Desire.
Jealousy.
Envy.
Discontent.
Frustration.
Anger.
Feelings that I tried to contain, unsuccessfully.
I wanted everything.
But I got nothing.
And I died. Frustrated, dissatisfied, unfulfilled. The darkness in my heart is as black as the darkness in which I am immersed in this oblivion.
****
The combat test meeting is in its final rounds. The result obtained is important for the grades at the academy. Winning is obviously a good way to get a high score.
Each student must participate in a structure similar to a tournament.
Two of my classmates are facing off. Both have a warrior-type offensive class.
Franz Dadref is one of the best students in my class and also in the entire academy.
Very short hair, blonde, blue eyes. Tall and with a trained physique. He definitely breaks hearts, aided by his elegance in movement and his smile.
A classic heartthrob, I can't stand him. But I have to admit that I understand the reasons for his success.
On the other side, we have Rero Sansanti. She is probably 165 cm tall, with short dark bobbed hair, green eyes, and a frustrated expression.
She's losing.
Rero is the daughter of renowned Ventures, and there are great expectations for her, but so far, she has disappointed and can't achieve the grades and performance expected of her.
Dadref is outclassing her in technique, speed, and strength. You might think it's normal for a man to be superior to a woman in sports, but in this world, it works differently. There are levels and statistics, and they can be measured numerically, and biological differences don't really matter. Does it make sense? Probably not, but I didn't decide the rules of this place. I just found myself here after passing away.
Rero thrusts with her sword. The movement is a bit clumsy and seems desperate.
Dadref elegantly avoids the blow by sidestepping, then strikes Rero's weapon with his blade, at the guard level. The blow is quick and violent, causing the girl to lose her grip on the hilt.
The sword spins around and is thrown aside, falling to the ground a few meters away.
The boy points the sword at Rero's throat.
"Do you admit defeat?" he asks her with a serious expression, without mockery.
The girl is furious. She clenches her teeth and fists.
"I-I lost..." she reluctantly admits.
"The winner is Franz Dadref!" announces the instructor overseeing the matches.
Franz Dadref rejoices, raising his fist to the sky. The girls in my class, who are watching the performances from the stands, go wild. Even the men applaud in admiration. The embodiment of success.
At this moment, all I can do is envy, but soon, I will have my share.
Actually, I'll have it all.
Rero Sansanti is disappointed to have lost the duel. She sits down on the ground, leaning against the training field wall. She might cry at any moment, but she's too proud to let herself go.
This is my chance. I jump down onto the field, directly from the stands. If I may say so, it's not a bad dramatic entrance. I smile, pleased, though somewhat foolishly.
I approach her slowly.
She looks at me, irritated. After all, we don't have much familiarity, and she's probably wondering what I want from her. At this moment, she would prefer to be left alone to vent her frustrations and not have anyone bother her.
But I am extremely generous, and I'm there to help her.
"Sansanti, I could help you if you wanted." I say seriously, extending my hand.
She glares at me.
"Oh? What do you say? You want to help me? How could the weakest student in school help me?" she replies rudely.
She looks me up and down with a disgusted expression.
Even though she's unpleasant, and her attitude annoys me, she's right. I'm weak by the standards here. My rank is a miserable F, and I don't have a combat class.
"That's true, but since you know that, you must also know what kind of class I am, right?"
"Support."
"Exactly."
"And how could you support me?"
"I can temporarily buff your statistics."
"How much would they increase?"
"About 30%... a similar improvement to leveling up."
"T-thirty percent?!" she exclaims in surprise.
"Interested?"
"Uh... I don't trust it! Why don't you use this buff to improve your own performance?" she reasonably asks why I don't use this ability to improve my grades.
"Unfortunately, it has no effect on me... My class has a passive ability that negates the effects of substances I ingest." I reply with a half-truth.
"So, it's some kind of potion?"
"Yes, thanks to my talent with [Alchemy], I can craft enhancements that can be consumed in battle."
"Are you sure it's effective?"
I take a small glass vial from my shoulder bag. Inside is a substance with a yogurt-like consistency, colored in a pinkish-red hue. I used a strawberry flavor that also acts as a dye.
"My intention is to sell it, but since I've just started and need to build a customer base, I offer you a free trial with no obligation. What do you say?"
"And what if it has adverse effects?"
"I'll take you straight to the healers, who, as you know, are the best, and then you'll be authorized to beat me up. With your strength, you could really mess me up."
She still doesn't trust it; her expression continues to shift from incredulity to disdain.
Starting a business from scratch isn't easy; you first need to build trust with customers. If they don't know you or have a low opinion of you, it's like climbing a mountain.
Thanks to my rudimentary knowledge of marketing from my previous life, I know that a free trial is a very effective way to introduce a newly launched product that consumers are unfamiliar with. Reservations about something given away for free decrease significantly. The power of the word 'Free' is immense...
