Kern returned to his dormitory without disturbing the janitor. He chose to put the matter of the unregistered vehicle on hold for the time being. He felt relieved that the issue had been resolved without unnecessary drama.
He slept for a solid 12 hours, making up for the exhaustion from the previous night's history lesson with Joe. Though it had been agonizing, Kern found it to be incredibly useful, more so than anything else.
With only one day left before the academy started, Kern decided to address his strength issues. In this world, magic ruled, but it wasn't as simple as he had hoped. The main character of the novel, Crimson Addiction, had several cheats up his sleeve.
Firstly, he was naturally attuned to all kinds of elements existing in the world. Additionally, he could copy abilities to a certain extent. And thirdly, he had unlimited potential, meaning his growth was unstoppable.
"Truly a lucky bastard" cursed Kern as he ruffled his hair in anger.
In the novel, only the main 8 elements were showcased continously. Kern did not know that there were more than 8 elements in this world until Joe briefed him.
There are ten elements in this world with each god holding absolute authority over it.
1)Fire
2)Water
3)Earth
4)Air
5)Lightning
6)Ice
7)Light
8)Darkness
9)Wood
10)Metal
The elements Wood and Metal were new concepts to Kern, as he wasn't proficient in understanding what these elements could do. Joe had a certain limit to what he could explain.
The Empire's strict regulations prevent self-taught magicians from freely roaming the continent. Despite the accessibility of learning magic through the internet, the need for the academy remains crucial. Anyone caught uploading videos teaching magic faces severe punishment according to empire laws. This made AI completely useless in accordance to what they can do releated to magic.
Only a certain amount of people can teach magic to citizens of the empire without having ties with acadamy. Howerer, most choose to come to the acadamy since it had better facilities. Howerer, the acadamy assigns dormintories according to strength.
The academy allows any awakened individuals inside their establishment, but they will face harsh treatment. Deliberately placed in lower classes, they will receive minimal attention from teachers. Their training will be neglected, and access to training ground facilities will be blocked. Only a few commoners remain in this academy, and those who do are typically the intelligent ones who theorize in magical concepts.
Now, the question is how will we get assigned to our dormintories? It is determined through strength gauges.
Strength gauges are not machines; they are individuals with special abilities who can determine the strength of others. These individuals possess the unique capability to sense and assess the magical aura and mana core capacity of individuals.
While all awakened individuals can discern the relative strength or weakness of others through their auras, strength gaugers have a heightened sensitivity and expertise in accurately ranking a crowd of people based on their magical abilities. This allows for precise and objective assessments, ensuring that students are placed in dormitories that align with their magical prowess.
Kern remembered this dormitory from the novel because it was infamous for being unassigned and served as a famous haunted spot. In the storyline, the main cast would visit this dormitory for fun, adding an element of mystery and excitement to their adventures.
During a slice of life or romance arc, the female leads would often draw closer to the main character in the context of being "scared" while exploring the haunted dormitory. This setting provided the perfect backdrop for bonding moments and character development, adding depth to their relationships and interactions.
He saw this dormintory's illustration in his previous life where the main character was being hugged by the female lead while being scared in front of the house.
Now came the million dollar question.
Why was Kern assigned to a dormitory that remained unoccupied in the novel?
This perplexing mystery nagged at Kern, but he made a conscious decision to set it aside for the time being. With the start of his academy journey looming ahead, he had more pressing matters to attend to.
The elements each had corresponding pathways that practitioners could take, governed by the principle of dividing the element into three functional parts. However, these pathways were only applicable to humans, as their bodies couldn't handle the raw amount of mana like other races could.
The first pathway was the Circuital pathway, the simplest pathway used by the majority of humans. It required control over the veins in the body, which acted as circuits for mana flow. Mana, a form of energy present everywhere except in certain places in the world, could be absorbed from the environment, assimilated into the body, and then released in the form of abilities or spells.
