Episode 43. Lucy Route Strategy (6)

After Felix’s attack ended, I underwent a thorough medical examination.

After they checked every nook and cranny for abnormalities, I was told to rest well, so I took it easy.

Lucy was lying in the bed next to mine.

I wondered if it was okay for a man and a woman to share a hospital room, but since no one said anything, it seemed fine.

‘Ah, come to think of it, this is an erotic game.’

This must be the general setting, I guess.

I fell asleep after that thought.

As mental fatigue washed over me, my vision immediately went black.

I took a sweet day of rest.

“Do you know how long I talked with those old geezers? It was so damn annoying.”

And then, I was talking with Im Sol, who had come to see me since morning.

“You went through a lot. Thank you, though.”

“It’s annoying. I don’t even have time for magic research.”

Im Sol grumbled that she had assigned me a troublesome task.

“Also, it’s been decided that this incident will be handled as if you and Lucy caught the Mine. Since being kidnapped within the Academy is too serious an event, they seem to want to bury it as an incident where you two found a hidden Mine.”

“…This place is really something else, isn’t it.”

Last time, they covered up an accident that happened during class, and now they’re covering this up too.

What kind of place is this?

Back then, it was okay because I got closer to Im Sol due to the accident, but covering this up too? Isn’t this just too much realism from a game, you fucking hell.

“…I was sorry about last time. But this time, I suggested something, and they said they’d give some kind of reward? They’ll tell you the details later. If they try to sweep this under the rug again, I’ll flip everything upside down, so don’t worry.”

“Professor Im Sol… No, Im Sol noona…!”

Im Sol noona! Can I call you noona from today onwards…!

“Hmph. Stop crawling over me. I’m doing this because I feel sorry too, so you don’t have to thank me.”

Seeing someone who usually pretended to have no interest other than magic smile awkwardly as if embarrassed, the charm coming from that gap was incredible.

“When I’m discharged, I’ll definitely come visit you with some great magic research.”

Her face was so pretty that I almost said, ‘So, can I get a down payment now….?’ Luckily, I held back.

“Yeah. Oh, right. Speaking of which, I’ve done a lot of research on the magic circle implementation method you showed me? There are still many shortcomings….”

Im Sol excitedly talked about magic before leaving.

‘She’s quite cute too.’

Someone usually calm getting excited just talking about magic is exactly the type that’s fun to mess with.

“What should I do now.”

Lucy next to me still hadn’t regained consciousness.

They said her physical condition was fine, but we did a thorough check just in case she was infected with Magi. The results were supposed to come out this afternoon.

Of course, I had the check-up too, so I’m stuck here until this afternoon.

Just as I was thinking about checking out ‘Everyday’, numerous system windows appeared before my eyes.

『Sexual skinship with a heroine confirmed. Rewards from the Heroine Conquest System will be granted!』

『Heroine Status Window upgraded!』

『A significant connection with a heroine has been established! A Special Quest is added!』

“What the.”

These were the notifications that appeared when I first had skinship with Lumi.

This time, perhaps because it went as far as sex, they poured down like crazy.

Since it said the Heroine Status Window was upgraded, I tried it out on Lucy lying next to me.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lucy]

• [ Affection: 75 ]

• [ Lust: 47 ]

• [ Appetite: 60 ]

• [ Fatigue: 65 ]

Current State: Zzz…

• From now on, the heroine’s erogenous zones will be displayed during interactions.

“Oh?”

Two new sections appeared that I’d never seen before. Their purpose was automatically imprinted in my mind.

Current State is a function that indicates the heroine’s current condition.

It could show inner thoughts, or indicate that she’s sleeping, like now.

Erogenous zones literally tell you the erogenous zones.

“Not bad.”

Not bad. Just about that level?

There’s still the Special Quest left, so I should check that.

‘Special Quest’

———————-

『Special Quest』

An opportunity offered to you, who fired the starting shot for heroine conquest.

Take the virginity of 3 heroines.

Unimaginable rewards may await…?

Time Limit: 10 days

Progress: Virgin 1/3

• Reward: One chance to meet the God of Betting. Immense Reward (Secret!)

———————-

“…?”

A quest I never imagined appeared.

If it’s the God of Betting, he’s the one who dragged me into this world.

An opportunity to meet such a person… I can’t miss it.

