Happy Evil Heartbreaker [Modern LitRPG]

In the world of table tennis, defensive players, especially those who specialize in chopping, are often seen as mere side characters, rarely clinching major championships. The reason is simple: choppers are too defensively oriented, too passive. When they face opponents with aggressive playstyles and high-quality shots, their defenses often crumble.

In table tennis, the best defense is a strong offense. Whoever gets pushed away from the table first is usually the one who loses the point. Of course, watching a player retreat and then make a miraculous comeback with mid-range counter-loops or lobbed shots is thrilling.

Xanthia, however, enjoys watching chopper matches the most. The extended rallies and the occasional "divine shots" make these games far more entertaining to her. Unlike typical matches, where the outcome is often decided within the first three strokes, these matches offer rare, exciting rallies.

The reason Roman Empire’s national team is so dominant is largely due to their impeccable short-game techniques, making it easy to outmaneuver foreign players even those top players of United States, China and Russia. Simply due to one factor, when the match reaches the rally stage, the tall and powerful European players tend to have the upper hand.

Xanthia decided to take the path of a chopper for two main reasons. First, she discovered that the more rallies she played, the faster her skills improved. She didn’t want to waste time retrieving balls, preferring the long rallies that chopping entailed. This is why sports like table tennis and badminton are only fun when both players are at a similar skill level.

Second, a chopper’s game revolves around defense and counter-attacks, which can be seen as a "torture style" of play. As long as the opponent’s attacks couldn’t break through her defenses, the longer the match dragged on, the more frustrated her opponent became, leading to what Xanthia gleefully called "pain points."

This strategy is similar to games like Mobile Legends or League of Legends, where the most painful experience for an opponent is when they have a significant early-game advantage, boast confidently, but then fail to push down the opponent’s crystal or win the match in the mid-game. As they begin to lose in the late game, they fall silent, and when the tables turn with a spectacular comeback, they might even start blaming each other, leading to internal conflicts—making it all the more entertaining to watch.

Without a doubt, choppers can take the "torture style" to the extreme. When the opponent’s arm is sore from smashing the ball, but they still can’t score, and then they make an error, sending the ball out of bounds, the pain points just rack up even more.

Lastly, Xanthia had always prioritized investing her happy points into her "physical constitution" attribute. With her quick recovery speed, becoming a chopper was the perfect match for her. She could rely on her physical advantage to further torment her opponents.

Typically, playing against a chopper is more physically demanding, and if an opponent can't quickly defeat a chopper, their chances of winning decrease as the match drags on. Since this world’s european women’s table tennis team is already exceptionally strong, there’s no need for Xanthia to crush foreign players. Unlike women’s single figure skating, which truly needs a groundbreaking talent, Xanthia’s table tennis journey could be more laid-back and casual. Winning wasn’t important; breaking her opponent’s spirit was what brought her joy.

Thus, in every match, she would not only harvest happiness points but also extract pain points from her opponent—a double victory for Xanthia. While others hope to win matches quickly and easily, Xanthia, ever the mischief-maker, didn’t care about winning or losing. The longer the match, the better, as she had no shortage of stamina. Playing until her opponent collapsed from exhaustion was the real fun for her.

The longer the match, the more the system would count it as "physical exercise," which would also boost her basic attributes. Even if it wasn’t as fast as gaining happy points, "every little bit helps," and she certainly wouldn’t mind.

At this moment, during activity class, Xanthia and Noemi occupied a regular concrete table tennis table, engaging in a back-and-forth rally. Their match was clearly not between beginners; there was a significant level of skill involved.

Noemi’s skills were already quite impressive for an amateur player. She had no competition within Class Three! Thankfully, Xanthia’s unexpected rise brought back the joy of table tennis for Noemi. She finally understood why Xanthia was so popular—playing with her was genuinely fun!

Holding her paddle in her right hand, Xanthia gracefully chopped back one of Noemi’s loop drives. With the system’s assisted training, her movements were precise and displayed the finesse of a seasoned chopper. Of course, her paddle was still the standard equipment from the system; she didn’t understand much about pips-in or pips-out rubbers, only that this paddle felt incredibly comfortable. She could always trust the system’s customized gear.

Most choppers play with their right hand; left-handed choppers are nearly nonexistent. However, once Xanthia leveled up her table tennis skills, she had a hidden, almost godlike advantage—she could perform equally well with both hands!

This meant she could torture her opponent with right-handed chops, and once they were worn down, she could switch to her left hand and finish the match with aggressive attacks. Her opponent might exclaim in shock, "Her left hand's even stronger! She’s a golden lefty!"

It’s akin to those football players who are ambidextrous, capable of kicking with either foot. But in table tennis, being ambidextrous is almost impossible because everyone has a dominant hand.

Since competitive sports are all about winning, players naturally use their stronger hand. But now, Xanthia, equipped with her system hacks, was changing the game. If she became famous, the table tennis world would be in for a treat. Opponents would never know whether she would use her right hand or left hand on the day of the match.

