I Returned as a High School Girl - Chapter 227: Mortal Enemy’s Invitation (3)

Birth of the Biomancer:Mio was the worst healer in Tokyo. F-grade, dead weight—her party kept her around out of pity until they did the math and left her bleeding in a ruined cathedral.Something ancient was waiting there. It offered her a Class that devours its hosts—a path of power that claimed the lives of the three Biomancers who came before her. Mio said yes anyway. She’d already felt the sting of a slow death; what was one more monster in her veins?Now pain is currency, death is fuel, and the hunger grows with every kill. The Bureau wants a weapon. Her sister wants her home for dinner. Mio agreed to both.In a world of Systems and Dungeons, power isn't a gift; it's a trade. And Mio is finally ready to pay the price.════════════════════What This Is:[1] This is a progression fantasy with system elements, but the system serves the story, not the other way around. Expect meaningful numbers, not stat spam.[2] Romance is not the focus. Mio has bigger problems. But expect a slow-burn later down the line![3] The story gets dark, but it's earned. No grimdark for shock value.

The top player of Nexus, Earth's most acclaimed VR MMORPG, finds himself compelled to leave behind his beloved game due to the rising dominance of pay-to-win mechanics. Yearning for a touch of nostalgia, he dives back into his all-time favorite RPG, now enhanced with cutting-edge VR technology. However, he experiences nostalgic disillusionment as his dismay at the outdated graphics and gameplay prompts an overnight modding spree. Yet, as he immerses himself back into the virtual realm, he faces an unexpected hurdle: the inability to log out.-- [Passives:] ---- [Elven Race:] -- Amplifies mana manipulation skills.-- [Human Race:] -- Grants a 50% boost in EXP gain due to inherent adaptability.

Veyne came from the life of sewer rats.The world saw him as a failure. He called it belief. Others called it stupidity. Either way, it was the only thing he had left.Even at rock bottom, Veyne never stopped believing in himself.Betrayed by his lover and brother, treated as a burden, and forced to slave endlessly in the game to chase his dream—he endured it all.Though late, his obsession was finally rewarded with an opportunity. But the sewer rat in him was too weak to hold onto it. He had fought the world and lost.Actions have consequences. And when he failed in the game, those consequences caught up to him, leading to his death.But the universe wasn’t done with him yet.Given a second chance, he returned to a time when the game had already been out for two years. This time, he rushed to obtain the Template Wilder class—the very class that led to his downfall.One of the game’s rarest hidden classes, the Wilder class, allowed him to switch into different forms based on the monster templates he possessed. An overpowered ability—but it came with a fatal catch.A hidden template forced him into the form of an ancient baby creature, one so cursed that players, monsters, and even NPCs would hunt him down. If he died in that form, his character would be permanently deleted.In his past life, he underestimated the class’s dangers. And the world tore him apart for it.This time, it wouldn’t be just hollow belief.This time, he’s not here to survive—he’s here to dominate.No emotional ties.No second chances.The entire game is his enemy, and he will crush anyone who stands in his way.He failed once. He suffered. He died. He was erased.Not this time.This is the beginning of his legend. The era of Veyne Draven.

“Pretend to be my lover and join the social circle.”

Selena, the top star that had the entire world’s attention, was suddenly warped to Northern Duke’s land during an accident while filming. Kalcion, the Northern Duke that saved her from the infernal beasts, offers Selena a chance to go back home in return for collecting information in various social circles by pretending to be his lover. Selena quickly accepts Kalcion’s offer, but…

“Why in the world can’t you do this!?”
“Don’t you think that the answer to that should be obvious to you, the actress, not to me, the duke?”

There was a critical problem. The Northern Duke’s acting skills are horrible!

“…Let’s change the plan. I’ll seduce you instead.”

And thus the contractual relationship between the two started. Will Kalcion’s acting skill improve first, or will he start to have true feelings for Selena instead?