Chapter 1: On the Brink of Death
"Damn! Damn! DAMN!!" Victor pressed his hand hard against a deep, dark wound on his stomach. His acolyte robe and the clothes underneath were drenched in blood as he used his infused mana to try to control the bleeding. "Fuck, are those bastards on my tail?" He cast a sidelong wary glance all around.
The forest loomed, dark and foreboding, with tall trees casting long, sinister shadows across the narrow pathway below the moon. A cold wind whispered secrets through the leaves as he limped through. But the fact the poison-infected wound was inflicted by the very fellow acolytes he once called friends beat the fear brought by the eerie surroundings.
Victor took a deep breath, wincing at the continuously spreading wound. The sound of the forbidden spell breaking over him flashed in his mind, and he froze as he remembered the scene. He was at his peak of anticipation while holding the broken artifact to open the pocket dimension when the attack activated and shattered the defensive magic tool his family gave him. The shock of the betrayal had frozen him in place back then as well. How naïve he'd been. Granted, the artifact held unimaginable value that even Nexus Temporal Magi would covet, but he hadn't expected his friends to turn on him like this. He felt his face twist into a grimace, and he looked about the forest fiercely.
"Mark my words!" Victor growled, his voice laced with determination and an unyielding resolve. "Once I'm out of this wretched place, I swear I will take revenge!!" Gritting his teeth, he summoned every last ounce of strength, pushing his body to its absolute limits.
As a third-stage Initiate Attunement acolyte, he had a better-than-average constitution, but he couldn't last like this forever. The vast expanse of the Thornwood Forest made it increasingly difficult to discern the path to the exit, and the poison in his system from the spell was causing his consciousness to flicker in and out, leaving him disoriented and unable to distinguish left from right.
But then, a clearing materialized before his eyes, a respite from the oppressive darkness of the forest. An old building stood within the heart of this eerie woodland, captivating his attention.
"A-An academy?" Victor's weary eyes widened as he took in the sight before him. Another person might have confused the old building for something else, but he was an acolyte. Simply looking at magical traces here allowed him to deduce what the building was. This didn't erase the strange, out-of-place feeling, however.
"Why's there a Magus academy here, of all places? No… it looks like it has been abandoned, and there's only one building." The structure, strangely well-preserved, held an aura of mystery and intrigue. It seemed to beckon to him, promising shelter and, perhaps, answers to his troubles.
Right now, he had no choice but to check out the building and maybe look for an antidote, or else he would just die here… The poison he was afflicted with wasn't any normal poison, but something so insidious that it would definitely kill him if not cured.
Gathering his last bit of strength, he moved forward, and as he drew closer, the details of the structure became clearer. Constructed out of marble, the walls looked majestic. The crystal-clear windows reflecting moonlight made no indication of it having ever been abandoned at all.
Victor's eyesight and mind were hazy after he ventured into the building. He just walked and walked and walked, his steps guided solely by his instinct to press forward. It wasn't until he saw a peculiar sight that he stopped. A floating cuboid structure, encircled by intricate ring-like magic patterns, stood atop a pedestal. Its presence broke through the fog in his mind, offering a momentary clarity.
"What is this—?" Victor coughed, his breath catching as the poison finally took its toll. Dirty blood dripped from his mouth as his body fell, his hand touching the edge of the pedestal.
Is this it for me…?
As his consciousness waned, a brilliant light became the final fleeting image of his memory.
Victor's eyes fluttered open, revealing a ceiling of dark bricks above him.
"I didn't die?" Victor uttered as clarity gradually seeped in. "It… wasn't a dream?" He gazed at the pedestal-like structure in front of him, perplexed.
He clambered to his feet, noticing that his body didn't hurt in the slightest. The bleeding wounds all over his body, especially his stomach, had gone without a trace; even the poison coursing through his body was gone. Stranger still, his blood-stained perforated robe and clothes looked as good as new.
Suddenly, an intense headache assaulted him, and he clutched his head as he rolled on the ground in pain. "Aaagh!!" Foreign memories flooded his brain like a torrent of water bursting from a dam. From childhood to adulthood, the memories were so clear and vivid, as though they were his own.
When the pain subsided, Victor stared at the ceiling. He blinked and took a deep breath, sobbing ever so slightly from his aching head. "Who am I? Am I Simon or Victor…? Why do I have memories of a place called… Earth…?" His mind was a mess. The feeling was similar to the hypnopompic state, where one would hallucinate and perceive themselves as two or more individuals.
It took a few minutes for him to finally organize his new memories… or his past life — a graduate from an average university named Simon Anderson who had just joined an IT company. Who would have thought that an excessive intake of caffeine and an overdose of spreadsheets could catapult him into a whole new dimension? Victor smiled in irony that the same fate had almost befallen him there again.
He had lived in a world of Magi called Seraphia as Victor from the Magus family of Asteriscus for eighteen whole years… The identity of Simon Anderson was of little concern to him. But still, how come he remembered his past life? Was this really his past life memory or just someone else's memory that was inserted into him? More importantly, why was he still alive after what he had gone through?
These three unanswerable questions were superseded by the two lines of text that suddenly appeared in front of him.
[Magus Academy System integration successful.]
[You have been registered as the headmaster of this academy. Since it has no name at the moment, you are free to give it a name.]
"Whoa! What is this, a hologram?" The sudden notification took Victor aback, but he remained inwardly calm and stood up. After all, he had regained his past life's memory, and all the novels he had read in the past made him feel that there was nothing strange about this development.
"Congratulations, Master! You have been chosen as the headmaster of this academy. I'm happy to give you every assistance I can!" Like a bolt from the blue, a high-pitched voice appeared from behind him.
"Who's speaking?!" Victor stumbled backward a step this time. He turned on his heels in haste and couldn't help but have his jaws drop.
"It is I, a cute ol' me!" The floating creature who pridefully hit her chest was a fairy. A mythical being said to have disappeared tens of millennia ago. "Surprised to see a fairy?"
The fairy stood petite, just a tad smaller than a Barbie doll, with flowing hair split evenly between striking black and luminous white. Her delicate, doll-like face radiated beauty, with porcelain-white skin, which was covered by a pretty dress in a color similar to her hair. Her eyes captivated all who beheld them, adorned with brilliant golden pupils that mysteriously gleamed. Furthermore, the pair of beautiful, pristine butterfly wings on her back fluttered erratically.