‘But the time limit is 10 days?’

That’s too intense. Felix’s attack was on Wednesday. Today is Thursday, so until next weekend…?

I slowly thought about the schedule for the following week.

Magic Analysis, Mage Specialization Class, Theory Class. And… Dungeon Practical Training.

According to the original story, the dungeon will go berserk due to a terrorist attack during the next class.

“If I aim for Baek Ahyoung during this time, I’ll need one more person.”

No matter how I think about it, it has to be Lumi.

Alice, Nam Daeun, and Moon Surin are not heroines that can be conquered through effort alone.

Each of them has a major incident associated with them, and I have to conquer them by resolving those incidents.

Of course, I could probably get Moon Surin if I set my mind to it, but it’s much more efficient to make her dependent on me by resolving the stalker incident.

Lumi, even in the game, had a pure love route.

It was a route where you take care of the friendless Lumi, enjoy school life with Lucy, and it naturally progresses…

I can’t help it.

In the first place, I’m not in a situation where I can pursue pure love right now.

Somehow, I need to fuck Lumi over the weekend…

Knock knock knock

“Yes, come in.”

“Excuse meee….”

Speak of the devil, the one who opened the door was Lumi.

“Hoyeon-ssi! Lu, Lucy! Are you okay? I heard you were attacked by a Mine!”

Lumi entered, hunching her shoulders, looked at my face and the lying Lucy, then approached with her lips trembling.

Seeing Lucy who still hadn’t regained consciousness, tears were about to well up in her teary eyes.

“Calm down. We ran tests, and there were no abnormalities. Lucy will wake up soon too.”

“Th-that’s a relief. Phew.”

Lumi placed her hand on her chest and let out a sigh of relief.

“Y-you dealt with the Mine together with Lucy… You two are really amazing!”

“Thanks.”

“But I never thought Felix was a Mine… Did you know beforehand, Hoyeon-ssi…?”

“No way. I just have good intuition. I felt some kind of physiological repulsion. Though I didn’t know it was a Mine.”

“Ah….”

Lumi chatted with me for about an hour after that.

“Lucy doesn’t seem like she’s waking up….”

“It’s okay. I’ll contact you first thing when Lucy wakes up.”

“Hehe… Thank you. Ah, I’ve kept a patient talking for too long. I’ll be going now, so please rest well.”

“I’m not the patient… Yeah. See you at the Academy.”

“Yeees.”

Lumi bowed her head deeply, glanced at Lucy once, and left the room.

Phew.

Talking for so long was tiring.

Tting-

A message arrived on my phone.

Moon Surin: Hoyeon-ah! Are you okay?! I just heard the news. I’m heading to your room as fast as possible, so wait!

Me: Noona, I’m fine, so please come slowly.

Just seeing the messy text made me laugh, feeling her panic.

Kwaang!

Moon Surin burst into the room, kicking the door open.

“Hoyeon-ah! Are you okay?!”

Noona. If you’re going to arrive a minute after sending the text, why did you send it?

I don’t know how fast she ran, but her pretty face was covered in sweat.

“Noona. I’m okay.”

“R-really? You didn’t suffer internal injuries or anything serious?”

“Yes. The tests were fine, and I’m here for the Magi contamination check just in case. But you know, right? Magi contamination is extremely rare.”

“Ah, ah… That’s a relief.”

Sniffle.

Moon Surin’s eyes turned slightly red. She must have been very worried.

She thinks this much of me? I’m touched.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Moon Surin]

• [ Affection: 48 ]

• [ Lust: 20 ]

• [ Appetite: 30 ]

• [ Fatigue: 65 ]

Current State: I’m so relieved. My precious junior wasn’t hurt.

‘What’s with Moon Surin? Her affection level goes up even when she does nothing.’

I haven’t done much, yet she’s already at 48. As expected of the easiest heroine.

It seems the Moon Surin event is getting closer.

With various pressures closing in simultaneously, she seems to see me as an escape… Perfect.

‘Normally, she’s suffering from stalkers, paparazzi, and a lot of heavy workload, but only when she contacts me does she feel happy emotions….’

If I save Moon Surin in that state right before she breaks after enduring it all… it seems like it would work out well.

“Phew, that’s a relief. But….”

Moon Surin’s eyes turned towards Lucy lying next to me.

