Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Realism Dilemma
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"Hmm, this is good."
I said as I watched the newly completed illusion.
Even without the aid of divine power, just applying Meiko's advice to the magic circle had dramatically improved its efficiency.
Heat generation was overwhelmingly reduced compared to the computational speed.
'That doesn't mean the computational speed or efficiency has dropped, though.'
Overall output had decreased slightly, but that wasn't an issue.
The fact that it could output so stably meant I could add new spells and runes in the future.
To put it simply, it was like expanding the capacity of the backpack I'd been carrying around, now even equipped with lightweight magic.
The previous backpack had limits on size and capacity, so if you stuffed in more than a certain amount, items would spill out.
To prevent that, what if you put in bulky items with high mass proportional to volume?
Naturally, the backpack's weight would become immense, making it impossible to carry.
'In severe cases, the backpack could even tear.'
But now, not only had the weight and durability been reinforced to hold more volume at the same weight, but the capacity had expanded.
'If I put in the same amount as before, there'll be space left over, and I can utilize that new space.'
Even without divine assistance, it meant I could reduce mana consumption or expand the illusion's range.
'It means I can add elements that eat up more resources.'
Drip, drip, drip.
I looked at the aquarium in the room, where water was falling in real time.
Six fish were swimming around, mouths opening and closing.
On top of that, I could now even turn on the TV, which had previously just been a space-filling visual element.
- Good morning. This is the Good Morning News.
As I turned on the TV, the composed voice of the anchor followed.
I opened the window, and sunlight bathed my body as the wind blew.
I could hear not just the chirping of birds below, but even the casual conversations of people walking outside.
"So, the academy head's been really pissing me off lately, right?"
"Isn't today the day they check homework?"
"The assignment... did you finish it?"
"Ah, yes. I'm on my way, boss."
I opened the window and looked at them.
Normally, at over 100 meters away, they should have appeared blurry.
But now, everything was crystal clear no matter where I looked down the alleys.
Even the gleaming lights of a car turning a distant corner were sharp.
It had been so long since I'd seen the scenery of my hometown.
Of course, the building itself was based on Japanese AVs, but all the roads and people visible through the windows were spaces created from my memories, not Japan.
It was the hometown I could never return to.
The neighborhood where I lived before possessing this body.
'Nice.'
Just looking at it made my heart race.
I took a deep breath, feeling something welling up inside.
"It's possible like this too..."
I'd created this video for lust, desire, and fapping, but it was plenty capable of letting me reminisce about a hometown I couldn't go back to.
Of course, it was a sight I could never show anyone else.
But just having a space where I could revisit the past was enough.
'This is more than enough.'
Each and every detailed element existed as parts that consumed mana and resources—things I never even dreamed of adding.
With this, even adding such elements wouldn't cause mana drain or sudden crashes.
'Now I can make it even more lifelike.'
With the illusion's details enhanced like this, future illusions would feel several times more realistic.
'Even those with sensitive senses and overwhelmingly superior vision could be fooled.'
For example, elves, dwarves, or bird-like beastkin with sharp eyes.
That's when I was admiring the illusion.
"Max, you okay?"
From behind, Nanako asked me.
She approached, swaying her hips seductively.
With a bewitching smile and a sweet fragrance, she was soon pressed right up against my side, pressing her large breasts against my back.
Natural skinship.
Her soft breasts settled against my back like cotton candy, and the hot, moist breath on my shoulder felt more real and dramatic than any sensation in illusions I'd felt so far.
If I focused just on this moment, I'd swear it was real.
'No, this is real.'
As good as real.
But why...
'Is my heart not pounding?'
This should have been prime fap material that would normally make my heart race.
I'd recreated my ultimate fap target with my ultimate technique.
I'd made it with senses sharper than ever before.
Using the artificial sensations I'd experienced so far to twist them into something real-like, and drawing on the sensations from receiving multiple customers to send out senses more real than reality itself through the enhanced magic circle.
Yet, the unique thrill I'd felt the first time I saw this video was gone.
Of course, my heart was pounding now too, and my lower body was reacting to the sensation, but this was different.
The absence of that tremor was huge.
For mere momentary pleasure, it was fine, but to get that deep emotional impact, the tremor had to be there.
'Too real?'
No.
If it was too real to feel the thrill, then my heart shouldn't have raced earlier when I saw the alley scenery and recalled my hometown.
That wasn't the issue.
Or had my feelings for Nanako faded?
She was my ultimate fap material, practically my first love in porn terms.
I wondered if my love for her had gone cold.