Despite her appearance, Victor was sure of one thing: This fairy had the answers he was seeking.
"Of course! More importantly, who are you…? Why do I remember my past life, and why am I alive? Not that I'm complaining." In addition, what did she mean by being chosen as the headmaster? What academy was she talking about? Victor's head was piled up with questions.
"So impatient, are you?" The fairy giggled. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lizbeth, an assistant to the headmaster of this academy. I shall guide you in your endeavor to make this academy the greatest there is in the whole universe! Oh, and I will also elucidate every facet of the Magus Academy System to its very core."
With a mischievous glimmer in her golden eyes, Lizbeth continued, "But first, I will commemorate this moment with a speech… …Together, we shall weave a legacy that will shine across—"
"I see…" Finding that there was no end to the speech, Victor interjected, "Is there no way to refuse?" Usually, people in Victor's previous world would undoubtedly accept such an offer, thinking that it was a "cheat." However, as someone who was reincarnated into this world, he knew better than them.
As if being rinsed by a bucket of icy-cold water, Lizbeth snapped. "Whaaat?! Of course not! How long do you think I've been waiting for this moment?!"
"Calm down… I mean, after all, I'm only at the third-stage Initiate Attunement." Even the academy he studied at — the Arcane Radiance College — had Elemental Adept Magi as the lowest level of professors.
To put it into perspective, no one would be stupid enough to join an academy with an Initiate Attunement acolyte as the headmaster. Never mind recruiting geniuses, even the most desperate candidates would be repulsed by the idea of joining.
"Look, the moment you are registered as the headmaster of this academy, your life is intrinsically tied to its existence. Should the academy fall, your own demise shall follow. Consider this: Why do you think you still draw breath despite enduring severe poisoning and sustaining grievous wounds?"
"Seriously?!" Victor's heart sank. What if some high-ranking Magi battled around this place and inadvertently razed it to the ground?
"I'm dead serious." She smiled at him. A smile that said a thousand words and was more menacing than everything Victor ever saw. Scary…
But after thinking for a long time, this wasn't a totally bad thing for Victor. It was a System cheat, after all; there was no way for it to be useless. All he had to do was man up and face the challenges coming his way so that he could one day claim what was his — the broken artifact as well as the treasure that it led to.
Finding the silver lining to it, Victor asked one thing, "But how am I supposed to gather acolytes for this academy?" Well, he couldn't just recruit some random peasants, could he?
As if waiting for that question, Lizbeth's mouth turned into a condescending arc, and she answered, "Hmm-hmm! Simple! You can summon 'players' into this world."
Chapter 2: The Intricacies of the Magus Academy System
Surprisingly, the floating cuboid structure was the one responsible for projecting the hologram. What was more, it could connect to the internet on Earth, his homeland!
No wonder the fairy said that he could summon "players" into this world. With this kind of device, Victor didn't doubt the possibility of such absurdity anymore. On top of that, it seemed that only three years had passed in the other world after he reincarnated into this world, and it was the year 2026.
"Master, you can check the mission here, in the Headmaster's Journal tab." Lizbeth skillfully manipulated the holographic screen and accessed a specific page.
—— [Headmaster's Journal] ——
Mission: No Players, No Game
You must secure a batch of uninformed individuals to become "players" in your "game." Whether it's through the creation of an official website for a deceptive game or employing other methods, regardless of their legality, your goal is to secure this batch of unsuspecting participants.
Type: Main mission
Total Participants: 0/10
Reward: 100 academy points
"So, I need to deceive a bunch of people first, huh?" Victor pondered, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "Also, what exactly are these academy points? What are they used for?"
Lizbeth's eyes sparkled with knowledge as she replied, "Academy points serve as a currency within the System. They grant you access to various offerings, such as meditation techniques, essential resources, and much more. Oh, and you can even acquire 'arcane lootboxes' through your points — an intriguing form of gacha that may hold great surprises."
As soon as Victor heard the term "gacha," a flicker of excitement danced in his eyes. In his previous life, he had been a devoted fan of gacha games, and the mere mention of it now ignited a spark of anticipation within him. Knowing that the System offered the possibility of a similar experience, he was more than eager to dive into this.
"Alright then, let's get this started!" Victor cracked his fingers and swiftly opened the web browser through the holographic screen and typed on the holographic keyboard.
The first thing Victor searched for when he accessed the internet was not to find the candidates for his game but to check on his previous life's family. Though his father had passed away during his high school years, he still had his mother and elder sister. Even though he was still unsure whether they were truly his memories or not, the fact remained that they were his now.
However, as he delved into the depths of his search, he came across a sorrowful revelation. It appeared that not long after his family had learned of his passing, his mother had also departed, leaving his elder sister as his sole remaining relative. To his surprise, he didn't feel as overwhelmed with sadness as he had expected. Perhaps the experiences of living two lives had lessened his attachment to familial relationships, or maybe it had something to do with how Magus families treated their relatives.
"Sigh… it's not like I can trouble my sister with this matter. I bet she wouldn't believe me either…" Victor shook his head. His elder sister already had a family of her own, so he shouldn't bother her.
What about his distant relatives?
With how three years had passed since his passing, no one would believe him and would only think of it as a scam. And he hadn't been particularly close with his distant relatives either.
There was once a distant cousin that Victor was close with named Vincent, though, who would be intrigued by this project. The problem was that Vincent had vanished two years before Simon passed away… leaving behind a trail that led to a particular glass-encased room on his campus.
What about his classmates?
The same problem as before.
His girlfriend?
What girlfriend?
His colleagues?
He barely worked in his company for a month…
Furthermore, Victor found that almost all of them had already deleted him. Even if they hadn't deleted him, he would not send them a message. After all, they probably thought he was dead from overworking, and messages from the dead to the living were terrifying.
Thus, through the process of elimination, there was only one remaining option for him to find players. Victor opened an app with a logo consisting of a chat bubble with a white gaming controller icon inside — Discord — and logged in to his account. Fortunately, his account had not expired and hadn't been kicked out from the server he had frequented in the past.
The Discord server, known as "Gamer's Empire," stood as a bustling hub for gaming enthusiasts. With over one thousand members and about two hundred active players, the server provided a space where both seasoned veterans and casual gamers could come together and forge connections. At its peak, it even boasted a dedicated Minecraft realm!
