The next morning was different.
The whispers didn't stop when I walked by.
They started.
"Did you see the duel yesterday? Renar got clapped."
"He survived a fireball."
"...And did you see his eyes? Like a beast."
It wasn't admiration. Not yet. It was confusion. Uncertainty. The kind of murmurs that happen when a fixed truth gets broken and everyone scrambles to rewrite the script.
And I was now a broken script.
Emotion harvested: Doubt. Curiosity. Unease.
+12 System Points. [Infamy Aura] intensifies. Female attention increased by 10%.
I could feel it — a strange pull, like gravity shifting. Every look held a trace of suspicion. Every step I took echoed louder in their ears.
This academy, so obsessed with status and order, didn't know what to do with me.
Good.
I didn't want to be predictable.
I wanted to be unforgettable.
Later, in the Grand Library...
I flipped through a dusty tome titled "The Foundations of Duel Ethics," pretending to study. In reality, I was monitoring the system interface floating subtly in my field of vision.
Available System Points: 127
Skill Tree Unlocked: "Villainous Ascension"
New Branch: Psychological Warfare
Options bloomed:
[Cold Glare] – Chance to lower morale with a stare
[Strategic Misery] – Every insult delivered with composure weakens enemy confidence
[Charming Threat] – Increases intimidation success rate when smiling
I grinned and chose [Charming Threat].
Let them see teeth behind the smile.
"Kael Draven," a voice called behind me.
I didn't even need to turn to know who it was.
Selena von Arkwright.
The crown jewel of the Academy. First-ranked student. Daughter of the Duke.
Also: the first person to publicly humiliate Kael in the original timeline.
She stood tall, arms crossed, her silver hair flowing like moonlight over her uniform. Ice-blue eyes stared down at me with the same chill they always carried.
But something was different today.
She wasn't looking through me anymore.
She was looking at me.
"Yes?" I said calmly.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You've changed."
"Was I supposed to stay the same forever?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she slid a parchment across the table.
"A formal invitation to the Advanced Combat Strategy class," she said. "Reserved for top-ten-ranked students."
I blinked. "I'm ranked 98th."
She tilted her head. "You beat someone ranked 14th yesterday."
"That's not how rankings work."
"It is when I say it is."
There it was — the Arkwright pride. But also… something else.
Curiosity?
No.
Possessiveness.
Emotion harvested: Intrigue. Controlled Fascination.
[Yandere Magnet] resonance level increased: 6%
Oh.
It begins.
I took the parchment and folded it neatly. "See you in class, then."
As she turned, I caught the briefest glimpse of hesitation in her step.
That Night
The Academy forums exploded.
📢 [Anonymous Post]: "KAEL DRAVEN – A Hidden Genius All Along??"
📢 [Gossip Scrolls]: "Selena Invites TRASH BOY to Elite Class – Royal Favor or Something More?"
📢 [Duel Replay Thread]: "Frame-by-frame breakdown: Kael's footwork during the Renar fight — who taught him that?"
I lay on my dorm bed and scrolled through them all, letting the chaos soak in.
This was only the beginning.
And then—
Knock knock knock.
Someone at the door?
Weird.
I opened it cautiously… and nearly flinched.
Standing there was Clara Vance — the quiet alchemy student, usually covered in soot and ignored by most.
Except tonight, she wasn't wearing her lab coat.
She wore a short cloak, tight corset-like top, and a ridiculously shy expression that didn't match the amount of cleavage she was trying not to notice herself showing.
"H-Hey," she stammered. "I heard… I mean, people said... you might need help with potion synthesis. So I thought I could, uh…"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"...stay over and show you how to mix… ingredients."
I blinked.
Not just because of her very obvious double meaning, but because in the original timeline, she despised Kael. Called him pathetic. Wouldn't even hand him her old notes.
[Yandere Magnet]: Triggered — "Innocent Crush becomes Intense Fixation."
[Infamy Aura] Synergy – Target suppressing urges for dominance.
Affection Level: "Simmering Obsession."
"…Sure," I said, stepping aside. "Come in."
Her entire face turned red.
And just like that, the second domino fell.
Later That Night
Clara stayed for two hours. We didn't mix any potions.
We did mix something else: her awkward laughter, my calculated teasing, and an increasing amount of shoulder-touching that she clearly didn't know how to stop doing.
When she left — tripping over her own feet — she whispered, "Good night… Supreme Trash…"
My eyebrow twitched.
What did she just call me?
Title Gained: "Supreme Trash" — Legendary (Satirical)
Bonus: +25% audience retention. +30% chance that enemies underestimate you.
Hidden Effect: Those who insult you… start to remember you more.
Clara's obsession level increased. Selena's awareness spiked.
Perfect.
Let them mock me.
The more they laugh, the more unforgettable I become.