The academy has prepared dormitories for all the freshmen, allowing them to stay a few days before the exams.
Because of this, most of the people who came to take the entrance exams were already living in the dormitories.
So why am I suddenly bringing this up…?
“Where’s my room?”
When I tried to go back, I… well, I had no idea where Rudion, before I possessed him, had been staying.
There must have been a building and room assigned to him, but since I possessed him during the entrance exam, there was no way to know where he had been staying before that.
Luckily, I had a key in my pocket, so I made it to the 1st Year Male Dormitory building, but I had no idea where to go from there.
Let’s think carefully. The total number of first-year students is almost 100. The male-to-female ratio is about 6:4, so there are roughly 60 male freshmen this time, as usual.
There are six 2-floor buildings, each with 12 single rooms. Trying to guess and check wasn’t even worth the effort.
Of course, I could go into each one and try the key in every empty room until I found the right one.
But that would take forever, and more importantly, if I got caught, I’d definitely be labeled as a total weirdo.
Let’s use my brain. I’m not great at it, but I’ve got plenty of gaming knowledge, so I’ll figure something out.
First, I’ll focus on the fact that this character was never shown from the protagonist’s perspective. I’ll recall episodes centered around the dormitory and start narrowing things down.
Naturally, I’ll exclude the buildings the protagonist uses. And the two buildings that are occasionally explored—I can’t be entirely sure, but probability-wise, I’ll exclude them too.
Then there are the dormitory students I’d face in the dormitory competition. None of their faces matched Rudion’s.
Excluding one more building like that… leaves exactly two buildings.
Building 4 and Building 6.
And I’m really hoping it’s not Building 6.
Because that building is supposed to collapse around the end of the first semester. Not due to terrorism or anything—just some crazy guy who was experimenting and caused an explosion, if I remember correctly.
Luckily, Building 6 is somewhat isolated, so the other buildings weren’t badly damaged, and since the explosion happened during class time, there were no casualties. In the game, it just led to some sub-quests about helping clean up the debris, but if that becomes reality, it’s a whole different story.
I really hope the building I’m staying in doesn’t collapse. No matter how well they handle the aftermath, I just want a peaceful place to rest.
But still… at this point, the ending is pretty much decided, right?
I head into Building 6, which is about to collapse, and try the key in a door where I don’t sense any presence.
By the time I reach the corner of the 2nd floor, I start to feel a little hope. Maybe this isn’t the place after all.
*Click.*
“Ah, I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.”
It’s here.
Yeah, that’s right.
It felt really crappy to have my hopes dashed so quickly.
But well… even though I hoped it wouldn’t happen, I kinda expected this outcome ever since Building 6 made it to the candidate list, so I wasn’t that disappointed.
Bubble bubble-
What can you do? Honestly, as long as I don’t leave important stuff in my room around that time, it’s not a big deal.
*Crack crack!*
*Squeak.*
I opened the door to go inside and entered…
*Whoosh!*
Where the heck is that weird noise coming from since earlier?
I was about to head to my room but turned my head toward the direction of the sound.
I saw mysterious smoke seeping out from the crack of the door next to mine.
“…This is insane.”
Looks like the culprit behind the explosion incident is right next door.
I expected to live in this building, but I never even thought about *this*.
“Actually, is this a good thing?”
If I play my cards right, I might be able to stop the dorm from collapsing.
Of course, I’d have to meet the person inside first.
For now, I ignored it and went into my room.
The original Rudion, who arrived before the entrance exam, wasn’t exactly the tidying-up type. All sorts of luggage and bedding were scattered messily.
I rummaged around to see if I could figure out what kind of guy he was, but there wasn’t much to find.
The only thing I learned was that his main weapon was a small sword that didn’t match his bulky frame.
From the bag, I found a well-maintained small sword that he probably used often. The scabbard alone looked high-end, at least rare-grade.
A small sword, huh… Perfect for some quirky playstyle. Good for holding a shield in the other hand.
Since it’s rare-grade, it’s pretty decent for starting equipment, so I decided to use it for a while.
“Sigh. Let’s just lie down.”
I ended up spending a lot of time rummaging through stuff and organizing as soon as I got in.
I tossed the small sword near the bag and lay down on the bed.
“Ahh, this is nice.”
The surprisingly comfortable and soft texture made me let out an uncle-like sigh of admiration, but there was no one around to hear it…
*Squeak-*
*Bubble bubble-*
Ah, the soundproofing here is terrible. I should keep my voice down.
Now that I finally got to rest, I couldn’t just lie around wasting time.
There was a mountain of things I needed to figure out.
Honestly, there’s quite a bit that comes to mind right away, and even if only a few of them work out, it’d be a huge gain.
I thought of the most systematic and useful feature.
