—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Kaelan Heath.
The author’s favored character in this world I’ve been transmigrated into.
And the root of all evil…
Resilience, which boosted accuracy and reduced critical hit damage received,
Aura, which inflicted additional damage to weaker opponents,
Carnage, which stacked combo points upon defeating enemies, leading to increased stats,
Immunity, which granted resistance to all status ailments,
Battle Recovery, which continuously restored health during combat,
Fortuitous Encounter, which led to beneficial encounters wherever he went,
and Absolute Growth, accelerating the growth of all his abilities.
And finally, the culprit behind power creep, the ridiculously overpowered skill, ‘Copy’.
While the author tried to justify it with some nonsense about Kaelan’s dynamic vision,
it was basically a cheat skill designed for self-indulgent wish fulfillment.
It allowed him to copy and use an opponent’s skills during battle.
I couldn’t see the details of his other skills, but this was what was visible at a glance.
[Third-Rate Provocation!: 10 Supporting Character points acquired]
Kaelan couldn’t believe I had cleared the Chamber.
His usual smug demeanor was nowhere to be found.
After a brief silence, as he approached me with a disbelieving look,
“Hold it, both of you.”
As expected, Melissa intervened.
“Lev Denec! You just had a duel. Don’t you know you’re not allowed to duel for two weeks after one?”
“Ah~, too bad.”
Feigning ignorance and disappointment, I watched as Kaelan’s expression contorted in disbelief.
As if wondering, ‘What the hell is wrong with this guy?’
I knew the rule, of course.
If I fought Kaelan now, I would lose.
That’s why I had provoked him.
-No, fighting, in, chamber.
First, Cynatis.
By pointing out Kaelan’s disrespectful behavior towards the professor, a monster,
I would gain a bit of favor with her.
“I knew it,”
Kaelan said smugly, as if expecting my reaction, and asked,
“You’re B-rank, Lev Denec, was it?”
“So what?”
“I’m going to challenge you during the ranking matches. Don’t you dare run away.”
“Whatever you say.”
Secondly, this.
According to the original story, his first opponent in the ranking matches would be Edwin.
And with his current abilities, Edwin’s defeat was inevitable.
But losing wasn’t the only problem.
Kaelan would use his unique trait, ‘Copy’, to steal Edwin’s protagonist-exclusive skill, [Executor’s Sword].
That would create a massive power gap, making Edwin nothing more than Kaelan’s inferior copy for the rest of the story.
Meanwhile, Kaelan would challenge and defeat each heroine and those connected to them, accumulating flags and hogging the spotlight.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
If Edwin was going to be robbed of his OP skill and forced into the Kaelan ending,
I had to stop him myself.
.
.
.
After accepting Kaelan’s challenge,
I dragged my weary body to the Black Dormitory.
As I opened the door,
“…?”
A woman with black hair, dressed in a black robe, stood there, meticulously groomed.
Lilith.
Yeriel stood behind her, looking nervous.
“Junior!”
Lilith rushed towards me and then hesitated, fidgeting.
Like a puppy… no, a cat welcoming its owner?
I asked coldly,
“What brings you here?”
“W-well… Junior…”
“Sigh.”
-Brush.
“!”
I casually tucked Lilith’s hair behind her ear and whispered, only for her to hear,
“You failed.”
“No! I can do better! Give me another chance…”
“I don’t need someone who doesn’t listen to me.”
“S-sorry, Junior! I’ll do whatever you say…!”
“Didn’t I tell you not to come here unless I summoned you?”
“Sorry, I’m sorry…”
Was it because she endured the Curse of Agony solely through willpower, without using a purification spell?
She had become corrupted, in a different sense.
“Don’t come here until I call for you.”
“Yes…”
“…”
Was that… a heart in her eyes…?
“I’ll be waiting… Junior…”
It must be my imagination.
-Clank.
Lilith left the Black Dormitory.
It was a better outcome for her than causing a catastrophic incident at the academy and spiraling towards destruction, as she had in the original story.
And…
“…Dinner… not yet, right?”
Yeriel forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
.
.
.
-Clatter.
The only sound between Yeriel and me was the clinking of silverware.
Our relationship had become somewhat strained after the duel.
It was understandable; after all, I had told her not to bother with me until she successfully communicated with a spirit.
But I couldn’t actively try to raise her favorability either.
She had a curse, the Fallen Angel’s Curse, which caused her to turn evil when she realized her true feelings.
Of course, the chances of her falling for a third-rate character like me were slim…
But just in case, I was keeping my distance.
Moreover, both she and Edwin were supposed to be paired up with each other in the original story, so as a supporting character, I couldn’t interfere in their relationship.
Yeriel spoke first,
“Lev…! Congratulations on winning the duel.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
“Indeed.”
I replied flatly.
