Warm sunlight slipped quietly through the floor-to-ceiling window, painting long golden lines across polished wooden flooring.
Morning had arrived.
The room remained perfectly silent.
Soft white curtains swayed gently beneath the cool breeze drifting in from the partially opened window, carrying with it the faint scent of pine forests and the distant sea surrounding Aurora Isle.
A spacious bedroom stretched quietly beneath the morning light.
Near the window stood a sturdy oak study desk paired with a comfortable chair.
Dylan’s backpack rested neatly upon it, exactly where he’d left it the previous evening.
Beside the desk, an entire wall had been converted into a towering bookshelf.
Every shelf completely empty.
Opposite the bookshelf stood a frosted glass door leading into a private bathroom, while beside the large bed rested a simple armament stand.
Rain slept quietly within its sheath, leaning against it rested the compact hand axe Dylan purchased from Elijah.
Both weapons reflected faint streaks of morning sunlight.
On the beside table.
A phone lay charging peacefully.
Then—
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
A hand crept out from under the blanket.
Slowly.
Like the world outside wasn’t worth the effort.
Tap.
But the phone alarm blared on, indifferent.
Dylan tapped at it a few more times before it finally stopped.
Silence returned.
Dylan remained motionless, Five second passed.
Ten.
“…I don’t want to.” His voice muffled beneath the blanket.
Another minute slipped by.
Finally, he slowly opened one eye.
Sunlight greeted him immediately.
“..Morning Already?” He dramatically groaned before rolling onto his back.
“I want to sleep more…” Dylan mumbled, punctuating it with a yawn.
His gaze wandered lazily around the room, even after waking up here, it still didn’t quite feel real.
Yesterday had been busy.
After Jose had practically yelled at him for standing outside the dormitory entrance admiring the building for “too damn long,” the loud caretaker had personally dragged him inside, shoved a room key into his hand, and marched him all the way to his assigned room while loudly explaining every hallway rule imaginable.
Apparently standing outside appreciating architecture counted as suspicious behaviour.
Dylan cursed under his breath.
“That guy’s voice is fucking unbearable.”
Despite Jose’s personality…
The room itself had genuinely surprised him.
It was spacious, modern, and comfortable.
Compared to the hotel he’d stayed in a few days ago.
This place felt like a luxury penthouse.
“… Definitely an upgrade.” He muttered, streching beneath the blanket.
Several joints immediately popped.
“…Still…”
His eyes slowly drifted back toward the ceiling.
“…Getting out of bed is a completely different problem.”
Dylan didn’t want to get up.
The bed was too comfortable, the most comfortable thing he’d ever felt in his life.
Getting up felt like a crime.
He stared at the ceiling as though hoping someone else would attend his first day for him.
Unfortunately, he knew it was not going to happen.
Dylan finally accepted defeat.
“..Fine.” With all the determination of a man matching toward unavoidable war, he pulled himself upright.
He shuffled towards the bathroom, running one eye.
The shower came first, warm water poured over him, washing away the lingering exhaustion from days of travelling, Stream quickly filled the room as he stood beneath the spray a little longer than necessary.
“…This is heaven” Dylan muttered.
Several minutes later…
He finally stepped back out.
A towel rested over his shoulders while he stared into the bathroom Mirror.
“…I really need to gain muscle,” He turned sideways.
“…This physique is trash.”
His arms looked lean.
Too lean.
A week of hospitalisation, running for his life, surviving on questionable food and nearly getting himself killed had done absolutely nothing for his appearance.
In simple words he looked like a stick with pretty-average face and emerald eyes.
He flexed his non-existent muscles anyway.
Nothing impressive happened.
“…Outstanding.”
“I’m intimidating exactly nobody.”
After drying his hair, he slipped into the Nexus Academy uniform.
The dark blazer fit surprisingly well.
The silver academy crest rested neatly over his chest.
“…At least the uniform carries me.”
One final glance into the mirror.
“…Good enough.” He put on the inventory bracelet and pushed everything into it.
His phone, backpack, wallet, Rain, compact axe, everything except the student ID, which he kept in his pocket.
“…Let’s survive the first day.”
The dormitory corridor looked strangely empty.
Too empty.
Dylan frowned.
“…That’s odd.”
His gaze drifted toward the digital clock mounted above the elevator.
08:57 A.M.
He blinked.
“…No.”
His eyes slowly widened.
“…No no no.”
He yanked his phone from the Inventory Bracelet.
08:58 A.M.
The orientation assembly began at…
9:00 A.M.
“…Shit.”
Without another thought, he broke into a sprint.
The quiet hallway exploded with the sound of hurried footsteps.
“I’m late.”
“I’m actually late.”
“On the first day.”
“…Fantastic.”
He flew past elevators without waiting, throwing himself into the emergency staircase instead.
The stairs suddenly looked much taller than they had yesterday.
“…Who designed a dorm with this many floors?”
He practically launched himself down the flights two and three steps at a time.
His legs immediately protested.
“…Right.”
“My body’s still garbage.”
By the time he burst through the main entrance of the dormitory, he was already breathing harder than he’d care to admit.
The crisp morning air greeted him.
He ignored it.
Students filled the broad academy roads, all moving in roughly the same direction.
The Assembly Hall.
“…At least everyone else is going there too.”
He leaned forward and accelerated.
Tree-lined paths blurred past.
Beautiful gardens.
Elegant fountains.
Towering academic buildings.
Normally…
He would’ve stopped to admire everything.
Today…
“…MOVE!”
He sidestepped a group of chatting freshmen with surprising agility.
“Sorry!”
Another sharp turn.
Another staircase.
Another curse.
