Chapter 230 Fusion
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The moment my finger touched the dungeon core, I felt like my whole body was being pulled toward it.
There was no pain, thank the gods. But my idea of being drawn into some kind of machine wasn’t completely wrong.
After all, I’d only been given that worrying explanation: “fusion.” If that word held even a grain of truth, I should have prepared myself for some change where the line between my body and the dungeon core would disappear.
”Whoa, whoa! Th-This is… Lady Mataaha!?” I yelped, utterly bewildered.
”Enough of that nonsense. A man does not squawk like a startled hen. I am simply stretching you out—and sealing you into this dungeon core.” She spoke with the authority of a goddess unused to complaints from mortals.
The process was a divine act, far beyond what humans could understand. Perhaps that was the point. Perhaps that was why you had to let go of human understanding altogether.
The dungeon core changed shape, beginning to spin thread-like strands from my fingertip like a spinning wheel. At the same time, from fingertip to palm, then to wrist, my body disappeared as if being carved away. Even worse—the cut edge of my flesh stayed at a fixed distance, as if to say that once the reading started, no interruption would be allowed.
In other words, I was being drawn in slowly, with no room for resistance.
And just like the pain, the sensation in my dissolving fingertips faded too. How could I not feel terror at the thought: if this reached my head, would I even be able to hold on to my sense of self?
Even when I let out a weak whimper, Mataaha—now so close to achieving her grand ambition—offered no help, no mercy. Holding onto a thread of hope, I turned my gaze toward Ai. Her beautiful face, lips pressed tight, gave a firm nod.
”—!”
That earnest gaze lit up my resolve again.
The goddesses hadn’t lied. Not one word. I’d asked for power beyond human comprehension—so what right did I have to flinch at the incomprehensible?
The servants, and even the goddess herself, had trusted me with this. To honor that trust, I should face this fusion with pride.
”Hmph. Your face looks far better now. In recognition of your resolve, I shall handle the Abyss’s controls for you until you grow accustomed.”
”Thank you—I’m in your care…” The words came out barely above a whisper.
The core surface was already right before my eyes. There was no time left for long explanations.
Come to think of it, if acquiring the Labyrinth meant that my thoughts directly influenced its control, even a slight lapse in concentration could affect its internal structure. But with the goddess herself acting as proxy, the adventurers still active inside should be spared any harm.
The moment I thanked her for that reassurance, my face crossed the boundary. Instantly, my vision and voice were gone, and then my consciousness faded.
It happened faster than falling asleep. No awareness of darkness, no continuity of thought—just a sudden stop.
………
……
…
The next thing I knew felt less like waking up and more like floating in a hazy, half-dream state.
My mind was still there. But it wasn’t tied to a human body. Only my vision flew through the air, racing across sunlit fields. Then the scene changed quickly to rocky mountains rich with ore veins, to empty marshlands—and as I looked down, a strong sense of familiarity hit me.
(Ah—there’s no one here.) The realization hit me with cold clarity.
Over these ten years, how many times had I visited those places? I’d never thought I’d have the chance to see them from above like this. But there was no doubt about it—these were the shallow layers of the Labyrinth.
Yet the place that should have been full of adventurers day and night was completely empty of human life. Monsters, however, roamed freely. I couldn’t tell whether what I was seeing was the current state of the Labyrinth or the starting setup stored in the dungeon core.
(No way—was that actually true?) Doubt ate at my thoughts.
I’d heard rumors that when a Labyrinth fell into someone’s hands, everyone inside was thrown out by force. If that were true, the information should have spread more widely. But then again, the last Labyrinth conquest had happened in a remote area of a neighboring country, nearly a hundred years ago. Maybe the people who were there at the time weren’t as many as in the Royal Capital Labyrinth. Maybe everyone was too caught up in the excitement of the Labyrinth’s conquest to pay attention to the forced eviction.
(I can’t just stay like this—) A sense of urgency focused my scattered thoughts.
Labyrinths in foreign lands were all located far from settlements. That’s why only the fact of their conquest had been widely publicized. But if the forced eviction mechanic was real, the Royal Capital should be overflowing with adventurers right now. I truly regretted causing such chaos—but at the very least, the public now knew that the Labyrinth had fallen into someone’s hands.
And that meant my hand was forced. The strategy of keeping cards hidden from my political enemies was no longer viable—especially when I’d already failed to return before Marina’s death could be announced.
My enemies wouldn’t have expected the Labyrinth to be conquered. I’d hoped to bait them into rash moves against Marina, who should have returned by the skin of her teeth. But now that advantage was gone.