In the past, Victor had spent countless hours engaging with the lively members of the server. They were not just names on a screen; they had become familiar companions and even surpassed those of his colleagues in the physical world. The most important thing was that, despite the shared adventures and discussions, Victor had never met with these netizens face-to-face.
As for whether they would believe him or not, that would depend a lot on his acting skills. So, without further ado, he started a discussion:
CyberWarlock: "Hey @everyone! Gather 'round, I've got some exciting news to share. But first, I want to ask, what would a fully immersive virtual reality game look like?"
Noobzilla: "Who's pinging?! Don't you see the server's rules? If it's not important, then don't ping!"
PleaseBugMeNot (Administrator): "Cyber? 😲 I thought you were dead because of the pandemic… Haven't seen you for years."
ZeroXScyth (Server Owner): "What's all this buzz about?"
ZeroXScyth (Server Owner): "Well, if you ask me, I'd say a fully immersive VR game is like something straight out of an anime or a blockbuster movie. Remember Sword Art Online (SAO) from over ten years ago? I envision it to be a similar experience."
PleaseBugMeNot (Administrator): "You mean we'll be trapped in a death game for years?"
Storm Bringer (Administrator): "Stupid! That's not what Zero is trying to convey. Let's wait for Cyber to finish his sentence. Maybe he has a surprise for us."
Except for the first busybody, Victor was surprised by the presence of the administrators and the server owner in the discussion he had initiated. These three gamers were among the closest to him on the server; seeing them still active was heartening.
CyberWarlock: "That's what I was about to tell you guys. What if I told you guys that there will be a fully immersive virtual reality game that's gonna take the gaming world by storm? A VR game where it's hard to distinguish reality from fiction."
SuperNovaX (Moderator): "You mean like where sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste all are the same as the real world?"
MikeIsHandsome1000x: "Impossible."
Three years might have passed in the other world, but the realm of VR technology had not yet reached the stage where fully immersive games were a tangible reality. At most, it was in the process of adapting to advancements such as haptic technology.
CyberWarlock: "I mean, what if. If it does exist, would you like to try such a game?"
PleaseBugMeNot (Administrator): "Of course! Do you even need to ask? Especially… you know what I'm talking about. (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)"
Locktekei: "But what gives?"
CyberWarlock: "Well, I wouldn't be asking these questions if I didn't have something to back me up."
ZeroXScyth (Server Owner): "Are you implying that you're developing some kind of a fully immersive virtual reality game?"
As the server owner, Zero was naturally intelligent and quick on the uptake. Victor knew this very well, especially after playing rounds and rounds of Valorant together — he always saved his skin by carrying the game with his brilliant tactics.
CyberWarlock: "Correct. That's precisely the reason why I've been offline for such an extended period. As a matter of fact, the IT company I worked at has been diligently working on the development of a fully immersive virtual reality online game. After slaving away in my company for three years nonstop, I was recently promoted to the position of promotional team manager. Right now, we are looking for closed-alpha players to test the game and give us feedback."
Since he needed an identity to bluff these gamers, he didn't mind using his previous status as a programmer at an IT company. Plus, the Discord server immediately went abuzz with comments from people who did not believe in such absurdity.
Storm Bringer (Administrator): "Wait a minute, @CyberWarlock. That sounds too good to be true. How can we trust that this isn't just another scam? 😨"
Captain Derp: "+1."
MikeIsHandsome1000x: "As I thought, it's a scam. ( ￣＾￣)"
CyberWarlock: "I understand your skepticism. It's natural to be cautious when faced with grand promises. However, I assure you that this isn't a scam, and my words hold genuine weight since I've seen the development firsthand."
ZeroXScyth (Server Owner): "Forgive us if we find it hard to believe. It's not every day that someone claims to be a part of such groundbreaking development. What can you share to convince us that this game isn't some exaggerated claim?"
PleaseBugMeNot (Administrator): "Yeah, we can't just accept a promise at face value. At least link us the game's website so that we can check it for ourselves!"
Victor's head swiftly jerked back as he slapped his face. He had forgotten to make an official website for the game!
"Crap. These people are harder to fool than expected…" He had thought that being their old online friends and being gone for three years would be enough of a reason to convince these people, but human intuition proved a wild card, stubbornly resistant to deceit. Besides, it wasn't easy to make a convincing website without investing a considerable amount of time.
Seemingly anticipating that this would happen, Lizbeth interjected with a smug face and hands on her hips, "I foresaw this turn of events, so while you were busy captivating those gamers, I took the liberty of crafting an official website."
"For real?! It hasn't been ten minutes!"
Drawing from his extensive experience in utilizing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, along with his proficiency in various front-end languages, Victor was well aware of the significant time investment required to craft a truly exceptional website with good UI and UX, even with the use of bootstraps. Even more so when developing an interactive website while incorporating languages like PHP…
"See for yourself." Lizbeth's smug expression grew even more pronounced as she showed him her screen.
Victor's eyes almost popped out of their sockets upon seeing the official website that Lizbeth had created. The sheer attention to detail and the stunning visual design alone were enough to leave him in awe, but what truly blew his mind was the extraordinary content of the website. It listed the topography of the academy as well as details explaining it. To top it all off, it had all the immersive atmosphere and polished aesthetics found in multi-billion-dollar MMORPGs!
When did she get the chance to take photos of the surrounding area?
"Holy shit!"
"Naturally, I didn't just concoct this out of thin air; I had prepped the template and gathered the materials well in advance," Lizbeth admitted with a casual shrug.
Still, with these convincing details in place, these gamers were likely to take him at his word without the need to convince them like what he just did.
Chapter 3: Tricking Unsuspecting Players
Planet Earth, in a certain office of a retail gas station.
Looking at the server chat message through his laptop, the thought that first appeared in William's mind was a scam. It was not uncommon for fraudsters to promise something that was too good to be true, only to lead unsuspecting people to malicious websites like gambling sites and whatnot.
Nevertheless, the one who gave this information — CyberWarlock — was his good online friend throughout his college days. Moreover, the opportunity to partake in a fully immersive VR experience was a lifelong dream that had lingered within him since childhood. With these factors in mind, William chose to embrace a leap of faith and extend CyberWarlock the benefit of the doubt. If it was truly a scam, he could withdraw his involvement promptly if any indications of deception arose.
With his "PleaseBugMeNot" account, William clicked on the URL link that Cyber posted and was immediately perplexed by the website.
