Chapter 18: Chapter 17: Experimenting

I'm The Lowly Villain In The Game | Chapter 17

「Experimenting」

 

"So, you like cappuccino more?" (Aria) 

 

"It's my usual. Sometimes I pick an espresso." 

 

"That bitter drink?" 

 

Aria said with a weird expression. I roll my eyes. I guess only a coffee enthusiast like me would understand.

 

"It's not that bitter. What about you and that diabetes-inducing drink?" 

 

"Rude. The drink isn't that sweet." 

 

"Didn't you throw in three sachets of sugar earlier?" 

 

When I called her out, she stiffened. My lips curled. It was amusing seeing such a terrifying girl like her being flustered.

 

"S-shut up."

 

My smile widened. To be fair, normal diseases in this world don't exist. The herbs, resources, and medicine of this world far out-scales my previous world's. Also, since the more you level up, the harder your body becomes, things such as colds barely happen. 

 

Even cancer didn't exist in this world. So, even though Aria was consuming enough sugar to make a type-2 diabetic patient vomit sugar in comparison, she should be fine. 

 

While I was thinking about Aria's abnormal amount of sugar intake, my gaze landed on the clock in the room. It was 6:51 PM. Dinner would be in 30 minutes.

 

I took my drink and slowly sipped all the contents down my throat. When I was done, I placed a few magic stones on the table and stood up. 

 

"It's getting late, I have to go home for dinner." 

 

"Right. Come back again." (Boss) 

 

"Talk to you later, Lukas." (Aria) 

 

The two waved at me friendlily. I reciprocate before leaving through the front door. I should show my family the pictures. 

 

 

◇◇◇

 

 

Gasper Household. 

 

CREAK—

 

"I'm home!" 

 

"Welcome home. Dinner will be ready in soon." (Mom) 

 

"Okay." 

 

Entering my house, I routinely took my shoes off and put on my slippers. My mother was preparing dinner as usual and Amy was watching TV. I head to my room and change my clothes. After a few minutes, I head down to the living room and sat down with Amy. 

 

"Hey." 

 

"What is it?"

 

She asked me without looking away from the TV. Taking my phone and opening the gallery app, I wave it in front of her. 

 

"I got some photos from the academy." 

 

"Really?! Show me."

 

She snatches my phone from my hands. My lips pursed. Rude. Scrolling through my gallery, her eyes sparkled when she saw the photos I took. I felt a sense of pride seeing her enjoy the pictures I took. 

 

"Oh, oh. Where is this?"

 

"Fighter club, pretty cool display right?" 

 

"Mhmm…"— another scroll, this time a picture of the courtyard —"and where is this? Isn't that the cyan oak tree? I heard it's pretty rare." 

 

"Yeah, it's in the courtyard of the academy." 

 

"Woah… What about this?"

 

"That's actually…" 

 

I told Amy all about the pictures, their background, where they were taken, and how I got there. There were over 50 photos so I had to talk a lot. Fortunately, my sister didn't seem to be bored after my rambling, her face still retaining the same excitement as when I first showed her the photos. 

 

"You two, dinner's ready!" (Mom) 

 

""Coming.""

 

"Send me the remaining photos." (Amy) 

 

"Sure." 

 

Shouting back at our mother, we stopped and moved to the dining room. Whilst going there, I send Amy all the photos through a messaging app. Once I pressed enter, my sister's phone dinged. 

 

Checking her phone, my sister smiled. Thinking I'd done enough, I helped my mother distribute the plates and cutlery. Dad was attending the store. He has dinner with us around four times a week and this was one of the three days he couldn't attend.

 

I'm already used to it so I often help my mother when my father was not here. Once I place all the plates, glass cups, and cutlery, mom placed all the food onto the table. Today's dish was pasta with a side salad. 

 

"Oh right." (Amy) 

 

"What is it, Amelia?" (Mom) 

 

Mom asked while taking a bite of her paste. I was munching on the salad, the dressing was pretty tasty. Amy took her phone out and showed us an image in her social feed. Looking at her phone, I tilt my head. 

 

"A charity event..?"

 

"Yes, it's next week." (Amy) 

 

"Friday of next week… Your father and I should be able to attend. What are you going to do there?" (Mom) 

 

"My class is doing a food stall. We'll be selling some Crêpes and cookies." (Amy) 

 

"I'll attend. The time?" 

