I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

1 – Academy City Elysium

“Huh?”

The place where I stood on my two feet was not the shooting location lined with cameras.

Suddenly, a new world had unfolded.

Buildings with a distinctly modern feel and a bright blue sky with the sun shining high.

The shops visible between the high-rise buildings had strangely familiar names and forms.

The vehicles passing by on the road were all models I couldn’t name.

‘What is this place… the shoot? That staff member?’

I couldn’t fully grasp what my eyes were seeing.

The mind rejects the assumptions and information, just in case. The reality conveyed by the blowing wind and the faint smells seeping into my nose was bewildering.

My consciousness turned white, and my body wouldn’t move.

How long had I been standing there blankly?

The chattering voices pierced my ears.

If I fail today’s placement test, Mom said she’ll cut my allowance!

You always said you were confident in memorization, but you didn’t even cram, did you?

Ah, I don’t know! What am I going to do!

The cheerful liveliness awakened my dulled consciousness.

“Ha.”

I closed my eyes tightly and exhaled.

I mercilessly bit my tongue, feeling the pain and taste of blood in my mouth.

‘First, this isn’t a dream, right?’

The vivid sensations affirming my existence.

I recognize that the current situation is real.

Then, I began to gather information, moving my gaze left and right.

The passing pedestrians had naturally colorful hair and eye colors.

I even saw people with animal ears and tails here and there.

As if it were the most natural thing, no one gave them a special look.

Most of the pedestrians wore uniform attire and were heading in the same direction.

‘That attire.’

Of course, I remember.

Abyss City, where the character ‘Rohan’, modeled after me, was set to be released.

The Orion Academy, located in the academy city that serves as the main stage of the game, had exactly that form.

‘Beastmen are also a common race in Abyss City.’

A world where even elves, though rare, exist.

I looked down at my hands and body with acceptance.

“.”

All I had in my hand was a student ID card I received as a gift.

And for some reason, I was also wearing the Orion Academy uniform.

My smartphone, which had been in my pocket, had disappeared somewhere, and a model I had never seen before was in its place.

Anyway.

I reached a conclusion based on the physical and circumstantial evidence scattered around me.

No doubt about it.

It’s hard to believe no matter how many times I think about it.

‘I’m not some novel protagonist.’

I was definitely dropped into the game Abyss City.

Just like the characters in the web novels I enjoyed reading.

This world has an inherent sense of familiarity thanks to enjoying the game, and it even has its own unique bright atmosphere.

But there was also an unfamiliar side that I could actually feel on my skin.

‘I’m still in a daze.’

Somehow, putting those things behind me.

I was wondering how to act from now on, but fortunately, there was a signpost for me.

[ First Step ]

Quest Content: Complete the Orion Academy Placement Test.

Category: Tutorial

Success Reward: 100P

Penalty for Failure: None

Just as I was accepting the fact that I had fallen into the game and was about to move my feet.

A translucent window appeared in front of me to greet me.

Could it be something only I can see? No one paid any attention to this mysterious substance floating in the air.

‘The Academy Placement Test…’

I quietly savored the translucent window.

I list the information that comes to mind.

‘It’s something you can’t experience in the game, right?’

Originally, the starting point of Abyss City is after the class assignment is over and the surrounding characters are confirmed.

The placement test is only mentioned in passing as a side story.

It means that I only know of its existence and not the content of the test.

‘This should be fun.’

Though it was filled with the unknown, the hesitation didn’t last long.

My destination was decided as the Orion Academy, as suggested by the quest.

There wasn’t a grand reason.

Simply because I was curious and intrigued.

Even if there might not be characters I adore, if they do exist, I have a strong desire to see them in person.

Moreover, aren’t you curious about the identity of the 100P reward?

But above all, what moved my heart intensely was:

‘The quest isn’t mandatory.’

The fact that there was no penalty for failure made me feel a sense of freedom.

It gave the nuance that it didn’t matter whether I went to take the placement test or ran out of the academy city.

That was the part I liked the most.

I took out the unfamiliar smartphone that had been sleeping in my pocket, checked the date and early time of February 26th, and then blended in with the cadets heading towards Orion Academy.

As I followed, enchanted by the twitching ears and swaying tails of the beastmen I saw one by one,

I saw the main gate of Orion Academy, which I had only seen on the monitor.

‘Wow, seeing it in person, it’s really grand.’

At the entrance, a no-entry sign for vehicles was flashing, showing its presence.

The cadets were bustling and forming a line on one side.

“Freshmen! Please take out your student IDs and prepare them in advance!”

“Here, you will check your student ID and receive your placement test number!”

“Written exam starts at 10 o’clock!”

Thanks to the loud voices of the people moving around, I understood the situation.

I naturally and shamelessly took my place at the end of the line.

“Next.”

As the cadets standing in line decreased, I moved forward step by step.

Now, if I leaned my head to the side, I could see the students showing their ID cards and receiving their number tags.

‘Ah!’

One thing suddenly came to mind.

