༺ Monster Trouble (1) ༻
The Berkeley Hall, where the freshmen’s welcome party was held, was one of the largest and most complex buildings in Elfante.
In order to receive and control the influx of freshmen from all over the continent at once, a building of this size was a necessity.
In other words, unlike the enticing name of ‘Freshmen Welcome Party’, the atmosphere of the actual event was no different than being in the middle of a market.
So much that I pitied the faculty members shouting their throats off and trying to control the students in any way possible.
This was good news, though, as it significantly reduced the chances of me being caught since people don’t have time to care about other people.
So now it’s time for this.
◎ Clone Walker
[ Item: Special ]
[ Price: 1,000 pts ]
[ Creates an alter ego that mimics the main body’s personality and behavior. You’re able to use buffs! ]
[ Remaining Points: 1,000 pts ]
An alter-ego that felt almost no different from my real body. It could even learn my usual behavior and conversation patterns, and move on its own.
Of course, it wasn’t perfect, but I was able to add to it.
◎ Buff: Enhanced Charisma
[ Item: Special ]
[ Give it some personality! You can add various properties. Two options currently available! ]
Option: Cold Gentleman
[ You’re silent and reserved! How about packaging that as coolness? ]
[ Price: 500 pts ]
Option: Pheromone
[ Become a playboy! Your every move has an added point that makes it easier for the opposite sex to like you! ]
[ Price: 500 pts ]
[ Remaining Points: 1,000pts ]
I can apply the Cold Gentleman option to the clone. So that even if I control the clone a little loosely, they’ll just wrongly assume that I’m doing cool shit!
As for Pheromone.
“…”
I will not buy it.
I will never buy it!
Not for Iliya, and especially not for Eleanor. Her favorability was rising faster than a h0rny rabbit’s thrusts.
No matter how fatal my charm skill was, it was still growing way too fast.
To the point where I was starting to doubt whether or not this person was actually easily seduced.
‘I’ll have to eventually deal with it someday.’
I smiled bitterly at that thought.
I knew that running away would not solve the problem.
After all, that person was the most important character in the scenario related to the Gray Devil. There were many scattered problems that must be solved in order to reach the ending.
As long as I had my gift, I would inevitably be involved.
‘…But still.’
There is such a thing as a limit.
I haven’t even taken a single class at the Academy right now. Wasn’t it too soon to get involved with something more than this?
‘Let’s start with what needs to be done first.’
Sighing inwardly, I pulled up another status window.
【Event: Double Date】
– Great! Seducing two key characters at the same time!
– Don’t get caught until the end of the event!
– Failure will result in a penalty for scenario progress!
[ Remaining time: 20 minutes ]
“…”
I don’t know what it meant by seducing since that’s not it at all.
In the first place, the plan itself was a mess. I’d get caught if someone said that they saw me in different places at the same time.
However, it should be possible to hold on until the end of the time limit.
So, let’s set aside the penalty for now. Even if I get caught after, I’ll deal with it by then…!
“Ah, you! This way!”
I spotted Eleanor in the distance as she waved her hand at me.
She was raising her arm above her head.
It was so chaotic here that I wouldn’t be able to see her if she didn’t do that.
Alright, I’ll apply the option to the clone and then meet with Eleanor…
-!
-!!!
Just as I was about to press my option on the screen, a sudden scream from nearby startled me, making my body jump.
I was so surprised that I accidentally tapped the shop window in front of me.
“Get out of the way!”
“It’s dangerous, all students stay back!”
When I looked outside the hall, I saw a huge bear-shaped monster chained behind bars being escorted by several knights.
Sometimes, monsters captured outside were brought inside the Academy as test subjects or research material.
It was definitely dangerous, but some professors vehemently argued that there was no better research subject than a living specimen.
“…”
Of course, because of that, an accident would happen at the freshman welcome party.
There was a reason why I chose the Divine’s Ultima first among all the other items.
‘Well, at any rate…’
Since the main character and the final boss were in the same place, the suppression itself shouldn’t be too hard.
I just needed to get those two in the right place at the right time.
With this thought, I turned my gaze back to the window.
