"Miss System… show me the rewards I earned for fucking Linlin."
The moment Zechs made the request, the Miss System's mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Ding! Achievement Unlocked. Engaged in Sexual contact with a key character from the main plot.
Target: Charlotte Linlin.
Character Description: Charlotte Linlin had once served as the third commander of the Rocks Pirates. She later became the matriarch of the infamous Charlotte Family and the captain of the Big Mom Pirates, one of the Yonko crews.
Character Relevance: Platinum Class.
Calculating rewards…
Reward Earned: 3,600 Attribute Points, 7 Bloodline Points, Steel Balloon Physique, Gold-tier Character Summoning Card]
Looking at the rewards he had received, Zechs had only two words to say. "Holy shit."
Setting aside the Attribute Points, which were already ten times the amount he normally earned in a single night despite fucking multiple women in a single night, and the Bloodline Points, which usually amounted to only one point per woman per day but had somehow reached seven despite him spending the night with Linlin alone, his attention was drawn to the other two rewards.
"System, why are there two additional rewards?" he asked.
He was used to receiving only Attribute Points and Bloodline Points. The only exception had been the Incubus bloodline itself, along with the racial traits he unlocked as his bloodline level increased. Other than that, no matter how long he had possessed the System or how many women he had screwed, he had never received anything extra.
And yet now, all of a sudden, he had obtained rewards that were clearly outside the norm.
"Is this because Linlin is a canonical character?" he wondered.
Considering that the System had mentioned plot relevance while calculating the rewards, Zechs felt fairly confident in his guess.
And sure enough, Miss System confirmed his guess in her usual mechanical tone, [Sexual encounters with plot-relevant canonical characters yield enhanced rewards.]
"Hahaha… I should've known," he said with a grin, clearly excited by the discovery. At the same time, he felt a trace of regret. If he had realized earlier that interacting with plot-relevant women would grant additional rewards, he would have made a more deliberate effort to seek them out.
'Then again… finding those women right now would be extremely difficult,' he thought. After all, this era was still forty-eight years before the protagonist, Luffy, would even set out to sea.
Shaking his head, Zechs pushed the thought aside and turned his attention to the two special rewards: the Steel Balloon Physique and the Gold-tier Character Summoning Card.
"Steel Balloon Physique… System, is this what I think it is?" Zechs asked quickly.
[What does the Host believe it is?] the System replied.
"You know… this 'Steel Balloon Physique'. That's Linlin's physique, isn't it?" he pressed, his breathing growing heavier. If it really was what he thought, then the reward was extraordinary. A physique like that would multiply his overall strength several times over.
Miss System soon confirmed his suspicion. [The Host's understanding is correct. The Steel Balloon Physique is the same physical constitution possessed by Charlotte Linlin.]
"Haa… unbelievable… to think I actually received something like this," he murmured, barely holding back the urge to laugh out loud. It wouldn't have been strange if he had, after all, this was the Steel Balloon Physique.
As for what that meant, it was the very same constitution that allowed Linlin, even as a child, to kill a bear with a casual slap and defeat a former captain of the Giant Warrior Pirates at the age of five.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it one of the most powerful natural physiques in the world, so long as the user maintained control over it. Naturally, Zechs was thrilled to receive such a reward.
But another concern came to mind. 'Miss System… I won't inherit Linlin's hunger pangs, too, right?'
If her physique came along with those uncontrollable episodes, it would be a serious problem. Considering his Incubus nature, he might be more prone to something like lust surges instead. That would be manageable. But hunger pangs? That was a real concern.
[There will be no issues related to Hunger Pangs for the Host,] the System replied calmly.
Zechs immediately followed up. And what about… lust pangs?'
[There… should not be.]
Zechs' expression shifted slightly. 'Miss System… why do you sound uncertain?"
[…]
'Miss System? Could it be that you are looking east?' he called again.
[As long as the Host does not practice celibacy, there should be no problems.]
'So that means there would be a problem if I did practice celibacy?' he asked quickly, a hint of concern creeping into his thoughts.
Of course, he doesn't really intend to practice celibacy, but still, he couldn't help but feel a bit concerned. For a moment, he even wondered whether integrating Linlin's physique was truly a good idea.
[Host, you are an Incubus,] Miss System reminded him.
'Oh… right,' Zechs nodded.
His Incubus nature already made celibacy impossible. If he abstained for too long, his strength would decline, and in extreme cases, it could even become life-threatening.
In that sense, his condition already resembled Linlin's hunger episodes even without her physique. When the urges built up, he would become intensely driven to satisfy them, focusing only on relieving that pressure and paying little attention to anything else around him, like the identity of the woman, her consent, their location, the presence of other people, and so on.
