Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 261 H-WORD

“I’m fucking tired,” I said in the main room. Yawning widely I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay in the supposed Smut Room. I had gotten quite a few minor rewards. Had a lot of sex, but there were still 6 more doors to open. 

“Should I hit the Isekai Room?” I asked. It was an option, but stuff always took forever in those stories. With my luck I’d enter Mushoku Tensei and have to start over life as a baby. By the time I got into the plot it would be time to leave. “Fuck it,” I said walking into the door next to Mind Break World. It all went black. 

All around me people walked about their day. No obvious Asian looks I appeared to be in a time period like Berserk. More than a few people with swords strapped to their waist or armor covering their bodies walked around me. I joined the throng of people, walking behind a cart as I looked for somewhere to see myself. 

Surprisingly there was nothing. Pain began in my body first. Muscles bulging out, my thin clothes ripped but held on. As the pain subsided I received the notification.

“Harem World?” I mumbled. Noticing a barrel of water in front of a storefront I walked up to it. 

I was Weston Watanabe. I lived in the country called Alumed. A fantasy world there were elves, goblins, kitsune girls, and all that fun stuff. The city I lived in was primarily human. A bustling city we had a few large businesses, but the biggest of all was Dungeon Diving. 

“Finally,” I mumbled. Dungeons were a classic part of most any manga. 

The local dungeon was called Frontgarde. No one knew how many floors there were, but each floor was treated as its own world. You could be in a lava landscape on one floor, or have an underwater adventure in the other. The dungeon was a mysterious place, and from it resources could be gathered. The further down you went, the more money you would make, but also the harder the monsters would be. 

As Weston Watanabe I had been to the 1st floor…and that was it. After a large rat nearly bit my hand off I’d been too scared to go back. But being a Dungeoneer was everyone’s dream. Some could strike it rich, but most ended up dead. I was currently working as a clerk in a shop. A boring job for my 18 year-old self. 

“Gonna have to show them how it’s done,” I said, curious how far I could go into the dungeon. “But this is the Harem World,” I said. Thinking back to my life in the world I remembered that slavery was very much legal. In fact, it was a huge business. I was pretty sure there was some Isekai Harem based on this sort of world. I doubted it was the same, but close enough. In the manga the protagonist would buy slaves to help him fight. 

“Fine with me,” I said with a shrug. I’d just free them if they wanted it. I couldn’t help but picture me and a large group of women conquering the dungeon. I could awaken chakra and Nen in them, and from what my past self understood, there was magic in the world. 

I turned around and headed off to the best slave auction I knew of. It was a large building. At least 8 stories tall the place was run by a large company that dabbled in a little bit of everything. From textiles to armor and gear. The Nostrar Family was a name on everyone’s lips when you thought of buying anything. 

“How can I help you?” A woman at the front desk asked. 

“I’m interested in purchasing a slave or 2,” I admitted. Old me cringed at the words, but it was an everyday occurrence for the me from the land. Slaves were just a part of life. It wasn’t a race thing there. People got into debt, and usually sold themselves. Able to set goals for a potential owner, they had the right to refuse me just as much as I could refuse them. Granted it was putting sprinkles on shit, but it was the world and I wasn’t there to reinvent it…yet.

“One of our sales associates will be with you shortly,” she assured. I pulled a gold coin out of my status screen. The Berserk gold automatically turned into the mint of the land. I flipped it to her and she made it disappear. 

A gold coin like that would have taken me 2 months to earn in my clerk job. But money made the world go round. Though there were a few other people waiting, I was helped next by a very tall man with bat ears. He was a race I couldn’t remember. Something like Nocturn, but it didn’t matter.  

“Mr. Watanabe, how can I assist you?” The man asked as we shook hands. 

“I am on the lookout for a slave or 2,” I said as he guided us further into the building. “Ones that want to fight. Go dungeoneering. They don’t need to be experienced. I can work with what you have.”

“That’s a mighty big pool of people,” the Nocturn said. “Oh right, I am Lufen.” He was about 7 feet tall, and his long gangly arms kept touching me as we walked. I guessed it was some sensory issue. Since he was technically part bat, his eyes weren’t the best. “What about looks?” 

“Legal age at least-”

“We do not dabble in anyone not of legal age,” he assured. 

“Good. I’m a simple man. Large breasts would be nice. Don’t really care after that. Depends on what they want,” I said. 

“So you’ll take their own stories into account?” He asked. 

“Of course. Really not interested in someone that doesn’t have the mettle to grow stronger. If their goal is to be free, that’s fine with me too. I’m not too picky,” I said. 

“I will do my best,” Lufen said. He opened a door to a waiting room. “Please give me some time and I will narrow down a group of…women correct?”

“Yes, just women,” I said. 

“Very good.” With a slight bow he was on his way. I sat in a chair and practiced my quirk. Now that I didn’t feel the energy heating me up or cooling me down it was much more fluid. I still had to practice the fighting part of energy manipulation, but I planned for that to be my goal after my vacation. It took time but eventually a long line of women walked into the room. 

12 women in total, they ranged in height from 4 feet to 7 feet tall. About half were fully human. The other half were some type of beastkin. There was a fox girl, but she looked a little young for my tastes. Legal age was 14 in the world, she was pushing that. A cat girl caught my eye, but honestly they were too beautiful to judge them all at once. The Cheerleader Effect was working hard on them. I had to focus on them as individuals. 

