Chapter – 02
The morning after a day had passed.
Inside a personal dormitory room barely ten square meters.
“Hah…”
Mikhail forced his heavy body upright and leaned against the headboard of his bed.
He’d avoided catching a cold by taking shelter from the rain beforehand, but there was nothing he could do about the various wounds scattered across his body that throbbed with pain.
‘Well, at least he stayed true to the setting. Looks like he caused quite a bit of trouble, huh?’
…The wound on his left hand stung sharply.
Mikhail grabbed some medicine lying nearby, roughly sprinkled it on the wound, and moved his head to look around the room.
Perhaps because the familiar scenery caught his attention, his eyes kept drifting toward the furnishings around him.
‘It’s exactly like what was placed in the game.’
Clean cream-colored wallpaper. Clear glass windows pouring in sunlight.
The desk and bookshelf filling one wall were made of quality mahogany and gave off an antique brown hue.
But it wasn’t all pleasant scenery.
The bookshelf should’ve been packed tightly with textbooks, but what sat before his eyes had sparse, empty gaps.
“…”
His heart suddenly sank.
A messy room that wouldn’t look out of place even if he left immediately.
The entire scene seemed to remind him that his circumstances weren’t such that he could just lie around comfortably.
His safety was hanging by a thread.
‘I need to avoid my immediate death first.’
What came to mind was his predetermined end.
The northbound carriage the original Mikhail had boarded—it was destroyed without a trace by a magic beast that appeared out of nowhere.
The massive body covering the sky. The eerily moving golden eyes. The tentacles that tracked and pierced through every living thing…
“…”
A chilling cold crept up his spine. Mikhail let out a faintly trembling breath and closed his eyes.
‘I can’t die horribly like that.’
…So then.
If he considered his current situation, the progression ahead, important branching points, and the advantages and disadvantages of the settings to find the best solution…
‘Reversing the expulsion and staying at this academy is the best way out.’
Mikhail slowly lifted his closed eyelids.
Along with that, scenes running through the game’s flow flashed through his mind.
The protagonist traveling across the continent, taking the lead in resolving various incidents and accidents.
Items, skills, quests, and events positioned near the main storyline that led to growth.
And himself, who’d woven nearly everything together.
‘It’s not an impossible goal. I know all the information I can use.’
This place where he stood, Salvator Academy.
The kingdom’s premier military academy and the origin point of the main storyline.
Not only did numerous advantageous connection points occur here, but it was also the perfect place to utilize his game knowledge.
‘First, I’ll aim to raise my abilities enough to reverse the incompetence verdict. And…’
Mikhail moved his eyes to look outside the window.
Birds with forsythia-colored feathers flew through the sky, and European-style academic buildings filled the grounds everywhere.
All familiar scenery, yet still awkward nonetheless.
‘While I’m at it, I should confirm my situation a bit more too.’
A day after that, early morning.
Salvator Academy main building, first floor.
“Already second-years? Time flies, doesn’t it?”
Above the corridors connecting to various parts of the campus, a group of newly promoted second-years walked along.
Three boys and one girl. The assembled group consisted of peers who’d grown quite close over the past year.
Centered around Ethan, the boy in the middle.
“I’m not ready to be a second-year yet! Practicals and homework are gonna increase like crazy, right? It’s seriously terrible.”
“Still, we’ll be taking classes suited to our combat roles now. It’ll be way more fun than just memorizing theory like in first year.”
“Well, that’s true…”
That’s when it happened. Ethan, who’d been listening to the conversation, stopped abruptly.
The moment a slender silhouette flickered across his gray eyes, the smile on his face melted away like snow.
“Ethan?”
At the sudden action, the group also stopped following Ethan and turned their heads toward where his gaze had landed.
There stood a boy with handsome features, someone they all knew well.
“That’s Mikhail.”
One of the group muttered quietly.
Mikhail walked forward amid glances that landed and fell away in succession.
His left cheek was swollen all the while.
“…”
Soon, Mikhail disappeared into the crowd.
“Huh, wow.”