Of course, that could be a reason too, but not the root cause.
I knew the real answer.
'It's because I know this isn't real.'
I already knew this video was fake, so it couldn't reach the realm of genuine emotion that real things have.
The hometown scenery wasn't real either, but there was a difference with Nanako?
The hometown was distant.
'For distant scenes and landscapes, I don't need to recognize them as fake.'
That's where it becomes a problem when it's close.
There's bound to be a difference between far and near things when felt.
'But Nanako...'
"Max, why so quiet? You must be tired today."
Because she's right here, conversing with me and skin-to-skin.
Simply giving a realistic feeling wasn't enough.
For customers, I matched their breathing up close and alternated between touching their real skin and illusion, mixing reality and fantasy, but this was 100% illusion.
There was a subtle emptiness.
Like the post-nut clarity after jerking off alone?
Suddenly, I realized that in the customers' videos, my face—or something reflecting their imaginations to some extent—was captured.
'So that's it. That's why my face was projected onto other customers.'
Perhaps their subconscious desired real-like sensations, making it look like some degree of brainwashing from their unconscious.
And on top of that.
'The breasts pressing against my back are Yuris's sensation, the fingers wrapping around my body are Helen's, and the faint spreading fragrance is Eirin's.'
Because the sensations provided by the Nanako in the illusion were filled with those from my customers.
As I felt them, there were flashes where I realized this wasn't Nanako.
Because it was too similar to Yuris.
Too similar to Helen.
Similar to Eirin.
My subconscious was judging Nanako as 'fake.'
"This is problematic."
"Max, what do you mean?"
It was a problem born from basing it too closely on real experiences, and from making a virtual one too realistically without a live model.
'I need to tone this part down a bit.'
If the heightened sensitivity wasn't needed to fool things beyond human senses—like elves, dragons, or dwarves—from distinguishing real from illusion, then cranking it this high wasn't necessary.
With that thought, I shook off Nanako's hands gripping my body.
"Max, what's wrong? You're so prickly today."
"Let's stop here for today."
"Huh? What do you..."
I cut off the bewildered Nanako video.
The illusion ended, and I returned to reality.
It was the familiar shop, wafting its scent.
I looked at the magic circle fading in light and let out a sigh.
“Still a long way to go for perfect illusion magic.”
I'd thought fixing the weaknesses had brought it close to perfection, but a problem cropped up in an unexpected place.
A flaw from making it too real without a model to substitute for the subject.
Since it was an unexperienced issue, it would give me headaches for quite a while.
"Still, now I can make it even more lifelike, so I should be satisfied."
As long as I directly controlled it and adjusted the intensity and density, there wouldn't be issues.
Anyway, this repaired magic circle had become a further evolved version.
"It's up to the user's skill how they use a good tool."
I stopped the magic circle's operation and took a shower to wash off the sweat from running it.
Splash.
After rinsing my body with hot water, the lingering worries seemed to wash away.
"Feels a bit better after washing."
As I sighed in relief.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Hm? A customer at this hour?"
It was a bit late for customers.
With all windows covered, I didn't know how dark it was outside, but it was definitely past 8 PM.
Not a time for customers.
"Maybe the mailman?"
I hastily wrapped a gown around my lower body, tilting my head as I opened the door.
And there...
"Ah, nice to see you. I was just passing by and stopped in. I, I was originally planning to visit today, but something urgent came up."
Was Yuris, the Goddess of Victory.
"So you came at this hour?"
"Not exactly..."
She stammered awkwardly, then saw me in the gown and her eyes widened.
"Uh, wha-what?"
Seeing my bare upper body since I hadn't put on a top, her face turned bright red, and she stammered in panic without saying anything coherent.
"Uh, e, eh?"
"What's wrong?"
"Wh-why are you naked..."
"I was washing up. It's late, isn't it? Time to get ready for bed."
If I dove into analyzing illusion magic and magic circle data now, it'd be past 11 PM in no time.
So I'd showered a bit early, but I never imagined a visitor at this hour.
And Yuris, of all people.
That's when it happened.
"You inferior species dare to show such an indecent sight! You filthy pervert!"
An unfamiliar voice rang out, and looking beside Yuris, there was a beautiful platinum blonde woman.
Pointed ears meant she wasn't an ordinary human...
"...An elf?"
As the elf glared at me, poised to unleash magic any second.
"Calm down, Reina. Didn't you say you wanted to obediently follow me and see the human world?"
"That's true, but..."
She shut her mouth at Yuris's words blocking her, unable to move.
What was this now?