Chapter 2

The administrators of Velvet School Life are bastards.

This is an immutable and eternal truth.

But, just this once, I have to admit that they did something right.

Just as I was feeling lost and unsure about how to proceed with Jin Yuha's start, with no gacha to help me out, the administrators threw me a lifeline in the form of these resources. They were more valuable than an oasis in the desert.

My heart was racing as I calmly examined the list.

The items laid out before me were all the things I had prepared for Alice.

As a light user, I rarely spent money on the game except for the monthly subscription, but when I saw her stunning illustrations, I couldn't help but open my wallet and splurge on these expensive items for the first and last time.

"All of these items are specialized for swordsmanship."

With the pre-released information revealing that Alice was a sword-wielding character, I had stockpiled resources tailored for her.

And then there's Jin Yuha.

The character I've possessed may only have an E-rank in swordsmanship, but he's still technically a 'swordsmanship-specialized' character.

So, it means that even though these resources were intended for Alice, they can still be used by Jin Yuha without completely deviating from their intended purpose!

"...The efficiency will be abysmal, though."

There's a world of difference between a 5-star natural character and a 1-star natural character.

If I were solely focused on clearing the final chapter of the game, it would undoubtedly be best to give all these resources to Alice.

But if I don't use them myself, I might as well kiss my ass goodbye.

The conflict didn't last long.

This isn't a 'mobile game' where you can just tap your fingers on the screen to make things happen; this is 'reality', where you have to physically move your body and get your hands dirty.

In the Velvet Academy, I'll be facing enemies who treat human lives as disposable, like the demons and their ilk. And in this world, you only get one life.

"So, Alice, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to borrow your stuff."

I offered a heartfelt apology to Alice as I rummaged through the box.

"Let's see, the swordsmanship manual, enhancement scrolls, trait recommendation letter, skill recommendation letter, and the overall stat boost coupon. I'll take all of these. And I'll use the Moonlight Sword as well—oh, but the equipment… Ah, these are all for females. Alright, I'll leave these for you, Alice."

There were quite a few items that I couldn't use due to the gender difference.

I'll give these to Alice when I meet her later. It's not like I'm just getting rid of my leftovers or anything.

"Hmm, what about this Moonlight Earring… Can a guy wear an earring?"

In the original world, I'd seen guys who liked to dress up or celebrities wearing earrings, but I wasn't sure how it would be perceived in this gender-reversed world.

"Well, I have to. This earring gives a nice boost to a useful swordsmanship skill."

I took the earring and put it on.

And an hour later, I was reborn.

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.

The man in the bathroom mirror was noticeably different.

He seemed taller, and his previously thin frame had become more muscular, giving off a rugged vibe.

Before, he had a sickly and decadent air about him, but now, with the addition of wildness, he exuded the charm of a bad boy.

And with his handsome face, even the feminine earring suited him well.

I casually drew the Moonlight Sword from my waist, feeling a surge of excitement.

"Damn, this thing's gorgeous."

The sword had a subtle blue glow to its blade, a white hilt, and a dazzling blue edge that looked razor-sharp.

It was already a unique weapon, and with all the enhancements applied, it had reached legendary status.

I sheathed the sword and exclaimed with satisfaction, "Status Window!"

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Name ─ Jin Yuha (☆)

Gender ─ Male (20)

Stats:

Strength ─ 53

Spirit ─ 53

Magic ─ 56 Endurance ─ 56

Agility ─ 59

Charm ─ 69

Specialization ─ Swordsmanship [Rank S]

Titles ─ Flower on the Cliff [Flower Cliff], Sword Master [Sword Demon]

Skills ─ [Single Strike], [Lampo], [Sword Dance], [New Moon (with Moonlight Earring equipped)]

Traits ─ [Perception], [Awakened Eye], [Intuition]

Exclusive Weapon ─ Moonlight (Legendary)

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A thrilling sensation coursed through my entire body.

"Kuhuhuhu…"

An evil laugh escaped my lips.

Who would believe that this is the status window of a 1-star character?

Specialization determines a character's performance, and my swordsmanship rank had jumped from E to S!

Only three stages remain—SS, SSS, and EX.

In the game, it's usually faster to increase the rank of lower-tier specializations through those rare upgrades. Just using a high-quality swordsmanship manual can boost your rank from E to C in one go.

Of course, if Alice had consumed these resources, she would have easily reached EX and beyond. But since Jin Yuha consumed them, it stopped at S.

Still, this is quite an achievement.

There's a huge difference between E-rank and S-rank—a gap of six whole stages.

Thanks to this, I now have a more respectable title, 'Sword Demon', instead of something ridiculous like 'Flower on a Cliff'.

On top of that, my abilities had skyrocketed from single digits to impressive fifties. The results of the randomly assigned skill and trait recommendation letters were average but not bad.

"Aside from the S-rank specialization, my specs are… roughly equivalent to a freshly summoned pure 4-star character, right?"

I assessed my status window and came to a conclusion.

Considering that Jin Yuha is a 1-star character, this was a decent outcome.

In the game, there were no 4-star characters available at the time of enrollment, so this would be a highly sought-after spec. With some luck, I might even be able to aim for first place in my classes.

"First, I need to get used to this new body."

It was great that I could upgrade my physical abilities through the use of resources.

I was worried that I would have to read through the swordsmanship manuals and enhancement scrolls one by one, but thankfully, that wasn't the case. All I had to do was hold them in my hand, channel mana, and the knowledge would automatically embed itself in my mind.

This aspect felt very game-like. But why the hell is there no gacha?

Anyway, my body had changed too drastically, and I wasn't yet confident in my ability to utilize all these new skills naturally.