The first thing that caught his eye was an art cover featuring a wizard and a witch, set against the backdrop of a majestic academy. The wizard exuded an air of wisdom and possessed a striking handsomeness, while the witch displayed a captivating beauty with a well-proportioned figure that would undoubtedly capture the attention of many males and females alike. Both were adorned in their signature mage hats and attire, adding an enchanting and alluring quality to the scene.
This wasn't the only image here, as other beautiful landscape images decorated the whole page.
"Is this really not AI-generated images?" he pondered aloud as he navigated through the website. AI technology had made significant advancements. By now, most (if not all) flawless artwork might have been created with the aid of artificial intelligence.
Holding the mouse, he scrolled down until his cursor ended up on the part where that might lead to the registration page.
Magus Academy Online
Unleash the Magic Within, Rise as an Acolyte, and Shape Your Destiny in Magus Academy Online: The Ultimate VRMMORPG Adventure Begins!
Currently in Closed-Alpha Stage
[Join Now]
Turning back to the Gamer's Empire server, William noticed the server had experienced a surge in activity after the link to the website was shared. Some were still watching the screen with great interest even though they hadn't sent a single message, awaiting someone's review of the official website.
Within a large Discord server like this, it was expected to have a considerable number of long-time lurkers. It was becoming increasingly apparent that among the newly emerging users, there were unfamiliar faces that had remained in the shadows for years, their presence only now coming to light. Even as an administrator, William couldn't help but notice the influx of these previously unseen members.
CyberWarlock: "In this game, the level of immersion and realism is truly unparalleled. Every sense you experience in the real world will be faithfully replicated within the game. The in-game time mirrors the passage of time in the real world, maintaining a 1:1 ratio with a slight time difference corresponding to the Eastern Time Zone, roughly 12 hours ahead. Since the game operates through a unique dream interference mechanism, playing it feels akin to being in a state of deep sleep."
"Fine then, I'll check out what kind of game you are." William read the recent message with great interest.
Therefore, he hesitated no longer, clicked the "Join Now" button, and filled in the data and email required. There was no guarantee that this was not some kind of scam to get people's data and sell them on the dark web, but he didn't care too much about it since it wasn't like the website was asking for their banking numbers and passwords. There was also a short "Terms and Services" that he didn't really care too much to read, like all the games he'd been playing.
Clicking on the "Register" button, he sent the application, and the page immediately changed to the total number of applications.
Total Applicants: 1
"Phew! All done." Victor stretched his body as the number of participants increased by the minute. When the total amount reached ten, he received a notification in the form of three lines of text on a blue holographic screen.
[Mission Accomplished!]
[Congratulations on passing the mission. You have done a great job in tricking a bunch of players to become participants in your "game."]
[The reward (100 academy points) has been issued.]
"Congratulations on completing your first mission, Master!" Lizbeth, the fairy, clapped her hands as she congratulated Victor.
"Geez, don't startle me," Victor said, annoyed.
"Teehee!" She smiled mischievously. "You can check the new mission in the 'Headmaster's Journal.' Please check it in time."
"I see… Good to know."
As he was about to check the new mission, Victor suddenly recalled that the applicants came from all over the world, meaning these players would be in different time zones. Quickly, he opened the Discord server and typed in:
"Currently, only US applicants will be accepted for the closed-alpha stage. However, as development progresses, we plan to expand participation to individuals residing in other countries and regions. Additionally, you can still register even if you are from outside the country."
"Nooo! This is discrimination against people living in other countries!"
"When will you accept players in Asian regions?"
"…"
The message garnered a range of responses. It wasn't that Victor was being racist, but micromanaging a diverse player base with different active times right from the start could prove quite challenging. Anyway, he decided to hold off on explaining the intricacies for now, opting to provide a more comprehensive update once he had finalized the details. Besides, the United States alone hosted millions of gamers, which would be more than enough for now.
To begin with, it was bizarre how the Eastern Time Zone would have precisely twelve hours difference from the time of this world. Victor had asked Lizbeth about it, and she said that the previous headmaster had anticipated all of this and made arrangements in advance. How weird. But when he asked who the previous headmaster was…
"I dunno who the previous headmaster was. All I know is that you're the second headmaster of this academy," was the answer that Lizbeth gave him. She couldn't be more ambiguous than this.
In addition to this, what about the delivery of the consoles required to connect these players to this world?
Lizbeth had explained that these players would be given gaming capsules to connect to this world. The technology required aside, where were these capsules even manufactured, and how were they delivered to the players' addresses?
"Rest assured, the System has its own ways of handling this. All that matters is what we do on our end," Lizbeth assured.
Right. As long as this benefited him, Victor wouldn't waste time questioning the hows and whys. This didn't mean that he would completely turn his brain off, but at least he decided to hold off on asking too many unrelated questions until he could get a grasp on things.
"Oh, that so. Is there a limit to how many players we can summon?" Victor inquired with curiosity, eager to understand the boundaries of their capabilities.
Lizbeth answered thoughtfully, "For now, there isn't a set limit. Naturally, creating bodies suitable for the players would require resources, which we have a limited amount of right now. I say, we can create ten bodies at most."
"Figures…" If we can summon a thousand at once, that would be overpowered… "One more question: How do the players come to this world? They can't possibly be summoned and never returned back, can they?" Victor assumed there should be some kind of supernatural means unknown to him in this place to do the job. The word "bodies" that she mentioned might very well be the key to the question.
"I believe it would be more efficient to guide you through the academy personally," the fairy offered. "I would be delighted to show you the wonders it contains."
"Mhm, sounds good." Victor nodded in agreement. "Guess I should clarify a few things to the players first before that, though."
Because of the limited resources, Victor had decided to summon five players in the first batch. Anything more, then he might have more than he could manage since he was alone (not including Lizbeth). At any rate, what was most important was to make rules so that these "players" would obey him. After all, he couldn't be sure these players would listen to him.
One had to know that Victor was tasked to develop the academy to be the best in the universe. Failure meant placing his own life in jeopardy. As the headmaster, Victor had an absolute power to kick any disruptive players and impose permanent bans, if necessary. Still, he could not force them to utilize their gaming capsules and partake in the online world to work for him. The Magus path, especially, was known to be a challenging and demanding journey, requiring a lot of time and dedication.
That was why he had selected those he trusted the most for the qualifications. It was better to exercise caution. Otherwise, it might cause his demise!
