Mushoku Impact

After opening the Intersection of Fate, Paul made his way into the interior, followed closely by Ningguang, Ganyu, Zhongli, Ei, Kusanali, and Kokomi. Paul wasn't yet aware of it, but the latter had joined Ningguang's staff as both a General Advisor and a replacement Secretary. Not because Ganyu had been doing a poor job, but because Ningguang anticipated she would want to follow and support Paul.
"Well, if it isn't Katheryne. It's good to see you."
Though Paul had already told her about Katheryne and the services she provided, Ningguang still acted surprised to see her. As for Zhongli and Kusanali, their reactions were a bit more genuine, the former smiling as she said, "This is a pleasant surprise." while the latter remarked, "I should have known you would appear at some point. Tell me, is there any place you Katheryne(s) can't appear?"
Returning a professional smile, Katheryne lowered her head and calmly replied, "Ad Astra Abyssosque. It's good to see everyone in such high spirits. If there is anything I can do to be of service, please let me know."
Since it appeared that Ningguang was about to force Katheryne to give her a thorough explanation of her goods and services, Paul waved to get the group's attention, saying, "I'm gonna get started on the summoning. Mind giving me a hand?"
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Ganyu replied, "Of course," followed by Kokomi chiming, "Certainly~!" with a friendly smile on her face. As for Zhongli, Kusanali, and Ei, they formed a perimeter around the summoning platform while Ningguang took a look at the catalog Paul had mentioned during their early-morning cuddle session.
With Ganyu's machine-like efficiency and Kokomi's earnest efforts, Paul managed to complete the summoning process in record time. The first two pulls netted him a Constellation for Lisa and a 4-Star Bow known as the Blackcliff Warbow. After that, he got his first unique pull, the meteor gaining a luminous purple hue that impacted the summoning platform and manifested into the form of a very petite girl.
Recognizing the girl immediately, Kokomi's face visibly brightened as she brought the tips of her fingers together and nearly exclaimed, "Sayu! How wonderful~!" in a merry tone of voice. In response, the sleepy-eyed girl, possessing short, green-tinted blonde hair, wine-red eyes, and a Maid uniform accented with a tanuki tail accessory, held up two fingers to form a half-ram seal as she replied, "Yup. It's me...nin..." in a lazy but fairly cute voice.
Since the two were clearly familiar with one another, Paul turned to Kokomi and suggested, "Why don't the two of you step off to the side and catch up? Ganyu and I can handle this."
Understanding that Paul was trying to be considerate, Kokomi adopted a squinty-eyed smile as she replied, "That is a wonderful suggestion. Thank you, Master."
Earning an instinctual smile from Paul a wide-eyed expression from Sayu, Kokomi punctuated her words with a kiss to the former's cheek. Her heart felt as though it was going to burst out of her chest when she did, but she wanted Paul to know she was genuinely appreciative of his concern.
With Kokomi moving off to the side to explain things to Sayu, the efficacy of manifesting Fates diminished by around 25%. Despite this, Paul and Ganyu managed to complete four additional 10-Pulls by the time Kokomi returned to assist them, netting two misses, a 4-Star Catalyst known as a Hakushin Ring, and Constellations for Rosaria, Kay, and Hina.
Following Kokomi's return, Paul managed to acquire a duplicate 4-Star Polearm, the Blackcliff Pole, before psyching himself up for his first Pity pull. Ningguang noticed this, as she had been keeping count, so she set aside the catalog for a brief moment, her ruby-red eyes focused squarely on the sky above.
Feeling the tensions increasing, the giddiness that always accompanied a 5-Star summoning caused a rather fierce-looking smile to develop across Paul's face as he raised his gaze to the azure sky and practically growled, "Confirm...!"&nbsp;
Noticing the change in Paul's expression and demeanor, a thoughtful glimmer flashed across Kokomi's eyes as she briefly made eye contact with Ganyu. Neither said anything, but both got the impression that, for a brief moment, Paul had become a completely different person.
