HACKED 55

The girl is called <Sickly Model Student> in this place. Actually, the word “called” is somewhat of a misnomer. This is because since her descent into this Pantheon, she has never once been called by another person.

A somewhat bland name compared to other high-rarity Incarnations: <Sickly Model Student>. As one can tell from that name, she is a 1-star Incarnation.

1-star Incarnations are treated as blatant duds in the gacha. <No Lifer> gives a 3-star Incarnation guaranteed summon ticket just for completing the beginner tutorial. Furthermore, if you spin the 10-pull gacha a few times with free currency, 2-stars come out in droves. With them alone, one can easily form a unit. Simply put, 1-stars are beings that even newbies do not spare a glance for; they are beings that get ground up immediately upon appearing to become a handful of resources.

It goes without saying for <UserMyeong808>, whose deck is overflowing with 4-stars and 5-stars after playing for a long, long time. Back when he was a user, he used to mercilessly grind up even 3-stars if their traits or stats were a bit lacking. Keeping them was useless and only took up slots.

So how could a 1-star Incarnation remain in his Pantheon? That is because <Sickly Model Student> is an Incarnation he obtained during his last login, just before <UserMyeong808>’s account was hacked.

<Sickly Model Student> was given as a daily reward for an attendance event. She came along with a few other similarly worthless junk items. <UserMyeong808> clicked “Receive All” in his mailbox, took the items, and shoved them straight into his inventory, and that became his final play.

Thus, <Sickly Model Student> came to exist in a corner of his Pantheon. An Incarnation he was so uninterested in that he even forgot to grind her up. An Incarnation who never had a chance to show off her standing illustration or acquisition voice. That was <Sickly Model Student>.

Even after that, she continued to live hiding in the corners. Unrecognized by anyone, without being assigned to any missions including combat or exploration.

If one were to summarize the Incarnation <Sickly Model Student> in three phrases, it would be: Rarity 1, Level 1, Contamination 0.

The secret to how this Incarnation, so fragile she would die instantly if someone just brushed against her in passing, could survive until now in a broken and twisted Pantheon is…

Active Skill: “World Inside the Mirror”

: On the wall of the landing of the central staircase at our school, there is a large mirror. They say that at exactly 12:00 midnight, when the grandfather clock chimes, if you stand in front of it and touch it, you can enter the mirror.

If you contact a mirror in a dark place during a time when the sun is not up, you can move between the “inside of the mirror” and the “outside of the mirror.” Only the caster themselves is able to enter or exit; you cannot take someone with you or bring items.

A skill named <World Inside the Mirror>. For a 1-star Incarnation who did not possess many skills, this skill was practically her only lifeline and means of survival.

From the perspective of a user of <No Lifer>, this skill is neither-here-nor-there trash. First, given the nature of the world of <No Lifer>, there are almost no places with mirrors among the combat maps. What use are mirrors in a post-apocalypse where civilization has become ruins and the national system has collapsed?

Furthermore, the constraint of the AND condition of “a dark place” during “a time when the sun is not up” is added. Even if you are in a pitch-black interior, it is no good if the time of day is afternoon; even if it is the middle of the night, it is no good if the lights are turned on.

Even if all these conditions are somehow met, the skill itself has no particular use. You cannot move living beings or items, and only the caster can enter and exit, so what on earth are you supposed to do once you enter the mirror?

For the purpose of evading enemy attacks? For the purpose of a surprise attack while the enemy is off guard? All of it is impossible.

Firstly, <Sickly Model Student> is terrible at combat itself. Attack power, defense power, critical hit rate, and evasion rate are all abysmal.

Secondly, this skill even has quite a long cooldown. Once you enter, you have to spend the time watching from beyond the mirror until the battle ends.

Thirdly, the method to cancel this skill is very simple. You just have to break the mirror the caster is inside of.

In many ways, it seems like a very useless skill. However, <Sickly Model Student> used this skill for the purpose of creating a hiding place just for herself. Because the world inside the mirror consists only of the area reflected in the mirror, she cannot walk around freely. However, it was very suitable for staying still and hiding under one’s breath in a space that no one could invade.

