The rain in Sector 4 fell in heavy sheets, soaking into the pristine white uniform of the boy kneeling in the mud.
Kai gripped the handle of the umbrella he had bought, his knuckles turning white. It was a pathetic item.
[Basic Umbrella: Durability 2/10].
It was just like him. Cheap. Disposable. Broken.
"Say it again," a voice commanded.
The voice was melodious, like a harp struck by a master, but it carried the freezing temperature of absolute indifference.
Kai looked up. The rain did not touch her.
Standing three meters away was Elena von Rose. A translucent golden barrier shimmered around her, vaporizing every drop of water before it could stain her skin. She was beautiful in a way that felt unfair. Silver hair that glowed under the academy streetlights, eyes the color of high-grade amethysts, and a figure that made the monthly magazine covers look amateur.
She was the highest-ranked awakened in their class and had also been Kai's longtime crush.
[Name: Elena von Rose]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Radiant Valkyrie (S-Rank)]
[Level: 19]
[Danger Rating: Extreme]
She was a goddess. An S-Rank talent who would likely hit Level 20 and evolve before graduation.
And Kai?
[Name: Kai]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Civilian (F-Rank)]
[Level: 2]
He was trash. He was the dirt beneath the pavement.
"I said," Elena repeated, her voice bored. "Say it again. Let the whole academy hear the joke."
A crowd had gathered. Of course they had. The elite students of St. Aethelgard Academy lived for entertainment, and nothing was more entertaining than a Commoner stepping out of line. They held up their wrists, their System Links recording the scene in 4K resolution.
Kai swallowed the lump of bile in his throat. He had spent three months saving up for the gift in his pocket. A [Mana-Infused Pendant]. It cost 5,000 Credits. It was three months of working night shifts at the logistics warehouse.
"I…" Kai's voice cracked. He hated himself for it. "I wanted to give you this. I like you, Elena. Please go out with me."
Silence.
Then, a snort.
It started with the tall guy behind Elena. Draven. A B-Rank [Berserker]. Then the girl next to him. Then the whole courtyard erupted in laughter.
"Did you hear him? The rat thinks he can court the Swan!"
"A Level 2 Civilian? My dog has higher stats than this trash!"
"Hey, Kai! Stick to the gutter where you belong!"
Elena did not laugh. That was almost worse. She looked at him with the clinical detachment of a scientist examining a bacterium.
She took a step forward, causing a wave of pressure to descend onto Kai.
"Kai," Elena said softly while reaching out. For a second, a foolish, desperate hope flared in Kai's chest. Was she going to accept it?
She took the small velvet box from his trembling hand and opened it. The blue pendant glimmered faintly.
"Five thousand credits," she murmured. "Cute."
She dropped it into the mud.
Then crushed it under her heel.
CRACK.
The sound was louder than the thunder overhead. The mana crystal shattered, its blue light fading into the mud.
"You misunderstand the world we live in," Elena said, wiping her boot on the grass. "We are not the same species, Kai. I am a Hunter. I will conquer Dungeons. I will kill Demon Kings. I will walk among the stars."
She pointed a gloved finger at his chest.
"You are a Civilian. You will fix roads. You will pay taxes to support me. You will die of old age before I even get my first wrinkle. You are nothing. Do not speak to me again. You are lowering my market value just by standing near me."
She turned around, her golden barrier flaring as she walked away.
"Draven," she called out over her shoulder. "Dispose of the trash. He is blocking the path."
Instantly, Draven grinned. The massive Berserker cracked his knuckles.
[Skill Activated: Seismic Kick]
Kai didn't even see the foot coming.
BANG.
The next moment, pain exploded in his ribs as the world spun around him. Kai flew backward, crashing into the academy gates. He coughed, and blood splattered onto the wet concrete.
[System Alert: HP Critical. 15/100.]
"Stay down, trash," Draven laughed and walked away.
The students walked past him. Some spat. Some laughed. Most just ignored him, stepping over his body like he was a pothole.
Kai lay there in the rain for an hour, thinking about his life in general.
He hated the System.
He hated the blue screens that dictated his worth.
He hated himself.
…
Three hours later, Kai was stumbling through the neon-drenched alleyways of the lower district.
He was drunk. He had spent the last of his rent money on a bottle of [Industrial Vodka: Quality F]. It burned through his throat as he drank, but it was enough to numb the shame he had endured today.
Buzz.
His wrist vibrated, and the next moment, a holographic notification popped up.
[New Message: Seductress]
Kai stared at the name. She was a spammer. A "Cam Model" who had somehow gotten his contact ID three months ago. She messaged him every day, sending him lewd photos, offers for "private shows," and prices for "services."
