← I was summoned to another world, but my job is merchant.# Lumina Academy
When morning light filtered through the window, Junho was already awake.
The words Lucia had left yesterday circled through his mind. Those who belong to the game don't try to win it. They change the rules. The weight of that sentence still hadn't faded.
He got out of bed and opened his hand. The areas where the sword had struck yesterday were already no longer swollen. Something was strange about this body. The recovery speed wasn't normal.
Junho pulled out his skill book.
[Skill Book]
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Current Level: 1
Experience: 0/100
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Acquired Skills: None
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Untitled Skill (Cannot Unlock)
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'Untitled?'
No matter how many times he touched the screen, there was no response. Only that item kept catching his eye. Like a hidden element in a game. Junho opened his notepad and began organizing the information he'd gathered so far.
1. Wongin's identity unknown - Something inscribed on the body
2. Lucia and the mages' purpose - Called him 'hero' but lacking trust
3. Skill Book - Experience system, untitled item
4. Baldwin - Someone who knows Junho's bloodline
5. The game's rules - Still completely unknown
The door glowed red.
Junho jumped and put down the skill book. It wasn't Wongin. Someone outside the room was knocking.
"Are you student Kim Junho?"
The voice was official and cold. Junho got dressed and opened the door.
Two figures in white uniforms stood before him. Gold emblems were engraved on their collars. Junho remembered where he'd seen this emblem before. It was on Lucia's clothes too.
"We're from the Lumina Academy admissions department."
The female figure spoke. Her eyes scanned over Junho.
"Based on the evaluation results from last night, the kingdom has decided to admit you to Lumina Academy."
Junho's heart sank. Last night? The evaluation probably referred to the sword training with Lucia. But that was an entrance exam?
"Here is your admission letter."
The male figure handed over a crimson envelope. The moment Junho reached for it, his Wongin trembled faintly.
Like a signal that something important was about to begin.
"Ah, wait. Can I ask a few questions?"
"If you have questions, you can ask them at the academy. Please arrive at the academy by 3 PM today. A carriage is prepared in front of the main gate."
They were already turning to leave. Junho held the letter. The sealed envelope was radiating warmth.
"Wait, what is Lumina Academy?"
The female figure paused slightly and looked back. A strange emotion appeared in her eyes. Surprise? Or suspicion?
"It's a school that raises heroes. An elite educational institution of the kingdom that produces mages and swordsmen."
"But... what did I do yesterday to pass the entrance exam?"
"That's something you must realize for yourself."
And they left.
Junho held the letter. He hesitated for a moment, then carefully broke the seal.
[Lumina Academy Admission Letter]
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To the recipient of this letter:
You are recognized as one of the few talented individuals who have passed the kingdom's strict standards. Lumina Academy is a place where you learn magic, swordsmanship, and the mysteries of ancient knowledge.
After admission, you will receive:
1. Basic Magic Theory
2. Combat Training
3. Education on the Kingdom's Secrets
In your particular case, you are scheduled to receive direct instruction from Principal Baldwin.
Warning: Those who leak the secrets of this school to the outside will be punished according to the kingdom's law.
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Junho's eyes stopped on one part.
'Scheduled to receive direct instruction from Principal Baldwin'
That person. The one who knows the secret of Junho's bloodline. That existence who was portrayed as a neutral NPC in the game would be instructing Junho directly?
Junho sat on the bed. It was like his position on a chessboard was changing. Until yesterday, he had been trying to find the rules of the game. But now the game was actively pulling him in.
To a larger stage called the academy.
He pulled out the skill book again. The experience was still at 0. But the untitled skill... Junho was pressing it with his finger.
There was no response.
'Is it not time yet?'
Junho began preparing. He gathered his clothes and mentally reorganized the information he'd written in his notepad. And before leaving, he stood in front of the mirror.
The person in the mirror looked weak. But his eyes still shone differently.
'I said I'd find the rules of the game.'
Junho muttered.
'Even if I'm someone trying to change the rules, I must first know what those rules are.'
The Wongin glowed faintly on his chest. As if someone was acknowledging his resolve.
2:50 PM. Junho arrived at the main gate.
A black carriage was waiting there. The door of the carriage also had a gold emblem engraved on it. The symbol of Lumina Academy.
Junho got in.
The carriage didn't move.
Instead, Junho's Wongin suddenly became hot. As if something was pulling him. This sensation was similar to Lucia's magic from last night.
The carriage departed.
But Junho felt it. This wasn't simple movement. The sensation of space bending. The feeling of reality twisting. As if he were crossing a threshold into another world.
The carriage stopped.
When the door opened, Junho faced a sight he had never seen before.
A massive castle-like structure. Its towers were so high they seemed to pierce the sky, and magical runes that shone like stars were inscribed on its walls. And at the entrance of the castle, dozens of students stood waiting.
All were around Junho's age.
But their eyes were different. They carried the pride of those who already knew something, the pride of the chosen.
Junho stepped out of the carriage.
At that moment, every student's eyes turned toward him. And one of them, a black-haired man, burst into laughter.
"Another newcomer has arrived."
"I heard Baldwin is going to teach this one directly. Who is it this time?"
Junho endured their gazes. If this was a game, this was part of it too. And games always reveal their rules through interaction.
Junho took a step forward.
"I'm Kim Junho."
His voice was small, but the Wongin glowed on his chest. As if declaring his identity.
