LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 5 - Status Window!!!
✦ Chapter 5 – Status Window!!! ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
[The quest has been completed.]
[Rewards have been obtained.]
[The shop has been unlocked.]
As soon as I opened my eyes, those messages filled my vision. After staring blankly at them for a moment, I waved my hand to clear the notifications. As I took in the unfamiliar ceiling, a small laugh escaped my lips.
‘Good thing I didn’t end up sleeping outside.’
The thought had crossed my mind right after the practical exam.
While it was nice to have finally seen Noah and Ichinose in person, the problem was where I should go next.
With a few days left until the start of the term, I was troubled about where and how to spend my time.
Having no clear solution in mind, I was ready to sleep outdoors if necessary. Right after the exam, I overheard a group of students discussing buying food and heading to the dormitory.
I checked my smartphone and found an informational guide from Orion Academy.
Then, it was a series of movements.
I made my way to the dormitory located a block away from Orion Academy. Whether it was the skill I used or the hidden tension from excitement, the fatigue took root in my body. As soon as I reached my room, I collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.
Now, as I stared at the ceiling, fully awake, a comforting certainty settled in my chest.
‘It really wasn’t just a dream.’
The doubt transformed into certainty. I was still in Academy City: Elysium.
And I couldn’t be happier about it.
Even though waking up to find it all a dream wouldn’t have been surprising, facing the unchanged reality after a nap made me laugh out loud.
This was it. This was my reality.
“Heh…”
Amidst my joy, I slurred incoherently to myself. Then, I slowly moved my drowsy body to the corner of the bed to grab my smartphone and check the time.
‘February 26th, 8:40 PM.’
It was still the day of the placement exams. It felt like I’d slept for a full day, but I must have crashed pretty early.
‘Well, that was a waste of a good sleep schedule.’
I pushed myself up to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Time to face reality. I had some thinking to do. No more procrastinating.
“Alright.”
I reluctantly left the warm embrace of the bed and stretched, my stiff muscles protesting with a satisfying crackle. I shrugged off my uniform jacket, hanging it neatly on the back of the chair before taking a moment to survey my surroundings.
‘This room has a lived-in feel.’
Details I had overlooked in my rush to dive into bed came into view. Opening the closet revealed a few shabby but wearable clothes. The shoe rack held a pair of sneakers with worn-out soles.
On the desk were thick textbooks and a bag, along with various basic necessities already provided.
‘So, my character must have spent at least some time in the dorms. Maybe I was living here since enrollment day, and then…poof…I turned back into…me… on my way to the placement exams?’
Something like that, probably.
Dwelling on this won’t yield any progress, so I’ll decisively end it here. While I’m curious about the time that passed without leaving a memory, right now, I have more pressing matters concerning the present and the future.
‘First.’
This was crucial. Before I could even begin to formulate any kind of plan, I needed to confirm one thing — was I truly free from the ticking time bomb that was my impending death? Had I somehow dodged a bullet? Or, to be more accurate, had I slipped my head out of the guillotine just before the blade fell?
*Thump. Thump.*
As I walked towards the shower, I saw my reflection in the mirror. The sense of alienation was overwhelming. No matter how closely I examined it, my body was pristine, without a single blemish.
The absence of those old necrotic marks and scars was what truly mattered more than any unsatisfactory aspect of my current physical condition.
‘The necrosis is gone… completely healed… not even a scar.’
The diseased veins that had once spread out from my heart like a spiderweb were no longer visible.
It must be thanks to transferring to this new body.
‘Just a few days ago, I was staring death in the face.’
High-ranking Hunters might have received expensive treatments capable of erasing scars, extracting toxins, or neutralizing the poisons left by monsters.
However, most Hunters like me began struggling as their abilities weakened, unable to endure the injuries left by monsters.
When the abilities of Hunters completely vanished and they reverted to ordinary human bodies, many of them would face death. I had long acknowledged that the odds of me being included in that bloodbath, however many years into the future, were high.
But now…
That impending doom, the feeling of a noose tightening around my neck, was gone.
I was free.
‘Alright! I’ll take it!’
The unintentional jubilation at escaping imminent danger made me smile foolishly. My steps felt light as a feather as I moved towards the shower. Though I maintained a facade of detachment, the reality of having a death sentence had been mentally eroding me.
*Shhhhhhh—*
As I waited for the water to heat up, my thoughts shifted to the next item on my agenda.
‘Second…’
Where, in this vast academy city, was the protagonist of Abyss City?
‘They have to have taken the placement exams to end up in the same class as the other main characters, right?’
The protagonist’s gender and name in Abyss City depended on the choices made by the player. Were they male in this version? Female? I had no clue. I hadn’t spotted anyone even remotely resembling the potential protagonists among the throngs of students after the practical exam.
‘In that case, I’ll probably have to wait until the term starts to find out.’
And if this world followed the game’s timeline, well… let’s just say the protagonist’s arrival had always coincided with an unprecedented wave of chaos and destruction.
As someone who cherished peace and quiet, I was in no hurry to speed things along.
“…………..”
*Shhhhhhh!*
The water, finally hot, cascaded over me, washing away the last remnants of sleep. I closed my eyes, letting my thoughts wander as I dove deeper into my mental to-do list.
‘Next…’
It was time to check the quest rewards and the shop.
