"So I really am inside a novel, damn."
After finishing the tutorial book, Kael understood one thing clearly: he'd been transmigrated into a novel he'd once read — [Hero, The Savior].
Everything matched. The power scale, the Lunius Continent, the core kingdoms and empires — identical to the novel's setting.
He still couldn't fully believe it, but he had to at least pretend to.
"[Hero, The Savior]... damn, that brings back memories." Muttering to himself, he drifted deeper into thoughts of his old life — before he died.
[Hero, The Savior] was the story of a hero who becomes the world's savior — blessed by Mana, strongest under the heavens. But unlike the usual chosen-one arc, this MC rejected his fate on purpose. He skipped the overpowered Magician path and picked Swordsman instead, with a line that got quoted constantly by fans:
"A real man should swing a sharp sword, not some piece of shi— ahem, wood."
Kael had been a hardcore fan of that line. Who wouldn't love a grinder-type MC?
The story had adventure, a bit of harem romance, action, and eventually — the war between humans and demons.
!!
'Wait. Wait, wait. Doesn't that mean I have to fight in that war too?'
If he was really inside the novel, then as a human he'd be expected to fight — or risk being branded a demon spy, since over 70% of humanity ended up in that war. 'Ah, fuck that war. Will I even survive that long?'
Actually — surviving until the war arc alone was a long shot. Right after the intro arcs came the story's first big upheaval: high-level demons summoned straight into Savior Academy, supposedly one of the safest places on the continent. Plenty of people died there. Mostly extras. A few side characters too.
But there was never a "Kael Morwin" among them.
Which meant — 'I'm nobody. A complete extra. For real?'
"..."
"Ah... my head."
Staring at the ceiling, Kael tried to sleep. Couldn't. "Can't sleep, and now I can't even think straight." He sat up and checked the window — dark already.
He grabbed his phone off the desk. 5:56 p.m. "About to be night, huh." Curtains swayed gently as the last daylight faded.
Growl.
Right — he hadn't eaten since waking up. Just thinking about food made the hunger spike.
No kitchen in the room, unfortunately. "Feels like one of those desperate side-character MCs," he muttered, checking the desk drawer he hadn't opened yet. Chips and chocolate. Thank god.
He tore into the chips, chewing while deciding to check outside — hadn't stepped past the door yet. Might pick up something useful.
He pocketed two chocolates and his phone, then eyed his outfit — just a half-sleeve shirt. Didn't want to draw attention by overdressing, but didn't want to be underdressed either.
The wardrobe was beside the desk — no separate changing room here, apparently. Not many clothes, but enough. "Hoodie it is."
He threw one on, then noticed the second drawer he hadn't checked. Inside: a set of keys. "Right, almost forgot these." He grabbed them and shut the drawer.
Before heading out, one last, very important task.
"Just a little here... there... perfect. Way more handsome now, hehe." Fixing his hair. Not too long, styleable.
"Okay, let's go." Growl.
'Let's hope there's something decent to eat.'
The canteen. Obviously.
"Ehh — n-no, I didn't know, and I was in a hurry so I forgot—"
No excuse, and I knew it.
The woman at the counter looked at me like I was the most wanted person in the academy. "Let's say I believe you forgot your ID in a hurry. But what do you mean, you didn't know?"
Genuinely — what did I mean by that?
"Everyone here knows student IDs hold merit points, used as currency. How do you not know that?"
She wasn't wrong. But how could I convince her I really did just forget, in the middle of starving?
"You look suspicious, wandering around with no ID. I might have to report this."
Shit.
"Please, don't — anything but that. I really am a student here, I swear. I just panicked because I was starving and said something dumb. Please believe me." I clasped my hands together, fully pleading now.
I had actually forgotten my ID. Damn this hunger. If she reported me, day one would also be my last day.
Everything had been going fine — why was I tangled up in this already?
Sigh. My life.
"I don't believe you. Plenty of people use that excuse to eat for free. Do you take us for—"
Growl.
"..."
"..."
She looked at me. I looked at her. The silence stretched.
"Okay — I'll go get my ID. Sorry for the trouble." Embarrassed, I turned to bolt, but—
"Wait. Are you really that hungry?" Her tone shifted — less suspicion, more concern.
"Ah — no, it's just... I forgot lunch, and since then I haven't eaten anything." I kept my eyes down.
"What about breakfast? I've never seen you here before. Where do you usually eat?"
I went silent. Not because I didn't want to answer — I genuinely didn't know if this body had eaten breakfast. No way to explain that.
She took the silence as a no and sighed. "You brat. Skipping meals at your age — how are you supposed to survive this academy? Whatever. What do you want to eat?"
"Wait, let me grab my ID real—"
"No need. I'll make an exception. Just today. Don't push it."
"..."
"Really?" Kael stopped mid-turn, already halfway to running, and looked back at her, bewildered.
"What, you don't want it? Fine, your loss," she said, shrugging.
"No — I mean, are you sure you want to let me eat for free?" Wary, but grateful.
"No. Why would I give you food for free? Are you dumb?" Flat. Dead flat.
"..."
'Second time someone's called me dumb today. Am I actually dumb?' Kael stared blankly, self-criticism spiraling. Bring the damn ID next time or die of shame.
"Don't look at me like that. I said exception, not free. Eat now, pay later. Skip out, and I report you to campus security." Smile plastered on, all teeth, zero warmth.
"..."
'Merciless. Just like... her.'
"Okay. I'll pay later. Promise." Kael sighed, a flicker of recognition surfacing.
She was in the novel too — a minor but memorable character. The academy's head chef. Not just any chef — world-class, though most readers didn't clock it until a later side arc. Strict about debts, but soft for anyone genuinely starving. Her signature line stuck with fans: "Food isn't free, but no one with an empty stomach deserves to be turned away."
'She really is pretty. No denying that.' Kael snuck a glance — she was frowning over a notebook, a strand of brown hair falling across her face.
Before he registered it, his hand was already reaching to brush it aside—
"What are you doing?" She glared, hand frozen mid-air.
!!
"Ah — mosquito. Just shooing it off, haha." Even Kael didn't buy it.
"..."
"This is the academy of future heroes. Facilities are spotless, top-tier. You're saying there are mosquitoes here? Are you implying the academy's management is bad?"
She wasn't wrong. The place was flawless. Only an idiot would reach for that excuse. Kael was starting to accept the "certified dumb" label at this point.
Out of excuses, he stayed silent — afraid one more word might make him an enemy of the entire academy.
"Whatever. Write your name and details here, and sign." She pushed the notebook toward him, then disappeared into the kitchen.