Unaware of the girls' thoughts, Paul's gaze followed the brilliant golden meteor as it erupted into a series of smaller comets that crashed into the summoning platform. They produced a blinding light on impact, but Paul didn't so much as blink as he eagerly anticipated the arrival of a new ally, a powerful weapon, or a 5-Star Constellation.
Just as Paul's excitement reached a critical level, the light faded away to reveal the figure of a strikingly beautiful woman with sakura pink hair and droopy, distinctly animalistic ears. She was wearing a Maid outfit, as per usual, but it more closely resembled the clothes of a Shrine Maiden than a traditional Maid. When she opened her eyes, Paul felt a fresh layer of goosebumps spread across his body as her violet purple eyes seemed to pierce directly through him as she said, "It's about time..." in a casual-sounding yet somewhat still seductive tone.
Before Paul could even think to greet the woman, Ei abrupted shouted, "Yae!?" in a tone that was equal parts surprise and excitement. She was usually a very reticent woman, so even Paul was a little caught off guard by the beautiful smile that immediately blossomed across her face.
Adopting an alluring smile of her own, Yae replied, "It's good to see you again, Ei. However, before I can pick your brain for all the juicy details surrounding your relationship with our Master, there is another matter I must attend..."
While Ei was blushing up a storm imagining Yae's imminent pestering, the vulpine woman looked towards Paul before bringing her fingers together in front of her body and bowing low as she said, "Yae Miko, High Priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine, personal friend of Raiden Ei, and Editor-in-Chief of the Yae Publishing House, greets her Master."
Since she hadn't risen to her feet following her summoning, Yae's bow resembled a young Japanese woman greeting her husband for the first time. It was the same type of bow that Ei had performed during her first encounter with Paul, but the impact was on an entirely different level. It was like every fiber of Yae's being exuded raw, unadulterated sex appeal.
Smelling Paul's arousal, a seductive smile developed across Yae's face as she raised her head just enough to reveal her purple eyes, glistening like active Electro Visions as she purred, "Yae looks forward to being able to serve her Master...whatever he may desire..."
Resisting the urge to push the pink-haired fox girl then and there, Paul returned a smile of his own as he said, "You and I are going to get along." before jerking his head toward Ei and saying, "Go and talk to your former Master. I still have more summons to do."
Though she couldn't help squinting her eyes when Paul referred to Ei as her former Master, Yae didn't protest or try to refute his claim. She knew what kind of situation they were in, so she just lowered her head politely before rising to her feet and gracefully meandering toward Ei. The God of the Boundaries had told them that time flowed at a rate of 100:1 between the outside world and the Intersection of Fate's waiting area. Thus, even though it had only been 24 days and fours hours since Ei was summoned, Yae knew it must have been around seven years from the perspective of her friend and former owner. If Paul had hurt her even once in that time period...
Unaware of the terrifying thoughts brewing in Yae's mind, Paul, assisted by Ganyu and Kokomi, continued with their summoning. As a result, they were able to obtain a 4-Star Claymore resembling a giant katana, a miss, and a Constellation for Fischl before acquiring their next ally, a demure yet intellectual-looking girl with mint-green hair, wolfish ears that blended in with her hairstyle, and amber-eyes that quivered nervously behind a pair of thick-rimmed glasses.
Recognizing the young woman as one of his formerly favorite characters, primarily as a result of her default, form-fitting outfit and clumsy nature, a teasing smile developed across Paul's face as he playfully mused, "I was wondering when you would make your appearance. Welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei, Sucrose."
"Ah..."
Not expecting Paul to address her by name, Sucrose appeared even more nervous, a prominent red hue spreading through her face as she appeared to shrink into herself, replying, "H-Hello. Y-You must be Master Paul. It's a p-p-p-pleasure to meet you...!"
With nearly a month to think about what she would be forced to do once summoned, Sucrose couldn't meet Paul's gaze as she held up her thick-rimmed glasses with both hands and squeezed her thighs firmly shut. His apparent familiarity with her only made things worse, as it heavily implied he had been looking forward to summoning her.
Feeling a strange combination of satisfaction and guilt seeing Sucrose's reaction, Paul's smile became a little wry as he scratched the back of his head, turned to Ganyu, and asked, "Can you take care of this one? I get the feeling she might pass out if I'm the one to explain things."
