Zororo stood frozen in the hallway, his mind racing as he processed the mission parameters. Steal from a B-Rank or higher student within twenty-four hours, or face severe penalties. The system wasn't giving him any warm-up period it was throwing him directly into villain territory.
"Yo, Kurogami? You okay?" Daichi waved a hand in front of Zororo's face. "You spaced out for a second there."
"I'm fine," Zororo said quickly, forcing his expression to remain neutral. "Just remembered something I need to do."
"Want me to wait with you for your sisters?"
"No, it's okay. You go ahead. I'll catch up."
Daichi shrugged and headed toward the exit. "Alright, man. See you tomorrow!"
Once Daichi disappeared into the crowd, Zororo ducked into an empty classroom and locked the door behind him. He needed to think clearly without distractions.
He pulled up the mission details again, studying every word carefully.
[MANDATORY MISSION: THE THIEF'S TEST]
[OBJECTIVE: STEAL A VALUABLE ITEM FROM ANOTHER STUDENT WITHOUT BEING CAUGHT]
[TARGET: ANY STUDENT WITH B-RANK OR HIGHER SYSTEM]
[DEFINITION OF VALUABLE: ITEM MUST BE WORTH AT LEAST 50,000 YEN OR HAVE SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL VALUE TO THE TARGET]
[TIME LIMIT: 23 HOURS, 47 MINUTES]
[REWARD: 500 VP, +1 TO ALL STATS, NEW SKILL UNLOCK]
[FAILURE PENALTY: -200 VP, SYSTEM LOCKDOWN FOR 48 HOURS, PUBLIC EXPOSURE RISK]
The failure penalty was brutal. System lockdown would leave him vulnerable, and "public exposure risk" likely meant the system would reveal his villain nature somehow. That could destroy his life in this world.
But completing the mission meant actually stealing from someone. The old Nanzi would never have done something like this. He had been a law-abiding citizen who paid his taxes and followed every rule.
Yet here he was, in a second life with a system that demanded villainous actions to survive.
Zororo took a deep breath and made his decision. He would complete the mission, but he'd do it smart. He needed to choose a target who wouldn't suffer too much from the loss, and he needed a method that minimized risk.
First, he needed information about potential targets.
"System, can you show me a list of B-Rank or higher students currently in the school?"
[SCANNING AREA...]
[78 ELIGIBLE TARGETS DETECTED WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS]
[DISPLAYING TOP 10 MOST ACCESSIBLE TARGETS]
A list appeared showing student names, their system ranks, current locations, and potential valuable items they carried.
Zororo scrolled through the options, analyzing each one. Most carried expensive phones, system-enhancing accessories, or personal weapons. But stealing weapons could get him killed if caught, and phones would be missed immediately.
Then one entry caught his attention.
[TARGET: AKANE FUJIMOTO]
[AGE: 17]
[LEVEL: 13]
[SYSTEM: B-RANK TREASURE HUNTER SYSTEM]
[CURRENT LOCATION: SCHOOL LIBRARY, 3RD FLOOR]
[VALUABLE ITEM DETECTED: RARE DUNGEON MAP (VALUE: 75,000 YEN)]
[ITEM DESCRIPTION: MAP SHOWING HIDDEN ROUTES IN MULTIPLE C-RANK DUNGEONS]
[SECURITY LEVEL: MEDIUM - ITEM KEPT IN BACKPACK]
Zororo's eyes narrowed. A dungeon map was perfect. It was valuable but not irreplaceable. The girl could probably create another one with her Treasure Hunter System, so he wouldn't be completely ruining her. And maps were small, easy to hide.
But there was another consideration moral justification. Zororo couldn't completely abandon his conscience, even with a villain system. He needed to know more about this Akane Fujimoto.
"System, provide background information on Akane Fujimoto."
[ACCESSING PUBLIC RECORDS...]
[AKANE FUJIMOTO: SECOND-YEAR STUDENT]
[FAMILY: WEALTHY, OWNS FUJIMOTO EXPLORATION GUILD]
[PERSONALITY PROFILE: ARROGANT, SELFISH, KNOWN FOR HOARDING INFORMATION]
[REPUTATION: NEGATIVE - FREQUENTLY SELLS DUNGEON INFORMATION AT INFLATED PRICES TO OTHER STUDENTS]
[RECENT INCIDENT: REFUSED TO SHARE DUNGEON MAP WITH INJURED STUDENT'S TEAM, RESULTING IN THEIR FAILURE]
Zororo felt slightly better about his choice. This girl wasn't innocent she actively profited from other students' struggles and had apparently caused someone to fail because of her greed. Stealing from her wouldn't keep him up at night.