 

"It starts from 3 PM to 10 PM." 

 

"I see." 

 

Amy's school is a purely human one. It isn't in the same league as Vanitas High but it has its prestige to it.

 

But, a charity event, huh? That's new.

 

Her school year started two weeks earlier than mine. As for why Vanitas High started later, it had to do with the time preferences of the other races. 

 

For example, elves don't have holidays in their schools, but instead have three days of school holidays. Dragons, on the other hand, don't even have academies in their homeland. 

 

Vanitas High, which boasts its neutrality of all races, decided to create an entirely new timetable for its school year. 

 

It was just a cultural thing, really. 

 

Following Amy's announcement, the rest of dinner went smoothly. In the end, we all agreed to attend the event. I think my dad might take a break then.

 

After finishing our dinner, I cleaned the dishes. My mother went to send dad his portion and Amy was stuck in the living room. After wiping the plates dry with a towel, I warn Amy to not stay up late and went back to my room. 

 

Flopping down to my bed, it didn't take long before my consciousness faded to darkness. 

 

 

◇◇◇

 

 

Backside of the labyrinth of Vanitas. 

 

"Yawnn~"

 

The sunlight directly hit my face, making me squint my eyes. Looking at the time, it was 8:32 AM. Since it was the weekend, I wanted to use all the time to level up. 

 

Considering how I usually enter the labyrinth at 3 PM on weekdays. I had an extra 5 hours and a half to work with. Taking that time to account, I could aim for two levels today before dinner. 

 

Checking my backpack, there was an added item compared to the usual stuff I bring. It was Tupperware filled with sandwiches, courtesy of my mother. When I said I wouldn't be back till dinner, she prepared me some sandwiches for lunch. I was grateful since I was planning on going there with beef jerky. 

 

In my left hand was a can of mocha coffee. I needed the caffeine. Otherwise, I might a drowsy when I fight. Yawning once again, I gulp down the remainder of the drink, throwing it into a nearby trashcan when I finished. Don't litter. 

 

Searching through my backpack, I took out the familiar stone tablet, the recall stone. Still, in my half-awake state, I press the stone to the wall and agitate it with my MP. 

 

The purple light intensified, temporarily blinding me. My five senses disoriented, I didn't know what was real or not for a second. Then, when the blinding light vanished, I was right in front of the 5th floor. 

 

The recall stone crumbled, disintegrating into nothingness. I shrugged before walking to the 6th floor. 

 

 

◇◇◇

 

 

The 6th floor was unique. It wasn't anything special or extravagant. The 6th floor was the first floor where you would obtain drop items. 

 

For the past 5 floors, only magic stones drop when you killed monsters. However, starting from the 6th floor, all monsters have a certain chance of dropping an item. They vary in value, some rarer than others. It was like any other RPG with its looting system. 

 

Moving on, the 6th floor was the same as the other floors. But, contrary to the 5th floor, there wasn't as much dripping.

 

It was still damp with my body feeling the occasional drips and puddles of water. But it was much more pleasant than the 5th floor. 

 

"GRRRR." 

 

A hostile growl snapped me out of my thoughts. A wolf around 80 cm in height glared at me. It was gray in color, its eyes amber gold. Vicious claws and fangs laid bare as the carnivore took an aggressive hunting stance, ready to pounce at any moment. 

 

Yeah, the 6th floor had wolves.

 

Not one second after seeing me, the wolf jumped at me, opening his jaw to show his menacing fangs. I hurriedly unsheath my sword as it approached me fast. 

 

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RATTLE—

 

Using the blade, I block its bite with my sword. A sharp rattling reverberated as the wolf bit even harder. 

 

I relax my stance, leaning backward. Because of our height difference, the wolf had to jump to bite me. I took full advantage of that. 

 

The vicious beast fell forward because of my action. I coalesce MP to my left knee, creating a faint azure hue at the base of my kneecap. 

 

Then, I struck its jaw with my enhanced knee. 

 

THUD—

 

A painful whimper left the four-legged creature as it stumbled backward. I took my sword out of its mouth and aim it at its exposed belly. 

 

Barrage. 

