Chapter 79: Fully Adjusted
Crystal Hill Hotel.
The hotel corridor was quiet. The dim ceiling lights cast a lonely glow, making the red carpet on the floor appear even more vividly luxurious.
The high-tech surveillance cameras hidden in the ceiling had been forcibly rewritten by someone and plunged into darkness.
A faint, captivating floral scent lingered near the entrance.
When the door opened, Matou Yuu's gaze was momentarily drawn to the breathtaking beauty of the woman standing in the doorway.
She wore a form-fitting white dress. Her smooth silver hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, with a few strands gently framing her delicate, beautiful face. Her cheeks were flushed with a dreamy red.
"…Merlin?"
The moment he saw the nightmare girl in his field of vision, Matou Yuu was clearly surprised and nearly blurted it out.
He had only just moved in. At first, he wondered how someone had found him so quickly, but if it was her, then it wasn't strange at all.
After all, she possessed the ability to see the "present" from afar.
However...
"What are you doing here?" Matou Yuu asked warily.
Merlin steadied her breathing slightly, but the pink eyes staring at the young man no longer held their former arrogant, victorious attitude. Instead, they were filled with a mix of embarrassment and resentment.
"You used such underhanded methods on me in secret… and now you're asking what I came here for?"
Not long ago, after returning to the magical workshop, Merlin had desperately tried to suppress those intense emotions... but the desire to "be touched" by him was like a spring — the more she suppressed it, the stronger it rebounded.
In the end, she couldn't help but come to him of her own accord.
Matou Yuu completely ignored the resentment in her eyes.
He stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then quickly understood.
The effect of the "Specially Formulated Mood-Enhancing Catnip" seemed even more astonishing than he had imagined...
Even though Merlin was a "nightmare"-like existence who possessed no human-like emotions whatsoever, under the influence of the so-called "emotion-stimulating catnip," she had experienced such intense feelings...
According to the product description, pets that consumed this item would strongly crave physical contact from their owner.
Was it possible for the other party to actively seek contact of their own volition...?
"Don't tell me... you came all the way here just to ask me to pet you?" Matou Yuu asked cautiously.
"..."
An suffocating silence instantly fell over the entrance.
Even Merlin's expression turned slightly strange for a moment.
For someone like Merlin, the word "please" was fundamentally impossible.
She enjoyed directing the script of life and savoring the nightmares of intense emotions. From the past until now, she had always been the one teasing others.
But now, was she being asked to cast aside all her dignity and beg a boy who wasn't even sixteen or seventeen years old to touch her?!
Seeing the silver-haired woman remain at the doorway in such a humiliating and indescribably wretched state, Matou Yuu fully understood everything.
Of course... his guess had been correct.
However, judging from this, the effect of this emotion-stimulating drug seemed a little too strong.
Matou Yuu felt a sense of indignation, but at the same time, he couldn't completely shake off a certain wariness.
He knew exactly what kind of person Merlin was.
In another parallel world, the wounded King Arthur had overcome countless hardships and finally reached the legendary paradise of Avalon. Instead of offering words of comfort, the court magus had smiled and said, "Your mission is not yet over," then mercilessly expelled the king who had saved her homeland from the tower, forcing him to continue his wandering journey.
Was the catnip really so powerful that it could elicit such a strong reaction from a pure-blooded nightmare?
Could this be a trap she had set?
Just as Matou Yuu was about to tell her to leave, a system notification appeared.
[Ding! Side Quest Triggered: Wild Mutant Lop-Eared Rabbit Domestication Plan!]
[Quest Details: Zookeeper Matou Yuu, please be careful! This wild lop-eared rabbit that accidentally consumed the "Specially Formulated Mood-Enhancing Catnip" has entered withdrawal symptoms and is abnormally craving to be petted. In order to establish the zookeeper's authority, please immediately begin a thorough "sedation" session!]
[Quest Reward: Strength +1]
There were no free attribute points, and only Strength was fixed... This reward was far too stingy! Matou Yuu couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Still, being able to obtain free attribute points was better than nothing.
