3.00
Three days later, 22 hours and 2 minutes before the update is completed
Over the past three days, I've tried to gather as much information as possible, and I've come up with four crucial points:
1. Since I am not from the 'parallel of worlds,' I will have to use my phone to consult the system after the update.
2. Since I am not from the 'parallel of worlds,' I won't have innate gifts like magic, superhuman abilities, or anything of that sort compared to the characters of IT0 and even compared to those from the 'normal' world who will have them (not everyone, of course; the gift is still quite rare).
3. Once the update is completed and fully finalized, the appearance of gifts, other races, and monsters - which will appear all over the world - will occur, or rather will be introduced as an event that took place around 320 years ago.
4. Finally, with my phone and the system, I will be able to acquire skills or gifts that will help me in this world, which is currently entirely hostile to me in every way.
Although I think I can manage for a while with my physical abilities, I must not forget that there are those who can throw huge fireballs with the temperature of the sun, create long blades - sometimes exceeding 5 meters in length - and do all sorts of things with magical power. This means that for me, as a 'giftless,' I would be easily struck down as if a lightsaber were cutting through butter. Well, that would be if I were a simple 'giftless,' which is, of course, not the case. I have several aces up my sleeve: first, my 11 years as an assassin, my phone with the implanted system, and finally, all the knowledge I possess about IT0.
With these three aces, I am prepared for all eventualities. Of course, I am prepared for all eventualities only for... with a bit of luck... the first 4 or 5 months, and that's only if I am at Prism and stay there; otherwise, it's going to be very difficult.
Anyway, let's get to today. It's been three days since Mia Vermilion has been trying to corner me somewhere to talk to me, and after three days of incessant chasing and hide-and-seek, she finally succeeded.
Mia: Finally! (on the roof, leaning against the wall, blocking Wan) Huff
Wan: ... This is definitely harassment (monotone voice, expressionless)
We were on the roof, and I was leaning against the wall with one of Mia's arms on each side of me and her body in front of me to prevent me from leaving. She was red, and I understood because I was too. We were very hot because we had been chasing each other for over an hour, right after having PE class. She was even sweating profusely. No, she was drenched, but really, she was very sweaty. Well, I also understood because I was sweating too, though less than her, I still was.
Mia: This is not harassment! (Out of breath) I'm tr-... huff I'm just tryyy...- huff
Wan: Would you mind relearning how to breathe before trying to talk to me? Because right now, you sound more like a fan.
She was about to exclaim but stopped halfway and started catching her breath.
Wan: Actually, having a fan would have been rather useful, but the air you sent me was hot, so... you just made me even hotter.
What I understood more about Mia over these three days is that she has a facade she doesn't drop to stay 'popular,' but like a twist of fate (or rather bad luck), she found someone in front of whom she dropped her facade, and that person is me... Mia has changed compared to who she was in IT0, and though it disturbed me, I moved past it.
Mia: (takes a deep breath and then exhales) It's a bit bette-... (stumbles) huh...wh-what...! (falls forward)
She fell forward, and her head ended up over my shoulder while her body pressed against mine, despite her and especially despite me. This situation would lead one to think it's a bit of a cliché 'happening' from a rom-com, but it isn't the case. Yes, I had calculated everything. I made sure a boy from the class provoked her to a duel during PE to tire her out, then we had a chase for at least an hour. Even though she managed to follow me, she had to be tired, so I let myself get cornered against the wall of the roof. Then, I told her to catch her breath first, which made the adrenaline helping her legs stay standing after all this exhausting physical activity disappear. Without this adrenaline, she wouldn't have enough strength in her legs to stand.
Wan: You know, falling into a guy's arms like that isn't very healthy.
It was a joke. My vocal tone was monotone, of course, but it was definitely a joke. At that moment, I just wanted to leave, but I had to end her interest in me before the update was completed.
Mia: Th-... that's not it!!!! (a bit red)
Wan: I figured, it was a joke.
Mia: Arrh, you!... (stops then sighs in fatigue, resigns)
Wan: No, really, it's not safe. You can rejoice that it's me and that I have no sexual or physical attraction to you. But if it had been someone else, believe me, they would have already tried something.
She said nothing. She just listened and now had shivers and cold sweats.
Wan: Know this and understand it, I don't want to be 'mean' or 'harsh.' I'm just realistic. Given how your body is wet and sticky, you could have been...
Mia: .......
I spoke from experience. I've often received assassination requests asking me to kill a man or woman who had sexually abused them or a close relative.
Wan: I think you get it... Moreover, you must have noticed, but I managed to drain all your energy very easily. Again, it worked because it was me, but you can't know if someone like me won't show up with intentions that disregard your opinion or desires or just want to use your body to make money, whether you are alive or not.
A silence that lasted 10 seconds but seemed like 10 minutes imposed itself.
Mia: Y-You are right...
Wan: No one will come to save you. We are not in a Disney movie. There won't be a charming prince or a bandit with a soft heart coming to save you.
In fact, there would have been the protagonist, but... I accidentally 'took his place,' so she will have to defend herself, because I don't plan to save her every time.
Mia: Yes... °We're not in a Disney, I know... Anyway, my life isn't one...°
We then stayed like that for about ten minutes in silence while she was clinging to me.