The gates of Lumina Academy slowly opened.
# Lumina Academy Entrance Ceremony
The grand hall was enormous.
The ceiling was filled with constellations drawn in magical runes, and their light descended softly, illuminating approximately two hundred students. Junho stood at the very back of the line. He had a feeling that the order of entry wasn't unrelated to evaluation rankings.
"As expected, we have quality talent this year."
Principal Baldwin's voice echoed from the podium. He was an elderly man past sixty, but his eyes possessed a blade-like sharpness. Junho remembered the sensation of those eyes scanning him—as if they could see through everything.
"Lumina Academy is not merely a school."
Baldwin raised his hand. At that moment, the magical stones embedded in the grand hall's walls all lit up at once. Light shot up toward the sky.
"This is a stage for the chosen. Magic, swordsmanship, and..."
He paused. Junho recognized that the silence was intentional. It was a silence that concealed something.
"...and things beyond that."
The students in the front rows nodded. As if they already knew. Junho felt his origin circle pulse gently. It meant there was information not contained in the system's logic book. Still.
"Now we shall begin the ability assessment."
As Baldwin gestured, a massive magical circle appeared in the center of the grand hall. The runes rotated, making Junho's eyes dizzy.
The first student walked into the circle.
Black hair, refined features, and a gait touched by aristocratic bearing. It was the man who had greeted Junho at the academy entrance.
"Cain Reis."
Baldwin murmured. That alone was enough. The surrounding students' reactions were immediate. The fact that his name was mentioned so early in the ceremony meant he was already being evaluated.
When Cain raised his hand, magic flowed from his body. Black energy wrapped around him, taking form. As if he wore black armor.
"Dark magic, advanced level. Excellent swordsmanship as well."
Baldwin nodded. Cain left the circle, making eye contact with other students. In that gaze was certainty. The certainty that he was the best.
One by one. Then another.
Students entered in turn. They cast magic. They revealed their abilities.
Fire magic, water magic, and occasionally strange abilities Junho couldn't comprehend. Magic that distorted vision. Magic that manipulated gravity. Sound wave magic that made the entire grand hall resonate.
Baldwin gave brief evaluations for each. Most were positive.
"Excellent. Promising. You have a solid foundation."
Junho's heart sank each time his turn drew closer. Not even halfway through yet. By his calculation, he would be around the hundredth.
Then a girl entered the circle.
Blonde hair and blue eyes. Those eyes were calculating. The moment Junho saw them, he knew she was the same kind of person as him. Someone playing a game.
"Elia Marcis."
When Baldwin called her name, Elia opened her hand. And above it, a small sphere of flame floated.
"Flame magic, intermediate level. However..."
Baldwin leaned forward.
"...your control ability is excellent. You're like a mage who prioritizes efficiency."
Elia's lips rose. It wasn't a smile. It was a calculation.
Time passed.
The number of students remaining before Junho's turn dwindled. Ten. Five. Three.
Finally, one last student went. Junho felt all eyes in the grand hall turn toward him. Nearly every student was waiting for his evaluation. What ability the last student possessed, and what assessment Baldwin would give.
Junho stepped forward.
As his foot touched the boundary of the magical circle, the runes began rotating around him. Scanning his body. As if evaluating him.
Junho placed his hand on the circle.
He still didn't know what it meant. But if it existed and if it shone, he thought it was right to show it.
The circle glowed softly.
But that light was small. It wasn't magic either. It was simply light.
Silence fell over the grand hall.
"Hmm."
Baldwin made a meaningful sound for the first time. It wasn't an evaluation. It was a question.
"You have no magic?"
Junho answered, careful to keep his voice from trembling.
"Not yet."
The moment those words fell, laughter erupted throughout the grand hall. It wasn't mockery. It was bewildered laughter.
"No magic?"
Cain lifted his head. Contempt now flickered in his eyes.
"Principal Baldwin, surely you didn't make a mistake? Why would you..."
Baldwin raised his hand. The grand hall fell silent instantly.
"I see. Wait a moment."
Baldwin stood up. And descended from the podium. Slowly, like a hunter circling prey.
Junho felt his origin circle beat faster and faster as Baldwin approached.
Baldwin stood before Junho.
"Kim Junho. Why did you come here?"
Junho thought for a moment. This too was part of the game. An interaction that revealed the rules. He could answer honestly or strategically.
Junho remembered what his profession was.
A business administration student.
"To learn the rules."
Baldwin's eyes sparkled.
"The rules?"
"Yes. The rules of this place. The rules of this game."
The grand hall stirred again. But this time it was a different kind of reaction. Wariness.
Baldwin burst into laughter.
"Good. Then I shall show you. The real rules."
His hand rose.
At that moment, a massive lens appeared above Junho's eyes. Just like what he had seen before in the system's logic book. Inside it, zeros and ones flowed rapidly.
Junho's eyes stung with pain.
But in that moment, Junho understood something.
He didn't yet know what it was.
Baldwin lowered his hand. The lens disappeared.
"No magic? No. You possess a different kind of magic. An interesting child."
Baldwin returned to the podium.
"Kim Junho. You are assigned to the special class. You will receive my direct instruction. Unlike the other students."
Cain's face hardened.
Elia looked at Junho. There was curiosity in her eyes.
And Junho knew.
This was the beginning of the game.