With that realization, integrating the Steel Balloon Physique no longer seemed problematic.
At worst, it might increase his urges slightly, and that was all.
Understanding this, he didn't hesitate anymore and gave the command.
"Miss System… integrate the Steel Balloon Physique."
[Understood, Host. Please prepare to endure extreme pain,] Miss System warned.
The moment he heard those words, Zechs' expression stiffened. The last time he had received such a warning was years ago, when he first awakened the Incubus bloodline. Back then, the pain had been beyond anything he could have imagined.
He knew the reason for it. His body would undergo fundamental changes at the biological level. There was no way to avoid the suffering; he simply had to endure it.
Taking a slow breath, he clenched his teeth and made his decision. 'Alright… do it.'
[Fusing Steel Balloon Physique… Initiating in 3… 2… 1…
Process Completion: 0.3%… 0.5%… 0.99%…]
The moment the process began, his entire body convulsed. Sweat poured from him in torrents as an overwhelming wave of pain tore through every nerve. For an instant, the thought of ending his life just to escape the agony flashed through his mind.
But he forced himself to endure.
Wrapping his arms tightly around his body, Zechs curled himself and held on without even letting out a sound, gritting his teeth as the fusion continued.
[Process Completion: 3.6%… 7.9%… 11.18%…]
As the process continued and waves of intense pain tore through his body, Zechs tried to distract himself. Gritting his teeth, he focused his thoughts and asked Miss System about the fourth reward.
'What exactly is the Gold-tier Character Summoning Card?'
From the name alone, he could guess its basic function. What he didn't understand was the meaning of 'Gold-tier.' Was it the highest level? Or just one among several ranks? Considering that Linlin had been classified under Platinum-level relevance, he suspected that Gold was not the top tier.
Miss System's explanation soon echoed in his mind. [There are five standard tiers, ranked from highest to lowest: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Iron.]
'…Suddenly, Gold doesn't sound that impressive,' Zechs thought.
[Host… comparison is the thief of joy,] Miss System said calmly.
Zechs didn't argue. She was right. If he hadn't known about the existence of Platinum and Diamond tiers, he would have been more than satisfied with a Gold-tier summoning card.
Still, a lingering doubt surfaced, one he felt he probably shouldn't pursue. But curiosity got the better of him. 'Miss System… you mentioned five standard tiers. Are there any non-standard tiers?'
Miss System replied calmly. [Host, only the five standard tiers apply to you. Beyond that, whether higher classifications exist or not is not relevant at your current level. If such a time comes, I will inform you.]
Zechs pursed his lips but accepted the answer. 'I suppose I'll have to trust Miss System on this,' he thought. After all, those matters were beyond his control anyway.
[I appreciate your understanding, Host.]
Zechs coughed lightly, then added with a faint smile, 'In that case… I hope Miss System will be generous with my future rewards. Maybe even something beyond the standard five tiers.'
[Host, the rewards are determined randomly. They are not within my control,] Miss System replied.
'Is that so?' Zechs wondered, not entirely sure whether things were truly that simple or if there was more behind it.
Still, he moved on.
"But, Miss System… this Summoning Card, what exactly can it summon? Is it possible to call someone like Momm—I mean, Irene Belserion? Or Princess Tsunade? She is very much desired for her 106—cough—I mean, her medical Ninjutsu. Though, if I'm being honest, a personal maid wouldn't be bad either. Someone like Grayfia Lucifuge would suit my demonic background quite well," Zechs asked, his expression calm and curious, as if he were simply thinking aloud without any ulterior motive.
Miss System, however, knew her host far too well and rolled her eyes. After all these years, she was more than familiar with his hidden intentions. Even so, she chose not to comment on them and replied neutrally. [Host, the characters summoned are generally not from other worlds. You may only summon individuals who belong to this world.]
"Boo… boo…" Zechs reacted immediately, his excitement dropping at once.
If he couldn't summon momm—ahem—useful characters from other worlds, then what was the point of these summoning cards? He was already living in this world. Why would he need to summon people who already existed here?
[…] Miss System gave no response to his complaints.
With no reaction coming, Zechs gradually stopped grumbling and focused his attention on the Gold-tier Character Summoning Card in his hand.
The summons wasn't random. The card already displayed the character's silhouette.
For others, it might be a bit difficult to recognize the character from their silhouette, but as someone who has read thousands of chapters of the Silhouette piece, Zechs could certainly recognize it.
The moment he saw the person, his expression froze. Then he quickly asked, 'Is this because of some kind of butterfly effect?'
The silhouette shown was definitely a man who would have existed if events had followed the original timeline. But because of Zechs' involvement with Linlin, that man would no longer come into existence.
