One of the few things that the manga ever truly explained well… aside from the Academy itself was monsters.
Iron classes were supposed to be the lowest meaningful threat, but even then, facing one with a single-line black crest was equivalent to stepping on a landmine barefoot.
It was suicide dressed as optimism. It was a death sentence wearing a cheap wig.
Kōya bit into the hot bun again, finishing the last of the one in his hand as he walked.
The sweetness lingered on his tongue like a comfort he didn't deserve. He wiped his fingers on the wrapping and sighed deeply.
"An Iron class will completely kill me," he muttered as he raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to lead me to my death or something?"
「But Host, you requested for a sure way to rank up within 5 days」
He twisted the front door knob and stepped inside the apartment, letting the warm familiar scent wrap around him.
The coat came off lazily, and he hung it on the rack while rolling his shoulders to loosen the tension.
"Isn't there some super secret way?" he asked, stepping deeper inside as he brushed a hand through his hair. "You're an AI. Can't you scan the world for a super simple method to do it?"
「That was exactly what was done… I scanned several online servers across all major Supercities and provided the only answer yielding a 100% guarantee」
'Whatever.' Kōya thought as he stepped into the living room. 'I'm not trying to become the best in the world. I'm not trying to get all the women either. I just want to live comfortably for once in my miserable, reincarnated life.'
It was a dream that sounded simple, but in this world it was practically enlightenment-level fantasy.
Especially because he was the Protagonist… and through some cosmic joke, now possessed a "Heroine Saving System". A System designed to push him toward plot flags he wanted absolutely nothing to do with.
'If I can get twenty million crowns one way or another,' he thought, 'I can just stop working and relax forever. Retirement speedrun, any%.'
When he stepped further in, he noticed Reona perched on the sofa with her legs crossed under her, watching the TV with laser focus.
Her fluffy hair bobbed with every movement. The moment she sensed him, her head snapped around.
"Onii-chan, welcome home!" she chirped. Her eyes immediately honed onto the bag in his hands. "Ah! Hot buns! I love you, Onii-chan!"
He tossed the paper bag lightly at her, and she caught it with practiced reflexes, inhaling the scent with almost divine reverence.
"Yeah yeah…" he said, stepping closer. "What are you watching?"
"It's a movie about the White King and his lover during the early days of The Fall," she replied, patting the empty seat next to her. "Come on, you'll love it."
Kōya stared at the screen briefly. Reona's eyes glimmered with pure admiration for the man.
The White King's perfectly sculpted jawline glowed with ethereal light, his crest shining from the center of his forehead while he cleaved through a monster with one hand.
'She's like a walking propaganda bomb.' he thought. 'Sure, the White King is cool or whatever… but watching him every morning and night is insane.'
"I'll be upstairs," he said, biting another piece of hot bun before heading up the stairs. Reona barely noticed him leaving, mesmerized by the fight scene on the screen.
…
He sat on his bed and exhaled sharply, leaning back against the bed.
"The day hasn't even started and it's already exhausting…" he said to no one.
On Earth, he would've been working on his next content schedule by now. Reviewing whatever new series had annoyed him that week. Or going to the gym and failing miserably to see any progress.
Everything back then was painfully repetitive, dull, and yet strangely comforting.
'Now that I have so much free time… it feels weird.' he thought, dragging himself forward to open the cupboard beside his bed.
Inside was a small collection of manga… except none of them were the ones he knew. The exam and midterm merch from yesterday's stream was neatly stacked and still pristine.
But every manga title was different.
'These aren't from my world.' he realized. 'Makes sense… it's a whole different universe. Still doesn't explain why everything here has such generic-ass names.'
He pulled out a volume titled:
「Saitei FFF Rank de Suraimu Tensei… Demo SSS Rank made Itteyaru!」
Underneath was the English name: 'Reborn as a Slime at the Lowest Rank… I'll Reach SSS Rank Anyway!'
He sighed sharply.
"I can do all of this later," he muttered, sliding the manga back before closing the cupboard.
He sat again on the bed, hands loosely folded as he stared at the ceiling.
"Is there truly no other way to increase my rank that quickly?" he asked out loud. The orientation at ALI always included an additional test for Class 5 students… a physical ordeal meant to push their limits.
If he walked in with a weak body and poor mana foundation, he'd get memed on by the entire upper classes, because seriously they were made memes in the manga.
'If I want to live comfortably… I need attention early on,' he thought. 'At least enough to not get stomped by the class elites.'
「If you had 30 days, Host could master mana breathing, internal circulation, and physical conditioning. However, because you seek a breakthrough in only five days, killing an Iron-Class monster is the only path」
Kōya ran a hand through his hair, fingers combing through the blond strands in frustration.
"Fine… whatever… I'll need an ID first."
Awakened IDs were necessary to accept missions or exit the barrier into monster zones. Without it, he couldn't hunt anything legally.
And if he waited until Academy enrollment… well, he'd get an Academy-specific ID with perks.
But time wasn't on his side.
"I'll go to a minor branch," he muttered as he headed downstairs. "A taxi should work."
…
Fifteen minutes later, the taxi dropped him off.
Kōya stepped out, looking up at the building with a sigh. K.C.A.C. Branch 5… the Keropolis City Awakened Center, minor branch 5.
'No way in hell I'm going to the main branch,' he thought. 'That place is packed with geniuses, snobs, and wannabe heroes.'
Many of the people flooding these branches weren't even Awakened; instead they were countless hopefuls who came seeking the Crest Test… an outrageous procedure that blasted the body with mana-infused electrical currents in an attempt to force an Awakening.
The success rate was abysmally low, barely above five, yet that never stopped desperate adults from lining up day after day or even dragging their children along in the hope that lightning and mana would miraculously rewrite their destiny. It was exactly the kind of place Kōya wanted to avoid.
Right on cue, two guards dragged a man out the front door.
"Just one more try!" the man screamed, flailing in their grip. "I know I can awaken this time! Hit me with it again!"
"You already tried twenty times today!" one guard snapped. "If we hit you with the test current again, your heart could stop!"
"Noooo!! There's still hope!!"
Kōya walked past the scene with a blank expression.
He opened the door and the room fell silent.
Every head turned and their gaze locked onto him.
Some stared at his height. Others at his handsome face. Most stared at the black line of his crest trailing down his eye.
Instantly, a receptionist jumped up from the counter, practically abandoning a line of five waiting people. She flipped her hair with unnecessary force and hurried over.
"Welcome to K.C.A.C. Branch 5, Ikemen-sama." she said, raising her eyes slowly to meet his. "How can I help you today?"
She leaned forward slightly, smiling so sweetly it almost made his teeth hurt.
"I want to register for an ID."