Chapter 60

The next morning.

The news anchor began the first report in a rather excited tone.

[Good morning, viewers.]

[April XX, 2XXX. We begin today’s 9 a.m. news briefing.]

[Our first story.]

[This morning, the Valhalla City Police Department made a shocking announcement. Let’s hear it right away.]

The screen then switched to a middle-aged man in a police uniform, his belly protruding.

Beneath his somewhat incompetent-looking face, the subtitle displayed “VCPD Police Chief” along with his name.

[Uh… according to this investigation… it appears that the Ashita-kyo has been producing and distributing illegal Synapse Surfing Chips… commonly known as ‘Junk Chips’…]

‘…What a terrible interview.’

Not that I couldn’t understand why.

He had likely been dragged out suddenly at dawn, forced to attend a press conference without fully grasping the situation.

The Police Chief was probably thinking what a bolt from the blue this was. His face changed expression moment by moment as he read through the script, making for quite a dramatic sight.

Well, regardless.

‘It’s finally begun.’

The full-scale hunt for the Ashita-kyo had started.

From now on, not only the police, but countless corporations would cooperate to completely root out the name “Ashita-kyo” from this city.

‘All they needed from the start was justification.’

Corporations had never looked kindly on those anti-technology cultists.

To people who made their living selling technology and products, how could those preaching “frugality” and “return to nature” look appealing? They’d only seem like thugs trying to overturn the business world.

Still, in this kind of world, there was no shortage of people drawn to such extreme ideologies, and the group had grown into a massive force that even the Stingray Family didn’t dare touch carelessly.

‘But the Junk Chip crossed the line.’

Now that it was revealed they had been illegally distributing cyber-drugs, there was nothing to hold back anymore.

Corporations would jump at the chance to join this purge.

And it wasn’t just any ordinary Junk Chip—it was a terrifying one that combined “magic” and “technology” to “control people,” wasn’t it?

Even if there were corporate figures secretly backing Ashita-kyo, at this point they’d be forced to keep their mouths shut.

‘With this, I probably won’t have to worry about Ashita-kyo for a while.’

Of course, it was hard to imagine that guy “Araya” would just sit and take the hit. He had managed to acquire basic “Necromancing” skills in barely a month and had amassed that much military-grade equipment.

‘Even the one I killed yesterday was just a puppet. He’s someone who knows how to think.’

He might very well be the transmigrator in this world I need to be most wary of. I’ll have to use every ability I have to ensure he’s completely eliminated, just in case.

‘And above all…’

The main story.

Currently in progress: Part 1, Act 2.

‘Before this scenario ends, I have to raise the kids as much as possible.’

The reason was me.

Aaron Stingray.

The Crown Prince of this city, a murderous maniac, and the main villain of Part 1, Act 4—the problem lay in the nature of this body.

‘Even Ciel was unconsciously influenced by the body. If we reach Act 4 like this, there’s a high chance I’ll lose control according to the scenario.’

So I needed to find a solution before then, and prepare as much as possible for the worst-case scenario.

‘…Truly an ironic situation.’

The dangerous enemy I had to prepare against was none other than myself. Ridiculous as it was, I had already experienced Aaron’s “Murderous Urge,” so I couldn’t help but stay on edge.

‘Either way, there isn’t much time.’

From the Prologue to Part 1, Act 4.

Each episode had a key objective.

The Prologue was Miyu.

It ended when I brought her, who had been cut off from the world, back into it.

Part 1, Act 1 was Iri Elisbell.

It ended when I opened the heart of the lone stray dog Iri and recruited her as an ally.

Part 1, Act 2 was Silence.

It ended when I subdued Silence, who had been committing evil acts, persuaded him, and accepted him as an ally.

Part 1, Act 3 was Ciel.

It ended when I stopped Ciel from stealing student money to buy bio-parts in her quest to become human, and suppressed the ensuing android riot she caused.

And Part 1, Act 4.

‘Act 4 is the mid-boss battle.’

The abilities raised so far.

The precious allies gathered up to now.

Everything was wagered in a fight against the absurdly evil “Aaron Stingray.”

‘It was an incredibly fierce battle.’

The genius wizard, the protagonist Shade Wells.

The top engineer, Miyu.

The dependable tank, Iri Elisbell.

The skilled assassin, Silence.

And Ciel, who supported daily life.

Everyone fought desperately in their positions, but against Aaron’s overwhelming power, they were helpless.

Only the protagonist remained standing, barely continuing the fight. Aaron even praised the protagonist’s abilities as they grew in real time.

