Chapter 25 – First tournament arc. Final

  A girl with tan skin and tribal tattoos adorning her nude body suddenly appeared. Her long white hair, nearly knee-length, was partly tied up to keep it out of her face. Her expression was stoic, her earthy brown eyes devoid of emotion. Petite in stature, she was just a bit taller than Miki, barely reaching five feet.

  The announcer, taken aback by the unexpected interruption, began, “Miss, it's not time—”

  “Leave,” the girl interrupted dismissively, her attention on me.

  “Um, I’m—” The announcer was visibly confused, unsure of what to do next, when another girl appeared, swiftly grabbing her ribbon and pulling her away.

  “Hey,” the announcer protested as she was dragged off.

  “Wow, look at the size of her boobs; they're bigger than your head! I can't wait for the Amazon arc," the goddess remarked, observing the girl who had intervened.

  ‘Who the hell is this? I thought the nobles were next? I was really looking forward to seeing what they could do,’ I thought to myself, ignoring the goddess.

  “Well, akshually, she is considered a noble among the Amazons. She was supposed to let the local nobles go first, but they had to rearrange the schedule because she was eager to fight. The elf coming up next is also a noble, but her situation is a bit more complicated,” the goddess interjected, breaking into my thoughts.

  …

  “No spoilers,” she added quickly.

  “I feel like you're pying fast and loose with that rule,” I retorted.

  “It's not spoilers; it's foreshadowing. Make sure you visit the Elf vilge, or I'll end up looking like a liar. You can't just stay in the city!” she pleaded, her eyes widening and filling with tears.

  "Good, I'll take my own advice and stay here then. I'm more of a dwarf man anyway," I decred, causing the goddess to giggle in response.

  ‘I do not like the way she is ughing,’ I thought, slightly offended. Dwarves are incredible with their massive axes charging into battle. 'It's a shame this city had such a falling out with them. I haven’t seen one here at all.' Her ughter intensified, which only irritated me further. Fed up with her, I turned my attention back to the girl who stood there patiently.

  The bronze-skinned girl watched me with a stoic expression, almost seeming bored. “It's finally my turn. I hope none of what you showed involved your forests being uprooted. Hit me with your best, get my blood going.”

  'Well, that transtes oddly,' I thought, taking a moment to grasp her meaning.

  "System-chan is doing her best!" the goddess decred, while the system herself was still distractedly pying with her cards, oblivious to the ongoing conversation.

  “Date starto!”

  [Target: A girl who knows how to get what she wants.]

  [Name: Nysa Level: 124 Affection: 55 Tribe: ZalikaDespite her competitive streak, Nysa always finishes st in oil wrestling matches with her sisters.]

  Hit her with your best.Test out her abilities.As the options surfaced, the goddess began humming an intense tune resembling a battle theme.

  "It's actually the boss theme from your game. Naturally, it’s an h-rpg. Really lets you experience what it’s like here.” She swiftly cycled through various scenes of me fucking numerous girls I'd never met, along with a few familiar faces.

  “Can you stop expanding what you are apparently doing with my life story?” I asked irritably, especially since my sisters were part of the group I'd recognized.

  “Hey, it's not that much. I haven't even made merch yet. The humans of your world are so prudish. They don't want to wear shirts with skimpy characters, even though they spend most of their time trying to get id," she said, showing me some shirt designs featuring an Amazon warrior.

  “Of course they're not going to wear that in public! You can't have that kind of stuff where kids might see it,” I replied, stating what should have been obvious.

  “Why not?” she questioned. Reflecting on it, I realized that in her world, and even in some tribes from my own world, nudity was commonpce and unremarkable.

  I opted for the second choice that featured butterflies, which suited me better since I still had at least a few more battles ahead and wanted to conserve as many resources as I could.

  “Don't run away, you coward!” she yelled, but I just ignored her.

  I field Tabitha's card, showcasing her with light red hair tied into twin tails and dressed in a red and white one-piece.

  “She also has her chest pushed up with her dress, trying to make them appear rger. A real shame, I know. You should enlighten her—ft is justice! Also they are extra sensitive, making for a delightful tease as she tries to pretend she's unaffected while ying below you,” the goddess added, sharing her perspective on the portrayal.