"There's still about a month left until the Academy's entrance ceremony…"

Until then, I decided to spend my time clearing gates and familiarizing myself with my new powers.

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Gate Sweep.

A term used in the Velvet Hunter Academy to refer to the act of clearing gates, where students would gain experience and earn money by taking on part-time jobs.

Unlike in the game, where it could be done with the click of a button, in reality, there was a separate website for forming parties. It was a paid and real-name system, so the risk of encountering danger was low, but not non-existent.

So, when I logged into the site, Jin Yuha did something surprisingly thoughtful.

The site automatically logged me in!

This guy didn't have much money in his account, but he was a registered member of the Hunter site.

However…

This was where the annoying part of the gender-reversed world came into play.

I applied for a party looking for a damage dealer, but due to my gender, they didn't respond even after accepting my application. When I called the anonymous number provided in the listing, this is what they said:

─ Oh, you're a guy… We're not really looking for guys…

Parties that didn't want to include guys.

─ Hmm, what can you offer us if we carry you?

Parties that wanted something in return for carrying me.

─ That's fine, but our gate is a bit far away… You'll have to stay at my place the night before we go in. Is that okay? ❤

Parties that wanted to share a bed before going to the gate.

To be honest, the last one was tempting. But who knows what kind of girls they really were? If I trusted them and went along, they might stab me in the back or not pay me my fair share.

While my swordsmanship was now at S-rank and my abilities were decent, I had no actual experience in killing monsters, so I might not be able to perform as well as my stats suggested.

That's why I needed a solid party that would be a bit more forgiving of a beginner like me.

"Haa, damn. Where's a decent party…"

Drrrr… Drrrr…

As I scrolled through the listings with my chin on my hand, a familiar name caught my eye.

"Huh?"

[ (Urgent!) Looking for a damage dealer! Location: E-rank Gate, Carmela's Forest! Departure date is tomorrow, so we're looking for someone ASAP! – Lee Yoo-ri (20) ]

"This kid… Lee Yoo-ri? 20 years old? Could it be… her?"

I clicked on the listing and opened her resume.

A familiar face appeared.

Velvet School Life, a 3-star character.

[Dirt Spoon] Lee Yoo-ri.

A girl with the unfortunate in-game title 'Dirt Spoon', but who was more affectionately known as 'Soup' by players.

" Soup was a hunter from a young age, and she's still at it right before the entrance ceremony, huh."

I read through her profile, deep in thought.

To be honest, it would be great to party up with her…

'The problem is that she's a character who puts up quite a few thorns around her hearth in the early game.'

As her title, 'Dirt Spoon, suggests, Lee Yoo-ri's family is dirt poor. Her mother tried her hand at business and failed, leaving the family in debt.

Despite her financial struggles, she's highly skilled and managed to get into the Velvet Academy with good grades. However, she often had to fill her stomach with just water because she couldn't afford the meal fees, evoking sympathy from players.

"Because of her insecurity, she puts up walls and doesn't want to show any signs of weakness."

But once you get past that, she's one of the best companions you could ask for. She's a dodge-tank with high health, making her a viable pick even in PVP matches dominated by natural 5-star characters.

She's a 3-star character, so she's relatively easy to obtain, highly skilled, loyal, and will go out of her way to repay you if you treat her to a meal. She's the epitome of 'Soup'!

"...Swallowing my pride, I dialed the anonymous number on her resume."

Tu-ru-ru… Tu-ru-ru…

Click!

─ Haak! Haak! Hello?

A female voice, accompanied by heavy breathing, came through the phone.

─ Haak! Sorry, I was in the middle of training.

I couldn't help but smile as I replied.

"Yes, hello. I'm calling about the party recruitment ad."

─ ...

The other end of the line suddenly went quiet. Was she about to hang up because of my voice?

"Wait, just a moment! Please at least hear me out! I really want to join your party!"

─ ...We don't accept men, sorry…

"I'm a prospective student of the Velvet Hunter Academy!"

I quickly interrupted her, desperate to keep the conversation going.

The first card I played to capture her interest was the Velvet Hunter Academy.

Of course, I got in through the 'male quota', but Lee Yoo-ri had no way of knowing that. We were both prospective students, so she'd be curious.

─ ...Velvet Hunter Academy?

My tactic seemed to work as Lee Yoo-ri didn't hang up.

"Yes, yes! I got accepted this time, but I don't have any money to spend at the Academy… I really need money right now. Meal fees are expensive, right?"

And then I played my second card—creating a sense of camaraderie.

In reality, Jin Yuha is an orphan and comes from a poor background as well. But unlike Lee Yoo-ri, he always had girls buying him meals.

In the original world, I thought he was just a good-looking guy getting free meals from girls. But now that the genders are reversed, he's basically a con artist.

─ Haa… Fine, but it's a hassle if you're not up to par…

'Prospective student of the Velvet Academy', 'poor', and the urgency of needing to depart tomorrow. These three factors combined softened Lee Yoo-ri's initially harsh tone. Perhaps she saw a reflection of herself in my situation.

To seal the deal, I pleaded desperately, "...Please, I'm really desperate for money. I don't have a single penny to my name for when I start school in a month. I'll have to fill my stomach with water during lunch! I won't ask for more than I deserve. I'll only take what I've rightfully earned through my contributions!"

Lee Yoo-ri hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh.

─ Tsk, you better be good…

"I got into the Velvet Academy based on my skills!"

I proudly proclaimed, despite having gotten in through the male quota.

─ Haa… Fine, I was going to reject you if you weren't available tomorrow. Send me your resume, and meet me tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. at Sindorim Station. Can you make it?

"Yes, of course! See you tomorrow!"

And so, my first gate sweep would be with the reliable 'Soup' by my side.