I lurched back to life, forcing my body upright. Celeste was still off to my side.
"What happened…? Last I remember, I think I saw my magic…" I said, the world around me still spinning slightly. "Did I fucking pass out?" I let out a few self-mocking laughs.
A few moments later, the world quit spinning, and Celeste came fully into focus. Leaning forward and pushing myself back up, I joined her.
"I'm gonna give it another go."
Celeste grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer. "Are you sure you should be trying again so soon…?" She looked at the ground where I had been moments before. "Last time didn't work out so well."
Before I could reply, my phallic-shaped system panel sprang up in front of me.
[ WARNING: MAGIC UNAVAILABLE ]
[ INCREASE MANA STAT TO ACCESS ]
Not wanting to look suspicious, I called for the dong to disappear. I had the information I needed, and waiting until tonight would be easier.
"Ehhh… you're right…" I said, faking how I felt. "Maybe you can show me more of the town. There's gotta be more than just the guild and the inn, right?" I asked as we started our descent back to the village.
"There are a few notable spots to check out…" she replied, scanning the horizon. "I could introduce you to Stella. Are you planning on adventuring at all?"
"Adventuring… like going on quests for the guild?" I asked, picturing the times I'd killed a few slimes in an RPG. "Explain how that works…"
She ran ahead and turned around as we neared the village. "Hurry… I'll introduce you to Stella, and then I'll explain."
I followed closely as we entered. She reached back and grabbed my hand, pulling me through the midday crowd. The town had filled with life as merchants hollered from their stalls and shop owners helped customers.
As we passed by, I noticed a darker-skinned woman. She had jet-black hair and horns. She was inspecting a rack of swords as the shop owner spoke to her, her tail moving around behind her.
"Demi-humans… I wonder how freaky they are in bed…" I whispered to myself as we broke free from the crowd.
"If we follow this road, Stella's house is on the side. She's famous in this town for being 'The Wise Witch,'" Celeste explained, pointing up the hill. "She might be able to explain why you passed out like that… I've never seen someone do that before."
As we climbed the hill, a giant tree came into view, growing more and more massive the closer we got. A house had been built into its trunk. A figure could be seen moving around inside.
"Good, it looks like she's home. Hurry, Adrian."
Celeste ran toward the giant tree, knocked loudly on the front, and waved for me. The figure inside moved toward the door as I walked up.
Opening it revealed an elf with long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a body like dynamite. As she gestured us inside, I noticed her eyes were very kind, giving off a sense of security.
Once inside, she led us to the center of her home and asked us to relax while she fetched some tea. Celeste and I sat and quietly talked in her absence. She quickly returned with a platter, served us, and joined us in her living room.
"So… you are Adrian. Celeste told me about you last night…" Selene said, sipping from her glass as she glanced in my direction. "She wasn't kidding, though… you are easy to look at."
I blushed, remembering that when I came to this world, my appearance had been enhanced. I leaned back into it with more confidence.
After she introduced herself, I explained how trying to visualize my magic led to an intense migraine followed by blacking out.
"I'm what you call a witch. I was never good with using magic," she said, clapping her hands as if to prove a point. "I can, however, manage magic in others… from what you've explained, this may just be a case of untrained magic currents."
She stood up and moved over to the couch I was sitting on, placing her hands on my back.
"I'm going to send a wave of mana into you. It may feel uncomfortable, but please sit as still as possible."
I felt waves of warmth course through my body, then my eyes were met with an explosion of dicks.
[ FOREIGN MANA SYSTEM DETECTED ]
[ ALIGNING INTERNAL THRESHOLDS ]
[ RENAMING SKILLS ]
[ SKILLS RENAMED ]
"What the fuck…" I whispered, trying not to draw too much attention away from Selene.
More messages followed.
[ FOREIGN MANA SYSTEM INTEGRATED SUCCESSFULLY ]
[ Note: More attribute points must be spent to access certain magic. ]
[ MY GOONER SYSTEM SUCCESSFULLY UPGRADED ]
[ QUEST: BUILD YOUR HAREM ]
[ REWARD: A HAPPY ENDING ]
I blinked a few times, trying to steady myself. Something inside me felt… different. Not stronger exactly, but smoother, like whatever resistance had been there before had just been sanded down. When I focused, I could almost feel it—something moving under my skin, slow and warm, like a current finally flowing where it was supposed to.
So this was what magic was supposed to feel like?
Before, it had been like forcing something through a clogged pipe. Now it felt… responsive.
I swallowed, forcing my expression to stay neutral. Yeah. Tonight was definitely the move.
"Where's your mind at?" Selene asked as she leaned forward, placing my head between her boobs. "You were staring at Celeste… were you imagining—"
"Nothing," I cut in, stopping her before she called me out. "I was lost in how good that felt… what did you just do exactly?"
Shifting slightly, my head sank deeper into her warmth.
"I just opened most of your dormant magic circuits a bit. Without use, they shrivel over time," she said, placing her hand on my chest. "With practice, you should be able to handle your magic now. Though… I would sleep before trying."
Getting up and thanking her for helping me, Celeste and I left Selene's house and continued our adventure through the village.
"You wanna visit Tanya for dinner? You were out for like two hours when you passed out," Celeste asked as she patted her stomach. "I'm dying of hunger… if I don't eat, I'm going to be the one passed out."
Remembering I hadn't eaten anything since before we left this morning I agreed. On our way back we talked while we walked.
"So what kind of quests are we talking about?" I asked, kicking a loose stone as we walked.
"Anything, really," Celeste said. "Monster clearing, escort jobs, gathering materials… sometimes even simple deliveries if you're just starting out."
"So… low risk, low pay beginner stuff?"
She nodded. "Exactly. Most people build up slowly. Reputation matters more than anything."
I thought about that for a second. No levels flashing over people's heads, no obvious markers. Just work, results, and how others saw you.
A man was running out of the inn butt naked, Tanya shortly behind holding his pants. She yelled a few things, causing the man to fall before throwing them down and marching back inside.
The entire crowd stopped for a moment to watch. Once the pants hit the ground, the village roared back to life.
Passing through the crowd and stepping over the humiliated man we entered the inn, made our way to the counter and quickly asked Tanya to explain.
"You guys aren't going to believe this…"