“Huh?”
The place where I was standing on two feet wasn’t a filming set lined with cameras.
Suddenly, a new world had unfolded before me.
Modern-looking buildings and a bright blue sky with the sun shining high.
The shops nestled between the skyscrapers had strangely familiar names and designs.
The cars passing by on the road were all models I didn’t recognize.
‘What the… Where am I? What about the shoot? And that staff member?’
My brain refused to fully process what I was seeing.
The assumption and information I was trying to grasp were rejected by my mind. The sense of reality from the wind blowing and the faint smells wafting into my nose was utterly bewildering.
My consciousness turned blank, and my body froze.
How long had I been standing there, dazed?
The sound of chattering voices pierced my ears.
─ “If I fail today’s placement test, Mom said she’d cut my allowance!”
─ “You said you were confident in memorization, but you’ve been playing around every day. Didn’t even cram at the last minute, huh?”
─ “Ugh, I don’t know! What am I gonna do…?!”
The lively energy snapped me out of my daze.
“Ha.”
I closed my eyes tightly and exhaled.
I mercilessly bit my tongue—*chomp!*—and felt the sharp pain and metallic taste of blood in my mouth.
‘First of all… this isn’t a dream, is it?’
The vivid sensation confirmed I was alive.
I realized the current situation was real.
Then, I started moving my gaze left and right, gathering information.
The passersby had naturally colorful hair and eye colors.
Occasionally, I even spotted people with animal ears and tails.
It all seemed so normal, as if no one found it strange.
Most of the pedestrians were wearing the same uniform and heading in the same direction.
‘That uniform…’
Of course, I remembered it.
The character ‘Rohan,’ modeled after me, was set to be released in *Abyss City*.
The uniform of Orion Academy, located in the academy city that served as the main stage of that game, looked exactly like that.
‘And the beastfolk are a common race in *Abyss City*.’
A world where even elves exist, though they’re rare.
With a nod of understanding, I looked down at my hands and body.
“…”
The only thing I was holding was a student ID card, given to me as a gift.
And for some reason, I was also wearing the Orion Academy uniform.
My smartphone, which had been in my pocket, was gone, replaced by an unfamiliar device.
Anyway.
After piecing together the evidence scattered around me, I reached a conclusion.
Without a doubt.
No matter how many times I thought about it, it was hard to believe.
‘It’s not like I’m some novel protagonist…’
But it was clear—I had fallen into the world of *Abyss City*.
Just like the characters in the web novels I enjoyed reading.
··
··
This world had a sense of familiarity bubbling up from my experience playing the game, along with its unique bright atmosphere.
But there was also an unfamiliarity that I could feel with my own skin.
‘I’m still in a daze, you know.’
Somehow, I pushed those thoughts aside.
Now, I was left wondering what I should do next.
Luckily, there was a signpost just for me.
[First Step]
◇ Quest Content: Complete the Orion Academy placement exam.
◇ Category: Tutorial
◇ Success Reward: 100P
◇ Failure Penalty: None
Just as I was about to accept the fact that I had fallen into the game and start moving, a semi-transparent window appeared in front of me, welcoming me.
Was this something only I could see? No one else seemed to notice this mysterious floating object.
“An academy placement exam, huh…”
I quietly pondered the semi-transparent window.
I started listing the information that came to mind.
“Wait, isn’t this a part you can’t experience in the game?”
From the beginning, the starting point of Abyss City is after the class assignments are done and the surrounding characters are confirmed.
The placement exam was only briefly mentioned as a side story.
Literally, I only knew of its existence but had no idea what the exam was about.
“This could be fun.”
Though it was filled with unknowns, I didn’t dwell on it for long.
My destination was set: the Orion Academy, as suggested by the quest.
There wasn’t any grand reason.
Simply because it piqued my interest and curiosity.
If there were characters I adored, I wanted to see them in person.
Plus, I was curious about the 100P reward.
But above all, what really moved me was:
“There’s no obligation in this quest.”
The fact that there was no failure penalty gave me a sense of freedom.
Whether I took the placement exam or ran out of the academy city, it didn’t matter.
That was the part I liked the most.
I pulled out the unfamiliar smartphone that had been sleeping in my pocket, checked the date—February 26th—and the early hour, then blended in with the cadets heading to Orion Academy.
As I followed the twitching ears and swishing tails of the beast-folk, the grand entrance of Orion Academy, which I had only seen on a monitor, came into view.
“Wow, seeing it in person, it’s really impressive.”
The entrance had a shiny “No Vehicle Entry” sign, and the cadets were bustling in a line on one side.
“New students! Please have your student IDs ready!”
“Here, we’ll check your student ID and give you your placement exam number!”
“The written exam starts at 10!”
Thanks to the loud voices of the people moving around, I understood the situation.
I shamelessly joined the end of the line.
“Next.”
As the line of cadets moved forward step by step, I could see them showing their student IDs and receiving their exam numbers.
“Oh!”
A thought suddenly struck me.