In the final climax, the protagonist and Aaron clashed weapons, and in that moment, the protagonist sensed defeat.

But just before Aaron’s weapon could strike the protagonist down, Aaron succumbed to his rapidly worsening illness and died.

That was how the protagonist earned a hard-fought victory, ending Act 4.

‘It was an inspiring turn of events, but the problem is that I have to solve it without the protagonist…’

Frustrating and stifling, but it couldn’t be helped.

If I didn’t prepare the kids enough beforehand, I might end up killing my favorites myself after losing my sanity… which I absolutely had to avoid.

‘Of course, the best case would be cutting off this Murderous Urge in advance, but you never know.’

Once again—

We were currently in Part 1, Act 2, Silence’s episode.

Right now, Silence was receiving treatment in a VIP room of a Stingray-owned general hospital.

It was to cure him from exposure to Araya’s “Necromancing,” and at the same time, to prevent him from meeting other transmigrators.

‘Once Act 2 ends, Ciel’s episode begins. Since Ciel’s goal was to become human and be free, entering Act 3 in this state would immediately skip it and move straight to Act 4.’

For now, my plan was to leave Act 2 hanging while taking care of various matters.

‘By delaying the end of Act 2, I’ve bought as much time as I could, so the thing I have to do right now is…’

[Achievement Unlocked]

The “First-Year First Semester Midterm Exams” had begun.

Achievement Points: +100

***

Midterms.

First things first, I had to take care of my kids’ midterms.

You’ve got mail!

You’ve got mail!

You’ve got mail!

13 new messages.

Check all at once? YES/NO

“It’s obvious what it is.”

Iri gave a bitter smile.

There were barely a handful of people in the entire city who would even think to send her mail.

Sure enough, looking at the address, it was from the Academy. And at this time of year, the contents were obvious.

[‘Safe Module Management’ Midterm Notice]

Exam Date: April XX, 2XXX, 2:00 p.m.

Exam Venue: Tactical Combat Building, 158th Floor, Room 15805

Exam Type: Written

Grading: Absolute Evaluation

[‘Introduction to Mysticism’ Midterm Notice]

Exam Date: April ○○, 2XXX, 3:00 p.m.

Exam Venue: Tactical Combat Building, 11th Floor, Room 1101

Exam Type: Written

Grading: Relative Evaluation

[‘History of Plants’ Midterm Notice]

Exam Date: April **, 2XXX, 11:00 a.m.

Exam Venue: Tactical Combat Building, 2nd Floor, Room 211

Exam Type: Multiple Choice

Grading: Relative Evaluation

[‘Mystic Combat Theory’ Midterm Notice]

……

[‘Mystic Combat Practice’ Midterm Notice]

……

Notice after notice after notice.

“Haaah…”

The pressure of the exams hit Iri the moment she opened her inbox, making her head spin for a moment.

She was already distressed enough from yesterday’s events, and now exams on top of it? It felt like the whole world was conspiring against her.

“What do they expect me to do…”

With her mood sinking, Iri hung her head low. But unlike her, the other classmates seemed too excited to contain themselves.

—Finally! Finally, it’s exam time!

—It’s time to show my skills!

—If I ace this exam, I might be selected as a corporate scholarship student!

What? They liked exams?

Were they insane?

She looked at her excited classmates, thinking that for a moment—but soon understood their feelings.

‘If I hadn’t been a special scholarship student from day one, would I have been like that too?’

Most students who entered the Tactical Combat Department of Trinity Academy hoped to get hired as corporate security personnel.

And to become a corporate scholarship student, they had to pass three hurdles.

The first hurdle was money.

Students had to spend a fortune to get nanomachines, undergo dedicated cyberware implantation surgery, purchase combat modules, and cover tuition fees.

That alone cost millions of Credits, and if they were unlucky and the nanomachines failed to settle into their bodies right away, the cost multiplied several times over.

The second hurdle was the entrance exam.

Failing it meant being forced to downgrade nanomachine functions to “civilian” level and getting kicked out. Of course, this also restricted the use of any military-grade modules above Lv.3.

There was a way to run a program to lift the spec restrictions, but naturally, that was a serious crime.

And even if the student didn’t intend to do that, the Mafia or gangsters often targeted entrance exam failures first.

They preyed on the financial struggles students faced during the entrance process, luring them over. Many ended up falling into a life of crime that way.

The third and final hurdle was the regular exams.

Even if a student somehow made it into the Academy, catching the eye of a corporation was a whole different matter.

Students who failed to attract corporate attention in the comprehensive ability test right after enrollment inevitably had to cling to regular exams like midterms and finals.

