(Not) A Vanilla Levelling System

1

"If there's anyone in this town who could be called "superhuman," it's probably Jason."

I looked right at the Class Rep to confirm what he had said. "Jackson?"

"Jason. Without the K. I' thought you know him. His name is well-know throuughout the city.”

I nodded my head. It seemed possible that this was another elaborate fraud. A rumor about someone that was not true or was exaggerated. But because time was running out, I had to take advantage of every chance that came my way. "Tell me."

I think the Class Rep will do it even if I don't ask. Look at how happy he was when he opened his mouth!

“First, he has a big body. Not the big fat kind, but the well-balanced and athletic kind. He doesn't even look like a high school student. He's even bigger than Mr. Henderson. But he moves with surprising dexterity. He has sharp eyes and. Because of this, the school has put its faith in him to win many athletic competitions."

"That wasn't the qualification I was looking for." Sigh! I was too optimistic. The radar must have been broken. I mean, there's no way one of them live in such remote place like this.

But all of a sudden, the Class Rep came closer and spoke in a quiet voice. "Look, it's just between us, but the Divine Punishment Incident is why I say he's not a normal person."

It was a very interesting name. "Divine ... what?"

"Oh, I see. You must not have been here at that time. It happened last winter, about a year ago. Inflation also hurt our city, and some offices had to lay off their employees. I don't know what kind of demon possessed them. But, suddenly, those who lost their jobs started to think that crime was the best way to make money, so they did it openly.

"They plague everyone and are a major annoyance. The police couldn't handle them because there were too many of them. The city went through a... kind of tense time. Like the war on drugs in Colombia. Crime was everywhere in the town, and nothing the police did helped. Until that was coming.

"The thugs were found with their faces beaten up and no longer wanting to live. The place where they met was trashed. Things back as calm as ever. No one knows who did it, but some people who saw him say he looks like Jason."

I finally saw the pattern. This time, my trip might have been right on the mark. I ought to give it a shot. "Where is this Jason now?"

*#*

"Remind me, is he a celebrity?" I just learned that I need to set up a time to meet with him first, what the heck?

"He's a bit ... busy." As he scratched his unitchy nape, the Class Rep laughed nervously.

Oh, my goodness. "You said we could meet him in the gym at school."  When I got there, I had to wait outside, again.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know that he changed his schedule. I'll ask him again, maybe he’ll change his mind." The Class Rep went back to the gym.

Seriously. Should I just walk in and start interrogate that Jason guy openly?

Nah. It's a bad idea. That would stand out too much. Not only would they immediately become more cautious, but I also doubt I'd get the information I wanted.

Before things got messy, I had to be careful and get this done quickly.

Soemone came out of the gym, but it wasn't the Class Rep. "Are you Jason?" I asked out of the blue.

He just made a frown. Then gave me a head shake. "Why? Looking for him?"

"I need answers, not more questions."

He laughed at my outburst. "Well, today's not your lucky day. I'm  David Jason's friend.  " He sat down on a chair near me, wiped off his sweat, and changed his shoes.

When he was done, he didn't leave. Instead, he talked to me again. "Are you his newest fan?"

"I have business with him," I said straight to the point, no intention of making unnecessary small talk.

"Hoo, sneaky. Jason might like the way you act if you keep it up." That David guy started talking nonsense. I could smell his sweat from here. He smiled and said, "Good luck."

Just then, someone else came out from behind the gym door. It was the Class Rep. From the way he looked at me, I thought I knew what he would say. "This doesn't seem like a good time. Listen, how about the morning of the next day? There will be a combined Math class, and I'll ask you to talk to him, okay?"

Tomorrow?

That's way too long. I needed to know, at the very least, if he was the person I was looking for.

At first I was reluctant to accept, but then I looked at the Class Rep's expression and noticed that he was actually being helpful once more.

After all, they haven't figured it out yet. Even if they had, Jason would have left before he found out about me. "Alright. Tomorrow then"

*#*

It was the dullest time in my life. I've taken hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of math classes. I haven't been able to learn anything useful from them so far.

