"Mmm-haha~ Lord Adrian, I really can't drink anymore~~ smack smack"
As Adrian Blake returned to the Dimensional Realm with Setsuna in his arms, he found Freya sprawled across the bed, talking in her sleep.
They had been running around all day, and before that, she'd... well, worked hard for quite a while.
Compared to Freya, Setsuna wasn't doing much better now.
"Mmm~ Setsuna still wants more… but she's so full..."
Rubbing her slightly bulging belly, Setsuna's expression was one of weary resignation.
It was all precious essence that could make her stronger—not a single drop should go to waste.
But it was simply too much. So much that it was... spilling over.
And even with all that, Setsuna knew very clearly: she hadn't truly satisfied Adrian.
That sense of defeat made her furry ears droop low.
"Alright, alright. Just get some proper rest like Freya."
Seeing her guilt-ridden look, Adrian sighed helplessly.
Setsuna was so obedient and loyal; the last thing he wanted was to break her so soon.
She had clearly sensed that he was holding back, even though he'd tried to hide it.
Her intuition was just too sharp.
Unable to resist the overwhelming fatigue, both mental and physical, Setsuna's head barely touched the pillow before she slipped into deep sleep.
Watching the two girls sleep, Adrian gently pulled the blanket over them and turned his attention to the progress of the Gate Between Worlds.
[Dimensional Gate: 35%]
"After fully conquering Setsuna and killing Blade, the progress really shot up!"
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he could move on to the second world.
Suppressing his excitement, Adrian scanned the current state of his Dimensional Realm.
Compared to the original size, the area had already expanded more than threefold.
"The Icewolf Tribe… maybe I could pick a few loyal women from there. As long as their loyalty is guaranteed, I could bring them here to live."
With that thought, he immediately returned to the town of Lanaritta and brought Anna with him.
To Anna, even a day without him felt like an eternity.
When they met again, they didn't waste time with words. Right there in her inn room, they had an in-depth exploration of their aching longing.
Once her loneliness had been fully… filled, Adrian brought her back to reside in the Dimensional Realm as well.
Looking at the three sleeping women, he scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Guess I'll wait until Anna wakes up to introduce her to Freya and Setsuna."
Muttering to himself, Adrian didn't linger in Lanaritta. Instead, he returned to the main world.
He needed time to reflect and digest everything he had gained.
Once he was fully prepared, he'd wipe out the old king and the Demon Lord in one decisive move.
"Woohoo~ this is the same alley I left from. Seems like the reentry point doesn't change."
Adrian glanced around and noticed the time hadn't shifted at all.
So, even though a lot had happened in the other realm, time here remained frozen.
That meant he could act freely without worrying about consequences.
As the sky darkened, Adrian started moving down the street.
But after only a few steps, he bumped into a boy shuffling along, dejected and mumbling.
"Ahhh~ I just want a girlfriend! This was my hundredth rejection! Why does nothing ever work?!"
"Hm?"
Adrian cast a glance at him, a contemplative glint in his eye.
The next second, he struck without warning—his hand pierced clean through the boy's skull. At the same time, he quietly rewrote the memories of everyone nearby.
[Dimensional Gate Progress +10%]
[Ding! "Protagonist Slayer (Red)" triggered. Do you wish to plunder his existence?]
"Huh. So he was a protagonist... What would happen if I plundered his entire existence?"
That thought alone opened the floodgates of Adrian's curiosity.
He chose Plunder.
In the very next instant, he felt his consciousness pulled into a deep sea, a visceral experience of reliving an entire life.
It was like he'd stepped into a real-life simulator, but the life was his.
Two completely different timelines merged seamlessly into one.
His new parents were descendants of a Hero and a common demon. After their deaths, he was raised in a Hero's village.
From kindergarten, he started chasing love, but was rejected every single time.
That love-chasing history eventually intertwined with his original growth trajectory—perfectly, unnervingly so.
"Holy shit… This really felt like I lived a whole new life!"
Adrian rubbed his forehead, still standing in place.
The two lives had fused into one with no contradiction, as if they were always meant to be.
The only difference? He apparently had a few new relatives now.
[Ding! Gained Traits: Love Curse (Red), Protagonist Aura (Green)!]
[Love Curse (Red): You shall have no fewer than 100 destined girls. If any of them fails in love with you, they will die. Your love will be eternal and unchanging—and will have the power to alter fate itself!]
[Note: The death upon failed love refers to the girl.]
"...???"
"How the hell is this a red-tier trait?"
Adrian was utterly baffled. Just reading the description made his kidneys ache.
Love fails, and the girl dies?
Looking again at the also red-tier [Protagonist Slayer], he focused on the line about "eternal and unchanging love that alters fate."
"Wait… is this really literal? Eternal love… and fate-altering?"
Still overwhelmed, Adrian decided to shelve the issue for now.
There was a bigger problem.
A minimum of one hundred destined girls?
"Does Rena count? And… Setsuna?"
Adrian suddenly felt a pang of guilt. After all, they'd all signed Master-Servant Contracts.
Technically, they were his slaves.
Unfortunately, the trait didn't display a number, so he couldn't confirm anything.
"Love failing equals death? That's way too abstract. If I turn a love interest into a slave, does that count as failed love?"
"Does that mean the girls I finally managed to sleep with… are doomed?!"
Troubled, Adrian began pacing.
But then he shook his head.
Even if it's slavery… it's still love! If I say it counts, then it counts!
Eventually, he gave up on the mental gymnastics and decided to head home and get some sleep.
But just as he was about to take a step, a sudden commotion broke out nearby—footsteps, screaming.
"That alley… That's the one I came through. And I sense demonic energy."
Adrian narrowed his eyes and flew toward it without hesitation.
In a quiet, deserted alleyway, a sweet-faced girl was fleeing for her life.
"Huff… Huff… Ugh, I never should've been so damn curious!"
Yuki Suou ran, tears streaming down her face, cursing her own stupidity.
Behind her, a grotesque monster with a massive lower half and the upper body of a beautiful woman let out a shrill laugh, giving chase.
Its four clawed legs moved with terrifying speed, tearing through the alley walls like paper.
Hearing the sound of crumbling brick behind her, Yuki broke down into sobs.
A hardcore anime fan, she'd only come here today to shop for some character goods and collectibles.
But while inside the "Spring Blossom" store, she saw something truly unbelievable—two girls screaming, a man appearing out of nowhere, summoning what looked like a black hole in his palm.
It was a moment that would haunt her for a hundred years.
And oddly, everyone around seemed to forget what had just happened, as if their memories had been wiped.
She'd survived, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She followed, hoping to see more.
Instead, she got lost in this maze of alleys.
By the time she realized it, something monstrous had already started hunting her down.
The clawed feet behind her were getting closer. She turned her head—and saw those monstrous talons barely ten centimeters from her face.