Permission (1)
"...It's freezing."
And I wasn't kidding. It really was.
Something was off.
Why did the air beyond my front door feel so damn cold...?
It looked like the air in my place was the only one that seemed chilly.
But it had to be my imagination.
I was just scared shitless, so that's probably why it felt that way.
"Hoo..."
I really didn't want to go in, but I couldn't exactly not go home either.
But I was terrified.
The cake that always gave me courage in times like this? Couldn't buy one 'cause I was broke, which made it even worse.
What the hell should I do?
Could I really go in without a cake? For real?
No, was this even something a cake could fix? The cake had a 100% success rate for defense before, but not this time.
Not that I even had one right now.
"Alright."
It'll work out somehow, I thought, gingerly reaching for the door...
"Fuck."
It was fucking ice-cold.
Not my imagination after all.
The moment I grabbed the handle, the chill seeping through my palm made me even less eager to open the damn door.
I'm screwed...
"I-I'm hooome..."
Creeeak. The second I cautiously pushed the door open, there they were: Lilith, who was apparently already back from work, and everyone else.
I gulped hard at the sight of Lilith standing there with her arms crossed like a brick wall, and beside her, Hoaran, Yustitia, Karmine, and Karura.
They all looked pissed.
No way it was just because I was late. Not a chance.
"Uhhh..."
"Close the door."
"Yes, ma'am."
I shut it.
And right there on the spot, I dropped to my knees.
The floor was freezing cold.
Our place was rundown, but the heating usually worked fine...
I knew exactly why, though.
My wives were in a super low-pressure mood. Their emotions were dragging down the surrounding ki, dropping the temperature bit by bit.
I vaguely remembered hearing somewhere that scholars were researching stuff like mana-induced climate change or freak weather these days.
Like how areas with snow women or certain fairies and spirits alter the natural environment? Something about the mana properties changing due to the powers of the local species. Didn't care much, so I didn't know the details.
Anyway, the reason I was thinking about dumb shit like that right now was obvious: the gazes of my wives staring down at me on my knees were fucking terrifying.
Just say something, anything...
"Hey."
"Yes."
"What the hell is this?"
Lilith reached out and showed me her hand, so I answered quick.
"Your beautiful wife's lovely han—"
She glared at me like zap.
"Cut the bullshit."
"A ring."
I'm not an idiot. I knew she wasn't asking about her hand itself.
She was talking about the rings I'd given her and everyone else—the ones on her finger.
That's how I figured out why they all looked so shitty even though I hadn't said a word about Ariadd yet.
They would've seen the real-time ejaculation count on the rings dropping and spiking.
No way they missed that.
While I was racking my brain wondering why they hadn't barged in but waited at home instead, Lilith spoke up.
"Spill it. What the fuck were you doing...? No, who the fuck were you with?"
Ah, so they didn't know who.
Makes sense. The Driad Botanical Garden was basically another dimension, so the Body Checker's tracking magic probably didn't work right.
Anyway, this wasn't the time for that. I came clean to Lilith right away.
Went to get sap, got hooked by Ariadd, got tied up tight and milked hard, found out she loved me, fucked her, and decided to make her my wife. All of it.
"...I see."
Snap. I flinched when she flicked her fingers.
Bam. Suddenly, stacks of boxes piled up right in front of me.
"Wha..."
Boxes with writing that looked super familiar.
Except there was a "Plus" tacked on after the familiar text.
"Uh, Lilith?"
"What."
No matter how I looked at it, these were the stamina tonics I'd bought three boxes of along with the rings, the ones that wiped out my bank account. And these seemed like an even higher grade.
Mine hadn't had the "Plus."
And there were... dozens of them, easy.
"Wh-what the hell are all these...?"
"Your meals for the week."
"Ah."
Got it.
So I'm sucking on these for a whole week?
And what I'd be doing while sucking on stamina tonics nonstop for that week? Obvious.
"Th-that'll kill me, Lilith. For real. No joke."
"Don't worry, you won't die. Right, Karmine?"
"Indeed! This queen shall watch over our hero closely to ensure ye do not perish—fear not!"
With a necromancer like Karmine watching me, I'd probably survive even if I tried to die. I hesitantly asked her.
"But Karmine, didn't you say harems were fine...?"
Hell, you even encouraged it.
A great hero deserves a bunch of worthy partners. That's what you'd said.
