Glorious Vanity (SI LitRPG)

The elevator door chimed, opening to a grand lobby entrance.

The moment it did, Freyr quickly walked out, her face a deep red hue.

I followed after her and chuckled. "To think that you'd be so weak to sweet nothings, Freyr."

Freyr fanned her face and then turned around to glare at me. "And to think that you'd have such a silver tongue! I think that even my brother would be forced to watch his words around you!"

I nodded. "That's pretty high praise. I think I'm still far from being able to outtrick Loki though."

Freyr started to nod. And then she froze, her eyes widening.

I sighed and then walked over to her, bopping her head. "You realized too late, Freyr. Next time, just play along. People can get more info from your emotional response than your actual words."

Freyr rubbed her head and then muttered, "No wonder Lord Lucifer calls you his friend. If I did not know better, I'd think you the devil himself from your words and wit..."

"I heard that. And I'll have you know that I'm barely above average, so you'd better be careful."

I might be able to mess around with Freyr and bluff every now and then, but if I had to face a real genius tactician or master manipulator... I didn't like my odds.

Fortunately, I had some BS skills that let me flip the table, so things shouldn't go 'too' terribly.

Freyr walked back to my side and said, "I highly doubt that, Vain... but if you say so."

"I do say so. Now then..."

I scanned the surroundings to get an idea of what to do next.

It was a typical fancy hotel lobby. But since it was early in the morning, there weren't many people out and about.

I saw a few people milling about... And mixed among them was a pair of familiar people. The guy that Lucifer called 'Seol' and that Sakura cultivator dragon princess... person.

Those two were in a hushed discussion in the far right corner of the lobby. A heated one too, judging from how they didn't pay attention to anyone else-

Ah, Seol caught my eye.

I resisted the urge to immediately look away. Instead, I gave him a brief nod, acknowledging his gaze. And *then* I looked away.

Doing my best to ignore the guy that I *really* hoped wasn't the protag from a certain story about the return of gluttony, I examined the rest of the room.

There were fancy leather couches lining the area. A grand piano in the corner of the room... 'Yamoha' brand. A glittering fountain bubbling in the center. And then, off to the left side of the lobby, a line of food carts pushed against a wall with fancy white-clothed tables nearby to sit down at.

I grabbed Freyr's hand and then started walking towards the lunch buffet.

"V-Vain?!" Freyr's panicked voice echoed from behind me.

I sighed and said, "Keep your composure. Honestly, we're going to need a lot more practice if you keep being surprised by every little thing I do."

Freyr took a deep breath and then nodded, keeping pace beside me. But as she did, she muttered, "It would be much easier if you could stop so casually treating me like a lover would..."

"Aren't we? I mean, you've seen my everything, and with how yesterday went-"

[A God of Wisdom is listening with great intent.]

[A Goddess of Magic sighs and smacks the God of Wisdom.]

[A Trickster God laughs and bestows a small gift for the entertainment. +1 Agility.]

Freyr's face turned red, but she didn't stammer or break out into a full blush. Instead, she smiled and said, "Then should I have you take responsibility, Mister Vain? After all, many would consider your actions a great taboo."

[A God of Wisdom idly twirls a silver spear.]

[A Goddess of Magic drags the God of Wisdom away and temporarily severs the connection to Valhalla.]

[A Phantom Thief is impressed at your composure and bestows a gift. +1 Agility.]

These guys... Giving me agility points like that. Are they afraid that I won't be able to run away in time? No, are they anticipating that I'm going to be forced to run away from trouble?

I let out an internal sigh. But outwardly, I smiled and tugged Freyr close. "Be careful what you wish for, Goddess. If I get a hold of you, I'm not letting go, you know?"

Freyr's blue eyes widened, and her face turned a deep crimson hue. "V-V-! I-I mean... T-That is to say...!"

I chuckled and let go of her hand. "Almost perfect except for the end there, Freyr. Good bluff, but remember that people will call you out. And some might even raise the stakes. Always be careful with pulling that sort of tactic as a response."

