"It's nice to meet you all… I hereby welcome you all to Alrix."
(Clap… clap… clap… clap…)
The students started clapping, some half-heartedly, after hearing the old man standing on stage.
A boy in the crowd squinted at him. An old man with long white hair, a beard to match, and a stupidly tall hat.
Then, something clicked in his head. His hand shot up to his face.
"What the fuck… it's gone?" He ran his fingers over his jaw. His stubby beard—gone. Completely fucking gone.
Panic set in. He shoved his hands into his pockets—empty. Nothing but a damn brochure and a wallet. He pulled out the brochure first.
A golden emblem on the front, big-ass letters reading Alrix Academy. He flipped it open and skimmed through it.
"Welcome to Alrix Academy, where the brightest minds and strongest warriors are forged. Your journey begins now."
He frowned. "What kind of bullshit is this?" None of this made sense. One second, he was exhausted after a shitty part-time shift, and now? Beard gone. Pockets empty. And now, this.
"Alrix… Alrix… why the hell does that sound familiar?" He muttered, gripping the brochure.
Then, out of nowhere—BAM—his head exploded in pain. He clutched his skull, barely managing to stay upright as a flood of memories slammed into him.
His breath hitched. His mumbling turned frantic.
"I… I got transported? Into the world of a fucking novel? What the hell? I just fell asleep after work!"
Still in shock, he yanked the wallet open. Inside was a temporary identity card from Alrix Academy.
His eyes darted to the name on it. And just like that, reality smacked him across the face.
[Name: Ezra Nacht]
[Age: 17]
[Temporary Status: First-Year Student]
[Class: Unassigned]
He stared at the identity card, his eye twitching.
"Ezra Nacht… who the fuck is that?"
The name felt familiar, but he couldn't place it. Then, like a slap to the face, it hit him.
"No fucking way… NO FUCKING WAY!"
His breathing grew ragged as he racked his brain. Ezra Nacht—he was a goddamn extra. A one-time mention, a background character who didn't even make it past the early chapters. He wasn't a prodigy, a hidden boss, or some overpowered character. He was a fucking nobody.
"Are you shitting me? Out of all the badass characters in this damn story, I got stuck as this disposable side trash?!"
"Are you shitting me? Out of all the badass characters in this damn story, I got stuck as this disposable side trash?!"
His hands clenched into fists. He wanted to punch something. No, he wanted to punch someone—preferably whatever cosmic force thought it'd be funny to throw him into this mess.
Before he could spiral any further, a loud voice boomed through the hall.
"All first-year students, please head to the registration booths according to your assigned number."
Ezra sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm down. His eyes flicked back to the card. 741.
"Great. Just fucking great," he muttered, shoving the card into his pocket.
As the crowd of students started moving toward the registration booths, Ezra forced himself to follow. His mind was still a mess, but standing around like an idiot wouldn't help.
"Alright, think, dumbass," he muttered under his breath. "If this is really the world of Tears of a Hero, then I need to remember what happens next."
His memory was a little hazy, but one thing was clear—Alrix Academy was a goddamn death trap.
The novel followed a group of talented protagonists, each with ridiculous power-ups, cheats, and plot armor thick enough to survive a nuke. Meanwhile, extras like Ezra? They were just stepping stones.
"Fuck," he grumbled. "I need a plan. Fast."
He reached the registration booth labeled 700-750 and stood in line, barely listening as the students ahead of him got their official IDs and dorm assignments.
When it was finally his turn, a bored-looking clerk glanced at him.
"Name?"
"Ezra Nacht," he replied through gritted teeth.
The clerk wrote it down, then handed him a small crystal card. "Here's your official student ID. Your dorm room is C-13. Orientation starts tomorrow at sunrise. Don't be late."
Ezra took the card and stepped aside, his mind still racing.
"Alright, step one: don't fucking die."
Step two? He had no damn clue.
Ezra walked away from the booth, gripping his new ID like it was a lifeline.
