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After the entrance ceremony, I dragged my feet toward the teleportation platform. I punched in the destination and let the system handle the rest.
A few seconds later, I found myself standing in front of the Aegis Wing—the grand, imposing domain of the Aegis Class. The sight was everything I'd imagined and more.
From what I remembered of the novel, two hundred cadets were assigned to the Aegis Class. Two hundred supposed heroes, each with the potential to surpass even an S-Rank. Humanity's tragic hope, resting in their hands.
Of course, I knew how the story ended.
But I couldn't accept it.
It's not that I hated the ending—though, honestly, I did—but I wanted something more. I wanted a happy ending. Besides, I couldn't go back to my original world. I died there.
If this world meets the same fate… well, I'm dying with it.
The power system here was simple—at least before everything fell apart because the idiot co-author ruined the plot. But the basics still held: the power system is divided into two neat categories.
First, the basic system. Every living creature followed the same rules until they hit the biological ceiling. Stat points, neatly recorded in a status window, ranged from F-Rank to SSS+ Rank—a system as colorful as a kid's sticker chart.
But once you surpassed your racial limit—breaking past a hundred points—you entered a different realm. A messier realm.
EX-Rank. Transcendence.
People liked to call them "demigods," as if slapping a mythological label on it made the terror any less real.
Then… there was the next stage. The one that followed transcendence.
The one that—
■■■■■■■.
I blinked. What the hell? I couldn't even think the name. My mind felt like it had been wrapped in barbed wire.
[[ Outer ■■■■■■■■■■ of ■■■ is looking at you. ]]
[[ Your personal attribute, ■■■■'s ■■■■■ (?), is resisting the corruption from outside. ]]
A slow, throbbing ache dug into my skull, like a thousand tiny needles burrowing behind my eyes.
Shit. Shit, that hurt.
Outer ■■■■■■■■■■ of ■■■???
What kind of luck is this?
I survived its gaze?,
but… let's not think about it.
I stood still for a moment, letting the eerie silence settle in. Something was crawling inside my head, but I refused to acknowledge it.
Apparently, despite my "understanding," it seemed my thoughts were being filtered—maybe by the Akashic Record, or my personal attribute playing games with my mind.
As for the corruption? I knew too much about this world. Without my attribute, I'd be dead by now.
I walked on, lost in my thoughts, until I found myself standing in front of the Aegis Class gate.
It was real.
I'd read about these characters in the novel. Some of them I hated. Others I loved. I knew them—inside and out. Their quirks, their faults, their dreams.
For years, I'd imagined being part of this world, flipping through the pages of the same book over and over again.
And now, fate had thrown me here—into the very story I'd once dreamed about. About to meet the characters I'd wished were real friends.
I reached out to open the door, my hands trembling slightly. But I held back, forcing myself to wait.
Not yet.
Not when I was finally about to step into the world I had only dreamed of.
The door clicked open. A faint whisper of displaced air greeted me as the door parted without ceremony.
And as soon as I stepped inside, every cadet turned to look at me.
And not in a good way.
Their gazes were sharp. Cold. As if I had committed an unforgivable crime.
What the hell? Why were they looking at me like that?
I was about to say something when a voice cut through the tension—sweet, sarcastic.
"Cadet? Why are you so late to class?"
Late? Me?
I instinctively reached for my smart bracelet, ready to check the time, but then stopped myself.
What was I thinking? Time didn't matter right now.
I turned toward the voice.
There she stood, behind the podium, near a high-tech holographic board, mid-lecture.
Golden hair cascaded down her shoulders. Amethyst eyes gleamed like sharp gemstones. An hourglass figure you could pull from a painting.
Her name… what was it again?
"Cadet?" Her voice sliced through the air, dripping with impatience. "I'm asking you something."
I exhaled quietly. My mind raced, pulling memories, trying to place her. Then, like a flickering light, the status window appeared in my mind's eye.
[[ Status Window
Title: Spear of Olympus, Goddess of Victory Name: Iris Valtieri
Age: 30
Race: Human Rank: SS-Rank Supporting Constellation: "The Wise Spear That Pierced the Heavens"
Stigma: Goddess of War Personal Attribute: Throne of Blades, Judgment ]]
The hell? I'm screwed. Her? How could I forget she's the class instructor of Aegis Class in the novel?
I blinked and closed the window. It didn't matter. Her title, her rank—they were irrelevant now.
I stepped forward, my feet heavy but my body steady. Back straight, shoulders squared.
I could feel the cold stares piercing through me, like a thousand invisible blades, but I refused to flinch. Not now. Not when the world was watching.
I bowed my head slightly—just enough to show respect, but not enough to show weakness.
"Apologies, Instructor. I got lost. I accept any punishment."
Silence.
Her gaze, sharp as daggers, drilled into me. The room felt colder. Everyone's focus was on me now. But I stood firm. I wouldn't break.
The silence stretched on, testing me, like a game where you had to wait for the other person to make the first move.
And then, finally, her voice cut through the tension.
"Lost?" she asked, sweet but sarcastic, her tone carrying an edge I could almost taste. "You're late, Cadet. Late to the Aegis Class."
I didn't answer. My eyes remained locked on her, unwavering. I wasn't one for excuses.
The weight of her gaze pressed down, but I held my ground like a stone in the middle of a storm.
I was here now, and no matter what came next, I wasn't going to bend.
I think she sighed—just slightly.
"Go get your seat. I don't want to see this happen again. And next time, have a better excuse."
What's with my luck today?
Here goes my reputation. Is this life as an extra or what?
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Author's Note:
If you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a comment and a Power Stone! Your support means a lot!