There was a student who suffered from bullying in middle school.
He had the abilities of a player, but his combat power wasn't very high.
There wasn't anything special about his family, personality, or appearance, but if seriously evaluated, they were all below average.
'Even though his studying skills are so good that they're comparable to Joo Soohyeok's and An Dain's.'
On the other hand, his two bullies were born with player skills, outstanding appearances, good families, many friends, and could get along well with teachers.
They were also good at studying, but compared to their victim, they were sluggish.
In their school, there was a huge gap between the person in 1st and the 2nd and 3rd placers.
It greatly offended the perpetrators.
They started the subtle, elusive bullying as a way to shake the victim's study pace.
'His only hope was Silverlight High…'
The victim spent their hard, lonely middle school life studying desperately.
Since he thought the perpetrators would never be able to get enrolled into Silverlight.
In order to enter, the victim, who had weak combat abilities, needed to get a high score on the written exam.
After working hard enough that he was practically vomiting blood, the victim was accepted into Silverlight.
'But the two perpetrators borrowed the power of Choi Pyeondeuk to fabricate the special screening results and enter Silverlight.'
The victim didn't know about the perpetrators' success.
Since, just like me, he didn't go to middle school after being accepted into Silverlight.
'He didn't have any friends to tell him.'
For a while, the victim had a peaceful and happy life in Silverlight.
That false happiness ended on April Fool's Day.
Although they illegally admitted themselves into Silverlight, the perpetrators got stressed by the excellent students of the school.
So from today on, the victim was still used as a stress-relief tool for the perpetrators.
'The victim's parents worked for a company run by one of the perpetrator's parents, so he couldn't resist.'
This was all in the memories that Park Seunghyeon, a playable character, recounted before dying.
"Are you okay?"
First, I peeled off the blue tape on Park Seunghyeon's mouth.
He looked at me and muttered.
"The Unknown Supernova…"
It seemed like Park Seunghyeon knew me.
"Yeah. These bastards did this, right?"
I beckoned to the two boys imprisoned in President Do Wonwoo's Bestowed Light, Steel Lock Chain.
When Park Seunghyeon saw them, his face contorted and he nodded.
'I didn't want Park Seunghyeon to go through something like this…'
I wanted to hide in advance and catch them the moment they committed the crime, but I was too late.
'I need to get them kicked out of Silverlight as soon as I secure things.'
It was a painful lesson.
Crunch-!
I destroyed the SR rank binding item tying Park Seunghyeon with Steel Lock Chain.
"Son of a… Do you know how much that item cost…!"
You mean that expensive item was used for this shit?
They still haven't come to their senses.
They must be feeling relieved since they're in front of Park Seunghyeon, an easier target than me who also feeds their self-esteem.
<Selected character's skill 'Partial Discharge' has been activated.>
Zaaap-!
"Keuuup, aaaaah!"
"Aaaagh! I didn't say anything… Aaaah!"
The guy who didn't say anything was a bonus.
"Park Seunghyeon, I want to expel these bastards, what do you think?"
"Ex…pel…"
Park Seunghyeon spoke slowly.
There was a slight sense of joy in his eyes.
It reminded me of the time he was happy and bully-free in Silverlight.
"But students can't get expelled for something like this. It'd have to be something on the level of murder, sexual assault, or attacking faculty. Just locking another student in the old school for 10 minutes on April Fool's Day isn't enough."
Park Seunghyeon wasn't injured.
He was just locked up in the old school for a while.
I didn't know how long he would've been here if I hadn't come.
Even if morally-upright teachers acted, these bastards would end up with a few days' suspension at best.
'Besides, if this situation surfaces, the perpetrators' parents will definitely put Park Seunghyeon's parents at a disadvantage.'
Understanding the meaning behind my words, Park Seunghyeon made a frightened face.
He probably knew.
There is no way that Park Seunghyeon, a good student and intelligent person, didn't look for youth laws and school rules to overcome this situation.
"Still, there's a way to expel them from Silverlight."
"Hey, who do you think you are? Don't you know that our parents…"
<Selected character's skill 'Partial Discharge' has been activated.>
<Selected character's skill 'Partial Discharge' has been activated.>
<Selected character's skill 'Partial Discharge' has been activated.>
Zaap-!
Zap!
Zaaap-!
"Uwaaahhh, aaaah!"
