《Cursed Villainess’ Obsession》
Chapter 0
¡°No!¡±
Rafne Vel Martinez screamed.
She grabbed onto his crotch.
I was nning to take my pants off soon, but not here¡ªnot like this.
¡°Go, don¡¯t go! Are you going to leave me here again...?¡±
Her zed eyes revealed her desperation. Tears began to well up in her moistshes.
¡°When will youe back this time...? Am I going to be alone again until then? No, no, don''t go!¡±
She shook her head violently, her red hair whipping around.
¡°Don¡¯t go¡ I¡¯ll be good! I¡¯ll listen to you, I¡¯ll do anything you tell me to, so please¡!¡±
She grabbed my pants and wrapped her arms around my legs, determined not to let go.
I could understand where she wasing from, but being this close was too stimting.
Damn it, the softness of her thighs¡!
¡°So, Rafne.¡±
¡°Uh, yeah, just tell me anything, and I¡¯ll do it! Don¡¯t go, I¡¯m begging you!¡±
Her face brightened for a moment.
I sighed.@@novelbin@@
¡°Let me use the restroom¡.¡±
¡°No! No! Don¡¯t go!¡±
She clung even tighter.
I continued staring at what was in front of me for a while.
It was the so-called status window.
It was a friendly message someone was sending me.
Just like they said, the blue, translucent square wouldn''t go away, even if I rubbed my eyes or pped my cheeks.
[Name: Ken Feinstein
Unique Skills: Crafting, Calorie Burn.
Unique Trait: Physical abilities increase as you lose weight.
Possessed Trait: Obesity.
Current physical specs: 175 cm, 110 kg]
I read the contents carefully, but my gaze soon shifted downward.
What was there was a huge mass that wouldn''t normally be there.
Had I been possessed by a female character, this would¡¯ve meantrge breasts, but I was unmistakably a man.
Yes, it was belly fat.
An enormous mountain of fat.
¡°Fuck.¡±
I punched my stomach, and it jiggled.
I muttered a line that a typical TS possession character would¡¯ve said while groping their chest.
I¡¯m not in the best shape, but I¡¯ve never encountered this much fat before.
I¡¯m sluggish and heavy.
I walked over to the full-length mirror in the room and stood in front of it.
There stood a man who looked familiar, yet unknown.
¡°¡and I look exactly like the illustration.¡±
Yeah, I remembered. It was from a game I used to y¡
[I''ve been possessed by a female-oriented game called "Academy of Epirus"!]
If you''re wondering why a guy like me yed a female-oriented game, it¡¯s because I liked the viiness from the first part of the game.
Especially those huge tits¡ ahem.
¡°...But why him?¡±
The man I possessed wasn¡¯t a lead character, not even a supporting one.
The guy I possessed is [Ken Feinstein].
He¡¯s a follower of Mary Hydia, the boss viin of Part 2.
Most of his appearances involve standing on the sidelines, saying a few lines when Mary confronts the protagonist.
He¡¯s one of those extra characters that doesn¡¯t even have a proper backstory.
¡°No, wait.¡±
Now that I think about it, he did show up a few more times.
Let me think, let me think¡
¡°¡Aha!¡±
I remembered!
This guy makes a brief appearance in the bad ending of the game¡¯s final chapter.
It¡¯s an illustration of the horrors of war. Mary Hydia is shown crouched down, staring nkly at Ken¡¯s corpse.
Ahaha, yeah. That was a pretty heart-wrenching scene when I first saw it in the illustration collection¡
¡°¡Wait, does that mean I die!?¡±
Yep, I¡¯m in the body of an extra character. And if the bad ending happens, I die.
The game I yed, Academy of Epirus, is a simtion and role-ying game set in a female-oriented academy.
The goal of the game is to guide the protagonist, Emily Epirus, and develop rtionships with the four main male characters.
Of course, I skipped most of the scenes with the male characters. I was only interested in the girls.
The viinesses from Part 1 and Part 2.
Rafne Vel Martinez from Part 1 and Mary Hydia from Part 2.
They were your typical viinesses, with pretty faces and sassy personalities.
Rafne was the fierce, red-haired character who looked down on everyone.
Mary was the cool, blue-haired rival with a strong sense of justice.
I really enjoyed ying them.
¡°Hmmm, the problem is¡.¡±
Yes, it is. I focused entirely on the viinesses.
So I don¡¯t remember much about the male characters in Academy of Epirus.
¡°...I¡¯m fucked.¡±
Most of the time, I used walkthroughs to skip the choices and reach the endings I wanted.
However, those choices are now crucial information that will determine my future.
If I make the wrong choice and get the bad ending, I die.
Luckily, I¡¯ve forgotten how to y the male characters, but I remember the general flow.
I also remember the key items and tips for progressing Emily¡¯s stats.
So, what do I need to do to avoid death?
The obvious answer is to avoid the bad ending.
Luckily, there¡¯s only one ending where I die: the one where a war with demons breaks out, and Emily¡¯s stats don¡¯t meet the threshold.
¡°¡But just in case I can¡¯t avoid it.¡±
That¡¯s right. Things don¡¯t always go as nned. And I¡¯m not the main character, Emily, so I can¡¯t control the progression.
So, what else can I do?
Be strong enough to survive the war.
¡°¡Alright, I get the general idea.¡±
Let¡¯s deal with the biggest problem first.
I need to get stronger.
¡°Great.¡±
And now, the second problem.
¡°Hey, pig. What were you mumbling to yourself earlier?¡±
¡°Kahaha, mumbling like that is gross~¡±
¡°Hmmm¡. I guess I should deal with this too¡.¡±
I adjusted my sses out of habit.
It¡¯s been a week since I was possessed by Ken Feinstein, and I¡¯m sitting at my desk in the academy¡¯s ssroom.
Surrounded by a bunch of assholes.
¡°¡Isn¡¯t Marying?¡±
¡°Dumbass, can¡¯t you see it¡¯s raining today? Your master, Mary Hydia, is absent from school.¡±
Apparently, this extra character is set up to be bullied easily.
Chapter 3
¡°Don¡¯t go¡ don¡¯t go¡! Don¡¯t go!!¡±
Rafne was in a state of panic.
¡°Please don¡¯t go! You¡¯re still mad at me, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re leaving, right? I-I¡¯m sorry! I was wrong! I¡¯ll apologize, I¡¯ll do anything¡!¡±
She clung to Ken¡¯s clothes, begging.
Her once lifeless eyes grew even darker, filled with despair as tears streamed endlessly down her face.
The girl, who had once found salvation, was now terrified of falling back into despair.
She never wanted to experience that loneliness again.
¡°N-no, Rafne¡! I promise I¡¯lle back tomorrow! I said I¡¯de for breakfast, didn¡¯t I?¡±
Ken, still not fully understanding her deep sense of istion, tried to reason with her.
But she couldn¡¯t believe him.
¡°L-lies¡ lies, lies! You¡¯re just going to abandon me too, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ll leave me here just like everyone else! Please don¡¯t do this! If you leave me here, I might actually die! Are you trying to kill me? Are you trying to leave me to die too? Please¡ please don¡¯t abandon me¡ h-hic.¡±
She knelt down and wrapped her arms tightly around Ken¡¯s waist, as if she¡¯d never let go.
She didn¡¯t care about how close their bodies were,pletely disregarding how inappropriate it might seem.
The only one who was thinking about that was Ken.
¡°W-wait, you can¡¯t just¡ a girl shouldn¡¯t cling to someone like this¡!¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡! You¡¯re really mad at me, aren¡¯t you? After all the awful things I did to you, I have no right to ask for forgiveness! I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯ll do anything! If you want me to crawl, I¡¯ll crawl! If you want me to dance, I¡¯ll dance! If you want me to strip, I¡¯ll take everything off¡!¡±
Her dark, tear-filled eyes stared at him as if they would swallow him whole.
The smile on her face was no longer filled with any joy. It was a smile born from despair and hopelessness.
Tears fell from that desperate smile.
¡°That¡¯s it! Is there something else you want to eat? I¡¯ll make anything you want! Lunch, dinner, tomorrow¡¯s breakfast¡ªI¡¯ll make whatever you ask for! Just say the word, and I¡¯ll prepare it!¡±
She clung to him, holding on to thatst thread of hope, begging him not to leave.
¡°Or should I put on a show for you? You¡¯re really mad at me, aren¡¯t you? You can hit me as much as you want until you feel better! Or maybe¡ you can do something dirty to me? You¡¯re a man, right? Aren¡¯t I attractive? You can do whatever you want with me¡!¡±
Please, just don¡¯t leave me.
She continued begging without even realizing what she was saying.
And as Ken watched her, he thought,
¡®¡She¡¯s not in her right mind.¡¯
Rafne Vel Martinez was far more broken than he had anticipated.
In the end, Ken had no choice but to stay in the tower until Rafne calmed down.
¡®Looks like I¡¯m unintentionally skipping first period today.¡¯
With a sigh, Ken sat beside Rafne, who had finally settled down and was now hugging his arm.
The sensation of somethingrge and soft pressing against him was certainly stimting, but this wasn¡¯t the kind of affectionate touch shared between lovers.
