Ch.200Brother NPC Prepares (2)

Necrophilia. I knew there was a sexual perversion called corpse-fucking, but no one would have ever thought a person could be born from it.

At the very least, I never imagined it.

-Thwack! Pow!! Whack!!

“Urgh?!”

“Hoho, don’t just chase what you see. And, your body seems flexible, but you’re still not using all of that flexibility.”

Her fist, which I blocked by raising my arm, slithers like a snake before I can even feel the impact, striking my shoulder as it finds an opening.

Thanks to my greatly increased specs, it doesn’t hurt much, but that makes it all the more confusing. The momentum of a punch that had clearly stopped continues, extending the attack. The way it pierces through my defenses, evading my eyes, is truly beyond explanation with words like “mysterious.”

After that, I continue to block Elder Ferna’s attacks, occasionally mimicking her punches to push in my own attacks. Of course, with minimal force. If I accidentally hit her with my full strength, she’d definitely be seriously injured, no matter how amazingly she might dodge.

“Hoho. I see growth in your offense, but your defense is still clumsy.”

As she deflects my kick lightly with her palm, I resume my defensive stance, and once again her combination attacks fly at me. I can see all of them. In fact, my specs have risen so much that they even appear slow. I almost want to blurt out nonsense like “too slow” because I can see them so clearly! But…

-Thud!

“Ugh.”

“Your eyes are too good. And you respond too sensitively and quickly to the slightest movements. I only added a small feint, but you react to everything, making it hard to block.”

“…Please continue.”

Despite what should be slow combinations, my defense gets penetrated. In her case, her presence is extremely faint.

Now I understand why when we first met, she easily snuck up behind me and Chikuyo and touched our butts without us noticing. I’m starting to understand thanks to her status window that’s finally becoming visible, but even so, her presence is incredibly subtle. That’s why my body unconsciously reacts to the slight sensations I feel.

-Whack!!

“Oof?!!”

“Oh my, are you alright? Was that too hard? No, you seemed to be thinking about something else…”

Her knee strike hits my solar plexus, and I back away in surprise. My HP didn’t decrease, but it still hurts.

“…I apologize. Let’s continue, please.”

“Hoho. Yes, that’s the spirit of a young man!”

Looking at Elder Ferna charging at me again, I think.

A beastkin born between a ghoul and a human. Or a beastkin born between a beastkin with strong human blood and a ghoul—that’s who she is.

The reason her presence is so extremely faint is because she is a being who is “alive, yet not alive.”

Previously, when I was running away from Miho, I saw an undead monster called a wraith. It was clearly present before me, but I couldn’t feel its attacking presence at all. In other words, she too must have [Undead] blood, which strongly manifests this characteristic.

The woman before me looks more human than beastkin. Perhaps because the [King Ghoul] was also human when alive, that’s why her human appearance remains strong.

Of course, this is all my speculation. The fact that she’s half ghoul and half human is something I learned from her status window, not from her directly. Well, if I were in her position, I wouldn’t want to tell anyone I was a ghoul’s child either.

Well, in my previous life’s game [Eight], there were never any half-undead and half-human characters. This world is just extremely similar to Eight but completely different, as I already confirmed in the world of trials, so honestly, it’s not that shocking… No, actually it is shocking! Which parent gave birth to the Elder? I’m really curious!! Can female ghouls give birth to humans?!!

-Thwack!!

“Hoho. Not bad, your concentration suddenly improved.”

“*Inhale*. *Exhale*. Thank you. Let’s end it here for today.”

“Hmm? Is that so? Well, I’m doing this because you asked. Then, let’s stop here for today.”

After blocking her punch, I catch my breath and request to end today’s training. It’s not because I’m tired. Though Elder Ferna isn’t saying anything, her face is drenched in cold sweat.

Even though she hasn’t been hit by my attacks, she must sense how dangerous they would be if they connected, and due to our stat difference, she’s clearly finding our sparring quite burdensome.

“Good work, both of you.”

Chikuyo brings the towels we brought and hands one to the Elder, then starts wiping my face and neck. Hmm, it happens so naturally that my face is being wiped before I can say anything.

Could this be the power of the [Good Wife] skill?

“Isn’t our Elder amazing? Even for Jack, facing the strongest martial art of the beastkin race must be quite challenging, right?”

“Haha. You asked that yesterday too. And I know Elder Ferna is truly strong without you emphasizing it.”

“Hoho, my my. Do you young people think you can trouble an old woman and get away with just words?”

“Of course not. I’ll hunt a deer while hunting monsters in the desert. We’re running low on potion ingredients anyway.”

“Hoho! Please get one with big antlers. I’ve been feeling weak lately, perhaps because of that stab wound…”

…A half-undead feeling weak? She’s not turning undead, is she? I’m not going to bring back a desert deer only to have a zombie pop out, am I? As I stare at the Elder with these strange thoughts, our eyes meet while she’s wiping her face with a towel. Huh? That look in her eyes…

-Swoosh!

“Kyahung?!!”

-Thump!

“Hoho, Chikuyo. Hasn’t your bottom gotten a bit plumper? Maybe you should train too?”

“E-Elder!!!”

“Ha! I blocked it.”

The Elder, who had just touched Chikuyo’s bottom while her back was turned, immediately reached for my butt too, but I was prepared after seeing that look in her eyes—though I didn’t expect she’d actually try it.

Chikuyo was startled but raised both arms to avoid pushing the towel into my face, causing her ample bosom to rise up before my eyes under her kimono.

…Wow, suddenly a feast for the eyes… No, I mean, I don’t know where to look.

“D-don’t grab my bottom!! I haven’t gained weight?! I take really good care of myself?!!”

