01 - Theodore Garcia

When I selected "Randomize character," it turned into "The World's Worst Scumbag."

Until recently, I had a faint hope for school life, thinking, "I've come to the world of games, so now I can spend time with the heroine and flirt with her." But now that hope has shattered into fine dust.

The reflection in the mirror is about 180 cm tall and shows a high school boy with jet-black hair. However, he has a mentality problem: he's arrogant, selfish, perverted, and loves bullying and harassing others. Yesterday I despised him; today, I am him.

"Is this man... really me?"

The man in the mirror looks troubled, mirroring my own expression. Seeing him makes me want to escape from this dreadful reality. Back in the real world, I had never encountered anyone like him, so I never experienced such intense disgust and hatred. The writers must have had some serious beef with Theodore...

Hoping it might be an illusion, I made a funny face and tried to impersonate someone else, but the man in the mirror was undeniably me...

"Why did it have to be you?! Ah, hell no!" I pinched my cheeks hard, and it hurt. This seems real.

I thought "Randomize character" would create random abilities and appearances, but it actually chose an existing character? What is this? There are so many cool characters in the academy, but why him?! I know I have bad luck in gacha, but it shouldn't be this bad!

Theodore Garcia is a minor antagonist character that appears when you enter a certain heroine's capture route. He often annoys the heroine with dirty jokes and repeatedly harasses the main character who gets along with the heroine.

I remember that in the end, the main character purged him and forced him to leave school, and then the main character and the heroine got married and had a happy ending.

But this man, Theodore, is not the hero's rival.

He may be strong, but he can't be compared to the main character. He's just an unpleasant and annoying side character that gets in the way.

"By the way, Garcia and that heroine... Akari Hoshimi, are childhood friends and engaged?"

'Ah, I just remembered some information about Akari Hoshimi.'

A Japanese-style girl with long eyelashes, sharp eyes, and hair that flows to her waist, tied together behind her slender frame. In kendo, she has the skill to win national tournaments in junior high school, excels academically, and is accomplished in both literature and martial arts. She has a strong, resolute character and treats everyone fairly, except for Garcia...

If you proceed with the game, Akari Hoshimi becomes a strong partner and lover of the main character. However, from Garcia's point of view, he couldn't stand his childhood friend and fiancée being easily taken away by the hero, whom he despised. His response, unfortunately, was to resort to sexual harassment.

The problem is that at the time of enrollment, Garcia... sadly, myself, and Akari have a terrible relationship. I don't know if the animosity in this world is as intense as it was in the game, but it could cause trouble.

'I should stay away from her as much as possible.'

But why?

I feel a sense of frustration as I think of Akari Hoshimi. Maybe somewhere in my head, Garcia's memories and emotions remain... I feel like I can remember something, but I can't draw out my memory as if it  had stuck somewhere, and I feel sickened by it.

Even if I keep thinking about it here, I'm going crazy because of stress.

"Tck... I don't care about her or you Garcia, this is my feelings is yours, not mine, I'm the one who is in control."

Let's go back to the classroom.

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When I entered the classroom with a few deep sighs, I felt a sharp gaze from the heroine. I pretended not to notice it and ignored her.

'Damn, even if I am not Garcia, being looked with such a sharp gaze could hurt... Guess being handsome doesn't always mean being liked.'

I can't draw anything from Garcia's memory, so I don't know the cause or solution to this strained relationship. Let's hope that time will resolve it.

Regaining my composure, I looked for my seat. It seemed that the seats were arranged in order of grades from the front, but my seat was the "lowest grade" seat at the back end. What was the entrance exam like?

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In this academy of adventurers, students are categorized from A to D in the prestigious group, handpicked by the government for dungeon exploration. In contrast, the E-class consists solely of external examination entrants. With an entrance exam acceptance rate exceeding 100 times the applicant pool, it's reserved for an elite few who have surpassed rigorous standards.

Garcia's admission to this school must have defied such daunting odds. Did he possess unique skills? Despite being in the last category, he exudes remarkable self-assurance and competence. But how he got the last? I mean he's quite strong in the game tho, did he hold back? Nah, he is not that kind of man...

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Some classmates appeared familiar with each other, yet an air of tension hung over the classroom itself. The main characters and heroines remained quietly reserved.

Amidst this atmosphere, a young man in his twenties clad in a suit entered the room. "Please take your seats, everyone. I'll begin homeroom shortly. Firstly, I'll introduce myself, discuss this school, and outline my credentials."

