I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 59

Great Lake.

Located to the west of the floating city, it occupies a massive area equivalent to about one-tenth of the city’s size.

As the main water source for the large floating city, it’s known for relocating and housing various aquatic creatures despite being an artificial lake.

Generally, areas open to the public for the city dwellers’ leisure are off-limits, yet…

Today was different.

“Great Lake…”

Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha muttered while rowing a prepared small boat.

Just a bag’s worth of supplies and this tiny boat.

That was all there was for the exam.

I was already aware that there was a survival-themed exam taking place at Great Lake, but I had no idea about the specifics.

Could they really expect us to survive with just this little rowboat?

Kim Eun-ha, taken aback by the Academy’s cruelty, turned to view the Crown Prince’s boat nearby.

“Eun-ha, what are you going to do?”

“Well, since I’ve already achieved my objective, I should explore the lake. It’s an artificial lake, so it has mangrove forests, waterfalls, rapids, and even underwater facilities, right?”

“That’s true, but the objective you mentioned…”

“The elimination of Namgoong Min. It was inevitable.”

Nodding firmly, Kim Eun-ha made her declaration. The Crown Prince, about to question the harshness of it all, fell silent, merely rowing quietly.

An ambush occurring right at the start. And Namgoong Min, eliminated without having a chance to do anything.

Given his lack of strength observed during classes, it was quite possible.

‘I had my suspicions during the survival event; Namgoong Min was bound to be eliminated first.’

He appeared capable during the admission and class times, but I was curious how he would fare in a solo exam, and last survival confirmed my doubts.

Namgoong Min’s very survival was already the biggest variable of the exam.

If that were the case, he would likely rally the entire student body to eliminate the prominent students and escape under the chaos.

‘I do feel a bit sorry…’

Of course, she had emotions too, and it was pitiful to see Namgoong Min eliminated without a fight.

She even forgot to append “-ssi” to his name out of familiarity after chatting with him while being assisted during an assassination threat.

Indeed, in this Academy, it was rare for anyone not to attach “-ssi”, except for her older brother, Kim Sung-il, and Namgoong Min.

Moreover…

‘Why do I feel this way?’

I certainly made the right call.

Yet, for some reason, I felt a pang in my heart.

‘Namgoong Min.’

Is it because I was thinking of him?

The fortuneteller was unexplainable and always wore a smile, as if knowing everything and resolving anything.

Just like during the admission ceremony, like during the assassination, like during classes.

“………”

But friendship was friendship, and exams were exams.

Thinking that way, it made the cold feeling fade a little.

“Brother, you didn’t forget who eliminated you and me during the last survival, did you?”

“……I understand.”

“Oh, and please stay away from the hero if possible. He is looking for us after eliminating others—it’s a hassle.”

“Yeah, we should row faster.”

“True, let’s go!”

Bang!! Boom!!!

“Attack! Sink their boat!”

“If you fall into the water completely, you’re out! Hurry!”

“You faithless scoundrels!!!!”

“Hey! Get away from Teddy Bear!”

Amidst the chaos, Crown Princess and Liu, along with Rain, launched a small (?) projectile.

Due to the fallout of Namgoong Min’s elimination, numerous students had already engaged in a tangled fray from the starting point.

If they fall completely into the water, they’re out. To satisfy that simple condition, they smashed and tossed each other’s boats.

But why is this a ‘survival’ exam? That question had long since vanished.

Many boats shattered, and countless students fell into the water.

Tragically, the masterminds of all this were absent.

Rain flew away with her <Superpower>, and Liu bolted off at high speed thanks to some artifact.

Only the Crown Princess was swiftly paddling away with pure strength.

“……We’ve gotten quite far. We should part ways now.”

“………….”

“Brother?”

“…You know well, but this lake has many creatures.”

“……Brother.”

“And among them… is the ‘Skill Thief’. Please be careful.”

“……….”

Clap.

Despite the Prince’s worried words, the Crown Princess, uncharacteristically silent, headed off somewhere, her expression disturbingly blank.

The Prince, still watching her, sighed.

Had he been too careless? But it had to be said.

‘Yeah, she’ll be fine.’

Eun-ha herself should be most aware of the danger concerning the Skill Thief.