 

Five precise stabs launched toward the defenseless wolf. Red blood smeared my vision as it flew to the other end of the corridor, crashing into a wall. 

 

Not long after, black clouds of smoke appeared before turning into a magic stone. Walking over to its corpse, I found another item there. 

 

It was meat. No, I wasn't seeing things. There was a literal piece of meat in the ground. The red meat glistened in the low light of the floor, and the strides of fat made my mouth salivate. 

 

It's a pity that it was in the ground, dirtying it. Well, a quick rinse with water was enough to clean it up. Meats in the labyrinth or dungeon had better sanitization and shelf-life. It also tasted better than regular meat. 

 

I took the wolf meat with excitement. However, that excitement quickly left me when I realized I couldn't cook at all. I also couldn't ask Amy or my mother to cook it for obvious reasons. 

 

My shoulders slouched when I realized this. At the least, I could sell it for some extra money, but the price of the meat wouldn't earn me much. Damn it. 

 

Suddenly, I felt a ripple in my perception.

Looking over to my right, there was another wolf there. Because of the low lighting in the area, it seems it hasn't noticed me. 

 

I resheath my sword. I didn't need it for what I'm about to do. Next, I coalesce my MP, spreading it to my body. A gentle sensation ran across my body as I felt it get lighter.

 

There wasn't a name for this technique. Some called it body augmentation, others called it body enhancement. However, this technique was one of the most basic yet effective abilities MP manipulation offered. 

 

The ability to strengthen your body. It was the sole reason why I spent so much time prematurely awakening my MP channels. 

 

I could bridge the gap my low initial stats created with this technique. 

 

I dashed, quickly closing the distance between me and the unsuspecting wolf. By the time it noticed, it was already too late. 

 

I threw a left hook straight into its jaw. A crunching noise resounded as the wolf took a step back from the force. I continued, pivoting my foot and rotating my body as I threw an elbow strike at the wolf. 

 

This time, it lost its balance, skidding a few feet. I knew a thing or two about martial arts. If I didn't have a sword, my body was my second greatest weapon. 

 

The wolf wasn't dead. I knew this. Despite my enhanced body, I was using blunt force instead of a concentrated point like a sword. I was aware of this, but I needed to test how my body works with augmentation. 

 

Regaining its ground, the wolf growled disdainfully. its jaw tightened, probably from my two consecutive hits. Entering a stance, I rush towards the wolf. It did the same. 

 

It pounced at me, throwing its claws at me as they glow a mighty red tint. I dodge the first slash by narrowly turning my body, the second was by changing its course with my left hand. 

 

I threw a right hook at its nose. The wolf stumbled, sliding across the ground. Thinking I've warmed up enough, I pursued the wolf, intending to end it. 

 

Appearing in front of it, I create a chopping gesture with my right hand. Then, willing my MP, I shaped it into a blade of pure MP. An ocean-like blue aura enveloped my right hand, forming a sharp tip at the end of my fingertips.

 

It was hard.

 

My channels had just awakened, and the extensive control needed to form the blade and maintain it was painstakingly difficult. 

 

The only reason I was capable of doing it was from my experience and knowledge. Even then, I was going by pure instinct and muscle memory. 

 

Unconfident that I couldn't hold the pseudo-blade any longer, I stab it straight into the wolf's brain. There was resistance, suggesting that the blade wasn't as sharp as it appeared to be. 

 

Pushing my hand deeper, I felt a crack before a mushy feeling. The wolf convulsed as it struggled to stay alive, blood oozing from the base of the wound. Soon, the gray carnivore turned into a magic stone. 

 

Seeing it die, my concentration wavered as the blade of MP vanished. I felt a sense of exhaustion after using the technique. Puzzled, I check my status. 

 

'Knew it.' 

 

My MP went down by more than half from that fight alone. Body enhancement doesn't take much MP because the level of augmentation was proportional to your level. 

 

So, in normal cases, I would be able to maintain my augmented state for a long time, probably 30 minutes if I had to guess. This leads me to believe that the main reason for my sudden reduction in MP was the pseudo-blade. 

 

It made sense. I created a weapon from pure MP. I heave a sigh. It's better if I use that technique as a last resort. The consumption rate is just brutal. 

 

I stuff the magic stone into my backpack and started walking farther from the main route. I should hurry up if I want to reach level 8. 