  Spoiler

  [colpse][Name: Tabitha ???Level: 237Affection: 144Trait: loli???Goddess: The Goddess of Truth.Primary Blessing: Stargazer tier 5Lesser Blessings: Fire tier 8, Sewing tier 5, Extra Sensitive tier 7, Repel tier 6, Increase Core Drop tier 6]

  [Stargazer: Be guided by the stars.]

  [Fire: Gain control over fire.]

  [Sewing: Enhanced sewing skills.]

  [Extra Sensitive: Increased bodily sensitivity.]

  [Repel: Ability to repel elements.]

  [Increase Core Drop: Improves Core quality upon killing monsters.]

  As time resumed, I unleashed a burst of fire from my hands, propelling myself from the arena floor into the air. Below, the Amazon remained unmoving, her gaze fixed on me. Shifting the fmes to my feet to maintain altitude, I crafted small, compressed fireballs and hurled them downward.

  With a casual flick of her wrist, she deflected them, causing them to explode harmlessly away from her.

  Adapting my approach, I extended my hands forward and sent a continuous stream of fire raining down upon her. She responds with a broad sweep of her arm, redirecting the fmes around her body, then she crosses her arms, continuing to observe me intently.

  [-1 Nysa Affection points]

  No matter how persistently I attacked, the fmes merely followed a trail around her, prompting me to give up.

  [-1 Nysa Affection points]

  Using the Repel ability, I maniputed the air beneath my feet to remain aloft. Rebecca, with her higher-tier abilites and superior equipment, could have produced much more firepower—a capacity I cked. While I had an "infinite bucket" of power, I needed a "swimming pool" to match her.

  With the Amazon just watching, I decided on a new tactic. Raising my hands, I condensed the fire into a miniature sun.

  I charged the fiery orb until only seconds remained on her card, then hurled it towards the white-haired girl. She executed a roundhouse kick, effortlessly deflecting it, with only a wisp of smoke rising from her foot. The fming sphere collided with the arena boundary, exploding and sending a shockwave rippling through the arena.

  [-2 Nysa Affection points]

  Pull out your aceUse Sk?gul cardTry your combo“Is she really a tier 4?” I questioned

  “Of course, there's just a huge gap between someone who knows what they're doing and you," the goddess replied. “I mean, give a toddler a tank and then give one to a trained operator—what they can achieve will be worlds apart.”

  “Oh, I forgot who I was talking to. You're the toddler in this analogy,” she quickly added, her expression turning to one of realization.

  Disregarding the insult, I pondered whether she could also defeat Miki. I tried to imagine how badly Miki would fare against her, despite being stronger and faster.

  “In a straight-up fight, yes,” the goddess confirmed, and I recalled that Miki is strongest when alone, and in an enclosed space, she becomes downright terrifying. A small sense of relief washed over me, realizing the skill gap wasn't as vast as I feared.

  "The reason they call her the 'little princess' is because she's the weakest among the Amazon princesses. Even her younger sister, who is a tier below, can beat her," the goddess added, likely trying to dampen my relief.

  But realizing she is considered weak, I began to understand why, even if people don't like them, no one insults a noble's strength. I wondered just how strong individuals in this world could become.

  “There's a reason we allowed dominions,” she said, her smile barely concealing the ominous implications.

  Shaking off my thoughts, I selected the third option adorned with butterflies, and time resumed.

  First, I fielded Chossach's card, the green pnt dy, and activated her Clone Blessing to create another copy of myself. This clone would persist until defeated or until Chossach's card timer expired. Then, I switched to Nyx’s card, the girl with a corpse-like appearance, while my clone scattered seeds.

  Taking a deep breath, I let out a wail as ghosts began to materialize slowly, filling the surrounding area. They would persist for just over a minute, given the amount of magic I could infuse into them.

  The Amazon swiftly raised her hand, slicing through the sound waves, splitting them in half and effectively dodging the attack as before.

  Around her, tree-like monsters sprouted, each with a floral head and thorn-like spikes for hands that injected poison upon contact. Beside me floated ghost-like, transparent creatures, targeting the soul with their razor-sharp cws.

  Let's see how she copes with being overwhelmed. From what I've learned in css, she uses precise magical control within her body to achieve her feats. She could flood her body with magic, but that would deplete her reserves quickly.

  Everyone possesses magic that they use to activate their Blessings, but it can also perform various other functions like powering artifacts or maniputing the environment. While anyone can use any form of magic with training, it's akin to using a lighter compared to wielding the sun, when compared to using a Blessing.

