Supporting Characters in the Game are Obsessed

Confusion, confusion.

How did it come to this?

Holding back my slowly tightening breath, I think to myself.

It seems that my bottom-feeding life starting from the landfill wasn’t entirely in vain.

Considering that I can keep my cool even in such a dire moment.

I acted calmly.

First, I hurriedly tapped on the shoulder of the ‘somebody’ holding my torso.

If this were the URFC (Ultimate Real-Fighting Championship) arena, no matter how vicious the opponent, they wouldn’t ignore my tap.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t an arena and there wasn’t a referee to pause the match at my pathetic tap.

Only beasts starved for blood and flesh surrounded me.

My breathing grew continuously more labored.

My mind drifted into chaos.

At that moment…

‘…I can’t die like this…!’

In a life-threatening situation, adrenaline naturally flooded my body.

“Slurp…”

“…Ugh!”

But…

I couldn’t beat the women decked out in the latest cyberware and bioware (and had even lost their sanity).

All the days I had lived flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.

On the first day I fell into the game, I was startled by the unrealistic heap of garbage in the landfill. I was conned by a newbie broker on the day I started my mercenary job and lost all my credits, but things got better after I met Andrea and Drake. I even saved Natasha’s life at a charity party, unexpectedly met the chairman of Monolith and got a security contract, and in the last mission involving a tactical nuclear bomb, just as I was about to let go of everything in despair, I saved Eve out of a fleeting moment of pity. Then, in a game triggered by a nostalgia bottle, I met Julia, and Maya, who had settled in my heart as a regret, returned to normal, and I felt relieved.

Those countless moments flashed by so quickly I couldn’t even realize what I was thinking.

I couldn’t remember what thoughts crossed my mind at all.

The recollection vanished in an instant.

But one fact remained clear.

No matter what,

I couldn’t die while ‘kissing’…!

If that happened, I wouldn’t even be able to close my eyes comfortably at my funeral. I might haunt in grievance even after death.

My heart raced at the thought.

A tongue creeping in like a snake gradually invaded my lips. The fingers gripping my chest started to delve deeper into me.

I know this will sound very rude, but the weight of her body (thanks to the cyberware) fully transferred to me.

Everything was shrouded in shadows before my eyes.

It was certain that there were more than one person riding on top of me.

In mere seconds, I was riding a rollercoaster between heaven and hell.

Yeah…

Happiness and unhappiness.

They do end up being intimately connected.

Yep, that’s right…

…

Now it’s getting seriously dangerous.

Weird thoughts began to arise.

But there was nothing I could do here.

I tapped desperately with my pitiful hand, but before I knew it, someone was interlocked with my fingers, and my mouth was constantly muffled by someone’s lips.

Is this the end of my life?

Just then…

i–Thud.

“Ah.”

Thank you, rib fairy.

My rib sacrificed itself to save me.

32. Lessons Learned from the Ribs (1)

For that reason, it became urgent to ‘enhance’ my body more than anything else.

The housemates who regained their senses couldn’t hide their guilt, but ultimately, the result of it all was due to my ‘weak body.’

“So you all don’t need to feel so sorry. It’s fine. Everyone knows my body is weak. It’s not a new thing.”

I was sincere.

If my body had been strong, I could have held my breath with ease for about 30 minutes.

Of course, if that were the case, a happy ending would have occurred where everyone felt at ease, but…

“Cough.”

As I lightly coughed, my saliva turned a very deep red.

Because of this, I got caught by Dr. Terra and had to experience how well the ‘Monolith Emergency System’ was made firsthand.

Anyway, skipping extraneous details.

After quickly receiving treatment, I couldn’t help but think secretly.

Right now, calming the rampaging women was possible due to the sacrifice of my ribs, but there was no guarantee that something like today wouldn’t happen again.

“Cough-.”

“Alright, one more!”

Because of that, I thought.

How can I ‘enhance’ my body?

I decided to choose the simplest method first.

I’ll use the ‘facility’ I registered last year.

I controlled my breath that had risen to my chin while shaking my head left and right. Since I couldn’t speak, I expressed my intent through my movements.

