NGJ Chapter 105: Xenovia Quarta (Patreon)

Before I did anything else however I wanted to test something out.

Using construction I spent some few tens of thousands of CE to create a full boy mirror and undressed.

'I look kinda different.'

Truth be told, I did not feel too much attachment to my physical body currently.

At first, I was really apprehensive about changing my body with Idle Transfiguration in general because I was scared of both losing myself and accidentally permanently changing my body.

But now, well, once your true form has become an 8ft image of death you aren't too attached to your own body.

Since, you know, I can just make another anytime.

Obviously, I still do prefer my old appearance but I am not too hung up about it.

And now that I could completely shift my body with a simple thought on a genetical level why not mess around a bit and see what clicks.

First I just tried out a variety of hairstyles, I think my hair looks much nicer now, it looks like pure snow and feels like cotton and silk.

I settled on a bit past my shoulders in length and tied it in a loose ponytail, it gave off a more relaxed aura I think.

Also, I no longer needed sunglasses, I have nigh perfect control over the output of my eyes but I still kept the round sunglasses I have had them for a while now and it would feel wrong to not have them. Plus I wouldn't wanna unnerve people too much with how handsome I am.

Coupled with my now leaner build this looks I guess cuts down on my intimidation factor quite a bit but...

Eh, who cares?

I don't need to tie my intimidation factor down to my appearance, if I want someone scared they would be staring down death, not Akira.

Anyway, after that, I tried to think of more ways to utilize my abilities.

But first I did what every man would do when given the ability to shapeshift.

I bent my gender.

Obviously, I turned myself into an incredibly beautiful woman by mentally adjusting a few sliders and I must say.

It is quite weird.

I was objectively at least a 9/10 as a gender-bent Gojo but looking at the mirror I didn't feel any sexual attraction toward myself.

Groping myself didn't really do it for me either, I think it's probably due to the dissonance of how I perceived myself and the shape of my current form. While not uncomfortable it didn't really feel right.

Maybe if I spent more time in that form I might get used to it but I ultimately view myself as male. Well, I say view since I am very technically genderless as a disaster spirit.

Unfortunately, I am not packing a 18 incher underneath my bones in my true form.

As for my sexual desires, they haven't changed one bit somehow even though my true form has.

Probably because of how my heavenly restriction has affected me down to the core of my being that it has stuck with me even as a skeleton.

You can take the man out of the horny but you can't take the horny out of the man.

Also, I turned myself into a thwomp. I wanted to see if I could, and I did. I can.

And then I messed about with binding vows to see what advantageous form I could create and came up with.

Akira - Shota mode. I leave just the bare minimum of my human form and leave out the excess. Leaving behind an efficient and low-maintenance form.

It cuts down my physical stats alongside int but in exchange it more than quintuplets my CE recovery rate. This form is optimal for recovery and energy saving.

Also, it makes me look younger, by a few years making me look like a Shota.

And damn I looked cute. It struck the perfect line of boyish charm.

Why in Helix did I go out of my way to find these out?

...It's obviously because of their practical applications and definitely not because I want to mess with people. I am not that childish!

I am far more childish than that.

Whelp, now that light experimentation with my abilities is done I created a few dozen undead architects using 100,000CE and ordered them to renovate my house as I set out to find Irina and Xenovia.

They are the ones that need my attention the most at the moment.

As one would expect having the centermost pillar of your life turn out to be a lie can have an effect on you.

It did not take me long to find them, a simple survey of Kuoh with my eyes allowed me to see where they were. They had both left for an abandoned park and were simply sitting down looking forward vacantly. And I simply teleported next to both of them.

As I put my hands on their shoulders they flinched and looked at me but made no other movements prompting me to talk.

"Well, I don't think an abandoned park is exactly the best place to stay. Mind if we relocate?" Hearing no objections I teleported us three back to my room.

They made no attempts to resist even as I sat them down on the bed.

Man, they had it rough, didn't they?

"So? What's on your mind?"

Xenovia replied with a hollow voice.

"...Akira, did my life ever have any meaning?"

...Yikes.

Just...

Yikes.

That hits a bit too close to home.

"Care to elaborate?"

That seemed to finally rile Xenovia up a little as she gritted her teeth and squeezed her fist.

"I dedicated my whole life to god, I sacrificed everything and never got to live my life for what? A god that is dead? Who did I even do all of this for? If so what is everything I have done even worth?"

Irina replied hesitantly by her side.

"...Xenovia you shouldn't-"

"What do you mean I shouldn't Irina? God is dead! Everything we believed in was fake! My entire life has been fake! What do I do now!?"

Xenovia lashed out while Irina cowered back with her eyes downcast.

"Sigh... I am sorry for lashing out at you Irina but I think you can understand."