That arrogant skill that took five hours for an update needed inspection.
*Whirrr!*
A translucent window materialized in front of me, words appearing in rapid succession, as if typed by an unseen hand.
The water from the showerhead flowed right through it, the droplets scattering harmlessly against my skin.
< Shop – Lv. 1 >
◇ Random Skill Book – 500P (One-Time Purchase)
◇ Status Window – 100P (One-Time Purchase)
◇ High-Protein Jerky – 3P
◇ Cloud Bread – 2P
◇ Coral Jelly – 2P
◇ Energy Drink – 2P
◇ Bottled Water – 2P
…
…
[Remaining Points: 100P]
“Oh!”
My short exclamation echoed in the small bathroom. My mouth started watering, and I quickly re-lathered my hair, determined to finish showering before I gave in to temptation.
‘What are the chances of them adding equipment to the shop once it levels up?’
If they were already selling skill books, surely anything was possible. As it stood, the shop’s current offerings, besides the first two items, were limited to edible and drinkable consumables. Still, the possibilities were exciting.
“Aaaah, that’s the stuff.”
After quickly finishing my shower and toweling off, I changed into comfortable clothes and focused on the status window.
‘If I buy food, how will it be provided? Will it just appear out of thin air?’
I felt a bit hungry and was tempted to buy one of the 1P items to see how it worked. But then, my eyes fell on a perfect match for my remaining points: the status window.
‘Status window!’
There, at the very top of the list, was an item that called to me like a siren song, and I had just enough points to buy it.
[Status Window has been unlocked.]
In gaming terms, this was the equivalent of unlocking a shortcut key. I could endure hunger, but curiosity was impossible to resist. I was thoroughly satisfied.
I eagerly pulled up the status window.
『Name: Rohan
Stamina: 100%
Mana: 87%
Affiliated Nation: Echoes of the Southern Ruins
Affiliated Organization: Orion Academy
Attributes: [Physical] [Fire]
Status: —
Remaining Points: 0P』
‘Fire?!’
I wasn’t surprised by ‘Physical’ — that was a given. But ‘Fire’? That came out of left field. What in the world was I doing with a Fire attribute?
“Hmm…”
I paced around the room, thinking about it, but no clear answer came to mind.
During my Hunter days, my abilities were the epitome of simplicity, far from anything flashy.
Naturally, they had nothing to do with fire.
I continued pacing, my thoughts churning, until…
“Aha!”
A likely explanation came to mind.
‘Could it be meaningless?’
Abyss City had a specific attribute rotation cycle for its new character releases. And if I recall correctly, the gaming community had speculated that the next character to be added to the roster would have a Fire attribute.
I shook my head, choosing to accept the absurdity for now. There were other matters that required my immediate attention. Namely, satisfying the burning curiosity about…well, everything.
I grabbed my slightly battered sneakers and headed outside.
｢✾｣
Ichinose Yui walked down the street after leaving the dormitory. Life had begun without a chauffeur or bodyguard, a stark contrast to the spacious home she left behind. The frequent emotional phone calls with her parents reinforced her resolve to endure these two years.
Today, adhering to that determination, she intended to study after finishing her training session. Knowing she would need something sweet for her late-night study session, she ventured out to familiarize herself with the convenience stores and cafes near the dormitory. A beauty store for makeup purchases was also on her checklist.
The February night was crisp, the air cool against her skin.
The glittering nightscape of the academy city, Elysium, felt vastly different from her homeland of Samhwa. It was dazzlingly vibrant and more prosperous than she had imagined.
‘Not bad at all.’
She felt that just walking around might stave off boredom for a while and that this path could become a pleasant evening stroll after meals. Of course, that was only if she knew where she was.
“…………..”
She had perfectly executed her plan to buy snacks at the convenience store. The many new and unfamiliar snacks excited her, making her slightly giddy. Carrying a bag of snacks and her smartphone in one hand, and her precious tachi, Yoru, in the other, she began her walk back to the dormitory.
At some point, she realized she was walking down an unfamiliar path.
*Bzzzt.*
The vibration of her phone snapped her out of her thoughts. She opened her previously shut eyes to check the screen.
[Noah: Why aren’t you in your room? Lost again? ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]
Despite repeatedly telling Noah she would be studying and not to come looking for her, she clearly ignored her instructions. Moreover, the message was infuriating.
‘Who says I’m lost…!’
She mentally noted to sternly warn her against treating her like a lost child so casually.
“Hmph!”
She continued to walk confidently, convinced that she wasn’t lost.
‘If you can find your way back, you’re not lost.’
Technically, there were plenty of ways to return to the dormitory.
She could seek help from Elysium’s Department of Public Security or simply use the map app on her smartphone. But using either would feel like admitting she was lost, something her pride wouldn’t allow.
*Click. Click. Click.*
So, she continued walking, pretending she was simply enjoying a leisurely evening stroll.
After walking for a while, she sensed something unusual and stopped, slowly opening her closed eyes. Her golden irises flicked to one side.
‘That boy?’
In a dimly lit alley with barely any light, there was a vending machine. Someone was watching it with a thoughtful expression.
‘Number 99?’
It was definitely the boy from the exam, the one who’d severed that test Golem in half as if it were made of butter.
↤ END OF CHAPTER ↦
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