Glorious Vanity (SI LitRPG)

Lucifer laughed, shifting his gaze to me. Unlike before, his blue eyes had turned crimson and glittered with mirth. "My, my. To have the eye of such an important individual... Should I say that I'm envious or that I pity you?"

Seeing that smug look on his face gave me the urge to walk over and sock the fallen angel in the face. But considering that guy helped us out in the fight against the hydra and was at least neutral... albeit irritating, I held myself back.

I ignored Lucifer's gaze... as well as everyone else's and turned to Freyr.

As if nobody else existed, she was staring only at me, her clear blue eyes waiting with silent expectation.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "Come on, Freyr. You know that I'm not qualified to decide that. I mean, I'm honored that you think so highly of me, but-"

"You are." Freyr cut me off and said, "If you wish to continue, I will follow. If you wish to leave, I will go with you." Her hand went to the sword sheathed at her side and her face turned soft. "You... You have earned that much for all you have done for me."

Ah. Crap.

"L-Lady Freyr!" One of the Chosen in Freyr's group rushed forward. An unremarkable brown-haired swordsman. He pointed at me and said, "You cannot truly be deferring to someone like him! A man that weak-"

Azure lightning crackled around Freyr and her gaze turned frosty. No. Not just frosty. A flicker of madness and crimson light emerged in her eyes as she turned to face that man. "Weak?" Her hand twitched, as if deciding whether or not to cut the man down.

[...Vain. I suggest that you act quickly. Miss Freyr's class has resulted in an unstable mental state.]

Gee, you don't say, Alice?

Lucifer looked on with an amused look on his face. At the same time, I could see Sakura give me an evaluating gaze.

In short, the situation was bad.

Freyr seemed to have completely thrown away all thoughts about being a leader and didn't care about the people following her anymore. But that was no good. Someone like her was determined to take a leading stage and needed to have supporters.

Ordinarily, her strength, beauty, and charisma would be enough. But because of my actions and raising all of those flags, they didn't matter. Instead of being a plus factor, those had all been turned into cons as she deferred to someone as weak as me for no apparent reason.

A foolish woman that had fallen from grace. A goddess who became ensnared by a mortal and who had forsaken her duties.

No doubt that was what the others were all thinking.

And the result of that was because I was too weak. There was absolutely no reason for Freyr to care that much about me. And even if they knew what I did and the apparent sacrifice I pulled off to save her, all that anyone would feel when hearing that story would be envy that I lucked out enough to get Freyr's affection.

I let out an internal sigh.

Dammit. It looked like I couldn't be the low-key side character at this point... At least, not without making Freyr give everything up.

I wasn't that selfish. So...

[Loki's Blessing (Minor) activates!]
[No One's Story responds to Loki's Blessing (Minor)!]
[Incorporating elements into the disguise in accordance to user's intent...]
[Divine Anathema incorporated]
[Flames of Muspell (Degraded) incorporated]
[A Different Path incorporated]
[World Creator (Minor) incorporated]
[Hero Creator incorporated]
[Generating the appropriate status... Complete.]

A sudden swell of power. An aura that was similar to the hydra that had been dropped in to party wipe me and Freyr... No, one that was even heavier. A heaven-defying presence that marked the 'End' and who seemed to be in control of everything in the room. An authority not unlike an absolute god.

But it was fake.

I got the idea after the message from [The Karmic Anomaly] and remembering the crazy shenanigans that guy pulled off in the story I wrote for him.

Even so, I didn't have enough experience with [Loki's Blessing (Minor)] to pull off a seamless disguise just yet. But for everyone who wasn't on Freyr's level...

Choked gasps, followed by the sounds of people falling to their knees.

Freyr quickly spun around to look at me, her eyes wide in surprise. But then realization flickered in her gaze and she pursed her lips.

Hah... it seemed like she immediately saw through my plan.

But I didn't acknowledge it. Instead, I swept my gaze across the room.

As expected, most of the Chosen had collapsed under the pressure. A few were admirably trying to resist it, struggling to stand, but the only two truly unaffected were that spearman and Sakura.

The former remained standing as steadfast as ever, but his gaze turned sharp, as if trying to see through me-

[No One's Story has blocked the vision of <Future Gauging Karmic Eyes> attempting to perceive your true status!]

...Eh?

[No One's Story has fooled <Dragon Princess's Insight> peering into your true status!]

I quietly thanked [Man of a Thousand Faces] for giving me an unflappable pokerface.

But holy crap.