I guess that shows that having a long life doesn't change your brain.

As promised, the Class Rep asked me to talk to our guy.

I was almost there when I saw Carl, the annoying guy from yesterday. He was with three other guys who were just as strong as he was. I guess Jason is the biggest one?

"Hey, Jason," They didn't bother to answer at all. The Class Rep went on to say more, "Listen, uh, this is the person I was talking about. She said that she had to talk—”

Jason casually responded, "Get lost.”

"What?"

When Jason finally turned around, he had a very angry look on his face. He really did have a hand as quick as rumored. The Class Rep's shirt collar was suddenly grabbed, and he seemed to be floating on the ground. "Hey, nerd! Do I have to say it over and over again so your stupid brain can understand? I said, get lost! Do you think we're friends now because small favor you did during the exam?”

The Class Rep apparently diminished in stature after that. He became so frozen that even his mouth became silent.

I guess I'll have to do it on my own.

"Hey, hey. Don't overreact like that, Jason. Harry is just trying to do his best as class president. Besides, did you know that who was looking for you?" said David, trying to turn Jason's attention to me, even though no one had asked for it.

And ... it worked!

Jason's gaze is entirely on me. He tossed the Class Rep's body away like it was a worthless garbage.

Jason came over with a smug grin on his face. "I know you. You're that new girl. So, what brings your pretty face here?"

"Huh?" Geez, why do people today were so annoying? Okay, fine. I will play your game. "After school, meet me in the parking lot."

*#*

Arrogant. said to have a lot of power, and settle down in a place that is in a place where something really strange just happened.

Well, all these things point to Jason Allenmore as the person I'm looking for. People who are gifted will always act like this. As if they had everything and were better than everyone else.

Trying to question him would be a waste of time.

So, when I found him joking around with his friends at the place he'd said he'd be, I ran there as fast as I could.

Jason greeted me. I immediately grabbed him by the neck and gave him a long, wet kiss. Our tongues met and tried to dominate each other.

It was a long peck, and surprisingly, Jason responded swiftly. He seems to be a great kisser, but it wasn't a very pleasant moment for me. His mouth smelled like nicotine, so I guess this jerk has been smoking.

That's when the awaited notification appeared.

I took a step back, away from them, while a floating holographic screen filled my vision.

I opened the Analysis Menu. Inputting the data I'd received—Jason's saliva—for a quick search to see if we had a synchronization, to see if the sample indicated that Jason was the person I was looking for.

[98%]

[99%]

[100%]

[Analysis Complete!]

[❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌]

[No Sychronization Found]

What? "There must be an error!" It can't be, right? I've been waiting too long, and the deadline is almost up!

"What error?"

I looked at Jason, who was headed this way. He had those hungry eyes. "So... can you explain what that was all about?"

"Shut up, you jerk!" I went back and looked at the floating screen again, hoping to see different results.

[❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌]

[No Sychronization Found]

"SHIT!"

"Hey, hey. What’s the matter with you?"

I stared at that fake jerk's face. It was supposed to be common for me to run into a regular guy like him who carried himself with such haughtiness after all the places I've been.

But when I found out that he wasn't the person I was looking for, I felt... so annoyed. "What's the matter? Here's the matter, you should know that you're such a disgrace for your family and you should be ashamed of yourself."

I quickly turned around and walked away. Feeling bitter and stuck. This was probably the thousandth failed attempt. Where else should I look for now? And most importantly, does this radar still work?

BRUK!

I almost fell over. I looked up with a fierce glare, but when I realized it was just the Class Rep, I quickly moved away.

"Is everything all right?"

"What?"

The Class Rep shrugged. "Is it went well? Is Jason the person you want to find?"

Ah, right.

I knew that taking it all out on the Class Rep wasn't fair. He was just trying to help me, but after he led me to an absurd conclusion, that’s make me feel bitter. I felt like being selfish once in a while.

