Wasn’t This a Night Game

Daehyeop Mingyu

My dreams were always nightmares.

And today, it was no different.

The Goddess Lilia’s statue suddenly morphed into a giant woman, bearing down on me, snatching me up.

“No!! I normalized the temple!! Found the elixir source!! Healed the sick!! Saved the Empire!! I did it all!!”

Despite my screams, the Goddess Lilia only cackled, a truly wicked laugh.

“Saint Suzaku, what the fuck is that supposed to be? You son of a b*tch.”

“aaagh!!”

I was clutched by the Goddess and dropped into Hell.

It’s a recurring nightmare. Doesn’t even surprise me anymore.

Except… today the dream was a little different.

While plummeting into that Hell…

Suddenly, a giant of immense size appeared and rescued me.

The giant… well, he was something else.

So, so… hulking.

That look…

A Gigachad?!

It *is* a Gigachad!!

“Saint Bbipbi. What’s got you so scared?”

Hearing Gigachad’s voice, my sorrow exploded and I burst into tears.

“I’m so scared of going to Hell! Gigachad! I don’t want to live like this! The otherworld life I imagined wasn’t like this at all!!”

Gigachad chuckled at that.

“So, what kinda otherworld life gets your rocks off? Spill it all, straight from the soul, Seong-Ppibbi.”

The otherworld life I crave, huh?

“I wanted to be a Harem King. You get transported to another world, you gotta have a harem, right?!”

“I concur. Another world, another harem. The manliest thing there is.”

“Fighting, too, doing it all fuckin’ stylishly… Like… Huh? I wanted to be that kinda guy!! Not livin’ in terror of ending up in this hell!!”

I wanna be like that black-haired foreigner who got dropped into another world same as me.

Me, too, I wanna *boong-jjut-boong-jjut* my Celestial Demon Art while living happily with my wives…

That’s the kinda life I wanna live, dammit!!

As I said that, choked up with emotion, suddenly Gigachad clicks his tongue.

“You’re one dumbass, Seong-Ppibbi. So go and live like that, then?”

Gigachad waves his hand and three women rise up from the ground.

Iomene and Almene.

And Erpha.

Ah.

Erpha.

Every damn time I see those four arms, I get hard.

So many different kinds of play you could do with those four arms, I swear.

And look at Iomene and Almene, too!

These two beauties in double?!

Double the beauty right here!!

Wanna.

What I hate most in this world are those eunuch b*stards.

That development where the heroine confesses and he’s all ‘Eh? Nandatte?’ like some deaf eunuch shit is what I hate most in the whole damn world!!

Fucking hate it!!

I ain’t no eunuch.

Wanna.

Wanna do it with those three!!

“Then just do it! Sung-Bipppi!”

“You wouldn’t understand. GigaChad.”

I shook my head, teary-eyed.

“The Goddess said she’d throw me into hell. Said I’d die by the hands of the people I love. My ending’s already fixed as a bad ending, so how… how can I accept their feelings? Just so we can all be miserable together?”

As I mumbled despondently, GigaChad’s expression suddenly turned fierce.

“You Fucking Stupid!! Listen here, Sung-Bipppi!!”

GigaChad pulled me close, his face inches from mine.

His voice changed.

It was the very same voice I’d heard when the future God, Ruphiel, gave me his prophecy.

GigaChad spoke to me in the voice of a God.

[Go and make those women yours!! Seize them with your own hands!! They’re blatantly showing you they like you, dammit!! All you gotta do is charge in and they’ll be yours!!]

“That’s not the problem!! They’ll be unhappy!!”

GigaChad roared even more violently at those words.

[This goddamn fucking Saint b*tch! She’s a goddess of grace, goddammit! A goddess written in the Holy Book to heal people for free and care for the weak! You, who lived according to her will more than anyone, she’s gonna shove you in hell? Does that even make sense!]

“Hah, but! ……”

[Haven’t you thought that you might have twisted the prophecy?! Maybe you’re just a scaredy-cat and a coward who interpreted it in the worst way possible!!]

That’d be the best.

But……

“But what if it’s real! What if my interpretation is real, then what!!”

[Have I ever seen such a frustrating b*stard!! Just ask the goddess!! Ask if your interpretation is right or wrong!! Before thinking of running away, ask first!! Saint b*tch!!]

Ask the goddess directly, huh.

It’s not like I haven’t thought about it.

But there was a reason I hadn’t done it until now.

My fist clenches tight.

“What if I ask the goddess and I hear the goddess’s official say my interpretation is right? If I do, Gigachad? Then I…….I don’t think I could live. That’s too scary.”

To my question, Gigachad gave a truly Gigachad-like answer.

