Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

Ding-dong, ding—

As the short and long chimes of the class bell rang out, I explained this place to my younger self. Until “class time” ended, no one would interrupt us.

“All the rules in this field revolve around the premise that this is a school with teachers and students.”

The small shadows darting across the schoolyard were students, while the large shadow moving between two spaces inside the building was the teacher. The class bell that demarcated “class time” and “break time” was the standard for their behavior.

“For a raid-type field, why is it so complicated?”

My younger self squinted one eye, unable to comprehend my words. Well, it was understandable; this was a time when she didn’t yet know that the World Tower, and its fields, had as many exceptions as rules.

If we had to classify it, “Master’s Favor” was indeed a raid-type field, as my younger self said. Generally, raid-type fields disappear once the field boss is eliminated. But this place couldn’t be cleared with such a simple method.

“If you don’t understand and respect the rules of this place, you’ll never be able to leave.”

“I get the ‘understand’ part, but what do you mean by ‘respect’?”

“Think of yourself as an outsider visiting this ‘school’.”

If not, it’s back to square one. When I asked with my eyes if she knew this from experience, my younger self bit her lip. She bit down so hard that blood beaded on her lip, prompting me to tap her lip lightly with my index finger.

“Don’t overthink it. You’ve been to school before, haven’t you?”

I burst out laughing at the sight of my younger self lost in thought. She might have snapped at me for laughing, but she seemed too focused to even notice.

I nodded with satisfaction at the answer my younger self finally gave.

“The field boss is that big shadow, the teacher, right?”

“Why do you think so?”

“First, the field name. I don’t think the word ‘master’ is in there for no reason. And the small shadows are too weak compared to the field’s rank. They’re hardly field boss material.”

It was a valid point. “Master’s Favor” was a B-rank field. Yet the small shadows playing the role of students were so weak that even my younger self could defeat them without much difficulty. Their only issue was their sheer number.

‘That’s why I initially thought this was a wave-type field.’

After repeated resets, I realized my assumption was wrong. I gradually came to understand that even the seemingly unreasonable resets followed a certain set of rules.

Perhaps thanks to the multiple clues I’d given, my younger self seemed to grasp these rules as well. She grabbed my arm and asked:

“You definitely told me to be quiet earlier because ‘class time’ was about to start, right?”

“Oh, you remember that?”

“You just said it a moment ago! …I can’t believe I didn’t realize something so simple.”

Unable to contain her frustration, my younger self was about to bite her lip again but caught my eye and clamped her mouth shut instead. I patted her hand on my left arm in approval.

“No one should disrupt class time, that’s the rule. If you cause a commotion inside the classroom, or loud enough to be heard inside, it’s an automatic reset.”

“That’s not the only rule, is it?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Can’t you stop with the Socratic method when you’re supposed to be helping me?”

When I didn’t flinch at her sharp words, my younger self heaved a deep sigh. Then, as if she had no choice, she laid out the basis for her opinion.

“Because of the second reset. I’m sure I didn’t even enter the building, let alone the classroom. I didn’t do anything, but as soon as the bell rang to end class, I was reset.”

“Are you sure you didn’t do anything?”

“What?”

The school rules don’t just apply during class time, you know.

Hearing this, my younger self closed her eyes for a moment, as if tracing her memories. If she wasn’t just blanking out, she must be recalling the “break time” before the reset.

After a short while, she opened her eyes and muttered uncertainly.

“…Because I attacked the ‘students’?”

“Why are you whispering? You’re absolutely right.”

“Really? It was really because of that?”

“The field is heavily influenced by the field boss. Well, I guess no teacher would welcome someone who bullies their students.”

Whether it’s during class time or break time, harming a small shadow resets everything in the field.

Given the sheer number of small shadows, it was easy to fall into an endless cycle of resets due to this rule.

The small shadows running around frantically during break time even seemed threatening at first glance, making it all the more easy to misunderstand. But the small shadows, at most, would just climb onto your head en masse; they never attack players in the field.

“The more you watch them, the cuter they become. Maybe it’s because you get attached.”

“Are you serious?”

“No, I’m joking.”

My younger self frowned mercilessly. Seeing that, I could somewhat understand why Shin-ju enjoyed teasing me from the moment we met.

Not sure how she interpreted my smile, my younger self was about to get annoyed, so I quickly changed the subject.

“There are other rules, but you don’t need to worry about them much. If you just follow these two rules, you can avoid sudden death—well, sudden resets.”

“That’s good to hear. But it doesn’t make things entirely easy. You’re saying we need to avoid all the students and take down the teacher, right?”

“Exactly. That’s the crux of it.”