‘Inventory.’
[This feature is currently locked.]
[Unlock condition: Contribute to clearing 5 Rifts with a contribution rate of 40% or higher (0/5)]
Holy crap. I’m so glad I got into the Student Council.
The easiest and fastest way to access the Rift in the Akadeumi was to join the Student Council, and I’m pretty much already in, right?
It’s a relief I didn’t have to hide my powers or anything.
Of course, filling a whopping 40% contribution rate among the elite in the Student Council isn’t easy, and it’s definitely going to make me stand out. But it’s not like it’s a big enough deal to give up my inventory over.
For a while, I’ll have to prioritize Student Council activities. It’s not like this body of mine is growing stats anyway, so training would just be a waste of time. This works out better.
I tried testing a bunch of other stuff, but nothing really came of it.
From friend, party, and guild systems to navigation or warp functions, it seems like none of those functional systems exist.
The only thing that reacted was the好感度 system…
[You cannot check it yourself.]
It reacted, but nothing came of it, so it’s meaningless. Like, who else is checking it if not me?
Whatever. It’s not that important anyway, so I’ll just stop worrying about it.
“Did I check everything I needed to?”
The rest will have to be tested when the situation calls for it. Like healing when I get hurt, or bugs that were used in games.
I don’t really want to injure myself, and the bugs I can try right now aren’t worth the effort.
So, for now, the only thing I’ve gained is the inventory.
Even though it’s still locked… that’s enough.
Quick-swapping using the inventory is my specialty. Just getting it back is like reclaiming half my strength.
Even if it’s not that, not having to carry a heavy bag or deal with annoying pockets during combat is a huge advantage.
Of course, I might be disappointed if it doesn’t perform as I hoped when I unlock it, but at this point, where dodging and parrying work, it’s hard to imagine the inventory having realistic limitations.
I’m starting to feel really tired, so I closed all the system windows floating in front of me and buried my face in the pillow.
“I’ll rest for now.”
Not like there’s much to do here without the internet or a phone. A nap is all I’ve got.
There’s a messenger I can use within the Akadeumi, but I don’t have any friends to chat with right now.
Physically, I’m fine, but mentally, I must’ve been exhausted because I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.
A little while later, I woke up to the sound of something boiling and burning in the next room.
It’s 5 AM, and there’s no sign of anyone around, so it doesn’t seem like they’re pulling an all-nighter. Probably just something left on the stove.
It seemed like he was going to sleep. The level of safety insensitivity is seriously concerning.
Living like that, it’s a miracle the building hasn’t collapsed by the end of the first semester.
Lost in thought, I stretched and got up. Definitely a fantasy body—no morning grogginess at all. It was still early, but I didn’t even feel like sleeping in.
So, I decided to just get up early and get ready to leave. After a quick wash, I stood in front of the mirror and faced my reflection.
It’s still hard to get used to, but I guess this is me now.
I’ve already accepted it, so time will naturally make it feel familiar.
By the way, Rudion’s character design is so well-done that it’s strange he didn’t appear in the original work.
If Seria had a radiant, shining blonde, he had a more subdued, luxurious blonde with a slightly dark aura.
His half-dead black eyes blended well with his handsome appearance, giving off a decadent vibe—like someone who’d wear designer clothes and smoke. Of course, I have no money and don’t smoke.
Anyway, with just that, he could pass as a main character without feeling out of place. But on top of that, he’s got a tall, sturdy build… He’s got it all, really.
Lost in those thoughts, I realized I was already fully prepared to leave.
Finally, I grabbed the small sword I had prepared yesterday and strapped it to my waist.
Unlike the entrance exam where personal items weren’t allowed, from today onward, as an actual student of the Academy, everyone would carry their own weapons.
Some kids flaunt expensive weapons like they’re showing off fancy winter coats, but here, where equipment is considered part of your skill, people just let it slide.
It was almost 6 a.m. If I left now, I’d definitely run into someone, but I didn’t want to just sit around in my room spacing out for an hour.
After all that yesterday, it’d be weird to avoid them now.
With that in mind, I headed out and made my way to the auditorium for the entrance ceremony.
When I arrived, a few assistants were bustling around, finishing up preparations. Amid all the busyness, one person stood calmly, watching the scene.
“Rudion! You’re here early.”
I guess being the Princess really is different. Most freshmen would either feel awkward and avoid the scene or try to help, but she just stood there like an inspector, watching.
The assistants couldn’t even say anything—poor them.
Of course, I had no intention of helping either, so I just stood next to Seria and watched.
It must’ve been annoying, but since I was next to Seria, no one dared to say anything. The Seria guard effect is real.
Before long, the auditorium was filled with freshmen, and the entrance ceremony, prepared with the sweat of the assistants, began.