It was a shackle.
She was only holding onto him to prevent him from escaping.
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡ I¡¯m so sorry. ¡Sorry for making you miss your ss because of me.¡±
Now that she had calmed down, she seemed to realize her mistakes, burying her face in his shoulder and apologizing repeatedly.
But even as she apologized, she didn¡¯t let go of his arm.
Her rational mind had yet to ovee her primal instincts.
Ken could feel her body trembling against his arm.
In the face of this unchanging situation, Ken sighed and opened the status window.
¡®System, open Rafne Vel Martinez¡¯s status window.¡¯
The screen in front of him disyed Rafne¡¯s status.
[Name: Rafne Vel Martinez
Unique Skill: Neural eleration
Unique Trait: Curse of Fear ¨C Any living creature within a 50-meter radius experiences extreme stress and fear.
Possessed Traits: Despair ¨C Current Level: 121%, Dependency Syndrome LV.5]
Her information was summarized, focusing on her unique traits.
¡®Level 5, huh¡¡¯
This brief overview of her status showed a trait Ken had never seen before.
He could easily recall Rafne¡¯s status from when he had yed the game before being possessed.
And this kind of information didn¡¯t exist in those memories.
¡®In the game, her possessed traits were usually Anger or Excitement.¡¯
But now, her traits were Despair and Dependency Syndrome.
These traits were the ones that appeared when the protagonist, Emily, achieved negative affection points with all the main characters early in the game.
However, there was a significant difference in the numbers.
For Emily, the maximum Despair level was always capped at 100%, and her Dependency Syndrome had never gone above Level 3.
Ken thought it might be a difference in character personality, but that didn¡¯t matter right now.
The problem was that even though Rafne had calmed down somewhat, her state was still critical.
¡®If I leave her like this, there¡¯ll be no going back.¡¯
After all, in the game, when Emily had these traits, a few turnster led to a bad ending.
The game would end with a silhouette of her hanging in her dorm room¡ªone of the most depressing endings in the game.
The fact that Rafne was still alive even after all this time was remarkable.
It meant that, despite everything, Rafne still wanted to live.
Even in such a desperate situation, she didn¡¯t want to die.
The hope keeping her alive was Ken, and if he left now, that hope would vanish, leading to her death.
After pondering for a while, Ken finally made up his mind.
¡®¡Alright, let¡¯s do it this way.¡¯
He gently tried to loosen Rafne¡¯s grip on his arm.
¡°N-no¡!¡±
Of course, she immediately tightened her hold on his arm, clinging to him desperately, as if her life depended on it.
¡°No, that¡¯s not it, Rafne. Trust me. I¡¯m not trying to run away. And if I do try to run, you can use your skill to stop me.¡±
With her unique skill, Neural eleration, she could easily overpower Ken, as if stopping a baby.
Not that she needed to be told¡ªif he tried to force his way out, she would instinctively use her skill anyway.
¡°I-I see¡¡±
With that assurance, Rafne finally loosened her grip. Now that she realized she could stop him at any moment if needed, she didn¡¯t need to cling so tightly.
With his arm freed, Ken immediately ced his hands on Rafne¡¯s shoulders.
¡°Rafne, I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±
And, looking directly into her lifeless eyes, he said,
¡°I¡¯m going to help you break your curse.¡±
¡°¡H-huh?¡±
Her hollow eyes wavered slightly. It was a startled reaction to Ken¡¯s unexpected words.
¡°I have a crafting skill. I¡¯ll make an item that can suppress your curse. So don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll keeping back every day until I can make it work.¡±
Ken wasn¡¯t nning to escape. He was genuinely thinking about how to break her curse.
It was an item that appearedter in the original game.
The Pendant of the Goddess, designed to counter the final boss¡ªwho, as the Demon Commander, had a unique skill that cast an instant death curse.
The pendant was introduced in thete game as an item to defend against this curse.
But the pendant¡¯s abilities weren¡¯t limited to just preventing instant death curses.
ording to the item¡¯s description, the Pendant of the Goddess, blessed by the goddess herself, had the power to purify all forms of curses in the world.
It was a bit early, but Ken could make it now.
In the original game, crafting required blueprints, materials, and an NPC with crafting skills.
Normally, an NPC who could craft the pendant only appeared in thete stages of the game.
But fortunately, Ken was a character with crafting skills.
With the right materials and the knowledge from the original game, it was possible.
That¡¯s why Ken¡¯s gaze was filled with determination. It was the confidence of certainty.
The certainty that he could save her.
¡°U-ugh, h-hic¡ L-lies. ¡You¡¯re lying¡¡±
Rafne burst into tears again.@@novelbin@@
She wept like a child, insisting that Ken was lying. But deep down, she knew.
She knew Ken was telling the truth.
Her tears were a mixture ofplex emotions.
She knew Ken wasn¡¯t lying, and that made her happy.
The academy, her family, and even the country had all abandoned her.
But now, here was someone willing to save her, and it made her happy.
But it also scared her.
Because his words were genuine, she had to let him go. She had to be alone again.
That terrified her. That¡¯s why she tried to deny his words, iming they were lies.
But Rafne knew.
If she clung to Ken like this, she would end up driving him away.
And then, she would be left alone again.
With all those conflicting emotions, she cried uncontrobly.
¡®¡Did it work?¡¯
Ken checked the status window as he watched Rafne sobbing.
[Possessed Trait: Despair ¨C Current Level: 98% ¡97% ¡96%]
Her despair level was decreasing.
Even though she was saying it was a lie, Ken could tell from the status window that she believed him.
¡°Well then, I¡¯ll really get going now.¡±
¡°H-hic, hic¡¡±
Rafne didn¡¯t try to stop Ken as he made his way toward the door. She could only continue crying silently.
Ken couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for her.
¡°Oh, about lunch¡ was it something I don¡¯t like?¡±
¡°H-huh?¡±
¡°So¡ would it be okay if I came back here for lunch too?¡±
Come to think of it, there was no need to visit only for breakfast. If she was feeling this lonely, he could just increase the number of times he visited.
It was a simple thought.
But to Rafne, it was a ray of hope.
She looked at him with tear-filled eyes.
Then, all at once, she broke down and started crying again.
¡°Hic, hic¡ You have toe back¡ You have to¡¡±
¡°Y-yeah, don¡¯t worry.¡±
Ken was starting to worry that she might end up dehydrated like he had earlier.
Chapter 4
"Did something happen?"
Mary approached me with a worried look after I arrivedte to ss, having missed the first period because of Rafne.
"You weren¡¯t in ss this morning."
She probably thought I got caught up in some bullying incident. Well, technically, the girl who used to bully mest year did hold onto me and refused to let go, crying the whole time.
"I just found a stray cat on the way. Got so caught up that I lost track of time, haha¡."
There was no need to tell her the truth. I''ll have to keep visiting Rafne''s tower for the time being, and it would cause all sorts ofplications if word got out about her situation.
It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Mary, but better safe than sorry.
"A cat, huh?"
Thankfully, Mary didn¡¯t seem suspicious of my story. In fact, she looked intrigued, her eyes lighting up.
Ah, so Mary likes cats. That¡¯s new. In the game, she was always portrayed as a viin, so I didn¡¯t know these little details. Since the goal was to build affection with the male characters, I never paid attention to such nuances.
Since bing Ken, I¡¯ve realized that there¡¯s more to this world than just the information I gathered from the game.
After all, when I yed the game, I could only view things from the protagonist Emily Epirus¡¯s perspective.
"If anything happens, please call for me anytime."
With that, Mary checked that I was okay and returned to her ss.
This was another thing I hadn¡¯t known while ying the game. Mary, ording to the game''s background, couldn¡¯t stand seeing people being bullied or isted.
I had thought that her followers were just infatuated with her and followed her blindly. But seeing her checking on people¡¯s well-being, I understand why she has such a loyal fan club.
¡®Looks like my immediate priorities are clear.¡¯
What I need to do right now is simple.
Dieting and item crafting.
I don¡¯t know how much my physical abilities will improve as I lose weight, but right now, it¡¯s the most efficient way to increase my stats.
In the game Epirus Academy, if you were ying as the protagonist Emily, you¡¯d normally build up your starting skills and abilities step by step to get stronger.
You could also explore the surroundings to collect various items or skills and find different ways to grow.
In one ythrough, you could master swordsmanship to the point where you¡¯d skip every event by brute force.
In another, you could master magic, unlocking multiple magical options for solving problems.
Or, you could take on lifestyle skills and amass a fortune in a yful ¡°wealth-building¡± route.
There were so many ways to y the game. But here¡¯s the problem.
I¡¯m not Emily Epirus.
[Name: Ken Feinstein
Unique Skills: Crafting, Calorie Burn
Unique Trait: Physical abilities increase as weight decreases
Possessed Trait: Obesity
Current physical stats: 175 cm, 110 kg]
¡®For an extra, they didn¡¯t even bother giving him basic stats?¡¯
I am now Ken Feinstein. An extra character in this game.
Not only that¡ªan extra with no events tied to him.
Just a standing illustration and nothing more, barely a supporting role.