Since the system had confirmed that she was indeed affected by the catnip, he could relax for the time being.
Considering the system reward, Matou Yuu sighed inwardly but ultimately nodded. "Fine. In that case... I'll help you."
However, after agreeing, he looked at the silver-haired woman standing before him and felt doubt rise in his heart.
The system had forcibly identified Merlin as a "Panoramic Surveillance Mutant Lop-Eared Rabbit" and demanded that he complete a "petting" task like he would with a cat or dog.
But...
Matou Yuu's gaze moved from Merlin's long, slender white legs, to her unbelievably beautiful figure accentuated by the tight white dress, and finally stopped on her stunningly beautiful face with its flushed cheeks. He fell into thought for a moment.
In reality, how was the system supposed to make such a large, living human — and moreover, a mature woman with an incredibly outstanding figure?
While Matou Yuu was still caught up in these random thoughts, Merlin made a grasping motion with her right hand, and a beautiful staff appeared out of thin air.
She seemed to have reached her limit. With an irritated expression, she lightly tapped the staff in the air.
Buzz—
In an instant, the structure of the world was forcibly rewritten.
The narrow, dark hotel corridor and the luxurious suite beyond it vanished without a trace.
In their place appeared a sea of vibrant flowers bathed in a gentle breeze and sunlight.
Meanwhile, Matou Yuu found himself standing atop a "tower" that seemed to reach the heavens.
"Here we are..."
"Avalon... but this is a special boundary I created using an 'illusion' to deceive the world."
Merlin's voice came from behind him.
Matou Yuu unconsciously turned his face and looked at Merlin's face, which had turned as red as a ripe fruit, and her breathing, which was rapid as if she were desperately suppressing her emotions.
Normally, Merlin always carried an air of superiority and contempt for others while playing the game of life. But now that she had discarded that calm mask, she radiated an irresistible charm befitting a mature woman.
Wait a minute... Matou Yuu suddenly realized what was happening.
The system description clearly stated that pets that consumed the "emotion-stimulating catnip" would feel an extremely strong impulse to be petted by their owner.
Thinking this, he once again secretly observed Merlin before him.
Her once-smooth silver hair was now slightly disheveled, with a few strands gently falling in front of her lips.
Her captivating pink eyes were filled with overflowing longing and shimmering tears.
At that moment, Merlin stepped forward and embraced the young man. Even through the thin white robe, he could clearly feel the unbelievably soft texture of her skin.
Although she was not human, her body temperature was exactly the same as a human's. If he had to say, her skin was as smooth as cream, without a single blemish.
She pressed her body against Matou Yuu, raised her slightly trembling hands, firmly clasped them between the young man's fingers, and then intertwined her fingers with his.
Then she guided the young man's hand upward along her undulating curves.
However... even that did not seem nearly enough for the nightmare who was already overwhelmed by emotion.
"I want more..."
The Miss Nightmare who did not know love brought her face close to the young man's ear and whispered while exhaling a breath as sweet as an orchid.
"Give me... more..."
The extraordinary sensation in his palm made Matou Yuu's brain work at lightning speed.
So that's how it was...
My guess about the system item seemed to have been completely correct.
I have no idea what she felt inside that "emotion crystal."
Why did she react so strongly...?
Thinking this, Matou Yuu sighed inwardly with a headache. He also let out a sigh of relief.
Although this development seemed good at first glance... considering this woman's personality, once the "emotional charm" faded, it was impossible to rule out the possibility that she would harbor thoughts of revenge.
Was there a way to prevent her from seeking revenge afterward? Or a way to counter her?
Sensing the ambiguous atmosphere drifting inside the tower, Matou Yuu's eyes wavered slightly, and an extremely bold idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
He looked at the silver-haired nightmare girl before him, who was acting completely unlike her usual self, and suddenly said, "Merlin, if my memory is correct, as a nightmare demon, you should be able to freely read other people's emotions — and even their memories and dreams, right...?"
