Happy Evil Heartbreaker [Modern LitRPG]

Xanthia's mind was utterly entranced by the dazzling array of products on display in the system mall.

There were numerous categories of goods, such as “equipment,” which consisted of a variety of exquisite clothing, shoes, accessories, and more, each capable of enhancing one’s attributes. The schoolgirl uniform paired with over-the-knee socks, which she had acquired from the novice gift pack, fell under this category of equipment.

Equipment could be permanently purchased for collection, though one could also spend fewer “pain points” for a “limited-time experience.”

What thrilled Xanthia the most, however, were the magical items like “invisibility cloaks,” “flying brooms,” and “boots of teleportation”—treasures one would typically only find in fantasy tales. Yet the exorbitant amount of “pain points” required for them left her sighing in frustration, feeling as though the system was merely dangling a tantalisingly unattainable prize before her.

Beyond “equipment,” there were, of course, various magical items and consumables, such as “energy potions” and “vitality potions,” both of which were inexpensive and highly practical. There were even recipes that allowed one to prepare delicacies according to the system’s guidelines, bestowing special enhancement effects upon consumption.

However, compared to these self-enhancing items, Xanthia noticed that the mall offered a greater selection of products designed to prank others or inflict pain upon them.

Even the recipes seemed somewhat dubious. The dishes prepared according to these questionable cookbooks appeared delicious, smelled divine, and tasted exquisite, but if offered to others, they would fall into a cunning trap, perhaps suffering a temporary, unwanted effect...

The entertainment items that could be exchanged for pain points were almost psychotic, bordering on the insane.

It was clear that the system encouraged her to toy with others’ minds and harvest their negative emotions.

Moreover, one could purchase “pets” and “summoned beasts,” but these creatures were predominantly bizarre and sinister, with a unique art style. Forget about anything remotely cute; these beings were designed for practicality—the more terrifying and repugnant, the better for instilling fear in others.

Xanthia felt a surge of gratitude that she wasn’t inherently malevolent; otherwise, if she focused solely on collecting “pain points,” she might well have ended up wreaking havoc on the entire world.

Her primary goal remained the collection of “happy points” to strengthen herself. The items, pets, and other paraphernalia that could be exchanged for “pain points” were merely backup measures. She harboured no intentions of provoking anyone unless they provoked her first. But should they dare, they could expect to be thoroughly tormented by her!

The least expensive item in the system mall was the “blind box,” which could be exchanged for a mere 1,000 pain points. It guaranteed at least a “vitality potion” worth 2,000 points, with the potential for more valuable items. The purchase limit was set at three per month.

Noticing how cheap the “blind box” was, coupled with its purchase limit, Xanthia, being an experienced gamer, immediately recognised this as likely being a “player’s benefit.” In future, once she had accumulated sufficient pain points, she would undoubtedly prioritise purchasing these blind boxes.

As Xanthia browsed through the system mall, her desk partner had changed from Xenia to Dematero.

Dematero wore an expression of despair. He genuinely loathed being separated from his previous desk partner, Glenn.

He and Glenn were roommates in the dormitory, sharing similar interests and engaging in endless discussions ranging from politics to sports, philosophy to literature, games to girls. Even when they lacked knowledge in a particular subject, they would turn to one another for discourse. Both were high achievers, with Glenn having ranked fifth in the recent class assessment.

In prestigious institutions like Thessaloniki First High School, students with good grades naturally gravitated towards one another, making it easy for them to get along.

As for the new desk partner, Xanthia, Dematero harboured a deep-seated reluctance, largely because she was a girl—a fundamental flaw in his eyes!

It wasn’t that Dematero held any prejudice against girls per se, but he had developed a psychological aversion to having female desk partners.

From primary school through to junior high, he had endured female desk partners with highly volatile temperaments, who often delighted in pinching and poking, being petty and meddlesome, even drawing territorial lines. Crossing these lines was akin to violating the borders of a neighbouring country, inevitably triggering a direct uproar and unjust retaliation.

Dematero, true to his name, possessed a mild temperament and remarkable resilience. He was also quite attractive, albeit somewhat talkative. He could never fathom why he was perpetually targeted by girls.

Moreover, Dematero felt a twinge of pity for Xanthia’s lacklustre academic performance. If he had to sit beside a girl, he would have preferred one with commendable grades, believing that academic excellence in girls served as a kind of filter.

In his mind, the most beautiful girl in the class was undoubtedly Elena La Loannou, the English class representative. She possessed an impeccable temperament and ranked third in the class. The combination of these attributes rendered her peerless.

As for Luciel La Lebrador, whom the boys had unanimously crowned “class flower” during military training, Dematero found her less impressive than Elena La Loannou, given that she ranked only 27th in the class.

When Glenn discovered that Dematero considered Elena more charming than Luciel, he couldn’t resist teasing his friend, remarking that Dematero’s true “XP” was actually grades.

Dematero fervently denied this, insisting that his “XP” was her ponytail and, of course, that ethereal aura of the white moonlight flower—an ancient flower in Greek mythology symbolising the overall beauty of goddesses. He essentially saw himself as the one who tended to this celestial bloom, a notion that bordered on delusional.

“Are you serious?” Glenn had chuckled, knowing full well that many boys in the class secretly admired Elena La Loannou. While Luciel might have possessed more delicate features and greater beauty, her slightly darker complexion and tomboyish demeanour made it more difficult for the boys to be captivated by her looks.

Elena, on the other hand, exuded an air of grace and serenity, her English accent particularly authentic and melodious. She frequently garnered praise from the English teacher, prompting everyone to secretly think, “Good heavens, she’s so elegant, like a noble lady!”

At that moment, Dematero stole a glance at Xanthia, who appeared lost in thought. Aside from her exceptionally fair complexion, he found nothing remarkable about her. She was too ordinary, too unassuming, and far too lacking in presence!

Within the boys’ circles, Xanthia’s name rarely came up. Everyone’s impression of her was that she was exceedingly introverted and silent, almost like a mute. They didn’t even know what her voice sounded like.

It was as if the teachers had tacitly agreed never to call upon Xanthia to answer questions, and she frequently took sick leave, appearing and disappearing with an air of mystery.

What Dematero didn’t realise was that his intense aversion and underlying contempt for Xanthia had already triggered a most unfortunate mechanism...

At that very moment, Xanthia discovered that the system’s task list had updated with an exceedingly lucrative special mission!

Mission Name: Queen of Hearts!

Mission Description: In the eyes of your new desk mate, Dematero, and many of the boys in the class, the only Queen of Hearts girl is Elena La Loannou, the English class representative. Your task is to outshine Elena La Loannou in every aspect and triumph in the Battle of the Best Girl in class!

Mission Rewards: A substantial amount of happy points + pain points, “Queen of Hearts” title.

Special Reward: Dematero (Note: This “summoned beast” possesses a purple growth quality, with a special talent in literature, the characteristic of a loyal dog, capable of enduring all manner of suffering, and a high output of pain points. Upon successfully capturing him, all future pain points generated from his literary works will belong to the player.)

Xanthia was momentarily stunned. What? Real people could be tamed into summoned beasts as well?

This system was far too wicked!

Xanthia inwardly chastised the system but nonchalantly accepted the mission.

No other motive, really. She simply enjoyed a bit of amusement and wasn’t particularly concerned about the mission rewards. She was merely curious to see what interesting outcomes might arise from completing this mission...