Nodding her head, Ganyu replied, "Certainly." before rising to her feet and approaching Sucrose with a disarming smile. Her aura immediately helped to alleviate some of Sucrose's nervousness, but her movements were still a little awkward as she pressed down the front of her curiously short skirt and shuffled away with her thighs squeezed together. What Paul found most amusing about this was the fact that Sucrose's efforts to protect her front ended up completely exposing her pert and perky bottom...
While silently regretting the fact he hadn't summoned Sucrose earlier, Paul returned his attention to the summoning circle and continued the process of slotting in Asura Gold Coins to produce Acquaint Fates. The addition of two animal-eared beauties to his entourage had put him in a great mood, so, even though he got four misses in a row, Paul maintained a smile and pretended it didn't bother him. Fortunately, the roll after that was guaranteed to give him a 5-Star ally or weapon.
Placing his palms against the stone activation panel, Paul mused, "Here's hoping for an Archon..." before adopting a far more severe expression and shouting, "Confirm...!"
Following another spectacular light show, something Paul never got tired of, the brilliant golden light faded away to reveal a petite figure that many in the community argued to be the 'true' Pyro Archon. And why shouldn't they when her idea of leisure was creating bombs and using them to blow up fish?
Standing at a meager 121.5cm tall and possessing features that included elf-like ears and pale blonde hair fastened into two pigtails, the faux-Pyro Archon, better known as Klee, appeared disoriented as she looked around and asked, "Mommy? Where did you go...?" in a flummoxed tone. From her perspective, she had been in the middle of enjoying her mother's embrace when, all of a sudden, a floaty feeling filled her chest. After that, she felt a sensation of weightlessness, followed by a sudden yet painless stop.
Feeling a nervous sweat breaking out across his body, Paul's smile visibly cramped as he stared at the ruby-eyed girl seated across from him. Back when he was a child, he had made a concerted effort to try and summon Klee as early as possible. He figured he could avoid a lot of trouble by growing up alongside her, so obtaining her now was kind of a slap in the face. Not because he wasn't happy to have her as a part of their group, but because Klee's words made him feel as though he had just abducted her...
Finally noticing the presence of other people, Klee tilted both her head and body as she stared at Paul, a thoughtful "Hmmm...?" emanating from her throat. She usually wasn't very good at critical thinking, a quality that often got her into trouble, but, as far as Klee could tell, Paul was the only boy present. Thus, after a tense moment of silence, she said, "My mommy told me to tell you she would skin you alive if you touched Klee before she grew up. She also told Klee to put bombs under your pillow you ever-oh, I wasn't supposed to tell you that part...well, it's fine? Klee will do her best, just no naughty stuff, okay~!?"
Since he had no intention of placing his hands on a girl that looked to be around 8-10 years old, Paul just exhaled a dry laugh in response to Klee's words before adopting a less cramped smile and saying, "I'll keep that in mind. Welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei, Klee."
Linking her hands behind her back, Klee adopted a smile as radiant as the sun as she leaned forward slightly and happily replied, "Let's have lots of fun, okay~?"
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"One...two...three...four...five..."
With Klee insisting she help out, Kokomi gave up her position while Paul just smiled helplessly as the pointy-eared youth carefully slotted in each piece of gold. It was cute seeing her so earnest about lending a hand, but it was also taking forever since she wanted to do it alone.
Fortunately, Klee appeared to be pretty lucky as her first four rolls were all hits. The first was a Constellation for Fischl, while the subsequent rolls were a 4-Star Polearm, a Constellation for Yanfei, and a Constellation for Barbara. Two of the rolls after that were misses, but the seventh ended up being none other than Klee's personalized weapon, a 4-Star Catalyst known as Dodoco Tales.
"Yaaaay~! Look, look, Master. It's Klee's book~!"
Seeing Klee present the predominately red book like a kid showing off a drawing to her parents, Paul couldn't help ruffling her hair as he exhaled a chuckle and said, "Great work. I'm happy for you."