Even now, she was the one reaching out first. She was way too kind.
“Do you know a freshman named Edwin?”
“Yeah, I know him.”
Of course I did. Lev Denec was the one who bullied him…
“I heard he never misses a day at the gym…! Isn’t that amazing?”
“That’s amazing.”
It seemed their first encounter went smoothly, as in the original novel.
Yeriel, impressed by Edwin’s hard work, would invite him to her party for the Dungeon Exploration Practice.
“And… you know… I successfully communicated with a high-ranking spirit.”
Already? That was a bit early…
I wanted to congratulate her sincerely, but I maintained my flat tone,
“…That’s great.”
“Yeah!”
Silence fell again.
Yeriel put down her silverware and called my name.
“…Lev.”
“…?”
“You said I could come to watch… once I successfully communicated with a spirit, right?”
Was that promise… still valid…?
And in this way?
-Slide.
She held out a piece of paper.
[Dungeon Exploration Practice – Party Application]
“Will you… be on the same team with me… so I can watch you closely…?”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A few days passed peacefully after the chamber incident and Yeriel’s party invitation.
‘Her eyes looked like they were about to burst into tears.’
There was no reason for me to refuse Yeriel’s persistent request.
Besides, a raid-level monster would appear during the main event, the Dungeon Exploration Practice.
If I managed to defeat it, I would be handsomely rewarded.
In preparation, I spent most of my time at the gym, except for classes.
‘Did Edwin do this every day?’
But the rewards for my intense training were quickly apparent.
As my growth accelerated, the crossbow began to feel like an extension of my body.
-Cha-ching!
[Crossbow Proficiency: 7]
‘Yes…’
Finally reached 7.
Technically, it was thanks to the ‘Gamer’ trait’s bonus to crossbow proficiency.
If it had been a bow, which was more difficult to handle, I wouldn’t have been able to increase my proficiency this quickly.
Anyway, Professor Diena told me to come see her about the Scatter Shot today, so the timing was perfect.
-Whisper… whisper…
I heard female students whispering behind me.
What was different from before was that
now there were a few students who would sneak glances at me while I was training.
Of course, they’d quickly disappear when they heard whispers of, ‘Is that Lev Denec?’
Was I getting used to this world?
I felt nothing.
I would occasionally run into Selena at the archery range,
but like when we first met, she would observe my training briefly and then leave without a word.
‘It must be because of my Wind Archery.’
She must be confused.
About her own Wind Archery and, as Professor Diena had suggested, suspicious of the color of mine.
But there was no need to address it now.
Actions speak louder than words.
There would be plenty of events later that could clear up the misunderstanding, as long as I maintained this distance.
“You were practicing.”
A familiar voice reached my ears.
Aria.
She must have had a theology class; her hair was neatly combed, and she was dressed in her priestess robes.
“Thanks.”
For the past few days, she would visit me during my training sessions and infuse me with holy power to relieve my fatigue.
Was it her duty as a healer, like a borderless doctor?
“You’ve been coming here often.”
“Repayment…”
“Hmm?”
“For the chocolates… you gave me. It’s a repayment.”
“Ah, those.”
On the day of my duel with Gailon, I had taken her out to eat outside the academy.
And I had bought her two boxes of Ludis Mountain Chocolate, her favorite.
The gift hadn’t held any special meaning.
I had only seen them mentioned in the setting materials and was curious about the taste, and it felt awkward to eat them all by myself.
But this level of holy power… two boxes of chocolate weren’t enough to repay her, were they?
I found it a bit odd, but after recovering, I picked up my crossbow again.
“I’m glad you liked them.”
“Yes, they were deli…”
“?”
“…delicious.”
Though Aria’s tone was as curt as ever, I could sense her sincerity in her hesitant voice and averted gaze.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, I murmured,
“Yeah, that’s right. I was too harsh on a girl who loves chocolate this much.”
“…What?”
“Ah.”
I had spoken carelessly.
She had lost her parents and been raised by another noble family; she had a painful past associated with chocolate.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Ah, never mind. So, you’re here to say that again, right?”
“…Say what?”
“That you’re going to keep an eye on me, and that you want to be on the same team.”
“…”
I had just said it randomly, but Aria didn’t deny it.
“Here.”
I handed her the party application I had received from Yeriel.
“…What’s this?”
This main event would be more dangerous than the Patchwork incident.
I might as well form a party with the main characters and support Edwin.
And for that, I needed Aria.
“Write your name.”
“…”
Aria took the pen and hesitated for a long moment.
Did she not want to?
I added,
“I’m not forcing you.”
“Are you… a good person, Lev?”
“?”
Aria looked up, her azure eyes locking onto mine.
And she whispered softly,
“Are you a good person?”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Better than that self insert
Cheat character vs munchkin