The thud of books echoed in the room as Kern started to remove his shirt. He made a mental note not to involve himself in troublesome public matters again.
Now clad in orange trunks, he approached the academy-provided watch box resting on his table. Carefully opening it, he retrieved the watch—a classic black digital timepiece. At first glance, it appeared unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, a small round button adorned its side.
Kern clicked the button, and the watch came to life, projecting a hologram of a robot in front of his eyes.
"Please state your name," said the hologram in a standard robotic voice.
"Kern. Kern Novarnam," he replied.
The room fell silent for a few seconds before the hologram resumed speaking.
"Hello Kern Novarnam. I'm Inkler, a personalized AI dedicated to serving you in your journey through Academy life. Please feel free to make any modifications in the settings to alter my personality."
"Open settings," said Kern.
The setting screen opened in front of Kern, displaying various parameters adjustable to tailor emotions. Each emotion was represented by a percentage scale ranging from 1 to 100%.
Kern decided to increase humor to 70% and set all the emotions related to stoicism to zero. With these adjustments, he aimed to create a more friendly and approachable personality for Inkler.
Kern changed the name of 'Inkler' to 'Joe', finalizing the customization to suit his preferences.
"Joe?" called out Kern.
"Yes, buddy?" replied a cheerful boyish voice, which was quite pleasant to hear.
Kern was genuinely surprised and pleased. In this world, he could at least talk to someone freely.
"Are the conversations we're about to have safely discreet?" asked Kern, even though he knew it was safe. In the novel, AI Inkler was created by the Frader family, known for their intelligence and their significant role in advancing the world to its current level of technological attainment.
Their sole motto was privacy, and their database was securely stored using a form of encryption that seemed almost magical, accessible only to the head of the Frader family, a testament to their commitment to safeguarding information.
"Of course, Kern! Whatever conversations or information searches you do are safe. So don't worry and ask your doubts!" said Joe, his holographic form now resembling a small boy instead of a robot. He wore a blue round neck shirt and shorts, and his slight jumping motion signified his joyful nature.
"Tell me about the history of this world from the start. Please don't omit any details that might be important"
"Your sure? It may take upto 15 hours to complete the whole boring story" said Joe as his face turned into an frown.
"Yes, I'm sure. Start now as we don't have a lot of time left," said Kern as settled down on his bed.
"Well, it's your choice. So the story starts when the light god....,"
...
As Joe was relaying the requested information to Kern, some unsettling changes were occurring in the dormitory where Kern resided.
Downstairs, several eerie figures began to materialize, hanging upside down. Oblivious to these changes, Kern listened attentively to Joe.
The figures started to sway like pendulums, their faces contorting into disturbing smiles, almost as if threatening to tear their own faces apart.
Several torn-apart dolls appeared on the downstairs floor, their limbs twisted at unnatural angles and soaked in a deep shade of red.
Defying the laws of physics, the dolls suddenly flew towards the hanging figures, their movements eerily swift and coordinated. With ruthless efficiency, the hanging figures seemed to swallow the dolls whole, their actions shrouded in mystery.
A voice, almost as audible as a whisper but carrying a chilling resonance, echoed through the downstairs area. It emanated from a childlike presence, yet its ethereal quality instilled a sense of unease.
"Please play with me..."
.......
Kern, having finished his longest history lesson in his life, decided to take a bath in the downstairs restroom. He grabbed his towel and descended the stairs, encountering his dorm's janitor, Matthew, who was diligently cleaning the ceilings.
"Morning, Mr. Matthew," Kern greeted.
"Ah... morning, Kern. Did you have a good sleep? You look horrible," Matthew replied, his voice tinged with concern.
"Nah, I'm fine, Mr. Matthew. Just decided to do some extra work yesterday. I'm going to take a long nap after this bath, so feel free to stay here," Kern said as he opened the restroom door.
"Thanks for the offer," said Matthew as Kern entered and closed the door.