  I could also purchase them from my shop starting at a million apiece, but that price is exorbitant for something that I probably will never use.

  I don my armor, a full bck knight's set minus the helmet, as I switch to Yelizaveta's card. I immediately feel the effect of her Power Armor Blessing, albeit at a reduced strength. My clone conjures vines while my armor propels me forward, coordinating an assault with my pnt minions and ghosts.

  The Amazon gracefully stepped onto the vines trying to entrap her, lifting her knee swiftly to strike the first tree minion, causing it to split apart. She used the momentum from her knee strike to propel herself backward, narrowly avoiding a second vine that spun up just in front of her, while also dodging a ghost sshing past her face.

  With a slight tilt of her head, she evaded my punch, then I felt her foot sm into my thigh, spinning my body and sending me crashing into another approaching tree minion.

  She leaned back, dodging two more ghosts, then swung her body around my arm, hooking one leg around my back and the other around my neck. She smoothly continued her upward momentum, dodging two additional ghosts.

  I struggled against her hold, but she swiftly dislocated my shoulder before using her legs to toss me downward into two more tree minions advancing towards her, using my body as a springboard to leap over another ghost.

  I used my functioning hand to try and halt my roll, pushing myself back up before another minion hurtled into me, knocking me back down again.

  I rolled across the ground before managing to stop myself and stand up again. Just then, I spotted her kicking another minion toward me; this time, I dodged, and watched as she used its body to somersault over two more ghosts emerging from underground attempting to ssh at her. She was heading straight for my clone, who was busy summoning more vines in an attempt to halt her advance.

  I allowed my armor to snap my shoulder back into pce, causing me to grunt in pain. I knew regur armor would be less effective with her Blessing, but I hadn’t anticipated it to this extent; otherwise, I would have easily shrugged off her arm lock as if it were nothing. I had access to Power armor, but it starts at 10 billion points in my shop.

  Moreover, it didn’t provide the absurd boost that a mystery Blessing offered.

  My armor propelled me forward once again, aiming for her still airborne body. I closed the distance in less than a second, but she seemed to anticipate my approach, tucking her body in a way that allowed my fist to only graze her back and part her hair as she spun over me.

  I commanded my armor to redirect my attack, the abrupt deceleration temporarily causing me to bck out as it felt like my insides were being pulled through my eyes. I regained consciousness just in time to see my fist miss again, as she kicked off one of my minions and dodged beneath me. She bounced off the ground, driving her foot into the throat of my clone, crushing it, then using the momentum to charge back towards me. Her fist almost crushed mine too, but my armor threw me backward just in time.

  Struggling to breathe with my near crushed throat, I saw her follow-up kick coming. I tried to block it, but my arm was driven back into my face, and the world rang as I was thrown across the arena, sliding to a stop.

  Gasping for air, I was forced to switch to Angelica's card, and I immediately began to heal as my angel transformation started. But just as a wing emerged, it was seized, and my body was thrown. I tried to retaliate with a punch, but she caught my fist, and as I hit the ground, her foot smmed into my other wing, pinning me down.

  “How disappointing,” she said, looking down at me with a stern gaze.

  [-4 Nysa Affection points.]

  Sneak attack with your aceUse Sk?gul's cardLooking at my choices, the first one featured butterflies, and I understood how everything had led to this moment. With her momentarily off guard, I could easily execute a surprise attack using Shadow_13’s card by throwing the knives from my inventory under deception, while simultaneously speeding myself up and slowing time for her to secure a win.

  However, that also meant she could probably endure beyond my less than two-minute timer without it, a scary thought given the disparity in the tiers of our abilities.

  ‘This is my win.’ My eyes lingered on the second choice, yet as I resolved to cim victory, I found myself hesitating to make my selection.

  “But you don’t want to. You want to know if you can beat her with Sk?gul's card,” the goddess interjected with a smile.

  The Valkyrie who saved me was the first real demonstration of someone's capabilities here. Her card would level the pying field: her Armor Mastery would allow me to match the Amazon physically, and her Sixth Sense would help me keep up mentally. It was the card I had the most experience with. It also felt different, more complete, as if I could achieve more with it, and I was eager to see how far I could push its limits.

  “You finally don't have to worry about how this will affect those around you; you can make a choice purely out of curiosity to see what happens,” she added. I've been tempted many times to choose what seemed most interesting, but I can't just act on impulse. As much as I remind myself that this is a game to help me focus, the outcomes of my choices will impact the people around me.

