Mushoku Impact

"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..."
...
..
.

With Mona joining the growing group of people watching the summoning, Paul and Ganyu continued with ever-increasing efficiency. Their next set didn't net anything unique, but it did earn them a 4-Star Lithic Blade and Constellations for Diona, Lisa, Chongyun, Sucrose, and even Yoimiya.
Though there was a small event where Sucrose's brain practically short-circuited upon seeing her naked self appearing, she was eventually able to calm down after a few hushed words from Ningguang.&nbsp;
Moving on to the next set of pulls, Paul's and Ganyu's luck appeared to run out as they got five misses and three weapon pulls. Fortunately, luck had little effect on Pity, so Paul was still in relatively high spirits when he activated the summoning circle a ninth time and eagerly anticipated the reveal.
And what a reveal it was.
Appearing from within the golden light was an ethereal beauty with a lithe figure, grey hair tinged with a hint of jade green, and jade-green eyes that exuded a sense of 'distance' despite seeming to be able to see through all things. Her maid attire was predominately green, borrowing the aesthetics of Liyue, but the features that stood out most prominently were the cut of her skirt, barely covering a third of her incredibly tempting thighs, and the large bell dangling from her hip.
Catching Paul staring, a strangely 'nostalgic' smile developed across the woman's face as she remarked, "My, how many millennia has it been since such a handsome young lad looked at me with such eyes? Perhaps being reborn isn't so bad."
As confusion marred Paul's face, everything became clear as Zhongli said, "Ah, Madame Ping. It's good to see you. With you-"
Interrupting Zhongli's words, Madame Ping adopted a squinty-eyed smile as she said, "Xia Ping. Calling me Madame makes me sound like an old woman, fufufufu..."
With Zhongli briefly taken aback and resisting the urge to point out that Xiao Ping was from the same generation as she was, the latter returned her penetrating gaze to Paul and said, "You must be Paul Notos Greyrat, Champion of the Intersection of Fate, and the Master I am contracted to serve. It's been quite some time since I pledged myself to another, but I will do my best to ensure you are never disappointed by my service..."
Though she found the notion of people being forced to serve someone they had never even met, Xiao Ping didn't resent Paul for being chosen as the Champion. He was as much a victim as the rest of them, so she would do her best to ensure he didn't stray down a dark path. She was, after all, an Adeptus. Guiding, serving, and protecting mortals toward the paths of prosperity and enlightenment was her duty...
After recovering from his brief shock, Paul asked, "Aren't you the person with the power to create spatial pockets and sub-dimensions...?"
Since Zhongli was present, Xiao Ping wasn't particularly surprised to hear that Paul had been informed of her unique ability. In response, she simply nodded her head and replied, "Indeed. However, this world and its Laws are foreign to me. Smaller pockets should be relatively simple, but it may take years before I can construct a realm capable of sustaining people and housing other living organisms. It ultimately comes down to whether or not this world has suitable materials to serve as a catalyst. However, even if it doesn't, I'm sure we can find a solution..."
With Xiao Ping shifting her gaze over to her, Zhongli nodded her head and elucidated, "As the concentration of Elemental Energy increases within a given area, it will gradually begin to influence people, plants, animals, and the minerals within the ground. With sufficient time and a bit of assistance from our Master, we should have no issues producing Smaragdus Jadeite and other necessary materials."
Understanding what Zhongli meant by 'assistance,' a wry smile developed across Paul's face as he said, "We'll talk about it later. For now, I still need to do more summons. Please join the others at the side, Xi-"
"Feel free to refer to me as Ping. As my Master, you are more than entitled to address me informally."
"Right...well, mind joining the others at the side, Ping? We're attempting to obtain one of the Archons."
Bowing slightly yet respectfully, Ping replied, "As you will." before moving over to Zhongli with graceful, eerily silent steps. It was like she produced absolutely no sounds while moving, her presence effortlessly mixing with her surroundings to the point she almost felt like an illusion...
Shaking away his wayward thoughts, Paul returned his attention to the task at hand. He was determined to acquire a new Archon even if he had to expend every last piece of Asura Gold in his possession.&nbsp;
As if to slap him in the face, Paul's next two Pity rolls, literally occurring one after another, were Archons. Unfortunately, though it was inarguably a very, very good thing, they ended up being Constellations for Kusanali. She ended up bursting into laughter as a result, as, while it didn't make her more powerful than Zhongli or Ei, it meant she was the Archon with the greatest number of Constellations.
Fortunately, Paul's rolls didn't exclusively serve to inflate Kusanali's ego. He also obtained Constellations for Amber, Yun Jin, and Xingqiu before chancing into a brand new ally, a green-haired, kunoichi-looking woman with violet eyes. The lower half of her face was covered with a mask, and her eyes gave off an impression of hostility, but, after staring at Paul for several seconds, she cupped her hands together, lowered her head, and politely stated, "Kuki Shinobu, at your service..."
Nodding his head in approval, Paul replied, "Paul Greyrat, glad to have you."
With Shinobu moving over to join the group consisting of Kokomi and Sayu, Paul and Ganyu resumed their gacha spree. Paul was thinking about calling it quits after obtaining the Constellations for Kusanali, but he was glad he didn't as the next series of rolls gave him the fourth Constellation for Hina, the third for Amber, and the second for Razor. He was also able to fulfill Ganyu's request, as, from within the luminous golden light of his Pity summoning, a slender but surprisingly full-chested girl with a serious expression and long, purple pigtails popped out.