"Aaaaah, spare me! I didn't say anything…!"
People who stay silent need to be held accountable for their solidarity.
After I used the skill back to back, they became quiet.
'Unlike Son Mingi, they didn't cover their tracks sloppily. It'll be difficult to do what I did with him and drive them bankrupt, cripple them, or bury them socially.'
These guys were living much better than Son Mingi of the past was.
To make them bankrupt, I'd have to apply pressure by borrowing the power of Yellow Tiger's Hwangmyeong Group or Joo Soohyeok's Chuo Group.
It would be a time consuming and risky move.
'As long as these guys have abilities, there will be victims. It doesn't matter where they go.'
Even before school started, I was thinking about how to get rid of these two forever, both in Silverlight and the player world.
'I could use a skill that seals Bestowed Light, but that wouldn't work since it can be dispelled. These bastards have a lot of money, so they'd have no problem finding out how.'
So instead of sealing their abilities, I decided to remove them.
"There are cases where player abilities disappear even after the age of 17. Although, it's rare."
I secured the method by making a risky transaction.
"The loss of player abilities would be a valid reason to get expelled from Silverlight."
On the day I smashed the Fantasy Auction, I got the item 'Wealth and the Weight of Life' from Sorrowful Ungnyeo.
<Viewing item information.>
[Item Name] Wealth and the Weight of Life
[Form] Consumable
[Rarity] UR-
[Effect] Erases human potential at the cost of wealth and life.
[Description]
The item card itself is worth a huge amount of wealth.
It erases human potential in exchange for the item card and wealth owned by the user.
However, if the wealth possessed is insufficient compared to the potential erased, it will take the user's lifespan.
Was created with the intention of erasing the heavenly god's and son of god's potential of existence.
It failed.
I received a total of three 'Wealth and the Weight of Life' cards from Sorrowful Ungnyeo.
I'd be using one of them to erase the abilities of these two scumbags.
The three others in the room were shocked after seeing the item card I pulled out.
"A UR rank item card…!"
"You, is it really…!"
"No, no! Let me go!"
I took out dozens of crates from my inventory.
They were full of 50,000 won bills.
In addition to that, I took out cardified jewels from the otherworld and sprinkled them on the box.
"I don't want any trash like you in Silverlight."
I didn't know how much I would have to pay.
'According to the setting book, it didn't take much for the Eight Bear Immortals to erase the abilities of three players from a pro team all at the same time. It'll be fine.'
Even if there was an unexpected variable, my lifespan would be protected if I poured out all the billions of won that Choi Pyeonduek and Byun Soonhoe accumulated over the years.
Because the skill level of these scumbags was insignificant.
If it wasn't insignificant, there wouldn't be any need for their false admission.
"This item erases human potential in exchange for wealth or life. Your ability will completely disappear, and you won't even remember why or how."
The scary thing about this item was that it made recognizing 'why the potential disappeared' impossible.
As expected of a UR rank item, it was heinous and optimized for committing the perfect crime.
Its risk and the difficulty I had obtaining it were both high.
"It's about time for the next combat training class. When it's discovered that you guys have completely lost your abilities, you'll undergo a thorough examination, lose your player qualifications, and become ordinary people."
This would be the first instance of a player enrolled at Silverlight losing their abilities after turning 17.
If they thoroughly investigated the cause, the illegal admission would be discovered as an extra bonus.
But something happened when I was about to use the card.
"W-Wait, don't do it!"
Park Seunghyeon put himself between me and the perpetrators while flailing his arms.
'Don't tell me it's what I think it is.'
My brain throbbed.
'Are you going to forgive these guys?'
Sometimes in fiction, a cancerous, frustrating character appears and unexpectedly benefits from someone's excessive love for humanity.
I want him to say it's a lie.
It was still April Fool's Day.
Yeah, it might be a lie!
It's definitely a lie.
I'll pretend I didn't hear and don't know anything, let's just use the item…!
As my victorious mental circuit was racing, Park Seunghyeon shouted loudly.
"…Let me!"
He knelt down and reached out his hand.
"Let me do it, I'll take revenge with my own hands. Please, please!"
Park Seunghyeon's thick, clouded lenses and teary, puffy face made him look ugly.
People who judged others exclusively by their appearances would look down on him.
"Everyday… I-I regretted, I regretted not being able to say what I should've…"
But now, Park Seunghyeon's eyes were shining so brightly, it could match a True Clansman entering their battle stance.