It seems the game developers didn¡¯t even think to give him starting skills or traits beyond his unique skills and traits.
¡®So, learning basic skills and traits is another task to handle.¡¯
I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯ll gain skills or traits yet.
When you y as Emily, you have a skill tree to work with from the start.
There are also items scattered throughout the world that grant skills, but going out to find them now would be a death wish.
So, first things first¡ªlose weight.
It¡¯s the only way to boost my stats right now.
And then, my other ability¡ªcrafting.
In Epirus Academy, every character has a unique skill that defines their future. These skills manifest at different times but are predetermined and shape their destinies.
¡®System, open the detailed window for Ken Feinstein¡¯s crafting skill.¡¯
[Unique Skill: Crafting
Skill Levels
Handcrafting LV 2
Weapon Crafting LV 1
Potion Crafting LV 1
Magical Tool Crafting LV 1]
¡®As I thought, the skill is divided into categories.¡¯
In the game, the standard use of the crafting skill appears onlyter in the story through an NPC. Emily would normally rely on that NPC to craft items.
Since the crafting skill lets you make anything as long as you have the recipe and materials, Emily doesn¡¯t have it at the start to maintain the game¡¯s difficulty.
Instead, you¡¯d find or buy the necessary items from shops.
This is my first time seeing the crafting skill in such detail.
¡®So, I need to raise my skill proficiency if I want to make the Goddess¡¯s Pendant.¡¯
The game¡¯s NPCs never failed at crafting as long as you provided the money and materials.
But, based on Emily¡¯s other skills, it¡¯s clear that having a skill doesn¡¯t guarantee sess. Other stats also influence skill performance.
¡®Looks like I need to raise my stats too.¡¯
There¡¯s a lot to do.
Normally, I¡¯d focus solely on losing weight to increase my physical abilities.
But if I want to save Rafne, I need to move faster.
The war event with the demons will eventually happen, no matter what character Emily bonds with or which ending route she takes.
When the war begins, the demons always prioritize attacking the academy.
If that happens, I can¡¯t guarantee Rafne¡¯s safety while she¡¯s locked in the tower.
¡®And for my sake, Rafne needs to live.¡¯
Of course, I¡¯m not just trying to save her out of pity.
In the game, Rafne is one of the strongest characters.
She might have disappeared after losing to Emily in part one, but her unique skills and potential are ranked among the academy¡¯s best.
Saving her and getting her on my side will dramatically increase my chances of survival.
¡®Alright, my n is set.¡¯
I closed my notebook, where I¡¯d been secretly jotting down my thoughts during ss.
Right on cue, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson.
It seems time flies when you¡¯re deep in thought.
"Ken, how about we eat lunch together today?"
It was lunchtime, and Mary hade to find me, apanied by some other students.
"Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I already have someone to eat with for the time being."
¡°¡I see.¡±@@novelbin@@
Until Rafne recovers from her curse or her mental state improves, I¡¯ll have to keep eating with her.
[Ken Feinstein¡¯s immersion level has decreased.]
It seems like whenever I go against Ken¡¯s core instincts, this ¡°immersion level¡± drops.
The usual pressure I feel when standing near Mary loosened a bit.
I¡¯ve discovered something new.
¡°¡In that case, should I join you?¡±
Mary asked as I packed up my things.
"Huh? But there are others waiting for you¡"
"They¡¯ll be fine. They¡¯re in a group, after all."
No, they¡¯re your fan club¡ªthey won¡¯t be fine without you.
¡°¡It¡¯s just that the person I¡¯m eating with is a bit shy. Maybe another time, haha."
Naturally, it would be a disaster if Mary came along.
Mary and Rafne don¡¯t get along, and it would be awkward if people saw me eating with the girl who bullied mest year.
Not to mention, Mary wouldn¡¯t be able to get close to Rafne because of her curse.
¡°¡I see. Well, alright then.¡±
Mary nodded, then walked back to her group.
I wonder if she misunderstood, thinking I was eating alone.
She¡¯s very considerate. If she weren¡¯t the game¡¯s viin, she¡¯d probably be a very popr heroine.
Before heading to Rafne¡¯s tower, I first stopped by the dormitory to pack some supplies.
The various tools rattled in therge wooden box.
"Huff, huff."
Carrying all this heavy equipment along with myrge body was a real workout.
I guess it¡¯s good for my weight loss, but it¡¯s exhausting.
¡®I need to get that item soon.¡¯
I thought of an item hidden in the Droplet Forest, located at the academy¡¯s outskirts.
The academy, located on the edge of the Pracia continent in the Lillias Kingdom, is surrounded by a massive forest.
Ken¡¯s dormitory, Applelore, and Rafne¡¯s tower are on opposite ends of the academy grounds.
¡°Damn, I¡¯m going to die.¡±
It feels like every time I visit the tower, I get an intense workout.
The tools I¡¯m carrying are various crafting instruments.
Though I didn¡¯t know this from the game, Ken¡¯s memory revealed that he¡¯s the son of a wealthy merchant from the Lillias Kingdom.
The Lillias Kingdom is the only gateway between the humannds of the Pracia continent and the demonnds of the Carav continent. It¡¯s the center of trade, with rare resources like magic stonesing from Carav.
As a wealthy merchant¡¯s son, Ken Feinstein naturally had ess to significant funds.
And judging by his body, it¡¯s clear he wasn¡¯t living like a poormoner.
Thanks to that, his dorm room was well-stocked with all kinds of crafting tools.
"W-whoa!"
Lost in thought, I tripped on something and fell with a crash.
"Oink!"
A pig-like squeal escaped my lips, but thankfully, I managed to protect the tools.
As I pushed through the pain and looked up, I saw three female studentsughing as they walked by.
Were they the ones who tripped me?
Those girls were part of the group that used to bully Ken regrly.
They had been boldst year when Rafne was backing them, but with Rafne gone and Mary protecting me, their bullying had lessened.
But they still made a point of tormenting me when Mary wasn¡¯t around, especially on rainy days.
¡®I need to lose this weight as soon as possible.¡¯
Their reason for bullying me is obvious.
I¡¯m fat and easy to pick on.
In terms of the game, I must be one of those characters that¡¯s just made to be bullied.
If I want to escape this situation, I need to shed these pounds quickly.
¡°¡Huff.¡±
Being possessed by Ken, I don¡¯t feel much emotional distress from their bullying.
The physical pain is unavoidable, but I¡¯m able to stay rtively calm.
Still, I¡¯m sure the real Ken must¡¯ve suffered terribly.
And yet, he didn¡¯t even bother losing the weight. Well, that¡¯s his own fault.
¡°Hm?¡±
As I dusted myself off, I noticed someone watching me from afar.
When I looked up, I saw the game¡¯s protagonist, Emily Epirus.
She nced at me indifferently, and when our eyes met, she frowned and looked away, as if disgusted.
¡°¡I¡¯ll never get used to this.¡±
In the game, Emily¡¯s personality wasn¡¯t well-defined, as the developers wanted yers to project themselves onto her.
The only information about her character was a few lines from the official game guide, describing her as just and righteous.
¡®How does that description even fit?¡¯
When I yed the game, at least Emily would rush over to help someone who had fallen.
But now? It seems she only does that for attractive male characters.
Or maybe fat, ugly guys like Ken don¡¯t even count as people in her eyes?
Either way, she¡¯s nothing like the protagonist I remember.
It¡¯s bing clearer that this world has many hidden aspects I wasn¡¯t aware of.
¡°Are you not going to help him?¡±
Adrian, standing beside Emily, asked her.
¡°Hmm, do I really need to?¡±
Emily nced at Ken Feinstein again.
He was struggling to move his unkempt, overweight body, panting heavily as he lifted his things.
The sight of him waddling and sweating made her grimace in disgust.
¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t leave someone in need like that. Did he do something wrong?¡±
¡°¡No, it¡¯s just¡¡±
Adrian wasn¡¯t wrong. Normally, Emily wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore someone in trouble.
But Ken Feinstein filled her with a deep sense of repulsion.
It stemmed from her past, a detail Ken wouldn¡¯t know.
Before entering the academy, Emily had been a simple vige girl living in the outer reaches of the Lillias Kingdom.
Until the country had personally sent her a rmendation letter, naming her the ¡°Child of Prophecy,¡± she had led a very ordinary life.
Then, she remembered the unwanted attention from a higher noble overseeing her hometown, a man much like Ken¡ªfat, greedy, and disgusting.
Whenever the noble came to inspect the vige, his lecherous gaze would linger on Emily and her younger sister.
One day, when she was out gathering herbs in the forest, he had tried to drag her away.
His fat fingers had grabbed her slender wrist, his heavy breathing filled with lust.
The memory of that moment still made her shudder.
Thankfully, a golden-haired knight passing by had rescued her.
Seeing the knight chase away the noble with hismanding presence had made Emily¡¯s heart race uncontrobly.
From that day on, her sense of what she liked in men¡ªand what she despised¡ªhad be clear.
Ken Feinstein was the embodiment of everything she hated.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Leaving behind the pathetic sight of Ken waddling along, Emily urged Adrian to move on.
Let me know how this trantion works for you! Feel free to point out any changes or specific tones you need!