“First day…”
“…And I’m already making a terrible first impression.”
Several minutes later, an enormous white building came into view.
The Nexus Assembly Hall.
Its sweeping glass façade reflected the morning sunlight while massive silver banners bearing the academy crest hung proudly from towering pillars.
Students continued streaming through the entrance.
Dylan didn’t slow down until he reached the doors.
“…Made it.”
He immediately walked inside.
Silence.
Almost fifteen hundred freshmen occupied the enormous auditorium.
Every seat faced a magnificent stage where faculty members sat in neat rows.
“…”
“…Well.”
“So much for sneaking in.”
He quietly slipped through the rear entrance, keeping his head low.
Maybe…
Just maybe…
Nobody would—
Every single head turned.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Nearly fifteen hundred pairs of eyes settled on him.
Dylan froze.
“…Hi.”
He offered an awkward, sheepish smile accompanied by a tiny wave.
“…Sorry.”
After several seconds people simply looked away.
Conversations resumed.
“…That went better than expected.”
Trying very hard to appear invisible, Dylan slipped into one of the empty seats near the back.
At that exact moment.
A graceful woman stepped toward the podium.
The entire hall became quiet.
She possessed long silver-blonde hair that cascaded to her waist, calm sapphire eyes, and an elegance that immediately commanded attention.
Her academy uniform had been tailored beneath a pristine white professor’s coat, while the faint pressure radiating from her body silently reminded everyone present why she ranked among humanity’s elite.
Professor Diana Everhart, S-Rank Hunter.
One of Nexus Academy’s most famous instructors.
The reaction from the freshmen was immediate.
“…She’s beautiful.”
“…No way…” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“…Is that really Professor Diana?”
Half the male students had already forgotten how breathing worked.
Even several female students stared openly.
Diana smiled politely.
“Good morning.”
“My name is Diana Everhart.”
“I would normally introduce our Chairman.”
“Unfortunately…”
“Chairman Marcus Marrow is currently away handling Bureau affairs.”
“So today’s welcoming ceremony will be conducted by me.”
Her calm gaze swept across the hall.
It paused.
Very briefly.
Directly on Dylan.
One elegant eyebrow rose almost imperceptibly.
Then…
She continued as though nothing had happened.
“First…”
“Welcome to Nexus Academy.”
“The world’s greatest institution for the education of Awakeners.”
While the speech continued…
Dylan finally allowed himself to look around.
Rows upon rows of unfamiliar faces.
Then…
Several familiar ones.
Golden hair.
Golden eyes.
Even while sitting quietly, he somehow managed to look like the protagonist of the entire world.
Ethan Walker.
“…There you are.”
Not far away, a handsome young man with vibrant crimson hair was already laughing alongside several nearby students.
His warm amber eyes sparkled with life, and his bright, carefree smile made it seem as though he had known everyone for years.
There wasn’t a trace of arrogance despite being the son of the legendary Thunder God, Vincent Barthalemou.
Kalen Barthalemou.
Another member of the original main cast.
“…Already making friends.”
A few rows ahead…
A young woman with long raven-black hair sat gracefully, her posture flawless as she listened attentively to Professor Diana Everhart, completely ignoring the whispers surrounding her.
Her warm ivory complexion, refined features, and quiet elegance naturally drew the attention of everyone around her, yet she remained utterly unfazed.
Megha Roy.
The wealthy Indian heiress.
The original novel’s main heroine.
Then his gaze shifted once more.
A silver-haired young man sat with perfect posture, his academy uniform immaculate without a single wrinkle.
His piercing sapphire-blue eyes swept across the assembly hall with quiet disdain, while the faint smirk resting on his sharp, aristocratic features made it obvious he believed very few people were worth his attention.
Even among the academy’s elite, his presence demanded respect.
Leonard Caesar.
The proud heir of the Caesar family.
Ethan Walker’s greatest rival.
“…Still looks like someone who’d charge people for breathing the same air.”
Suppressing a chuckle, Dylan continued scanning the hall.
Eventually…
His gaze stopped.
A tall young woman with flowing silver-white hair sat silently near the window.
The morning sunlight gently illuminated her porcelain skin, while her long pointed ears peeked through strands of shimmering hair, leaving no doubt about her race.
An elf.
Her brilliant emerald eyes remained fixed on the stage, calm and unreadable, carrying a quiet dignity that naturally kept others at a respectful distance.
Although breathtakingly beautiful, there was an untouchable serenity surrounding her—as if she belonged to an entirely different world.
Clarice Ventrova.
The Elven Princess.
One of the central characters of the original novel.
Princess of the Kingdom of Ventrova, one of the great Elven kingdoms hidden within Europe’s terraformed territories.
Dylan lingered on her for a brief moment longer before quietly looking away.
“…So I finally got to see all the characters I created.”
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
Excitement.
Nostalgia.
And a hint of disbelief.
“They all look exactly like I imagined,” he muttered under his breath.
But the only difference was that they were no longer names on a document, no longer illustrations born from his imagination.
They were real, breathing, laughing, living lives of their own.
“.. Everyone’s here.”
One by one..
The people he had once brought to life with nothing more than words had appeared before his eyes.
The destined protagonist.
His rival.
The wealthy heiress.
The carefree celebrity.
The silent elven princess.
Every major character he had written is now infront of him.
Dylan slowly let out a quiet breath looking at all five of them once again.
A faint smile appeared on Dylan’s face.
“…The first arc of the story has finally begun.”
His emerald eyes slowly swept across the vast assembly hall.
As Professor Diana Everhart’s welcoming speech echoed through the auditorium, the first day at Nexus Academy quietly unfolded.