"You were waiting for me?" I asked.
The man, who looked strangely familiar, nodded. I felt like I had seen him somewhere before, but I couldn’t remember where.
Then a certain scene from before the exam surfaced in my mind.
"Aren’t you the one who explained the exam rules?"
He smiled and replied in a cheerful tone,"Good that you remember me. My name is Darin, and I watched all of your battles... and honestly, you put on an incredible show—especially at the end."
So that was it.Clearly, he was a talkative type who loved to chat.
He gestured toward one of the chairs in front of his desk."Go ahead, have a seat."
I walked over, pulled out the chair, and sat down.
"It was amazing watching your fight against the final three, especially that part where you started laughing like a madman... only to heal your wounds and eliminate those two girls."
I didn’t understand why this man kept rambling on.
He rested his elbow on the armrest."And then that final battle with Elliot Sivrax... it was truly something else. All those incredible abilities—I was certain he would win without question... yet you managed to endure until the very end using only your own skills."
Was he summarizing the fight for me?
Did he expect me to play along and praise myself or something?
I looked at him in silence. The office grew quiet as he sat there with a wide smile, completely unbothered.
Eventually, I couldn’t stand dealing with this strange man any longer.
"Thank you for the praise... now can you give me my card? I’d like to go see my room."
"Oh, the card—right. I almost forgot."
He opened a drawer, took something out, and placed it in front of me.
It was a black card adorned with golden lines, my name engraved on the front. When I flipped it over, the name of the Hub was written on the back.
Darin spoke as he explained its functions."You can scan it with your phone to access a map of the Hub. In addition, your card grants you access to the academy’s best facilities. You can also use it to pay inside the Hub and obtain everything for free... of course, within a certain limit."
I already knew all of that.
"Can I leave now?" I asked.
Darin nodded."Yes, you’re free to explore the academy. Also, there will be a banquet tonight in the Grand Hall. You must attend as the first-place holder, and the Headmaster will be giving a speech. Classes will begin tomorrow."
"You’ll find your academy uniform in your assigned room. By scanning the card, all your information will appear—your room’s location and number, as well as the class you’ll be attending."
I nodded at his words, then stood up from the chair."Thank you for the instructions."
I headed toward the exit, but he stopped me at the door.
"Wait a moment—I almost forgot. I have a message for you from someone important."
A message from someone important?
I turned around and raised an eyebrow."What is it?"
Darin smiled."It’s from the new Vice Headmaster. She said you should come to her office today, before the banquet."
The Vice Headmaster...
When I thought about it, the image of a woman appeared in my mind. But why did she want to see me?
"Why?" I asked Darin.
He shrugged, looking just as clueless as I was."I don’t know."
I sighed and left the office.
Thinking about that woman, I realized I didn’t know much about her. She was one of the major figures, but she never directly interfered with the game’s storyline.
I pushed the thought aside, rubbing my hungry stomach."I need to find a place that sells food."
...
Over the past few hours, I wandered around the place. I didn’t need any maps—I already knew the general layout thanks to the game.
The Hub was enormous, containing almost everything, like a small city: luxury restaurants, shops selling all kinds of items, and advanced training halls. There were even mechanical dolls capable of fighting those at Rank 3.
Seeing the place in the game and seeing it in reality were two completely different experiences.
Unfortunately, to my disappointment, everything was still closed. They said it would all open tomorrow.
I sighed."I really wanted to try the restaurants here, especially since everything’s free for me."
Oh well. Another day, then.
I checked the time on my phone.
12:03.
It was already lunchtime, so they should be serving food in the cafeteria now.
I made my way there.
...
The moment I entered the cafeteria, I felt countless gazes turn toward me—especially from certain people who looked like they wanted to bore holes through me with their eyes.
I ignored them completely and headed straight for the food.
I grabbed a tray and filled it with every dish that caught my interest until it was stacked to the brim.
Then I walked to an empty table and began devouring my meal. Some people looked at me with clear disgust.
Probably because I ignored all table manners—especially since most of them were nobles.
But who could blame me? Over the past two days, they hadn’t given me any real food—only nutritional supplements for recovery... how cruel.
I let out a satisfied sigh as I looked at the empty tray in front of me.
It had been an amazing meal.
After that, I stood up and left the cafeteria.
It was time to check out my room—the place that would be my home for the coming years.
...
13:34
I glanced at the time on my phone as I stood in the hallway in front of my room door in the first-year dormitory.
My room was on the upper floor, which had far fewer rooms than the other levels.
The reason was simple—it housed the best and most luxurious rooms.
I placed my card against the door panel, and a soft clicking sound followed.
Unable to contain my excitement, I turned the handle and pushed the door open before stepping inside.
The first thing that greeted me was a spacious, neatly arranged living room, furnished with luxurious sofas separated by a table in the center. To the side was a small kitchen overlooking the living area, equipped with various appliances designed to make a student’s life easier. All of it was surrounded by a glass wall that offered a view of the campus and gardens below.
I stepped inside, running my hand over the plush sofas before sitting down and feeling their softness.
"This was definitely worth all that fighting."
I stood up and explored the rest of the room—or rather, the apartment.
It was incredibly luxurious, containing everything I could want: a beautiful view, even a jacuzzi.
The bathroom itself was amazing, and there was a bedroom with a large bed, on which my academy uniform had been neatly laid out.
There was still plenty of time before the banquet in the evening.
So I decided to enjoy myself a little.
...
Lying inside the jacuzzi, with a tray of drinks and snacks beside me—ones I’d found in the kitchen—I savored the moment as if it could be taken away at any second.
But I had no intention of letting that happen.
I let out a sigh, a wide smile spreading across my face.
"This is the life."