hold onto it for now.”
”Ah, tell me if you don’t need it. I’ll put it in the shop.”
I’d definitely get strange looks.
”Well then, shall we head back for today?”
The fatigue from fighting the ‘Undead King’ was too much. Even though I’d been unconscious, my body hadn’t rested. The others didn’t seem to object either. As usual, they all clung to me, and I activated a Teleportation Crystal to return to the surface.
We teleported to our usual spot, but the stench from the 35th floor seemed to have clung to us. The staff scolded us fiercely, sprayed us with deodorizing agents on the spot, and washed us with water magic. My nose had become somewhat desensitized from spending so long down there, so I genuinely hadn’t noticed. I apologized for the inconvenience.
Back home, the idiot was still receiving instruction. I watched idly as he practiced drawing his katana from its scabbard. A draw-cut technique… the romance of it all.
”That’s a technique meant to catch the opponent off guard, to leave their reactions behind. Yours is so slow, flies could land on it.”
The bastard facing him said that to the idiot. Sneak Attack, so it was a draw-cut technique? They apparently called the counter-attack Iaijutsu, but did they teach them separately?
”To accelerate the blade’s speed within the scabbard, you must practice the forms one hundred times every morning and night. Repeat until you can perform the movements unconsciously, embedding them into your body.”
”Yes!”
”Ah, and naturally, sloppy forms don’t count. One hundred perfect forms, understand?”
”Yes!!”
The bastard explained casually, and the idiot replied dutifully. Even from my perspective, his stance wavered with each draw, so correcting it immediately would be difficult.
”Oh, you’re back… Wait, what’s that smell!?”
The moment the bastard noticed me, he shrieked, apparently unprepared for the lingering stench.
”Sorry, dove into the undead floors. The rot clings.”
”Warn a guy!”
The idiot’s eyes watered as he recoiled. I swallowed a laugh and headed for the baths. The women would claim the cypress tub; I’d take the couple’s bath alone and scrub with the medicinal soap until the stench surrendered.
The lather ran black—visual proof of the grime. Three washes for hair, three for body. Only then did I surface, skin raw but clean. On the veranda, the idiot lounged beside Hinagiku-san, the late sun gilding the garden.
”Yo. Rough day?”
”Yeah. How deep did you go to come back smelling like that?”
”Fortieth. Undead. You know how it is.”
I dropped onto the bench beside him. The wood creaked, warm from the day’s heat.
”Heard about you and Ichika-san,” he said, voice low. “Kid on the way.”
I groaned. “She told you?”
”Called me your best friend, confided in me. Felt… complicated.”
He wore a wry smile. It wasn’t unusual for friends your age to have kids, especially if they started working instead of going to high school. Academy rules prohibited pregnancy among current students, but there were no penalties for impregnating someone outside the school. This led to a phenomenon where some students in the Exploration department would spend a night with a temporary female explorer for their graduation exams. While not against the rules, trouble in the relationship could lead to expulsion. In my case with Ichika, if she decided to sue me, I’d be suspended first. If it went to court and I lost, I’d be expelled. A settlement would lift the suspension, but my grades would be disastrous. For a Crafter like me, whose reputation was everything, a lawsuit could be fatal. If Ethelena felt sidelined due to my prioritizing her, I’d be socially dead.
”Still,” the idiot said, “you and Ichika-san click. If Ethelena hadn’t come first, roles might’ve flipped.”
”That obvious?”
”Gut feeling.”
He sipped his lemon-honey water, the glass catching the light. Somewhere, in another timeline, maybe Ichika and I were the ones building a family.
”Sword basics done?”
I shifted topics. The draw-cut he’d practiced looked flashy, but—
”That? Just a standard form. You don’t watch us train much.”
Standard? The bar was brutal.
”Every move in this style is a killing blow,” he explained. “Parries, guards—all roads lead to the opponent’s death.”
”Beast God Yin Style,” Hinagiku-san added. “I left it for my clan’s Tengu Ascendant Style. Too bloodthirsty for me.”
So the core was efficiency in murder. Fair enough.
”Isn’t that… normal for weapon arts?”
The bastard’s voice drifted in, lazy. “You think like a killer despite zero talent. Cute. Every school dresses it up with honor or restraint. Mine strips the fluff. Calm efficiency—that’s all.”
He sniffed the air and grimaced. “Blood and death. Spill.”
No dodging that nose. I recounted the Undead King. The bastard’s grin widened—definitely Team Vampire.
”Missed the fun. Slicing white wings is a rare treat.”
Something in his eyes said he and the King would hate each other on sight. Mutual contempt.
”How’d you kill it?”
”Stabbed it a hundred times with an on-the-spot spear till it got bored and left.”
Hinagiku-san sighed. “Your creations defy sense.”
”Vampire-slaying conceptual weapon?”
”Mithril baptized in vampire Soul Cores. Turned into a spear.”
Three voices in unison: “That makes no sense.”