Smiling to the point her eyes were closed, Klee hugged her Dodoca Tales to her chest as she asserted, "Klee told you she was lucky~! Now Master can just sit back and let Klee do all the work!"
"Uh..."
Realizing that Paul was getting overwhelmed by Klee's staggering desire to be of assistance, Ningguang decided to lend him a hand, saying, "Now, now, Klee. Don't forget who the real Champion of the Intersection of Fate is. Master has let you have your fun, so be a good girl and come join us on the periphery."
Looking towards Ningguang's an unwilling expression appeared on Klee's face. Before she could protest, however, Ningguang playfully squinted her eyes and asked, "Should I send someone to retrieve Jean~?"
"Ah-!"
Though Jean was easily one of her most favoritest people in the whole world, she was also the person that both punished and lectured her on a near-daily basis. Klee didn't want to get put into solitary confinement so soon after her arrival, so she ended up hiding behind the largest object present, Paul's body, as she muttered, "Klee will be good..." in a tone that made it sound as though she was about to break into tears.
Taking advantage of the opportunity Ningguang had clearly made for him, Paul's expression and tone softened as he ruffled the sheepish girl's hair and whispered, "Hey, now...no need to cry. We'll do it together from now on, okay?"
Refuting Paul's words, Klee wiped away at her eyes and asserted, "Klee isn't crying..." before lowering her hands to reveal an adorably stubborn expression as she asked, "Can Klee do one more by herself?"
Though he could feel Ningguang's 'judgmental' gaze on his back, Paul nodded his head and said, "Tell you what, Klee. I'll let you do two, but then you'll have to go sit down, okay? It's already pretty late at night, so we need to finish quickly so everyone can get to bed."
As if her previous melancholy had been a facade, Klee's expression lit up in response to Paul's words. At the same time, Paul was instantly elevated to the position of one of Klee's fifth favorite person, just behind the Uncle that used to give her sweets and encourage her to play in the woods. She hadn't seen him after their first encounter, but the candy he gave her was super sweet and made her body feel warm and floaty.
Unaware that his status in Klee's heart was less than a vagrant who had been disappeared by Kaeya, Paul watched on with a smile as Klee slowly and carefully counted out a hundred gold coins. When she finished and tried to copy him by shouting, "Confirm...!" a soft chuckle emanated from his throat as he said, "Sorry, Klee, but the only person that can trigger the summoning ritual is me. You did a good job counting, though."
Hearing Paul's words, Klee puffed out her cheeks as if she were about to throw a tantrum. Instead, her expression immediately changed to one of excitement as she smacked the area intended for Paul's hands and said, "Master can put his hands down first. Then Klee will put her hands on top of Masters. That way, we can make the lights go boom together...!"
Though Klee's suggestion would invariably require her to sit in his lap or squat between his arms, Paul eventually replied, "Sure..." with a wry smile on his face. Vivacious and spirited girls Diona, Esme, and Klee, had always been one of Paul's weaknesses. He would put his foot down if things got out of hand, but he didn't have the heart to refuse them when they were doing their best to be helpful.
After shifting to one knee so Klee wouldn't have to sit directly on his lap, Paul placed his hands in the oversized grooves and waited for her to do the same. When she was prepared, he said, "On three...one...two...three..."
"Confirm...!" x2
Similar to the majority of Klee's previous rolls, the light produced by the summoning quickly shifted from a cerulean blue to a vibrant shade of purple. In response, Klee bounced and clapped excitedly, while Paul, feeling like an actual father, just smiled as he held onto the back of her apron as a precaution against her stumbling or falling forward.
With the light eventually dispersing to reveal a fairly attractive woman with features reminiscent of Childe, Paul muttered, "So that's what she looks like..." before giving Klee a pat on the head and adding, "Another Constellation. Great job, Klee. You really are super lucky, aren't you...?"
"Ehehehehe~."
As Paul moved up one more position on Klee's list of favorite people, the people observing them had mixed expressions on their faces. Ningguang appeared rather helpless while Ganyu, Kokomi, and even Yae all had faint smiles on their faces. Zhongli was much the same, but her eyes made it difficult to tell if she was focused on the scene in front of her or if she had momentarily spaced out.
