-Click

I opened my bedroom door. Then I stepped inside before flopping straight onto the bed.

Finally... a moment of peace.

After the struggle it took to get out of the simulation room, with everyone giving me strange looks.

What a frustrating day.

I wasn’t just physically exhausted—I was mentally drained too.

Every time I remembered the nonsense I’d been spouting during the simulation... I felt terribly embarrassed.

What on earth was wrong with me?

I was acting as if I were a woman four or five months pregnant,

"...I must find a way to detach myself from Nero’s feelings. I can’t keep behaving like this every time."

In the end, everything that happened was because of Nero’s feelings.

I know I’m blaming him, but... who else am I supposed to blame?

Myself? Impossible. I know myself well. I’m a mature man. I wouldn’t have behaved like that if I’d been in my real body.

Come to think of it—I really did behave like this sometimes.

I sighed softly.

It’s not as if I can really do anything about it.

"Oh"

Should I check the glasses?

In my experience, it’s impossible for there not to be a mission related to the simulation.

Clink—

I opened the drawer and slowly took out the glasses, turning them over in my hands for a few seconds, whilst hesitating slightly to put them on.

After what happened earlier with Larshia... I wasn’t entirely comfortable.

But that hesitation lasted only a few moments.

I don’t care. Come what may

—Ding

[ Main Mission ]

Stay alive until the simulation ends: +50 Exceed Points

But... if by some miracle you manage to get the flag, the reward will double. Although we all know that’s impossible... you know, and I know, that you won’t be able to do it.

"In your face, you bastard."

I muttered that as I raised my middle finger towards the screen.

Well, I know full well that if it weren’t for a bit of luck and my ability to capitalise on everything that happened at just the right moment, I wouldn’t have succeeded at all.

As Alisa said... the important thing is that I had the last laugh.

Isn’t that right?

[Side Missions]

Show everyone who the real boss is. Let them know their place in society. Act in a manner befitting your name, as the scum of society.

Slap an anonymous student: 10 points

Bully one of the main characters: 20 points

Mock one of the elite professors: 35 points

Forming a gang of bullies: 45 bonus points

Beat someone up so badly their family can’t recognise them: 50 bonus points

"..."

"What on earth is he trying to prove?" "There’s no way I can do this. Who does he think I am, anyway?"

Is he trying to give me ’Young Master Bully’ syndrome?

Damn... Am I going to become a bully from now on?

That’ll make everyone hate me.

But... I really need to collect as many transgression points as possible if I want to carry out my plan... and increase my chances of survival on the day I storm the academy.

They’ll understand that... won’t they? I’m not doing this because I enjoy it.

I’m only doing it... to stay alive. It’s a rather noble goal.

Besides, I’m only doing this for fictional characters; after all... they aren’t real people.

If they really were real... how could they have been, until recently, merely characters within a game I was designing?

So... yes. It’s not that bad.

But... hang on.

If they’re all just fictional characters...

then who am I?

Am I really the Nolan I remember? Or am I Nero... who inherited his memories?

Who the hell am I, again? Am I the fake... or the real one?

I stared at the ceiling for a long while, before suddenly shaking my head.

"Damn it."

If I keep thinking like this... I’ll really lose my mind. And no matter how much I think about it, I won’t come up with any answers.

She sighed slowly.

I have to treat everything happening around me as reality. And that everyone here... is actually alive.

That’s much better... than drowning in a whirlpool of questions that will lead me nowhere.

After stopping to think about it for a moment, I checked how many Overrun Points I had so far.

Current Transcendence Points: 750

"Not bad, really."

The number wasn’t that high, but it wasn’t low either.

Anyway... there’s no need to rush. How many kingdoms have been destroyed because of haste?

"Haaah..."

I let out a long sigh.

To be honest— my feelings at that moment were so complicated that it would be best for me to sleep, just to forget about it for a while.

I took off my glasses and put them back in the drawer, before closing it gently.

I lay back down on the bed and slowly closed my eyes.

I was just about to fall asleep. But suddenly—

—Knock

There was a soft knock at the door.

I ignored it at first, closing my eyes tightly, thinking the person knocking would leave in a moment.

But, contrary to my expectations... the knocking didn’t stop.

In fact, it grew louder.

"Damn..." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

I got up reluctantly, more out of obligation than desire, before heading towards the door with sluggish, heavy steps.

When I reached it, I finally opened it and said in an annoyed tone:

"When I don’t answer straight away, it means I was asleep, so—"

My words stopped abruptly. My gaze fixed on the person standing before me, and my eyes widened in surprise.

"You...?"