In that case, summoning them did make sense.
[That is correct, Host,] Miss System confirmed. [Although the will of the world and the force of fate may attempt to correct events and return them to their original course, some outcomes simply cannot be restored. Now that Charlotte Linlin is preparing to marry you, it is highly unlikely that the Charlotte Family will come into existence in the same way it did in the original timeline.]
'Yeah, definitely not,' Zechs said, shaking his head. 'I wouldn't let Linlin do something like that.'
[In that case, you should have a clearer understanding of the Summoning Cards,] Miss System added. [Unless it is specifically a random Summoning Card, the character summoned will be related to the butterfly effects caused by your actions.]
'I see,' Zechs nodded slightly, then asked, 'By the way, Miss System… what about the random Summoning Cards you mentioned?'
[For random Summoning Cards, the summoned character does not necessarily have any connection to the butterfly effects created by your actions.]
'Understood,' Zechs said, letting out a slow breath. Then another thought crossed his mind. 'Still… to think I could summon someone like that man with just a Gold-tier card. I wonder what kind of people a Platinum-tier, or even a Diamond-tier, Summoning Card would bring…'
He wasn't exaggerating. Although Gold-tier sounded like a middle rank, and technically it was, the silhouette on the card was someone with strength at the level of a First Commander of a Yonko crew, and the bounty of that man in the canon was as high as a billion berries.
Therefore, that man was definitely a top-tier summon.
With that in mind, Zechs began to wonder whether a Platinum-tier Summoning Card would allow him to summon a Yonkō-level character. And if that were the case, then perhaps a Diamond-tier card might let him summon even a legendary figure, or something beyond that.
Regardless, for now, a Gold-tier Summoning Card was not bad either. Indeed, Zechs wasn't disappointed at all. On the contrary, he was genuinely pleased. Having such a powerful individual at his disposal was more than enough.
'Linlin… you really turned out to be a great opportunity. I'm glad I crossed paths with you,' he thought.
Not only did he get to fuck her and take her virginity in her youth, but he had also obtained two extraordinary rewards on top of the already generous Attribute Points and Bloodline Points.
With gains like these, he couldn't have been more satisfied and awaited the completion of Steel Balloon's physique integration.
[Process Completion: 66.6%... 69.69%… 77.7%… 81.81%…]
'Just a little longer…' Zechs thought, clenching his fists as he watched the progress bar inch forward.
Just then, Miss System asked, [Host, aren't you going to perform the summoning?]
'It would alert everyone,' replied Zechs.
The sudden appearance of a stranger with such an overwhelming presence, someone definitely more powerful than the current Zechs and possibly even comparable to Linlin, would be extremely difficult to explain.
As for hoping the summoning would go unnoticed, that was out of the question. The moment he performed it, there would definitely be some disturbance, enough to alert not only his own crew but Linlin's as well.
If they weren't currently at sea on a ship, it would have been fine. But being confined on a ship made it a very bad idea.
Because of that, Zechs chose to wait.
He decided to hold off until they reached an island. Only then would he summon the silhouetted man.
Miss System understood his reasoning and did not press the matter further. Still, Zechs couldn't help but add, 'But Miss System… I would've preferred it if the Summoning Card were that of a woman.'
After all, because of his relationship with Linlin, it wasn't just that man who would no longer exist.
Even several of her daughters, beautiful and well-known figures such as Smoothie, Amande, Cinnamon, Gallett, Custard, Mozart, Praline, Myukuru, and of course, Pudding, would also never be born.
Wouldn't it have been nice to be able to summon them?
[Host, if the choice were entirely yours, would you have preferred one of them?] Miss System asked.
'If I could choose freely?' Zechs replied. 'Then I wouldn't summon Linlin's daughters.'
[Ehh? But Host, isn't your favorite food Oyakodon?] Miss System sounded genuinely surprised that he would turn down such an option.
As for Oyakodon being her Hosts' favorite food…? Miss System has been bound to her host for many years, of course knows this very well.
'Ahem… Miss System,' Zechs cleared his throat. 'While that may be true… I wouldn't waste an opportunity like this. If I could choose, I'd definitely summon someone else.'
[I wonder who that would be…?] Miss System asked, genuinely curious. A few names came to her mind, figures like Gunko, Yamato, Boa Hancock, Gion, Doll, et cetera came to mind.
However, Zechs' answer was completely different from what she had expected. 'If it were up to me,' he said without the slightest hesitation, 'I'd either choose Shanks' hot sister or the Law that was suffering from the Feminization Disease.'
[…]
"Miss System… you really like looking towards the east, don't you?" Zechs asked, staring at the silent dot-dot-dot.