Voicing her thoughts aloud, Kusanali stood in a contrapposto pose with one hand on her hip as she droned, "Can the two of you hurry it up? This is starting to become tiresome. Just look, one of us is even sleeping..."
Lending credibility to her complaint, Kusanli pointed toward Sayu, who, rather impressively, had fallen asleep standing up. Kokomi was about to wake her up, but Paul said, "Just leave her." before handing Klee an Asura Gold Coin and saying, "One more." with a faint smile on his face.
Though she wanted to ask for even more rolls, Klee ultimately nodded her before restarting the process of counting to a hundred. She knew nothing about the pity system, so when the light she summoned ended up turning a vibrant shade of gold, she jumped so quickly she ended up headbutting Paul in the chin. The peculiar thing about this was that Klee didn't appear to notice while Paul, despite his superhuman toughness, felt as though he had cracked a tooth.
While silently using Healing Magic to alleviate his pain, Paul watched on with thinly veiled excitement as the golden light impacted the summoning circle and dispersed to reveal an illusory Eula. It was a little disappointing not acquiring something new, but Paul wasn't going to complain about his Thigh Goddess getting stronger.
"Another Constellation. Excellent job, Klee. Now be a good girl and go sit with..."
Looking around, Paul's gaze briefly met with everyone before settling on Yae. She gave off an aura like she was used to taking care of people, so Paul adopted a faintly mischievous smile as he asked, "Mind looking after Klee for a bit...?"
Squinting her eyes, an amused smile developed across Yae's face as she replied, "If Master insists." before looking to Klee, patting her thighs, and adding, "Come along, Klee. You're probably not tired, but it's pretty late in the evening. If you want to wake up early and have fun, you'll need to get plenty of rest."
Furrowing her brows, Klee alternated her gaze between Yae and Paul before settling on the latter as she asked, "Do I have to...?" with a perfect representation of puppy-dog eyes. Unfortunately for her, Paul had already anticipated such tactics, so he steeled his heart and said, "You asked for one additional roll, but I gave you two. Now you need to go and sit with Yae, okay...?"
Though she briefly adopted what could best be described as a 'betrayed' look on her face, almost like she couldn't believe Paul had withstood her penultimate trump card, Klee eventually nodded and replied, "Okay. Klee will go with Aunty Yae." before picking up her Dodoco Tales and running over to a suddenly annoyed-looking Yae.&nbsp;
With Klee out of the way and Sucrose having regained her senses, Ganyu returned to Paul's side with a smile. Kokomi was tempted to do the same, but she was also worried about Sayu suddenly falling over. The latter was teetering precariously on her right foot, so Kokomi was ready and waiting to catch her...
Fortunately, though Kokomi wouldn't be particularly pleased to hear it, Ganyu had managed to synchronize herself with Paul's natural rhythm. Their progress was still a little slower than three people combined, but their movements appeared smooth and practiced, almost like they had repeated the process tens of thousands of times.
With Ganyu's assistance, Paul was able to obtain a duplicate Blackcliff, a Festering Desire, and a Constellation for Gorou before three consecutive misses. After that, they startled Sayu awake by obtaining a Constellation for her, followed by Ningguang and Rosaria. This was followed by another miss before Paul, once again, found himself at the threshold for Pity.
While rubbing his hands together, Paul looked toward Ganyu and asked, "Any requests? Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky...?"
Adopting an adorably serious expression, Ganyu paused to consider her response before eventually nodding to herself and saying, "Ladies Murata and Barbatos would be ideal, but I also feel that the Yuheng, Lady Keqing, would be a boon to both Master and Lady Ningguang."
Though it took him a moment, the image of a very serious-looking woman with purple pigtails and cat-like ears entered Paul's mind. She recalled her being pretty standoffish during the main story, but the event that had run just before his death revealed she had an adorable, albeit gluttonous side to her.
