Chapter 27

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 27

Chapter Title: Chapter 2 - Erotic Game Exclusive Skills

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Hugging my chest full of puffed-up expectations, I opened the status window.

Would that worthless score called Arousal Points finally turn into a useful resource?

What I was looking forward to most was usable superpowers. I needed some special ability that would let me pull my weight even in this other world.

Anything would do. Whether it let me use magic, or boosted my physical abilities themselves...

Even snagging a trash-tier skill would satisfy me. Depending on how I used it, the situation could change dramatically.

Conveniently, the very first thing in the shop was the [Skills] tab. This seemed really promising.

Heck, right next to [Skills] was even [Equipment & Tools]. After two whole weeks of trial and error, I'd finally obtained a proper otherworldly power.

Finally, my isekai life was about to truly begin.

At last,

I'd become able to properly utilize the status window...!

...But something felt off.

Even just skimming the basic skills at the top, the names and descriptions were blatantly explicit.

They had that eroge vibe, the kind of stuff that'd pop up in an adult game. Disappointment crept up from my dantian.

I'd thought I'd found hope for a moment...

I'd been secretly hoping for cheat powers...

No, maybe I was the one thinking wrong.

In a gender-reversed world like some ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pervert hentai artist's text dump of unbridled lust, what could I even expect?

"...Sheesh."

Accepting that this isekai was vulgar and stupid actually lightened my heart.

It was a weird world,

packed with all sorts of bullshit.

That's why there was no lower bottom to sink to. With these eroge powers handed to me, I was plenty satisfied. Better than nothing.

Heck, the Arousal Points Shop even had a skill to avoid pregnancy—that alone solved a ton of problems.

At least it prevented the tragedy of being helplessly stuck here.

Now I started moving my halted steps again. Time to head back to the barracks.

With my renewed status window,

time to face the problems confronting me.

"Sip—Jeong-woo, it's super dangerous for you to go to the bathroom alone like that."

The moment I returned to the barracks, Hayes greeted me with her sleazy pickup lines.

"Next time, tell us. We'll go with you?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's right."

It was the end of the second week's combat training phase, so the schedule wasn't packed. That gave the trainees idle time to chat—which wasn't great news for me.

"But Jeong-woo, how old did you say you were?"

Annoying questions,

fingers slyly groping me.

"I'm a year older? Then call me noona from now on. Having a little brother was always my dream."

The squad's atmosphere had shifted noticeably.

At first, some girls had tried humoring me or treading carefully around my mood, but now more of them treated me like Hayes.

Maybe my Arousal Points were too high. Or perhaps something had gone down among the squad while I was being dragged around everywhere.

"If I had a cutie like Jeong-woo as a little brother, I'd never send him to the army. Hey, Jeong-woo! Women ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are all wolves. Watch out."

"The guys from other squads keep eyeing him? Ugh, those horny bitches."

Situational evidence pointed to the latter.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Hayes's influence had ballooned. I was the Squad Leader Trainee, but she was the one steering the mood.

"Got it, so let's all sit quietly now. We'll get chewed out by the instructors."

Even as I tried to settle the rowdy vibe, things barely improved.

"Whoooona~ Jeong-woo, why worry about that? If we get scolded, it's on us. We'll take responsibility. Yeah?"

"Noonas, please sit down... I'll sit right after you do. For real."

Even seeing my stiff face, they didn't stop.

If Mino snapped, they'd cower and watch her mood—but one guy? No courtesy.

...Wait,

Thinking about it, Mino was missing.

No wonder these perverts were acting up—they were exploiting the gap left by Mino to run wild.

Best to just grit my teeth and endure it.

Messing up here would only make it worse.

I shoved it all down deep and toughed it out. This was just boot camp, after all, and these idiots were only around for a few more weeks.

So I had to laugh off what I could. Truth be told, I wasn't even that displeased. Pretty girls teasing me a bit? Bearable if I framed it that way.

They were all eyeing my body,

looking down on me utterly,

but it didn't scrape my pride.

This place was like that by default—I could endure.

It wasn't time yet. I'd master the status window, eventually crush Hayes's smugness, and sort things properly with Kate.

But.

"Hmm~"

Hayes wouldn't wait. Spotting my stiff expression, she strode over and whispered right in my ear.

A tiny, precious whisper too quiet for the other trainees to hear.

Her breath tickling my ear,

evoking those vulgar moans from last night.

...It pissed me off for no damn reason.

No upside to snapping now.

Was it my pride getting scratched?

Or her dragging up Kate—who'd become pretty damn important, like it or not—getting under my skin?

