The Altar’s Secret and a Terrifying Dream

“Ahem…there’s so much dust.”

The girl was constantly using her hands to disperse the dust around her body.

Her once proud golden hair had become streaked with gray.

Before them stood a massive door, thickly veiled in dust.

A considerable amount of time had passed since they embarked on their quest to find traces of their master.

Aile’s reputation had since spread across the entire world, but that was no longer of any concern to them.

They continued to live solely for the sake of a single wish.

Though ageless, their inability to achieve a breakthrough meant their lifespan was rapidly approaching its end.

“Sister, what in this cursed place could possibly be found here…”

“And right under our noses, no less.”

Indeed, they had searched high and low across the entire continent, only to eventually realize there was one place they had yet to explore.

The Duke’s manor basement.

Aile was currently in seclusion within Mingqian’s bedroom, and Chris speculated that she would not awaken for nearly a century.

It seemed she was undergoing some monumental breakthrough.

Chris, however, had no desire to meet her.

Returning to this place, the familiar surroundings caused Chris a momentary disorientation.

The familiar corridors, the familiar flora—it was evident Aile had tended to them well.

It was just a pity that the person they sought would never appear here again.

“Whatever it is, we’ll know once we see it.”

Eliza pushed open the door, revealing the long-sealed basement before them.

The basement was vast, and the two advanced steadily, stopping only when they reached its deepest part.

There stood a two-person-high altar, with absolutely nothing else around it.

At first glance, it appeared to be a rather ordinary altar.

Even when observed with magic, it remained utterly unresponsive.

“Sister…”

Chris let out a deflated sigh; she had searched for so long, yet in the end, she had found nothing at all.

Failure, failure, failure.

Nowhere, nowhere, he couldn’t be found anywhere.

Her master used to smile and tell her:

“Failure invariably runs throughout one’s life.”

But Chris could not fail; she had to succeed.

She had to find her master.

The young woman gritted her teeth, forcefully suppressing the urge to cry; she couldn’t break down in front of her sister, at least not now.

Eliza’s expression sharpened, and she seized Chris’s hand.

“No, Chris, step onto it.”

Her movements were swift; before Chris could even react, she was pulled onto the platform.

“Sister, there’s nothing here at all…”

“Strange, this should be a storeroom. Why is there an altar?”

The next second, the altar’s booming resonance abruptly shattered her thoughts.

“!”

“…This is!”

Chris gripped Eliza’s hand tightly, a premonition telling her that this, indeed, seemed to be the correct path.

[Detecting conditions met for a special reward; automatic use in three seconds]

[To cancel, send ‘TD’ within three seconds]

[Chris’s Summoning Stone – Used]

[Eliza’s Summoning Stone – Used]

[Noyu’s Summoning Stone – (Conditions not met)]

Two streaks of meteors cut across the sky above Blue Star.

****

“Hey, I said I like you.”

Mingqian found himself enveloped by countless beautiful maidens.

Simply walking down the street, he had been confessed to by a hundred tsunderes, each professing their utmost, absolute, unparalleled adoration for him.

“Heh heh… isn’t that a few too many tsunderes?”

“Hmph! I-I don’t like you at all!” (x100)

“Heh heh heh heh…”

The voices of the tsundere young ladies surrounded him.

“Ah~ open wide~”

As he opened his mouth to accept spoonfuls from the maidens, a somewhat unrefined smile spread across his face.

This, this was life!

This was the life he, at his age, truly deserved to enjoy: lounging on the laps of maidens in maid outfits, sipping chilled red wine mouth-to-mouth, and even discreetly reaching out to caress their stockings…

Compared to watching X-rated vlogs, this was infinitely more exhilarating!

This, this was true life!

Just as he was about to accept a cluster of grapes from a maiden’s lips, the scenery before him abruptly shifted.

The room was dim.

He lay supine, his limbs seemingly bound by something.

From beside his ear, he seemed to hear the faint clinking of surgical instruments.

He struggled with all his might, completely abandoning any pretense of dignity, but a cool, small hand gently rested upon his body.