  I was tempted to choose one just to spite her, but deep down, I really did want to know if I could succeed. I wondered what it would change.

  "If you choose the first option, you will win, then defeat the elf but lose to the first noble of this city. The queen, surprised by your unexpected victory, will call you to a meeting where you'll strike a deal with her, and from there, your future will take a very different path," she detailed the potential consequences of that choice.

  “And why are you being so helpful?” I asked, sensing something off with her behavior.

  "Because you're not going to pick the first choice," she replied, seeming confident in her assessment.

  Now more torn than before, I ultimately couldn't resist choosing the second option. I fielded Sk?gul's card.

  When time resumed, my gaze locked with her earth-brown eyes, and I noticed a shift from apparent boredom to excitement, though her expression remained stoic.

  [+21 Nysa Affection points.]

  "There it is, that's the look, that’s the smile," she said, a hint of enthusiasm in her voice. "Now we can have some fun."

  Had she not pointed it out, I wouldn't have realized, but indeed, I was smiling as I looked up at her.

  She was forced to release my hand and leap back, adopting a fighting stance with her hands outstretched like cws, as electricity coursed through my body. My Sixth Sense screamed warnings of the impending danger, but I ignored it, propelling myself forward while trailing electricity to draw runes behind me.

  The first rune triggered, accelerating my fist forward. She once again dodged my punch, countering with a cross while moving in. This time, I attempted to sweep her legs out with a boosted kick, but she transformed her punch into a grab, seizing my arm to pull herself in and straighten her body, spinning into an elbow strike aimed at my head.

  'Got you,' I thought, summoning lightning down upon us both as I leaned back to dodge her elbow. But as if she had pnned it, she pnted her feet firmly on the ground and dug her fingers into my chest pte before hurling us both away from the spot where the lightning struck.

  I completed a lightning rune, ready to unleash it on her, but she released her hold on me just as it was set, using her smaller frame to hook her legs around my back. I countered quickly, activating a rune on my foot to surge my knee towards her while transferring the lightning rune from my arm to my knee.

  She tucked her body, spinning, her hair obscuring my view, and used her hands to block my knee while also disrupting my rune. She then unched a thrusting kick toward my head, which I barely saw coming. I took a page from her book and used our contact point to dodge, but I could do little about the kick to my chest that forced us apart just as another bolt of lightning struck where we had just been.

  Our feet finally touched the ground, where she took a fighting stance again, and this time I could discern a smile. Looking down, I saw the more complex rune I had been drawing during our exchange shatter, Nysa having found a moment to disrupt it while simultaneously handling my attacks. From this, I learned firsthand why Sk?gul never bothered with too many complex runes.

  I smiled back at her, adopting a more aggressive fighting stance, and once again rushed towards her. We exchanged a set of moves before I was forced to push myself away to avoid her legs locking around my head.

  The third exchange swung in my favor as I seized a brief moment to strike her with lightning. But in the fourth, I would have had my leg bent the other way had it not been for my Armor Mastery, which saved me from her mid-air leg lock.

  The fight continued in this manner: a few seconds of intense exchanges followed by one of us needing to retreat. My Sixth Sense highlighted each instance she could have ended the fight but chose not to, and there was even a moment when my punch nded, allowing my electricity to scramble her brain briefly, giving me an opportunity to end it. But I hesitated, unwilling to conclude the battle—I was enjoying it too much to let it end prematurely.

  As the fight progressed, our exchanges lengthened. I was becoming more attuned to Sk?gul’s card, growing stronger and faster, while Nysa adapted to my style, learning my limitations.

  I also received several firsthand lessons, such as why it's unwise to grab the hair of a superhuman girl who is more skilled than you.

  Soon, I lost count of the exchanges as they continued unrelentingly. During one such exchange, I unched a kick to propel her upward, hoping to catch her off guard while she couldn't use me as leverage. Anticipating my intentions, she countered with a kick aimed at the ground to regain her footing, and I was forced to block it. However, this time, I watched in shock as my head seemed to separate from my body.

  ‘Oh,’ was all I managed to think as I stared at my screen, realizing that the timer for my card was zero and I was in the process of dying. My head hitting the ground rattled my brain, a bizarre thought as I y there bleeding out until my consciousness faded and I found myself back outside the arena.