She nodded at my question.
"Aye, 'tis true. But when adding a new member to the harem, 'tis obligatory to first obtain permission from the existing members."
Ah, so that's why even Karmine was pissed.
I'd added Ariadd as a wife without their okay, expanding the harem on my own. Basically ignored all my wives.
Even for Karmine, who was pro-harem, unilaterally growing it without permission was crossing the line.
Her tail, which always wagged wildly whenever she saw me, was ramrod straight.
Seeing that classic pissed-off puppy tail, I had nothing to say and just kept my head down. Then Hoaran called me.
"Hanjo."
"Hoaran...?"
Maybe...? I looked up at her hopefully, and she met my gaze before speaking.
"If thou hadst told us beforehand, 'twould be one thing. But a report after the fact? Doth that not seem too much?"
Yeah, it did.
Even I thought I'd gone too far.
Hell, I was amazed they weren't clawing my face off right then.
Anyway, it was the price for my screw-up, so I reached for the boxes, ready to accept it.
"...Hey."
"Yeah."
"Hold out your hand for a sec."
"Huh?"
Why my hand all of a sudden?
Lilith sighed at me, then yank—grabbed my hand.
"...Guess this is the fastest way."
She pulled my hand close, stared at the Body Checker on my wrist, and muttered that.
"Uh... what?"
"How you grow."
"Oh, that."
Yeah, figured.
I knew what she meant.
I'd checked my own Body Checker changes too.
What I got from holding Ariadd wasn't just making her my wife or her racial abilities like growing and controlling plants. Thanks to the core traits of a succubus's level drain, my power had exploded.
Succubi absorb others' power through sex.
They get stronger the more they do it, but it's more about how many different partners than sheer volume.
Roughly speaking, here's how much a succubus grows:
The biggest gains are during their first time.
When a born succubus hits adulthood, she instinctively absorbs the most essence from that initial impulse-driven partner.
The stronger that first target, the more power she gets—which is why most succubi's rank is basically set then.
Basically, bite the right dick early, and you're a powerhouse.
Of course, talented ones instinctively pick compatible first partners.
Next biggest is virgins—pure ones who haven't mixed with anyone.
Experienced guys have thicker essence, and the "flavor" gets better for succubi (even I don't fully get it with my drained abilities), but the raw power's harder to suck out.
So, max absorption: her first time, or opponent's first time.
Fitting for a species born to fuck.
After that, it's meh.
New partners give more; repeats give less each time.
It's common knowledge, so some guys guard their virginity fearing succubi...
But succubi aren't hunting virgins to power-level—they prefer the "flavor" of sluts who've been around. Probably only I know that, thanks to Lilith, top succubus and my info source.
Anyway, prime growth: first time ever (once only), then newbies or new partners, last repeats.
Same for me, with Lilith the Succubus Queen's level drain paired with my Jotaechang.
Fucking Ariadd spiked my stagnant growth—steady gains from wives, but this was a massive jump.
312/312
Max ejaculations: up 30 over a week with my wives. With Ariadd? Doubled in one go. Proof.
Ariadd's high rank as World Tree spirit + her virginity = level drain and Jotaechang went nuts.
Jotaechang leveled up big too—less than with prior wives, but four stages at once.
Haven't tested it anywhere yet.
Anyway, Lilith was glued to my wrist, peering at the Body Checker. I said,
"...Uh, Lilith? My hand hurts."
She was gripping it hard. When she let go with a sigh, my hand was blue and swollen—no circulation.
Squeeze, squeeze...
Massaging it while watching her warily, Lilith spoke.
"Get up... for now."
"I can get up?"
"You wanna stay like that? Be my guest."
I shot up.
"...Wait here. We're gonna talk among ourselves."
She said that, then they all filed into the bedroom.
What the...?
Deciding my punishment?
She said wait, so...
"...How long?"
After pacing the entryway forever, wondering if I should go in or stay put, the bedroom door opened. They all came out.
"...What're you doing there?"
"You said wait..."
"Who told you to stand there like a retard?"
Then just say I could come in before leaving.
I stayed put fearing I'd get bitched at later for moving.
But saying that now would just prolong the yelling, so I shut up.
Lilith stared, sighed again, and beckoned.
"...Forget it. Stop standing there like an idiot and come in."
"Yes, ma'am."
I hurried inside.