The red-haired boy opened his mouth with a click of his tongue. He clasped his hands behind his head and said:
“What a strange world. Who would’ve thought Salvator’s troublemaker would end up looking so pitiful?”
The gray-haired boy standing on the right pushed up his glasses.
“Right? Somehow he seems like the fight’s been knocked out of him too.”
The girl with light pink bob-cut hair standing on the left.
She too tilted her head slightly and added a comment.
“But why does his face look like that? He looks hurt.”
“It’s obvious just looking at him. Those are marks from getting hit. …Well, not surprising. He’s reaping what he sowed.”
When the red-haired boy crossed his arms and clicked his tongue, Ethan, who’d been staring at a corner of the corridor, withdrew his gaze and spoke.
“We won’t be seeing him for much longer anyway. Try not to pay attention.”
“Not for much longer?”
The group except for Ethan exchanged questioning looks, but only briefly. The same thought flashed through everyone’s minds.
The girl carefully opened her mouth.
“Ah, right. He received a magic incompetence verdict.”
Salvator Academy, the kingdom’s top military academy.
Salvator used actual skill and performance as the absolute measure of evaluation. Incompetence was reason enough for expulsion.
After a brief gap, the girl slowly opened her mouth.
“Mikhail, I mean. What’ll happen to him when he goes back north?”
The red-haired boy shrugged his shoulders.
“He’ll hole up in his room and watch snowstorms his whole life. What else could he do? That place is crawling with magic beasts—what can a powerless person do there?”
The gray-haired boy blinked as if in agreement.
“…”
A brief silence settled over the air. The group lowered their gazes one by one and fell into thought.
The Mikhail they all recalled was a young master who was irritable about everything and constantly hurled insults.
He’d been particularly hostile toward Ethan and even tried to harm him. There was no way they could have a good impression of him.
But separately from that, it was inevitable that a corner of their hearts felt stuffy at the bad news.
“Ahem. Well, anyway!”
A moment later, the red-haired boy opened his mouth quite cheerfully.
“It’s been a while since we met, so let’s go catch up! Right? While I was at the main house, I thought I’d die wanting to drink cream black beer at Mr. Bitron’s tavern! And fig pie!”
“Sounds good! Should we go now?”
The group started listing off what they wanted to eat in a clamor.
Beef stew. Assorted vegetable skewers. Leaf jelly with green berries…
Meanwhile, Ethan showed a troubled smile.
“Sorry, I don’t think I can go with you. Go without me.”
“Huh?”
Responses burst out in unison.
However, when Ethan waved his bandaged arm up and down, everyone nodded as if they had no choice.
“Right. You can’t drink alcohol until that cut on your arm heals.”
“Tsk, that bastard Mikhail slashed it, didn’t he? Seriously, he’s a real lunatic… Looks like only we’re going today. Make sure you come next time?”
And so the group split in two.
Three heading to the tavern. Ethan remaining on campus.
Toward his friends who looked back reluctantly, Ethan smiled readily and waved his hand.
Before long, his friends’ backs faded into the distance beyond the corridor, leaving Ethan alone.
“…”
The smile vanished from Ethan’s face.
The place where his dropped gaze stopped was his bandaged arm.
On the road where only indifferent footsteps passed by.
Ethan let out a sigh that no one would hear.
It carried a complexity that seemed to boil inside him.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Mikhail walked silently along the corridor.
Perhaps thanks to resting for nearly a day, his condition had improved enough to move reasonably well, even though various parts of his body felt stiff and sore.
He had one week left until expulsion.
It wasn’t generous time, so it’d be best to move as quickly as possible.
‘The place where the stat viewing function is unlocked is the celestial measuring device at the outskirts of the main building. I’ll head there first.’
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll never be defeated.
The first step was to accurately assess the condition of this body, then construct an appropriate growth route.
“…”
Mikhail, who’d been moving forward, glanced sideways. His surroundings were exactly the same as what he’d confirmed in the game.
The numerous students passing by and the murmuring conversations heard softly. Even the leaves falling unexpectedly.
‘It really is exactly the same.’