That first skill was basically Seol Jihu's Nine Eyes, wasn't it? The evolved form that had all those buffs seeing the past, future, and all that jazz? Did that mean the regressor guy was someone like him?

And that second skill... Didn't that mean Sakura was actually a dragon?!

Oi, Administrator! Why the hell did you pick on Freyr when crazy guys like that are walking around?!

[Vain. Please recall that, unlike <Analyze>, higher grade unique skills such as those cannot normally be perceived when utilized.]

Cannot normally- Oh. Then the only reason that I'm getting those messages is because they got blocked?

Wait. Then doesn't that mean those guys can go around getting information from everything without anyone knowing?

[Indeed.]

...Cheating bastards.

[Considering that you have my aid and all that you have done so far, I wonder who is the real <cheat> here...]

And that reminds me that I have a lot to ask you, Alice... But more on that later.

I shifted my attention back on my surroundings. It was quiet now, the atmosphere suddenly solemn. No, tense. Almost like an execution.

I blinked, wondering why that might be... and then remembered that I went off on a mental tangent while emitting an insanely overwhelming aura.

Well... that was awkward. It worked in my favor though.

I let out a deep sigh and then retracted the aura... or so it appeared. In actuality, I cancelled [Loki's Blessing (Minor)].

[The Inviolable Morning Star remarks that you put on a truly entertaining show.]

I ignored the message and shifted my gaze to Freyr. "Originally, I wanted for us to go our separate ways. As we are now, it would be difficult to walk the same path."

Words with a double meaning.

To those that didn't know the truth, they would think that I was talking about Freyr being too weak.

But for her...

Freyr bit her lips and then lowered her gaze. "I am sorry, Vain."

"Don't be. I should have considered how everything would have turned out." I made a show of looking around the room with a dismissive gaze before turning back to Freyr. "Since it's reached this point... and since you trust me so much, I can't just leave you on your own. There are quite a few benefits left in this place though..."

Like breathing room to properly train my stats and make up for my debt.

Lucifer chuckled. "Indeed, my friend. I would suggest remaining instead of being hasty in leaving the Tutorial." He smiled and said, "It would be much better than the arrangements you have with other gods in paying off that debt you undertook for Miss Valhalla."

Freyr's eyes widened and she quickly turned towards me. "Debt?" Worry filled her gaze and she said, "What is he talking about, Vain?"

"Don't worry about it."

Lucy, you bastard! Just wait until I manage to figure out how to make anti-divine weapons!

[That would not help. Lucifer is not divine.]

Then anti-demonic weapons!

[Neither is he a demon.]

...Whatever! He's definitely on my hitlist as soon as I manage to bootstrap my way up.

I glared at Lucifer.

He smiled back.

I shook my head and said, "In any case, I'm staying."

Freyr nodded. "Then I will as well." She turned back to the Chosen that followed her and said, "Thank you for your support until this point." She bowed her head and said, "May good fortune follow you upon your journey in Babel."

That brown-haired swordsman grit his teeth, glaring at me. But then he sighed and swept his hand through the air. When he did, light erupted around him and he vanished.

As if that was an unspoken signal, more lights flashed as most of the Chosen that originally followed after Freyr left.

Seeing that made me feel a bit guilty. But it was too late to go back now.

Fortunately, not everyone left. While it seemed like most of the people following Freyr were disillusioned at her choosing to stand beside me, there were two people who remained.

One was a teenaged girl with short light blue hair. A short spear was strapped against her back, and she wore a set of form-fitting iron armor.

Standing beside her was a handsome young man with spiky green hair. Wearing a thick suit of iron platemail that emphasized a well-trained body, as well as carrying a bastard sword on his back (where did that guy even get that?), he looked like a typical JRPG hero.

Freyr's eyes lit up at seeing the two remaining, but she also seemed concerned. "Lady Aqua and Sir Gale..."

The teenaged girl, Aqua, walked forward and shook her head. "Don't try and dissuade me, Freyr." She smiled and said, "I'm not about to let my first friend go off on her own with some shady guy!"

The green-haired young man, Gale, chuckled and said, "Says the princess who followed her knight into Babel."

Aqua stuck out her tongue and said, "That's different! And I told you, didn't I? You're not getting away from me that easily, Gale."

Gale sighed. "And this is why the King is concerned about you finding a husband in the future, Princess."

"Hmph."

Freyr smiled. "You two... Thank you."

