Dawn has arrived.
The sun begins to show itself.
The sound of thunder rumbling in the sky feels like the wrath of the world.
The sound of rain clashing against the pavement is clear.
I sit on my bed, staring blankly out the open window.
Drops of rain cascade heavily from the sky to the earth, soaking the ground.
I keep staring at the scene endlessly.
"Hah."
Three days. Three days have passed.
No matter how much I think about it, somehow I have transmigrated into the game [Flame Chaser], a game I've played since high school.
To make matters worse, I've transmigrated as an extra—no, a third-rate extra would have been better than this. I've transmigrated as a character whose name I don't even know, meaning this character shouldn't even exist.
What is this? A cliché transmigration novel? Why is there an anomaly like this? I'd rather be an extra or a villain than a character I don't even know.
I don't even know if I'm in a stable period right now.
Everything still feels vague.
Suddenly, I feel like I've returned to the end of my life as a high school student preparing for university entrance exams when I see piles of books taller than my own head. I feel scared and desperate.
Maybe this is some kind of punishment for complaining too much.
After finishing the university entrance exams and receiving poor results that led to failure, I decided to join the military. I was there for several years until I eventually died on the battlefield.
Yes, it was truly a battlefield. At that time, a great war broke out in the Balkan Peninsula and spread to surrounding countries. This war began with the collapse of Balkan governments by militias supported by international terrorist groups. When this became known to the world, many countries decided to join the global coalition forces led by Russia, China, and the United States.
I don't know if the war has ended because I died first, but I'm sure it will end soon. That's because, at the time of my death, the global alliance had won nearly 95% of the situation, just waiting for the war to end completely.
Yeah, back to the topic. I always wanted to return to my school days, so I kept playing [Flame Chaser] for a long time. At one point, bored, I decided to use a cheat code that gave an additional 100 stat points, but at that time, I was really busy with war preparations and couldn't continue.
As a hardcore veteran in the gaming world, I know I shouldn't have cheated like this...
Maybe that's why I transmigrated.
Haha, no way. That's a crazy thought.
I'm really starting to overthink things.
However, it's an undeniable fact that I have indeed transmigrated into the game [Flame Chaser].
After living in this world for three days, I can confirm that this is Sirius Academy, one of the six hero academies I've seen in the game.
And today is the new student enrollment ceremony, the event that marks the start of the game for the player.
I found out the time and place of the ceremony by wandering around the campus and seeing the banners posted.
When I first opened my eyes in the student dormitory.
I used the academy's currency, which I received as a first-year allowance, to pay for my meals.
Other than that, I did nothing but wander around the campus in silence day after day.
With how realistic everything feels, I have no choice but to accept this absurd situation.
Additionally, I've also gained the ability to use magic by manipulating mana with my senses, although I haven't been able to practice it yet since I don't know any spells.
Yeah... it's not a funny situation but a sad one.
As I was lost in thought, I realized something was wrong. I heard the rain falling and immediately understood the situation.
This... is the Hell difficulty, isn't it?
[Flame Chaser] starts with three different difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, and Hard. Players can unlock the "Special" level after playing the game once, which consists of two levels: "Hardcore" and "Hell." The "Hell" difficulty is infamous for its insanity.
The game's atmosphere in "Hell" difficulty changes drastically from the start.
Today should be sunny, with the sun shining as if smiling upon the world. Today should mark the beginning of the chaotic life of [Flame Chaser]'s protagonist, Kevin Islana, at the academy.
Refreshing music should be playing in the background, and the bright atmosphere is still vivid in my memory.
However, if someone chooses the Hell difficulty, the game starts with heavy rain and dark, unfriendly weather.
I still remember clearly how bleak the beginning of the game was in "Hell" difficulty, with an opening scene without any background music, only the sound of rain. It's almost like a sign, or more accurately, a warning to the protagonist about the challenging path ahead.
In this difficulty, Kevin is forced to fight enemies even before the enrollment ceremony begins.
Even though I've transmigrated...
The Hell difficulty, as its name implies, offers insane challenges.
In this difficulty, it's normal to face enemies with huge level gaps, and their patterns become more complex as the story progresses. Even enemies that never appeared in previous difficulties occasionally show up.
It's a challenge that only the toughest veterans can overcome.
But I...
When I tried to check the Status Window, a translucent window suddenly appeared before me. It's a display I've often seen in fantasy games.
Name: Rei
Level: 1
Gender: Male
Year: 1
Title: Otherworldly Hero
Mana: 250/250
- Mana Recovery Speed (F)
- Stamina (F)
- Strength (F)
- Intelligence (S)
- Willpower (S)
Skills: <
- Colorless Mana (Limited to Chosen Heroes)
- Hero Rider (Unique)
Skill Tree: <
- None
Even for an unknown character, these stats are completely trash. I'm sure the S ranks are related to my transmigration, especially with the "Otherworldly Hero" title and that strange skill.
Why are these stats trash? First and foremost, the level is only 1, while the average level of new students is 40, except for a few special individuals. This low level makes it seem like this character exists solely for me to transmigrate into this world, this damn world!
In this game, level 20 is achieved after completing the Hell difficulty tutorial, which makes me even more suspicious since I'm truly an anomaly.
Even if my willpower stat is high, it's useless in battle unless under the influence of illusion-type magic.
What kind of life am I supposed to live with such a low level...?
The same goes for my skills. Considering everything except intelligence and willpower is ranked F, the lowest, it's clear I'm very weak.
How could an anomaly like this get into a prestigious academy like Sirius Academy?
Thinking about it again, given how difficult the entrance exam is, it's clear this anomaly of a character passed solely based on theoretical knowledge. Practical skills, let alone combat, are impossible because they're so weak.
If that's the case, what should I do now? No matter how hard I try to recall this body's memories, there's nothing, which makes me even more suspicious that this body exists solely for my transmigration.
Well, whatever. Instead of dwelling on the past, I should plan what to do next.
I still don't know if I can return to Earth later or if I have to stay in this world forever.
The worst-case scenario is a bad ending where the protagonist, Kevin, dies, plunging the world into destruction or causing unforeseen variables.
So, assuming I can't return, what's the most effective precaution to take?
Of course, the safest way is to complete the game.
Luckily for me, the cheat code is still valid...
After checking the status window for three days, I can confirm that the stat point cheat has been applied to this character named "Rei."
Although it doesn't have an immediate impact, it can at least speed up my character's growth.
Therefore, expecting immediate growth is difficult, forcing me to train hard.
After confirming all conditions are good, I now need to confirm one more thing. I need to see it with my own eyes to plan my next steps.
Is the main character, Kevin Islana, capable enough to overcome the Hell difficulty on his own?
Or should I intervene and even take over the storyline?
Depending on the situation, I won't hesitate to take the protagonist's position. I'm not as foolish as those who transmigrate into novels or games but refuse to disrupt the storyline even though they know the consequence is the destruction of the world. Well, even though they eventually interfere and become the "true main character" who gathers heroines.