Even though things had deteriorated this far, why was he acting so indifferent, like a saint...?
Merlin opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.
Still so stubborn...
Matou Yuu gently poked her waist with his finger.
"Mmm~"
Merlin's slender body trembled. Her beautiful eyes filled with tears, and the gaze she directed at the young man was filled with grievance.
"Now you can directly access my memories and emotions. As long as you cooperate obediently, I'll give you anything you want," Matou Yuu said while looking at her in a placating tone.
This man...
A slightly distorted expression appeared on Merlin's beautiful face. For a moment, it was difficult to tell whether it was humiliation, resistance, or some kind of desire.
However, driven by her own urgency, the woman from Avalon ultimately gave in.
She closed her eyes as if giving up and, using the power of a nightmare, quietly slipped her consciousness into Matou Yuu's sea of spirits.
However, this time she could not access any memories related to Matou Yuu.
The moment her consciousness entered Matou Yuu's mind, she saw the scenes the young man had imagined.
These scenes were... all about her.
However, in these imaginary scenarios created by Matou Yuu, she was no longer the noble and dignified court magus, nor was she a nightmare-like existence.
Instead, they were a series of unbelievably beautiful yet simultaneously extremely humiliating scenes that he had imagined for her.
These scenes were now unfolding inside Merlin's mind.
One or two hallucinations might be nothing more than insignificant jokes compared to a nightmare.
But what if they were repeated infinitely — 100 times, 1,000 times, or even tens of thousands of times?
In reality, only a few minutes had passed.
But for Merlin, it felt like an unimaginably long time.
"Haa..."
She didn't know how much time had passed, but Merlin finally slowly opened her captivating pink eyes. She breathed faintly. Her entire body was drenched in fine sweat, and her snow-white dress clung tightly to her skin, accentuating her extremely seductive figure.
Although it had been a nightmarish experience, inside Matou Yuu's consciousness, she had experienced countless dreams... and in those dreams, every time this guy touched her body, she had reflexively shown the most obedient reaction.
Just like now.
Matou Yuu reached out and gently stroked her soft hair while hesitantly saying, "Come here."
"Mmm..."
Merlin's body trembled faintly. Then, as if she had practiced it countless times in her dreams, she obediently lay down beside the young man, tilted her head slightly, and pressed her delicate, beautiful face against his palm while staring straight at him with tear-moistened eyes.
Then she slightly parted her red lips and let out a sweet, meltingly sweet scent.
"Haa~"
It seems to have been quite successful...?
I have no idea how long this will last...
Faced with the nightmare girl who was acting completely unlike her usual self and was now obedient, Matou Yuu couldn't help but smile and quickly organized his thoughts.
Well, at least for now, things seem to be going well... That's enough.
After all... since she doesn't understand what "love" is, once she accepts that "it feels good," she probably won't care anymore, right?
Looking at the seemingly obedient Merlin, Matou Yuu couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke her soft cheek.
Then, under her pitiful gaze, he unhesitatingly kissed her on the lips.
…
One hour later.
[Ding! Congratulations, Zookeeper, on completing the side quest "Physical Domestication of the Panoramic Surveillance Mutant Lop-Eared Rabbit"!]
[System Evaluation: A deep sense of security has been achieved. The arrogant defenses of the wild animal have been broken in the initial stage. Please maintain the zookeeper's authority.]
[Quest Reward: Strength +1]
A familiar warm current flowed through his body. Matou Yuu felt as though his muscle fibers and bones had been greatly strengthened and reconstructed in that instant, and the stamina he had previously expended instantly recovered.
Although his magical energy was currently very high, his other basic abilities were still at the weak level of an ordinary magus... For the sake of future happiness, he needed to improve his physical capabilities.
Since he had already decided to remain in this world, he had to think carefully about the future.
Looking at Merlin beside him, she was curled up in bed with her shoulders slightly exposed and her hair disheveled.