Gale shook his head. "No need to thank us, Lady Freyr. Though..." He turned to look at me, his green eyes sharp. "Perhaps you should introduce us to your companion?"

"Ah, yes! This is-!"

Lucifer clapped his hands, interrupting Freyr. Afterwards, he said, "Sorry to break things up, but time is short. And since everyone has decided, let's keep the ball rolling, shall we?" He pulled out a clipboard from thin air and made a show of flipping through some papers. "Let's see... That stiff Mikey wanted to split you all up again for the Training Grounds, but since you so nicely decided to play along with me, I don't see a point in that. ...And everyone except for my friend over there, Miss Valhalla, Miss Sakura, and Mister Seol would die if they had to go through it alone."

Wait, Seol?

Lucifer tossed the clipboard aside and sighed. "That won't do. It'd look bad on my record having so many Chosen die my first day on the job. So instead of that... How about this?"

He snapped his fingers and then the familiar message screen popped up.

[Message from the Guide]
[Mission objective: Somehow or another, get 10000 merit points by the end of three months while surviving in Eden]
[Mission failure: If you fail such a basic task, you probably should give up on life]
[Mission success: I think the rewards from doing quests is more than enough, but I'll think of something]
[Requirements: None! Have fun and don't die!]

I blinked, taken aback at the sudden tone shift in messages.

This guy... Did he really just not care anymore since he was the boss?

Lucifer grinned and said, "Any questions?"

The Korean spearman, Seol, nodded. "Yes. Is Eden-?"

"Great! Have fun and I'll see you guys in a bit!"

Before anyone could say anything else, Lucifer clapped his hands and then space distorted.

And when space settled down...

"The hell?" A crass male voice called out. "I thought that bastard said we were done with the Tutorial? What're you people doing here?"

...An uproar started as we arrived in the plaza of a bustling city. And also in front of the Chosen that had apparently decided to leave the Tutorial.

Seeing that, I sighed.

Of course. The devil was in the details, and considering who that guy was, it wasn't surprising.

After all, nothing had said the Training Grounds Scenario were taking place outside of Babel...

-V-

[Status Screen]

-Biography-

Name: Vain Glory

Age: 20 (Adjusted)

Race: Human (Heaven Defying)

Class: N/A (Pending proper awakening)

Current Condition: Healthy

-Racial Traits-

Divine Anathema - Those not only forsaken by their gods, but those who have killed their gods and constructed their own. Drastically reduces effectiveness of Divine Attacks. Minor probability of obtaining partial Divine Authority through analysis and perception. Greatly increased hostility by Divine Beings.

-Traits-

Man of a Thousand Faces (Can filter emotions and experience through personas)

Well-Read (Increased intelligence growth)

Self-Determined (Luck is treated as 100 for calculations)

-Titles-

World Creator (Minor) - Allows construction of non-magical items through one's will

Hero Creator - Removes growth limitations on user and their allies. Rapidly accelerates growth of allies.

-Parameters-

Level: 5

Strength: 18

Agility: 20

Vitality: 18

Intelligence: 77

Mana: 70

Luck: 15 [100]

Bonus Stat Points: -77

-Skills-

No One's Story - A gambit that defies the gods through sacrificing one's identity and very memory. All attempts to scry your status are denied. Removes skill requirements. Memory and visualization abilities are enhanced.

A Different Path - Direct interference with a hero's fate, granting him a new path and divergent futures. Allows reproduction of 'conceptual weapons' provided the requisite materials. Allows reproduction of 'sword skills' provided the requisite understanding.

Flames of Muspell (Degraded) - A spark of the flames that will harken the end in Ragnarok. An authentic spark of the world-consuming flames that can burn even the divine. Immune to all but extreme temperature changes. Moderate resistance to Absolute Zero or Absolute Flame. Can summon a handful of Ragnarok's flames.

First Aid - A basic healing spell that stops bleeding and accelerates the body's natural regeneration.

Disengage - A skill that allows the user to immediately retreat from battle as well as return the user's condition to the state prior to engaging in combat. Can be used once per engagement per hostile opponent.

Loki's Blessing (Minor) - A blessing from the Trickster God, Loki. Can change and conceal one's appearance. Due to synergy with No One's Story, it is a flawless disguise, capable of fooling even Loki without intense scrutiny.

Item Box (Minor) - A skill that grants the user a small spatial pocket to store items. Time is slowed within the spatial pocket to 1/10th of the normal flow. Can hold approximately 1 cubic meter of items (around three square feet).

-Inventory-

N/A