And it didn’t stop there. Losing the element of surprise meant my enemies wouldn’t just steel themselves—they’d start preparing new schemes tailored to the situation. If I didn’t secure full control of the Labyrinth and return to the surface quickly, things could spiral even further out of control.
(What… should I do? Don’t tell me I have to go back to the dungeon core again?) Desperation crept into my thoughts.
The sense of urgency was there, but I had no idea how to escape this ghost-like state, drifting through the Labyrinth. I’d managed to preserve my sense of self—but I still didn’t know how to actually operate anything.
Still, sitting around waiting for things to improve was pure negligence. Fortunately, neither monsters nor terrain interfered with me. So I rushed through what had once taken years of travel at high speed. Without any threat to my life, I sped past the outer layers and finally reached the familiar oval cavern.
”—Finally back, are you. Took you long enough to reconstruct your sense of self.” Mataaha’s voice echoed in my mind, sounding impatient as a goddess would.
The great doors that should have allowed no one through offered no resistance—perhaps because I was nothing but consciousness now. Or maybe, since I now owned the Royal Capital Labyrinth, I’d earned a free pass to bypass any measures designed to ward off intruders.
At any rate, I didn’t suffer the feared lockout. The moment the dungeon core came back into view from a distance, Mataaha’s exasperated voice echoed in my mind.
Turning my gaze that way, I spotted a blue dot amid the white area at the center of the basin. As I drew closer, she looked at me clearly, despite being supposedly invisible.
”Hm. You’re no longer unsettled by my divine eyes. You’re drawing steadily closer to our kin.”
Looking into those eyes again, I felt none of that dizzying pull. Thanks to that, I could finally observe her face properly—the sharply defined features, the eyes like paintings whose finite irises held infinite shapes—without having to prepare myself just to meet her gaze.
”Enough. I care not for the beauty or ugliness of my visage. While you were drifting about, that Shelm woman has already finished her preparations and awaits you eagerly. Go fulfill your purpose, and be quick about it.” She dismissed my fascination with clear irritation.
Chances to look at a goddess’s divine face didn’t come often. To do so without being overwhelmed by her divine presence was a rare honor. But the Goddess of the Labyrinth paid no attention to her own beauty, putting practicality first as she looked away with mild irritation.
(It’s stopped—the transformation, hasn’t it?) I ventured cautiously.
”Hm. You experienced it yourself, did you not? That motion was to wind up whoever touched it. Now, as you see, it has already completed its fusion with you and serves as your protective shell. … If all I had to do was hand over the Labyrinth as before, this would be the end. But you must proceed further.”
Mataaha’s gaze fixed on the dungeon core, which continued its slow rotation while maintaining its cubic form. It looked exactly like a Rubik’s Cube displayed on a turntable. If her words held true, this state was likely even more robust than the “Safety Area” structure.
—And with that, I felt I could piece together a little more of the truth about Labyrinths in other nations.
Those who fused with the dungeon core would likely drift through the Labyrinth in this ghost-like state, forever watching over everything that happened inside. They might hear the words of those around them, but could not speak back—communication would naturally be restricted.
Under such circumstances, if one tried to meet their allies’ requests as much as possible while avoiding depleting the Labyrinth, even at best, they might manage only to increase resource production.
(I understand. I just need to touch it again, don’t I?)
”Yes. Normally, a dungeon core in this state is merely a stationary computational device. But in your case, it has fused with the Skills bestowed by Shelm—it now serves as the gateway to your own domain. Eventually, you will be able to enter from anywhere in the Labyrinth. But until you grow accustomed, use your own body as that foothold.”
There was something almost self-mocking in the way Mataaha urged her hesitant junior forward.
It was probably the same as what Shelm had shown before—a mockery of her own limits, knowing she could only grow stronger by depending on mortals. Perhaps that very helplessness made her words come out harsher, as if pushing others away.
—But nothing great was ever achieved without a foothold.
Start from what’s within reach. If she was trying to challenge her own limits by increasing her allies, then this self-mockery wasn’t simple resignation. It was a confirmation of her position, a foundation for the leap forward to come.
—And so, even if she pointed out that I’d been turned into a pebble, I felt no offense.
Being counted among the predecessors who never ceased striving for improvement—I could think of no greater honor than that.
”Hah. Quite the flattering interpretation you’ve given me. If you weren’t of such divine nature, I’d be raising both hands in celebration. … Well, I suppose it’s Shelm who’ll be dealing with you anyway. Now, if you wish to share in our rise to glory, go learn to shape your own body at the very least.” Her laugh carried old amusement mixed with self-awareness.
