[Nightmare]

Helix chose the answer [No] without the slightest bit of hesitation.

Letters started typing themselves on the screen again.

"Awwwwwww. You're no fun, mister!

Don't you want a harem of powerful women?

You'll automatically receive a special [charm attribute] that will draw beautiful, powerful women to you if you accept the title.

The effects will be instantaneous."

Another dialogue window opened up.

—

"You've been given the right to a powerful harem if you accept the title of [The Protagonist].

Do you accept? [Yes/No]."

—

Helix sighed with bitterness in his eyes.

Once again, he selected [No].

His reply was even [faster] than before.

"Awwwwww. Why!? Don't you want to slaughter your way to godhood?

I'm reeeeeeally strong, so your level of power will be delightfully cringe-worthy!

As your faithful system in crime, I bestow upon you insane stats.

So if you accept, you'll get a comical level of power compared to the others after accepting the title.

But if you don't, I won't be kind~to~you <3."

Helix read the words on his interface with a conflicted expression.

"Who are you?" He whispered.

"My name is Elise, and there's no need to speak.

You can share your thoughts after touching the transparent patch on your neck after your interface is open.

After you do, touch it again to end the transmission.

Touch it a second time, and the interface will close."

The message was almost instantaneous.

Helix touched his neck.

"Who are you? You just said that I'm here to fight you.

Why would I accept anything you say?" He asked through his thoughts.

"Becaaaaaause… you have no choice, silly! *giggle*"

Helix sighed.

From the perspective of others, he was staring at nothing with the eyes of a dead fish.

That's what he imagined, anyway.

"That's a good point." He replied bitterly.

"So if I don't accept, I'll be left with no power?" He asked.

"Cor~rekt! Now you're talking sense, mister!"

A new dialogue popped up.

—

"Do you begrudgingly accept your fate and accept the title of [The Protagonist]? [Yes/No]"

—

Helix closed his eyes, and after only a moment's hesitation, he reached out his hand again.

"You chose no!? Hyrumpha!

Are you an idiot, mister!?

Do you even understand how dangerous this world is!?

Why the hell would you put yourself in that much danger!?" She screamed while typing erratically.

Helix sighed.

"Of course I do." Helix responded.

"Then why!? *huff!*" Elise replied indignantly.

"Because you're really strong, yeah?

You're offering me comical starting stats just to have a chance of defeating you?

What a joke." Helix laughed bitterly.

"At least I have a chance of survival if I convince people to let me bail hay.

Instant harem? Hah. Sign a death warrant.

If I chose this route, every overpowered student's jealousy would put a target on my back.

Then I'll be forced on a quest to slay the strongest monsters, and at the end of the journey, I get to risk my life to face you.

For what? What do I get that's more valuable than my life?" He asked.

"You're life, mister! Do you think I'll just allow you to turn down my challenge?

I'm the evil god of this world!" She replied with shakey typing.

"Can't you just give the title to someone else? Please?"

"No!"

"Why are you going after a weak nobody like me?

You know that's depressingly cliche, right?" He asked with a wry smile.

"Don't you start, mister! You haven't seen [cliche] yet!

I'll give you the lowest stats in the damn kingdom.

Then you'll be forced to gain power just to survive!

You'll experience a heartbreaking moment and hunt me down at the end of it.

You call this cliche? You don't even understand that word, mister!"

Helix looked to the sky with despair in his eyes.

"Why does it have to be me?

At least answer me that?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"Because everyone else will die like weak lambs to the slaughter if they get this title." She replied.

"You know that's exactly why I don't want it, right?" He laugh-scoffed in annoyance.

Helix wasn't being edgy.

His interface handed him a twisted, cliche plot he didn't enjoy or want.

Therefore, he was declining to avoid the consequences of accepting.

After hearing the words [mad god], he wished Elise handed a death flag instead.

"What do you want? I haven't been able to play for almost a century!"

If you come between me and that, I'll make sure you die."

Helix sent a wicked smile to the sky.

"Then who would play with you?"

"..."

"What, are you just realizing this?" He asked.

"..."

"If you kill me, your [playtime] is guaranteed to fall through."

"..."

"Can't you just give me the same stats as everyone else for now?

There will come a time when we're overrun with monsters, destroying my peaceful life.

Then I'll have no choice, right?

Isn't it more fun when life naturally brings us together against my will?

It'll ensure your fun will be a facade if you force it.

There's nothing worse than forced plot development." Helix reasoned.

The typing shot out on the chat screen.

"Hyrumpha! Who do you think I am, mister?

You're obviously trying to deceive me for your gain!"

"Of course I am." Helix sighed.

"What am I supposed to do?

Should I just sit here and tell you to do things against my interests?" He asked sarcastically.

"..."

"..."

"Fiiiiine! I won't force you to your death, but you're not getting a thing from me except from your Nightmare. *huff*"

"Are you going to give me the weakest power as well?" Helix asked dryly.