"Please let me not regret it this time!"
Park Seunghyeon kneeled and held his hand out for the card.
"…Using this item may shorten your lifespan."
"These bastards made me want to die every day, I only held on because of my parents! Is shortening my lifespan a problem? If I can kill these bastards in exchange for going to hell, I'd do it!"
He shouted in a hoarse voice that sounded like it was being strangled by his throat.
It seemed like Park Seunghyeon's will would be difficult to break.
In the game, Joo Soohyeok couldn't change Park Seunghyeon's mind after he made a decision either.
It couldn't be helped.
I handed him the item card.
"Pa… Park Seunghyeon, w-we were wrong! We were classmates in middle school, we're friends! It's okay to play pranks on your friends!"
"Yeah, I was joking around a bit, but this is too much! How can you take a joke this far?!"
Horrified, the illegal entrants spouted nonsense.
Park Seunghyeon held the card and burst into a dry laugh.
"Hahaha… Even now, you guys aren't even reflecting on your mistakes."
In this situation, they just thought it was unfair.
In real life, it was hard to find a repentant person among the worst felons in prison, so it couldn't be helped.
"Park Seunghyeon, use this money."
I knew what would be happening to him today, but I couldn't protect him.
So I could consider this a kind of compensation.
I pointed to the crates, and Park Seunghyeon nodded his head.
"Thank you…!"
With this, ownership of the wealth was handed over to Park Seunghyeon.
"Do you know what group is most commonly bullied, according to youth school violence statistics? 'Students whose abilities disappeared.' They're arrogant, have overflowing inferiority complexes, warped personalities, and there's already a motivation. So, they become a good target for the general public's anger."
Park Seunghyeon's hand holding the card shook as he spoke.
Tears welled up in his eyes, but his mouth was smiling.
"I hope that, wherever you guys go after getting kicked out of Silverlight, there will be people just like you."
Park Seunghyeon used 'Wealth and the Weight of Life.'
The item card began to glow an ominous color.
Fwoosh-!
After the light intensified so much that it engulfed everything, it happened.
Park Seunghyeon, the two perpetrators, and I were in a completely different space.
There was a huge scale in front of the four of us.
'This is the effect of a UR rank item…!'
The power of the giant scale was so overwhelming that my head began to lose all sensations.
It was densely engraved with an ancient language that was impossible for me to decipher at the moment.
On one side of the scale were the two perpetrators, and on the other were piles of otherworld jewels that the 'Wealth and the Weight of Life' item card drew upon.
[What potential will you erase?]
In the subspace made from the UR rank item.
A man in a pure, white bearskin appeared above the scale.
Since his eyes were completely covered with the bearskin, I couldn't see his face.
However, his lips were gracefully drawn into an arc, and there was a sense of majesty in the voice ringing in my ears.
"P-Please erase the abilities of these bastards!"
When Park Seunghyeon shouted, the person on the scale nodded.
[Got it.]
Creeeaak-
The scale's balance began to tilt slowly. It was as if its previous balance had been maintained by an external force.
The man standing on the scale was measuring how much it leaned.
It seemed like the two illegally enrolled students were just realizing the magnitude of a UR rank item, because they started squealing.
"N-No, there's no way! Park Seunghyeon, you son of a bitch, stop it! How can a bitch like you do this to me!"
"Ah, no, no! If my ability disappears, I'll kill your fucking parents and your whole family. I'll kill them all, I'll make you a beggar!"
Again, they had just been pretending to be sorry.
The true feelings of the perpetrators were being broadcasted live.
The two of them desperately tried to get off the scale's plate, but they couldn't resist the UR rank item's power.
Each time those guys tried to throw themselves off, there would be sparks around the plate.
Then, they would go right back where they started.
[Their potentials are so insignificant that there is nothing more to take.]
The man standing on the scale spoke with a disappointed expression.
At some point, the scale's plates stopped.
It was tilted almost 90 degrees.
And of course, the perpetrators were so high that they broke through the subspace.
'I shouldn't have used those crates of money.'
I was tight on funds.
[Then I'll be taking their potential now.]
When the man on the scale reached towards the pair, the shape of the plate changed into a box.
And then the box slowly grew smaller.
"You can't, you can't! Aaaagh, it hurts, agh!"