C-13. That meant he wasn't in the Elite dorms, which sucked, but at least he wasn't thrown into the absolute bottom tier.
"Could be worse," he muttered. "Could be better, too, but whatever."
As he followed the other students toward the dorm buildings, his brain worked overtime.
Alrix Academy wasn't just some fancy school—it was a goddamn battlefield. The weak got trampled, and the strong got all the glory. The main characters? They were basically gods in the making. Ezra, on the other hand, was one bad encounter away from becoming a corpse.
"Fucking fantastic," he grumbled.
The dorms came into view. Three towering buildings—A, B, and C. The further down the alphabet, the worse the facilities. Which meant C-13 was probably a glorified closet.
Ezra pushed through the crowd, found his room, and shoved the door open.
Yep. A closet.
Two beds and desks, and a tiny window that barely let in any light. No fancy decorations, no special perks. Just a place to sleep.
He sat on the bed and sighed. "Okay. Step one: don't fucking die. Step two: find a way to get stronger. Step three… survive long enough to not be a joke."
Ezra leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Orientation ceremony, huh?" He exhaled sharply. "That's my only shot."
In Tears of a Hero, the orientation ceremony wasn't just some lame welcoming event—it was a full-blown trial. A test designed to separate the strong from the weak.
The elites—prodigies, young masters, and future monsters—were placed in Class A. Those with potential but lacking refinement got tossed into Class B. And then there was Class C—the dumping ground for nobodies.
Ezra clenched his jaw. In the novel, extras like me got thrown into Class C by default. The protagonist and his squad dominated the trials, making a name for themselves instantly.
Meanwhile, guys like Ezra Nacht? They never even got a fucking mention.
"Yeah, not happening." He sat up, running a hand through his hair. "If I stay in Class C, I'm dead weight. And dead weight in this world? Doesn't last long."
He needed to figure out the trial. If he could somehow break out of his predetermined fate, he might have a chance.
Ezra opened the desk drawer, hoping for any useful items. Inside, there was a small handbook.
Student Regulations & Guidelines
Ezra flipped open the handbook, If he was going to survive in this damn academy, he needed to know the rules. Even the smallest detail could mean the difference between life and death.
[Student Regulations & Guidelines]
1. Student Conduct:
Ezra scoffed. "Yeah, right." In Tears of a Hero, the strong trampled the weak. Sure, there were 'rules,' but only for people too powerless to break them.
2. Class Rankings & Evaluations:
Ezra's eyes narrowed. So, even if I get dumped into Class C, I still have a shot at climbing up? That was useful. It meant that even if the orientation screwed him over, he could find another way up the ranks. But for that I need to survive that long.
3. Duel System:
He leaned back against the bedframe. This is basically saying: 'You can fight, just don't kill unless we let you.' In the novel, duels were a common way for strong students to establish dominance. Protagonists always used them to humiliate arrogant young masters.
4. Restricted Areas:
Ezra rubbed his chin. "Forbidden Library, huh?" He vaguely recalled it being a major plot point in the novel. The protagonist found some broken ability there early on.
Might be worth checking out—if I didn't die first.
5. Survival Clause:
Instructors reserve the right to enforce emergency measures should a student pose a threat to the academy's stability.> Ezra let out a dry chuckle. "Basically, 'If you die, you die.'" This wasn't a school—it was a goddamn war zone disguised as an academy. No wonder so many extras got wiped out in the early chapters of the novel. 6. Academic Progression & Expulsions: Expelled students will have their academy benefits revoked and will be required to compensate for wasted resources.> Ezra's brow twitched. 'Compensate for wasted resources?' That didn't sound like a simple dismissal. In Tears of a Hero, expelled students usually didn't get a happy ending. Some got blacklisted from noble factions, others were forced into military service, and the unlucky ones? No one knows what happens to them. "Failing isn't an option," he muttered. 7. Combat Trials & Forbidden Techniques: