Subculture God Game Settings (2)

No way.

Reacting this intensely?

"Where the hell is it that's got you reacting like this?"

"You're telling us to say it!? To explain it directly with our own mouths!?"

The 5-star gacha girl lets out a shriek of horror.

"B-Beast...!! Boy, I figured you were like that, but you're way too much of a beast!!"

Even the cool, composed girl-next-door type is flustered, not knowing what to do.

Even I get it at this point.

Something's seriously wrong here.

"Hold on."

I raise both hands. Surrender. I'm harmless.

"Sorry. I really have no idea."

"…."

"…."

"If it's too embarrassing to say out loud, could you recommend a book I could check out? Something in the library?"

"…."

"…."

After a long silence, Maron finally asks, her eyes full of suspicion.

"You really don't know...?"

"I really don't."

"…."

Maron's irises shift from red to purple.

Looks like my sincerity got through.

"I have no clue why you don't know, but... you really don't, do you...?"

Maron sighs.

"Fine. But you absolutely can't tell anyone else about this."

Lucy tries to intervene.

"Hold on, just show him?"

"...It's my body."

"Even so, the Star Mark is...!"

"I'm the one who eats meals with Liam-kun every single day."

Gilliam tilts his head, puzzled.

'Why does that come up here?'

But Lucy gets what Maron means right away.

'A bit of a stretch, but she's emphasizing how close she is to the boy to keep me at bay?'

Which means...

'This scoundrel has a rival too...! Wh-what do I do? Should I show mine as well??'

In front of the hesitating Lucy, Maron reaches for the hem of her clothes.

"The Star Mark... The trace that appears on the bodies of those born bearing a star varies in position from person to person. Because during puberty, it manifests in the spot they're most ashamed of."

She slips her fingers into the waistband of her pants and tugs it down.

Just a little.

"In my case... that spot, the most humiliating part of my body... is right here."

Below her navel, on the slight outward curve of a woman's lower belly.

The upper edge of a geometric, chocolate-brown pattern comes into view before Maron slides the waistband back up, hiding it again.

"Now you get it? From now on, you never ask a woman where her Star Mark is. It's the exact same as asking her where her most shameful body part is."

"...Sorry."

I bow my head.

I can feel the tremendous shame Maron endured just for me.

"I really didn't know. Sorry."

"I figured."

So Lucy's Star Mark is somewhere else?

Some spot she's most embarrassed to reveal?

'...This really is a subculture game world.'

Damn. If Astra Radius existed for real, I'd prioritize saving it over any other world.

Huh.

But wait.

"Uh... do guys have them too? In their most embarrassing spot?"

"What are you talking about? Only women are born with stars."

I love this subculture god game world.

That's how they justify a gacha roster full of nothing but women.

"?"

'Star Collector. Someone who gathers stars, huh?'

In Astra Radius, it was like 'Commander' or 'Wanderer' or 'Traveler' or 'Admiral' or 'Trainer'.

The protagonist's title, basically.

'Soul from another star.'

That's me, the one who entered Gilliam Everchess's body.

Meaning, this world's system has recognized me as the 'protagonist' and assigned me the role.

'Were the past few days just it waiting for me to adjust to this world? Or was seeing Maron's Star Mark the trigger?'

One or the other.

And then the bond quest to touch Maron's Star Mark, and the destiny quest to touch every woman's Star Mark.

'...Ah. So that's how they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠get the protagonist to build bonds with the gacha characters.'

Make the alluring women with Destiny Stars major characters, and have the protagonist touch their Star Marks—the ones in their most embarrassing spots.

'It's all coming together.'

Gotta be that after gacha pulls, bond quests pop up, and maxing bond level unlocks the Star Mark touch interaction. Man, those devs were evil. How much money were they planning to squeeze out of us?

Anyway.

'Gotta put this off for now.'

Maron and Lucy are both on friendly terms with me.

But asking to touch such an intimate spot? That's a whole different story.

I'd have to slowly build my relationships with Maron, and with Lucy, then carefully broach the subject later.

"...You're not gonna ask to touch it?"

