A new mission suddenly popped up in front of me.
[Mission] - Gain a new party member.
[Reward] - Party Slot 5
[Punishment] - Get beaten up by a Kitsune Grandpa
[Time] - 1 Hour
[Y/N]
That is incredibly convenient...
Also, these punishments get stranger and stranger, I swear. Well, they were never normal in this first place.
I assume the punishment refers to Krystal's Grandpa, so it's interesting that the [System] was so specific...
And apparently the [System] can also give rewards that aren't just AP. I learn something new about this [System] every day.
Okay, Sally please accept the mission.
"Got it." Sally replied.
If everything works out with this, then Krystal can join the party and I won't get beaten up. But if it doesn't...
I deserve the punishment.
Krystal looked me in the eyes. "This is...something important, isn't it?" She asked.
"Yeah...it is." I nodded.
"Let's take a walk." She replied. "I have the perfect place for this."
She stood up, grabbing my hand and pulling me up. We started to walk through the village when somebody called for Krystal.
"Krystal?!" Someone exclaimed, running up. He was our age, with blond hair and blue eyes hidden behind glasses. And of course, fox ears on his head and four fox tails behind him.
His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "Who is this?"
"This is Jack." Krystal smiled. "Oh! Jack, this is my childhood friend Newton!"
"Nice to meet you." I nodded towards him.
"Can't say the same..." He sighed. "Can you blame me after what I've heard about Duncan."
"No, I can't." I shook my head. "But I assure you that I'm not like Duncan."
I placed my hand out for a handshake as a show of good will. He looked at it, slowly grabbing my hand and shaking it with a tightened grip and strained smile as if he was trying to intimidate me.
"What are you two doing...alone?" He replied.
"Just taking a walk." Krystal smiled. "Hey, how have you been doing?"
"I've been doing good." He smiled back. "It's nice to see you back. It was getting lonely here with you at Hell High."
"You could always come to Hell High." Krystal suggested.
"No, it's fine." He shook his head. "And besides, I'd just be lonely since you will be staying here now."
"Don't count on it." She stuck her tongue out at him. "But I plan on returning back to Hell High with Jack."
"Do you now...?" He replied, giving me a glare.
"Don't be like that." Krystal replied. "We'll convince her. Anyways, I'll catch up with you later! We have to do something important!"
Krystal grabbed my hand, dragging me off. As we left I could see Newton giving me a look the whole way until we left his vision.
I hope he didn't misunderstand anything with how Krystal was acting...
Krystal continued to drag me through the village, before taking a small path which led off and away from the houses.
She led me to a small forest. We followed the path through to a small lake situated in the middle of the small forest.
"Wow..." I gasped, looking at the sight. "So this lake is artificial?"
"Yeah, it's not natural." Krystal confirmed. "We made it ourselves. Sometimes we'll come down here and use it as a pool."
I dipped a finger in, feeling the cold water against my hand.
"How did you get it so cool?" I asked, curious.
"What makes most of Hell hot is the lava." Krystal informed. "There isn't any here. Combine that with our elevated height as on a mountain and it makes the water cool and refreshing."
"That's awesome." I commented.
"Yeah." Krystal agreed. She sat down on a larger rock, patting the space next to her. I sat down next to her, taking a deep breath.
"So, what is it?" She asked.
"I have...something very important to tell you." I stated, even though we had established that earlier.
"Mhm." Krystal nodded.
"I have...this unique power." I continued. "I woke up with it one day. It's called...the [System]."
"The [System]?" Krystal asked.
"Yeah." I affirmed. "It's...in simple terms it gives me missions and if I complete them I can gain rewards."
"It's how I got this arm." I stated, pulling up my demon arm.
"That's...crazy." She muttered. "But, it straight up just gave you a new arm? Isn't that dangerous?"
"Well, originally it wasn't permanent." I replied. "But I sacrificed my old arm...to fight...Duncan."
I just realized who I was talking to.
I looked over to Krystal, who had a look of shock which morphed into sadness. "Jack..." She muttered.
"It's fine." I quickly said. "I made my choice. Don't feel guilty about it. If anything, I should be guilty."
"What are you talking about?" She asked.
"The...the [System], to be more exact, is actually called the [Monster Harem System]." I stated. "It gives me missions to make girls fall in love with me."
"I did trick you. It's because of this system that you fell for me. Now you've been roped into my so-called 'harem'. Your Mom has every reason to-" I started, only to be cut off.
A loud smack rang through the air as Krystal slapped me across the face, tears in her eyes. She looked at me angrily as they streamed down her face.
"Don't..." She muttered. "Don't say that!"
"Eh?" I replied, confused. I clutched my throbbing cheek.
"Do not say that my love for you is just because of your [System]!" She yelled, standing up and pointing towards me. "It doesn't matter if it's because you have that [System] or not, I love you!"
"Don't boil down my love to being solely caused by that!" She growled. "You've done so much for me, and have been the kindest and greatest man I know."
"It doesn't matter if that [System] really is the reason, because that doesn't change how I feel. Either way, I love you, and I don't need a reason to love you. I just do." Krystal cried. "Don't undermine my feelings..."
She sat back down, tears falling down.
That...that was the thing that made you angry?