(Wait—. My, divine—? Wh-whoa, ahhhh!?) The sudden shift caught me completely off guard.
To answer the great expectations placed upon him, he touched the Dungeon Core once more—so that he might set out for his own domain, where Ai was waiting.
In that instant, a voice of disappointment from the goddess reached him; the reason, apparently, had to do with the direction of his divinity—something he himself hadn’t even become aware of. He tried to press her for details on how he might redeem himself, but once again, the Dungeon Core refused to release what it had touched, and before he could question the truth, his consciousness was drawn into the mysterious core.
…
…
…
To lose consciousness so many times in such a short span—it’s hardly a pleasant feeling. Yet knowing it was due to my own inexperience, I could hardly complain. Having stepped onto this non-human path, all I could do now was master the powers given to me by the two goddesses as quickly as possible, and someday, find a way to repay their kindness. For that, I needed to learn from Ai without delay—and the strength of that resolve had me waking up with no time for sleepiness.
”Good morning, Brother ♡”
Ai’s voice rang like morning bells.
”Hmm… Morning. If you’re here, then I’m in the right place, right? But… I’m seeing a starry sky.”
On my back, I felt the familiar comfort of the bed from the Familial Workshop. Ai’s warmth was against my arm at the same time, confirming that this was indeed my own domain, formed inside the Dungeon Core. Yet as far as I could see, a sky full of stars stretched wide—so much so that I could have mistaken it for the divine realm of Shelm herself.
”Yes, yes ♡ You must have really taken a liking to it, Brother ♡ Even though you’ll have your own divine domain, I never imagined you’d adopt a starry sky like this ♡ Nfufu ♡ Now we match forever ♡”
”For real? This is… mine? Ah, right. Yeah, I was jealous of Shelm, sitting in a place that beautiful. But is it really okay to copy her so openly?”
A divine domain is like a god’s calling card, isn’t it? If I copied hers directly, the goddesses who had been hoping for a new comrade with a different nature probably wouldn’t find it amusing. Thinking that, I quickly glanced at Ai’s expression. But the sister-goddess who had stayed by my side until I woke—ever since her beauty had filled my vision upon waking—she hadn’t tried to hide her good mood at all.
”What are you saying, Brother ♡ A divine domain is the foundation of a god—the space that reveals your true self ♡ This isn’t influenced by our powers; it’s the shape of your heart, the ‘you’ that wanted to align with yourself ♡ I’ve been inviting you to become our kin for so long, and I’ve never been happier than this ♡♡”
”R-right. If you’re happy, that’s what matters. But then why is the bed from the Familial Workshop here too?”
Unlike Shelm’s domain, the starry sky here was a perfect copy—but the ground beneath was paved with uneven white stones, like the base materials of the Labyrinth, each rising to different heights. As a result, just a few dozen blocks ahead, my view of the horizon was blocked by rock ledges that stuck out higher than where I stood. In the middle of that uneven terrain, at the center of a relatively flat area, sat the very bed I’d shared with my retainers through countless nights. If this was my own created space, then unless Ai had forced it, I must have called it out without knowing it.
Thinking that, I asked my cheerful sister-goddess for confirmation. But Ai pressed her body even closer, bringing her flushed, smiling face near mine. Catching a faint glint of something eager in her reddened cheeks, I felt a creeping sense of dread.
”No ♡ It seems this bed is always present in your domain, Brother ♡ Unlike my temporary placement out of necessity, this bed itself is likely the symbol of your divine authority ♡”
”W-wait, what does that mean? So I build this solemn world, and it’s permanently furnished with a bed that screams ‘I brought a woman here’?”
Focusing my mind, pushing my unfamiliar power, I could feel the same presence from the bed as from the surrounding rock ledges—no, even stronger. Which meant that even if I eventually gained enough power to invite someone here, they’d be faced with clear evidence of something clearly not meant for one person.
”Yes ♡ Any woman invited here must offer her body—a wonderful divine implement befitting a brother who has become the Lewd God ♡♡”
”—Huh? What did you just say?”
What had my affectionate little sister just called me? If I wasn’t hearing things, she’d said “Lewd God”—and despite my frantic attempts to deny it, she helpfully sent me the thought, “yes, a lewd god, that’s what you are.” Such thoughtful kindness from a goddess whose nature was the complete opposite of her main aspect. Thanks to her, I was forced to face a truth I’d never wanted to know.
