I Became an Indispensable Character in the Academy City

✦ Chapter 2 – Academy City Elysium  ✦

「Translator – Creator」

𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝

“Huh?”

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

Instead, a brand-new world had unfurled before me.

Modern buildings gleamed under a bright, sunny sky.

The shops nestled between these high-rises bore eerily familiar names and appearances.

The cars cruising along the roads were all unfamiliar models.

‘What is this place…? Where’s the shoot? Where’s that staff member?’

My mind struggled to comprehend what I was seeing.

It rejected all logical explanations, all possible scenarios. The realism of it all — the breeze on my skin, the faint scents in the air — only intensified my confusion.

My mind went blank, and my body froze.

How long had I been standing there, dazed?

…Until snippets of conversation reached my ears.

— If I fail the placement test today, my mom said she’ll cut my allowance!

— You spent all your time goofing off, confident in your memorization skills. Did you even cram?

— Ugh, I don’t know! What am I going to do…?!

Their youthful energy pulled me out of my stupor.

“Ha…”

I closed my eyes, exhaled slowly…

…And then I bit my tongue — hard. The pain, the metallic taste of blood… it brought me back to reality.

‘Okay, so this isn’t a dream… huh?’

The sharp sensation grounded me in reality.

This was real.

Moving my gaze side to side, I began to gather information.

The pedestrians passing by sported vibrant, multicolored hair and eyes, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Among them were even some with animal ears and tails.

No one seemed to bat an eye, as if this was perfectly normal.

Most of the pedestrians were wearing the same uniform, heading in the same direction.

‘That uniform…’

I knew it, of course.

Abyss City… the game where “Rohan”, the character modeled after me, was supposed to be released.

That uniform… it was the Orion Academy uniform, from Academy City, the main setting of the game.

‘And beastmen are a common race in Abyss City…’

And although rare, elves existed in this world as well.

I looked down at my own hands, at my body.

“…………..”

All I was holding was the student ID card, the gift I’d received.

And… I was wearing the Orion Academy uniform.

The smartphone that had been in my pocket was gone, replaced with an unfamiliar model.

In any case.

The evidence around me led to an inescapable conclusion.

There was no doubt.

This was beyond belief no matter how many times I thought about it.

‘This is some fantasy novel protagonist bullshit…’

But it was undeniable.

I had somehow fallen into the game world of ‘Abyss City,’ just like the characters from the web novels I enjoyed.

.

.

. 

This world… it had a familiar feel to it, thanks to my countless hours playing the game. And the atmosphere… it was oddly… cheerful.

But it was still… unfamiliar.  A disconcerting reality.

‘This is all so… surreal.’

Somehow, pushing those thoughts aside.

I wondered how I should act from now on, but fortunately, there was a guide for me.

——————

[First Steps]

◇ Quest Objective: Complete the Orion Academy Placement Exam.

◇ Category: Tutorial

◇ Success Reward: 100P

◇ Failure Penalty: None

——————

Just as I was about to accept the reality of being dropped into a game and start moving, a translucent window appeared before me.

Was I the only one who could see it? No one else seemed to notice this mysterious object, floating in midair.

‘The Academy Placement Exam, huh…?’

I studied the translucent window, considering the information it presented.

‘This is something I couldn’t experience in the game, right?’

In ‘Abyss City,’ the starting point is after class assignments and the confirmation of surrounding characters.

The placement exam itself was only briefly mentioned in side stories, if I remembered correctly.

Which meant… I only knew of its existence, not the actual content of the exam.

‘This could be interesting.’

It was all uncharted territory… but my decision was made.

I was headed to Orion Academy.

Not for any grand reason…

Just… curiosity.

I was eager to see this world for myself, to see if the characters I loved existed here… If they did, I wanted to meet them.

And I was curious about that “100P” reward.

But what truly sealed my decision…

‘There’s no penalty for failing.’

The lack of consequences… it gave me a sense of freedom.

It implied that I could do whatever I wanted— take the exam, leave Academy City… it didn’t matter.

That, more than anything, appealed to me.

I pulled out the unfamiliar smartphone from my pocket, checking the date— February 26th— and the time— still early.

Then, I joined the stream of students heading towards Orion Academy.

Following the twitching ears and swaying tails of the beastkin I saw here and there, the gate of Orion Academy, which I’d only seen on a monitor, came into view.

‘Wow, seeing it in real life, it’s really impressive.’

At the entrance, a no-vehicle sign flashed prominently.

The students were bustling about, forming lines on one side.

“New students! Please have your student ID cards ready!”

“You’ll need to show your ID and receive your placement exam number here!”

“The written exam starts at 10 am!”

Thanks to the loud announcements from people walking around, I quickly understood the situation.

I too casually, shamelessly joined the end of the line.

“Next, please.”

As the line of students gradually dwindled, I moved forward step by step.

As I craned my neck sideways, I finally started to see the students showing their IDs and receiving their number tags.

‘Ah!’

A sudden realization struck me.

I fiddled with the student ID in my hand.

‘This… is going to be okay, right?’

