Chapter 2: Entrance Ceremony (2)

Jumping up from my seat, I bowed deeply as I apologized loudly.

If I had known that this person was going to spit out a whirlwind from their mouth, I would have kept mine shut. I was so surprised I thought I was going insane.

“You screamed because you were startled?! Aren’t you a student who aims to be a hero?!! You got startled by mere voices, cursing and screaming?! That’s no way to set your heart!! Student, what’s your name?!”

Could it be… expulsion?!

“My name is Kim Geun-chul!”

“Kim Geun-chul! I, the principal, will be watching you!”

Pointing at her eyes with her index and middle fingers, then directing it at me, she continued her threatening words.

“I’ll forgive you since you apologized properly! Return to your seat!”

“Returning to my seat!”

Caught off guard by her overwhelming aura, I stuttered out my response…!

“Harrumph!”

My heart pounded wildly! What on earth is this woman? I quickly sat back down to try and calm my racing heart!

Who on earth gets their name called out by the principal on the first day of school?!

It’s terrifying!

Anyway.

She had an extremely sharp gaze that could literally knock you out just by looking at it. Plus, she had a scar near her eye, much like Scar from The Lion King. Her formidable aura was indeed terrifying. She wore her uniform like a cape, with medals pinned to her shoulder, which was simply daunting.

“Huuh.”

After that, the entrance ceremony proceeded with surprising momentum.

“I’m so proud of all of you students!!!”

The principal continued to shout in a whirlwind-like manner, with papers flying everywhere around her.

Then, on the screen behind her, both her and the school’s histories were displayed. From a quick glance, it seems that the principal is the most powerful Awakened in Korea, a war hero of some sort, and this school is supposedly a prestigious academy.

Is this a game setting?

I’m not sure, but I need to look into this properly.

“Then, the oath of admission will begin for the freshmen! This year, surprisingly, we have two top incoming students! It’s truly surprising and satisfying for me, the principal!”

The principal wore a satisfied smile, seemingly pleased with the news.

“Joint valedictorians! So, Ryu Chun-hwi and Leona, come forward!”

Le, what?

Leona?

What kind of crazy parents would name their kid like that? Every time I see something like this, it irritates me to no end. Stop making a joke out of a kid’s name! But, is there a surname Le in Korea?

No, it’s probably a foreigner.

Sigh.

Soon, a beautiful woman with long silver hair ascended the stage. That woman seems to be Leona… She’s really beautiful. Indeed, she must be a foreigner.

But Ryu Chun-hwi? A human named Ryu Chun-hwi? Ah! This jerk! I think I saw him while browsing the Wiki before I lost consciousness! He was definitely in the rival protagonist’s position!

“Ryu Chun-hwi, come out!”

But, the guy doesn’t come out.

“First in line, Ryu Chun-hui! Are you not responding to my call?”

The president bellowed, but still, no one came forth. Shortly, a man in a suit hastily ran up to whisper something in the president’s ear, instantly igniting her fury.

“What?! He didn’t show up at all?! Is Ryu Chun-hui not Ryu Sung’s son? Why didn’t Ryu Sung send his son to the entrance ceremony!!! He’s just as thoughtless as he used to be!!!”

This entrance ceremony is a total mess, seriously.

I’ve never seen such an entrance ceremony in my life.

Somehow, she managed to proceed with the new student’s oath all by herself.

“All our new students will solemnly swear to become proud heroes fighting for the world.”

“That’s right, that’s right! Our first-place Leona! I, the president, will be watching over you!”

“Thank you, President Heukyacha.”

Heukyacha… what a nickname, like Inuyasha.

“Call me President!”

“Yes.”

Anyway, that concluded the entrance ceremony.

“All students, please head to your dormitories! You should have received a text, so check and proceed!”

As soon as it ended, some staff members jumped out to share this information. They were directing us to the dormitories.

Sure enough, when I checked my phone, a text had arrived assigning me to a dormitory.

“…”

Let’s just go…

Upon arriving at the dormitory.

Ding.

―――――――――――――――――

「Quest Completed」

「Attendance at the Ares Academy Entrance Ceremony」

―――――――――――――――――

A cheerful notification sound echoed, and a window that resembled a hologram appeared before my eyes. I had braced myself, so I didn’t get startled this time.

「Reward: 100 Coin」

“Well, give me the money then.”

An alert popped up stating that I had acquired 100 coins, and all the windows disappeared.

“What’s this?”

Did they really give me nothing? Or did they transfer it directly to my account? After all, this is a game world. If they gave me coins… it implies that the money is in something like my in-game inventory, which I could use in some sort of shop.

“Sigh.”

A heavy sigh escaped from my lips.

“It’s overwhelming.”

It truly is overwhelming.

Do I really have to survive here now?