The challenge was how to avoid the small shadows swarming like ants. No matter how careful you were, if you got tangled up with even one of them, it was an instant reset.

“What kind of ridiculous difficulty is this? That field boss didn’t seem like just any B-rank either.”

“You’ve got a good eye. Even decent B-rank hunters would have a hard time dealing with that one.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than a look of suspicion began to creep into my younger self’s eyes. She must be wondering how I managed to defeat such an opponent. However, I could say with confidence:

“There’s no field without a solution.”

“…Well, that’s true, but…”

“Don’t be scared. I told you I’d help, didn’t I? Hmm, if you’re really afraid, should we pinky swear?”

Thinking to lighten the mood, I jokingly held out my pinky finger. My younger self stared at it with a sullen expression. Sensing the atmosphere was off, I realized my mistake.

‘Did I tease her too much?’

Just as I was about to withdraw my hand and apologize, something unexpected happened. I blinked in surprise as I felt my younger self’s finger hook around mine.

“It’s a promise.”

“Ah, yeah. Right. Just trust me.”

Hearing my dumbfounded response, my younger self burst out laughing. She said I didn’t sound trustworthy at all, or something to that effect. Whatever the case, the mood had lightened as I’d intended, so all was well.

“Listen carefully. We’re going to aim for the next break time.”

“Huh? But the teacher only appears during class time. How?”

“It’s easy to think that way. But you’re wrong.”

The teacher suddenly appears in the classroom when the class bell rings, and seems to vanish when it rings again. It took me until the twentieth reset to realize that he wasn’t actually disappearing.

“The teacher just moves somewhere in this building during break time.”

“Moves?”

“Yeah, to a place where students absolutely can’t go. Teachers need their break time too, right?”

“Where, where to?”

My younger self’s eyes lit up as she pounced on me with questions. She must have realized that this was the perfect opportunity to take down the teacher. However, I wasn’t going to give her the answer right away.

“It’s an easy question, so don’t ask me directly. Think about it yourself.”

Where does the teacher go during break time, and where can’t students freely enter? Where could that be?

To my delight, my younger self came up with the answer quickly.

“The faculty room.”

“Ding dong—”

Ding, dong-dong

The class bell rang rudely in the middle of my sentence. It seemed I’d have to give the remaining explanation in brief as we moved.

“I know where the faculty room is. Let’s hurry before the students come out!”

“Okay.”

As I reached out my hand, my younger self grinned and extended hers. Throughout our dash to the faculty room, I felt a warm sensation from our clasped hands.

And at that moment, I could be absolutely certain.

‘This place is no longer a horrific memory for me.’

◆◇◆◇◆

In a corner of the schoolyard where Yun Gaho and young Yun Gaho had disappeared, an untimely constellation appeared. Soon after, the space tore along the lines between the stars.

Someone crossed that gap to arrive in Yun Gaho’s inner world.

“I wonder where Gaho-ssi is.”

It was Han Cha-hyun, holding a massive scythe in one hand and supporting the unconscious Yun Su-ho with the other. As Han Cha-hyun tossed away the now-useless scythe, it scattered into a cluster of stars.

Han Cha-hyun’s expression, rarely seen, hardened as he checked the time limit on the system window.

“I’ve wasted too much time.”

He needed to leave this place with Yun Gaho as soon as possible. If Yun Gaho was also being overwhelmed by her trauma like Yun Su-ho, there was an even greater need to hurry.

Having made his decision, Han Cha-hyun began searching the schoolyard with Yun Su-ho on his back. After weaving through the small shadows scurrying about for quite some time, he finally spotted Yun Gaho through a window.

“I worried for nothing.”

Two pairs of golden eyes burning fiercely.

Caught off guard by this unexpected sight, Han Cha-hyun unconsciously leaned towards the window.

“Yikes.”

Han Cha-hyun barely managed to catch Yun Su-ho just before his head hit the wall.

Concerned about a repeat accident, Han Cha-hyun set Yun Su-ho down with his back against the wall. Yun Su-ho’s head tilted at an uncomfortable angle, but Han Cha-hyun paid no attention to that.

Instead, he pressed his face close to the window, observing the Yun Gahos fighting the large shadow. The two were working in perfect sync, covering each other’s blind spots as they darted about.

“Looks like… my help won’t be needed.”

Unlike himself, who easily escaped the trap due to a lack of serious trauma, or Yun Su-ho, who might never have escaped without his help, Yun Gaho was different.

“Overcoming trauma together with her mirror self. How very like Gaho.”

A faint smile played on Han Cha-hyun’s face as he fiddled with his glasses frame.