I fiddled with the student ID card in my hand.

‘Is this okay?’

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

It looks the same as the ID cards the other cadets are holding and has someone’s stamp on it, but there’s a possibility they might ask if it’s a fake.

“Hmm.”

As soon as I realized it, a subtle tension started to build up, making my throat dry.

‘There was nothing strange in my pocket except for a weird smartphone.’

So, I had a vague expectation that this student ID card would function as a genuine one.

But if I look at it coldly, there’s also an ominous feeling that it might be identified as a fake.

If they cause a commotion saying it’s a forged student ID, should I run away?

For a moment, I looked around to secure an escape route in case something happened.

My turn came.

“Please show me your student ID.”

“…Here it is.”

The person sitting at the table didn’t look like a cadet.

I guessed they were a staff member of Orion Academy.

“Hmm?”

The staff member, who had been working with a blank expression, changed their face and looked closely at the student ID.

Is there a problem after all?

The short time waiting for an answer was suffocating. It felt like my neck was being grabbed by a rough hand.

“Oh! I’m sorry. I heard there was a new student from the South this year, but I didn’t know it was true.”

“.”

The staff member repeatedly apologized, saying they were just curious and didn’t mean anything bad, then pointed to a paper.

“Please just write your name in the signature field here.”

They were interested in the country listed on the student ID.

I understood immediately.

‘If my memory serves me right, it’s understandable if it’s the South.’

I grabbed the pen in silence, feeling like a sigh of relief would pour out if I opened my mouth.

I wrote ‘Rohan’ as it was on the student ID and straightened my back.

“Here, take your student ID and get your number ticket.”

The assigned number was 99.

With an ambiguous number, I followed the cadets moving in a group once again.

‘But why am I assigned to the South?’

Along with my curiosity about my character.

[ Test Site No. 4 ]

Inside the test site, I felt an explosive interest seeing the faces I had seen in the game.

But it quickly turned into disappointment as the place was swarming with characters I had neglected and never raised.

“Ugh.”

I sat at the desk labeled 99, twirling the pen that was placed there, and looked around.

Unlike me, who didn’t even have a bag, the cadets were taking out books and murmuring as they made their final preparations.

A written test. Will I be able to do well?

A common clich in web novels.

Characters who, like me, are possessed by a game or novel often perfectly crush theoretical exams with the knowledge they had prepared in advance.

I wonder, how will I do?

‘Well, if I fail, there’s nothing I can do.’

I didn’t think deeply. I was satisfied because the new experience was enjoyable.

I was just so happy with the dream-like situation of being possessed by a game.

I spent a leisurely time admiring the airship and the academy city scenery outside the window, not even knowing what subjects were on the written test.

At some point, creak! The front door opened.

Click. Click. Click.

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

The fact that she had a gun at her waist made me realize this was an academy, and it was also astonishing.

“There are no empty seats. Put everything except your pen away and turn off your smartphone.”

A few cadets, murmuring as they organized their books, let out sighs of frustration, seemingly short on time.

“The written exam is 120 minutes. Cadets who finish the exam within the time limit may leave to take the practical exam. However, once you leave, you cannot re-enter until the exam is over.”

The proctor continued the explanation, emphasizing this point.

Without moving from the podium, the proctor began to push the stacked exam papers with a single finger.

The exam papers fluttered through the air, landing one by one on the desks where the cadets were seated.

The cadets widened their eyes at the proctor’s incredible control.

“Ooh!”

“Silence, please. Do not open the exam papers until I announce the start of the exam. Opening them prematurely will be considered cheating.”

In the sharp silence that followed the warning,

only the faint murmurs of cadets trying to remember their notes could be heard.

The proctor, who had been checking their wristwatch at the podium, raised their head.

“The exam begins.”

At the frosty voice, the cadets snapped to attention and simultaneously opened their exam papers with a rustling sound.

I, too, gripped my pen with determination and opened the first page of the exam paper.

Question 1) In the city of Elysium, under academy regulations, a fine of 50 coins is imposed in which of the following cases?

1. Entering a restricted area without permission.

2. Causing an obstruction that disrupts the normal operation of critical facilities.

3. Removing weapons owned by Orion Academy without authorization.

4. Failing to report to the Elysium Security Bureau after executing an escaped prisoner without just cause.

‘Decree!?’

I really didn’t expect this.

The moment I saw the problem beyond my assumptions, I felt dizzy.

I flipped through the exam papers to check other subjects.

There were questions related to monsters and equipment, and I saw some familiar names.

But.

Just because I saw a few familiar words didn’t mean I could find the answers.

‘What is the formula for magic conductivity?’

It’s quite common in web novels for transmigrators to ace written exams as if it’s a piece of cake.

But the written exam at Orion Academy wasn’t something you could solve with the information you learned from games.

It felt like reality was hitting me hard on the head.

‘.’

I picked up my pen and marked a line decisively.

I submitted my exam paper first and headed straight to the practical exam hall.