The Great Lake is filled with all sorts of amazing things.
Underwater facilities, mangrove forests, beaches, underwater mountain ranges, swamps, waterfalls, underwater caves, and so on.
All of these were artificially created, and it was the architects who prioritized these features when building this aerial city.
Investments were made for students to have a more immersive experience and education.
Thanks to this, the survival test held at the Great Lake allowed students to prepare to some extent.
That included Rain Arthur, who actually had an advantage in this regard.
After all, a relative of the Arthur family was directly informing her about it.
‘What is that…?’
However, I couldn’t recall any artificial islands made of oak forest.
Even if Rain memorized all the elements that were said to exist in the Great Lake for victory, she cast a suspicious glance.
The oak island on the sandy shore emitted a foreboding and eerie energy.
It felt so out of place that it almost made me worry about hallucinations.
But…
‘There’s no doubt Liu Yan went in there.’
Though I hadn’t seen it myself, all the students attested that the Rich Tycoon entered there.
With more than ten testimonies confirming it, there was no room for doubt.
Yet, that bastard’s island was irksome.
“………Huh.”
What am I thinking?
My goal is victory. I must win.
Having already surprised Namgoong Min, am I now scared of that silly island?
‘But… Namgoong Min… the promise…’
The promise… wasn’t kept, was it?
He said he would divine my mother’s location.
He merely used me.
To a strong person, promises with the weak are like rotten strings, easily severed.
Knowing that, I felt foolish for harboring hope.
Even though I eliminated Namgoong Min as if seeking vengeance, my heart felt troubled.
“………Let’s go.”
Don’t forget, there’s only one thing I need to think about.
My father’s command.
Suppressing trivial thoughts, I used psychokinesis to lift a small boat and entered the oak forest.
I couldn’t gain speed too quickly, or I might crash into the trees, but I didn’t let my guard down regarding my surroundings.
I could have just gone up above the forest and looked down, but being in such an open space could expose me to a surprise from Liu Yan’s artifact—
“Ugh…!”
Gah, gah.
…I feel like I’m going to throw up.
I tried to hold it in, but my hands and feet trembled, and my vision began to tilt slightly.
A warning not to use superpowers any further. A rejection rising from within.
Until just a moment ago, it was bearable, but expending too much energy to eliminate a Hero took its toll.
‘But… if I hadn’t, it would have been me that was eliminated.’
After the survival test, the combat power of the Hero, which had previously been a mystery, was revealed, and Rain saw him as a threat.
She didn’t judge whether he was strong or weak.
Specifically regarding the Hero, her father had commanded to avoid confrontation.
Thus, she viewed him as a strong enemy that needed to be eliminated for victory and gave it her all.
…To be honest, if he hadn’t been tired from fighting with other students, she likely would have been the one to be eliminated.
But that’s just a hypothetical; the only survivor still standing is Rain.
Remembering that fact, Rain swallowed back the bile.
Even if she felt like throwing up, she must eliminate at least Liu Yan to rest easily afterward.
‘Where is he?’
From a glance, the oak island didn’t appear large. At this rate, I might reach the opposite side quickly.
Yet amid the thickly grown oaks, where sunlight barely penetrated, Liu Yan was nowhere to be found.
Only the same ominous feeling prevailed.
“……….”
Should I turn back?
I had already fallen quite far behind. Whether Rain ambushed Liu or Liu ambushed Rain, it was long past due for something to happen.
If nothing occurred, it meant Liu Yan had already exited the forest.
“………Rest.”
I wanted to eliminate Liu Yan, who might have some unknown artifact, as soon as possible, but this was truly my limit.
I climbed onto a suitable sandy area among the oak forest, leaning my body against a tree.
Even though the tree was rooted in the sand, it supported my weight without any problem, having deep roots.
“……….”
After a while of using my superpower without a break, I finally took a rest, feeling my entire body relax and become drowsy.
But I couldn’t sleep. I had no way of knowing when something might happen.
I simply lay back and started eating the bread I had packed in advance.
