Ryusei's legs burned, her lungs felt like they were on fire, and her vision blurred from exhaustion. The relentless clicking of monstrous mandibles echoed behind her, growing closer with every passing second.
The Poisoned-Toothed Giant Desert Centipede had been chasing her for four hours—four hours of running, dodging, and barely surviving.
She tripped, collapsing onto the hot sand, her body giving out.
The centipede loomed over her, its massive, venomous fangs gleaming under the scorching sun.
"This is it...!" she thought, too exhausted to move.
Then—
RUMBLE!
The sand beneath her shifted, caving in like a sinkhole. Gravity yanked her downward, and she screamed as she fell into darkness.
Then—
THUMP!
Ryusei gasped as she bolted upright in bed, drenched in sweat. Her body trembled violently, her breath came in ragged gasps. She was back. Her bedroom. The soft glow of the TV screen. The distant hum of crickets outside.
Her fingers clutched the sheets tightly as she stared at the familiar surroundings in disbelief.
———————————————————
[Penalty Zone Cleared!]
[Bonus Reward: +1 Level! You are now Level 2!]
[Rewards: Random Loot Box (1x), Stat Points +10]
———————————————————
She exhaled shakily, her heart still hammering in her chest.
That was way too close..." she muttered.
Lying back down, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Sleep...need sleep..."
Just as Ryusei was about to close her eyes and finally get some rest—
Ding!
———————————————————
[Daily Quest: Training Regimen]
[Push-ups 0/100]
[Sit-ups 0/100]
[Squats 0/100]
[Run 0/10km]
———————————————————
Ryusei's eye twitched as she stared at the glowing blue screen floating in front of her.
"You've got to be kidding me..." she groaned, burying her face into her pillow.
She had just barely escaped death—well, sort of. And now the system wanted her to work out?
"Ughhh, fine, whatever!"
Dragging herself off the bed, she sluggishly got into a push-up position, her arms already feeling like jelly.
"One... two... three..."
Her movements were sluggish, but the thought of going back into the Penalty Zone kept her going.
She never wanted to see that centipede again.
As the sun peeked through her window, Ryusei let out a groan, finishing the last of her sit-ups.
"Finally... done," she muttered, her arms and stomach burning.
She sat on the floor, catching her breath. "Squats and the run after school... I'll survive until then."
DING!
A notification popped up, reminding her of the rewards she had yet to check.
"Right, my loot from the hidden quest and from that hellish penalty zone..." she muttered, opening her system.
———————————————————
[Rewards for Hidden Quest: Meeting Issei]
[Skill: Appraisal (Active)]
[Loot Box (1x)]
[D-Rank Skill Book (1x)]
———————————————————
———————————————————
[Rewards for Surviving the Penalty Zone]
[Bonus Level Up → Level 2!]
[10 Stat Points]
[Random Loot Box (1x)]
———————————————————
She immediately spent a moment browsing through her [Status], admiring her level-up, then went straight to her inventory.
"Alright, let's see what I got," she said, tapping on the first Loot Box.
The box shimmered and opened.
It shimmered before bursting into light. A long, object formed in front of her, resting neatly in her hands.
———————————————————
[You have obtained: C-Rank Katana]
———————————————————
She held the katana up, examining its sharp, silver blade. The handle was wrapped in dark blue cloth, and despite being a low-rank weapon, it felt balanced in her grip.
"A sword, huh? Not bad… might come in handy." She gave it a few test swings before storing it in her inventory.
She opened the second Loot Box, watching as another flash of light materialized an elegant silver cross necklace in her palm.
———————————————————
[You have obtained: Blessed Silver Cross Necklace]
[Effects:]
[Slightly weakens devils and demonic energy within a 3-meter radius.]
[Provides minor resistance to demonic curses.]
[Grants a passive Holy Protection buff against dark entities.]
———————————————————
Ryusei stared at the necklace, her face blank.
"...Is my system trying to get me killed?" she muttered. A cross, in this world? Where devils ran rampant? Wearing this would be like walking around with a target on her back.
Still, the buffs were useful. After some hesitation, she tucked the necklace under her shirt, ensuring it was hidden.
"Alright, let's spend these stat points."
Pulling up her [Status], she went straight to the [Stat Allocation] screen.