 

 

◇◇◇

 

 

MUNCH—

 

Munching on a BLT sandwich my mother made me, I took a look at my status. 

 

 

 « Name » Lukas Gasper

 

 « Level » 7

 

 « Class »「Caster」

 

 « Class Level » 4

 

HP : 38/38

 

MP : 24/26

 

STR : 9  

AGI : 13 

STM : 11 

VIT : 11  

INT : 14

 

 « ACTIVE SKILLS »   

「Barrage」   

「-」

 

 « PASSIVE SKILLS »  

「Disguise I」   

「-」

 

At caster class level 5, I'll be able to get Inspect I. It was a useful skill, allowing me to get a detailed description of an item and a person's level. In fact, at least 90% of the entire player base of Vanitas Online had the skill. It was just that useful. 

 

You could use an item that could appraise objects, but they cost money. It was alright if you were inspecting one or two items. But if you constantly appraise items, the cost starts adding up. It was better to have a skill that could inspect for the sake of convenience. 

 

I was resting for a bit. It took me about 4 hours to reach level 7. My pace wasn't slow by any means. Actually, it was really fast. 

 

You have to take into account that my limit was around two wolves in one fight. Any more and I might risk an injury. Also, each fight lasted two or more minutes. 

 

Compared to when I fought on the 1st to 4th floor where I could take on three or more without difficulty and the fights lasting a few minutes at best, my speed of grinding was reasonable. 

 

Actually, it wasn't. As I mentioned before, students in class 1-1 would sometimes take an entire month to get a single level. In comparison, I needed one or two days. It was absurdly fast.

 

I chew on the sandwich. It was delicious, really delicious. The lettuce was crispy, the tomatoes were freshly chilled, and the bacon was tasty. A mother's cooking is unparalleled. 

 

Pairing my meal was the occasional dripping sound and the scenic view of the 6th floor. Strangely enough, it felt oddly comforting eating here. It was peaceful. 

 

After finishing the last sandwich, I drink an entire bottle of water. Stay hydrated, guys. Standing up, I pat my body off of any debris. 

 

It's about time I made my way towards the 7th floor of the labyrinth.

 

 

◇◇◇

 

 

CLANK—

 

The edge of my blade bounced back from the wolf's fur. It was sturdy as hell. Switching my grip to a reverse one, I strike downwards in a thrusting motion, focusing on the beast's head. 

 

THUD—

 

The tip of my sword hit the ground as I missed my attack. It retreated in the last second. I rushed towards it, directing an overhead slash. 

 

It growled before jumping me, baring its fangs. It caught the edge of my blade with its mouth, pinning it with its teeth. 

 

The soles of my feet turned navy blue as I activated Barrage. Three swift kicks shot forth to the wolf's belly. It flew in mid-air from the force of my attack. 

 

Taking this chance, I tightened my grip on my sword. Lining up its hang time, I line up a string of specific slashes to its legs, incapacitating it. 

 

The carnivore fell to the ground with a loud splash. The puddle of water rippled, plashing all around. The wolf tried to get up, but it failed to do so, falling back to the ground pitifully. 

 

I had a reason for doing this. For the past two hours, I've been doing nothing but testing my MP control. My knowledge of the game did help, but there were some differences in reality. 

 

I wanted to see how different the two were. 

 

I coalesce MP to my left hand. I enhanced it. However, it wasn't enough. I focused, willing more MP to my left hand. My dormant MP acted, following my command as it started converging to my desired location. 

 

My body augmentation was intuitive. I did it so much in the game that it was as natural as breathing for me now. That's why I never noticed the difference until now. 

 

Earlier, I said that the enhancement is proportional to my level. That's true, but there was a detail I found out… No, maybe it's a loophole. 

 

Just like when I prematurely awakened my channels.

 

My left hand started glowing. The usually faint azure blue hue was vibrant as it radiated elegantly. 

 

Suddenly my arm started trembling, shaking violently. A sharp recurring pain stirs my mind as I struggle to maintain this form. Beads of sweat ran down my chin as I sluggishly walked toward the wolf. 

 

Once I got in front of the beast, the trembling and pain reached their peak. With gritted teeth, I punch at the wolf. 

 

BOOM—

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