After roughly an hour of deep "healing," the effects of the so-called "Special Emotion Catnip" had already worn off.
However, it seemed Merlin still had some unfinished business.
She slightly tilted her head and secretly observed the young man behind her with pink eyes that were faintly captivating and moist.
At that moment, Matou Yuu was embracing her soft, slender waist from behind. His warm breath on her shoulder brought a strange numbness that made her heart race.
Sensing the young man's blatantly longing gaze, Merlin desperately suppressed the pounding in her chest and deliberately broke the silence with a nonchalant, languid voice. "What exactly was that emotion crystal you gave me back then?"
What she really wanted to ask was not that question, but what was hidden deep in the other party's heart.
Because... that emotion crystal Matou Yuu had taken out at the time clearly shared the same origin as the silver lock she had seen in Matou Yuu's memories.
However, if she asked that question, wouldn't it be blatantly telling the other party, "I peeked into your memories"?
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't care about such a trivial matter... Even if she was discovered, it wouldn't matter. She could always escape unscathed with her unparalleled illusion techniques whenever she wanted to leave.
But now...
"Catnip."
The young man's voice rang gently in her ear.
Merlin paused for a moment, then repeated with a ridiculous expression. "…Catnip?"
She quickly said in a low voice, "It seems you have no intention of telling me the truth."
"That makes sense. After all, this should become your greatest trump card, right?"
At this point, Merlin had regained her composure. She slightly narrowed her slender eyes and smiled dangerously. "Matou Yuu, you'd better pray that your future doesn't fall into my hands. Once this Holy Grail War ends... I will definitely 'properly' return the favor for your 'kindness' tonight——"
The moment she finished speaking, Matou Yuu suddenly reached out and gently stroked her soft hair in a "petting" motion.
"..."
For an instant, Merlin's voice stopped.
The moment she felt the young man's fingertips stroking her silver hair, she felt an indescribable tingling sensation well up inside her body... Her body instinctively showed an extremely strong pleasure response.
"Although it was a nightmarish experience, your body still seems to fall within the category of 'human'."
Matou Yuu pressed his chest firmly against her white back while gently wrapping the succubus's cold hand with his other hand and smiled. "After all, you're the one who came to me this time... Isn't it a little immoral to think about revenge afterward?"
"Heh... Aren't you ashamed to say things like 'You're benefiting, yet you're still pretending to be innocent'?"
Merlin suppressed the urge to complain and glanced back at the young man behind her with a cute side-eye. "Besides, Onee-chan can deceive people depending on her mood. Do I have to take Onee-chan's feelings into consideration too?"
"Mmm~!!!"
Before she could finish speaking, her slender body suddenly stiffened. Then she glared at the culprit behind her with eyes filled with resentment but also moist with tears.
It was only much later that her body slowly relaxed, but she still stubbornly insisted, "How interesting! I'll probably never forget that experience, but that's all."
After stubbornly holding out for a moment, she suddenly noticed that the young man behind her had stopped moving, and a sense of emptiness welled up in her heart again.
Merlin instinctively leaned back, trying to feel more of his warmth.
However, Matou Yuu still showed no reaction. "Did you forget the first thing you should do when asking someone for a favor?"
"..."
Merlin was momentarily at a loss for words. Then she seemed to recall the "humiliating training" that had been repeated tens of thousands of times inside Matou Yuu's mental world.
She pursed her plump lips but made no further attempt to speak.
Inside Avalon Tower, bathed in the soft morning light, Matou Yuu stared at Merlin's flushed, embarrassed face.
In the end, the line of rational defense collapsed once again.
Merlin slowly opened her tear-filled eyes and sent him a captivating gaze.
Then, filled with resentment, she voiced the same reply that had been repeated tens of thousands of times inside Matou Yuu's heart.
[Ding! Hidden Training Completed!]
[The affection of the Panoramic Surveillance Mutant Lop-Eared Rabbit toward you has increased by 10!]
Matou Yuu: "...?"
…
…
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