Chapter 5
¡°Keeeeen!!¡±
As soon as I opened the door at the top of the tower, Rafne, who had been sitting down, ran straight toward me.
¡°Waaaaah¡! You really came¡! I thought you weren¡¯t going to!¡±
¡°I told you I would, didn¡¯t I?¡±
My legs, already worn out from carrying all the supplies, gave out as soon as Rafne clung to me.
¡®Talk about extreme contrasts.¡¯
Not long ago, I was met with Emily¡¯s disgusted gaze, as if I were filth, and now Rafne, the girl who said she couldn¡¯t live without me, was embracing me.
Ironically, the first is the righteous protagonist, and the second was the one who led the bullying.
I couldn¡¯t help but smile.
¡°Sniff¡ b-but what¡¯s all this?¡±
¡°Oh, I said I¡¯d help fix your curse, right? This is for that.¡±
As I mentioned before, the dormitory and the tower are on opposite ends of the academy. The items I¡¯m going to create to break Rafne¡¯s curse won¡¯t be made in one go.
Since I¡¯d have toe back here every time to test the prototypes, I figured it¡¯d be more efficient to work from her tower. Her room is spacious enough for my equipment, and being here would be good for her too.
¡°Sniff¡ thank you¡ thank you, Ken.¡±
Rafne buried her face into my round stomach, sobbing as she did.
[Possessed Trait: Despair ¨C Current Value: 56%]
Fortunately, since my visits began, her despair, once at 100%, had dropped by nearly half.
She was crying so much that I was worried she might get dehydrated, but as long as her mental state was stabilizing, it should be okay¡ right?
¡°I made this and this, oh, and this too! What do you think? Do you like it?¡±
After roughly organizing my things and sitting down at the table, Rafne began bringing out the food she had prepared.
Just like at breakfast, the table was filled with an enormous amount of food.
¡°Rafne¡ you made all of this?¡±
¡°Yeah, hehe. You like it, right? And this, and this too.¡±
The dishes she presented were filled with all kinds of delicious meats. Just seeing them made my body react, and it hit me instantly.
These were Ken Feinstein¡¯s favorite foods.
Grrrr~
A loud rumble came from my stomach.
¡°Take your time! Eat slowly! Here, water.¡±
I dug into the food like a starving man. I tore into a drumstick, sipped on a meat-based soup, and bit into crispy pork.
This ce was heaven.
¡°Chomp, gulp, it¡¯s so good¡ so good, Rafne!¡±@@novelbin@@
¡°I¡¯m d¡¡±
And now I understood. The real reason Ken couldn¡¯t lose weight.
To him, food was the only joy in life.
The sensation of filling his mouth with food he loved, savoring the texture, and then swallowing it into his empty stomach.
The satisfaction and pleasurepletely dominated his brain.
Sigh, how am I supposed to lose weight?
¡°Chomp¡ by the way, Rafne, how did you know the foods I like?¡±
Satisfied with the meal, a question came to mind.
Sure, Rafne and Ken knew each other, but they weren¡¯t exactly close enough to share meals.
If anything, they had more of a bullying rtionship, so it was surprising she knew his favorite foods.
Rafne hesitated, lowering her gaze as her voice trembled.
¡°Well, uh¡st year, I used to steal¡ your favorite foods¡ I''m sorry¡ I¡¯m really sorry.¡±
¡°Oh, I see.¡±
Considering how obsessed Ken was with food, it made sense. Stealing the thing that gave him the most happiness would¡¯ve been more effective than any other form of bullying.
As I chewed my food, lost in thought, Rafne must have interpreted my silence as anger.
Her expression darkened, and she started to panic.
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, are you mad? I¡¯m really reflecting on it, so¡ please forgive me. I¡¯m sorry I took your favorite food! I didn¡¯t know how much you liked it, I¡¯m sorry¡!¡±
I didn¡¯t care at all, but Rafne was bowing down, pleading for forgiveness.
Tears began welling up in her dull eyes.
[Possessed Trait: Despair ¨C Current Value: 78%, 79%, 80%¡]
Wait, wait, don¡¯t raise your despair level just because of this!
¡°No, seriously, I¡¯m not mad! In fact, I¡¯m really happy to be eating something so delicious right now.¡±
And it was true. I didn¡¯t care what had happened to Ken in the past¡ªwhether it was stolen food, toys, or money, it didn¡¯t matter to me.
But Rafne must have taken my calmness the wrong way, as her tears began to fall.
¡°Sniff¡ Ken, you¡¯re such an angel. Thank you¡ You must actually be mad, but you¡¯re holding it in because of me, right? I¡¯m sorry¡¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡!¡±
Dealing with someone with a broken mind is really tough.
I need to do something about this rising despair level before it spirals out of control.
Throughout the meal, I did my best to lift Rafne¡¯s spirits.
Thest thing I needed was her despair spiking and triggering a bad ending.
The thought of visiting her tower for breakfast only to be greeted by her shadow hanging from a rope made me shudder.
¡°So, that doll over there¡ you said it was a new one?¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±
I once read in a book that people really want someone to listen to their stories.
So, I tried my best to listen attentively to everything she said.
I nodded along, showing I was paying attention.
After a year of istion from people, Rafne must have had so much to say.
Even if it was about imaginary conversations with her dolls, the fact that she could talk about it¡ªand that someone was there to listen¡ªwould surely help heal her mind.
[Possessed Trait: Despair ¨C Current Value: 42%]
Phew, I passed that hurdle.
Rafne chatted endlessly for what felt like an hour. I was surprised she managed without any conversations for so long.
Her mood improved as she talked, and the tears in her eyes gave way to a brighter, more lively look.
¡°You know, I never realized how easy it is to talk with you, Ken.¡±
That was her conclusion after talking nonstop for about an hour.
Apparently, humans feel a strong sense of closeness to those who listen to them.
Who knew I¡¯d end up proving that fact myself?
¡°¡Huh?¡±
Then, just as her despair levels were dropping, something else caught my eye on the status screen.
[Possessed Trait: ¡ Dependency LV 6]
¡®¡Level 6?¡¯
Her dependency level had increased.
No, level 6?! If this were a swordsmanship skill, she¡¯d be right on the verge of bing a swordmaster.
How is she maxing out a debuff skill like dependency?
¡°Ken, um¡ while you were gone earlier, I thought about something.¡±
As I stared at that absurd level, Rafne suddenly spoke up.
She was smiling brightly, just like before, but there was something unnerving about her eyes.
¡°When you leave here¡ of course, you said you¡¯lle back, but what if you change your mind? What if one day, you don¡¯t want toe back to the tower anymore or you don¡¯t want to see me?¡±
¡°I-I mean, that¡¯s not going to happen! I said I¡¯ll alwayse back, no matter what¡¡±
¡°¡But I hurt you, and I did wrong, so I can understand if you decide not toe back. But if you leave, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll lose all hope.¡±
Her expression hardened, probably as she imagined that future.
Then, she smiled at me with a hopeful look.
Her eyes were lifeless, but she was clearly smiling.
¡°So, I came up with a great idea!¡±
¡°¡W-what is it?¡±
Feeling a strange sense of dread, I swallowed nervously.
Her next words were shocking.
¡°I¡¯ll have your baby!¡±
¡°¡What?¡±
She said it with apletely serious face, though it sounded like a joke.
But her eyes showed she wasn¡¯t kidding.
¡°If you don¡¯t want toe back here, then I¡¯ll just have your baby and raise it. That way, even if you don¡¯t want toe anymore, I won¡¯t be alone. I think it¡¯s a great idea! What do you think, Ken?¡±
Having a baby together¡ That¡¯s not something a girl would suggest so casually.
What was scarier was that she didn¡¯t seem to feel any embarrassment, excitement, or romantic feelings about it.
¡°And if we have a baby, wouldn¡¯t you want to keeping here? H-hehe.¡±
She genuinely wanted a baby to avoid being alone.
Her dark eyes were looking at me with greed.
¡°No, no, hold on¡ªlet¡¯s think this through, Rafne!¡±
I quickly stopped her from rushing ahead.
¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it a good idea?¡±
¡°Well, what about your curse?¡±
Rushing to deny her outright wasn¡¯t the best approach. There¡¯s a chance she might use her skills to force the issue if I handle this poorly.
She seemed that determined.
So, I needed to approach this rationally and logically.
¡°Curse? What about the curse?¡±
¡°What if the baby is affected by your curse?¡±
Exactly. The only reason I¡¯m not affected by her curse is because I¡¯m a possessor.
There¡¯s no telling whether a baby would inherit immunity to the curse.
Upon hearing my words, Rafne faltered, realizing the w in her n.
She hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead.
¡°Well, maybe because it¡¯s our baby, it¡¯ll be immune too¡?¡±
As if that were likely.
¡°No, Rafne. You need to be realistic. We need to consider the worst-case scenario.¡±
¡°Worst¡ case?¡±
¡°Yeah, if the baby is affected by the curse, it wouldn¡¯t be able to stay here. Someone would have to raise it outside.¡±
It¡¯s impossible to raise a child in an environment filled with extreme stress.
Rafne seemed to understand the implications of my words.