”Wait, hold on! What do you mean, lewd god of all things?! I know it’s presumptuous, but I seriously thought I could become someone who helps people, with powers as amazing as yours and Lady Mataaha’s! But this—THIS—!”
Gods, though separate from mortals, still bring blessings through the power that flows from them. That’s why the two goddesses had their followers, and I’d hoped to become worthy of that someday. Yet before I could even search for my own divine nature, it had been defined as “lewd acts”—how was I supposed to put this into words?!
”Wait! Was THAT why Lady Mataaha was so strangely distant?!”
”—? Why are you so upset, Brother? Just by having s*x with a woman and going to town on her p**sy, you can get stronger. Isn’t that the best?”
And yet the sister-goddess with the lewd nature showed genuine envy for a godly nature that could increase power so easily. Worse, she clearly looked forward to the idea of being with the one she loved and gaining even more pleasure.
So before this pitiful male god, whose future prospects had been cut off moments after his birth, the goddess of lewdness came close without any sense of the mood. Through her thin garment, she rubbed her erect n**ples against him, and he could feel her full breasts pressing against his chest through his whole arm as she held on to him.
”Ooooh ♡ Please don’t be so pessimistic, Brother ♡ Even if your essence is lewd, there are plenty of ways to use the power you gain for the benefit of others ♡ Compared to when you were merely human, this power is immense beyond measure, and surely many will come to worship you ♡”
”Really—no, are you sure about that?”
Whatever the nature of one’s power, the truth was already clear from before I’d been thrown into this great adventure: without power, you couldn’t even save yourself. And compared to when I’d first set foot in this Royal Capital Labyrinth, I’d grown steadily stronger—and would likely continue to do so.
But as the uneasy feeling still gnawed at me, the lewd sister-goddess slid her arms away, then pressed her weight onto my chest, pinning me down on my back.
”I can’t allow you to use your power prematurely—not me, and not Mataaha. First, you must learn the basics of being a god. Then, you must grow even stronger ♡ To that end, first, master the method of dividing and preserving your consciousness. After that, if you offer your body to your wives, you’ll be able to increase your power indefinitely, within this time-sealed world, cut off from the outside ♡”
Ai, as if to comfort her brother who hated his shameful godly nature, listed methods to grow stronger and the benefits of his nature. Among them, the ability to bring women into his domain and grow stronger without limit—unlike the two goddesses who could only grow by spending time with others—offered a small hope of catching up to them.
”—Ah! That’s right! What about them?!”
Just as I was thinking about how best to use the cards I’d been dealt, I suddenly remembered Ashley and the others, who had fused with the Dungeon Core along with me while still inside the Familial Workshop. Surely they hadn’t been scattered somewhere in this vast Labyrinth, like me after regaining consciousness?
With that worry, I focused my awareness—and luckily, I could sense all four presences, grouped relatively close together, hidden behind the shadows of nearby rock ledges.
”Alright, can I call them here this way?”
”—Ahhh ♡ To master your power so soon, without a single lesson from me ♡ You’re wonderful, Brother ♡”
It was a use of the power I’d felt when calling retainers to the Workshop. Now, with my ability to process information no longer limited to a human brain, I could call all four at once, even from different distances and directions.
”—Wha—this!?!”
”Nfufu ♡ First, your deification takes precedence ♡ We can’t have your wives’ thoughts getting in the way ♡”
But then, I saw the forms of Ashley and the others as they appeared before me—and I was stunned.
On the edge of a rock ledge, a little way from the bed where I’d been with Ai, my retainers were lined up. Compared to when they’d been stored in the Workshop, their state was clearly… different.
First: they were completely naked, stripped of all their clothes and equipment. Second: they were sealed upright in some kind of transparent mineral crystal, eyelids closed, utterly motionless.
”If you wish to make love to your wives again, learn to control your power ♡ To create a human body from nothing, and make it compatible with their preserved souls—that is the first lesson we goddesses bestow upon you, Brother ♡♡”
In front of the shaped souls—including the half that had been split from him—the rainbow goddess leaned in with an inviting smile. Her clear voice was lifted by the joy of trusting without doubt in the growth of her brother, who had just taken his first step as a god.
—
Summary:
The protagonist undergoes fusion with the dungeon core, losing his physical body in the process. While drifting as consciousness through the Labyrinth’s layers, he discovers the Royal Capital has been thrown into chaos by forced adventurer evictions, complicating his political situation. Mataaha guides him toward reclaiming his body, revealing that his new divine nature will serve as a gateway to greater power—but first, he must learn to shape himself.
