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  2. Happy Evil Heartbreaker [Modern LitRPG]

  3. Chapter 107: Exploiting the System to Level Up Skills
Happy Evil Heartbreaker [Modern LitRPG]

Chapter 107: Exploiting the System to Level Up Skills

Agile as a Swallow -> Light As Feather

After setting the goal of acquiring the "Light as a Feather" attribute, Xanthia decided to focus her efforts on leveling up her skills in table tennis and figure skating, aiming to elevate both to Level 2.

Table tennis, fortunately, was popular among her schoolmates. During weekly activity classes, the outdoor ping-pong tables, even the concrete ones, were always bustling with people. The indoor professional tables were often occupied by both teachers and particularly skilled students. It's like how the basketball court has an area always reserved for the best players, dubbed the "NBA court" of the school. Similarly, those who dared to play on the indoor tables were the cream of the crop.

Students with average skills typically opted for the outdoor concrete tables. Outside of activity classes, during physical education classes, some students who weren't interested in soccer, basketball, or badminton would head over to play table tennis during free activity time. A few students were so enthusiastic that they would even play in the corridors outside their classrooms, squatting or kneeling, using the floor as their makeshift table, with the floor’s division lines serving as the net, enjoying the game with fervor.

For Xanthia, finding opponents to play with to gain experience and level up her table tennis skills was a simple task. She chose this sport to gain the desired attribute not just because she had a basic foundation, but also because it was easy to level up her skills given the widespread popularity of table tennis across the internet. Everyone could pick up a paddle and play, which made it convenient for her to improve.

Compared to table tennis, figure skating had a much higher barrier to entry, making it harder to gain experience. It required access to an ice rink and a pair of ice skates. Under normal circumstances, improving in figure skating would indeed need these. But for Xanthia, equipped with her unique system, normal rules did not apply. She had already boosted her dance skills by playing on a dance machine, so it was reasonable for her to enhance her figure skating skills through roller skating.

Xanthia, being a master at finding creative shortcuts to complete tasks, decided to exploit the system. After all, she only needed to level up her figure skating skill to Level 2. This could be achieved by roller skating, so she decided to skate to and from school instead of taking the bus to increase her skill level.

Why roller skating could boost her figure skating skills didn't need questioning; the simple fact that she was skating was enough justification. However, she was aware that practicing in a real ice rink would yield faster experience gains. So, she planned to visit an ice rink whenever she had free time during holidays, while using roller skating to maintain and improve her skills on regular days.

Having devised her plans for upgrading these two sports skills, Xanthia nodded in satisfaction. She was truly a genius, knowing that once she collected both "Strong as an Ox" and "Light as a Feather" attributes, her base attributes of strength and agility would increase rapidly, making her immensely happy at the thought.

This school sports meet not only brought Xanthia valuable attributes but also a significant amount of "pain points" through her dramatic performances. She wasn’t in a hurry to use these pain points; instead, she was saving them up for the upcoming month of November. The thrill of opening a mystery box and drawing new attributes was something she greatly looked forward to.

 

Time moved forward as Xanthia continued her leisurely and joyful high school life. Meanwhile, with Kenny, the former sports committee member, being dismissed, the misdeeds he committed were exposed and spread around. The backlash and revenge he faced were severe.

Xanthia's brother, Dionysius, was furious when he learned the full story. He couldn't believe that someone as insignificant as Kenny dared to target his "sister." The campus' king was enraged, and the consequences were severe.

He greatly appreciated Dematero’s bold and decisive action in teaching Kenny a harsh lesson on Xanthia's behalf. He admired this type of courage and decisive action in a person, despite Dematero's gentle and kind appearance, Dematero had a fierce determination deep inside. This was the kind of talent Dionysius wanted to foster and ally with.

This incident brought Dionysius and Dematero closer together, with their bond strengthening and extending into music collaborations. Meanwhile, Dionysius subtly instructed Marcus to intensify his actions against Kenny, ensuring he made amends for his wrongdoings. Marcus, eager to please, made sure Kenny felt the heat, making life in Class 3 increasingly unbearable for him.

Kenny’s situation became even worse than Dematero’s had been, as he found himself targeted by Marcus and his crew, fueled by Dionysius’s anger. Left with no choice, Kenny applied for a class transfer to escape the harassment, paying a heavy price for his actions.