Come to think of it… this ID card was a gift.

It looked identical to the IDs other students were holding and even had an official stamp, but the thought crossed my mind—could someone accuse me of having a counterfeit ID?

“Hmm…”

The realization sent a wave of anxiety through me. My throat felt dry.

‘I didn’t have anything else in my pockets except for that weird smartphone…’

So, I’d naively assumed that this ID card would somehow work.

Yet, if one looked at it rationally, there was a looming dread that it might be deemed a fake.

If that happened, should I make a run for it?

I scanned my surroundings, planning escape routes in case things went south…

…And then it was my turn.

“Student ID, please.”

“…Here it is.”

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

Probably a staff member.

“Hmm?”

The staff member, who’d been processing IDs with a stoic expression, paused, examining my card intently.

There’s an issue with it, isn’t there?

The brief moment of waiting for a response felt suffocating, like having a rough hand around my throat.

“Ah! Sorry about that. I heard there was a student from the Southern District among the new enrollees, but I didn’t think it was actually true.”

“………..…”

The staff member assured me he didn’t mean anything by it, he was just surprised. He apologized again and pointed to a paper.

“Please sign your name here.”

He was interested in the district listed on my ID card.

It clicked.

‘Yeah, if the Southern District is the same as in my memory… his reaction makes sense.’

Feeling like a sigh of relief would flood out if I spoke, I stayed silent and picked up the pen.

Following the information on the student ID, I wrote ‘Rohan’ and straightened up.

“Here’s your student ID, and your numbered ticket.”

I was assigned number 99.

With this somewhat ambiguous number, I followed the other bustling students again…

‘But… why the Southern District?’

…along with curiosity about my character…

🪦

[Examination Hall 4]

I was initially excited to see familiar faces from the game inside the examination hall…

…But my excitement quickly faded when I realized they were all characters I’d neglected to level up.

“Tsk.”

I sat at the desk labeled “99”, spinning the provided pen between my fingers, and surveyed my surroundings.

Unlike me, who didn’t even have a bag, the other students were busily reviewing their textbooks, mumbling to themselves.

The written exam…  Would I be able to pass?

It was a common cliché in web novels.

Characters who, like me, were transported into a game or novel often aced the theoretical exams with their prior knowledge. 

So how would I fare?

‘If I fail, there’s nothing I can do about it.’

Deep thoughts didn’t cross my mind. The new experience was exciting enough to satisfy me.

The fact that I’d been transported into a game… it was like a dream come true.

I had no idea what subjects would be on the written exam. I simply basked in the novelty of it all, admiring the airships and the Academy City landscape visible from the window.

And then… the door swung open with a creak.

*Click. Click. Click*

A stern-looking woman entered, carrying a thick envelope of documents in her arms.

The fact that she had a handgun holstered at her waist underscored the reality of the academy atmosphere, leaving me slightly amazed.

“All seats are filled. Put away all your belongings except for your pens, and turn off your smartphones.”

The students, murmuring while organizing their books, sighed in lament as some realized they didn’t have enough time.

“You have 120 minutes for the written exam. Students who finish early may leave and proceed to the practical exam. However, once you leave, you cannot re-enter the examination hall until the written exam is over.”

The examiner continued her explanation from the lectern without moving, gently flicking the exam papers with one finger.

The exam papers floated through the air, landing softly on each student’s desk.

The students’ eyes widened in amazement at the examiner’s precise control.

““Ooh!””

“Silence. Do not open your exam papers until I announce the start of the exam. Anyone caught doing so will be considered cheating.”

Amid the eerie silence brought by her sharp warning, the faint murmurs of students trying to recall their memorized notes echoed.

The examiner, after checking her wristwatch, raised her head.

“Begin.”

At her icy command, the students snapped to attention, flipped their exam papers, and began writing, filling the room with the sound of frantic scribbling.

I, too, gripped my pen with resolve and flipped the first page of the exam paper.

——————

Question 1) Under Academy City Elysium Law, in which of the following scenarios is a fine of 50 coins imposed ?

A) Entering a restricted area without authorization.
B) Causing an obstruction that disrupts the normal operation of a critical facility.
C) Removing a weapon owned by Orion Academy without permission.
D) Executing an escapee on the spot without reporting it to the Elysium Police Department without a valid reason.

——————

‘…Law!?’

This… this was unexpected.

My head spun as I read the question.

I flipped through the entire exam paper to check for other subjects.

There were questions related to monsters and equipment, and some familiar terminology appeared.

However.

Recognizing a few familiar words wasn’t enough to find the correct answers.

‘What in the world is the ‘Mana Conductivity Formula’?’

In web novels, transmigrated characters often aced written exams with ease…

But the Orion Academy Placement Exam… it wasn’t something I could tackle with just in-game knowledge.

It was a harsh reality check.

‘……………’

I picked up my pen and confidently drew a bold line through the paper.

Then I was the first to submit my exam paper and headed straight to the practical exam hall.

─── ∙ ↤ END OF CHAPTER ↦ ∙ ──

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