"Now that you've finally met little Bianca, don't you have any other thoughts?"
"Thoughts... She's really pretty."
"..."
Golden hair in spiral curls, curvy and tall.
Bai Yan really had a thing for that type.
When they had first met, she had still been a Little Dummy. Now, she was already a Big Dummy.
Ragna sighed. "Forget it. Let's head back first."
That small accident had, to some extent, proven Bai Yan's capabilities. The risk of infiltrating St. Freya was very low.
Besides, even Otto had acknowledged Bai Yan's performance.
With strength far surpassing Madam Green Lily's, the young man had successfully become Schicksal's number one.
"During the Far East St. Freya Academy's official opening this year, Bai Yan will infiltrate it as a new student.
"This will be a long-term mission, and for most of the time, you will not receive direct support.
"Furthermore, aside from the terms in the contract, Xiao Yan, you may make one request. I will personally do my best to fulfill it."
Bai Yan propped up his head, staring boredly at the documents in his hands. Beside him sat a pile of materials.
Upon hearing his female superior's words, he showed no reaction at all and even yawned.
"I have no requests. I will do my utmost to complete the mission."
"You truly don't want to make any requests, Xiao Yan?"
"It's my duty. How would I dare make demands?"
Rita paused, her gaze settling on Bai Yan's face.
Bai Yan looked through the materials in his hands. No matter how he flipped through them, it was all familiar content.
The words on the white paper were like some kind of catalyst, gradually drawing memories buried deep in his consciousness to the surface.
The materials contained slightly less than what he remembered. He did not know whether Schicksal's intelligence-gathering capabilities were limited, whether they had deliberately concealed something, or whether...
He simply did not need to know that much.
At that moment, Rita's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Xiao Yan is not skilled in combat, and St. Freya is not particularly strict in that regard either, so there is no need to worry about fighting... Besides, you only need to gather intelligence and get close to Miss Kiana."
She paused briefly before speaking the latter half of the sentence.
Bai Yan looked up at her. Her expression remained perfectly normal.
So that was it. K423 wasn't something someone at my clearance level could know about, but Sister Tazi didn't want to see me fall into a trap.
"How well do you understand the contents of the materials?"
"More or less."
"Mm. Then let's test you—Miss Kiana's birthday?"
"December 7th."
"Favorite food?"
"Meat."
Rita then picked several more questions at random and stopped only after receiving entirely correct answers.
Setting down the materials, the female superior walked over to Bai Yan.
She looked him over, casually straightened his slightly wrinkled collar, and gathered his loose strands of hair.
"Do you blame me for assigning you this mission?"
Bai Yan said jokingly, "I do, so I want compensation."
Before his words had even faded, Rita leaned in, reached out to touch the back of Bai Yan's head, and gently pressed him against her chest.
"I'll make up the rest after you return."
A soft fragrance filled his nostrils, knocking Bai Yan's reason away for an instant.
He instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist.
Bai Yan was still young and had not yet entered his rapid growth period, so he was shorter than Rita.
The scene looked like a younger sister hugging her older sister.
In the end, Rita moved first. She switched to stroking Bai Yan's face, and the two separated.
She looked at Bai Yan. "Just like before, you don't need to worry about combat."
"Mm."
"Treat this as a chance to relax. Don't push yourself too hard."
"Okay."
"Go rest first. You'll be leaving soon."
"Then, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Still wearing the Ice Blue Long Dress, Bai Yan returned to his room.
He sprawled on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"The remaining half of the compensation..."
His thoughts abruptly stopped there.
It seemed he had overlooked something.
Bai Yan suddenly leaped off the bed.
At that moment, that strange sensation surged into his soul again, reaching straight into its depths.
"So there really is something going on!"
"Who's watching me?! Come out!"
I'm a Hacker, This Is What a Cheat Is
While that strange sensation remained strong, Bai Yan focused with utmost concentration.
He shut the windows, drew the curtains, and closed every "hole" that could serve as a passage.
Then he began searching...
In the end, he found nothing.
