Chapter 132: Fixed Members Angelica's transfer ended well, as Akito took it quite coolly.
Even though she had already left the Research Society, there was still the issue with Chika, so I spoke to him first to prevent any misunderstandings that I was messing with Angelica behind his back.
"Yeah, Angelica should do what she wants. And Yeon-woo, I'm sorry."
Akito bowed his head and apologized to me.
I suppose it's just like him to apologize so sincerely, admitting he was lacking and had misunderstood those close to him.
Everything was resolved smoothly—except for the fact that the followers standing behind the bowing Akito were shooting daggers at me with their eyes.
It was resolved… right?
This guy's indecisiveness swings back and forth like a metronome, so there's no telling when he'll get weak-willed and start having weird thoughts again.
Anyway, the situation that almost got complicated because of Chika was patched up for now, and Angelica safely joined my team.
So, Akito's current members are…
Shiori, Chika, Samurai, Ailee, Emma, Jessica, Kkanp, Pauper, Beastkin, Mamang, and even his rival, Redick—that makes eleven in total.
That's plenty, isn't it? It's only because the players are so greedy and try to collect every single heroine that it feels small; with that many people, they can go on missions, do research, and handle everything.
Shiori, Jessica, and Kkanp. With those three, they can handle any map, and they have characters specialized for every niche.
If he just pushes Bukgeuk-jwa and Kaira a bit more, he'll be set.
He might be short on members to send out for material grinding, but he'll seduce more heroines on missions anyway, and since he has mercenaries, I don't think I need to worry about Akito's roster anymore.
If things get desperate, I can just cover the material grinding with money.
So… I should probably just move forward thinking of myself as Akito's grinding party.
If I gather decent equipment and elixir ingredients for those members, they'll grow well enough on their own.
Yeah, it ended well. Heroine DLCs really are the best; there are no characters you miss out on because routes overlap.
I was a bit anxious when Angelica suddenly left the Research Society, but this doesn't seem bad at all.
Having her around is reassuring.
My heart swells with grand anticipation just thinking about it: Takeo and I holding down the monsters in the vanguard, the versatile Yukina moving between the front and back as the mid-guard, and Angelica raining down bombardment from the rear.
I had been worried because we were lacking a long-range dealer.
The Comedy Duo? Where would I even use these guys?
"What did you guys learn from the Geezer?"
"Heh… You finally ask."
Rio, whose chuunibyou was acting up again, struck a pose as he spoke.
Masayoshi also pushed up his glasses with a smug, confident expression that was honestly irritating.
"Watch closely. This is my full power."
In the Illusion Space, which was configured as a vast, empty plain, Rio used his magic with unnecessarily flashy gestures.
Krr-crack—!
A stone spike the size of a person erupted from the ground with a grating noise.
And… that's it?
That useless Geezer worked these kids to the bone and this is all they got…?
As I looked on in disbelief, Rio smirked, transformed his stick into a sword, and swung it horizontally.
K-k-k-k-krack—!!
"Wow…"
I was actually a bit impressed by this.
As Rio swung his sword, a trail of stone spikes erupted in its wake. How could I not be surprised?
And it wasn't just a short semi-circle; the spikes burst forth in a wide arc quite a distance away, creating what looked like a solid wall.
"It's basic magic, but I've become able to spam that basic magic."
"So you got scolded about the importance of fundamentals."
"…He has a very foul mouth…"
Rio's face darkened instantly, as if he were recalling the trauma of his training.
Leaving him be, I looked at Masayoshi, who shrugged.
"I'm also focusing on basic magic. Like you said, I focused on overall capabilities like frequency, duration, and intervals."
Masayoshi lightly fired a Magic Bullet at the wall Rio had created.
It was a Magic Bullet that even an elementary schooler could use, but he poured them out like a machine gun without any delay. It looked like it would be great for suppression.
I think there was a similar skill to this.
I couldn't remember the name, but I recalled it being quite useful.
I crossed my arms and pondered for a moment.
"Then, are you both rear-guards? Isn't that too many?"
"You shouldn't expect that much from us yet."
Okay, if we run out of spots, you're the first one getting cut.