As my stomach gradually settled, the limbs that had felt tight began to loosen.
In this way, Rain took a comfortable rest.
Very.
Comfortably.
*
“Seems I’ve had some luck.”
As I walked around the Great Lake, I found myself smiling at the thought of Instructor Yamato, who must be moving passionately by now.
Instructor Yamato Daisuke is one of the few instructors I know, including Charles Teddy Bear, Scarlet Redfield, the Vice Principal, and the Principal.
He was famous in the game for being a true instructor who cared for his students and often gave advice when players fell into dilemmas.
It was pure luck that he was on duty.
‘I originally thought Charles Teddy Bear would be here.’
I assumed Charles Teddy Bear would be the one to show up since he was the head of the eliminated student lounge.
But when a different instructor arrived, I felt an instinctive dread that things might genuinely go awry.
The agitation had already progressed sufficiently, and without reasonable justification, the students would not have been stopped.
Though it seemed that I had inadvertently dumped this burden onto Instructor Yamato, I was genuinely relieved that he would welcome it.
‘It would have been easier if it were Charles Teddy Bear.’
Even standing before the students, with his fearsome face, if he crushed one student as an example, he would later try to talk about it.
After all, he was also an employee at the academy, and the counterpart we had to deal with wouldn’t be an instructor but someone of higher authority.
What would that mean?
It would end up being just like the last 100 years of history. Simply ignored.
In many ways, the Romance Academy was capable of pulling off such absurdity.
‘As long as it turned out well, it’s a happy ending.’
After pondering such things, I must have walked for around thirty minutes.
Though I hadn’t even circumnavigated a third of the lake, it was still enough to reach my destination.
The gently rippling Great Lake. And, one peculiar island above it.
A mysterious union of sandy land and oak forest was the place I was searching for.
“Here it is.”
The dwelling of the Skill Thief.
I stared at the densely packed oaks and muttered to myself.
Skill Thief.
They are the creatures beyond the Gate, resembling oaks but are truly vile beings that steal the job skills of their victims.
In the game, you only face one during this event, and after that, information about Skill Thieves becomes available at the academy library.
They are quite a troublesome boss mob, and I remember them fairly well.
‘They look like trees but are a kind of creature that burrows into the ground like worms. Each individual can steal only one skill, and if you kill a Skill Thief, the skill returns.’
So every one of those many oaks visible over there are all Skill Thieves.
I was curious as to why they brought such creatures to the Great Lake where even students attend.
When I asked Charles Teddy Bear, the answer came back surprisingly simple.
‘They are being managed.’
‘Huh?’
‘There are 120 Skill Thieves residing in the Great Lake, and they cannot move on the sand. So even if students lose their skills, they can easily be recovered.’
‘So we just kill them, right?’
‘Skill Thieves are commonly found beyond the Gate. Supplementing with one or so is no trouble at all.’
In the game, I felt like I had rushed past, but with reality, there was a reasonable explanation to it.
“…They’re all really in the sand.”
It wasn’t a lie to say they were thoroughly managed. Not only the island but the entire lakebed nearby was covered in sand.
They typically stay like this, and it was said they only bring out a few for specific tests.
Even if something were to happen, they had placed transmitters on all Skill Thieves to be prepared for emergencies.
…Thank goodness this is a female-targeted visual novel.
If this were a game where monsters or terrorist organizations invaded, those Skill Thieves would undoubtedly be let loose to wreak havoc.
In any case, I couldn’t afford to waste time in idle thoughts.
“Hey, you bastards, just stay there.”
I put down my bag and rummaged through it until my hand quickly grasped something heavy.
A bomb.
“Just as expected, it’s from Liu. The performance is solid.”
This was naturally something I couldn’t obtain in this aerial city, having procured it through Liu. Though it was a bit pricey, with the 30 billion entry fee, it turned out to be pocket change.
Unlike normal bombs, this one had a remarkably low explosive capacity, only resulting in burns if it detonated right in front of you, making it more akin to a firework than a bomb.
Yet, it would create a fierce reaction against creatures beyond the Gate.
