Mission in progress.
Death looms around the corner.
Objective: Survive until tomorrow. [00:17:34:32]
Reward: An affinity.
Failure: Death.
Respawn: 2/5
Shit. I'm completely screwed.
"The principles of mana liquidation are essential in the study of fusion and relic creation..."
The professor's voice barely registered. I was back in the same spot again after another failed attempt, and it felt completely pointless. I had burned through another respawn and had nothing to show for it.
Tsk.
I hadn't even made it to the staff quarters before I ran into a problem. Students in the Standard Zone weren't allowed to leave without permission, and I was starting to fully understand just how rigid that rule was. The academy was divided into three main zones. The Genesis Zone covered first to fifth-year students. The Standard Zone, where I currently was, ran from years six to eight, and we were in our final year here, with a break coming soon, the first one in eight years. Reuniting with family was supposed to be something to look forward to, but most students were too afraid of failing to feel anything close to excited. Then there was the Upper Zone, years nine to eleven, where real expeditions happened and the danger was real. For now, students like me only got a taste of that through VR exams and practice sessions.
But none of that mattered much at the moment. The point was that I couldn't leave, and I had nearly died finding that out. The restriction collar around my neck had almost choked me when I stepped too far out of the Standard Zone's boundaries, though that wasn't what actually killed me this time.
Something else did.
After my plan to find a teacher fell apart, I changed tactics and aimed for the rooftop instead. It seemed reasonable enough, all I had to do was survive until tomorrow, and the roof was isolated and quiet. I figured the teachers would eventually track me down through the collars and escort me back, and from there I could come up with something better.
It didn't work.
I was killed before I even got there. The elevator didn't go that high, so I had to use the stairs, and that was a mistake. Whoever was after me had been waiting for exactly that. It happened fast, too fast, and I barely saw anything, but this time I caught a glimpse of something. A weapon. A whip, maybe. And then I was dead again.
Sigh.
Back to square one.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Lunchtime.
I needed to stay calm and think clearly. There had to be something I was missing, some clue buried in everything that had happened across each retry. All these deaths couldn't be random, there had to be a pattern, something constant that I kept overlooking.
Wait.
What had I been doing the same every single time? There had to be something, some detail that hadn't changed across any of the runs. Think, Leo, think.
"Leo, can I borrow your notebook? I didn't copy anything down," Jayden said, scratching the back of his head the same way he always did.
"Um, su—"
Wait.
This is it.
This is it.
How had I missed this every single time? Jayden asking for my notebook, that was the one thing that had happened in every single retry without fail. It had been right in front of me, and I hadn't seen it once.
Time to try something different.
"Sorry, someone else already asked for it," I said, standing up quickly before he could respond.
Jayden said nothing. He just stared at me, and I thought I saw a frown cross his face.
Then I heard someone speak beside him, and that's when I noticed the girls sitting nearby.
Wait. Had they always been there? I had been so caught up in my own situation that I hadn't paid any attention to them.
"Sure, let's go, Anna. You coming, Emy?" Jayden said.
Of course. The heroines. They had been there the whole time. But then why had Jayden always tried to get my notebook if he had company? Something didn't add up.
I pushed the thought aside and moved. Once I was outside the classroom, I started running through my options.
Okay, where should I hide next—
Mission in progress. Death looms around the corner. Objective: Survive until tomorrow. [00:17:34:32] Reward: An affinity. Failure: Death. Respawn: 2/5
Ding.
Death Evaded.
Mission Complete.
"What...?!"
Reward: Shadow Affinity.
Do you wish to exchange your weakened Light Affinity for a Shadow Affinity?
[Yes] [No]
Hold on. Does this mean...
Jayden was trying to kill me?!