"What the hell do you take me for?"

"A scoundrel playboy."

"You've upgraded me from scoundrel now."

Maron mutters to herself, bashful.

"............If it were Liam-kun... he could touch it."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Liam-kun is an idiot.

An idiot scoundrel playboy.

Maron's cheeks heat up.

Abyss Cult.

They rejected the stars—the truth and origin of this world—and worshiped the abyss.

At their pinnacle stood the 13 Guides of Darkness.

Those who lead into darkness.

Number 13 among them, Fusr, was a man with a sinister mustache.

"Preparations?"

"All set."

Imperial Academy.

A place that dared train soldiers to obstruct the dawn of the abyss's age.

Fusr gathered those under his command and prepared a little disturbance for the academy's freshmen.

A disturbance involving some deaths and injuries.

"The Abyss Lantern?"

"Ready."

A unique item that forcibly extinguishes all light sources in its range.

"The specters?"

"Ready."

Ghost monsters immune to physical attacks—only holy power lands effective hits.

"The void bats?"

"Of course, ready."

Monsters that automatically hunt and bite enemies in the dark.

Fusr was satisfied.

"This should be fun."

"To end the age of stars and usher in the age of the abyss."

"To close the age of stars and open the age of the abyss."

At the same time, elsewhere.

'That covers countermeasures for specters too.'

Prepped for the Abyss Lantern and void bats ages ago, of course.

Tomorrow's participants total 36.

No major injuries at all? Up to 3600 points.

"This should be fun."

Dungeon practice day.

In front of the grassy field below the academy, the chief supervisor for this exercise draws everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone."

Clap clap.

"Before we go in, let me explain once more. Six randomly assigned cadets per group. Clear the D-Rank dungeon per group to complete the exercise."

The supervisor waves a hand, and letters appear above the cadets' heads.

"Go to the professor with your letter. They'll be your escort and exam proctor. And no, you can't switch groups."

Murmurs ripple here and there. Complaints about wanting to team with friends or faction mates.

"No can do. Working with strangers is part of the exercise. From here, Professor Sillon takes over."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The supervisor steps back, and an unusually short professor steps forward.

"B-Before we start, any q-questions...?"

"Yes."

I raise my hand.

Professor Sillon visibly recoils in fear.

"Eek...!"

"Wh-What is it, Gilliam Everchess... sir?"

"...No idea why you're speaking so formally to a student."

"Hiiik! S-Sorry! I'll use casual!"

"... ."

This is weird.

I haven't done anything to this professor.

"Professor Sillon, you look really cute."

"Wh-What!? What does that even mean!?"

Not too much, not too little.

"And before we start, one more thing I want to do."

Clap clap. I draw everyone's attention too.

"Everyone, look over here."

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Everchess... what now...?"

The next instant.

A massive whoosh! of liquid erupts high and wide, raining down on everyone.

"Kyaa!?"

"What is this!?"

"A warm, body-temperature liquid...! This has to be—"

"Holy water."

"Oh."

"Ah."

The girl who broke my window earlier, Shupi Vallier, yells first.

"Why'd you suddenly douse us with holy water!?"

"Right? No way Everchess the scoundrel did this out of kindness...!"

"He's definitely up to some scoundrel scheme!!"

"It really is holy water... yeah, holy water."

Testimonies from around confirm it— no misunderstandings with some other liquid.

"Whatever... if it's holy water, fine."

What the hell did they think it was?

"...Not that, huh."

And why does Maron sound disappointed?

Our group leader, Professor Kadisha Flarehart—with her signature silver-blue hair—approaches me.

"Gilliam, what were you thinking?"

"Did some get on you too, Professor?"

"Yes. It did."

"You'll see soon enough."

Kadisha sighs.

"Not a dungeon that needs holy water, but... you buffed the whole group, so fine. Let's go in."

"Before that."

"?"

"Professor, you must've put a lot of effort into your hair today."

Kadisha blinks.

"...Unexpected. Guys usually don't notice stuff like this."

"I pay attention to you."

"......Hmph. Alright."