"I don't care if you don't want to use it; take it anyway. Then, if you really don't want it, you can throw it away. I have absolute confidence in the effectiveness of my product, and I'm sure that once you try it, you'll come looking for more."
Despite her skepticism, I think she's opened up a bit. She probably thinks she has little to lose and much to gain.
I offer her the vial.
"In addition to the statistics, it also has an additional effect of increasing experience points earned by 30%."
Rero struggles to contain a cry of amazement. In this world, leveling up is hard and very difficult to achieve, and having the chance to earn more experience points is a godsend because it reduces both the time and effort required.
Impulsively, she grabs my vial, but I don't let go yet.
"You don't have to tell anyone about this potion. You'll already know, but we'd both get into trouble if word got out about this enhancement. It could be considered doping, and it would cause problems for you within the academy."
"I know, who do you think I am?!" she responds angrily. "Don't get ahead of yourself; I don't think I'll ever drink this concoction. I'm just taking it to get rid of your annoying presence."
To whom are you trying to deceive? Your tsundere act can't hide your eagerness to use this advantage. I smile.
"Do as you wish, as long as it stays between us. If it were discovered, I wouldn't be able to provide you with any more."
She still doesn't trust it, and her expression continues to fluctuate between disbelief and disdain.
"Ah, I forgot... Once you've consumed the potion, the buff effect lasts for 24 hours... So use it wisely."
I release my grip on the vial, and she pulls it towards her, looking at it doubtfully.
I wave goodbye and head towards the gymnasium stands.
I smile, satisfied.
Now it's all up to her.
Will she succumb to temptation? Rero Sansanti is under great pressure due to her family and her competitive nature.
Unfortunately, even this alternate world is a harsh place, and despite all her effort, Rero had the misfortune to be born in a generation of great talent.
She can't even break into the top ten in our class in terms of combat score.
For someone as proud as her, it's an enormous frustration.
No one understands better than me how painful it can be to constantly experience the frustration of not being able to meet expectations and ambitions. I was frustrated for most of my previous life.
That's why I'll do everything to satisfy my desires in this second chance.
I want everything, and I'll have it, even if it means stepping on others. Now I have the means to get what I want.
That's why I can understand how Rero Sansanti feels.
Her parents are first-class Ventures, known worldwide.
The expectations for Rero are extremely high, but it seems she doesn't have the same talent as her parents. Her rank is a measly C. An absurd result for a common mortal but certainly not for the Sansanti family.
Clearly, she suffers from being seen as a failure. The black sheep of the family.
My potion, even though it's a trick that would violate rules in a test, could be what she needs to improve her grades. By leveling up, her statistics would also increase, and that would be a permanent improvement.
I'm sure that at this moment, she's weighing her alternatives, and I believe she doesn't see any other choice but to drink the contents of the vial.
The right choice would be to throw that bottle away. But can she afford to do that?
Combat tests are crucial for an offensive class like hers, and high scores are a necessary condition to secure lucrative jobs and, consequently, money and power.
In the hour that has passed since her last fight, I could clearly see that the dilemma has been tormenting her all this time.
It's time for her to fight again.
I activate my ability [SCAN EYE] and look at Rero.
[[ SCAN TARGET >>
RERO SANSANTI
AGE: 18
LEVEL: 1
RANK: C
CLASS: Warrior > Swordsman
MAX HP: 400
MAX MP: 90
STRENGTH: 16
DEFENSE: 16
AGILITY: 19
INTELLIGENCE: 10
EXP FOR NEXT LEVEL: 130 / 3500
ABILITIES:
????
????
????
????
*Hidden, increase the level of the [SCAN EYE] ability to reveal hidden information.
END SCAN]]
She doesn't seem very impressive, right? Well, in this world, having even a single level means being superhuman. That's why special schools like ours exist.
We are special humans called 'Ventures' because we venture into dungeons from which monsters and horrors threatening humanity emerge.
The setting isn't original, but I didn't decide it. I just know that it is as it is.
This time, Rero Sansanti has to face Jarica Fluebert. The match has just been announced.
What will you do? Will you drink the potion?
I see her moving away. She picks something up.
It's the vial!
She removes the cap and drinks the contents in one gulp, not leaving a single drop.
I can't hold back my laughter.
I must look like a madman.
But it's too amusing.
I couldn't be more satisfied.
Now the fun begins! This is just the first step.
The girl turns crimson.
She's panicking. She starts to sweat.
Can you feel it, Rero? That increasing heat?
She looks for me in the audience. She wants an explanation?
Let yourself go, don't resist.
Focus on the experience. Can you feel the surge in power?
I stand up and give her a thumbs up, with a malicious grin on my face.
"Gasp!" she exclaims, her eyes bulging, and she almost loses her breath.