“Ahem. Uh, isn’t it a bit uncomfortable for a man and a woman to share the same hospital room?”

“It’s fine. I’m just lying here all day anyway. It gets lonely being alone.”

“Hmm. Okay. I hope your friend wakes up soon too.”

“The doctor said she’ll wake up soon.”

“That’s good. I have a lot to do, so I need to go. I just came to see your face.”

“Yes. Work hard, Surin noona.”

“…Yeah! I’ll do my best!”

Moon Surin muttered that she had more work to do as she left the room.

‘What work could have increased?’

I don’t know.

After Moon Surin’s footsteps completely disappeared, I looked at the white hospital tiles and thought.

‘But seriously, how am I going to handle all this?’

Getting closer to the heroines is good, but it’s getting overwhelming.

I don’t even know how to build a harem, and it’s too difficult a task for a loner loser like me.

“Sigh, it’ll probably work out if I just keep at it.”

Still, I live on.

Anyway, the emotion of ‘giving up’ has already disappeared from my dictionary. It’s because of the [Clear Mental Fortitude] that prevents me from resting even when I want to. I can’t be weak-willed even if I wanted to.

Fortunately, a lifeline fell from the sky.

Completing the [Special Quest] and meeting the God of Betting.

I’ll probably get at least a hint from there.

“Ughhh….”

A groan came from Lucy next to me.

Is she finally waking up?

“Ughhh….”

Was she having a nightmare? Lucy was sweating profusely and frowning.

‘Should I call the doctor?’

“Aargh!”

I was contemplating making an emergency call just in case, when Lucy screamed and opened her eyes.

“What kind of nightmare is this? Ugh….”

She still seemed unable to grasp the situation, blinking her eyes and observing the patient gown she was wearing.

“Are you okay?”

“….”

“Are you hurt anywhere? The doctor said you were fine, but just in case.”

“….”

“Lucy?”

“Wh-what happened to Felix?”

Lucy seemed confused, perhaps unable to process the situation yet.

“Ah… I was going to tell you once you felt a bit better. I dealt with Felix. But the media will report that we both killed him. Is that okay?”

“Wh-why? I didn’t do anything!”

“Well, if they announced I dealt with him alone, it would draw too much attention. Please let it slide just this once. Sorry.”

From Lucy’s perspective, this could potentially cause some trauma.

Lucy was on the verge of being raped by Felix.

Having someone ask about such an event, or being interviewed about it, could be incredibly burdensome.

While I didn’t make that decision, I definitely have a share in Lucy ending up in that situation.

‘Wait a minute, speaking of which, they said they’d give a reward, did I mess up?’

If I received a major award or something, there would be tons of interview requests.

However, Lucy didn’t seem to care and instead bowed her head to apologize.

“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry. From now on, I’ll believe everything you say without question. And I’ll definitely repay you for this.”

“No, it’s okay. I should have paid a little more attention. If you really want to repay me, just buy me a meal later.”

It felt strange seeing the girl who always acted so flippantly suddenly bowing her head like this.

Still, I hope this opportunity helps Lucy’s personality mature a bit.

“Yeah, I definitely will.”

Lucy said that with a smile, then her eyes met mine, and she turned her head away, blushing.

“Ah, ah! It’s suddenly hot! Isn’t it?”

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lucy]

• [ Affection: 92 ]

• [ Lust: 47 ]

• [ Appetite: 60 ]

• [ Fatigue: 65 ]

Current State: Was she always this good-looking?

Tip: If you confess, you can immediately get her into bed.

‘It’s over.’

An affection level of 92 means it’s the stage right before confession in the game.

If I play hard to get just a little bit here, the game is over.

It feels good when things go according to plan like this.

“Yeah, I feel a bit hot too. Speaking of which, are you feeling alright? The test results were normal, though.”

“Yeah, I’m fine… Huh?”

Lucy touched her stomach and let out a groan.

“It feels like… my stomach hurts… Wait a minute. Back then, I definitely felt strange, like I was cursed by magic….”

Lucy looked at me with a ‘No way…’ expression.

“You, perhaps….”

“No, absolutely not. Nothing like that happened. Really.”

“…If you mean ‘that kind of thing’, then you know what state I was in?”

Ah, fuck. I slipped up.