Nodding his head in approval, Paul asserted, "People with Electro Visions tend to be pretty capable..." before placing his hands into the grooves for his palms and shouting, "Confirm...!" in a bellowing tone. He was tempted to say, "Get your ass out here, Keqing...!" but he didn't want to encourage any bad habits in Klee and Sayu.
Reacting to Paul's cry, the sky opened to reveal a cerulean blue meteor that quickly transitioned to his favorite shade of gold. When it struck the platform, both Paul and Ganyu held their breaths as a slender silhouette with pigtails promptly appeared at the center. Unfortunately, not that he was complaining, the person they had summoned wasn't Keqing. Instead, it was a petite woman Paul immediately recognized as she was one of the most common victims of hentai artwork and doujins...
While Paul and Ganyu were staring at her in awe, the blue-eyed, purple-haired woman furrowed her brows and groaned as she said, "Jeez, you would think a god could come up with a more convenient mode of transport than hurtling people to the ground in a ball of-oh...uh...hello?"
Noticing the two people kneeling across from her, a wry smile developed across the woman's face as she waved her right hand. In response, Paul adopted a smile of his own as he said, "Welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei, Mona. Glad to have you."
"Oh? You know who I am...?"
While thinking of people who could have blabbed to Paul about her identity, Mona took a moment to give her would-be Master an appraising look. She half-expected him to be a fat, greasy, out-of-shape creep with a perennially lecherous smile on his face, so she was relieved to see he was reasonably handsome. Perhaps even unreasonably...
Adopting a teasing smile that caused Mona to second guess herself almost immediately, Paul revealed, "You were pretty famous back in my world as a perpetually penniless fortune teller. Your attire was also more than a little eye-catching, so much so that I can remember it clearly even now..."
Since she had been in her original outfit moments prior, Mona immediately understood what Paul was trying to say. Her outfit had garnered her a fair amount of criticism from women and countless looks from perverted men who viewed her as little more than a piece of meat. If she earned a Mora for each person that had mistaken her for a call girl, especially when she was looking for work, she would be able to fund her research indefinitely.
As a faint shade of red permeated her cheeks, Mona justified her outfit by pointedly explaining, "That outfit was the culmination of countless hours of research. It uses top-quality materials to ensure maximum comfort and breathability while enhancing the precision of my Astrology. It's not like I wanted a bunch of people to stare at my butt..."
Though he knew it probably wouldn't earn him any brownie points with the unamused Astrologist, Paul couldn't resist as he remarked, "I can't blame them. It was, and probably still is a very nice a-I mean butt..."
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After blowing an additional two loads into the beaker and rubbing a final one out between Albedo's thighs, Paul departed the lab in relatively high spirits. Albedo's personality left a lot to be desired, but quiet and serious girls weren't without their charms.
"Hmmm...where to next...?"
With no official duties or responsibilities, Paul found himself in a situation where he risked inconveniencing or disrupting anyone he decided to pay a visit. The girls that had accompanied him from the North were an obvious exception, at least for the time being, but he had no way of knowing what they had gotten up to since his departure from the showroom.
"I'm starting to get a better understanding of why that place exists..."
Since the showroom was where the girls gathered in their free time, it was the most obvious place to go if Paul wanted to avoid getting in the way of people trying to work. It was also conveniently located next to his room, so, even if he were just returning to rest, he would invariably be tempted to stop by and see who was inside.
"Clever girl..."
Though the showroom was a joint effort of all the girls, Paul didn't have to strain himself to imagine Ningguang roping in the rest. She could be 'very' persuasive when she wanted to be, so, even if it was just setting things in motion, Paul could picture her squinty-eyed smile as everything gradually fell into place.
Recalling his promise to inform Ningguang before he accessed the IOF, Paul asked someone to show him to the nearest clock. It was just after 5 PM, but that was around the time things began calming down as people ate dinner and prepared to retire for the night.&nbsp;
With around an hour before the sun began to set over the horizon, Paul decided he should probably check in on Amalie, Esme, and the triplets. It had only been a day since their separation, but even that was a fairly long time considering the family of felines was completely out of their element.
