Sandwiched Among Ecosystem Disruptors
"Ugh..."
Whether I felt disgusted or not, my hands were steadily unbuttoning my shirt. Hesitating wouldn't change the outcome. Dragging it out would only make me look suspicious.
My top came off, and my skirt pooled on the floor. The clothes that had kept me tethered to a normal world slipped away from my body. It felt like my sense of reality dropped away with them.
I neatly folded my clothes and set them aside, then picked up the offending exam suit.
...The fabric area was woefully small. The design seemed somewhat thoughtful, but that didn't register at all.
Hoo.
After a short deep breath, I slid my legs in. As it traveled up my hips and waist to my shoulders, the suit hugged my body with a subtle tightness. It was cold. The chill of the lifeless fabric raised goosebumps on my skin. My heightened senses drilled home just how insufficient this scrap of cloth really was.
The one small mercy was the thin compression band around the chest area. Not that I had any volume to worry about jiggling anyway.
I turned to face the large mirror mounted on the wall.
Pale beige mid-length hair. Light purple eyes. A slender, sickly frame. And draped over it all, the catastrophically revealing exam suit. This was me now—Harné.
As I gazed at my reflection, absently touching my jawline, a bright voice called from behind.
"Harné, all changed?"
I turned to see Runes standing there in her exam suit like it was no big deal. Her clothes had hidden it before, but she had terrifyingly toned muscles on her limbs. Add in her boldly assertive chest and hips, and the suit synergized with her features into something of devastating impact. It was hard to know where to look.
I averted my gaze slightly and replied, "Yes, I'm ready."
"Great. Oh, it suits you well!"
To think those words could sound so heartbreaking. I forced a wry smile and checked my outfit, only for Runes to pat my back.
"Come on, we're the last ones, right? Let's hurry!"
Following Runes as she pulled back the changing screen, I stepped out of the changing room. Outside, students were already lined up. We naturally joined the end, and under a staff member's guidance, dozens of us moved together.
We arrived at a nearby spacious auditorium. As the doors opened, a wave of noise exploded out. It was packed with students already changed.
And naturally, half of them were boys. Wearing... what looked like perfectly normal exam attire—sleek black pants and tops that screamed functionality.
The girls, meanwhile, were all in the same state as me.
That's right. At this academy, the boys' uniforms were fine, while the girls' were mostly unhinged. Of course, no one saw anything wrong with it. The goddess's warped common sense held firm. Even after that little brat retired, the twisted perception lingered.
People didn't just accept this as normal—they saw it as utterly ordinary attire. If I'd been a boy, I'd have been thrilled. Eye candy for days, with normal sensibilities intact.
But alas. Unfortunately, I was a girl right now.
Mystic Beauty Module: Unstable facial muscle movement detected. Auto-adjusting.
Still, the pointless ability my "friend" had implanted was proving useful in this mess. At least I looked calm on the outside.
Then it happened.
Dong.
A faint mana pulse swept through the entire auditorium. The chatter died instantly as everyone turned toward the source.
A man stood on the platform. Impeccably tailored clothes without a wrinkle. A seasoned, imposing presence. The middle-aged man, whose mere existence shifted the room's atmosphere, looked down at the students.
"I'm Bastian Cred, chief proctor for this exam."
1st-year top-tier class professor. Bastian Cred. Seeing him in person made his reputation and infamy feel tangible.
"I trust you're all prepared, so I'll skip the pointless speeches."
With Bastian's curt declaration, the staff along the walls began moving. Each carried a box of papers.
"You'll take two exams: one individual, one team."
I spotted the boxes they held—stuffed with folded slips.
"The morning exam will be decided by lottery. Staff will come around—stay put and just draw a slip."
The staff presented the boxes to the students. Gacha time.
Unlike the solemn mood, the students drew without much hesitation. Makes sense. For average students, it hardly mattered. Morning individual meant afternoon team, and vice versa.
...But not for me. My body wasn't back to normal yet, so I couldn't perform in the morning. The team exam had higher stakes, so I wanted that in the afternoon.
Please, individual first.
I took a deep breath and slowly reached into the box.
To the north of the academy looms a massive tower. Not above ground, but burrowing downward—a 15-level underground structure.
Originally, it was a colossal vertical tunnel punched out by one of the monster lords. Left alone, monsters would have crawled up endlessly, turning the area into chaos long ago.
But the academy headmaster normalized it. Using her unique dungeonization ability to reshape the space itself into her own dungeon, she sealed off monster incursions.
