Chapter 76
Click, click-.
I watched Luna continuously taking pictures and thought to myself.
'Memories, huh... After all, photos are what remain.'
I snatched the camera from Luna's hand.
"Stand in front of those flowers. I'll take a beautiful picture of you."
"Hmm~ Can you even take good photos? Well, the subject is so pretty, cute, and beautiful that it can't turn out bad."
Can I take good photos? That's a funny question.
'I am a Korean with persistence and will.'
Taking pretty photos is no big deal.
I have taken a thousand photos just to get one perfect shot.
Of course, it was forced by someone else, but still.
Anyway, taking pretty photos was too easy for me.
Luna entered the flower garden, and her image came into the lens.
"Hey! Is it coming out well? You can't tell which are flowers and which is me, right?"
Whether Luna is the flower or the flowers are Luna.
They're so distinctly different that there's no need to worry.
Click, click-.
Standing upright, kneeling on one knee, lying down, aerial shots, taking photos while lifting one leg.
I was passionately taking photos in various poses when.
‘Huh?’
[Hyper Sense] triggered again.
There was something around Luna.
‘What is it? Has Caron already arrived?’
Or it could be a rat spying on me.
I'm not sure why it's near Luna.
"Hey! What are you doing? Did you finish?"
"Ah... Yes, I've finished."
"If it turned out weird, you're dead!"
Luna rushed over and operated the camera.
The photos were immediately developed with the power of the mana stone.
"Oh, you took them well? You're quite skilled?"
"Keke, photography is murder for me."
"What? Oh? Wait, what's this?"
Luna tilted her head in confusion.
I looked at the photo from the side, but I couldn't see anything particularly strange.
Oh, could it be that?
"Keke, Luna. You always look like that. Slightly squished."
"...?"
"Don't be too shocked. It can't be helped."
Thump, thump!!
Luna's fists hit my side twice.
It hurt to the bone. To think I get hit for telling the truth.
"Look at this."
Luna whispered and leaned towards me.
Then she started flipping through the photos one by one.
Then I realized what Luna was talking about.
'...The rock is moving?'
The white rock next to the flower garden.
It was moving slightly. A rock the size of a medium-sized dog.
Well, it could be due to the changing angles while taking photos.
But this was beyond that.
It moved. The rock itself.
"What is this? A haunted rock?"
Luna murmured.
Considering it came from Luna's mind, it was a fairly logical deduction.
But there was another possibility.
'Rats.'
They might be nearby, waiting for a chance to make contact after I mentioned the contact code.
It's possible.
But now, Caron is away from the academy.
So a rat must have come to me instead.
‘But would a rat make such an amateur mistake?’
Especially a rat under Caron's command?
It was impossible.
Then.
‘I must be being followed.’
Teron? Yuridia? Or a third party?
I'm not sure who, but it was easy to find out.
I whispered to Luna.
"We're being followed."
"What?"
"Keke, just act normal."
"What should we do?"
"We need to draw them out."
First, confirmation was necessary.
I moved around while taking more photos.
And surprisingly.
‘...It really is a tail.’
The rock appeared in every photo.
Specifically, in every photo where Luna was captured.
‘Was Luna the target of the tail?’
Now that it was clear we were being followed, it was time to catch the culprit.
As soon as we turned the corner of the building, I pressed myself against the wall to hide.
Then.
Bubble, bubble, bubble-.
The unidentified rock appeared, bubbling along.
And the moment it spotted us, it stopped.
"..."
"..."
Perhaps the silence was too much to bear.
The rock spoke.
"I, I am a rock..."
Yes, a rock, huh?
Seems like these days, even rocks talk.
Even rocks are part of the MZ generation.
Swoosh-.
Luna, who was beside me, drew her sword.
"Is it an assassin sent by the Teron faction... Should I just cut it down?"
Luna assumed an attacking stance.
Then the rock began to vibrate violently.
"Ju, just a moment! Eek!"
Plop!
The rock fell forward, and a girl popped out from inside it.
A girl with long bangs covering her face like a curtain.
"What? This isn't a rock, it's a box?"
Luna was right.
The girl who popped out of the rock.
It was a box disguised as a rock.
That's why it could move. It was light.
"Wait, you are..."
"Do you know this person, Luna?"
"What? You too?"
I could easily recall who this girl was.
"Keke, the girl with the bangs."
"What's with that nondescript title? She's not the girl with the bangs, she's..."
Not?
"...the girl with long bangs."
Luna turned her head to the side.
Seems like she forgot the name.
‘Well, that’s not the important part right now.’
I glanced at the girl with the bangs.
The girl who informed us about Luna being in the dueling arena.
If it wasn't for this girl, I might not have been able to protect Luna.
"Godner used her as bait to lure me."
So that's what it was.
Then the wounds scattered here and there at that time were because of Godner?
Now I understood the situation.
"Helloo... My name is Re, Rezé."
"Rezé?"
"So, sorry! I have a name! I'm so sorry for having a name!"
Rezé lay flat on the ground, trembling.
Apologizing for having a name? Excessively timid.