“These are the closest to what I believe you are looking for, Mr. Watanabe,” Lufen said. 

“There’s so many,” I said. Unsure where to start. 

“You don’t look that strong,” one of the women said. She was a human with long green hair. 

“I like you,” I said with a smile. I flexed my muscle. It ripped the clothes further. 

“Don’t look that rich either,” another noted. “You sure you can afford us?” 

“Oh, I’ll manage,” I said. I brought up my status screen and summoned Nibi. The black and blue cat looked bigger, but then she shrunk down. Jumping up to my shoulder, she studied the women. “What do you think, my feline friend?” I asked. She meowed, as she usually did. Summoning her had the desired effect. The woman’s eyes were wide as they stared at me. With Nibi’s sudden appearance the people thought I was some high class magician. In this world only sorcerers could summon pets to them. Called familiars, it was a sign of status. 

“Let’s speed things along, shall we?” I asked. Doing a hand seal I made 12 shadow clones. They filled the room and were soon picking a girl to interrogate. 

“Sir, I didn’t realize you were so…skilled,” Lufen said nervously. Magicians were known to kill for the most minor of slights. 

“No problem,” I said as my clones interrogated the girls. I ran my hand along Nibi’s fur as it purred. I felt like she was starting to like me. I hoped to start talking to her soon. I wanted to learn how I could use her in a fight. 

“There is another woman,” the man said. “She has restricted her sale to only the most powerful individuals. You might find her worth your time.” 

“She got a nice rack?” I asked, a smile on my lips. Lufen frowned but nodded. “Then let’s go check her out.” 

“What about your…copies?” He asked. 

“They’ll be fine without me. They’re pretty much me anyway,” I said. The man nodded and escorted me out. We moved down a set of stairs to the back of the building where there was apparently a training yard. I had seen some of the slaves cleaning or cooking as we walked by. Doing menial tasks here and there. But a lot were out back. Working with wooden weapons, or on cardio, the back courtyard was busy with activity. 

Lufen walked in without a care in the world. The slaves were recognizable by collars at their necks. Other than that their clothes were all over the place. From gowns to armor. I didn’t understand what made these people okay being slaves, but everyone had their story. 

We walked to the rear of the courtyard to find women using magic on targets. At the center of them was a tall white haired woman. The white hair didn’t appear to be because she was old. Just her normal hair color. Wearing a corset with a long flowing gown from the back she appeared to have an amazing body. A classic witches hat on her head it was quite large as the brim hung low. 

“Ihlrena,” Lufen said as we stopped a few paces away from her. The woman turned to give me a glance of her front. It was an understatement to say she had a nice rack. In the corset Ihlrena practically spilled out of it. I wasn’t sure how she stood with her back so straight. When my eyes tore away from her larger than DD chest I noticed that she had a serene face as well. Smooth skin, dark eyes, she reminded me of Hinata with the gaze she gave me. Seeing me but not seeing me. 

“What now? Another noble’s son?” Ihlrena asked. The other mages around her stepped back as they mumbled. 

“Do I look like I noble?” I asked, amazed. My ratty clothes still torn to pieces from my muscle growth, I looked like a beggar. Ihlrena stared at me with a frown. 

“No, he is not a noble. I think you will like this one. This is Weston Watanabe,” Lufen said. I stepped forward, my eyes focused on hers as I reached out my hand. She didn’t take it. I kept my hand out. Liking her more and more. It was the strong ones that were the most fiery in bed. It was worth the effort. 

“I said no weaklings. This man has no magic whatsoever,” she said. 

“But I saw-” Lufen said. 

“Oh I don’t use magic,” I said. “I use other powers.” I began to stroke Nibi on my shoulder. 

“Other powers?” She asked, intrigued. “Like what?”

“Sorry, super secret,” I said. “But we can fight if you want.” 

“Ha!” Ihlrena said. “You don’t even know what school of magic I study.” I sniffed her. But really I was sensing her Spiritual Energy as Angiea had taught me. 

“Feels like…death. Maybe a little life too,” I said. 

“You’re right,” she said, mildly impressed. “You have any idea how to fight death?”

“Don’t die,” I said. I activated my Nen, coating my body in Lifeforce as I thought about death. She stiffened as the emotion took over her senses. Her eyes wide she instinctively formed a magic protection circle in front of her. I jumped around her faster than she could follow. My hand at her neck I whispered, “You’re dead.” 

Dropping the Nen I sent out a wave of Conqueror’s Haki. My spiritual energy touching those around me, almost all fainted on the ground. Lufen and Ihlrena were the only 2 left standing near me.

“So, do I pass whatever test you had?” I asked, chipper as ever as I moved back around her. The cocky gaze was no longer there. She was a scared woman now. Her limbs shaking slightly I assured her, “The fear will pass.”

It took time but she eventually recovered. Her demeanor was much more school girl with a crush as she approached me. “Can you teach me what you did?” She asked excitedly. 

“I can teach a little,” I said. “Like you said, I don’t know magic though. I might ask you to teach me as well.”

“Okay,” she said, a wide smile on her lips. 

“I’m guessing I passed whatever criteria you had for a master?” I asked. She nodded quickly, her face flush. “Then let’s meet the others.” I took her hand and was soon walking down the hall with her. Lufen in tow.