The designer story: I was reincarnated as a villain in a game

Chapter 27: Explorers’ Club

Life at the academy went on without a hitch... or so it was supposed to.

Because the truth is, I... no longer knew myself very well.

I’d started training occasionally. In fact... quite seriously, too.

And the main reason for that was Professor Raphael.

In truth, we weren’t training... he was making us go through hell itself.

He forced us to do things that, logically speaking, were impossible for people our age to do.

And worst of all... the Academy had granted him extensive powers.

Anyone who tried to complain would have everyone else punished as a result. Training hours would be doubled, whilst the exercises would become even more gruelling.

This eventually forced everyone into silence, training whilst holding back their tears, cursing Raphael only in their minds.

And of course... some students tried to rebel against him.

They said they wouldn’t accept this treatment, and that this wasn’t what they deserved.

But honestly?

They were just a bunch of spoilt brats.

Rafael didn’t pay them any attention at all; in fact, the Academy expelled them immediately.

It was a clear, silent message to everyone: either train... or go back to your family.

And there was something that scared me a little, because I noticed something strange about myself... I had started... training in my spare time of my own accord.

What on earth? Have I been brainwashed?

Even my sleep had become less than before, and that frightened me even more.

What if the day came when I began to hate sleep?

No... I don’t even want to think about that day... I might die of terror just imagining it.

How on earth could I possibly live... without sleeping?

And that’s why I tried to get them to expel me from the academy.

I did exactly what those spoilt brats did: I protested, I complained, and I tried to cause trouble...

But the problem?

No one paid me any attention.

Not the teachers, not the management, not even Raphael himself.

It was as if I didn’t exist at all.

Which led me to a perfectly logical conclusion:

It’s a massive conspiracy against me.

But... after much thought, I began to suspect that Arshav might be the cause.

Or perhaps... I’ve actually been brainwashed.

Because, for a very worrying reason... I can no longer go a single day without training.

I’ve also discovered a lot about myself.

Most importantly... I really am a natural-born bully.

I’ve completed almost all the side quests... except for just two.

The first: I haven’t formed a gang of bullies yet.

But to be honest, that was incredibly easy. All I had to do was force a few random people to join in, and it would be over.

As for the second task... that was the hardest one for me.

I couldn’t bring myself to mock one of the main characters.

I don’t know why, but it felt strangely difficult.

Perhaps because I’m not entirely a bad person... or perhaps because I’m afraid of the consequences.

Yes, it’s probably the latter.

But the thing that really surprised me... was that after everything I’d done, everyone still treated me the same way.

In fact, it was much better than before.

It was as if they respected me so much that anyone passing by would immediately greet me.

Which finally made me understand how people with ’Young Master Syndrome’ feel.

Just imagine... hitting someone, and then everyone applauding you instead of stopping you.

At first, that might make you feel great.

But the real problem starts when it feeds your ego more and more, and before you know it, you’ve become addicted to it.

But anyway... I haven’t reached that stage yet. freёwebnovel.com

I mean, yes, I felt a bit of an ego boost... but only a little.

I’m not stupid enough to overdo it every time.

The last thing I want is to find myself getting a slap in the face from the hero.

Speaking of Ethan... things between us were going so smoothly that I started to think we’d become friends.

But no... not quite. I mean, if we were actually friends, wouldn’t he tell me to stop bullying people?

Isn’t that what friends usually do?

To be honest, there was one thing I’d noticed about Ethan: he’s... a really annoying person.

Still... not as much as Knox... He’s been sticking to me like I’m—

No, what on earth was I thinking?

It’s not as if he considers me his girlfriend or anything like that. Most likely... he doesn’t, does he?

But I know he’s doing it to take advantage of me.

The question is... in what way exactly?

Does he want to become friends with the future Lord of the Statelas family?

If that actually happened, it would be beneficial to him in many ways, I suppose.

But... what will happen when the Stetlas family falls?

What will become of him then? Well, before that happens... I’ll use him first.

And in the best way possible... I’ve even started thinking about making him my right-hand man.

I mean, most of the students already thought he was, so why not make it official?

It might help me a lot in the future. Plus, I’ll be preventing him from dying, which is kind of a good thing.

I mean... the person who was supposed to kill him was Nero.

But I’ve already become Nero, haven’t I?

So, technically... the problem’s solved.

But before I spoke to him and made him work under my command, there were two more important things I needed to think about.

And I spent whole days thinking about them.

First: what extra activity should I join?

And that was, without exaggeration, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to think about in my life.

But luckily, I already had an idea. Something I’d loved ever since I was little.

To become an explorer... So all I had to do was submit an application.

So... I quickly adjusted my glasses, then hurried off to the Explorers’ Club.

I’ve also started wearing my glasses all the time.

Why?

I noticed something very strange: that when I wear them...

they don’t fall off no matter what happens, unless I take them off with my own hands.

And that was something I desperately needed.

I can’t leave them in my room all the time; I need them all the time. Besides, what if they disappeared?

Then I’d be in real trouble.

After all... the only person who can see them is me.

I also discovered something else... when I tap the frame twice, the system screen appears in front of me.

And if I repeat the action once more... it disappears.

That was a truly brilliant discovery. They won’t obstruct my vision any more.

Besides, I’m used to wearing glasses anyway, so it wasn’t too much of a bother.

And so... I was wearing them now, as I made my way to today’s meeting place.

I walked through the corridors for a while, until I finally reached my destination.

[Explorers’ Club]

I paused in front of the door for a moment.

I took a deep breath... then opened the door and walked straight in... and as soon as I did, I noticed several pairs of eyes turning towards me.

But I suddenly froze for a second... the moment my eyes met those of two people... who looked very familiar.