Chapter 193: Gap Between Mortals and Gods

“So this is the system… It looks quite… confusing.”

“I see… So Sir Axel is playing around with this whenever I see him touching empty air.”

“Oh, the shop is filled with various interesting items!”

As soon as the girls equipped the Soul Seals, which transformed into black tattoos around their necks, they gained access to Axel’s Harem Settlement System.

This also meant they could use the system freely, whenever and wherever they wanted.

Without delay, they began to explore it.

Of course, Axel had warned them not to do anything without asking first, especially when it came to spending money in the shop. However, a flood of requests soon drowned out his words.

“I want this, Sir Axel! Can I buy one?”

“This is such a convenient item… It would be great to get my hands on it!”

“This dress is so lovely! I wonder if it would fit me…?”

Whenever they spotted something they liked, they asked for permission instantly. Axel couldn’t even enjoy his meal in peace! Frustrated, he finally gave them the green light to purchase any item priced below a million Colts.

With that budget, they should be able to purchase all the necessities they need, including clothes, underwear, and extra equipment that caught their eyes.

As Axel was in the middle of his meal, the final three members finally arrived.

Their wet appearances indicated that they had visited the bath before coming to the dining hall, which explained their delay.

“Oh, what’s this? Everyone’s making strange gestures…” Beatrix exclaimed as she entered, taking in the scene.

“About that…”

Of course, Axel quickly began to explain everything.

He discussed the Soul Seal collar, its effects, and its benefits. He conveyed his intention to harness its remarkable properties to enhance the abilities of himself and those around him, specifically those “close” to him.

“I see…” Beatrix understood everything immediately.

“It’s true that sharing our stats with you will make you more powerful, Sir Axel,” she said, then posed an important question: “However, what about us, those wearing the collars? Will we remain the same? Is there no benefit for us if you partner up with many girls?”

Axel smiled, acknowledging her curiosity.

“We’ve already checked, and it appears that the stats shared back to those wearing the collars are calculated after all the bonus from everyone is added to me.”

To put it simply, if Fenrir wore the collar, half of her stats (5% of her total stats) would be shared with Axel. Then, Axel’s stats would be calculated (only the base stats, excluding buffs) before sharing his half, plus half of what he received from Fenrir.

The girls experience a 75% power increase, in addition to half of Axel’s stats!

Arianne, Eve, and Teruria already boast 2,500 points in all stats from potions and tonics. Thanks to this, Axel’s stats have escalated to three times the limit. This is without factoring in the buffs from his accessories!

Statistically, he’s already comparable to a lower god!

However, stats are just numbers. Even if he can rival gods in terms of stats, that doesn’t guarantee he can engage them in direct combat. After all, he’s still a mortal.

Gods possess strange powers, such as Fenrir’s Devour, which obliterates anything she bites off for eternity, or Surtr’s flames, which can burn one’s very soul. These abilities defy logic and the laws of physics, something that Axel couldn’t even dream of obtaining.

After hearing the explanation, Beatrix’s expression shifted.

“Doesn’t this mean that if you equipped the entire Valkyrie Knight’s Order with collars and maximized their stats with tonics, we would essentially have a military that even gods would fear?”

The logic sounds right. However…

“No, it’s not that simple.” Fenrir sighed in response.

“If you could challenge a god solely through stats, they wouldn’t even be called gods anymore,” she clarified.

She explained that even if our stats surpassed 2,500, we would still be classified as SS-Ranks on the power scale. In fact, even if our stats exceeded 10,000 points, we would still be incapable of confronting a genuine SSS-Rank.

There exists a gap between SS and SSS ranks that stats alone cannot bridge—what she referred to as a “sublime” difference.

When asked about how to bridge that gap, however…

“I don’t know.” Fenrir shook her head. “I guess the only thing you can do is become a god yourself. But it’s not like you can just because you wish to be one.”

Fenrir, though considered a “Jötunn,” was born a god but widely regarded as a demigod. In other words, aside from being the offspring of a god, she had no idea how to attain godhood herself.

“I see…”

Axel sighed.

He had been planning to sell the Ultimate Potions now that he had achieved stats comparable to SSS-Rank beings. However, after hearing Fenrir’s words, he decided against it.

Until they could effectively confront a god, selling them wouldn’t be a viable option.

Aside from that, he was confident he could sell nearly anything now—including items made from the recipes he had “stolen.” After all, with their current military strength, unless those companies had gods on their side or backing them, they would pose no threat!

Of course, Axel wanted to maintain positive relations with them if possible.

So, for now, he would hold off on selling their items… He couldn’t actually craft them yet, anyway. He still needed four system skills to do so.

Metallurgy, Nanotechnology, Mana Manufacturing, and finally, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Control. Without those four, he couldn’t even begin crafting them!

“Anyway,” Axel sighed, turning to Beatrix. “What is your decision?”

A moment of silence passed before Beatrix stepped forward. “Of course, I will follow Sir Axel,” she declared with a bright smile.

Next, she pushed Cherry’s back, as if encouraging her. Fidgeting, she bowed her head deeply as she spoke. “I… am a mere maid. I belong to Princess Eve. In essence, I also belong to you, Sir Axel. I shall follow your wishes.”

Axel nodded, a slight smile forming on his lips, before turning to the last person.

“And you?” he asked.

The person, Nina, sighed and hugged her body tightly.

“Well, it’d be awkward if I were the only one not bound to you.” She closed one eye, her words sounding reluctant as a blush crept to her cheek. “So I’ll do it too.”

All three of them agreed.

With their consent, Axel placed the collars around their necks one by one.

But just as he was about to conclude the “ceremony”—

“No kiss?” Fenrir asked, her tone almost innocent.

“Kiss…?”

The three spoke simultaneously, staring at Axel as if seeking clarification.

During his earlier explanation, he had omitted that detail to make things easier for himself. However, he hadn’t anticipated Fenrir would actually mention it!

“Ah, when my husband placed our collars, he kissed us on the lips, like in a marriage ceremony, where you seal your vows with a kiss!” Teruria added, eyes still browsing the shop.

At that moment, three sharp gazes focused on Axel.

One held playful interest.

One showed bashful aversion.

And one expressed high expectations.

In the end, Axel found himself kissing all three of them as well.

At that moment, he sensed that this act served as a catalyst, altering the dynamics of their relationships from the very core…

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