What exactly is this strange creature?
"Keke, were you also watching us in the restaurant?"
"Yes, yes! That, that too, I'm sorry!"
The [Hyper Sense] that activated in the restaurant.
It seems it was because of this girl.
‘Wait, there was only a trash can there, right?’
Was she inside the trash can?
Or was it a box shaped like a trash can?
Is there any difference?
Well, come to think of it, not much.
But that’s not the point right now.
‘Incredible hiding skills.’
It's not just my opinion.
The presence of Rezé I felt with [Hyper Sense].
It wasn't much different from when I faced Caron.
Her hiding skill is on par with Caron's.
If her level rises and her stats increase, she might even surpass Caron in stealth.
‘Now that I think about it... I've heard that name before.’
Rezé, Rezé.
Characters in "Hero of the Academy" can be divided into three major categories.
Main characters, supporting characters, and extra characters created by the players.
‘Extra characters are one-time use.’
No matter how diligently you play, they disappear from the world the moment the game is over.
So, if she's in my memory, she's either a main or supporting character.
But I know not just the main characters, but also most of the supporting ones.
Then, she must be a supporting character among supporting characters.
That must be Rezé.
‘Not a very useful character, then.’
But it seemed worth checking.
I looked at Rezé and activated a skill.
‘Information window.’
[Rezé de Leria]
Lv: 14
Strength: 3
Agility: 34
Intelligence: 13
Stamina: 15
Magic Power: 30
Potential: 13
Owned Skills: [Box Making S], [Focus S], [Stealth S], [Sure Shot S], [Crisis Detection A], [Passive Life A], [Timid Struggle B], [Leria Family Style F]
Owned Traits: Survivalist
(I just want to survive somehow. In a crisis, agility and intelligence double.)
Owned Title: Coward
(If targeted in combat, flees the battlefield. However, leaves carrots for allies.)
Seeing her information window, I couldn't help but be amazed.
Despite her low level, she has incredibly high stats.
Four S-grade skills, and even the Survivalist trait.
‘This is an overpowered spec.’
But soon, that feeling subsided.
The moment I saw the last title 'Coward,' I remembered what kind of character Rezé was.
'A bug-level character with a 100% hit rate.'
However, due to her low attack power and the tendency to flee when targeted by enemies, she was a character often overlooked.
What does that mean?
The moment she becomes a target of an attack, she immediately leaves the battlefield.
In typical games, a character loses health, blocks, or gets stunned when attacked.
Rezé, however, does none of these.
The moment she becomes a target, she exits the battlefield.
She just disappears.
‘She does return in the next battle, but...’
She doesn't stop fleeing even then.
And this was a significant issue in the SRPG genre.
Even the most incompetent character can at least serve as a meat shield.
But since she immediately leaves the battlefield, she can't even be used as a shield.
And most importantly.
‘Her level doesn't increase.’
Since she always leaves the battlefield first, she can't gain experience points.
As time goes on, the level gap with other characters widens, making it impossible to keep her in the team.
Of course, the expert players aren't called experts for no reason.
‘The Spear Build.’
Commonly known as Rezé with a spear.
Thinking that if she has a 100% hit rate and can knock out enemies in one hit, it would work out somehow, they successfully developed a build focused on increasing her attack power.
However.
‘Who knew she would also flee from area attacks.’
As a feature of the game, it's natural for area attacks to increase as the game progresses.
From the mid-game onwards, full-area attacks also appear.
What if, at the start of the battle, the enemy uses a full-area attack?
Only a carrot remains where Rezé was.
She fled the battlefield. To survive.
‘That's why she was ultimately abandoned.’
It's no wonder I couldn't remember her.
Even the expert players who liked Rezé for being like a rabbit gave up on her.
"So what? Why are you following us?"
"Th, that is..."
Rezé's gaze shifted between Luna's legs and feet.
She seemed to lack even the courage to look at her face.
Well, I understand.
Our Luna's face looks almost like a final boss!
"What were you thinking just now?"
"Nothing."
"...Really? Well, enjoy this 'nothing' punch."
Thump, thump!!
I was being beaten up by Luna when Rezé started trembling and opened her mouth.
"With, with Luna..."
"With me?"
"Ta, taking photos was so enjoyable that... So, sorry!"
Rezé, lying prostrate, now completely glued herself to the ground.
I looked through the photos I had taken.
Luna and the nearby rock.
No, the rock-shaped box containing Rezé.
It was indeed present in all of Luna's photos.
‘But do people usually describe that as taking photos together?’
Such a peculiar and bizarre child.
Even Luna has to try harder! She still lacks in weirdness(?).
"Taking photos with me was enjoyable?"
"Yes, yes!"
Rezé nodded desperately.
‘Well, it doesn't seem like she's a spy planted by Teron. No need to worry then.’
That's when Luna whispered in my ear.
"Zero, I think we've found something."
Found what?
"A spy."
Luna's eyes shone.
Seeing her like this, I thought.
Ah, our Luna too.
She's not one to be outdone in strangeness.
--TL Notes--
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