The teacher who had accompanied Iliana stepped behind the podium, a tablet cradled in his left hand.
He had dark skin and long white hair tied neatly behind his back.
The moment the students recognized him, the classroom jolted to life.
The classroom stirred.
"That's him, right?" someone whispered. Murmurs rippled through the room as heads snapped toward the podium.
"Silence!" Kaelen's voice cut through the room. Conversations died mid-word. Even the students who had dozed off jerked upright, eyes wide.
Kaelen Noctar.
The homeroom teacher of Primus. And a major character in the future story.
While he continued introducing himself, I glanced sideways.
Iliana sat perfectly straight beside me, hands folded neatly, silent and flawless—like a porcelain doll on display. I found myself staring longer than I should have.
"Do you have a problem?" Her voice was quiet. She turned her head, just enough for one crimson eye to settle on me.
I swallowed. "N-Nothing."
"Good."
Then her gaze returned to the podium as if nothing had happened—like I was just another pebble on the side of the road.
Iliana Vexana von Helena.
A villain built from a single word.
Pride.
"Who are you?" she suddenly asked.
"What do you mean?"
She turned her head slightly. "As the daughter of the House of Fire, it is mandatory for me to remember the names of all students. Even those who failed."
"..." I stayed quiet, wondering if anyone could realistically remember names to that extent.
"But, I do not remember you. Not as a student, nor as one of the failed applicants. So answer me—who are you?"
She fully turned toward me.
My mind went blank. No words came. I just stayed silent.
Did I… not exist in her memory?
My headache had finally faded. Don't give me more things to think about.
"It must be very fun ignoring me." Kaelen's voice cut the interrogation short.
Iliana returned to her original posture.
I was dumbfounded. My mouth hung open while cold sweat formed on my forehead.
"Nice to see you, sir," I forced a smile.
"Name?"
"Kylen Noor."
"You're the first student to receive a demerit. Now sit straight!"
"Yes, sir!"
Curse you Iliana!
◆
"Since this is the first day, we will not be conducting any lessons. Instead, following today's agenda, we will visit the weapon arsenal. There, you will be selecting your main weapon."
That line marked the end of Phase 1.
[ Phase 1 Completed ]
[Starting Phase 2 — Weapon Selection]
I'm one step closer to the story.
The students celebrated in unison. This was something they had been waiting for forever.
Kaelen sighed as he watched the classroom turn upside-down from a single announcement.
◆◆
Kaelen led us to the arsenal located beneath the academy.
"Now you will be granted one hour to decide what will be your main weapon. Time start... Now."
And thus I faced my mortal enemy once again.
Decision.
Deciding something wasn't really my cup of tea. I usually ended up regretting it in the end or choosing the worst one possible.
And now they expect me to choose a weapon from all of these options. Great.
I wandered around the room, looking at the displays in quiet fascination.
Wait… what classes do I have?
Am I even supposed to choose a weapon?
I should check my class and stats before deciding what to do next.
"Status window," I muttered under my breath.
—————[Class: Commander]—————
Level: 1
Stat point: 0
Stats:
Strength: 6.9 | Dexterity: 6.5
Endurance: 7.8 | Intelligence: 15.8 | Luck: 20
———[Total Base Stat Allocation: 37]———
The stat layout was identical to Jake Miller — my character in Atlas Online.
Jake Miller wasn't a particularly strong character.
His Commander class was extremely team-reliant.
Picking up a weapon wouldn't just be pointless—it would actively weaken me. Both my personal stats and the weapon's stats would be reduced by 70% as penalties.
Choosing something like a sword would be like swinging a dull knife at a tank. The disadvantage would be catastrophic.
"What did I choose again back then?" I muttered.
It's possible I chose a weapon back then, but it wouldn't have given me any real advantage. So what exactly did the past me pick?
As I kept thinking, the weapons on the displays started getting picked up one by one.
"Ugh... Why can't I recall anything?"
Just then a student walked past me. Normally I wouldn't even care, but the creature drifted beside her, responding to her movements without a word.
It sparked a deep memory buried in the back of my mind.
A weapon?
No… that wasn't it. It's not something you hold—
Something that fights for you.
"...Right. That's it. A familiar!"
"That's what it is!"
I ran toward the very back of the arsenal, where a display sat untouched beneath layers of dust.
"Did that guy seriously pick that junk?"
"Is he stupid."
I could hear the comments from the other students, but whatever. It's not like I would team up with them anyway.
"Now I can properly survive in the story."
◆
One hour later, after everyone had selected their main weapons, Kaelen dismissed the class.
Students immediately scattered in every direction, heading off to do their own things.
But a few of us stayed behind. And I'm one of them.
Kaelen approached me, tablet in hand, scanning me from head to toe.
"We meet again, so what did you choose?"
I pulled up my left hand and showed him my middle finger. A black ring rested there, twisting once at the center to form a perfect Mobius strip.
"Do you want to get demerit again?"
"No, sir. See, I chose this ring."
"Why? But the ring is for mage classes. Yours is a support class, right?"
"Even so, it still counts as a weapon, right?"
"But I think it would be best if you pick up a proper weapon to protect yourself."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I already have my own way of protecting myself."
"If you say so."
"Well, see you around." Before Kaelen could say anything else, I turned and ran out of the building
◆
Kaelen didn't leave immediately. His eyes lingered on Kylen longer than necessary.
"Commander class," he repeated. "Then you should understand your own limitations better than anyone."
A brief pause.
"And yet you chose something that doesn't solve them."
◆◆
I left the weapon arsenal and made my way to the summoner's facility.
"I wonder what kind of familiar I'll summon. I still remember how much the direwolf helped me back then."
Just then, a student walked passed by me. One glance was enough for me to immediately recognize them.
It was Lucian.
He were heading toward a very secluded place.
"That's suspicious."
And then another student walked past me again, sneaking. The student wore a black cap, sunglasses, and a mask.
"And that is even more suspicious."
They were obviously hiding their identity.
But from who?
I watch them as they follow Lucian to the secluded hallway.
"I'm pretty sure there was nothing there..."
[ Phase 2 completed ]
[ Starting Phase 3 — Story divergence ]
—————[Main Story]—————
[Arc I — Into the Story]
﹂Act 1 - Entrance Ceremony
└ Phase 3 — Story Divergence
—————————————————
"...Right! The storyline!"
I was so focused on surviving that I forgot something important — This world still had a story progression.
This world existed within a game called Atlas Online. That much was obvious—but it didn't explain everything.
The game itself is an adaptation of a romance fantasy novel—I Entered a Romance Novel By Accident.
The novel follows a girl named Han Seora who entered the world of a romance fantasy novel she had read.
Somehow, her actions eventually led to her replacing the original protagonist.
…At least, I think that was how the story went.
"Then that mean... That was Seora isn't it."
◆◆◆
Iliana returned to her dorm shortly after visiting the arsenal. Her weapon of choice had been a spear—the last thing her uncle had taught her. Even now, she still carried those lessons with her.
Her personal maid was already waiting inside the room. The moment Iliana entered, the maid stepped forward and began helping her change out of her uniform.
"…Jane," Iliana called.
"What is it, my lady?" Jane replied, still focused on adjusting Iliana's clothes.
"Find everything you can about the boy who interrupted me in the classroom today."
"Understood."
The boy seemed completely unremarkable.
And yet, everything about him felt wrong. The academy could not possibly make a mistake during the entrance ceremony. An intruder should have been impossible.
Iliana's gaze lowered slightly.
"I hope he isn't connected to that person… or this could get far more complicated than I expected."
To be continued.