This outcome was seen by his classmates, instilling a sense of fear and caution. They realized that Xanthia had become the apex predator in Class 1-3’s social hierarchy, someone not to be trifled with. With Dematero, the "supernatural protector," by her side, and the looming threat of an even more mysterious force behind her, the stakes were high.

Hera was shaken by this turn of events, deciding not to target Xanthia anymore, whether in the classroom or on campus. She was thankful that Kenny had been the one to bear the consequences, as the aftermath would have been unimaginable otherwise.

Xanthia didn't dwell on those trivial matters. Without disrupting her routine of accumulating happy points, she shifted her focus to other things.

Having decided to rollerblade to and from school, she dedicated some time to visiting a mall where skating lessons were offered. After elevating her skill to Level 1, she promptly initiated a method to enhance her proficiency further through strategic exploits.

She purchased a pair of roller skates but quickly abandoned them after finding them uncomfortable. Instead, she turned to the "System Shop" for a solution.

While the equipment with special effects in the System Shop was expensive, the plain, basic gear was quite affordable. Even the most basic system-branded gear surpassed real-life counterparts in quality.

The key advantage was that these items were custom-made for Xanthia, ensuring a comfortable fit and durability. She no longer had to worry about accidental damage.

Xanthia found roller skating uncomfortable because the roads on her commute were nothing like the smooth surfaces of the mall's skating rink. Real-life roller skates struggled on such uneven surfaces, compromising both comfort and durability.

By investing a small amount of pain points to acquire a pair of system-branded roller skates, Xanthia eliminated her concerns permanently. She considered this a worthy trade.

Each morning, after descending to the ground floor of her building via the elevator, Xanthia equipped her system-branded skates and glided towards school. Watching her skill proficiency increase along the way brought her immense satisfaction and joy.

The system-branded gear also had the benefit of being storable in her item inventory once removed. This was akin to owning a mythical storage bag or ring, which she found incredibly convenient, even if it only held system-generated equipment and items.

In the future, when she visits an ice rink to practice figure skating, she won't need to purchase ice skates. She'll simply exchange pain points for a pair, ensuring the most comfortable skating experience.

After experiencing the benefits of the system's basic equipment and discovering the minimal pain points required, she decided to save more pain points to exchange for everyday clothing. Her goal was practicality.

Plain everyday clothing required even fewer pain points than roller skates. After all, she was exchanging for simple items like a plain white t-shirt or a shirt paired with jeans. Such basic attire, without brand premiums, would cost next to nothing in reality.

The "brand premium" of system gear manifested in the blue, purple, or even golden equipment that enhanced attributes or possessed special effects, driving up the price.

However, plain equipment, aside from being well-fitted, comfortable, and durable, lacked any special features. It had no design aesthetic and resembled the cheap clothes shipped free from online shopping platforms. If players were solely interested in comfort, they could wear it.

Initially, Xanthia dismissed this basic equipment as useless, believing it to be a waste of suffering points, a system trick to lure her into pointless purchases.

However, after experiencing the benefits of the system-branded roller skates, she realized this basic equipment wasn't entirely useless. Lacking design wasn't a big deal. What mattered was its practicality, affordability, and how comfortably it fit.

Once accustomed to wearing system-produced gear, real-world clothing felt constricting and uncomfortable, lacking the seamless and carefree feel of the system attire.

Xanthia suddenly grasped a profound truth: the system's basic equipment, while generic and unoriginal, complemented her natural beauty. She understood that comfort in her daily attire outweighed the opinions of others.

The most important thing was her own happiness!

With this revelation, Xanthia found herself increasingly fond of the system's basic equipment as she browsed the shop—much to her surprise, realizing she might be falling into the system's consumerist trap.

But as long as she had an ample supply of "pain points," she could indulge in the "basic equipment" freedom without hesitation.

Having experienced the benefits of the system's roller skates, she went on to acquire a pair of basic athletic shoes. These shoes were extremely well-fitted, comfortable, and breathable. However, they were utterly devoid of design aesthetics, giving off a cheap and outdated vibe—likely less appealing than typical online shopping options.

Xanthia didn't bat an eye before putting on the shoes. After a few steps and jumps, a satisfied smile appeared on her face. As expected, system-produced items, even the basic ones, were highly practical!

This met her expectations perfectly. She didn't share the vanity common among high school students. Her previous real-world shoes weren't high-end brands, leading her classmates to believe her family was poor.

