All the way there, they finally reached the practical training ground.

The rhythm of the lesson was similar to a middle school PE class: the teacher explained the basic way to use a new magic, and then the students practiced on their own in the field.

“Today we’re learning ‘Holy Light Magic’.”

[Holy Light Magic]: A high-level light attribute spell. According to the user’s will, it can purify, heal, or destroy.

Lu Lin was also somewhat interested. As the teacher taught, she tried to learn alongside.

This was the first time Lu Lin used magic, and she was still not very skilled. Fortunately, according to the setting, her magical talent was quite good.

Under the system’s guidance, Lu Lin calmed her mind. Gradually, she seemed to really sense meridians that didn’t exist in reality—no, she was using magic, so they should be called mana circuits. She guided the latent magic power from all over her body and condensed it into her palm.

The teacher’s instruction had just finished.

A light sphere the size of a thumb, thick with destructive meaning, condensed in Lu Lin’s palm.

[Holy Light Magic learned, level lv1]

She learned too quickly. Even Ellie, who had the best talent, had not yet figured out the mana circulation path when Lu Lin’s success caught her attention: “Is your magical talent still improving?”

The other students around also stared fixedly at Lu Lin, at the Holy Light Magic in her hand.

Except for the appreciation in Ellie’s eyes, the other nobles’ eyes held only deep loathing.

“Ah, this...” Lu Lin extinguished the light in her hand. She had only been acting on a whim and did not intend to attract attention.

‘So this magic was actually difficult to learn? But I still had energy to spare…’

The light in her hand went out, but those hostile gazes took root in her heart.

‘These nobles really have no human kindness. On the surface, my identity is also a noble, but as soon as I perform outstandingly, I’m automatically pushed out of the circle and treated like an enemy. Only Ellie... she’s completely different. Should I really assassinate her?’

For the first time, this thought appeared in Lu Lin’s mind.

‘Game company, I’m afraid this is your real purpose. Where is this testing NPC-AI? You’re clearly testing the players!’

Giving up the assassination meant that thirty thousand in cash would shrink to ten thousand.

‘Assassinate Ellie... even though she’s just an NPC, this world is so real... killing her, I’d have nightmares when I return to reality, right… This quest is really in bad taste... What on earth should I choose…’

While Lu Lin was struggling inside, two tall figures came close and whispered in her ear: “Miss Killer, Young Master Shelt extends an invitation.”

‘Shelt, the son of a school director? And he knows my real identity.’

Lu Lin’s heart tightened. She could only reply: “Lead the way.”

Ellie, who was studying magic, immediately noticed that Lu Lin was being taken away.

She grew anxious. Those two guys taking her good friend away had a terrible reputation! She wanted to move closer to Lu Lin, but along the way, broad shoulders always deliberately blocked her.

“Out of my way!” Ellie lost her temper.

No one paid attention to her anger. She could only push aside the obstructing people layer by layer and charge through again and again, yet the distance between her and Lu Lin grew further and further.

“Ellie!”

The practical training teacher stopped her with a sharp shout: “They are all nobles. According to the principle that nobles are forbidden from taking the law into their own hands, there will be no trouble. It’s not your place as a commoner to worry.”

The teacher’s stance made Ellie calm down temporarily. She stopped and watched as Lu Lin was led into the nearby woods, her eyes full of hesitation.

Beneath a lush great tree, a robust blond man stood with his back to Lu Lin, who had walked all the way there.

As if hearing the footsteps behind him, he said meaningfully to himself:

“The link between nobility and magic is like this evergreen tree.”

The man patted the big tree and continued:

“Magic is the root system, and the nobility spread branches and leaves upon it. However, now the branches have sprouted yellowed, withered leaves. One yellowed withered leaf will attract countless borers.”

The blond man turned his head. It was Shelt, the school director’s son. With a proud aquiline nose, he said to Lu Lin: “Miss Killer, you know who I’m referring to.”

The man’s speech nearly gave himself away. It turned out he was the one who commissioned this assassination.

“You’re referring to Ellie.” Lu Lin could only answer first, carefully pondering what this Shelt was trying to do.

“You’re only half right.” Shelt snapped his fingers and said furiously: “So, Miss Killer, are you messing with me? You spent a year, a whole year, but never once made a move. Oh, damn it. If not for that old hag of a headmistress shielding Ellie, I would have a hundred ways to expel her from the academy and kill her afterward. Why would I need you!”

Shelt added viciously: “I can’t wait any longer, Miss Killer, I can’t wait. Don’t you want your reward anymore!”

‘Reward? Thirty thousand? No, the killer I am playing originally accepted the assassination mission for a generous reward, but why is there no memory of the reward in my head? Heh, why should I care about a game character’s reward?’

Lu Lin gave a self-mocking smile.

Nevertheless, this client’s words finally made one thing clear to Lu Lin. Though he babbled a great deal, at heart, he simply could not stand a commoner having better magical talent than him.

‘What a ridiculous reason.’

Lu Lin secretly made up her mind: ‘Even though it’s only a game, I do not intend to kill Ellie for such a ridiculous reason. The original purpose of a game has always been to make choices according to one’s own will. Even money cannot make me bend, because the disappearance of backbone will be brought back to reality. The one who deserves to die is you.’

Lu Lin’s field of vision locked onto the system quest bar: [Quest: Kill the Headmistress’s Daughter Ellie Aurora]

Then she gently chose to delete it.

But... her operation failed.

[Error.]

[The testing phase does not represent the final quality of the game. More freedom of choice, please wait for the official game launch.]

The implication was clear: the entire academy was a guillotine the officials had built for Ellie, existing solely for the player to kill her.

‘You sh**ty, game company, you’ve done a great job. Such a cute character, and you just have to stab her with a knife, huh.’

