Chapter 15

The Alchemists were very important to the Aspirants.

The so-called Conceptual Body was, in nature, very similar to the saint graphs of the Spirits in the Nasuverse.

With it, Aspirants and Awakened Ones could absorb ambient magical energy and even convert weaker souls into energy to store in their internal worlds and successfully condense an 'Ascension Piece'; all with the aim of further enhancing their conceptual body and reaching a Higher Rank.

Normally, with something like this, one would think that killing creatures would be enough to quickly rank up, and many tried that route out of ignorance.

But that's not how it works.

Although souls can be devoured to condense a piece of ascension quickly, Aspirants and Awakened Ones are not True Spirits. It can't be done as naturally as those beings, and it takes time to learn the necessary visualization method.

Above all, the act itself of consuming souls resembles what Demons do in hell and is morally condemned. 

Only twisted individuals would be willing to do so...not to mention the hidden danger that assimilating soul fragments filled with impurities/memories represents for mortals.

So, all that's left is mana and maryoku to grow... or devouring the souls of human babies with pure souls, which is even more taboo.

That's where the Alchemists come in.

By creating substances with high concentrations of magical energy so terrifying that they would kill ordinary humans in an instant, users can condense their next ascension piece within their conceptual bodies faster than normal and reach higher levels of power in a short period of time.

Not only that, the most powerful Master Alchemists in history can even distill the primordial substance, the Animus, to create new souls with their powerful abilities and create incredible elixirs with this primordial essence that gives rise to the soul, immensely strengthening the Conceptual Body.

They were basically the main creators and providers of valuable cultivation resources, if we were to use terms typical of an immortal cultivator novel.

Therefore, royalty and nobility also spent a great deal of wealth to raise skilled alchemists like Jheane Lorens, and nobles like Arthur, who achieve excellent mastery in this Art, are highly respected among their peers.

They were simply valuable to the growth of the powerful, although their services were naturally very expensive and only noble clans could generally afford them. 

Alchemists also participate in the creation of the elements necessary to write glimories, making them even more indispensable for those who wish to quickly learn sorcery or store secret spells from their families in glimories bound to their bloodlines.

After all, the Sorcerers of this world don't use magic crests for such things....

Come to think of it… that all really does sound like something from a cultivation novel… Sora nodded to himself. He had also heard of Wuxia and Xanxia, ​​so he could safely say that XianPai drew quite a bit of inspiration from those kinds of Chinese/Korean stories when building the power system of this world.

Although, he reflected, perhaps it was only natural for a purely magical civilization to seek a way to strengthen itself without falling too far behind the powerful “ghostly beasts” typical of the Nasuverse that roamed these lands.

The Aspirants were the result of that effort…well, they also had help from the gods in the form of the class system…

By the way, the magical properties within the plant ingredients used to create potions for Aspirants are special biochemical substances that can absorb, store, and emit mana from the world, and as a result, display a wide variety of effects.

Some magical properties can increase the concentration of moisture in the surrounding environment, others can make photosynthesis more efficient in plants, and there are even some that make people more intelligent or temporarily strengthen the innate ability to regenerate life force in living beings.

Of course, there are also magical properties like those of Alpana, which enhance human healing and endurance.

However, the vast majority can have certain negative or even harmful effects when consumed in their natural state, which Modern Alchemists counteract by blending them with other magical properties, seeking to reduce or undo the harmful effects and maximize the beneficial ones. (Albanian is one exception if the toxins in the roots are ignored.)

Although in many cases, the Alchemist has to use his own maryoku to try to control certain mana reactions that could be potentially dangerous.

After all, despite the above, it's not all a matter of just mixing them; many magical properties are affected differently by temperature, humidity, and even ambient mana, and require different preparation methods to combine them.

Some magical properties are extracted by distillation, others by grinding a plant ingredient into a powder and heating it in a test tube with water or another chemical, and some by simply turning the plant ingredient into juice.

