Chapter 2: The Academy City of Elysium

Released:

“Huh?”

The place where I was standing on two feet was no longer the studio lined with cameras.

Out of nowhere, a new world unfolded before me.

Modern buildings radiated a sleek atmosphere beneath a brilliantly shining sun and a clear blue sky.

The shops visible between the skyscrapers bore strangely familiar names and designs.

The cars passing by on the road were all models I didn’t recognize.

What is this place… What about the shoot? And that staff member?

The sights filling my vision didn’t register properly.

Any assumptions or information my mind tried to process were outright rejected. The wind brushing past and the faint scents carried to my nose added a disorienting sense of reality.

My mind went completely blank, and my body refused to move.

How long did I stand there in a daze?

Chattering voices gradually seeped into my ears.

– If I mess up the placement test today, my mom said she’s cutting my allowance!

– You kept saying you were good at memorizing but didn’t even cram at the last minute, did you?

– Ugh, I don’t know! What am I gonna do…!

The lively, cheerful voices roused my dulled consciousness.

“Hoo.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath in.

I bit down on my tongue mercilessly. The sharp pain and the taste of blood filled my mouth.

So, this isn’t… a dream?

The vivid sensation clearly confirmed that I was alive.

I began to accept that the current situation was real.

I shifted my gaze left and right, trying to gather information.

The passing pedestrians had unnaturally vibrant yet strangely natural hair and eye colors.

I even spotted individuals with animal ears and tails scattered among the crowd.

Yet no one seemed to pay them any particular attention as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Most of the pedestrians wore identical uniforms and were heading in the same direction.

That uniform….

Of course, I remembered.

“Orion Academy” was the central setting of “Abyss City”, the game where the character “Ro-han” that was modeled after me was set to be released.

And the academy’s uniforms looked exactly like the ones I was seeing now.

Beastkin were also a common race in Abyss City.

It was even a world where elves, though rare, existed.

Accepting that, I lowered my gaze to check my hands and body.

“..….”

The only thing I was holding was the student ID card I had received as a gift.

On top of that, for some reason, I was wearing the Orion Academy uniform myself.

The smartphone that had been in my pocket was nowhere to be found. It was replaced by a device I had never seen before.

At any rate.

Combining the physical evidence around me and my own reasoning, I reached a conclusion.

There was no doubt.

No matter how many times I tried to think otherwise, it was hard to believe.

I’m not some novel protagonist or anything….

I was certain that I had fallen into the game called “Abyss City”.

Just like those characters from the web novels I used to enjoy.

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This world held an inner sense of familiarity thanks to my time playing the game, and it even had a uniquely bright atmosphere.

However, there were unfamiliar aspects that I could feel firsthand.

I’m still so dazed.

Somehow putting those thoughts aside for now,

I wondered how I should act from this point on, but fortunately, there was a guidepost for me.

[First Step]

◇ Quest Objective: Complete the Orion Academy placement test.

◇ Category: Tutorial

◇ Reward for Success: 100P

◇ Penalty for Failure: None

Just as I accepted the fact that I had fallen into the game and was about to take a step forward,

A translucent screen appeared before my eyes to greet me.

Was it something only I could see? No one else spared a glance at this mysterious object floating in the air.

The academy placement test, huh…

I quietly examined the translucent screen.

I began listing the information that came to mind.

This isn’t something you could experience in the game.

After all, the starting point of Abyss City was always after class placements had been decided and the surrounding characters were already set.

The placement exam test was only ever briefly mentioned as a side story.

In other words, I knew of its existence but had no idea what the test itself entailed.

This could be fun.

It was full of unknowns, but I didn’t hesitate for long.

My destination was Orion Academy, as suggested by the quest.

There wasn’t a grand reason behind it.

I simply found it interesting and was curious.

Though I wasn’t sure if the characters I loved would be there, if they did exist, I had a strong desire to see them in person.

Besides, I couldn’t help but be curious about the reward of 100 points.

More than anything, what really moved me was,

The quest isn’t mandatory, huh?

The lack of penalties for failure gave me a sense of freedom.

It felt as though I could either take the placement test or run off beyond the academy city, and no one would care.

That was the part I liked the most.

After checking the unfamiliar smartphone that had been sleeping in my pocket, confirming the date of February 26th and the early hour,

I began walking while blending in among the students heading toward Orion Academy.

Before I knew it, I found myself mesmerized by the twitching ears and gently swaying tails of the beastkin that appeared one by one.

Eventually, the grand entrance of Orion Academy which I had only seen through a monitor came into view.

Wow, it’s even more impressive in real life.

At the entrance, a “No Vehicles Allowed” sign blinked brightly as if to draw attention.

On one side, the students were gathering and forming lines.

“New students! Please have your student IDs ready in advance!”

“You’ll need to show your student ID here to receive your placement test number!”

“The written test will begin at 10 o’clock!”

Thanks to the people bustling around with loud voices, I quickly understood the situation.

I naturally and shamelessly took my place at the end of the line.

“Next.”

As the line of students steadily moved forward, I took one step at a time.

At this point, I could see students leaning their heads to the side, showing their student IDs, and receiving their number tags.

Ah!

Suddenly, a thought came to mind.

I fidgeted with the student ID in my hand.

This… should be fine, right?

Come to think of it, this student ID was something I had received as a gift.