My hands were tightly gripped. I moved forward steadily.

The Class Rep, knowing my intention, slowly move backwards. "Wait, wait, Hudson, calm down—”

"YOU MISGUIDED SWINDLER!"

*#*

"I apologize, okay. I was just too emotional and lost my temper." When I rubbed the hiss cheek with the compress, Class Rep winced.

"Say that next time before you hit me. Maybe I can suggest a better way for you to get it out."  The Class Representative growled. "But, Hudson, are you ... taking that seriously?”

"What do you mean?" I worriedly pressed the bruise I'd given the Class Rep's cheek.

The Class Rep quickly moved away. "Looking for a superhuman? I thought you only wanted to go to the movies with Jason."

"Why would I want to do that?"

The Class Rep just gave a stupid shrug. "I'm not sure. He has a lot of fans, and I thought that you moved here to meet him."

"Do I look like someone who would waste time on such an insignificant matter?" I asked rhetorically. Seeing the Class Rep try to answer was kind of funny. "I'll tell you a few things since you'll forget about it soon anyway."

"Wait, wait. Forgetting? What are you saying?" asked the Class Representative, half-confused and half-amazed. Why did he emphasize the part that wasn't important?

"Do you want to hear my story or not?"

The Class Rep didn't seem sure what to do. I knew it; a guy like that wouldn't be able to decide what to do. So, I went first. "You must be familiar with the term superhuman. Hence, they even have their own names in every period. Heroes, magicians, prophets, gods. They are revered as special people, saviors, and heavenly messengers because they have powers beyond reason called miracles. Well, that's half right and half wrong."

 "Wait, so superheroes once were considered gods, huh? It's an interesting thought." The Class Rep rubbed his chin and gave a nod. I think I know why Jason calls him a nerd.

"Yeah, whatever that is. It's not a gift from God or a natural talent. Those people have a special gift called the System."

"System?"

I nodded. "A set order in which you can get quests, gain levels, and become whatever you want. If I'm not mistaken, there was a simple name for this time. Ah, like in-"

"Novel?"

"What?"

"It's a novel about the system." The Class Rep's answer was full of energy. "It became a thing now."

I see. "I was going to say game, but yeah... take that as you will."

The Class Rep repeated, "So... you think Jason's one of them? The person with System power?"

I was surprised at how well he could understand what was going on so well. Was it because he was crazy about the fictional world? "I thought so until I found out I was wrong."

Now, it was the Class Rep who felt bad. "So-sorry. I didn't mean to lead you astray."

"Never mind. I'm also to blame..." for wanting more.

"So, what will you do if you find them?"

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at him. Yeah, well, it's come this far, and he won't remember anything about it anyway, so there's no harm in talking about it. "Disable them."

Surprisingly, there was a long pause. When we looked at each other again, the Class Rep looked scared. "What the hell with that expression?" I said unacceptably.

"Di-disable? You intent to kill—"

"No, no. Just deactivating their boon." I tapped the top of my head and shook it. "Geez, how sadistic do you think I am?"

The Class Rep sighed. "Oh, thank God." He gave a smile. "Then, I wish you luck. I'm sorry, but I can't do much to help."

"Involving you might just make it harder anyway." That's when my watch rang. Ah, right! I had to take care of something else tonight! "I still have things to do, so it's okay if I leave you alone, right?"

The Class Rep did nothing but nod.

Well, it was a short meeting, but from the way he could grasp all of this quickly, there was a ridiculous thought of making him a partner.

Huh, partner? After all of this time? Seriously?

*#*

Evangeline Hudson made the mistake of not turning around.

Harry smiled at her fading figure. Harry's eyes shifted to the side, where a floating writing that only he could see appeared.

[STAY LOW-PROFILE]

Mission Accomplished!

Claim Reward?

[Confirm]   [Decilne]

Harry gulped. To be honest, the news about Eva made him horrified Fortunately, the System gave him the news ahead of time.

"I have to keep an eye for her."