Regardless of the method used, when mixing magical principles, two reactions can be expected before the final product: Mana Emission or Mana Absorption.

When the mana contained in the newly developed alchemical substance exceeds its capacity, it is released into the environment. This is called Mana Emission.

Depending on the circumstances, the emission of mana can be harmless or very dangerous.

One example would be that the Alchemist only feels a chill from the mana that is indiscriminately released into the environment, while another is that this mana suddenly transforms into magical flames or very deadly electric currents.

On the other hand, when the alchemical substance resulting from the mixture of two magical principles sucks mana from the environment, it is easily identified as Mana Absorption.

The only "danger" of mana absorption is that if the area where the mixture occurred lacks a certain mana density, it may not absorb enough mana before spoiling.

However, since creating environments with precisely controlled mana density by artificial spirits is too expensive, many wizards who are not official members of the Wizard Tower or other minor magical organizations cannot afford it.

And even if they can, they only use them for truly important experiments.

Arthur himself, as an extremely wealthy and influential Sovereign Noble, naturally possessed the technology to create dense and controlled areas of mana in his small alchemical laboratory with a basic artificial spirit installed…but even he wouldn’t use it recklessly unless he was preparing a new experiment or recreating a very ancient and valuable alchemical recipe.

Therefore, most modern alchemists resort to infusing their own maryoku into alchemical products with a prescribed recipe, such as Dulcias.

Being an Alchemist who can create your own potions has its advantages for growth, right? At least you can trust that your potions won't be poisoned, if you know what you're doing, that is.

It was a pain to find a trustworthy Alchemist you couldn't trust to kill you somehow, whether on their own initiative or something else. Even with magical contracts, someone else could poison the potion you use to become stronger, after all.

At the very least, Sora was pleased to see with real-life experience that the knowledge he received through the system actually worked as it should.

The young Archduke of Draco Silva took the 50 Dulcias with a refreshing smile on his face as he used a spatial bracelet to store them all.

About this bracelet, Sora had it from the beginning.

It's just that he previously didn't understand what it really was until he received the knowledge he needed to make Alchemy, as Arthur had a habit of only using it to store alchemical items and as such its function was also affected, letting him know that it was as a result.

Anyway, after having tested Alchemy with his own hands, Sora decided that the next thing he should do was test the function of Gasha.

After all, who knows what could be gained from it?

Some may wonder whether it was right to put aside the newly learned alchemy for a game of chance when I previously claimed to have found it so fascinating.

However, Sora himself was still enthusiastic enough about alchemy to immediately want to try other things with it.

It's just that he could also obtain skills and equipment possibly never seen before in this world with this Gacha feature, and Sora also had a strong urge to see if Lady Luck would favor him thanks to his overwhelming Ikemen charm.

He might get an ultimate ability or something if she was seduced by him!

Thinking so optimistically, Sora ordered the system with arrogance in his tone, "I want to use the Gacha function right now!"

<System Friendly Reminder: To use the Gacha function, the Master must have at least one Gacha token to spend>

"What?!" Sora exclaimed loudly, completely outraged.

Aren't you normally supposed to get a free chance when you use Gacha for the first time?

<Maybe with another, but the Master won't have that, not with this system>

What admirable rectitude! What marvelous focus! You, Alice, are truly designed to teach that nothing is so easy in this crazy world, even if you obediently call me Master!

That short but brazen and completely arrogant statement left him dumbfounded, and he couldn't help but talk nonsense in his heart in response.

Cursing the administrator who gave him such a bad system, Sora frowned and ordered while leaning on the table: "...I want to buy 3 Gacha Tokens," he even waved his hand in disdain.

[Do you want to buy 3 Gacha tokens for 2700 SP?]

[Yes/No]

Sighing, Sora pressed "Yes" on the holographic screen, and just like that, his total SP in his invisible system account was reduced by about 1,500, counting his previous "purchase." Ignoring this fact, he ordered again with some forced enthusiasm, "I want to use Gacha!"