The strange feeling of being watched showed no sign of fading, lingering deep within his soul.
If he did not figure out where it came from today, he probably would not be able to sleep.
"If it isn't an illusion, then this strange feeling is rather thought-provoking.
"First of all, Otto didn't notice it—at least, not on the surface.
"That means this strange feeling exists on a very high level... or its concealment is unparalleled.
"Let's feel it more carefully."
Bai Yan gradually calmed down. He sat back on the bed, shut his eyes tightly, then emptied his mind and body to sense it.
He opened his eyes.
"It doesn't seem hostile. Could I try communicating with it?
"...Mm, I'll treat it as some kind of deity for now. If it doesn't work, I'll take down the spirit tablet."
He looked around but found no suitable materials. Then inspiration struck, and he went into the kitchen.
When he came out, Bai Yan was holding a chopping board.
"You'll do."
He set down the chopping board, turned to fetch his toolbox, plugged in an electric drill, and began carving.
Since he did not know what to call the object of worship, he simply carved the words "For Worship" onto it. It was enough to show the intent.
He had no incense specifically for this, so he substituted mosquito coils—long, straight ones. The spiral kind seemed a little disrespectful.
He lit one, but it quickly went out.
Without overthinking it, Bai Yan lit it again, but it soon went out once more.
Only when it went out for the fourth time did he begin suspecting the materials.
"There are only two things in this house that can produce smoke. Don't tell me I really have to use the spiral kind...
"Light it. I'm already using a chopping board as a spirit tablet anyway.
"If it likes that stuff, there's nothing I can do."
He switched to a spiral mosquito coil. A moment later, it worked.
Bai Yan clasped his hands together. "I should use this next time too, right? I shall obey the divine decree."
The moment the word "decree" left his mouth, an echo suddenly emerged, lingering around him for a long time.
The next instant, Bai Yan felt the world spin. The objects in his vision rotated and twisted along some spiraling path...
It looked just like the mosquito coil.
The floor beneath his feet seemed to turn into an inflatable mat, swaying so badly that he could not stand firmly.
Bai Yan felt as though some force had suddenly hooked his stomach, pulling his entire body into the center of the spiral.
While his feet were off the ground, every part of him tensed. Ignoring the changes around him, he only desperately tried to regain his balance.
Bai Yan felt as though he had been swept into some enormous pipe. The pipe twisted and turned, while the fluid inside surged violently.
Like a feather upon the sea, he was completely helpless...
But soon, his feet inexplicably touched solid ground again, as though the earth itself had pressed against the soles of his shoes.
His heart pounded wildly. That moment of weightlessness had been a little too exciting for Bai Yan.
"Ugh! Haa..."
A belated wave of nausea hit him. Bai Yan covered his mouth but ultimately did not throw up.
He took several deep breaths, repeatedly filling his lungs with cool air.
Bai Yan raised his head and looked around.
The horizon was covered by a thin layer of clear water. Above him stretched a sky full of stars, while a full moon, surrounded by countless stars, illuminated the entire world.
He lightly stepped forward, sending low ripples across the shallow water. The moon in the water swayed gently.
"The feeling of being watched is gone. Then this place..."
He continued forward, counting as he walked. After roughly a thousand steps, an invisible wall blocked his way.
He turned around where he stood and headed in the opposite direction. After another two thousand or so steps, he touched an invisible wall again.
After testing all four directions this way, he vaguely determined that this was a circular wetland with a radius of around five hundred meters.
"Too bad I can't fly. I can't measure the height."
"There's no vegetation, but the air is fairly good. It feels like being in untouched mountains free of pollution."
"But what's the point of this? There isn't even enough water for me to take a bath."
The clear water beneath his feet barely covered the soles of his shoes—just enough to raise tadpoles.
"I thought that after being transported here for so long, my cheat had finally arrived. But this is it?"
Boring.
By some vague intuition, he could probably remain here for fifteen minutes.
Once the time was up, he would leave. If he ever doubted his life again, he could come back here to brood for a while.
Before you continue