"Aaaaagh! Ithurtsithurtsithurts, agh!"
Crunch, crrunch!
Contrary to the ominous sound of shattering and smashing growing louder, the screams ebbed away.
I didn't know what was going on inside, but I did know that the process of removing abilities was extremely painful.
[You're the child that the other child, Sorrowful Ungnyeo, is interested in. I was waiting to see what you would come to erase.]
Suddenly, a voice rang in my head.
I didn't feel any sound through my ears.
This guy was speaking directly into my head…!
Astonished, I looked up and saw the person on the scale staring straight at me.
'Who is he?'
The nature of this item.
A remark that casually referred to Sorrowful Ungnyeo.
More strength and dignity than a True Clansman.
As I put my thoughts together one by one, I figured it out.
The person standing on the scale was a higher being.
'Erasing the potential of humans can only be possible with a higher being.'
It seemed like Park Seunghyeon, who was standing next to me and watching the box grow smaller, couldn't hear it.
['Wealth and the Weight of Life' was originally yours. Here's your leftover change. I hope it'll be useful.]
As the man on the scale looked at me, I felt my hand gripping an unknown object.
Inside my fist was a black, but small, vial.
[I'll be waiting to see what you erase next.]
Fufu, the person standing on the scale laughed.
By the time the laughter stopped, Park Seunghyeon, the two perpetrators, and I were back in the faculty restroom.
'It feels like it was a daydream…!'
But the glass bottle left behind in my hand was real.
"Those bastards passed out."
I was brought back to reality by Park Seunghyeon's words.
We were in a dusty faculty restroom in the old school.
On the dirty floor was a mess of my crates full of cash and item cards as well as the two bastards.
'Let's leave them and go.'
I recovered all the crates and item cards.
Besides for the Wealth and Weight and Life, everything was there.
"Hey, let's wrap things up, Park Seunghyeon."
"Yeah. Really, sincerely, thank you."
He was smiling very brightly.
The sun had already completely set.
After disposing of any remaining evidence, the two of us left the enclosed area, leaving the two bastards alone.
"You're also a dorm student? What floor are you on? I'm on the 17th one."
"The 20th floor."
"That's at the top. How is it?"
"The elevator takes a while, so it's inconvenient."
Park Seunghyeon was also a dormitory student, so we moved together.
Why did I jump out of nowhere, make an uproar, and consume an UR rank item?
He must have had a lot of questions, but Park Seunghyeon didn't ask anything.
He just said thank you.
'Park Seunghyeon is smart and intelligent to the extent that it's enviable. I'll be careful dealing with him.'
Park Seunghyeon and I arrived at the 1st floor lobby of the first year's dormitory.
There, a first year student dressed in the school's gym uniform got up from where they were lying on a sofa and ran over.
"Park Seunghyeon, what were you up to after turning your device off? Why did you leave school all alone without saying a word? Disloyal bastard."
"Oh, uh, no reason."
"What, were you crying?"
The first year in a gym uniform looked at Park Seunghyeon's face and turned to me.
"You're the Unknown Supernova. What happened to the two of you?"
The first year student, who seemed to be Park Seunghyeon's friend, crossed his arms and took a vigilant stance.
Park Seunghyeon hesitated.
"No, it's just… because he was listening to me talk about my problems."
"…Okay? Hey, did your device run out of battery? It's solar powered and recharges automatically. Let's go hang out when we're on break tomorrow. That way, we'll also be recharging it."
"It had battery left… but it somehow turned off."
"What happened? You blathering guy. Hurry up and turn it on."
I'm sure those bastards turned off his device after tying him up.
The boy in the gym uniform, who even made sure that Park Seunghyeon turned on his device, put his arm around his shoulder and started chatting.
The two perpetrators would soon be expelled from school.
Now, Park Seunghyeon could have a normal school life with his friend.
"I'll go."
"Oh, wait a minute, Cho Euishin!"
Park Seunghyeon hesitated a bit before suggesting that we exchange device codes.
It was a little surprising.
'In the game, he didn't actively try to get along with people.'
Due to trauma left by the perpetrator bastards, Park Seunghyeon was passive the entire time.
I gladly exchanged device codes with him before heading to my room.
And then, April Fool's Day ended when it became April 2nd.
There were a total of seven students in year 1, class 0.
tl/n: the next chapter will have cool, fun, and fluffy school time!
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