"Urghhhhhh."
Isaac wakes up from his sleep, most annoyingly, the muscle ache from working out the previous night, and the nervous strain from his eyes popping.
My goodness… I feel like a bloody fatass.
Did I really sleep in my uniform?
Fuck, ironing this is gonna suck.
This damn headache too… How am I supposed to pay attention to lectures…
Issue after issue stacking up… What the fuck was I doing last night?
But something alleviated it all.
Oh?
Hehehe… As if the food wasn't a reward.
Isaac reaches onto his desk and feels the touch of a different card from his student ID and Pactum Passport on his desk. It was in his worldview, NOT a stream of binary, but rather a small card the same size as his ID.
A Quixion Card.
Hehehe… Money. Oh, ~ Sweet money.
Isaac was given a separate card alongside his Pactum Passport when registering his identity. After yesterday's chores, he was requested to pull this card as this world's currency was transferred over to him.
Quixion (Æ), I have to say…
How impressive again.
I'll investigate later on, but wow.
Æ was a blockchain currency by all technicalities.
But improved.
From what I can infer, it is a universal currency system that is not tied to physical money or digital bitcoins. But rather based on the individual's biological biometric signatures and genomes, making economic fraud impossible.
How the fuck did they do that?
No clue.
Nevertheless…
Anyways, I just need to save up 20 Æ for 10m handwraps, 150 Æ for a custom-crafted pair of boxing boots with metal outsoles around the heel and tip, with 50 Æ excess for everything else that looks cool that I saw otw.
In total, I need 220 Æ.
How much do I have now?
2 Æ…
Bruh… I'll just work more and ask my 'family'.
Stamina: 100% |
Nice though. My stamina is maxed after rest. Today might not be that bad.
Isaac swings his legs over the bed's edge, and morning light bleeds in onto the desk where two textbooks sit waiting.
He felt a rustle of paper in his pants.
Huh?
What the fuck is rubbing against my dick?
Isaac pulled out a piece of paper, approximately the size of 1/4th of an A4 paper.
What was written went as such:
"If you could not get a good night's rest or if the memory of the previous day failed to settle. Do. Not. Blame. Yourself. Do. Not. That failure was never your fault, future Isaac. You are solely experiencing a cognitive load from being transmigrated into Eleneos Arcane Academia.
As such, Isaac of the future. Please make sure to bring your First to Third Year Biology and The History of the Kingdoms and Wave Binders to lectures at 10:00 AM tomorrow, or, for you, today.
To Isaac, the next day, from the Isaac who had not had enough sleep."
Wow… That's certainly a way to ensure I don't forget to bring my lecture materials.
Will note…
Okay then… The First to Third Year Biology and The History of the Kingdoms and Wave Binders.
Judging solely by the cover. These weren't in EAA, not like this at least. The EAA lore databases had snippets about 'anatomy modules' and 'faction backstories'. These books, on the other hand, are legit copies of this world's lore.
The Biology textbook revealed illustrations of chlorophyll-infused circulatory systems as Isaac quickly flipped through the pages 'landing' on regular biology and pictures. The history books showed a paragraph of exposition that he didn't bother to read.
Isaac casually finishes his uniform and grabs his cards before exiting his room. It was odd… Too normal. He spots other First-Years shuffling into the hallways, Esyphyr House students' eyes still puffy with sleep.
A grin splits Isaac's face.
The EAA I 'remembered', had Elenese Mages as NPC quest-givers with recycled dialogue trees. All these students are probably more knowledgeable than the knitty-gritty of this world.
I like hardworking people.
A memory ambushes him.
Undergrad library at 5 AM, cold coffee while his classmates partied. The isolation. The quiet judgment from 'normal' students who thought he and co. were grinding for a superiority complex.
Isaac pressed his forehead to the cold door frame.
These kids don't know it yet, but their hard work = survival in the later Acts and even beyond that. Without specified intervention from the player, I'm sure the majority of them will survive, no matter the difficulties.
Same as I did once.
Mad respect to them.
But…
FUCK!
I genuinely can't help but feel like I'm forgetting something.
What am I missing…
| Go… |
"Shaddap. I know."
Yeesh…
Isaac descended the stairs with the Institute's main building looming before him, its doorway swallowing students. The grand staircase led upward, each marble step worn smooth by generations of the best. Isaac was bombarded with question after question; in fact, for the duration he was in public, he had to shut off his brain and respond to each and every question with the same "I dunno." answer.
Today was no different; perhaps it was louder today.
It really was quite distracting, so much so that on his table, there existed a smooth construct he had ignored as well.
It was what Isaac was forgetting.
A stack of paper containing the syllabus of every subject he was going to study in the following semester.
It is a Q̵s̸j̷n̴v̴n̵ ̸N̶f̶o̴e̴b̶d̸j̴v̶n̷ ̸G̴b̴c̵v̶m̷b̵f̷ that he should have learned the day prior.
One that would have comforted him for tomorrow.
.
.
.
Second floor. R225.
Isaac pushed it open, his gaze snagging on the unmistakable figures seated in the middle row.
The Heroines.
They're already here, of course.
On the middle tier, they sat in perfect triangular formation, each occupying their own strategic position.
Anzhelika occupied the left-central position with the same meticulous precision as her counterpart, though where Turaiya's discipline was sharp as snowflakes, Anzhelika's was as quiet as the blow of an autumn wind.