In his self-introduction, he identified himself as Mr. Jun Osuke, the class teacher. A graduate of Adventurer University, Mr. Osuke boasted excellent academic achievements. Despite his slender build, his every movement and manner exuded an aura more akin to a soldier than an educator. He would be their instructor for the coming year.

"After my introduction, I'll list key points about our school on the whiteboard," he announced, commanding attention with his presence.

"Excelling at this school opens doors to recommendations from the International Adventurer's University or preferential treatment upon embarking on an adventurer's career. Representatives from leading clans and private firms also scout here, with these coveted paths largely determined by academic performance."

The International Adventurer's University aims to train individuals as candidates for specialized dungeon forces or bureaucratic roles within the Dungeon Ministry. In my previous world, it's akin to institutions like the National Defense Academy or Meteorological University. According to our teacher, admission to the adventurer university is highly competitive and based on academic ranking.

Next, let's discuss the benefits.

Students at our school enjoy perks similar to civil servants, such as access to dungeon facilities at the Adventurer's Guild at half price or even free in some cases. This mirrors the advantageous treatment received by students at national and public universities in Japan. Please note that applying may be required for use.

Furthermore, students of the adventurer school can begin their journey from the silver rank of adventurer (ranks range from Conqueror, Champion, Elite, Diamond, Saphire, Emerlard, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Starter, with Conqueror being the highest and Bronze is the lowest), allowing them immediate access to dungeons with minimal procedure. In contrast, ordinary individuals typically start from the starter rank after undergoing rigorous procedures including identity verification, written exams, training, and apprenticeships, which can be quite cumbersome.

Quest assignments at the Adventurer's Guild are determined by adventurer rank, with government benefits provided above a certain rank threshold. It's crucial to focus on advancing your adventurer rank to maximize these benefits, ensuring you plan quests carefully and prepare for promotion examinations.

Additionally, our school offers a diverse array of career paths post-graduation.

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The field of dungeon-related industries is thriving, with a vast market and booming research and development. For instance, over half of the world's power plants utilize magic stones, and dungeon resources support a significant portion of the energy sector. Magic stone power generation produces zero waste and is more cost-effective than thermal power, making it highly sought-after due to its potential for miniaturization.

Moreover, advancements in material technology using dungeon-derived materials are driving innovation in industries such as munitions and IT, creating substantial wealth. Globally, there is fierce competition in investment and research and development in these areas. Both public and private organizations urgently seek skilled dungeon explorers, leading to favorable treatment and scouting opportunities for graduates of adventurer schools.

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Certainly, you have the option to attend a traditional university. The Adventurer's Academy boasts a wide range of outcomes, with last year's graduates securing placements in prestigious universities.

Regarding grades,

"Grades here primarily reflect academic performance and dungeon exploration achievements. Games, events, and tournaments held within the school will also contribute to overall assessments, but I'll provide more details on that later."

Grades here aren't just about dungeon exploration; academic studies also play a crucial role. Academic prowess enhances adaptability to the unpredictable dungeon environment and influences the growth of INT status. In my previous world, I graduated from college despite being a mediocre student, so I have a slight advantage in academic competitions. However, achieving good academic results here matters to me.

"Dungeon exploration strategies should be collaborative among colleagues. At the same time, you're competing for results, so I urge you to give your best effort."

Even in gaming, it's more effective to dive into professions that balance frontline and support roles rather than solo endeavors, except in shallow areas where soloing may be better. Will I seek party members to collaborate with, or venture solo? I can discuss this further later.

"Next, I'll distribute the terminals. Please come up when your name is called."

It's an advanced wearable device that, when worn on the wrist and activated by a button press, projects images directly in front of you. In my previous world, technology existed to display characters in the air, but the realization of a wearable terminal like this was unprecedented. This innovation may also stem from advancements influenced by dungeon technologies.

Upon pressing the terminal's button, a screen approximately 15 inches in size instantly appears in front of me. Unlike retinal projections, the screen is projected into the air, visible to others around me.

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Name: Theodore Garcia.

Level: 1

Job & Job Level: [Novice] Level 1

Adventurer class: –

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[Status]

Maximum HP: 10

Maximum MP: 15

STR: 11

INT: 20

VIT: 10

AGI: 20

MND: 18

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[Skill 2/2]

|Jester| {Hidden as blank}

|Fist Break|

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Yup, I'm screwed. I am the biggest scumbag in this world, Theodore Garcia...

Both my level and job level¹ are 1, probably because I've never fought before. By the way, [Novice] means "beginner" or "newcomer," and it's the initial job for everyone, with some exceptions. By gaining experience points and raising the job level, you can learn specific skills and transition to other jobs.

