Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Emily Epiris (6)
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“Guhk! S-sorry! Sorry! P-please stop hitting me!”
Behind one of the academy buildings, Ken Fine Stein was getting beaten black and blue.
The one kicking him in the gut was none other than the game's protagonist, Emily Epiris.
And I was watching it all unfold from the sidelines, like some detached observer.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Ken Fine Stein's immersion rate has increased. Just as you'd expect from a character set up to get bullied—being tormented like this was bringing Ken's personality to the surface.
Thanks to that, I didn't have to feel any pain myself. Silver lining.
But seriously, what the hell is that guy's deal?
My head was swimming with questions.
“What the hell can you even do?! Lose some damn weight, you pig!”
Emily was stomping on Ken with all her might.
The usual trio of girls who tormented Ken were snickering off to the side.
Fine, those three make sense.
The real issue was Emily Epiris.
Just a few days ago, I was the one who saved her. She had to know that. But instead of gratitude, her payback was... this?
I couldn't wrap my head around it.
As far as I remembered, she was the game's protagonist—righteous, unable to stand injustice...
“Hehe... Ahaha, look at him rolling around on the ground like a pathetic worm.”
...That?
Emily's face was flushed, her smile genuine as if she was truly enjoying it.
“Eek... S-sorry. Please stop now...”
And whenever Ken groaned in pain, that smile deepened.
As if she was savoring the bullying itself.
That's when the system popped up a status window for me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Emily Epiris's sexual arousal level has risen. ...What the hell is this?
I immediately checked Emily's status after seeing the message.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ Name: Emily Epiris Unique Skill: Target Seal Unique Trait: Sadism Possessed Trait: Reality Denial LV 1 ...Sadism? And Reality Denial on top of that?
What the hell?
These were traits I'd never seen before.
Emily was the protagonist of this game.
In other words, the character whose status I'd checked more than anyone else's while playing.
Sadism? I'd never seen this trait in any of my playthroughs.
“Ahaha! Cry more... cry harder, you pig!”
“O-oink... I-I'm a stupid pig!”
“Hehe, ufufu...”
Emily's breathing grew ragged as she savored the pig noises, her face flushed red.
Unable to hold back any longer, she licked her lips and looked down at me.
Finally, she bit her finger as if fighting off waves of pleasure.
What the hell is wrong with you...
A few days passed with Emily leading the charge on the bullying.
To top it off, it had been raining a lot lately—almost like the heavens themselves were against me—and on rainy days, Emily would summon me.
“You stink. Go wash up. I can smell sausages just walking past you.”
“Sorry, I-I won't walk near you.”
“I'm telling you to wash up so you can walk near me!”
Of course, I showered meticulously every day. What could I do about my natural body odor?
But this kind of bullying wasn't so bad for me.
What, you think I'm a masochist? No way.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Due to accumulated physical damage from sustained attacks, you have acquired the skill Physical Resistance LV 1. I'd gained a skill, no less.
“You stupid pig!”
“It's an honor to be stepped on by Emily!”
“Your only redeeming quality is your size!”
[Yeah! Step on that pig bastard more!]
“Eek...!”
I cheered on Emily's group even harder from my observer vantage point.
To be honest, the lingering pain after Ken's immersion wore off was a bit annoying.
But I'd scored an unexpected gain.
Physical Resistance!
If I could level this up, it'd definitely help with survival...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Due to accumulated mental damage from sustained attacks, you have acquired the skill Mental Fortification LV 1. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The effect of Mental Fortification LV 1 has reduced Ken Fine Stein's immersion rate. Wait, what?
Oh, shit...!
“Guheok!”
“You stupid pig! Lose the weight already!”
The pain of her stomping on my head hit me full force.
Damn it! Not now! I was enjoying the auto-farm vibes!
Thanks to the sudden Mental Fortification skill, Ken's personality had retreated deep inside me.
Now I'd feel every bit of the body's pain...
No, snap out of it. I have to survive!
But I couldn't give up. This was a golden chance to level up skills I'd gotten by sheer luck.
Normally, building Physical Resistance in combat would mean taking way more than a couple scratches.
This was safe and efficient. Only chance like this.
Come on, endure! Time to man up, Ken Fine Stein!
Steel myself, I turned to Emily and her crew.
With determined eyes, I shouted confidently.
“Come on! Hit me more! Insult me more! Stomp me more!”
Physical Resistance and Mental Fortification—hook me up!
“......”
“......”
What? Why are they looking at me like ...ew?
Only Emily blushed at my shout, a smile creeping onto her face.
“...Haa, haa. Ufufu.”
She breathed heavily. Kinda scary.