She might even switch hands during a match or change her grip style. While she would use a shakehand grip for chopping, she could switch to a penhold grip for attacking with her left hand, a style almost extinct among female players today.

The title of "The Brightest Star of Women’s Penhold" would undoubtedly fall to Xanthia. The thought of this possibility filled her with glee.

In reality, this was all thanks to exploiting a bug in the system. The system’s rating for table tennis skills was very general, without any subdivisions. Once a certain level was reached, it assumed the player had mastered all the techniques at that level, regardless of whether they were using their right hand, left hand, shakehand, penhold, chopping, or a conventional style...

As a player who loved to explore the system’s quirks and come up with innovative strategies, Xanthia naturally exploited every bug she could find. Over time, she would become the most versatile and unpredictable player, constantly innovating new tactics.

Noemi had already played several matches with Xanthia in previous PE classes and noticed that Xanthia’s progress was astonishingly fast. At first, Noemi could dominate Xanthia with just 30% of her strength. Now, she needed to use 70% of her power, and even then, she couldn’t always win, sometimes netting the ball or hitting it out of bounds.

Choppers have an exceptional understanding of spin. To score points with their defensive play, they need to create varying spins that cause their opponents to make mistakes. The faster Xanthia improved, the more excited Noemi became. After all, playing against a novice was boring; as soon as she applied power, the opponent couldn’t return the ball, making the match unchallenging.

Just as Noemi was gearing up to give her all and have a thrilling showdown with the talented chopper Xanthia, an unexpected interruption occurred!

"Noemi, step aside. It’s not every day you find a skilled chopper in school. Let me take her on!"

A slightly rough female voice sounded beside Noemi.

Xanthia looked in the direction of the voice and saw a sturdy-looking girl with short, neat hair. The girl held a table tennis paddle and wore a Nike wristband, exuding the aura of a table tennis pro.

Behind her were two other players, one of whom was a boy. They all carried their gear, and judging by their destination, they were likely headed to the nearby indoor facility.

As mentioned before, students brave enough to play on the professional indoor tables were usually confident in their abilities, similar to those who played on the "Number One Court" on the school basketball courts—only the best of the best.

Oliver La Kanteniero.

"Oliver, we were having a good game! What are you doing here? Besides, your skills aren’t even as good as mine!"

Noemi, unusually assertive, fired back. She was clearly very confident in her table tennis skills and was eager to use her full strength to go all out against Xanthia. But just as things were heating up, Oliver’s intrusion soured her mood, filling her with frustration and a strong urge to vent!

Oliver was a formidable presence at Thessaloniki First High School. As a classmate of Noemi from middle school, Oliver had always excelled in sports. At the previous school sports meet, she even outperformed Sequanni to clinch the championship in the shot put event. Her stout physique made it clear that she was not just strong, but a classic example of a "power player."

Among her many athletic talents, table tennis was where she truly shined. From a young age, Oliver had joined a table tennis club and never abandoned her passion for the sport. Although her talent wasn't enough to propel her into a professional career, she had no trouble dominating the amateur scene at school.

“What do you mean I'm not as good as you?” Oliver sneered, her tone dripping with arrogance. “Noemi, I know your game inside out. The only reason you ever win is because of your dirty hidden serves. You barely scraped by last time, and you have the nerve to boast? The only way you beat me is by cheating!”

Oliver's love for table tennis was rivaled only by her desire to win, and her fiery temper made her a formidable opponent. Today, she was in no mood to let Noemi’s taunts slide—especially since her adversary was someone as meek and skinny as Noemi, whom she could bully with ease.

“Well, why don't we settle this with a match?” Noemi shot back, undeterred. “Whoever wins gets the right to challenge her!”

Xanthia, who had been silently observing the tense exchange between the two high school girls, couldn’t help but be amused. She never imagined she’d become the prize in someone else’s table tennis duel.

“Fine by me,” Oliver agreed with a grin. “Let’s see how you handle a real match. But not here—we’re way past the point of playing on these outdoor tables. Let’s take it inside.”

Xanthia, who had reached Level 1 in table tennis through system training, was eager to continue her progress. She was only a few percentage points away from Level 2, and the quickest way to level up was to face skilled opponents. Playing against stronger players not only accelerated her experience gain but also made each match more rewarding.

This was precisely why Xanthia enjoyed playing against Noemi—she was the best player in Class Three, and even the boys couldn't beat her. While men generally dominate the upper echelons of table tennis, at the amateur level, skill disparities can blur the lines, and certain formidable female players could easily outclass their male counterparts.

Following the agreement, Xanthia joined Oliver and Noemi as they moved to the indoor gymnasium—a place Xanthia had never ventured before. Inside, several DHS tables were set up, and numerous teachers were enthusiastically engaged in matches of their own, while a sizeable number of students spectated with great interest.