And during entrance exams, she uses the underground 2nd floor for the team battles. Bonus: she redesigns the floor's theme with giddy enthusiasm.
This year's concept? Ancient labyrinth.
"..."
I blankly touched the glowing moss sprouting from the labyrinth walls.
So why was I in this ancient labyrinth-themed exam waiting room?
Simple answer: I failed the 50% lottery odds.
Runes beside me scanned the surroundings, saying something, but sorry—the scenery wasn't registering.
'Team battle, Group 2.'
That's what my slip said. It could've been fine as a later slot in the team battles.
But no, I got assigned the second match. And the unluckiest part? Runes was right next to me.
"Harné, you okay? You look pale."
"I'm fine. Just a bit nervous."
True, my body felt off. The walk from the auditorium was no small distance. But this level of frailty was routine for me—I had no intention of showing it.
"A healthy dose of nerves helps in real combat, you know?"
"Haha, yeah. You'll definitely pass. I have a feeling."
Unlike her tough image, Runes had a refined, noble-lady face. She flashed a bright smile, encouraging me. Normally, it'd heal my soul.
But not this time.
The team battle was a 99-person survival in the labyrinth. Randomly matched trios competed against 32 other teams. So Runes next to me was very likely an enemy. No mercy for "fate" or whatever—she strictly separated personal and professional.
Cross paths, and that bright smile might slice me apart.
"Thanks for the kind words. Guess I have to trust my luck."
Here's hoping I don't run into the feral Runes.
I swallowed a wry smile and glanced down at the new belt on my waist. And the weapon attached to it.
The exam gear I'd requested and received moments ago—my hoped-for weapon. From now on, this lump of metal was what I had to rely on, not people.
Next was the vest-like mana protective gear worn over the exam suit. It was the main defense against accidents. Though for me, the real comfort was how it covered my upper body.
Thank the stars it was unisex.
As I fiddled with my gear, the nearby mood shifted.
"What's going on?"
"Dunno, but everyone's crowding that way?"
This waiting room held 97 other students besides us. Noise was normal, but now it hushed, eyes converging. The chatting student trailed off; some instinctively stepped back.
At the center stood a girl with sky-blue hair. Poised upright, coldly expressionless. The aura said it all. One of the heroines, like Runes.
Elise Aljen, heir to the water mage tower.
"Whoa, check it out. It's Elise Aljen."
"The next head of the water mage tower? No way a genius like that's here."
Her name spread, drawing gasps. Fair enough. The average entrant was below 2nd Hierarchy. Elise was a full 4th Hierarchy—a lion in a puppy arena.
Unfortunately, this body was barely scraping 2nd Hierarchy. Frail, no muscle—just plain pathetic. I suddenly missed Aizel's body.
"Ooh, a celebrity. Think she'll sign if we go over?"
Runes's eyes sparkled at Elise. Even though she was equally famous. And also 4th Hierarchy.
This just cranked the difficulty.
Still, hope remai—
"Move. You're in the way."
A high-pitched, commanding voice rang from the opposite side. At that imperious tone, the crowd parted without being shoved.
Through the gap strode a girl oozing elegance. Elaborately styled blonde hair. Eyes sharp as blades. Every expression stamped with noble pride.
Students whispered cautiously around her.
"That's Lady Swara, right? The Southern Saint."
"Whoa, for real. I saw her duel live once!"
"Shh, keep it down."
Ignoring them, she sauntered to a corner structure, plopped down, and crossed her legs.
Kane Swara. Duel-obsessed heir to the Swara marquisate. Another heroine.
At this point, her power was a step below Elise and Runes. But she was definitely the same breed of ecosystem disruptor.
In other words, the perfect death group was complete. Theoretically, those three could wipe dozens.
And it wouldn't be weird if frail little me was one of the dozens swept away.
Damn it all.
"This is troubling."
In the original story, only one of Elise or Runes ended up in the same group. Why me?
Too late for lamenting. This world had diverged from canon, and I wasn't the protagonist. Heck, there was no protagonist left. Aizel's body that day...
"!"
Then it hit—a gaze from somewhere. Instinctively, I turned.
And inwardly reeled.
Kane Swara was staring right at me. Not a fleeting glance. She kept staring.
This was my first time seeing her in person, yet...
Before I could question it, Kane's face twisted. A chill settled over her humorless expression.
She rose, glaring daggers through me.