Still, just removing the 'non' from 'non-combatant' is a huge help. I shouldn't ask for too much.
Masayoshi aside, Rio's tier has shot up significantly.
Earth magic is quite good because it can physically alter the terrain.
He can create barriers like he just did, which can be used as shields in a pinch, and he can momentarily halt an enemy's advance or shape the battlefield to our advantage.
It's better for Rio to focus on utility rather than being a long-range dealer.
No matter how hard the Comedy Duo tries, they can't beat the magic bomber Angelica in terms of damage.
"Then, shall we try a formation drill with Angelica included?"
I rejoined the team members who had been waiting while I checked the Comedy Duo's abilities.
Angelica hesitated, glancing at Yukina, before approaching me.
"We'll be doing this regularly now, so don't be nervous. Oh, and tell me if you don't like it."
"N-no! I don't… dislike it…"
The magic that would maximize the abilities of the frail Angelica: Soul Chain.
The fact that she would be fighting alongside me from now on meant that every time, we'd be deep kissing and I'd be all over her body.
What a truly perverted spell—thankfully.
Thud.
Just as I was about to embrace the nervous Angelica, the Comedy Duo each grabbed one of my shoulders.
"It's just practice, is there really a need to do that?"
"Exactly. This is an Illusion Space, so you can just input the settings."
These bastards were speaking logically, but their expressions looked like they wanted to kill me.
Looking at their bloodshot eyes and their pathetic, envious faces, I gave them a bright smile.
"Jealous?"
"…Teach me Soul Chain too…"
"Grow your Mana Barrier if you're so jealous. With your current barrier, you can barely even protect yourself."
"Urgh…"
After chasing away the two monsters with cold logic, I lightly embraced Angelica.
Her delicate body, which still fit perfectly in my arms, was warm and soft.
As I wrapped my arms around her fragile frame—feeling as though she might break if I squeezed too hard—and lifted her up, Angelica's feet left the ground.
I pressed my lips against hers. She was as tense as a rabbit caught in a trap.
Her body stiffened to the limit, and I forced my tongue into her helpless mouth.
Angelica's moist, small tongue recoiled in surprise the moment mine touched it, but as I persistently teased and tickled it, she gradually relaxed, and our tongues intertwined.
"Hng… nnh, hah… hyah… slurp—"
As the time spent exchanging saliva with our tongues tangled grew longer, Angelica's body began to twitch and tremble.
I wanted to keep kneading her large breasts and tiny buttocks while rubbing my erect dick against her, but there were too many eyes watching, so I restrained myself and let her go.
Perhaps her strength had left her, because even though her feet were back on the ground, Angelica leaned against me, panting, before struggling to pull away.
"How much is the synchronization?"
"Ah… that, about 80%..."
"That's much higher than I thought."
80% from just one kiss? The synchronization rate is way too high.
If I had groped her breasts or butt, we probably would have hit 100%.
And since a high synchronization rate also meant she enjoyed the kiss that much, Angelica's face turned beet red, and she couldn't lift her head.
"Darn it… Why didn't Master Chen tell me to increase my Mana Barrier…"
"Is it too late for me now…?"
It's too late, you punks.
Do you think I got this Mana Barrier for free?
I have dozens of pieces of furniture at home that give the same effect, and I've downed enough elixirs to fill a swimming pool to grow this barrier.
It's the result of a massive investment of time, capital, and effort.
Thud.
The Comedy Duo is right in front of me, so who's grabbing my shoulder now?
I looked back to see Bukgeuk-jwa, who had entered the Illusion Space to observe, wearing the exact same expression as the Comedy Duo.
"Me too. Teach me that magic too. How much do I have to pay? How can I learn it?"
You're an evasion tank; who are you going to share a Mana Barrier with?
It was a shortcut to a ruined character build, but Bukgeuk-jwa, seemingly struck by the impact of Angelica being so dazed, was intensely jealous and wanted Soul Chain.
"Your Mana Barrier is mediocre anyway, why would you learn this?"
"Guh—how can such an enviable ma… no, such a perverted magic exist…"
True.
Frey was the one who found it, but isn't this basically every man's dream magic?