However, this pathway had its drawbacks. Veins also served to transport blood throughout the body, so any mishaps, such as blocking a vein with dense mana, could result in injuries. While most injuries were not serious, such incidents could become decisive moments in battles, highlighting the risks associated with this pathway.
The second pathway was the Nerve pathway, considered the most challenging of the three pathways as it required mastery over the nerves. Unlike the Circuital pathway, which relied on the control of veins, the Nerve pathway involved absorbing mana directly through the nerves.
The rationale behind this pathway lay in the speed at which nerves could transport mana compared to veins.
Lightning users were particularly drawn to the Nerve pathway due to the parallel between nerves carrying electrical impulses and the nature of lightning magic. By utilizing this pathway, Lightning users could transform the essence of mana into electrical energy before casting spells of lightning, amplifying their destructive potential and effectiveness.
However, this pathway was not without its challenges. Lightning affinities were rare, occurring in only 1 out of 10,000 people, making it difficult. Additionally, mastery of the Nerve pathway required a higher level of skill and manipulation compared to the Circuital pathway. Nerves were more delicate than veins, and any mishap could lead to serious disfigurement or damage, especially to the brain.
The third pathway is distinct from the Circuital and Nerve pathways and is unique in that it is primarily associated with individuals who are half-human, half-vampire. While these individuals possess human characteristics, they also inherit certain vampiric traits that set them apart.
This pathway involving the skillful control of blood and the manipulation of mana within the bodies of half-human, half-vampire individuals is infamously known as the Vampiric pathway.
Mastery of the Vampiric pathway involves skillful control over blood, which carries the essence of mana. Vampires, with their unique physiology, have the ability to generate mana within their bodies by consuming blood. This makes them living mana generators, capable of producing magical energy even in environments devoid of magic.
By manipulating their own blood, practitioners of the Vampiric pathway can shape and mold mana to cast spells and perform impeccable feats. They can draw upon their own life force to fuel their magic, allowing them to create powerful and intricate spells with the cost of their blood.
Kern found himself uncertain about his own strength level, suspecting that he might be on the weaker side. This suspicion was reinforced by his assignment to the abandoned haunted house dormitory in the middle of the forest.
In the novel, even relatively weaker students were granted dormitories in the city, yet Kern found himself assigned to the abandoned dormitory in the forest. This only served to deepen his sense of discouragement, as it implied that he was considered weaker even than the weakest students in this world.
Strength ranks in this world are determined in the traditional manner, using letters of the alphabet. The hierarchy is structured from the strongest rank, S, down to the lowest rank, E. The sequence progresses as follows: S, A, B, C, D, E.
Kern clutched his head and let out a sigh. He was having a hard time since he knew nothing about magic, unlike these world's residents.
In his previous life, he learned martial arts for 2 years to defend himself against the bullies in his school. However, he never once threw a punch at them and always stayed cowardly.
His teacher, a homeless man near McDonald's, taught him every evening at the cost of a happy meal. He was an ex-marine who was dishonorably discharged due to his failure to maintain his ship.
Kern clutched his head and let out a sigh. He was having a hard time since he knew nothing about magic, unlike these world's residents.
One day, he heard the man die while saving a girl from getting hit by a truck. This saddened Kern to the point where he just went to McDonald's for the sake of looking for the place where the homeless man would sit.
As Kern was reminiscing about his past, a knock rang at his bedroom door. It was faint, but Kern heard it.
Kern went to open the door expecting Janitor Matthew to be standing there, but to his surprise, the view grated him with the emptiness of the hallway.
"Did I hear it wrong?" Kern muttered to himself as he exited his room to investigate the source of the knocking. Despite his thorough search of the upstairs area, he found no one around. Shrugging off the peculiar incident, Kern returned to his room and began arranging his uniform and gathering his necessities for the day ahead.
................
The long-awaited day finally came. Kern woke up at 4 in the morning and took a bath. He went to the kitchen and cooked himself a meal of canned noodles he brought while dealing with the warrant issues.