———————————————————
[Available Stat Points: 10]
———————————————————
+4 Strength
+3 Agility
+2 Vitality
+1 Intelligence
———————————————————
[Updated Status:]
[Strength: 5 → 9]
[Agility: 4 → 7]
[Vitality: 5 → 7]
[Intelligence: 3 → 4]
———————————————————
Closing her system, Ryusei stretched and yawned. "Alright, school first... then I'll do the squats and 10km run after.
"I'll save the skill book for later. Nothing bad should be happening yet so I should be good.
With her new gear, she felt a little more confident. Just a little.
Ryusei sighed as she adjusted her black hoodie over her uniform, glancing at herself in the mirror. "Hopefully, today goes by without any weirdness," she muttered, grabbing her bag.
She stepped into the kitchen, where her older sister was finishing breakfast. "I'm heading out now," Ryusei said, slipping on her shoes.
"Try not to knock yourself out again," her sister teased with a smirk.
"Ha ha, very funny," Ryusei deadpanned before heading out the door.
As Ryusei walked through the school gates, she suddenly spotted a familiar trio standing near the entrance, whispering and snickering to each other. She immediately recognized them—the infamous Perverted Trio.
Before she could turn around and avoid them, one of them noticed her.
"Yo, new girl!"
'Oh no.'
Issei Hyoudou waved her over, grinning. "Glad to see you made it! I was worried you'd knock yourself out again."
Ryusei groaned internally. 'I'm never gonna live that down, am I?'
Standing beside him were his two partners in crime—Motohama, the bespectacled one, and Matsuda, the shaved-head freak.
But it wasn't just them. There was someone else.
A tall black-haired girl stood with them, wearing a different uniform—one that wasn't from Kouh Academy. She had a soft, almost innocent smile on her face, but Ryusei's blood ran cold the moment she recognized her.
Raynare.
'Shit. Of all people…'
The fallen angel in disguise giggled, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Issei, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"
"Oh, right!" Issei threw an arm around Ryusei's shoulder, making her stiffen. "This is Ryusei Okkotsu! My new best friend! I've taken her under my wing!"
Ryusei choked on air. "H-Huh?!"
Since when was she Issei's best friend?! Under his wing?! What kind of false narrative was this?!
Raynare—or rather, Yuma Amano as she was calling herself—tilted her head, looking at Ryusei with interest.
"A new best friend already? That's so cute," she said sweetly. "It's nice to meet you, Ryusei~"
'Oh, screw that. I need to see her stats now.'
———————————————————
[Skill: Appraisal (Active)]
———————————————————
———————————————————
[Name: Raynare (Disguised as "Yuma Amano")]
Age: ???
Race: Fallen Angel
Level: 20
Sacred Gear: None
Compared to Player: Far Stronger
———————————————————
'Of course she's stronger than me. I'm literally level 2. What did I expect?!'
She smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Uh… nice to meet you too."
Ryusei stiffened as the Fallen Angel leaned closer, her voice playful and flirtatious.
"I hope we get to know each other better soon," Raynare whispered, before stepping back.
Ryusei barely stopped herself from shuddering.
Raynare smirked, stepping closer to Ryusei. "Hmm… what a cutie. You know, if I had met you first, I might've asked you out instead." She winked.
Ryusei stiffened. 'Oh, hell no. Don't flirt with me, psycho.'
"Oh—uh—" she stammered, unsure how to respond.
Raynare chuckled at her reaction before stepping back. "Well, I'll see you Sunday, Issei-kun~." And with that, she walked off, her hair flowing behind her.
"What just happened…?"
Motohama and Matsuda elbowed Issei. "Dude, how did you score a date with her?"
"I don't know, but I'm not questioning it!"
Meanwhile, Ryusei rubbed her face. Why am I even here?
{In Class}
The moment Ryusei stepped into the classroom, the teacher gathered everyone's attention.
"Ah, our new student is finally here! Everyone, please welcome Okkotsu Ryusei!"
A few girls in the front whispered.
"She looks so cute and shy!"
"That hoodie makes her look mysterious~"
"Do you think she has a boyfriend?"
Ryusei slowly pulled her hood lower over her face. I hate this so much.
The teacher motioned toward an empty seat—right behind Issei.
With a sigh, Ryusei trudged over, plopped into her chair, and immediately buried her face into her hoodie to hide her red face.