Kern was quite familiar with the janitor now. The man named Matthew has a wife and two children who are in their 30's right now. He also has a granddaughter who is 5 years.
"The old man wouldn't stop praising how cute his granddaughter is," muttered Kern as he turned on the shower. The water was cold, nevertheless it was still mangable for Kern who lived his past life in a much worse accomdation than now.
The one thing Kern liked about his past life's house was his bed. It was where he poured out his emotions during his lowest points in life.
After 30 minutes of bathing, Kern emerged from the restroom and changed into fresh clothes in his room.
As he prepared to sleep in his bedroom, Joe interrupted him.
"Kern, you have a problem," Joe said solemnly.
"Eh?" Kern replied, surprised.
"The Winchester Police issued a formal warrant for you to appear at their police station," Joe informed him, his tone serious.
"The Winchester Police? What the heck did I do?" Kern asked, his annoyance evident at the sudden turn of events. He was already struggling to adjust to this world and maintained a facade of cheerfulness, but this news caused his mood to plummet drastically.
"Apparently, you were riding an unregistered vehicle in the area," Joe explained with a chuckle.
"Unregistered vehicle?" Kern repeated, feeling a headache coming on. He swiftly changed into his formal wear and left the dorm without informing the janitor, Matthew.
Deciding to leave the dirt bike behind, since it seemed to be the cause of the problem, Kern prioritized resolving the police matter first. He planned to inquire about his unregistered vehicle later with Matthew.
Walking all the way to the entrance of Winchester City, which took about 40 minutes, Kern presented his holographic ID emanating from the watch to the guards and entered the city. He asked Joe to display a map to the police station, and Kern reached it after a brief walk of 15 minutes.
The police station was a simple two-story building, painted in blue and red along the sides and corners, blending perfectly into the cityscape. Several guards were stationed in front of the building.
Kern showed his warrant, which the police had sent to him, and entered the building. Its interior resembled Kern's previous life station's, but with more advanced computers and more secure jail cells visible in the distance. Police officers wearing blue shirts with the Winchester emblem inscribed on them bustled around, dealing with various criminals.
Approaching what seemed to be the reception area, Kern inquired about his circumstances.
"You're here due to a warrant?" asked a fat, middle-aged man wearing a blue shirt and white pants. The buttons of his shirt threatened to come undone but somehow stayed in place.
"Yes, sir," replied Kern as he showed his warrant in the form of a hologram. However, the officer didn't seem to even glance at it.
"You Academy lads always seem to cause a ruckus at this time of year. You're not the first student to come here. Write your name here and the warrant number. Since you bastards are the 'future youths of the empire', we've decided to forgive you," said the middle-aged man sarcastically as he released smoke from his cigarette.
Kern complied and wrote his name and warrant number in the notebook the man pointed to.
"Wait for a few minutes," instructed the man as he walked away and began speaking to an old man drinking coffee on a rolling chair.
After a few seconds, the man waved at Kern to come near him.
"He will be your case profiler. Just say what you did and sign the papers and get the hell out of here," said the man as he departed, puffing on his cigarette again.
Silence ensued as Kern watched the old man sipping his coffee. Suddenly, the man started asking questions.
"Name?"
"Kern Novarnam."
"Warrant number?"
"2987."
The man typed on the keyboard in front of him, and a hologram appeared.
"Caught on CCTV cameras at 3:08 pm near the medieval area riding an unregistered vehicle."
"That vehicle isn't mine. It belongs to my janitor," Kern explained, hoping to resolve the issue swiftly. Earning a black mark before even entering the academy would create a terrible impression and could lead to further trouble.
"Whatever, kid. I don't care. I'm curious about the origins of the bike. This is a classic model. It was manufactured around 200 years ago. Bike lovers would pay a hefty sum for it. Where did you even get this?"
"Like I said, this is not my bike. It's my janitors" said Kern again firmly.