Freyr huffed and then made her way back to my side. "How do you *do* that? Saying such lines with a straight face..."

I walked over to the breakfast buffet lineup and picked up a plate from the front of it. Afterwards, I held it out towards Freyr and said, "Here you are, Milady."

Freyr took the plate from me, but she narrowed her eyes and said, "Vain!"

I picked up a plate for myself and said, "Fine, fine... If you're that curious... Would you believe me if I said I'm just a shameless flirt?"

Freyr walked over to my right side and then rolled her eyes. "Why can I never get a serious answer out of you, Vain?"

"Because I'm here to make sure you don't get too serious and murder everyone by accident."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing... Anyway, blueberry muffin?" I picked up a pair of tongs and grabbed one from a nearby tray before holding it out to Freyr.

"Ah. Thank you."

I set it on her plate and then moved onto the other food.

Let's see. There was some sausage links, patties, scrambled eggs... the usual breakfast fare. But I could see some fancier things too, like freshly baked pastries, miso soup, some lightly grilled salmon... Seemed like there wasn't only Western-styled breakfast here.

I grabbed some eggs, toast, and sausage links for myself before heading over to the drink tray... Which ranged from bottles of juice that you could find in a grocery store to what looked like freshly squeezed orange juice in a clear glass pitcher.

Stopping there, I glanced back at Freyr and said, "Orange juice fine with you?"

Freyr nodded. "That would be lovely- Wait! You never answered my question!"

I handed her a cup of orange juice and then poured one for myself. After that, I headed towards a table and sat down.

Freyr sat down across from me and then crossed her arms. "Vain!"

"What?" I took a sip from my orange juice and said, "I did answer your question. Besides, you should eat instead of waste your time probing me. We've got plenty of time to chat later, but I doubt we'll have much time left to eat if I know anything about Lucy."

Freyr looked dissatisfied with my response, but she sighed and nodded. "Fine. But I expect to hear a proper response when we have time."

"Mm. We'll see about that-"

"Why indeed we shall, my dear friend!"

I forcibly resisted the urge to jump out of my seat.

Across from me, I saw Freyr barely stop herself from drawing her sword.

Of course, I couldn't blame her.

Calmly grabbing my cup of orange juice, I took a long sip and then turned towards the sudden intruder of our peaceful breakfast. "Good morning, Lucy." I plastered a smile on my face and said, "How've you been?"

The blonde fallen angel... Or apparent fallen angel, considering what Alice told me. Lucifer smiled and said, "I've been *wonderful*. Honestly, you've been a fantastic friend with all that you've done for me, Vain... Oh!" His smile widened and he glanced at Freyr before leaning towards me. "Now tell me the truth. Do you really intend to take Miss Valhalla for yourself?"

It was a hushed whisper. But apparently, it wasn't soft enough.

Immediately, I saw Sakura and Seol turn to look at me. Not only that, but the few other people milling about in the lobby, people I didn't recognize but who I could tell were at *least* ten times stronger than me, turned to look as well.

Freyr tensed, looking like she wanted to say something. But perhaps realizing that she would make things worse, she didn't, instead opting to stiffly drink her juice.

I sighed.

-V-

[Status Screen]

-Biography-

Name: Vain Glory

Age: 20 (Adjusted)

Race: Human (Heaven Defying)

Class: Shameless Flirt

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: 22

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.

-Class Skills-

Silver Tongue - A skill that aids in persuasion and manipulating the emotions of the target. Super effective against members of the opposite sex, or those interested in the user. Chance to instantly charm the opponent. (Extreme Synergy with <Well-Read> and <Man of a Thousand Faces>)

Rapport - A skill that builds rapport with the target. Passively increases general likability. Similar to <Charisma>, but the core of this skill is trust and empathy rather than admiration. With enough mastery, it is possible to create allies willing to throw their lives away for your sake. (Extreme Synergy with <Hero Creator> and <Well-Read>)

-Inventory-

N/A