"Wow, this is nuts."
Kai walked along the stone-paved street, heading toward the academy while his eyes roamed across the unfamiliar city.
This fantasy world—one he had been pulled into through a book—was not a place he had ever wished to visit.
However, no matter how much he disliked it, he couldn't deny its beauty now that he was seeing it with his own eyes instead of just imagining it through words on a page.
The atmosphere here was a strange blend of the old and the modern, as if the past and present coexisted in a single, living entity. Towering Western-style buildings stood side by side with ancient Japanese shrines.
The scent of rich Chinese cuisine drifted through the stone-paved streets, across from a grand Gothic cathedral adorned with intricate carvings.
In another part of the city, red lanterns swayed gently in front of silk merchants' shops, facing a grand square where a white stone monument depicted the legends of ancient heroes.
It was an unusual mix, yet everything blended together in an astonishingly harmonious way—almost as if someone had carefully handpicked the most breathtaking elements of various cultures to craft this magnificent world.
...okay I lie, this shit is super messy
Like what the hell? You can't take something from Western culture and put near the Pagoda? It's just don't fit!
Also this city is not that good, why?
Beneath the dazzling and alluring surface lay a dark and merciless reality.
He didn't need to reread the book to remember just how horrifying this world truly was.
The deep, shadowed alleyways hid underground dealings, while desperate cries were muffled by the towering walls of ancient buildings. Kidnapping, torture, drugs, illegal trade, rape, slavery, racism—this world contained every horrifying crime humanity could conceive.
A society built with intricate care yet rotting from the inside out.
Kai couldn't begin to imagine what kind of author would create such a place without feeling utterly disgusted with their own work.
What did he cook? Who fucking know?
And yeah, this city may look cool or something, but the main point is the plot.
He sighed, his pace slowing slightly as the academy came into view ahead.
Then, with a dry chuckle, he muttered under his breath
"The worldbuilding is amazing(?), but the plot is absolute bullshit."
Because soon enough, you will see why.
"HELP ME!!"
Look, there it is.
Kai looked at the blonde girl who was being blocked by some guys. She seemed to be in trouble.
Alright, this is the beginning of Chapter 1, and yeahhh, the classic "hero saves the damsel in distress" scenario.
Nothing worth mentioning—unless there was something wrong with her.
Unfortunately, there was.
...She was a Nympho.
Alright, let me be real with you. If you're a Nympho, stay the hell away from me. If you keep trying to get close, I beg you—just get lost.
So what's her story?
Basically, after the protagonist saved her (while getting beaten to a pulp in the process), she started clinging to him like glue.
Things stayed that way until she eventually crossed the line—when she wanted him to sleep with her.
And, as expected, the protagonist refused because he already had someone he loved (who, by the way, was in bed with another man).
After being rejected, she wandered the streets alone… and ran into the same guys who had blocked her earlier.
And that's when a truth came to light—one that made me dislike her even more. Yeah, she was a Nympho.
She couldn't take it anymore and ended up begging them to "fix" her problem.
And well, yeah, you all know what happened next.
I only read half of this book, but it left me seriously disturbed. I'm currently looking for ways to erase my memory.
Ten minutes of my life wasted on this…
"Hey, mister! Please save me!!"
Alright, what the hell? Why are you calling for me??
Why not just go along with them? You're a Nympho, aren't you??
She kept screaming for help while the guys turned to look at me.
"..."
I walked forward with a serious expression.
Step by step.
They let go of her and stared at me.
I kept walking. For some reason, I was exuding an unstoppable aura.
The whole group—and the girl—watched my every move.
I smiled.
Then I turned right, walked in a different direction, and immediately left the scene.
"..."
They all looked at each other.
Then continued harassing the girl.
'Phew, avoiding her was the best decision I've ever made.'
He wiped his sweat and kept walking toward the school.
I knew she didn't technically betray the protagonist since they weren't even lovers in the first place. Plus, she was a Nympho, so I couldn't really blame her... I guess?
But still, if you're a Nympho, stay the hell away from me. I don't even want to talk to you.
All in all, avoiding her is the best way to stay out of trouble.
I stretched and kept walking happily.
"Hey, you! She's in danger! Why didn't you help her?"
I stopped and turned toward whoever just spoke to me.
It was a girl with short red hair and golden eyes—just like mine. She was also wearing the same academy uniform as me.
She looked familiar…
I think she's… Uhhh.
Huh, I don't remember.
"Answer me!"
Ayo, chill. Why so aggressive?
She seemed pretty pissed. Was it because she saw me running away?
She kept tapping her foot—definitely the short-tempered type.
Damn… This is bad. Even though I don't remember who she is, I can tell she's stronger than me.
And since she's mad about me not stepping in, she's obviously the kind of person who protects others.
…Yeah, I have a feeling she's going to get assaulted.
"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?! YOU'RE THINKING TOO MUCH!!"
Oh shit, is my face really that easy to read?
"I'm weak," I answered blankly.
"Weak? Even if you're weak, you should still help! Are you that much of a coward?!"
Hearing that, I sighed.
I then picked up a stick nearby and showed it to her.
"Coward or not, I know my own limits. Here, let me show you."
I then stabbed the stick into the ground.
"This. This is my ability."
"...What are you doing? You just stabbed it into the ground."
"Yeah, now go ahead and try pulling it out."
Hearing that, she stepped forward, grabbed the stick, and tried to yank it out.
For some reason, she couldn't.
She used more force, but instead of pulling the stick out, she ended up tearing out a chunk of the ground along with it.
"..."
"My ability is called Stuck. It makes things get stuck. That's it."
"..."
She turned to look at me, her face stiff.
Come on, don't look at me like that…
"...At the very least, you could've stepped in to stop them."
"The girl over there is an upperclassman. Her bracelet is blue, meaning she's got more experience than me. If even she can't do anything, then what the hell can a first-year like me do?"
"..."
She sighed, then ran off to help.
Seeing that, I continued on my way. Not my problem.
Then, out of nowhere, my body suddenly felt exhausted. My vision blurred.
"Ah, shit—I forgot to turn off my ability!"
I quickly pulled the stick out of the ground, and the exhaustion stopped at a manageable level.
'Not even 20 seconds, and my mana drained faster than my pants dropping—this body is way too damn weak!!'
Grumbling to myself, I struggled to keep walking in my mana-deprived state.