The morning sun filtered through my bedroom window, casting a warm glow over the familiar chaos of Issei Hyoudou's room. I sat on the edge of my bed, the Gamer System's translucent blue screen hovering before me. After completing the "Your Reputation is Pathetic" quest, I felt like I'd taken the first step toward rewriting Issei's destiny in the dangerous world of High School DxD. No fallen angels had shown up yet—thankfully, the Raynare arc was still on hold—but I wasn't about to sit idle. This world was a ticking time bomb of devils, angels, and who-knows-what-else. I needed to get stronger, fast.
I pulled up my status screen to review my stats and allocate the remaining 50 stat points from my last level-up.
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Level: 11
HP: 500/500 (Calculated as [5 Strength + 5 Endurance] × 50)
MP: 2000/2000 (Calculated as 40 Intelligence × 50)
Strength: 5
Endurance: 5
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 40 (5 base + 35 points)
Luck: 50 (5 base + 15 points + 30 from quest)
Stat Points: 50
Skills: None
Quests: None
Inventory: Empty
Systems Unlocked:
Relationship System:
Matsuda: Friend (60/100)
Motohama: Friend (60/100)
Rias Gremory: Acquaintance (20/100)
Most female classmates: Neutral (10/100 or lower)
I rubbed my chin, considering my options. Intelligence and Luck were already high, giving me a sharp mind and a knack for dodging trouble. But in a world where physical confrontations were inevitable, I couldn't afford to be a glass cannon. Strength and Endurance were tied to HP, and boosting them would make me tougher and harder to kill. Agility was tempting, but I figured I'd hold off until I had a better sense of what I needed for speed. Decision made, I allocated 25 points to Strength and 25 points to Endurance.
The system updated instantly, and a surge of energy coursed through me. My muscles felt denser, my breathing steadier. I glanced at my updated status:
Name: Issei Hyoudou
Level: 11
HP: 3000/3000 (Calculated as [30 Strength + 30 Endurance] × 50)
MP: 2000/2000 (Calculated as 40 Intelligence × 50)
Strength: 30 (5 base + 25 points)
Endurance: 30 (5 base + 25 points)
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 40 (5 base + 35 points)
Luck: 50 (5 base + 15 points + 30 from quest)
Stat Points: 0
Skills: None
Quests: None
Inventory: Empty
Systems Unlocked:
Relationship System:
Matsuda: Friend (60/100)
Motohama: Friend (60/100)
Rias Gremory: Acquaintance (20/100)
Most female classmates: Neutral (10/100 or lower)
I flexed my arms, marveling at the newfound strength. My HP had skyrocketed to 3000, making me feel like I could take a punch from a devil and keep swinging. With 30 Strength and Endurance, I was no longer the scrawny pervert everyone dismissed. Now, I just needed to work on my speed and skills to round things out.
I headed to school, feeling more confident than ever. Matsuda and Motohama were waiting at the gate, chatting about some new anime. They noticed me approaching and waved.
"Yo, Issei!" Matsuda called. "You look… different. Been hitting the gym or something?"
Motohama adjusted his glasses, squinting. "Statistically improbable. Your muscle mass appears to have increased by approximately 15% overnight."
I grinned, shrugging. "Just eating right, you know? Gotta stay healthy." No way was I telling them about the Gamer System. They'd probably think I was crazy—or worse, try to exploit it.
We walked to class, and I noticed a few girls glancing my way. The Relationship System pinged, showing slight increases: Classmate A: Neutral (12/100), Classmate B: Neutral (15/100). My reputation was slowly improving, thanks to the quest. Even Rias Gremory, sitting at the back of the classroom with her crimson hair glowing like a beacon, gave me a curious look. Her relationship status remained Acquaintance (20/100), but I had a feeling I could work on that later.
During lunch, I decided to test my new stats. I joined some guys playing basketball in the courtyard, something the old Issei would've avoided like the plague. With 30 Strength, I could dunk the ball with ease, and my 30 Endurance kept me going without breaking a sweat. The other players stared, slack-jawed, as I scored point after point.
"Dude, since when are you this good?" one of them asked.
I just laughed. "Guess I'm full of surprises."
As I wiped sweat from my brow, a new system notification appeared, catching me off guard.
New Quest: Speed of the Underdog
Objective: Run 30 meters in 10 minutes.
