LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 1 - Possession
✦ Chapter 1 – Possession ✦
「Translator – Creator」
Croa Academy.
‘Croa Academy,’ commonly known as ‘Croaka,’ was a game where players solved various incidents occurring at the Croa Academy, an educational institution located in the Croa Empire.
With its hundreds or even thousands of routes, captivating story, and unique NPCs, Croaka has attracted many players, myself included.
“It’s already been 10 years.”
Sitting in my room, I muttered to myself as I looked at the monitor screen.
Ten years already.
I had been entranced by this game ever since I started as a middle school student until now.
As usual, I logged into Croaka today, only to find a message waiting for me on my account.
A message?
As a solo player, I rarely received any messages, so I opened this one with curiosity.
〚Sender – Administrator〛
Seeing the sender, I grew even more intrigued. The company behind Croaka had remained a mystery for the past ten years, with nothing known about the administrators either.
“A message from an admin… If I post this on the game forum, it’ll cause a huge stir.”
⌠Hello, Player ‘Loki.’ We are the administrators of Croa Academy. We are reaching out to offer you a chance to participate in the beta test for Croa Academy 2.⌡
“Croaka 2!?”
I could hardly contain my excitement at the mention of a beta test for Croaka 2.
No matter how many diverse routes Croaka had, after ten years, I had played through most of the content. Players had been eagerly awaiting a sequel.
⌠If you want to learn more about Croa Academy 2, please click on the link below. wwvv.gldthrdkTwl⌡
Without hesitation, I clicked the link.
Bzzt… Bzzt…
Suddenly, odd noises came from the computer, and the monitor screen went dark.
What’s going on?
Pop—!
“It’s turned back on.”
When the screen came back, a man appeared on it.
‘Is this the protagonist of Croaka 2?’
The man on the screen had white hair and wore an academy uniform. But the most notable feature was the white mask covering his face. The mysterious yet ludicrous mask captured my attention.
‘Nice design.’
[Clown]
[Poker Face]
[The Creator’s Touch]
Think of traits like passive abilities.
Unlike the previous characters, these did not seem to be related to combat at all.
[Illusion]
This unique skill was the character’s core.
A unique skill was an ability only that specific character could possess.
‘Illusion, huh? Seems similar to illusion-type magic.’
⌠Do you wish to play Croa Academy 2?⌡
⌠Y/N⌡
I clicked Y without a second thought. The screen momentarily went black again and then turned back on.
⌠You may bring up to 2 items from your previous character.⌡
I started tapping the desk, thinking. If I chose overly powerful items, the game would become too easy, ruining the fun.
“Oh, right. There was that.”
There was an item I had created long ago when I had nothing else to do, pouring money into its creation.
「???’s Subspace / Mythic Grade」
A subspace was a standard item, normally received at the start of the game at a normal grade, but after achieving all endings and having nothing left to do, I spent money to upgrade it to a mythic grade. However, since mythic grade items were restricted in number, I never got to use it. I chose the mythic grade subspace without hesitation.
“What should the other item be?”
After some deliberation, I chose a mobility-related skill book.
「Shadow Step」
As soon as I made my selections, the screen went dark again.
Expecting it to turn back on shortly, I waited, but it didn’t turn back on for a good 30 seconds.
“Sigh… I haven’t even had this computer for long. Why is it acting up?”
While I was sighing, an enormous hand suddenly shot out of the monitor.
“Shit! What the hell is this?!”
The hand that emerged from the monitor grabbed me and pulled me inside at a speed I couldn’t resist.
**************
After the man was pulled into the monitor, the screen returned to normal, displaying the protagonist of Croa Academy 2. The white hair, academy uniform, and mask were the same as before, but there was one difference – the mask was now in his hand. The face behind the mask was identical to the man who had been pulled into the monitor.
**************
Half a year had passed since I entered the game world.
At first, I tried to understand the situation and return to reality, but I gave up after just 40 minutes.
In reality, I had no family in real life, and living in Croaka felt more like reality anyway.
I was now walking through the capital of the empire, on my way to attend the academy’s entrance ceremony.
“Hey, Mask Uncle!”
A young girl saw me from afar and shouted.
“Little lady, can’t you see this academy uniform? I’m not an uncle.”
I spun around in place, showing off my uniform; my demeanor and actions were influenced by my trait [Clown].