“Xiaoqian? I heard you were confessed to by a hundred women. Is that true?”

Bai Wanting’s voice whispered into his ear.

Mingqian’s body trembled uncontrollably; he would rather die than admit it!

“Fake, fake! Absolutely fake!”

Seeing him frantically shake his head, the maiden chuckled softly:

“I knew they were all fake. Look, they can’t lie anymore.”

‘Lie? Anymore?’

Mingqian didn’t understand her meaning, it was as if… as if…

It was as if she had done something truly terrible.

“You, what exactly did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything, really? I merely helped Xiaoqian get rid of those chattering nuisances. This way, you’ll find much more peace, won’t you?”

Mingqian’s body continued to tremble uncontrollably.

“Oh, Xiaoqian, you’re still too gentle. Look.”

Bai Wanting unbound his upper body and helped him sit up.

What met his gaze were a hundred…

“Hah!”

Mingqian gasped for breath.

‘Was it a dream?’

He lifted his head to see the familiar ceiling of the Duke’s manor.

“Master? Did you have a nightmare?”

“Oh, Chris, yes, a little.”

“It’s alright, I’ve taken care of her. Master no longer needs to worry.”

“Good… huh?”

What had she just said?

‘Such a strange Chris.’

“Mm… though I don’t know who you’re talking about, I feel so heavy.”

“Oh, Master, feeling heavy is normal. I gave you some medicine.”

“Medicine?”

“Yes, you always leave me without a word. I had no choice, no choice but to do this.”

“Where’s Eliza?”

“Sister? My sister tried to stop me, so I took care of her.”

“Heh heh, don’t worry. Chris will take care of you for your entire life.”

“So, confidently entrust your body to me…”

“No…”

“No!!!”

“I! I’m still a virgin!!!!”

Mingqian abruptly thrashed himself upright, only to find his gaze locking directly with Bai Wanting’s.

“…”

“…”

After a moment of silent eye contact, the maiden slowly moved her hand from his lower body to his head.

“Xiaoqian… have I played with you so much that your brain broke?”

“I have not!”

‘What kind of magical girl talk was “played until broken”? He hadn’t gender-bent!’

‘So, it was just a dream?’

‘That dream was certainly a bit… intense.’

First, being surrounded by a hundred beautiful maidens, then imprisoned by Bai Wanting, and even Chris making a bizarre appearance at the end…

Thinking it over, it was truly a somewhat embarrassing dream.

Perhaps he had inadvertently accumulated a great deal of stress.

“And! I’m a virgin! Being forced by beautiful maidens or whatever, I—I won’t agree!”

“Yet, you only say you don’t want it with your mouth.”

“I… I don’t want it!”

‘He had his pride, didn’t he?!’

‘Rather than being the receiver, he much preferred being on top.’

“See, you’re being willful again.”

Bai Wanting gently rested her hand on his body.

“You said you wanted a 5090D, and without a word, I bought you ten.”

“Then you said you wanted the latest Fruit 28, so I specially customized one for you.”

The maiden’s fingers traced patterns on his chest.

“But I want freedom.”

Mingqian met Bai Wanting’s gaze directly, and a hint of shadow flickered in the maiden’s eyes.

‘Dignity is precious, but money is even more valuable! …Wait, I think I got that backward.’

“That’s not allowed, Xiaoqian. The outside world is too dangerous; I must protect you well.”

“Here, look, we can play games together.”

Bai Wanting released his restraints and opened Bear League for him.

“I’ll just watch you play from beside you. If you find me in the way, you can even hold me on your lap; I’m very light.”

She continued to add.

“Xiaoqian looks very handsome when he plays games too.”

“Are you talking about me, a perennial Gold player who only ranks up by leeching off others?”

“Mm, no matter what it is, as long as it’s you, that’s fine.”

“…”

Mingqian’s face actually felt a little flushed.

“I—I need to shower!”

A flicker of eager excitement danced in Bai Wanting’s eyes.

“Oh? So spirited today? Granted.”