Mikhail lowered his gaze. The world he stood in was the culmination of his effort and sincerity, the totality of his achievements. The sight of it living and moving before his eyes brought quite a new feeling.
Though the glances that briefly landed and fell away, and the whispers that followed the moment he passed by, weren’t at all welcome.
‘Well, I guess they can talk.’
His insides stung. But it wasn’t incomprehensible.
Considering the previous Mikhail’s conduct, it wouldn’t be strange to hear any kind of gossip anywhere.
Mikhail quickened his steps slightly.
The presence of people passing by faded, and his surroundings became sparse. What he finally reached was a quiet clearing.
Where wildly grown grass swayed in the wind and moss-covered rocks slept silently.
In the center stood an old celestial measuring device.
The location where the character stat viewing function was first unlocked.
‘It’s exactly as I saw it in the game.’
Mikhail stood before the celestial measuring device and tilted his head back.
The appearance of a spherical globe encircled by intersecting brass rings. Though it had reached the end of its lifespan and stopped moving, its precision remained.
“…”
Mikhail, who’d been looking at the scenery, narrowed his brow slightly.
In truth, he wasn’t certain whether the device before his eyes would function exactly like the game’s system.
But it was worth attempting.
If things went as expected, he’d be able to advance while holding a much greater advantage than others.
‘I hope it works properly.’
Mikhail raised his hand. He pressed his palm against the rusted nameplate located at the lower part of the celestial measuring device.
Keeing!
A clear resonant sound rang out distinctly. Golden fragments filled his vision and scattered. Wind rising from his feet tousled his hair. And then.
Flash!
【Notice: Character stat viewing function unlocked】
The device was responding clearly, depicting exactly the scene from his memory.
Mikhail withdrew his hand and looked at the air where gold was being inscribed.
【Character Stat Viewing】
- Mana capacity: F+
- Impact reduction: F
- Casting speed: D-
- Spell accuracy: D
- Intelligence: SS
Possessed trait: [■■ ■■■ ■■]
“Ugh…”
Mikhail pressed his forehead and groaned. The moment he examined the stats, his head throbbed for no reason.
‘I expected it, but…it’s still pretty miserable.’
Casting speed and spell accuracy were slightly below average at least.
But the mana for operating magic and the internal mana field to offset spell backlash were terribly poor.
Enough to perfectly suit the word “incompetent.”
“…”
Somehow his insides felt parched, but Mikhail shook his head to dispel his dissatisfaction. He didn’t have the luxury to complain.
‘Let’s see.’
Mikhail examined the stats once more.
Abilities that weren’t just insufficient but downright terrible. Among them, what would be related to the incompetence verdict would be mana capacity and impact reduction.
Generally, the minimum level of related abilities recognized as a mage was E grade. But he fell short of that.
Which meant.
‘To reverse the incompetence verdict, I need to raise my mana capacity and impact reduction stats to E within a week?’
Mikhail hummed thoughtfully and tilted his head slightly.
One week. It was a somewhat tight timeframe, but not entirely impossible.
Fortunately, at this point in time, there were useful side events and personal quests he could exploit.
‘Considering the amount of stats I need to raise, it’d be best to perform events and quests simultaneously. …And.’
Mikhail lowered his gaze. The place where his deep-sea colored eyes fixed was the bottom part of the stat window.
Possessed trait: [■■ ■■■ ■■]
‘Is this still in an error state?’
Mikhail frowned and stared at the black blank space.
What good was a rare hidden grade trait? Like this, it was just an element he couldn’t use in any way.
It felt like looking at a pie in the sky, which wasn’t very pleasant.
“Tsk.”
…But what could he do? There was no particular solution right now.
Mikhail let out a breath as if shaking off regret and withdrew his gaze from the stat window.
‘It doesn’t matter if I have it or not. It’s not like I’m going to block the threats of the main storyline. …First, let me think about raising my stats.’
Rustle.
Mikhail moved forward, leaving the celestial measuring device behind.
His destination was Haeohreum Forest behind the campus.
‘If it’s the first side event I’ll intervene in…’
The magic tool rampage incident that occurred in the shopping district.
It was to obtain an item to use as the solution to that incident.