He wore his uniform, which consisted of a white shirt and black pants, with a black blazer that bore the symbol of the Winchester Academy, a W with swords.
He didn't spot Matthew, but he figured it would be better if he didn't. Kern was still unsure how to bring the matter of his police warrant.
Kern's walk to Winchester City took him 40 minutes, as he took off at 5:00. He reached the railway station in the cyberpunk area and brought one ticket to the Euphelia Islands.
The Euphelia Islands are located north of Winchester City, and it took about an hour by train. Sure, there were teleportation portals, but Kern didn't want to waste the 50,000 Wel the academy gave him.
The academy itself was isolated from the city, except for the fact that the students go there.
Kern boarded the train and sat on the leather seats, which offered him great comfort. He decided to take a nap for 40 minutes before embarking on his new adventure.Soon he arrived at the northern train station of the island.
The island itself was a sight to behold, being home to diverse scenery and monsters, though he hasn't encountered any since coming here. The station where the train dropped him was fairly developed. If he remembered correctly, Joe, his AI, told him that Euphelia town is located at the center of the island.
The academy itself was split into two sister parts: on the north side of the island, high-ranking students attend classes, while on the south, low-ranking students attend classes.
Since most of the main cast members are stronger, Kern was more than happy. He quickly took a cab and told his destination: The Winchester Acadamy.
The cab driver didn't try to do small talk and drove quickly, which Kern liked. He wasn't a big fan of involving himself in tiresome convos, which cab drivers tended to do in their lives.
After a 15 minute ride, a majestic piece of Architecture came into the view of Kern's eyes.
Standing proudly against the backdrop of rolling hills and verdant forests, the Winchester Academy loomed like a majestic sentinel, its towering spires and turrets reaching toward the heavens with an air of timeless grandeur. Built in the finest Victorian style, the castle exuded an aura of opulence and elegance, its imposing facades adorned with intricate carvings and ornate embellishments.
As Kern approached, he couldn't help but be awestruck by the sheer magnificence of the structure before him. The castle's exterior was crafted from the finest stone, its walls weathered by centuries of history yet still retaining an air of dignified grace. Delicate ivy climbed the walls, adding a touch of natural beauty to the imposing fortress.
At the heart of the castle, a towering central keep rose high above the surrounding buildings, its battlements lined with intricately carved stone figures and decorative flourishes. Stained glass windows glimmered in the sunlight, casting kaleidoscopic patterns of color across the courtyard below.
Surrounding the castle, lush gardens sprawled out in every direction, filled with vibrant blooms and winding pathways that beckoned visitors to explore their hidden wonders. Stone bridges arched gracefully over tranquil ponds, while manicured hedges and topiaries created a sense of order and symmetry amidst the wild beauty of the landscape.
Kern got out of the cab and paid the cab driver 30 Wels. He approached the Acadamy gates with a sense of nervousness and excitement. Even though he was thrust unwillingly into this world, seeing his imagination of his previously read novel in real life felt quite amazing for him.
The guards at the front of the gate stopped him and asked for his ID. Kern showed his ID through his hologram watch respectfully as the guards scanned it with their own watches.
"You are quite early, Student Kern Novarnam," said one of the guards.
"Well, I would like to get acquainted with the places where I will be studying from now on, sir," said Kern with a hint of respect, signifying that he wasn't undermining their position as guards.
"Your class must be on the D block, which is on the east side of the academy. If you are lost, just contact us using your watch. Have a great day, Student Kern," said the guard as he opened the gates to Kern with a faint hint of smile.
As Kern watched the majestic gates being opened in front of him, Kern made a quick resolve in his mind which he voved to follow for the rest of the days to come.
"Survive!"
.....................
Author's note: Hey guys, I hope you are doing well. I'm still a novice at writing so construtive cristism is accepted with open arms. I'm an high school student facing my finals right now so I can't concentrate that much on this novel. Some of you might ask, why write novels during exams? Well, what can I say? Guess I'm just crazy.