Immediately, a realistic roulette wheel appeared before Arthur's eyes with fanfare and beautiful coin-operated sounds.

It looked like any other slot machine, only it wasn't three-dimensional, and yet it still looked quite realistic.

He had written many good things that brought back Sora's initial enthusiasm (at least what was visible) and he felt a sudden desire to rub his hands together.

At some point, however, he felt a strange cold sensation in his right hand, and when he opened it, there was some kind of metal token with an engraving of a jester dressed in black on top, playing with test tubes and flames.

-....

Deciding to ignore the obvious intent of the image and not think too much about where it came from or if it even existed, Sora simply dropped the coin into the "2D slot machine" and pulled the lever with his finger.

As he did so, the wheel began to spin rapidly downward, displaying thousands of words that were not visible thanks to the speed at which it was spinning, and after a few seconds, it began to slowly stop.

Finally, the wheel stopped on something that made Arthur's eyes widen... in utter disgust.

[Item: Harvest Moon Log, Sun Island]

[Rank: 6]

[Description: A tree trunk that grows on the small but beautiful islands of the sun in the Harvest Moon farming game universe. It has the ability to absorb natural magical energy found in the environment to regrow. It is an ideal material for cheaply crafting items with simple magical properties through Runes.]

<System Notice: The Sun Island Log has been transferred to your inventory. You can retrieve it at any time.>

-Shit!

A mini-Sora inside his heart began to vomit blood in rage as he exclaimed in disgust.

A bloody log from a farm game I didn't even know existed? What kind of joke was that?

Sora knew that the chances of getting something good out of a Gasha the first time were pretty low... But his first try was simply amazing in that regard!

What was I supposed to do with a mana-absorbing log? There must be so many of those in this fantasy world!

...Not really, his alchemical knowledge whispered to him that it is not at all common for trees to absorb mana naturally in Britannia, without spending centuries of life and mutating into a life form completely different from normal plants.

Apparently, they're a very rare material in the world of Britannia, valuable enough to ruin an Earl. Even if the system deemed them worthless and gave them an extremely low rank, the world they were in wouldn't see it that way, considering them an important alchemical material.

In a way, if you were lucky…..

...But to him, a super-rich archduke who was expecting a divine item, he is just a humble log!

I cry out with righteous anger, “I don’t want that log, Alice!”

<You can get rid of the log and get an immediate refund of 100 SP...>

-Forget it..

It would be more depressing to receive that amount for disposing of the log. Isn't it a very rare alchemical material in this world? Wasn't I the only talented Modern Alchemist...? It should be of some use to me...

Gritting his teeth in rage as he thought about these things, Sora pressed the lever again after inserting a token, determined to succeed. The wheel spun again as he stared at it with a dark expression.

The 2D machine spun again and eventually stopped once more, displaying a certain image, resembling a fishing rod.

Huh?

<Item: Harvest Moon Fishing Rod>

<Rank 10>

<Description: An item from the Harvest Moon universe with a conceptual force capable of bending the law of cause and effect and allowing one to “catch anything at random” in a body of water, even if it’s a treasure trove filled with shining gold or a moldy boot from an ancient pirate deep in the ocean. It’s an ideal item to pass the time fishing with, as you’re always guaranteed to catch something eventually, though the outcome may be rather absurd.>

<System Notice: The Fishing Rod has been transferred to your inventory. You can retrieve it at any time.>

—Or… Harvest Moon again!? What the heck, Alice!?

<It's all pure chance, Master>

Yes of course!

Sora's righteous fury was growing.

For him, how was it possible for him to obtain another insignificant item from the same farming game? Even if it's similar in nature to a Concept Weapon or Mystic Code, was Sora interested in leisurely fishing on the shore of a lake?

¡No!

Even if he found the opportunity to catch pirate treasure simply by fishing interesting…He was currently an Archduke, and an extremely rich one at that!

It was completely useless!

But he couldn't sell it for a pittance, even if he didn't want it… He felt like crying.