Though it was uncomfortable at first, I had gotten used to it by now.
“But why are you wearing a mask?”
“This mask has special magic.”
The reason I wore this mask was that it was an item.
With the [Clown’s Mask] equipped, my proficiency in various tasks increases more than usual. For instance, wearing the mask while exercising yielded more stamina gains compared to not wearing it.
“Show me the magic!”
“Just for you, little lady, I’ll show you something special.”
I snapped my fingers.
Snap—!
And with a clear, ringing sound, a cat appeared out of thin air.
“Wow, a cat!”
“Isn’t it amazing?”
“Can you make a dog too?”
I snapped my fingers again.
Snap—!
This time, a dog materialized out of thin air.
This was my unique skill, [Illusion].
It could create illusions. Though it felt awkward at first, continuous practice with the mask allowed me to use it freely now. I went on to create several more illusions for the young girl.
Her delighted reactions made me keep going without realizing it.
“Wow! Now it’s a butterfly!”
“…………”
While I was creating a butterfly,
I noticed a woman crouching next to the girl, watching me.
Startled by the sudden arrival, I was even more shocked by her appearance — platinum blonde hair that cascaded down to her waist, blue eyes resembling sapphires. These features combined to create a stunning appearance. Her eyes seemed expressionless, but it didn’t detract from her beauty.
She had the appearance of a divine work of art crafted with meticulous care by gods rather than just a human being.
She had a sword at her waist, and a badge indicating a member of the disciplinary committee on her uniform sleeve.
The reason I had played Croaka for ten years, my favorite character, Johanna Freya.
She stood before me.
However, perhaps due to the [Poker Face] trait, I was able to hide my emotions despite meeting my favorite character face-to-face.
“Ah! Who are you? You startled me.”
Unlike me, who was pretending to be startled, the child smiled brightly at Johanna.
“Pretty sister!”
The child naturally hugged her. I’m so jealous!
“Do you know this little miss?”
“Uh-huh! She sometimes comes and buys me delicious treats.”
Johanna gently patted the head of the child who had naturally clung to her; the way she patted her head made it clear this wasn’t the first time.
“You’re lying.”
“Excuse me?”
“That you were startled.”
“No, no, it’s not a lie. I was truly surprised. My heart almost burst from the shock!”
The reason Johanna thought I was lying was probably because of the [Poker Face] trait. It was so unfair. I was genuinely startled!
“Pretty sister, why are you here at this hour?”
“A report.”
“A report?”
I had to interject in their conversation. What’s going on? As far as I remember, there was no incident around this time that would call for the disciplinary committee. Did something change?
She stared at me intently.
“A suspicious man wearing a mask was reported to be talking to a young girl…”
A suspicious man wearing a mask… That’s me?
“Is the mister a suspicious person?”
“No, no, you’ve been having so much fun talking with me, but saying that now hurts my feelings.”
I clutched my chest and pretended to fall, making the child burst into laughter.
“Are you a freshman?”
“Yes! I’m a fresh new student starting this year. But how did you know?”
“I’ve never seen your face before.”
“Well, it is a face that’s hard to forget after just one look.”
“Mister, you should say that without the mask on.”
Johanna continued to look at me as I chatted with the child. Then she made an unbelievable proposal.
“Shall we go together?
For Johanna to say something like that first! Even in the game, she never once suggested doing something together.
“For you to make such an offer, it’s an honor for me, senior.”
“Your name?”
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Loki. What is your name, senior?”
“Johanna Freya.”
Ah, hearing Johanna introduce herself to me! The six months of hardship after falling into this game world were worth it.
“May I call you Senior Johanna?”
“As you wish.”
“Please feel free to call me Loki.”
She murmured my name, “Loki… Loki.” So cute!
“Loki. Let’s go.”
“Yes! Understood, Senior Johanna!”
I responded loudly to Johanna, who was softly calling my name.
“See you later, Mask Uncle and pretty sister!”
“See you again, little miss. And next time, don’t call me Uncle!”
The little girl raised one hand high in the air and waved it energetically.
I raised both my hands and waved even more energetically than she did.
“………..”
Johanna, watching both of us, timidly raised her hand and waved it slightly.
And so, Johanna and I began walking towards the academy.
— End of Chapter —
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