”But I learned I can shape monster gear to the wielder’s desire. Weapon type swapping. Quiet power-up.”
The bastard’s eyes gleamed as Hinagiku-san walked the idiot home. He lingered.
”Dragon orbs are real, right? Make me a katana.”
He produced a fist-sized gem, pulsing like a star.
”One orb won’t cut it for the blade you want. Need two, ideally three.”
His face went slack. Bullseye.
”…How’d you know I favor a nodachi?”
”Scratches on your uchigatana scream it. Don’t underestimate a Crafter.”
He laughed, pocketing the orb. “Fine. Save it for the perfect blade.”
”Forget it existed.”
”No chance!”
He vanished into the dusk. A dragon orb—once-in-a-lifetime material. Half-assing it would disgrace Master’s teachings. Blacksmithing demanded sincerity, even for that bastard.
Dinner waited, Ichika’s spread steaming. I hesitated over the Undead King talk, but needed fighter input.
”Master, pierced through the gut—how are you alive?!”
Too soon. Ichika’s panic drowned strategy.
”Got cocky after pinning him.”
”Constant battle readiness! I’d have been a widow!”
Ethelena cut in gently. “Ichika, the baby…”
Clever leverage.
Yohira steered us back. “Next time he’ll come to kill. Conceptual Appraisal locks one target. Summons swarm us, we’re done.”
”Armor upgrades, then.”
”How often do we meet something that strong?”
”With Tatia’s Rare-fest skill? I’m paranoid for a reason. Next could be a sealed Demon Lord. Or a stray god-slayer. Frankly, the god-slayer scares me more.”
”He’s a vampire king. Nations, diplomacy, war—possible. We need Wallachia 2.0. Stronger.”
”Ideas?”
”Stake-driver loaded with Wallachia-grade spikes. Or Elingium rounds with anti-regen. Orbital railgun, but handheld.”
”Too expensive to fire and forget…”
”Anything less and he laughs. Ten kilos of Blood Mithril, vampire-slaying concept, regen-seal. No escape.”
Ichika caught my drift. “Planning round two already?”
”He’ll be disappointed if we show up empty-handed. Then murder.”
Ethelena sighed. “Tatara’s weirdly in sync with him.”
Yohira shrugged. “Tatara’s Tatara.”
Post-dinner, I waved Tatia off and ducked into the workshop. Temari-bana was pristine; Andrea and Aura needed love—battle wear. Elingium and Lonisera had leveled too. My hammer and Genbu armor? Upgraded, but the plating felt thin. Adamantite was ideal, but scarce. Orichalcum composite with will-response might outclass it long-term.
”Master?”
Dahlia slipped in, face grave, dinner skipped.
”What’s up?”
”A request.”
She offered her Mana Blade and the core reclaimed from the mimic—her birth heart.
”Fuse my core into this sword. Strengthen it.”
”That’s… your original core. From birth.”
”I won’t trade the egg you gave me for anything. This is severance from the past. I’ve thought long.”
Her flat tone hid resolve. I felt it.
”This blade’s fine?”
”Yes. Heimatsanrat is dear, but this one… I need it.”
Need. That hung.
”Need how?”
She inhaled, eyes steel.
”Master, preface: I bear no grudge. Gratitude only. Without you, I’d be dead. Your words made me chase happiness. These days are my treasure.”
Deep breath.
”Since you gave me the egg and saved my life… I became a saint.”
The workshop lamp flickered, casting her shadow long across the forge.
—
*Originally, I considered putting the awakening scene at the end of the previous chapter. However, to avoid disrupting the intense aftermath of the fierce battle, I decided to move it here.
*‘Famous Sword Alucard’*
Type: Two-handed Sword
Physical Attack +40, Physical Defense +25, Magic Defense +25
Special Ability: ‘Indestructible’
A sword wielded for ages by a king who slew countless enemies and crossed millennia. Forged with the resolve to protect the nation, its blade, continuously swung, eventually became unbreakable.
*Full Armor ‘Dragon Pervert Armor’*
HP +50, Mana +20, Skill Power +20, Physical Attack +15, Physical Defense +40, Magic Attack +10, Magic Defense +30, Speed +20, Movement +1
Special Ability: ‘Fire Attribute Resistance’, ‘Female Only’
Bikini armor. Its size changes depending on the wearer. For those with larger chests, the armor is smaller, and for those with smaller chests, it is larger. The person who designed this structure must have been quite a pervert. The color and elemental resistance vary depending on the dragon scales used.
Notes:
• Yohira – Torakuma’s first name. Oni warrior.
• Ichika – The fox girl. Kunoichi. Virgincest⚠️, becomes pregnant immediately.
• Hinagiku – A tengu woman as Ranka’s potential companion. She stays with Tatara’s group after travels. Joins household scenes only. Linked to Ranka by shared gluttony jokes. No direct tie to Tatara beyond cohabitation. Cheerful eater.
• Dahlia – The automaton.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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