'What is my goal in this world, really?' Yuuto lay inside the tent, calm as ever, while the thunder of approaching footsteps shook the ground.
'Simple. To MAKE MONEY, and not get nuked in the process.'
He sighed and pulled out his phone, coating it with a subtle frost as a soft blue glow shimmered from the ice magic around it.
'And maybe, just maybe… I got too into it. Playing the hero for her, trying to be the good guy.'
"H-HE'S IN HERE!! He's—he's disguised as Haruno!" A girl's voice shrieked from just outside.
Definitely Kiril.
She was right outside, along with some gruff-sounding hunter.
"Shh! Don't scream like that! I ain't about to break into a tent and beat up some random kid. Hold tight!" the hunter barked.
'The payoff came too fast. I'm not some pure-hearted protagonist who reveals himself to every girl with a backstory. That's how you get pulled into ten more arcs and three spin-offs.'
'No. I hate the way this novel turned out. But if I go too far against the current, I'll just trigger harsher corrections. More resistance. The universe will punish me for going against the current. I can feel it in my immortal soul.'
'I'll have to be that. An LHS. A true loser that hides his strength; but somehow doesn't get stomped along the way.'
'Impossible? Maybe.'
'But I'm Yuuto Sakurai.'
'That's why I'll 10,000% accomplish this.'
'Low-Profile, High-Spec.'
'To pull this off, I need to reposition myself back into the role… But how do you go back to being a loser after dominating everything around you, you ask?'
They were right outside now. The hunter crouched, pressing his ear against the tent wall.
'The answer's obvious…'
"YES-U, BOSS-U." A voice echoed from inside the tent—Haruno's voice.
'Grade. SSSS. Acting.'
"KUKUKUKUKUKUKU!! I HAVE INFILTRATED THE HUMAN CAMP EASILY!" Yuuto roared, "I PEERED INTO THE MEMORIES OF ONE OF THE STUDENTS AND TOOK THE FORM OF SOMEONE SHE TRUSTS! NOW THEY ARE NONE THE WISER!"
Kiril froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
That… was definitely Haruno's voice—but what the hell was he saying?
'So that... wasn't Haruno after all…?'
She let out a long breath.
'No... no, of course not. Then he must be outside the gate, safe...'
Her fingers tightened over her chest.
'He's safe. That's… that's good.'
But then the thought hit her.
'If that wasn't Haruno… then why did he hug me earlier…? And... Dealt with Hojin?'
Her confusion was cut short by the hunter stiffening up—and by the loud, clearly suspicious voice continuing from the tent.
"I HAVE ALREADY DEALT WITH ONE OF THE STUDENTS' BULLIES AND GAINED HER TRUST! KUKUKUKUKUKU! IT IS ALL GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN!"
Yuuto's voice, still mimicking Haruno, echoed out proudly.
Kiril blinked.
'Ah… so that's why. The hug... It was part of the plan?' She looked down, her breath catching.
'He did all that to gain my trust and... to infiltrate the camp?' Kiril stood there, frozen, her thoughts spiraling.
The hunter's eyes narrowed. His muscles tensed.
"What…? A shapeshifter…!" he muttered, leaning closer to the tent.
He cast a quick glance at Kiril.
'Huh. Good call telling me. Didn't expect a non-hunter student to sniff out a mimic.' He nodded to himself, quietly impressed.
'Still… Putting aside we haven't had any reports of mimics in this area... Why would a monster go through all this to infiltrate the camp?'
And right on cue, Yuuto's voice rang out again—still overplaying his fake villainy.
"I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY INFILTRATED THE ENTIRE CAMP, FROM OUTSIDE THE DUNGEON, BOSS! AND NOW, I SHALL STRIKE DOWN THE RISING STAR HUNTER WHO THREATENS THE FUTURE OF MONSTERS! THAT IS... UH..."
The hunter's brow twitched.
'What!? It came from OUTSIDE THE GATE?!'
'AND has a target? Don't tell me it's one of the exam candidates...?!'
"THE ONE I SEEK IS NOT AMONG THE CANDIDATES!" Yuuto bellowed from the tent.
'..!!'
"IT IS A SECRET HUNTER WHO KEEPS THEIR IDENTITY HIDDEN EVEN FROM THE STUDENTS! THEY THEMSELVES ARE UNAWARE THEY ARE A HUNTER, SO INTERROGATION WOULD BE FUTILE! MUHAHAHAHA!"
...
Both Kiril and the hunter stared blankly at the tent.
'...Does that thing not realize how loud it's being?' They shared a silent look.
The hunter clenched his fists.
'Tch. Still just a monster. Arrogant and loud. Makes things easier for me.'
'It may have taken out a B-Rank… but all beasts bleed when you stab first.'
"KREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKK!!" Yuuto screamed, tearing through the tent. Both Kiril and the instructor widened their eyes in disbelief...
As Yuuto emerged, covered in jagged, spiked ice.
"What!? I was FOUND!? KREEEHK... FUCKING HUMANS!!" Yuuto screeched, landing on all fours, eyes locked on the hunter and Kiril.
'Good... Summon a bunch of knives on my skin. Make them stick from the sheer cold... It was a gamble trying to mass-summon them, but an informed one. I did notice there's no cooldown on the knife skill. And to think it actually worked... Huh. Haruno's abilities are more cracked than he realized,' Yuuto thought with a smirk, facing Kiril, who quickly ducked behind the hunter.
"A MONSTER!! EVERYONE! THERE'S A MONSTER IN THE CAMP!!" Kiril screamed.
One by one, people emerged from their tents.
"Holy shit...!"
"That thing... looks a bit like Haruno, no?!"
"Wait, Haruno was a monster!?"
The hunter clicked his tongue.
'To shout that to everyone... Fuck! I didn't want to make a scene... But maybe that's a good thing. That thing did take down a B-Rank...'
"TSCHEEE!!!! YOU BASTARD!! YOU THWARTED MY PLANS, FUCKING HUMANS!!" Yuuto screeched again before using;
COLD BREEZE [LV.9] – Become a ghost. Invisible to the naked eye, but a freezing wind gives away your presence. [55MP/s | COOLDOWN: 1 MINUTE UPON DEACTIVATION]
And vanishing from sight.
The hunter stood, puzzled.
'That thing... Just ran away?' He gulped, narrowing his eyes, 'Why would—'
"Hey," a firm voice called from behind him.
It was Sakuya.
The hunter turned to her.
'I see... It noticed her. That's why it ran.'
"Brief me on what just happened," she ordered; giving Kiril a firm glance.