I've found two good things about transmigrating here. First, when I open my eyes, they don't hurt from dry eye syndrome, and second, getting up in the morning isn't difficult.
The bad things? This nice body is female, and I occasionally get severe headaches.
"My head hurts like hell..."
I muttered the curse that had become a habit as I got out of bed.
Today was the official start of the semester.
If this were some other dating sim game, it would be an exciting first day, but "Killing the Unkillable," the game I've transmigrated into, doesn't allow for such leisure. Today was the day of the proficiency test that measures an Exorcist's level.
Yegak Academy, where Exorcists bearing the names of prestigious clans, associations, and various groups from around the Human World gather, remains fiercely competitive even after admission. Exorcists from across the country observe each other's skills, learn, and pursue continuous growth toward the absolute ideology and reason for an Exorcist's existence: "Annihilate Demons and Save the World."
Of course, I couldn't care less about all that.
Though I wasn't the one who took it, we've already had entrance exams, so I'm slightly annoyed they're making Exorcists compete again. Still, I needed to get the highest score in my class on today's proficiency test. There were two practical advantages to doing so.
One practical advantage was catching the Heroines' attention. I hate to admit it, but physically, I'm a woman. Even though I have the special physical advantage of being beautiful with golden eyes, I can't appeal to the same sex.
This world is unusually strict about same-sex relationships, unlike typical dating sim worlds. If I approach the heirs of great Exorcist families too casually, I might be treated as a weirdo or even a villain rather than making friends.
Although I'm a member of the Baek Clan, a prestigious Powerful Clan of Exorcists, and a Successor Candidate, this world is full of successor candidates, and I'm ostracized by my family.
In other words, I'm not good enough to mingle with the real heirs—the Heroines.
To put it in real-world terms, imagine a notorious playboy from a wealthy family who's been sidelined trying to approach the daughter of a chaebol heir or prominent political family. That should help you understand my situation.
But that's just my story. The Protagonist, Lee Hui-hyeon, has Heroines flocking to him for the most trivial reasons without him doing anything.
Disgusting protagonist privilege.
So in my previous playthrough, I thought:
How can Baek Ye-a, who isn't the Protagonist, catch the eyes of other Heroines, form relationships, and trigger likability events?
The method I came up with was to utterly destroy these arrogant Heroines who had just enrolled.
Even if Baek Ye-a is a third-rate Exorcist compared to the other Heroines, with the system's help and basic training completed, plus my player knowledge, the Heroines who will eventually surpass me will inevitably fall behind me in the early stages.
So once I crush them with test scores, it becomes much easier to make contact with the Heroines through the "Oh, you're that person from back then!" approach.
The other reason, which is most important, is the hidden reward for this proficiency event.
"Training"—a Path to Enlightenment that boosts early ability growth.
In other difficulty levels, you could skip it without consequences, but in hardcore mode, it's a valuable Path. In hardcore mode, even slightly lower stats can mean life-or-death battles.
Getting this makes raising stats easier until mid-game. The problem is obtaining "Swift Movement" before reaching mid-game. Should I yield that to the Protagonist too?
But I haven't even decided how to handle the dormitory incident chain that follows the dormitory move-in route. The risk is too great if the Protagonist actually leaves, so I'll put this on hold for now.
Since the incident erupts while pursuing the public good, I need to think very carefully about this.
Usually that incident happens mid-game, so it's fine for now. The Protagonist won't die just because I don't immediately give up "Swift Movement," so there shouldn't be any problems.
Before entering the bathroom to wash up, I looked at the mirror on the vanity.
On my first day after regression, it felt extremely foreign, but I must have adapted within a day because now I don't feel like I'm looking at someone else.
"Outside, I am Baek Ye-a..."
After affirming this to myself once more, I took scissors from the drawer.
How did it get this long again in just one day? Does everything I eat go straight to my hair?
Pushing aside distracting thoughts, I trimmed the ends with scissors. In my previous playthrough, when I didn't have time to manage my hair, it somehow grew down to my waist. I didn't notice how uncomfortable it was then, but now even a little length bothers me.
After having breakfast with instant food from the refrigerator, I showered, changed into my uniform, and gathered my cloak emblazoned with a soaring hawk representing "First," along with my sword and bag.
Today is an important day to set the first step of my plan in motion. I need to stay strong.
<>
The outside scenery remained the same as yesterday. People wandering the alleys, shops opening, and Exorcists affiliated with Powerful Clans and associations.
Signs of doom might be detected in the borderlands even now, but here, closest to the Divine Sandalwood Tree in the early part of the scenario, it was hard to imagine impending doom. Danger will come here too in the later stages, but the current atmosphere felt like an ordinary slice-of-life story. Well, I suppose even slice-of-life stories that suddenly accelerate toward doom in the later parts are still slice-of-life.