“Lu Lin, watch out!”

While Lu Lin was distracted by the system, a familiar cry snapped her awake. It turned out that Ellie could not rest easy about her best friend and had found a chance to come to her side.

Regaining focus, Lu Lin sidestepped, dodging a flying blade aimed right at her forehead, and answered Ellie lightly: “Thanks.”

In contrast, Shelt under the tree wore a smile. This turn of events seemed to be within his expectations.

After Lu Lin steadied herself, she demanded: “Shelt, what is the meaning of this?”

“The meaning?” Shelt laughed. He clapped his hands, and many figures emerged from the woods, more than a dozen in total.

Once all the figures stood still, he continued: “The killer Lu Lin disguised herself as a noble to infiltrate the academy—the evidence is conclusive. The commoner Ellie protected the killer and was caught red-handed. Both of you, must die.”

Shelt laughed heartily: “The evidence is sufficient. Even that old hag of a headmistress can’t protect you! That’s why I said, you were only half right.”

‘So that was it.’

Lu Lin finally understood. Even before she had developed the intent to kill Shelt, Shelt had long since stopped caring whether this killer Lu Lin lived or died.

Most likely, her posing as a noble to infiltrate Saint White Academy had also been arranged single-handedly by Shelt.

“Lu Lin, what does he mean by calling you a killer?” Ellie, who had just arrived, was somewhat confused.

Poor Ellie, who had never once doubted Lu Lin, who had suddenly barged into her life.

“Next time, I’ll explain it to you.” Lu Lin could only reply like this.

But when would there be a next time?

Lu Lin laughed at herself, turned her back to Ellie, too ashamed to look into her eyes.

She then asked Shelt: “You’re laying all your cards on the table now—do you believe you hold certain victory?”

Faced with the siege of more than ten people, Lu Lin still appeared so composed, which only made Shelt find it laughable. He mocked: “Putting on airs...”

Before he finished speaking, the very next second, Lu Lin twisted her body and suddenly arrived right in front of him.

[Magic Flash Step]: A high-level self-created skill by Lu Lin. Concentrate magic power into the soles of the feet to achieve explosive movement, then use killer techniques to achieve precise distance control.

This was a brand-new skill co-created by killer techniques and magical means.

Lu Lin was still holding a light sphere over half a meter in diameter, destructive radiance swirling ceaselessly within it, closing in on Shelt’s head. It was exactly the Holy Light Magic she had just learned.

“What!” Shelt’s heart was so terrified it stopped.

Lu Lin’s voice was cold: “Why would you think that a killer who has learned magic could not take your life first? And why would you dare to let your guard down in front of a killer?”

“You... you actually...” Shelt could not believe it.

Lu Lin’s actions prompted a reaction from the dozen people, who were about to rush forward to protect their master.

Shelt cherished his own pathetic life and could only roar impotently: “Don’t come any closer.” Now, no trace of calm could be seen on his face.

‘How could she be strong to this extent! This unbelievable speed, and her Holy Light Magic—how can it have this kind of power? I’m going to die!’

“No, Lu Lin, what are you doing? You can’t do this. I am a noble. You can’t kill me.” Shelt began to yell.

Ellie was completely out of the loop; she could only shout: “Lu Lin!”

She could not believe this quiet friend would commit murder, so she pleaded: “Don’t kill him. If you kill him, you’ll be in danger too!”

“Ellie.” Lu Lin responded to her, but said something puzzling:

“Shelt wasn’t wrong about some things. Over this past year, (I) Lu Lin had many chances to kill you, but never acted. I think that staying by your side was actually to protect you. So, I will kill Shelt. This is the choice we share.”

“What ‘they, we’?” Ellie was flustered: “I don’t care. Anyway, I don’t want Lu Lin to be in danger!”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Shelt seized the opportunity to say: “If you kill me, you won’t get away either. You can use me as a hostage. As long as I’m alive, no one will dare make a move against you.”

“You’re afraid.” Lu Lin said flatly: “But you don’t know that I’m not afraid of anything at all.”

Indeed, for Lu Lin, no matter how real this place was, it was still just a game she could leave at any moment. Even if she died, it would cause no damage to her real self.

Lu Lin’s actions also triggered a system prompt.

[Warning. The option to kill Shelt is not open in this test. The player’s actions are about to go out of bounds. Please cease.]

[This NPC-AI data has not been backed up. To prevent the company’s NPC-AI asset from being damaged due to Shelt’s death, the player is being forcibly logged out.]

‘On what grounds? I am a player with free will. I refuse to log out!’

[Warning. Resisting the system will cause irreversible damage to you.]

‘I... absolutely... won’t!’

[Warning. Please stop resisting immediately.]

Under the system’s forced logout, Lu Lin’s figure was disappearing, the magic in her hand was also dissipating, and the entire game world was collapsing along with it, like the apocalypse.

“Aaaahhh!!!” Enduring the tearing pain as the world gradually vanished, Lu Lin continuously resisted the system’s logout command: ‘Refuse, refuse.’

Her right hand also kept pressing the magic in her hand closer to Shelt’s vital spot.

Closer, step by step.

Until the moment before the world returned to zero, she finally drove the worn-down light sphere, now only the size of a fingernail, into Shelt’s forehead.

[NPC: ‘Shelt’ deceased]

[Tester: Lu Lin, has fainted]

“Lu Lin, thank you.” Finally, Lu Lin heard her own voice, but (s)he knew, that was not him.

[World line shift]

“Lu Lin, it’s a promise. Next time, I will definitely find you, I definitely will!” In the crumbling world, Ellie’s AI system seemed to have some sort of malfunction, her figure flickering.

[Logout successful]