[Even if your interpretation is right! You should be thinking about overcoming it with your effort and grit, not just sitting down and whining like a p*ssy?! If you want to be a Harem King, you have to put in the effort to match! Saint b*tch!!]

At those words, I chuckled.

Yeah.

Gigachad is right.

But effort, huh.

A god-like being, of all things, is trying to fuck me over, and I can overcome that with my effort?

No matter how much I think about it…….

It seems impossible.

Effort and grit are for opponents you can grapple with, not some divine being, you know?

Giga Chad.

“Thanks for the comfort. Giga Chad. But still… I think it’s right for me not to accept their feelings. I just can’t…”

[You frustrating son of a b*tch. Knew you’d say that. You cowardly, excessively kind, foolish, stupid little Sheep-shit. For you, I’ve made preparations!!]

“No… what are you doing! Giga Chad!”

Giga Chad lifts me up.

He smiles at me.

[Don’t worry. Sung-bbipbi. It’s all for your sake.]

“What are you gonna do! Why are you doing this!!”

[You have much to do ahead. So now is your time to rest. You must set your heart at ease and be happy. So that you can endure the even heavier trials that lie ahead.]

Giga Chad sets me down in front of the three women.

Giga Chad’s voice changes.

[So do as I command. Saint Amael.]

I feel it instinctively.

The being that placed me before these women is not Giga Chad.

From his voice to his very aura.

Someone else.

This is seriously creepy, no?

Who are you, appearing in my dream?

“Y-you, who are y-you…”

[Smash it in. Think later. For a coward like you to get a woman, that’s the only way.]

Chadbro finishes that, then vanishes.

And before I know it, three naked women are clinging to my body.

No freakin’ way!

What the hell is this outta-nowhere development!!

The two imperial princess sisters on each arm.

And Erfa, she’s getting ready to dock on top of me.

Whoa.

For a dream, this is way too vivid…

Hold on a second.

Is this really a dream?

This is actually a dream?

These sensations are way too real, aren’t they?

No.

This isn’t a dream!!

It’s real!!

[Skill: Body Modification, commencing!]

The alcohol haze vanishes.

My mind, wandering between drowsy dreams and reality, snaps back into my flesh in an instant.

And then…

“Hold on, just a goddamn minute! What in the hell is going on?!”

I shot up from where I was, like a goddamn bullet.

*

Three women, barely covered by a haphazard blanket, were eyeing me warily.

I buried my face in my hands, a bewildered laugh escaping me.

Wow.

Drugged and… violated?

A situation I’d only ever seen on some shady corner of the net, now playing out for real.

Should I be happy about this?

Or furious? I honestly couldn’t tell which way I was leaning.

Choosing my words with utmost care, inside my head, over and over.

I finally threw the question at the three of them.

“First things first, I gotta ask. Why the hell did you do it? Seriously?”

Erpha, carefully gauging my reaction, finally opened her mouth.

“Are… are you angry?”

I honestly didn’t know.

I needed to hear their explanation first, that was for sure.

“I want an explanation first. Why did you do it?”

At my question, Iomene and Almene cautiously began to explain.

The dreams they’d dreamt.

The things discussed with Erpa.

And the plan, to drug me and have their way while I slept.

After all the explanations, I was caught in a whirlwind of agonizing deliberation.

Three women.

And not just any women, but ones I’d quietly admired, had all agreed to build a harem around me.

What kind of ridiculous situation is this?

It was, as the Gigachad would scream, a literal “just smash” scenario.

And on top of it all, they’d committed a crime, trying to deflower me in my sleep, so I held the relational upper hand.

It’s… perfect.

Perfect, but…

[You shall die at the hands of those who love you.]

Would they become unhappy?

That was the first, and biggest, worry.

“In the end, it’s a wretched excuse, but… we thought the Saint wouldn’t ever accept us. Knowing your personality, you’d refuse point blank, saying there’s a chance we’d get hurt.”

Yeah. True enough.

That’s why I’m hesitating even now.

“We wondered, how could we get you to open your heart? And this… this seemed like the only way.”

“If we didn’t do *this*, we thought you’d carry that heavy mission alone until you finally broke.”

That’s… accurate too.

Honestly, I was startin’ to wonder how much longer I could hold out like this.

Maybe one day, like in those real princess’s dreams, my mental state would just shatter and crumble.

Yeah.

That’s right.

It’s all right, all of it’s right, but still, gettin’ someone drunk and… *that*… that ain’t it, you guys.

“You know that’s all just excuses ’cause you wanna, right? Even if it’s that, tryin’ to do it while a person’s drunk and asleep? That’s too much. That’s a crime.”

At my words, all three of ’em lower their heads.

Just fidgeting, without a single word.

I can see the crossroads right there in front of me.

If this was a real dating sim, two choices would’ve popped up, probably.