He checked the time. His sisters would be waiting at the front gate. He needed to handle them first, then return for the theft.
Zororo left the classroom and made his way to the main entrance. Sure enough, both Akari and Himeko were waiting near the gates, drawing attention from passing students. Akari was on her phone, while Himeko scanned the crowd with her usual protective vigilance.
"Zororo!" Akari waved enthusiastically when she spotted him. "How was your first day back?"
"It was fine," Zororo said, reaching them. "Lots to catch up on, but nothing I can't handle."
Himeko studied his face carefully. "You look stressed. Something happen?"
"Just thinking about the dungeon training next week," Zororo deflected. "We got our team assignments today."
"Oh? Who are you teamed with?" Akari asked excitedly.
"Yukari Shirogane, Mei Tanaka, and Hiro Sato."
Both sisters' expressions changed. Akari looked impressed while Himeko frowned slightly.
"The Ice Princess?" Himeko said. "That's... interesting. She's strong but difficult to work with. I've heard she's incredibly demanding as a team leader."
"We're meeting tomorrow to discuss strategy," Zororo said.
"Be careful around her," Akari advised gently. "Yukari comes from the Shirogane family one of the most powerful system-user clans in Kazekami. They have very high standards."
"I'll be fine," Zororo assured them. Then he checked his phone as if reading a message. "Actually, I need to go back inside for a bit. I forgot some homework materials in my locker."
"We can wait," Himeko offered.
"No, no. It might take a while. You both have things to do, right? Akari's concert rehearsal and Himeko's training?" Zororo smiled. "I can take the train home. It's only twenty minutes."
The sisters exchanged uncertain glances.
"Are you sure?" Akari asked. "We don't mind waiting."
"I'm sure. I need to start being more independent anyway. You can't babysit me forever."
After some more convincing, the sisters reluctantly agreed and left. Zororo watched them go, feeling a pang of guilt for lying. But he couldn't let them see what he was about to do.
He returned to the school building. Most students had already left, but clubs and study groups kept the building partially occupied. Perfect not empty enough to seem suspicious, but not crowded enough to have too many witnesses.
Zororo made his way to the third floor library. It was a massive space filled with physical books, digital terminals, and private study rooms. According to his system, Akane Fujimoto was studying in one of the private rooms.
He found a seat in the main area with a clear view of the private study room where his target was located. Through the glass walls, he could see a girl with curly brown hair hunched over a laptop, completely absorbed in her work. A designer backpack sat on the chair beside her.
That backpack contained the dungeon map.
Zororo observed her for thirty minutes, noting her patterns. She checked her phone every five minutes, typed rapidly for a few minutes, then repeated. She didn't leave her seat once. The backpack never left her sight.
This would be difficult.
He needed a distraction something that would force her to leave the room while leaving her belongings behind. Fire alarms were too obvious and would bring too much attention. Faking an emergency would require accomplices he didn't have.
Then Zororo noticed something. Akane kept glancing toward the main entrance of the library with an annoyed expression. She was waiting for someone who hadn't arrived.
"System, can you access her recent messages?"
[NEGATIVE. THAT WOULD REQUIRE HACKING ABILITIES]
[HOWEVER, SYSTEM CAN ANALYZE BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS]
[ANALYSIS: TARGET IS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO PURCHASE INFORMATION]
[PROBABILITY: 87%]
So she was conducting business. That gave Zororo an idea.
He pulled out his phone and accessed the school's anonymous message board a place where students could post requests or offers without revealing their identities. He created a fake account and sent a message directly to Akane's known username.
"Meet me at the vending machines on Floor 2 in 10 minutes. I'll pay double your usual rate for the Shadow Grotto map. Come alone. Cash only."
He sent the message and watched. Through the glass, he saw Akane check her phone. Her eyes widened, and a greedy smile spread across her face. She quickly typed a response, then began gathering her things.
But she picked up the backpack.
Zororo cursed silently. Of course she wouldn't leave valuables behind for a shady deal. He needed a better plan.
Then he noticed something else. Akane was wearing expensive jewelry a gold bracelet that glinted under the library lights. According to his system scan, it was worth over 60,000 yen.
That would satisfy the mission requirements too.
But stealing jewelry off someone's wrist was nearly impossible without being noticed. Unless...
Zororo stood and walked toward the exit, timing his movement to intersect with Akane's path. As she rushed past him toward the stairwell, focused on her phone, Zororo pretended to stumble.
He bumped into her not hard, but enough to make her drop her phone.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Zororo said, immediately kneeling to help pick up the phone. His movements were smooth and apologetic.
