Ding-dong— Ding-dong—
"Stand up!"
"Good morning, teacher!"
"Good morning, class. Please turn to page 33. Today we'll cover..."
The suited instructor wrote the lesson title on the blackboard in smooth chalk strokes, his voice calm and measured.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating textbooks as students dutifully took notes.
At his desk by the window, Takakai stared blankly at his book.
What... am I doing?
The question looped in his mind like a broken record.
What the hell am I doing?!
Here he was—a Twilight-Night tier player who'd dismantled two high-difficulty dungeons, crippled sections of a Red Moon-level instance, and now carried the mission to annihilate this副本—sitting through a 40-minute Japanese literature class like some ordinary high schooler.
And the worst part?
It had been a genuinely good lecture.
Engaging. Well-structured. Even sprinkled with humor. By the end, Chika and Miko had unconsciously taken notes.
Ding-dong— Ding-dong—
"That's all for today. Don't forget the homework."
As the teacher exited, Takakai numbly checked the clock.
8:50 AM.
He'd just wasted a full period in this surreal classroom.
This... this can't be real.
Since 7:00 AM, aside from:
The bed-face apparition
The blurred student figures
His unshakable false memories
...he'd encountered zero threats. No bloodstains. No jump-scares. Just... school.
What did KP do to this dungeon?!
Around him, the once-indistinct students had gained:
Definable facial features
Audible voices
A group of girls chattered nearby:
"Let's get desserts after school!"
"No way! I'm dieting!"
"Liar! I saw you snacking yesterday—"
Boys argued over manga:
"The new series' art style changed so much—"
"Loan it to me! My allowance's gone after that toy belt—"
"Belts are lame! Get an Ultraman figure instead!"
Their speech blended Japanese with Chinese colloquialisms. Some referenced Showa-era manga, while others quoted modern memes verbatim.
Li Zhaodi's Blessing pulsed—confirming every last one was non-human.
They're amalgamations.
Fragments of players' school memories stitched together.
Chika flopped onto Takakai's desk, groaning.
"We seriously had class... in a dungeon... and there's HOMEWORK?!"
Her despair was so authentically student-like that Takakai almost laughed.
Hayasaka approached, censoring herself mid-title:
"Master—Ahem. Zero anomalies during class. This place feels... stable."*
Miko nodded, though her expression remained troubled.
No surprises.
Takakai checked the class schedule posted by the door:
[Yoruyama Academy Timetable]
Morning:
1st Period: 8:10-8:50
Break: 8:50-9:00
2nd Period: 9:00-9:40
Long Break: 9:40-10:10
...
That 30-minute window is our chance.
Three Objectives
Via mental link and paper-cup comms, the teams coordinated:
Verify Core Obsession [Asamoto Eriko]:
Original intel placed her in Class 3-10.
Assigned to Aoyama Nanami & Gotou Hitori (who'd previously secured her artifact guitar).
Locate Core Obsession [Morihara Kouji]:
Formerly of Class 2-3, but his artifact had been extracted.
Handled by Shijou Maki's team (lower risk).
Find the "Living Club":
Only Takakai and Miko could perceive its existence.
Kumami would scout the first-floor atrium (her own lead).
Takakai's team would check 5th-floor club rooms, then the annex building.
As a balding math teacher entered for second period, Takakai's gaze locked onto the wall clock.
9:01 AM.
39 minutes until the long break.
39 minutes to maintain this charade.
He opened his textbook, jaw clenched.
What are you hiding, KP?