Happy Evil Heartbreaker [Modern LitRPG]

Though she brimming with confidence in her luck, Xanthia prepared meticulously before opening her boxes, ensuring a grand sense of ritual.

Given that her previous rituals—bathing and changing—had led to such prosperous outcomes in her blind box draws, it was only fitting to uphold this esteemed tradition with an earnest attitude.

Xanthia prided herself on being remarkably grounded; her ability to remain humble was one of her finest traits. Even when showcasing her talents for a bit of joy, she ensured she had every possible assurance, resolutely avoiding any potential blunders.

She relished the idea of making the universe dance to her script.

Do you wish to join the dance? Indeed, she wished for that very thing.

On this day of the lunar holiday, a Friday, falling on November 2nd, the school had let out by noon. Naturally, Xanthia made her way back to her apartment alone.

Her friends, Luciel and the “reborn” Dematero, felt a twinge of sympathy for her, knowing she would return to an empty home while they could spend time with their families, enjoying a lavish dinner.

But Xanthia? She would be solitary, back to cooking for herself…

Luciel even contemplated inviting Xanthia to her home but worried it might backfire. After all, her parents were just that—hers—and could hardly replace Xanthia’s own. It wasn’t as if she could simply adopt Xanthia as a sister.

Ultimately, this created a rather tangled dilemma. All Luciel could do was offer unwavering support at school, ensuring Xanthia maintained a cheerful disposition.

As for Dematero, he found himself utterly helpless, unable to explain how he had come by knowledge of Xanthia's familia situation.

His friendship with Dionysius served as the perfect pretext—he could easily place the blame on him.

Dionysius had already agreed to a private barbecue with Dematero. He was keen to see what this “mysterious” Dematero would reveal.

Their meeting was set for Saturday evening during the holiday—grilling skewers and enjoying a few drinks, a classic combination.

Indeed, after returning home for the holiday on Friday, Dematero planned to take the bus back to the provincial city the following afternoon, no longer requiring his parents to drive him.

He even told them the reason: a gathering with a good friend, none other than the wealthy heir Dionysius. There was simply no way he could refuse.

This revelation astonished his parents; they had never imagined Dematero could make such a friend in just a short time at school. Having befriended the exceptional Dionysius was undoubtedly a remarkable achievement!

They even increased his allowance, much to his surprise.

Dematero refrained from mentioning his writing to his parents, primarily because their past reactions had disheartened him. When it came to achievements, they seemed to value academic performance above all else.

After all, his last exam had been a disaster, and revealing his writing endeavours would likely lead them to attribute his declining grades to his novel writing.

Thus, Dematero resolved to stabilize his academic performance first. Once he secured a sense of security, he could then divulge his creative pursuits.

While Dionysius had arranged a private barbecue with Dematero, he held a different priority—his “sister,” Xanthia.

With the holiday upon them, he was eager to spend time with Xanthia again, which filled him with delight!

As Xanthia made her way back to her modest apartment, she received a message from Dionysius.

It seemed that after their previous holiday spent together, he was quite pleased with the time he had treated her and didn’t wish to waste even this brief holiday, determined to continue earning his “sister's” affection.

Though Dionysius had plans for Saturday night, he was free on both Saturday and Sunday during the day—perfect for accompanying his sister.

Xanthia, of course, didn’t refuse. After all, extracting small amounts of gold coins from her little brother meant exacting a toll from her negligent father—what was there to lose?

She also wished to try out her “figure skating” skills honed through rollerblading to school. Such an outing deserved to be funded by Dionysius!

He ought to be grateful to her for the opportunity to spend on his “sister.”

Moreover, Luciel’s speculation regarding Dionysius’s background had piqued Xanthia’s curiosity. Though she had resolved to sever ties with the Papadopoulos familia, blood relations were not so easily discarded.

Preparation was paramount; she preferred to strategize rather than scramble.

The Papadopoulos familia wielded considerable influence, yet she knew next to nothing about them. This obscurity placed her at a disadvantage; she needed more information about the Papadopoulos to feel secure in her decisions.

Thus, aside from Dionysius, Xanthia wished to familiarise herself with other junior members of the Papadopoulos familia. Who knew? Perhaps she might discover additional sources of “pain points” for her schemes.

After all, her kindness towards others often attracted goodwill, and most people around her harboured positive intentions.

It was a shame, then, that a potential source of pain, Hera, had retreated due to the misfortunes of Kenny.

Xanthia had developed excellent relationships in class, bolstered by the support of her protector, Luciel. Hera, now stripped of her allies, lacked the capacity to act against her.

This newfound sense of security was certainly pleasing to Xanthia.