I fiddled with the student ID in my hand.
“Is this going to be okay?”
Come to think of it, this student ID was a gift, wasn’t it?
Even though it looked the same as the others and had someone’s stamp on it, what if it was a fake?
“Hmm.”
As soon as I recognized it, a subtle tension started to build up, making my throat dry.
‘There was nothing strange in my pocket except for a smartphone.’
So, there was a vague expectation that this student ID would function as the real deal.
But, if you think about it coldly, there’s also the ominous possibility that it could be proven fake.
If it turns out to be a forged student ID and chaos breaks out, should I run away?
Imagining the situation unfolding, I took a moment to look around and secure an escape route.
It was my turn.
“Please show your student ID.”
“···Here it is.”
The person sitting at the desk didn’t look like a cadet.
I guessed they were a staff member of Orion Academy.
“Hmm?”
The staff member, who had been working with a blank expression, changed their expression and scrutinized the student ID closely.
Is there really a problem?
The short wait for a response was suffocating. It felt like a rough hand was gripping my throat.
“Ah! Sorry. I heard there was a new student from the South, but I didn’t realize it was true.”
“···.”
The staff member apologized again, saying they didn’t mean it in a bad way but were just curious, and then pointed to a piece of paper.
“Please just write your name in the signature box here.”
So, they were interested in the country of origin listed on the student ID.
I understood immediately.
‘If it’s the South as I remember, that makes sense.’
If I opened my mouth, a sigh of relief would pour out, so I silently picked up the pen.
I wrote ‘Rohan’ as it was on the student ID and then straightened up.
“Here, take your student ID and grab a number tag.”
The assigned number was 99.
With this ambiguous number, I followed the bustling cadets once again.
‘But why am I from the South?’
Along with curiosity about my character.
[Examination Hall 4]
Inside the exam hall, I felt a burst of excitement seeing faces I recognized from the game.
But soon, it turned into disappointment as only neglected characters were crowded around.
“Tsk.”
I sat at desk number 99, spinning the pen placed there and looked around.
Unlike me, who didn’t even have a bag, the cadets were taking out books, muttering, and doing last-minute reviews.
A written exam. Can I do well?
A common cliché in web novels.
Characters like me, who have been possessed by a game or novel, often crush theoretical exams with pre-prepared knowledge.
So, how about me?
‘Well, if I fail, there’s nothing I can do.’
I didn’t dwell on it deeply. I was satisfied because the new experience was enjoyable.
I was just too happy about the dream-like situation of being possessed by a game.
Not even knowing what subjects were on the written exam, I spent a peaceful time admiring the airship and the academy city scenery outside the window.
At some point, the front door slid open.
Click. Click. Click.
A strict-looking woman entered, holding a thick envelope.
The fact that she had a pistol at her waist gave a sense of reality to the academy, but it was also astonishing.
“No empty seats, I see. Pens…”
“Put everything else in and turn off your smartphone.”
Some cadets, bustling as they organized their books, let out sighs close to lamentation, perhaps feeling short on time.
“The written exam is 120 minutes. Cadets who finish the exam within the time limit may leave and proceed to the practical exam. However, once you leave, you cannot re-enter until the exam is over.”
The examiner continued the explanation, emphasizing that point.
Without moving from the lectern, the examiner began to push the stacked exam papers with a single finger.
The exam papers fluttered through the air and landed one by one on the desks where the cadets were seated.
The cadets’ eyes widened in amazement at the examiner’s incredible control of strength.
“Wow!”
“Quiet. You must not open the exam papers until I announce the start of the exam. Opening them prematurely will be considered cheating.”
In the silence that followed the sharp warning, only the soft murmurs of cadets trying not to forget their memorizations echoed.
The examiner, who had been looking at his wristwatch from the lectern, raised his head.
“Exam begins.”
At the icy voice, the cadets, snapping to attention, rustled as they all opened their exam papers simultaneously.
I, too, gripped my pen with determination and flipped open the first page of the exam.
Question 1) Under the laws of the academy city Elysium, in which case is a fine of 50 coins imposed?
1. A person who enters a restricted area without permission.
2. A person who causes an obstruction that hinders the normal operation of important facilities.
3. A person who removes Orion Academy-owned weapons without authorization.
4. A person who executes an escaped prisoner and fails to report it to the Elysium Security Bureau without just cause.
“…Laws!?”
I really didn’t expect this.
Seeing a question that went beyond my expectations made my head spin.
I flipped through the exam papers to check the other subjects.
There were questions related to monsters and equipment, and some familiar names appeared.
But.
Just because a few familiar words showed up didn’t mean the answers would come easily.
‘What’s the formula for magical conductivity?’
It’s a common story for web novel protagonists to ace written exams effortlessly.
But the Orion Academy written exam isn’t something you can solve just by relying on information from games.
It felt like a reality check hitting me over the head.
‘…’
I picked up my pen, confidently marked an answer with a single line, and then submitted my exam paper first, heading straight to the practical exam venue.