Mia: T-Thank-...
I cut her off.
Wan: You're really sticky, and... I won't say anything about the sweat because we are in the same boat, but for you, we're starting to see through your clothes.
Mia: (looks at herself completely red) W-What!!! (tries to back away but stumbles and falls backward)
Wan: (catches her princess-style) ... (looks at Mia's shirt) Indeed, we can see through it.
We were wearing our autumn uniforms, not the summer ones, so it was easy to see through ours due to our sweat.
Wan: ... (monotone voice) Well, I did an involuntary analysis of your body, but I'll avoid stating it to not get hit-...
I quickly dodged a punch aimed at the right side of my temple.
Mia: P-P-Perv!!! (completely red with shame)
Wan: Sorry for preventing your fall, sorry for warning you that your clothes were see-through so you could fix it instead of just staring, sorry for saying I saw your body involuntarily instead of saying nothing and developing perverse ideas... oh, and I should also apologize for warning you about the dangers that come with your behavior?
Mia: (embarrassed but doesn't know what to say) .... (looks away)
Wan: Right now, the person who looks most like a pervert here is you.
Mia: (still very embarrassed and red) I-I-I am not a pervert! (throws another punch that Wan dodges again)
Wan: (dodges less gracefully) Could you stop? Every dodge makes me even hotter, and if this continues, even my composure won't allow me to keep my thoughts in check.
Mia: (looks at Wan in astonishment) Y-Your...
Wan: What now?
Mia: Your eyes... I see them.
Wan: ! (reacts very quickly and covers Mia's eyes with his hand) Did you see them? (voice surprised and worried)
When it comes to my eyes, I can no longer keep my composure or make my facial expressions stay monotone, and it's the same for my voice.
Mia: Y-Yes... . . . . . .
My eyes... are like a curse I've carried since birth. They are special... even in IT0, they would be considered inhuman or of a special level, even cosmically.
Mia: (takes Wan's hand and removes it from her eyes to look at Wan)
And they are problematic, especially in this exact situation.
Mia: (puts her hands behind Wan's neck, pulls him close, and kisses him)
Wan: .... °...that's problematic°
Mia: (kisses even more passionately)
My eyes allow me to do two things: amplify the strongest emotion the person in front of me feels with a single visual contact, even if it's against my will. So yes, it's a real curse; and the second thing is that if I want, I can transmit an emotion of my choice and intensity to the person in front of me. You might say, "but that's super overpowered." Yes, it is, but I said it's a curse. Those on whom I use my eyes develop a dependency on me and go crazy to the point where they want to kill me to have me all to themselves. Of course, the dependency doesn't develop immediately for everyone. For people like Mia, it should be the fourth or fifth time.
Mia: (hooks her legs behind Wan's back and presses against him)
She's acting like this because I told her that her clothes were becoming transparent, meaning I saw her body, or more precisely, her almost-naked body except for her underwear. There's no denying it; the author gave her a body that would tempt any man. Now, I understand a little better why he described her as: «Her body is more beautiful than gold and more precious than antimatter. Even covered by a 10-centimeter-thick mountaineering suit, it would still be tempting; and if temptation were a thing, it would be her body, and we would worship her if she showed herself in a swimsuit, despite herself. Whether it's her skin, her pigment, her proportions, or anything else, everything is perfect.»
Wan: °I wondered why he emphasized her body so much, but... it would be lying to say I don't understand°
If it had been anyone else in my place, they would have probably tried to go further without hesitation, except for the protagonist or the human weapon, as I like to call him.
Wan: °In IT0, the author says Mia has a weakness, located 10 centimeters below her buttocks° (removes his mouth from Mia's) °she seems hypnotized° (moistens his finger in his own mouth and places his finger a bit below Mia's buttocks)
In truth, IT0 has nothing 'innocent' about it; it's just that the protagonist is innocent. No, in fact, he has surpassed innocence; he is a sage monk on his own, no, better, he is an entity of pure energy (the second highest rank on the virginity scale, knowing that to reach the first, one must be at least 300 years old). Anyway, that's what makes IT0 'innocent.' For example, without the protagonist, Mia would probably have been raped or at least molested. It's unfortunate to say this, but I say it because as an assassin, I've seen all the worst humanity has to offer. Humans are evil, and when I say humans, I mean all people who are human and make up humanity.
Wan: (spreads his saliva in a circle on Mia's thigh just below her buttocks)
I know it sounds like a pervert, but that's not the case!!! This is one of the reasons why I say IT0 is not an 'innocent' work. Let me explain: in IT0, Mia's swimming coach from when she was a child became obsessed with her when she moved from England to Korea. After analyzing each swimming session where he saw Mia, he determined her weak point and planned to use it against her. But that was without counting the death of the swimming coach because he sought magical vines to tie Mia to a chair with, so she wouldn't be destroyed. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for Mia, he died because he entered the elven dream forest and stepped on one of the branches the elf king needed to survive his disease, thus rendering it useless and the king unsavable. All this to say, I am definitely not a pervert!
Wan: (presses the center of where he placed his saliva) °normally, she should faint in: 3... 2... 1...°
Mia: (faints)
Wan: (catches her) And there you go, job done.
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End of chapter|