Usually, he deleted them. After all, he was a good student. He was saving money, and he didn't want to throw away his dignity.
However, this time, he laughed bitterly to himself.
"Dignity," Kai spat. "What is dignity worth? Five thousand credits?"
He opened the message.
It was a photo. A woman in a black latex bodysuit, her face covered by a sleek, serpentine mask. The suit left little to the imagination, highlighting curves that seemed engineered to destroy a man's rationality.
[Seductress: You look lonely tonight, handsome. I saw the livestream from the Academy. Brutal. Want to forget about the Valkyrie? Come over. Special discount for broken hearts. Address attached.]
She knew.
She had watched him get humiliated just like everyone else.
Instantly, anger flared in Kai's mind. But mixed with the anger was something else. A dark, twisted desire.
Why not?
He had tried to be good. He had tried to be respectful. He had worked hard, saved money, and played by the rules. And the world had stomped on his face.
Elena looked at him like he was sexless. Like he was a eunuch.
He wanted to feel something. Anything. Even if it was fake. Even if it was dirty. Especially if it was dirty.
He checked his credit balance.
[Balance: 350 Credits]
The message listed her rate. [Full Service: 350 Credits].
It was exactly enough. It was fate. Or maybe it was just the devil laughing at him.
"Screw it," Kai whispered. He pushed off the wall, swaying slightly. "Screw the Academy. Screw Elena. Screw being a good guy."
He followed the GPS marker.
The address led him to a luxury hotel located not too far from the main city where Kai schooled.
After cross-checking that it was the exact location, he climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. Apartment 404.
In moments, he was standing before an exquisite wooden door. He could hear faint music coming from inside. It sounded light, romantic, and soothing.
He hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering over the door handle.
Was this really how he was going to end his night? Paying a stranger to pretend she didn't find him pathetic?
You are a Civilian. You are nothing.
Elena's voice echoed in his head, and with the influence of the alcohol, Kai's emotions were far from controllable.
Kai slammed his hand onto the door and knocked.
Buzz.
The door clicked before it unlocked automatically.
He pushed it open.
The hotel room was dark, lit only by the red glow of a heating lamp, and the air smelled of lavender.
"Lock the door behind you," a voice came from the shadows.
It was seductive and extremely enchanting, a voice that could cause one to fall into an illusion.
Kai locked the door in a daze.
"Money first," the voice said once more as a woman stepped into the red light.
Kai's breath hitched.
She was not wearing the latex suit from the photo. She was wearing a loose silk robe that hung precariously off her shoulders. Her nipples gently pressed against the loose silk fabric, making Kai understand that she was aroused to a large extent.
Her skin was pale, almost translucent. Her hair was a messy raven black, cascading down her back like spilled ink.
She wasn't wearing a mask, so her beautiful, mature, flawless face was revealed to Kai under the faint illuminating light of the candle.
Her face was stunning, extremely so, and for a few seconds, Kai was lost in a daze, staring at her like he'd seen a ghost. How could a woman so beautiful exist?
"Well?" she asked, interrupting Kai's thoughts. "Are you going to stare, or are you going to transfer the credits? I don't have all night, kid."
His hands trembled briefly as he pulled up his interface and transferred the 350 Credits to her.
Ping.
She didn't bother to check her wristwatch, as though she didn't believe that Kai would cheat her.
"Alright," she said smoothly. She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the mattress. The silk robe slipped, revealing a glimpse of her inner, plump thigh. "Come here. Let's get this over with. Do you want the girlfriend experience, or do you just want to vent?"
Is this really happening? Kai asked no one in particular as he walked forward. The alcohol was buzzing in his brain, making the room spin. He stopped in front of her.
"I want," Kai said, his voice slightly hoarse due to the alcohol, "to feel like I'm not trash for the night."
The woman paused, then nodded, a faint smile curling her lips.
She reached out and grabbed his belt. Her grip was surprisingly soft and warm against his waist as she gently unbuckled it, letting his pants fall down.
"Then you came to the right place," she whispered. "But be warned, kid. Once you start, there's no going back to the old academy life you had."
She pulled him down.
Kai was briefly confused by her words. What could having sex do with changing one's life forever?
Still, under the influence of the alcohol, Kai didn't resist. He fell into the darkness, leaving the rain and the humiliation behind.
He didn't know it yet, but the moment his rod entered her warm, heavenly cave, something that had lain dormant all his life finally awakened.
[System Condition Met]
[Awakening System]
[Congratulations on being intimate with the Goddess of Lust. Obtaining a class.]
[Critical Hit! You have received a 100x critical hit, awakening the once-in-existence class.]
[Congratulations! You have awakened the class: …]