When the results of the second mock exams came out, I, the perpetual valedictorian, was dead last. Suddenly, a stream of text floated across my vision like a live chat: [The male lead is so screwed! Everyone around him has activated the Swap System. They're forcibly trading attributes with him.] [Swapping grades is just the beginning...] The comments were all lamenting my tragic fate. Until the next day. The person who stole my grades suddenly dropped dead. 01 [Congratulations! You have identified the first Swapper!] [Please identify all hidden Swappers before the SATs. Failure to do so will result in the "Human Swine" penalty.] [Swappers identified: 1] [Countdown to SATs: 44 days] The system's cold notification rang in my head. I clenched my fists. Beside me, my desk mate, Caleb, was gossiping with a look of disbelief. "...They say she was just walking down the street and boom, heart attack. She was perfectly healthy during the last checkup." Seeing my distracted expression, Caleb lowered his voice. "But it is weird, right? Sarah from AP Bio was always failing, but this time she got the highest score in the school. And right after that, she drops dead. People are saying she messed with some dark magic or something." I forced a pale smile. "There's no such thing as magic. Let the dead rest in peace. Don't spread rumors." Caleb shut up, looking chagrined. I lowered my eyes to hide the storm brewing within them. Three days ago, I was bound to the [Predator System]. The system told me that people around me were bound to the [Swap System]. Each of them has one chance to swap something of mine with theirs, at no cost to themselves. Grades were just the start. Soon, someone would swap my looks, my family, even my lifespan. I had to find all the Swappers before the SATs. Otherwise, everything valuable I possessed would be stolen. Eventually, even my limbs and eyes would be taken, leaving me a "human swine"—a torso kept alive in agony. However, any Swapper I correctly identified would die instantly. Whatever they stole would return to me within two business days. This was a game of life and death. At first, I was skeptical. Until the mock exam scores came out. I, who always ranked first, was at the bottom. And Sarah, who always failed, was number one. So, I didn't hesitate. I opened the system interface. [Swapper Identity Confirmed: Sarah Jones.] [She stole your grades.] Not long after, I heard the news of Sarah's death. From this, I confirmed two things. Chapter 2 First, the system and the floating text weren't lying. Swappers were lurking around me, and I had to fight to the death. Second, the Swappers didn't know I had the Predator System. Otherwise, Sarah wouldn't have been so blatant about stealing my grades. They were in the light; I was in the dark. I had the advantage. 02 Two days after Sarah died, our homeroom teacher made an announcement. "There was a glitch in the grading system. Sarah Jones's and Liam's scores were swapped in the database. Liam is actually the top scorer for this exam." The teacher looked at me warmly. "Liam, you've been number one all year. Keep this up, and you might be the state valedictorian." I smiled slightly. The system was precise. Two business days, right on time. A few days later. While washing my face in the morning, I noticed several pimples. The familiar text floated by. [Another Swapper made a move. This time, they swapped the male lead's looks.] [This Swapper is smart. He didn't swap everything at once. He's doing it gradually.] [After all, the male lead is the school heartthrob. Since *** is so plain, a full swap would be too obvious.] [The male lead probably just thinks he's stressed and breaking out. He won't notice a thing.] [And to think the male lead has always been so nice to him. You really can't trust anyone.] I see. Without the chat log, I wouldn't have noticed so soon. Although the name was censored, I gleaned three clues. The Swapper is an average-looking guy. The Swapper has a three-syllable name. The Swapper is close to me. Three names popped into my head. My desk mate, Caleb Miller. My roommate, Ethan Davis. My neighbor, Zach Wilson. After observing them, I locked onto Caleb. Usually a bit chubby, he had suddenly slimmed down recently. His face looked much clearer. [Swapper Identity Confirmed: Caleb Miller.] [He stole a portion of your appearance.] The next second, a piercing alarm shrieked in my brain. [WARNING! WARNING!] [Host failed to identify the true Swapper!] [You have one more chance. Please find the real thief of your looks within three days.] [If you fail again, you will receive a penalty: Looks permanently -50, SAT Score permanently -100.] [Please take this game seriously!] Chapter 3 03 I paused. This Swapper was cunning. Perhaps Sarah's death served as a warning to the others. They were no longer reckless. They were hiding. The hunt just got harder. Back in the dorm, I quietly observed my roommate, Ethan. Was it my imagination, or was his skin glowing? Ethan was humming a tune. "Ethan, did you change your face wash? You look... radiant." I probed casually. "Really? You think so?" Ethan beamed. "It's this new brand I saw on TikTok. It was cheap, so I tried it. I'll send you the link!" He sent it immediately, rambling about skincare routines. I laughed along, then pulled out my phone and texted my neighbor, Zach. "Hey bro, you off tomorrow? Wanna go shopping for clothes?" Zach replied quickly: "Nah, I'm gonna study at home. SATs are in a month, I'm too stressed to go out." The next day, I knocked on Zach's door with a crepe cake. "Picked this up on my way back." I held up the cake and slipped inside. "Nice! You're a lifesaver!" Zach took the cake happily. I asked casually, "Bro, have you been losing weight? You look thinner." "No way," Zach said naturally. "I've been stress-eating kebabs every night. Maybe the exam pressure is making me look gaunt." He stepped on the scale in the living room. "See? Haven't lost a pound. Got excited for nothing." We chatted for a bit before I left. Back home, I summoned the system. [Swapper Identity Confirmed: Zach Wilson.] [He stole a portion of your appearance.] 04 Zach hadn't lost weight, nor was his skin glowing. He looked normal. But I remembered he had oily skin. If he ate greasy food or sweets, he'd break out instantly. Yet, his face was clear. Chapter 4 Obviously, those pimples had been transferred to my face. [Congratulations! You have identified the second Swapper!] [Swappers identified: 2] [Countdown to SATs: 36 days] Outside, I heard the frantic screams of Zach's parents. "Zach! What's wrong?! Don't scare us!" "Call 911! Hurry!" I froze. I knew identifying them meant death. But Zach... he died over some pimples. Was it worth it? Sensing my hesitation, the system spoke coldly: [The moment he chose to target you and steal your looks, he ceased to be your friend.] [Mercy to the enemy leads to you becoming a 'Human Swine'.] [Take the game seriously.] I shook my head. [It's not mercy. I just don't understand why. Is being good-looking that important?] Important enough to stab your best friend in the back? Or maybe... I was the only one who thought we were friends. Now that he was dead, no one would know what he was thinking. But suddenly, everyone around me felt like they were wearing masks. What were they hiding behind those friendly smiles? Over the next week, I caught two more Swappers. One stole my scholarship nomination. Another stole my popularity. I caught them quickly. The system was excited: [Swapper abilities are only valid before the SATs.] [Keep it up, Host! Once the exams are over, they can't touch you!] [I am applying for a reward mechanism. For every Swapper caught, +10 points to your SAT score!] Things were looking up. Even the chat comments said I might change the tragic ending of the original story. Until that day. I was walking down the street. A truck lost control and barreled toward me. When I woke up, I heard the word "amputation" from outside the hospital room. [WARNING! WARNING!] [Host's Luck stat has dropped to ZERO!] [Find the Swapper who stole your Luck within 24 hours!] [Failure will result in forced amputation of both legs!]
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