"Fuck it. It's not like I have the money to buy that shit. Be careful from now on, kid. The academy has decided to excuse all of you lads due to the involvement of some noble kids. Consider yourself lucky, alright? Now, sign the papers and get out of my sight!"
Kern decided it wasn't worth arguing anymore and swiftly signed the papers. He exited the police station and began gathering his thoughts.
This police station only dealt with commoners who made mistakes. Nobles didn't even bother to come here; they sent their servants instead to resolve the problems they made.
Kern contemplated his situation but ultimately decided not to confront the janitor just yet. He needed to learn more about the man's past before making any accusations.
He hoped the janitor was innocent, but he knew the world didn't always work that way. If the janitor had indeed stolen the dirt bike from someone else, Kern could easily get caught up in the messy business.
It was currently nighttime, so Kern decided to dine out. For the past two days, Kern had been eating what the janitor brought from his home, supposedly cooked by his wife and shared it with Kern.
However, Kern decided to proceed with caution. Even though this world seemed to be heading towards a happy ending, he couldn't ignore the dangers that lurked beneath the surface. In the novel, the screen time was often dedicated to the main cast, overshadowing the potential dangers of the world around them.
Kern dined at a nearby restaurant, spending 200 Wel, which had been provided to him by the academy. He decided to treat himself to a better meal today, knowing that starting from tomorrow, he would need to lay low.
Kern made a conscious effort not to become the stereotypical character who avoids the main cast in other cliché novels but suddenly becomes their best friend. He knew that somehow, he would inevitably encounter the main cast. He had a theory that his transmigration to this world was not just pure luck; somebody had brought him here for a reason.
"I should tread carefully in the academy," said Kern to himself as he walked along the streets of the cyberpunk city. Despite the late hour, the city was bustling with activity, its neon lights casting an otherworldly glow over the bustling crowds.
.........
In a luxurious room adorned with chandeliers and richly colored paints, a dining table was set with an array of decadent dishes. Around the table sat 10 people, each dining with elegant etiquette, savoring the lavish meal before them.
"So he didn't die?" asked the person sitting at the head of the table. Though her figure betrayed her gender, a veil concealed her face as she continued to delicately cut into her luxurious steak.
"No, milady. The curse suddenly lifted at the precise moment when his death was imminent," replied the butler standing beside her.
"I thought the vampires were better than this. It was supposed to be a royal curse. A bloody royal curse where the afflicted was meant to die, no matter what, at the appointed time!" exclaimed a man seated further down the table.
"The child must be around 15 years of age now, correct?" the lady inquired once more.
"Yes, Duchess," confirmed another individual, their face similarly veiled, seated near the man who had just spoken, their voice a pleasant contrast to his.
"He must be in that wretched academy of humans, right?" asked the woman addressed as the Duchess.
"Yes, Milady. That was the conclusion the vampires theorized as well. The awakened human must be in Winchester Academy. Otherwise, there is no way the curse would have been neutralized," affirmed the servant, his tone respectful yet unwavering.
"It's been 15 years since he inflicted that curse. It's been 15 years since we killed his damn parents, and somehow he escaped! He will come for revenge, I'm telling you!" shouted the man named Sirius, his voice filled with anger as he banged his hand against the table.
"Calm down, Sirius," said the veiled figure next to him in a calm yet vigilant tone.
"Calm down? A descendant of that damn family is alive? Do you remember how hard it was for us to kill his dad? Huh? You wouldn't know, would you?! He wiped out half of our population. We were lucky we had the Sun god by our side, or else we would have been wiped off the face of Elithra!"
A knife came flying towards Sirius, but it was deflected mid-air.
"Be quiet," said the Duchess, her tone filled with killing intent. She then addressed the group with authority.
"The Jones family's descendant will meet his end eventually. However, that is not our top priority right now. We must handle the issues with the demons first."
"Is that clear?" she asked with a sharp and threatening voice.
"Yes, ma'am," replied the remaining nine people at the table.