Rewards:
Agility increased to 40
+10 Strength
+10 Endurance
Skill: Observe (Level Max)
Observe reveals an individual's Level, HP, MP, Strength, Endurance, Agility, Intelligence, Luck, and their thoughts about you.
Failure Penalty: -10 Agility, -5 Luck
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Accept? [Y/N]
I blinked. Run 30 meters in 10 minutes? That was laughably easy. Even with my current Agility of 5, I could probably walk that distance in under a minute. The rewards, though, were insane—Agility to 40, boosts to Strength and Endurance, and a max-level Observe skill that sounded like a game-changer. I mentally selected Y without hesitation.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. I decided to tackle the quest after school to avoid drawing too much attention. For now, I focused on keeping up appearances in class, taking notes and avoiding any perverted slip-ups. Matsuda and Motohama were still behaving themselves, mostly thanks to my earlier advice. They'd even started talking about joining a club to "improve their social stats," as Motohama put it. I couldn't help but smile. Maybe I was rubbing off on them.
After school, I headed to the track field behind Kuoh Academy. The place was deserted, perfect for completing the quest without an audience. I stretched, feeling the power in my enhanced muscles, and set up at the starting line. The system helpfully marked a 30-meter distance with a glowing line on the ground—visible only to me, I assumed.
"Alright," I muttered. "Let's do this."
I took off at a light jog, covering the 30 meters in about 10 seconds. The system chimed immediately.
Quest Complete: Speed of the Underdog
Rewards:
Agility increased to 40
+10 Strength
+10 Endurance
Skill: Observe (Level Max) Unlocked
Updated Stats:
HP: 4000/4000 (Calculated as [40 Strength + 40 Endurance] × 50)
MP: 2000/2000 (Calculated as 40 Intelligence × 50)
Strength: 40 (30 + 10 from quest)
Endurance: 40 (30 + 10 from quest)
Agility: 40 (Set by quest reward)
Intelligence: 40
Luck: 50
New Skill:
Observe (Level Max): Reveals an individual's Level, HP, MP, Strength, Endurance, Agility, Intelligence, Luck, and their thoughts about you.
I felt a rush of speed flood my body, my movements sharper and more precise. My HP jumped to 4000 with the boosts to Strength and Endurance, making me feel practically invincible. But the real prize was Observe. I couldn't wait to test it.
Spotting a random student walking by, I focused on him and thought, Observe. A detailed screen appeared:
Name: Kenta Yamada
Level: 3
HP: 200/200
MP: 100/100
Strength: 3
Endurance: 3
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 6
Luck: 4
Thoughts About You: "That Hyoudou guy seems less creepy lately. Maybe he's not so bad."
I grinned. This skill was a goldmine. Not only could I size up potential threats, but I could also gauge how people perceived me. Kenta's thoughts confirmed my reputation was on the mend. I decided to try it on someone more important. Spotting Rias Gremory leaving the school building with Akeno Himejima, I used Observe on her.
Name: Rias Gremory
Level: ???
HP: ???
MP: ???
Strength: ???
Endurance: ???
Agility: ???
Intelligence: ???
Luck: ???
Thoughts About You: "Issei Hyoudou has been acting strangely. He's less crude than before, but I'm not sure what to make of him yet."
I frowned. Her stats were hidden—probably because she was a high-ranking devil far above my level. Still, her thoughts about me were encouraging. If I could keep improving my reputation, maybe I could get closer to her before the supernatural chaos kicked off.
As I walked home, I felt a mix of excitement and unease. The Gamer System was giving me an edge, but I knew High School DxD's world was unforgiving. No sign of Raynare yet, but I wasn't naive enough to think I'd avoided her forever. For now, I'd keep grinding, building my stats and relationships. With Observe in my arsenal, I had a tool to navigate this world's dangers and alliances.
I glanced at my status one last time, satisfied with my progress. Strength and Endurance at 40, Agility at 40, Intelligence at 40, and Luck at 50—I was becoming a force to be reckoned with. But the unallocated stat points were gone, and I'd need to earn more through quests or leveling up. Whatever came next, I'd be ready.
"Hey, Issei!" Matsuda's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He and Motohama were jogging to catch up. "You joining us for karaoke later? No perv stuff, promise."
I chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Let's keep it chill."
As we walked off together, I couldn't shake the feeling that the Gamer System had more surprises in store. For now, though, I'd take it one quest at a time.