The reason my adventurer class is blank is likely because I'm not registered with the Adventurer's Guild yet. If I want to enter a dungeon, I should head to the Adventurer's Guild as soon as possible.

'Honestly, for a Novice, Garcia had pretty good stats even at level one. I wonder how he lost to the main character, though...'

In the game, extensive reset gameplay² was employed to achieve initial abilities with all stats at 10 or higher and to acquire rare skills. Although initial stats become less significant as you grow, there's no point in complaining about it now, so I won't dwell on it.

These numbers were likely recorded by the job change device during the entrance examination. It's worth noting that they don't reflect real-time status; instead, they were sent to the Adventurer's Academy database and then transferred to this device.

Additionally...

'|Jester|, my unique skill.' The terminal just reminded me that I was transported here along with only of of my many skills.

|Jester|

|Jester| is a skill that, once activated, changes the user's profile and main job to |Jester|, like having two accounts simultaneously, allowing you to switch in or before battles.

The ability of |Jester| allows the user to use all available jobs in The Conquest. It's excellent for adapting to fill team gaps by switching jobs or using clones to cover those gaps.

Because it can switch classes, |Jester| can easily deceive enemies by continuously changing its class. However, the |Jester| mechanic is challenging due to the vast number of skills and combos available from different jobs.

Additionally, leveling up jobs becomes easier because every EXP gained from killing monsters is added to each job. However, EXP received by jobs other than |Jester| is reduced by 50%, while |Jester| receives 100% of the EXP.

When |Jester| is activated, all data in the status changes to |Jester|, keeping the user's identity hidden and viewable only by the user.

Most players who obtain the |Jester| skill in The Conquest usually replace it because it's difficult to focus on leveling up their main job or mastering |Jester|'s abilities. This makes the skill unpopular. However, if you're an All-Role player or someone who enjoys mastering difficult skills like me, [Jester] will be perfect for you.

--oh yes, there's also this.

|Fist Break|

Garcia's skill—I never actually saw it in-game, but he really had a skill!

'Let's see what his skill does...'

|Fist Break|

Activated when landing an hit on your enemy, this skill triples your damage output with the first hit you landed! If the first attack successfully lands, you have 10 seconds to throw another punch, increasing the damage output again by a factor of 3 made it to 6 times stronger and goes on as long you land a hit.

If the second attack lands, it deals true damage, ignoring both physical and magical defense.

This skill remains active as long as you land another punch within 10 seconds of the previous one and can be used infinitely as long as you keep hitting! So don't worry to get overpowered!

'Wow...' I gaped at Garcia's skills. 'This skill is basically: Left, Right, Goodnight!'

But how did he lose in the game with such an unbalanced, game-breaking, cheat skill? Is the main character really that strong? No, I doubt he's stronger than Garcia, but still, losing with this skill just doesn't make sense.

In this world, some people learn skills from the beginning even without improving their dungeon or job levels. If I recall attack skills and recovery magic, diving into dungeons early on would be smooth, and with Theodore Garcia's skill, this should be easier than I expected.

Cheating? Nah, this is just the game mechanic. You cannot call this cheating! Yup!

Other functions on the terminal include a telephone, email, camera, and social networking services. It can be used to communicate with colleagues in the dungeon and allows for operational instructions and commands. There's also a feature for submitting reports.

Now, the crucial logout button...

It's missing.

I don't think I can log out, can I?

It seems this isn't just my consciousness in the game world—it's a complete transition. Without a logout button on the terminal interface, I can't see any way to go back. While I don't necessarily want to return home, I do feel a bit down about being a soon-to-be-thrown villain.

But, hey! At least I've finally entered the world of "The Conquest," the place I had always dreamed of...

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Level and Job Level¹

As your level increases, your stats improve, providing various benefits. The maximum level in "The Conquest" is 100.

The maximum job level is 10. Skills can be learned as the job level increases. When changing jobs, the job level resets to 1. Some jobs offer stat bonuses.

(The skill |Jester| is basically a cheat when it come to this world system since Theodore can level up another job's level while still not change his main job. He is one step ahead as we might say.)

(Also the skill |Jester| work like this:

Job & Job Level: [Assassin] Level 2.

20.000/30.000

[+500 EXP]

20.500/30.000

[+ 250 EXP to all job])

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Reset Gameplay²

Resetting the game involves starting over with a new game, recreating the character, and aiming for advantageous bonus stats and benefits.