"Hey, hey. Is your Mana Barrier weak? I can protect you if we suck and lick each other."
In a combat situation, it's practically mandatory.
Of course, if the situation forced me to do it with a man… the mere thought is horrifying, but the synchronization would be so low it'd be useless anyway.
If it's a guy, wouldn't it be less than 2%?
Anyway, putting aside the nonsense, we summoned a monster in the Illusion Space and began training.
Is this the first time we've trained officially?
Originally, I thought everyone except Yukina was just a temporary member, so I hadn't even bothered with coordination drills.
I didn't know I'd end up keeping Takeo for this long, and I never imagined I'd keep using the Comedy Duo either.
But since the enemies will only get stronger from here, it's better to strengthen the current members.
"Yeon-woo, you need to pull back a bit more. Rio, you're too overeager right now. Restrain yourself and pay attention to your remaining mana so you can help at any time."
I'm the team leader, but what do I know about overseeing training?
I'm busy enough just trying to improve my own skills.
What I did in the game was turn-based combat, not this kind of real-time tactics.
Most of the tactical and coordination training followed Yukina's instructions.
Without Yukina, I wouldn't have even dreamed of training.
At this point, I should probably thank Akito for throwing Yukina away.
After several hours of training, I looked around to find that Kaira, who had come to observe, had disappeared at some point, leaving only Bukgeuk-jwa behind to look after the girls.
Did she say she wanted to see our skills first?
Seeing us in such a mess during our first coordination attempt, she'll probably think it's a whole new world when she goes to watch Akito's team.
Kaira will likely join Akito.
Now I just need to send Bukgeuk-jwa away.
"What."
"Didn't we agree to speak comfortably with each other?"
"I find it more comfortable to use honorifics with you."
Bukgeuk-jwa replied with a bright smile.
Rather than being polite, she was making it crystal clear that she didn't want to get close.
Is she staying despite her dislike for me because she's targeting Yukina and Angelica?
After chasing away Bukgeuk-jwa, who was busy trying to act cool in front of the two, I pulled up the request on the screen.
It's convenient that you can float screens in the air in the Illusion Space. I should use this more often.
"This is the next request we're doing."
"Securing an abandoned base?"
"To be precise, it's about repairing the communication tower at the base to connect it with Central. Other teams will handle securing and establishing the base itself."
Normally, I should be going after elixir ingredients that have become insanely expensive, but this is a request that disappears if left alone, so I have to take it.
Akito chose something else, so I'll go, secure it, and sweep up the items.
As I explained the mission and pointed out things to watch out for, Masayoshi tilted his head.
"Where did you get that information? That's not in the request details."
"I have my ways."
"Hmm—"
Masayoshi looked skeptical, but I couldn't exactly tell him I saw it in a walkthrough.
Should I get a source for excuses? An intelligence agency? A private eye? I don't know what they're called here, but I might need something like that.
I thought about it for a moment, but unlike the laboratory which is active in many ways, spending money just to create an excuse seemed weird, so I dropped it.
I continued, pulling up another screen.
"And I've called in an additional mercenary."
"A mercenary?"
"Yeah, someone very famous."
"Don't tell me…"
"That's right. My master who ran away from home."
I finally got in touch with Frey.
Honestly, is she a child? Running away and skipping lessons for over a month just because she was embarrassed about one kiss?
It seemed pathetic to me, but everyone else was shocked, likely due to Frey's massive reputation.
"Really? We get to see the real Cerberus?"
"Don't say that in front of her. Your head will fly off."
I wasn't joking. If you get hit by her Magnum, your head really will fly off like a soccer ball.
"For now, her role is officially as an escort. So even if we complete the request, our performance score will be low."
"…But there's a reason for bringing her, right?"
"Yeah. She's going to watch our actual combat and give us advice. Think of her as taking on a bit of an instructor role."
The team members were delighted to hear that Frey, who held a status similar to the 12 Zodiacs, would be overseeing their training.
Well, there's the training aspect, but…
Without Frey, we'd all be wiped out.
But as the team leader, there was no need to say unnecessary things that would lower morale.
If Frey does her job well, they might never even know how much danger they were in.
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