Now, wearing system-branded athletic shoes, her classmates might further misunderstand, thinking, "How poor must Xanthia's family be, wearing such outdated and cheap shoes? She's really pitiful!"

Xanthia found this misunderstanding amusing. Despite wearing shoes that were well-fitted, comfortable, breathable, and perfect for gaining experience in ping pong, others saw them as garbage.

This was reminiscent of her "Blinding Pendant," which appeared cheap but was actually a highly useful magical item.

In high school, where uniforms were the norm and there was little room to showcase individuality, shoes were the key to status. Students preferred brands like Adidas and Nike. Wearing another brands felt inferior.

Luxury brand shoes were less common in high school as their lack of visible branding meant they went unnoticed among peers, making them a wasted investment.

Many high school boys with a penchant for flamboyance loved flashy jeans, especially those with elaborate back patterns or M-shaped designs. Such jeans, often costing thousands, significantly boosted their self-esteem.

Xanthia, having matured beyond the need to express individuality, didn't care about trendy fashion.

The system's basic equipment was highly practical and comfortable, perfectly suited to her needs.

After acquiring the athletic shoes, she exchanged for a pair of athletic pants resembling school trousers. These plain black pants were loose and comfortable, meeting her approval.

For the upper body, since she mostly wore the school uniform, she didn't need additional clothing. However, with autumn in full swing and November approaching, she decided to exchange for a long-sleeved athletic shirt for the cooler weather.

Thus, Xanthia spent a small amount of points to acquire a well-fitted, comfortable, practical, yet plain athletic outfit—something a young girl in her prime wouldn't typically wear.

However, after donning this basic equipment and examining herself in the mirror, Xanthia found the outfit quite appealing. It had a low-key beauty that fit well into her surroundings, transforming her into a "secret service agent" from the common populace.

 

It was a typical Friday, and the last class of the afternoon was activity class.

Last time, before the school's sports meet, the activity class had been occupied by a school-mandated "spring cleaning" duty. Many students in Class 1-3 were dissatisfied, as the task had consumed too much of their leisure time, leaving them unable to unwind.

Fortunately, this time, there were no such interruptions. As soon as the third class of the afternoon ended, the students raced towards the playground or basketball court, eager to claim their spots.

Ever since Xanthia decided to improve her table tennis skills, she chose to play table tennis during free activities in PE class. She even befriended a few girls from her class who shared her passion for the sport as the popularity of the game risen in the internet.

However, she was a bit disappointed that her best friend in the class, Luciel, wasn't interested in table tennis. Luciel preferred running as her main form of exercise.

As for Lhoraine and Elena, they were more inclined towards badminton. The two of them had become close as badminton partners, often meeting up to play during activity class. Their skills were fairly matched, allowing them to enjoy evenly contested games without the frequent interruption of retrieving the shuttlecock.

Interestingly, Elena's close friend, Yannis, who couldn't play badminton herself, enjoyed being part of the group. She was perfectly content to pick up shuttlecocks for them, simply enjoying the camaraderie.

Xanthia found this perplexing. She didn't understand the joy in willingly being the one to fetch the shuttlecock instead of playing. Perhaps this was Yannis's way of expressing her loyalty to Elena.

Since Luciel, Elena, and Lhoraine weren't potential table tennis partners for Xanthia, she set out to find new ones. And she did! Her new partner was Noemi, Elena's roommate, the head of their dorm, and Hera's current desk mate.

Xanthia hadn't expected Noemi to be her ideal table tennis partner. Noemi had average grades, wasn't particularly attractive, half-filipina, had tan skin, a thin and lean figure, and a quiet demeanor. With her big, meekly eyes that squinted into slits when she smiled, she didn't stand out in a crowd but akin to a mysterious and mildly cute girl that can blend in anywhere. Plus, she was surprisingly skilled at table tennis.

Her serves were particularly formidable—deceptively casual and unpredictable. Her serves came out from the crook of her arm without any visible indication of the spin, catching her opponents off guard.

However, Noemi rarely used her "King's Concealment" serve, a special move reserved for serious matches back when she was in the Philippines where she developed it.  There, Noemi has even defeated veteran filipino, chinese, korean and japanese players under fake names!

When playing with Xanthia, a mere Level 1 defensive player, she preferred to go easy and feed balls for Xanthia to practice her chops.

Xanthia had her reasons for choosing the path of a defensive player.

During this activity class, just as Noemi and Xanthia were enjoying a lively game of table tennis, an unexpected visitor arrived!

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