As such, after sending a qualification to their respective email, he invited these five lucky players into a Discord group he had just created.
CyberWarlock: "Sorry for the sudden invitation. I want to make some things clear with the first batch of applicants…"
With his account, Victor proceeded to explain the essential equipment for the game, known as "gaming capsules," plus he forbade anyone to break them apart. He stressed that such actions would result in the loss of their qualifications. For one thing, revealing the magical nature of these devices could attract unwarranted and potentially hazardous attention, a scenario best avoided. However, he was more than sure that his warning might not dissuade unscrupulous individuals — with how this kind of technology did not exist in reality.
Nothing could be done regarding this as he could not return to his old world, nor could he inform the police. But Victor didn't care. The reason being that Lizbeth had guaranteed that nothing on Earth could break open the capsules, and even if they could partially destroy them, the capsule would self-destruct.
PleaseBugMeNot: "Awesome! 😆 Can't wait for this gaming capsule to arrive."
Storm Bringer: "If this game is truly as good as you proclaim, I will stream it to my audience for free!"
As far as Victor knew, Storm was a streamer with thousands of subscribers. Although his channel wasn't big, his free endorsement was more than welcome.
SuperNovaX: "Sweet! Don't worry about the safety of the devices; we promise that no harm will be done to these state-of-the-art capsules."
CyberWarlock: "Glad to see that you guys are being cooperative. If they are damaged, I can't explain it to the company."
ZeroXScyth: "Um, there's one thing I want to confirm: Are there any charges?"
CyberWarlock: "No, no fees. At least, my superior has yet to say anything about charging fees during the development phase. But there will be no reward either."
PleaseBugMeNot: "Neat."
MikeIsHandsome1000x: "I still can't believe that this so-called 'gaming capsule' exists… Well, we will see if this is a fraud or not."
Skepticism permeated the chat as doubts lingered regarding the fully immersive VR game. The first four people that Victor gave qualifications to were people he knew very well, and luckily, they all lived in the US. As for Mike, this guy was once a hardcore MMORPG gamer who spent thousands of hours obtaining the finest equipment on the server, according to his profile. Inviting him would serve as a means to demonstrate the game's authenticity.
Closing the holographic screen, Victor turned around and said, "Guess my work here is done. Let's go on a tour of the academy; I'll see what it has to offer."
"Mm-hmm!" Lizbeth eagerly perched on Victor's shoulder, excitedly pumping her tiny fist. "Full steam ahead!"
"Hey, don't treat me like a mode of transportation," Victor retorted and walked out of the room.
Chapter 4: Tour of the Academy
The tour of the academy was cut short because no matter what, there was only one building: the building that Victor named "Headmaster's Building." While the building itself was of significant size, encompassing several floors, its purpose was dedicated to specific areas. Among these was the prestigious Headmaster's Office, and adjacent to it were several well-appointed meeting rooms. Further near the entrance, the reception area was reminiscent of a regal ballroom. Additionally, there were auxiliary spaces for storage and other administrative functions.
The interior of the building itself was well-furnished. Mana lamps and chandeliers adorned the walls and ceilings, casting a warm and enchanting glow throughout the spacious rooms. Richly decorated tapestries depicting scenes of ancient magical battles adorned the walls, while intricate magical symbols were etched into the marble floors. It was weird how no one had come and robbed this place clean.
One thing that caught Victor off guard was where the cuboid structure was located. Acting on pure instinct, he had previously arrived in the building's basement, where the only entrance was a hidden door concealed at the rear of the Headmaster's Office — sealed by high-level magic that no Initiate Attunement acolytes like him could break. How come he managed to end up there?
While bewildered, Lizbeth, with a voice laced with a hint of mystery, revealed this to him: "The previous headmaster has meticulously arranged everything. Even your arrival, on the brink of death, was part of their grand design."
Her words left Victor even more perplexed, wondering about the true intentions and motives of the enigmatic predecessor. Whomever this previous headmaster was, they must've been a very powerful Magus.
"What's the first headmaster's name?" Victor was more curious than ever, so he couldn't help but ask.
"As I have said before, I don't know. Perhaps my memories of them have been erased intentionally." Lizbeth shrugged her shoulders.
"Forget it… Asking you is like asking a rubber duck for the meaning of life." Victor was slightly disappointed but not discouraged. He had just assumed the position of the headmaster; as the mission progressed, the secrets hidden here would eventually be revealed to him.
"How rude!" Lizbeth puffed out her cheeks and kicked his shoulder. "Well, at least the rubber duck knows how to float!"
At last, Victor ambled outside the building. In this tour, he had yet to find where the players would be summoned. Intrigued, he asked Lizbeth, who was still sitting on his shoulder, "Are there more facilities in this academy? So far, while the headmaster's building is grand, it's lacking many essential components one would expect for an academy, if you catch my drift."
For a fact, the academy where he studied — the Arcane Radiance College — had all sorts of departments specializing in many fields, like the Department of Potioneering, Department of Herbology, Department of Spellcraft, Department of Enchantments, Department of Magical Creatures, and so on. At present, this academy only had a single building, the Headmaster's Building. How lacking…
"If you're feeling disappointed by the lack of facilities… then there's something you should understand: Not everything in this world comes for free," Lizbeth explained, paused for a moment, and continued, "However, there is a way to unlock more facilities; you can check the System to get some information."
"Should we go back to the basement?" Victor suggested, unable to hold his interest.
"Nope, there's no need to backtrack and access the System through the Nexus Beacon. In fact, you can do it remotely right from here."
Ah, so that's the name of the cuboid thingy. "How do I do that?"
"Check your wrist," instructed Lizbeth, to which Victor quickly complied by pulling up his right coat sleeve, but he saw nothing. "No, the other one," Lizbeth corrected.
"O-Oh." Victor checked his left wrist and noticed a black, bracelet-like mark. "Huh? Is this some kind of sigil pattern? No… it's not as complex as that…"
Victor wore a long coat with his family's crest mark under his robe, so he had never noticed any anomalies on his body, nor had he felt anything out of the ordinary. But the appearance of a strange tattoo-like pattern on his wrist was the least of his concerns here. What troubled him was the possibility that this mark could act as a time bomb, destined to send him to the afterlife should the academy ever be destroyed.
"Now, try to inject some of your infused mana into the Master Shadowlink Mark."
