Chapter 2: The one who trades blood for money will always trade blood for money
Years have passed since I was brought to this orphanage.
There aren't many things I can recall from my early childhood, just fleeting memories that may be a blessing in their own right.
I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but I'm grateful for the blessing of another chance at childhood, even if it's in an orphanage.
As I grew older, I discovered that I was in the world of Highschool DxD, an anime series that bordered on being hentai.
I had no cheats or an overpowered system.
I wasn't a half-human, so I didn't possess a sacred gear either.
Essentially, I was a mob character, a cheatless one in a dangerous world.
I couldn't afford to be laid back or live a slow life like the protagonists in fanfics who could defeat everyone effortlessly from the start.
Without any cheats, perhaps this was the normal way of reincarnation, or maybe my own memories could be considered cheats in themselves.
I halted my thoughts as I reached the desired distance for my daily run.
Despite being a devil adept in demonic magic, my reserves were low, not quite ideal for combat in this world's standards.
So, I dedicated time to train my physical abilities, anything to gain an edge in combat.
Moving to a clearing, I started doing push-ups.
I'm not sure why, but ideas often flowed to me while exercising.
In my past life, I used to listen to music, but now there was no music to distract my thoughts.
So, ideas seemed to come more naturally.
Being a pureblood devil, my goal was to build a peerage and become a high-ranking devil in the future.
However, since magic techniques and spells were limited to the nobility, I had to find a way to manage on my own.
I didn't mind joining someone's peerage if I knew they would treat me well.
The advantage of joining a peerage was gaining resources and immunity to a certain extent, depending on who I aligned myself with.
In DxD, the most favorable choices were either Rias or Sona.
They could provide the resources and backing that I lacked. However, joining them meant getting involved in the canon storyline, something I wished to avoid if possible.
I was still powerless, and I couldn't fight the monsters in the canon without plot armor.
After all, I wasn't seeking death.
Some may call me a coward, but I refuse to die a fool's death.
With the push-ups complete, I transitioned to sit-ups, continuing my train of thought.
Speaking of exercises, I tried to recreate whatever I could remember from my past life's knowledge.
I was putting my life on the line for my dark past, my very own Chunnibyou phase.
Once a Chuuni, always a Chuuni, as a friend of mine used to say.
Now it became a reality, as the future of my powers depended on my imagination.
Devil's magic had immense potential if used correctly, making it incredibly rewarding for someone creative or a reincarnated plagiarist like me.
I drew inspiration from chakra training in Naruto, cultivation methods, and breathing techniques from various novels.
I would use any technique, no matter how absurd, as long as it worked.
Anything was fair game, as my current goal was to increase my demonic power reserve and recreate the powers I had seen in my past life.
So now, I was experimenting with different methods to increase my Demonic Power reserve.
Chakra was a combination of physical and spiritual energy in balance.
Cultivation techniques depended on the specific method practiced, focusing on either physical or spiritual aspects.
In my case, the knowledge I had depended on the novels I had read.
As for Demonic Power, it was incredibly potent, but it had its drawbacks.
Without a bloodline, I had no clue what affinity I possessed, but the key aspect of devil magic was imagination.
The further the spell deviated from my affinity, the more demonic energy it consumed.
Currently, I was only using demonic power to strengthen my body.
However, I had recently begun experimenting with imbuing it into objects as well.
I hadn't developed any ranged spells yet, as I needed further trials to determine my affinity.
Strengthening my body was relatively easy to imagine, as long as I understood the basic biology of my own body.
By visualizing my body and using demonic energy as a medium, I could easily strengthen specific areas.
Unfortunately, the effects were not permanent, and I hoped to develop a method for permanent strengthening.
With the sit-ups completed, I moved on to shadow boxing, incorporating kicks into my routine.
I didn't follow specific techniques, using this opportunity to build muscle memory and improve reaction speed.
During this time, I focused on strengthening my fists and feet, imagining myself in combat against various opponents or monsters.
Once again, my mind seemed split in two, not fully immersed in the task at hand, always thinking about something else.
This time, I recalled entering an operating room in my previous life, with the last memory being sedation before the surgery began.
Perhaps an overdose caused my death, but it didn't matter anymore.
As for my reincarnation as a devil, I didn't protest against it.
Initially, I had some reservations, but considering my job as a mercenary in my previous life, I felt that maybe I deserved it.
Perhaps the guilt I carried made me feel that way.
But I knew the reality of the mercenary world.
The highest paying jobs were often outside the confines of the Geneva Convention.
The kids in my generation at the orphanage had grown up a bit during this time.
In human years, we could probably be considered early teenagers, around 12 years old.
However, the growth of each individual varied.
Some girls had already developed certain body parts that could easily be mistaken for those of adult ladies, reminding me that this was indeed a lewd world.
In devil society, once your reproductive organs started functioning, you were considered an "adult."
I discovered that this policy was implemented due to the low birthrate among devils in general and the lack of manpower.
When devils reached adulthood, many job opportunities opened up beyond the usual labor tasks.
Yes, even kids were laborers, although it mostly applied to those who were not privileged.
Well, this was devil society, so it wasn't surprising.
Hard labor was reserved for "adult" devils, and kids in the orphanage or from lower-class families received some kind of incentive from their territorial lords.
The nature of these incentives varied depending on the lord ruling over them.
Rumors suggested that the best incentives were provided by the Gremory Lord.
The incentives in the Astaroth territory weren't bad either, providing basic food and lodging, along with some education at the orphanage.
However, the education wasn't particularly useful.
It mainly consisted of daily magic, basic etiquette, and basic combat training.
And when I say basic, I mean it was only sufficient for self-defense against humans or low-ranking monsters; it was definitely useless against the supernatural factions of DxD.
After officially becoming adults, most of my peers from the orphanage aimed to join the territorial army, become part of a noble's peerage, or work as servants due to the stability and income provided.
The girls who failed to seduce young perverted nobles often ended up joining some form of the adult industry in the red light district, enticed by the easy and fast money it offered.
The remaining half who were proficient in combat but didn't meet the standards for peerage or the territorial army became mercenaries.
The rest pursued what could be considered "normal" jobs by Earth's standards.
As for me, I chose to become a mercenary, of course.
The freedom of movement that came with this profession was its main advantage.
You took jobs that were posted and assessed the dangers on your own.
You had to procure your own equipment and either form or join a group or party, much like an adventurer in a fantasy world.
Someone once said to me a few days before I died, "The one who trades blood for money will always trade blood for money."
Now, I found myself doing exactly that.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
EviLivE33
EviLivE33 Did you know that flamingos are professional stand-up comedians in the bird world? Yup, those long-legged, pink birds have perfected the art of feathered humor. They gather around in their flamboyant flocks and crack jokes that would make even the toughest toucan laugh. It turns out their distinctive pink color isn't just for show—it's the result of years of practicing their punchlines in front of a mirror until they turned as pink as a flamingo feather boa. So, if you ever come across a flock of flamingos, be prepared to witness a comedy show like no other. They'll have you rolling on the grass in laughter, or should I say, rolling on the "fowl" in laughter!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone