Summer vacation passed quickly. Our team, FireRed, was dismissed, and Eiko joined Team Kitayama, which became Kitayama Plus. I found myself moving to another team where I didn't know a single person. This wasn't a problem for me; in fact, I welcomed it as one of the reasons for being here is to create more connections. Perhaps these new connections will bring people working under me after graduation.
Anyway, we created a film and earned second place, just behind Kitayama Plus. There was no envy towards their achievement, nor any animosity between us, as their overall result was indeed better than ours. However, while their film lacked any standout elements, our actress truly immersed herself in her role.
Now, we're in the midst of the school festival. Kyoya got involved due to a favor from a senpai, so he joined a club and began working there. True to his role as a typical anime protagonist, he became entangled with two of his love interests, Shinoaki and Nanako. By the way, his third love interest, Eiko, was preoccupied with other commitments.
If this world is indeed based on a story—perhaps a crossover—then this is the moment when the bond between Kyoya, Shinoaki, and Nanako will deepen. I don't know what Kyoya's ultimate goal is, but his storyline seems to be heading toward a harem ending. After all, he is a time traveler.
And yes, it's confirmed—not due to a slip of the tongue or anything he said, but out of curiosity, I used [Dungeon Creation] on him, and one of the results was a dungeon set ten years in the future.
Amidst this school-made chaos, only Tsurayuki and I remain unaffected. It's not out of laziness or any similar reason.
As for Tsurayuki, from what I've observed using [Cold Reading], he seems to be in a bit of a tight financial situation, which has led him to take on extra work. He is quietly and gradually burning himself out, and that's not his only issue. I don't know the specifics of his family situation, but since he is the only one who hasn't discussed it, I can conclude it isn't good.
That leaves only me. Strictly speaking, my routine hasn't changed much; it has just intensified. I've fully utilized my [Studying] skills to complete lessons and homework more easily, taking advantage of the time dilation in my [Empty Dungeon]. I've read other isekai stories, and I feel like creating a game from scratch in under a month is unrealistic.
Complicated games aren't meant to be made solo. Yet, in a moment of pride, I decided to code one myself instead of copying from my own world. However, it's a good exercise for my [Programming] skill; at least I'm sure it will speed up the creation of any future games.
I also started looking for companies that produce books. I didn't need a publishing company, just one that makes books, because I wanted to first sell locally before trying to access a larger market. Anyway, I've used all my abilities to cheat my way to success, and I'd like to say that it's going well.
Then, I discovered that minibosses in the [Zombie Dungeon] drop money and magic crystals. The ticket I received is a super rare drop, and I probably got it just because it was my first kill. The magic crystals are simple, clear purple stones that contain mana and can be used for various applications. Currently, they are completely worthless unless I find a skill book on the subject. However, since my [Mana Manipulation] is under-leveled, any attempts I would make to experiment would just result in a loss of resources.
So, apart from three mana crystals, I sold all the others, and not even for a good price—just 3 Shards each. But the money situation was a completely different story. The only cash I had came from my wealthy family in the form of pocket money. While it was a large amount for a child, it wasn't enough for my objectives.
Minibosses dropped money in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 yen, and since I received those rewards every two days, I accumulated enough money to buy something. I didn't want to spend it to kickstart my company or sales; I decided to use only money earned from my future work for that. So, I treated myself to something special.
Because of my young age, my skills didn't level up as quickly as they do now, and I still hadn't reached the level cap of one. I was curious about what would happen if my skill either stopped leveling up or evolved. To satisfy that curiosity, I decided to train my highest-level skill: I invested in a 60,000 yen electric piano, and thanks to that, my skill finally leveled up!
My [Pianist] skill reached level 96 after two years without a single level up, which sparked a musical spree. I played piano for eight non-stop hours, in a dungeon, of course, but it was still enough to mentally tire me out.
Lastly, I have some bad news. I trained my [Chi You] martial arts skill, and it only gained a single level. It's not anyone's fault; that's just how it is. Simply put, the skill is too powerful for me right now. I can't utilize it fully since I have the body of a 9-year-old, while the skill's creator was capable of defeating demon gods.
However, there is a loophole. Skills gain much more experience during combat, so there's still room for development. Unfortunately, my only problem is not having a sparring partner. To make things worse, there's no martial arts club on campus, so I can't practice with normal humans.
There could be some solutions, but since I'm not fully focused on that skill or its tree, I will continue doing what I've been doing: grinding my way to greatness.
[Pianist Lv.96->97]