While the specifics about mana and particles were something I honestly didn’t understand at all.
All I know is, one hit from this bomb would send all those Skill Thieves to the afterlife.
‘It’s certainly better to eradicate than to leave any chance.’
What I knew was that a student who lost skills to a Skill Thief would drop out.
Thorough management? Sandy beach? Transmitters?
A Skill Thief that stole a student’s skill would disappear as if it vaporized.
Even the academy investigated, but like any public institution in a game, they couldn’t find the culprit, and mysterious incidents continued until around the third year, when the player would finally catch them.
Of course, the culprit was well aware, but… I couldn’t act on it just yet.
The culprit was quite an influential student, so recklessly touching it could result in me facing consequences in return.
Preparation was quite necessary.
Of course, I couldn’t abandon the Skill Thief event either.
I decided to keep my thoughts straightforward.
If I kill all the Skill Thieves, there wouldn’t be any chance to lose skills.
‘After all, they said we could refill them easily.’
Disciplinary action or penalties? Honestly, I don’t care much.
It’s not heavier than the dropout of an innocent student.
Besides, it seems I’ve established quite a standing among first-years, so if I play it right in the media, it might end up just being a light punishment.
Since dragging things along wouldn’t do any good, I dove into the water with the bomb.
“Huuh…”
Swimming normally, I reached the sandy island, and thanks to Cleanliness, my soaked clothes and body began to dry out slowly.
Isn’t Cleanliness the most broken skill?
I appreciated the skill that cleansed even sweat and dust without delay, and just before pulling the pin on the bomb—
“Hey, junior?”
“…!?”
—A voice came from behind me.
I swiftly turned around, and the person I had just been thinking about stood there.
Short, silver bobbed hair, expensive glasses, a smile plastered on his face and even squinting his eyes.
There was no way I could mistake him.
“What are you doing here?”
“…Gregory Arthur-senpai.”
“Oh? You know me?”
“Of course.”
Gregory Arthur tilted his head at my words.
He is a third-year student at the Romance Academy and a Battle Wizard, also a relative of the Arthur family.
Despite being a student, he has such renown that he could oversee the surroundings during this Great Lake test.
…He is the mastermind behind this event.
“Hmm, I’m grateful that you recognize me, but… you seem like an eliminated participant, so how are you wandering about?”
“I lost my phone. Instructor Yamato allowed me to search for it.”
“A phone? I’ve been keeping an eye on this area, but I haven’t seen you…”
Gregory approached me, speaking in a tone that felt as if he was applying subtle pressure.
In fact, he was pressing me with magic.
Yet, I didn’t lose my smile like him.
“I’m not sure, but the transmitter attached to my phone points here. I’ll leave once I find my phone.”
“…Is that so? Sorry for being suspicious.”
“It’s fine. It’s a natural suspicion.”
As if guarding the area, he must have been watching for Skill Thieves.
It was likely he hurried over as soon as I swam here.
Having accepted my excuse, his pressure eased, but he still looked at me with uncomfortable narrowed eyes.
…He might be targeting me as someone to steal skills from. For him, all that matters is stealing skills, regardless of the opponent.
Of course, I had no intentions of falling for it.
“Now then…”
“Uh, junior? What’s that?”
“Uh? It’s a bomb?”
“…W-wait a moment. What are you planning to do with that?”
“What do you think? First, I need to clean up these Skill Thieves before looking for my phone.”
What if I lost my skills while searching for my phone? I could see the panic on his face.
His trademark smile and squinting eyes trembled slightly.
“Even if they are Skill Thieves, they are part of the academy’s property. If you do that…”
“I’d naturally get disciplined, right? But I’ve been disciplined once already, so it’s fine.”
“Uh, no, I mean…”
“Compensation is fine too. My wallet is quite full these days, so I could easily buy a few Skill Thieves.”
“………”
“Don’t worry, senpai. I’ll leave once I find my phone!”
“………”
“Three, two, one. Toss!!”
“Wait a moment!!”
“Fire in the hole!!!”