[[ SCAN TARGET >>
RERO SANSANTI
AGE: 18
LEVEL: 1
RANK: C
CLASS: Warrior > Swordsman
MAX HP: 400 > 520*
MAX MP: 90 > 117*
STRENGTH: 16 > 21*
DEFENSE: 16 > 21*
AGILITY: 19 > 25*
INTELLIGENCE: 10 > 13*
EXP FOR NEXT LEVEL: 130 / 3500
Bonus exp gained 30%
*Buff visible only to Rero Sansanti and you, thanks to your passive abilities.
END SCAN]]
Rero is incredulous as she observes her own statistics. She feels the strength flowing within her.
She flexes her arms and looks first at her left and then her right.
Then she raises her gaze and shoots me a look.
I nod, smiling.
I can give you power.
There will be a price to pay, but don't you think it's worth it?
Now enjoy this enhancement and don't think about the costs. Think about crushing your opponents and achieving your ambitions.
Rero's expression changes to one of satisfaction. She realizes that she can now win matches that were previously out of her reach.
Furthermore, an unusual euphoria is building within her. Her body is simmering.
She needs to release this tension as soon as possible, and Jarica Fluebert will pay for it.
Fluebert is one of the top students in our class. She also has an offensive class and wields a two-handed war hammer.
Physically, she's not dissimilar to Rero, but she has light brown, almost blonde, long hair tied in a ponytail. Her eyes are dark brown and very cold. She seems particularly focused.
Their statistics should be similar, but after my enhancement, the situation has completely reversed.
The match begins.
Fluebert immediately launches an attack, trying to strike with the war hammer, but Rero's incredible speed allows her to dodge it easily. Exposing herself while attempting to strike with the hammer, Jarica is hit hard by Sansanti with a powerful kick to the stomach.
The blow knocks the wind out of her, causing her to fall to her knees.
Rero puts her sword to Jarica's throat.
The match is already over.
Jarica refuses to surrender.
Rero strikes her directly on the head with the flat of her sword.
Her opponent falls to the ground, unconscious.
It's a K.O.
Sansanti half-incredulously cheers. She's never felt so happy.
I'm happy for her, but mostly for myself. Everything went according to my plan.
I see her looking for me in the stands, smiling.
Want more? Don't worry. I'll give you as much as you want.
Rero Sansanti wins all her other matches of the day.
She would have liked to keep fighting. She was in complete competitive trance and wanted to capitalize on the momentum from the enhancement.
However, the number of matches was predetermined and limited.
Now that she's confirmed the effectiveness of my potion, she'll be looking for me.
But I won't let her find me for the moment. She'll have to beg me for the next dose, and she'll have to pay the price.
I leave the building at a brisk pace, maliciously chuckling.
I'm outside the gymnasium, contemplating my next move when something crashes into me.
I fall to the ground.
Hundreds of sheets of paper scatter in all directions.
I get up and see a woman in pain next to me.
"Ouch... I apologize," she says, touching her head.
I extend my hand and help her up, then assist her in gathering the scattered documents.
"Are you a student? Thank you... I'm sorry... I had my head in the clouds... I'm Kanna Merfal, a new teacher. And you?"
Me? Not long ago, I would have answered differently, but that person no longer exists.
When I opened my eyes, I became someone else.
Different appearance, different voice, much younger, and in a different world.
When I opened my eyes, I became Strauss Wagner.
"Don't worry, Professor! I should have been more careful. My name is Strauss Wagner, and I'm in class 1st - C." I put on my most fake smile and extend my hand.
She shakes it and quickly denies my blame: "Absolutely not, Wagner! It was me not paying attention."
"Very kind. Can I help you carry those documents? They seem quite heavy and bulky, so I'd like to lend a hand."
The professor smiles and accepts the help, probably thinking I'm a very good boy.
In reality, I'm the villain of this story, and I have some peculiar abilities.
I could have chosen any class, but I chose the most perverse one...
I summon the menu with my mind, and an ethereal rectangle filled with statistics appears, visible only to me. Anyone with a level can do this, but I'm special.
{{ STATUS
STRAUSS WAGNER
AGE: 18
LEVEL: 1
RANK: F
CLASS: Cleric
MAX HP: 200
MAX MP: 300
STRENGTH: 8
DEFENSE: 9
AGILITY: 8
INTELLIGENCE: 19
EXP FOR NEXT LEVEL: 22 / 3500
ABILITY:
[MINOR HEAL] Heals 100 Hp
[ALCHEMY] Ability to create potions.
[FAKE CLASS] *Hidden* Your true class and special abilities are hidden.
????
????
----
*The following information is not shown to SCAN skill users due to the passive skill [FAKE CLASS]
CLASS: Corrupted Demonic Bishop of Lust
[DEMONIAC SPERM] Your sperm increases the statistics of those who take it. Percentage of increase and duration are based on the quantity and method of intake.
More info available in the 'Details' section.
[APHRODISIAC SPERM] Your sperm has an aphrodisiac and addictive effect. The effect depends on the quantity and method of intake. More info available in the 'Details' section.
[CURSES MAKER] Ability to create curses, which respect conditions.
More info available in the 'Details' section
????
????
????
}}