Such a scene was evidence of the game's popularity around the world.

Among the players, Xanthia spotted their Class Three homeroom teacher, William El Pantomina, who had a refined and scholarly appearance. Surprisingly, when he played, he exuded an entirely different aura—aggressive and unrelenting, he never hesitated to seize any opportunity for a decisive attack.

William’s opponent was none other than the principal of Thessaloniki First High School, Principal Herculano El Monterro! Principal Herculano was a legendary figure at the school, known for his love of table tennis. Despite his bald head and graying hair, his left-handed playstyle and tenacious skills made him a formidable opponent, even against much younger players.

William’s aggressive playing style was often neutralized by Principal Herculano’s strategy of “soft overcoming hard".

Xanthia couldn’t help but be reminded of a popular meme...

However, Xanthia quickly refocused her attention. Watching others play wouldn’t earn her experience points—she needed to get on the table herself.

Meanwhile, Noemi and Oliver had already started their match. To ensure fairness, Oliver's classmate, Luma, was roped in to act as a temporary referee. The match would be a best-of-five, 11-point game.

Xanthia, holding her paddle, casually warmed up with Oliver’s other classmate, Genalyn, at a nearby table. But after a few exchanges, Xanthia couldn’t help but frown slightly. Genalyn’s level was far below Noemi’s, with a high error rate that made the match feel lackluster. Every time Xanthia chopped the ball over, Genalyn either hit it out of bounds or into the net. Yet, despite her frequent mistakes, Genalyn impatiently tried to end rallies with a single powerful stroke, never realizing that rushing only led to more errors.

Playing against someone who lacked patience for long rallies was a bore for Xanthia. Worse yet, constantly retrieving the ball interrupted her experience grind, slowing her progress.

It wasn’t long before Xanthia started looking for another opponent. Fortunately, her unique chopping style had already piqued the interest of several players around the gym.

After all, in this day and age, choppers were a rare breed, even more so than penhold grip players. Most players sought the thrill of fast-paced, aggressive attacks, while chopping—a defensive and often exhausting playstyle—was seen as a secondary role. In the national team, choppers typically served as practice partners, training alongside the main squad but never achieving the same glory as those who stood on the Olympic podium.

At the amateur level, many players craved the adrenaline rush of powerful smashes and swift points. The idea of engaging in long defensive rallies, only to wait for a counter-attack, was unappealing to most. Even the most skilled “attack-defense hybrid” choppers struggled to dominate at the highest levels, their passive playstyle often proving to be a fatal flaw. If their offense was truly strong, they wouldn’t need to rely on chopping in the first place—a fundamental contradiction in the sport.

Xanthia soon found a new challenger—another female player, but this time not a student. Her opponent was Morgianne, a young half-chinese language teacher who had only recently started teaching at the school. Morgianne was in charge of the first-year classes 7 and 8, as newer teachers like her wouldn’t yet be assigned to the more prestigious experimental classes.

As Xanthia and Morgianne began their match, Xanthia immediately felt at ease. Morgianne was a patient player who didn’t rely on overpowering shots but instead focused on placement, forcing Xanthia to chase the ball across the table. Her shots were precise and tricky, making them challenging for Xanthia to return.

But Xanthia was not deterred. With her boundless energy, she didn’t mind running across the court. Her long reach and exceptional footwork allowed her to cover almost the entire table. No matter how tricky the placement, as long as she was willing to chase it down, she could get the ball back into play.

Xanthia’s “torture style” of play reached its peak during this match. For the first time, her strategy of grinding down her opponent bore tangible fruit, as Morgianne’s frustration visibly mounted.

After a grueling rally of thirty exchanges, Xanthia sent a heavily spun chop over the net. By this point, Morgianne was red-faced and sweating profusely. Abandoning her careful placements, she unleashed a powerful smash in an attempt to finally end the rally.

But the ball unceremoniously hit the net and dropped, ending the point.

Exhausted, Morgianne collapsed onto her side of the table, her ample chest flattened against the surface. With a look of defeat, she said to the still-energetic Xanthia, “Xanthia, I’m knackered! Playing with you is both exhilarating and exhausting! I’ve played table tennis for years, but you’re like a brick wall—winning even one point against you is nearly impossible!”

[ System Notification: Morgianne’s Pain Points +++ ]

Xanthia barely suppressed a grin. Ah, the sweet satisfaction of being a chopper!

To top it off, Xanthia's table tennis skills finally reached Level 2 after this grueling match. And just when she thought things couldn’t get better, a new challenge popped up in her system’s task list—an exciting mission to take on none other than Principal Herculano himself.

Completing this challenge would unlock a special title: “Left-Handed Master,” a trait that perfectly matched Principal Herculano’s left-handed playstyle.

Xanthia’s eyes narrowed as she fixed her gaze on Principal Herculano, who was casually toying with her math teacher William at the far table. In her eyes, he was no longer just the school principal—he was her next prey.