Thinking about the items I needed to acquire and those I already had, I approached the academy and noticed the faint light emitted by the Divine Sandalwood Tree that the academy building surrounded.
The Divine Sandalwood Tree, a thousand-year-old tree sustaining the barrier of the Human World, emitting a faint light. It's kept secret from everyone, but that tree is continuously losing power even at this moment. Being on hardcore difficulty, it's happening faster, definitely not slower. As it loses power like this, the first seal will come under serious strain, resulting in the "Power Reversal" event. Until this event occurs, the early stages of hardcore mode progress much like other difficulty levels.
The real turning point comes after the "Power Reversal" event, when the Unkillable's first seal goes mad from the strain.
From that point, other seals collapse like dominoes, and the great demons that were bound outside the barrier by the seals flood into the Human World, beginning their recovery through massive slaughter. The World-Ending Cult, which only appears in hardcore mode, emerges in the world under a false name.
So if you neglect development and focus only on dating sim routes like in other difficulty levels, you'll end up adding your name to the list of victims of the Unkillable's five fragments that will fully reveal themselves in the Third Human-Demon War, or rather its preliminary conflict, the War Against the Five Demons. Simply put, you die. A death with possibly no afterlife.
In my previous playthrough, memories started becoming notably incomplete right after the "Power Reversal" event. I remember major events, but everything else is very hazy. What's certain is that I reached just before the ending, couldn't kill the Unkillable due to the system's interference, fled while bleeding profusely, was betrayed by the Heroines, and met the Protagonist Lee Hui-hyeon.
Damn system. If you're going to make me transmigrate, at least be flexible about that much. Thinking about it made my head hurt from stress.
This is all because of that bastard Lee Hui-hyeon.
<>
When I entered the classroom, no one was there.
Did I come too early? Come to think of it, did I check the time? Belatedly looking at the clock hanging at the back of the classroom, I saw it was 7:30. With official school starting at 9:00, I was an hour and a half early.
Looking around the classroom, I thought:
Damn. I should have slept more.
My frustration wasn't just about coming early. It was because of that guy sitting alone in front reading a book. But to avoid showing it, I used the only useful thing I learned in the military—facial control—and approached him with a bright smile.
"Hi, Hui-hyeon. You're early?"
Lee Hui-hyeon finally looked up from his book and greeted me.
"Hi, Ye-a. I guess I was nervous about the first class and couldn't sleep well. So I came early."
Are you a child? I wanted to snap back gently but barely held myself back. Strangely, just seeing his face makes me angry. What a peculiar bastard, interfering with my anger management through his face alone. Swallowing my irritation and headache, I asked with a smiling face:
"Are you well-prepared for today's proficiency test?"
"Proficiency test? Was there such a thing?"
Ah right, the proficiency test is usually sprung as a surprise to prevent cheating, and I'd forgotten that. But despite being called a surprise, there were ways to know in advance even for non-players. A student without connections like Lee Hui-hyeon might not know.
Since I couldn't say I knew because I was a player, I decided to use connections as an excuse.
"My sister told me. She said there's a measurement test on the first day. I guess you didn't hear about it?"
"Sister? You have a sister?"
"Yes, I do. A half-sister, actually."
It's not a lie; she really exists. Baek Ye-na. A real bitch. Just thinking about seeing her face again gives me a headache. Of course, half the reason for my headache is Lee Hui-hyeon.
"Should I start preparing now then?"
"No, it's just a measurement, so you probably don't need special preparation."
That wasn't a lie. Whatever benefit I might gain from getting a good score, the essence of this test is truly just measuring ability. Since there was no way he could prepare effectively starting now, I deliberately kept it light.
Looking at it this way, it seems like I'm being considerate. Damn it.
Lee Hui-hyeon nodded lightly and said:
"Thanks for telling me. I should study hard now."
I momentarily doubted my ears. What did he say?
"What did you say? 'Thanks'?"
"Huh?"
Ah, right. Seeing Lee Hui-hyeon's puzzled expression, I remembered yesterday's incident and quickly changed the subject.
"No! You don't need to thank me that much! Friends help each other! Do your best starting now!"
"Oh? Okay..."
Leaving behind a bewildered Lee Hui-hyeon, I climbed up one step at a time to a seat in the middle, barely containing my anger—at myself.
Damn it, why did I tell him like that back then? Will I have to endure cursing every time I help him in the future? Is this karma for cursing at our first meeting? He'll probably talk more than when I pretend not to know things.
I thought I should set aside time soon to teach him other ways to express gratitude.
So this is true karma.
I suddenly felt that I should live a truly good life if I ever return to reality.
Damn it.
As the time approached, I saw other students coming in, including the Heroines whose high noses I needed to crush with a good score.
The Heroines probably heard about the test in advance through some channel too.
But in the end, I'll be the one taking first place. I know the test well and have prepared for it thoroughly.
Alright, Baek Ye-a. It's time for your academy debut.