The Ancient Herb Garden was the school's most guarded facility. It wasn't just a garden; it was a high-IQ ecosystem. The plants were protected by complex formations that only the "smart" students could navigate.
Xiao Fan was there because he had been assigned "compost duty"—a punishment for making Senior Lu Chen jump like a frog in public.
"System, look at me," Xiao Fan sighed, leaning on a rake. "I'm a Bronze 1-Star with a talent that makes people hiccup. When do I get the 'World-Ending Sword' or the 'Dragon Soul'?"
[Ding! Host is reminded that 'Humiliation is the best CC (Crowd Control).' Why kill an enemy when you can make them quit society out of embarrassment?]
"You have a dark sense of humor, bro," Xiao Fan muttered.
The Intelligent Villain: The "Accident" Setup
Nearby, Senior Sister Mu Rong, a 5-Star talent beauty from the Gold Track, was attempting to harvest a Twin-Soul Lily. She was brilliant, calm, and had a backup plan for every scenario.
But she wasn't alone. Guo Yan, a brilliant but obsessive strategist from the same track, was watching her. He didn't want to hurt her; he wanted to "save" her.
He had calculated that if he subtly altered the garden's temperature formation, the Lily would release a paralyzing mist. He would then "happen" to be nearby with the antidote, earning her eternal gratitude and a possible marriage alliance.
Low risk, high reward, Guo Yan thought, adjusting his glasses. In three... two... one...
The Luck Intervention
Just as the mist began to swirl, Xiao Fan tripped over his own rake.
As he fell, his hand accidentally slapped a nearby Bellows-Plant—a weird flower that acts like a natural air pump. A massive gust of wind shot out, blowing the paralyzing mist away from Mu Rong and straight toward the hidden Guo Yan.
"What the—?" Guo Yan gasped, inhaling a lungful of his own trap. He slumped against a tree, unable to move his legs.
But the wind didn't stop there. It blew the 'Manual of Infinite Itchiness' out of Xiao Fan's pocket. The pages fluttered, and because it was a "trash-tier" magical item, it reacted to the Qi in the air.
[Ding! Luck Event: 'Area-of-Effect Itchiness' activated.]
A faint purple pollen exploded from the book.
The Humiliation Play
Mu Rong, who was about to be paralyzed, suddenly felt a mild tingle. But Guo Yan, who was stuck in the bushes, felt it ten times worse.
"Hnnngh... must... stay... dignified..." Guo Yan whispered, his face twitching.
Xiao Fan stood up, dusting off his pants. He saw Mu Rong looking confused and the bushes rustling violently.
"Oh, hey Senior Sister!" Xiao Fan waved. "Watch out, there's a giant 'Itchy-Beetle' in those bushes. It sounds like it's having a seizure."
Mu Rong walked over and pulled back the branches. There sat the "Elegant Strategist" Guo Yan. He was paralyzed from the waist down, but his upper body was twitching uncontrollably. He was trying to scratch his back against the tree bark while maintaining a "cool" expression.
"Senior Brother Guo?" Mu Rong asked, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you hiding in the bushes with a bottle of... Paralyzing Antidote?"
"I... I was... HIC!"
Xiao Fan's passive talent kicked in.
"I was trying to... HIC! ...trap you so you'd... HIC! ...marry me! HIC!"
Guo Yan's face went from pale to beet red. He was hiccuping so hard his glasses were sliding off his nose, all while desperately trying to scratch an itch on his left shoulder that felt like a thousand ants were dancing on it.
"You're disgusting," Mu Rong said, her voice colder than a winter's night. She turned to Xiao Fan. "And you... the 1-Star. You saved me again. By accident?"
"Total accident, bro," Xiao Fan said, picking up his soggy manual. "I just have a very clumsy rake. Anyway, you want to grab some tea? I hear it's great for... you know, not being a creep in the bushes."
Mu Rong looked at the twitching, hiccuping "genius" on the ground and then at the relaxed, laughing Xiao Fan.
"Tea sounds acceptable," she said, a small smile appearing. "But stay five feet away from me. That book of yours is... unsettling."
The Growth
As they walked away, the System pinged.
[Ding! Reward for 'Social Execution' of a High-IQ Villain.]
[Talent Progress: 1-Star (Middle) — 99%... BREAKTHROUGH!]
[Current Status: 1-Star (High Talent).]
[New Passive: 'The Golden Scavenger' — You can now find 'Spirit Stones' in common rocks.]
"1-Star High! Finally," Xiao Fan thought. "At this rate, I'll be a 2-Star Low by next month. I might actually have to learn a real spell soon... nah, I'll just keep tripping over things."