I couldn't even understand myself.

But,

I couldn't take it anymore.

"Cut the crap. Don't play queen just 'cause the big girls aren't around."

"...?"

Threats would keep coming anyway. Hayes would toy with me till she was bored, then ditch me on a whim.

Humor her all I wanted—same shitty end. No escaping it.

"Everything's collective responsibility here. You get nabbed by instructors, the whole squad catches hell!"

I bellowed at full volume.

Finally, the barracks quieted down some.

Honestly,

a Squad Leader Trainee didn't need to yell at everyone like this.

Normally, it'd be the pitiful role suffering alongside them, rolling in the mud, running errands...

But not anymore.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

If I didn't speak up, there'd be zero control.

"Got it? All sit. I don't wanna yell like this. But people get screwed over because of you guys—that's why."

This was me venting as one of the barracks sharers.

"I don't wanna catch heat because of you. Okay? Please."

Stay silent, I'm a pushover chump,

speak out, I'm the lunatic.

But lunatic beat chump a hundred times over.

Especially here in this isekai where men ranked rock bottom—once marked as a toy, the fallout was unimaginable.

"..."

The squad blinked in unison.

Girls who'd been laughing and chatting till now,

but their smiles meant something different.

"Hoo. If you say so."

Hayes shattered the silence first.

She giggled creepily, but her furrowed brow betrayed unconcealed irritation and scorn.

"Squad Leader Trainee's being awfully strict."

She started openly needling me. But I didn't regret it, and I sure as hell wasn't spending boot camp tiptoeing around them.

Picking fights everywhere was dumb, but standing firm in unavoidable scraps? That was called courage.

The others squeezed between us slunk back to their spots.

Hayes herself, though? Not budging.

"...Fine, whatever! Sorry if we got noisy. But we're all trainees together—can't we even chit-chat?"

Pretending to bend first, she raked me up and down with utter contempt. Her feelings radiated without a word.

"We've known each other days now—not strangers. Better to get along, right? I'll apologize first. Let's be buddies from here on. Yeah?"

Positioning herself as the one graciously accommodating me. But her gestures screamed flippancy, superiority, and elitist bullshit.

She shoved her hand right in my face for a handshake, but even as the underdog, I wasn't letting this fizzle out vaguely.

"Depends on what you do."

I sidestepped Hayes and headed straight back to my bunk.

No need to look—her reaction was obvious.

"...Hah?"

Blood rushing to her head.

Veins bulging.

Brows scrunched.

"Is that how it is?"

The mood turned ugly.

Felt like an explosion was seconds away.

But I was certain. Hayes couldn't kill me or even hit me.

How dare she lay a finger on me, with the company commander and instructors viewing me as a VIP?

"Whoa, fuck. So scary my legs went numb. Eek~"

She knew it too, so she just grumbled and stewed in rage. Bet she itched to pound this uppity dude right then. Actually, from my angle, if she snapped and lunged, it'd be a win...

But what could she do?

If it bugged her that much, she should've been born packing heat and in full bloom.

Or snagged Squad Leader Trainee herself.

"Hey, hold it in."

"What kinda guy's that...?"

The other squadmates gawked at me, baffled.

From this world's women's perspective, a yapping man wasn't welcome.

But my Arousal Points ticked up again. Not ideal.

At first, I'd racked them up just for being a guy among girls. But as time passed, the vibe was shifting.

From the sole dude jammed between women,

to the feisty punk they itched to smash flat.

"Agh! Let me go, all of you!"

Her pride shredded, Hayes shoved off her friends' restraint and shot to her feet in a blaze of fury.

"This fucker—I gave him leeway 'cause he's a guy, but he keeps crawling up. No wonder dick-havers need a beating every three days to straighten out!"

Wow.

Real aggressive phrasing.

"Let go! Hey, you fucker. There's limits to mouthing off—think you can handle the fallout?"

But me strutting like this had solid reason.

Getting dismissed as "just a man" was temporary.

Now I had a killer superpower.

"What makes you so cocky? Fucked a few officers, now untouchable? You fucker are begging to die—!"

I ignored her closing in, buying a skill from my status window.

[Forced Climax] from the Arousal Points Shop— a steal at just 5 points.

I'd thought this from the first glimpse of the skill list.

If using skills deducted Arousal Points, shouldn't I buy 'em all now and spam to tank my score? Profit.

"Keep acting cocky like before. Hey."

Hayes straight-up shoved me against the wall.

But I didn't reply,

just placed a hand on her shoulder...

and tested my first skill, chantless.

Spam too much and I might not afford future buys...

Moderately five times oughta do it.