After observing her surroundings, the violet-eyed woman briefly narrowed her eyes at Ganyu before shifting her gaze to Paul and allowing him to get a good look at her peculiar, diamond-shaped pupils as she asked, "You're my Master...?" in an almost offended-sounding tone. In actuality, that was just the way the overly serious woman spoke to people.
Answering in Paul's stead, Ningguang adopted a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she warned, "Mind your tone, Keqing. You're welcome to draw your own conclusion, but Paul has managed to earn the respect of myself and nearly everyone he has summoned through the IOF. Keep that in mind as you choose your next words."
Looking towards Ningguang, Keqing's fair complexion became noticeably paler despite narrowing her eyes as she replied, "I understand." before shifting her attention back to Paul and adding, "My name is Keqing. Back in my previous world, I was known as Yuheng, the member of the Qixing tasked with overseeing land rights and the development of infrastructure. Please keep that in mind as you assign my duties and responsibilities..."&nbsp;
Though he wasn't particularly fond of Keqing's tone, Paul maintained a casual smile as he replied, "Sure thing. For now, why don't you head over and join Ningguang? I'm sure the two of you have things to discuss."
Expecting Paul to be a little more 'authoritative,' Keqing was a little taken aback by his casual response and demeanor. However, instead of saying anything about it, she nodded and replied, "You're right..." before casting one final glance toward Ganyu and making her way over to Ningguang.
Following the purple-haired beauty movements, Paul narrowed his eyes as he resisted the urge to ask what the fuck her problem was. The look she gave Ganyu was similar to the looks unhinged feminists and racists reserved for men and people of other ethnicities. If Klee and Sayu hadn't been present, he may have given her a piece of his mind and spanked the shit out of her catty little ass.
Fortunately for Keqing, Paul was beginning to grow a little weary of the mass summoning. Ganyu had also given his hand a gentle squeeze, so he shelved the matter of Keqing's apparent bigotry and decided to focus on the task at hand.
Worsening Paul's mood to a near-critical level, the following seven sets of 10-Pulls were all misses. By the time of the eighth, his face had morphed into an expressionless deadpan that could even give Saitama a run for his money.&nbsp;
As a result of Paul's waning enthusiasm, he was pretty sure his mind was playing tricks on him when the meteor produced by the eighth pull gained a luminous golden hue. He had yet to acquire a single 5-Star without Pity, so, for a brief moment, he just stared blankly as the meteor split into ten lights, eight blue, one purple, and a gold.
Just as Paul's excitement was beginning to build again, his world came crashing down along with the comets. While he was more than happy to have obtained a 5-Star on his eighth pull, the figures that appeared from within the luminous golden light were Kay and Klee. Paul didn't mind the former in the slightest but seeing a naked Klee appear caused his newly acquired smile to cramp.
Luckily for Paul, Klee happened to be enjoying Yae's lap pillow at the time of her Constellation's appearance. She was immediately awoken when the illusory figure rushed into her body, but she wasn't awake to actually see it appear.&nbsp;
As Yae coaxed the confused Klee back to sleep, Paul steeled himself to continue summoning. This was likely the last major spree he would go on in the next 3-5 years, so a look of resolution appeared on his face as he internally swore, ("I swear, if another Constellation for Kusanli shows up, I'm fucking her for three days straight...")
Fortunately for both Paul and Kusanali, his next series of pulls weren't a bunch of misses. He managed to acquire four duplicate 4-Star Weapons, and, upon reaching Pity, a new ally revealed herself in the form of one of the most beautiful women Paul had ever laid eyes on. Curiously enough, she was also someone he recognized, not from the game but the catalog Katheryne had given him.
Standing at 166cm tall and possessing silvery-grey hair that extended well past her perfectly sculpted ass, the full-breasted woman possessed an allure that could rival Ganyu's. Both gave off an aura as if they were completely detached from the rest of the world, like the moon hanging in the sky or an impossibly beautiful flower perched beneath a cliff, visible at a distance but nearly impossible to obtain.
Meeting Paul's gaze, the silver-haired woman's face revealed absolutely no trace of emotion as she coldly asserted, "It would appear my time has come. Shenhe, Disciple of the Adepti, at your service..."
As if his previous anger and frustration had been illusions, Paul adopted an appreciative smile as he uttered a near-instinctual, "Nice." He usually wasn't very interested in cold and 'emotionless' beauties, but his mastery in the Water God Style allowed him to peer through Shenhe's facade. She hid it very, very well, but he was able to detect a burst of killing intent the moment their eyes met. This would be a put-off for most people, but Paul had developed a particular fondness for peeling back the facades of ice-cold beauties and making them a little more honest...
Recalling the outfit he had seen Shenhe wearing the catalog, Paul would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to purchase it on the spot. Instead, he adopted a friendly smile and said, "Welcome to the world of Mushoku Tensei, Shenhe. Glad to have you with us."
...
..
.

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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Chapter 116: MI116: Summoning Spree (2/?)