Fortunately for Paul, Amalie and her children hadn't just holed themselves up in their room all day, anxiously awaiting his return. Ningguang had sent a few Beast People Maids over to help them get settled in. The compound also had educational and care facilities, so Amalie ended up helping out in the kitchen while Esme received lessons in Magic and Swordsmanship. As for the triplets, the care center had personnel who were uniquely qualified to deal with Beast Race children...
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By the time Paul was finished wandering around and checking on Amalie and her kids, it was just after 6 PM. This was a good time to meet up with Ningguang, but Paul decided to get some dinner before heading over. His intuition told him it would be a long night, so he wanted to fill his stomach before anything else.
With the 'luck' he had experienced during breakfast and lunch, Paul would be lying if he said he wasn't a little disappointed to find the canteen's VIP lounge empty when he entered for dinner. It was a space large enough to seat around 50 people comfortably, so it felt odd to have such a spacious room to himself.
"Eh, it's probably for the best..."
Since he would be aiming for a new Archon during tonight's summoning, Paul knew there was a good chance the number of his companions would be increasing rather drastically. After all, there were purported to be more than a hundred people lingering within the Intersection of Fate, so the 33 he had summoned thus far was only about a third of the total amount.
With his thoughts wandering to the IOF, Paul tried to recall the names of everyone he was familiar with but had yet to summon. Diluc was the first to appear within his mind, but he also recalled people like Mona, Noelle, Sucrose, Klee, Hu Tao, and Keqing. There was also that pink-haired fox girl that was really popular in the community prior to his death, but Paul had never played through the Inazuma content, so he couldn't remember the specifics surrounding her character. All he knew for sure was that she was 'very' close to Ei...
Realizing it had been a while since he actively asked the girls about their pasts, Paul made a mental note to start updating his journal again as he prepared to depart the lounge. He half-expected someone to show up at the last moment, but that ended up being an unnecessary concern as the buffet was actually closing down by the time he emerged. The facility was open 24/7, but the only food items availably 'after hours' were bread, milk, dried meat, and vegetable stew.
With the compound shifting into night operations mode, the number of staff decreased rather drastically. There were people wandering the halls, but they were primarily security personnel rather than ordinary members of the Service Corps.
Having made the journey from the canteen to Ningguang's office earlier in the day, Paul only got turned around once or twice before finding his way. By then, Ningguang wasn't the only person awaiting his arrival. There was also Ganyu, obviously, Kokomi, Ei, and, presumably after receiving word of his return, Zhongli and Kusanali.
Just as Paul was being allowed into the room by Ganyu, Kusanali, now appearing as a mature, dark-skinned beauty with pale golden eyes and a lithe figure, remarked, "It would appear Ningguang wasn't exaggerating. In just three short years, you practically became a giant."
Adding on to Kusanali's words, an incredibly buxom woman who Paul immediately recognized as Zhongli, adopted a faint smile as she calmly appended, "Giant or no, it's rather impressive how much he has grown. I even felt my heart skip a beat when he first entered the room..."
Seeing the matured Archons, Paul briefly found himself at a complete and utter loss for words. Zhongli had developed a voluptuous figure that could rival Ei's, but she was nearly as tall as he was. Kusanali was comparatively petite, but her sharp, angular, almost snake-like eyes harmonized with her dark skin to give her a very exotic and alluring charm...
Recovering from his momentary stupor, Paul attempted to appear serious as he met Zhongli's gaze and remarked, "The IOF didn't pull any punches when it coded you as female, did it? It almost feels wrong for you to have such a figure..."
Maintaining her smile, Zhongli crossed her arms in a manner that further accented her breasts as she explained, "This is the IOF's way of making it easier for us to fulfill our respective duties. The greater your apprehension towards a particular individual, the more their body will adjust to suit your preferences. I believe we have already discussed this...?"
Nodding his head, Paul flatly replied, "Yeah, back when you were telling me how to produce Seelies. I still remember that particular conversation 'very' clearly..."
Restraining a chuckle, Zhongli squinted her eyes and said, "Speaking of which...it's been quite a while. After all this time, I imagine Lord Kusanali and I have some catching up to do..."