If she couldn’t forget the events of that day…

The Prince reassured himself that nothing would happen.

Three minutes after the survival exam of Great Lake began.

Two-tenths of the students had already been eliminated.

*

“Here’s your coffee.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Thanks for what?”

At the lakeshore.

I was resting in a cozy lounge set up in advance for eliminated participants by the Academy while sipping coffee.

Though it was called a lounge for eliminated participants, the building boasted colossal size and grandeur akin to a hotel.

As the first eliminated, I found myself alone in this vast place, but judging by the scene behind me, many others would be joining me soon.

Sitting beside Charles Teddy Bear, the supervising instructor of this exam, I leaned back in my chair.

“…To be honest, the Academy was quite worried about you.”

“Is that so?”

“Like during the last survival, having a trickster stirring the pot is fresh only once or twice but is a pain if it becomes a habit.”

“Um, you’re being quite blunt…?”

“This is just me softening the minutes.”

…What on earth is my image among the instructors?

I could understand the students, but what had I done to make them so concerned?

They even bestowed a penalty on me, right??

“But at least you’ve made the remarkable record of being the first eliminated!”

“Yeah, even the instructors were surprised.”

“Is it because I got eliminated so quickly?”

“No? I praised a student who thought like the instructors.”

“……….”

Wait a moment.

This effectively declares that even the instructors would mark me as first for elimination, right?

Should I be laughing at this? Is this the right moment?

As I momentarily sorted out my complicated thoughts, Charles Teddy Bear smirked and took a sip of his coffee.

“Ultimately, targeting you first was a wise choice.”

“…Well, I guess I could consider it the aftershock of that last survival.”

Perhaps I should have just refrained from attempting to tea-bag then?

But I wasn’t even teasing, I merely juggled…

“By the way, many will likely drop out.”

“…That’s true. This is going to be a headache for the evaluators.”

“Ah, Instructor Charles? They’re calling for you over there.”

“Feel free to rest. I’ll return and talk some more.”

“Have a good trip.”

After seeing Charles Teddy Bear off, I heard a splash and commotion rising from the distant starting point.

…The theme of this exam is ‘survival’.

It followed the same vein as the last survival exam.

Of course, evaluations would focus on survival time alongside students’ actions, judgments, and abilities.

‘But how could they have been eliminated right from the start?’

Even from here, I could see waves splashing, indicating quite a number of students must have been dropped.

Given the importance of the exam, they’d likely be sensitive about grades, but how would they evaluate such chaos?

Yet, the person in last place is definitely me, right?

‘Is this what they call a repayment for friendship…!!’

Such devious folks.

Moreover, annoyingly, it was correct that my job skill hit home.

Unexpected events occurred right at the beginning, and the students who initially refused to cooperate ended up cooperating.

But what was the ending? Was it merely a way to be released?

“………….”

Forget it.

After all, I was the first eliminated and in last place, so there’s no point in overthinking it.

What mattered now was that I had another goal…!

‘Skill Thief.’

The name of this event and a creature native to Great Lake.

Typically, it could be found deep within the lake, so I’d never expect to encounter it during this exam…

But, as is often the case in an Academy game, something went awry.

An incident involving a student encountering a ‘Skill Thief’.

And because of that…

‘Expulsion.’

As the name suggests, Skill Thieves steal the job skills of their targets.

These stolen skills do not return unless the Skill Thief dies, and once a job holder loses their job skill, they become incapacitated.

Considering my job skill was seen as worthless, it was generally understood that job skills represent the identity of their holders.

In this event, due to the Skill Thief, one student’s skill vanished, and subsequently, the thief disappeared.

Ultimately, the student who lost their job skill would be unable to catch up in class and would be forced to drop out, resulting in a nasty event.

It could be said to mark the onset of the expulsion sirens in ‘Romance Academy’.

‘Expulsion essentially means being banished from the game.’

An expelled student could never be encountered again.

Only tragic explanations of their circumstances would be presented in future narratives after the ending.

Whether it was a member of the <Royalty>, <Rich Tycoon>, <Saint>, or <Hero>, the end for any expelled students was tragic.

That was the reason I wasn’t particularly concerned about the exam.

What mattered was to prevent the Skill Thief from acting.

‘The student to fall victim to the Skill Thief is random.’

