I woke up not to an alarm, but to a strange new sensation: feeling refreshed.
As I was putting on my still-unfamiliar uniform, a new notification from the system popped up in front of me with its usual arrogant tone.
[System Notification: Due to the 'barely competent' completion of the First Main Mission, the [Experience Points (EXP)] feature has now been unlocked. Be grateful.]
'EXP?' I thought to myself while buttoning my shirt.
[That's right, Host. You didn't think you could get stronger just by peeping and stealing, did you? Completing missions, especially Main Missions, will now grant you EXP. Collect enough EXP, and you'll level up.]
The panel flickered, displaying a further explanation with a very important detail.
[Level Up Mechanics]
Upon Level Up: All Basic Attributes (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Intelligence) increase by +1 Point.
The standard bonus for Health and Mana is 10 points, but as the Host of the [Hentai System], you get a special bonus. Your Health Points (HP) and Mana Points (MP) will increase by double the normal bonus, for a total of 20 points.
My eyes widened. This was a game-changer. Not just a linear +10 increase, but +20. With a few level-ups, my HP and MP reserves would far surpass a normal student's. This was a massive hidden advantage. I wouldn't just be a fast cockroach forever. One day, I might become... a fast rhinoceros.
'How much EXP did I get from that last mission?'
[The First Main Mission granted you 150 EXP. You need 300 EXP to reach Level 2. At your current pace, you might reach max level by the time your fossils are discovered by future archaeologists.]
I immediately opened my status window. Sure enough, below my level, there was now a new experience bar.
EXP: 150/300
Halfway to my first real power-up. For the first time, I saw a clear path out of my extra status.
I walked out of my room, the [Aura Concealment Ring] already feeling like a part of me. The bustling students in the hallway barely paid me any mind.
As I crossed the main courtyard, I saw Lyra Valeriana from a distance. She was sitting alone on a garden bench, reading a thick book. A quiet, elegant sight. I felt a playful urge.
'Eagle Eye.'
I focused a bit of mana, and her robe and uniform turned transparent. Today, she was wearing a set of sky-blue cotton underwear. Still as plain and pure as yesterday. A refreshing sight before I dove into chaos.
[Using a valuable skill just to satisfy your morning curiosity. What a waste of mana.]
I ignored the system and continued toward the Main Hall. The place had been completely transformed. Yesterday's neat rows of chairs were gone, replaced by dozens of booths and magically floating banners. The place had become a bustling, massive education fair.
In one corner, a Magic Knight student was slashing a lightning-wreathed sword, creating small crackling sounds that made the female students squeal in admiration. In another, a mage was creating a life-sized ice golem that was handing out pamphlets. It was a festival of power, a showcase of talent where everyone was trying to show off their strength.
Large banners divided the hall into several main areas. "Faculty of Knights," "Faculty of Pure Magic," and "Faculty of Tactics & Applied Arts."
I knew I had no place in the first two faculties. I was just a scammer in a sea of hero-wannabes. I walked away from the dazzling crowds, toward the quieter corners, looking for something... more suited to my strange skills.
And that's where I found it. A small, nearly empty booth near the back wall, squeezed between a storage closet and the restrooms. Its banner was simple, handwritten in black ink on a faded piece of cloth, a stark contrast to the other magical banners.
It read: "Department of Special Studies: Reconnaissance & Infiltration."
The booth was truly pathetic. The wooden table was a bit wobbly, and there were only a few faded-looking pamphlets lying on it. No flashy magic demonstrations. No charismatic seniors trying to recruit members. There was only a single girl sitting in a chair behind the table, reading a small, black leather-bound book.
She looked like a senior, maybe a second or third year. Her hair was jet-black, cut into a practical, shoulder-length bob. Her eyes were dark gray, focused on her book, making her seem indifferent to the world around her. She wore the standard uniform, but her blazer was off, and the sleeves of her white shirt were rolled up to her elbows, revealing slender yet toned arms. She wasn't as beautiful as Isolde or as stacked as Kira, but an aura of quiet danger radiated from her.