Sephalyn sat two seats next to Anzhelika. A complete overturn of the other two, as brazen as the summer sun, her crimson eyes tracked Isaac's descent with the lazy focus of an apex predator observing prey.
Lastly, Turaiya is at the highest vantage point in the row behind the other two. Her hands moved with dynamic efficiency, arranging her tablet files into perfectly accurate categorizations before the class even began.
Nepo baby… Thought, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder… Even a highly adva— Tsk… No way I'm lazy in my own thoughts… Highly Developed Society (HDS) hasn't figured out how to cure OCD.
Didn't even know she had OCD… thank you | Media Literacy |.
I'm sure the seating arrangement wasn't accidental, either.
Littered in the other seats sat Lord Marcis Santiago Moretti and Lord Evander Christarion side by side, the two of them eventually developing such a friendship that utter trust would be a baseline.
I swear, if shipping culture translates here and their fangirls request some BL, I'm gonna start losing my shit and join the villain's side to slime these ppl out.
Alone in all her intellect sits Lady Celeste Laurent Bianchetta, playing a game of chess with herself.
PFFT… Oh my god its more cringe in person. Hey… Whatever floats your boat, girl.
Whatever your elo is, I'll definitely play you one day.
Although it was an oddity that went unnoticed by the brash Isaac. That oddity being that Lady Celeste had 16 boards rather than 1. Stacked 4 boards high and 4 boards long.
With her moving pieces through the layers of the board.
Lower than the Lady, Alyssa sat in the first row with her group of friends. She notices Isaac and throws out the most exaggerated wave, drawing the attention of the other 3 girls sitting next to her.
Every eye in the room turned toward the interruption.
My god… Alyssa fucking Woxen, you really had to draw EVERYONE'S attention, did you?
Either way… If I remember… All of them fell out after Alyssa passed.
Interesting that I remember… Actually… Its cuz I wondered…
If Alyssa Woxen lives in New EAA… Would the rest of them stay friends?
Or more intriguingly, would they all die instead of her?
Isaac hesitated at the steps, suddenly aware of how both his thoughts and shadow stretched long down the central aisle. The most notable stares were from all the royals and nobles.
"Topological Anchor V2: Activate."
Let the gossiping begin.
Translated from binary:
"Isaac Mun? Oh! The boy with the never-before-seen Thaumiton QCD Charge Doublet color?"
"Yeah, dude! That's him! Total crashout at the dinner, remember? Holy shit!"
"Dude! Go ask him quickly how he did it!"
"Nah, man… What if he gives me bullshit for an answer?"
"Yippity yappity yap! My guy. Just ask!"
…
"He should eat more, don't you think?"
"Yeah~ Actually… Don't you think he would look good if he gained some muscle?"
"Oh~ Aenor~ Got a crush?"
"What? Absolutely not! I-I'm just saying!"
…
"Dude… How is he still alive? Why hasn't he collapsed into a well of gravity yet…"
"I… I-I don't know, dude… It's scary… A Defier of the Law of Nature… In our class."
"Imagine he just turns into a black hole rn. That would lowkey be funny if he just sucks us all."
"Shut the fuck up, bro! And phrasing as well!"
…
Surprisingly, a few memories from the night before were being replayed.
It was flashing lights and geometrical shapes that Isaac did not remember.
A mere puff.
Oh my god… What a fucking mix of reactions.
My reputation is in the gutter… Could this be Aura?
Bleghhh… Never again.
That was so fucking cringe.
| Back… |
Hello? System? Why the fuck are you talking to me so much now, huh?
No shit, I'm gonna sit at the back and sleep if this class gets boring.
Isaac avoids all the interactions and takes a simple seat near the back of the classroom. A point where one could observe everything fully, and, most importantly, a point where Isaac could doze off peacefully.
At exactly 10:00 AM, a sound that froze them all, the click of heels on marble. Doctor Azucena Esquivel emerged from the shadows behind the podium, her pristine white robes contrasting against the stone as her gaze swept across the tiers, landing on Isaac.
"Ah," she said, the single syllable resonating through the chamber's perfect acoustics. "Seems like most of you all are punctual. Very good."
"Good morning, students. I hope you had a wonderful rest last night. As you all know, my name is Doctor Azucena Esquivel, Head of Biothaumic Studies. Lucky you to have me as your Professor for the First Year. Learn well, okay?"
Doctor Azucena Esquivel… The First Extra Probability… She really is kind, though, and I'm sure she will be a favourite amongst the cohort.
She smiles brightly. Then the moment shatters as the doctor's voice rings out.
"Ah. And our final student arrives."
Caelum, with an awkward expression, enters the class.
"Take your seat, in the only vacant seat left," she says, pointing to the unfortunate seat where he squeezes between Anzhelika and Sephalyn while being overseen by Turaiya.
Precisely accurate to the main story… No corruption except for the teacher.
Hm… How peculiar.
"Quickly, these seats will be set until we disperse in the Third Year."
Caelum manages to snuggle into that perfect 'narrative' seat, the three princesses stare at him with Turiaya whacking his head like a bobo doll.
What the fuck… Poor dude.
He's gonna get abused by the three of them. I don't blame him for being shy, though, if he isn't faking it, he's legit a pawn around three queens of the world wide chess board.
Hoh… Just wait till the roles get reversed in the later Acts, what a fucking shit show I'm in for hehe.
"Come, students. We have much to discuss."