LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 1
There was a web novel called “Hero of the Corporate City.”
It had a lot going on, but all you really need to know is that it was popular enough to collaborate with a major development company to create a game.
I figured I might have a 0.001% stake in that game—I’d been such a huge fan.
But the game had issues.
If you asked me what the problems were, I could criticize it all day just based on the story.
No, really, when I think about it, there’s nothing but the story to complain about.
To sum it up, the original protagonist was treated like the bad guy by the new protagonist who was a real pain, and that was the problem.
Born with everything, yet foolish, he had never seen the dark side of society, and he was against even the gray area, labeling it as evil.
He managed to push the original protagonist aside, and he was much more irritating than the spoiled noble brat in the original story.
So, I wrote a 57-character review on the store.
It wasn’t really a review; it was just a bunch of curses and mockery.
But if they wrote a story like that, they were asking to be cursed at, right? So I did.
However, the storywriter seemed to be quite petty because, unable to take it, they made me possess an extra, a disposable experiment subject.
But I’ve never regretted it.
Even if I knew I was possessing one of the many experiment subjects dying in a secret research facility, I would have jumped at the chance.
If I had known my gender would change, I might have thought twice.
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my school uniform. It felt a bit awkward since I was alone in my rented room, but I had to get used to it.
And honestly, today, I figured that awkwardness didn’t really matter.
Today was the entrance ceremony at the Academy!
I had already made up my mind to infiltrate the Academy as soon as I suggested it to the Boss, but now that the moment had come, I felt a bit excited.
At the same time, it was quite bittersweet.
Wearing what the heroines used to wear made me really reflect on my situation.
I would have preferred to wear a male uniform, but here I was.
There was no need to dwell on such gloomy thoughts on a good day. Let’s think positively! I was still going to the Academy!
Yeah, that’s what mattered.
“Why won’t this thing lock?!”
But before I could even get to the Academy, I was already facing a problem. I couldn’t lock my coat.
The Boss clearly ordered it in the most relaxed size possible. What kind of body do I have? Did I grow in the last month? It barely fit a month ago!
Only after trying it on did I understand the heroine’s complaints about her clothes being tight.
So this is what it feels like. But at least she could button her coat.
Mine was more like a coat worn for show. I might get marked for dressing poorly on the first day!
Even if the dress code is flexible, it can’t be too laid-back.
With the student council around, they might call me out for my outfit on the very first day.
I sighed, trying to get it closed, but eventually, I gave up.
Come on, they can’t really care if I don’t button my coat, right? It’s not like I’m deliberately trying to be sloppy; it’s just my body!
I stood in front of the mirror one last time to make sure nothing looked weird.
Aside from the coat and my dark circles, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Both were unavoidable, so I stopped thinking about them.
Now I had to get to the meeting place.
Looking at the clock, it wasn’t even 6:30 yet. But it could still be tight. Heros City was bustling with people.
Many people thought they could just sit comfortably if they left early in the morning.
Grabbing my bag, I dashed to the monorail station.
And as expected, people were already starting to gather. If this was the crowd now, just wait until 7!
It would have been horrendous. My body takes up a lot of space, so I prefer not to squeeze in with many people.
Fortunately, the arriving monorail wasn’t too crowded.
There were some empty seats, so I managed to sit down. What a relief.
“World’s Capital, Heros City. What moves Heros City is all you proud citizens. Your noble…”
I tuned out the usual morning motivation speeches that played every day and looked out the window at the elevated train running through the city.
It was just as those TV shows from my childhood depicted—the futuristic city that sparks excitement.
Or maybe it looked particularly beautiful today because it was the day of the Academy entrance ceremony.
“Tsk.”
But just because they lived in such a city doesn’t mean they were upgraded to Human 2.0.
I shot a glare at a guy who was sneaking glances at me, clicking my tongue to show my displeasure.
The guy awkwardly turned his gaze out of the window.
