After a few minutes reflecting on what was happening, Evan couldn't stop complaining about the body he had awakened in.
"Just look at all these damn stats... even your potential is a miserable D."
"With all these attributes, I honestly wonder how this kid even got into Last Hope."
He was certain he had never read about a character named Evan Thompson in the novel. The body that belonged to him now was nothing more than a simple extra, a background character with no importance whatsoever.
But knowing everything that would happen in the future, Evan couldn't afford to just stand there doing nothing.
"To make things worse, I ended up right in the middle of the disaster..."
"And me being in the Special Class, the class where Mikael and the entire main cast are... that's basically a synonym for trouble."
Evan's first real obstacle was the true potential of that body.
"In New Era, there were only two ways to increase your potential... since it was something you were born with."
"The first one I can already cross off my list. At the top of the Maihas Mountains, there was a small fruit called The Cure of Miracles, which was nothing more, nothing less, than a cheat for the protagonist to break his potential limit."
"And as someone who understands how things work, it wouldn't be me getting in the way of the protagonist's progress... which leaves me with only the second option."
"Signing a contract with some higher being..."
Higher beings were none other than the creatures controlling Etherea behind the curtains. They were the ones who maintained the balance of that world.
Throughout the novel, many humans turned to the demons' side, resulting in humans with increased potential through demonic power.
But as Evan already knew very well, that method came with a high price. Binding your own soul to demons in exchange for scraps had no real advantage.
So what was left?
"Looks like I'll have to rely on the Fire Elemental... what a pain." Evan sighed.
"Considering this Evan guy has an affinity with fire, I guess it's the only possible path right now."
"It's better I sign this contract than leave it to that bastard Moulses."
Moulses appears as one of Mikael's main antagonists in the academy arc. Being part of the royal family, he believed any commoner was completely inferior to royalty, turning Mikael's life into a living hell.
Because he had a high affinity with fire, he ended up managing to sign a contract with the Fire Elemental.
"Yeah... looks like I'll have to go all the way to Fehil Zone. This is going to be a long trip."
...
Since classes hadn't started yet, Evan could use the remaining time for his own matters.
Evan, now wearing the academy uniform, had on a black formal set, along with a white jacket with golden details and the academy's emblem: a golden brooch with an eagle in the center.
"Now I actually feel like a real Last Hope student."
Before leaving on his journey to Fehil Zone, Evan prepared some supplies: ropes, bandages... while storing the items inside the crystal embedded in his forearm.
The crystal in Evan's forearm was nothing less than a multi-task chip provided by the academy. This powerful device had an AI integrated directly into each student's mana circuits, and it also worked as a portable "luggage storage." It was possible to store and retrieve multiple items using that tool.
{Storage Capacity – 10/2000}
"This chip is seriously useful."
The academy provided everything students needed, as long as they had enough credit to pay for it credit earned according to their grades in evaluations and exams.
"I hope this is enough..." Evan murmured, as he left the academy grounds.
When he was about to exit through the main gates, Evan was approached by the academy guards.
"Don't come back too late, kid." One of the guards said.
Evan simply nodded in understanding as he left the academy for the first time.
{14:45 - Saturday, January 17th, 2087}
Since it was still Saturday, Evan still had the entire weekend before classes returned on Monday.
The academy was located in the capital of the Platinum Empire, while Fehil Zone was located on the opposite side of the continent.
But luckily for Evan, in this world there were bullet trains that took only a few minutes to transport someone from one end of the continent to the other.
After leaving the academy, Evan walked for 10 minutes until he reached the train station.
"Good afternoon! The ticket costs 25 tokens." One of the station employees said.
When Evan pulled out a small golden brooch with the symbol of an eagle and showed it to the woman, her expression immediately changed.
"Aah! My deepest apologies, please go ahead!!" The woman apologized, allowing Evan to pass.
"Being a Last Hope student really has its advantages..." Evan bragged.
Students from an academy like Last Hope had multiple benefits within society. First, the way they were viewed, representing the potential they held for the empire. And on top of that, different free privileges in public services.
...
"This is seriously out of this world!"
As the train crossed the continent, Evan couldn't help but admire Etherea's breathtaking landscapes. Being a fully tropical planet, there were thousands of different species and types of vegetation.
Every tree was more beautiful than the last. Along with the different streams that crossed the land.
All of it while the train shot forward at full speed, running on tracks molded through mana and electromagnetism.
"Humans really are a stubborn species..." The boy reflected.
"Capable of adapting no matter the circumstances."
"What a shame there's a being like Baal in this world..."
After about 20 minutes, a robotic voice finally announced Evan's final destination.
"To all passengers, welcome to Fehil Zone."
As he stepped off the train, Evan couldn't help but notice the looks he received from the people at the station.
"Hey, look... it's one of those rich kids from Last Hope."
"They're really lucky, while we have to live like this..."
Those were just a few comments Evan would have to get used to hearing.
Even though most people in this world truly respected Last Hope students, there was a small portion who envied their stats. Especially those who lived here, in Fehil Zone.
Unlike the capital of Platinum, this place was one of the poorest and least fertile zones on the continent. Much of that was attributed to the "God of Fire," a mythology created to explain the infertile lands.
But looking at it from a certain angle... there was some truth to it. And that was exactly why Evan had come to this place.
"Lord Fire Elemental... here I go..."