Miss System refrained from answering. She felt that her host was too shameless, and it was better not to talk to him. So, instead of giving him an answer, she noticed that the progress bar was nearing completion and reminded him in a calm tone. [Host, the integration of the Steel Balloon Physique is about to be completed.]
[Process Completion: 96.69%… 97.69%… 98.69%… 99.69%…]
Seeing the bar almost full, Zechs forgot his earlier question and focused entirely on the final stage.
[Process Completion: 99.96%… 99.97%… 99.98%… 99.99%…]
'The last fraction is probably going to take a while,' he thought.
Unexpectedly, it didn't. Before he could react, the notification rang in his mind.
[Process Completion: 100%… Steel Balloon Physique successfully integrated.]
Immediately afterward, several more alerts followed in rapid succession.
[Ding… Host has levelled up. Level 16 → Level 17]
[Ding… Host has levelled up. Level 17 → Level 18]
[Ding… Host has levelled up. Level 18 → Level 19]
In an instant, he advanced three levels at once, and all five of his physical attributes rose to Level 19.
'Damn… three levels at once…!' he muttered in shock.
He had previously been at Level 16, the Rear Admiral tier, where each attribute required 18,000 points. Level 17, the Vice Admiral tier, required 30,000 points per attribute. Level 18, equivalent to a Third Yonko Commander, demanded 50,000 points each to pass it…
That meant breaking past Level 18 to reach Level 19 would normally require nearly 500,000 attribute points, something Zechs could never have accumulated in a short period of time.
Just the previous night, he had earned 3,600 points. At that rate, gathering half a million would have taken him four and a half months.
Yet with the integration of Linlin's Steel Balloon Physique, he had skipped all of that. The levels had been bridged instantly, without needing the massive amount of attribute points he would otherwise have required.
More importantly, the new physique had raised his overall potential.
There was no need to test it; he could already feel the difference.
As the unbearable pain faded, a dense, overwhelming strength surged through his body, steady and powerful.
'Is this what Linlin feels all the time?' he wondered. He clenched his fist, and the sheer force contained within it answered the question on its own.
In terms of raw physical metrics, Zechs knew that reaching Level 19 placed him at the entry point of the YC2 range. It was a massive leap, from Rear Admiral level straight to the threshold of a Yonko Commander.
For most people, such growth would take years, if it were possible at all. For him, it had happened instantly.
Of course, he wasn't arrogant enough to consider himself a true YC2 yet. His Haki still lagged far behind, and combat at that level required more than just physical strength.
Realistically, he still considered himself at the upper end of the YC3 tier for the time being.
Even so, with the Steel Balloon Physique enhancing his base and continuing to improve as he would train in the future, his growth was going to be obvious.
Reaching YC1 was only a matter of time.
And perhaps… even Yonko level wasn't out of reach anymore.
The power that once felt impossibly distant no longer seemed so far ahead.
Feeling pleased, Zechs immediately distributed the 3,600 Attribute Points evenly across his five physical attributes. He then allocated the Bloodline Points to his Incubus Bloodline, since it was the only bloodline he currently possessed.
Soon, his status was updated to reflect the changes.
————————————
Underworld Growth System
Host: Asmodeus Zechs
Age: 22 Years
Height: 211 cm
———————————
Physical Attributes
Strength: Level 19 (725/80,000)
Agility: Level 19 (839/80,000)
Endurance: Level 19 (730/80,000)
Resilience: Level 19 (732/80,000)
Vitality: Level 19 (795/80,000)
—————
Incubus Bloodline Level: 8 (878/900)
Racial Traits: Charm, Endless Virility, Pheromone Secretion, Physique Alteration, Persuasion, Life Drain, Attachment, Obsession
—————
Devil Fruits: NA
Swordsmanship: One-Sword Style, Steel Cutting, Flying Slash, Foxfire Style
Physical Skills: Shave, Moonwalk,
Observation Haki (Basic): Strength Sensing, Intent Sensing, Presence Sensing, Emotion Sensing
Armament Haki (Basic): Hardening, Imbuement
Conqueror's Haki (Basic): Domination, Incapacitation
—————
Available Bloodline Points: 0
Available Attribute Points: 0
————————————
Very satisfied with his updated status, Zechs got up to take a bath…
.
.
.
.
New week, new PS goal. Current goal is... umm... 130 PS within 24 hours. Help me reach it quickly by dropping all your Power Stones!
And don't forget to leave comments and reviews to keep me motivated.
Of course, if the readers wish, they can certainly read up to 20 advanced Chapters on p-a-t-r-e-o-n: Knockturn_Alley