¡°Then¡¡±
¡°Right, I wouldn¡¯t be able to visit the tower because I¡¯d have to raise the baby. That means you¡¯d be left here alone again.¡±
¡°A-ah¡ Aaaaaah¡¡±
The thought of being alone again filled Rafne¡¯s eyes with despair.
[Possessed Trait: Despair ¨C Current Value: 74%... 77%... 81%]
¡°So, that¡¯s just one possible oue. For now, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep visiting, okay?¡±
¡°Sniff¡ okay. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
I never imagined she¡¯de up with something this insane.
Chapter 7
I immediately ran toward the direction of the scream.
Sure, I was just a fat, unattractive loser, but that didn¡¯t matter right now.
The voice was familiar.
¡°Hah... how many times... do I have to run in one day...!¡±
Already out of breath, I pushed myself to keep running at full speed.
I climbed over tree roots and pushed through the underbrush until I reached the source of the sound.
Beyond the bushes in front of me, in a small clearing, there was a woman on the ground and a giant creature standing over her.
¡®What the hell?! Why is that thing here?!¡¯
The enormous figure was a B-rank monster.
[Albino Cyclops.]
Among the giant-type monsters, the cyclops was a field boss even in this Droplet Forest.
And it had the albino title.
Albino monsters were rare, and they were even stronger than their normal counterparts.
There was no way a monster like that should be in this forest.
¡°Guaaaaaargh!!¡±
Drooling nastily, the cyclops roared at the woman in front of it.
¡°Kyaaah!¡±
The woman, copsed on the ground, let out a terrified cry.
I knew exactly who she was.
¡®What the hell is she doing here¡?!¡¯
The woman was none other than Emily Epiris, the main character of the game.
At this point in the game¡¯s story¡ªearly in Part 2¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat that thing.
[Academy of Epiris] was a game designed for party y.
Emily¡¯s solo stats weren¡¯t that high, and her unique skills were more focused on support rather than offense.
The proper way to fight was to have strong allies at the front while Emily guided the strategy from the center.
There was no way she could defeat a boss monster alone.
¡®Damn it, how can I get her out of here?!¡¯
If she died now, the bad ending of this world would be set in stone.
And that meant my death would follow.
I couldn¡¯t let her die.
We both had to survive.
But¡
¡®I have no chance of beating that thing either¡¡¯
It was obvious. Ken Feinstein, the fat, extra character I was stuck as, didn¡¯t have any magic skills worth mentioning.
All I had were the item-making skill and the ridiculous trait that made me stronger if I lost weight.
And¡
¡®I really don¡¯t want to use that skill when I don¡¯t know what it does¡!¡¯
[Unique Skills: Item Creation, Calorie Burn.]
The mysterious skill that had been bugging me for a while.
If it turned out to be a self-destructive skill, I¡¯d end up dead right away. I hadn¡¯t dared to use it without knowing its effects.
But now wasn¡¯t the time to be picky.
If Emily died, I was dead anyway.
So¡
¡®I have no choice but to rely on this unknown skill¡¡¯
¡°Guaaaaaargh!!¡±
Boom, boom.
¡°S-someone... please help me....¡±
The giant cyclops slowly moved its massive foot closer to her.
Emily sat on the ground, trembling and unable to move.
From the dirt on her clothes, it was clear she¡¯d already been knocked down once in the fight.
She shivered in fear, her eyes filled with despair.
She was on the brink of death, tears starting to well up in her eyes, her voice weak as she muttered:
¡°Please... someone... save me....¡±
Watching her, I made up my mind.
I closed my eyes and focused my will.
¡®...Calorie Burn.¡¯
I felt the energy in my body surge, and a wave of pain hit me as I opened my eyes.
¡°Ugh!¡±
[Skill Activated: Calorie Burn.]
[Time Limit: 15 Minutes]
Emily, faced with death, found herself reflecting on her past.
As her life shed before her eyes, her biggest regret was clear.
It was the old woman who had stopped her during a walk in the city that weekend.
She had agreed to the old woman¡¯s request.
¡®Why did I offer to help find her son¡¯s keepsake¡?!¡¯
Emily, who could never turn down someone in need, was now regretting her choice.
Helping others had always felt fulfilling, something she thought was right to do.
But now, her life was in danger because of it.
She was about to die, all because of one good deed.
Staring at the cyclops growling at her, she shook with fear.
Her legs were paralyzed from the earlier attack, and she couldn¡¯t even run.
Her shoulders, legs, and lips were trembling.
The cyclops seemed to enjoy her fear, taking slow, deliberate steps toward her.
The giant¡¯s hand came into view.
Emily could already picture how she would die.
Her limbs would be torn apart.
At the very least, she would be crushed by that massive fist.
The monster wouldn¡¯t be kind enough to give her a quick death.
She could see it all y out in her mind, and she barely managed to open her mouth.
¡°S-someone... help me....¡±
I don¡¯t want to die...! I don¡¯t want to die...!
Emily didn¡¯t want to die at all.
¡°Please... someone... save me....¡±
In that short time, she prayed over and over in her heart. She begged someone to save her.
Just like the knight who had once saved her from the lecherous noble.
She prayed for someone to save her again.
¡®But¡ this time... no one¡¯sing, right¡?¡¯
Was this time going to be different?
Unlike that knight, was there no miracleing?
As she called out with no answer in sight, Emily began to give up on life.
Her lips quivered as tears streamed down her face.
She closed her eyes, epting the inevitable.
Her mouth trembled with fear, and her tears flowed endlessly.
And then¡
¡°Step back!¡±
Just like a miracle, the knight she had prayed for appeared in front of her.
¡°A-ah... Ah!¡±
When Emily opened her eyes after giving up, she saw the figure of the knight who had saved her from the noble.
Golden hair. Broad shoulders blocking her view. He was her prince.
¡°Hyaah!¡±
The man charged at the cyclops, holding a short dagger.
He moved swiftly, as if he knew exactly where the monster¡¯s weak spot was.
Without hesitation, he stabbed the cyclops directly in the eye.
¡°Guaaaaaaaaah!!¡±
The cyclops clutched its eye and fell to the ground, and the man didn¡¯t miss the opportunity.
He swiftly shed with the short dagger.
Even though it was just a short de, it cut through the monster as if it were a knight¡¯s sword.
The man shed the cyclops in half, killing it.
¡®...What just happened?¡¯
Emily couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him.
After killing the cyclops, the man caught his breath and walked toward her.
He looked exactly like the knight who had once saved her.
The same knight who had shaped her ideal of a perfect man.
His strong, chiseled features and the powerful, muscr build that screamed strength.
¡®...Am I stupid? Why am I feeling this way...?!¡¯
Just moments ago, she had been trembling in fear, but now, after miraculously surviving, Emily¡¯s heart was pounding at the sight of the man in front of her.
She put her hand on her chest, feeling her heart race like never before.
Her face flushed with heat.
This was her first love.
¡°T-thank you... so much for saving me.¡±
Trying to calm her racing heart, Emily expressed her gratitude.
¡®Is he... an academy student?¡¯
As she took a closer look, she noticed that the man was wearing the academy¡¯s uniform.
The crest on his chest was unmistakably from the academy.
Emily felt this was her chance.
¡°Um...! Excuse me...!¡±
Just as she tried to gather her thoughts to continue the conversation, the man spoke first.
¡°...Food.¡±
¡°...What?¡±
The word waspletely unexpected.
¡°Do you have any food? ...I need something, anything.¡±
The man suddenly asked for food.
It was a strange request after killing a monster so heroically, but Emily quickly rummaged through her pocket.
¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯ll give you some right away! Just a moment, please!¡±
Fortunately, Emily had her spatial pouch.
Any food she stored in there stayed fresh indefinitely thanks to the suspended time within it.
The convenient pouch had allowed her to keep plenty of supplies on hand.
¡®I¡¯m so d I have this pouch...!¡¯
She had already experienced the pouch¡¯s usefulness many times, but this time she was more grateful for it than ever.
She wanted to hold onto this man, even if it was just for a little longer.
Offering food seemed like the perfect excuse.
¡°H-here... I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s to your taste, but...¡±
Emily handed him a sandwich she had made herself, with chicken and mashed potatoes.
Her heart raced as she offered it to him, but the man immediately took it and started eating.
To anyone else, it might have looked rude, even greedy, the way he devoured the food, but to Emily, it looked different.
¡®He eats with such confidence...¡¯
Worried that the sandwich might not suit his taste, Emily was relieved to see him enjoying it.
Without hesitation, the man reached out again.
¡°More. I need more food...!¡±
¡°Yes! I have plenty, so please, tell me what you need!¡±
Pleased that he liked her sandwich, Emily happily smiled as she took more food out of her pouch.
She handed him one, and he finished it in an instant.
She handed him two more, and they were gone just as quickly.
His insatiable appetite seemed endless, but Emily was happy to keep feeding him.
As the man continued to eat¡
¡®...Huh?¡¯
His body began to grow rounder and rounder.@@novelbin@@
¡®...Wait, what?¡¯
Soon, he had transformed into a familiar figure.