Four years until graduation, eight semesters in total.

A total of sixteen regular exams.

If they didn’t become a corporate scholarship student within that limited number of chances, their career path was practically dead, forcing desperate students to compete with vicious determination.

They formed study groups by splitting into cliques, sabotaged classmates’ food to affect their condition, or spread false information to ruin their exams.

This was the kind of scheming battleground the Academy exams were.

‘Because if you don’t do whatever it takes, you won’t survive…’

Money. Money. Money.

In the end, it was all about money.

Money to take the entrance exam.

Money to keep attending the Academy.

Money to survive.

The easiest way to solve that money problem was to become a scholarship student. Becoming a corporation’s pet would more than make up for all past losses with profit to spare.

‘Ah, damn…’

Thinking about that made “that person” come to mind again. Thanks to him noticing her, she was able to take a step away from that endless competition.

‘Why did he… No, never mind.’

It wasn’t a question she could find the answer to by thinking about it.

Hadn’t Maria said it herself?

Even if Aaron truly was her enemy, there would be no point challenging him now with her current strength.

‘What I have to do hasn’t changed.’

If Aaron was innocent, she would grow stronger for the sake of her benefactor. If not, she would use her current position to gain enough power to take revenge.

‘For that, I have to do well on these exams first.’

Once, he had told her these words:

Be the best.

To keep receiving the Crown Prince’s favor and investment, she would have to prove her abilities without a doubt. No matter how much he seemed to favor her now, there was no guarantee that situation would last forever.

‘Let’s see… I’ll just stay up all night studying for the theory classes… and the rest of the combat practice is no problem.’

Iri calmly laid out her exam preparation plan.

She had no real head for studying, so it was uncertain how well she could do in this brutal score competition, but if she worked hard in her own way, maybe she could manage somehow.

‘As long as I can handle this exam, I’ll be fine.’

[Comprehensive Tactical Practice Training.]

It was worth the most credits among her courses, making it the most important.

The problem was the exam content.

‘Didn’t they say we’ll be doing mock battles in full-moduling state?’

In regular classes, they only fought in pure-spec mode, so that hadn’t been an issue. But for midterms and finals, the combat practice was done in full-spec mode.

‘I’m confident in the fighting itself… but doing absolutely nothing outside that would be a bit embarrassing…’

Right now, the only module Iri had was the Lv.4 [Thousand Pound Weight]. Adding the shield Miyu had made for her, she could handle combat well enough.

But unfortunately, this was “Comprehensive Tactical” training. It wasn’t just combat—they evaluated performance across various fields, which made her a little uneasy.

If she stubbornly stuck to close combat with a shield alone, the situation could easily turn against her.

‘If only I had a detection module or a ranged attack module, I could handle things much more flexibly.’

Should she ask for a new module?

She thought about it for a moment, but in her current emotional state, it would be hard to keep her composure in front of Aaron.

Still, going into the exam without any preparation at all didn’t sit right with her.

‘What should I do…’

After some thought, she reached only one answer.

Yes—Miyu.

If it was Miyu, she could whip up a decent combat module in no time.

Of course, Miyu was both a student and Aaron’s exclusive Modular, so making a module for someone else might not be easy, but it was worth a try.

‘Might as well at least ask.’

With that thought, Iri headed straight for Miyu’s room after class. They had known each other long enough that it didn’t feel awkward to visit.

“Miyu, you in there?”

Iri casually unlocked the door and walked in.

She had just made a spare key recently. It might be questionable under school rules, but really, what was the big deal?

“Hehehe…”

“Miyu?”

As expected, Miyu’s voice came from inside. But the atmosphere was strangely different from usual.

‘Did something happen?’

With a slightly uneasy feeling, Iri peeked into the inner part of Miyu’s workshop.

And there—

“Sob, sob…! I never thought I’d get to see this legendary multi-tool while I was alive! Thank you, Mr. Aaron!!”

…was Miyu, holding some strange object and happily dancing around by herself.

Iri stared at the object in Miyu’s hands for a long moment. The shape looked odd, and no matter how she saw it… wasn’t that that thing? You know, an adult toy…

And that’s when it happened.

Their eyes met.

“Uh…”

“Ah.”

After a short pause to process their thoughts—

Iri hastily turned her back.

“S-sorry for interrupting your… fun. I’ll come back later.”

“Aaah! I’m not having fun! Don’t leave! You’ve got the wrong idea! This isn’t what you think it is!!”

“I-I must’ve disturbed you…”

“I said it’s not like that!!”

Uwaaaahhh!!

Miyu’s scream rang out.

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