Meaning that even if they were the protagonist, they could easily fall without warning.

In fact, I recall in the fifth run, there was an instance where the Saint was expelled due to a Skill Thief.

That alone served to deliver a single message to players in this event:

‘If you slip up, it’s game over.’

That they ought to do everything to prevent expulsion.

Thus, players are incentivized to actively engage in character events, training, and building connections.

But is there anyone else here who has played through the Skill Thief? This game is so broken from the start that it feels like a deletion waiting to happen.

‘Anyway, I must find a way out of here.’

Staying in this eliminated participant’s lounge means I’ll be stuck until the exam concludes, and as the number of eliminated students rises, I should be able to convince Charles Teddy Bear to let me out somehow.

I shifted my gaze beneath the legs of the chair.

The sturdy bag given out before the exam contained the supplies I prepared for survival.

And unlike the other students, my bag was filled with items to entice and fend off the Skill Thief.

With this, I just might—

“Ah, Namgoong Min student. I’ll be taking your bag.”

“…What?”

“Eliminated students must return their bags.”

“Ah……….”

“And if you feel unwell, please head upstairs! It’s a solitary room designed for your comfort while waiting for the exam’s end!”

“……….”

Click.

My bag was taken, and a door closed behind me as I entered a room akin to a hotel.

The space was extravagant yet tidy, equipped with a TV and computer.

Glancing around casually, I also found a notice regarding surveillance cameras for unforeseen circumstances, and polite memo stating that I should wait in the room to maintain fairness in the exam.

Despite being eliminated, there was no necessity to hold onto exam supplies, as lingering eliminated participants could jeopardize fairness, so they were placed here.

A pragmatic response not seen in games.

I sat on the edge of the ridiculously plush bed.

…It was unduly comfortable.

“What do I do now?”

The efforts made for this event now felt wasted.

I was utterly at a loss.

‘What about the Skill Thief? Expulsion?’

What on earth should I do now?

As I clutched my head, overwhelmed by an unforeseen situation, I heard ruckus from downstairs.

‘Are the eliminated participants arriving?’

Many likely dropped out as the noise reached this room.

But more importantly, I needed a plan…

“……Eh?”

Just for a moment.

Something flashed through my mind.

‘Haha.’

Usually, I might shake my head and dismiss such thoughts, but given the circumstances, I had no choice.

My head was spinning, and naturally, a grin began forming on my lips.

I approached the door, feigning my usual calm smile, and knocked.

Knock. Knock.

A voice came from beyond the door.

It must surely be a staff member from the Academy.

“What is it?”

“Are the eliminated participants here now?”

“Yes.”

“I think I heard my friend’s voice… could I go down to check?”

“Excuse me? One moment… Yes, that’s fine. However, I’ll accompany you as a precaution.”

“Of course.”

As the door opened, a sturdy young man followed me closely.

It’s the Academy’s effort to ensure dropped students don’t affect the exam, just as they had done during the survival event.

But today, we’ll see it break apart.

“Hey! Move! It’s cramped here!”

“What do you mean ‘why did you expel me’ after I got eliminated!”

“This is a ridiculous way to go out……….”

“I’m still hurting from my knee!!”

“So what happens to our grades now!? I need to secure my scholarship!”

Upon descending to where I’d just been, I found more than a hundred students gathered, arguing and shouting about their situations.

Yelling about why they were eliminated, claiming injuries still hurt, and constantly inquiring about their grades if they fell out.

In that chaotic chorus of voices and noise, I clapped my hands.

“Everyone, aren’t you feeling wronged?”

As the quiet applause gathered attention, I opened my mouth.

It felt strangely familiar.

At first, it only caught the attention of students nearby, but eventually, more students turned to look, and the quiet hush spread as my recognized face appeared.

“………!!”

Soon, every student’s attention converged, with Charles Teddy Bear looking up at me in disbelief.

‘Isn’t it better than having even one student drop out?’

Truthfully, if the Academy didn’t restrict me, I wouldn’t have gone this far.

In fact, shouldn’t the Academy be grateful to me for this?

Indeed, that feels right.

I beamed as if reassuring them.

It was a smile just like any other.

“Fellow students, how about you listen to my words?”

It sounded just like my usual call to action.