LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 2
2. How to Survive as a Scammer (2)
As I exited the infirmary, the road ahead seemed bleak.
I couldn’t tell anyone about this curse. My voice comes out clearly, but it sounds like silence to others.
It was the same when I wrote it down. I tried to jot it down in the student notebook in my pocket, but the letters quickly faded. It might as well have been muted.
‘This is certainly something that shouldn’t be mentioned.’
The source of the curse was entirely unknown, and it was a completely new type I had never seen before.
However, I learned that it had rooted itself throughout the Crawler Family. If that’s the case, my father would also be cursed with the same thing.
‘The settings are really disgustingly broken.’
At that moment, a few students were causing a commotion in the hallway. Events like this happen when some famous student is roaming about the school.
– It’s Jenny Chain Silver.
– Isn’t she that first-year who got humiliated before?
– Shh! She’s not in a good mood lately. Let’s not provoke her.
A girl was walking over from across the hallway. With her waterfall-like blue hair tied into a side ponytail, she captured the attention of the students.
‘Jenny Chain Silver.’ A student of Class A who gained the professors’ interest and one of the playable characters from Devil Academy.
And one of the characters who would later become part of the protagonist ‘Lyman Begilius’ group.
She originally had a bright personality, but at the beginning, she appears as a cold and distant character.
The reason being Radon Crawler. Radon scammed her badly, causing her to change like that.
In other words, encountering that girl right now is a suicide mission!
‘Looks like she hasn’t noticed me yet.’
Without letting her catch on, I quickly turned my head.
If I just sneak away…
“Are you trying to run away right now?”
“……!!”
Suddenly, Jenny appeared in front of me, closing the distance with a speed skill that felt like teleportation. Is she human or a ghost?
And I felt a spine-chilling dread that made me feel like my life might end.
“Radon Crawler. Don’t you have something to say to me?”
“…….”
Even though I didn’t do anything wrong, my body instinctively froze.
Her gaze was so fierce it was terrifying. A chill ran down my spine, as if ice water was poured over me.
Having played as Jenny myself, I understood well why she looked so fierce.
During the first self-battle training, Radon had boasted shamelessly. He claimed his family had the bloodline of a great swordsman or something.
However, given that the Crawler Family had been ruined, the students quickly saw through his lie and mocked him.
The only one who defended Radon was Jenny. She regarded him as an outcast due to his prejudices.
While the students of Class C ridiculed him for not being a descendant of a swordsman, Jenny stood firm. This led to some of the envious classmates demanding something shocking: Jenny’s prized possession.
That being the sapphire pendant that belonged to her late mother.
The situation escalated, and refusing it would mean becoming a laughingstock, so Jenny reluctantly accepted the proposal.
To protect her heirloom, Jenny, and Radon so that her kindness wouldn’t be in vain, they trained together after school for a week.
And on the day of truth-telling, it was supposed to unfold as a showdown where Radon would duel against a student from Class A in front of everyone.
Jenny waited for Radon, her hands sweating with anxiety.
But Radon did not show up.
Ultimately, the heirloom was shattered by that Class A student.
It was a colossal incident.
Afterward, Radon’s reputation plummeted, becoming the start of the stereotype that he was a scammer.
“I’ll forgive you if you tell the truth right now.”
“…….”
“Back then… why didn’t you show up?”
Soon enough, students began to gather one by one. They watched the situation in silence, knowing it might blow up at any moment.
Everything hinged on this one response. But admitting the truth was hard. Radon had been napping, after all.
I’m not joking.
‘I have to spin this somehow.’
The only good thing is that this body is specialized in lying.
Thanks to all the fabrications I had spewed out until now, my skill level in ‘Deceiving’ had risen. The skills activated on their own.
“At that time, I…”
– Insight Lv4
– Action Reading Lv4
“I ran away because I was scared.”
“What?”
“I was so tense. It felt like I was walking straight into a tiger’s den.”
What is this idiot saying? Such thoughts of disbelief appeared on Jenny’s face.
“Is that why… you broke your promise?”
She trembled, biting her lip. It looked like her fist was about to fly into my face.
But she wouldn’t. She thought that it wouldn’t be fair to defeat someone in a place like this.
However, if I revealed that I had been napping, she might actually throw a punch. My ‘insight’ was telling me that.
“I’m sorry, but fear outweighs promises. Especially since the opponent was the infamous ‘Traveler.’”
“…….”
“If you’re not happy, just hit me. I’ll cover for you in front of the professors.”
Saying that, I closed my eyes and puffed out my chest confidently. Surely, a delicate girl’s punch couldn’t hurt, but she is a Class A student from the Combat Department. It wouldn’t be strange if a single hit shattered my bones.
Of course, that wouldn’t happen. My ‘Action Reading’ was there to tell me so.
“You say you’ll cover for me? How absurd. Do you think I’ll fall for your lies again?”
“…….”
“Don’t let me see you again. You’ll die for real next time.”
Jenny shrugged my shoulder as she passed by. Her fury did not seem to cool even as she exited.
But nothing like a rooftop after-school showdown occurred.
[Decrease in Erosion Rate -2%]
[Experience for the ‘Scammer’ job is increasing.]