¡°Phew, thanks. That was close, but you really saved me.¡±
The man, now with a bloated belly, patted his stomach with a satisfied smile.
It was her ssmate, Ken Feinstein.
¡°...What?¡±
Emily could only manage a short, confused sound, while Ken¡¯s belly-rubbing echoed in the quiet forest.
Chapter 8
[Skill Activated: Calorie Burn]
[Time Limit: 15 Minutes]
As I opened my eyes, pain coursing through me, a blue window popped up in front of me.
It disyed the name of the skill I¡¯d just activated, along with the time limit.
At the same time, I felt an incredible surge of strength within my body.
[Current Physical Specs: 175cm, 70kg]
[System: Due to the use of the skill ¡®Calorie Burn,¡¯ 40kg of body weight has been consumed. The consumed weight is converted into physical strength due to the trait¡¯s effect.]
[System: The effect of ¡®Calorie Burn¡¯ drastically increases the number of calories that can be absorbed from consumed food.]
[System: Within the 15-minute time limit, consume enough food to return to your original weight. Failure to do so will result in the death of Ken Feinstein.]
I stared at the status messages, feeling the malicious intent of the game developers.
I quickly understood what kind of skill this was.
Clenching my fist, I could feel a strength I¡¯d never experienced before.
¡®With this, I can beat it.¡¯
I immediately leaped in front of Emily to shield her.
¡°Stand back!¡±
Using the dagger I had crafted the previous day, I attacked the [Albino Cyclops].
Cyclopes typically have one major weak point¡ªtheir eye. Striking it would stun the creature and render it immobile for a time.
I initially thought I¡¯d have to assess whether my attacks were effective enough to decide whether to escape with Emily or take down the monster.
However, to my surprise, I split the cyclops in two with a single strike.
¡®This skill is incredible¡ I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before.¡¯
It must¡¯ve been some sort of joke or challenge added by the game developers.
There¡¯s no other reason they would include a skill that instantly burns weight to increase power.
¡®¡The problem is...¡¯
[System: Time remaining to restore weight¡ª13 minutes]
¡®Damn it, where am I supposed to find food in the middle of this forest?!¡¯
Then, it hit me¡ªEmily.
In the game, there were food items, though they weren¡¯t much use for healing in theter stages.
Still, they existed.
I quickly approached Emily and asked.
¡°...Food.¡±
¡°...Huh?¡±
¡°Do you have any food left? I need something, anything.¡±
Emily immediately pulled out food.
She seemed... kinder than usual.
Normally, she wouldn¡¯t want to be near me, much less touch me. She¡¯d usually avert her gaze as if looking at trash.
But now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on that.
I didn¡¯t know how much food I needed to eat.
¡®The sandwich... it''s absorbing into my body...!¡¯
I began devouring the food as quickly as I could.
Luckily, Emily kept providing me with more food without hesitation.
For some reason, she seemed like an angel today.
Is this how the people who usually benefited from her kindness saw her?
[System: Target calorie intake reached. Skill has been deactivated.]
¡°Phew, thanks. I was really in trouble, but you saved me.¡±
I almost died.
I patted my now full stomach and thanked Emily... Wait, what?
¡°...Huh?¡±
Emily¡¯s voice sounded hollow.
Why was she looking at me like that?
Oh, right. Thanks to the skill, I¡¯d slimmed down for a bit.
Anyone would be shocked to see me suddenly gain weight again like this.
I should exin...
¡°N-no, no....¡±
But Emily, still in a daze, began muttering under her breath, her face darkening.
¡°...That¡¯s... my first love...¡±
¡°Um? Oh, no need to thank me. We helped each other out¡ª¡±
¡°No... no, no, no! NO!!¡±
Was she really that desperate to thank me?
Even though I told her it was fine, she stubbornly denied it.
Then, suddenly, she shot to her feet.
Wait¡ªweren¡¯t her legs supposed to be hurt?
¡°......¡±
She stared down at me.
But her eyes weren¡¯t shining like an angel¡¯s, nor were they filled with disgust like usual.
Instead, they were filled with shame and fury, and her tearful eyes looked like they could explode at any moment.
¡°Noooooo!!¡±
With that scream, Emily turned and ran away.
"...What the hell was that about?"
Well, at least she¡¯s alive, right?
Everything worked out in the end!
With Emily gone, I immediately got to work.
Unexpectedly, things had turned out better than I¡¯d hoped.
¡®Emily left in such a rush... but that means all of this is mine.¡¯
Humming to myself, I pulled out the knife I had made and began harvesting the materials from the [Albino Cyclops¡¯s] body.
¡°Woohoo! This guy¡¯s even carrying gems! Super lucky!¡±
In this world, gems hold value beyond mere money.
Starting with magic stones that contain mana, there are also four elemental gems, each imbued with the power of their corresponding element.
The gem I found on the [Albino Cyclops] was green.
That meant it held the power of wind.
¡®Judging by the size, it¡¯s not a high rank.¡¯
In the game, items would be automaticallybeled with their rank, but in this reality, I had to estimate based on size.
It seemed to be about a D-rank.
Still, even a D-rank gem could be used to imbue weapons or armor with elemental attributes, making it a great find.
I ced the gem in my new spatial pouch.
I couldn¡¯t feel its weight, but knowing it was there made my heart race with excitement.
Additionally, the [Albino Cyclops¡¯s] hide was extremely rare, thanks to its albino title.
The hide of a giant-type monster was thick and tough, perfect for crafting armor or selling at a high price.
Then there were the bones.
Sure, the process of cutting through the skin and extracting the bones was stomach-churning, but it was necessary.
¡®There¡¯s even a thing like the ¡°Bone Sword.¡± I should give it a shot.¡¯
Materials from boss-level monsters were valuable, especially in the early stages of the game.
¡®Too bad I can¡¯t use this.¡¯
In the game, even if you targeted the weak point, you could still use the cyclops¡¯s eye as a crafting material.
But in reality, the eye had beenpletely destroyed by my knife.
It was disappointing, but there was nothing I could do.
I ced all the materials into my spatial pouch.
Even with all the cyclops¡¯s materials inside, it didn¡¯t feel any heavier.
¡°I knew getting this pouch was the right choice.¡±
The spatial pouch had made a huge difference in my life.
Satisfied with the results of my little adventure, I returned to the dormitory.
Emily Epiris locked herself in her room after her dangerous adventure.
¡®No, no, this isn¡¯t happening.¡¯
She pulled her nket over her head, reying the events of the day in her mind.
Her life had been in danger.
A one-eyed monster.
Then, a dashing prince appeared to save her.
But that prince was... eaten by a pig.
The prince had suddenly turned into a pig wearing a prince¡¯s skin.
¡®It can¡¯t be... He was my first love....¡¯
Back when she had been saved by the knight from the noble, she hadn¡¯t fully understood the feeling of love.
After entering the academy and chatting with her peers, including handsome male friends like Adrian, she had slowly started bing aware of such feelings.
But Ken Feinstein?
The more she thought about it, the more confusing it became.
¡®What am I thinking...?!¡¯@@novelbin@@
Emily despised fat men. No, she hated them.
Every time she saw one, it reminded her of the noble who had tried to take her.
That noble had looked at her with lustful, lecherous eyes.
Remembering it made her skin crawl.
That¡¯s why she was so conflicted now.
She had felt her heart race when Ken saved her, despite her deep-rooted hatred.
Her trauma was denying him, but her heart kept telling her otherwise.
¡®...But he really was cool.¡¯
She couldn¡¯t help but think back to the moment he saved her.
¡®Why won¡¯t that pig just lose some weight!¡¯
Then she remembered the way he had patted his bloated stomach.
Emily resented him for it.
If he was going to lose weight and look handsome, why didn¡¯t he do it sooner?
None of this would¡¯ve happened.
She wouldn¡¯t have treated him with such disdain, nor sneered at him every time they crossed paths.
Everything could have been different.
¡°No,¡± she muttered, wrapping herself tighter in her nket.
¡°Yes, none of this ever happened.¡±
Lost in a swirl of trauma and first love, Emily made up her mind.
She chose denial.
¡°I never had a crush on that guy.¡±
It was a denial of reality.
¡°None of that ever happened.¡±
And that denial...
¡°Hey, pig. Didn¡¯t I tell you to be here in ten minutes?¡±
¡°Kyaah! Emily, you¡¯re so mean. Look at the pig, he¡¯s panting!¡±
¡°That¡¯s what he gets for not losing weight. When Emily calls, he shoulde running.¡±
A few dayster, on a rainy day, Emily had her foot nted firmly on Ken Feinstein¡¯s head.
¡®Right... I never had a crush on someone like him...¡¯
As if trying to prove her point to herself, Emily joined in with the group she despised and tormented Ken Feinstein.
And Ken, who was used to being bullied by them,y there with his head pressed under her foot, thinking:
¡®...Didn¡¯t I just save her a few days ago?¡¯
More than the physical pain, Ken was overwhelmed by the unfairness and confusion of the situation.
[System: Emily Epiris¡¯s sexual arousal is rising.]
¡°...Hehe.¡±
Ken¡¯s mind grew even more bewildered as the status message shed before his eyes.
