Undercurrents Surging

The musty smell of the old school building's basement seeped into his nostrils, and the utility knife in Sato Maya's hand glinted coldly under the moonlight.

Kiyotaka pressed his back against the damp wall, his fingertips sliding silently along the side of his phone—the emergency call button he had pressed three minutes ago had yet to trigger a response; clearly, the signal had been jammed.

"Don't count on your little tricks." Sato tilted her head with a light chuckle, the tip of the blade slowly tracing the collar of Kiyotaka's school uniform. "This is a sealed room designed personally by Chairman Tsukishiro; not even a cockroach could crawl out of here." She suddenly leaned in close, her breath spraying against Kiyotaka's ear. "However... if you're willing to hand over the 'system' permissions, I can let you die quickly."

System? Kiyotaka's pupils constricted slightly. This term connected the dots with the "Replacement Project" mentioned in the anonymous email from that morning—could it be that Tsukishiro had long since discovered his identity as a transmigrator and was even attempting to replicate a similar existence?

"I don't know what you're talking about." He deliberately put on a confused expression, his right hand quietly reaching for the pen in his pocket.

Sato, however, seemed to see through his movement, and the blade lunged fiercely toward his wrist!

"Clang—"

The sound of metal clashing exploded as a throwing star precisely knocked the utility knife away. The figure emerging from the shadows made Kiyotaka's breath hitch: Ichinose Honami still wore her gentle smile, yet her fingertips held three diamond-shaped darts.

"Sorry about that, Sato-san," she said, tossing her chestnut hair. "Kiyotaka-kun is my partner now."

"So the bitch from Class B really did get involved..." Sato retreated half a step, suddenly throwing a hidden weapon from her sleeve.

Ichinose spun to dodge, and Kiyotaka seized the opportunity to rush toward the iron door—a magnetic card was stuck in the lock cylinder, the very library pass that Horikita Suzune had lost last week.

So that's it. He recalled the irritable expression Horikita had worn three days ago when she mentioned her "stolen ID," realizing someone had long ago laid a trap to lure him here.

"Catch him!" Sato's scream echoed through the corridor, but Kiyotaka had already burst through the fire door. A cold wind hit his face, and he slammed to a halt: Karuizawa Kei was standing at the edge of the rooftop, and the Class A boy behind her was plunging a syringe into her neck.

"Help... me..." Tears welled in the corners of Kei's eyes, a stark contrast to her strong-willed image in the original story. Kiyotaka hesitated for half a second, but the boy suddenly grinned and raised his hand to push Kei off the rooftop!

"Thud!"

The dull sound of a heavy object hitting the ground shook the entire building. Kiyotaka lunged to the railing, only to see Kei's body twist in a grotesque manner as she pushed herself up, her joints emitting a mechanical "click-clack" sound.

"Oh my, you've been discovered." The boy took off his glasses, revealing data streams flowing through his irises. "Let me introduce myself. I am Chairman Tsukishiro's 'first-generation replacement,' codenamed Alpha."

He tapped his temple with his fingertip. "By the way, there are at least twelve 'players' like us in this school."

Kiyotaka clenched his fists. Since his transmigration, this was the first time he had felt a chill run down his spine—this world was far more complex than just a tampered plot.

The next morning · Special Cooperative Exam Venue

The electronic screen in the auditorium flickered with a blood-red countdown: 71:59:59.

"Due to an unforeseen accident, Karuizawa Kei has temporarily withdrawn from the competition." Tsukishiro's voice came over the broadcast, calm to the point of suffocation. "We are now announcing an additional rule for the exam: each class must designate a 'commander,' and their death will result in the total loss of the class's points."

The Class D camp was in an uproar. Hirata Yosuke anxiously counted the heads, while Horikita Suzune stared fixedly at Kiyotaka: "Where were you last night? You were the last person Kei contacted before the incident."

"Instead of suspecting me, you'd better make sure you aren't chosen as the commander." Kiyotaka glanced toward the periphery of the crowd—Ryuen Kakeru of Class C was whispering to Alpha, while Ichinose was signaling him from not far away: her thumb traced her collarbone, the "high-alert" gesture used by special forces in his previous life.

He suddenly understood why Ichinose knew Morse code: she, like him, was a transmigrator chosen by the "system," only belonging to a different faction.

"Horikita-san, please report to the faculty office immediately!" Chabashira Sae's shout interrupted his thoughts. Kiyotaka took the chance to slip away, only to be blocked by Alpha at the stairwell.

"Let's make a deal." Alpha's pupils narrowed into two vertical slits. "You help me destroy the other 'replacements,' and I'll tell you how to return to your original world." He opened his palm, a chip flickering with a ghostly blue light. "For example... the original code for this 'Hypnos' system."

Kiyotaka took the chip, and a sharp electronic sound suddenly rang out in his mind:

[Warning! Illegal intrusion detected, memory erasure program initiated—]

He stumbled against the wall, dazed as he saw Alpha's triumphant, cold sneer. It turned out the chip itself was the trap; what Tsukishiro truly wanted to erase was not his physical body, but his memories as a transmigrator!

The electronic screen in the auditorium flickered with a blood-red countdown: 71:59:59.

"Due to an unforeseen accident, Karuizawa Kei has temporarily withdrawn from the exam." Tsukishiro's voice came through the broadcast, suffocatingly calm. "We are now announcing an additional rule: each class must designate a 'Commander.' Their elimination will result in the total forfeiture of the class's points."

The Class D camp erupted in an uproar. Hirata Yosuke anxiously counted the students, while Horikita Suzune stared fixedly at Kiyotaka. "Where were you last night? You were the last person Kei contacted before the incident."

"Instead of suspecting me, you should focus on ensuring you aren't chosen as the Commander." Kiyotaka glanced toward the edge of the crowd—Ryuen Kakeru of Class C was whispering to Alpha, while Ichinose was signaling him from a distance: a thumb drawn across her collarbone, the "high-alert" gesture used by special forces in his past life.

He suddenly understood why Ichinose knew Morse code: she was, like him, a transmigrator chosen by the "System," only affiliated with a different faction.

"Horikita, report to the faculty office immediately!" Chabashira Sae's shout interrupted his thoughts. Kiyotaka seized the chance to slip away, only to be blocked by Alpha at the corner of the staircase.

"Let's make a deal." Alpha's pupils narrowed into vertical slits. "You help me eliminate the other 'replacements,' and I'll tell you how to return to your original world." He opened his palm, a chip flickering with a ghostly blue light. "For instance... the source code for this 'Hypnos' system."

Kiyotaka took the chip, and a sharp electronic tone suddenly rang in his mind:

[Warning! Illegal intrusion detected. Memory erasure program initiated—]

He stumbled against the wall, catching a glimpse of Alpha's triumphant sneer in his daze. So, this chip itself was a trap; what Tsukishiro truly intended to erase was not his physical body, but his memories as a transmigrator!