I grabbed Krystal, giving her a hug. I let her cry against my chest. Wow, I feel really bad. I seriously messed up. She's right. I did undermine her feelings.
"I'm sorry." I whispered to her. "I...I made a mistake. I shouldn't have thought about it like that."
I let out a light chuckle. "I didn't expect you to get angry about that. I thought you'd get angry about the whole harem thing."
"Anybody could see that coming from a mile away." She stated, pushing herself off me and wiping her tears. "You do have both a girlfriend and a fiancé, you know."
"Yeah..." I sweatdropped. "I'm sorry...I really am."
"I know you are." She smiled at me. "I don't care that you have that [System]. It's just...I really do love you, alright?"
"You've made that clear." I replied.
"Good." She nodded. She quickly leaned upwards, encasing her lips with mine. My eyes widened at the sudden kiss.
I felt my heart start to race as my face heated up.
Slowly she pulled away, giving me a smirk. "I really love you, and I don't plan on giving you up. If Dawn can get accepted, than I will too."
My heart continued to beat loudly. I didn't exactly like this. I shouldn't feel this way, not when I have a girlfriend.
I don't want to be like Duncan. I...I can't.
"You aren't like him." Sally sighed. "So you should just accept her already."
"...give me time." I whispered.
"I will." Krystal smiled. "But you better not make me wait too long. My patience has a limit, you know?"
"I know." I nodded. "So...I had a question. Would you like to join my [Party]?" I asked.
"What's the [Party]?" Krystal questioned.
"It's like...it shares some of the [System]'s powers with you." I stated. "It will allow you to see the [System]."
"That's awesome. But that means that you have to know about the [System] to be in it." Krystal muttered. "Who else is in the [Party]?"
"Anna, Angela, and Dawn." I stated.
"Not surprised about Anna and Dawn, but Angela knowing surprises me." Krystal hummed. "I'll join. The [System] sounds pretty cool."
Sometimes. Only sometimes.
"Don't act like that." Sally replied. "You owe everything to this [System] and me!"
Fair point. But at the same time I don't like being threatened by the [System]. I mean seriously, one of the punishments was to dance while on fire. And that was before I had my [Fire Resistance] skill.
That's a painful and embarrassing death.
"And joining can give me a better chance." I heard Krystal mutter to herself.
Okay then...
"So, how do I join?" Krystal asked.
A pop-up for the completed mission appeared before my eyes. Just got to accept this then.
[Mission] - Gain a new party member. Completed.
(Claim?)
I claimed the mission. Now I've unlocked the fifth slot for the [Party] and can let Krystal join. I pulled up the [Party] screen, seeing an open fifth slot. Clicking it, I requested for Krystal to be joined to the [Party].
Krystal let out a cute 'eep!' as a screen popped up in front her. Her eyes widened as she saw the [System] with her own eyes. She accepted the invite.
"It's asking me to choose a class..." She replied.
"Choose whichever you think matches you the best." I stated.
"Okay!" Krystal replied, scrolling through the options. After a little bit of searching, she discovered what she was looking for. "There!"
I looked back at the [Party] screen.
[Party]
1. Jackson Walker - Level 4 - Leader
2. Annabeth Webb - Level 3 - Trapper
3. Angela Ignis - Level 5 - Warrior
4. Dawn Dark - Level 6 - Assassin
5. Krystal Fox - Level 5 - Trickster
"Level 5? Wow." I stated.
"I know, right?!" She proudly puffed her chest out. As a side effect that emphasized her ample chest which I was suddenly more aware of.
It also seems the others leveled up as well! That's awesome!
"I am known here as a genius with my illusions." Krystal proudly stated.
"Good job. But why trickster?" I asked, looking at her choice.
She raised an eyebrow at me. "Illusions?"
"Ah, fair point." I replied.
Krystal giggled. "Thank you for telling me this Jack."
"No problem." I smiled. "You deserved to know. I just...needed the time."
"Like what you need for your cliche harem protagonist indecisiveness?" Krystal smirked.
"Hey!" I replied. "I chose someone!"
"I know." Krystal giggled. "As soon enough, I'll be one too." She winked at me.
She stood up. "I'm going to tell Mom to let you sleep in our house. She's being unfair."
"It's fine." I told her. "I don't think she'll let me back inside. I'm going to sleep here. After all, I said I wouldn't leave until I convinced her to let you return."
Krystal looked at me with widened eyes, before a large smile grew on her face. "You see, I'm sure I would have fallen for you anyway."
I felt my face heat up. She's dangerous with how blatantly she confesses! She confessed to me so much today! I feel bad for basically rejecting her...
She winked at me. It was unimaginably adorable. "You do so much more than a friend has to. Well, I'll let the others know. See you tomorrow, Jack."
"See you tomorrow." I smiled back at her as she left this nice little area she had showed me.
I let out a sigh of relief as she left. My heart was racing, and I felt like anymore attacks from her and it would burst. I really hated how I felt like this. How I was falling for someone other than my girlfriend.
I had felt it before with Dawn, and now with Krystal. Damn it.
"Stop wallowing in your self-pity and just accept your harem already." Sally sighed.
I just realized...how am I going to fall sleep here? This rock isn't comfortable at all.
"You idiot..." She sighed.