Chapter 9
¡°Ugh! S-Sorry! I''m sorry! Please stop hitting me!¡±
Behind the academy building, Ken Feinstein was being beaten up pitifully.
And the person kicking his stomach was none other than the protagonist of the game, Emily Epiris.
I stood there watching from the sidelines, as if I were some sort of observer.
[Ken Feinstein¡¯s immersion is increasing.]
It seems like Ken¡¯s personality surfaces more when he¡¯s being bullied, fitting the character¡¯s role.
Thanks to that, I didn¡¯t have to feel the pain, which was a relief for me.
¡®But seriously, what¡¯s wrong with her?¡¯
My head was full of questions.
¡°You can¡¯t do anything right, can you?! Lose some weight, you pig!¡±
Emily stomped on Ken with all her might.
Three other girls, the usual bullies who picked on Ken, giggled nearby.
¡®Yeah, those three I understand, but...¡¯
The problem was Emily Epiris.
Just a few days ago, I saved her. She should remember that. Instead of gratitude, she was paying me back with bullying.
I couldn¡¯t understand it at all.
From what I recall, she was supposed to be the righteous, justice-loving protagonist of the game...
¡°Hahaha, look at you, rolling around on the ground like that.¡±
...Really?
Emily was smiling, her face flushed, clearly enjoying herself.
¡°Ugh, I¡¯m sorry. Please, stop¡¡±
The more Ken groaned in pain, the wider Emily¡¯s smile grew.
It was as if she was genuinely enjoying his suffering.
Just then, a system notification appeared before me.
[System: Emily Epiris¡¯s sexual arousal is increasing.]
¡®...What the hell is this?¡¯
I immediately checked Emily¡¯s status.
[Name: Emily Epiris]
Unique Skill: Selective Sealing
Unique Trait: Sadism
Owned Trait: Reality Denial LV 1
¡®...Sadism? And reality denial?¡¯
What is this?
I¡¯ve seen Emily¡¯s status countless times while ying the game.
But sadism?
I¡¯ve never seen that trait in any of the ythroughs.
¡°Haha! Cry some more, you stupid pig!¡±
¡°Oink¡ I-I am a stupid pig!¡±
¡°Haha... ahaha¡¡±
Emily, breathing heavily, seemed to delight in hearing Ken squeal like a pig.
She looked down at him, licking her lips, as if she were holding back some kind of pleasure.
It was as if she was about to give in to her urges, biting her finger to restrain herself.
What the hell is wrong with you?
Days passed, and Emily continued to be the ringleader of Ken¡¯s bullying.
As if the heavens were against me, it rained almost every day recently, and whenever it did, I was summoned by Emily.
¡°You stink. Why don¡¯t you go wash up? Do you know how bad you smell when you walk by?¡±
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t walk near you anymore.¡±
¡°That''s not the point! Just go wash up!¡±
I was bathing regrly, though. It¡¯s just my natural scent. What could I do about it?
Still, I didn¡¯t mind the bullying.
What? You think I¡¯m a masochist? No way.
[System: Due to the umtion of physical damage, you have acquired the skill ¡®Physical Resistance LV 1¡¯.]
I even gained a new skill.
¡°You dumb pig!¡±
¡°You should consider it an honor to be stomped on by Emily!¡±
¡°Seriously, you¡¯re just huge and useless!¡±
[Yeah! Stomp on this pig some more!]
¡°Eek...!¡±
From my observer¡¯s perspective, I found myself cheering on Emily and her gang.
Though I didn¡¯t enjoy the leftover pain from when Ken¡¯s immersion ended, I was reaping unexpected benefits.
Physical resistance!
If I can level up this skill, it¡¯ll surely help with my survival.
[System: Due to the umtion of mental damage, you have acquired the skill ¡®Mental Fortification LV 1¡¯.]
Huh?
[System: As a result of ¡®Mental Fortification LV 1¡¯, Ken Feinstein¡¯s immersion is weakening.]
Oh no...
¡°Ugh!¡±
¡°You stupid pig! Hurry up and lose weight already!¡±
The pain from Emily stomping on my head hit me full force.
Damn it! It felt like I was on autopilot, but now thanks to this new mental fortification skill, Ken¡¯s personality retreated into the background.
Now I had to feel all the pain directly¡
¡®No, get it together. I have to survive!¡¯
But I couldn¡¯t give up. This was a rare chance to level up these skills.
If I tried leveling physical resistance in a regr battle, it would take more than just a few injuries.
This was the safest and most efficient way to grow these skills.
Hang in there! You¡¯ve got this, Ken Feinstein!
I turned my gaze toward Emily and her group with renewed determination.
With resolve in my eyes, I shouted confidently.
¡°Come on! Hit me more! Insult me more! Step on me harder!¡±
For the sake of leveling up physical resistance and mental fortification!
¡°...¡±
¡°...¡±
Why were they looking at me with such horrified eyes?
Only Emily¡¯s face flushed as she smiled at my deration.
¡°Haah, haa¡ hehehe.¡±
She was breathing heavily. This was starting to get scary.
¡°Uh, Emily? I think I¡¯m going to step out now.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not into beating up masochistic pigs.¡±
¡°Do whatever you want. I don¡¯t care.¡±
The other girls made faces of disgust and quickly left.
Wait, no! Don¡¯t leave me alone with her!
I suddenly understood how Lafne must have felt.
¡°You¡¯re challenging me, aren¡¯t you? Huh, pig Ken? ¡Haah, hehe, fine. I¡¯ll break you nice and slow.¡±
¡°Eek!¡±
¡°Lose some weight, you pig!¡±
And so, my physical resistance and mental fortification skills both reached level 2.
¡°¡Ken, is something wrong?¡±
After Emily¡¯s royal ¡®training¡¯ session, I was at Lafne¡¯s tower.
I wanted to have dinner and work on crafting something using the Albino Cyclops materials I had gathered.
But Lafne seemed to have noticed something was off.
¡°Huh? Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing. Haha.¡±
I couldn¡¯t let Lafne, who already had a fragile mental state, worry about me.
But even though I tried to brush it off, Lafne didn¡¯t believe me and approached.
¡°Ah, hey! That tickles! Hahaha!¡±
¡°...¡±
Lafne started feeling around my body, gently touching me here and there.
Whoa... Lafne, wait! T-that¡¯s¡!
¡°Ken¡ there are a lot more bruises than before...¡±
Lafne looked at me with concern and confusion in her eyes.
Apparently, it was easy for her to figure it out.
¡°¡How did you know?¡±
It¡¯s not like she had pulled up my shirt, and Queen Emily was smart enough not to leave any visible marks on my face.
There was no way she could¡¯ve known just by looking.
Lafne averted her gaze, sweating nervously.
¡°Well¡ it¡¯s because... I know how it feels to hit someone.¡±
Ah, of course. She¡¯s a specialist in this field.
Remembering the times she used to bully Ken, Lafne looked incredibly apologetic, like a puppy that had made a mistake.
She quickly shook her head and looked at me again.
¡°Ken! I know it¡¯s strangeing from me, but¡ if something¡¯s wrong, rely on me!¡±
Even though her eyes were dead and shadowed, her red eyes clearly showed her concern for me.
I was surprised by her sincerity.
Hearing that from my favorite character¡ªit moved me.
Maybe because it wasing from Lafne, who had her own emotional struggles, it felt more meaningful.
But Lafne seemed to misinterpret my gaze.
¡°S-sorry, Ken. It¡¯s so shameless for me to say something like that, right? Even if I told you to rely on someone like me... it¡¯d just make things harder for you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Just moments ago, she had shown such determination, but now she was shrinking away again.
¡°No, Lafne. I¡¯m happy you said that. Thank you.¡±
Her expression brightened at my words, and she sped my hands, her voice excited.
¡°T-then, Ken! If anything happens at the academy, if they bully you or anything¡¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll rely on you, Lafne.¡±
I smiled as I responded.
¡°Right! If you ever go through something hard at the academy, feel free to stay here! I¡¯ll take care of everything for you, so you won¡¯t have to go back to that ce ever again.¡±
Then her face stiffened.
¡°¡Huh?¡±
¡°Hehe, yeah, if you¡¯re having a hard time, just stay here with me. I¡¯ll take care of everything. You don¡¯t need to go back to the academy. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re happy and help you forget all the bad stuff...¡±
Her tone had shifted into something darker, making her tempting offer hard to refuse.
But I¡¯d just gone through mental training with Queen Emily, so I calmly reached out and ced my hand in front of her face.
¡°¡Huh?¡±
Then I flicked her forehead.
¡°...Ouch!¡±
Lafne clutched her forehead, her teary eyes looking up at me.
¡°If I stayed here, who would get rid of your curse?¡±
¡°¡I-I just wanted tofort you...¡±
That was 100% serious.
¡°Well, it¡¯s still nice to know that you¡¯dfort me.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
I wasn¡¯t ready to turn down all her offers.
Suddenly, I had a great idea.
When you¡¯re obsessed with a character like Lafne, you always have some dreams in mind.
Now, I was going to make onee true.
¡°This is heaven.¡±
I rested my head on a soft paradise, feeling my body¡¯s exhaustion melt away.