Yet, with this in mind, she found herself questioning whether spending so many “pain points” on the “Malicious Notebook” had been worthwhile. Where were all the other malicious figures? Why was there no conspiracy targeting her?

Without such plots, how could she gather additional pain points? She was reluctant to rely solely on her friends’ “tragic pasts” for additional gains.

Ultimately, her desire to acquire the “Malicious Notebook” stemmed from a wish to catch others off-guard; once they found themselves in her little book, her “self-defence” would carry no psychological burden.

...

That evening, after diligently completing her set of mystical rituals, Xanthia finally began unboxing the three blind boxes she had exchanged for, opening them one by one.

To her delight, the first box revealed a rather splendid item—a “Summoning Beast Skill Book”!

The name of the skill book? “Voice of Truth”!

Xanthia quickly open the skill book, and soon discovered that the ability within was rather intriguing. Upon activation on a designated target, it compelled them to speak only the truth or express their innermost thoughts.

Ah, this… could it not be the ultimate weapon against those “tsundere” types? It would prove particularly effective against those who delight in speaking in contradictions.

Then there were those who were simply born liars—perhaps five out of ten of their statements bore a semblance of truth. Imagine the distress it would cause them to be unable to utter anything but honesty; surely, a wealth of pain points would emerge from such an ordeal.

Some individuals possessed nothing but lewd thoughts, too cowardly to voice them aloud. This skill, however, would forcibly extract their “inner voices,” rendering them incapable of silence!

With newfound determination, Xanthia decided to apply this skill to the “Little Bug.”

At last, it was not merely a source of laughter or tears; it could also compel others to speak truthfully, revealing their innermost thoughts. If such truths were poorly timed, the consequences could be nothing short of extreme embarassment.

This prankster skill was perfectly suited for the little flying bug, effectively granting her the power to make anyone confess, regardless of how shameful their words might be.

Moreover, she had the ability to control the duration of the skill’s effects, as well as the volume of the truths spoken—much like the previous instances of laughter and discomfort; she could dictate both length and intensity.

How marvelous!

The said little bug had acquired yet another formidable prankster technique. Why, with this, Xanthia could even moonlight as a detective! While other sleuths had to employ all manner of reasoning to solve their cases, she could simply wield her “superpower” to compel all suspects to confess!

Of course, Xanthia had no intention of becoming a detective. When she played pranks on others, she preferred to do so covertly, lest anyone uncover her extraordinary abilities.

In truth, she felt an immediate urge to test this new skill on someone. Alas, she couldn’t find anyone suitable just yet. Wait—wasn’t Dionysius meant to meet her tomorrow? What better opportunity to try it on him?

As the saying goes, “You may know a person’s face but not their heart.” Although Dionysius had always shown genuine kindness towards her as an elder sister, who could fathom what thoughts lay hidden in his mind?

Following the mind-expanding revelations from Luciel, she had grown increasingly vigilant of their scoundrel father, Demetrios. This had led her to ponder whether Dionysius might possess similar acting skills.

Her new superpower would prove lethal against someone adept at disguise!

One couldn’t blame Xanthia for her caution; having traversed into this world with no one to rely upon, her situation was akin to starting anew in an orphanage. She certainly did not wish to be betrayed by those she had come to trust.

Dionysius wasn’t the typical “tsundere” type; on the contrary, his mannerisms were notably forthright. Such individuals easily gained the trust of others.

The previous incarnation had rendered Dionysius helpless due to her crippling social anxiety, which had left him little opportunity to shine.

Now, Xanthia was allowing him the space to express himself, and she found his behavior quite satisfying. He had, thus far, managed to earn her preliminary trust.

If Dionysius could withstand her true test, he would solidify that trust even further. In times of need, as his elder sister, she would extend her hand to assist him.

Otherwise, Dionysius would forever remain merely a useful pawn in her eyes—one to exploit for pain points. That would be rather cruel.

Thus, testing her new superpower on Dionysius was still a form of kindness. Should he realize it, he ought to be thankful. After all, this was a chance for him to elevate himself beyond the status of a mere tool.

With that thought in mind, Xanthia proceeded to open the second blind box…

'Good heavens, a golden legendary item!'

Indeed, Xanthia could scarcely believe her eyes; the second box had yielded her very first golden item!

The highest quality, no less!

She was astonished—truly, who could have predicted such a stroke of luck!

She was keen to discover what justified this golden rating for the item.

Rather than immediately checking the system’s description, she examined its appearance. It resembled a mobile phone, with a striking black and crimson design. The black was utterly obsidian, while the red glistened like fresh blood—most dashing, indeed.