—One last time!

Sora said to himself, unable to give up so easily just because of those two blows the gasha threw at him mercilessly.

He quickly bought another token and turned the lever, causing the 2D machine to begin spinning once more. Sora could only watch the process with intense concentration, as if trying to force the system to give him something truly useful with the pressure of his eyes.

Before long, the roulette wheel stopped, showing the curious image of a….What looks like a Chibi Deku with a muscular body, bulging veins, and a particularly large penis?

"What the hell?" Seeing that, he couldn't help but blink in confusion, staring at the holographic window in front of him in bewilderment.

<Quirks: Harem King's Supreme Penis>

Sora was speechless.

A Quirk called the Harem King's Ultimate Penis? And with that image of Deku furious and erect?

What the fuck?

He knew what Quirks were: they were the name given to the powers of the heroes and villains in My Hero Academia. He just hadn't heard of a Quik related to penises…

Is it from some doujinshi full of exciting content? After all, that name… Completely intrigued by this unexpected outcome, Sora continued reading, and his face froze.

<Rank: 5>

The range was unexpectedly lower than the trunk….No, not that!

<Description: A Mutant-type Quirk that enhances the penis and increases a woman's sexual desire, making her crave sex with the user and becoming highly sexually sensitive to their scent and addicted to their bodily fluids. This is a power that naturally belonged to an alternate Deku in the original plot. It is a Quirk unique to My Harem Academy, a highly sexual, extremely exaggerated doujinshi that guarantees a male's reproductive success and the successful formation of a loyal harem (to your penis and bodily fluids). In fact, it is the power that every red-blooded man desires. It is even more special because it guarantees the successful transmission of the user's best genes and has a unique power that increases the chance of pregnancy, something that females sense instinctively. With this power in your hands, it will be easy to have up to a thousand wives and ten thousand children in just a few years.>

<Additional Effects: Significantly Increased Stamina During Sexual Intercourse. Mildly Increased Libido. Increased Female Genital Sensitivity>

<Side effects: Depending on your emotional state, it is possible to lose control of your Quirks and attempting to rape every woman in your path is not a mere possibility>

<System Prompt: Does the Master wish to acquire this Quirk?>

Sora could never have imagined the existence of a Quirk like that, so he was a little speechless.

Sure, there was a lot of dirty content on the Quantum Network, and hentai protagonists with weird, powerful penises were absurdly abundant… But receiving one of those abilities?

He could never have imagined it…nor had he any reason to reject it!

Shiragaki Sora was a pervert, a very big one, and imagining the number of women he could bring to his knees with this Quirk filled him with a twisted pleasure that brought a disgusting smile to his beautiful face. Even with the noticeable side effect, he still wanted it.

Arthur's original penis already seemed optimized for easy penetration and was imposing... Who would have thought it would soon get improvements like this?

After two figurative Gacha beatings, he finally received something quite nice and he was very satisfied. He quickly said to the air with a refined look, raising his hand, "I want to acquire the Quirks, of course!"

<Warning: Quirks exist on a genetic level, making them very different in nature from the Abilities and Traits of this World. Acquiring them will require a certain degree of genetic manipulation of the user for the artificial development of a Quirk Factor. Do you still wish to acquire this Quirk?>

—…..Wait, what? Genetic manipulation? You have to genetically modify me so I can develop the Quirk Factor? What the hell?

Sora was trembling with disbelief.

Although gene surgeries were not a big deal in the 23rd century, one had to know that most of them were superficial genetic modifications achieved by turning certain genes in cells on and off.

Many surgeries in Japan where women and some boys would acquire what looked like animal ears were performed this way. 

In fact, they weren't even real; they were just bumps specifically designed in a certain shape and then forced to have hair in a certain way to mimic the shape of an animal ear, like a cat, dog, or fox.

Due to several past incidents, surgeries that remove or insert genes to acquire animal form are prohibited by the Japanese government and other countries such as France.

