The plan was perfect.
No matter how much Caldwell decked out their security, they had no idea that I treat the 'supply room' like it's my messy bedroom.
Sure, taking too much could get me caught and punished, but grabbing a few essential items? Totally justified.
It's said that you can navigate the route blindfolded if you've done this enough times. And with a stocked 'point shop' like mine, it's basically cheating.
◎ Speedy Coffee Flask
[ Item: Consumable ]
[ Price: 100pts ]
[ Grants temporary sprinting ability. Side effects: jittery hands, increased sarcasm, and the illusion of fitness. ]
◎ No-Peek Hoodie
[ Equipment: Accessory ]
[ Price: 100pts ]
[ Conceals your face and makes your voice sound like a robot. Perfect for sneaking past teachers who can barely read anyway. ]
◎ Slippery Socks
[ Equipment: Shoes ]
[ Price: 200pts ]
[ Silences footsteps completely. Warning: may also make you slide into walls. Stylish, though. ]
The Speedy Coffee Flask gave me a burst of energy to dodge magical sensors, the No-Peek Hoodie kept me unidentifiable enough that no one bothered to ask questions, and the Slippery Socks… well, let's just say I glided past the guards like a caffeinated ninja cat.
'…Points are too easy,' I muttered.
A few hundred points later, I was inside the supply room, normally a multi-day ordeal. Performance-wise, I'd say this ranks somewhere between "C-Class Assassin" and "kid who stole cookies without getting caught."
Only downside? Items vanish after use. Still, temporary advantages beat detention—or worse.
"Whew…"
I exhaled, climbed out a window, and landed half-exhausted. The Speedy Coffee Flask helped, but my stamina? Garbage tier. Even a simple jump felt like a full workout.
'…Seriously, why does surviving feel like punishment?'
Thinking so, I rummaged through my pockets.
I happen to have the right thing for a situation like this.
◎ Rejuvenating Biscuits x2
[ Item: Consumable ]
[ Price: 50pts ] x2
[ Feeling worn out? Recover your stamina with these miraculous biscuits! Peanut flavor, 10 pieces per bag. Side effects may include sudden optimism and mild sugar rush. ]
[ Remaining Points: 2,000pts ]
"…"
The description sounded like a late-night infomercial, but it actually worked.
I felt my energy ticking back up as I munched down the biscuits. At the same time, I scanned the piles of stuff around me.
What I was looking for was quickly found.
'Right.'
I could see a palm-sized incense burner, tiny for a ceremonial item—but that's exactly why it caught my eye.
"Eum."
The supply room was a chaotic mess, with items stacked like no one had any sense of organization.
With a huff, I pulled out the incense burner buried near the bottom of a pile that almost touched the ceiling.
◎ Holy Expanse
A thousand-year-old incense burner said to hold ancient power.
Despite the over-the-top description, it only had one simple function.
It's basically a 'phone'.
And the receiver? Yeah… that thing is terrifying.
'Secured the most important thing…'
I turned my gaze to see if there was anything else worth snatching.
Normally, activating this would require all sorts of rare items—but here I am, improvising like a champ.
Originally, all kinds of rare items were needed to activate this, but where am I?
This is the players' official rare item farm. It's not exactly a treasure hunt—getting the items here is straightforward.
I grabbed the necessary items one by one and piled them into my arms.
Powder made from grinding unicorn horns for fuel, a phoenix feather to ignite it, a coral fan to control the flames… the usual "don't ask, just trust it works" magical toolkit.
Of course, I can't be greedy—take too much, and I'd probably end up on the academy's "suspicious behavior" list. A few essentials should be fine.
"Oops."
Engrossed in my careful selection, the pile above me decided to stage a rebellion and collapsed. Quietly. Mostly.
"…?"
At least, that's what I thought.
Until a 'person' emerged from the rubble.
"…!"
Reflexively, I caught them mid-fall. My brain screamed: if this hits the floor, bigger chaos ensues.
Then I saw the face, and instantly… regret.
"…"
A small girl, soundly asleep, clutching a chained sword.
She looked like a harmless kitten.
…Harmless-looking kitten.
But the goosebumps crawling up my arms told a different story. Seriously, who would guess this peacefully napping little girl is a human butcher with triple-digit confirmed victims?
"…Umm."
And, of course, apparently my sudden catch woke her up.
The girl stretched languidly in my arms.
"Haaa…ah…?"
Her yawn faded, replaced by suspicion. Yellow eyes slowly scanned her surroundings. Then they locked with mine.
"…"
"…"
Time froze. Me, holding a mini-murder machine; her, realizing she's in the arms of a random stranger.
Let's carefully put her down…
I gently set the girl on her feet.
For a few seconds, we stared silently into each other's eyes.
Then it clicked.
She realized she was being held… by a man she had absolutely never seen before.
Her immediate, lightning-fast reaction was to grab the handle of the sword she was clutching.
[ A moment of danger has been detected. ]
[ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ]
[ Skill: Last Resort raised to EX Class. ]
Yep.
I'm so, so screwed.
●
There are a bunch of reasons a character in Sera gets classified as "evil," but the easiest one? Karma.
No, not the poetic "what goes around comes around" nonsense. This is literally "how many people you've offed."
Depending on your body count, your alignment slowly drifts toward "bad news bears."
And right in front of me? A walking, purring nightmare of maximum Karma.
She's normally harmless. Like, cute-and-sleeping harmless. Unless you touch her. Or breathe near her. Or exist.
"…"
So what happens if you get too close?
Let's just say she could dunk Lirielle—the academy's official Grim Reaper—like she's playing street basketball. Triple-digit Karma slam. Full-court press. And I'm stuck in the bleachers wondering why I even showed up.
"…!"
And now the sword is flying at me. Pointy end first. Fantastic.
Even Elize would have faceplanted before reacting to this EX-Class Last Resort. And here I am, flapping my eyebrows like that's gonna help.
"-…!"
The world slowed. My reflexes screamed, "Adrian, hero moment or pancake. Make it count."
And somewhere deep inside, I realized… yep. Yseria Grantham? Definitely the top of the "don't get close" list.