It looked exactly the same as the IDs the other students were holding, complete with someone’s official seal stamped on it, but what if someone asked whether it was fake?

“Hmm.”

The moment I realized it, a subtle but growing tension began to tighten in my chest, which left my throat dry.

Other than that strange smartphone in my pocket, I’ve got nothing else.

So, given the circumstances, I had a vague expectation that this student ID would function as the real deal.

However, being realistic, there was also a looming fear that it could be flagged as fake.

If they declared it a counterfeit and chaos erupted, would I need to run away?

Imagining the worst-case scenario, I glanced around for an escape route just in case I needed to bolt.

Then, my turn came.

“Student ID, please.”

“…Here it is.”

The person seated at the table didn’t look like a student.

I assumed they were a staff member of Orion Academy.

“Hmm?”

The staff member who had been working with a calm expression suddenly changed his expression and carefully examined the student ID.

Was there a problem after all?

The brief moment of waiting for a response felt suffocating, like the sensation of being gripped by a rough hand around the neck.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I heard there were some people from the South in this freshman class, but I didn’t realize it was true.”

“……”

The staff member quickly clarified that he didn’t mean anything bad and had only reacted out of curiosity. He apologized once more before pointing to a piece of paper.

“Just write your name in the signature field here.”

It seemed he was interested in the country of affiliation listed on my student ID.

I understood immediately.

If it’s the South, that reaction makes sense.

Feeling like a huge sigh of relief would burst out if I opened my mouth, I stayed silent and simply picked up the pen.

I wrote “Ro-han” just as it appeared on the student ID and straightened my back.

“Here’s your student ID, and please take this ticket.”

The assigned number was 99.

Holding that ominous number, I once again followed the crowd of students moving in unison.

But why the South?

That lingering curiosity about my character remained.

[Examination Hall 4]

Inside the examination hall, I saw familiar faces from the game which instantly piqued my interest.

However, the room was filled with characters I had neglected or never developed, leaving me with a faint sense of disappointment.

“Tch.”

I sat at the desk marked with the number 99 while idly spinning the pen in front of me as I looked around.

Unlike me, who didn’t even have a bag, the other students were pulling out books and mumbling to themselves as they did some last-minute cramming.

A written test. Would I be able to do well?

It’s such a common web novel cliché.

Characters like me, who get transported into a game or novel, often crush theoretical exams perfectly thanks to their preexisting knowledge.

But what about me?

Well, if I fail, there’s nothing I can do.

I didn’t dwell on it too much. The new experience itself was enjoyable enough, so I was satisfied.

The dreamlike situation of being transported into a game made me overwhelmingly happy.

I spent my time leisurely admiring the airships and the landscape of the Academy city visible outside the window, completely unaware of what subjects would be on the written test.

At some point, creak! The front door opened.

Click. Click. Click.

A stern-looking woman entered. She was holding a thick document envelope in her arms.

The sight of a gun holstered at her waist made the academy setting feel all the more real and somehow shocking.

“There don’t seem to be any empty seats. Put everything away except for your pens, and turn off your smartphones.”

As they tidied up their books, a few students sighed almost in despair. They were clearly frustrated by the lack of time.

“The written test will last 120 minutes. Students who finish within the allotted time may leave and proceed to the practical test. However, once you leave, you will not be allowed to re-enter until the test ends.”

The examiner continued her explanation, making sure everyone understood.

The examiner, without moving from the lectern, began to nudge the stacked test papers with a single finger.

The papers fluttered through the air and landed gently, one by one, on the desks where the students were seated.

The students widened their eyes in astonishment at the examiner’s incredible precision and control.

“Wow!”

“Quiet. You are not to open the test papers until I announce the start of the exam. If anyone opens them beforehand, it will be considered cheating.”

In the sharp silence that followed the warning,

Only the faint murmurs of students repeating what they had memorized echoed softly.

The examiner who had been checking her wristwatch at the lectern finally lifted her head.

“Begin the test.”

At the cold command, the students snapped to attention. The sound of rustling papers filled the room as they all unfolded their test sheets in unison.

I too gripped my pen with determination and opened the first page of the test.

Question 1) Under the laws of the academy city Elysium, what actions incur a fine of 50 coins?

1. Entering restricted areas without proper authorization.

2. Causing disruptions that interfere with the normal operation of critical facilities.

3. Taking weapons owned by Orion Academy without permission.

4. Failing to report the immediate execution of an escaped convict to the Elysium Department of Public Safety without valid justification.

…The city laws?!

I hadn’t seen this coming at all.

The moment I saw a question beyond anything I had anticipated, my vision swam.

I quickly flipped through the test paper to check the other subjects as well.

There were indeed questions about monsters and equipment, and some familiar names caught my eye.

But.

Just recognizing a few words didn’t mean I could magically find the right answers.

What even is the formula for magic conductivity?

In web novels, it’s practically a cliché for transmigrators to ace written exams like it’s nothing.

But the written test at Orion Academy wasn’t something that could be solved by relying on knowledge gleaned from a game.

It felt like the test was slapping me across the head and declaring, “This is reality.”

“….…”

I picked up my pen and confidently marked a single line across the paper.

Then, as the first to finish, I handed in the test and headed straight to the practical test hall.

One response to “Chapter 2: The Academy City of Elysium”

  1. Circle Avatar
    Circle

    Bruh, if you don’t know anything, at least guess lol

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