Just from its exterior, she deduced that this item, as was customary with the system, must serve to extract pain points!

She turned to the item’s description, and the name sent a thrill through her: Nightmare Phone (Gold).

As for its function, it allowed player Xanthia to pull individuals from her contacts into the “Nightmare Space” during their slumber, enabling the extraction of “pain points.”

For Xanthia, the Nightmare Space resembled an open-world game—a realm where she could create her character, relishing in gameplay that bore similarities to standard action games. The controls were akin to a popular mobile title, with a left joystick for movement and skills cast with her right.

However, for those unfortunate souls drawn into the “Nightmare Space” as mere tools for pain points, it was less a dream and more a plunge into a hell, undergoing life-or-death trials—an experience akin to a hyper-realistic virtual reality game!

They would face no actual danger, but the terror of the experience could quite conceivably send them spiralling into madness!

This “Nightmare Phone” was nothing less than a supercharged version of the “painful simulated rebirth memories” she had once used on Dematero!

Yet, the convenience of this new item lay in her ability to control her character within the game. This way, she could at least witness the horrors the others endured.

One must admit, the “Nightmare Phone” was quite fitting for the system’s character, as it enabled Xanthia to treat it as an innovative mobile game for her enjoyment, whilst simultaneously extracting pain points from others plunged into the Nightmare Space.

Naturally, the Nightmare Phone couldn’t grant those ensnared within any sort of superpower.

Essentially, it merely subjected them to perfectly real nightmares at night. However, in terms of mental fortitude, they would undoubtedly receive substantial training. Who knows, after a few trials in nightmare torment, they might emerge transformed, possessing immense growth.

Dematero was a prime example; what he experienced was, at its core, a realistic nightmare simulation of his future.

Of course, those lacking resilience would find themselves tormented by these hyper-realistic nightmares until their pain points were fully drained, leaving them mentally shattered.

Xanthia believed the designation of “golden legendary” for the Nightmare Phone was thoroughly justified. If utilized wisely, it could serve purposes far beyond mere pain point extraction.

In truth, if it were only to extract pain points, that would be a flagrant waste; pain points were merely a byproduct—she could develop allies like Dematero who would stand by her side.

Since she herself could not directly enter the nightmare realm, she could only control her game character. Consequently, she feared no actual demise; they were merely game characters after all. Who in their right mind would worry about losing a character in a single-player game?

As long as she could forge deep bonds with her “reincarnators,” she could afford to be generous with her sacrifices at critical moments, extracting pain points while simultaneously endearing herself to them in the real world.

These “reincarnators” would be utterly at her mercy!

However, this would require Xanthia to hone her skills in staging tragic “deaths” for her game character, crafting a portrayal that was both heart-wrenching and impactful. Only then would the “reincarnators” experience profound psychological upheaval.

Thus, selecting her “reincarnators” became paramount; she could not simply choose any random individual for her orchestrated torment—such a path was far too lacklustre for Xanthia.

This golden item certainly had its costs. Should she choose to use it to torment others, she must first invest her own pain points. If the invested pain points exceeded the amount extracted from her “reincarnators,” she would incur a loss!

Naturally, Xanthia had no desire to engage in such a losing venture. She believed that receiving such a powerful item from the blind box indicated the system had deemed her rate of pain point acquisition far too slow…

After all, her focus had always been on accumulating joy points. As for pain points, she was not the type to randomly extract them from anyone; hence, her acquisition of pain points had always been rather haphazard.

To date, the largest sum of pain points she had acquired came from tormenting Dematero through the illusion, a fact that the system had surely registered.

Very well, if players could extract pain points most efficiently through the “illusion” scripts, then the system would grant her the “Nightmare Phone” item. So long as she operated it correctly or “performed” adequately, she would assuredly recoup her investment in pain points.

The method of drawing her “reincarnators” into nightmares was delightfully simple—she would merely use the “Nightmare Phone” to compose a text message to her contacts:

“Do you wish to understand yourself better?”

From that point onward, they could initiate the nightmare process, cementing their pain points even further.

A more adept player would never deliver a clear and direct answer; instead, they would prompt each “reincarnator” to willingly indulge in the experience.

The “Nightmare Phone” allowed Xanthia to firmly grasp the thread of her “reincarnators’” hearts.

For those who would find such an experience terrifying, the irony would lie in their fear stemming from the potential loss of their inner selves rather than the nightmares they would face.

Of course, as she was too kindhearted to exploit them directly, Xanthia resolved to keep this process a secret from Dematero. Instead, she would maintain her facade as a prankster while orchestrating her true agenda behind the scenes.