"Yeah... I don't know what to do either."

Well, this is quite bad. If I do not intervene things may end up irrecoverably bad.

Well then, it's time to pull out the remixed anime speeches in my head.

I coughed to get their attention.

"While the big man upstairs maybe past tense I don't think it all was fake and worthless. After all, his effects still remain, and so do his ideals that you both idealized. Granted you both did dedicate your life to a god that no longer exists.

But the main one here to blame is the church. Those bastards are the ones who exploited your naivety. But even so, this isn't the end, is it?

You can still live your life the way you want to. There is nothing stopping you, hell if you want me to, I can even help you with that. I don't see some foolish exorcist who wasted their lives, I just see two beautiful girls on my bed. Now you should sleep, we can keep talking about this tomorrow ok?"

They both fell silent at my words at my words. Irina looked hopeful while Xenovia herself looked contemplative seeing as they were both thinking I left the room while hoping I succeeded that charisma check. Now with the crisis averted I had other things to do.

That was most importantly experimenting with Disaster Death. Once I had overhauled everything it included the system itself too. For example, I can't open Dungeons now.

But when one door closes, another opens.

I can now increase my stats in a matter which is far more free now.

I can increase my stats through meditation. Since I am the disaster of death as the manifestation of the fear of all things I can tap into that fear. Kind of like tapping into a leyline except this was functionally infinite.

Of course, while I can tap into that infinite energy I can't harness it all. The way I regenerate my CE is the same, I funnel that endless cursed energy slowly into my body which I will call my {Cursed Energy Input} and then with my stored CE I can use it any way I want to a certain degree which is decided by my {Cursed Energy Output} which is how much CE I can use at a time.

By meditating I can slowly increase my input and output while also using the cursed energy I harness while doing so to improve my vessel.

Meditating was harder than you would think, harnessing endless curses and trying to tame them within your body to integrate them. It requires a good bit of concentration. It is also very mentally draining.

Like a lot.

It took almost everything out of me to meditate from sundown to morning.

But I think it was plenty fruitful.

♢—•♦•—♢—•♦•—♢—•♦•—♢

____________________________

[You have finished meditating]

+130 Wis

+140 Int

+100End

+100Str

+120Agi

____________________________

Pretty good for a single night's work and my first time on top of that. In a month I could more than double my stats.

Once the morning had come they had both made their decisions, however.

Irina decided to go back to the Vatican, while her faith had been shaken she herself still believed in God's teachings. She wanted to go back and ask for answers from them herself including her father and she also needed to report for the mission.

But I first took her Excalibur mimicry. And gave her a message to send to the Vatican.

"If you really want the Excalibur and Durandal back then send someone who is actually qualified you fucking **** ****** ***** **** ** **** ******* ***** ***** **** ***** **** **** Mother **** ******* ******** *****..."

I doubt Irina will deliver the full message to them but it's the thought that counts. While it seems like I am letting her leave I am certain she will come back to me, both my intuition and the numbers on my system are telling me that.

And Xenovia on the other hand...

"Akira, please let me stay with you."

She declared as I was enjoying some strawberry crepe after exhausting my mental juice meditating.

Chewing and swallowing my strawberry goodness I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Come again?"

Xenovia seemed unaffected by my nonchalant attitude as she puffed her chest. At least she seemed really determined in her new decision.

"I have decided to stop being an exorcist. As you said I want to live my life and the life I never got to live in the church. But I have no money, no house and no friends outside of Irina. I have nowhere to go and I am indebted to you already. In exchange..."

She actually hesitated for a moment with pink dusting her cheeks but she puffed out her chest regardless.

"I am ready to serve you in any way you want. Will you accept me?"

Accept a natural-born Holy Sword Wielder with the Durandal in her pocket who is also a hot babe? I would go against the very core of my existence to reject her.

I smiled gently at her while removing my sunglasses trying my best to show a kind face making her look even redder.

"Of course, welcome to the family Xenovia. We can hash out the details later. Wanna join me for breakfast." I said calmly, disguising my elation.

"Thank you for having me Akira." Xenovia said with a smile on her own face and sat down next to me, grabbing a crepe herself while saying don't mind if I do.

[Xenovia's Affection has reached Lv.5]

[You have acquired the trait {Stab Proof}]

[{Stab Proof}: Reduces the damage of all swords against the user by 25%]

After our breakfast Xenovia suddenly as if she remembered something turned to me.

"Oh right, Akira, speaking of family. Can we have a baby?"

...Well isn't that blunt?

A/N: Xenovia is officially in the harem. And don't worry about Irina, she will also be added to the harem sooner or later. Also, I changed up the affection system a bit, splitting it into 10 levels instead to make everything less confusing.

What did you guys think about the chapter?