“Hoho, is that so? I’m getting old, so I can’t tell. How about it, Jack? Would you like to feel it too? It’s the perfect shape for childbearing.”

“While I appreciate the offer, I must decline for now.”

“Jack?!!”

Because the Elder wouldn’t let go of her bottom despite talking to me, Chikuyo started jumping and spinning around, and the Elder began spinning with her like a snake coiled around its prey.

What exactly am I watching here? And if you jump like that, the towel will hit my face…

-Swoosh! Thump!!

“Kyaang?!!”

Oh dear, I reflexively caught Chikuyo’s fluffy tail as it flew toward my face. Her tail is as big as my body, so I couldn’t help it. Still, the Elder who had been spinning while holding onto her bottom also lost her grip because of me, which is probably for the best…

“J-Jack… t-tail is yandeee…”

-Flop.

“Uh, huh?”

“Hoho, you caught it.”

-Thwack!

What’s going on?

Suddenly, the Elder made an expression that seemed to say “all according to plan” and quickly distanced herself, while Chikuyo collapsed on the spot as if all strength had left her body.

Huh? What’s this? I don’t remember anything about tails in Chikuyo’s settings except for that weird moaning when she made a sword from her tail ring. What’s happening?! Is something I don’t know about happening again?!!

No, more importantly!!

“Chi-Chikuyo? Is something wrong? What’s the matter? Are you okay?”

After releasing her tail, I carefully placed my hand on her shoulder and spoke to her. But there was no response like usual, and she just kept staring at the ground with her head down.

What is this all about…

“Hoho. You were a mountain keeper, weren’t you? Don’t you know about foxes?”

“…What? I know foxes are more ferocious than people think and are omnivorous predators, but…”

What does being a mountain keeper have to do with being an animal expert? A mountain keeper tracks water demons and monsters, and manages mountain dangers, not studies animals. I frowned at the Elder who had distanced herself considerably… no, she had even climbed up a tree to talk to me, and she chuckled as if finding it amusing before speaking.

“Hoho. Is that what human mountain keepers are like these days? Foxes, you see, are canines that have characteristics of both cats and dogs.”

So what? I knew that from my previous life. What does that have to do with her suddenly freezing up? Suppressing the urge to question her, I quietly listened, and she continued with a smirk.

“Foxes, as well as dogs and cats, really hate having their tails touched. There are many reasons, but mainly because the nerves are highly developed there, and the tail also protects important parts of their body.”

“Ah? So Chikuyo is upset because…”

“Tsk tsk. No. I clearly said they have characteristics of both dogs and cats.”

What on earth is she talking about? Suddenly turning this into Animal Kingdom? As the Elder kept dragging out the conversation, I unconsciously frowned slightly. She shrugged and… huh?

-Slither.

“Chikuyo?”

Her tail gently began to wrap around my hand and arm that were resting on her shoulder. While her tail is moving, she still doesn’t answer me, and the Elder continues to chuckle as if finding the situation amusing. Finally, as if answering my confusion, the Elder spoke.

“Canines, felines, and foxes alike—the tail is an important part, a shield protecting the ‘reproductive organs.’ Even the saying ‘tail between the legs’ comes from dogs instinctively trying to protect their seed when they feel their life is in danger.”

“…W-why are you suddenly saying that?”

So you’re saying I touched her “important shield”? Wait, hold on. I’ve never even seen this kind of joke in fan fiction! If the tail is such an important part, she shouldn’t have been wagging it around!!

Thinking I might have unknowingly sexually harassed Chikuyo, I tried to pull my arm away from her tail to apologize.

-Squeeze!!

“W-what? Chikuyo. Um, sorry? C-can I remove my arm…”

“Hohoho! It will be difficult to remove. As I said, she has characteristics of both cats and dogs.”

“No!! Stop beating around the bush and explain properly!! I want to apologize but at this rate…!!”

“Anyway, for them, the tail is an extremely sensitive area, so as you said, they usually get angry when it’s touched, but sometimes it can cause the opposite reaction. To put it bluntly, whether male or female, they go into heat when touched by someone they’re attracted to.”

“…What?

-Slide.

“Eek?!!”

As soon as the Elder finished speaking, I felt something soft against the back of my hand and involuntarily let out a girlish scream. The Elder found this so amusing that she started laughing uproariously.

However, I had no time to pay attention to her laughter. The soft sensation on the back of my hand was…

“Chi-Chikuyo…?”

“Kang!”

“Hohoho!! Well then, have fun with Chikuyo in heat. I’ll be going to the village. I’m not so tactless as to watch young people pounding rice cakes.”

“H-hey!! Y-you! Crazy old woman?! What are you saying?!!”

“Kang!”

“Chi-Chikuyo?!!”

The Elder is running away!! Old woman!! This is your fault!! This happened because you were touching her bottom!! Fix this before you leave!!

She’s holding my hand tightly with her tail and rubbing her cheek against it repeatedly while making animal noises. And her eyes, which usually have an intellectual gleam, are now sparkling as if they might shoot out pink light!!

I tried to reach out with my other hand to grab her other shoulder to stop Chikuyo, who had clearly lost her reason, but…

-Grab!! Swoosh!!

“Ugh?!! W-what strength?!!”

Without even looking, she grabbed my outstretched hand and my arm caught in her tail, easily lifting me up and flipping me over in front of her. But what is this strength?! Don’t tell me Chikuyo is also transforming into a beastkin…?!!

[Good Wife: When acting for the benefit of the mate you’ve chosen, all stats +20 (HP and MP vary depending on the situation).]

[Good Wife Activated: Subject believes the male desires her. All stats have increased to maintain the situation. (Target: HP and MP now higher than ‘Jack’.)]

That’s bullshit!! It’s not a beastkin transformation but that?!