With Zhongli directing her gaze toward her, Ei's body tensed as a faint red hue colored her cheeks. She and Paul had produced several Seelies, but nowhere near as many as they could have. The process of giving birth to them was beyond embarrassing, and she had a hard time separating from them once they were born.
Seeing through Ei's reaction, Zhongli exhaled a faintly exasperated sigh before adopting an encouraging smile and saying, "No matter. As Master Paul grows more powerful and the energy within his body develops, the Seelies we produce will become more potent. The most important thing right now is that we gather each of the Seven. We will need an abundance of all seven Elements to achieve our goal."
Nodding her head in agreement, Ningguang chimed in to say, "That's the reason we have gathered here. Paul intends to acquire at least one more Archon before venturing back home. With any luck, Ladies Murata or Venti will be joining our ranks before the evening concludes. If not, well, we will still be able to increase the number of our allies by a fair amount."
Smiling wryly, Paul pointed out, "You know, not saying their names is an excellent way to guarantee summons you don't want. I understand your concerns about the Tsaritsa, but is Varuna really that bad? Based on what Lynette has told me, she is a very caring and righteous person."
Furrowing her brows, Ningguang retorted, "If by caring and righteous you mean controlling and quick to execute anyone who opposes her idea of a utopia, then you're spot on..."
Supporting Ningguang's assertion, Zhongli explained, "Fontaine presents itself as a nation of beauty, art, and water. However, hidden beneath the surface, it is a nation ruled by a Tyrant who purports the idea of 'absolute justice.' Any who oppose her ideals simply disappear, never to be seen or heard from again..."
"Well, that's ominous..."
Nodding her head, Zhongli replied, "Indeed." before adopting a serious expression and warning, "You should prepare yourself. If you do end up summoning the Archons of Cryo or Hydro, you may have no choice but to use your 'authority' to control them. The Tsaritsa, in particular, possesses the ability to charm men and women alike with a glance. We will intervene if she tries to use her powers against you, but unless we keep her locked away, her influence and ideals would gradually spread through the ranks of the Service Corps and beyond..."
"..."
While Zhongli's words sounded a little extreme, the Tsaritsa was one of the primary antagonists within the game. Her forces, the Fatui, were not against murder, blackmail, mind control, and even human experimentation if it meant completing their objectives. They actively worked to destabilize every other nation, often claiming the lives of countless innocents in their efforts to steal the Gnosis of other Archons and ensure their Empress, the Tsaritsa, reigned over all.
Though Paul knew there was more to the story than the Tsaritsa simply being the 'big bad,' the methods she employed to achieve her objectives were more than enough reason to take Zhongli's warning seriously. The notion of using his 'power' to compel people to obey made him more than a little uncomfortable, but, considering the Tsaritsa readily did the same, it was assuredly some kind of karmic justice to have her endure a similar experience.
"Thanks...I'll keep that in mind..."
Nodding her head in approval, Zhongli said, "That's all I can ask." before pulling out a very expensive-looking pocket watch, checking the time, and adding, "By this time, the sun would have long completed its descent over the horizon. Shall we proceed to the main event?"
Since the decision was ultimately Paul's to make, everyone focused their gazes on him. The pressure naturally exuded by the Archons was enough to make goosebumps spread across his arms and legs, but Paul managed to shrug it off with relative ease as he answered, "Sure. Afterward, we can have a little celebration-slash-reunion party. I've come to a few important realizations these last couple of weeks, so, for once, I'm actually looking forward to clapping your cheeks. I sure as hell gave you enough chances to back out..."
Though Paul's language was a little uncouth, Zhongli just exhaled a faint laugh in response to his words. She had never once been troubled by her change in gender. Rather, after spending more than 6000 years as a male, womanhood had been a rather novel experience. Thus, if Paul wanted to 'clap her cheeks,' she was more than willing to oblige.&nbsp;
Regaining her composure, Zhongli adopted an alluring smile that could give Ningguang and Lisa a run for their money as she said, "Excellent. I'm looking for to it..." in a deep yet irrefutably feminine tone.
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Chapter 115: MI115: Summoning Spree