Victor abided and channeled infused mana into the mark. All of a sudden, the black mark shone, and a holographic screen like the one projected by the Nexus Beacon appeared before his eyes. This seemed to be the main tab of the System, as it was named "Academy Status."
Academy Name: -
Headmaster: Victor Asteriscus
Academy Points: 100
Academy Grade: Level 1
Total Acolytes: 0/100
Progression Value: 0/100
Neat, Victor thought as he searched for more information by fiddling with the screen. And he did find another page.
Level 1 Academy Grade: Level-1 Nexus Tower, 1:1 time
Level 2 Academy Grade: Level-1 Nexus Tower, Magic Botanical Garden, 1:1 time
Level 3 Academy Grade: Level-2 Nexus Tower, Magic Botanical Garden, Alchemical Hall, 2:1 time
…
"Hrm, I guess the only way to add more facilities is through the System…" Victor mused, stroking his chin.
"Or you can unleash your creativity and build them yourself, Master," Lizbeth added to his statement.
"Riight… Easier said than done."
That said, in order to gather "progression value," Victor could only rely on the arrival of players to aid him in developing the academy. Maybe there would be specialized missions designed for them, offering opportunities to increase it.
"Say," Victor began, scratching his head, "on the screen here, it said that this academy should have a level-1 Nexus Tower… Where's that?"
"Surprise, surprise!" Lizbeth grinned mischievously. "It's actually right in front of you — just one hundred meters away, to be exact."
"Seriously?!" Victor's eyes widened in disbelief.
In the pitch-black darkness of the night, devoid of any moonlight save for faint stars in the sky, it was practically impossible to see further than twenty meters ahead. Consequently, Victor didn't realize that there was a building a distance away from him. Still, with his extraordinary perception, how had he missed such a conspicuous landmark?
Lizbeth nodded enthusiastically. "Yep, follow me, and I'll show you. Prepare to be amazed!" She then launched from Victor's shoulder and flew toward the darkness. Her fairy figure shone amidst the pitch-black nighttime, like a lamp in the middle of darkness.
Victor snapped his fingers, and a faint white light lit up around him. Being a third-stage Initiate Attunement acolyte, manipulating energy particles for daily activities was totally a cinch for him. And thus, he trailed Lizbeth's fleeting figure.
What greeted him a hundred meters away was an imposing purplish-black structure like obsidian. It rose like a towering spire, reaching a height of at least fifteen meters. No wonder that Victor had missed it earlier — its color seamlessly blended with the darkness of the night, and it had the uncanny ability to absorb mana from the surrounding air. He couldn't help but feel perplexed, as he was certain this structure hadn't been here during the first time he came.
"Whoa! Is this the Nexus Tower? Is it connected to the astral space?" Victor looked up at the towering structure, jaw slackening.
"Bingo, one hundred for you! However, it's not used for long-distance travel to other planes. Y'see, this is the very reason that people from your old world can be summoned to this world. The Nexus Tower acts as the gateway between dimensions."
"I see…" Victor's mind raced with the implications of this newfound knowledge.
Soon enough, Victor headed into the structure and was amazed by the things inside. Chambers with pods that resembled cryogenic pods or clone vats were aplenty here. In total, there were ten of these pods. In the center of the structure was a pool filled with ethereal energy… Victor had never seen such a pool. After all, he was only an Initiate Attunement acolyte, and the travel between astral space was limited for Nexus Temporal and above Magi.
"This is insane!" The structure alone could fetch tens of thousands of intermediate-grade mana crystals. Selling it to a high-ranking Magus would make Victor wealthy beyond imagination. Nevertheless, the transaction between Magi had to be done with equal strength, which meant that revealing such a valuable thing to someone of higher power could result in his own demise.
"What's that?" Victor pointed at a peculiar machine resembling a crematorium, except this one was magical.
"That's an essence converter. To make biological matter, especially extraordinary life forms like Magi, you will need the essence of other similarly extraordinary life forms, and that thing extracts just that… Of course, it can also extract ordinary life forms." Lizbeth gave an explanation.
For now, on the digital screen of the essence converter, there was a number "10" on it. This meant that one point corresponded to one body.
"Interesting!" Victor grinned in anticipation. He couldn't wait to fill it up so that they could summon more players to join their cause. "Speaking of players, do we have an estimate of how long it will take for the incubation process?"
"Twenty-four hours. As soon as those players receive the gaming capsules and put their bodies inside, the capsules will scan them and send their data here."
"Huh? Would they have the same bodies they had on Earth?" If the other party is an elderly person or a child, that may be fatal… Victor took note to meticulously screen players so that no such accident happened.
"You can customize the settings as you see fit. At the moment, these pods are configured to generate human bodies corresponding to the inhabitants of this world and are adjusted to fit the setting, meaning they will all have youthful bodies."
"Hrm, I think I have the perfect approach to this." Victor decided on a setting. He believed that to integrate with the inhabitants of this world effectively, they needed to embrace the local customs, embodying the adage "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." However, he was mindful of not altering the players' races or appearances too drastically. His solution was to create a harmonious blend of their original features with those of the local populace.
In Seraphia, the human population predominantly displayed Caucasian traits and was often characterized by "striking" hair and eye colors. Yet, it was not uncommon to see some with Asian features, particularly in certain regions. The diversity was further enriched by the presence of humanoid races, descendants of those from different planes and worlds. This rich collection of cultures and races in Seraphia was a legacy of past Magi, who had brought these varied peoples to this world, thus creating a vibrant and diverse society.
"Hrm, although it would be convenient if they could instantly grasp the language of this world."
The use of magic in this world might not depend on a specific language; however, Victor would have a much easier time if these players could understand the native language because that was the language that he had learned magic from.
"It's certainly possible. But due to time and device constraints, only one language can be implanted."
"Better than nothing." Victor then instructed, "Do implant the most common language — 'Seraphian' — to their mind."
"As you wish, Master." Lizbeth gave him a salute and giggled.
Originally, Victor had concerns that language differences might pose a significant barrier, but this wasn't the case now. Later on, he could open up the game for people in other countries once he figured out a few remaining details, like different time zones and all.
With the arrival of the first batch of players still more than twenty-four hours away, Victor found himself twiddling his thumbs while contemplating the tasks that lay ahead. Gathering the necessary tools and provisions for their arrival seemed like a logical step here. Otherwise, he would be putting the cart before the horse. It just so happened that there was a village on the outskirts of the Thornwood Forest.
