The Orcus's existence was a mystery.
It was an enigma that many experts could not figure out. Various researches were conducted, yet none of them could justify its origins. Back then, several theories were discussed, suggesting that it might be the aliens that changed the composition of the game and some, speculating that God had created this strange anomaly.
In the wake of this transformative global phenomenon, it has resulted in only a handful of outcomes: fame, power, wealth, and societal change. Over the course of several years, humanity underwent significant evolution, becoming integral members of the interstellar galaxies, referred to as the New Earth. What were once extraordinary occurrences, such as encounters with aliens, the advent of spacecraft, and the pursuit of space-related studies, have now become commonplace in this present era.
Likewise, the Orcus became a typical occurrence for the citizens of the New Earth.
There are two methods for you to participate in this game. The initial option is to acquire the capsule directly from Orcus. This capsule is a frequently awarded item when a player successfully completes an instance. It is also the sole item that can be removed from the game. You have the option to purchase this item either from a guild or a shop.
The final option is to stumble upon a real instance, although this chance is rare.
However, in Si Fan's situation, he simply won the lottery hosted by Blue Haven. By chance, he clicked on a live stream, and his name was automatically added to the expanding list of participants on the wheel of fortune. Little did he know that with a single spin, his name would be selected!
All of those happened a month ago.
"Master! Master! Wake up!"
Si Fan snaps out of his half-asleep state. He looks down and sees his owl tugging on his shirt with his beak.
Snow, the name he has given to the Snowy Owl, was unaware and continued on.
Unlike a real snowy owl with their plumage having various amounts of black spotting and barring, Snow only had pure white feathers that he could blend into the snow. Although males of his species are typically smaller than females, Snow stood at about 68 to 75 centimeters.
"Stop yanking on Master's shirt! You'll wear it out!" The black Persian cat swatted him away with her paw.
Luna has a beautiful, long, flowing black coat, which is dense and silky. She has a round face, short nose, and unique heterochromatic eyes—blue and yellow. In contrast to Snow's innocent yet gullible personality, Luna is cool and sophisticated, but also protective of what she considers hers.
"I won't wear it out," the owl countered, but let the shirt go anyway. How he could speak while his beak was attached to his shirt was beyond Si Fan's semi-conscious mind.
Creatures native to Orcus are not classified as typical animals; instead, they serve as pets for players within the game. However, their primary role is limited to being an item storage, with their storage capacity increasing as players advance in levels.
In essence, creatures under Orcus's dominion are always abnormal in some manner.
Now, what was he doing before all of this?
Oh, right. He was reviewing his lessons earlier.
Snow was sitting on his notebook, which was on his lap. Si Fan smiles fondly and gently pets its feathers before lifting it up and setting it aside.
He checked the clock; it currently read 1:34 AM.
"You should probably go to bed, Master. I'm sure you'll do fine with your exam later," Luna suggested when she saw Si Fan's drooping eyes.
It was a good idea. Exams wouldn't start until 9. He would just wake up at six in the morning in order to get ready.
"Okay," Si Fan agreed. He cleaned up his things and put them away.
"I will wake up Master on time," Snow declared seriously.
Luna nodded, "Might as well make yourself useful. I'm going to take a nap and don't cause any noise."
Si Fan: "?"
Snow saluted, "Yes, ma'am!"
Satisfied with his obedience, the cat stretched her body and comfortably lied down on her bed.
_
The Royal Capital University was founded by the late wife of the late first dean. It was built at least many generations ago. She established the school with the hopes of nurturing all kinds of talent, regardless of their background. Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that they were unmatched in cultivating excellent students into the best of the best from across the whole planet.
Si Fan was fortunate enough to pass the scholarship exam on his first try. The school is truly generous with the benefits for their scholars: free dormitory, free enrollment fee, and a monthly allowance of 50,000 star coins. Additionally, they allow students to have jobs; after all, not all schools permit their students to work.
"Alright, everyone, time is up. Put your pencils and pens down. No more answering your test paper. Pass it forward," the invigilator announced.
Exclamations of disappointment and pleading can be heard.
"No! I haven't answered the items in the back."
"Wait, there's more in the back?! No way! I already passed it!"
"Fool, you're too confident."
"I hope at least half of the items I guessed were correct."
"Keep hoping."
"Ma'am, can we at least extend the time for five minutes?"
The invigilator looked over and responded bluntly, "No."
The student: "....." Okay. No need to be so cold.
Someone taps Si Fan on his shoulder, breaking him away from his daydreaming. Looking up, he saw his classmate with her hand outstretched in front of him, as if waiting for Si Fan to put something in her palm.
It was their class's representative.
The latter was confused and hesitantly put his hand on the other's palm.
The classmate, who was expecting Si Fan's test paper: "....."
It's her fault. She didn't tell him specifically, which caused this confusion. But, she was not aware that Classmate Si had this cute side. Whenever her sight strayed towards him, he was either daydreaming like what he was doing earlier or sleeping. At first, she thought he was a poor student who got into the university due to charity; unexpectedly, he's a study god.
Outwardly calm, but inwardly squealing, the class representative smiled and said, "Your test paper, Si Fan. I'm collecting it."
"...Oh."
Slightly flustered at his misinterpretation, Si Fan pretended to be unfazed as he retrieved his hand and gave her the test paper, unaware that his normally stoic expression was layered with pink hue. Its color spreading all the way to his ears.
The class representative resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks and left after saying her good bye.
Since their exam for today consisted with one subject, the invigilator dismissed them. Si Fan collected his things and put it in his bag. He planned to head over at the cafeteria to get a takeout, go back to his dormitory, and eat his lunch with Luna and Snow. Just as he was about to walk out of the room, someone called out his name.
"Ah Fan!"
...Who?