Number 1.

“You disgusting, filthy rapists! I saved you, and you try to do *that* to me?! Get out of my sight right now! I never wanna see you again!”

Just drop that line once and it’ll switch over to regret, dark angst, obsessive yandere stuff.

Number 2 is, well.

Accepting their feelings and becoming a harem king.

Just a short moment.

A lotta worries flashed through my head.

More than my own happiness, would *they* be okay?

That’s what I was worryin’ ’bout mostly.

Without a word, I just stared at the goddess statue.

The goddess statue hung on one side of the room, as always.

Smiling benevolently.

Lilia, goddess of grace.

All this time, I’d only feared her, never once trying to have a proper conversation.

Could Gigachad be right?

Or was I the one who understood?

No one knew.

I clenched my fist tight.

Right.

If I kept living this way, wracked with anxiety, I might just crumble like the Princess’s dream.

Let’s try it Gigachad’s way.

Have a heart-to-heart with the goddess, and if my interpretation of the prophecy is right…

Even if it takes every ounce of grit and effort I have.

I’ll try my damnedest to change the prophesied future.

Having made up my mind, I turned my gaze to the three women.

“You lot are awfully, terribly selfish.”

At my words, the faces of the three women crumpled.

“We’re sorry.”

They whimpered, apologizing to me.

Fists clenched tight, they began to weep.

“I won’t ask for forgiveness. I just… I just didn’t want the Saint to crumble.”

“The thought that the scene I saw in my dream wouldn’t become reality…”

“I’m sorry, Saint.”

Just your typical regression-into-a-masterpiece opening.

But me, I’m still thinking.

Instead of regression-into-a-masterpiece, I’m heading towards a hero-saves-the-people kind of story.

If you’re in another world, then damn it!!

A harem it is!!

“But you know what? I’m pretty selfish too.”

At my words, the three women lift their gazes, faces surprised.

I let out a sigh and scratched the back of my head.

“You’ll regret it. If you love me, you might regret it.”

The Goddess might officially announce, ‘Yep, your prophecy interpretation is right. You’re slated for hell after being burned at the stake by my followers.’

In that case, I’d have no choice but to bolt, just like the original plan.

Then it’d be like, forming relationships and then running away without any responsibility.

“I don’t care.”

“It might be really hard.”

Worst case scenario.

The entire world might reject and despise me, trying to kill me.

It wouldn’t be a problem if they betrayed me and looked for their own way to survive, but if they were to stay by my side to the very end, they would become very unhappy.

Because I’d have to throw away everything I’d enjoyed until now.

“We only need you.”

“People might try to kill me.”

I smiled bitterly.

I wish the ending wasn’t like this either.

I truly wish it wasn’t.

“The whole world might hate me. You might get hurt because you’re by my side. Everything you’ve enjoyed until now. You might have to let it all go. In the worst case…you could die.”

They acted selfishly.

Trying to rape me without even asking my opinion.

But I’m selfish too.

Knowing full well there’s a possibility they’ll be unhappy.

I wanted to be happy with them.

“I like you too. But I’m scared you’ll get hurt. Even so, I want you to love me.”

I want you to embrace me, comfort me, and build happy memories with me.

“I’m selfish, aren’t I? I’m this kind of guy. The guy you like is.”

Now I was watching their reactions.

“Do you still want to love me?”

Their answer didn’t come back in words.

The three women rush at me.

They hold me tight.

“Whatever comes to pass. I’ll never, ever regret loving you.”

“I love you.”

“If there’s hardship, if there’s pain, tell us. Saint. We’ll help with all we’ve got. We won’t let you meet a wretched end. Never.”

My hand trembles.

Right to the very last.

I had to hesitate for an age.

But then, the decision took root.

Giga Chad.

Thank you.

I’ll do as you advised.

Besides, the table’s set this damn well, backing out now? Fucking hell.

Gotta chop off my d*ick.

I embraced the three women.

“I love you.”

At my words, they pressed themselves harder against me.

My son shouts [Papa!! The naked big titty nipple-squeeze situation you love!! It’s okay for me to whack off now, right? Huh?]

And so, I gave my son the OK command.

Yeah.

I won’t hesitate any longer.

I’ll be making a deal with the Goddess.

I’ll become happy with the women I love.

How long must I live in anxiety and fear?

The Goddess of Grace hanging on the wall casts that same benevolent smile towards me.

I smiled back at her.

Faith?

I’ll have it.

Good deeds?

I’ll do them.

So please, just let me be happy.

I have the confidence to work even harder from now on, so please…

What I desire is very simple.

Just allow me to live happily with the women I love.

*

That day, for the first time, I could spend time worthy of my skills.

Sensory Sharing and four arms.

Fucking awesome.