[+200 Credits]
“Phew… I thought I was gonna die.”
Once the situation concluded, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
As expected, it’s a well-established truth that lies come with your life on the line.
*
My goals are twofold.
A stable school life, and breaking this annoying curse.
The source of the curse was entirely unknown, and it was a completely new type I had never seen before.
However, I learned that it had rooted itself throughout the Crawler Family.
I immediately returned to the dormitory and began rummaging through my room. Since I lived alone unlike others, it didn’t matter if it was messy.
There, I found the only clue: a letter from my father, which had already been opened, suggesting it had been read before.
Clearly, he must have cared for me while keeping it safe.
[Our dear Radon. Are you doing well? Although I made the hasty decision to enroll you in the academy, you shouldn’t be threatened by pursuers there. It’ll be a win-win if your talents can shine there.]
Pursuers… Given our family has been annihilated, it’s only natural that such people exist.
Up until now, my father’s concerns were wrapped in warmth.
But the rest was pure comedy.
[The hidden assets we managed to sneak away just before our family lost its power were used for your tuition. Although the remaining assets have disappeared, our family has not been completely wiped out.]
“Pffft!”
So we’re broke but not annihilated?
Is it akin to saying, ‘I drank but didn’t drive’?
I nearly burst into laughter while reading.
[It’s just that we lost our mansion, power, and servants. Our Crawler Family still has enough might to stand tall. Just selling the name Crawler will make your classmates bow at your feet.]
What’s a powerless family supposed to be?
Is it like a ‘Hongcheol-less Hongcheol team’?
[Remember that! Our Crawler must live that way now!]
“…eh?”
I felt a strange kind of mana from that line.
Could my father be a wizard or something, having cast some brainwashing magic on his letter? The more I read, the more my eyes seemed to blur.
Zziiing!-
Before I was fully exposed to that mana, I quickly tore the letter to shreds. Clearly, he was trying to brainwash his child.
I’m sorry, Father, but it couldn’t be helped. I’m not Radon.
Therefore, there’s no reason for me to be brainwashed.
– Radon Crawler. Student Radon Crawler, please come to the Newspaper Department.
Just then, my student ID vibrated and displayed a message. If you look at the back of the ID, there’s a mirror that can be used to transmit messages to the students.
Now that I think about it, Radon was in the Newspaper Department. It seemed their club meeting was scheduled for today.
“I’m sorry for being late!”
Since I knew the academy’s map well, I made my way there without getting lost.
As soon as I entered the Newspaper Department, I bowed before everyone and offered a formal apology for my tardiness.
“Hahaha. You really came fast.”
Trisha Marelin, the head of the Newspaper Department, said while grinding her teeth.
I raised my humility.
“Sorry. I had to drop by the infirmary…”
“Forget about being late. Today is a bit… wait!”
Trisha suddenly stopped midsentence, eyes widening.
She looked shocked as if she realized something.
“Why are you using honorifics?”
“Excuse me?”
“Why is the guy who usually acts like a big shot from the great Crawler family suddenly so humble?”
The other members reacted similarly; it seemed like they had just witnessed a bizarre phenomenon.
Considering Radon’s usual character, it’s no surprise they’d react like this. They’re not the weird ones here.
“Were you acting like royal blood or something all of a sudden…?”
“…….”
“Hmm, anyway! We need to talk about you today.”
Trisha held up the mirror on the back of her student ID. The mirror reflecting her transformed instantly into some kind of screen. It started displaying an official document.
It was published by the Newspaper Department, and my name was written as the publisher.
“This is your newspaper that has just started to spread through the school. It contains some deadly false testimony.”
“Ah…”
I knew well without her saying what Radon had done.
So-called fake news. Radon’s rampaging lies began right here.
It starts somewhat weak but eventually crosses lines, spreading falsehoods to the point of expulsion.
This would irk the main characters.
“Since it’s already published, it can’t be corrected. Quite a few students must be shaking their heads at this ridiculous news already.”
“I’m truly sorry. I’m ashamed.”
“Sorry to say, but if I had known you were such a liar, I wouldn’t have selected you.”
Trisha felt an urge to turn back time.
Back when the first-year students enrolled. She hadn’t accepted Radon at face value with his bright demeanor. The fact that there were few applicants to the Newspaper Department also played a role.
His reliable smile and dignified attitude had an overwhelming presence compared to the other applicants. It didn’t seem like he applied due to grades.
She resented herself for being captivated by it.
‘How pathetic. It’s fate that my spine is going to be warped at a tangent because of Radon.’
Trisha, as the head, bore the responsibility for this fake news. Thinking of her own future, she felt an involuntary embarrassment.
[Decrease in Erosion Rate: -100%]
[+ 10000 Credits]
[Experience for the ‘Scammer’ job is increasing.]
[You have exceeded a certain amount of experience! You gain 1 Stat Point.]
[As a side effect, various skill levels increase.]
– (Insight Lv5, Action Reading Lv5, Acting Lv4)
[Additional skill activated!]
– (Fake News Lv1, Deceive & Strike Lv1)
‘What is this now?’
Living as an Academy Scammer.