  Turning, I saw the girl leap out of the ring and nd next to me. "I apologize. You didn't have anything else up your sleeve, did you? I didn't mean to hit that hard; I just got too excited. I should have realized that your ability was faltering. I apologize once again."

  Nope threw everything and the kitchen sink at you.Man I really should have pulled out my trump card.Guess you won't know until we fight again.None of the options featured butterflies, likely indicating I was no longer on the optimal path, so I opted for the third choice.

  “Guess you won't know until we fight again,” I said, offering her a charming smile.

  [+223 Nysa Affection points.]

  “I'll make sure to be at your next tournament. Better yet, come visit our tribe anytime. I can't wait to see how strong you become as you grow; my sisters will be even more excited to meet you,” she said. There seemed to be an underlying meaning in her words that I couldn't quite grasp, but my train of thought was interrupted as the red-skinned receptionist arrived to escort me back.

  As we made our way, the system took the opportunity to showcase her new card, dispying it with a proud smile. I also gnced at the other three cards I had burned, realizing the combination wasn't as strong as I had initially believed.

  Nysa's appearance remained the same.

  Spoiler

  [colpse][Name: Nysa Level: 122Affection: 500Trait: Muscle head, Kuudere, Goddess: The Goddess of Imbance.Primary Blessing: Battle Continuation tier 8Lesser Blessings: Instinct tier 5, Housewife tier 5, Spirit Walk tier 4, Taunt tier 6, Vulnerability (self) tier 2]

  [Battle Continuation: The longer the battle sts, the stronger you become.]

  [Instinct: Intuitively know the best course of action.]

  [Housewife: Master the skills required for home management.]

  [Spirit Walk: Temporarily separate your spirit from your body.]

  [Taunt: Attract the attention of enemies.]

  [Vulnerability (self): Intentionally reduce your own defenses.]

  Chossach retained her usual green skin and hair, but now her red eyes were wide open, and she sported a set of bikini armor. When I inquired about her choice of attire, she simply stated that she wore it because she liked the style.

  Spoiler

  [colpse][Name: Chossach GroveLevel: 199Affection: 140Trait: Goddess: The Goddess of Life.Primary Blessing: One With Nature tier 6Lesser Blessings: Seeds tier 6, Growth tier 6, Wait and Strike tier 6, Clone tier 4, Sleep tier 8]

  [One With Nature: Harmonize completely with nature.]

  [Seeds: Create seeds that can sprout into various pnts.]

  [Growth: Accelerate the development of seeds.]

  [Wait and Strike: Increase the power of your attack the longer you dey it.]

  [Clone: Create an identical replica of yourself.]

  [Sleep: Experience restorative and profound sleep.]

  Nyx still resembled a corpse, albeit one dressed in a skimpy goth style. She stood within a dark castle, its shadowy interior obscuring any details.

  Spoiler

  [colpse][Name: Nyx of the DeadLevel: 207Affection: 707Trait: Goddess: The Goddess of Death.Primary Blessing: Drain Life tier 4Lesser Blessings: Summon Ghost tier 7, Turn Ethereal tier 5, Curse (self) tier 5, Screech tier 6, whistle tier 2]

  [Drain Life: Extract life force from nearby beings.]

  [Summon Ghost: Call forth ghosts.]

  [Turn Ethereal: Transform your body into an intangible state.]

  [Curse (self): Inflict curses upon yourself.]

  [Screech: Emit a piercingly loud noise.]

  [whistle: Enhance your whistling abilities, both in knowledge and performance.]

  Yelizaveta donned her set of blue power armor, which featured white inscriptions across the chest pte. Her white hair flowed freely in the water surrounding her.

  Spoiler

  [colpse][Name: YelizavetaLevel: 237Affection: 101Trait: Muscle headGoddess: The Goddess of Creation.Primary Blessing: Power Armor tier 7Lesser Blessings: Aquatic tier 7, Brawn Over Brains tier 7, Command tier 3, Polish tier 3, Well That Worked Out tier 6]

  [Power Armor: Enhance and manipute power armor.]

  [Aquatic: Become adept at navigating and surviving in water.]

  [Brawn Over Brains: The less you think the better you do.]

  [Command: Natural at giving orders.]

  [Polish: Shine and refine any object to a gleaming finish.]

  [Well That Worked Out: Fortuitously, situations tend to resolve in your favor.]