S-Rank Harem: I Became My Character with Extra Control Skill

Ryan firmly extended his right hand, ready to take the ancient relic resembling a pocket watch that Ophelia offered him in the middle of that desert-like place.

His gloved fingers were mere millimeters away from brushing the cold, decorated metal of the human relic. But right at the last second, before he could make contact, the demon queen pulled her hand back abruptly.

Ophelia took a full step back, pressing the object against her chest with an expression that mixed surprise and deep caution.

”Stop right this instant,” Ophelia said, raising her voice with a tone that brooked no argument.

Ryan frowned, leaving his hand suspended in the air for a moment before slowly lowering it.

”What is the matter now?” he asked, maintaining his usual calm tone but demanding a clear answer.

Ophelia looked him up and down, narrowing her red eyes as if scanning the inside of his being.

”Every time I see you... your magical aura is even worse than the time before,” the demon queen explained with total seriousness.

”Your current presence is far too heavy and dark. You simply cannot use this sacred relic... the density of your mana, although very different from that of demons. It is far too strong, this fragile relic would break, we cannot afford to lose it now.”

Upon hearing that sudden prohibition, Ryan fell completely silent, processing the information in his head. He knew that the relic cut off telepathy, but Ivis had made it very clear that only a true human could activate it without suffering rejection.

’My aura is worse,’ Ryan thought to himself, remembering the amount of debt points he had invested in his strength just a few hours prior.

His body harbored a statistical power of over eighteen thousand points, something that completely distorted his simple human nature.

But it was not the fact of the amount of points. But rather where that energy came from, something that the system should not have, and yet there it was. Strengthening him day by day.

”I suppose you are right, if it is something so fragile, I am not sure I can restrain myself enough...” Ryan replied, crossing his arms beneath his dark trench coat.

”Enough?” Ophelia let out a small, mirthless laugh and shook her head repeatedly.

”Ryan, besides that, I will tell you directly. You look less and less like a human every time and much more like a monster from our side.”

The demon queen’s words floated in the tense air of the cliff, heard by all the girls in the group.

’Less human,’ Ryan repeated in his mind, assimilating Ophelia’s harsh perspective.

He thought for a brief second that this direct, derogatory comment should make him feel offended in some way. Anyone else would have been upset at being compared to the monsters they were trying to destroy.

But, to his own surprise, he felt absolutely no offense, only a cold and calculating acceptance of his new reality. If ceasing to be considered a normal human was the exact price he had to pay to keep his group alive, he would pay it without hesitation.

”That does not matter for now,” Ryan accepted without overthinking the matter. ”Then someone else will have to use it, right?”

Ophelia remained silent for a moment, gripping the pocket watch in her hand while her sharp demonic mind searched for a quick solution. The demon queen turned her face and slowly looked at all the women who made up the boy’s assault group.

Her red eyes evaluated Irina, Mirian, Alicia, and Beatrice, until finally her gaze locked firmly onto the blue-haired mage. Ophelia raised her free hand and pointed her index finger directly at her with utter shamelessness.

”You, the human with the huge tits, you will be the one to activate this relic for us.”

The silence on the cliff was absolute for two long seconds, until the addressed girl’s face turned red with indignation.

”What the hell did you just say, witch?” Karol complained immediately, taking an aggressive step forward and clenching her fists at her sides.

”I have a name, you know? I am Karol, the main mage of this group, do not call me in such a vulgar way.”

Ophelia simply rolled her eyes very lazily, completely ignoring the offended human mage’s loud, predictable grumbling.

Mirian, from behind, let out a small cough to hide a mocking laugh, secretly agreeing with the unsubtle nickname the queen had given her.

”Whatever your name is, you have enough human mana to make this work without it exploding,” Ophelia declared, approaching Karol.

After clarifying that small, sudden change in the tactical formation, the invasion plan became simple and direct once again.

Ivis, the powerful water dragon woman, would carry with her one of the valuable teleportation stones that Ophelia had prepared.