"No. I'm giving you the same power, but good luck using it with zero stats. *giggle*"

Helix let out a deep sigh.

"So it's powerful enough to fight you, but it's useless unless I unlock its power.

How cliche." He commented with dead eyes.

"Cliche? Oh no, no, mister! There's nothing cliche about this power!" Elise replied.

"I don't like the sound of that." Helix replied with wide eyes.

"It seems you~are~smart <3."

A wave of dread washed over Helix as he looked at the dialogue on the system screen.

—

"You've been given one last chance.

Choose the role of [The Protagonist] and earn a chance of survival, or die an ironic death at the hands of your own "pragmatic" philosophies.

Will you accept your fate? [Yes/No]"

—

"I have a final question." Helix announced.

A new chat window popped up on his interface.

"What is it, my pragmatic, powerless pigeon? *giggle*"

"If I chose No, will you be my system?" He asked.

"No~pe. But you're not going to get rid of me, either, mister!

Considering I'm here now, it's obvious that I will be here when I want to be.

That's true of all of you recently sexually enlightened ex-virgins.

So don't feel special. *giggle*"

"Are you going to meddle in my business?" He asked.

"Nope, nope, nope! I'll enjoy watching you die a widely expected death and pray for your survival so I can kiiiiii~lllll you <3

So tone down the simp game, and write a will on your man card… just in case. ;)"

Helix sent the world a wry smile with the eyes of a dying seagull.

"Okay, give me the option again."

—

"You've been given one last chance.

Choose the role of [The Protagonist] and earn a chance of survival, or die an ironic death at the hands of your own "pragmatic" philosophies.

Will you accept your fate? [Yes/No]"

—

Helix chose [No].

—

"Congratulations! You've been given the title [The Pragmatic Fool].

Choosing between two life-threatening situations, you have chosen death by your own powerless hands.

You've turned down a powerful harem of women that could fight your battles for you to seek refuge on a farm baling hay.

If you don't die a painful death by grace or miracle, you will likely try to kill me so you can lead a normal life again.

Your pragmatism has thus had the opposite effect."

—

Helix sighed with bitterness in his eyes.

—

Conditions for leveling up your title.

"[Level 2] -> [The Bitter Pragmatist]: experience shame and regret following your decision to refuse the title of [The Protagonist].

Conditions to reach [Level 3] -> [The Pragmatic Hypocrite]:

Decide to kill me to end your endless struggles to stay alive."

—

"Fool? What type of idiot would trust someone giving them tools and a strategy to kill them?

If I'm truly the godforsaken protagonist, I'll be able to earn power regardless of your wishes.

Moreover, I'll be drowning in plot armor.

Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to play your game." Helix asserted bitterly.

"You're interesting. I like you!" Elise typed out.

"If you accepted the role, I'd pump you up with such high strength stats that you'd accidentally kill everyone here with a single swing.

It would have made for a killer first mock battle.

I'm disappointed you turned down the overpowered harem stat, though. :')

I would've cherished watching your execution after knocking up a sex-crazed princess. *giggle*"

Helix's eyes glazed over, and the gatekeepers beckoned him into the beyond.

"It's sad I didn't get to see the chaos play out."

Helix pulled back from the darkness and gave the world a wry smile.

"Are you serious?" He asked.

"Of~course, silly! I'm the god of Myriad asking you to kill me.

What fun is watching boring relationships develop?" She asked.

"Yep. I made the right decision."

Helix touched his neck, and the chat window disappeared.

"Helix!" David yelled.

Helix blinked twice in confusion.

When he looked around, he was surrounded by dozens of people with worried expressions.

"What's wrong with all of you?" He asked with a bewildered expression.

"What's wrong with us!? What the hell is wrong with [you]!" Lina yelled.

"You were surrounded by a crimson light barrier for the last ten minutes.

Everyone thought that you might explode!" Macron gruffed in a serious tone.

"We've never seen anything like that!

What the hell was happening?"

Helix sighed when he realized that he was already standing out.

He was certain Elise did it on purpose.

"My system was chatting with me.

I couldn't exit the interface window." Helix replied.

Macron looked at him with shock, and the other students stared at him with confusion.

"It was… communicating with you?" Macron asked with a serious tone.

"Um… yeah?" Helix replied with wide eyes.

"What Nightmare did you receive?" Macron asked with a sharp gaze.

"I-I don't know…." Helix stuttered.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Macron asked with a baffled expression.

"You communicated for ten minutes and didn't know?

Never mind that, check it right now!" He demanded.

Helix touched his neck hesitantly.

His interface opened, and there was an item menu.

One of the options was [skills].

He pressed that button, and a dialogue window opened.

—

"Congratulations. You have received a Nightmare.

Name: [Nightmare]."

—

After quickly reading the description, he closed his eyes with bitterness written over his expression.

"I'm so fucked."

—

Disclaimer: Grammatical mistakes and minor inconsistencies = more content. Thank you for reading!