The problem was, he had to be careful of those bastards — his past comrades — when going there. There was no guarantee that they wouldn't be there. He would check the situation there first before making a move to establish contact with the locals.
Anyway, considering that it was hours before daybreak, he decided to indulge in a well-deserved rest and practice his meditation technique to kill time. Luckily for him, this place gathered and was saturated with mana, providing a suitable environment for practicing meditation techniques.
Chapter 5: The Enigmatic Gaming Capsule
In a certain computer store on Earth named Computer Emporium.
The scene buzzed with customers and the constant hum of computer fans. A young man in his late twenties stood at the center of the store, engaging in a spirited conversation with a customer. He was Michael, an eccentric guy known as "MikeIsHandsome1000x" on Discord.
"Ah, my friend! You've made an excellent choice with that laptop," Michael exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine enthusiasm. "But wait, there's more! How about a premium antivirus software to ensure your digital fortress is impenetrable?"
The customer, a bit overwhelmed, politely declined, "Thanks… but I think I'll pass. Just the laptop will do."
Michael was undeterred and pressed on. "Fair enough, my friend, but let me sweeten the deal. How about a complimentary three-month subscription to our remote tech support service? You'll have peace of mind knowing our team is just a click away."
The customer hesitated, tempted by the offer but wary of additional costs. Sensing his hesitation, Michael leaned in and lowered his voice, adding, "And, just between you and me, I'll throw in a nifty USB gadget that will make your colleagues green with envy. It's a secret perk for customers who appreciate the eccentricity of this old tech wizard."
His employees exchanged knowing glances, seemingly accustomed to witnessing Michael's unique sales tactics. Eccentric or not, there was no denying that it was effective and provided the customers with an "unforgettable" experience.
"A-Alright… fine. I'll add the tech support and the USB gadget to my purchase, please." The customer gave in and handed in his credit card to finish the transaction.
"Thank you for your patronage." Michael packed the laptop and the USB gadget into a paper bag but held it with his hands and offered, "May I interest you in—"
"No, thank you!" The customer swiftly snatched the paper bag and immediately scurried away, afraid to spend another second in the store.
"Michael, I think you should ease up on the forceful promotion," one of his employees expressed concern.
"Relaax… Didn't you see how the customer happily bought all the things I offered?"
"Yeah, but…"
"No buts. Get back to whatever you're doing, Adam," Michael interjected, lightly tapping his employee's shoulder. He then made his way to his office, stating, "I'm gonna take a short coffee break for a few minutes."
Sitting on his chair with a piping hot coffee on his desk, Michael opened the Discord app on his desktop and went straight to a certain server. Early this morning, one guy proclaimed that he was working on a fully immersive virtual reality game. Michael thought that this guy was crazy at first, but when he saw the well-made webpage of the game, he retracted his initial thought.
By now, the server channel was still busy with people discussing the game. Many were, however, skeptical about the whole notion of such a game. Calling it a gambling site in disguise or whatnot. Michael, too, held a certain level of doubt regarding the existence of such a groundbreaking game. Perhaps, it would be more of a pseudo-immersive VR experience, akin to the one depicted in "Ready Player One" or something. Nevertheless, this did pique his interest a bit, so he signed up for it.
When he was younger, he had played countless MMORPG games. Hopping from one game to another, becoming one of the best on the server before finding another game to conquer. But as he got older and real life caught up with him, he started losing his passion — no game gave him the enthusiasm he once had in the past. He was bored.
As he sipped the last drop of coffee on his cup, Adam called out from outside.
"Michael! Is there supposed to be a package this big today? I don't remember any on our list…"
A package? Michael thought, rushing out of his room. He had not procured anything for his store today. Wait, is it the so-called "gaming capsule"? Is it here already?
Michael was appalled. And not because the package had arrived sooner than expected, but because he had deliberately provided a false address just one street away from his store — to a coffee shop he often frequented — as a precautionary measure. The owner would have contacted him if a package arrived at his door.
"Who delivered this?" he asked his employees.
His three employees looked at each other in confusion.
"I was in the storage area, so I didn't see."
"I don't know, either. It feels like it appeared out of thin air."
"I was manning the cashier earlier. If it was one of the customers that brought it, I should have noticed; this package is so large, after all. But…"
"Is something wrong?" Mike inquired.
"I don't know if this is just my hallucination or something. I think… I may have seen someone with a distinctive black mask coming inside for a second." The employee held his forehead in contemplation. "Sorry, I think it's just me daydreaming."
Huh? This is creepy.
Doubting that it might have been the coffee shop owner playing a prank on him for using his address, he called him, but said that it wasn't him nor that any package had arrived… So, how did the package end up here, of all places? And who was the masked man? Perhaps it wasn't the gaming capsule but just some random package that was mistakenly delivered here without their notice, though there was his name on the package. In the end, he told his employees to open it.
"This… Isn't this…" Michael's voice trailed off as the package was opened. Inside was a large, futuristic-looking capsule capable of accommodating a single person. Its dark metallic exterior exuded a sense of sophisticated technology.
"What kind of gaming chair looks like this?" Adam scratched his head.
"Are you stupid? This is obviously a massage chair."
"But that doesn't explain why it has an expensive-looking glass cover… In fact, this bears a striking resemblance to the VR capsules depicted in the comic I was reading last night."
His employees were engaged in a heated debate, each one speculating about the nature of the mysterious capsule. One of them even attempted to pry open the impenetrable glass cover but to no avail. Michael, however, remained silent, lost in a flood of nostalgic memories from his childhood novels. The captivating tales of immersive VR experiences came rushing back, reigniting his long-held longing for such an adventure—
"Michael, where did you buy this thing?" one of his employees asked, scratching his head.
Not answering the question, Michael approached the enigmatic gaming capsule. With a touch of his hand, to his astonishment, the capsule effortlessly unfolded before him, revealing a sleek helmet resembling a futuristic motorcycle helmet and a plush sofa chair nestled within. Surprisingly, there were no apparent additional gadgets or accessories, leaving him to wonder if there were hidden compartments cleverly concealed within the capsule's interior.
"Michael?"
"Yes, uh, see, I signed up to this new innovative console indie company's website to test their new products…" Michael bluffed his way with them. If he told his employees that this was a fully immersive VR gaming capsule, they wouldn't believe him and might take him to the hospital to do a mental checkup.