[ Option: Enhanced Charisma has been purchased! ]
[ Option: Pheromone has been purchased! ]
[ Option Allocation Completed. ]
[ Body – Option: Applied Pheromone! ]
[ Clone – Option: Applied Enhanced Charisma! ]
“…”
What the fuck?!
Why was Pheromone purchased, and why was it applied to me?
Wasn’t this supposed to be for the clone? How did it end up affecting me, too?
‘…Come to think of it.’
I got startled earlier and tapped the shop window.
But how in the hell did it result in this?
“Why are you spacing out…?”
Eleanor, who had come closer, stopped mid-sentence as soon as our eyes met.
[ Pheromone effect is applied to the target Eleanor! ]
No. Don’t do that.
Please!
Eleanor’s eyes widened, and her breathing gradually became ragged.
An alarm immediately went off in my head.
I’ve already seen this before…!
[Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated…]
[… Skill ineffective! ]
[ The target forcefully resisted the feeling of affection! ]
“…”
Yes. I had seen this pattern before.
However, the system prompt was a bit strange.
I don’t know how and why she was suppressing it, but wasn’t it good for me?
As I mulled over such thoughts, Eleanor had regained her expressionless look and was muttering something while patting her chest.
“Calm down. It’s noisy.”
“…Yes?”
“I didn’t mean it for you.”
Then who was she saying that to?
“I was talking to my heart.”
“…”
“It was noisy.”
I didn’t even know how to respond to that. Eleanor just said that without a change in expression.
This woman, as in the original work, was seriously sometimes in the 4th Dimension.
“…Let’s go.”
After saying so, she began moving.
By now, the clone would have made contact with Iliya. To avoid encountering her, we also needed to move.
However, I was a little worried about the pheromone effect.
It would be fine, right…?
It was, quite frankly, a series of crises.
“Oh, there’s a place that sells some snacks over there. Shall we go eat a bit?”
[ Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated…]
[ …Skill ineffective! ]
“…How do you know that I like those? Well, it has to be a coincidence.”
Uh, no. It was really a coincidence.
In the first place, I don’t even know your tastes when it comes to food.
“This button is nice. Do you want it?”
[ Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated…]
[ …Skill ineffective! ]
“Actually, I thought one of the buttons fell off my uniform, so I should replace it. You couldn’t have known that… hmm.”
“…”
I was intentionally giving her strange things like a button, but she somehow found meanings behind them.
It was to the point that even I was fascinated by the way she interpreted each and every trivial action I made. It’s driving me nuts.
‘My head hurts…’
Still, I felt glad that I was accompanying her without much problem. The clone on Iliya’s side also seemed to be doing well.
If it was like this, it wouldn’t be a big deal if I just proceeded as it was.
With some free time, I was able to scout the landscape in the reception hall.
The overall scene consisted of students grouped together with their chosen majors and being guided by their seniors to foster camaraderie.
I wasn’t officially assigned to any class yet, so I didn’t receive that kind of guidance.
“By the way, have you decided on a major?”
“Ah, I did.”
This was actually a matter of considerable concern.
In the world of Sera, choosing a major meant deciding on your main build.
“I’m thinking of the Theology School.”
Hearing this, Eleanor’s expression instantly darkened.
“…It’s a waste of your talent if you don’t enter the Knight School. Why don’t you reconsider?”
Well, that was definitely a fair thing to say.
I mean, I’ve experienced the power of the Tristan Style Swordsmanship paired with the Desperation skill.
However, I chose this path for a reason.
“There is something I want to learn in the School of Theology.”
“What do you want to learn?”
“There’s something I’ve always wanted to protect.”
Uh.
Mainly, my life.
Divine power skills were the most survival-specialized builds among all the builds that existed in Sera. You could tell just by looking at the blessings that have been placed into the Ultima.
Especially if I was able to obtain high-level skills such as Miracle later on, I could rest assured.
Anyway, it had to be a build that complemented my goal of surviving till the end.
‘And…’
What followed immediately after this freshman welcome party was the Secret Society Storm, which was Chapter 1.
So, taking a major in theological studies gave me a higher chance of receiving advantageous benefits. The chapter boss was particularly vulnerable to divine power.
Currently, I had Percy’s one-time request, the item to be obtained from the Arcane Vault, and the skills inside the Ultima.
[Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated…]
[… Skill ineffective! ]
“…”
Why are you still going?!
As I was staring in bewilderment, Eleanor quietly muttered next to me.
“…So, don’t do that.”
“Yes?”
“I can’t tell… Whether you’re serious or not. Were you born this way?”
Eleanor brushed her hair as she spoke.
The atmosphere was heavy.
“Do you know of the curse that resides in the Tristan Family?”
The topic suddenly turned serious. As I was feeling a bit panicked, Eleanor continued in a calm voice.
“It’s a type of madness that takes over everyone in the family, rendering them unable to live even half of the life they were given. The only way to control it is to suppress it through mental discipline. Do you know what’s the only solution to such a terrible curse?”
I knew.
An angel’s grace.
But it wasn’t just something humble like the Ultima received. No, it would need a miracle-grade grade given by multiple Archangels at the same time.
That was something straight out of the myth of creation. It was practically impossible.
“It is that difficult. That’s why, despite their achievements and prestige, the Tristan Dukedom is never respected. Rather, they’re just an object of fear where a member of the family can go mad at anytime, slaughtering everyone in their sight.”
“…”
“So why are you approaching me? What is your intention?”
There was a slight chill in her voice. She was showing a lot more emotions than usual.
She was suppressing her feelings because she didn’t know why I approached her.
“Even though I don’t know you, I’m strangely conscious of you. When I heard that ‘there’s something you’ve been meaning to protect’ that drove you to enter the Theology School, I subconsciously wondered if it was me. You, who the hell are you? Just what are your intentions and what do you want from me—?”
Seeing Eleanor mutter sent chills down my spine.
She was under the influence of Fatal Charm and Pheromone, causing her thoughts and desires to stray all over the place.
“…”
This seemed a bit dangerous, didn’t it?
If I left it alone, her mental state would probably deteriorate, which would speed up her corruption.
Clearly, my presence had more influence on this person than I thought.
“My intention is obvious.”
“…”
My words snapped Eleanor out of it.
“…What do you mean, obvious?”
“I am trying to protect you. There’s no need to think too hard.”
Since it’s come to this, it would be better to reveal my intention.
Ultimately, my means of survival were closely tied to ensuring her mental stability.
It’s technically not wrong.
“…So what is the reason—?”
“If I don’t do that, I will die.”
“What?”
“I’m not kidding. If I don’t protect you, I will die. There is no other reason.”
“…”
It was a pure, straight fact without any exaggeration.
This was all I could say for now.
Eleanor blankly blinked her eyes with a dumbfounded expression.
“…I felt it from the first time we met, but you are a very strange person.”
“Haven’t I told you? I hear that often.”
With that reply, I stood up.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem like Eleanor was having any signs of mental collapse. That should suffice—
[ Skill: Fatal Charm has been conditionally activated! ]
[ Great timing! You have planted foreshadowing that will make you explosively liked in the future! ]
[ The next time the skill is successfully activated, the effect will be tripled! ]
[ The possibility of awakening a second gift has increased! ]
“…”
—Except that.
What do you mean, ‘planted foreshadowing’?
Why do these types of things keep popping up?
It was fine not long ago, but now it’s being weird again.
I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, when…
—!
—!!
—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Out of the blue, a huge explosion suddenly occurred.
“…?”
Wait, what? This was really sudden.
What’s happening?
In an instant, hell let loose. The entire floor collapsed due to an explosion that erupted from the basement, and a huge hole appeared in Berkeley Hall.
“In the basement…!”
“What in the world?!”
Screams and shouts were coming from every direction.
It felt strangely familiar. At the same time, my body went cold.
‘This…!’
The explosion was an intentional sabotage. The basement was where the monsters were being kept.
Monsters were running rampant. Obviously, the main quest event that takes place at the freshman welcome party was now underway. However, it was much bigger and more terrifying than I remembered.
In the first place, there was no huge explosion. At most, it was just a few monsters being released and going wild!
I quickly checked the clone’s location. My plan was definitely…
[ Clone’s Location: Floor B1 ]
[ Status: Seriously Injured ]
[ Companion: Iliya Krisanax ]
“…”
Well, fuck.
I had a feeling that everything was going too smoothly.