The sensation of Lafne gently stroking my hair was the best.
¡°I-is this okay¡?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t get to enjoy this the first time, since I was unconscious.¡±
I was lying on Lafne¡¯sp, her soft thighs beneath me.
The pain from Emily¡¯s harsh words and violence melted away.
I felt my body and mind recovering.@@novelbin@@
¡°Mmm¡¡±
I could almost fall asleep here, but I resisted, knowing that if I drifted off, I might never leave this tower again.
Still, the warmth of Lafne¡¯s body and her scent was soothing.
Maybe just a little longer...
Then Lafne mumbled something as she continued to stroke my hair.
¡°Hehe¡ if Ken became obsessed with me, depending on me, then¡¡±
Did I just overhear something ominous?
Sorry, Lafne, but your n isn¡¯t going to work.
Thanks to Queen Emily¡¯s training, I now have a mental fortification skill.
There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be dependent or obsessed with you.
Chapter 10
Several days passed, and I returned to the academy once again.
Fortunately, the weather had been cleartely, so Emily hadn''t been calling for me as much.
However, the subtle bullying that Mary didn¡¯t notice continued.
"Hey, Ken, I forgot my book. Do you mind if I sit next to you?"
Using the book as an excuse, she sat beside me and continued her torment.
"S-stop it... We''re in the middle of ss!"
"Are you talking back? Can''t you just behave?"
She kneaded my belly fat like it was dough. Stop! That¡¯s a sensitive spot!
"...You disgusting blob. Don''t you feel embarrassed walking around like that? It¡¯s huge, like a boar¡¯s. Tell me the truth, do you unt it so the girls will gossip about it?"
"Grrr..."
I endured the shameful teasing from a girl.
But Emily¡¯s bullying didn¡¯t stop there.
"Ken,e here and massage my shoulders."
"Uh...? B-but..."
"What do you mean ''but''? Get over here, now!"
During breaks, she wouldn''t let me rest, forcing me to massage her shoulders instead.
"Hah, ahh... Yeah, right there... a little slower... Aahh!"
"L-like this?"
"Hah... You''re useless at everything else, but at least you¡¯re good for this. Ahh... You¡¯re so big and dumb."
"Grrr..."
Ken''srge hands were something he was self-conscious about, and herments only made it worse.
Even though I had the mental fortification skill, I could still feel Ken''s frustration through his memories.
But I couldn''t stop. If I did, she''d probably hit me.
As humiliating as it was, I kept massaging her shoulders.
''She¡¯s still just a girl, after all.''
Despite everything, her soft shoulders reminded me that she was just a girl.
How could someone with no muscles hit so hard?
"Yeah, right there... more...!"
"Is this the spot, ma¡¯am? Right here, ma¡¯am?"
Thanks to my craftsmanship skill from item creation, I must have been pretty good at massaging.
Recently, she seemed to prefer this over hitting me.
Even now, after ss was over, she kept me here, making me massage her shoulders.
But one thing puzzled me.
[System: Emily Epiris¡¯s sexual arousal is increasing.]
''Is the system broken? Why does her arousal keep going up?''
The system message popped up sometimes, even when Emily wasn¡¯t hitting me.
Sure, she might have sadistic tendencies, but surely the protagonist of the game wasn¡¯t this much of a pervert, right?
My trust in the system messages was starting to waver.
"...Hey, are you okay?"
I noticed Emily''s body temperature was rising, and her breathing was getting heavier.
Her hands were clenched between her legs, and she was squeezing her thighs together.
Her entire body was trembling with each breath.
"Um..."
"Shut up and keep going. Don''t stop your hands..."
"O-okay."
''Tch, why did I even bother worrying about her?''
Feeling a bit irritated, I put more pressure into my massage as a small act of revenge.
After massaging her shoulders for a while, I knew exactly where her weak spots were.
"Hah! Wait...! What are you...!"
"Oh, this spot helps with sleep, ma''am. You seem sleep-deprived. Heh, you¡¯re all knotted up."
Of course, that wasplete nonsense.
I didn¡¯t know anything about sleep pressure points.
But I did know that pressing here made her shoulder twitch and her back tense up.
I focused my efforts on that sensitive spot.
"Ahh! Stop...! I said stop...! Don¡¯t...! Hah, if you keep pressing there...!"
My hands moved skillfully despite her protests.
This was payback for all the times she bullied me.
It seemed to be working, as she sped her hands between her legs and squeezed her thighs tighter, anxiously shifting her legs.
''Alright, time to finish this!''
Just as I was about to press the final pressure point for my grand finale...
"What are you doing at this hour?"
The ssroom door opened, and someone walked in.
"Uh, w-wha...?"
I stammered, startled by the sudden arrival.
It was the Ice Queen of the Academy, Mary Haidia.
Her light blue bob cut sparkled in the twilight.
[Ken Feinstein''s immersion is increasing.]
"M-Mary! What brings you here?"
I felt Ken¡¯s willpower surge through my body, and my hands instinctively moved away from Emily¡¯s shoulders.
Emily turned around, ring at me.
Her gaze was a mix of embarrassment and irritation.
Then she turned that sharp look toward Mary.
"What are you doing here, Mary? You¡¯re not even in this ss."
Despite Emily¡¯s harsh tone, Mary remained expressionless. She replied coldly.
"...I came to walk home with Ken."
"...What? Walk with him?"
What was with this atmosphere? Why did it suddenly feel so heavy?
Emily, standing in the middle of the tension, rose from her seat and approached Mary.
"Sorry, but Ken¡¯s walking home with me today. You¡¯ll have to leave."
Uh, when did I agree to that?
Mary, however, didn¡¯t flinch. She responded without moving an inch.
"...I¡¯ve heard some rumors recently."
The icy queen, who had maintained a neutral expression, suddenly spoke in a colder tone.
Her face remained unchanged, but her gaze sharpened.
Her blue eyes glinted dangerously.
"I¡¯ve heard that on rainy days, Emily Epiris bullies Ken Feinstein."
The temperature around us dropped.
Magic gathered around Mary as she conjured her specialty: ice magic.
Without saying an incantation, icicles materialized in the air.
Every one of them pointed at Emily.
"Is that true?"
"..."
Emily couldn¡¯t answer.
Mary was second only to Lafne in terms of strength at the academy.
At this point, only Lafne and two of the male main characters¡ªAdrian and Siegfried¡ªcould fight her on equal footing.
"Tch."
Emily¡¯s hand trembled with frustration, but she knew better than to act rashly.
Just as she was about to say something, I stepped between them.
¡®It¡¯s better if I stop this now.¡¯
"Ah, no, Mary! It''s not bullying! Emily and I are just friends!"
"...Friends?"
"Is that so?"
Behind me, I heard Emily¡¯s startled voice, and Mary¡¯s icy gaze softened as she dispelled the icicles.
Of course, I knew.
If I left things to Mary, the bullying would stop immediately.
But Emily was the protagonist of the game.
If a fight broke out and something happened to her, the risks would outweigh the rewards.
It was better to avoid unnecessary conflict.
Emily didn¡¯t say anything. I turned around to look at her.
Her eyes were no longer focused on Mary but on me.
Her face flushed red, and she red at me with a mix of frustration and... guilt?
Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned away.
"...I¡¯m leaving."@@novelbin@@
She grabbed her things and left the ssroom.
"..."
''She¡¯s so unpredictable.''
In the end, only Mary and I were left in the ssroom.
Mary watched Emily leave before turning her gaze back to me.
Her usual expressionless face now showed a hint of worry and guilt.
She hesitantly spoke.
"...Ken, are you alright?"
It seemed she knew I had lied earlier.
There was no point in trying to deceive her further.
"Yes, thanks to you, Mary. I¡¯m fine."
Though it was mostly Ken¡¯s words, I really did feel saved.
Who knew how long I would¡¯ve had to massage Emily¡¯s shoulders otherwise?
But despite my reassurances, Mary still looked troubled, her face clouded with guilt.
"...I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know this was happening to you on rainy days."
"No, Mary! Really, I¡¯m okay!"
Seeing her so distressed, I panicked and waved my hands.
Of course, I wasn¡¯t actually okay.
But Ken couldn¡¯t stand to see the girl he liked looking so upset.
He wasn¡¯t okay, but he told her he was anyway.
However, it seemed Mary knew I was lying. Her expression didn¡¯t change.
"...I should be the one protecting you. But every time it rains, I be useless. I¡¯m sorry."
"..."
I didn¡¯t know what to say to her.
One question popped into my mind.
Why does Mary always disappear on rainy days?
I knew from the game¡¯s weather system that you couldn¡¯t find her on rainy days.
But the game never exined why that was.
"Um, shall we head home?"
Still, I didn¡¯t feelfortable asking her about something so sensitive.
For now, I decided to wrap up this little incident.
"...Huh?"
"...Ah."
But, just like that, I suddenly got my answer.
As we walked back toward the dormitory, trying to lighten the mood with idle conversation, something happened.
Plop, plop.
Raindrops began falling out of nowhere.
"...No, no..."
As the heavy droplets started soaking our clothes, Mary mumbled quietly.
Her face showed a mix of panic and fear.
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