However, the trainer, who was too close for comfort, wouldn’t allow it.

“Just one last time!”

“…No, sensei, you said that last time.”

“You still have strength left to talk!”

While muttering the C-word (fck) in my mind, I grit my teeth.*

That’s right.

I was at the gym.

I moved my trembling arms like a newborn goat and lifted the barbell.

No, shouldn’t I use something like a treadmill first for some cardio exercise?

Why are we jumping straight into dumbbell workouts?

It didn’t make sense to me.

After mustering all my breastfeeding strength to lift the dumbbell, I finally heard the satisfied voice of the trainer.

“Good, that’s enough!”

“Phew…”

I’m really dying here, dying.

This feels like the hardest workout I’ve done in recent times.

Just lightly going up and down the stairs makes me breathless; this is too hardcore training for me.

“Great job.”

“…Yeah.”

I received the electrolyte drink handed to me by the muscle mass posing as a trainer.

Normally, I’d be worried about the ingredients in drinks given by others, but I had no choice at that moment.

It was like an oasis in the desert.

I cooled my heated body with the refreshing drink.

Fortunately, it seemed the drink didn’t contain any special ingredients, as I felt no change in my body.

The ‘Weak to Drugs’ attribute is surprisingly sensitive, so even just one sip gives me the overall feel.

That was info I didn’t want to know.

I exhaled roughly and looked around.

Muscle masses were everywhere, groaning and working out in various ways.

Honestly, I didn’t understand it.

I asked the trainer.

“…Is there anyone here with cyberware?”

“None except for joints.”

Right.

Having cyberware wouldn’t increase athletic ability in any way.

“What kind of machinery is in a holy gym? Especially in our gym, entry is only allowed after a full inspection at the entrance, so it’s absolutely impossible.”

The beeping sound at the entrance confirmed that.

But why hate cyberware so much while being okay with joints?

However, that was a sensitive topic for many gym enthusiasts, so I didn’t bother to mention it.

The trainer was a dwarf.

Because our eye levels were similar while I was seated on the exercise equipment. This guy was particularly shorter.

So it made him appear longer from the side…

“By the way, last year was your last entry, right? Why did you suddenly come back now?”

“…Ah.”

That was an incredibly straightforward question.

I’d love to say that I was suffocating from forceful kisses from my girlfriend(s) and brake ribs, trying to build up my stamina.

But since I couldn’t say that, I naturally made up a lie.

“Um, there are so many people these days with cyberware. But, you know, one should still train their original body, right? Something like that—.”

“That’s a good point!”

Whoa, shout out of nowhere.

I looked at the trainer with a crazy person’s expression at his sudden shout.

I didn’t understand which part of my statement touched him, but the trainer nodded his head vigorously, enough to shake his short beard.

“People nowadays have no idea how much of a problem it is to have iron in their bodies.”

“…Do you agree with the Neo Luddites?”

“Don’t be foolish.”

Sure.

The trainer continued lightly.

“Anyway, it looks nice. Effort will never betray you, especially in exercise.”

“…Uh, I tend to agree that cyberware should only be installed on the body to a certain extent.”

It was actually because of my garbage-like body attribute, but I decided to respond this way.

Still, since it had been a while since I worked out.

Though my body was utterly exhausted, I felt very refreshed.

I’ll have to come regularly a few times a week.

It’s not that far from home.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead with a towel. Slowly, I stood up and looked down at the trainer, who was blankly standing.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Okay, but…”

It seemed like he had something to say.

“You look like you’re new to exercising. Right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what about the drugs?”

“?”

What an unexpected question.

Ah, maybe he’s talking about protein supplements?

“These days, synthetic steroids from LAD are cost-effective, but to exercise properly, you need to use Vitalitec’s products.”

“……”

“If you’re going to buy some, let me know. Using a referral gives benefits to both.”

Wasn’t that the same person who just said that effort never betrays?

Seems like the cyberpunk gym is a bit different.

Using steroids is standard…

…

So…

Because of that,

The gym was excluded from my stamina-building plan.

Explaining various aspects where wizards who use drugs was just a little off.

---