And, following his lead, a few others shifted their eyes away awkwardly as well.
…It didn’t seem like it was the Academy uniform attracting attention.
Why do all the calories go straight to the chest or hips? I really didn’t want this kind of body.
Even without this body, I’d still catch eyes in an Academy uniform.
Wearing an Academy uniform meant being an Abilities User.
There are quite a few Abilities Users, but strong ones are rare. So, wearing an Academy uniform is like proving your strength.
Typically, people wouldn’t want to make eye contact, but to be noticed because of my body first? That’s just unfair.
I cursed the storywriter who threw me into this body, silently vowing to ruin their story.
After getting off not at the Academy but at the stop after, I sneaked into an alley, trying to avoid the CCTV at 7 AM.
It turned out to be more relaxed than I thought. Maybe next time, I could leave a bit later.
Comforted by that thought, I made my way through the alley toward the meeting place.
The path was complicated enough that finding it without GPS would be challenging, but using my phone could lead to being tracked, so that was out of the question. But I had nothing to worry about.
I just needed to follow the unpleasant smells and noise that seemed out of place here.
Among the races, the senses of the beastfolk were unparalleled, so with perked ears and a keen nose, I tracked down the meeting spot.
“Oh, everyone’s here.”
I half-expected one or two to run away, so I was surprised to see them all present.
Now I had to figure out how to handle this, but luckily I had some help.
The wide clearing was filled with a ragtag group of scruffy delinquents.
A single high school girl among several delinquents. Anyone would think the high schooler should be the one scared, but in reality, it was the opposite.
The delinquents were shaking at the sight of me.
“You called us here…!”
“Well, I didn’t think there would be such a bond among a bunch of loser villains. Calling you guys ‘brother’ was just a joke, right?”
They were the ones I recently crushed and brought under my wing.
These were such low-tier villains that even heroes thought catching them was a waste of time.
You might wonder what on earth could be done with them, but every now and then, there was a use.
“Shut up! Our bond is not something you can casually mention!”
Oh, really?
Not that they have any real strength, but I guess pride is their thing, so I didn’t stomp on it.
I’m not that terrible of a person.
Instead, I silently put on my gloves and pulled out six syringes from my bag.
“Here. Even you useless losers can fight for a bit with this.”
“Is that real? Is there such a thing?! You’re not joking, are you? You really intend for us to attack an Academy student?!”
It might not compare to the real deal, but it was the strongest stuff I mixed while experimenting. Also, the most toxic.
“Of course. You think I’d send you to attack an Academy student barehanded? I’m not that cruel. As long as you follow my instructions, it’ll be fine.”
“…I hope we won’t meet again. I don’t know why you’re in an Academy uniform, but that’s not our concern, right?”
“Right. It’s not your concern. We’re not that close anyway. Just do your best. If you succeed today, there’s enough money for you to live freely.”
As long as they succeeded. With that note, I casually left.
By the time I checked my watch, it was almost time for them to pass through the street, so I scaled the walls and hopped up onto the rooftops.
I needed to move toward where they’d be walking without even trying hard to find them; I could see the original protagonist, Seojinhyeon, and his heroine, Lee Yeonhwa, standing side by side heading toward the Academy.
I had seen Jinhyeon a few times from a distance when I was planning to kill him, but this was my first look at Yeonhwa.
She looked as vibrant as a flame. With her red hair and eyes, she had just the right amount of energy for her age.
Her bright personality made it hard to understand why she would fall for such a guy. Well, I could understand a little.
After all, the storywriter probably knew there would be a war if the original heroine and Jinhyeon were paired, so this must have been some compromise.
Listening to Yeonhwa excitedly chatter away, I couldn’t help but think how boring the early parts of the story were.
So, I decided to spice things up a bit.
I waited until they passed through the alley.
And, right now—
“Watch out!”
Villains that were even bigger than before suddenly leapt from the alley, targeting them!