"Aaaargh," I sighed loudly, stretching my body as I got up, glancing around my room. I looked at the clock—10 a.m. Only a few hours of sleep, and the soreness was still there, a dull ache in my muscles.
After a few more stretches to shake off the stiffness, I decided to check my status. I wasn't expecting much, but when I saw the screen, my eyes widened in surprise. My level had increased—again.
Level 4
HP: 100
MP: 5
Fatigue: 60%
Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Vitality: 6
Intelligence: 7
Charisma: 4
Perception: 3
Free Stat Points: 12
"Damn, that's a lot of points," I muttered. Five from the quest, seven from the two level-ups. That's huge. But still, I couldn't shake the thought that I'd nearly put myself in a seriously dangerous spot back there. I probably should've turned it down.
But then I remembered what I promised myself—to do whatever I wanted, not to let anything hold me back. Not a demon, not anything. If I wanted to take this life on fully, I'd have to keep pushing forward.
Still, now onto the important thing—my rewards! I actually did a little dance on the floor, grinning as I checked my prize.
Mystery Box Rank: ???
"How ominous," I muttered, turning the box in my hands. It looked both creepy and kind of cool at the same time, with strange engravings that gave off an eerie vibe. This might be worth the trouble.
But first things first—I needed to hit the bathroom. I strolled over without paying much attention and swung open the door. Unfortunately, I didn't notice the steam until it was too late. There, in front of me, stood Jenny with her back turned, washing her hair under the spray of the shower. My mind blanked as I realized she hadn't noticed me yet. Her silhouette reminded me of that nurse at the hospital—beautiful and graceful.
Snap out of it! I thought, knowing better than to get caught here. But before I could turn to leave, she sensed my presence.
"Leon?! What the— you little creep!" she shouted, spinning around, her look of shock instantly turning to rage.
My brain short-circuited, and all I could think was, Nice body. To my horror, the words slipped out of my mouth. I winced as a notification popped up:
Jenny -2 affection for being creepy
Great, I thought. Just perfect.
Jenny advanced on me, furious, her hands flailing. "Leon! What the hell were you thinking?" she kept shouting as she hit me.
"Ow, ow—okay, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were in here!" I protested, trying to block her hits. "Look, you can have the bathroom back!" She finally relented, crossing her arms with an icy glare.
I backed out as quickly as I could, muttering, "Still… nice body."
She slammed the door and locked it. "Aaaargh!" I heard her yell in frustration from the other side.
Jenny -1 affection for commenting on her body
I sighed as I walked away. Well, there goes my reputation, I thought, watching her affection level drop to -13
"Well, whatever," I thought, brushing off the awkward bathroom encounter and heading downstairs. A delicious aroma greeted me—eggs, pancakes, and bacon. Sure enough, there was Debbie at the stove, wearing her usual loose purple bathrobe, so loosely wrapped she almost looked like she'd just rolled out of bed.
"Good morning, Debbie," I greeted, stepping into the kitchen.
"Morning, sweetie!" she replied warmly, pulling me into a tight hug. I found myself buried in her soft embrace, and it was almost too much. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I managed to reply, my voice muffled against her. Finally, she let go, and I caught my breath, feeling a little more comfortable in her presence.
Debbie +1 affection for being okay
As she returned to the stove, she told me to sit at the table, giving me the perfect chance to check out my latest mystery box rewards. I opened it in my lap, and three items appeared: a necklace, a pill, and a key.
Awakening Pill (Rank A): "A pill that awakens your inner self."
Morning Rise Necklace (Rank C): "Increases agility by +2 and perception by +3."
Jungle Key (Rank D): "Opens a gate to a different place."
The necklace was tempting; it would be great to boost my stats. But before I could try it on, Debbie brought over a plate piled with pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. "Here you go, honey. Eat up!" she said with a smile. I thanked her and dug in, savoring the flavor.
A moment later, Jenny joined us, sliding into the seat next to me with a slightly irritated expression. I knew why she was annoyed, and maybe I deserved it. Still, I couldn't resist mocking her why she didn't locked the bathroom and asking her by asking how her day was going. Feed up by it she mocked me back just rolled her eyes but eventually joined in as Debbie sat down with her own food.
It was nice sitting there as if we were a family.
After finishing, I excused myself and went back up to my room. I opened my stats and spent a little time adjusting things:
Vitality: +4
Agility: +2
Charisma: +3
Strength: +2
Perception: +1
Stats points: 12 to 0
Feeling the slight, invigorating change ripple through my body, I took a deep breath, pulled out the Awakening Pill, cracked it with my teeth, and swallowed
A surge of energy coursed through me as a heavy, red gauntlet appeared on my hand. The metal was deep crimson, adorned with a glowing green jewel embedded in the center. Just as I was trying to wrap my head around it, a voice—a deep, ancient-sounding voice—rumbled through my thoughts, followed by an unexpected, almost human-like yawn.
"[Finally, waking me up, are you, Leon? Or should I call you Alex?]"
I stared down at my hand, mouth slightly open, as I processed the fact that my arm was talking. "Who…? How do you know my name? And why are you talking through my arm?"
"[What you need to know is simple: I have been called by many names. Some call me the Red Dragon, others the Welsh Dragon, Y Ddraig Goch. But you can call me Ddraig. And, I am your Sacred Gear.]"
Sacred Gear? That name sparked something in my memory. I remembered being 14, lying in that hospital bed, watching anime on my phone to pass the time. That was when I stumbled across High School DxD, my first ecchi anime. Ddraig… the Red Dragon Emperor. And now, that legendary dragon was somehow part of me.
"Wait," I muttered, blinking in disbelief. "You're telling me you're Ddraig, the Sacred Gear? And… I'm in High School DxD?"
"[Took you long enough, partner,]" he replied, sounding amused. "[I guess it's time for you to embrace your role as the Red Dragon Emperor.]"