“...Um, Emily. Sorry, but I'm gonna bail here.”
“Yeah, even for me, a pervert pig is a bit much.”
“Do whatever. I don't care.”
The rest of the group made disgusted faces and left.
Wait, don't leave me behind...
For some reason, I felt like I understood Rafne's feelings.
“Are you challenging me right now? Huh? Pig Ken... Haa, hehe, fine. I'll break you nice and slow.”
“Eek!”
“...You pig! Lose the weight!”
And with that, my Physical Resistance and Mental Fortification skills both hit LV 2.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “...Ken. Something wrong?”
After Her Majesty Emily's training session ended, I was up in Rafne's tower.
I wanted to do some crafting with the materials from that cyclops giant while having dinner.
But Rafne seemed to notice something was off.
“Huh? Oh, n-no. Nothing's wrong. Haha.”
I couldn't worry her more when her mental state was already fragile.
But she didn't buy it and came closer.
“W-whoa! T-tickles, haha!”
“......”
Rafne started groping around my body, stroking here and there.
A-ah...! Rafne...! N-not there...!
“Ken... You've got way more bruises than before...”
She looked at me with a shadowed face.
Worry and doubt swirled in her eyes.
Guess it was obvious at a glance.
“...How'd you know?”
She hadn't lifted my clothes, and smart Queen Emily only stomped my head—never left marks on my face.
You couldn't tell just by looking.
Rafne averted her gaze, sweating at my question.
“...Well, the person who did the hitting would know best.”
Ah, of course. Specialist in the field.
Recalling her past bullying of Ken, Rafne looked deeply sorry—like a puppy that broke something and was scrambling.
She shook her head, then looked back at me.
“Ken...! It's weird coming from me, but... if something's up, lean on me!”
Her dead eyes, shadowed and lifeless, still held genuine concern for me in those red irises.
Caught off guard by her actions, I stared at Rafne intently.
My favorite character asking me to rely on her.
A little touching.
Maybe because she was mentally strained herself, it hit even harder.
But Rafne seemed to misread my gaze.
“S-sorry, Ken. That was too shameless of me, right? Telling you to rely on someone like me... You'd just be troubled. Sorry.”
She'd shown such strong resolve moments ago, but now she shrank back.
“No, Rafne. I'm happy you said that. Thanks.”
Peeking at me with our index fingers touching, her face lit up at my words.
She grabbed my hand, her voice excited.
“Th-then, Ken! If you're getting bullied at the academy and it's tough...!”
“Yeah, yeah. I'll rely on you, Rafne?”
I smiled and played along.
“Exactly! If something bad happens at the academy... you can hole up here!”
Then her face hardened.
“......Huh?”
“Hehe, ehehe, if bad stuff happens at the academy, you can stay here as long as you want. I'll do anything for you. You don't even need to go back there anymore.”
Rafne's dark eyes swallowed me whole again.
“Ignore all the tough stuff. Put it all on the back burner and stay here—I'll make you happy. I'll make you forget every painful thing...”
She tempted me in that ominous atmosphere, hard to refuse.
But I'd just had mental training from Her Majesty.
Keeping calm, I held my hand up to her face.
“......Huh?”
And flicked her forehead with my finger.
“...Ack!”
Rafne clutched her forehead, tears welling as she looked at me.
“If I hole up here, who's gonna lift your curse?”
“...Hic, I-I was just saying it'd be okay even if you didn't...”
No, that was 100% serious.
“...So you can comfort me, Rafne?”
“Huh?”
I hated to ditch her offer entirely. So I had a great idea.
As a fan of my favorite character, I'd fantasized about stuff like this plenty.
Time to make it real.
“Ahh~ Heaven.”
I rested my head on the plush paradise, feeling my body's fatigue melt away.
Rafne gently stroking my hair felt divine.
“Th-this is enough...?”
“Last time I was passed out, so I didn't get to enjoy it.”
Right now, I was sitting on the bed with my head pillowed on Rafne's thigh.
Lying atop that soft heaven.
After all the verbal abuse and violence from that hack protagonist.
I could feel my battered body recovering.
Body and mind regenerating.
“...Mmm.”
I was tempted to drift off like this, but I resisted sleeping in that hazy state.
Something told me if I fell asleep here, I'd never leave the tower again.
Still, her sweet scent and warm body heat brought on drowsiness.
Just recover a bit more, then get up.
Then Rafne, stroking my head, muttered something.
“Hehe, heehee... If Ken gets obsessed and dependent on me like this, then...”
Felt like I overheard some scary plan.
But sorry, Rafne. Your plan won't work.
I've got Mental Fortification from Her Majesty's training.
No obsession or dependency debuffs for me.