The protagonist awakens in his divine domain and discovers it features a starry sky copied from Shelm, along with a bed from the Familial Workshop that Ai claims is a permanent symbol of his authority. His cheerful sister-goddess informs him that he has become the Lewd God, a revelation that horrifies him but delights Ai, who sees it as an opportunity for intimacy and power. As he grapples with this unwanted divinity, he remembers his retainers and summons them, only to find them sealed naked in crystal—a challenge Ai presents as his first divine lesson.
—
Trivia:
The protagonist’s fusion with the dungeon core occurred through fingertip contact, with his body being “read” like data.
The Royal Capital Labyrinth has been conquered, triggering automatic eviction of all adventurers inside.
Mataaha is acting as a proxy for the Abyss’s controls until the protagonist adjusts.
The dungeon core in its current state resembles a Rubik’s Cube on a turntable.
Fused individuals become ghost-like observers who can hear but cannot speak back to the living.
Labyrinth conquests in other nations happened in remote areas, so forced eviction details were never widely documented.
The protagonist’s political enemies will now know he controls the Labyrinth and will prepare countermeasures.
Marina’s death was never officially announced, creating a strategic disadvantage.
The protagonist’s divine nature was revealed through his successful fusion with Shelm’s Skills.
The “Safety Area” structure is less robust than the current fused state of the dungeon core.
The protagonist has lost consciousness multiple times in a short period, each time within the Dungeon Core.
Ai is explicitly named as a rainbow goddess (虹の女神).
The bed from the Familial Workshop is a permanent fixture in the protagonist’s divine domain, not a temporary placement.
The protagonist’s divine nature as the Lewd God is involuntary and unwelcome to him.
Ai’s lewd nature is described as genuine and enthusiastic, not performative.
The protagonist’s retainers (Ashley and three others) were fused with the Dungeon Core alongside him.
The retainers are sealed in transparent mineral crystals, completely naked and motionless.
The protagonist is tasked with creating new human bodies from nothing and attaching preserved souls to them.
Ai’s name is a homophone for “love” in Japanese (愛).
Shelm is a goddess whose divine realm the protagonist envied for its beauty.
Mataaha is one of the two goddesses who granted the protagonist power and is treated with respect.
The protagonist’s domain is formed inside the Dungeon Core, not separate from it.
Ai claims the divine domain reflects the true self of the god, not external influence.
The protagonist uses the power he learned from summoning retainers to the Workshop to summon all four simultaneously.
The crystal seal on the retainers is positioned on a rock ledge near the bed where the protagonist was intimate with Ai.
The protagonist’s wives (including Ashley) are mentioned by Ai as those he will need to learn to control his power for.
Notes:
• Mataaha – A labyrinth goddess with dark skin, silver eyes, and long black hair, she hovers majestically in deep blue vestments. She governs the Royal Capital Labyrinth with an old-fashioned, stern presence and a deep, authoritative voice. Possessing transcendent power, she is cold to intruders and intensely solitary, sharing an easy familiarity only with Yui and Ai.
• Ai – A graceful sub-divinity who manages the world’s Skills, this goddess radiates a blinding, magnificent aura. Serving as a powerful, party-connected energy source, she stands as a steadfast ally to Yuuri. Viewing him as her “Elder Brother,” she harbors deep trust and genuine affection for him, forged through his exceptional mastery and efficiency in utilizing her divine power.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea and leader of the Marina-dono faction, this priestess princess clad in golden armor possesses gem-like golden eyes and a sharp, analytical wit. Serving a free-spirited goddess as part of Yuuri’s party, she deeply values her position as his number two. Despite her refined high-society background, she nervously yet capably manages the treacherous depths of the Labyrinth.
• Shelm – Reincarnated as a member of the Shelm family under her divine name, the Wicked Goddess is a manipulative entity linked to Marina’s arrival. Driven by a desire to exploit Yuuri’s power, she uses her outward appearance and deceitful nature to influence those around her, shaping critical relationships to ensure he unleashes his true capabilities for her own hidden agenda.
• Ashley – Daughter of Count Alegria and Yuuri’s beloved childhood friend, this poised, dignified noblewoman once adventured in the Capital Labyrinth. Now the head of the servants and a loyal attendant in Yuuri’s party, she stands by his side during the audience with Mataaha. Gracious, deeply smitten, and devoted, she secretly admires her master, seeks to be his dressing aide, and forms deep bonds with others.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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