I was on the verge of being taken aback because I barely knew anything about this game. I only skimmed through the wiki and saw some internet memes in the past. In fact, I only started playing because someone mentioned a DLC release, and I thought I’d give it a try.

“…”

Let’s try to sort out the situation.

The entrance ceremony is over. It’s 11 o’clock now, so I need to eat and be in the designated classroom by 1 p.m. I have some free time until then.

“Perfect, there’s a computer here.”

The dormitory is a single room. About 33 square meters, perhaps? It seems sufficient for me to live alone with all the necessities.

Currently, I am a superhero student, apparently an Awakened one who has unlocked superhuman powers, and that’s why I’m getting this kind of treatment. After all, I suppose those who fight against monstrous foes do deserve special treatment.

Anyway, now that I have a computer, I should gather some information.

If I don’t get to know this world, I feel like I won’t be able to live due to anxiety. It’s like being dropped in a foreign country where I can communicate, but still, everything feels alien.

And I must find a way to get home… I really have no idea about that.

“First, let’s wash my face.”

I turned on the faucet in the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

“Huh? Who is this?”

Did I seriously get younger? This isn’t my 24-year-old face, it’s more like when I was around 20. Have I regained a few years? If I’m going to get younger, I’d rather go back to my high school years.

This I like.

“Great.”

With that, I finished washing my face, enjoying my newfound youth, and sat down at the computer.

I pulled out my student ID card right away and searched for Ares Academy on the internet. Schools usually let you log in with your student ID. I’m in a state of knowing nothing about myself, so let’s take a look here.

“Wow.”

The login works.

While rummaging through various sections of the homepage, I was able to find my admission application and personal information. Wow, impressive, my information gathering skills. I clapped for myself and moved the mouse.

[Name: Kim Geun-chul]

[Age: 17]

[Gender: Male]

I really am 17 years old.

I quickly skimmed through the information about me and saw the section about my family and educational background.

[Enrolled: Hanbit Orphanage Elementary Division]

[Enrolled: Dreamtown Orphanage Elementary Division]

[Enrolled: Doctor Chaplin Orphanage Elementary Division]

[Graduated: Beautiful Orphanage Elementary Division]

[Enrolled: Pure Heart Orphanage Middle School Division]

[Enrolled: Agent Baptist Orphanage Middle School Division]

[Graduated: Light Courtyard Orphanage Middle School Division]

“What, what?”

Am I an orphan?

[Father: Deceased]

[Mother: Deceased]

“Damn it!!!!!!”

Who the hell killed my parents, you bastards!

“Argh!!!!”

I’m cursed, and I can’t even resist!

I didn’t think I’d be screwed over like this! Moreover, I was apparently tossed around various orphanages! It must have been a setup, but what kind of problem did I have to keep getting shuffled around?

Was I some kind of ticking bomb?

Was I a problem child?

And what the heck are Doctor Chaplin Orphanage and Agent Baptist Orphanage? I can’t understand these names! These words shouldn’t be placed in front of an orphanage!

“Huff!”

I let out a sigh of rage and skimmed through the information again.

[Awakening Period]

This is the most crucial part. According to the time indicated, it seems I awakened about half a year ago from today. So it seems I awakened when I was in Light Courtyard Orphanage Middle School Division, and then applied to the Academy.

“Awakening.”

So am I also a superhuman?

Do I really have some superhuman power within me?

I can’t really feel it right now… let’s check.

[Awakening Rank: F]

“Ah. F my life. Air Fryer bullsh*t.”

So it turns out that I awakened as an F-rank about half a year ago. It leaves a bitter taste, but it’s better than being an ordinary person.

“Shall we delve into what Awakening is?”

ㅡTap, tap, tap.

I promptly searched for the relevant information online.

“Awakening.”

Awakening, as it suggests, is the process of unexpectedly acquiring superhuman abilities. Through this Awakening, an ordinary person is reborn as an Awakened, and these Awakened individuals are capable of effectively combating the beasts and entities that cross over from other dimensions.

“A typical trope, indeed.”

As for this Awakening rank, the F rank seems to be the most commonplace and fundamental. While not much different from an average person, the ability to harness magic is what sets them apart.

However, the prospect for growth remains open.

Over 70% of those Awakened begin at the F rank. This rank generally appears to be determined by the volume of magic one possesses. While there are other factors, if we were to simplify it, the magic volume seems to be the most important.

“Magic?”

So, I have something called magic in my body.

This magic is described as the fuel that allows the Awakened to emit their superhuman powers. It’s what’s used for actions like casting flames or exerting extraordinary strength.

In any case, since I’ve Awakened, it means I too can manipulate magic… I should experiment.

“Magic!”

I clench my fist, shouting at the top of my lungs.

“Magic! Magic! Magiiiiic!”

I don’t sense anything yet… oh well.

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