Which incidents, you ask?

A significant reduction in life expectancy, an extremely aggressive cancer that kills you in minutes, or turning into a half-human, half-animal monster… such things really happened in history, and all because of genetic instability caused by reckless genetic surgeries intended to enhance human aesthetics.

There were even cases of people who became zombie-like after just a few days of undergoing such genetic surgery! Fortunately, it wasn't a virus, so a real zombie apocalypse didn't occur.

Only they never became human again. 

As such, Sora was unsure about receiving a genetic modification that involves such an incredible change as the one described.

<Master, don't worry. This genetic modification is done by activating and deactivating certain genes in your cells. You won't suffer any sudden mutations due to genetic instability. You should know that I have no intention of killing Master as soon as he comes into this world.>

Does that mean you'll kill me later, Alice-chan!?

<That's not what I meant>

Okay, joking aside, will I feel any pain? You should know that even though I've endured a lot, something inhuman is still something I would reject with all my might... I'm not a masochist!

<The Master needn't worry. The process only takes two minutes, and during that time, he'll be unconscious.>

—Okay…. Do it!

He couldn't resist the temptation of tremendous genetic power. Shiragaki Sora was a pervert, and his desire to see beautiful women addicted to his penis and bodily fluids overcame his feelings of caution.

The next second, Sora lost consciousness… and quickly regained it in what seemed like an instant. The only thing that seemed to have changed was a strange, unpleasant smell in the air that quickly faded.

Blinking in a daze, confusion filling his thoughts, he was about to ask “What happened!?” when suddenly Alice’s chilling voice echoed in his mind once again.

<Genetic Operation complete. Master has successfully acquired the Quirk Factor necessary to possess the Harem King's Supreme Penis>

<All dead cell debris produced during the process has been removed….>

As Sora listened to the system announcements with a sense of relief, his body leaning back in his chair, Alice's tone suddenly changed completely.

<Warning>

<The Harem King's Supreme Penis's Quirk Factor is beginning to mutate under the influence of the tyrannical Pendragon dragon bloodline!>

With those words, a strange sensation spread throughout his body, especially strong in his groin. It wasn't painful at all, but he still felt alarmed.

—What does this mean?! 

Sora couldn't help but feel a little frightened by this sudden phenomenon and the system's words. Hadn't the system said there wouldn't be any cell mutation?

This thing lied to me—!?

<Under the influence of the draconic bloodline, the Harem King's Supreme Penis Quirks mutated and successfully evolved into the Harem Dragon Emperor's Supreme Penis Quirks!>

The feeling that made her heart pound with fear quickly disappeared, and Alice's voice sounded indifferent, stating such a thing as if it were nothing.

—……….Should I be happy that you don’t call him Oppais Dragon Emperor or something?

Sora, hearing those words from the system, put aside his worries and could only comment like that, feeling completely absurd. 

I could almost see a brown-haired guy with a big red armor glove on his hand waving at him in the distance while saying like some wise old man “If they have tits, what’s the problem?”…..no, wait, wrong phrase.

Anyway, all nonsense aside, Sora could only sigh in relief at the fact that he didn't suffer a strange mutation that turned him into an ugly zombie-like monster....

….To confirm, he quickly checked his body on a reflective surface and saw that he was fine, except for a certain tightness in his groin, as if his underwear could barely contain his penis.

That was when he really, really felt relieved.

Frowning, Sora raised his voice, "System, show me the new features of this Quirks."

<Supreme Penis Quirks Harem Dragon Emperor is a Quirk with its original capabilities augmented by the magical power of dragons. If the user so desires, they can infuse their fluids and penis with magical energy to further amplify its addictive effects and pleasure to an inhuman level, showing that the might of dragons is also displayed during sex>

<Note: Before the power of the supreme penis of the Dragon Emperor of the Harem, no female will be able to resist... They can only have the children of the Supreme Master in Bed>

What a phrase!

Sora was speechless at this nonsense.