"This thing is a console?!"
"Yep, I will try it first to check the quality of the product." Michael entered the capsule.
As he settled into the plush chair, the glass cover gently shut close. With a mix of anticipation and curiosity, he cautiously placed the helmet over his head. Initially shrouded in darkness, he was about to take it off, but then a pale blue light suddenly penetrated the darkness and reflected into his retina.
Magus Academy Online
Time Remaining Until Activation:
23:59:58
Holy shit! This is truly the gaming capsule that the guy from Discord proclaimed! Frantically, he removed the helmet and climbed out of the gaming capsule. Turning to his employees, he said, "Adam, you try using it."
"Why?" Adam hesitated.
"Just do it."
Unable to refuse his boss's request, Adam seated himself on the plush chair and put on the helmet.
"Did you see something?" Michael inquired, impatient.
"See what?
"Any text or number…"
"No, there's nothing except pitch back." Adam took off the helmet and asserted, "I think this thing is out of juice."
"Maybe there's a cord on the back. Who knows, just like any console, it doesn't have a battery despite its size," said the other employee.
"Bullshit. This thing must have its own battery; didn't the glass cover automatically open and close by itself? If it didn't have any power, how could it do that?" Michael's last employee countered.
He himself didn't bother addressing the issue and quickly darted toward his PC. He had to share his findings with the rest of the participants!
Victor, oblivious to the unfolding events on Earth, concluded his nightly meditation — energy particles dancing around him, dispersing into the wind. With a serene gaze, he opened his eyes, greeted by the lingering darkness of the sky through the windows; it would still be hours before the sun rose. Inside the Headmaster's Office, there was a bedroom, and he had claimed the place for himself.
Curiosity suddenly sparked within him, and he checked on the "Headmaster's Journal" tab to see the next mission through the black mark on his wrist.
—— [Headmaster's Journal] ——
Mission: Where are the Players?
You have tricked people into joining your "game," and the gaming capsules have been confirmed to be delivered. Now, you must ensure that the first batch of players logs in to the game.
Type: Main mission
Reward: Interspatial ring (1 m3)
————————
Mission: Secure a Connection
To become a sustaining academy, you have to build a long-lasting relationship with nearby settlements. It is required to have at least one settlement to be on friendly terms with you.
Type: Side mission
Total Settlement on Good Term: 0/1
Reward: 50 academy points
"An interspatial ring?! Holy cow! This System sure is generous." Victor whistled as he read through the rewards for the two new missions.
"Wh-What? Master, is it time to eat already? Oh, wait…" Lizbeth mumbled groggily, rubbing her drowsy eyes and catching a glimpse of the drool at the corner of her mouth. Suddenly, she snapped back to full awareness and shot Victor an indignant glare. "Ahem! Don't startle me like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry, my sleeping princess…" Victor said sarcastically. After all, he had all the right to be utterly shocked. It was important to note that possessing an interspatial ring was far from common among Elemental Adept Magi, let alone someone of his modest standing. Even if the ring in question only had a meager capacity of one cubic meter.
"Say, can the System scan my stats? You know, like those in games…" Victor considered this a possibility, considering that the previous headmaster had arranged everything as though it were a game.
"Is this what it's all about?" Lizbeth questioned, obviously annoyed that her sleep had been disturbed.
"Not really," was what Victor was about to say, but he forcibly swallowed the words — picking a fight with her could spell more trouble than it was worth. Therefore, he confirmed with a nod.
Lizbeth sighed but compliantly showed him the status screen, nonetheless.
Victor Asteriscus
Power Rank: Third-stage Initiate Attunement
Elemental Affinity: Anemo (82%) | Pyro (57%) | ???
Status: Healthy
Strength: (22)
Agility: (23)
Vitality: (22)
Magical Power: (29)
Infused Mana (total): (144)
Hrm? So, I have an elemental affinity for something other than Anemo and Pyro? Victor thought, finding that the status screen was rather plain but held secrets about his body that he wasn't even aware of.
"Can you give me a short breakdown of all the things on the status screen?"
"Well, I'd be happy to help." The fairy flashed a confident smile and proceeded to explain: "Um, The first three sections are quite straightforward and easy to comprehend for you, so I won't go into detail about those. But there's a unique twist to the stats: each increment of one point adds 10 percent of the previous value, which will stack up more and more as the point increases. For example, if an average adult has a stat of five for strength, agility, and vitality, each point increase beyond that would enhance their capabilities significantly. As for magical power, well, it's safe to say that an average adult wouldn't possess any… That pretty much sums it up."
Victor nodded, absorbing the information. "I see. So, the higher the stat, the more pronounced the improvement. That's interesting." For one, this would become a topic that players would have to dig around to understand since he wouldn't go out of his way to explain.
Considering that he had to plan to make this façade of a game to work, he enlisted Lizbeth's help to brainstorm with him to smooth things out. There were also a lot of small details that he inquired her about the System, and she answered most of the basic questions without holding back anything. As the headmaster and the game manager, he had to understand everything to its nook and cranny so that he could be convincing.
With the conversation ending, Victor tried to rest, though he couldn't get a wink of sleep. Restlessness stirred within him, urging him to take action. Hence, he resolved to move ahead of schedule. He had two important objectives to accomplish in the nearby village: securing necessary supplies and establishing a friendly rapport with the locals. Coincidentally, the village was the very place where he had resided before venturing into the depths of the forest.
Just that…
"After learning the consequences of the academy's destruction, I am apprehensive to leave this place…" Victor confessed.
"Fear not, this academy has remained hidden for thousands of years due to magic barriers. What would another day do anyway, he-he?" Lizbeth's tone was calm, steady, and slightly mischievous.
"So, you were tricking me before!" Victor very lightly pinched Lizbeth's tiny, rosy cheeks in annoyance, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the mischievous fairy.
"Ow!" The fairy quickly wriggled free and massaged her cheeks, pouting in mock indignation. "When did I trick you? You just never bothered to ask. Besides, it's been so long that the magic barriers protecting the academy may have deteriorated over time. Who knows?"
"Ugh… Then, all the more reason for us to hurry."
Determination gleamed in Victor's eyes as he said that. With renewed purpose, he made his preparations and ventured out into the depths of the forest, his steps guided by the moonlight, leaving Lizbeth behind to safeguard the academy in his absence.