The Scumbag's Guide To Heroism novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13: 13 | I Traded My Dignity for Gacha Tickets, and I’d Do It Again

I didn’t stop running until I reached my room.

The door slammed behind me and I collapsed against it, chest heaving.

"So soft," I muttered. "So soft so soft so soft."

My palm still tingled. The memory of that firm curve under my hand replayed on loop. The way she’d made that sound. High and breathy and absolutely not something I should be thinking about right now.

Because Sloane had almost killed me.

The air around her had started popping. Little explosions that meant her Aspect was firing without control. One wrong move and I would’ve been blown across the gym.

Worth it though.

Totally worth it.

〘 QUEST COMPLETE: Get That Peach! 〙

The notification blazed across my vision in gold text. Confetti animation included.

〘 Congratulations, Host! You have successfully completed your first Main Quest. Statistical analysis confirms optimal execution despite unconventional methodology. Physical contact achieved. Survival probability exceeded initial projections by 23%. Well done. 〙

I slid down the door until I hit the floor. My entire body ached from the beating Sloane had delivered. My lip was split. My ribs would be bruised by tomorrow. But none of that mattered because the timer was gone.

The countdown that had been ticking in the corner of my vision for two days had vanished.

No more threat hanging over my head.

No more permanent mutilation on the table.

I laughed. Couldn’t help it. The sound came out half-hysterical.

〘 Additional metrics: Subject Sloane Fitzgerald’s Temptation Gauge has increased by 8% during this encounter. Current reading: 38%. This represents the largest single-session increase recorded to date. Analysis suggests physical contact combined with vulnerability context produces exponentially higher returns than standard interaction. Recommendation: continue this approach. 〙

Thirty-eight percent.

I’d jumped her Gauge by eight points in one training session. The guilt tried to surface again. The reminder that I was manipulating someone who’d known me since childhood. Someone who was trying to help me despite thinking my Halloran plans were suicidal.

But then I remembered her face. The way she’d turned completely red. That pout mixed with shock and embarrassment and something else I couldn’t quite name.

So damn cute.

The girl who could level buildings with her fists had been completely undone by an accidental ass grab.

"Not so tough now," I said to the empty room.

〘 Your current rewards are ready for distribution. Would you like to open them now? 〙

"Yes. Obviously yes."

〘 Processing... 〙

A new panel materialized in front of me. Clean blue interface with gold accents. Much fancier than the standard notifications.

〘 QUEST REWARDS: Get That Peach!

Main Rewards:

Beginner’s Gift Pack (x1)

500 Scumbag Points

Opening Gift Pack... 〙

The animation played out like a gacha game. Golden light burst from a treasure chest icon. Two silver tickets spiraled through the air before landing in my inventory.

〘 Gift Pack Contents:

Silver Gacha Pull Ticket (x2)

200 Scumbag Points (Bonus)

Total Scumbag Points: 700 SP 〙

Seven hundred points. Two silver pulls. And absolutely no idea what any of that meant beyond the obvious gacha implications.

"Okay, System. I’ll bite. What the hell are Scumbag Points and what do I do with them?"

〘 Scumbag Points, abbreviated as SP, serve as the primary currency for your progression. Think of them as the wage you earn for compliance with assigned directives. The System does not provide gifts. It provides compensation for services rendered. 〙

"Services rendered. Right. Because manipulating women into liking me is a service."

〘 Your moral discomfort is noted and irrelevant to the functionality. SP can be utilized in two primary ways:

1. Gacha Pulls

The Gacha is your exclusive source for new abilities and skills. Each tier requires a specific SP investment:

Bronze Pull: 200 SP

Silver Pull: 350 SP

Gold Pull: 500 SP

Higher tiers remain locked pending performance evaluation.

2. Attribute Enhancement

Direct stat increases without leveling requirements. You may allocate SP to permanently raise any base attribute. Cost scales with current values:

Attributes 11-20: 10 SP per point

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Dexterity: 10

Intelligence: 10

Endurance: 12

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