In that way, <Sickly Model Student> has preserved her life until now. But one day, an end finally came to the small peace she enjoyed.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The surroundings shook with a roar as if the Pantheon were being smashed whole. Even though there had been various battles as the Incarnations went crazy one by one, there had never been an uproar like this before.

She was anxious because she did not know what on earth was happening in the world outside the mirror. However, she did not have the courage to go out and check. <Sickly Model Student> squeezed her eyes shut and sat huddled in a corner. Hoping only that no harm would come to her.

Clatter!

But her wish was in vain. Eventually, with a loud noise, the mirror broke. <Sickly Model Student>, who was trembling while covering her ears, was horrified.

“Gah!”

The destruction of the mirror meant the destruction of the world she was hiding in. Cracks appeared with a snap in the empty air, and the space itself came crashing down.

As the skill was forcibly canceled, she was tossed out into the world outside the mirror. Her whole body throbbed from being thrown onto the cold floor, but it was not the time to be in pain. When she stood up after dusting off her school uniform skirt, the scenery of a desolate hallway unfolded before her eyes.

“Other mirrors nearby… uh, there aren’t any? This is bad.”

In that way, she wandered around here and there looking for a new mirror, eventually reaching the situation where she discovered the unfamiliar emblem engraved on the banner and became frightened out of her wits.

“It’s okay. I haven’t encountered a ‘strange’ Incarnation yet. It’s okay, I can live! Let’s hang in there!”

<Sickly Model Student> tightly clutched the paper she always kept precious in her pocket. The paper titled <Pantheon Survival Rules for Newcomers> was something she had discovered immediately after arriving here.

For her, who had never personally faced the being known as the owner and had never spoken with other Incarnations, this rulebook was truly her only salvation. Even while hiding and disconnected from the outside world, she had never let the rulebook leave her side for a single moment.

“Did the rulebook say what to do when mirrors break and cracks appear in the walls and floor? Ah, there was no such item… I see. No matter how much I read, it’s not there.”

<Sickly Model Student> muttered while holding the paper tightly with both hands. From over her shoulder, a strange voice was suddenly heard.

“What are you?”

“Gaaah!”

<Sickly Model Student> let out a shriek and fell on her backside. Soon, a large shadow loomed over her.

The man standing before her was enormous. Even at a glance, he looked to be over 2 meters tall. Compared to <Sickly Model Student>, who was a bit under 160 cm, there was a difference of about two heads. From <Sickly Model Student>’s perspective, she had to tilt her head back until it hurt just to barely see the opponent’s face.

“I asked, what are you?”

The man suddenly poked his head forward. Light blue eyes unexpectedly approached right in front of her nose. <Sickly Model Student> was so surprised her heart nearly stopped.

“Eeeeek!”

“For a tiny thing, you sure have a loud voice.”

This was the first time another Incarnation had spoken to <Sickly Model Student>. It was not that she had never encountered one at all, but because she had been avoiding them out of fear, catching only a glimpse from far away was the extent of it.

Is he going to eat me? Is he going to torture me? Is he going to kill me very painfully?

All sorts of terrifying clauses from the rulebook flashed through her head. With a face turned pale, <Sickly Model Student> squeezed out her courage and asked.

“Wh-wh-who are you? Why are you doing this to me?”

“Huh? I come here often. I came every day and no one was here. But you suddenly appeared.”

“StrangeMisterImadeamistakeIamaninnocentstudentwhohasdoneanythingwrongpleasesavemeeeee…”

Sitting on the floor, <Sickly Model Student>’s legs trembled like a newborn fawn. Regardless, the man took a quick look around and asked.

“Hey, do you know where Mister Kim is?”

“Mister Kim? Not Mister Kim who pulls a rickshaw and brings back beef soup, but Mister Kim? Who is that?”

“The owner, I mean.”

“Pardon?”

<Sickly Model Student> doubted her own ears. The owner. It was a word she had forgotten for a very long time.

“Hasn’t it been quite a while since the owner became invisible? Ever since the ‘disposal’ order came down last time… I don’t know well because I’ve been hiding too…”

“No, not that. The former owner.”

“Pe-pardon?”

True to her name, <Sickly Model Student> was a student who was thorough in her preparation and review. Immediately, a portion of the rulebook’s contents came to mind.

If someone talks about a “former owner,” ignore them.

The fine hairs on her entire body stood on end with terror.