And Karol would fly right beside her, carrying the ancient relic that completely cuts off telepathic communication in her hands.

Karol took the relic from Ophelia’s hands, feeling the cold metal against her skin, and then stared at Ryan.

”I suppose the effort Runa and Mika made in the forge was totally in vain, at least for this particular mission,” Karol commented with a tone of clear disappointment.

Ryan nodded his head, perfectly understanding the problem the mage had just pointed out.

”Yes, I had just thought the same thing,” Ryan agreed, maintaining his serious posture before the allied group.

”The range of effect of that sacred relic will surely interfere with and nullify the functioning of our own long-distance communication relics.”

Although Ryan’s group had brought along a communication relic. By activating the block for the dragons and the demon king, they themselves would probably be left completely incommunicado.

Ophelia, upon hearing the peculiar mention of those created artifacts, tilted her head with great curiosity in her red gaze.

”Long-distance communication relics? Did you bring that here?” the demon queen asked, showing genuine interest. She searched with her gaze, trying to find those relics.

But Ryan raised his hand, cutting the conversation off at the root and forcefully returning it to what was truly important.

”That is not relevant right now, Ophelia. Let us focus on Rigal’s castle, time is working against us.”

Ophelia clicked her tongue with slight annoyance at being evaded, but accepted the silent order to advance.

Then, Ivis took a step to the front of the troops, letting a massive flow of mana surround her slender humanoid figure. The dragon woman once again only brought out the wings from her back, ready to dominate the northern skies.

Ivis looked at the blue-haired mage out of the corner of her eye and spoke with her usual neutral tone.

”Listen, human. I will not carry you on my back as if I were a simple pack mount, so you will have to manage.”

Karol glared back at her with a smile full of pure defiance and confidence in her own skills.

”Do not worry about that,” Karol retorted, adjusting her magical robe. ”I am a high-level mage, I can fly on my own. It was never necessary for you to carry me in the first place.”

Ivis frowned, but decided to ignore her with a slight smile.

Then, both women released their mana and lifted off from the rocky ground of Bowstring Bay, preparing to fly toward the demon king’s castle.

But almost immediately, before gaining altitude, Karol stopped her magical flight and rushed back down to the ground.

The mage landed softly right in front of Ryan, took his face in both hands, and planted a quick but very loud kiss on his right cheek.

”Wish me luck,” Karol said with a flirtatious wink.

”Hey!” Alicia, Mirian, and Irina grumbled at the same time, taking a step forward with great annoyance upon seeing their companion’s shameless action in front of everyone.

Karol simply let out a sing-song laugh, ignoring her jealous companions’ loud complaints, and soared back up into the sky.

Ivis shook her head at the mortals’ incomprehensible attitude, and without wasting any more time, activated her camouflage magic. The magical water bubble enveloped both women up high, hiding them completely from sight, and they quickly flew off toward the snowy horizon.

In the midst of the silent flight under the protection of the camouflage, Ivis broke the tension and commented to her human companion.

”Rigal’s castle is not that far from our initial position. If we maintain this speed, we should arrive right above the target in about ten minutes.”

Karol nodded silently, focusing her own energy to keep pace with the dragon and holding the blocking relic very tightly against her chest.

The minutes passed with agonizing slowness in the cold air of enemy territory, until the immense structure of dark stone and ice rose before them in the distance.

They both flew high, far above the sharp watchtowers, and remained hovering statically and silently at the very top of the dark sky covering the castle of Kowarre.

The demon king Rigal’s imposing fortress looked exceedingly threatening beneath them.

Then, after visually confirming that they were in the perfect position and undetected by the guards on the ground, Ivis looked at the mage.

The dragon woman gave her the tactical signal by nodding her head dryly.

Ivis reached into her clothes and pulled out the teleportation stone, ready to channel its power and transport the entire army to that spot.

And beside her, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Karol raised the ancient human relic, preparing to cut off all enemy telepathic communication in the area.