I approached the booth. My ring's concealment seemed to be too effective. She didn't even look up as I stood in front of her table.
"Excuse me," I said.
The girl finally lifted her head from her book, her gray eyes meeting mine. Her gaze was sharp and analytical, as if she were scanning all my weaknesses in a split second.
"Lost?" she asked, her voice flat and emotionless.
"No," I replied. "I'm interested in this department. Reconnaissance and Infiltration. What do you study here?"
She raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised that someone was actually asking. She closed her book, her index finger still marking her page.
"We don't study magic for show or swordsmanship for honorable duels," she said bluntly. "We learn how to be invisible. We learn how to get information without anyone knowing we were there. We learn how to sneak, steal, set traps, and most importantly... survive when everyone thinks you're already dead. This isn't a department for heroes. It's a department for ghosts."
Every word she spoke convinced me more. This was it. This was my place.
[Analysis: This department is highly suitable for a cowardly yet cunning Host. Probability of survival increases by 20% if you join.]
'I'm not a coward, I'm pragmatic,' I shot back at the system.
"I want to join," I said to the girl.
She stared at me for a long moment, her sharp gaze seeming to pierce my soul.
"Everyone wants to join something. But this department has a simple entrance test. If you can't pass it, forget it."
She placed a small silver bell in the middle of the table. It was no bigger than my thumb.
"Your task is simple," she said, resting her elbows on the table and propping up her chin, her eyes never leaving mine. "Make the bell ring. You can do anything you want, but I can't see you cause the bell to ring. If I see your hand move to touch it, or see you throw something, you fail."
This was a test of guile.
I looked at the bell, then at her. Her eyes were alert. She wouldn't be easily fooled. I couldn't use the "falling" trick like I did on Lyra.
'System,' I thought. 'I need something. A low-level spell. Something that can move an object from a distance without being seen.'
[Searching the Hentai Shop... Found a suitable Level 0 utility spell. [Lovers' Gust]. Typically used to flip a target's skirt or blow their hair in a romantic fashion. Mana consumption: 2 MP. Do you wish to purchase it?]
[Price: 50 HP]
A skirt-flipping spell? Perfect. It was completely on-brand for this system.
'Buy it!'
[-50 HP. You have learned the Magic Skill: [Lovers' Gust]!]
Now I had the weapon. But I couldn't just use it. She'd see me chant or feel the mana flow. I needed a distraction.
I smiled faintly.
"Alright. I understand."
Then I turned and started walking away.
"Giving up already?" she asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"I just want to check out the other booths first," I replied without turning back. "Maybe I'll come back later."
I walked away from her booth, back into the crowd, making sure I disappeared from her line of sight. I hid behind a large pillar, about ten meters from her booth, but still with a clear view of the table. As I expected, she went back to reading her book, clearly assuming I had given up.
This was my chance.
I extended my hand slightly from behind the pillar, aiming it at the bell. I concentrated. I didn't need to chant. The system worked on intent.
'[Lovers' Gust],' I thought.
A tiny, nearly invisible puff of wind shot from my fingertips, crossed the hall, and hit the small silver bell.
Ting!
The single, clear chime of the bell echoed in the quiet corner.
The girl flinched. Her head shot up, her gray eyes wide with shock. She looked at the bell, then quickly scanned her surroundings. She saw me walking casually back to her booth from a different direction, as if I had just finished browsing.
She stared at me, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"That... was you?"
I shrugged with my most innocent expression.
"Do what? I just got back. Did the bell ring on its own? Maybe a ghost did it."
She didn't believe me, of course. But she had no proof. She hadn't seen me do it. I had met the conditions of her test.
She stared at me for a long, tense moment. Then, for the first time, a faint, almost invisible smile played at the corner of her lips.
"A ghost, huh? I suppose it's possible," she said. She took a registration form from under the table and pushed it toward me. "Fill this out. Turn it in at the department office tomorrow. Welcome to the Department of Special Studies."
She went back to her book, but I knew she was watching me now.
"What's your name, Senpai?" I asked, taking the form.
She glanced at me over the top of her book.
"Silvia. Silvia Nacht."