"Watch where you're going, idiot!" Akane snapped, snatching her phone back.
But in that brief moment of distraction, Zororo's fingers had brushed against her wrist. He activated a skill he didn't know he had until this moment.
[PASSIVE SKILL ACTIVATED: SHADOW TOUCH]
[EFFECT: TEMPORARILY MARK A TARGET FOR TRACKING AND MINOR ITEM MANIPULATION]
A tiny shadow mark appeared on Akane's bracelet, invisible to normal sight but glowing faintly in Zororo's vision.
"Again, I'm really sorry," Zororo said, backing away with his head lowered submissively.
Akane huffed and stormed off toward the stairwell, clutching her backpack protectively.
Zororo waited until she disappeared, then smiled slightly. The shadow mark would last for one hour. During that time, he could track her location and, more importantly, the system had informed him that he could now remotely "influence" the marked item.
He followed at a distance, watching as Akane descended to the second floor and approached the vending machines. She looked around suspiciously, checking for her mysterious buyer.
Of course, no one was coming.
After ten minutes of waiting, Akane grew frustrated and pulled out her phone to check her messages. While she was distracted, Zororo focused on the shadow mark on her bracelet.
"System, can I manipulate the clasp remotely?"
[AFFIRMATIVE. SHADOW TOUCH ALLOWS MINOR OBJECT MANIPULATION WITHIN 20 METERS]
[CURRENT DISTANCE: 18 METERS]
[PROCEED?]
"Do it."
Zororo felt energy drain from his body as the system executed the command. Through his enhanced vision, he saw the shadow mark pulse once. The bracelet's clasp silently unhooked.
Akane didn't notice immediately. She was too busy angrily typing messages to the fake buyer who had stood her up. But as she turned to leave, the bracelet slipped off her wrist and clattered to the floor.
"What the?" Akane looked down, confused.
This was Zororo's moment. As Akane bent down to retrieve her bracelet, Zororo used another ability he'd discovered.
[PASSIVE SKILL ACTIVATED: SHADOW STEP]
[EFFECT: TELEPORT SHORT DISTANCES THROUGH SHADOWS]
[COST: 50 MP]
The world blurred. Zororo felt himself dissolve into shadow and reappear behind a nearby pillar, now holding the gold bracelet. The entire teleportation took less than a second.
Akane's hand closed on empty air. She looked around wildly, patting the ground. "Where did it go? It was right here!"
She searched frantically for several minutes, but the bracelet had vanished. Finally, she gave up with a frustrated scream and stormed off, probably to report the loss to school security.
Zororo waited until she was gone, then examined the bracelet in his hand. It was elegant, expensive, and definitely stolen.
[MISSION OBJECTIVE COMPLETE]
[VALUABLE ITEM STOLEN: GOLD BRACELET (VALUE: 62,000 YEN)]
[TARGET: AKANE FUJIMOTO (B-RANK SYSTEM USER)]
[METHOD: UNDETECTED]
[CALCULATING REWARDS...]
[MISSION SUCCESS]
[REWARDS GRANTED:]
[+500 VILLAIN POINTS]
[+1 TO ALL STATS]
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: SHADOW STORAGE]
[TOTAL VP: 610]
[INFAMY +5]
Warmth flooded through Zororo's body as his stats increased. He felt stronger, faster, smarter. His senses sharpened, and his mind cleared. This was the power of the villain system tangible, immediate improvement.
A new skill description appeared.
[SHADOW STORAGE - LEVEL 1]
[DESCRIPTION: CREATE A POCKET DIMENSION IN SHADOWS TO STORE ITEMS]
[CAPACITY: 10 ITEMS]
[STORED ITEMS ARE UNDETECTABLE BY NORMAL MEANS]
Perfect. Zororo immediately used the skill to store the bracelet in his shadow storage. The jewelry vanished from his hand, absorbed into darkness. Now he didn't have to worry about anyone finding it on him.
As he left the school building, Zororo felt a complex mixture of emotions. He had successfully completed his first villain mission. He had stolen from someone and gotten away with it.
The old Nanzi would have been horrified.
But this new Zororo understood something important in this world, power determined survival. The villain system was his path to strength, and if completing missions meant bending his morals, then he would adapt.
He just hoped he wouldn't lose himself completely in the process.
As he walked toward the train station, his phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number.
"I know what you did at the library. We need to talk. Meet me at the rooftop tomorrow morning before classes. Come alone. -Y.S."
Zororo's blood ran cold.
Y.S. Yukari Shirogane.
The Ice Princess had somehow witnessed his crime. His villain career had just gotten a lot more complicated.
---
[END OF CHAPTER 5]