A/N: Didn't mean to post this chapter, but if you're reading this in the future, this chapter is extremly basic and more or less just gives MC's past and the setting. You can skim, or probably even skip this chapter, if you're familiar with fantasy and transmigration.
"If it takes all night, work all night. That's the least trash like you could do."
Valentine could only lower his head in response. As soon as his "superior" closed the door, Valentine slamed his fist on the table in front of him.
Four years ago, Valentine was transmigrated into the game, "The Tower of Fate". Four years ago, Valentine came up with a plan to ensure his rise to prominience. Well four years passed and he's still being treated like shit!
"Breathe Valentine breathe. They're level 120 now. Just stick to the plan, and you'll be able to conquer this damn tower with ease," Valentine assured himself. Yet despite putting on a cool exterior, his voice shook with barely disguised rage.
The Tower of Fate is a fantasy RPG, where the goal is conquering the 100 floors of the unnamed tower. Naturally The Tower of Fate has a leveling, skill, and gear system, with the rarity system going from F, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and finally to SSS.
The most important system, is the way classes are gained. The main method is through awakening, where you will awaken a random class witth a ranking between F and S based solely on luck. The second method is through inheritances, where you will prove your worth and be awarded with a powerful class, the weakest of which is rank A. However, this method is extremly dangerous with an over 99% death rate.
Finally, by meeting certain requirements you could use a class item to awaken a class, with your rank being based on the item. The problem is coming across a class item higher than level D is basically impossible without a huge sum of money. Even if you have the money, there's no market for class items A rank and higher.
It's because of this difficulty in obtaining a high ranking class that Valentine came up with his current plan. Thanks to his in depth game knowledge, Valentine knows of a few places where a high ranking class change item is likely to appear, and even a few where it's unlikely to be recognised for its value.
One such place is of course, the adventurers group The Five Leafed Clovers. So Valentine had to find a way to get close to the group without already having a class.
Luckily, Valentine knows numerous hidden quest that teach secondary proffessions, and aren't dangerous. By taking a few, Valentine successfullg became an alchemist, rune smith, herbilist, and most importantly an apraiser. Thanks to his past life experience, increasing the mastery of each proffesion was easy. Even if he can't fight, any party would be happy to take him in.
Even better, there is a setting in the game that causes some people to be unable to awaken classes. Typically due to curses or some sort of bet, people could be magically locked from awakening a class. The only way to awaken a class then is through passing someone's trial and having them both break the seal and give you a class. If you claim you're one of these cursed people, no will doubt it. After all, no one would expect a random commoner to be so delusional that they believe they will come accross a high value class item. Moreover, there are plenty of cursed people that live their lives without classes rather than risk certain death.
By pretending to be one of these cursed people and by using his secondary proffessions, Valentine had no trouble being accepted into The Five Leafed Clovers without a class.
After being accepted is where the issue starts. The Five Leafed Clovers is an all women team of the 5 worst no villain NPCs in the entire game. Every one of them is cruel, arrogant, and overall annoying.
As then newest member with no combat power what so ever, being treated poorly is to be expected. Esspecially as time goes by and the women push the limits further, only for Valentine to never leave the group. Once the women saw they can treat Valentine as a total pushover, making him misrable became a team building exercise.
As much as Valentine would love to leave the team and strike out on his own, what would he do if he quit now? Get a random class and leave his life up to fate? Go through a trial where he only has one shot to pass and failure means death? Besides, Valentine already spent years on this plan. The sunk cost fallicsy won't let him quit now!
Sighing Valentine turned to the stack of dungeon loot in front of him. "Just endure. Who knows? Maybe a decent class change item is in this loot somewhere..."
Time passed by as minutes turned to hours. The evening turned to midnight.
Valentine meticulisly studied one item after another with only an oil lamp by his side. Picking up an old wooden totem Valentine's eyes quivered as a smile spread across his face.
...
The Five Leafed Clovers leader, Scarlet chat with noble lasies at a banquent. Suddenly she received several system notifications.
[Player Valentine has used his contractual right to choose one item from any given raid in exchange for 10,000 gold.]
[Player Valentine has left the party, The Five Leafed Clovers.]
Scarelt raised an eyebrow. 'Looks like that bastard finally grew a pair. He must've took something valuable to, probably cost us 15-20,000 gold. Oh well. Maybe I did push him a little far.'
No longer paying Valentine any mind, Scarlet returned to her conversation, unbothered.