Chapter 6

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: Let's Talk to Her

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Evening.

I was wandering around near the academy to buy some daily necessities when I unexpectedly ran into a familiar face.

Ivy Lane.

9th in entrance exams... right?

For some reason, she'd been on my mind ever since we ate lunch together.

Her face, marked by all sorts of misfortunes yet pretending like nothing was wrong... it reminded me of the eyes I'd seen in broken soldiers on the front lines.

"Huh?"

"Yeah?"

I let out a sound before I even realized it.

Honestly, I was a bit flustered.

I hadn't expected anyone else to be out at this hour besides me.

'Is she heading to the market too? Should I ask her to go together?'

Choice.

"Why are you out at this hour...?"

"Staying cooped up in the dorm felt weird."

She answered my question naturally.

And then, the next moment.

Someone suddenly appeared behind her.

"Ivy, behind—!"

"Huh?"

My warning came a beat too late.

A syringe popped out from the hand of the man who'd appeared out of nowhere. The needle tip was aimed at the nape of her neck.

Pfshk.

The sound of flesh and skin being pierced.

Ivy clutched her neck with her hand. Pure instinct.

She staggered.

Her knees buckled.

Her body slammed into the concrete floor.

"Ugh... hng... kghk..."

Anesthetic? No, the symptoms were off.

Her fallen body twisted in grotesque ways.

"Grrraaah..."

It started with convulsions.

Ivy's small body arched into a perfect bow on the ground.

Her arms and legs flailed wildly, like a death row inmate strapped to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠electric chair.

Joints dislocating.

Violent seizures.

Her nails scraped frantically against the concrete, flipping back, blood seeping out.

"Grrrk..."

Her airway was blocked.

She couldn't swallow.

Her mouth gaped wide.

Frothy, viscous bubbles boiled up from the gaping hole where her jaw seemed ready to dislocate.

The air trapped in her lungs surged back up her esophagus, mixing with stomach acid into yellowish vomit that frothed and dribbled down her chin.

Color drained from her face, turning it a sickly blue.

Her pupils lost focus.

Her eyes rolled back almost entirely, whites showing, blood vessels in her eyeballs bursting with red streaks.

"A... ugh... uuu..."

She looked at me.

Or it seemed like she did.

Her unfocused pupils wandered through empty space before turning my way.

Was it a plea for help? Or just pain?

She looked just like the corpses I'd seen on the front lines.

She couldn't speak.

Between her trembling thighs, her neat uniform skirt began to soak through.

A dark stain spread wide, dying the black fabric even blacker.

The acrid stench of urine mixed with blood and vomit assaulted my nose.

The girl who'd been eating lunch and chatting with me just moments ago was fading away.

All that remained was a wretched lump of meat writhing on the ground, gasping worse than any beast.

"Cough... hack..."

Her body jerked up one more time.

Dark red blood sprayed from her mouth and nose like a fountain, soaking the floor.

In the puddle of viscous fluid, she twitched several more times.

Her chest heaved irregularly, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like a fish flung onto dry land gasping its last breaths.

Soon, her spinning eyes went completely still.

Saliva drooled in sticky strings from her open mouth, pooling on the floor.

Limp arms, unmoving chest, soaked lower half in ruins.

Less than a minute.

I stood frozen, staring at her final moments.

"Who the hell are you?"

Choice.

"You gonna answer that?"

"Probably not."

I stared at the man with his face obscured.

He was skilled.

And an ability user.

Appearing out of nowhere in an empty spot meant stealth or assassination type.

Kill him right here.

"Wait!"

The intruder who'd snuck into the academy and killed a student suddenly raised both hands in surrender.

No intent to fight after murdering a cadet?

Might be a trap, so I observed him carefully.

The boiling emotions cooled to ice.

I assessed the situation coldly.

"Good. You're calm now?"

"......"

"You couldn't kill me anyway."

"What are you...?"

"It's not about strength or weakness. We wanted to recruit her."

Confusing.

Recruit?

If they wanted to recruit her, why kill her?

Persuasion or threats would've been more efficient.

I came to a conclusion.

"You're a psycho."

Ivy Lane.

I didn't have any special feelings for her.

We'd only just met today.

Sure, we'd become friends, but it was just the mood of the moment—no deep attachment.

I simply couldn't forgive it.

The mere existence of someone who treats human life so lightly was unacceptable to me.

"You'll be going back soon anyway."

"You think I'll let you?"

"No, I mean you'll go back. Not me leaving... ah, it's starting."

Kreeeak.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.

A clock...?

This is—

I opened my eyes.

My mother was there.

Ivy Lane didn't have a mother, so it had to be mine.

Ha, even following me to this world. Persistent woman.

"That's always been your problem."

"Is it?"

"Always so calm, so cold. Huh? Please!"

"...Yes."

"Just do what Mom tells you!"

I only did what I was told.

Crash.

Glass shattering.

I closed my eyes.

Soon, a sharp shard tore my skin, blood flowed, hot sensation... ah...

I opened my eyes.

Reality.

"Fuck."

"...?"

No way... right?

Alerts filled my vision.

I moved my finger through the air.

Clicked the selection ticket.

Let's think rationally.

All info on Ivy Lane? Useful. But not right now.

Since Ivy came to the academy, the odds of running into someone who knows her are slim.

That leaves four options.

Checkpoint function... probably save/load mechanics.

The status window responded as soon as I thought it.

Reads thoughts and provides info?

'No, more like giving clear explanations for rewards.'

Then...

'What's a status rank up?'

Got it.

Clue about my recent death... tempting, but the others are too good.

'All I know is I got ambushed out of nowhere.'

Avoid going out then? Maybe.

But if it's targeted at me, the place changes, not the attack itself.

I'll need protection.

'Guess that's the only way.'

Anyway, note with regression count?

I know that... pointless?

First regression, so it'd say 1. Pass.

Down to two: Status up or checkpoint.

'Both good, but priority...'

Checkpoint.

My stats: two F's, two D's, highest C.

Intelligence A-, but no combat use.

One rank up now won't help much.

I pressed the checkpoint firmly with my finger.

Accepted.

'How do I create a checkpoint?'

...Simple enough.

'Return to checkpoint on death?'

I closed the status window.

My vision cleared.

"...?"

I'd definitely closed it, but one window stubbornly remained.

'What bullshit is this?'

Nape of my neck.

Sting.

Pfshk.

Ah, I remembered.

First death.

Syringe in my neck.

Whew.

Deep breath.

If regression rewound my body's time too, there shouldn't be physical side effects.

'But the status warning means one thing.'

A drug made with abilities that ravages body and mind.

Mental effects and memories persist through regression.

Debuffs affecting the mind stick around.

It's fine.

Stay calm.

'Deep breath.'

I looked around the room.

Same as when I woke up this morning.

Bed, computer... ordinary one-room.

And a gaudy gift box that didn't fit in.

I opened the box.

I shoved the paper aside.

Got dressed.

Grabbed my Student ID.

Went to the entrance ceremony.

...I want to survive.